In this video weβre checking out The Numbers. We were asked specifically to check out these two songs together. We donβt do that often, and we donβt plan on making a habit of it, but this time is okay. We know nothing about this band, but our Countdown sisters really wanted to hear them. So, here we go. Enjoy!
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3:03 VIP Disco… I worked there (the chemist on left side).. Weirdest job I had in my life, because by this stage Kings Cross was having a slow death due to lockout laws. Most of this clip is of Kings Cross, circa 1980.
Ooh Iβm kind of surprised to see a reaction to this band. The singer and guitarist are sister and brother, Annalisse and Chris Morrow. Very good Aussie power pop, although these songs are from their first album and I think their second album was quite a bit better, more energetic and Annalisse got more confident with her vocals (songs like βBig Beatβ and βJerichoβ are good examples). In the 90s, the two of them then formed a different band called Maybe Dolls and put out a really fun and catchy single called βNervous Kid.β
Singer looks like David Sylvian from Japan.
π΅The Numbers!?! Are you kidding me? I used to see these guys play around the Northshore in the early 80's. All my friends looked like The Numbers, which made seeing them on Countdown kind of weird. I'm also glad you did both.
Check out ''Big Beat'' and their re-emergence as The Maybe Dolls and their song ''Nervous Kid''. Annalisse Morrowwas a bit of a nervous kid.
She has a charming vulnerability in the second song. I'd have time for her π.
They made for a striking image when they first did Countdown with ''Modern Song''. Chris and Annalisse had these perfectly matching blonde bobcuts that covered their eyes, making them look like Matryoshka dolls from Russia. They had good powerpop singles like ''Jericho'' and ''Big Beat'', and later would have the brilliant ''Nervous Kid'' as Maybe Dolls.
They were signed to Sydney label Deluxe.. Home of INXS and The Dugites.
Maybe Dolls – Nervous Kid – 1991 – Official Video Austech <—– Should be checked out next. Note that it is The Numbers with a more matured name.
They were label mates with INXS! I have good memories of ''The Modern Song'' because I was seeing them play the tune around Sydney before they released it. Second song ''Five Letter Word'' always reminded me of the opening theme songs you hear on those fly-by-night Aussie teen drama TV shows from the 80's. Could have been the theme song to Henderson Kids. Always a band I wanted to see do very well, but they seemed only capable of keeping up with musical trends of the day. Their best song is ''Nervous Kid'' (when they were Maybe Dolls). By the way, I think doing two in one reaction is a good habit. It's not worth waiting months or years to hear the second song; especially when one of them is under three minutes. π€·ββ That's my take…
These were pretty good, not too bad at all.
Molly Ringwald vibes.
I liked them because they sounded really Aussie to me. I know that doesn't translate well when read, but I felt more familiar with their approach than something like Mi-Sex or Moving Pictures, who sounded like they could be from anywhere. They sounded like they were from a Sydney beach suburb, so as a Queenslander from a beach community, I could relate to it. The problem with a band like them is that they changed their members and began making songs that seemed designed to impress Countdown. ''Big Beat'' is a good pop song, but should it have been a Numbers song? Entertaining reaction!
Not a band to take too seriously, but not one to put down either. I got to see them a few times in the early 80's and they were competent. They had good moments on their albums; 1982's ''39:51'' being the better of the two. I was more interested in bands like Models, The Birthday Party and The Ears (ridiculously overlooked band) to care too much for the good, but safe Sydney bands like The Numbers and INXS. Still, this does put me back to 1980 in the same way an old TV commercial jingle would… Modern Song has always been my favourite.
I agree entirely with Chris, simple music for simple minded souls, I wonder if the got the idea of matching hair cuts form, Scotlands bay city rollers, mass produced " pop music" , CHRONIC! π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ Happy healthy peace βοΈ
I'm thinking back on The Numbers and trying not to let hindsite distort the view I had of them. Not easy because I haven't heard either song in a very long time and the rose-tinted memories started coming back. They were a regular Countdown band that was half-loved by Countdown kids. I had their poster on my wall, their first s/t album which had greats like ''Mr President'' and the should-have-been-a-single ''Hello''. They were striking and good looking and from Sydney, and they leaned in on the powerpop style with a good dose of The Jam and The Police. I saw them live and she (Annalisse Morrow) was INTENSE on stage and kinda scary looking. Her brother Chris was gorgeous. The band came back in the 90's as Maybe Dolls and ''Nervous Kid'' was proof that they had matured. I still like them…
I respect the Morrow siblings from Sydney, but they sort of kept things simple when I felt they had a lot more going for them. They did okay on the charts with their singles, but clearly Countdown army weren't going to sweat over them. Keeping it simple isn't always a winning formula. ''Modern Song'' and ''Nervous Kid'' is where I begin and end with the Morrows' catalogue. I hope that isn't unfair to them, because I've always respected them as people.
I got to do for these guys around '79 and they were nicest and most polite kids I had ever met. Simple and nice was their schtick I suppose..
The studio cuts are often a tame representation of the group. They had a fan base beause they were an excellent live band. I used to see them open for Flowers (Icehouse) and Midnight Oil. They were tight and hit right in between the eyes. Personally, I was never satisfied with their recording output.
Congrats to Hayley and Gillian for getting their request in! And a Numbers one and a Numbers two.. 2nd being 5 letter Word! Get It?
As been mentioned in comments, they were a great live band that held a pretty striking beautiful blonde look, which made them an unusual live experience. They're worth taking note of if anybody's interested in the New Wave rock period. Not the best that Australia had to offer in this time period, but not a terrible group either. Their live shows could really kick off. I had to check ''Nervous Kid'', since it's been mentioned, and yeah.. I remember that song. Should check it out.
Yay Hayley n Gillian β¦ positive vibes got you there in the end β Enjoy ..
ππ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ
It's nice to have something a bit different; even simple. I always find myself comparing her to Daniel Johns of Silverchair. Blonde kid with this vulnerability, or fragility in Daniel's case. If asked in 1980 who'd be the bigger band of the 80's – The Numbers or INXS – I would have chosen INXS. Annalisse Morrow had charisma and cuteness, but the band had a used by date … Even the band's name felt very much of its time.
''Once in a while!''.. Woah! Even I felt the burn!
I quite liked The Numbers, and have both their albums. Their songs were mostly quite melodic and catchy .. I remember they copped some criticism because their self-titled debut album ( which included both these songs ) was quite short in length, at just under 30 minutes .. So they named their 2nd album "39:51" to tell everyone exactly how long that one was ! ππ
An Annalisse Morrow doll was in the shops during the time these songs were hits. It looked like Barbie with a bass guitar.
Deluxe were very keen to make her a star, but the public would wisely choose Deluxe's bottom of the roster band, INXS.
Definitely like 5 Letter Word better. From around the same time, The Dugites (Dugites are snakes), the had songs like In Your Car, Gay Guys and South Pacific.
Best quality Numbers videos. None requested by me.
The Numbers – Jericho nzoz1981
The Numbers – Big Beat nzoz1982
Big Beat is better than Jericho and in my opinion, one should be piggybacked on the other. But that's my opinion. The Numbers are another example of what was going on in Australia in the early 80's. It would be cool to see a back-to-back of Models ''2 People Per Sq Km'' and the reasonably short ''Uncontrollable Boy''. Two classics from the Inner City Sound days.
They came a little closer to sounding like Concrete Blonde when they had their 90's comeback as Maybe Dolls. Their song 'Nervous Kid' is worthy of its own reaction.
Sorry to say this, but I wouldn't have watched this video if you only did one of these songs. They needed to be put together for the sake of a stronger video, in my opinion.
They were actually cool when they first burst onto the scene with ''The Modern Song'' because we didn't know what they were going on about, and the chorus, which acts as an opener and a refrain, doesn't drop the song title. It was a cute songwriting trick the band used, and made the song a bit different. They were also a bit mysterious with blonde fringes that hid their eyes. Most Aussie bands were fronted by blokes and very few had hair that was that shiny and blonde. I liked them for a while, but they never gave us a ''Counting The Beat'' or even a ''Just Keep Walking'', so after a couple of years, we moved on! I recommend ''Nervous Kid'' by Maybe Dolls (a.k.a The Numbers but older).
Great songs!!! By The Numbers, I highly recommend ''Big Beat'', ''Jericho'', ''Mr President'' and ''Hello''. Their first album was only 30 minutes long, which makes their songs pretty short.
They added 10 extra minutes on their 2nd album, hence the title ''39:51''. π
All I have to say is that I used to see them play around Sydney. They went down well with the beach crowd,, because they carried that surfer kid vibe. Annalise Morrow dropped the bass, picked it up again and then dropped it again. The band were three, then four, then five, then three again.. They had their fans that knew every word and understood them deeply. I can't say I was one of them. They were just an okay band fronted by two cute siblings, some success with the Countdown kids, some good pub gigs and then done. If you get back TO Morrow, be sure to do ''Nervous Kid''.
I'd like to second OnceWas's request for the Models tunes '2 People Per Sq KM' and 'Uncontrollable Boy', but I would really like the ''Inner City Sound'' scene to be mentioned, because Models were a part of our Inner City Sound scene in melbourne and sydney and it's something you guys overlook or ignore and it's actually pretty important some of us. Ollie Olsen, Nick Cave, Hunters & Collectors, Models, The Ears, The Birthday Party, etc. etc.. etc.. They were all part of that Inner City Sound… The Numbers not so much…
Thank you very much for doing this! I thought these two songs would be a mild break from the usual run of the mill. I had an attraction towards new local music in the late 70's and early 80's, and The Numbers came along with a fresh look and sound. I got their singles and first album when they were still fresh off the press, though I can't say they're in mint condition now-a-days.
I think it is quite obvious why I asked for two songs.
Take a look at these titles and their respective lengths before deciding if you are going to approach these songs invidually or as a two in one.
Mr President 2:35
Hello 2:08
π I'd like to see you guys check out ''Mr President'' and ''Hello'' one of these days.
Cheers,
Hayley
About 10 years later she sang in a band called the Maybe Dolls who had a hit called Nervous kid. That was a good song worth checking out.
She's a great Aussie rocker! Def. check out ''Nervous Kid'' (Maybe Dolls)
Believe it or not, but The Numbers and The Dugites were getting more backing from the Deluxe label than INXS were. The Numbers were quite stylish and good looking, and INXS were like the scruffy kids that rocked up to the pubs and pogoed to the bands. I still enjoy The Numbers, but it might be that I'm connected to the music scene that spawned them.
Models – Two People Per Sq. km stereomusicvideo
Models – Uncontrollable Boy (Audio + Video merge 2024) <—– 2 min 41
Two goodies from the Melbourne 'Inner City Sound' area of Australian music. You've already stepped into this territory with Hunters And Collectors, The Birthday Party, The Ears and Ollie Olsen (Max Q). Good pictures in email as already mentioned. Thanks!
They're both , a little polite.
Nice pop tunes. I think I first saw them on Donnie Sutherlands Sounds, he often played New wave stuff. Not sure if you have spun any Dugites, requesting "In your car" and "Gay guys" – circa 1980. Played both on Countdown for sure
Donny Sutherland and Sounds Unlimited was better than Molly Meldrem and Countdown. At least SU didn't have a Hitler Youth threatening businesses… Countdown was a church for cultist children with a stupid show logo lighten up behind all the bands. Made a joke out of the Australian music business.. Ian Meldrum was the Donald Trump of Aussie music and Countdown little kids were trumpsters and everything was a joke to them…
I was 12 when a group of girls started hitting me until I was on the floor with my nose bleeding. then they ordered me to tell my Dad that they were Countdown kids and to not ignore their demands to have a stupid Split Enz record played .. ''I See Red'' or some shit because nobody gave a shit about Split Enz in the 70's… My dad was a radio programmer.. the girls pinned a countdown badge on me as proof that they assaulted me and even gropped me hard to add insult to injury… and these girls weren't even poor street roughts.. they were middle class and well to do… Countdown sister or Countdown kid is not a badge of honour…
What's the fuss? I thought doing two songs was a way to avoid making one video for a very short song. Wouldn't two short songs equate to the average length of a song ? There's a lot of short song that are worth a listen, but shouldn't stand alone in a singular video. I don't think it was unreasonable to ask for two.
Numbers were never my thing though they were good for their time. And yeah.. Why not mentioned the ''Inner City Sound'' as a reference point, when doing bands like Models, Birthday Party, early H & C? There were styles developed and exercised by some of our more left-of-centre groups in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. You have shrugged about the Models, claiming to not ''get it'' and now we are handing you a point of reference on a silver platter. Models were a Melbourne inner city sound band and were one of the more palatable in that time. You wouldn't want to try bands like Lubricated Goat!
Because I'm worried that you're going to be completely LOST with the Models' classic 'Two People Per Square Kilometre', I will give an explanation without giving away the chorus that often stumps people. The song title refers to the population density of Australia in 1980 and that 85% of Australians live on the bordering coastlines of Australia and are close to the sea. A lot of Discos and dance parties were also situated near beaches and/or surfaces near water (jetties, port warehouses, water nightclubs), and many drunken and drugged-up dancers would complain of feeling sea sick. It's an analogy of being on the edge the country and trying to live a life like the rest of the Western world. The song ''Two People Per Sq Km'' is about the lifestyle that many Melbourne punks, hipsters, artists and gigrats had endured in the 70's and 80's. They were eating very little due to lack of money and drug use and any food they would eat was usually unhealthy and not suitable for human consumption. The ''diet'' refers to not eating for days and saving money for a good meal, seeing a good band and taking good drugs at the end of the week. I hope you guys can read this and get a better understanding as to what ''Two People Per Sq Km'' is about, when you do decide to check out the song.
Great songs !! Nervous Kid was better.
Good to see The Numbers on your channel. πΆ
Couldn't wait to see your reaction to these. This is one of the best Aussie indie bands almost totally forgotten by most.