JONA LEWIE - Heart Skips Beat 1982

 

This is my New Zealand bought copy of Jona's album and it gives me pleasure and pain in equal measure.

The pleasure is that I've got a very distinctive, definitely Kiwi version of this album. Jona recorded on the Stiff label and this pressing incorporates a map of New Zealand into the name 'Stiff'. 

The pain is because the cover states very clearly that it includes a copy of 'Kitchen at Parties' and I can't find mine anywhere. Somewhere in the past 40 years it got left behind.

Stiff Records came about in 1976 when punk began to gain momentum. They started grabbing bands and artists right left and centre, sometimes leading to success - Nick Lowe, Ian Drury, Elvis Costello, Madness etc - others fading out as quickly as they charged in - who remembers Plummet Airlines or The Feelies?

Along the way they found Jona Lewie in 1977. Although he became more well-known through his work with Stiff, Jona had been around the traps for quite a while, starting his first group in 1963 at school.

He was on TV in Europe in the late 60's early 70's as part of Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts and supported Derek and the Dominoes and Son House. He also had a #2 UK hit in '72 with 'Seaside Shuffle', a song he wrote and was released under the name Terry Dactyl and the Dinosaurs.

In 1980 he released the single 'You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties' (which I lost, did I mention that. It's gone.) Not surprisingly, as I bought this album there, the song achieved it's highest chart position in New Zealand, making it to #3.

I've added the video clip for 'Parties' at the end of this post, partly because it's a good song and partly because of the backup singer in the yellow dress. None other than the amazingly talented and sadly missed Kirsty MacColl.

That same year he put out 'Stop the Cavalry'. This time it not only got to #3 in NZ, but also in the UK. It made it to #1 in a couple of European countries where he was still popular from his earlier work there. 'Stop the Cavalry', unintentionally, became Jona's version of Jose Feliciano's 'Feliz Navidad'. Due to the line "wish I was at home for Christmas" it became one of the seasonal 'must-play' records on all the festive rotations, which is surprising as it started life as a protest song. Much like Feliciano though, Jona Lewie says that half his income comes from royalties for that song.

It was released as a single and didn't appear on an album until this one in 1982. 'Heart Skips Beat' also has 'I Think I'll Get My Haircut' which didn't chart anywhere but is relatively well known, especially with the synthesizer breaks played by Jona.

'Cream Jacqueline Strawberry' has Jona on the Polymoog, but also of note is Kevin Godley credited with backing vocals and toe-tapping !! along with Lol Creme also backing vocals and ukulele.

Godley and Creme, singer/songwriters and ex-members of 10c.c. were co-producers of this album, together with, mainly, Robert Hine.

As an aside, Godley and Creme put out one of the best, state-of-the-art morphing videos of the 80's for their single 'Cry'. Even today it holds up well and is worth a look.
Cry - Godley and Creme

Back to 'Heart Skips Beat'. It's not a great album, it has some unremarkable songs and slightly repetitious styles, but there are stand-outs. Obviously 'Cavalry' is at the top of the list, but personally I like 'The Seed That Always Dies' and 'Louise'. If you're in the mood for a gentle instrumental with sea effects and orchestration then the album ends on just that note with 'Rearranging The Deckchairs On The Titanic'.

I've said it a number of times but it rings true here. This is another one of those albums that falls into the category "Of It's Time'.

I don't play it often, but I'm pleased it's there.

You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties