Added: 5 years ago
From: bothways
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  • Gweat sound, Gweat sound! think it's my earworm for the rest of the week now, I'll have to put a call in to Keaveny.

    PS, anyone else remember Mr Robinson's Radio Four mens show called The Locker Room? Ah, takes me back

  • i finally managed to get hold of the 'hope & glory' cd after

    years of searching. good price to!

  • Brilliant song, a masterpiece.

  • Hah, favourited this several years ago, nice to see it at over 100,000 hits now.

    Fucking quality.

  • This was kind of a comeback song. Tom Robinson had been largely forgotten as a singer since TRB had broken up in '79 - though he had continued to write songs with other artists including Elton John.

  • i honestly cannot even fucking believe how good this is.

    it just keeps hittin' and hittin' and hittin' ya.....it's just merciless.

  • a piece of music i had forgotten until i heard it on radio caroline what a wonderful gem!!

  • Thumbs up if Ashes to Ashes bought you here :')

  • One of those songs that stays with you ...

  • Who's the girl in the video - is she an actress?

  • @cailingaelach1970 Yes she is - I can remember her first name was Emma, but not her surname. She was hired by John Pearse who made the video and is now a successful West End bespoke tailor.

  • @cailingaelach1970 OMG I went to art school with this girl in 79 -82 but I cannot remember her name at all ......goodness I haven't seen this video and it has been years since I heard the song :O)

  • this is a classic song nice one tom

  • This seriously sounds like a Hall and Oates song

  • @DominoRyder Seriously? Which one ?

  • @bothways Hall and Oates also have a song and album called War Babies and this song generally sounds like it could be on one of their albums from the 70s.

  • @DominoRyder

    Rubbish matey...nonsense...get your ears tested..

  • Brilliant song...fantastico TRB

  • what a song ,a master piece , AMEN

  • I remember they played this song on 102.1 radio in Toronto. It was called the Spirit of radio then. I think it's the Edge now.

  • love this under-rated gem .... thanks for posting xx

  • Just a great song, and one of the first instances of an artist releasing a record themselves.

    Shite video though.

  • Just great, the perfect pop song....really makes me think of a time, person and place...sigh....

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  • Is that Peter Capaldi reading the paper?

  • Perfect!

  • Psssst. The uploader *IS* Tom Robinson.

  • @DayDreamAscent Be great if it was. This played every night in the bars of munich's stundenten stadt, along with marianne faithfull's broken english: two anthems that take me back there, the instant i hear them.

  • Weird, cant get this on spotify or Itunes!!!

  • @MsScouser55 I don't think Tom does iTunes. Go on his website and get his music...but don't forget to donate!

  • Sounds exactly like The National.

  • @CaptainAmerica1510 surely you mean The National sounds like this??? This is a timeless stroke of genius.

  • probably one of my favourite love songs ever. brilliant.

  • I hav'nt heard this song in years, and just heard it on Radio 2 so had to come home and play it again on you tube....I was 25yrs when this came out, great song

  • @carspete123 Heard it too - hence youtube right now! great song.

  • I had forgotten how good this song was/is - absolute masterpiece - thanks for posting

  • For about 2 months in 1983 I assumed this song was called "Wallpaper"....it sort of spoiled it a bit when I found it wasn't........

  • i'm guessing something went wrong in the conversion to youtube. Pity it's out of sync :(

  • Superb song: Happy Sad and Scary -the perfect combination of art and the human spirit.Thanks man.

  • Sorry. Didn't realise this was Tom's channel. So, Tom, it was either 1979, 1980 or 1981 in Brighton. Do you remember the electrics went? I particularly remember you singing No one ever had a brother like Martin! I do love your voice.

  • Great song! And I always loved his voice. Once went to a concert when the electrics went so he did an acoustic session. Memorable!

  • amazing song and vid

  • it's a quality song and a great piece of music... Thanks for posting

    Paully x

  • one off song..video???

