On this day in music history: January 14, 1983 - “Nena”, the self-titled debut album by Nena is released (US release is re-titled “99 Luftballons” and is released on February 28, 1984). Produced by Reinhold Heil and Manne Praeker, it is recorded at Spliff-Studio in Berlin, West Germany in Late 1982. The German new wave pop/rock bands debut release includes their worldwide smash “99 Luftballons” (#2 US Pop), which is inspired when the bands guitar player Carlo Karges watches balloons being released at a Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin. He collaborates on the song with the bands’ keyboardist Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen. The songs’ lyrics are a fictional narrative of children releasing balloons that are mistaken for incoming weapons by the East German army, setting off a nuclear war between the east and west. When the album is released in the US thirteen months after its international release, it features three of the songs re-recorded in English, including “99 Luftballons” (re-titled “99 Red Balloons”) and the follow up single “Just A Dream” (#102 Bubbling Under). “Nena” hits number one on the German album chart, with the US version “99 Luftballons” peaking at number twenty seven on the Billboard Top 200.

Yes yes yes, sounds bought when they came out can have some oddly embarrassing results . . . . . maybe, just maybe, this is cool again and has come background!?

The Eighties WERE weird for this and things like one offs such as Martha and The Muffins 'Echo Beach, The Bangles 'Walk Like An Egyptian' Stephen 'Tin-tin' Duffy "Kiss Me' and the like. I stand by this one and it cheers me to post it from the wonderful Jeff Harris' site on Blue Monday a fictitious and specious if you ask me (nobody did- ED) notion that the third Monday in January after the 'excesses' of the New Year and Christmas holiday, that back to work folk are explicitly depressed more than any other day of the year. It IS however a reason, were any needed, to add a cautionary note about mental health so give each other a smile, shake someone's hand and open the door for an elderly person [like me] with a cheery 'Good Morning!' Stick this on and turn it up and if it requires it, dance around the living room in your pants! I know I will . . . . . . 

Go Nena!

thanks to the most excellent Jeff Harris' blog 'Behind The Grooves