1. Your Love- The Outfield... Nothing like it before or since 2. Girl Can't Help It- Journey... It quietly came and went, and shouldn't have 3. Big Mouth Strikes Again- The Smiths... No one can make something so macabre sound so melodically beautiful 3A. What You Need- INXS... The perfect chill party song 3B. Live to Tell- Madonna... A side of her we had not yet heard, and what a wonderful side it is!
Ahhh yes my grade 12 year. Obviously West End Girls or Oppotunities, Thorn In My Side and anything from Black Celebration. I was more into whole albums than singles back then.
This one is one of the songs I still regularly listen too. When it plays, I always smile. Others I love is Breakout, by Swing Out Sister, and Broken Dreams, by Johnny Hates Jazz. There was so much good music in the 80's.
Wow! Thanks for featuring The Blow Monkeys. They’ve been my favourite band for years, such an underrated band with a great back catalogue! It’s great you are giving them some recognition!
I was raised in an area of the US that made getting access to this kind of music difficult. But every time I had the chance to hear music from bands like The Clash, Bronsky Beat, Pet Shop Boys, Simply Red, or The Blow Monkeys, I would be transported…such unique and beautiful sounds, and the messages have really stuck with me for all these years. I’m so glad that we have such ready access to this music. Digging Your Scene is definitely one of those wonderful, unforgettable songs! Thank you for this video!
@@michaelmoraga2926 Thanks for asking. Language has a way of asserting the truth by how people relate to words and concepts and how they stretch connotations or re attribute a term. For instance, the word "gay" means celebratory and joyful, and it was a euphemism to describe people who had cast aside civil restraints and were obnoxiously indulgent in their own vices. This included the vice of lust and sexual indulgences which often included individuals of the same gender, since civilized behavior is repressive to these types. Over time, the one really anti-social activity that tended to bother people the most, was the homosexuality and so over a short period, the connotation of the term "gay" narrowed to be more specific to homosexuality. Now, instinctively most people have an aversion to behavior they intuitively sense is weak or destructive or disruptive to the community and for the reason a euphemism was used in the first place to be polite, that euphemism ultimate came back around to the truth. Dysfunctional at best. And the simplest and most accessible word to describe something that does not work right and is weak, is LAME. By calling something that was lame to begin with, "gay" to be polite, with in a generation or two, it simply became synonymous with what it was intended to obfuscate in the first place. That is one way truth asserts itself. Another is the historical death toll caused by leftism.
@@michaelmoraga2926 lol. You betray your own moral positions in what you color as extreme. With out moral beliefs your salt loses its saltiness. Salt without saltiness is just dirt. Without moral beliefs, civilization cannot exist. Without moral beliefs, even something as obvious and simple as biological gender becomes anything goes subversion of reality.
@@michaelmoraga2926 But you never actually refuted his explanation, only moralized a bit by calling it 'extreme' Dare i say, your views are the extreme views? But at least you were cordial! Very unusual in the comment section anymore! Cheers.
I was a DJ during the mid 80's in England and always carried around 700 45's with me. This song and "It doesn't have to be this way" were always two of my favourites and I couldn't understand how the songs and the band weren't bigger. They never really cracked the charts big time but I think "Digging your scene" should at least have been a top 5 song. Still has great memories for me of the best decade in music.
That was my senior year in high school; we all went to dancing and having the time of our lives. Our whole lives were ahead us but 30+ years later hearing all these great hits from the 80’s instantly transport me. I can hear those songs, feel those songs, dance to them & all as if I was 17 again.
Wow, I can’t believe this song is being covered here. It’s one of my favorite ‘80s songs. Reminds me of Wang Chung and Level 42. For some reason I thought I was the only person who remembered it. Awesome! Thanks Professor.
@@bradsmack1 I have four kids 15 to 27. They all know and love this same music and my 16 y.o. owns more vinyl than I ever did personally growing up...;-)
I liked how smooth this song was... Totally different from what was our there at the time... It's a good example of how innovative bands were in the 80s and what made it a great decade for music
I’ve always been so in love with this song, it struck me as an upbeat “heartbreak” song. This is such a great episode, I love learning the story behind the song, makes me love this song even more. OMG - my parter and I were HUGE Basia fans - I’d love an episode on Basia!
Great interview again. This song is definitely a hidden gem. I've always loved this song by them and "It doesn't have to be this way". Robert is such a classy singer and the blow monkeys are such a cool group that have been forgotten about over the years. So glad to see this great interview with Robert Howard and for the blow monkeys to be rightfully recognised and appreciated again. Their music is always on my playlist. Brilliant.
Ah yes, great songs, and Digging Your Scene will always have that special place in my heart, and thanks for reminding me of Perfect Way! Don’t Disturb This Groove is another I always associate with that time, Motortown by The Kane Gang, may be mixing the years up but loved these and of course many others, music has that way of magically transporting you or making another time and place suddenly very real and immediate and instantly boosting your mood. Great song and love the video, especially the little drink umbrella thrown at him suddenly becoming a big stage prop! :-) Oh yes, almost forgot, the line where the background singers start with “Everyday I walk alone “ and Dr Robert says something like “One Two” or maybe “Where to?” “And I pray that God won’t see me” Anyone know for sure what he says there? It’s never in the lyrics that I find and he barely says it so that makes it that much more curious to me to find out what he’s saying and what meaning (if any) that it has?
The whole album, Animal Magic, was fantastic. Very few of my friends knew this song. My brother and I seemed to be the only fans of The Blow Monkeys in our town.
I LOVE THIS SONG! It remains one of my all-time favorites. I remember when it came out and I've been a Blow Monkeys fan ever since. I had this album on cassette and WORE. IT. OUT! Thanks for doing this interview and talking to THE Dr. Robert!
The Blow Monkeys are soulful, inspirational, and great players who helped get me through the past couple decades of terrible music. Loved this song in the US in the 80s. In the early 90s when popular music had turned to grunge and rock, I found a used cassette tape of their singles in the record store, bought it because I didn't like what was on the radio at the time and popped it into my car stereo. I ended up collecting Dr Robert's solo albums in the late 90s which are more folk rockish but incredible followed by a newer singles/bside double CD in the early naughts. I finally collected everything of theirs at some point. Everything sounds contemporary except some of the late 80s songs which have a different production sound. Danceable, meaningful, melodic.
I loved this song - as well as all the other great songs by the Blow Monkeys....and I bought all their records (vinyl of course). I was really crazy about “Dr. Robert”....🤗
This song has always been on my playlist and have loved sharing it with those who were not familiar with it. Professor thanks for all you do in telling the story behind the songs. Can’t get enough of these great stories.
1986 was a great year for some very unique and very memorable '80s tunes by the Blow Monkeys (always loved the song discussed here) and acts like Falco ("Rock Me Amadeus"), Timex Social Club ("Rumors"), Madonna sound-alike Regina ("Baby Love"), and Sly Fox ("Let's Go All the Way").
Also... Force MD's (tender love), the Jets (all over you)... and a good guy/girl duo out of Ottawa, Canada, "One to One". They had a Nu Shooz sound but "Angel in my pocket" and "There was a time" were even better songs. They're definitely worth a listen if you like the synth-pop 80's sound.
I re-found this one last year. My wife & I bought some big 80's compilations while we were renovating our house. Digging your scene stood out as even better than I remembered it.
Great interview. "Digging Your Scene" is a great song... was always a radio highlight! '...The Clash, The Jam, Dylan, Gaye, Mayfield...' 💜💜💜💜💜 What a great musical time to be alive! Duende, indeed... (¡Venga!)
Always loved these guys. Intelligent art poppers! Robert's clever songwriting and the best of the bands musical hooks, connected with and moved me at an internal level. They were definitely not just about surface 'sophistication'. Good to hear you both natter✨
I love love love this song. I never knew what group recorded it. I only just played it five times in a row. Brings back memories of the great music of the 1980s.
I am from Medellín, Colombia and this is one of my favorites songs of 1986, ( even my daughter loved it once she heard the song.) I think We were lucky to have radio stations that played music from U K in the 80's
Me and 5 friends all in our 20s got together and decided to go to Hawaii for a 5 day vacation. We were sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off at LAX in a 747, my favorite plane, I put on my earphones that connected to the in-flight entertainment and just as this song came on the pilot really got on the thrusters pushing us back in the seat, I always loved that lol, and this was the 1st time I heard this song. It was an awesome moment speeding down the runway headed for Hawaii, listening to this great song, being young, I knew right then this was a special moment in my life I wouldn't ever forget! Yes, 1986 was a great year!
I remember the first I ever heard (and saw) The Blow Monkeys. It was after New Years going from 1985 to 1986. And around 3:00 am on Jan 1, 1986, mtv played the video for Forbidden Fruit. It made such an impression that I still remember it and is still my favorite song by them. Btw...they had a lot of good songs not only Digging Your Scene
@@jackdubz4247 If you're born in Scotland of English parents and move to England when you are a week old...you ain't really a Scot, now are you wee laddie ?
Professor of Rock is the most amazing interviewer and really made my life so much better. Thanks for all you do. And I love the Blow Monkeys so much and I am very glad that they are still around after all these years.
This was one of the first CDs I ever purchased. I was attending the Defense Information School for training as a military journalist when I was in the Navy. "Digging Your Scene" was starting to get a lot of airplay prior to my leaving for boot camp in July of 1986. I think the other CD I purchased at the same time was "Scoundrel Days" by a-Ha.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this one Adam. This is one of those songs that immediately teleports me back to the summer of 86. Solid gold good times.
Have a wonderful Memorial Day, Professor! Also, never stop making videos about "Sophistipop" hidden gems! Like, Swing Out Sister and Basia would be awesomesauce 😊🧡
@@GhostofSicklesleg I have joined several others in begging for a video on "Hands to Heaven," so I decided to give that a rest and mention a few other ones 🎶🎵
A very insightful, down to earth and pragmatic man to listen to. The fact he's a straight married man and these lyrics is testimony to that insightfulness.
hay prof, i bought the 12” single of diggin, and it remained me of my father’s music, but it was beautiful blue eyed soul. however the monkeys second album was so far musically and lyrically ahead of music around that time, she was a grocery’s daughter’, and neither fish nor flesh by the great and underrated terrence trent darby. “love your work prof, love it”.
One of my favorite songs and bands during the 80's. It's funny since my first copy was a vinyl in the Philippines when I grew up. Bought the CD when I came her in the US in 2007. And now bought the vinyl just a year ago. Awesome song, awesome band.👏🏻❤️
If you’ve ever used a pencil to wind your cassette… If you ever used Scotch tape on your cassette to record on it… If you’ve ever used a matchbook to jam into the 8-track so you didn’t hear another track bleeding over… If you ever overheated your record playing because of trying to listen to Stairway to Heaven or Revolution #9 backwards…
Of course I remember this song! It was one of my favourites back then, and I still love it! I can't believe Dr. Robert didn't think it would work. Glad he stuck with it too. It always gave me nostalgic feelings of 70s, especially the Philly sound.
Timeless, layered, elegant piece of ear candy that transcends 80's pop music.You can groove and dance then open your mind with it's deeper meaning of social protest. I still play it as a palate cleanser between songs in my playlist because of its singularly unique hipster esthetic . Referential but fresh it bridges many genres and eras with style.
I never heard this song or saw the video in 1986, and I watched MTV and listened to Top 40 radio constantly. If you liked what was called sophisti-pop, listen to Johnny Hates Jazz and Breathe, who were moderately popular from 86 to 88, and each band had several hits that were on MTV and the radio, such as Shattered Dreams, I Don't Want to Be a Hero (JHJ), and Don't Tell Me Lies, Liberties of Love, and Hands to Heaven (Breathe.) Great songs that still sound fresh today.
I remember "Digging Your Scene" when I was 14 in the summer of '86 regularly taking camping trips to Presque Isle at Sara's in Erie, PA with my dad. Back then there was a nightclub right next door to Sara's called The Peninsula Inn...on the beach. The locals called it the PI. Their music bled over to the campground every night until 2am. So we had free entertainment nightly. We were teenagers then in the 80s and we would sneak over to the PI at night. Security would try to stop us and ask us what we were doing there. We said "We're with the band" and they'd let us go. They may have been wise to us, but since we always had an answer, they'd let us roam around the club. Every DJ at the PI had the 8 minute extended remix of Bananarama's "Venus" and I'd hear them play "Digging Your Scene", Ministry, New Order, Modern English, dancable pop tunes... Anyway, what stuck out in that summer of '86 was Digging Your Scene and Double's Captain Of Her Heart.
I just sampled their music and they have a good sound. For decades I listened to top 40 radio and if a single didn't crack the US charts, I probably never heard of the group, which was the predominate reason in this case (one single did go to #14). I'm glad the group achieved success and still performs.
I was 24, my older sister picked this up on 45 and I played the hell out of it even though it was never on the radio and my friends didn't know it. Good times.
I am so sorry that I'm just finding this video on your channel. I absolutely LOVED this song and I LOVED the Blow Monkeys. Diggin' Your Scene was my 8th favorite song of 1986 and it wasn't just that song. I loved It Doesn't Have To Be That Way which was off of their next album and I LOVED the remix known as This Is The Way It Has To Be. Wow I'm just loving my memories now with other songs Out With Her (all of my black friends couldn't believe the singer was white on Out With Her lol) Don't Give It Up is awesome and I also loved Beautiful Child. Let me repeat...I LOVED the Blow Monkeys and still do to this day.
I was in the Marine Corp at the time the song came out and they had a video jukebox at the club on base. I was station overseas at the time in Okinawa and this song would be played from time to time but maybe a month it was no longer in the selection list. I never knew why I remember that I really liked the song.
I forgot how much I like this song. It was one of the roughly 500 45s I purchased back in the day. Recently I was playing poker in a casino and my ears perked up when I heard it playing. I had to listen a bit to make it out over all the voices, then realized it was this great song I had all but forgotten.
Great video and interview Professor! I had totally forgotten about this group and their music! I hadn't heard this for years! It's like a trip back in time! Great to rediscover the past, thanks for bringing it back!
I do remember Digging Your Scene, but had completely forgotten about until tonight. Great interview, as always by P.O.R. and cool guest. What I really loved in this one was all the reference clips, just brilliant music of the past; going to listen to Band of Gold now.
Just an amazing sounding track. Sax, vocals, strings….composition. It’s a perfect piece of music. The 6th F# dominant suspension as the second chord in the verse verse is awesome. Also the 1st and 4th are 9th chords, so awesome. Also the snare sound is great
When I read the title of the video, I first thought about Dexys Midnight Runners. By the way, I had forgotten Blow Monkeys as time has passed, but this video has convinced me to re-discover this band: seems like they had some strong material.
WOW…. Now THIS song was a journey into my past. HAVEN’T HEARD THIS SONG IN YEARS! and it was a total fav back when I was in 11th grade…. I remember it was springtime the first time I heard it and the song “fit” that exact moment, maybe that’s why I loved it so much…. But I never did hear anything else by the Blow Monkeys…. Now that I think about it, I was TOTALLY into SophistiPop… Sade, Basia, the Breakfast Club (anyone else remember Right On Track?) Danny Wilson (Mary’s Prayer was ANOTHER fav)…. I loved how they made a very melodic song into a danceable track…. Thank you Adam. I LOVE these melodic excursions you take us on… BYW- I’m still waiting for the tshirt that says “Three chords and the truth, my friends”
I've always enjoyed this song and It Doesn't Have to Be This Way by them..Heard them both on the radio back in the day ..but they dont get much play even on retro days or what have you anymore.
