The Reels - Prefab Heart (1980)

[lurch558]

lol, I'm in a band with Newham. Soooo weird to see him younger here.

The guys like a musical mad scientist. very clever.

[oldredun]

@lurch558 - they were a very clever band . . . Mason's acid tongue live on stage was something to behold . . . any loudmouthed homophobes, yobbos and haters were quickly silenced by the boy from Dubbo !!!

[FishingBrisbane]

"Ghosts of the civil dead" directed by nIck Cave, this guy played a gaol tranny.

Quite an artist forgotten

[rorydaniel]

I think Rikki has made an interesting point about Elvis Costello.

It's the first thing that came to my mind (that it sounds a little like Elvis Costello) when I listened to this song first time in 30 years.

I'm no music scholar, but have a listen to Pump It Up, by Elvis Costello):

Because The Reels are an amazing and original group, I'm not saying they copied Elvis. It's just a sign of the times that sounds were similar and bands influenced each other.

[panarion12]

This brings back some memories of a mispent youth. Saw the Reels live at a concert in Canberra . 10 Bands for 10 bucks , the head bill was Cold Chisel who had just released the album "east".

As for the EC comparison may be not his later stuff but there is an element of the EC touch from his earlier stuff in the reels music. Probably the closest would be "theres no action" which was released around the same time as this song.

[buggylrp]

this is nothing like Elvis Costelllo lol what are you smoking bro :)

[nzoz1980]

@buggylrp it's way to easy to give credit to those who are recognised and famous. It doesn't strike any resemblence to EC songs, whatsoever.

[TheMichaelseymour]

@buggylrp sorry i, got to say ...whoever said the costello thing ...sounds spot on . How can you say that it sounds nothing like it ? I would consider that a compliment - even though costello is a bit of a tosser { which muso isnt ? } HA ! !

[Madamofmercury]

Ohh I used to see these guys all the time back in the 80!

<3 memories....

[tennisbabe1994]

colin newham is my grandads brother. (:

i've only meet him like 5 times but.

[kiwicatz]

They could sing AND they were cute!

[RikkiX69]

So much like Elvis Costelllo!!!!!!!!!!

[loveychef]

thank god the reels are yer on you tude gus in france

[JoeyRivers]

tell me! do u love his hair cut!!

[poppylights]

Was the slow version ever released as a single? This is cute, but the slowed-down, torch song version is hauntingly beautiful. One of my favourites.

[nzoz1980]

i don't know if the slow version was ever a single. i saw the reels perform both versions live a couple of months ago (they've re-formed and are gigging). They started with the slow version, which was lovely and the moved into the version that's present in this video. some woman was shouting 'speed it up' during the slow version, much to my irritation.

[GodisNavyBlue]

@poppylights The slow version was on the Beautiful album - one of my fave albums of all time

[mrethrift]

I'll always love this record!

[JoeyRivers]

they rock!!!

[gazza70cr]

great stuff, my good friend LEO LUGLIO put me onto the Reels today and I now cant get enough. LEO and I will be watching all of the Reels videos that we can. AWSOME.

[abagail4me]

Once upon a time some Aussie rock/punk songs were fun to listen to.This number by the Reels was one of them.Energy and positivity defeats a a depressive outlook....that's what this song means to me.

[rayseen]

The slow version was either on Beautiful or Neighbours - I'd go & look at the LP but I'm too lazy to get out of my seat.

[missadelaide11]

Am I wrong, but didn't they record a slower version of this? I'm sure I had it on tape cassette? If you have it, I'd really appreciate hearing it again. Thanks for all your postings of The Reels(and other Austalian/NZ bands.)

[shashicat]

cool to see this fab clip again! great song!

[colemann76]

Lost classic of australain pop music

[pauliejay]

Wow - my older sister had this on vinyl 45 and I thought that it was the coolest thing in the world.

[montbrehain]

Didnt he go all religious at one point ? They were great times and these vids make me feel very old ;-( MS

[cherryunlimited]

what's Dave Mason doing these days, i wonder?

[nevahh]

i still own my reels records.

saw them live in sydney and

the only dace you could do to them was the pogo!

they played at the civic a few times.

[johnwally]

I took a french friend to see them in Sydney and he was blown away by them . I remember they covered a Cold chisel song aswell and made a bit of a joke about it. I can`t remember the song though.

[Dragonlady66]

"Forever Now", they also covered Dragon's "Are you old enough"

[SociallyConspicuos]

Cool clip...... Its a song for pogoing around the lounge

[HeadlandRoad]

Now I will have this song stuck in my head for the rest of the week - so damn catchy! Not that that's a bad thing, mind.

[stickyundies]

FantasticFantasticfantastic!!!­!!!!

[fasterbludger]

yea the slow version was really good, i think beautiful was the word! i remember the first time i heard the slow version,they played it live, this was before they re recorded it i was blown away by how good it sounded slow.

[nashdrift]

They do a lovely slow version of this song too

[gjr64]

Just wanta' get up and dance!

[RABSCALLION]

I use to love these guys

[JoeyRivers]

This video was first introduced on Simon Townsend's Wonderworld

[ggbggbggb]

pure punk

pure pop

pure Ska ?

love The reels