Conference marvin::uk_music

    3 votes for me.
    
    Of course Madonna, for her chart domination (6 & 7 No1's in the UK &
    USA respectively), 24 singles, either writing/co-writing those
    brilliant songs, producing them, the live performances, the romances,
    something to read about, my mentor for ambitiousness and for not taking
    any notice of other people who wish to put her down (like the press)
    
    The Pet Shop Boys for their great songs, including the Dusty
    Springfield and Liza Minelli sons and for the great production.
    And for being value for money by putting good/new songs on alll their
    B-sides.
    
    New Order for growing their music and for going so long while staying
    at the forefront of the industry.
    
    
    MattyB
    
    MattyB

    Ok - lets be controversial.
    
    There is only one person who has produced any music that is radically
    different, challenging, breaking new frontiers etc etc in the 80's,
    
    "Lets hear it for TOM WAITS"
    
    Rich    (running for cover)

    Dave A. Stewart (otherwise known as the Duke of Northumberland)
    
    Great Producer, other half of Eurythmics, husband to Sioban Fahey
    (sp?), produces amongst others - Eurythmics, Feargal Sharkey, bits
    of Bob Geldof, and more...
    
    
    Other greats???....
    
    Bob Geldof
    
    Annie Lennox

    Mmmmm , How about:-
    
    Vince Clark- founder of Depeche Mode/Yazoo(Alison Moyet) and now
                 Erasure.
    
    Prince- writes,produces,performs ...what a guy!
    
    Annie Lennox/David Stewart- as above  " "  " (s!)
    
    Daniel Miller - the man how founded and runs the Mute label.
    
    Richard Branson- gave us Virgin and me a cheap flight to the States
                  
    Paul Weller- possibly scraping the barrel now but produced some
                 gems.
    
    Martin Gore- for not selling out to larger labels or hype and doing
                 what he wants
    
               ..unlike ...
    S.A.W.- who very cleverly managed to dominate/dictate to the music
            buyers what to buy. The original idea was sound but I think
            they have squeezed it to death ,they are taking the pi*@.
    
    Madonna- Tacky/sleazy/beautiful/funny and does what she does best!
    
    Grace Jones- for entertainment value and for "helping" Jean Paul
                Gaude to where he is now.
    
    Boy George- for having the nerve to look/sound/do what he feels
                but NOT for cocking it all up. 
    
    I'm sure there are more . I think the eighties have been an excellent
    decade for music ,but then I would ..I started buying records 10
    years ago!!!!BTW ; and I don't mean the charts as the best often
    don't get anywhere near them!!
    
    David.

There are a lot candidiates that can go here - Prince, U2, Bruce Springsteen, 
Michael Jackson - and those are just the big names!

But rather than listing whom I think is the best, I'm just gonna put forth my 
personal favorite - Dave Edmunds.

Dave started out the decade by releasing one of my favorite albums of all 
time, Rockpile's 'Seconds of Pleasure'. Shortly afterewards, Rockpile broke 
up, but Dave returned to a great solo career. He released 'DE7', again one of 
my all-time favorites. Other albums in the 80's included 'Twangin' and 
'Information'.

Then there is Dave Edmunds, the producer. He did all of the Stray Cats albums. 
He produced the Fabulous Thunderbirds 'Tough Enough' album. He made the Everly 
Brothers shine on 'EB 84' - a brilliant album that stands right next to their 
early classics! And he did a great job on k.d. lang's first album as well.

Dave also produced the soundtrack to 'Porky's III'. While the movie was 
nothing more a stupid teenage film, the soundtrack was great! Jeff Beck 
covering 'Sleepwalk' and The Crawling King Snakes (w/Edmunds, Robert Plant, 
and Phil Collins) doing "Philadelphia Baby" were just two of the highlights of 
this album. Other artists included Willie Nelson, George Harrison, Greg 
Allman, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Dave also was musical director of the Cinemax TV special on Carl Perkins. I 
don't know if this was ever broadcast in the UK, but it was a great live show 
with the likes of George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and Dave Edmunds 
paying tribute to the legendary Perkins. Great show!!!

Anyways, for these reasons (and others I've probably forgotten), I think Dave 
is my favorite artist of the 80's.