It has such an imprint on my nostalgia memories. It was a pretty good time in my life. Would have been about 24 at the time...a time I should have not been so glib with.
I’m so intrigued by this interview. I wasn’t around in the 80s but I briefly remember one time my mum had a CD in our car of 80s hits and Digging Your Scene was one of them! It’s so jazzy and funky. Their other tunes as well It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and Wait are all good. Forbidden Fruit one of their earlier singles is beautiful. Sadly it flopped but still amazing!
Great interview! The Blow Monkeys & Dr. Robert take me back to my last year at school, lying on the lawn in our lunch break with my mate, sharing headphones on my walkman and listening to the Animal Magic tape. Great channel, just found it & subbed. Cheers! 👍
They are on tour now in England, if you get to see them, boy are they awesome live. They had many hits in the Uk, Digging your scene, It doesn't have to be that way, Out with her, Choice, Wait, This is your life... One song which should have been a hit- It Pays To Belong, 248k views on you tube, check it out!!
I totally love finding the hidden gems of the 80s, prof. I particularly liked this era in 80s pop, especially since I’m a jazz fan. I mean, how many times are we going to have to turn on the 80s channel on Sirius XM only to hear “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats? Geez!
I Loved singing this song, when I was in high school and I still can Nail It when I sing it at Karaoke...And I'm now 55! And "YES" the ladies still go Crazy when they hear it! It just makes you Need to dance!
Massive Blow Monkeys fan from the beginning. Managed to see then them live in London around the second election when all the Red Wedge stuff was happening. They were wonderfully slick live. Robert’s suit looked like it cost a fortune but they all looked great. Mick on bass kept up his great sidestep bass playing all through the gig from beginning to end. If you’re not sure what I mean, just watch him play and look for that hip-wiggle he does pretty much all the time. I highly recommend buying the Cherry Red remasters of both Animal Magic and Limping For A Generation as they both include a Cd’s worth of demo’s, rarities and unreleased tracks. Both albums are hard to find but it’s worth it it! Great band, still love ‘em
You really nailed it with your comment - thank you. As someone who has also been there from the beginning, I'm so excited that I'm going to see them on Friday (29/10/21) in Glasgow. It's been a while since I've been so buzzing.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
What are the 3 best songs of 1986?
.........it's hard to think of just 3........hmm.....there's so much great music back then.........
......ok i say Your Love (The Outfield), Human(The Human League), Kiss(Prince & the Revolution)........ :)
1. Your Love- The Outfield... Nothing like it before or since
2. Girl Can't Help It- Journey... It quietly came and went, and shouldn't have
3. Big Mouth Strikes Again- The Smiths... No one can make something so macabre sound so melodically beautiful
3A. What You Need- INXS... The perfect chill party song
3B. Live to Tell- Madonna... A side of her we had not yet heard, and what a wonderful side it is!
I love the songs of 1986. The top 3 I could think of.... there are so many.
1.Digging your scene
2.Lessons in love
3. These Dreams
Ahhh yes my grade 12 year. Obviously West End Girls or Oppotunities, Thorn In My Side and anything from Black Celebration. I was more into whole albums than singles back then.
I'm still listening to "Digging Your Scene" in 2024. Great interview.
This one is one of the songs I still regularly listen too. When it plays, I always smile. Others I love is Breakout, by Swing Out Sister, and Broken Dreams, by Johnny Hates Jazz. There was so much good music in the 80's.
YES!!! BEST DECADE EVER!!
"Blue-eyed soul" they called it back then. I call it jazzy pop
I like them all. Not being smart but it was shattered dreams. Great era.
Choice & Wait bloody fantastic politically aware, dance groove y we was spoilt 🎉
I am currently on a kick of listening to this and "breakout" atm, what a coincidence!
Wow! Thanks for featuring The Blow Monkeys. They’ve been my favourite band for years, such an underrated band with a great back catalogue! It’s great you are giving them some recognition!
AGREED! ❤
I was raised in an area of the US that made getting access to this kind of music difficult. But every time I had the chance to hear music from bands like The Clash, Bronsky Beat, Pet Shop Boys, Simply Red, or The Blow Monkeys, I would be transported…such unique and beautiful sounds, and the messages have really stuck with me for all these years. I’m so glad that we have such ready access to this music. Digging Your Scene is definitely one of those wonderful, unforgettable songs! Thank you for this video!
Awesome song I had forgot about. These were great bands, Spandau Ballet, Level 52 as well.
Gay means lame for a reason.
@@michaelmoraga2926 Thanks for asking. Language has a way of asserting the truth by how people relate to words and concepts and how they stretch connotations or re attribute a term. For instance, the word "gay" means celebratory and joyful, and it was a euphemism to describe people who had cast aside civil restraints and were obnoxiously indulgent in their own vices. This included the vice of lust and sexual indulgences which often included individuals of the same gender, since civilized behavior is repressive to these types. Over time, the one really anti-social activity that tended to bother people the most, was the homosexuality and so over a short period, the connotation of the term "gay" narrowed to be more specific to homosexuality. Now, instinctively most people have an aversion to behavior they intuitively sense is weak or destructive or disruptive to the community and for the reason a euphemism was used in the first place to be polite, that euphemism ultimate came back around to the truth. Dysfunctional at best. And the simplest and most accessible word to describe something that does not work right and is weak, is LAME. By calling something that was lame to begin with, "gay" to be polite, with in a generation or two, it simply became synonymous with what it was intended to obfuscate in the first place. That is one way truth asserts itself. Another is the historical death toll caused by leftism.
