Beat Boys In The Jet Age

Embedded above is a short BBC documentary on the '79 UK Mod Revival — featuring live clips of The Chords, The Purple Hearts, and The Jam —which aired mere weeks before Quadrophenia hit the silver screen. * While the "revival" scene has been much maligned over the years, many classic tracks came out of the era; tracks that still influence bands to this day. (There were more boss "revival" acts that came a few years later as well, most notably Makin' Time, The Direct Hits, The Times, The Aces, and A.I.T.A. favorites, The Prisoners.)

A.I.T.A.'s Mod Revival Top-20

1. The Jam - "When You're Young" **

2. The Jam - "Going Underground **

3. Squire - "The Face Of The Youth Today"

4. The Purple Hearts - "Millions Like Us"

5. Lambrettas - "Beat Boys In The Jet Age"

6. The Chords - "Breaks My Heart"

7. Secret Affair -  "Time For Action"

8. Long Tall Shorty - "Win Or Lose"

9. Small World - "First Impressions"

10. The Purple Hearts - "My Life's A Jigsaw"

11. The Amber Squad - "Can We Go Dancing?"

12. Back To Zero - "Your Side Of Heaven"

13. Teenbeats - "Strength Of A Nation"

14. Squire - "Walking Down The King's Road"

15. Small World - "Love Is Dead"

16.  Lambrettas - "Da-a-a-ance"

17. The Circles - "Opening Up"

18. The Scene - "Looking For Love"

19. Secret Affair - "Let Your Heart Dance"

20. The Directions - "It May Be Too Late"

Essential first wave revival LPs: The Purple Hearts - Beat That!, Squire - Hits from 3,000 Years Ago, The Lambrettas - Beat Boys In The Jet Age, The Chords - Maybe Tomorrow, and the Mods Mayday '79 and Odds Bods Mods & Sods compilations.

Dig: The Mod Revival by Chris Hunt (via NME, 2005)

* Video pulled/removed from YouTube.

** It's impossible to pick a single track from The Jam,

but the lyrics to these two seem to fit the times well.