Alexandra

Alexandra Burke has performed in concerts and PA's several times here in Ireland since winning X Factor in 2008. As well as appearing at this weekend's Milk festival she headlines her own show at Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre on Jan 17th 2011. Of all of the X Factor winners I think Shayne ward is still the best of the winners but Alexandra is also a proper popstar with a great voice and who seems to be one of the hardest working stars in pop music today. This year the auditions for X Factor came to Dublin which now means that the show finally acknowledges the huge audience that it has in Ireland, both north and south. I'm sure that it also means that Irish viewers will be able to vote for their favourite contestant, something we could never do before in the south during the other 6 series. While there is now a major money making opportunity in the additional phone votes for the producers I think it will also result in many Irish viewers voting for the Irish act regardless of how good those contestants are. Of course Scottish, Welsh or English viewers do vote for someone from their own country but it will be interesting to see exactly how the majority of Irish viewers vote. I don't think that Ireland should inflict another Conway Sisters, Jedward or Eoghan Quigg on music. In saying that the possible Irish act (or acts) could be very good. Ireland has very talented singers and there have been many Irish popstars who went on to do well internationally but with a novelty act like Jedward I just felt embarrassed watching the show last year. Even with the huge amount of publicity that All The Small Things got it still only got to number 80 in the UK singles chart and didn't even go top 20 in Ireland. There should always be pop acts suitable for children but the kids deserve better! I really lost a lot of faith in Popjustice when they named that song their song of the day a few weeks ago. I will of course be watching X Factor when it starts again at the end of this month and am looking forward to Paul's Fizzypop's write up's every week, which for me were often better than the actual shows. It will also be interesting to see what direction last year's winner Joe will go in. The last series had a really poptastic moment and it had nothing with Joe. It was Alexandra and JLS with a mash up of their own songs. I know not every reader here likes X Factor but every pop fan has to agree that an artist has to believe in what they do and in the case of Alexandra and JLS they definitely do. The mix of Bad Boys and Everybody in Love is here. Alexandra's new song is Start Without You. I think it's the weakest of her singles so far and she really deserves better. It's time to lose the guest vocalists I think. .

80:80's 36: Prefab Sprout

Here is truly one of the most perfect songs of all time. When Love Breaks Down wasn't the biggest hit for the band Prefab Sprout but it is the song that they are most associated with. It was written by Paddy McAloon and was produced by Thomas Dolby. It was first released in 1984 and then re-released the following year. From 1985, here is a live performance of Prefab Sprout performing When Love Breaks Down on the UK TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test. Here also is Lisa Stansfield and her version of that song. It's a slightly speeded up version of the song but is a song that really suited her voice. Both of these versions are for Enda.

80: 80's 35: Bananarama

Tomorrow will hopefully be a bright and sunny day in Ireland as it will be the start of the first ever Milk music festival that was created specifically with a LGBT audience in mind. It looks like it could be a great event and I hope it is a success financially. The complete line up is here and includes Sophie Ellis Bextor, Roisin Murphy as DJ, Samantha Fox, Alexandra Burke and Bananarama. There is also lots of drag, cabaret, comedy and DJs. There are several Irish gay and lesbian singers, musicians and comedians taking part so it's a great way to reach a wider audience. It sounds a lot like Pride meets one of the regular outdoor music festivals. The name of the festival is in tribute to the late Harvey Milk. I was really tempted to go but at €99 a ticket the price put me off. I would like to see Bananarama the most but would love to see them play a solo concert which hopefully will happen someday. I think the festival is a fantastic idea but one aspect that puts me off going to Irish outdoor festivals is that they become an excuse to drink all day. Maybe this one will be different. If so, I am definitely going next year. Outdoor festivals have been expensive in Ireland for years so I'm sure they will have to make a good profit with this year's festival in order to have one next year. I do hope the range of acts increases, one thing I know is not every gay man and woman love Alexandra and Sophie. There is a huge gay audience for indie acts and indeed other genres of music so it will be interesting to see next year's line up. The festival's website looks great and the day seems to be organised very well in advance of tomorrow with lots of advertising and essential sponsorship. From what I've read it has had positive media coverage here in Ireland. The following is taken from the festival's website:

Proud Productions was established in 2008 as a company dedicated to entertaining Ireland's LGBT Community. The organisation is made up of a team of experienced professionals who wanted to create a unique music and arts festival open to anyone from any community encouraging a culture of inclusiveness, acceptance, diversity and celebration.

