1999 by Prince

This all time classic single was released by Prince 30 years ago in September 1982.  Wow, 30 years ago...It was from the album of the same name.  The song is somewhat apocalyptic  but quite upbeat too.  Back in 1982, 1999 seemed a long way away.

It is 30 years ago, but I swear this song does not age, but the same can be said of a lot of Prince's music, he is timeless and is (still) an amazing instrumentalist, writer and singer.

I was dreamin' when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray But when I woke up this mornin', could've sworn it was judgment day The sky was all purple, there were people runnin' everywhere Tryin' to run from the destruction, you know I didn't even care

 
Say say two thousand zero zero party over, oops, out of time So tonite I'm gonna party like it's nineteen ninety-nine

The song on release hit number 12 in the USA and number 25 in the UK.  It was re-released in the UK in1985 and hit number 2.  It remains one of Prince's best known songs.

It was also re-released at the end of 1998 to take advantage of the Millenium.

Here's a great acoustic cover version too

Upstairs at Erics...covered

This very influential album was released by the band Yazoo just over 30 years ago.  I know the band was called Yaz in the USA, for reasons I don't care to know, but in my world Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet are Yazoo!

This was the bands first album, coming a year after Vince had left Depeche Mode at a time when they had hit it big, and Vince was the main songwriter, but he didn't feel the direction the band wanted to go in was for him.

Yazoo only released two albums but this first album remains one of my all time favourites.  I don't know what it is about cleverly constructed electronic music, but it obviously does it for me.  This album reached number 2 in the UK and 92 in the USA and I think the combination of Vince's lyrics and superlative Synthesizer skills with Alison's (born Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet) fantastic vocals is a killer combination not bettered since in my opinion.

Following the recent Brothers In Arms covered blog in my 1985 blog,  and featured on Coverville, I now present to you this fantastic album in covered form(11 out of the 12 tracks)

1. "Don't Go" covered by Madhen

 

2. "Too Pieces covered by IAI6

 

3. "Bad Connection" covered by the Champagne Saints

 

4. "Midnight" by Cynthia Morehouse (just vocals - wow!)

 

5. "In My Room" covered by Inter-Connection

 

6. "Only You" covered by The Flying Pickets (Sorry, just had to!)

 

7. "Goodbye 70's" covered by Casm

 

8. "Tuesday" by Inter-Connection (again, sorry, limited choice!)

 

9. "Winter Kills" by Ray Fairhurst (with help from Alison...)

 

10. "Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)" covered (brilliantly) by Westley

 

11. "The Other Side Of Love"covered by...sorry, could not find cover, hence original music video

 

12. "Situation" covered by Tom Jones