The grocery store that’s closer than a stone’s throw from my home is pretty typical, carrying a local moniker though owned by a large national chain. This particular outpost underwent a complete overhaul over a decade ago, and remains pleasant enough today, but nothing about its interior design would seem to fit the retro modern-rock music being played on the PA.

I’ve taken particular notice of this soundtrack during evening trips, maybe because the aisles are miles less busy then, but hearing the Pet Shop Boys’ “Being Boring” recently was enough to give me pause. “West End Girls” wouldn’t have stopped my silver buggy in its tracks, because it’s one of the duo’s biggest hits, or even “What Have I Done To Deserve This?”, but “Being Boring” is so out of left field. Fantastic, yes, but still totally left field.

The latest surprise on the supermarket stereo came just two days ago, when The Lightning Seeds‘ “Pure” was piped into the store. It just didn’t seem possible, but there it was, playing in the most anachronistic context. I hadn’t heard the song in years and as I took this musical trip back to a much simpler time, I found myself smiling from ear to ear. I couldn’t help it; “Pure” is just as adorable now as it was in 1990.

A so-very-British blend of synth pop and psychedelia, “Pure” was the debut single from The Lightning Seeds, Liverpool guitarist Ian Broudie’s one-man band. I vividly recall purchasing the Cloudcuckooland album on the strength of “Pure,” cashing in a record-store gift certificate I’d received for my birthday. (Madonna’s “Justify My Love” CD single also made the transaction.)

By complete cosmic coincidence, it was 20 years ago this very week that “Pure” peaked at #8 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The song reached that spot on May 5, 1990, spending two weeks there. “Pure” was the Lightning Seeds’ only Top 40 entry here in the U.S., reaching #31 that July. Hear here:

While other band members have joined various Lightning Seeds lineups over the years, Broudie seems to be back as he began, doing it on his own once again. Last May, he returned with Four Winds, the first new Lightning Seeds’ LP in a decade, and is set to tour the UK festival circuit this summer.

Purchase Lightning Seeds – “Pure” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.