East End Boys and West End Girls

There are certain years that stand out above the rest in my memory -- 1984 is one of them. (Note how I totally skipped blogging one day and leaped right over 1983.) I turned 12 that year and was surrounded at every turn by an influx of music and fashion; almost all of it British. It was a culture that was referred to as the "New Romantics" or "New Wave" and I was on board full-stop. I stopped being a little kid that year.

I dyed my hair...orange. I used gel...in mass quantities. I wore a FRANKIE SAY RELAX DON'T DO IT shirt. I bought Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran, Make it Big by Wham, and the Do They Know it's Christmas? single by Band-Aid. I embraced that year and all the culture that rode the wave from England. I was ready to move to London's West End, join Bananarama and embark on a world tour. It was glorious, my friends, glorious.

Here's one of my favorite songs from that time. When I YouTube'd it, there were two versions of this video, but this is the only one I remember. Enjoy!



(West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys)