1983 in rock: Paul Rodgers goes solo with 'Cut Loose'

Paul Rodgers was a veteran singer already by 1983, having fronted two legendary bands by then. First of all he came to fame as lead singer of Free, blues-boomers from the UK who had a short but stellar career before imploding, then as singer with Bad Company, formed with Free drummer Simon Kirke and with Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople fame on guitar. The latter band was a huge seller throughout the 1970s, sharing management and record label with Led Zeppelin they were only slightly behind in terms of sales. However, after six albums, Rodgers had become jaded and was looking to start a solo career at last, and after 'Rough Diamonds' (the final album by the original Bad Company line-up) had been critically savaged, he took the opportunity to strike out alone.

Rodgers took literally the concept of a solo album; writing the material and playing all instruments himself, he also produced the album, recorded at his own home. He did enlist engineer Julian Mendelsohn for the sessions, but the finished album was the most accurate example of a 'solo' album as is possible to find. Released in October 1983, it kicked off with 'Fragile', a hard rock number not far removed from that of his previous band. One song, 'Superstar Woman' was a re-recorded version of an unused Bad Co song (which eventually surfaced on the 'Anthology' collection) and another song, 'Live In Peace', had a second life when Rodgers teamed up with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page two years later.

Perhaps because Rodgers did not tour to promote this record, it did not become a big seller and has become something of a forgotten gem among the other stellar work Rodgers has produced. He has collaborated with many artists since this album, but it wasn't until the 1990s that he once again released records under his own name but this time toured to support them. He remains one of the great singers of rock, perhaps the greatest, and anything he puts his name to is worth investigating.

Because there was no video or single for this album, this is the audio of 'Cut Loose' as provided to YouTube:

The tide sweeps up Neil Kinnock in view of the TV cameras

A hilarious moment in politics happened in the autumn of 1983, when the Labour party, which was still licking its wounds after a thumping defeat in that year's General Election, had just voted in Welshman Neil Kinnock as its party leader. The party conference was held in Brighton that year, and the election of Kinnock and his deputy Roy Hattersley was widely regarded as the 'dream ticket'; two astute politicians who would reform the party and restore its credibility to the British public.

All of that came crashing down within days, as the new leader made an ill-judged decision to stroll onto the beach with wife Glenys; intending to give the cameramen a scoop by pledging to 'walk on the water', instead the water literally swept him off his feet causing an undignified and embarrassing tumble into the sand, whereupon the tide washed over the prone politician. The clip was replayed over and over again on television, destroying the leader's credibility before he even had a chance to establish himself.

His career as leader never really recovered from that moment; the satirical puppet show 'Spitting Image' which launched a year later, used the clip in its opening titles and lampooned him mercilessly (among many others, it should be said) while the tabloid press had a field day with the gaffe. Nevertheless, he did instigate many changes to the party and while never really getting within striking distance of Number 10 himself, he did do a lot to start the Labour Party back towards electability. Kinnock later served with the European Commission before accepting a life peerage in 2005. Even that caused criticism, since he had been a vocal opponent of the House of Lords while Leader of the Opposition.

Once again for the amusement of anyone who remembers it, here's Neil Kinnock being swept away by the tide:

1983 in rock: Brian May's Star Fleet Project

In the spring of 1983, Queen's guitarist Brian May found himself in Los Angeles with some musician friends. Those friends included hotshot guitar hero Eddie van Halen, session players Fred Mandel (a keyboard player who had worked with Queen) and Phil Chen (bass player who had worked with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart), plus REO Speedwagon's drummer Alan Gratzer.

The grouping got together at the Record Plant studios and cut three tracks, the lead-off was a reworking of the theme tune to 'Star Fleet', a children's sci-fi TV show originally from Japan, but had been redubbed using British actors' voices for UK transmission. The theme tune for the UK version of the programme was composed by Paul Bliss, and May had become interested in covering the theme after he had discovered the programme through his young son. The musicians decided to record two more tracks; 'Let Me Out' was a song written by May which had not been used previously, and 'Bluesbreaker' an extended jam. Indeed both 'Let Me Out' and 'Bluesbreaker' were to feature the two guitarists trading extended lead breaks.