Alan S.

    I how I don't get bashed on this one but.......
    you can't leave out Michael Jackson.  He symbolizes all the
    absurdities that went on in the eighties.  From world wide fund
    raiser to medical fears(sleeping in the hermedically sealed 
    oxygen bed).  This man is a true performer.   

    
    	re Dave Edmunds,
    
    	He also does a great job producing/playing on the newish
    	Dion Di Mucca (yup the same one)  album 'Yo Frankie!',
    	great stuff (one song excluded)


    	Doug.

    
    
    If we're talking pure *talent*, in terms of musical, songwriting,
    innovation, vocal and influence, it has got to be....
    
    
    

    
    
    P R I N C E
    
    
    I'm astonished at some of the previous comments - Pet Shop Boys,
    Boy George, Madonna etc actually being considered amongst the most talented
    of the last decade????

    Good grief.
    
    
    Michael
    

    
    
    For me it has to be Peter Gabriel. With album releases like "So"
    and his various film scores, the videos and his appearances with
    other artists, the Amnesty and Womad projects and his stage
    preformances both solo and with Genesis (Six of the best concert,
    MK Bowl, 1983/84ish) he has to be one of the most innovative 
    artists of the 80's.
    
    
    My 2p's worth !
    
    Jez

    Well , it might be a bit predictable coming from me , and I agree
    with most of the other suggestions , particularly Peter Gabriel,
    but for me it has to be Fish for performance and lyrical skills
    as well as having a great voice . He steered Marillion from being
    a rather dirgish (dirgey?) instrumental band to supergroup status
    over the period 82-87 .
    
    Anyway , he's a nice bloke . :-)
    
    PETE

    Another vote for Peter Gabriel.
    A criticism of him is that he takes his time between albums, although
    I don't think he's produced a bad one yet.
    
    Six of the best was October '82 I think.
    
    -Graham. 

    Another vote for Tom Waits - easily thge most interesting and talented.
    (in my umble opinion etc).

    - Tim

    
    Its got to be equal between Prince and Steve Vai.

    Tony, you *have* been quiet recently.....
    
    Juju
    xxxx
    

    
    re:.16
    
    Are your spectacles not strong enough or are you just being 
    ignorant ?                                            
                                                          
    re.17                                                 
                                                          
    Hi Ju, me quiet ? Naa... I've been reading but not doing much writing
    in here.
            
    Cheers, 
    -Tony

    For Learning who steve Vai is, he is the guitarist who plays for
    the devil at the end of the film crossroads...getit out on video
    NOW !
    
    Juju
    xxxx
    

    
    Also the guitar player for Frank Zappa, Alcatraz, David Lee Roth
    and now Whitesnake.
    
    -Tone

    playing for alcatraz is hardly an incitment to like Vai.......
    
    Juju
    xxxx
    

    
    Na na nana na.

    
    The most talented person of the 80's musically whether u like him R not
    undoubtedly was PRINCE!
    
    Plainly obvious from critical point of veiw:
    
    Songwriter:(Hundred's of song's including Manic Monday,Kiss,When doves
    cry,Nothing compares 2 u, Sometime it snow's.. ,SotT,Raspberry
    beret..etcetc..)
    
    Musician:Plays 27!!! instruments very well.
    
    Singer:yes he can sing 2!
    
    Dancer:A fantastic dancer, not as fast as Micheal but more spontaneous,
    diverse and entertaining 2 watch.
    
    Producer:A very distinctive style of production.
    
    Composer: He not only writes the songs he composes the music 2!
    
    Live performer: Possibly the best ever.
    
    He's a one man show he does the lot.......
    
    I also have a great admiration 4 Tom Waits( who also listens 2 Prince)
    overall he would have 2 come 2nd but Tom I think is a better
    songwriter than P, "breakfast in the eye of a hurricane.."    .
    Another offbeat songwriter is Mark E.Smith Lead singer of the Fall
    .
    I know there were other talents during the 80's
    but P,Tom, and Mark definitely stood apart from the rest in my veiw.
    
    AS regards Madonna, does chart domination = talent?
    
    Camille.
    
            

    ME.
    
    Nige

    
    Madonna ? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! She would win the most untalented bimbo
    award!

