Pop Muzik
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The song "Pop Muzik" was performed by Robin Scott, also known as M. He was a producer and musician, and the song was written as his resume of twenty-five years of pop music and being in the music business since 1954.
Among the other musicians who played on the track were his brother Julian Scott (on bass), then unknown keyboardist Wally Badarou, Canadian synthesizer programmer John Lewis (who died of AIDS in 1985) and Brigit Novik, the backing vocalist who put the 'pop' in the 'muzik'. When it was released in the UK in early 1979, it became a huge hit after which MCA Records requested an album.
The album New York, London, Paris, Munich was recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, at Queen's Mountain Studio, using their regular engineer David Richards, as well as Julian Scott, Wally Badarou (who would later work with Steve Winwood, among others) and Brigit Novik. Additional musicians on the album included drummer Phil Gould (later of Level 42), Gary Barnacle on saxophone and flute and (at the time) local Montreux resident David Bowie, who did occasional handclaps.
Released in the UK at the end of 1979, the album was also a sizable hit in the U.S., where it was released on Sire Records.
The 12-inch single version was notable for the B-side having a double groove such that the two tracks ("Pop Muzik" and "M Factor") both started at the outer edge of the record and finished in the middle (with a long silence at the end of "M Factor" since the track was the shorter of the two). This resulted in a fairly random selection of tracks.
Remixes have come from all sides since its creation over twenty-five years ago, from Marcus' "Pop Muzic 2001" and by Junior Vasquez and the Dub Pistols in 2003.
"Pop Muzik" is widely considered one of the forerunners of the use of synthesizers in mainstream music.
- M - Pop Muzik excerpt (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- An excerpt from Pop Muzik
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A dance remix of "Pop Muzik" was used by U2 as the introduction to each concert on their 1997-1998 Popmart Tour.
| Preceded by: "Rise" by Herb Alpert | Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 3 1979 | Succeeded by: "Heartache Tonight" by Eagles |
