Gleaming Spires - Fun Type

This is a track from Gleaming Spires, who had a pair of songs featured prominently in a classic (in my silly opinion, at least) 80's comedy "Revenge of the Nerds." Anyone who has seen the film will probably remember the tracks "Are You Ready For The Sex Girls" and "All Night Party."

But "Fun Type" features a much different sound than those songs...driving, frenetic and guitar-heavy. I first heard it when it was included as a track on a flexi-disc in an issue of Trouser Press magazine. Bonus points to anyone who remembers either of those (and yes, I still have a small collection of those flimsy little discs). It was a great track and a departure from other songs they produced, which tended to be very synthesizer-heavy, and I enjoyed stumbling across it online.

I also came across a great story about Gleaming Spires on the website Dangerous Minds, so here's an excerpt for your enjoyment:

How to Get Girls through Hypnotism: The Story of Gleaming Spires

The term “New Wave” is one that was perverted from the starting gate. But in the haze of 80’s nostalgia, so many glom onto the most superficial awfulness of that messy decade. It’s all dayglo legwarmers and tinny Casio badness, but there was an incredible amount of bands with actual depth who could not be so easily pigeonholed into the commercially-safer-than-calling-it-post-punk category of “New Wave.” Perhaps no band quite fit this bill like a custom tux better than Gleaming Spires.

Founded by Les Bohem and David Kendrick, both of whom played together during the early 80’s incarnation of Sparks, which included some of the band’s best albums, especially Whomp That Sucker and Angst in My Pants. Face it, if the eternally cool Mael Brothers approve, then you know it is gonna be good!

Gleaming Spires, while best known for their song Are You Ready For the Sex Girls? which was featured on the 80’s T&A teen film, Revenge of the Nerds, made some very singular and unique music. Even Sex Girls, which on the surface may seem like your standard id-driven, dude-anthem about ultra-willing lasses, but scratch that surface and what you will find is a strange pop tune complete with animal noises and lyrics like, “are you ready for the lonely girls? The sad, sad sad lonely girls. They got time on their hands. They got skin like seals.” All neatly ensconced in what otherwise is a song that knowingly is swimming in a sea snarking on over-sexualised beer commercial type lyrics.

Even better is the music video for Sex Girls. Lacking what Mo Fuzz, Don Cornelius’ terrific character from Tapeheads, would call “production value,” the video centers on Bohem and Kendrick, wearing slacks and nice dress shirts underneath aprons. The two then proceed to make a lemon meringue pie from scratch, with the video ending on a shot of two pie slices and black coffee. That’s it! It is almost Artaud-like in its sheer willingness to not give the audience something that would actually fit the title of Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?. Flesh, giggles and curves, for your prurient viewing pleasure? Nope, you’re getting two dudes baking, complete with Bohem miming the lyrics with nary a lurid jeer, sleazy smile or ANY type of smile at all! It’s perfect.

The story continues here...