BLUE IN HEAVEN: JULIE CRIES, 1984 SINGLE
Oct 27th, 2008 by Conor McCabe
I was in George’s Arcade on Saturday, having a look through their Irish singles section, when I came across this from Blue in Heaven. I remember seeing them live a couple of times, the last time being the Lark in the Park in St. Annes’ sometime in the late 1980s. As far as I know this was their second single, and what I find really interesting about it is the fact that it has that real Dublin 1980s band sound about it - quite a cluttered sound, with synth and thin treble, and a bass that was recorded at the bottom of a swamp. Still, not a bad song, and a bit of a curiosity.
Enjoy.
“quite a cluttered sound, with synth and thin treble, and a bass that was recorded at the bottom of a swamp” - too true. Bring back Elvis or the Beatles. Maybe even swing jazz.
Gar, afraid they didn’t have quite the talent of the lads you mention, or George Martin for that matter. Brings back memories though Conor - I used to have a 12 inch of that one which has since disappeared - probably the f@@@ing Argentinian Junta again… seeing as you’ve had to buy it again in the George’s Arcade, you’re off the list of suspects.
Saw them (& the bloke from the Blades) a while back in a BBC ‘Dublin Rock’ special from around 84 / 85 which had Andy Kershaw rambling around pre Tiger Apocalypse Dublin. Someone had it up on YouTube in 2 parts but I can’t find it again to bung it up. They were from Churchtown, weren’t they ? Clearly had a strong Iggy/Stooges fixation and there’s nothing wrong with that. I think the lead singer was also famous for being the first ‘real live’ prick to feature on the cover of Hot Press - they have had any end of ‘proverbial’ pricks before and since - but I think he’s the only case of a real one… A bit Iggy that too.
They do appear quite a lot on You Tube however, like this one which is a bit Them’s ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ strained through one of the Stooge’s amps :
And it was clearly BIH and not the Tallaght Strategy that solved endemic unemployment in 80s Ireland (a track from Self Aid in May ‘85) :
Sean it was me who had the clips up, but my account was closed down by YouTube as I had clips up from the Simpsons as well. I have the show on an old VHS that’s down in Wexford with Donal at the moment, for safe-keeping. I must digitize it again.
I still like them loads. And I bought the first album on LP and the second on tape - twice, for some reason. Cheers for that Conor. Quick question, do you have any Blue Angels stuff?
I don’t at all, WBS, but I’ll keep an eye out for it. Anything I find I’ll mp3 and post up.
They certainly made an interesting sound, and were a cut above the rash of U2 wannabes at that period. God, it took me ages to realize how shit Cactus world News actually were. I think I even bought their first single, on Mother records as well! Blue in Heaven were decent enough alright. And I like “Julie Cries”, I just think the recording is terrible! and “I Just Wanna” is pretty good as well - as Sean said, Them through a Stooges Amp.
Yeah, and live they were great and over the top, weren’t they? Did you ever hear Supernaut, the band that Shane O’Neill and himself from Into Paradise got together? Really good…