Associates-Club country

[brigham600]

One of THE bands of the 80's.

[robinDobo1968]

Thank you, some real music. The 80s not all bad! The Associates, Japan, Squeeze, Terry Hall, The Beat, The Teardropes, Simple Minds to mention a few. errrr Big Country. What ever happpend to Buster?

[psirou]

Just started listening to Sulk recently and it rocketed up my list of top 80's albums - only just behind the Queen is Dead.

[jabbso]

Literally my favourite tune of all time. Amazing!

[jack94987002]

Just so hard to choose between this and The Party Fears Two, and all because of the genius of Billy Mackenzie. Brilliant and captures the early 80`s spectacularly. 

[thenorthcountryboy]

william its rearly nothing by the smiths is about billy and morrissey being "special"friends!

[TheGodParticle]

I like the blonde on violin.

[TheYellowellies]

awesome



[fayewray88]

Fudging fab!!!!!

[Electricca2]

it is brillant it was the 80's pure and simple

[Langer1X]

Every thing about this song is good.

[dastardlyman]

top tune! :-)

[bedavelli]

Sad to see that you're suffering

Work hard at being a something.

[fradaja]

such a shame! when pop was cooooooooooooool

[rosieandkian]

Still love you Billy.x Fantastic.x.

[LouVivaMorrissey]

william, william you was really something.

[demetriorex]

Heath Ledger could sing!

[PaoloVeneziano1958]

The fault is that I can no fault in Billy, Iain the boys and ah.....Martha.

Work hard at being a something, brothers an sisters.

[lindagreen2]

wonderful and always will be

[carlingking1]

RIP Billy

[ern1945]

top tune so much better than this crap thats out today

[chinafakeeggs]

Billy was really awesome!!!! Rest in Peace, you handsome darling!

[tbteee]

beautiful manver 2 come out dundee xxxxxxxxxxx

[ronniewylie]

Wonderful , sleep well Billy

[horseheadpete]

Ahh Billy you were amazin fella!

[spitharoo]

Those were the days.

[penfoldskip]

R I P

[lemsta007]

awesome ... thank fook I can listen to this masterpieces than the shite of today ...

[DAVEYBOND007]

Why can't we have class like this in the mainstream today instead of that mass produced media friendly shit ??? Cowel are you watching? you demagog.

[P6AKO]

I TO WHEN TO THE SUMMERHILL. & BACK THEN I HAD A SUIT THE SAME.... HAPPY DAYS.

[erko62]

@P6AKO Fox at Stourton as well Thursdays the bouncer with the grey hair who looked about 60 at the time but was 40's max ....

Used to be some sweethearts there, oh to be 20 something again.........

[mobyboy]

what a unique voice and style !

[erko62]

Summerhill Kingswinford West Midlands Friday nights out with the lads early eighties...........

Happy Days...............

[chellybabi1]

I used to go to the country club when i was a teenager.....brings back memories.

[Erdelans]

A great song. Reminds me of Bowie somehow.

[sirtinycreep]

Strange song, but I lurve it.

[Vispateresa3]

How someone so talented and so good looking could take his own life is just beyond me. R.I.P. Billy I'll always love your music.

[sirtinycreep]

@Vispateresa3 Yeah, Billy was always depressed but he had many things to live for. His suicide bewilders me too. :(

[gauguin456]

Lyrics are darker than music because the song is about the "Liff Hospital" outside Dundee, a mental sanatorium and institution that no longer exists, and the song describes the suffering and pain of the patients who believed they were on a "Club Country". Very sad indeed.

[Vispateresa3]

@gauguin456 Thanks for explaining the meaning of the song. This casts an entirely different light on it, and says a lot about Billy himself.

[251mandem]

@gauguin456 if thats true, then i must admit i never knew that. i always thought the lyrics were a bit deep.

[bc1050]

@gauguin456 it is quite sad as he was quite talented. That said living in a place like Dundee would drive almost anybody to consider suicide

[ryumitch1]

@bc1050 lol, im still living!

