Today’s Song of the Day is House of Love’s Shine On.
While cleaning the house, a common winter COVID activity, I came across an 80’s Alternative Mix Tape (actually a CD) from Classic Rock. Don’t ask me where I got it from, but I started going thru the tracks and came upon this 1990 gem.
Originally issued as a single in 1987 by the British band House of Love, this is the song’s 1990 reincarnation which appeared on the band’s second album, the House of Love (Butterfly) album. The song didn’t chart the first time ’round, but this version – with stronger guitars and some harmonies on the chorus – made it to No. 20 in the UK.
To me, I hear sounds of the Smiths (How Soon Is Now), Stone Roses (I Wanna Be Adored) and Echo and the Bunnymen (Lips Like Sugar), contemporary British bands, placing the song somewhere in the Shoegazers/Post Punk category. Guy Chadwick does the honors on lead vocals (he also wrote the song), while Terry Bickers offers the tasty lead guitar. At least the COVID was good for something.
Here’s the 1987 version, from a clip that appeared on the BBC.
