Of arpeggios and synth sparkles
I'd like to add Icehouse's "Electric Blue" to Scott Woods' list of great arpeggiated guitar ballads of the eighties (inspired by Jane Dark's initial post) *. This Australian band's only American Top Ten hit was cowritten by John Oates (yes, that John Oates), who surely had everything to do with the excellent falsetto call-and-response harmonies -- and little to do with Ira Davies' adenoidal wailing, unfortunately. The 12-inch remix extends said arpeggios and the indelible chorus into a seven-minute wonder that has no low points. I've been listening to it fairly obsessively for the last six weeks, to what end only God knows.
* There's a notable subcategory awaiting development: Great Hits With Synth Sparkles. "Electric Blue" and Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" are examples. So are ABC's "Be Near Me" and Siouxsie & The Banshees' "Cities in Dust." Any others?
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