@@michaelmoraga2926 lol. You betray your own moral positions in what you color as extreme. With out moral beliefs your salt loses its saltiness. Salt without saltiness is just dirt. Without moral beliefs, civilization cannot exist. Without moral beliefs, even something as obvious and simple as biological gender becomes anything goes subversion of reality.
@@michaelmoraga2926 But you never actually refuted his explanation, only moralized a bit by calling it 'extreme' Dare i say, your views are the extreme views? But at least you were cordial! Very unusual in the comment section anymore! Cheers.
I was a DJ during the mid 80's in England and always carried around 700 45's with me. This song and "It doesn't have to be this way" were always two of my favourites and I couldn't understand how the songs and the band weren't bigger. They never really cracked the charts big time but I think "Digging your scene" should at least have been a top 5 song. Still has great memories for me of the best decade in music.
I freakin’ LOVE this song! 35 years later, it’s still in heavy rotation.
That was my senior year in high school; we all went to dancing and having the time of our lives. Our whole lives were ahead us but 30+ years later hearing all these great hits from the 80’s instantly transport me. I can hear those songs, feel those songs, dance to them & all as if I was 17 again.
Wow, I can’t believe this song is being covered here. It’s one of my favorite ‘80s songs. Reminds me of Wang Chung and Level 42. For some reason I thought I was the only person who remembered it. Awesome! Thanks Professor.
I love it! Thanks for commenting!
I think there is a grand total of 10 or 11 of you people who remember this song! LOL
If you ever struggled putting the plastic adapters in your 45 records so you can play them on the ‘newer’ turntable, you’ll love this channel
If you ever taped pennies to the arm of your turntable to stop the record from skipping, you'll love this channel.
😓
Me, playing the part of a Zoomer or Millennial: "Adapters? 45s? Records? Turntables? Pennies? Skipping?"
Bless your heart Bradness 💜
@@bradsmack1 I have four kids 15 to 27. They all know and love this same music and my 16 y.o. owns more vinyl than I ever did personally growing up...;-)
I liked how smooth this song was... Totally different from what was our there at the time... It's a good example of how innovative bands were in the 80s and what made it a great decade for music
I’ve always been so in love with this song, it struck me as an upbeat “heartbreak” song. This is such a great episode, I love learning the story behind the song, makes me love this song even more. OMG - my parter and I were HUGE Basia fans - I’d love an episode on Basia!
One of my favorite songs from the 80s. It truly is a gem.
Great interview again. This song is definitely a hidden gem. I've always loved this song by them and "It doesn't have to be this way". Robert is such a classy singer and the blow monkeys are such a cool group that have been forgotten about over the years. So glad to see this great interview with Robert Howard and for the blow monkeys to be rightfully recognised and appreciated again. Their music is always on my playlist. Brilliant.
I totally remember the video for this song! It was one of my favourites back then. Plus, he was easy on the eyes.
One of the best of the 80’s period
This guys new music in 2022 is absolutely killer.. nothing like it out there..
For the past 10 years I've been back cataloging music from the 80s.. this is definitely one of them ❤
The Doctor and The Professor .Thank you for the interview,Robert is amazing!
one of my top songs from 1986, that and perfect way from scritti politti, very underrated themes but way cooler than most songs that year
I love that song, too!
Ah yes, great songs, and Digging Your Scene will always have that special place in my heart, and thanks for reminding me of Perfect Way! Don’t Disturb This Groove is another I always associate with that time, Motortown by The Kane Gang, may be mixing the years up but loved these and of course many others, music has that way of magically transporting you or making another time and place suddenly very real and immediate and instantly boosting your mood. Great song and love the video, especially the little drink umbrella thrown at him suddenly becoming a big stage prop! :-) Oh yes, almost forgot, the line where the background singers start with “Everyday I walk alone “ and Dr Robert says something like “One Two” or maybe “Where to?” “And I pray that God won’t see me” Anyone know for sure what he says there? It’s never in the lyrics that I find and he barely says it so that makes it that much more curious to me to find out what he’s saying and what meaning (if any) that it has?
Me too!
Great song and great band. Met Robert a few times and he is such a lovely, clever guy. There 'new' albums over the past few years are great too
The whole album, Animal Magic, was fantastic. Very few of my friends knew this song. My brother and I seemed to be the only fans of The Blow Monkeys in our town.
Yeah, my friends didn't know my music, either.
Yeah, I wore out the grooves on my copy & had to buy it again.
I’m really pleased you picked up on this song, it always gets heavy rotation in my ears when I’m out running or cycling!
I LOVE THIS SONG! It remains one of my all-time favorites. I remember when it came out and I've been a Blow Monkeys fan ever since. I had this album on cassette and WORE. IT. OUT! Thanks for doing this interview and talking to THE Dr. Robert!
The Blow Monkeys are soulful, inspirational, and great players who helped get me through the past couple decades of terrible music.
