One of the very few, Waltzes written about Heroin as far as I know anyway, the Strangles are awesome, from songs like Something Better Change and Peaches to this and Strange Little Girl they are so creative
@@simply_psi - My 16-year-old Son had loved 'Something Better Change' already 7 years ago, and he'd been obsessed with 'Go Buddy Go' over the first half of this year and even created his own '8-bit' version of it 😁👍
I loved this song as a kid after hearing it in my Dads car, eventually I asked him what the song was about and he told "Golden brown is how he likes his toast" I believed that until I was about 17 LOL
The Stranglers Golden Brown entered the UK Top 40 on the 9th January 1982 and peaked at no.2 in mid February. The top ten of mid February was: 1 - The Jam - Town called malice 2 - The Stranglers - Golden brown 3 - Kraftwerk - The model 4 - Shakin Stevens - Oh Julie 5 - OMD - Maid of Orleans 6 - Soft Cell - Say hello, wave goodbye 7 - Meatloaf - Dead ringer for love 8 - Tight Fit - The lion sleeps tonight 9 - Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme 10 Haircut 100 - Love plus one Other tracks in this week's Top 40 Daryl Hall & John Oates - I can't go for that Mobiles - Drowning in Berlin XTC - Senses working overtime ACDC - Let's get it up J. Geils Band - Centrefold Jon & Vangelis - I'll find my way home Depeche Mode - See you Toni Basil - Mickey Fun Boy Three & Bananarama - It ain't what you do its the way that you do it. Loved this Stranglers song and during the summer of 1982 I was in Spain with my folks and this was playing everywhere, so my association with this song is sea, sand and blue skies, however I believe the song may be about something different completely... drugs haha. Hope you enjoy this chart anyway.
This is just one of those songs, ya know? Never fails to put me in a good mood. For me it always reminds me of an upbeat french waltz or something like that.
Nice and Sleazy was played live in a London pack with 5 or 6 real strippers dancing and undressing with the band crew mock whipping them….. the video was on RUclips for a while but removed for nudity unfortunately as it was a classic and a shockingly new in 1978 ….. catch it if you get the chance 👍👍👍😎
A charming ditty this, and showing a softer side to the bank, musically at least. Lyrically, it's all about heroin. Nice lilting melody, good little guitar solo, but I particularly like those keys. Not sure if it's synth harpsichord, or an actual one, but it's my fave part. This softer side worked well for them, this was there best selling song.
The group said it was blank verse and people put whatever they thought about into the song and that they were thinking about sun worship and suntans when they wrote it but yes it's about heroin.
@@TheMbhvisby It's potentially controversial, which may be why they seem to have said a lot about this over the years. Were they trying to put the topic behind them, muddy the waters? JP touched on drugs, and something else, a relationship maybe, that they'd also quoted. I forget exactly what JP said. And you've heard/read blank verse. I got heroin from a tv interview, some music show, with Hugh Cornwell. He was pretty unequivocal about it, he even laughed about it. The fact they may've got their highest chart success with a song about heroin, and his own addiction back then. Muso's and drugs go hand in hand... would anyone have really been that bothered i wonder. Hmm, maybe the BBC :)
there is a youtube video by the song writer about how this was a hit, but when it was a week away from No 1 a band member went public on the Heroin. The song was immediately removed from UK broadcast playlists and never reached No1.
You will really love this band!!! Down in ther sewer, No more heroes, Peaches, Hanging around, la foile, You should do this album as theres loads of cool songs on here a mix variety, the song la foile is great and cool. Walk on by should be your next reaction! Also la foile does mean madness in french and golden brown is about heroin and a girl - Hugh Cornell
If I had to pick one post-punk harpsichord-driven waltz with semi-obscure drug references in the lyrics but then a promotional video that seemed to remove all doubt as to what it was about, given how out of it the lead singer in particular looked - it would be this one. Seriously, it's a classic. Delighted to see you give it some attention.
Basically every song by the Stranglers I know is kinda different from each other, in my experience. Other recommendations: No More Heroes and Peaches; both are more in the sort of post-punk/new wave/pub rock vibe associated with their typical output, but are likewise very distinct from one another.
This is a proper tune. I just love listening to the old songs. Songs from the past 10 15 years... I cant do. Been listening to the Stranglers for decades.
Another amazing gem. This song has been covered and/or used in soundtracks so many times, it's probably the song most people who have never even heard of the Stranglers seem to know best.
