Do you know what scuba stands for?

Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Qantas? Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service. Solar? In this context, Sound Of Los Angeles Records. Solar was a disco label who had a string of hits in the early 80s. Their biggest stars were Shalamar and The Whispers, whose original 45s I still have with their distinctive purple labels. This Solar smash contains a line I’ve always thought quite profound – “To win, somebody’s got to lose”. Imagine if Elvis Costello had written it? Oh, it would be feted as poetry, genius, a searing vilification of Thatcher’s attitude to the miners. But because it’s sung by a bloke with frizzy hair and 70s tailoring, it’s disregarded. Well, not any more.