Part three of my new series - “5 Songs That You’ve Never Heard By” - takes us to sunny Los Angeles circa 1976-1981 today, for The Pop!, one of my favorite late 1970’s bands, and another of the left-behind power-pop bands after the success of The Knack. (Who I also really liked, but were they actually BETTER than The Pop? Not really, but certainly more marketable.) I first learned of The Pop in the pages of Back Door Man, my favorite fanzine/magazine of those mid/late 70’s days. David Swanson and Roger Prescott became heroes to me. On stupid cold days like today in Columbus, Ohio I put on my old Pop! albums and let the warm breezes of those bygone California days & nights wash over me. I’m back on Beacon Hill Drive and everything is alright. - Ricki C.
5 SONGS THAT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD BY THE POP!
“DOWN ON THE BOULEVARD” / 1976
“NOBODY’S TOY” / 1977
“SHAKEAWAY” / 1979
“SHE REALLY MEANS THAT MUCH TO ME” / 1979
“GO!” / 1979
As with The Atlantics in part two of this series, I wrote to The Pop! in early 1980, and got this gracious, totally unexpected reply. “The L&L girl” reference in the letter is to the song “Leather & Lace” on the band’s 1977 debut album I told them that song perfectly described the heroine of my future “I Love Distortion” novelette over on my Growing Old With Rock & Roll site. Unfortunately I couldn’t find that tune anywhere for inclusion in this blog.
(please note; the “Leather & Lace” referred to here is a Pop original, NOT the later Stevie Nicks/Don Henley or Waylon Jennings/Jessi Colter duet.)
BONUS VIDEO
“BROKEN PIECES” / 1981