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5 Surprising Facts About The Kinks’ ‘Low Budget’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About The Kinks’ ‘Low Budget’

Released in 1979, Low Budget found the Kinks shifting gears yet again. With Jim Rodford stepping in on bass, Ray Davies steering into topical lyrics, and the band embracing a tougher rock edge, it became their best-selling US studio album. Beneath the crunch and satire, there are some fascinating stories.

1. Recorded on both sides of the Atlantic

The first songs, including “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman,” were tracked in London at Konk Studios. But most of the album was finished in New York at the Power Station and Blue Rock Studios, giving it an extra punch of American arena-rock energy.

2. Ray Davies handled all the keyboards

After cycling through multiple keyboard players who didn’t stick, Davies decided to take on the parts himself. His playing drives much of the record, shaping everything from disco grooves to barroom-style piano flourishes.

3. Topical lyrics with superheroes in tow

While “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” invoked Captain America to critique global politics, “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” drew on Ray’s admiration for the comic books and a trip to see Superman: The Movie. The mix of satire and pop culture kept the themes fresh and immediate.

4. Dave Davies nearly rejected “Superman”

Dave Davies was skeptical about the disco-driven single. He eventually added his guitar parts, but he later admitted he thought the song was a risky move—saved, in his view, by its humor. Despite his doubts, it became a minor hit in North America.

5. Songs for the future snuck in

During the Low Budget sessions, the Kinks also tested out early versions of “Destroyer” and “Give the People What They Want,” songs that wouldn’t appear until their 1981 album. The sessions proved a workshop for both the present and the band’s next phase.

Low Budget turned the Kinks into a late-’70s arena rock powerhouse, brimming with disco jokes, social commentary, and riffs built for big stages. It remains a testament to the band’s adaptability—forever balancing grit, humor, and sharp songwriting.

5 Unknown Facts About Joe Jackson’s ‘I’m the Man’

Eric Alper
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5 Unknown Facts About Joe Jackson’s ‘I’m the Man’

Hot on the heels of Look Sharp!, Joe Jackson wasted no time dropping I’m the Man in October 1979. A mix of razor-edged wit, nervy new wave energy, and sharp social commentary, the album cemented Jackson’s reputation as pop’s sly contrarian. Beyond the hits, there’s a lot more lurking in this spiv’s suitcase.

1. The rise of “spiv rock”

Jackson invented the term “spiv rock” to describe both the record and his trench-coated, polka-dot-tied alter ego on the cover. The spiv was a British petty hustler, always ready to sell you a fake watch. It was satire and image rolled into one.

2. The album almost wasn’t called I’m the Man

The swaggering title track wasn’t an obvious single, let alone the album’s namesake. Jackson insisted on pushing it forward as his lead card. When it flopped in the UK and US, he shrugged, later joking that the label had been right all along.

3. “It’s Different for Girls” flipped clichés on their head

Jackson’s biggest UK hit took the expected boy-chases-girl trope and reversed it. The male narrator seeks love while the woman just wants sex. Delivered with deadpan cool, it became his highest-charting UK single, peaking at number five.

4. A 7-inch album experiment

For collectors, I’m the Man wasn’t just vinyl—it was also issued as a “7-inch album,” packaged as five singles plus a poster. This quirky format played into Jackson’s cheeky vision of marketing music like trinkets peddled by his spiv character.

5. A Goo Goo Dolls connection

Years later, John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls listed I’m the Man as one of the ten albums that changed his life. The nervy pulse and lyrical bite clearly left their mark on future generations of alternative rockers.

I’m the Man may have been billed as “Part Two of Look Sharp!,” but its mix of humor, reversal, and biting character sketches gave Jackson’s spiv persona a lasting place in rock history. Behind the shades and thin mustache, the hustle worked.

5 Surprising Facts About Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’

Released in October 1979, Tusk pushed Fleetwood Mac far beyond the gloss of Rumours. Lindsey Buckingham drove the band into experimental territory, building sprawling soundscapes out of punk energy, studio tricks, and restless vision. The result was the most expensive rock album ever made at the time — and one of the most fascinating.

