Lost in the '80s

Lost In The '80s Lives On Both Here & At Popdose.com!

2010-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

After three years and hundreds of posts, Lost In The '80s as a site goes into "syndication," as it will now re-present every original post, in order, complete with reposted files, once a week. That's all well and good, but what about the new/old stuff? I'm proud to announce that Lost In The '80s and I are over at Popdose.com, the brainchild of Jefito, of the now-defunct and no-longer-missed-because-we-have-Popdose.com Jefitoblog!

I've joined Jefito and a ton of other talented writers and the best part of it all is that you get four times the entries out of my lazy ass. Not only do you get Lost In The '80s every Tuesday at Popdose, I'm writing three new features - Lost In The '70s, Lost In The '90s (which will rotate every Thursday) and Why You Should Listen To..., a new concept that appears every other Wednesday!

So, take a second and bookmark Popdose.com now - and don't forget to check below weekly for Lost In The '80s Classic!

"the night we met i knew i needed you so / and if i had the chance i'd never let you go"

2009-08-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'll cop to it - I watch American Idol here and there. I mean, it's not like there's any aggressive counter-programming going on, and I can only watch my Kath & Kim DVDs so many times. But each time one of the female contestants gets up to screech and wail (Hey! If you get near a melody, sing it!), I can't help but time travel in my mind back to 1981 and think that a 17-year old Rachel Sweet would absolutely demolish them all.

...Then He Kissed Me was Sweet's third album and her first for major label Columbia Records after releasing two albums on legendary UK New Wave label Stiff Records. Sweet's Stiff releases started out with a country twang and veered more towards guitar-based New Wave near the end, all wrapped in a Lolita Jailbait presentation, but ...Then He Kissed Me blended current Top 40 sounds with classic 60s girl group trappings. This came to a head with the album's big hit single, a remake of "Everlasting Love", re-imagined as a duet with Rex Smith (urgh). Columbia's plan to break Sweet in America was reaching its shmaltzy fruition.

Things were much more pleasing on the follow-up single - hey, if a remake worked, let's release TWO of them as a medley! - a melding of the Phil Spector classics "Then He Kissed Me/Be My Baby". Imagine seeing this on "American Idol":

Simon would be arrested for statutory rape within minutes. Unfortunately, the second single didn't match the success of "Everlasting Love", even with the Rex factor removed. Columbia must have had faith in those heady days of artist development, when a label would work an album even if a single flopped, since a third single was sent to radio stations, this one an original composition by D.L. Byron (Rachel gets a co-writing credit here that I haven't seen anywhere else) - a little Jim Steinman-eque ditty called "Shadows Of The Night".

Yes, that "Shadows Of The Night". A full year before Pat Benatar made it a huge hit and it won the 1982 Grammy for Best Song.

Sweet's version of "Shadows Of The Night" (subtle, but telling lyric difference - in Sweet's version, she and her lover are running "thru the shadows of the night", not "with" them as in Benatar's version) is nowhere near as bombastic and overblown as Benatar's, and maybe that's why it didn't click with Top 40. It is, however, a bit more honest and heart-rending than Pat's, and definitely stands on its own merits. The rest of the album is a keeper, too.

Sweet went on to record a final album for Columbia, which we'll get to at some point. These days, she's behind the scenes, working as a producer for television shows like "The George Lopez Show". But just imagine if "Idol" was around in 1981...

Neither song charted.

Get Rachel Sweet music at Amazon or on

"AM/PM, pyramid, roxy, mudd club, danceteria / the newest club is opening up"

2009-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

This week's hottest reissue has to be Nina Hagen's 1983 classic "Fearless", coming to CD for the very first time. "Classic" in the sense that very few other batshit crazy, UFO-believing, Teutonic punk-rock goddesses have matched it.

