Passionate Friend – The Teardrop Explodes

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I see the piss- poor Ashes to Ashes is back tonight. Why oh why oh why, I lament… Not a patch on its predecessor, Life on Mars. In a former life in a former job, a couple of us would discuss the music to both Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars (and there would be the inevitable debate 70s v 80s music).

 In an Ashes to Ashes episode, there was a track nobody could name, unfortunately I embarrassed myself by blurting out, ‘It was Careless Memories, early Duran Duran’.. Stunned silence which ended with a chorus, ‘Shoulda known you would know that…’ Alas, tis true….

Anyways, one episode had the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful Reward by The Teardrop Explodes. I couldn’t be bothered with the plot but sang along merrily.

And this specific song from YouTube, Passionate Friend, reminds me of a very long coach journey circa late 1986 organised by B’ham CND to Faslane Naval base. I was listening to a lot of Teardrop Explodes and Julian Cope (I had a teenage crush on him…probably to do with the black leather jodhpurs he wore!). 

At that time, as well, I was strung out on various doses of medication and music gave me some respite from the demons and grind of life. 

Sorry I digress…. Where was I? Oh yes, 1986, B’ham CND and Faslane. An anarchist sat next to me, he started to spout Proudhon slagged off Marx and Trots. I argued back. He argued back. We swapped food, I gave him my sandwiches, he gave me his sweets and Vodka. I think I did the best out of the bargain.

At the end of the two day trip, early morning Sunday, B’ham City Centre he asked me out on a date.

My reply: ‘You’re an anarchist, I am a Trot… I don’t think it would be a good idea’…

The anarchist looked crestfallen and wandered away into the early morning grime of Digbeth Coach Station.

Brief Encounter it wasn’t. I also think I gave him a lecture on Kronstadt to send him on his way.

Gawd, I was an ortho-annoying purist Trot. I probably was ticking off a mental list in my head regarding ‘political positions and orientations’ not whether the person was …..erm…nice. Too subjective and bourgeois, comrade, what is their position on the Soviet Union, permanent revolution and the question of dialectics….far more important.

 Jeeze…….

Looking back at that story I despair at the 16 year old happy shiny excited revolutionary and try not to bang my head on the keyboard in the here and now out of frustration….

But hey, after that long sad convoluted story (hey, wake up at the back!) here’s the wonderful Julian Cope and Passionate Friend.

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