Ever So Lonely

Day 4 of music from the post-punk era ('78-'84)...
16 year old Sheila Chandra and her band Monsoon made a big splash on the UK charts in 1982 with their debut single Ever So Lonely. It was a dazzling combination of Western dance, rock, synthpop and a teensy weensy bit of post-punk with all things Indian. What was cool about it was the way they balanced the two worlds - the trancelike melodies and vocals of Indian classical music woven over traditional Western rock, pop and dance structures. This wasn't some cheesy attempt to make pop with Indian flavor, but rather an attempt to make Indian music for the 20th century. Intrumentalists Steve Coe and Martin Smith created a lovely blend of East and West, and Sheila's vocals straddled the two worlds too. The single was a big hit, making the top 10 in the UK. They followed it up with Shakti (The Meaning Of Within), but it only dented the top 40. The record label then forced the trio to release their cover version of the Beatles song Tomorrow Never Knows (recorded for the US version of the LP) as the next single. It flopped, and the band broke up in protest that same year. The label then released the already recorded LP Third Eye in 1983. Although musically it isn't really typically post-punk (there are a few post-punky bass riffs on the album), Ever So Lonely and the rest of the LP definitely share the spirit of the movement's willingness to try new things. This version is the LP version, so it is a lot longer than the single, featuring a nice extended instrumental passage in the middle. Still sounds pretty damn good today, too...