“Excitement” – a quietly radiant gem in Dave Bartram’s rich musical tapestry, capturing that tender spark of emotion that lingers long after the last chord fades.
“Excitement” by Dave Bartram is one of those songs that might not have set the charts ablaze in its time, but lingers in the memory like a warm, familiar echo from days when pop music felt both simple and profound — the kind of tune that slips into your heart and stays with you. It first appeared not as a standalone hit in the mainstream UK Singles Chart but tucked within Bartram’s long‑awaited solo collection, Lost and Found, released on 1 September 2011 by Invisible Hands Music.
Bartram himself is best known as the charismatic frontman of the British rock and roll revival band Showaddywaddy, whose string of hits dominated the UK charts throughout the 1970s. By the early 1980s, Bartram had begun crafting a set of solo recordings that remained unreleased for decades, buried in tape reels and memories — until Lost and Found finally brought them to light almost thirty years later. Among these lost treasures, Excitement stands as a testament to his songwriting depth and emotional honesty.
Though Excitement did not chart as a major single in its own right and certainly didn’t soar to the heights of Showaddywaddy’s better‑known pop anthems, it nevertheless occupies a cherished place in the hearts of those who rediscovered it on the Lost and Found album. There’s something deeply evocative about hearing a song that felt hidden for so long — as if time itself had folded around its melody to keep it safe until we were ready to listen.
The story behind Excitement is, in many ways, the story of its creator’s journey: a seasoned musician stepping outside the familiar stage spotlight to reveal a more introspective voice. Recorded during sessions between 1982 and 1985 at London’s famed Utopia Studios, alongside other tracks that showcase his versatility across pop, rock and balladry, this song reflects an artist wrestling with the passage of time, the joys and turmoil of connection, and the bittersweet beauty of emotional hindsight.
Musically, Excitement isn’t about big production or explosive choruses. Instead, it opens softly, letting Bartram’s warm, resonant vocals guide the listener over a gentle arrangement that feels almost conversational — like an old friend unfolding a story at the kitchen table. The melody, while unmistakably rooted in the melodic sensibilities of its era, carries a timeless quality: a sense that this could have been written in any decade, by anyone who ever stood at the crossroads between youthful optimism and the sober reflections of experience.
Lyrically and emotionally, the song captures that universal moment of anticipation — the tiny flutter in the chest when a melody of feeling first begins to play. It’s not about loud declarations or bombastic declarations of love, but those quiet, poignant instances of hope and memory — the excitement of remembering first glances, first feelings, first possibilities and then seeing how time has gently reshaped those impressions. It speaks to the listener in a way that is intimate, wistful, and beautifully human — qualities that resonate deeply with anyone who has ever looked back on life’s tender milestones.
For older listeners especially, Excitement may feel like a bridge between eras: between the vibrant pop and rock sounds of youth, and the reflective mood that comes with age. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t shout for attention, but once heard, lodges into one’s consciousness with the persistent warmth of a fading summer sunset. In the context of Bartram’s long and storied career — first as part of a beloved band, and later as a solo artist uncovering hidden chapters of his musical life — Excitement stands as both a personal revelation and a gentle reminder of the richness that lies beneath the surface of familiar sounds.
In the end, Excitement is less about chart positions and more about the quiet joy of rediscovery — a song that invites listeners not just to hear it, but to feel it, and to remember within themselves all the excitements that life, in its wondrous complexity, has ever brought.