1. A studio built just for Mac

The Village Recorder’s Studio D was custom-constructed to the band’s specs. Producer Ken Caillat suggested they buy the facility, but the group rented instead. Outfitted with a Dolby system and 30 ips tape speed, it became their $1.4 million sound laboratory.

2. Buckingham’s Kleenex percussion

Several tracks began as Lindsey Buckingham home demos where he played all instruments. For rhythm, he even slapped a Kleenex box in place of a snare. Mick Fleetwood later overdubbed real drums on top, merging DIY grit with arena polish.

3. Haircuts, push-ups, and taped mics

Caillat recalled Buckingham as “a maniac” in the studio. He once hacked off his hair with nail scissors, taped mics to the floor, and sang in a push-up position. Every knob was twisted 180 degrees “just to see what would happen,” fueling the record’s jagged edge.

4. The dog that stole Stevie’s cover

The album sleeve came from Peter Beard’s collage work, including a shot of Caillat’s dog biting his leg. That image became the front cover, replacing Stevie Nicks’ dream of twirling in spotlight. Nicks half-jokingly said she put a curse on the dog afterward.

5. The title’s many meanings

Depending on who you ask, “Tusk” meant male prowess, a mixing console nickname, or simply elephants. Mick Fleetwood once brought in full-size replica tusks, while Peter Beard’s African imagery sealed the choice. Buckingham just thought it sounded good.

Tusk is an album where ambition, tension, and experimentation collide. From Kleenex snares to elephant iconography, Fleetwood Mac reinvented themselves at colossal expense and delivered a record that still pulses with strangeness and daring.

5 Surprising Facts About the Eagles’ ‘The Long Run’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About the Eagles’ ‘The Long Run’

Released in 1979, The Long Run captured the Eagles in full late-’70s glow: sleek R&B inflections, West Coast harmony, and radio-proof hooks. It introduced Timothy B. Schmit, sent “Heartache Tonight” to #1, and quietly tucked away a trove of great stories. Here are five.

1. Schmit’s smooth debut became the first song finished

Timothy B. Schmit brought the seed of “I Can’t Tell You Why,” based loosely on his own experiences. Glenn Frey and Don Henley finished it with him in all-night sessions. Cut in March 1978, it became the album’s first completed track and Schmit’s lead-vocal showcase.

2. A deliberate slide into R&B velvet

Henley called “I Can’t Tell You Why” “straight Al Green,” and Frey urged Schmit to lean into a Smokey Robinson vibe. Schmit’s bass part locks to a supple pocket, while Frey’s counterpoint melody threads the chorus. The result: a Top 10 hit with satin-lined cool.

3. ‘In the City’ took the Warriors’ route home

Joe Walsh first recorded “In the City” for The Warriors soundtrack, credited only to him. The song resonated so strongly that the Eagles cut their own version for The Long Run. Walsh’s grit meets the band’s widescreen sheen, bridging film and album in one sweep.

4. Disco on the chassis, menace in the mirror

Don Felder built “The Disco Strangler” on a four-on-the-floor engine; Henley wrote the lyrics. The track rides a relentless club pulse while the guitars flash like neon. It’s a late-night street scene rendered in kick drum, hi-hat, and cold-steel riffing.

5. Groove tributes and groove etchings

The title track tips its hat to the Stax/Memphis R&B sound—snap, sway, and soul in California sunlight. On the original vinyl, the band signed the run-out grooves with Easter eggs: “Never let your monster lay down” (Side 1) and “From the Polack who sailed north” (Side 2)

The Long Run folds R&B warmth, road-worn storytelling, and studio detail into a platinum listen. From Schmit’s luminous entrance to Walsh’s Warriors crossover and those dead-wax winks, it’s a late-’70s album that keeps revealing new corners every time the needle drops.

5 Surprising Facts About Bob Dylan’s ‘Slow Train Coming’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Bob Dylan’s ‘Slow Train Coming’

When Bob Dylan released Slow Train Coming in August 1979, he stood at a crossroads unlike any in his career. Fueled by a sudden religious awakening, the record fused gospel fire with Muscle Shoals groove, producing platinum sales and a Grammy-winning single. Beyond the headlines, the story of the album is full of fascinating details.