Loved this song in the US in the 80s. In the early 90s when popular music had turned to grunge and rock, I found a used cassette tape of their singles in the record store, bought it because I didn't like what was on the radio at the time and popped it into my car stereo. I ended up collecting Dr Robert's solo albums in the late 90s which are more folk rockish but incredible followed by a newer singles/bside double CD in the early naughts. I finally collected everything of theirs at some point. Everything sounds contemporary except some of the late 80s songs which have a different production sound. Danceable, meaningful, melodic.
I loved this song - as well as all the other great songs by the Blow Monkeys....and I bought all their records (vinyl of course).
I was really crazy about “Dr. Robert”....🤗
"I happen to be a doctor. A very, very sick boy..."
Dr. Robert, and Doctor & the Medics
This song has always been on my playlist and have loved sharing it with those who were not familiar with it. Professor thanks for all you do in telling the story behind the songs. Can’t get enough of these great stories.
"Music's the great connector". That says it all. Thank you so much for continuing this connection by way of reminiscing!
1986 was a great year for some very unique and very memorable '80s tunes by the Blow Monkeys (always loved the song discussed here) and acts like Falco ("Rock Me Amadeus"), Timex Social Club ("Rumors"), Madonna sound-alike Regina ("Baby Love"), and Sly Fox ("Let's Go All the Way").
Not to mention Double (captain of her heart), Fergal Sharkey (a good heart, Scritti Pollitti (perfect way)...
Also... Force MD's (tender love), the Jets (all over you)... and a good guy/girl duo out of Ottawa, Canada, "One to One". They had a Nu Shooz sound but "Angel in my pocket" and "There was a time" were even better songs. They're definitely worth a listen if you like the synth-pop 80's sound.
I re-found this one last year. My wife & I bought some big 80's compilations while we were renovating our house. Digging your scene stood out as even better than I remembered it.
Great interview. "Digging Your Scene" is a great song... was always a radio highlight!
'...The Clash, The Jam, Dylan, Gaye, Mayfield...' 💜💜💜💜💜 What a great musical time to be alive! Duende, indeed... (¡Venga!)
Always loved these guys. Intelligent art poppers! Robert's clever songwriting and the best of the bands musical hooks, connected with and moved me at an internal level. They were definitely not just about surface 'sophistication'. Good to hear you both natter✨
My childhood! I want it back. Love that song. Still have it on cd
I STILL jam out to this tune in 2021!!! ♥️🥰
It's timeless tune!👍
Same! I love this song!!
I still love this song!
I love love love this song. I never knew what group recorded it. I only just played it five times in a row. Brings back memories of the great music of the 1980s.
Not sure why, but I had forgotten all about "Digging Your Scene"...that is, until today. Wow, what a fantastic song! An absolute classic!
I am from Medellín, Colombia and this is one of my favorites songs of 1986, ( even my daughter loved it once she heard the song.) I think We were lucky to have radio stations that played music from U K in the 80's
Me and 5 friends all in our 20s got together and decided to go to Hawaii for a 5 day vacation. We were sitting on the tarmac waiting to take off at LAX in a 747, my favorite plane, I put on my earphones that connected to the in-flight entertainment and just as this song came on the pilot really got on the thrusters pushing us back in the seat, I always loved that lol, and this was the 1st time I heard this song. It was an awesome moment speeding down the runway headed for Hawaii, listening to this great song, being young, I knew right then this was a special moment in my life I wouldn't ever forget! Yes, 1986 was a great year!
I remember the first I ever heard (and saw) The Blow Monkeys. It was after New Years going from 1985 to 1986. And around 3:00 am on Jan 1, 1986, mtv played the video for Forbidden Fruit. It made such an impression that I still remember it and is still my favorite song by them. Btw...they had a lot of good songs not only Digging Your Scene
My favorite favorite song! Digging your scene~!
This is why i love this channel some ppl not rediscovering just discovering
What a wonderful interview. Dr Robert speaks so thoughtfully and eloquently.
Dr. Robert - one of Scotland's favourite sons.
...his accent is testament to that.
@@fifthof1795 Accent means nothing - he's well travelled. If you're born a Scot then you'll always be a Scot.
As an American, all I'm hearing is SouthEast England middle class.
@@jackdubz4247 If you're born in Scotland of English parents and move to England when you are a week old...you ain't really a Scot, now are you wee laddie ?
@@GUITARTIME2024 He's about a Scottish as a Lancashire Hot -Pot.
Thanks Professor so much, for doing a segment on this song!!! This has made my day😎
Loved watching this interview and knowing the back story. This was such a fantistic song. Thank you!
Professor of Rock is the most amazing interviewer and really made my life so much better. Thanks for all you do. And I love the Blow Monkeys so much and I am very glad that they are still around after all these years.
This was one of the first CDs I ever purchased. I was attending the Defense Information School for training as a military journalist when I was in the Navy. "Digging Your Scene" was starting to get a lot of airplay prior to my leaving for boot camp in July of 1986. I think the other CD I purchased at the same time was "Scoundrel Days" by a-Ha.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this one Adam. This is one of those songs that immediately teleports me back to the summer of 86. Solid gold good times.
It doesn't have to be this way is another
great Blow Monkeys classic as well 😉👍
Loved this song in the 80s and still do. Great interview!
Have a wonderful Memorial Day, Professor!
