Diamond Smiles

Mark L · Loudmouth

Diamond Smiles

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Good point about TOTP rarely sending a song down the charts. In bit of a hurry so quick response is that it would very likely hit the top ten- I need to check what the top ten was at that time- and most likely got to about 7 or 8.

Everyhit UK is the best site for old charts- you just check the retro charts for say October 1979 and it gives a weekly run down.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Mark L wrote:
'We've all used that excuse' he said, inferring this was a weak excuse for the song not doing better.
Had TOTP gone ahead, I wonder what position it would have reached. You could argue the loss of that week's show was the same for all, but back then, an appearance on TOTP rarely sent a song down the charts.....

It's an excuse. It was a weak single. Even Geldof admitted that they tried to make a great video to make up for it.

Not a patch on any of the six singles that preceeded it nor the next three. More of a travesty that Guilty wasn't a hit.

Mark L · Loudmouth

I tend to agree it was not as good as the three before and three after and strongly agree that the stalling of Graveyard at 26 was a travesty.

Nevertheless, I agree with Noel that DS may have just about gone top ten had they had a TOTP airing that week and live, the song tends to come over better.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

I've always liked Diamond Smiles so its back to the old subjective nature of music question. Strange that Geldof though it was a weak song but has consistently played it live and on a few tv appearances- that doesn't make sense, so I doubt he though it weak- or thinks that now.

I imagine if the band had put in a 'live' studio appearance on TOTP with a good performance and a well designed set the song would have as I said already have climbed a bit further, somewhere between 10 and 5 perhaps.

I think the fact that there was the strike was a factor in the song not doing as well as it could have- songs rarely go down the charts after the appearance of a prominent band on that show, but it was just one of those things and getting to 13 is still an achievement, back in the day when people actually bought singles and it meant something to have a chart hit.

Mark L · Loudmouth

There's not really a bad one at all on TFAOS, but I would say on balance it is bookended by 2 masterpieces. I think if they'd have gone with SLAY as the follow-up to Mondays, we might just have seen three number ones in a row from the Rats.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Mark L wrote:
There's not really a bad one at all on TFAOS, but I would say on balance it is bookended by 2 masterpieces. I think if they'd have gone with SLAY as the follow-up to Mondays, we might just have seen three number ones in a row from the Rats.

I don't know about number one, because Another Brick in the Wall had taken up residence at the top and sold shedloads. Probably a window of opportunity with Lena Martell and Dr. Hook, like The Police took advantage of with Walking on the Moon hitting the top for one week.

Blondie also released Union City Blue to general indifference at the same time, but were fortunate to have Atomic lurking along with Call Me on the American Gigolo soundtrack which gave them a couple of number ones.

Mark L · Loudmouth

That's what I was thinking.....what I would have given to keep that Martell woman off the top! Timed right, and strikes aside, there's every reason to suspect it would have hit the top. For a third single, I would like to have seen Having My Picture Taken released or maybe Night Comes but the parent album is my favourite of theirs and so I always find the single choices after Mondays and SLAY hard to call

noelindublin · Loudmouth

This is the chart for early December 1979 when Diamond Smiles peaked. There were lots of good songs around including the first ever rap hit Rappers Delight, by The Sugarhill Gang- ' hotel , motel, Holiday Inn! '

http://www.everyhit.com/retros/index.php?page=rchart&y1=1979&m1=12&y2=1979&m2=12&sent=1&day1=1&day2=1

IrelandCalling · Never In A Million Years

Surprising to me to tread that DS is considered less than great, that one has been one of my favourite songs since first hearing it, and it's one I always send to friends to show them how the Rats' are much more than the two we always hear (Mondays, and Rat Trap)

I love the track; the stirring melodies, the way it builds in the verses, the very cool breakdown after the first chorus going into the 2nd verse, and the dreamy vocal melodies on the outro. Magical stuff!

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Your pushing against an open door here! It was once my favourite Rats track and I still love it - now I would go for Never In a A Million Years or Real Different, but with so many brilliant songs it is so easy to have 'roving favourites', or some track just seems appropriate to ones current mood.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Talking to ITV's Lorraine, speaking about the lyrics to the Boomtown Rat hit Diamond Smiles, Geldof outlined how he sometimes now recognises his late, ex wife Paula Yates and daughter Peaches in the song words, saying; Theres a song we had that was a big hit, [that] the Rats had called Diamond Smiles - it was the one after I Dont Like Mondays, it was a very big hit and I was writing about a girl I read about in one of the papers, she was a socialite, and she went to a posh party, it was only a small item but it struck with me, and she went to a party and she went upstairs and hanged herself during the party. And it was a tiny little piece and I think that somebody said she was the brightest of diamonds and I called the song Diamond Smiles. If I really think about those words and usually Im in the zone of that song, if I really think about it, its too bizarre, its too telling whether its about Paula or now whether its about Peaches, and stuff like that But other than that you know, youre on stage and youre just going for it and youre so engaged in this moment, youre so aware of a crowd but not, youre aware of the band, but not, youre just lost in this moment, probably like the yoga thing that they've been going on about. When I come of stage I am physically exhausted and mentally clear.