1. A Cross Sparked the Journey

At a San Diego concert in 1978, a fan tossed a silver cross onto the stage. Dylan pocketed it and later, in a Tucson hotel room, experienced what he described as a vision of Christ. That moment ignited the songs and spiritual urgency that became Slow Train Coming.

2. Dire Straits Meets Dylan

Mark Knopfler was invited after Dylan heard “Sultans of Swing.” The Dire Straits guitarist joined the Muscle Shoals sessions, adding clean, understated lines that wrapped Dylan’s new spiritual messages in sharp precision. His manager was surprised when every song turned out to be about God.

3. Jerry Wexler, the “Jewish Atheist,” at the Controls

Dylan chose legendary producer Jerry Wexler for the album’s big funk feel. Wexler joked about the irony of being asked to “get the Jesus sound,” but his deep soul pedigree gave the record its tight, polished Muscle Shoals backbone.

4. “When He Returns” Began as a Guide Vocal

Dylan originally planned for one of his backup singers to deliver the final track. After recording a guide vocal with Barry Beckett’s piano, Dylan reconsidered. He returned the next day, sang eight takes, and produced what critics call one of his most powerful studio performances.

5. Outtakes With Their Own Lives

Three songs didn’t make the final cut: “Trouble in Mind,” “Ain’t No Man Righteous,” and “Ye Shall Be Changed.” All resurfaced later, either on singles, compilations, or bootlegs, proving that Dylan’s Christian period was even more prolific than one album could contain.

Slow Train Coming combined Dylan’s newfound faith with Muscle Shoals muscle, gospel urgency, and some of the sharpest studio players of the era. With “Gotta Serve Somebody” leading the charge, it stands as one of Dylan’s boldest statements—an album that still shakes with conviction.

5 Surprising Facts About Cheap Trick’s ‘Dream Police’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Cheap Trick’s ‘Dream Police’

When Dream Police landed in 1979, Cheap Trick were fresh from the global eruption of At Budokan. With platinum sales, strings of singles, and Tom Werman once again at the controls, the album stretched their sound into bigger, more complex territory. Beneath its high-energy hooks are stories that give it even more edge.

1. A Platinum Delay

The record was already finished by early 1979, but its release was held back to make room for the surprise success of At Budokan. By the time it hit shelves, Cheap Trick were bigger than ever, and Dream Police shot to #6 on the Billboard 200.

2. The Disco Pulse of “Gonna Raise Hell”

Rick Nielsen built “Gonna Raise Hell” on a driving disco beat. The band even planned a 12-inch dance version for clubs, and live shows stretched it into a ten-minute jam. With strings, pounding bass, and a “Detroit jungle beat,” it became one of their heaviest experiments.

3. Layers of Voices on “Voices”

Originally sung by Tom Petersson, the final version of “Voices” featured Robin Zander with six or seven vocal tracks stacked in the mix. The lush arrangement was impossible to recreate live. Adding another layer, Toto’s Steve Lukather quietly played lead guitar on the recording.

4. Boards Masquerading as Drums

To beef up the snare on “Gonna Raise Hell,” producer Tom Werman and Bun E. Carlos overdubbed the sound of two wooden boards hitting together. The trick gave the track extra punch, sliding right into the album’s wall of sound.

5. “Need Your Love” Built From the Stage Up

First performed live for At Budokan, “Need Your Love” was originally left off Heaven Tonight. When Werman heard the audience response, he made sure it landed on Dream Police. The studio version runs over seven minutes, channeling the Yardbirds and Beatles into a roaring, slow-build groove.

Dream Police fused Cheap Trick’s pop instincts with orchestration, disco grooves, and expansive jams, proving the band’s range in one platinum package. With unforgettable singles, experimental flourishes, and raw energy, it stands as a peak moment in their late-’70s run.

5 Surprising Facts About The Cars’ ‘Candy-O’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About The Cars’ ‘Candy-O’

After the sleek precision of their debut, The Cars came roaring back with Candy-O in June 1979. It was bigger, bolder, and hit #3 on the Billboard 200, proving the band was no one-album wonder. With pin-up fantasy artwork and tightly wound synth-rock, Candy-O remains a snapshot of new wave cool—loaded with surprising backstories.