  • Tom was on radio something (6 - whatever) tonight. This song was on my telly (Radio Rentals - telly got radio long before digitial) in 1983. Still sounding pretty good - great music for making up from a row.

  • just curious . . . did I fail the entry exam for comment posting due to my recent history of vociferous sledging of all the haters in YouTube land . . .? If I wasn't such a life long fan it wouldn't plague me so I suppose . .

  • it's a hard act trying to post a comment for this wonderful tune and it's author . . .

  • Tom, on the day that a Scottish great passed away, I want to thank you for your kind words relating to his tragic death. War Baby & baker Street are 2 of my all time favourite songs. Rest in peace Gerry Rafferty.

  • God I love the random nature of YouTube and the personal search for musical memories . . . have gone from this to 2 4 6 8, to Sector 27, Tom's channel - wow !, then discovered The Lee Griffiths - un-fucking-believable !! and now back here, as a total non-computer person, I love YouTube !!! Also, great to be enjoying an absence of 'haters' so frequently encountered elsewhere . . . cheers one and all

  • great song

  • amazing music. i'm back at college listening to this, robert wyatt/shipbuilding and prefab sprout/basketball. what great songwriting. shame couldn't find on spotify tho.

  • wtf has happened to music

  • Simply captured in beautiful song. We are all in our own wars and this resonates power over adversity. Like the poem by Rudyard Kipling, IF. We all have the power to win our own wars, TOM ROBINSON is a Yogi teacher and deserves much love. Even EXTRA LOVE from MANCHESTER. LUV LUV LUV

  • It's been 10 months since I last dropped by to watch this, and I still love it. It didn't have a huge run in Australia but I was 13-14 and it kept spinning that whole summer. A summer of warm winds, long days and that breakneck run into the end of boyhood.

    It still takes me back. Very nice work, Tom. Thank you!

  • The guy was a genius... this song is up there with any Mac Lennon composition,,,even now when the subject of fav song comes up in conversation.. I never hesitate... its always this,,,, now Im trying to teach my daughter about real music,,, Ill get her to like Tom somehow... great post,,thank you,,now Im off to watch England torment the Aussies in the first test...

  • Excellent song

  • are you cencoring comments? because every one of the comments on here seems to be positive, and that just doesn't happen, and it certainly doesn't happen when the music is this poor. I read in your bio that you are a supporter of amnesty international? aren't they supposed to be in favour of greater transparency? Way to be a hypocrite!

  • Are you people for real? You actually like this song. So boring. its music by numbers, and the lyrics are absolutely dreadful.

  • Fantastic song - and a great vocal.

  • thank you, loved this song - unaware of the politics behind it, but i still love it now. thank you xx

  • excellent x

  • Could never tire of listening to this song. Great lyrics, great music and incredibly well sung. We are in your debt, Tom.

  • @helsing1234 - indeed we are, one of the most gorgeous songs in modern popular music.

  • One of the greatest and most under rated songs if not The most under rated song in history. It's a masterpiece.

  • Fantastic song, Tom. They certainly don't make them like this anymore! Where did our wonderful era go?!

  • dubbing like a spaghetti western :) brill tho

  • great song love it never listen to it when it came out sad as it is a great song

  • Amazing song - haven't heard this since the 80s.

  • I was hooked on this song...i warped my vinyl 45 because of the constant playing...and i think in the process i also warped my parents' minds ;)

  • I had just listened to Gerry Rafferty's ' Baker Street ' and that certainly put me in the mood for another classic track with some saxophone running through it.

    Tom, thanks for the musical memories and in particular ' War Baby ' .

  • I have loved this song since it was released. Great job Tom. Used to listen to it on CFNY 102.1 in Brampton Ontario.

  • Absolutely love this. Left my husband of 26 years and ran off with another man. This reminds me so much of my bravery.

  • @argaretbea are you still running ?

