Their first ever single was Out There in the Jungle (Polydor 1976), but the height of their career came with the two Robert Jan Stips produced albums 10 Mistakes and Back to 78, both released in 1978.
They came to popularity just after the height of punk, but were regarded as more post-punk, veering more towards the mainstream pop. They were much admired for their live performances, which had great humour--even slapstick. Their biggest hit in their native Netherlands is Disco Really Made it (#11 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1978), but their most well-known song internationally is Beep Beep Love (from the album Ten Mistakes), which enjoyed some success in both U.K. and U.S.
The U.K.'s Radio & Records voted them "Top Newcomer '78". In July 2006 the Japanese girl band Puffy AmiYumi recorded a new version of Tokyo, originally recorded by Gruppo Sportivo in 1978.
Gruppo Sportivo kept recording and performing on and off until December 2013, when the group announced and performed their (initially) final show in Haarlem, The Netherlands. However, they reformed in 2018 and released a new studio album the same year, titled Great. They went on another promotional tour which ended in 2019.
In the summer of 2021 they began recording new music, with - for the first time again in over 40 years - Robert Jan Stips as the producer.
Blah Blah Magazines
Gruppo Sportivo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah I've bought a few, they show you everything
So many news stands, well as I'm passing by
Rows and rows of you bound to catch my eye
Now everyone can gaze upon your body
It's good for you, I guess you have no shame
I never knew if how I acted would make you seek revenge
Now I know, you're in magazines
I shouldn't be surprised, you're an ambitious girl
With all that naked skin as sweet as honey
Maybe you just really needed money
I wondered if I would be punished for my voyeuristic pleasure
Now I know, you're in magazines
Now I know, you're in magazines
Now I know
I tear through pages of every kind of pose
But it's not really you I see when I look real close
You're a little bit different, you're a little bit different
You're a little bit different
And now I know, you're in magazines
Now I know, you're in magazines
And I'm alone, you're in magazines
It never was you, it never was you
It never was you in magazines
The song "Blah Blah Magazines" by Gruppo Sportivo talks about the ubiquitous presence of magazines that showcase explicit and provocative images. The singer admits to being a consumer of such magazines and acknowledges their power to catch attention. However, the focus of the song is on an individual who appears in one of these publications. The singer is surprised to find the person they knew in such magazines and questions whether it is really them or an altered version of themselves.
The lyrics suggest that the person in the magazine is ambitious and willing to put themselves on display to make money. The singer expresses concern for their voyeuristic pleasure in looking at these magazines and wonders if they will be punished for it. The song ends with the realization that the person they are looking for is not really in these magazines, and they are left feeling alone.
Overall, the lyrics of "Blah Blah Magazines" highlight the commercialization of sex and the effects it can have on individuals who choose to participate in it. It also showcases the voyeuristic pleasure and guilt that can come with consuming such media.
Line by Line Meaning
You see them everywhere, you know those magazines
Magazines with revealing images are ubiquitous and widely known.
Yeah I've bought a few, they show you everything
The singer has purchased some of these magazines and they contain explicit content.
So many news stands, well as I'm passing by
There are many newsstands and the singer regularly walks by them.
Rows and rows of you bound to catch my eye
The magazines are displayed in multiple rows and they easily capture the artist's attention.
Now everyone can gaze upon your body
The magazines provide access for anyone to view the model's body.
It's good for you, I guess you have no shame
The singer assumes that the model has no embarrassment or self-consciousness regarding her appearance in the magazines.
I never knew if how I acted would make you seek revenge
The singer was unsure if his actions, including purchasing and viewing the magazines, would lead to negative consequences from the model.
Now I know, you're in magazines
The artist has come to the realization that the model is featured in the magazines.
But is it really you in the empty world?
The artist questions whether the model is accurately represented in the fantasy world of the magazines.
I shouldn't be surprised, you're an ambitious girl
The artist acknowledges that the model likely had career goals that led her to pose for the magazines.
With all that naked skin as sweet as honey
The model's exposed skin is alluring and pleasing to look at.
Maybe you just really needed money
The artist suggests that financial need may have motivated the model to pose for the magazines.
I wondered if I would be punished for my voyeuristic pleasure
The singer was concerned that his pleasure in viewing the magazines may result in negative consequences.
Now I know, you're in magazines
Reiteration of the singer's realization that the model is featured in the magazines.
Now I know, you're in magazines
Reiteration of the singer's realization that the model is featured in the magazines.
Now I know
The artist has learned something new and significant.
I tear through pages of every kind of pose
The artist quickly browses through the various poses and images in the magazines.
But it's not really you I see when I look real close
Upon closer examination, the model in the magazines does not match the image the singer has of her.
You're a little bit different, you're a little bit different
The model in the magazines has some differences from the singer's perception of her.
You're a little bit different
Reiteration of the differences between the model in the magazines and the artist's perception of her.
And now I know, you're in magazines
Another reminder that the artist has realized the model is featured in the magazines.
Now I know, you're in magazines
Reiteration of the artist's realization that the model is featured in the magazines.
And I'm alone, you're in magazines
The singer is isolated and disconnected from the model who is featured in the magazines.
It never was you, it never was you
The artist concludes that the model in the magazines was never truly the person he thought she was.
It never was you in magazines
Final confirmation that the model in the magazines was not the same person the singer imagined her to be.
Writer(s): angel defrutos
Contributed by Isaac L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.