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Here's something you won't come across very often: a new release of early '80s style Los Angeles power pop that's actually from the early '80s! The story of The Bings' new CD Power Pop Planet (The Lost Tapes) is pretty unbelievable. These songs were recorded over 40 years ago. The master tapes, seemingly lost forever, were rediscovered in a bedroom filing cabinet during the 2020 lockdown. The band members, who had long assumed that these recordings had been taped over, suddenly found themselves in possession of a literal time capsule from the golden age of power pop. Around the same time, The Bings' 1981 single "Please Please Please" (the band's only official release) became a hot collectors item on Discogs. With there being renewed interest in the band and free time on people's hands due to the pandemic, the next logical step was to bring these recordings back to life. The original masters were restored and digitalized. And now all of these songs exist as an official release available on compact disc as well as on YouTube and all the major streaming platforms. Power pop fans, lend me your ears!
The 7" tracks alone ("Please Please Please" and "Oh No!") would justify a purchase of Power Pop Planet. They are bona fide artifacts of classic LA power pop and would fit perfectly on a playlist alongside the likes of The Knack, The Beat, and 20/20. While I'm always eager to discover new bands that sound like this, there's something about a genuine early '80s power pop recording that can never be duplicated. This is, as they say, the real deal. I can't get over how well restored these tracks sound! The album as a whole is very comparable to most power pop LPs released in that era. None of these songs would sound out of place on one of the Valley Girl soundtracks. The wonderful "Don't Stop Dancing" is another A-side worthy cut, while "Close Your Eyes" and "Hold On" demonstrate that The Bings had plenty of solid power pop tunes in reserve. If "Just a Child" sounds like a long-lost new wave hit, that's because it literally is. Elsewhere, the band mixes in some ballads ("There She Goes"), rockers ("She's Got the Power"), and rootsy pop rock numbers ("Billboard by the Highway") to make this an enjoyable, well-varied release. How many hours of my life have I spent combing through record store bins in search of albums exactly like this one? Luckily, you won't have to work that hard to acquire Power Pop Planet. Compact disc and digital purchases can be made through Bandcamp, and you can find the album on just about every streaming site. Follow the links below to read the complete story of The Bings!
2 comments:
this stuff rules!!!
On behalf of The Bings, it does our hearts good to finally know that had we stayed the course in the early-'80s, our music would've been enjoyed by rock 'n' roll fans far beyond our Southern California turf. No complaints. We had lots of loyal fans dancing the Slam and the Pogo at our shows back in the day. "Please Please Please" and "Oh No!" were played on KROQ-FM (the Radio equivalent of MTV before video took over). Thank you for a perceptive (and very kind) review that reflects your appreciation (and ours) of the FIRST Wave of The Hollywwood Punk-New Wave-Power Pop scene!
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