Having recorded these tracks, the Queen guitarist considered keeping them privately for his own enjoyment before being persuaded by friends to put the recordings out. According to the sleeve notes on the record, post-production was kept to a minimum (a few backing vocals from Queen drummer Roger Taylor on the 'Star Fleet' theme itself were acknowledged). In his own words, May had not "...messed one scrap with the tracking done on the day".

The record was eventually issued in October 1983 as a 'mini-LP'; for many years it was available only as a vinyl record. It wasn't until almost ten years later that the tracks became available on CD, issued over two versions of May's solo single 'Back To The Light'. The first CD single included 'Star Fleet' and 'Let Me Out', while the second CD included 'Bluesbreaker'.


2023 update: Brian May has announced a re-release of 'Star Fleet Project' as a box set, promising to include both the original issue and a new remix, plus every outtake from the sessions. This will be released summer 2023.
The new for 2023 single version of 'Star Fleet' can be heard here:

Bonus: For anyone who wondered what the original theme sounded like, here is Paul Bliss's version over the end credits to an episode of 'Star Fleet':

1983 in television: Gerry Anderson returns with Terrahawks

Fans of cult television, this one included, were delighted to learn that Gerry Anderson, producer of such puppet classics as 'Thunderbirds', 'Captain Scarlet' and 'Stingray' and live-action series including 'UFO', 'Space:1999' and 'The Protectors', was to launch a new puppet science-fiction series in autumn 1983. 'Terrahawks', co-produced by Anderson with Christopher Burr, trod familiar ground but with a whole new set of characters; the premise was that in the year 2020, an elite force named the 'Terrahawks', was established in South America to defend Earth from alien attack, after a NASA base on Mars had been destroyed by the aliens.

Unlike with Anderson's earlier series, the puppets used were not marionettes but latex hand puppets, not unlike those used by Jim Henson for his 'Muppet' characters. This was known as 'Supermacromation', following on from the 'Supermarionation' technique of using electronically-enhanced marionettes in Anderson's earlier series.  The Terrahawks were led by Dr. "Tiger" Ninestein, one of nine clones. He was joined by second-in-command Captain Mary Falconer who would often rein in Ninestein's trigger-happy instincts. Other pilots included Captain Kate Kestrel, who led a dual life of pop singer (signed to "Anderburr Records", an obvious in-joke) and her co-pilot Lieutenant Hawkeye, who had micro-computers in place of his eyes. In addition to the human crew, the Terrahawks were assisted by spherical robots named Zeroids, the most prominent of which were Sergeant-Major Zero (voiced by veteran comedy actor Windsor Davies, famed for playing Sergeant-Majors in film and TV) and Space Sergeant 101.

The alien enemy was led by three androids, modelled on the oldest citizens of their home planet Guk. Zelda was the leader, with the power of teleportation and the chief architect of the schemes to conquer Earth, accompanied by her 'sister' Cy-Star (geddit?) and 'son' Yung-Star. Both are cowardly in contrast to Zelda, and prefer to laze about than partake in Zelda's schemes. They also had 'Cubes'; robot equivalents to the Terrahawks' Zeroids which had the power to combine and change into weapons as required.

The series had the familiar Anderson motifs of advanced technology, futuristic vehicles such as Ninestein's car HUDSON (a Rolls-Royce with camouflage technology built in) and dramatic action laced with liberal doses of humour.
Indeed it could be argued that 'Terrahawks' itself is just an updated cross between 'Thunderbirds' and 'Captain Scarlet'; with each member having an aircraft assigned to them (similar to 'Thunderbirds') while taking on an alien invader, similar to 'Captain Scarlet'.

The series ran for 39 episodes over three seasons, and was shown on ITV in the United Kingdom. Although successful during its televised run, it was overlooked during the 1990s when the earlier Anderson series (all produced via Lew Grade's ITC company) began to pick up in popularity with repeat runs on BBC TV. 'Terrahawks', which was produced by Anderson Burr Pictures, was not released on DVD until several years after the other series had been issued.

Below is the opening sequence to 'Terrahawks' complete with an unmistakably 1980s theme tune :)

1983 in rock: KISS lick it up and wash off the makeup

1983 was a significant year for veteran glam rockers KISS. They'd endured a few tough years after a run of success in the 1970s, kicked off by their 'Alive' album selling by the truckload and culminating in the group being seen everywhere from comic books to lunchboxes. The KISS logo was plastered on merchandise wherever you looked, but by 1980 the cracks were showing in the apparently closely-knit masked foursome. First drummer Peter Criss washed off his Cat makeup and quit the band, then guitarist Ace Frehley, whose status in the band was becoming undermined (not helped by his ideas being outvoted by bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley), began to suffer from the effects of alcohol abuse.