MILK Festival is the brainchild of two women; Dubliners, Emma Jane Dunne and Valerie Reaney. Using her experience in media and finance Emma Jane is Business Development Director and drawing from her photographic and visual merchandising background Valerie is Artistic Director of the festival. Partners include experienced entertainment promoters and entrepreneurs Managing Director, Donal O'Malley and Chief Financial Officer, Siobhan O'Malley.

Sir Nicholas Nugent, Proprietor of the festival venue, Ballinlough Castle has hosted many festivals over the years including LIFE Music Festival and concerts such as Van Morrison and The Pet Shop Boys. In fact, Sunday Tribune said "its probably one of the best festival sites in the country."

The organisers have been working to develop the MILK Festival over the last two years and although it is a one day event in its first year, the organisers intend to grow MILK into a two day Music and Arts festival in Ballinlough Castle within the next five years.

I swiped the map below below from Panti's blog who herself will also be the main MC for the day's events. She already has posted a few pics of the stage being set up here.

That all brings me back to Bananarama who for me represent what I always loved about British pop music. The girls, in all their re-inventions and working with different producers, always had the best pop hearts. Their album Viva from last year was fantastic and was full of great dance moments. Bananarama have had so many hits over the years but of all of their songs it is Cruel Summer that is still my all time favourite. If you ever want 80's pop summed up it's that song. I had never realised until today that it was the original The Karate Kid film that helped make Cruel Summer a hit in the USA, when it got to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, however, never appeared on The Karate Kid soundtrack album as Bananarama wouldn't allow it which makes them even more fab in my opinion.

Here's the original group with their gorgeous 1983 hit, Cruel Summer.

80:80's 34: Chaka Khan

Prince very often had his best hits when he gave his songs to other people. Such was the case with Chaka Khan when she completely made I Feel For You her own in 1984. That song got to number three in the US and number one in the UK. The album that the song came from was also called I Feel For You and the fabulous cover is above. I Feel For You was just one of several great songs from the album which was a success both critically and commercially successful. I couldn't just pick one song from I Feel For You so here are two great Chaka Khan singles and their videos. The first is Through The Fire which was produced and co written by David Foster.

The second song is This Is My Night.

80: 80's 33: Sister Sledge

In 1985 Sister Sledge had their biggest UK hit when Frankie got to number one. While it is a very old fashioned and sweet pop song it would be one of my least favourite songs by them. I think because it was played so often that summer on the radio. In 1984 they had three hits with We Are Family, Lost In Music and Thinking Of You, all which were first released in 1979 and were produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. We Are Family and Lost In Music are pure 70's disco but as Thinking Of You was only a hit in 1984 I'm choosing that as one of my 80's songs. It always reminds me of that year and is such a great summer song. All three songs were hits again in 1993 when they were brilliantly remixed by Sure is Pure and re-released. Two other Sister Sledge songs worth checking out again are He's The Greatest Dancer and All American Girls. I went to see Sister Sledge in concert at The Academy here in Dublin a few years ago and they were wonderful. I went with my friend Orla, who is great fun to go to a concert with and who persuaded me to get up on stage when they asked for some of the 'greatest dancers'. I of course wasn't the long lost cousin of Usher but thank you Orla it's a great memory! From 1984 here is Thinking Of You from Sister Sledge.

80:80's 32: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam With Full Force

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam were featured on this site last year with their 1991 dance anthem Let The Beat Hit 'Em. In 1987 they had two number ones hit singles on the Billboard hot 100 with Lost In Emotion and Head To Toe. All Cried Out and Little Jackie Wants To Be A Star were also two other songs of theirs that I liked a lot. Their first ever single, I Wonder If I Take You Home, was with Full Force and the single cover is above, which I still have in my record collection and is a great souvenir of that period in music. It was a US number one dance hit and got to number 12 in the UK singles chart. From 1985 this is Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force and the extended version of I Wonder If I Take You Home.