… Read Full Bio ↴New Musik were a London based Synthpop group active from 1979 to 1982.
The lead singer and frontman was songwriter/producer Tony Mansfield, who was also a former member of the Nick Straker Band. New Musik first appeared on the BBC TV pop programme, Top Of The Pops in October 1979 with their debut hit single "Straight Lines" which received airplay on BBC Radio 1 from special guesting DJ Frank Zappa.
Their debut album "From A To B" (1980) reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart and contained four UK chart hit singles; "Straight Lines", "Living By Numbers", "This World Of Water" and "Sanctuary". New Musik also topped the French singles chart with "On Islands" from this album.
Touring the UK in 1980, New Musik performed at both the Oxford and Cambridge Balls (with Elvis Costello) and at the Rotterdam New Pop festival in the Netherlands, and did a second UK tour in 1981.
Their second album, Anywhere (1981) reached #68 in the chart, but despite gaining international acclaim, neither of its singles "Luxury" or "While You Wait" charted in the UK.
In 1981 a compilation album, Sanctuary, was released in the U.S., consisting of four tracks from From A To B and eight from Anywhere. Previous to this release, there had also been a four song 10" vinyl Straight Lines released by CBS Records in the U.S. as part of their short-lived Epic "Nu-Disk" series, which had also included The Clash's Black Market Clash.
After the demise of GTO Records, New Musik released their third and final album, Warp (1982) which was more experimental. Oddly, it featured a synth version of The Beatles "All You Need Is Love", alongside an identically titled track of their own. Tracks such as "Hunting", "A Train On Twisted Tracks" and "Kingdoms For Horses" showed much promise, but without promotion and with limited record company support, the group disbanded shortly after.
Known for their originality and innovative approach to recording, New Musik specialised in catchy synth-pop with clever, often thought-provoking lyrical content. Tracks such as "Dead Fish (Don't Swim Home)" and "The Planet Doesn't Mind" highlighted environmental issues, still a minority interest in the early 1980s.
Several artists have covered tracks by New Musik, including Camouflage who did a version of "On Islands" in 1989.
Mansfield went on to achieve considerable success in the field of production for the likes of After The Fire, A-Ha, Aztec Camera, The B-52s, The Damned, Captain Sensible, Naked Eyes, Mari Wilson, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miguel Bose and Ana Torroja, some of his most successful projects.
From A To B and Anywhere were released on CD in 1994, and again in 2001, remastered and with bonus tracks. Warp was also released (with bonus tracks) on CD for the first time in 2001, in Japan. This remains its only CD release.
She's A Magazine
New Musik Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the pages of a magazine
Pure fantasy
From an advertising figurine
She's playing she's teasing
She's everything you'd wish for
She's doing it all for you
She sold it all to you
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
Such a picture
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
Such a picture
She knows her place
Switching on the style to fit the face
Down on the sand
She lays untouched by human hand
She's playing she's teasing
She's everything you'd wish for
She's doing it all for you
She sold it all to you
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
Such a picture
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
She's a magazine
Such a picture
The song "She's A Magazine" by New Musik features lyrics that convey a sense of longing for a woman who is idealized in a magazine. The singer describes this woman as a "pure fantasy" who is represented by an "advertising figurine" in the pages of a magazine. He describes her as playful and teasing, everything that he could ever wish for.
The woman is performing for the viewer, selling herself to him through her image in the magazine. She is depicted as nothing more than an object for male consumption, presented as a picture of perfection that the singer can admire from afar. He describes her as "untouched by human hand" and "switching on the style to fit the face," indicating that she is a construct of the male gaze, rather than a real person with her own agency.
Overall, the song is a critique of the objectification of women in media and advertising. It points to the ways in which women are reduced to nothing more than their physical appearance, and the damaging effects this can have on individuals and society as a whole. The lyrics suggest that the singer is aware of this problem, but is still drawn to the idealized, unattainable image of the woman in the magazine.
Line by Line Meaning
She smiled at me
The model on the magazine cover appeared to be smiling at the listener.
From the pages of a magazine
The model in question was on the cover of a magazine the listener was viewing.
Pure fantasy
The woman in question was a figment of the listener's imagination and not a real person.
From an advertising figurine
The model on the magazine cover was created to advertise products and services to the listener.
She's playing she's teasing
The woman in question is posing provocatively on the magazine cover, trying to entice the listener.
She's everything you'd wish for
The woman in question embodies all the qualities the listener desires in a woman.
She's doing it all for you
The provocative poses and seductive stare are directed solely at the listener, making him feel special and desired.
She sold it all to you
The magazine and the advertisers behind it have convinced the listener that the woman on the cover is worth buying and owning.
She's a magazine
The entire concept of the woman on the cover is a product created by the magazine and the advertisers behind it.
Such a picture
The image of the woman on the magazine cover is visually appealing and well-crafted.
She knows her place
The model on the cover knows her role in the advertising industry and is taking on that role willingly.
Switching on the style to fit the face
The model is able to change her appearance and persona to suit the various products she is advertising.
Down on the sand
The model is shown in a beach setting, further adding to the fantasy of vacation and relaxation offered by magazines.
She lays untouched by human hand
The model is depicted as being unattainable, an object of desire that cannot be touched or possessed by the listener.
Such a picture
The image of the model on the magazine cover is once again praised for its visual appeal and quality.
Contributed by Audrey M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.