1992's 'Hit Parade' project was remarkable in a number of ways. The good old seven inch single was dead; I was working at Our Price at the time and can say this with authority. No one wanted these silly little bits of black plastic anymore. So what do Gedge and cohorts do? They release 12 singles on 7" vinyl format only. A winner, yeah?
Well actually, yeah. Following the critical acclaim of 'Seamonsters', the Weddoes hit upon a surprise period of commercial success. Each of their strictly limited monthly singles made the Top 40 which was a UK chart record (only Elvis had ever achieved this before, but none of his hits were self-penned). They remain the only British act to achieve this feat. What's also interesting is that compiling all 12 a-sides together actually creates a cohesive album[1].
Three was the third of the series (Ha! Clever!) and is one of my fave Gedge tunes. It's somewhat restrained in its approach, a little quiet and understated, but lyrically it's probably as saucy as Gedge ever got.
"I'm yours, she's mine
Two's company but three have a better time."
Is he trying to initiate a ménage à trois here? Probably, the naughty devil. Yet it's downplayed in both his vocal delivery and the music which is notably slower than many of the tracks from the 'Hit Parade' project. Gedge isn't going to shout about his encounters from the rooftops a la Van Halen or Aerosmith. This is a private matter between him and his partner(s). It's another fine example of how Gedge gets the best out of his songs and is a bit of a dark horse in his canon.
[1] Originally the first six A-sides and B-sides were compiled, followed by the latter 6 A's and B's. Subsequent re-issues of 'Hit Parade' have been double CD affairs with all 12 A's on one disc and the B-sides on the other. Far more sensible.
Fantastic, Roster. Didn't listen to WP for long times. And the version they recorded for BBC was even better as the original.
ReplyDeleteThe first half of the series, I think, and certainly felt at the time, were the stronger six tracks. My favourite was "Come Play With Me", but I would say "Three" probably gets more plays these days...
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