"Fearless" was Nina's second full-length English album, this one produced by Giorgio Moroder and Billy Idol/Simple Minds producer Keith Forsey. Wrapping Hagen's alternately hiccup-y and operatic vocals with early hip-hop and dance beats did the trick quite nicely, as single "New York New York" got Miss Freak on MTV and in hipper dance clubs everywhere. The video was even more deliciously insane as Hagen performed a completely live vocal, matching and surpassing all the studio phrasing:

While nothing else quite matches the sanitarium awesomeness of "New York", the rest of the album isn't too shabby, particulary "What It Is", written and performed by a not-quite-famous-yet Red Hot Chili Peppers, and "Zarah", which has to be heard to be believed.

"You have disturbed me almost to the point of insanity. There...I am insane now."

"Fearless" came out on Tuesday, and you can buy it at Amazon. Highly recommended! Now if we could just get her final English album "Nina Hagen in Ekstacy", featuring her other dance hit, "Universal Radio", I'd be a happy Hagen-ite.

"New York New York" peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot Club Play Dance Chart in 1983.
"Universal Radio" peaked at #39 on the same chart in 1985.

Prince Proteges Month - The Family

2009-08-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

So close, yet so far.

The story of the Family is one of missed opportunites boiled down to its most basic - Good Decisions vs. Bad Decisions. Let's start at the beginning - after Morris Day left The Time in 1984, Prince tapped "St. Paul" Peterson as his replacement, causing guitarist Jesse Johnson to hit the road as well. Left with a drummer, a bass player and a valet ("Now, now, Jerome!"), Prince had Revolution guitarist Wendy's sister, Susannah Melvoin join the band, and rounded out the strange quintet with saxophonist Eric Leeds.

Good Decision #1: Changing the band's name from The Time to The Family. No one would have ever accepted St. Paul as a replacement for Morris Day. I mean, really.

Bad Decision #1: Trying to maintain some of the same funk The Time was famous for, most notably on songs like "Mutiny", making The Family come off as more of a dry run for Wa Wa Nee.

Good Decision #2: Creating a unique "Family" sound for their self-titled LP, drenched in strings and minor keys on songs like "River Run Dry" and the first single, "Screams of Passion" represented here in its 12" version.

The Family Screams of Passion

Bad Decision #2: Picking "Screams of Passion" as the first single when you had, wait for it, the original version of "Nothing Compares 2 U" sitting there nice and all polite-like on Side Two. This even more melodramatic and provocative version could have been a major hit six years earlier than when Sinead O'Connor's take on it took it to the #1 position.

Bad Decision #3: Pulling the plug on the whole thing without recording a second album or playing more than one live date. The Family, for all its Prince-ness, was a fairly unique corner of the Paisley Park empire - it would have been interesting to see what a second album would have brought.

Maybe we'll get that chance, since The Family, all five members, have announced they're reuniting for a tour and new album. Is this a Good Decision or a Bad Decision? Time (heh) will tell. At least Jerome's involved! A Family reunion without Jerome would be like a Happy Mondays reunion without Bez.

And so ends Prince Proteges Month. Don't worry - there are tons more we can talk about in the future. I didn't even get to Jill Jones, Mazarati, Apollonia 6, Jesse Johnson's Revue, et al. Stick around. We have a few years to get to 'em.

"Screams of Passion" peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles and #10 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in 1985.

"The Family" is out of print.

Prince Proteges Week - Vanity 6/Vanity

2009-08-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Nasty Skank Alert!

I think the people at the late, much lamented BlairMag (linked above) summed up best what was so damn appealing about a trio of barely-talented girls in their underwear, dancing slightly out of time. While Vanity 6 (renamed from their original moniker The Hookers in a rare case of Princely restraint) were ostensibly built around Vanity aka Denise Matthews, it was white trash dynamo Brenda who stole the show, along with your wallet. And your heart!

I mean, take Brenda's starring turn in the truly bizarre "If a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)". It's vicious, cutting, concise and hilarious.

Poor Susan didn't get much play, thanks to her razor-thin "singing" voice, which was basically her talking in a "sexy" whisper. Even in her one spotlight tune, "Drive Me Wild", watch Brenda in all her gum-snapping glory steal the show, literally from behind Susan's back:

Brenda, however, got the straight-ahead New Wave treatment for her lead vocal tune, "Bite the Beat". A real Flying Lizards meets The Nails "88 Lines About 44 Women" vibe permeates the song, showcasing Prince's obvious love for New Wave at the time. Bite the beat, indeed.