1. Democracy in Action

Unlike their debut, Candy-O was shaped by group votes. Ric Ocasek would bring in a rough demo, and if the band didn’t agree, the song was scrapped. “Double Life” almost didn’t make the cut, proving how collaborative this record really was.

2. Vargas Pulled Out of Retirement

The striking album cover came from famed pin-up artist Alberto Vargas. At 83, he had retired after his wife’s death, but was persuaded by his great-niece—who loved The Cars—to take on the commission. The result is one of rock’s most iconic covers.

3. A Model Named Candy on Candy-O

The Ferrari-draped figure on the cover was real model and actress Candy Moore. She went on to appear on Rick James’ Street Songs cover and other sleeves. She briefly dated drummer David Robinson, who also dreamed up the concept for the shoot.

4. A Hook from the Routers

The handclap-and-shout hook of “Let’s Go” was lifted from the Routers’ 1962 hit “Let’s Go (Pony).” Paired with Greg Hawkes’ Prophet-5 synth riff, it gave The Cars their first top 20 hit—and later became the 100th video ever aired on MTV.

5. “Dangerous Type” and a T. Rex Echo

Though never a single, “Dangerous Type” has become a cult fan favorite. Its slinky guitar riff mirrors T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong,” and its grand, swelling finale closes the record in the same cinematic way “All Mixed Up” capped their debut.

Candy-O was a neon-drenched expansion of The Cars’ vision, with democratic songwriting, sly humor, and one of the most memorable covers in rock history. Forty-five years later, it still gleams like chrome on the open highway.

5 Surprising Facts About The Boomtown Rats’ ‘The Fine Art of Surfacing’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About The Boomtown Rats’ ‘The Fine Art of Surfacing’

By 1979, the Boomtown Rats had already scored a #1 with “Rat Trap.” But The Fine Art of Surfacing turned them into household names, anchored by “I Don’t Like Mondays” and their sharp-eyed take on American culture. The record swings between satire, darkness, and playful absurdity, and its backstory is full of surprising turns.

1. A Telex Sparked “I Don’t Like Mondays”

Bob Geldof first saw the news of Brenda Ann Spencer’s school shooting on a telex machine during a radio interview in Atlanta. Her chilling line—“I don’t like Mondays”—hit Geldof instantly. By the time he got back to his hotel, he had already written the song’s unforgettable opening line.

2. Apple Inspired the Lyrics

The opening line about a “silicon chip” was a wink to Geldof’s connection with Apple. Steve Jobs had previously asked the Rats to perform for the company, and the lyric slipped technology into a song about senseless violence, making it one of the eeriest pop crossovers of the era.

3. A Greenpeace Rally Found Its Way In

“Someone’s Looking at You” paints a picture of surveillance culture, but its roots were personal. Geldof referenced his appearance at a Greenpeace anti-whaling rally in London’s Trafalgar Square. A line about “saving some fish” became a sly nod to activism hidden inside a chart hit.

4. The Top of the Pops Strike Hurt “Diamond Smiles”

When the band released “Diamond Smiles,” a song about a debutante’s tragic suicide, it climbed the charts but stalled at #13. The Rats later suggested the single might have gone higher if not for a strike by TV lighting technicians that limited Top of the Pops exposure.

5. Geldof Once Planned “Mondays” as a B-Side

“I Don’t Like Mondays” was nearly buried. Geldof thought of it as a throwaway flip until the band’s U.S. tour proved audiences reacted strongly. It became their biggest international hit, winning Ivor Novello Awards for both Best Pop Song and Outstanding British Lyric.

The Fine Art of Surfacing was restless, theatrical, and unafraid to veer from gallows humor to political unease. It captured the Boomtown Rats at their sharpest, combining wit, tragedy, and hooks that still echo decades later.