Lisa · Mondo Bongo

I've always liked this song and found it moving. Most be so hard for Bob to sing it.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Lisa wrote:
I've always liked this song and found it moving. Most be so hard for Bob to sing it.

I think it's great too and deserved a bit better than no. 13

Mike menzies · V Deep

Love diamond smiles my fave track on tfaos
Should've been higher in chart but UK teens were so fickle in 1979 buying some of the garbage in the charts at that time

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Mike menzies wrote:

Love diamond smiles my fave track on tfaos

Should've been higher in chart but UK teens were so fickle in 1979 buying some of the garbage in the charts at that time

Hear,hear Great song and as pointed out should have done much better in the charts

Derek The Dane · V Deep

The Rats should have gone Mondays,Someone´s and then Windchill/Keep It Up.Never understood DS being released after 2 number 1 singles.Strange enough I just got DS in the post yesterday on the Irish Mulligan record label.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Derek The Dane wrote:
The Rats should have gone Mondays,Someone´s and then Windchill/Keep It Up.Never understood DS being released after 2 number 1 singles.Strange enough I just got DS in the post yesterday on the Irish Mulligan record label.

I suspect the reason Diamond Smiles was chosen was it had the story narrative like Mondays, and they had David Mallet ready and willing to do a video. So rather than following up with Someone's Looking which would have been the most obvious to anyone listening to the album, they probably figured they could release more or less anything as long as it got plenty of TV coverage. Only problem was the song wasn't in the same league as any of the preceding singles, so it didn't make the top ten.

I don't see any other obvious singles off the album. I suspect that Having My Picture Taken was considered as there was a video made for that, but I don't think it was any better than Diamond Smiles. Keep It Up may also have been considered, given they performed it on Kenny Everett. I must admit that I like Surfacing less as time passes, whilst the best tracks on Mondo and V Deep sound better.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Derek The Dane wrote:
The Rats should have gone Mondays,Someone´s and then Windchill/Keep It Up.Never understood DS being released after 2 number 1 singles.Strange enough I just got DS in the post yesterday on the Irish Mulligan record label.

SLAY should have definitely been the follow up to Mondays. If as 3rd Surfacing single it managed 4, as 2nd single I see little reason why it wouldn't followed Mondays to the top.

Wind Chill is excellent but takes time to get going and not sure this would have worked as a single although a similar start did not stop Ghost Town being a number 1, I suppose.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Mark L wrote:
SLAY should have definitely been the follow up to Mondays. If as 3rd Surfacing single it managed 4, as 2nd single I see little reason why it wouldn't followed Mondays to the top.
Wind Chill is excellent but takes time to get going and not sure this would have worked as a single although a similar start did not stop Ghost Town being a number 1, I suppose.

It's possible that it may have made #1 inbetween Dr. Hook and The Police. Diamond Smiles was the lead single off Surfacing as Mondays was released months before with no album imminent, so it's an even stranger decision to not lead with the best song on the LP in advance of the release.

I don't think Wind Chill Factor is in the same league as Ghost Town.

Mark L · Loudmouth

ArrGee wrote:
Mark L wrote:
SLAY should have definitely been the follow up to Mondays. If as 3rd Surfacing single it managed 4, as 2nd single I see little reason why it wouldn't followed Mondays to the top.
Wind Chill is excellent but takes time to get going and not sure this would have worked as a single although a similar start did not stop Ghost Town being a number 1, I suppose.

It's possible that it may have made #1 inbetween Dr. Hook and The Police. Diamond Smiles was the lead single off Surfacing as Mondays was released months before with no album imminent, so it's an even stranger decision to not lead with the best song on the LP in advance of the release.
I don't think Wind Chill Factor is in the same league as Ghost Town.

I think it is. Maybe not quite league leader, but it's in the premiership of 1980 songs just like Ghost Town. There'd have been that 'are they playing Ghost Town or Wind Chill' moment every time either song began on the radio, and even if it turned out to be GT, we'd have had a 'Boom Town' moment nonetheless! I always think of the Rats with the line 'Do you remember the good old days before.......' and hope people think of Bob and the boys. Stupid, but then I bet I'm not alone.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Another thing on Diamond Smiles, is not the girl in the video, who smashes the mirror, the same girl who plonks herself down on the sofa in Mondays' video next to Geldof? Can't be alone in thinking this either?

-- Edited by Mark L on Tuesday 24th of November 2015 07:34:15 AM

Mark L · Loudmouth

A year later, I find the answer to my own question! Michelle Gibbons-Price appeared in both videos and talks about the making of the video in the You Tube comments area. Now an accountant in Somerset, she recalls having to throw several bottles until she hit the mirror with 'Cheers' wtitten on it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qEkyGu7ZiXw

Several posters also lament the song not cracking the top 10 or even topping the chart; can't find ArrGee's post on that though smile

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Always had a wee soft spot for this song. Love the live one. When it 1st came out even the one's I ran about with (Not Rats fan's) liked it over Mondays. I think if Someone's looking at you had of been released 2nd then Diamond Smiles would have done better.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Great live song.

Interesting to read Michelle's comments. Perhaps we should get the scribbling secretary from Million Years, or the female judge from Graveyard to give us an interview about the day they recorded a Rats video! Mind you, the latter is probably not alive any longer. I think she was 70 at the time.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Mark L wrote:
Great live song.
Interesting to read Michelle's comments. Perhaps we should get the scribbling secretary from Million Years, or the female judge from Graveyard to give us an interview about the day they recorded a Rats video! Mind you, the latter is probably not alive any longer. I think she was 70 at the time.

I think it's a great song, though I prefer the studio version. It just sounds so well produced .I think my real problem with the live version is the additional ten minutes of 'na na naing' that Geldof seems to think is necessary to complete the song.

Total overkill and a bit childish and embarrissing, taking from the actual song itself with it's sad and serious subject matter.Someone once said 'half of art is knowing when to stop' (one of my fav quotes) someone should tell Bob this!

The record had very short na na na ending and a great little flourish just at the end. In the video from about 3.30 to end the guitar sound great, but live the don't do this because of the endless na na na ing that seems to take over. Studio version any day of the week.Infact every time I listen to Diamond Smiles it sounds wonderful, showing the emotional power and effect of music.

Another sad fact is this is hardly ever played on the radio ,while Rat Trap and Mondays will always be trotted out by, dare I say, lazy dj's. smile

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

noelindublin wrote:
... this is hardly ever played on the radio ,while Rat Trap and Mondays will always be trotted out by, dare I say, lazy dj's.

It has been many a year since I heard The Rats on the radio (excluding sessions and live). I think it was when Virgin/Absolute played Mondays about six years ago. Would be great to hear Rat Trap.

Apparently Rat Trap is the most likely to be played. http://comparemyradio.com/artists/Boomtown_Rats/tracks Absolute Radio 70s is where you are most likely to hear them, up to twice a day!

Had a bit of a shock this morning hearing Blockbuster by Sweet closely followed by Jean Genie. Must have been many a year since Sweet were played on BBC Radio 2, I have never heard them on radio this century. http://comparemyradio.com/artists/Sweet Sweet - Zero plays in 30 days!

Only acts of the late 70s/early 80s that get played on Radio X, which is a pale imitation of XFM, are The Clash and The Jam.

Mark L · Loudmouth

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wF_BVdM-EMs

Here it is done by some session singers in 79

I couldnt find the sound alike topic this would normally be filed under

suss · House on Fire

Mark L wrote:
I couldnt find the sound alike topic this would normally be filed under

https://boomtownrats.activeboard.com/t61532253/singalongarat/ smile

Mark L · Loudmouth

suss wrote:

Mark L wrote:

I couldnt find the sound alike topic this would normally be filed under

https://boomtownrats.activeboard.com/t61532253/singalongarat/ smile

Cheers Suss

Derek The Dane · V Deep

Never was a fan of Diamond Smiles as a single but I love it as a end of concert sing a long song.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Derek The Dane wrote:
Never was a fan of Diamond Smiles as a single but I love it as a end of concert sing a long song.

It's grown on me as a single over the years. Charts-wise, they would have done better following up Mondays with SLAY and then choosing Keep it Up or Picture Taken or Wind Chill as the third single...all IMHO of course wink

It is a great end to concerts though

Mike menzies · V Deep

I love this single it's actually my wife's fave rats track and I still play it and love the melody again as Mark says this is just imho the problem is on the whole all their singles were fab (excluding charmed lives) so hard to choose as all very different to each other

Mark L · Loudmouth

Agree Mike. One of a few tracks as well where there is no alternate mix for example for the parent album. Or for America (Rain)

Mark L · Loudmouth

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hs_v92201Q0

This is a decent cover of Diamond Smiles. Such a good song, it really deserved a higher placing on the chart than 13.

