In this series I am going to be looking at lost pop classics from the last ten years that, in a parallel universe (where the Eighties never ended), would have been smash hits and on Top of the Pops.
Ou Est Le Swimming Pool 'Jackson's Last Stand'
Tragedy surrounds the legacy of the brilliantly named Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. Following a stage dive that injured a fan at the Belgian festival Pukkelpop, lead singer Charles Haddon killed himself.
Formed in Camden in 2009 by Haddon, Joe Hutchinson and Caan Capan, their debut single 'Dance The Way I Feel' made the top twenty in New Zealand, and they were poised for great things, playing both Glastonbury and Bestival, as well as supporting La Roux in 2010.
'Jackson's Last Stand' is taken from their debut album The Golden Year, which came two months after Haddon's death. Remixes by Neon Lights, Rack & Ruin and Dynamikk pumped up the bass; however, the single version remains definitive, with its eerily foreshadowing refrain 'this is my last stand'.
Ten years on and their twelve track album is also worth a listen. It is filled with hook laden synth pop in a way that anticipates the sound of both The Limousines and VHS Collection, while also referencing the 80s sound of Bobby O, Italo and the Pet Shop Boys.
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