Meanwhile, all the coke must have gone to poor Denise/Vanity's head, because she split from the Paisley camp, turning down the female lead in Purple Rain, instead choosing to sign to Motown and star in The Last Dragon, which gave us this mess:

Oooh, Vanity must'a done bumped her head. Speaking of messes, Motown was able to give Vanity something that Prince couldn't, namely a single that actually charted, the not-subtle-at-all "Pretty Mess", a song that interestingly enough, never surfaced during all the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky brouhaha.

Brenda and Susan soldiered on with Vanity-Lite Apollonia, who, despite being purified in the waters of Lake Minnetonka, was a little short on the charisma meter. One album and gone. Now if BRENDA had gotten a solo album, we'd all be writing blog posts to this day dissecting her influence on an entire generation of bastard-bearing, Cheetos-eating, barefoot-bathroom-going-in-7-11s girls. Hey, Britney! Remake "Nasty Girl!" There's your comeback advice.

You're welcome. Can ya dig it? Click.

"Pretty Mess" peaked at #75 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #13 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart in 1984.
None of the other songs charted.

Vanity 6 or the Jill Jones 1987 CD are pretty much the Holy Grails of out-of-print Prince items. You can find Vanity 6 on Amazon, but you're gonna pay.

NEXT: The most inessential reunion ever.

John Hughes, RIP

2009-08-06T22:50:00.001-07:00

Read my thoughts on the passing of the other John Hughes at Popdose.

Prince Protege Month - Sheila E.

2009-08-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

The post title says it all, doesn't it? Will your favorite purple protege be featured? Stick around all week and see.

Kicking things off is Miss Escovedo, who Prince discovered in 1983 playing in her father's latin-fusion band Azteca. The tiny terror promptly put Sheila to work, having her provide the guest vocals on his classic b-side "Erotic City" (not Vanity nor Apollonia, as is commonly mistaken). A short year later, Sheila had a contract with Warner Brothers and a Top Ten hit with her debut album's title track, "The Glamorous Life".

As catchy as "The Glamorous Life" was, I, naturally, was all about the follow-up, the New Wave-ish, synth-based "The Belle of St. Mark". The squiggly synth hook and balloon-popping snare accent were keepers, but the lyrics and even title of the song begged question. The Belle of St. Mark is a frail but passionate creature, and is referred to as "he" throughout. Then why the feminine "Belle"? And these classic lines never fail to crack me up:

His Paris hair, it blows in the warm Parisian air
That blows whenever his Paris hair is there

That's just gold, people. I suppose we could blame Prince, but Sheila E. has sole writing credit on that one, so...

Prince did, however, share writing credit on the first single from Sheila's follow-up LP, Romance 1600. "Sister Fate" is quite reminiscent of "The Glamorous Life", just enough to be a hit, but different enough to still be enjoyable. Alas, it was not meant to be, as "Sister Fate" died immediately upon release, putting a pall over Romance 1600 right out of the gate. What turned off Top 40 radio to this tune? Was it the ahead of its time latin percussion or perhaps it was the haughty, faux-Brit spoken word section where Sheila intones:

There's a nasty ruMAH
That's going-guh rrrrrround...

...before ending it in a bizarre, out-of-left-field cartoon voice. What's that all about?

Speaking of bizarre, the album was saved by its second single, "A Love Bizarre", which was mostly a Prince featuring Sheila E. recording. Being prominently featured in the movie Krush Groove didn't hurt its chances, either. And no Sheila E. post would be complete without including the incredibly awesome and cringe-tastic "Holly Rock", made famous by Sheila in Krush Groove:

"The Belle of St. Mark" peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #68 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Charts in 1984.
"Sister Fate" peaked at #102 on the Billboard Bubbling Under, #36 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles and at #26 on the Hot Dance/Maxi-Singles Sales Charts in 1985.

