My Blue In Heaven LP
:: Sometimes ::
:: The Big Beat ::
:: It's Saturday ::
:: Julie Cries ::
Certain music reminds me of very distinct times in my life. Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right," specifically the bitchin' vibes solo, reminds me of going through the Toy National Bank drive-thru with my mom in grandpa's old New Yorker, and how I was fascinated by the way the little cannister would get sucked back and forth between our car and the teller behind the glass. Actually, I am still kind of fascinated by that. The sappy soul strains of Ambrosia's "Biggest Part of Me" remind me of the summer vacation before 5th grade, when my mom would leave me money for lunch when she left for work, and trying to purchase the cheapest thing possible at the Sunshine Market so that I'd still have enough left over to get a Dilly Bar at the Dairy Queen.
Anyway, Blue In Heaven's first LP, All The God's Men, reminds me of my sophomore year of high school. I went to boarding school, since I was such a bad boy, and since there are bad boys all over the world, we had students from all over the world. I discovered quite a few bands through the Thai kids (hi Kanokchai, Pong and Au!,) who had seemingly endless supplies of bootleg cassettes, chock full of 12" remixes and whatever else fit on them. It was on these that I heard my first Aztec Camera, Colourfield, Style Council, Smiths and Cure. I can't be totally sure that I first heard Blue In Heaven on one of those tapes, but I had to mention Thai bootleg cassettes at some point, and this seemed as good a time as any. The real point here is that I had a high-speed dubbed cassette of this album that I wore out during high school and beyond, and listening to it reminds me of a certain sunny spring afternoon on the parade field, yours truly decked out in ugly plaid madras shorts, hoping that Jennifer Hall couldn't tell I had totally popped a boner after I let her tackle and pin me to the ground. At some point, I couldn't stand it anymore and got this puppy on Ebay.
Hailing from Ireland, this band was sort of a minor player in the 80's new wave/modern rock scene. They probably opened for a lot of big names in the UK, and while I have the feeling they weren't very highly regarded, I sure love them. Many of the songs are bass-driven, and while I can certainly hear a lot of their influences, I think the combinations are interesting enough to overcome that. I definitely liked singer Shane O'Neill's sneered and sometimes sarcastic vocals, and sitting atop all the sinister guitar and bass drone, it was right up my alley. This album was produced by the late great Martin Hannett, a man behind the console on many a postpunk classic. I'm either giving you a lost gem that you wished you'd heard back then, or another band that exemplifies what you didn't like about the 80's, you decide.
Tony
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on Sunday, June 11, 2006 at 5:19 AM.
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Tuesday, June 20, 2006 10:46:00 PMthank you for posting these songs, I really wanted to hear Julie Cries.
Did you see the Blue In Heaven videos on YouTube?
Excellent!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 7:54:00 AM
Glad to be at your service. I get Julie Cries stuck in my head constantly. It never struck me to look for their videos, but I sure as heck will now - I don't think I've ever seen any of theirs, and if I have it was probably from that 2nd album that I didn't really dig much. Cheers.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 6:02:00 PM
hello...
first time visiting this board, which i found in my 'ever-on-going' search for blue in heaven...
i, too, have been a big fan of blue in heaven, and i also have their albums...
without a means to have this music transferred to a digital format, so that i can easily enjoy it, i am hoping to find this content available to me...any suggestions?
help would be appreciated...
'slhubic'...at 'slhubic@hotmail.com'
Thursday, July 27, 2006 8:28:00 AM
Saw Blue in Heaven play several gigs between JAn 85 and June 87. Always a great live band, even when there were only 6 people in the audience, and that was when they were promoting this album!! Got to know the guys quite well in that time. Shane and Declan were always sound, if a tad pretentious at times. Eamon was distant and Dave seemed a bit of a thicko. But a grand bunch of lads and a great live band. Really thought they would have gone further, but were reviled by a lot of people. This album stirs happy memories. niall_shan@eircom.net
Thursday, July 27, 2006 8:31:00 AM
Good to see some love for these guys, I always thought they were at least good enough to be remembered by *somebody*
If you'd like, I can put up the rest of the album later, since I already got it digitized for m'self. Let me know.
Friday, August 04, 2006 2:15:00 AM
Great to see some BiH fans still out there. It was me that put up the videos on youtube! There are the 3 live songs they did at the Self Aid concert in May 86, the video for I Just Wanna and a TV recording of the B side Beating In My Head. Check them out.
I also have a live audio recording that has some unreleased stuff on it if anyone's interested.
