SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PEARL HARBOUR – DON’T FOLLOW ME, I’M LOST TOO (EXPANDED EDITION)

PEARL HARBOUR
DON’T FOLLOW ME, I’M LOST TOO (EXPANDED EDITION)
LIBERATION HALL

Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too is Pearl Harbour’s debut solo album released in 1980. She debuted with Pearl Harbor and The Explosions in 1978 with their self-titled album. When the band split after their first tour Pearl Harbour (her record company requested that she change the spelling in Harbour to reflect her move to the U.K.) went solo and while in England had a number of friends help her out with her debut. Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too is an impressive debut album with many guests including Paul Simonon (her then husband), Topper Headon, and Mick Jones from the Clash, Wilko Johnson (Dr. Feelgood and Ian Dury And the Blockheads); Nigel Dixon (Whirlwind); Steve New (Rich Kids); and Steve Goulding (Graham Parker & the Rumour). It was produced by Blockheads keyboardist Mickey Gallagher. It is a who’s who of punk and new wave.

The album itself lives up to expectations. This is not punk but rather a strong rockabilly-tinged album. Nor does the album sound like a Clash or Blockheads album. It is distinctly Pearl Harbour. Harbour’s voice suits the material perfectly and from the opening track, “Alone In The Dark” to the end of the album (with the odd yet humorous “At The Dentist”), she carries the album and holds her own. Her vocals are unique, distinct, and powerful. She does not fit in with the punk/new wave female singers at the time, in fact she stands apart. Having said that, you can hear the influence she has on future singers.

As stated, this is real rock ‘n’ roll with rockabilly. Most of the songs are original, and she taps into another time and era with songs like “Do Your Homework”, which sounds like it should have been written in the 1950s, lyrically and musically. This does not mean Harbour is copying, but rather adapting to that style. The same with “Everybody’s Boring But My Baby”, which outs Spectors Phil Spector.

She chooses her covers carefully and they fit her style and persona perfectly, such as  “Rough Kids”, written by Ian Dury and Russell Hardy and recorded by Dury’s first band Kilburn And The High Roads in 1974. In Harbour’s hands the song becomes more of a sympathetic observation, rather than glorifying the lifestyle.

This new version of Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too features a number of bonus tracks, mainly non-album B-sides which are all welcome, especially “You Don’t Fool Me”, the B-side to the non-album single “Voodoo Voodoo”. Both were recorded after the album, yet fit in with the spirit of the music.

Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too is a lost classic. This re-release does an excellent job of reminding everybody what made the album and Harbour so special. This is a rocking, relentless, jiving album. Listening to it in 2024, it is hard to believe it was released in 1980. It is so different from other music at the time yet is of its time. One can’t help but think that The Clash wished they could have recorded an album like this. Welcome back, Don’t Follow Me, I’m Lost Too.

SPILL FEATURE: BACK ON THE STREETS WHERE IT FEELS SO RIGHT – A CONVERSATION WITH PEARL HARBOUR

Artist Links