Also, never stop making videos about "Sophistipop" hidden gems! Like, Swing Out Sister and Basia would be awesomesauce 😊🧡
Don’t for get about Breathe, Sade such a great era of music. The dance music and rock was awesome but the Sophistipop was my favorite genre
@@GhostofSicklesleg I have joined several others in begging for a video on "Hands to Heaven," so I decided to give that a rest and mention a few other ones 🎶🎵
@@alliswede42 Does she love that man is my favorite Breathe song. I have all there music
Cathy Dennis and Lisa Stansfield as well
@@goatonaboat2053 Cathy Dennis YASSSSS! Just Another Dream is my JAM!
The amount I love this song is immeasurable. Pretty sure I was 6 when it came out.
A very insightful, down to earth and pragmatic man to listen to. The fact he's a straight married man and these lyrics is testimony to that insightfulness.
hay prof, i bought the 12” single of diggin, and it remained me of my father’s music, but it was beautiful blue eyed soul. however the monkeys second album was so far musically and lyrically ahead of music around that time, she was a grocery’s daughter’, and neither fish nor flesh by the great and underrated terrence trent darby. “love your work prof, love it”.
My favorite three songs from 1986 are "Lessons In Love" by Level 42, "Dreams by Van Halen and "Every time You Go Away" by Paul Young.
definitely a fan of Level 42, but those are all good songs!
Also Wet Wet Wet early on were pretty good, especially their first hit “Wishing I Was Lucky”.
I was in love with this song-AND the singer
One of my favorite songs and bands during the 80's. It's funny since my first copy was a vinyl in the Philippines when I grew up. Bought the CD when I came her in the US in 2007. And now bought the vinyl just a year ago. Awesome song, awesome band.👏🏻❤️
If you’ve ever used a pencil to wind your cassette…
If you ever used Scotch tape on your cassette to record on it…
If you’ve ever used a matchbook to jam into the 8-track so you didn’t hear another track bleeding over…
If you ever overheated your record playing because of trying to listen to Stairway to Heaven or Revolution #9 backwards…
Of course I remember this song! It was one of my favourites back then, and I still love it! I can't believe Dr. Robert didn't think it would work. Glad he stuck with it too. It always gave me nostalgic feelings of 70s, especially the Philly sound.
Timeless, layered, elegant piece of ear candy that transcends 80's pop music.You can groove and dance then open your mind with it's deeper meaning of social protest.
I still play it as a palate cleanser between songs in my playlist because of its singularly unique hipster esthetic . Referential but fresh it bridges many genres and eras with style.
I never heard this song or saw the video in 1986, and I watched MTV and listened to Top 40 radio constantly. If you liked what was called sophisti-pop, listen to Johnny Hates Jazz and Breathe, who were moderately popular from 86 to 88, and each band had several hits that were on MTV and the radio, such as Shattered Dreams, I Don't Want to Be a Hero (JHJ), and Don't Tell Me Lies, Liberties of Love, and Hands to Heaven (Breathe.) Great songs that still sound fresh today.
Same here. Bits of it sounded familiar, but it sounds dated for 1986. Sounds more 82-84ish, as does their look. Probably why I ignored it.
I remember "Digging Your Scene" when I was 14 in the summer of '86 regularly taking camping trips to Presque Isle at Sara's in Erie, PA with my dad. Back then there was a nightclub right next door to Sara's called The Peninsula Inn...on the beach. The locals called it the PI. Their music bled over to the campground every night until 2am. So we had free entertainment nightly.
We were teenagers then in the 80s and we would sneak over to the PI at night. Security would try to stop us and ask us what we were doing there. We said "We're with the band" and they'd let us go.
They may have been wise to us, but since we always had an answer, they'd let us roam around the club. Every DJ at the PI had the 8 minute extended remix of Bananarama's "Venus" and I'd hear them play "Digging Your Scene", Ministry, New Order, Modern English, dancable pop tunes...
Anyway, what stuck out in that summer of '86 was Digging Your Scene and Double's Captain Of Her Heart.
I just sampled their music and they have a good sound. For decades I listened to top 40 radio and if a single didn't crack the US charts, I probably never heard of the group, which was the predominate reason in this case (one single did go to #14). I'm glad the group achieved success and still performs.
Are you David Wise the composer??? If you are you're awesome!!!
Such a great song that I actually forgot about - we need a Professor of Rock playlist on Spotify!
Yes!!!
One of the most original and innovative songs I have come across. I love singing along to the chorus, it's very catchy.
I loved this song so much as a kid. I had forgotten about it. This is why I love this channel. Nostalgia unleashed.
I was 24, my older sister picked this up on 45 and I played the hell out of it even though it was never on the radio and my friends didn't know it. Good times.
Love this! As a 15 yr old teen in Tennessee in '86 I didn't know anyone else that knew this song.
I am so sorry that I'm just finding this video on your channel. I absolutely LOVED this song and I LOVED the Blow Monkeys. Diggin' Your Scene was my 8th favorite song of 1986 and it wasn't just that song. I loved It Doesn't Have To Be That Way which was off of their next album and I LOVED the remix known as This Is The Way It Has To Be. Wow I'm just loving my memories now with other songs Out With Her (all of my black friends couldn't believe the singer was white on Out With Her lol) Don't Give It Up is awesome and I also loved Beautiful Child.
Let me repeat...I LOVED the Blow Monkeys and still do to this day.
I was in the Marine Corp at the time the song came out and they had a video jukebox at the club on base. I was station overseas at the time in Okinawa and this song would be played from time to time but maybe a month it was no longer in the selection list. I never knew why I remember that I really liked the song.
