SMI Lost Track of the Week: “State of The Nation” by Industry

Not to be confused with the Irish band of the same name, Industry was an 80’s synth-pop, New Wave band. Surprisingly, this euro-pop sounding outfit was not from Europe at all. In fact, the group was formed  in 1978 in NewYork. They were originally known as Industrial Complex, but later changed their name to the more simple-sounding Industry. The group went on tour as a support act for artists such as Billy Idol, Talk Talk, and INXS.

Industry’s most prominent album was “Stranger to Stranger,” released in 1984, and produced their one and only hit single, “State of the Nation.” Despite the popularity of synth pop at the time, the single only reached 89 on the U.S. charts.

The group disbanded in 1984, but shortly thereafter, lead vocalist and synth man Jon Carin embarked on very long and successful career as a session player and producer. He went on to become a permanent member of the Pink Floyd  live band, co-writing their first post-Roger Waters hit single, “Learning to Fly.” Carin was part of the Roger Waters Wall Tour. (which appeared in Tacoma, December 2010 and May of 2012.)

The number is a catchy little guilty pleasure with some very relevant and prophetic anti-war lyrics which seemed to be pretty relevant during the Reagan – US/Soviet cold war era.

It features tasty syncopated keyboard textures and hypnotic beats, along with infectious vocal melodies throughout.

You cannot get it on iTunes but you can listen to it right here by clicking on the video player below.