May 25, 2006

Captain Sensible "Happy Talk"



One of the more peculiar hits of the early 1980s was Captain Sensible's "Happy Talk." Captain Sensible, as you may recall, was a founding member of The Damned. Though the band experienced break-ups and lineup changes, the good Captain always stayed the course, and would occasionally release solo records. Much to the surprise to everyone, in June of 1982, his single "Happy Talk" went to number one in the British charts. It's easy to understand why; it's a fun, happy song—and totally incongruous with the music scene of the day. A cover of a Rogers & Hammerstein show tune by a wacky punk and featuring backing vocals by Dolly Mixture---how could that be anything but a hit? It's a great song, and I hope you dig it! (Oh, and if you're sharp, then you'll recognize that this song was sampled by Dizzee Rascal.)

Listen To: "Happy Talk"

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