Buy Sheila E. music at Amazon or on

NEXT: Vanity 6 whore it up and cause your monitor to require penicillin.

"When you come 'round I never get down, I fly across the floor / I can see you coming on me, and I can't ask for more"

2009-07-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Is Billy Squier gay?

I ask not because it matters in any way, (I mean, really, it is 2009), but because I swear I read/saw an interview with him about five or six years ago where he quietly came out, and now I'm unable to find any evidence of such. So I just want to make sure I'm not going completely senile just yet.

I mean if he isn't, that's okay. I won't reject him or love him any less. After all, this is the guy who gave us "The Stroke", perhaps the beefiest song about whackin' it ever. And "The Big Beat", whose, um, big beat has been sampled too many times to count, most notably in Jay Z's "99 Problems". But let's review the evidence:

• "The Stroke" (duh) - includes lines such as:
Stroke me, stroke me
could be a winner boy, you move mighty well

and

Put your left foot out, keep it all in place
work your way right into my face
First you try to bet me, you make my backbone slide
When you find you've bled me (oh dear!) slip on by

• "In The Dark" - includes such couplets as:

Life isn't easy from the singular side
Down in the hole some emotions are hard to hide

and

Can you break away from your alibis
Can you make a play, will you meet me
In the dark

• "My Kinda Lover" - which, besides being totally friggin' awesome, no irony whatseover in that statement - contains these little tidbits:

YOU PUT THE MAGIC IN ME
I feel the magic when we do what we do

and some very damning evidence in the bridge:

When you come 'round I never get down, I fly across the floor
I can see you COMING ON ME, and I can't ask for more
Rock me, sock me, baby you got me RIDING TO THE END
Rake me, shake me, baby you make me, turn me on again

...I need a cigarette after typing that.

• Commissioned Andy Warhol to paint his portrait for the cover of his third album, Emotions In Motion - check.

• The video for "Rock Me Tonight" - the "Flashdance" wardrobe, the mincing, Ed Grimley-esque choreography, the...well, just watch the damn thing:

Particularly this moment:

...that's the sight of a man ripping his career in two. And, to quote a very witty YouTube commenter, Billy rips off his gayish shirt only to replace it with an ever gayisher one (yes, it's pink!). Oh, Billy.

In all seriousness, I love these songs - sure, they're ear candy, but every once in awhile we all get a craving for something sweet and bad for our health. And do I really care if Billy is gay? Sure! Why? Anyone who can whip up tasty hooks like these I want to be able to point at with pride and say, "Hey! He's ours." Let me put it this way - I'd rather have Billy on my softball team than Elton.

"In The Dark" peaked at #35 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart and at #7 on the Mainstream Rock Chart in 1981.
"My Kinda Lover" peaked at #45 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart and at #31 on the Mainstream Rock Chart that same year.

Get Billy Squier music at Amazon or on

"gimmie a break! it's a tricky situation / don't give it all away / i gotta have my digital fix today!"

2009-07-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ah, Stacey Swain aka Stacey Q aka sweet, innocent "Cinnamon" from "The Facts of Life". Not so innocent, are we? Oh, I know alllll your dirty little secrets, missy.

But let's start at the beginning.

Stacey's singing career started when she joined the synthpop outfit known only as Q, after the James Bond ~~villain~~weapons specialist (D'oh! Thanks, folks!). Q also featured synthpop icon Jon St. James, who produced quite a few memorable tracks for other synthpoppers, including Anything Box. After an EP, Q became SSQ, got signed to indie label Enigma Records and released their first full-length album, Playback. A lucky break followed, as Enigma got a major-label distribution deal with EMI and Playback's first single, "Synthicide" got a snazzy little video and some MTV play (watch Stacey's expression after each time she says the song's title in the chorus and purses her lips - hysterical!):

...but Stacey, dear, some of us remember your oh-so-naughty, Cinemax After Dark turn on SSQ's next video for the Berlin-a-like "Screaming In My Pillow" (WARNING: Boobies, some which may or may not be Stacey's!):

See it here, since embedding has been disabled...