  • Loved TRB. Saw them  many times. Great song.

  • Trying to relive my youth tonight listening to some of the greatest lyricists imho ever.

    Mr Robinson is right at the top. Me and my now wife must have seen him 50 times (I dragged her at first but she soon loved him as much as me).

    Couldn`t give a hoot about sexuality in all honesty and still struggle to understand why anyone hides it. You are what you are - no rights or wrongs. Anyway I digress.

    Tom thanks for many a good night..

    Brilliant.

  • Happy Birthday to you Tom - 60 this week.......

  • I heard this song for the first time recently- its truly an amzing piece of songwriting.

  • How I wish I could have grown up in the UK during the summer of 1983. "The First Picture of You" by the Lotus Eaters and this. Must have been absolute bliss.

  • @Spindlebrook Great time for music

  • @Spindlebrook It was bliss in most countries that time cos the music was great & optimistic

  • Never thought I'd hear this again--brilliant!

  • Amazing tune. Actually, did you know that your song Atmospherics was covered in the early '80's by a Toronto band (Pukka Orchestra)? You must know. At any rate, this how I got into your music, went back and bought TRB2 and then Hope and Glory. Actually I thought that you were if not a peer with Elvis Costello, definitely more cutting edge and validated the times.

    Thanks for your work!

  • What an absolutely fantastic song this is. I recall first hearing it when it came out in the (hot) summer of 1983. Still one of my absolute favourite tracks ever, an astounding piece of work. Better even that 2-4-6-8 which is going some.

    I saw you play at the Darlington Arts Centre around 1992/3...? Not bad, not bad at all :-)

  • Hey Tom, do you still perform Ricky Dont Lose That Number? Its was a brilliant version.

    Cheers, John.

    Ps Any plans to tour down under?

  • Great song Tom,, tried to find it on Spotify,,,but its not there..

    Good to hear it here though,,,,cheers....

  • Love it! Love it! Love it! Have searched for ages for this very emotive song. Jogs back so o o o o o o o many wonderful and happy memories from my twenties (and early days of my marriage!)! It always makes my spine tingle and brings tears to my eyes. . . in a good way. Thank you Tom! x

  • Ive been a castaway for many years saw TRB in 1978 ,this man is a genius ! God Bless I wont be at Shepards Bush cos Im in Singapore but Id love to !

  • i met tom in limerick ireland 20 years ago,a nice guy,and thissong reminds me of the year i got fucked out of school 1983 and 15,thanks again great song,mark

  • As bad as 80s fashion was, that incredible the music was. So nice to listen to meaningful lyrics for a change.

  • WOW! I am embarrassed to say that I heard this song for the first time in years on Ashes to Ashes the other day..It reminded me just how much I love it, sheer lyrical class, I am now searching for the album :-) Tom, please forgive me for arriving late to your obvious genius, maybe I will appreciate you more now I'm older :-)

  • Hey Tom, love this. I love "He Never Said" too. Any memories of writing the song with Martyn Joseph ?

  • This is an amazing song,thanks for keeping it here because we need references in music like this

    This track is a true benchmark of excellence.

  • One of the best songs I've ever heard, and I've heard many.

  • heard this on ashes to ashes feels like a million years ago i last heard this great track

  • Tune!

  • heard this in the background on Ashes to Ashes tonight. Had forgotten how much I love this song. Thanks Tom. x

  • This song will feature in series 3 of Ashes to Ashes

  • Fucking brilliant song. One of my all time favorites back in a simpler time when I had no hangups or worries. Wish I was back there now.Good on ya Tom. Thanks for the memories.

  • What a masterpiece. I love youtube. I try to pick out music that no one hears often...enough...and post it on my facebook page. This will be on my page tomorrow. ...along with Thelonius Monk, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Oscar Peterson, Emmylou Harris-Mark Knopfler, et al. Great work Tom. I hope you appreciate your own talents. Masterpiece.

