THE HOLIDAY SERIES (Part 2)

Off for a quick break in the warmth and hopefully the sun on the island of Madeira. It's only for 7 nights, and rather than let TVV slide off your radars altogether, I'm pre-recording some postings looking back at singles that could have made it in the 45 45s at 45 series.

Those of you who followed that hugely self-indulgent exercise will know that with a rule of one song per act, it was sometimes a very close call which particular 45 went forward from a singer or band. And this short series will look at some of those that hit the crossbar....

The #34 song in the rundown was Heart. But it could just as easily have been this:-

mp3 : Pet Shop Boys - Can Your Forgive Her?
mp3 : Pet Shop Boys - Hey Headmaster

Those who are quick to dismiss Pet Shop Boys as nothing more than a simple gay-disco act have got it all wrong. I reckon they're about as great a singles act as has ever been, and not just in my lifetime, and they confounded everyone when they started performing live on stage with a truly groundbreaking and breathtaking show that set new standards.

And some of the lyrics penned by Neil Tennant (e.g Rent) are as poetical and beautiful as anything that the great singer/songwriters armed with an acoustic guitar have ever produced.
The single shared with you today tells the tale of a man, refusing to accept his gay tendencies and finding himself trapped inside a loveless, useless and cruel marriage and continually being mocked by his wife....a plot that is used time and time again by soap operas.

It dates from 1993, is a great bit of and turned into their 13th Top Ten hit in the UK. The b-side is also a belter of a song....with a lyric Morrissey himself might have penned, or at the very least inspired:-

Hey, headmaster, what's the matter with you?
Why you always so serious? Why so blue?
All the kids in the school have seen you
being patient with the boys who fool you
when you used to hit them with your ruler
so independent too

Hey, headmaster, what's the matter with you?
There's a crisis rumoured in the school
The boys have cut their hair short to look cool
Examination time is drawing near
Disintegration of the football team
No one seems to want to play for real
in classroom, club or pool

Hey, headmaster, what you gonna do?
There's an invitation in the post
to a reading party on the coast
Pack your bags up, you old bibliophile
Get together with your friends
who will give you time to think and time to kill
with independent hosts

Hey, headmaster, aren't you gonna go?
Hey, headmaster, aren't you gonna go?

Happy Listening