Make It New: Orange Juice – “Rip It Up” (1982)

It has been a while since Make It New covered a band that I had absolutely no idea about. Even if 90% of the music I’ve listened to for this column is new, I have some cultural familiarity with these artists. Not since The Soft Boys have I been so at a loss, unable to even tell you where they’re from or if they would fall more in line with X-Ray Spex, The English Beat, or The Buggles. Orange Juice is a band that seemingly has very little information available on the internet. Outside of their albums, there isn’t much to go from. This is disappointing because after listening to the 10 songs on “Rip It Up,” I’m a convert.

Part of the goal of exploring the greater world of new wave is to find music like this. There is something intrinsically weird about every band. Most of the groups covered reached their peak around 1980, bridging the gap between punk and stadium rock and the synth-pop movement that would dominate the end of the decade. It was a time when the art students dominated with bands serving as a crazy thesis, experimenting with what music could be. There was something hopeful and optimistic, criticizing the conventions of pop while owing their heart and soul to it. That’s why bands like Bow Wow Wow are so subversive, managing to sound like a 60s girl group with Burundi drums and an extra dose of hormones.

Orange Juice is a group that immediately caught me off guard for this reason. Over the course of the first three songs alone, they cover so much territory. The guitar line in “A Million Pleading Faces” feels reminiscent of Muddy Waters while “Mud in Your Eye” ends up being a reggae song mixed with a sitar. The instrumentation alone is fascinating, with the opener “Rip It Up” marking the first radio hit to feature the Roland TB-303 synthesizer, incorporating jangle rock as well as traces of Chic. At times Orange Juice strikes me as a post-punk version of The English Beat, including dual vocals between Edwyn Collins and the more reggae-inspired Malcolm Ross.

Before unpacking the album further, let’s back up and provide some context for what is known. Orange Juice was formed in Bearsden, Scotland in 1976 by Collins and school-mate Alan Duncan. There were many line-up changes before landing on the group that would begin releasing singles in 1980 on independent label Postcard Records (founded by Collins), including “Rip It Up.” Ross was also on the label for the band Josef K. (named for the Franz Kafka protagonist in “The Trial”) who released an album in 1981. Orange Juice would eventually sign to Polydor Records where they released “You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever” and “Rip It Up” in 1982 eight months apart. They would have two more releases, both in 1984, but again would be plagued by creative conflicts and several line-up changes that eventually lead to disbanding.

On the one hand, I can see why they haven’t had the longevity of various Make It New subjects. While they are inherently fascinating in how they orchestrate a song, they fall more into the camp of The Soft Boys who push the genre into something more artful and immersive, requiring the listener to be drawn into the sound. They strike me as a band for music nerds, desiring to fantasize about what would happen if you mixed reggae with synth-rock and doo-wop groups. While Orange Juice makes it all work, it’s also a bizarre sound that isn’t necessarily accessible. There’s an effort necessary to fully appreciate what they’re doing. Nobody wanting to exist within the conventions of Top 40 radio would use a sliding guitar riff so effectively in “A Million Pleading Faces” while tribal chants overwhelm the verses.

This is a form of unclassifiable music that only new wave can truly create. While I’m still struggling to figure out what a concrete definition of the genre is, I am confident that this would be a good example of it. Whereas most bands covered are dissected from a thematic standpoint, covering ideas expressed in their lyrics, Orange Juice feels like a band that’s more interesting sonically, creating soundscapes that are downright surreal at times and leave you guessing what’s next. 

The opening song suggests a motto that feels reflective of Orange Juice’s greater style: “Rip it up and start again.” While this is in the context of a man contemplating his love life, it feels like an approach to the music songbook, reflecting a growth that is distinctly their own. Edwyn Collins’ vocals are deep, a nice contrast to the bright guitars that capture a lo-fi dance sound. Given that by “Mud In Your Eye” their sound has proven to be so expansive to include sitars, tribal vocals, and horns, it’s quite an exciting little record.

By “Breakfast Time,” Ross takes his turn at vocals and it becomes a relaxing five minute reggae song. As he sings “Oh how I wish I was young again,” there’s that meditative quality, thinking of a romance that could’ve been. It’s bittersweet, contrasting something meant to reflect growth with nostalgia for years passed. There are a handful of songs throughout that slow the album down, finding the band at their more conventional genre-wise. What they lack in the political activism of The English Beat they more make up for in the jam band quality of allowing a beat to play out for minutes on end, just existing at the moment. 

There are a handful of entertaining songs that close out the album, including “Flesh of My Flesh” which features a fun mix of everyday anecdotes such as penny for your thoughts and a stitch in time saves nine. In keeping with the heartache that runs throughout the album, there’s even a sweet little passage about letting go

The difference between you and me

Is that the world owes you a living

And you always tow the party line

In your loving and your giving

I think one of the disadvantages of Orange Juice is that they’re one of the least interesting artists lyrically. While they fit the bill of having a subversive view on romance, I don’t personally think that they’re doing anything necessarily memorable. A big thing with most new wave bands is having an approach that is really striking, where even if you don’t like the song you’re likely to leave with a certain appreciation for their effort. I’m thinking of Adam and the Ants, where singing about ant music can be seen as at least appealing to a certain type of person. Lyrically, who is Orange Juice appealing to? Maybe the lonely hearts. Even then, The Soft Boys have a more appealing approach just by making it creative, perverse, and strange.

The last really fun song on the album is “Hokoyo,” which deviates from the rest of the album by being sung in Japanese. Again, as a group that enjoys experimenting and challenging their sound, this is a great addition. It’s a curious novelty reflective of their genre shifts and a wide array of interests. I’m not entirely what it all means, but given that “Rip It Up” as an album has felt more like a collage, it fits nicely. 

While I am critical of the record, I want to share the fact that I’m still a fan. Whereas most bands could settle for one or two hits and press repeat, I never get the sense that they took it easy. They continually challenged themselves to add different instruments, creating soundscapes that were weird and unique. They aren’t easy to classify, and I like that. What they lack in lyrical wit they more than make up for in sheer entertainment value. Sure they fit the tropes of a new wave band, but that doesn’t mean they’re just another clone. They may have released only a few albums and ended before 1985, but once again I am curious to dig deeper into this catalog and see if it only continues to get more interesting.

For the most part, the careers after Orange Juice are a mix of good and bad. Edwyn Collins would have a solo hit in 1995 with “A Girl Like You.” While he had a successful career, he was hospitalized in February 2005 after two cerebral hemorrhages that resulted in aphasia. A subsequent documentary on his recovery was released called The Possibilities Are Endless (2014). Similarly, Orange Juice was featured in a Postcard Records documentary called Big Gold Dream (2015). While they would never have the resurgence like some of the other artists on here, they join the ranks of obscure artists that are worth checking out, if just to see the potential of what this genre can do.

If there’s any conflict with Orange Juice, it’s that their style wasn’t distinct enough to box into a convenient description. They were constantly challenging signifiers, and I appreciate that. They almost exist outside of reason, instead having someone push the record across the table and say “Just listen.” For those who are able to appreciate their sound, they’re a great experience. I was never bored listening to the record, even if it falls on the less accessible side of new wave. Still, I’m glad to be aware that they exist and glad that somebody is continuing to inspire others to check them out. They may not be the best band on this list, but they’re one of the more compelling misnomers. 

Up Next: The Waitresses - "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" (1982)