[yooanoozarrmay]

the most ridiculous (but brilliant) bass guitar to ever hit the top 20 fuck it! he says, im playing lead

[tonycatman]

@yooanoozarrmay For best bass guitar, check out The Fine Young Cannibals.

[Skankwire]

@yooanoozarrmay That's Michael Dempsey of The Cure, right?

[rofubatf]

@fac5c1981 I don't get it. What does this have to do with house music?

[Lytton333]

The associates had genius.. but ..oh Billy.. those trousers!

[jaldorian]

Loved hearing this at the end of Ashes to Ashes finale series 2, Gene Hunt chasing after the bent cops in the Quattro

[TheRealBillyTheFish]

Did we all know that the faux-violinist (and actual keyboard player), Martha Ladly, was also part of 'Martha & The Muffins' and played keyboards on 'Echo Beach'?

Top lady!

[TheRealBillyTheFish]

Did we all know that the keyboard player, Martha Ladly, was also part of 'Martha & The Muffins' and played on 'Echo Beach'?

Top lady!

[mariantonetta]

Why did I forget about The Associates all these years? I'm ashamed. So happy to discover them again!! Completely unique. xx

[nobbilc]

@mariantonetta OMG...How could you !! ;P

[englishpointers]

Just a great 80's track that has to be played to fully appreciate and piss off those people who could not stand Billy's fantastic voice and talent RIP

[Sparkle239]

loveit. RIP Billy, you genius xx

[penfoldskip]

great song

[nakedcook42]

Amasing guy...I'll say no more with a tear

[jenniferBG]

rip billy there will never be another like you

[revjimbob]

His voice was unique.

[Thrillkisser]

Loooooove!

[derekhaddow1]

Beautiful voice. R.I.P. billy

[ludwigvonsteampole1]

A lot of this music went over my head as a teenager but how fantasic to rediscover this brilliant band all these years later...

[chrisnewcastle61]

RIP Billy - their best track

[lufillolufilli]

Sssssoooooo elegants!!!!!!

[MuriDaVala]

he's so damn hot. *_*

[MinnieMouse1975]

This is a song about the Liff Hospital outside Dundee. It was a psychiatric hospital, now luxury flats. Liff is the Country Club.

[MrScottJMiller]

@MinnieMouse1975 Really?How do you know? I used to live at the farm that overlooks RDLH when this was released....

[MrScottJMiller]

@MinnieMouse1975 Hi, I spoke to John on Monday and it wasn't about RDLH.....;-)

[superemposed]

martha is looking v good

[sirtinycreep]

The Country Club. Great title, great tune!

[Jackbite69]

Whilst listening to this classic,

I'm reminded of the immortal words of Gene Hunt "Were in the Sweet Spot"

[a217andy]

can any1 tell me what year this came out

thanks

[tristesir]

@a217andy

1982

[MrBazzabee]

Yes it's not an impossibility! However that would probably be quite an "aclumplishment" for someoe who's --Duke of York-- But even yourself would admit you 'd have to be "East Ham" not 2 want 2 hold her by the hand!.

[kenotram]

GLET OUT more.

[MrBazzabee]

What do you mean !!! ....I go to the shop on the corner every week and today(Saturday) as a special treat to myself I may be going 4 a walk in the park !!

[kenotram]

@MrBazzabee Nice one

[kenotram]

I thought Billy was abit too" Duke of York "for Martha.

[angelofmercy63]

I Remember this Song like it was yesterday and can still recall where i was when it was released.still got this on 12" Vinyl.loved the extended mix.

[youbeendrinkinrob]

Lots of tears 22nd Jan 2010

[66Tarantula]

Billy was so cute and talented it's heartbreaking seeing this.

[superemposed]

Martha looks gorgeous!!!

[ColumRogers]

OMG I love her.

[MrBazzabee]

Dont want to seem like I'm demented or anything but the look that Martha gives billy @ 2.18 --I would leave home for,or at least give up my season ticket at the local footie club 4 and look @ her instead(on a saturday afternoon)of watching the footie!!!.-BOY! she knows how to SMILE !!! But then you girls probably KNOW... why!!!

