Good Morning!
Today we’re listening to “Inside Out” by The Mighty Lemon Drops
The Mighty Lemon Drops formed in the mid-80s in Wolverhampton, UK. Originally called… (checks notes)… The Sherbet Monsters, they thought better of that, changed their name, and started making their own brand of music—a mix of psychedelia, pop, and a dash of post-punk.
That blend drew inevitable comparisons to Echo & The Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes. Appearing on C86 didn't hurt, either. To my ear, they are much more similar to bands like The Wonder Stuff- and it doesn't hurt that the original drummer Martin Gilks left to join that latter band.
Lineup and name set, the group ultimately released five studio albums in 7 years before splitting up in 1992. Sophomore record, 1988's World Without End peaked at #34 in the UK and topped the Modern Rock/College charts in the US. "Inside Out" only reached #74 on the UK Singles chart. The lines between popular music and the indie scene were still relatively well-defined in this era.
Commercial success might've eluded them, but there was no shortage of critical praise, with the LA Times referring to the song as a “perfect smart-pop single."
Not bad for a song about being on the wrong side of a breakup.
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Their trajectory from there is a pretty common story for an alternative guitar pop band of limited exposure and modest success. By the mid-eighties and into the latter half of the decade, being a jangly guitar band was a tough row to hoe in terms of million-selling appeal unless you were U2 or R.E.M. But by 1988 and the World Without End album, the band had gelled fully and had established their sound. Led by songwriters David Newton, also playing guitar, and Tony Linehan on bass, they had the songs. “Inside Out” is one of their best.
Click here to read the rest of the retrospective.
Listen:
“Inside Out” by The Mighty Lemon Drops | World Without End, 1988
Click the record to listen on the platform of your choice.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this track!
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
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I like the sherbet monsters.
I have no fond recollection of this band. Saw them once and that was enough. Like Cardiac Arrest or The New Fads...rarely hyped and deservedly so. Bring me The Wonder Stuff and all their pop bluster!