This one’s for my Baby Chutney on this Valentine’s Day. I love you, Chut Chut!
Okay, now that the rest of you have finished vomiting in your mouth a little bit…”Love” was Aztec Camera’s third full-length album and the first to be completely centered around songwriter Roddy Frame, since he ditched all the other band members to work with mostly American studio musos in an attempt to finally break the U.S. market. Out was the folksy, acoustic strumming and in were the electric guitars, horn section and “soulful” backing vocals. America was not impressed.
But the first single, the adorably catchy “Somewhere In My Heart” was no less hooky than songs charted at the time by the likes of Climie Fisher, Cutting Crew or the Outfield. Perhaps Aztec Camera’s previous baggage as a “college rock” band tainted its aspirations as a crossover act. In the U.K., “Something…” fared much better, peaking at #3 and bringing the flopping album back to life.
What does this long-lost single have to do with me and my boyfriend aka “Baby Chutney”? Wellllll, fast forward to 2007 as Chut and I took a nice weekend trip to San Francisco. Because he loves me, Chut took me to Amoeba SF, where I found a nice used copy of the recent re-release of “Love”, on a two-fer
with 1990’s “Stray”. While skimpy on the lyrics and original booklet art (seriously, was it that much more to just reprint the damn things?), we spent the rest of the weekend playing “Somewhere In My Heart” over and over on the rental car stereo. Sigh.
My boyfriend is better than yours, cuz he loves the 80s, too! Nyah. It’s okay, though. I still love each and every one of you. You can use me as your 80s-loving boyfriend today, if you want. I ain’t spreadin’ for no roses, no.
Or you can enjoy my favorite Valentine’s Day tune for the past five (!) years I was single…
P.S. Baby, I Love You.
“Somewhere In My Heart” did not chart.
“Love Stinks” by the J. Geils Band peaked at #38 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1980.
“Baby, I Love You” by the Ramones did not chart.
Get Aztec Camera, J. Geils Band and Ramones music on Amazon.
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