Part of an irregular series of bite-sized posts about 7″ singles I own – shameless nostalgia from the days of vinyl. (Search ‘Backtracking’ to collect the set!)
LENE LOVICH – New Toy b/w Cats Away (Stiff Records, 1981)
A friend once described Lene Lovich as looking like a deranged witch.
This is a cruel put down although it’s not hard to see where he was coming from. With wild eyes, manic plaits + hair extensions and an eccentric fashion sense she looked like an unhinged remake of Siouxsie Sioux’s neo-gothic look.
She burst on the scene with Lucky Number, a novelty song by Thomas Dolby that has all the ingredients of a one-hit wonder. It reached Number 3 in the charts in 1979.
She did have some minor success after although none of her follow up singles did as well. Dolby’s New Toy did at least ensure she could continue her theatrical Top of the Pops appearances.
The song is a satire on consumerism as Lene petulantly demands a new car, stereo and freezer “to keep my head expanding / nothing too demanding”. Her singing is like Cyndi Lauper, her attitude is like Veruca Salt from Willie Wonka. The synth pop backing now sounds very dated but it still has a certain period charm. The B-side is a forgettable instrumental filler.
Looking immaculately wasted on the cover , Richard Hell was an early poster boy for punk. The Blank Generation inspired Pretty Vacant and Hell laid claim to inventing the ripped T-shirt anti-fashion look.
