80sObscurities presents: Pleasure Zone - 'All The Kings Horses

This 80sObscurities was founded by DJ Rexx Arkana to showcase old, often unknown or forgotten acts and tracks from the decade when electronic music was truly the new wave. Rexx Arkana has been a club/radio DJ and promoter since the mid-80s and headlined festivals on several continents and currently holds a residency at DEFCON, NYC's current longest-running weekly scene party. He is also the founder and lyricist of Brudershaft and one half of harsh electro act FGFC820. It's time for another end-of-the-week 80sObscurities selection and today I've decided to go with this rare 7"/12", the only recording to emerge from Pleasure Zone, aka singer/songwriter Robert Zaffron. Issued by French label Carrere in 1984, nothing is known about this band beyond the credits on the vinyl recording itself. Nothing else ever surfaced from this project and even the internet is devoid of any record of this band's existence save for illegally traded copies of this impressive new wave synth track. The song title, however, is an obvious reference to the English language nursery rhyme, "Humpty Dumpty" (or, "Boule Boule", "Lille Trille", "Runtzelken-Puntzelken" or "Humpelken-Pumpelken" if you prefer).

Much like Pleasure Zone itself, there is no definitive record of where or when this popular rhyme originated, or to what or whom its central character might have first referred. It is known that the term was eighteenth-century slang for a short and clumsy person and that the earliest known version was published (with different lyrics) in Samuel Arnold's "Juvenile Amusements in 1797. Some say "Humpty" was actually King Richard III, others claim it refers to various weapons of war. Alas, with both parties - Pleasure Zone and Humpty - now long gone, I'll guess we'll never know the truth. Monday is a federal holiday here in the United States, when we'll be celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so expect something on topic when we return. Happy weekend, everyone!

If you've got a favorite musical memory from the 80s that you'd like to share, email Rexx your requests at rexxarkana@gmail.com . Rexx Arkana's 80sObscurities previous playlists are also available on Facebook and YouTube.

Posted by B. Van Isacker