    So Def Leppard are alright cos they shift units but Madonna's an
    untalented bimbo? 

    I thought that Def Leppard were untalented Bimbo's aswell.
    
    God one of them thought "I'm so shit I'm going to cut my arm off,"  and
    the other just did the decent thing and hung himself.  But still the
    rest of the band don't get the message.
    
    Nigel 

    Yeah but Nigel, to quote you,
    
    Where is *your* band playing tonight and how much will *you* earn ?

    Tony,  I was gigging (as I do most nights at the moment).
    
    Def Leppard probably did the ropes,  and 'cut their teeth' in much the
    same way as I'm doing at the moment.  The only thing that I hope is
    that I don't end up doing sub-standard purile trash for thirteen year
    old metal fans.
    
    But point taken all the same.
    
    
    Nigel

    Also Tony,  Tonight, which is the night in question,  I am not gigging, 
    I will be sitting at home saying  why the bloody hell am I not gigging
    tonight.
    
    Nigel  (P.S. anyone need a bass player tonight?)
    
    

    
    Nigel,
    
    Then do you fancy coming down Fat Jacks for a beer ? Me and Alex (our
    vocalist) are going to see if the stage is big enough to fit our
    drummers kit on. Send me mail if you do - we may need yer advice.

.31>     sub-standard purile trash 
                      ^^^^^^

Since you use this word a lot, you should be aware that it's spelt "puerile".


mc grammar

    RE.33
    
    Tony,  I would have loved to come out for a beer tonight,  but the
    missus has just invited her Father over for dinner.  (Basically a
    ploy by her to get hold her computer back).  Guess who's cooking!!!
    
    If I get the chance then I will,  but I don't think that I'll get a
    break from my chores.
    
    
    BTW - How long did you wait for the gig at the Dolly,  We may well try
    to get in there for a night,  it looks like a good venue.
    
    
    Re .-1 Thanks 
    
    
    Nigel

    
    The Oxford Dolly its a good venue to play. Its small and packed but
    has a great vibe there.
    
    We were lucky, the guy liked our tape lots (believe it or not!) and
    said he was looking for a good band for the date we got, which is the
    2nd Sept. Normally, there is a FOUR month waiting list. (FYI They don't
    normally have that many cover bands playing).
    
    The best night to play there is a Sunday and if we do well on the 2nd
    he's promised us some Sundays.
    
    -Tony

    You'll smash all the Oxford bands for six.  I've heard some of them.
    
    I thought that it was a mainly original band joint, we may try, but
    there again it all depends on what the pay is.  
    
    It's only one of about four venues in Reading.
    
    
    Nigel
    

    
    The pay is as follows :-
    
    �2.00 per punter on the door.
    
    First 17 punters that walk in, the dolly gets the money (�34). for each 
    punter that walks in after that, the band gets �1.40.
    
    That includes advertisment on two radio stations, adverts in NME,
    Melody Maker, Kerrang, PA, lighting, flyers and posters.
    
    VERY cushy gig! 8^)

    You should make it we take the door,  you take the bar.
    
    Or we take 1.40 from the door,  and 10% from the bar.
    
    Preferably take a flat rate of �180-00,   that way you certainly won't
    lose out and your guaranteed money.
    
    
    imho
    
    Nigel

    
    Is this the NEWOA::DALLISON & PEKING::BARKERN mutual appreciation
    society conference ? Perhaps you might consider continuing this
    discussion via mail...
    
    Trevor (Moderator)

    NO  We are simply the most talented people who sign in to this
    conference, and are expressing the same in the appropriate note.  The
    problem is that no-one understands us.  
    
    
    You're just jealous because you don't get spoken about.  
    
    
    After all this is the UK_MUSIC conference,  and we are both probably
    the most important undiscovered discovery in the British Music scene.
    
    
    Nigel
    
    
    P.S. We ain't goth's either. 

    I think I`m gonna throw up!

    
    re: .40
    
    Pah humbug, get a life!

    
    Nige,
    
    I think you went OTT with that little speach BTW 8^)

    I'd entered it before I put in the silly little face type thingy.
    
    I'll get it here now.  8-)
    
    Nigel
    

    My Mum