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5 Surprising Facts About Madness’ ‘One Step Beyond…’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Madness’ ‘One Step Beyond…’

In 1979, ska went technicolor with One Step Beyond…, the debut album from Madness. Recorded in just three weeks, it shot to number two on the UK charts and stayed there for over a year. Powered by nutty dancing, Prince Buster tributes, and a sound both retro and brand-new, the record launched Madness as the joyful heart of the ska revival.

1. The “Nutty Train” Shot
The iconic cover photo, snapped by Cameron McVey, was based on a pose from Kilburn and the High Roads’ album Handsome. It became Madness’s calling card, symbolizing the playful “Nutty Sound” they carried into ska history.

2. A Prince Buster Salute
The title track was a cover of Prince Buster’s 1964 B-side, but Madness added the unforgettable “Don’t watch that, watch this!” intro. Their version became a ska anthem, launching the album into ska revival legend.

3. Rough Mix, Big Hit
Producer Alan Winstanley revealed that the final single was just a rough mix. The track was stretched by repeating the short instrumental and altering half with a harmonizer — and that “mistake” became their breakout.

4. First of the Decade
“My Girl,” written by Mike Barson, sent Madness to Top of the Pops in January 1980. They had the distinction of being the very first band to perform on the program in the new decade, cementing their status as rising stars.

5. Miles of Saxophone
“Night Boat to Cairo” was built around Barson’s instrumental idea before Suggs added lyrics. With a sprawling structure, heavy sax breaks, and no real chorus, it broke rules and became their go-to show closer for decades.

One Step Beyond… was amazing to listen to dance in loafers and pork pie hats, mixing humor, grit, and irresistible ska rhythms. From the “Nutty Train” cover to “Night Boat to Cairo” closing countless gigs, Madness proved that fun could be as sharp as it was enduring.

5 Surprising Facts About Led Zeppelin’s ‘In Through the Out Door’

Eric Alper
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5 Surprising Facts About Led Zeppelin’s ‘In Through the Out Door’

By 1979, Led Zeppelin were both battered and brilliant. Out of exile, grief, and excess came In Through the Out Door — an album recorded in Stockholm that blended samba rhythms, synth experiments, and smoky barroom blues into a strangely forward-looking final chapter.

1. The ABBA Connection
The album was recorded at ABBA’s Polar Studios in Stockholm, a space more associated with shimmering pop than heavy rock. Zeppelin turned it into their own laboratory, with John Paul Jones’ Yamaha GX-1 synthesizer coloring tracks like “Carouselambra” in ways that felt futuristic.

2. Six Hidden Covers
The sleeve design was a trickster’s delight. Each copy came wrapped in a plain brown paper bag, hiding one of six alternate bar-room photo covers. Fans had no idea which version they owned until peeling the wrapping, turning every purchase into a lucky dip for collectors.

3. Samba Meets Shuffle
“Fool in the Rain” drew inspiration from the samba rhythms Plant had absorbed during the 1978 World Cup broadcasts. The result — Bonham’s Purdie shuffle colliding with carnival swing — was one of the band’s most surprising rhythmic left turns, and their last US hit single.

4. A Song for Karac
“All My Love” was Robert Plant’s tribute to his late son Karac. Co-written with Jones, the song’s tender heart is marked by a classically-styled synth solo. For a band known for thunder, this ballad stood as one of their most openly vulnerable moments.

5. A Puzzle of Perspectives
The Hipgnosis artwork told its own story: a man burning a Dear John letter in a New Orleans-styled bar, observed by six others. Each of the six covers offered a different perspective of the same scene — a clever nod to fractured viewpoints within the band itself.

In Through the Out Door stands as both a swan song and a bold experiment, filled with synths, samba grooves, and one last blast of Zeppelin grandeur. Wrapped in brown paper mystery and recorded far from home, it captured a band still chasing new sounds on the edge of their story.

5 Unknown Facts About The Knack’s ‘Get the Knack’

Eric Alper
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5 Unknown Facts About The Knack’s ‘Get the Knack’

Power pop rarely explodes into the mainstream with the speed of a lightning strike, but in the summer of 1979 the Knack pulled it off. Their debut album Get the Knack stormed out of Los Angeles clubs and onto the Billboard 200, climbing to #1 in less than two months. “My Sharona” blasted from car radios everywhere, teenage mania kicked in, and Capitol Records had its fastest-selling debut since the Beatles. Beneath the hype and the backlash, though, the record hides some surprising details.

1. Two weeks, $18,000

The entire album was recorded in just 14 days for $18,000. At a time when rock stars were spending six figures on studio time, the Knack made a blockbuster hit with the budget of an indie demo.

2. Beatlemania by design

From the rainbow Capitol label to the Meet the Beatles!-inspired cover, the Knack insisted their debut look and feel like a Beatles artifact. Even the back cover echoed a shot from A Hard Day’s Night.

3. A song written in 15 minutes

Doug Fieger said “My Sharona” came together in a flash—written in 15 minutes, recorded in a single take, and mixed just as quickly. The result became 1979’s biggest single and one of power pop’s defining anthems.

4. Sharona was real

The song’s muse, 17-year-old Sharona Alperin, inspired a fevered streak of songwriting and later became Fieger’s girlfriend. She went on to a successful career in real estate, forever linked to a pop juggernaut.

5. “Knuke the Knack” backlash

Critics bristled at the Knack’s cocky image and fast rise. San Francisco artist Hugh Brown launched a satirical “Knuke the Knack” campaign with buttons and T-shirts, turning the band’s success into one of rock’s most notorious backlashes.

Get the Knack is one of the wildest overnight successes of the late ’70s, wrapped in Beatle-worship, fueled by a teenage crush, and chased by controversy. Forty-plus years later, it still sounds like a band sprinting into history with no time—or money—to waste.

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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0
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.

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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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