  • Tom Robinson would have been a great Dr Who.

  • Who - me????

  • I was wondering why he said 'would have' we could do with a more 'mature' Doctor again!

  • Hi Tom,

    Must be the clothes you're wearing in the video,makes you look like the new Dr Who ,great video,thanks a lot

    Greg

  • @bothways Never chatted with a legend before. From the States but happen to be in Dublin years ago when you were playing a gig and caught your show. Outstanding!. Smile on your 60th knowing you made this planet a better place.

  • @bothways You know, it's true.

  • @dramaticguy fab suggestion! x

  • @dramaticguy agree he would have been perfect as Dr Who

  • @dramaticguy Dead right.....he's got that look..:0)

  • This is one of the coolest songs of the 80's. This was TR's defining era for me personally....i love this track. Brilliant!

  • Please come to Las Vegas, NV and do a concert! Please, please, please!!!!!!!

  • One of the greatest songs ever recorded - those first few lines never fail to get to me, Tom's a genius and its even better live!

  • I remeber my sister had a Tom Robinson greatest hits on tape when it came out. One side had TRB, the other side had solo stuff. She ONLY played this song! Great in one respect, but the album had so many more great songs...But I thank her for introducing me to this wonderful artist

  • @krisanton80 great comment, i saw TRB many times,. never thought my days, would be someones furure

  • Great tune! Such a departure from his TRB days

  • ah - just the most beautiful voice and an eternal poetic

  • I want to be best friends with that guy in the background dancing on the pile of concrete..

  • I LOVE this song. I remember seeing the video on MTV back in the day. Still have this song on cassette and my kids and I sing it in the car on the way to school. WE LOVE YOU, TOM!

    -Mom of 3 in Las Vegas!

  • Beautiful 1983 tune!

  • One of my favourite songs from my misspent youth. I duuno why but something about Toms voice when he sang this got to me.

  • outstanding*****

  • perfect love song.........

  • To Tom, The Tom!!!!

    This is still one of the most amazing songs ever, I was 13, I don't remember much of 13 but I do remember the feelings from listening to this song, I would go so far as to say that it gave me a glimse of how amazing but terrifying love could be.

    My heart still flutters when I listen to it!

    XOXOXO

  • Fantastic song. Should be rereleased as it is pertinent as much now as when it was released..

  • Flash of stocking top on 0:53

    wonder if that was an accident

  • @kevintheshedend1976 - You must have imagined it Kevin, I wasn't wearing stockings :-)

  • You might not have been, but the honey was (Who is she by the way?)

    As she walks into the room holding Tom by the hand, just before they sit down on the sofa. Right leg. Black

  • @kevintheshedend1976 Blimey that's some sharp eyesight you've got - I am Tom by the way. Her name was Emma, but we were never on second name terms. I was more interested in the Japanese boy (Hiro) at the time...

  • I'm slightly amazed anyone managed to spot that. The focus of interest comes across quite well in the videoclip too, although I'm not sure that it's recognised gun safety to mock-fellate it while playing board games.

  • What. . .THE Tom?. . well I'm honoured. You were a great pioneer of bringing gay awareness into mainstream British consciousness.

    It's only a personal percepton ofcourse, but I believe TRA opened the door for Gay Pride who subsequently had a massive impact on equal opportunities for a variety of socially marginalised groups.

    This is a brilliant song btw and I've posted a comment on the shades Tom's (is it REALLY you) wearing on TOTP performance of this song.

    You still in touch with Emma?

  • @kevintheshedend1976 (blush) thanks for your kind words Kev. Yes it's me, take a look at my YouTube profile :-) People can download this song free from my website like it says in the info section for this vid. Hadn't realised the TOTP performance (as well as a 100% live version from Number 73) was here on YouTube. My days of fellating guns are pretty much over now alas, but it was fun while it lasted...

  • That Hiro still owes me £50 .......