Mark L · Loudmouth

Anyone know if this was performed at Minehead?

manatthetop · In the Long Grass

Mark L wrote:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hs_v92201Q0
This is a decent cover of Diamond Smiles. Such a good song, it really deserved a higher placing on the chart than 13.

Totally agree I loved this song when i 1st heard it on the album. I do think they do the song great live. should have done much better after coming of the back of mondays

Noel · Dave

Mark L wrote:
Anyone know if this was performed at Minehead?

Nope. Set list was:

TGB/Get A Grip/Neon/Shes Gonna/Eva/Modern/Someones Looking/Mondays

She Said No/Joey??/Mary/Rat Trap/No 1/TGB (again)/Boomtown Rats

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Noel wrote:
Mark L wrote:
Anyone know if this was performed at Minehead?
Nope. Set list was:
TGB/Get A Grip/Neon/Shes Gonna/Eva/Modern/Someones Looking/Mondays
She Said No/Joey??/Mary/Rat Trap/No 1/TGB (again)/Boomtown Rats

In that order? If so, I know when to leave The Brighton Dome

Seems light on the big hits. No Banana Republic, no Clockwork. two top 10 omissions. Also a bit disappointing there aren't any new old songs.

Noel · Dave

ArrGee wrote:
Noel wrote:
Mark L wrote:
Anyone know if this was performed at Minehead?
Nope. Set list was:
TGB/Get A Grip/Neon/Shes Gonna/Eva/Modern/Someones Looking/Mondays
She Said No/Joey??/Mary/Rat Trap/No 1/TGB (again)/Boomtown Rats
In that order? If so, I know when to leave The Brighton Dome
Seems light on the big hits. No Banana Republic, no Clockwork. two top 10 omissions. Also a bit disappointing there aren't any new old songs.

Above is set list which was revised to the one I supplied. Have to say image is from the excellent Geldof FB website. Seems it was found in a hotel in Minehead (don't ask!)

Obviously they had plans to do the printed set, but my sources indicate they did not perform Monster Monkeys nor Heres A Postcard. Some uncertainty as to whether Joey was actually played as well.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Noel wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
Noel wrote:
Mark L wrote:
Anyone know if this was performed at Minehead?
Nope. Set list was:
TGB/Get A Grip/Neon/Shes Gonna/Eva/Modern/Someones Looking/Mondays
She Said No/Joey??/Mary/Rat Trap/No 1/TGB (again)/Boomtown Rats
In that order? If so, I know when to leave The Brighton Dome
Seems light on the big hits. No Banana Republic, no Clockwork. two top 10 omissions. Also a bit disappointing there aren't any new old songs.
Above is set list which was revised to the one I supplied. Have to say image is from the excellent Geldof FB website. Seems it was found in a hotel in Minehead (don't ask!)
Obviously they had plans to do the printed set, but my sources indicate they did not perform Monster Monkeys nor Heres A Postcard. Some uncertainty as to whether Joey was actually played as well.

A lot of new songs if that is the set list for the tour. Anyway as soon as #1 is over, I am running for the train.

Noel · Dave

ArrGee wrote:
Noel wrote:
ArrGee wrote:
Noel wrote:
Mark L wrote:
Anyone know if this was performed at Minehead?
Nope. Set list was:
TGB/Get A Grip/Neon/Shes Gonna/Eva/Modern/Someones Looking/Mondays
She Said No/Joey??/Mary/Rat Trap/No 1/TGB (again)/Boomtown Rats
In that order? If so, I know when to leave The Brighton Dome
Seems light on the big hits. No Banana Republic, no Clockwork. two top 10 omissions. Also a bit disappointing there aren't any new old songs.
Above is set list which was revised to the one I supplied. Have to say image is from the excellent Geldof FB website. Seems it was found in a hotel in Minehead (don't ask!)
Obviously they had plans to do the printed set, but my sources indicate they did not perform Monster Monkeys nor Heres A Postcard. Some uncertainty as to whether Joey was actually played as well.
A lot of new songs if that is the set list for the tour. Anyway as soon as #1 is over, I am running for the train.

A lot of new songs. It's go COB or go home! I think most people will be well aware of new album and open to hearing the new songs. Dont think they'll overdo the new stuff but I'd expect around five or six. Good chunk of the audiences will have bought, streamed or downloaded the album I should think.

I've never gone to a Rats concert to expect a better live song than the recorded version. It's more the experience of seeing my heroes. The records are perfect. Occasionally some of the live versions from recent years seem to have some extra oomph that I notice at a gig but just watching Geldof go mad on stage can be entertaining enough.

-- Edited by Noel on Thursday 5th of March 2020 10:51:12 PM