[MrBazzabee]

Ooooooo Billy doesn't half like to tease Martha when she comes forward for that duet bit,-and he always seems to hang around the keyboard area where she IS (partyfears) where she seems uneasy about this -As if he's going to pinch her bum!! He even says in the TUBE interview "Martha's a very pretty girl" in that lovely rounded Scottish burr of his-Can't believe something wasn't going on there!!.

[berlinmitte10117]

A great era for music - having just been forced to listen to 2 hours of my step-daughters 'Jay-Z' music, this is heaven.

[silmalila]

@berlinmitte10117 You poor thing!

I really do feel for you!

Listening to Jay-Z=Hell!

[TheNouveauxdecadence]

@berlinmitte10117

Poor you, Jay Z = Terrible.

Lucky your ears have been re tuned with The Associates

[gerodeo]

billy was so refreshing in the 80s, a seriously talented musician who didnt take himself too seriously.

where as everyone else took them selves way too seriously

[Westernprovince]

Michael Dempsey on bass. Superb.

[MrBazzabee]

Martha ---MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm!!!!Yeah

[superemposed]

Ha i like her too

[jameselaine1]

fantastic brings back great memories R I P BILLY

[ColumRogers]

It's beautiful this band and this song sum up everything that awesome about the 70s and 80s.

[westcountryboy69]

one of the best totp performances ever. love the interplay with billy and the girl at the end.

[Zapperzappy]

cool song

[ColumRogers]

The woman is a tasty peach.

[TyroneeT]

HA.

[banditcountry]

martha ladly i believe is her name.

[MRoderics]

@banditcountry She played keyboards and vocals in the Martha & the Muffins band of "Echo Beach" fame. She's a design teacher in Canada now. A terribly gorgeous girl.

[37angel]

Loved this in my teens and he was gorgeous!

[bent8rover]

The song is about the Dundee Sanatorium

[TyroneeT]

how do you know?

[TyroneeT]

why did you remove your comment? i'd like to know.. message me?

[SynthWho]

AMAZING song! Was in my head all through my GCSE exams today!! When the synth comes in at the chorus it just sounds awesome!

[ColumRogers]

Read your comment on youtube and i am glad i am not the only person who's my age who loves.

[KroovyMonsoon]

Where has this song been all my life ? Wow !! What a powerful throbbing fantastic dance song !! I'm so glad I was advised to check them out !!!

[vanillaorchid]

Nice to hear this being used in the Ashes To Ashes finale.

[ColumRogers]

Alive and kicking at the country club. Apparently their lead singer Billy McKenzie is the inspiration for the Smiths classic hit William, It was really nothing.

[debsbandicoot]

to think you ve learned to know someone and find that you dont know them at all....

[kenotram]

Gazza, gary numan is much more aclumplished as a muscian,

[MrBazzabee]

Dear kenotram --When you say that Gary Numan was a more "aclumplished" musician,how then does one become (in your words)-"aclumplished" please tell me --I'm keen to know?

[silmalila]

@MrBazzabee OMG

I nearly fell out of my chair just now.

Stop - your're killing me!

"Aclumplished"

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[jabbso]

Such an amazing tune..........such a shame.

Potential was never met!!!!!!!!

[wonderfulhuman161]

It says they recorded one song in the bathtub- It probably was "Blue Soap" . I had that on either and ep or 7' single. What a cool song. It had the sound of a shower running- but it sounded so cheesy it could have been something frying in a pan. "Blue soap, I' m washing it down" lol Love them. RIP Billy

[mysteriousmartian]

Love Billy. :)

[kymm00]

3:05 - 3:10 is hilarious. such a joker :]

[wilkesart]

love this track R.I.P Billyx

[deppy6]

love this band since i first saw them on totp billy mckenzie brill sad he had to go the way he did.

[kamagloire]

Good tune, good band...tragic end!