  • The only song I know from this album is "Prison". Remember the video from the mid 80s.

  • Great song from a great artist!!

  • Thankyou for uploading this - a great track from my childhood. Still wonderful today.

  • tom this song meant so much to me back then ... when i broke up with the first love of my life ... 1984 .. what a superb song this is ... thank you x chris

  • Tom please please please can you get this onto spotify.....

  • I think this was his best tune, and wonder if the UZIs were real for this vid.

  • one of my all time fav songs x thank you Tom !!

  • This song certainly has more meaning than "2.4.6.8. motorway".

  • Just beautiful. So great to hear this song again after so many years.

  • should re release it

  • just seen the comment above me LOL

    still want to say 'incredible track'

    superb

  • Thanks for the link. I download a few songs and would rather Tom get the money than the corporations. All the very best Tom.

  • £ab Song :*).

  • thanks for the great website link.

  • Tom - great song from summer of 83.

    I was 18 and full of testostorone, I have such great memories of the time almost like it was yesterday.

    I remember Wham Club Tropicana, Depeche Mode Everything Counts.

    Can you remember any other songs from the time?

    Would you ever consider releasing this song so it could be on an 80's compilation someday?

    Regards David

  • i miss you cfny.

  • smooth skin & tenderness long ago on a dark night...what a lyric

  • Great memories of the long, hot summer of 1983!

  • I love Tom Robinson!!!! This is one of my favorites

  • wat a song this is i acnt stop playing it now i found it again

  • Listened to this track on 12" almost constantly in my yoof and have just rediscovered it. Still wonderful. Evokes many many memories. Thanks Tom. (Read the blurb, better technically bankrupt than morally so!)

  • Incredible song...love ya Tom !

  • this song blows me away, it's so waaaaarm sounding, lazy, aloof...

  • What a great track and what a great song writer!!!!

  • isapooff

  • Blimey... Just fancy that ! Obviously my YouTube user name's a tad too subtle. Tom x

  • Yes I'd say...thanks for posting this Tom...truly a timeless track. I've just played this 5 times in a row.

  • great song Tom

  • this has got to be one of the great 45's,sadly underated

  • I so agree. Tom is a prophetic voice

  • Yes, indeed he is

  • A shame that a great voice like this was not more successful. I mean, on a national or international scale. Great memory from summer 1983.

  • A masterpiece.

  • I know the good man himself adds a few comments every few weeks or so. So Tom, finally, someone bought me a digital radio! Thanks for a great show on Radio 6. And your links on Twitter, some of them are simply superb. John Peel would be proud of the talent you showcase. Thank you and keep it up!

  • nice one Groyney - and thanks for ur email - if anyone wants to follow up those twitter links with links to great online tunes, they're at twitter(dot)com(slash) freshnet

  • Fabio in Strood. Billy War Baby! Jenkins

  • Brilliant ...so apt!

  • I ended up buying the Hope and Glory CD, i loved it, the longer version of this and Atmospherics, great! Also was it 'Cabin Boy'? Hilarious, i mean, if you intended it to be tongue in cheek, or anything else in the cheek...?

  • I love this song.

  • I bought a Tom Robinson CD at a car boot recently, when i got homw and played it it was 60's soul music?! I don't know if the CD was mispressed?

  • Blimey - never heard of this before. Never mind - make yourself up a new CD-R to put in the case, using the free downloads on the Tom Robinson website - see "More Info" section for this video for the URL...

  • Not the most convincing Churchill-a-like. Must've been a tight budget.

  • haha - you can't imagine how tight. I think the whole thing was shot on film, edited and delivered for under a thousand quid, which for those days was pretty incredible. These days with HDV and a home computer you can shoot and edit a great vid for a couple of hundred or less.

  • tight and taught. Once was a Teacher

  • This and West End Girls, that's everything for me!

  • Tom needs to get some 80's sounding analog s