13 Wonderful Will Songs: The Next Generation - Vol. 9

Featuring songs by Paul McCartney, Naked Eyes, Aztec Camera, Concrete Blonde, Danny Wilson, Billy Bragg, the Ramones, and more

That’s right, it’s time for another installment of 13 Wonderful Will Songs: The Next Generation, a series of playlists which are, in fact, in no way distinguishable from the original incarnation of 13 Wonderful Will Songs playlists. So don’t feel as though you need to have listened to those in order to appreciate these, because that’s not the case at all.

Hit “play,” and here’s hoping you enjoy what you hear!

1. Paul McCartney, “English Tea”

It’s always a treat when Sir Paul decides to unabashedly embrace the fact that, like, he used to be a Beatle, y’know? This is - to borrow a line from the song itself - very twee, but it’s also just a delightful piece of pop, one that makes me smile every time I hear it.

2. Naked Eyes, “When the Lights Go Out” (ACOUSTIC)

Growing up in the ‘80s, I obviously became well aware of Naked Eyes, but if I’m being honest, I really only knew two of their songs: their cover of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Always Something There to Remind Me” and their original tune, “Promises, Promises,” which - funnily enough, is also the title of a Broadway musical by Neil Simon which features music and lyrics by Bacharach and David. But I digress: my point was that I somehow managed to completely miss their 1983 single “When the Lights Go Out,” even though it had a video which - I can only presume - got at least a bit of MTV airplay. Anyway, because of my lack of familiarity with the original version, I found myself blown away when I heard the acoustic version that Pete Byrne released under the Naked Eyes moniker after the death of his musical cohort Rob Fisher. Indeed, even though I’m very much familiar with the original version now, I still prefer this version, so I’m glad that it’s finally made its way onto Spotify.

3. Aztec Camera, “Black Lucia”

When Aztec Camera released their debut album High Land, Hard Rain in 1983, they were instant critical darlings, with their single “Oblivious” eventually becoming a top-20 UK hit. By the time I discovered the band in the late ‘80s, however, Aztec Camera was effectively just its lead singer and songwriter, Roddy Frame, and whoever else was helping him out in the studio. This didn’t bother me in the slightest, as I still loved the music that Roddy was producing, so I continued to listen and absorb the tunes he was turning out. 1993’s Dreamland might not have charted in the States, and it might not have even gone silver in the UK, but it might actually be my favorite Aztec Camera album, and this is my favorite song from it. It’s a gorgeous, glossy romantic pop song.

4. Concrete Blonde, “Tomorrow, Wendy”

Obligatory cover alert, even though there’s a decent chance that even if you already know this song, you probably didn’t know it was a cover. Originally released by former Wall of Voodoo member Andy Prieboy on his 1990 album …Upon My Wicked Son, Prieboy was inspired to write the song by a friend from Chicago who turned to prostitution and drugs and, upon being diagnosed with HIV, decided to commit suicide rather than succumb to the disease.

"Wendy was the type that just bided her time, took drugs, and took what was offered to her,” Prieboy told the L.A. Times. “[Her suicide] was the one big [time] in her life when she took charge. Basically, the song is a conversation she's having with the mirror. These are the feelings of rage that Wendy felt.”

Prieboy’s version of the song is actually a duet with Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, but when Concrete Blonde released their version on their Bloodletting album, she wanted to record it on her own, telling the Sydney Morning Herald, "It's probably the most depressing subject we've ever covered but it's just so vital that the message gets across." Ironically, Concrete Blonde’s version actually ended up being released before Prieboy’s version did, but it’s still Prieboy’s song, so as far as I’m concerned, it still qualifies as a cover.

5. Ringo Starr, “King of Broken Hearts”

I’d already finished this edition of 13 Wonderful Will Songs by the time I realized that I’d actually included two former Beatles in the mix, but I was so happy with the flow of the mix by that point that there was simply no turning back. Also, it’s worth mentioning - as if you can’t hear it when you listen to the song - that this mix technically features three Beatles, since the guitar solo on this track was very obviously contributed by George Harrison.

6. Elvis Costello & the Brodsky Quartet, “Taking My Life in Your Hands”

When this album was originally released, I was really starting to enjoy the genre known as baroque pop, and while I don’t know that you can necessarily describe all of these songs as pop, there are definitely some hooks to be had, and this song has a wonderful one in its chorus.

7. Danny Wilson, “Never Gonna Be the Same”

You know how sometimes you hear a song by a band and you love it so much that you find yourself following everything the band does…and then when the band breaks up, you continue to follow everything that the individual members of the band do? Well, that’s my relationship with Danny Wilson, and it all started because of how much I adored their single “Mary’s Prayer.” This song is actually from their second and final album, but the members of the band continue to make music, and frontman Gary Clark is busier than ever, as you can read about in my 2024 interview with him for Q Magazine.

8. Gangway, “Mountain Song”

I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to remember how I first started listening to this Danish band, and I think - although I’m not 100% positive - that I might’ve discovered them through Not Lame Records. Then again, maybe I didn’t. But I know that I have a best-collection by Gangway, and this is the song that made me sure that picking up the CD was a solid investment.

9. Billy Bragg, “Waiting for the Great Leap Forward”

Once upon a lifetime ago, before the internet was a thing, my friends Donnie and Brian and I would buy albums based on sources like the CMJ College Charts and the Trouser Press Music Guide. I think it was the former that led me to pick up a cassette by Billy Bragg - his 1987 compilation Back to Basics - and once I heard “A New England,” I never looked back. As such, I bought his 1988 album Workers Playtime as soon as it came out, and this song became a particular favorite after I saw Billy performing a rollicking live version on Late Night with David Letterman.

10. U2, “Iris (Hold Me Close)”

Yes, I know, a lot of people hated U2’s Songs of Innocence album because it was uploaded onto everyone’s iPods whether they wanted it or not, but this song grabbed me from first listen and has stuck with me ever since.

11. Ramones, “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg”

You don’t really tend to think of the Ramones as a politically-charged band, but this was certainly a occasion where they decided to make a statement about the Bitburg controversy, which you can read about by clicking right here. Even setting aside the politics, however, it’s still a great song, and a catchy one to boot.

12. The Producers, “Boys Say When, Girls Say Why”

While I know that they released two albums on Columbia and were nationally known, the Producers always felt like a local band to me, since I used to hear about them playing in Hampton Roads constantly. In truth, I really have no idea how popular they were on a national scale, but I know they definitely should’ve been bigger than they were, because those guys really knew their way around a pop hook…and still do, actually. They continue to tour to this day!

13. Scandal, “Goodbye to You”

When I first heard this song, the band performing it was simply known as Scandal. By the time they had a hit with their single “The Warrior,” they were being billed as Scandal featuring Patty Smyth. It wasn’t long after that when Scandal ceased to exist altogether, with Smyth embarking on a solo career. Not that you needed to know any of that. All you really need to know is that this is one of my favorite songs and videos of the ‘80s…and while you don’t necessarily need to know that I had a massive crush on Patty Smyth from the moment I first saw this video, I’ll go ahead and mention it anyway, mostly because I’m sure I wasn’t alone. And with that, I'll say goodbye to you.