Album: Oblivion.
Year: 1987.
While Alan McGee is probably best known for founding ur-indie label Creation Records in the mid-80s (and subsequently releasing key early singles and albums by such worthies as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub, My Bloody Valentine and Oasis), he was also a singer and songwriter, to boot.
Naturally, his band, Biff Bang Pow!, was on Creation, and naturally, they sounded very much like a Creation band, just not one of the greatest ones. Which is why “She’s Got Diamonds in Her Hair” jumped out at me the first time I heard it in 1987. It doesn’t really sound much like the other Biff Bang Pow! (which admittedly is only about half of their catalog, even now) I’ve ever heard.
Anchored by a “jazzy” walking bassline (which could never be mistaken for Jazz) and a melancholy lead guitar, “She’s Got Diamonds in Her Hair” is bittersweet — and somewhat mysterious — in both words and music.
You’d think that a song with that title would feel more celebratory, but it really doesn’t. If anything, it feels resigned. In any event, I’ve never quite gotten to the bottom of it, which is probably one of the reasons it’s remained one of my favorites.
Fan-made video for “She’s Got Diamonds in Her Hair”
My Certain Songs Spotify Playlist: