I can’t say that I have any particular musical reason to mourn the passing of Pete Burns of Dead or Alive. I like “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” as much as any other wedding disco record, but no more.

And I don’t think I know another song. And I was never interested in his plastic surgery reality TV version.

But I am sad about the passing of the children of punk, and especially the Liverpool scene. Burns was part of a remarkable flowering of talent based around Eric’s, the legendary music venue, and the Probe record store.

But it's such a round up of innovation, imagination and ideas. You cant think this will happen again in one little town.

Not now kids have playstations.

From Deaf School to Big In Japan (which featured the KLF’s Bill Drummond, Budgie from Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Pink Military’s wonderful Jayne Casey to the semi-legendary Crucial 3 (featuring Julian cope of the Teardrop Explodes, Ian McCulloch of Echo & the Bunnymen and Pete Wylie of the variously named Wah! Ensembles) there is so much talent on this little poster, and so much music. And, of course an idea or two.

So Pete’s passing may not be the first person on this chart to leave us but he's maybe the first big name.

And it represents the passing of a time when music blossomed, fuelled by art and ideas. A time when the provocative could be made (with a little help from Stock Aitken and Waterman – or maybe Clive Langer) pop.

May he rest in peace. But may they flourish in songs like these. They did it. They didn’t just read it in books (or on smart phones).

The Teardrop Explodes – Sleeping Gas (first EP version)

Echo & the Bunnymen – Books (drum machine version)

Wah! Heat – Better Scream

Pink Military – Do Animals Believe in God (on Erics records)

KLF – Chill Out (the complete and hard to get) mix

...and of course

- TH