February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
But the most visible sign that the Big ’80s are back is the sound of vintage pop bands — of the one- and two-hit variety — reuniting and taking to the road, like swallows returning to Capistrano. The most recent bands to announce tour plans are Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Human League.
Dexy’s are famous for the classic, catchy and insanely annoying 1982 anthem “Come on, Eileen” and their rather odd fashion sense. (Come on, people: black berets? Cropped overalls? Bare chests? Talk about putting the “ugh!” in ugly.)
We’ll always be grateful to the band’s front man and chief songwriter for giving us a “signature” song. We especially like when friends stare pointedly at us when a deejay spins it at a wedding, or when it accidentally-on-purpose gets played a few times on the jukebox. (No, we’ve never heard it before. Radio is the devil’s philharmonic.)
It wouldn’t matter if the League of Humans — whoops, we must have Sean Connery on the brain — make that Human League were to find a cure for cancer, discover the secret of Wayne Newton’s popularity or complete the first manned mission to Mars. They will always be chiefly remembered for the lines that launched a million fake British accents. All together now: “You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar / When I met you-uuu . . .”