I reckon that just about everyone who is from my generation will be very familiar with the song Pop Muzik, which was an absolutely massive hit for M in in the summer of 1979. It reached #1 in at least ten countries and went Top 10 just about everywhere else. It sold 1 million copies in the USA alone.
But I wonder how many remember the follow-up, which totally flopped in the States and only reached a very moderate #33 in the UK:-
mp3 : M – Moonlight and Muzak (12 inch version)
It’s another early version of synthpop, and if you have a listen to the first 45 seconds of intro you’ll find it to be very reminiscent of the sort of tunes that would bring The Human League huge success a few years later. And with the vocal delivery from Robin Scott not being far removed from many of guitar-led new wave songs that were so prevalent in 1979, a case can be made for Moonlight and Muzak being one of the cleverest pop songs of 1979 in what was a tremendous year for music.
Albeit, I’m willing to admit that the 12″ version, of which a copy still sits in the cupboard more than 36 years later, has perhaps been stretched out by two minutes longer than necessary.
Here’s a bonus cover of the big hit from a very surprising source:-
mp3 : Tricky – Pop Muzik
b-side to his 1999 single For Real
Enjoy.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 