KISS had tried and failed to change style, experimenting with disco ('I Was Made for Loving You') and their attempt at a serious concept album ('Music From The Elder') bombed badly, as their fans threw up their hands in horror at it. The band got the message and released 'Creatures of the Night' a year later, the hard rock album which they'd promised to make a year previously, but by that stage Frehley was slipping out of the band and into his own problems. Simmons and Stanley now had two new members in drummer Eric Carr and new guitarist Vinnie Vincent to find new mask designs for; Carr became 'the Fox' while Vincent wore an Egyptian-themed mask for his one tour in make-up. Sensing that the game was up for the band famed for never appearing in public without full make-up applied, they decided to drop their masks altogether in 1983 and appear in public as themselves for the first time since achieving fame a decade earlier. Initially, they chose MTV as the vehicle to unveil themselves, then released the 'Lick It Up' album with a simple band shot on the cover. Simmons, now barefaced, still poked out his tongue on the cover, a gesture intended to say 'hey, it is still us!'.

The move did work out for the group in the short-term; the band got the publicity they desired and the records started to sell again. However, tension between the founding members and Vinnie Vincent meant that the guitarist was shown the door by the end of the tour. This disappointed some fans, impressed with his flashy guitar playing in the live setting, but after recruiting Mark St John to record 1984's follow-up 'Animalize', they looked set to continue their recovery. Alas, St John was unable to tour with the band owing to a condition similar to arthritis which rendered him unable to play guitar; Bruce Kulick was quickly hired to tour in his place before being promoted to full-time guitarist shortly afterwards. This line-up would continue for the remainder of the decade, maintaining a solid touring and recording schedule.

The original line-up of KISS finally reunited in 1996 after a successful 'Unplugged' performance for MTV saw the then-current band play with Criss and Frehley, even putting the make-up back on and going back into those outrageous costumes. However, that did not last and both Criss and Frehley were out, then in, then out of the band in subsequent years. Currently, drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer complete the band, and controversially both wear make-up designs made famous by Criss and Frehley. This is now possible since the rights to the designs were acquired by Simmons and Stanley from Criss and Frehley, but it does not sit well with all of the band's fans.

Heading back to 1983 then here is KISS with their video for 'Lick It Up'. The outfits are very much of their time, it must be said! :)

1983 in television: Channel 4 repeat The Prisoner

OK it is a little bit of a cheat, since 'The Prisoner', co-created by and starring actor Patrick McGoohan was of course made in the 1960s. That said, although it had been shown on the ITV network in the 60s, and repeated in the mid-1970s (leading to the formation of a fan club whose membership once outranked that of CND, but years of mismanagement have rendered it a pale shadow of its former self today), the 1983 screening of this cult television series was actually the first time it had been nationally networked on UK television.

The reason for that was because when the series was first seen in the UK, it went out at different times, in different regions across the United Kingdom. Without going into too much detail, the ITV network actually consisted of a collection of regional TV stations, each having some autonomy over their schedules. Thus, when (or whether) you saw a programme was often dependent on the regional scheduler.  The new station, Channel 4, launched in late 1982, had the same schedule for the whole country (except for Wales, which had its own fourth channel, S4C). It was originally intended to be a minority-interest channel, funded mainly by those ITV regional companies, and with the ironic exception of Wales (where Portmeirion is, the location setting for 'The Village') it was on this station that 'The Prisoner' got its first national screening in the autumn of 1983.

For those who have no idea what this show is about, or why it is so significant, I'll attempt to sum it up. However, there have been many books and a lot of other literature written on this one television series, and it still attracts a following to this day!

Essentially, the series follows an unnamed man who, it is implied, worked for the British Government in a very high-ranking role. He is seen to resign from his post and return home, intending to take a holiday - but is instead followed home, whereupon he's knocked unconscious with gas and when he wakes, he finds himself not in his London flat but in a strange, mysterious location - The Village. From there he is given a number (6) and is identified only by that number from then on, throughout the series.

