The fantasy image is Lol Mason, looking back at himself when he was the leader of The Maisonettes. They had a hit with "Heartache Avenue." The heartache is that on July 30th, a few weeks after a kidney transplant operation, he died of a heart attack. He was 69.
Some fondly remember Lol's first band, City Boy. He was the lyricist for most of their most eccentric and humorous songs, but their lone hit "5-7-0-5" didn't feature him as lead singer. That honor went to a newcomer to the band, drummer Roy Ward. So, technically Mason's greatest success was as the leader of his own Maisonettes.
His wife Kathryn recalled, “He was known as The Headmaster in The Maisonettes. He was a total professional, it was extraordinary the way he managed it. It was a serious job and he said he was a ‘benign dictatorship."
He wrote all the lyrics. The music was from guitarist Mark Tibenham. The band's drummer was Nick Parry.
Kathryn Mason recalls that the classy-looking band members weren't above a bit of low game-playing: "The Maisonettes were in the South of France on a promotional tour and were with one of the reps from the record company. Lol could tell this guy hadn’t done his homework, and didn’t know anything about them.
"Lol just looked at Nick and ordered the most expensive things on the menu, the most expensive champagne...The guy’s whole budget was blown in one sitting."
Lol Mason was perhaps an unlikely lead singer-star, as was another British gent who favored jazz-tinged rock, Gerry Rafferty. In person, Lol was what you might expect from a satiric and sometimes dark songwriter: a little distant at first, a bit shy perhaps, but a lot of fun. When he was in City Boy, he was the one who usually offered up the often biting introductions to the songs.
The combination of Realist humor and satire appear in the video for "Heartache Avenue," where the supposedly lonely Lol happens to have a pair of butt-shaking babes close by. Doing a "Cool for Cats" bunch of hip-thrusts, and cooing a few lines as well, the girls were Carla Mendoca and Elisa Richards. Oh, hello, ladies:
The Maisonettes did have a follow-up single, "Where I Stand," not the catchiest tune. Despite some campy visuals for the video, it didn't show off Lol as the rock world's most charismatic leading man.
The song managed to sneak into the Top 30 in the UK, but Laurence Edward Mason's group disbanded with just one album to their credit. He went on to write radio scripts and write songs for others. A few turned up on Sam Fox albums. He didn't seem to mind being out of the spotlight, which had involved with the stresses of promotion, performing, and prying royalties from unwilling corporations.
Was he ever tempted to make a comeback? How about "The New Maisonettes?" There actually was a video shot for "Perfect Girlfriend," but no single or album was released. How amusing, the perfect girlfriend who can't stand up for falling down:
Lol Mason's lyrics were always sharp, and often darkly droll. Another lost song is "My Inspiration (Good Enough for Me)" hoisted to YouTube by Mark Tibenham, the music-maker of The Maisonettes.
She takes a tenner from the table full of cash.
God only knows what I was thinking….
But where’s the harm done, there’s no blood upon the floor
I will survive and so will she…
My reputation is preceding me these days....
A wicked tongue with an eccentric turn of phrase...
So this old man came rolling home again tonight
You should’ve seem him slalom down the street
And when they dig up his old bones what will they find?
Hollow legs and two left feet.
How about the old-time strippers on that video? (NOW you decide to watch...)
Let's have another lost Lol classic. Check out his lyrics on "Love and Be Damned."
“Such sweet pain dancing on razor blades
Grown up games for children to play
So it’s hand to hand and the blows still land
I’ll give up the fight, thank God that I’m with you tonight….
Nothing’s perfect and nobody’s looking for paradise
It’s a bitch of a world and it’s hard making plans
But there’s something about you that I’ll always recognize
So love and be damned…."
Fans of City Boy who created tribute forums or websites, longed for some remarks from Mason. His wife admitted to reporters that Lol "gained the most enjoyment from his time with The Maisonettes." Steve Broughton likewise ignored the good-natured fans hoping for some interview quotes or answers to trivia questions. Reached for comment after Lol's death, Steve said: "Lol was the brother I never had. When I reluctantly left City Boy, I only played one more show ever. That was all it took for me to realise that it was no fun, that it was cold and pointless without my brilliant best friend and co-conspirator by my side." Although Steve chose to live in New York, he did sometimes get back to the U.K., and reconnect with Lol in Birmingham.
One more Mason-Tibenham gem: "Midnight Man."
