Friday 6 June 2008

Rocked the Nation (Part 2)

TimeOut continues its tally of the top 100 moments in Kiwi music from C4's Rocked the Nation
81: In the early 2000s, local geeks from Serato revolutionise the art of DJing with Scratch Live which allows you to mix digital audio files from your computer using turntables. No longer are DJs lugging crates of records around, all they need is a laptop.80: The Chills' 1986 song I Love My Leather Jacket, which band leader Martin Phillipps wrote for his late friend and former Chills drummer Martyn Bull, who left his leather jacket to him in his will, becomes an international hit.79: In 1902 New Zealand's first classical composer Alfred Hill's Hinemoa is performed and the musical version of this Maori legend becomes widely popular thanks to songs like Waiata Poi.78: In 1979 teenage sensation Jon Stevens storms the charts with "shy walkin', sly talkin'" hit Jezebel. Then, a few weeks later he knocks that song off the No 1 spot with Montego Bay.77: Before the stock market crash of the 80s, some bright spark had the idea of funding albums like the Dance Exponents' Amplifier and Hello Sailor's Ship Shape and Bristol Fashion with shares. It didn't work. As Graham Brazier says, the bands were being ripped off while the guys who did the deals were driving round in fancy cars.




76: After signing to Arista in 1990 the Straitjacket Fits were on the verge of becoming the next REM but on stage in Toronto the tensions between Shayne Carter and Andrew Brough boiled over and Brough left the band.75: It's unclear what the first local music video was. The Spats' "film clip" for 1978's New Wave Goodbye was the first video not funded by state television. Coconut Rough's Sierra Leone from 1983 is the first to use special effects. Zany, man.74: Hollie Smith signs to Manhattan Records, part of the prestigious Blue Note Records label. Next step the world.73: The video for the Skeptics song A.F.F.C.O. remains this country's most disturbing and controversial music clip. Director Stuart Paige's idea was simple: "Get in the freezing works and film what [the band] were on about." 72: In 1972 teenager Shona Laing had a local hit with 1905; 15 years later, songs like Glad I'm Not A Kennedy and Soviet Snow made an international splash. 71: Meet guitarist Billy T.K., New Zealand's very own Jimi Hendrix. Chris Knox recalls seeing T.K. play Little Wing at a wake which "got everyone bawling".70: The signing of the Antarctic Treaty in 1961 meant Christchurch was inundated with US servicemen who brought with them records by the likes of James Brown and Ray Charles. Rock'n'rollers like Ray Columbus and Max Merritt were listening.