The Mighty Wah! - The Story Of The Blues (Eternal, 1982) (mp3)

My earliest memory of this song is on the 'Top 40 of 1982' that I'd taped off the radio (replete with the chocolate tones of Tommy Vance). Can't remember where it was in the Top 40 of 1982, but it was a number three hit when it came out (thanks Wikipedia). Back then it still took a decent amount of sales (500,000, I suppose) to hit the top end of the charts.

On that badly edited radio taping, the tune definitely stuck in my head but I know that it's an awesome record, packed with soul and yearning and hope and defiance. The soaring strings buoy you up, Wylie's vocal strains for something other and the strangely chattering drum patterns builds a sense of anticipation that the sweeping, majestic chorus delivers on.

Pete Wylie is/was one of pop's mavericks - like Dexys' Kevin Rowland, ABC's Martin Fry, Echo & The Bunnymen circa 'Ocean Rain' - who just has to pursue his own vision and conjures magic out of intensity and passion. Strangely it occurs to me that Patrick Wolf might be the closest thing we have to this type of songwriter these days.

The b-side features a spoken word version of the song, Pete Wylie waxing lyrical, delivering a pep-talk for the maintenance of personal pride and communal faith in the face of political onslaught (at the time it was Thatcher's 'restructuring' of the unionised industries).

As his website currently proclaims - Pete Wylie: Part time rock star, full time legend. Word.

Download Wah 'The Story Of The Blues (Part 1)' (mp3) (Mediafire)