This is so brilliant in so many ways. One thing sticks out: in the verses, there’s no reverb on the vocal. None. Now that’s confidence. Why wasn’t this song in trainspotting? is another thought
@@JustJP I know i loved it. I was borne in 1971, so here in Europe I rised with New Wave music, like U2, Depeche Mode, The Cult and so on. Also, my brother was 12.5 years older than me, I lears to listen to '70s rock music like Led Zeppelin, The Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Genesis. Also, one of my best friens was playng bass and teached me about Gentle Giant, Yes and some Italian progressive bands. But i think a song is something when you fell in love with, I listen continously for days or weeks and keep listening for all your lifetime.
Loved the way you compared Sometimes to Golden Brown as being strangled and then passing out haha, brilliant. I can't wait for you to hear more Stranglers and hear how flexible they are as song writers. You won't love every song, but you'll appreciate a band that experiments with their sound. Enjoy.
Hi,JP. ' La Folie' was a concept album focussing on the diversity and folly of love. All the tracks have some aspect of love about them, just not in the conventional sense. The opening track 'Non Stop (Nun)' is well worth a listen. It sets the tone and is almost Beach Boys like with it's upbeat keys. It soon changes though, LOL. The Stranglers always paved their own way and were never afraid to depart from a successful formula. My favourite band. I could suggest many a track from their impressive catalogue but I think you'd enjoy the discoveries more if you do it yourself.. Kind Regards.
This was a huge hit single back in 1982 and remained a radio hit for many years afterwards…still gets played as an 80s classic. Yes it’s a harpsichord and an organ together. The noticeable difference with the Stranglers and other British punk bands is that they had the keyboards. Sadly keyboardist Dave Greenfield passed away last year from COVID ☹️
I saw The Stranglers on tour in Brisbane, in February 2020 (five weeks before we went into lockdown), they were brilliant. I couldn't believe it when I heard that Dave had passed away less than 3 months later 😥
Always loved this song, ever since it came out. Great band. I'm not sure they could ever really have been regarded as punk. There was so much more to The Stranglers.
I was heavy into Brit music in 1982 but can't recall ever hearing this song. It's nice. The only Stranglers tune I know is "Always the Sun", which is very nice.
This song is 100% about heroin. That vague "girlfriend" crap was just to keep it from getting it banned from radio shows. Unless of course, this girl is centuries old and has been, through the ages, traveling west. I saw them play at Reading Rock Festival in 1983. This song is a live banger, despite the harpsichord and odd time signatures (13/8 and 6/8)
Hi Justin! Nice reaction to a song that's just like its theme : intoxicating! I don't know if anyone mentionned it in the comments, but I think the "Tied to the mast" line may refer to the adventures of greek hero Ulysses, who asked his crewmate to tie him to the mast of his ship before encountering the Sirens, so he could listen to their chants without jumping into the sea (killing himself in the process). Nice use of references and metaphors on this one ! Peace !
The Stranglers are so little mentioned it's a real shame, a really powerful band at the time when rock turned into punk, but they were much more than that, really
I found some time ago an interesting cover of "Golden Brown". It's by The Wurzels - English band who played folk/bluegrass/country type of music. Their sounds cool and solid (even without that characteristic keyboards) :D
Our c’est la folie. Got to number one in the U.K. Great track. Saw them live a few times. Their cover of Walk on By is the best cover of a song ever. Try Nice n Sleazy.
I always alliterate La Folie with foliage. It’s not correct but it feels right somehow. Staying in the shade, keeping a low profile… If you’re out there on a limb you don’t advertise
There is disagreement among observers as to which time signatures best represents parts of the song. The main body of the song has a triple metre waltz rhythm, with beats grouped in threes, but the instrumental parts add an extra beat to create a phrase of thirteen beats. The thirteen beats appear in the sheet music as alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8,which has also been described as three bars of 3/4 followed by one bar of 4/4.
Justin, don't get trapped. La Folie is one of their minor albums. It includes one magnificent gem and it's called Golden Brown (their biggest hit). Go back to Rattus, their debut album that shows enough faces of the band to discover and enjoy. Or tuck into The Raven, maybe their best album when it comes to composing.
From my point of view La Folie is not a minor album because the whole first side is very successful, however I find the second side more uneven: I never liked the synth-pop "Pin Up" or the light "How to Find True Love and Happiness in the Present Day" and the title track although good tends to last a bit too long for my liking (not to mention the fact that I never understood why the band released this song sung in French as a single since it was unlikely to be broadcast on the radio). Otherwise regarding what you mentioned I agree that it makes more sense to go back to the beginning with Rattus Norvegicus and so on.
@@Katehowe3010 My favourites of their UA/EMI years: 1. Rattus 2. Raven 3. Meninblack 4. B&W 5. Heroes 6. Folie I think side 2 of B&W is one of their poorer sides of that era. Side 1 is awesome.