I forgot how much I like this song. It was one of the roughly 500 45s I purchased back in the day. Recently I was playing poker in a casino and my ears perked up when I heard it playing. I had to listen a bit to make it out over all the voices, then realized it was this great song I had all but forgotten.
I'll say this...35 years later the guy looks amazing! Great song of the time. They should've been way bigger here!
Their excellent debut Limping For A New Generation was not even released in the US which made this an even more unlikely hit. Great single.
Never forgotten the video. Never forgotten the song!
Every songwriter should watch this and learn or identify. Song is KING.
The Blow Monkeys are my personal favorite music group.
Great video and interview Professor! I had totally forgotten about this group and their music! I hadn't heard this for years! It's like a trip back in time! Great to rediscover the past, thanks for bringing it back!
I do remember Digging Your Scene, but had completely forgotten about until tonight. Great interview, as always by P.O.R. and cool guest. What I really loved in this one was all the reference clips, just brilliant music of the past; going to listen to Band of Gold now.
I never knew this song until I heard the Rahsaan Patterson cover and then went back to the original and love both versions. Thanks for the interview
Just an amazing sounding track. Sax, vocals, strings….composition. It’s a perfect piece of music. The 6th F# dominant suspension as the second chord in the verse verse is awesome. Also the 1st and 4th are 9th chords, so awesome. Also the snare sound is great
What a bold, brilliant and chilling song
When I read the title of the video, I first thought about Dexys Midnight Runners. By the way, I had forgotten Blow Monkeys as time has passed, but this video has convinced me to re-discover this band: seems like they had some strong material.
WOW…. Now THIS song was a journey into my past. HAVEN’T HEARD THIS SONG IN YEARS! and it was a total fav back when I was in 11th grade…. I remember it was springtime the first time I heard it and the song “fit” that exact moment, maybe that’s why I loved it so much…. But I never did hear anything else by the Blow Monkeys…. Now that I think about it, I was TOTALLY into SophistiPop… Sade, Basia, the Breakfast Club (anyone else remember Right On Track?) Danny Wilson (Mary’s Prayer was ANOTHER fav)…. I loved how they made a very melodic song into a danceable track…. Thank you Adam. I LOVE these melodic excursions you take us on…
BYW- I’m still waiting for the tshirt that says “Three chords and the truth, my friends”
One of my favorites, I still listen to this in 2021.
I've always enjoyed this song and It Doesn't Have to Be This Way by them..Heard them both on the radio back in the day ..but they dont get much play even on retro days or what have you anymore.
It has such an imprint on my nostalgia memories. It was a pretty good time in my life. Would have been about 24 at the time...a time I should have not been so glib with.
Been a fan of the B.M since limping for a generation
I’m so intrigued by this interview.
I wasn’t around in the 80s but I briefly remember one time my mum had a CD in our car of 80s hits and Digging Your Scene was one of them! It’s so jazzy and funky.
Their other tunes as well It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way and Wait are all good.
Forbidden Fruit one of their earlier singles is beautiful. Sadly it flopped but still amazing!
Great interview! The Blow Monkeys & Dr. Robert take me back to my last year at school, lying on the lawn in our lunch break with my mate, sharing headphones on my walkman and listening to the Animal Magic tape. Great channel, just found it & subbed. Cheers! 👍
Yes, back to vinyl. Thanks Prof (largely because of your show)
This is one of my favourite 1986 songs. ✌️☺️
This channel is absolutely genius!!!!! Always a highlight of my day!!!!
They are on tour now in England, if you get to see them, boy are they awesome live. They had many hits in the Uk, Digging your scene, It doesn't have to be that way, Out with her, Choice, Wait, This is your life... One song which should have been a hit- It Pays To Belong, 248k views on you tube, check it out!!
This was a great song, and now I’ve added it to my current playlist. Thanks for reminding me of this gem.
I lived in London when this came out and I loved it. Still listen to it regularly today!
I totally love finding the hidden gems of the 80s, prof. I particularly liked this era in 80s pop, especially since I’m a jazz fan. I mean, how many times are we going to have to turn on the 80s channel on Sirius XM only to hear “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats? Geez!
I Loved singing this song, when I was in high school and I still can Nail It when I sing it at Karaoke...And I'm now 55!
And "YES" the ladies still go Crazy when they hear it! It just makes you Need to dance!
I love The Blow Monkeys! Never knew this song was controversial, wow!
Massive Blow Monkeys fan from the beginning.
Managed to see then them live in London around the second election when all the Red Wedge stuff was happening.
They were wonderfully slick live. Robert’s suit looked like it cost a fortune but they all looked great.
Mick on bass kept up his great sidestep bass playing all through the gig from beginning to end. If you’re not sure what I mean, just watch him play and look for that hip-wiggle he does pretty much all the time.
I highly recommend buying the Cherry Red remasters of both Animal Magic and Limping For A Generation as they both include a Cd’s worth of demo’s, rarities and unreleased tracks. Both albums are hard to find but it’s worth it it!
Great band, still love ‘em
You really nailed it with your comment - thank you.
As someone who has also been there from the beginning, I'm so excited that I'm going to see them on Friday (29/10/21) in Glasgow.
It's been a while since I've been so buzzing.