She's a vampire in the night (Hello Sailor) #125

Hello Sailor Blue Lady/ Lucy's Leaving Home (Key, K 83, 1977)

I've always thought that Hello Sailor was a perfect name for this decadent bunch of wannabes from Auckland. 

Wannabes is a bit tough. They were good (sometimes great) in Nu Zild but nowheresville in America and Aussie.

Taking a dose of the Stones and a pinch of Velvet Underground as their two cornerstones, Graham Brazier and the boys, instead, became an omnipresent part of Auckland's rock scene in the late seventies.

Blue Lady was easily their biggest hit during that time. Written and sung by GB (my students tell this also stands for 'good bitch' which I'm sure Graham would embrace).

It's one of those songs that immediately takes me back to 1977 - first year at varsity - going to the Windsor Castle with Greg Knowles and his brother and having a ball.

Hidden gem: The B side, also written by GB, is rare - it didn't appear on the parent album (called Hello Sailor). It's got a great Stones vibe (Stones of Black and Blue era), some tasty harmonica from Brazier, driving Ricky Ball drums and a fab bassline from Lisle Kinney. A winner!