@@spoteach I do not hear any weakness in Black & White which is very coherent, except for the superfluous presence of the relatively average "In The Shadows" that we already found on the B side of the single "No More Heroes" released in fall '77. that said, it does not mismatch with the very singular atmosphere of the second side originally named 'Black Side' ! The only criticism I could make about Black & White is its harshness, its rawness, its cold and austere sound, but it is not really a criticism in the end because it is part of the specificity and charm of this album.
Would love to see your reaction to Walk on By (long version) by the Stranglers. As a long time fan it’s great to see how other react to my favourite songs👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Rumour is that it was planned to licence this song for an advertisement for Hovis, a major baker known for its wholemeal bread. However, they thought better of it when they learned of what the song was actually about.
I know nothing of La Folie in a Stranglers context. Indeed, the late seventies arrival of punk prompted me to look further afield for music (I've always preferred musically pretentious to musically inept). For that very reason I remember enjoying this song when it was released as 'different', and musically interesting. One of the things that looking further afield brought me to, was the musical trope called 'La Follia', 'Les Folies d'Espagne', 'La Folie' etc. which is a chord sequence or basso continuo used as a basis for improvisations by many, many composers (Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel, Salieri, Bach, Lully, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, even in a Levi's advertisement in on UK TV). The harpsichord is the principal keyboard instrument of the baroque; the Folia theme exploded during the baroque; I wonder if the Stranglers were referencing this piece? Anyhow, how about trying out a version of La Folia (perhaps the Apollo's Fire version of the Vivaldi-it's pretty spectacular, and would make a change from your more customary seventies fare.They translate 'La Folie' as 'Madness'. Could this be what the Stranglers meant by extolling the virtues of heroin?
I speak both French and Romanian. In Romanian, it would mean the sheet (of paper, as in the Italian folio). In French, think of the famous Parisian burlesque palace, Les Folies Bergeres. Madness, craziness, lunacy, zaniness, any and all of these.
I first heard this song the day my grandfather died, so it's had a weird sort of trajectory with me through the years. With my grown-up head, however, I appreciate the music and, perhaps because I had to work a bit harder to get there, it's now a pleasant groove for me.
People shouldn't write such beautiful tunes about heavy drugs. I just love it. Next: "Duchess" or "No more Heroes". The Stranglers were very versatile in styles.
I just tried "La folie" with detect language in google translate, it also picked Romanian with English translation of *_The Madness_* Wikipedia says: The album's French language title literally translates to "madness". In various interviews, the band related that this referred to "The Madness of Love" and that conceptually, each of the songs on the album was intended to explore a different kind or aspect of "love"
I'd recorded this song off the radio in the Summer of '85, having absolutely no idea whom it was by - and I absolutely could not believe it when it reappeared on a 'Best of The Stranglers' album I bought 6 or 7 years later! I would've _never_ guessed it was them! 😄 However, I _was_ a bit shocked when I learnt another 8 years or so later that this "golden brown" stuff was actually heroin 😳
This was their biggest hit here in the UK. I've always liked this due to its unusual style and pacing. No More Heroes is worth checking out as well, another of their UK hits.
It's about heroin, having been there I know it's a day out of your life and when you come back reality strikes back. The melodic and rhythmic tone of this song is the sinking and falling feeling how an addiction (love or Dgs@) can be simultaneously good and bad.
Golden Brown was about heroin as stated by lead singer Hugh Cornwell. He said "we would have had number 1 with the song if the bass player big mouth Burnell hadn't told the press what the song was about" Soon after the song was removed from all the playlists. Hugh Cornwell said " I would have waited till the song got to number 1 then told the press" R.I.P. Dave Greenfield Keyboard player 1949 -2020.
One of the classic hit singles of my teenage years, instantly transports me back to 1982. And one of the best songs to have peaked at number 2 in UK chart history, even if it was held off the top by the Jam's brilliant double A side 'Town Called Malice' / 'Precious'. Its ambiguity means it works on both levels as a drugs song but also as a love song, which is why it got so much radio play in the early 80s as most DJs missed the other meaning. It does sound chilled and the lilting melody on the keyboard is gorgeous. I love that little guitar solo too, adds a nice extra bit of colour. I've always detected a sense of melancholy though, it's clear that the singer is giving himself into something dangerous, whether that's a lover or a drug. As I recall, this was a real change of direction for the band and showed another side to their music from the punkier / new wave feel to their earlier stuff. Musically 'Sometimes' is right up my street too, although the misogyny in the lyrics makes it hard to listen to.
