Tune Tag #96 with Pe Dupré of The Twelve Inch, Pt. 2: Heart, Matia Bazar, Marilyn, Grass Roots, Jody Miller, Peter Gabriel, Partisans, Kate Bush

ABC-TV's "Wide World of Sports" began: "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport."🌐Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of music! It's a transatlantic Tune Tag!🌎

Tune Bag? Nope, not quite!

Tune Tag welcomes back Pe Dupré of

The Twelve Inch (Disco/80s)

!

Biking one morning, Pe bumps into an agreeable street-vending dentist, who’s more than happy to offer a free Belgian waffle with root canal!

Click here to enjoy Pe’s first Tune Tag from August ‘24!

“Hi! I’m Pe Dupré, a Belgian-born music addict with a lifelong disco affliction that, fortunately or not, was never properly treated. Disco was my launchpad into the vibrant world of the ’80s: synth-pop, new romanticism, and all the dance-driven styles that borrowed from disco’s DNA.

“My preferred medium has always been the twelve-inch single, a format born in the heart of the disco era for DJs, which later evolved into a commercial staple, and remained influential well into the early-’90s.

“That golden era is the focus of my weekly newsletter: One artist, one track, one twelve-inch at a time. Each edition dives deeper into the story behind the music, whether it’s the artist, the remixer, the cultural context. And, every episode comes with its own carefully-curated soundtrack, in the form of a mixtape/mixset on MixCloud!”

Last week, we enjoyed the company of

Greg Nix

of

Chortle

for his first Tune Tag!

Tune Tag #95 with Greg Nix of Chortle: The Kinks, Ricky Skaggs, Scary Pockets, Camille Yarbrough, Roy Wood, The Wombles, Grace Cummings

Next week, make a note to join us for the debut Tune Tag of

Nate Spins Vinyl

!

Pe’s song #1 sent to Brad: Matia Bazar, “Ti Sento,” 1985 (Italian: “I Hear You”)

Pe’s rationale: There aren’t many songs from the ’80s that have etched themselves into memory quite like this one by the Italian band, Matia Bazar. “Ti Sento” was their biggest hit across Europe, and in the summer of 1986, it topped the charts in Belgium.

I was completely hooked. But, “Ti Sento” wasn’t my first encounter with their music: I became a fan with their 1983 album Tango, a beautifully crafted record that marked a turning point for the band. As the excellent newsletter, Italian Disco Stories, recently noted, Tango is a “synthesis between melody and technology.” After an experimental album in 1984 (Aristocratica), Matia Bazar returned with Melanchólia in late 1985, and the single “Ti Sento” slowly climbed the charts, eventually becoming a European smash by the summer of ’86.

“Ti Sento” is nothing short of an anthem. Caroline Polachek described it best in Rolling Stone: “There is this feeling in her vocal performance that her eyes are gonna pop out of her skull, it’s so intense.” And she’s right; the emotional urgency in Antonella Ruggiero’s voice is unforgettable.

Back then, I studied history at Brussels University. When exam season hit in June 1986, I was completely unprepared and scrambling to salvage what I could. Those were long nights and early mornings. And every single day, just before I caught the train to Brussels for my next exam, I followed the same ritual:

Headphones on, “Ti Sento” blasting. That song gave me the jolt I needed, a shot of pure energy and determination! I still love it. Part of that love comes from its sheer musical power, but another part is tied to its secret strength, the way it pulled me through when I needed it most.

Matia Bazar synch their way through “Ti Sento” for the Dutch TopPop TV show:

Brad’s response: Wiki: “Matia Bazar is an Italian pop band formed in Genoa in 1975. The original members of the group were Piero Cassano (keyboards), Aldo Stellita (bass), Carlo Marrale (guitar, vocals), Giancarlo Golzi (drums), and Antonella Ruggiero (vocals).

They represented Italy in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest with a song called “Raggio di luna.” They are known for the quality of their female vocalists. “Ti sento” peaked on the charts in Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy. The group achieved several major successes, amongst which the win of two Sanremo Music Festivals in 1978 and in 2002.

Brad’s song #1 sent to Pe: Jody Miller, “Crazy on You,” 1979

Pe’s response: One of the things I love most about Tune Tag is how each thread weaves its way through the music, often in the most unexpected ways. I mean, what could possibly connect an ‘80s Italian band and an American country singer? �� I was stumped at first.

Then it clicked: Both Matia Bazar (in 1978 and 2002) and Jody Miller (1965, below, at 24) had appearances at Italy’s most iconic music event, The Sanremo Music Festival:

I had never heard Miller’s version of this Heart classic before, and it truly surprised me. It’s a great song, and her rendition is genuinely excellent.

Brad’s rationale: Country Heart! Country’s Jody Miller covers “Crazy on You”!

From Wiki: Lead singer, Ruggiero adopted the pseudonym Matia as a stage name. (“Matia” meaning “craziness” or “crazy woman” in the Genoese’s vernacular), so I took Heart’s “Crazy on You,” and chose this Jody Miller single from ‘79.

[Last minute add by Brad: I had no idea both singers had appearances at Sanremo! Unbelievable and unworldly find, Pe!]😱

Pe’s song #2: Heart, “If Looks Could Kill,” 1985

Ah, the ‘80s: Hard to believe there was any other decade that had such a demand for sartorial bravery! Hair care? Please: Every tour bus had to be outfitted with a case of AquaNet and a yard rake (and, that was just for the fellas!).