Black Stations/White Stations / Martha and the Muffins

Black Stations/White Stations (From the MatM album Mystery Walk 1984)

At the time, Martha said this about where the inspiration for the song came from:

I was driving around in the band van listening to some pop radio station when I heard the DJ introduce the song "Brown-Eyed Girl" by telling the listeners that when Van Morrison had originally written the song it was titled "Brown-Skinned Girl". He had been strongly urged to change it as his record company at the time was worried that the title and interracial theme might offend some people and hurt his chances of having a hit with the record.

I thought this story was so ludicrous until I started thinking about here we were in l984 and not much had changed as music was still segregated into black music stations and white music stations. I remember it was still an issue at that time whether Michael Jackson would be played only on the black stations!

Written by Mark Gane, Martha Johnson and Bob Frescoe
Produced, Directed and Photographed by Bob Frescoe
Assisted by Byron Patchett
Edited by Bob Frescoe
Financial assistance by FACTOR

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Martha and the Muffins
• Martha & the Muffins
• New Wave
• M+M
• MatM
• M&M
• Echo
• Beach
• Daniel
• Lanois

[ajittffcure]

Interesting song by an interesting band. Was that the VCS3 analogue synthesiser shown in this footage?

[marthaandthemuffins]

It's the keyboardless, suitcase version of the VCS3, the Synthi A. MatM

[mykillICON]

I still love this song! Play Toronto soon please!

[CelesteK]

I really loved this song when iw as little. :) I used to hear it on the radio all the time. Nowadays you'd be lucky to find anything on the radio that's at least half-decent.

[JonSea31isBack]

I love this song! Makes me wanna travel back in time to an era when music was top-notch, unlike today's crap. Nothing on the radio nowadays unless it has to do with Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Adele and Rihanna (though I do like some of Rihanna's stuff, but not all). And don't get me started on how much I hate Justin Bieber.

[JonSea31isBack]

At 1:19 The predecessor to a future Lionel Richie video.

[figbat1]

I LOVE THIS SONG!..................want to know some bad a s s gossip from their '82 vancouver concert that never got reported............go to "jenny morris she has to be loved nzoz1989" and press "see all" to find my 3 hidden comments.

[TheShyguy2010]

cool video yaaaaaaaaa

[camero1963]

Martha is such a beautiful woman and wonderful artist. Your music still puts a smile on my face after all these years.

[TheShyguy2010]

so cool video 1984

[venom6622]

I love the verses...very cool

[CelesteK]

It's kind of hard to believe that people used to dance like that. :)

[veryshywoman]

great music in the 80's cool