Did we ever come to a conclusion as to who Marshmallow actually was? (and it wasn’t me, before you ask)

The very same – Donoghue v Stevenson.

And “Below Average White Band” is genius!

(Second favourite, of course, Bi Jovi!)

I don’t hear anything particularly redolent of the town by the Cart (was tempted to say, “anything particularly Cartesian” about this record). In fact, having now spent as much of my life away from Paisley, as in it, I’d have to say that if this had originated in Banbury, I’d have seen it as a much better fit.

Anyway – this dissing of Paisley must cease. Cease and desist! Has it not brought you Stealer’s Wheel? Gerry Rafferty? The aforementioned David Sneddon? And Paolo Nutini? It should be recognised as the apogee of aural approbation, and not remembered simply as the exponent of a whizz-bang textile design classic, and the locus of the most important case in the law of tort for (those poor benighted jurists in) the common law world.

Nowhere in Edinburgh is Awfully Nice during the Festival…;-)

(i stayed back in the shadows)

“Do the Crispy Ambulance!”

I’ve got a slightly better idea of what the disco stomp might have looked like. In my head, its quite an ungainly dance.

And as regards early 1980s Popular entries, it turns out that we haven’t quite done with syndrums yet…

Re Mike at 81 yes bit of an omission on my part how could I forget Starchild.

Someone mentioned is this where syndrums went to die…I suppose it was until they were resurrected as a sample of Rose Royce’s ‘Is It Love You’re After?’ on ‘The Theme to S-Express’ 7 years later.

Re this idea about dance music getting harder the further north you get wouldn’t it be more true to say that the further you get from London the less “funky” the sounds get (with the possible exception of the Manchester area).And when talking about hard sounds doesn’t it really mean the central belt of Scotland and possibly Newcastle/Sunderland/Middlesbrough (and of course Holland and Belgium!)And not as I saw someone write in an article on the net a few months ago said when completely missing the point that they are all having it bigtime to gabba in the Shetlands etc!I’m sure from my walking holidays up there (northern Scotland not Shetlands) and in other rural parts of Britain another point could be made that those tiny rural discos you find in small towns are the last holdout of the mainstream pop/inanely chatting wedding style dj which were once so prevalent everywhere else.

There was The Rah Band too, though they could be as High Street cheesy as Kelly Marie they had their moments, ‘The Crunch’ in particular.

Speaking of Scottish pop types- hey, what have you got against BA Robertson, Tom?! Anyone who can write “We Have A Dream”, The Greatest Football Song Of All Time (Fact!)for the 1982 Scotland World Cup Squad,is ok w/ me…..

It’s definitely true about the early Level 42 singles the b-side of ‘Love Games’ ‘Instrumental Love’ was held up as probably their peak. “Are You Hearing (What I Hear?) was another good one. Of course early-Level 42 were thought “authentic” enough for a Larry Dunn and Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire to ask to produce their “Standing In the Light” album which included their first big pop hit The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)

Probably the one British disco track that I’ve never heard even the most anti UK soul/disco fan dare to criticise was Atmosfear’s “Dancing In Outer Space” which even crossed over to the US market…Probably one of the best pre-house dance tracks made anywhere in the world full-stop.

And as such, it doesn’t work – the melody is all wrong for dancing, but great for belting out in the back of a pub. You couldn’t imagine ‘Stayin Alive’, ‘Heart of Glass’ or ‘I Feel Love’ in such a context, but I could see this one no problem.

It explains why it’s so quirky and charming, and yet enduringly popular here (and one presumes totally unknown abroad). It’s a strange and foreign mix – and probably as bewildering to outsiders as the Wehrmacht jazz bands that so amused GIs occupying Germany in 1945. And like those, the form is there but the point is missing.

Which led onto a troubling thought – pub rock as the true sound of Britain. At its best this ensures the popularity of great anthems; but at its worst glam meaning Glitter over Bowie, and Oasis’ fatal lack of ambition.

Say what you like about Marcello, but he always writes well!!