For this week's regular Reminiscings of Youth episode, I think that it may have been Oscar-winning Ang Lee who once pointed out in an interview that he and his fellow directors were probably the most miserable employees within the production crew of any movie. For me, I would see his bet and raise him another 50 in the form of saying that perhaps it's the professional critic who might be even more angst-ridden. Case in point: Stereogum's Tom Breihan absolutely tears apart Sheena Easton's "9 to 5 (Morning Train)" on a number of fronts and for reasons that the fans actually love the song (although he is much kinder with her later tunes). I'm trying to imagine his residence with a sizable hole in the wall where he daily smashes his head from frustration.
Kinda like Don Music above here. He must have a line in his budget that simply says "TYLENOL".
Well, luckily, I'm on the side where I actually do like Easton's "Morning Train". The song was released in May 1980 in the UK and then nearly a year later in America. I can vouch for that latter release date since it's one of those signpost songs of my memories of the decade. "Morning Train" hit me like the...well, proverbial morning train when I first heard it on the radio.
On Wikipedia, it's been categorized as both pop and music hall. I don't quite know what constitutes a music hall song but perhaps it's that bossy saxophone or synthesizer sounding like a bossy saxophone. In any case, it was indeed that intro that drew me in. There was something about that Florrie Palmer la-dee-dah melody that simply hit right and gently helped me up into the pop music bandwagon that I would now inhabit. It was no wonder that I was repeatedly listening to "Morning Train" when I was on that morning plane heading to Japan from Toronto on that Summer 1981 Japanese language graduation trip; I needed something to take the edge off on my first trip without my family accompanying me.
A few years later, I found out that there actually had been a music video for "Morning Train". Easton looked fabulous but I think it was a bit odd for her to be slinking about in a suit that looked more appropriate for a disco than a small railroad town. Regardless, it hit No. 1 in both Canada and the US while it "only" peaked at No. 3 in the UK.
Well, let's go with the UK release month of May 1980. What was at the top of the Oricon charts back then?
1. The Chanels -- Runaway
Fireminer here. Having ridden a train from London to Brighton and back, I'm no fan of British railways, though I heard that things used to be better before the privatization. And it is a lovely tune that you inducted today. I'd say it is less music hall and more like radio music. It sounds like something Radio 2 would play every morning on their breakfast show.
ReplyDeleteI did hear of the notoriety of British railways. If I ever visit England, maybe I'll keep things within London.:)
DeleteHaha, I actually follow Tom's column over at Stereogum and it's really enjoyable reading his opinions on the number 1 one songs in America. I don't agree with everything he writes(and the comment section will let him know lol) but I respect where he comes from. He recently published a book about important number 1 songs that shaped the music industry.
ReplyDeleteHi there. Yep, I've got nothing against Tom and his opinions but I have to disagree with him on "Morning Train" though.
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