The programme was a vehicle for its star, Patrick McGoohan, at one time the highest-paid actor in Britain. He was sufficiently popular and influential to be given a virtual free reign to make the programme as he saw fit, by his backer Sir Lew Grade of television producers ITC. McGoohan took the opportunity to touch on many themes in the series; ostensibly a spy thriller there were elements of science fiction, fantasy, action and adventure and all centred around the theme: who is this man and why did he resign from his high-ranking position?

By the time of this 1983 screening, McGoohan had long since left the UK to live and work in the United States, taking work only when he felt it worthwhile and refusing to be drawn on the themes made in 'The Prisoner'. An intensely private man, he resisted many calls for interviews but did agree to make a short film which was supposed to help clarify things regarding 'The Prisoner'. However, the film he produced, known as 'The LA Tape' only raised more questions, shown partially in a documentary commissioned by Channel 4 which was shown in early 1984, after the concluding episode of 'The Prisoner'.

The programme's cult following received a huge boost as a result of this screening however, and membership of the fan club blossomed. Nowadays, with this and many other TV series readily available on DVD or Blu-Ray, or even on YouTube, there is not quite the same cachet about watching this unique series as there was when it was rarely seen. The 1983 screening of 'The Prisoner' was a significant TV event, at least for one 18-year old viewer who had always been fascinated by the programme and its imagery. 1983 was the first time I'd seen the entire programme in full, from the start, and despite Channel 4 mucking up the episode order (a debate which has itself seen many pages printed!), it hooked me instantly and I remain a fan of the series to this day.

With the uncertain state of the world in 2013, it is worth watching this series made almost 50 years ago to see just how many predictions made back then came true, or are becoming true even now. If you haven't seen it, you may be surprised just how relevant much of it remains.

For viewers who want to know more about 'The Prisoner', including locations used in filming, there is a lot of content available here:

Australia II takes sailing's America's Cup

The America's Cup, a yacht sailing contest which had been in existence for over a century (to little publicity, at least in the UK) sprang into public consciousness in 1983, when the Australian vessel Australia II emerged as a serious contender for the trophy, defeating all challengers to take on the American holders, represented in 1983 by the Liberty vessel.

The trophy was named the America's Cup in honour of the schooner America, which won a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851 to take the trophy, presented by The Royal Yacht Squadron of the UK. Ever since, it had been in the possession of the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and, so the story goes, the trophy was actually bolted in place at NYYC, so confident were they that they could defend it against any challenger.
Australia II, representing challengers the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and backed by businessman Alan Bond, boasted a winged keel design that had been kept a closely-guarded secret. The design was controversial since the NYYC had claimed that it was illegal under contest rules, however it had been ruled legal by the authorities, and the vessel easily qualified through the challenger series to become the contender to take on the NYYC vessel in the final contest. The speed of the Australia II in these challenges, coupled with its secret weapon keel design, aroused media interest which made this year's America's Cup one that attracted more publicity than ever before.

The final races themselves took place between September 14th and 26th, and it was the NYYC who took the first two with Liberty, before Australia II won the third race. Liberty won again to go 3-1 up in the series, but Australia II then won the fifth race and then the sixth, to take it to a deciding race. Until then, the series had never gone to even six races, let alone a deciding seventh. A closely-fought race with several lead changes ended with Australia II winning by 41 seconds to take the America's Cup and become the first successful challenger since that 1851 race around the Isle of Wight.

There were mass celebrations throughout Australia, where the race had been televised live in the small hours, while in the United States the loss of the cup after 132 years, and the end of the longest winning streak in any sport was greeted with dismay. Liberty skipper Dennis Conner took the loss badly, stating that he had "just wanted to hide" after becoming the first US skipper to lose the America's Cup.

The loss was avenged four years later in Australia, when a fired-up US team, once again skippered by Dennis Conner, reclaimed the trophy with the vessel Stars and Stripes 87. Conner later claimed that losing the trophy in 1983 was the best thing that had happened to them since it made them realise just how much they appreciated their trophy. When they reclaimed the trophy, they were given a ticker-tape parade in New York and an audience with President Ronald Reagan.

30 years have passed since that historic win for Australia II, and there will be a new America's Cup series of races in 2013. The United States will be represented by the Golden Gate Yachting Club with their vessel Oracle Team USA 17, (with a crew including multiple Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie from Great Britain), and they will race against The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron with their vessel Aotearoa. 


Relive that moment in September 1983 when America's Cup became Australia's Cup with this news clip from the time (2023 update - dead link replaced):