Q: Robert Palmer - New Wave?

[highway1pch]

I think it's a legitimate question - especially considering his early 80's output, Power Station tracks, and late 80's hits.

<a href="http://www.ocnewwave.blogspot.com/"><font color="#ff6600"><font size=+1.5>OC New Wave Blog</font></a>
<font color="#00ff00"><font="westminster">Music videos, Orange County concerts, and more.</font>

[Retro_NRG]

IMO I would DEFINITELY equate him with NW based on his 'Clues' LP alone.

'Johnny and Mary' & 'Looking for Clues' were so out of the musical mainstream stylewise that even the (then) AOR stations in my area (NY) had a hard time classifying it (Though I recall WNEW & WPLJ giving them a substantial amount of airplay just the same)

However, MTV was instrumental in casting his NW image since he was an early progenitor of the medium.

As for his later material... catchy 80's top 40 pop.

Additionally, I've always been a fan of his 'Blue Eyed Soul' brand of R&B material as well especially, 1978's 'Every Kinda People' & his 1983 synth laden cover of The System's 'You Are In My System'

<MARQUEE><h5>Moving @The Speed of Life</h5></MARQUEE>

[empyrean]

Here we go again. [:D]

Its different here in the Philippines. Some of us consider him kinda Rock/Pop.


<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u189/spawndrigo/incan-main.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

[club80]

[quote][i]Originally posted by empyrean[/i]
<br>Here we go again. [:D]

Its different here in the Philippines. Some of us consider him kinda Rock/Pop.


<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u189/spawndrigo/incan-main.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>
[/quote]

I think he actually fits in a category touched on by a recent post about mainstream artists to tried to be New Wave. In Robert Palmer's case, I think he accomplished that in some ways musically. Power Station's recordings and Looking For Clues seem to fit into the genre. Most of his music, however, does not

[Barmy]

I vote for "dead".

[georgie rockwood]

def...robert palmer's "clues" album with,johnny & mary,looking for clues is (was) new wave.
all the new wave clubs in 1980 were playing those 2 songs.
the clues album even had most of "talking heads" playing on most of the songs and hell,robert even used the now classic,"wasp" synthesizer on the album.
even robert palmer's early albums from the 1970's had a new wave edge to them.
same with 1979's "doctor,doctor bad case of loving you" & even robert palmer's version of "the system's" "you are in my system" from 1983 had that feel too.........

percussionlover

[Barmy]

So I guess he's not new wave.

[Retro_NRG]

Um, I would at least acknowledge his NW creds on 'Clues' especially since Gary Numan and TH's Chris Franz are listed in the recording credits not to mention Mr Numan's having wrote & co-wrote 'I Dream of Wires' & 'Found You Now' respectively.

BTW: <a href="http://www.trusttheprocess.com/JTRParticle.html" target="blank">Here's</a> a nice tribute to RP courtesy of DD'd John Taylor




<MARQUEE><h5>Moving @The Speed of Life</h5></MARQUEE>

[highway1pch]

FWIW - Robert Palmer (and Power Station) were a main staple on KROQ's playlists.

However, thanks to YouTube - I cannot think of Robert Palmer without thinking of The Cure:

A Forest
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GquE0zt47m4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GquE0zt47m4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>


From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Forest

However, the most notorious performance of this song is the so-called "Robert Palmer"-version, performed at the Werchter Festival in Belgium, July 5, 1981. Everything was late at the festival, and the crowd was mostly there to see artists that were at the time bigger than The Cure, like Dire Straits and Robert Palmer, of whom the latter happened to be the next on stage after The Cure. After twelve songs, Palmer's roadies said that if The Cure didn't stop playing soon, they would pull the plug. They reached a compromise that they would play one song before they left, opting for "A Forest", which they decided to play a lot longer than what was normal at the time, with Robert Smith adding some lyrics improvised on the spot (including the words: "Such a long end" repeated several times). When the band finally finished, bass player Simon Gallup yelled into the microphone: "Fuck Robert Palmer, and fuck rock 'n' roll!"

<a href="http://www.ocnewwave.blogspot.com/"><font color="#ff6600"><font size=+1.5>OC New Wave Blog</font></a>
<font color="#00ff00"><font="westminster">Music videos, Orange County concerts, and more.</font>

[djcraig]

I remember Robert Palmer being played simultaneously on AOR, New Wave, Pop AND Funk stations.

Specifically, the R&B influence in the aforementioned "You Are In My System" and The Gap Band staple "Early In The Morning", got him airplay on Urban radio. "Bad Case Of Loving You" was an AOR anthem and his work with Power Station was played heavily on New Wave, Pop and Rock stations. So dude crossed over in a big way!

I think of him more as mainstream Rock than anything else. I still have the 45 of "You Are In My System" somewhere!

<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

[ben_at_work]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Barmy[/i]
<br>I vote for "dead".
[/quote]

Nice!

(I'm being sarcastic)

[iposse]

[quote][i]Originally posted by georgie rockwood[/i]
same with 1979's "doctor,doctor bad case of loving you" & even robert palmer's version of "the system's" "you are in my system" from 1983 had that feel too.........

percussionlover
[/quote]

Hey, I mentioned "Bad Case of Loving You" as one of the awesomest songs of 1979 in this thread!

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17362

[Doctor Doctor]

[quote][i]Originally posted by ben_at_work[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by Barmy[/i]
<br>I vote for "dead".
[/quote]

Nice!

(I'm being sarcastic)
[/quote]

You're too polite.

http://www.eightiesfanatic.6x.to (If you need it, it will be there)

[geoffolehane]

I think he crosses genres

His 80's stuff certainly had a New Wave aura to it.

He also has both Album Rock and pop appeal

Some of his mellower songs from the '70's still get airplay on Adult
Contemporary station.

[hubcity]

The "Clues" album included two collaborations with Gary Numan, so certainly New Wave friendly, at least...

(Reminds me of the lsate-nineties deep techno house records credited to "The Fireman" that turned out to be by Paul McCartney...)

-Sean
Altrok Radio
Streaming on your computer anytime, at <a href="">http://www.altrokradio.com</a>
Fridays at 10PM on your FM radio, at <a href="http://90.5thenight.org">90.5 The Night</a>