"C·30 C·60 C·90 Go" is the debut single by English new wave band Bow Wow Wow.[1][2][3] It was written by Malcolm McLaren, Matthew Ashman, Leigh Gorman and Dave Barbarossa.[4] Originally only released on cassette, it was the world's first-ever cassette single.[5]
| "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bow Wow Wow | ||||
| B-side | "Sun Sea and Piracy" | |||
| Released | July 1980 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | EMI Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dave Barbarossa, Leigh Gorman, Matthew Ashman, Malcolm McLaren | |||
| Producer(s) | Malcolm McLaren | |||
| Bow Wow Wow singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editAfter recording Dirk Wears White Sox as members of Adam and the Ants, Ashman, Gorman and Barbarossa were convinced by former Sex Pistols manager McLaren to leave Adam Ant to form Bow Wow Wow under his management.[6] Liverpool session musician, music director, and talent scout Dave Fishel heard Annabella Lwin singing along to the radio at the dry cleaners in West Hampstead where she worked and convinced McLaren to audition her for the band. They signed with EMI Records in July 1980 and released "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go" shortly afterward.[7]
Release
editThe single was originally released solely on cassette. EMI refused to promote the cassingle due to lyrics ("Off the radio I get constant flow/Hit it, pause it, record and play/Turn it, rewind and rub it away") that promoted home taping[7] during an era when music piracy was a hot-button issue.[8] The B-side, "Sun, Sea and Piracy", was also on side 1 of the tape, making the second side blank, presumably so the listener could follow Lwin's lead.[9]
After several weeks, it was also issued as a vinyl 7" single, reaching No. 34 on the UK Singles Chart and staying on the chart for seven weeks.[10][11] The song was ranked among the top 10 "Tracks of the Year" for 1980 by NME, as was their cassette-only debut mini-album Your Cassette Pet.[12] Your Cassette Pet contained only eight tracks, and was not available on vinyl,[13] making it only eligible for the singles chart, and not the UK Albums Chart.
B-side
edit"Sun, Sea and Piracy" was also written by McLaren, Ashman, Gorman and Barbarossa. It too promoted home taping, then lying on a beach and enjoying the fruits of this labour.[citation needed] "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go" itself became a B-side when the Spanish version, "C·30 C·60 C·90 Anda", was used as the B-side to their follow-up single, "W.O.R.K (N.O. Nah No! No! My Daddy Don't)".[14]
In popular culture
editThe song was featured in Ari Gold's 2008 film Adventures of Power.[15]
References
edit- ^ The Rough Guide to Rock, edited by Peter Buckley
- ^ Rip it Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984, by Simon Reynolds
- ^ "Bow Wow Wow - C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!". AllMusic.
- ^ "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ Johnson, Bobbie (19 October 2006). "CDs, downloads ... and now band launches the memory-stick single". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Trunk, Russell A. "'80s - Bow Wow Wow (2006)". Anne Carlini.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Bow Wow Wow". AllMusic.
- ^ Fried, Joseph P. (1 March 1981). "Sam Goody Company Accused As 'Pirate'". The New York Times.
- ^ Jones, Rob (15 April 2013). "Bow Wow Wow Play "C30 C60 C90 Go"". The Delete Bin.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 133. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go The Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ "Bow Wow Wow – Your Cassette Pet". Discogs.
- ^ "Bow Wow Wow – W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah No! No! My Daddy Don't)". Discogs.
- ^ "Adventures of Power Soundtracks". IMDb. 2008.