NEW YORK CITY BOYS: BOBBY O, NYC AND PSB

Reviewing The Flirts’ Passion in mid-August 1982’s Smash Hits, Tennant was so overheated by the “hot disco ignition” of “throbbing bass”, “throwaway synthesizer lines” and deliciously dippy vocal, he needed “a cold shower”. It became a Tennant/ Lowe template; Neil began salvaging Bobby O records from Smash Hits’ dumper box, often placing them on the office stereo by his desk, Chris occasionally dropping in, to groove along. Since 1979’s Dancin’ by Tod Foster, the New Yorker had become an electronic dance auteur, masterminding hot cuts from Divine, imaginary acts (The Flirts, Oh Romeo) and PSB. The duo reminded Orlando of Mr Peabody & Sherman, they thought their mutual hero was a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Woody Woodpecker. Their work reflected the early-80s US/UK symbiosis, echoing acts such as Soft Cell and New Order in NYC, Bobby O’s own I’m So Hot For You being indebted to The Human League’s Don’t You Want Me?

Tennant and Lowe arrived in NYC as dancefloor innovations came thick and fast, with the autumn 1983 release of Shannon’s Let The Music Play and Madonna’s debut (Neil interviewed the rising star that December). Straight from the airport in cabs, they’d hear Shep Pettibone mastermixes on Kiss FM. A future PSB remixer, Pettibone also DJ’d at Better Days, one of many clubs they’d visit, from Area to Paradise Garage to Danceteria. In NYC they heard Italo-disco which Tennant told No.1 was “punk”, synthy dance records like “early Human League”, with Lowe enthusing about its daft lyrics like “Supermarkets – we open on Sundays!” It became integral to early PSB, becoming increasingly chart-bound with hits like Taffy’s I Love My Radio (Midnight Radio).