Bagarre - No Toys

Italian alterna-disco-pop group Bagarre are mainly known for their semi-hit “Lemonsweet”, an upbeat ode to LSD. As much as I love “Lemonsweet”, though, my love for the infectiously melodic “No Toys” surpasses it by an order of magnitude. “No Toys” reflects a creative, whimsical side of proto-Italo Disco, and lyrically it's dominated by a theme that crops up in many-an early/mid-’80s tune: imagining what glamour & sophistication must be associated with personal wealth that is just out of reach. The song has a brilliantly off-kilter chant for its chorus, and much like all the great Italo tunes, something’s just not quite right about it; certain English words are occasionally mispronounced or incorrectly substituted by the non-native speakers, vocal delivery is heavily accented and in unnatural rhythms, and the arrangement is simultaneously happy-go-lucky yet slightly dreamy and moody.

• Bagarre - No Toys
• Bagarre - Lemonsweet (search @ YouTube)

Google turned up no lyrics, so here’s my stab at them:

Ain’t got no toys The things that do for girls and boys A Cadillac smiles That I can drive for miles and miles One, two, ain’t got no toys The things that do for girls and boys Three, four, a Cadillac smiles That I can drive for miles and miles Bricks on bricks So I can make a house that slicks* Mmm, money So everybody will call me honey Five, six, bricks on bricks So I can make a house that sticks Seven, eight, money So everybody will call me honey Ain’t got no toys An orange Porsche and pink Rolls Royce Flowers in spring Diamond bracelets and golden rings One, two, ain’t got no toys An orange Porsche, pink Rolls Royce Three, four, flowers in spring Diamond bracelets, golden rings (repeat all of the above again)

Ain’t got no toys An orange Porsche and pink Rolls Royce Flowers in spring Diamond bracelets and golden rings One, two, ain’t got no toys An orange Porsche, pink Rolls Royce Three, four, flowers in spring Diamond bracelets, golden rings Dine at The Ritz Long fur coats and swocker on mitts** Ginny fizz And anything that will make me whiz Five, six, dine at the ritz Long fur coats and swocker on mitts** Seven, eight, ginny fizz And anything that will make me whiz Ain’t got no toys The things that do for girls and boys A Cadillac smiles That I can drive for miles and miles One, two, ain’t got no toys The things that do for girls and boys Three, four, a Cadillac smiles That I can drive for miles and miles Five, six, bricks on bricks So I can make a house that sticks Seven, eight, money So everybody will call me …honey

*In the 2nd verse it’s definitely not “house that sticks,” but in the chanted chorus, it definitely is. I'm pretty sure she’s saying "slicks".

**In the last original verse, “swocker on” is my phonetic approximation of what they’re saying. It’s definitely not “sparkling.” Maybe some brand of designer gloves?

Cesarez - Si tu sais compter… (Crazy Mix)

I had a little trouble finding a complete copy of this fun little French Canadian synth-pop song. It's part of the long tradition of French singers who are either children or just sound like children.

There are apparently 3 versions:

• 4:19 version from the 7″ and 12″
• 3:31 version from the 7″ only
• 6:04 Crazy Mix from the 12″ only

Enjoy!

Others who have posted about this song:

• Overfitting Disco
• Psychébélique (en français)

Oppenheimer Analysis

Oppenheimer Analysis is a Cold Wave duo consisting of weapons of mass destruction expert Andy Oppenheimer and Brighton musician Martin Lloyd.

Thus far they've produced only two sets of tracks: the New Mexico sessions from 1982, and the Der Wissenschaftler sessions from 2005. Their discography is rather short:

• 1982 Andie Oppenheimer - demo tape
• 1982 Andie Oppenheimer - New Mexico tape
• 2005 Oppenheimer Analysis - New Mexico reissue on private CDR
• 2005 Oppenheimer Analysis - s/t 12" of 4 tracks from New Mexico (500 numbered copies)
• 2005 Oppenheimer Analysis - Songs From The Atomic Age compilation of tracks from New Mexico + unreleased '82 material
• 2005 Oppenheimer Analysis - Der Wissenschaftler EP 4 new tracks + 2 remixes thereof
• 2007 Oppenheimer Analysis - 2005 s/t 12" repress (500 numbered copies)

In both sessions, Andy Oppenheimer's disaffected, feminine vocals are reminiscent of those of Jenny "Looking From A Hilltop" Ross, perhaps with a hint of Neil Tennant and Alison Moyet. They fit neatly into the bed of transportive electro-disco pop supplied by Lloyd. The overall sound is moody early/mid-'80s in the style of early Pet Shop Boys, if PSB had only been a bit more like Yazoo, but bleak. It's very white, but steers clear of the excesses and clichés that dominated the latter half of the decade. A nice find.

Full track: Oppenheimer Analysis - The Devil's Dancers (Dance With Us)

The 2005 material sounds new but surprisingly recaptures the essence of the original sessions. One track, however, is dressed with a buzzy, inauthentic lead synth, the kind that has been an electroclash staple since the late '90s and really can't die soon enough.

Clips (direct MP3 links):

1. The Devil's Dancers (Dance With Us)
2. Radiance
3. Men In White Coats
4. from the 2005 sessions, Science

In 1981, an instrumental single was released by Martin Lloyd with Paul Ashley, under the name Analysis. It, too, is a lost gem for the retro synth heads. The two tracks from the 7" ("Surface Tension" and "Connect") can be heard on Lloyd's MySpace.