The Venetians - Chinese I's

Now here is an awesome gem of a band. Released in 1983, 'Chines I's' was their first release.
The Venetians owe their roots to Rik Swinn. A talented, English songwriter and singer who arrived in Australia in 1982 to find fortune and fame. He probably didn't guess it would come at first in the form of this vaguely anti-Asian synthpop/ new wave showstopper.
David Skeet covered the guitar work whilst Matthew Hughes provided melodic keyboard notes. Peter Watson took up bass duties and Tim Powles handled drums. Together they were The Venetians and they were ready to conquer the world...
Unfortunately they only managed to achieve a few B-list hits and an Australian top 10 with 'So Much For Love'. They could have been so much more if they had had some good backing from a producer. It's criminal... unbelievable that these guys were shafted.

It is undeniable that this is a very intelligent release despite the album cover looking like some leaflet for a brothel. Both 'Chinese I's' and its B-side 'Sound On Sound' were released with music videos and charted at #63 and #85 respectively on  the Australian charts despite the fact that both deserved to do better.

Here is the music video for 'Chinese I's'  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Rkzbwe2e4)

Well it's atypical of an Aussie music video. They all had a similar feel but the song itself is very intellectual and reminds me slightly of The Fixx. It definitely has a hard synthpop foundation with Hughes giving us some very catchy melodies whilst Swinn delivers urgent vocals from a phone booth. Meanwhile, the others prepare for dramatic head turns and closing curtains and running men in raincoats. Yes, yes all very 80's.

What I particularly love about the video is how Swinn seems to have actully tried to make himself look Asian or at least a little like the lead singer of Alphaville. In fact I enjoy the video the more I watch it. Check his dance at about 3:05. PURE GOLD! And what's more, when Swinn starts it doesn't stop and all the others start dancing.

Anyway back to the song, 'Chinese I's' is a pure underrated classic. A little diamond in the sand that fell hrough the cracks. It could well have been a hit in the UK methinks, and even the US with its dire warning of communist Chinese spies watching everyone. McCarthy could have usd this in his anti-red campaign to great effect.

The video for 'Sound On Sound' follows, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNKXl-0oulU)

Haha. First time I watched it the whole way through and what a great piece of work. Way better than a lo of the multi-million dollar Hollywood projects being churned out today. Swinn provs he has enthusiasm here. Again, The Fixx come to mind as Cy Curnin also had a real devotion t enthusiastic facial expressions and cryptic hand signals. This video has everything. Chain link fences. Blind folded singers. The most unenthusiastic tap dancer ever. It's all here. Plus there's a part where Swinn gets tangled in what looks like huge ammounts of that film that came in cassete tapes. That stuff used to come out on me all the time! This was like my worst nightmare! And what the hell is the thing at 0:54???

No doubt about it, 'Sound On Sound' matches up to the A-side well with nice guitar work throughout that soehow manages to seem ahead of its time. I don't think this song even has a definitive meaning. Swinn complains about stuff he doesn't like in society then goes into repeating "sound on sound" for no particular reason. Now, I think the idea of that is quite annoying. Ever litened to two radio stations at the same time? I rest my case.

Well I've run out of steam now. I'll come back the The Venetians at some point because these guys put out a lot more awesomeness but that's all I got.

Here's a link to something else...

'Chinese I's (Extended Mix)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HikoTxnJQQc)'Chinese)

And the lyrics

'Chinese I's'

Across the border come the international spies
Selling secrets
Giving alibis
The turned up raincoats and telephone calls
Secret meetings in government halls
How many lives
Are now in danger?
How many children will be left in the end?
Your mother tells you
Don't talk to strangers
So who are enemies and
Who are friends?

Here come the minute men
So lock away your lives
Here come the minute men
The ones with Chinese eyes

There is no conscience, It's all in the game
It's not like movies
It's money not fame
Information
Is what they need
If you don't give out they'll make you bleed
A sighing wind is blowing east to west
I hear the government are making arrests
I hear the clicks on the telephone line
Hello big brother, are you in my mind?

Here come the minute men
So lock away your lives
Here come the minute men
The ones with Chinese eyes

Secrets
(Chinese eyes)
They're wanna mock you
(The Chinese eyes)

Foreign agents
Transmit their messages
Like they wanted to do
The cloak and dagger
Unleashes anger
Bringing tears to my eyes
A science-fiction
Waits under cover
High in a cloud in the sky
They'll take your picture
They wanna mock you
They've got the best that money can buy

Here come the minute men
So lock away your lives
Here come the minute men
The ones with Chinese eyes
Here come the minute men
So lock away your lives
Here come the minute men
The ones who've got the Chinese eyes

They wanna mock you
(The Chinese eyes)
(Oh, oh, oh)
There are no secrets
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
There are no secrets
(Oh, oh, oh)
(From Chinese eyes)
(Oh, oh, oh)
They wanna mock you
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Chinese eyes)
(Oh, oh, oh)
They wanna mock you
(Oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh)
They take your picture
(Oh, oh, oh)

'Sound On Sound'

(Hello)
(Hello)

What does it take to be inspired?
Watching T.V. just dulls my brain
Out of a job and into the fire
There's only one thing, can keep me sane

(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Dance along to the boogie beat
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Sound on sound

I don't like the things I read in the papers
Plenty of loss and not much gain
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
There's nowhere to run and ease the pain
Hey

(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Dance along to the boogie beat
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Sound on sound

All over the world, there's too much attention
Political games are so absurd
The song is a mask for communication
A voice is crying to be heard

(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Dance along to the boogie beat
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Sound on sound
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Dance along to the boogie beat
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Sound on sound

Crying to be heard

(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Dance along to the boogie beat
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Sound on sound
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Dance along to the boogie beat
(Sound on sound)
Clapping hands and tapping feet
(Sound on sound)
Sound on sound
(Sound on sound)