I wondered what it was that kept the song off the number 1 spot. That's a tough call, all three sings are brilliant. Thank god it wasn't Bucks Fizz or something 😀
@@jeremyb5640 aargh, that would be worse. I seem to remember that abomination stopping something good getting to no. 1. Thinking about it, it would be difficult to find a worse song.
Yes, la folie is basic French, the duality between Cornwell and Burnell, Ha... great duo backed by another great duo on the rythmic side. Many great albums
![Oasis - Oasis Live '25 [Official Trailer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gol_JnuEtKM/mqdefault.jpg)
Golden Brown one of the finest songs ever composed ✨ has a timeless hypnotic quality……
I just adore GOLDEN BROWN. One of my favourite songs of all times, a very waltzy tune, that's how I've always described it.
Yes, specifically the Viennese waltz. Perfect for spinning across the ballroom😊
One of the very few, Waltzes written about Heroin as far as I know anyway, the Strangles are awesome, from songs like Something Better Change and Peaches to this and Strange Little Girl they are so creative
I can never ell , I have taken it as a 6/8 but never seen the sheet music
There are so few. You would think there would be more. Such an accessible subject and popular musical type.
@@octaviussludberry9016 🤣🤣
@@highpath4776 I guess it's three bars of 3/4 followed by one of 4/4 so not entirely a waltz, but also not completely 6/8..
@@simply_psi - My 16-year-old Son had loved 'Something Better Change' already 7 years ago, and he'd been obsessed with 'Go Buddy Go' over the first half of this year and even created his own '8-bit' version of it
😁👍
"Like coffee." Yeeaah, not that kind of brown. Just don't do it, kids!
Lol! :D
It's heroin dude
I loved this song as a kid after hearing it in my Dads car, eventually I asked him what the song was about and he told "Golden brown is how he likes his toast" I believed that until I was about 17 LOL
@@goannaj3243
Could be wrong but I believe its about gold tops (magic mushrooms) and heroin both.
And definitely not “Gordon Brown”
The Stranglers Golden Brown entered the UK Top 40 on the 9th January 1982 and peaked at no.2 in mid February.
The top ten of mid February was:
1 - The Jam - Town called malice
2 - The Stranglers - Golden brown
3 - Kraftwerk - The model
4 - Shakin Stevens - Oh Julie
5 - OMD - Maid of Orleans
6 - Soft Cell - Say hello, wave goodbye
7 - Meatloaf - Dead ringer for love
8 - Tight Fit - The lion sleeps tonight
9 - Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme
10 Haircut 100 - Love plus one
Other tracks in this week's Top 40
Daryl Hall & John Oates - I can't go for that
Mobiles - Drowning in Berlin
XTC - Senses working overtime
ACDC - Let's get it up
J. Geils Band - Centrefold
Jon & Vangelis - I'll find my way home
Depeche Mode - See you
Toni Basil - Mickey
Fun Boy Three & Bananarama - It ain't what you do its the way that you do it.
Loved this Stranglers song and during the summer of 1982 I was in Spain with my folks and this was playing everywhere, so my association with this song is sea, sand and blue skies, however I believe the song may be about something different completely... drugs haha.
Hope you enjoy this chart anyway.
Living on the Ceiling, Blancmange?
@@thrusta100 great track. Think that one came out in around October of that year. x
@@thrusta100 that track was out in the September or October of this year x
Shakin Stevens was robbed :(
That is what you call a top 10. I can remember all of those vividly. Oh to be 14 again ...
This is just one of those songs, ya know? Never fails to put me in a good mood. For me it always reminds me of an upbeat french waltz or something like that.
I had forgotten how much I love this song. A harpsichord. Beautiful.
Try the you tube covers of this , especially solo piano. Shows how brilliant this is
_Nice and Sleazy_ has the filthiest bassline in history.
🍑 Peaches
Plenty of great ones to choose from. I'm partial to "Hanging Around", "Tank", and "Dead Loss Angeles", too.
And A filthy sleazy keyboard solo too.
Nice and Sleazy was played live in a London pack with 5 or 6 real strippers dancing and undressing with the band crew mock whipping them….. the video was on RUclips for a while but removed for nudity unfortunately as it was a classic and a shockingly new in 1978 ….. catch it if you get the chance 👍👍👍😎
It stops at filthiest?
One of the most original songs from the early 80’s. Still love it, with the 13 beats (123,123,123,1234).
Love this song. There's something about it that is so dark and so yet so compelling. It really does feel like you're in a swirly dream
Hanging Around, The Raven, walk on by, the man they love to hate, Five Minutes, so many great songs from this criminality underrated band!