Good to hear from Niall that they weren't a bunch of knobs!!
Keep spreading the word everyone.
mickrocks@hotmail.com
Wednesday, August 09, 2006 1:33:00 PM
Hi Iam a long time fan of this kind of 80s stuff, I just think that late 70s and first 80s were the creative peak for a lot of UK artists/bands, so BIH are just another huge example of how distinctive for an era a guitar sound can be. Love em, I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, so you figure that its almost impossible for me to get this kind of titles, even on a cdr. Thanks a lot, whoever you are, you must be one of the God´s Men!
Daniel
dhtosoni@hotmail.com
Friday, September 01, 2006 5:13:00 PM
The most overlooked and under rated of Irish Bands from the '80's. The appear to have been erased from Irish music history! A pity...the only Irish band that had some balls to cause a proper stir at the time. Unfortunately never saw them live. The Self Aid footage on YouTube is unbelievable...20 years on I've finally seen what was always described to me by friends who had the pleasure of seeing them live. Have seen their later reincarnation 'The Blue Angels' a couple of times live (in Waterford).Excellent by lacked the punk edge that BIH had..the years had mellowed thrm by that stage ('91)....Heard a ruomer recently from a guy I know in Dublin that they've been all seen together again..mayby there going to reform. Who knows! would be great to see them play in 2006...Anyone remember the famous cover of Hot Press magazine with Shane striped to his pubes..leering into the camera...good times....Rock 'n' Roll R.I.P.
hexagonsun@eircom.net
Sunday, December 17, 2006 6:10:00 PM
Good times indeed! I am late to this blog but I do remember BiH well from gigs in Carlow during the mid to late eighties! Great live band - tonnes of energy!
Question - the links above to the songs appear to be broken - anyone know the correct links? Thx!
Ray
Sunday, December 24, 2006 2:53:00 PM
Ray, go back a page and rc on the zip file. Once you’ve opened it, play “Julie Cries” and then read on...I too have been searching for BIH near 20 years, and I thank Tony for sharing. I’ve had to settle for 2:47 of a Julie Cries that cuts out at the end. However, the version I have, recorded off WLIR-FM is clearly BIH, but mine is a smoking rock number that cranks all the way through. It follows a heavy, steady beat And I mean it jams, with no let up on the guitar. Not even close to the tame version found here on ATGM. Anyone know version what I have?
Cydarion
Saturday, July 14, 2007 7:14:00 AM
I honestly thought I was one of the few people who have even heard of this band. I discovered them during the late 80s when I was attending a college that actually played new albums over the airwaves and I taped everything because it was free music! I just saw the YouTube video "I Just Wanna" and got chills...
Sunday, September 09, 2007 12:18:00 PM
along with adrian borlands band the sound this is BIH are one of my 2 favorite bands, i think they are great and even incredible on some songs.it amazes me the lack of success they achieved.
does anyone have the 2 tracks they did on the model citizens compilation?
Monday, September 17, 2007 8:13:00 PM
12" version of Julie Cries must be what Cydarian (24.12.06) is thinking of, I guess..
I saw Blue in Heaven live many times in London, they were great. They once played as the headliners at Hammersmith Clarendon and the place was pretty packed,thought they were gonna make it after that gig but they just seemed to vanish.
www.myspace.com/malcolmkaksois
Sunday, January 20, 2008 4:39:00 PM
Can you *PLEASE* *PLEASE* *PLEASE* temporarily make BIH.zip available again? I have this on vinyl but I am DESPERATELY looking for a RIP! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!?!?!
Saturday, January 26, 2008 11:36:00 AM
Agree w/"anonymous"-ez 1/20/08 post- PLEAZE make "Julie Cries" avail. aza dwnloadable or even a PURCHASEABLE file? I've been DESPERATELY searching 4this since I lost my vinyl 12" sumtime in early '90z. As a depressed teen named-yep-"Julie" who spent most of 1984-87 crying, this song has a special place in my(now steely & impenatrable) heart! I'd been unable to find it ANYWHERE till I found this webpage, but alas-link cameup as "page not found" so my STILL fruitless search has resumed...HELP.ME.PLEAZE!!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 11:25:00 AM
According to the Trouser Press review, the rockin version of "Julie Cries" is from their 45 single version.
Sunday, October 04, 2009 1:22:00 AM
I hardly like any post-punk record afte 1983, but I do like this one. You are right, you can hear all those influences but they made a thing of their own out of it. Great songs, too. Thank you for introducing me to them!
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