5 Surprising Facts About The Bee Gees’ ‘Spirits Having Flown’

Eric Alper
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0
5 Surprising Facts About The Bee Gees’ ‘Spirits Having Flown’

When the Bee Gees released Spirits Having Flown in February 1979, they were riding the tidal wave of Saturday Night Fever. With three consecutive #1 singles, sold-out stadiums, and 20 million copies of the album flying off shelves, it was the crown jewel of their disco-era reign. Yet behind the falsettos and glittering grooves, the album carries hidden stories worth celebrating.

1. Barry’s Studio Marathon

Producer Albhy Galuten recalled that the sessions were powered mostly by Barry Gibb, Karl Richardson, and himself pulling long nights at Criteria Studios. Barry even overdubbed many of the harmonies himself, layering stacks of falsetto and chest voice until the songs shimmered like glass.

2. Robin’s Quietest Album

Robin Gibb, usually a commanding voice, took the lead only once—on “Living Together.” His falsetto lines are woven with Barry’s chest vocals. It became the Bee Gees album with his fewest lead vocals, a rarity in their catalog.

3. Chicago in the Room Next Door

While the Bee Gees worked on Spirits Having Flown, Chicago was recording Hot Streets in the studio next door. Their horn section—James Pankow, Walt Parazaider, and Lee Loughnane—wandered in to play on tracks, giving the record a brassy punch. In return, the Bee Gees guested on Chicago’s “Little Miss Lovin’.”

4. The Homemade Explosion of “Tragedy”

The climax of “Tragedy” explodes with a blast no one had ever heard before. Barry Gibb created it by blowing air through his cupped hands into a microphone, which was then run through a product generator alongside a smashed piano chord. The result: pure dynamite on vinyl.

5. The Prank Behind “Love You Inside Out”

During recording, the brothers slipped a joke line into the lyrics—“backwards and forwards with my cock hanging out”—and sent it to manager Robert Stigwood to see if he was paying attention. The released version, of course, keeps it clean with “heart hanging out.”

Spirits Having Flown wasn’t only a commercial giant—it was the last peak of the Bee Gees’ golden era before the tides turned in the early ’80s. Packed with meticulous harmonies, playful studio tricks, and three chart-topping singles, it remains one of their most dazzling achievements, proof of how high their wings could carry them.

5 Surprising Facts About AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’

Eric Alper
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0
5 Surprising Facts About AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’

By the summer of 1979, AC/DC were road warriors living life at jet speed, blasting their blues-soaked hard rock through endless tours. Highway to Hell became the album that carried them into global superstardom, sharpening their sound while keeping the grit intact. Beneath the riffs and the swagger, the record hides some surprising stories.

1. The Producer Switch That Changed Everything

Atlantic Records wanted radio-friendly polish, which meant moving on from George Young and Harry Vanda. The band resisted at first, but after a disastrous attempt with Eddie Kramer, they sent a secret tape of six songs to Robert John “Mutt” Lange. He said yes—and history turned a corner.

2. Marathon Studio Sessions

Recording at London’s Roundhouse pushed AC/DC harder than ever before. Lange kept the band grinding for three months, sometimes fifteen hours a day. The endless repetition honed the riffs into weapons, teaching the band a new discipline that matched their ferocity.

3. Bon Scott’s Breathing Lesson

During the recording of “If You Want Blood,” Lange suggested Bon Scott control his breathing. Bon fired back, daring Lange to do it himself. Lange nailed it on the spot, shocking the room. Bon laughed, listened, and used the technique to unleash even more power on the mic.

4. The Cassette That Almost Got Away

The seed of “Highway to Hell” came from a riff and beat Malcolm and Angus laid down on a cassette in Miami. That tape was borrowed by someone in the studio, handed to a kid, and promptly unraveled. Bon Scott repaired it, rescuing the blueprint for one of rock’s immortal songs.

5. A Title Born on the Road

“Highway to Hell” wasn’t dreamed up in a boardroom. It came straight from Angus Young’s description of the band’s brutal touring schedule—city after city, night after night. The title captured the grind, the danger, and the thrill of living loud on the endless road.

Highway to Hell roared out of the speakers with riffs as tough as steel and hooks sharp enough to cut glass. It marked the last ride with Bon Scott and the first time AC/DC’s sound was sharpened for the world stage. Forty-six years later, the album still rolls like thunder down the endless blacktop.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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