Final day of my series of instrumentals I actually listen to: "Space Invader" has always worked as the perfect musical interlude on Side 1 of the debut album by the Pretenders. That it's the band's only original that Chrissie Hynde didn't write and is still so good gives you an idea of how talented soon-to-be late colleagues James Honeyman Scott and Peter Farndon truly were. But what might have become dated -- a few seconds of the sound effects from the 1979 video game "Space Invaders" are heard at the very end of the track -- now stands as the only reminder that this utterly timeless classic is from 1979-80.
Interesting factoids: "Space Invader" appeared in the film "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" (1980) and the television series "Miami Vice" (1984-89) and "The Sopranos" (1999-2007).
Game developer Dona Bailey cited the song as her introduction to video games, saying the song inspired her to play the original arcade game "Space Invaders" and then join Atari, where she developed the 1980 arcade game "Centipede."
Loving all the trivia tidbits with this series.
ReplyDeleteSo great how the song/space invader effect speeds up at the end, builds tension, and then explodes with the “hunh!!!!” of “the wait”, the Pretenders punkest song.
I have permanent ringing in the ear because I “played this album [too] loud” and I feel fine. Adeferrer
I recall a reverse cover single notation stating, 'Play this album Loud!' You were following proper record care*
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