Wednesday, October 21, 2009

My name is Norman Bates. I'm just a normal guy.

Mid-week Music - Landscape, "Norman Bates"

Landscape was a British act and one of the dozens of synth pop bands that roamed the literal landscape during the Jurassic era that was the New Wave. They produced three albums, but saw their greatest success from their deliciously-titled 1981 release From the Tea-rooms of Mars...to the Hell Holes of Uranus (Try that one out the next time you're playing charades.) The first single - "Einstein a Go-Go" - made it to the Top Five of the UK singles charts, but the follow-up was not quite as successful. While "Norman Bates" only managed #40 in Britain, its video found a home on America's spankin-new MTV, where, after a period of light rotation, it became a staple of subsequent Halloweens. Leader Richard James Burgess - a session drummer who had played on The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," would go on to produce such acts as Kim Wilde, Adam Ant and Shriekback. He's presently employed by the Smithsonian, handling sales and promotions for their Folkways recordings.

As you can see, Norman and Mother have traded up to considerably more impressive digs. Must be a bitch for, uh, two people to keep clean.


1 comment:

Jeff Allard said...

I thought I knew my early MTV but this must've passed me by somehow - great clip!