Five Minutes, fantastic song!
*STANDING ON THE BEACHES LOOKING AT THE PEACHES* DUN DUN DUN BWAH NAH DUN DUDUN DUN
From the Guy Richie movie with Brad Pitt and others, Snatch.
Heroin addiction has never sounded so good, lol. Great track, and so different to everything else, either by the Stranglers or by anyone. :D
The Church did quite a few awesome songs about heroin.
A charming ditty this, and showing a softer side to the bank, musically at least. Lyrically, it's all about heroin. Nice lilting melody, good little guitar solo, but I particularly like those keys. Not sure if it's synth harpsichord, or an actual one, but it's my fave part. This softer side worked well for them, this was there best selling song.
it's real harpsichord !
@@a.k.1740 Cheers for that. :)
The group said it was blank verse and people put whatever they thought about into the song and that they were thinking about sun worship and suntans when they wrote it but yes it's about heroin.
@@TheMbhvisby It's potentially controversial, which may be why they seem to have said a lot about this over the years. Were they trying to put the topic behind them, muddy the waters? JP touched on drugs, and something else, a relationship maybe, that they'd also quoted. I forget exactly what JP said. And you've heard/read blank verse.
I got heroin from a tv interview, some music show, with Hugh Cornwell. He was pretty unequivocal about it, he even laughed about it. The fact they may've got their highest chart success with a song about heroin, and his own addiction back then.
Muso's and drugs go hand in hand... would anyone have really been that bothered i wonder. Hmm, maybe the BBC :)
@@TheMbhvisby Blank verse means something different - poetry that does not rhyme. Guess they might not have picked up on that.
there is a youtube video by the song writer about how this was a hit, but when it was a week away from No 1 a band member went public on the Heroin. The song was immediately removed from UK broadcast playlists and never reached No1.
You will really love this band!!! Down in ther sewer, No more heroes, Peaches, Hanging around, la foile, You should do this album as theres loads of cool songs on here a mix variety, the song la foile is great and cool. Walk on by should be your next reaction! Also la foile does mean madness in french and golden brown is about heroin and a girl - Hugh Cornell
Nice N Sleazy too!
@@charliedue4222 Possibly the whole black and white album
Peaches is a must listen IMHO
@@Katehowe3010 That's what I think too ! Thus the evolution of The Stranglers over time is more coherent.
Hugh CornWell
Definitely seek out their take on Walk On By.
Oh, YES! Just epic!
One of my favourite songs ever this. Nothing else like it, even by the Stranglers (and I like their other stuff).
Some interesting softer songs : "Strange little girl", "European female" and "Midnight summer dream".
This track is iconic.
The Stranglers were a very talented bunch of guys.
I never tire of this song. Love waltz time. Melody flows so freely in 3/4.
If I had to pick one post-punk harpsichord-driven waltz with semi-obscure drug references in the lyrics but then a promotional video that seemed to remove all doubt as to what it was about, given how out of it the lead singer in particular looked - it would be this one. Seriously, it's a classic. Delighted to see you give it some attention.
And with so many to choose from :)
Always makes me think of the classic Guy Ritchie movie “Snatch”
Great movie and a great scene.
Basically every song by the Stranglers I know is kinda different from each other, in my experience. Other recommendations: No More Heroes and Peaches; both are more in the sort of post-punk/new wave/pub rock vibe associated with their typical output, but are likewise very distinct from one another.
Even on the same album.
KROQ would play this and "The Man They Love To Hate" all of the time.
THE STRANGLERS "WALK ON BY" & "STRANGE LITTLE GIRL"...TRUST ME ON THESE!!
Wow, this is a complete blast from the past! Love The Stranglers. Lots of memories of this growing up.
Have to admit that this song has a special place in the hearts of those of us who did our share of heroin back in the day.
This is a proper tune. I just love listening to the old songs. Songs from the past 10 15 years... I cant do. Been listening to the Stranglers for decades.
JustJP + Golden Brown = instaclick I'd do "Peaches" next for another total change of style (and one of the catchiest hooks ever).
Ty Neil :)
Another amazing gem. This song has been covered and/or used in soundtracks so many times, it's probably the song most people who have never even heard of the Stranglers seem to know best.
This is so brilliant in so many ways. One thing sticks out: in the verses, there’s no reverb on the vocal. None. Now that’s confidence. Why wasn’t this song in trainspotting? is another thought
You can't help but be happy! I am anyway, so glad you're doing more Stranglers, nice reaction too.
Hi JustJP, always loved this song.
