20 Years Of Kylie!

Has it really been 20 years since Kylie topped the charts with "Locomotion"? I was honestly startled to hear about Kylie's 20th anniversary party this week. I know she has been around since the dawn of time - but 20 years? I feel like a complete dinosaur. I still remember the first time I saw the "Locomotion" film clip and clearly recall wondering what the hell Charlene was doing singing on television. Despite the initial shock, I was instantly smitten and purchased the 7" single with my pocket money the very next day. It's only a slight exaggeration when I say that Kylie has been the soundtrack to my entire life!

My 20 year old copy of "Locomotion"!

I don't think Nostradamus could have predicted what lay ahead for Kylie. There was a genuine sense of shock when "Locomotion" reached #1 in Australia on 3 August 1987 and stayed there for 7 weeks, eventually becoming the highest selling single of the entire 1980s. "Locomotion" triggered Kylie-mania at home and resulted in her being sent to England to work with Stock/Aitken/Waterman. Kylie's output with the hit factory is rightly appreciated by pop fans around the globe but the Australian version of "Locomotion" and its fabulous B-side have been all but ignored. It's a shame because "Locomotion" is vastly superior to "The Loco-Motion" and "Glad To Be Alive" remains one of my favourite Kylie songs to this very day.

"Glad To Be Alive" was written and produced by two members of another act signed to Mushroom Records - the 80s new wave band, Kids In The Kitchen. I think the boys were probably taking the piss when they wrote a song about a buying "a brand new hat" for Kylie but there is something utterly joyful about "Glad To Be Alive". I often wonder what Kylie's debut album would have sounded like if she had recorded it in Australia. If "Glad To Be Alive" is any indication, it would have been pretty amazing.

If you haven't watched it in a while, take some time to re-discover the magic of the "Locomotion" video clip. Until researching this post, I had completely forgotten that it was originally sponsored by Impulse deodorant! Classy. The clip is also notable for the appearance of Countdown's Tania Lacey (does anyone else remember her?) and a cameo by her brother, Brendan, at the very end. 80s kitsch doesn't come any better!

Kylie looking glamorous at her 20th anniversary party

"Glad To Be Alive" appears on Kylie's Greatest Remix Hits 3. All 4 volumes of "Remix Hits" are essential for fans and turn up regularly on Australian Ebay.

Dannii arrives at Kylie's party

Congratulations to Kylie on surviving her first 20 years in the fickle music world! The anniversary party looked like a lot of fun and it was nice to see that Dannii dressed down to avoid stealing Kylie's spotlight as usual. Here's to the next 20!