Chenko (tenka-io) (from Red Box)
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Artist:
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Album:Ambition - The History Of Cherry Red Records Vol. 1&2
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Track:Chenko
Everyone who is over 30 and remembers the immeasurable importance of Dep hair gel, or Aqua Net hairspray, ought to have known this one:What's abnormal about Chenko is it was birthed twice, discounting extended mixes and remixes. On that note, this post is also about a two decade old hissy fit that I never quite vented out in my juvenile years.The original Chenko, thusly named, was a short, straightforward, synth pop number that was the British group Red Box's debut release of any published music, as an indie label single in 1983, unattached to any album. I believe that version can still be found in the two-volume Ambition: The History of Cherry Red Records.Once a major label (WEA) picked up Red Box, a rehashed Chenko (tenka-io) found its way as a track off the debut album, The Circle & the Square, in 1986, and later in 1987 as a single off that album. The new, slightly longer incarnation had undeniably a lot more production flourish (edit: atmospherics to death). That more acknowledged version spun the many mixes and remixes now in existence.Tenka-io was appended to the name as an alternate phonetic title owing to group founder-leader Simon Toulson-Clarke's new-found love of world music. Umph. He would not be the first child of new wave to turn on me, of course, for this so-called world music that was all the rage in the late eighties amongst those wanting badly to evolve their music; or so I thought as a clueless high school kid anyway. (No longer, Mr. Byrne!)
I loved the original Chenko best. I had it in mp3 for a very long time until last year, when I lost my head and deleted my entire iTunes library (long story). The above mp3 is an extended version (of the 1986 edition, to be sure). Suffice it to say that 1983's was more Sisters of Mercy and less Enigma (no offense) compared.Now to the bottom of my hissy fit, with a caveat that I might've imagined it entirely. Chenko in '86 came out with an all-new opening verse, moving the '83 version's intro down to being second verse. So, Chenko '86 had this contrived opening lyric: "We stand alone with your metal and our stones. We're hybrid, divided." Right. Anytime you're ready, Braveheart. Whereas Chenko '83 had this way more youth-anthemic, how-very-classic-X-Men opening: "What can we do - live our lives like you? We're hybrid, misguided."Don't you think?!?::. On YouTube, a 1987 promo video of Chenko::. Lewisslade.com/redboxmusic, from where I nabbed the bottom photo, and coincidentally the source of the YouTube vid, seems to have at a quick glance an awesome page of Red Box music and media files and other such; my Internet powers are presently at a minimum so enjoy downloading and let me know what I'm missing
I loved the original Chenko best. I had it in mp3 for a very long time until last year, when I lost my head and deleted my entire iTunes library (long story). The above mp3 is an extended version (of the 1986 edition, to be sure). Suffice it to say that 1983's was more Sisters of Mercy and less Enigma (no offense) compared.Now to the bottom of my hissy fit, with a caveat that I might've imagined it entirely. Chenko in '86 came out with an all-new opening verse, moving the '83 version's intro down to being second verse. So, Chenko '86 had this contrived opening lyric: "We stand alone with your metal and our stones. We're hybrid, divided." Right. Anytime you're ready, Braveheart. Whereas Chenko '83 had this way more youth-anthemic, how-very-classic-X-Men opening: "What can we do - live our lives like you? We're hybrid, misguided."Don't you think?!?::. On YouTube, a 1987 promo video of Chenko::. Lewisslade.com/redboxmusic, from where I nabbed the bottom photo, and coincidentally the source of the YouTube vid, seems to have at a quick glance an awesome page of Red Box music and media files and other such; my Internet powers are presently at a minimum so enjoy downloading and let me know what I'm missing
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