Hi mauro! It's a good one! :D
@@JustJP I know i loved it.
I was borne in 1971, so here in Europe I rised with New Wave music, like U2, Depeche Mode, The Cult and so on.
Also, my brother was 12.5 years older than me, I lears to listen to '70s rock music like Led Zeppelin, The Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Genesis.
Also, one of my best friens was playng bass and teached me about Gentle Giant, Yes and some Italian progressive bands.
But i think a song is something when you fell in love with, I listen continously for days or weeks and keep listening for all your lifetime.
Had a bad time with Golden Brown happy to report been CLEAN for 30yrs and counting
I'm happy to hear that David!
@@JustJP Thank you, me too 👍
Such an amazing atmosphere, cool jazzy groove.
It's a waltz.
Loved the way you compared Sometimes to Golden Brown as being strangled and then passing out haha, brilliant. I can't wait for you to hear more Stranglers and hear how flexible they are as song writers. You won't love every song, but you'll appreciate a band that experiments with their sound. Enjoy.
Hi,JP. ' La Folie' was a concept album focussing on the diversity and folly of love. All the tracks have some aspect of love about them, just not in the conventional sense. The opening track 'Non Stop (Nun)' is well worth a listen. It sets the tone and is almost Beach Boys like with it's upbeat keys. It soon changes though, LOL. The Stranglers always paved their own way and were never afraid to depart from a successful formula. My favourite band. I could suggest many a track from their impressive catalogue but I think you'd enjoy the discoveries more if you do it yourself.. Kind Regards.
First time I heard this was while watching Snatch, haven't stopped since
This was a huge hit single back in 1982 and remained a radio hit for many years afterwards…still gets played as an 80s classic.
Yes it’s a harpsichord and an organ together. The noticeable difference with the Stranglers and other British punk bands is that they had the keyboards. Sadly keyboardist Dave Greenfield passed away last year from COVID ☹️
:( He was probably the most musician of them, having done session work before The Stranglers.
I saw The Stranglers on tour in Brisbane, in February 2020 (five weeks before we went into lockdown), they were brilliant. I couldn't believe it when I heard that Dave had passed away less than 3 months later 😥
@@mgwatson26 Yes, I was there too. So sad, but so lucky to have seen them again!
Always loved this song, ever since it came out. Great band. I'm not sure they could ever really have been regarded as punk. There was so much more to The Stranglers.
They definitely defied description as far as genre. I always kind of thought of them as a genre unto themselves.
They never classed themselves as punk, (critics pigeon holing) but they took it as it would get other kinds of people to there gigs.
I was heavy into Brit music in 1982 but can't recall ever hearing this song. It's nice. The only Stranglers tune I know is "Always the Sun", which is very nice.
Try their song Peaches.
Nice and Sleazy, Peaches, No more Heroes...........
"Golden Brown"!!! Classic Stranglers!! Glad you are jumping around for there music is really diverse from album to the next.
Such a phenomenal song
This song is 100% about heroin. That vague "girlfriend" crap was just to keep it from getting it banned from radio shows.
Unless of course, this girl is centuries old and has been, through the ages, traveling west.
I saw them play at Reading Rock Festival in 1983. This song is a live banger, despite the harpsichord and odd time signatures (13/8 and 6/8)
Dreamy guitar solo.
Hi Justin! Nice reaction to a song that's just like its theme : intoxicating! I don't know if anyone mentionned it in the comments, but I think the "Tied to the mast" line may refer to the adventures of greek hero Ulysses, who asked his crewmate to tie him to the mast of his ship before encountering the Sirens, so he could listen to their chants without jumping into the sea (killing himself in the process). Nice use of references and metaphors on this one !
Peace !
The movie Snatch turned me on to this one. Love it
"Nice 'n' Sleazy"...their best...The bass is so-o-o-o dirty.
It's a must!!
The Stranglers are so little mentioned it's a real shame, a really powerful band at the time when rock turned into punk, but they were much more than that, really
I found some time ago an interesting cover of "Golden Brown". It's by The Wurzels - English band who played folk/bluegrass/country type of music. Their sounds cool and solid (even without that characteristic keyboards) :D
The madness.
Justin what a cool song to do. Love this one from way back I play it on occasion. Hope you like it. Love you
My favourite Heroin song
Our c’est la folie. Got to number one in the U.K. Great track. Saw them live a few times. Their cover of Walk on By is the best cover of a song ever. Try Nice n Sleazy.