As for THE HIT, yes, “Heartache Avenue” remains one of the better songs of the 80’s. The music and performance reflect a cynical half-hearted glam (Lol Mason dresed up in a white suit and white fedora). The beat might have helped some zombie shuffle around on the dance floor, wondering if any woman was going to come close. "Heartache Avenue" did get play in discos, didn't it?
Mason and Tiberman experimented further with music that was beyond rock, disco or jazz. How about "Still Waters Run Deep," a smooth soul song performed by Ruby Turner? It may have been the B-side to one of her singles, but that's b-side the point. It's an A-1 number. From a 1988 TV performance:
"Heartache Avenue" remains one of the best you'll find as you search for "Heartbreak Hotel" and wander on the streets of sorrow that earlier singers stumbled and trudged through: "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "Lonely Street," "Heartache Street" (by the Four Coins in 1958), and yes, there was even a previous "Heartache Avenue." Connie Hall sang about it, and Mercury thought it had a chance: “Tonight he’ll promise things…he’s gonna tell me how that he’s been cheated to. Ain’t nothin’ ever gonna be all right, so I’ll just make believe tonight. Tomorrow I’ll be back on Heartache Avenue!”
I was thinking about Lol Mason when I walked outside the other day. Thinking about his passing made every street a Heartache Avenue.
I would like to talk to you to discuss this article but there is no contact information on your blog.
ReplyDeleteThere are several inaccuracies here.
ReplyDeleteAny inaccuracies, just add the information and I'll make the adjustments. If there was some editorial remark that made you uncomfortable, I can edit it out, too. The blog is about the artist, not about me.
ReplyDeleteA couple of small corrections. Lol’s correct date of passing was July 30th, not the 31st.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the spoken introduction to City Boy’s “Moving In Circles” from the Boston show, about the rough flight and the pilot, was by Steve Broughton, not Lol. It was also Steve who made reference to (his own) red socks, as he used to wear red socks exclusively at that time.
Thanks for the info on the Boston show -- it seemed Lol liked to do most of the talking introductions, but my memory could be off! This is going back a LOT of years. Lol tended to be the more sardonic one, but I guess a bad flight could've easily put Steve in a feisty mood, too.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Lol used to do a lot of the intros, but I used to do quite a few as well. "Moving In Circles" was one of them, as I had written that song alone. Besides that, I recognize my voice, and Lol would rather be caught wearing a pink tutu than red socks like mine! :) RIP my friend, Laurence Edward Mason.
DeleteI was a member of one of the City Boy forums,Max Thomas was a regular visitor and yes we would have loved Lol or Steve to say Hi, there was some interaction from a guy who said he was Steve's son.
ReplyDeleteThink his name was Greg.
City Boy (imo) was very underrated & should've had a lot more airplay. Still have all the albums :) and I was looking forward to more from Lol's new band but it never really happened which was sad because he was a genius with his lyrics and the music was fantastic.
We (members of the forum) had our own City Boy reunion in Edgbaston, Max was there and I got to 'hug a City Boy':)
We got into England for reunion 5.7.05, came in from Germany through the tunnel to find all entrances into London were closed! Eventually got to Birmingham, the following day we did a tour of the clubs CB had played years earlier (or were the clubs had been as some no longer existed).
My daughter was a big Britney & BSB's fan so finding out Steve's connection with them was as good as finding out Mutt Langs connection with Shania as I was a big country fan, my daughter kept asking to listen to my CB albums but we were in the age of cd's...I remember one time she yelled through to the kitchen, "mom, these stupid cd's don't fit in the CD player" (mortified!!! My precious vinyl).
Anyways, thanks for this article and the attached videos, thoroughly enjoyable. :)
Thanks, Jackie. Yes, there's a CB group on Facebook who are pretty active, despite the lack of new product in such a long time. Lol Mason was pretty amazing, changing "Turn On to Jesus" into "5-7-0-5," (and thereby turning what would've been a mere album cut into a Top 40 hit). Steve seems a bit modest about his co-writes (like "She-Bop" with Lauper). I wonder how those co-writes worked...if he was actually ad-libbing with Cindy or was called in to "punch-up" the music or lyrics. (And, very strange, the apparent rift between Steve and Chris and Lol...ending with Lol somehow kicking them out of the group. I thought Steve and Lol were pretty much equal partners in CB. Just who owns the rights to the name, and could actually re-unite any of the members and be called City Boy, I have no idea).
ReplyDeleteThe girls who did 'Top of the Pops' and appeared on the record covers weren't Carla and Elisa but hired models. Denise Ward was the very pretty/sexy blonde.
ReplyDelete