Top Of The Box

The Associates - Club Country, Top Of The Pops, 1982

The Associates were Billy Mackenzie & Alan Rankine. It was Billy Mackenzie’s gorgeous golden tonsils that helped The Associates stand out from much of the dross that filled the charts in 1982. This was their twelve single, but only thier second Top 40 hit, Part Fears Two.

Their first single was released in 1979, a cover version of David Bowie’s Boys Keep Swinging, which cause alot of attention. None less so than from David Bowie himself, as the single was released before Bowie’s own version.

It has been suggested The Smiths’ William, It was Really Nothing was written by Morrissey after an affair with Billy Mackenzie. In 1993 Mackenzie recorded a track called Stephen, You’re Really Something.

Sadly, Billy Mackenzie committd suicide in 1997, age 39, following the death of his mother.