I always alliterate La Folie with foliage. It’s not correct but it feels right somehow. Staying in the shade, keeping a low profile… If you’re out there on a limb you don’t advertise
There is disagreement among observers as to which time signatures best represents parts of the song. The main body of the song has a triple metre waltz rhythm, with beats grouped in threes, but the instrumental parts add an extra beat to create a phrase of thirteen beats. The thirteen beats appear in the sheet music as alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8,which has also been described as three bars of 3/4 followed by one bar of 4/4.
Justin, don't get trapped. La Folie is one of their minor albums. It includes one magnificent gem and it's called Golden Brown (their biggest hit). Go back to Rattus, their debut album that shows enough faces of the band to discover and enjoy. Or tuck into The Raven, maybe their best album when it comes to composing.
From my point of view La Folie is not a minor album because the whole first side is very successful, however I find the second side more uneven: I never liked the synth-pop "Pin Up" or the light "How to Find True Love and Happiness in the Present Day" and the title track although good tends to last a bit too long for my liking (not to mention the fact that I never understood why the band released this song sung in French as a single since it was unlikely to be broadcast on the radio).
Otherwise regarding what you mentioned I agree that it makes more sense to go back to the beginning with Rattus Norvegicus and so on.
@@a.k.1740 Not minor as in bad but it's my least favourite album of their UA/EMI catalogue. Uneven is a good word.
@@Katehowe3010 My favourites of their UA/EMI years: 1. Rattus 2. Raven 3. Meninblack 4. B&W 5. Heroes 6. Folie I think side 2 of B&W is one of their poorer sides of that era. Side 1 is awesome.
@@Katehowe3010 My favourite tracks on side 2 are Curfew and In The Shadows (previously released as a b-side). So we agree to disagree and that's nice.
@@spoteach I do not hear any weakness in Black & White which is very coherent, except for the superfluous presence of the relatively average "In The Shadows" that we already found on the B side of the single "No More Heroes" released in fall '77. that said, it does not mismatch with the very singular atmosphere of the second side originally named 'Black Side' !
The only criticism I could make about Black & White is its harshness, its rawness, its cold and austere sound, but it is not really a criticism in the end because it is part of the specificity and charm of this album.
Great song.
Love the timing of this song. I remember this coming out, I was 13, luckily my sister is 7 years older than me!
Would love to see your reaction to Walk on By (long version) by the Stranglers. As a long time fan it’s great to see how other react to my favourite songs👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
one of my fav pfe afe
I thought he was singing Gordon Brown
It's definitely not a road I would not recommend, but it's a banging of a tune 🎉🥳
wow to finally be able to subscribe to you and like you been watching you a long time and really enjoy your show
Rumour is that it was planned to licence this song for an advertisement for Hovis, a major baker known for its wholemeal bread. However, they thought better of it when they learned of what the song was actually about.
I know nothing of La Folie in a Stranglers context. Indeed, the late seventies arrival of punk prompted me to look further afield for music (I've always preferred musically pretentious to musically inept). For that very reason I remember enjoying this song when it was released as 'different', and musically interesting.
One of the things that looking further afield brought me to, was the musical trope called 'La Follia', 'Les Folies d'Espagne', 'La Folie' etc. which is a chord sequence or basso continuo used as a basis for improvisations by many, many composers (Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel, Salieri, Bach, Lully, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, even in a Levi's advertisement in on UK TV).
The harpsichord is the principal keyboard instrument of the baroque; the Folia theme exploded during the baroque; I wonder if the Stranglers were referencing this piece? Anyhow, how about trying out a version of La Folia (perhaps the Apollo's Fire version of the Vivaldi-it's pretty spectacular, and would make a change from your more customary seventies fare.They translate 'La Folie' as 'Madness'. Could this be what the Stranglers meant by extolling the virtues of heroin?
I speak both French and Romanian. In Romanian, it would mean the sheet (of paper, as in the Italian folio).
In French, think of the famous Parisian burlesque palace, Les Folies Bergeres. Madness, craziness, lunacy, zaniness, any and all of these.
You should listen to down in the sewer, it is aggressive and has many layers to a 7 minute song 👍👍
I first heard this song the day my grandfather died, so it's had a weird sort of trajectory with me through the years. With my grown-up head, however, I appreciate the music and, perhaps because I had to work a bit harder to get there, it's now a pleasant groove for me.
One of my all time fav songs😍
People shouldn't write such beautiful tunes about heavy drugs. I just love it.
Next: "Duchess" or "No more Heroes".
The Stranglers were very versatile in styles.
I just tried "La folie" with detect language in google translate, it also picked Romanian with English translation of *_The Madness_*
Wikipedia says:
The album's French language title literally translates to "madness". In various interviews, the band related that this referred to "The Madness of Love" and that conceptually, each of the songs on the album was intended to explore a different kind or aspect of "love"
Ain't the song La folie about a cannibal who ate his student
Was played at my best friends funeral
This is my all-time favorite Stranglers song! SO beautiful! But, it’s an ode to the most evil drug on the planet…so rather bittersweet.
Alcohol?
@@mana3735 Alcohol is a pretty bad one, however Heroin probably still takes the cake 😅
@@aerea4759 Alcohol as a substance is actually more harmful than heroin. As a habit though...heroin is bad.
It was very kind of them to share the experience through their music so we don't have to use the stuff.
@@mana3735 it’s all bad. 🙃
"Always the Sun" - the greatest song by the stranglers. give that a listen. you won't be sorry.
The end of the somg is some of the greates beat in music history
I'd recorded this song off the radio in the Summer of '85, having absolutely no idea whom it was by - and I absolutely could not believe it when it reappeared on a 'Best of The Stranglers' album I bought 6 or 7 years later! I would've _never_ guessed it was them! 😄 However, I _was_ a bit shocked when I learnt another 8 years or so later that this "golden brown" stuff was actually heroin 😳
I love this song! The part where they do that syncopation is so unusual but it just *works*
Nice n sleazy is fantastic
This was their biggest hit here in the UK. I've always liked this due to its unusual style and pacing. No More Heroes is worth checking out as well, another of their UK hits.
It's about heroin, having been there I know it's a day out of your life and when you come back reality strikes back.
The melodic and rhythmic tone of this song is the sinking and falling feeling how an addiction (love or Dgs@) can be simultaneously good and bad.
Yep you got me. High from East Coast of England.
Golden Brown was about heroin as stated by lead singer Hugh Cornwell. He said "we would have had number 1 with the song if the bass player big mouth Burnell hadn't told the press what the song was about" Soon after the song was removed from all the playlists. Hugh Cornwell said " I would have waited till the song got to number 1 then told the press"
R.I.P. Dave Greenfield Keyboard player 1949 -2020.
Not bad for a punk band. 😜
Love this song.
Great song,The Stranglers were the first big band I saw live, so many great songs to choose from check out “Walk on by”
And 'La Folie' is definitely French! Their bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel is originally French, and he even sings the album's title track in French 😀
This is the first song I remember hearing on the radio
For some reason I always associate this song with ‘The Clash - Bankrobber’, gotta do that one 👍
first song i ever remember hearing on the radio must of been about five
One of the most underrated bands ever.
Nice .. check out "Walk on By"
One of the classic hit singles of my teenage years, instantly transports me back to 1982. And one of the best songs to have peaked at number 2 in UK chart history, even if it was held off the top by the Jam's brilliant double A side 'Town Called Malice' / 'Precious'.
Its ambiguity means it works on both levels as a drugs song but also as a love song, which is why it got so much radio play in the early 80s as most DJs missed the other meaning.
It does sound chilled and the lilting melody on the keyboard is gorgeous. I love that little guitar solo too, adds a nice extra bit of colour. I've always detected a sense of melancholy though, it's clear that the singer is giving himself into something dangerous, whether that's a lover or a drug.
As I recall, this was a real change of direction for the band and showed another side to their music from the punkier / new wave feel to their earlier stuff. Musically 'Sometimes' is right up my street too, although the misogyny in the lyrics makes it hard to listen to.
I wondered what it was that kept the song off the number 1 spot. That's a tough call, all three sings are brilliant. Thank god it wasn't Bucks Fizz or something 😀
@@mgwatson26 Or Joe Dolce! ;)
@@jeremyb5640 aargh, that would be worse. I seem to remember that abomination stopping something good getting to no. 1. Thinking about it, it would be difficult to find a worse song.
@@jeremyb5640 I just looked it up - Ultravox - Vienna was the song kept at no 2. That’s a crying shame!
@@mgwatson26 It kept 'Vienna' by Ultravox off the top spot. I don't think Midge Ure (rightly) has ever forgiven him!
it just grabs you and pulls you in...
Yes, la folie is basic French, the duality between Cornwell and Burnell, Ha... great duo backed by another great duo on the rythmic side.
Many great albums
Dave Greenfield first hit on the Harpsichord since the 18th century lol and its a Waltz
You don't look a year older Justin! Great band, great track, great reaction - as always. Peace and Blessings my man!
Ty Lorna! :D
Toiler on the sea. Brilliant
A short but sweet ditty, "Dead Loss Angeles" off of 'The Raven'. A song about mastodons . . .
Speaking of relaxing and blissed-out, definitely check out the title track, La folie... beautiful stuff.