Neneh Cherry: Buffalo Stance

Format: 12" (five mixes)

Label: Virgin

Country: US

Year: 1989

Price paid: $6

"Yeah, Timmy! Tell it like it is!"

My knowledge of rap is sufficiently inadequate to make any commentary on the subject naive at best, but there seemed to be a time in the 80s when rap was bright and shiny and new- it hadn't yet fallen into the rigid stereotypes predominate in the genre today. Things were more playful, experimental, and dare I say 'fun.' If I may be so bold I'd like to shoehorn Neneh Cherry, and more specifically this song, under the 'New Wave' banner. I don't think that's too much of a stretch...

Born and raised in a hippie commune in Sweden, Neneh moved to England at an early age and then to New York City at 14. Dropping out of school, she returned to England and settled in London where she became roommates with Ari Up (of The Slits fame.)

She was an employee at 'Better Badges', a major producer of punk/New Wave pins. Odds are if you see a vintage 1" band badge it was either made by this company or an imitator.

She was part of several early post-punk/dub/experimental groups including The Cherries, The New Age Steppers (with Ari), and Rip Rig + Panic. These will undoubtedly be discussed in more detail elsewhere...

'Buffalo Stance' was released in 1988, just prior to her first solo album 'Raw Like Sushi' (May 2, 1989.) It was a smash, reaching #3 in both the UK and US- going all the way to #1 in Sweden, Netherlands, and the Canadian Dance/Urban charts. Neneh would continue to have chart success in the 80s and 90s, but nothing approached the lofty heights of this single.

The single was released during Britpop's 'Summers of Love.' See the entry on The Primitives 'Really Stupid' for more musings on the subject. Suffice it to say that the video is a eye-searing example of neo-psychedelia, with heavy use of period motifs such as flower imagery.

The song is about the entourage of people known as 'Buffalo' (of which Neneh was a part) that formed around Ray Petri, the influential photographer who worked with magazines such as The Face and i-D. And of course there's a direct influence (and sampling) from Malcolm McLaren's 1983 hit 'Buffalo Girls.'

Please enjoy this extremely well done and loving tribute to both 'Buffalo Stance' and 'Buffalo Girls' by DVJ Luka Sao Paulo. A great mashup that bridges the gap between early and late 80's New Wave:

Neneh Cherry vs. Malcolm McLaren: 'Buffalo Stance Gals'

New Women in Rock

Author: Liz Thompson (editor)
Format: book
Publisher: Delilah/Putnam/Omnibus Press
Country: US
Year: 1982
Location purchased: 1/2 Price Book Warehouse, Syracuse NY 

 

If you don't know by now female vocalists are my thing. British groups/artists in particular. No one text has had a greater impact on my musical tastes and education than this book- flipping through it now I'm STILL amazed by the sheer amount of obscure data it contains...

'New Women in Rock' covers (not surprisingly) female artists that were hot in 1982. So tight is its focus though it could have been easily been called 'Women in New Wave' or even- and more accurately- 'British Women in New Wave' were it not for the inclusion of a few odd ducks such as Bette Midler and Joan Armatrading.

The biggies you'd expect to find are all here- Lene Lovich, Blondie, and Siouxsie to name a few. Where the book really shines though is the inclusion and equal treatment of all but unknown artists today such as Wendy Wu and the Photos, The Mo-Dettes, and Cherry Vanilla.The book assumes that you- a contemporary 1982 music lover- have at least a working knowledge of the artists covered; the write-ups are more of a 'slice of life' than an in-depth history.

Eleven different authors contribute, each with their own approach to their chosen subject. It is unclear if the article-format essays were written exclusively for this book (I assume they are), but the inclusion of writers such as Vivien Goldman hints at a deeper level of commitment to the subject since many are prominent reviewers of the day.

The book itself is gorgeous. Oversized and full-color, it contains many photographs of the artists I haven't seen anywhere else. The layout is tight and stylish, dripping with top-notch 80's class right down to the font choices- the slick presentation you'd expect from 80's Omnibus Press offerings. There's a rather comprehensive discography included as well; I'm sure hardcore completeness will snigger at the inevitable omissions, but it should keep the layman happy and busy attempting to track down its contents for quite a while.

Copies can still be found rather easily and cheaply today. Highly recommended.