Playback didn't set the charts on fire, though, and Stacey and the boys soon found themselves without a major label deal. It was back to the drawing board where someone along the line made the smart decision to cut out the middle men and put Stacey right up front. Soon, Atlantic Records came calling and released SSQ's second, er, Stacey Q's debut album, Better Than Heaven. In all fairness, while the SSQ personnel remained the same, the sound did change quite a bit, becoming much more pop-oriented, with the soft-core porn lyrics muted...at first glance. The make-over resulted in "Two of Hearts", a Top 3 smash that everyone knows.

And hey, you probably know the follow-up single "We Connect", too, since it was, I don't know, THE SAME FRIGGIN' SONG! "We Connect" was always a source of laughs for me and my friends due to its "Two of Hearts" Xerox nature - we'd sing the lyrics to "Two of Hearts" over "We Connect" and of course, they fit perfectly. But "We Connect" had some...adult...lyrics:

We Connect
When we're together, it's so perfect
Boy, you shock me with your white, hot love
I start to overload
I explode when we connect

Subtle!

Stacey Q went on to release a couple more albums, with one single, "Don't Make a Fool of Yourself" making some Dance Chart noise, but that was pretty much it. But we'll always have Stacey's special moments with Mindy Cohn.

"Synthicide" did not chart.
"We Connect" peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 on the Dance Club Play Charts.

Get Stacey Q music on Amazon or on

"if she's a lady, i'm her man / if she's a man, i'll do what i can!"

2009-07-12T21:53:00.001-07:00

Let's start this off by Snopesing what I believe to be apocryphal - just about every overview about Alphaville I read says something to the effect that "Forever Young" was the prom theme at high schools nationwide in the 80s. In fact, "Forever Young's" review on AllMusic.com says, "'Forever Young,' a stark, epic song that would become essential for every post-1984 high school graduation..." blah blah, etc., etc.

I'm calling bullshit on this urban myth.

No one in the 80s had Alphaville's "Forever Young" as their prom theme. Rod Stewart's, maybe, but not Alphaville. Can anyone prove to me their high school prom theme was Alphaville's "Forever Young?" I'll need supporting documentation. Maybe it's the Midwest in me, but no one knew who the hell Alphaville were in 1984, besides the super-hip artfags and new wavers that were populating schools nationwide in groups of four or five. I think a lot of music critics have a slightly skewed retroactive memory as it relates to "Forever Young's" impact. Maybe you West Coasters had some big Alphaville movement happening at the time. I'd love to be proven wrong here, so scan those prom programs!

Moving on, "Forever Young" was Forever Young's second single, following the middling chart non-success of "Big In Japan". Both songs are now synthpop classics, but I always had a special place in my heart for the album's closer and third single, "Jet Set", a ridiculously over the top spectacle matched only by its even campier video. With its drag queens, hyperactive choreography and questionable dance moves, the video seemed to take its visual cues from one of my all-time favorite piece of poop movies, The Apple:

Alas, "Jet Set" did nada and Alphaville moved on to album #2, "Afternoons In Utopia" and its lead-off single, "Dance with Me". A zippy little number, "Dance With Me" did okay on the Dance Charts but didn't crossover like it should have. Alphaville went on to record well into the Nineties, but didn't make much more chart noise. But somehow in the time since, they've become big ol' prom stars.

Not! Nyah!

"The Jet Set" did not chart.
"Dance With Me" peaked at #22 on the Billboard Dance Club Play Chart in 1986.

Getcher Alphaville tunes at Amazon or on

"no more babysitting for neurotic girls today"

2009-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, kids! Little lesson in prevention today. This is your brain:

Alain Jourgensen, 1983

And this is your drain on brugs:

Alain Jourgensen, 2006

Any questions?

Okay, okay, put all your hands down. We'll get to you each, one at a time. For all our advanced students who have covered this, please be patient and feel free to add to the discussion.

You all know Ministry, right? The aggro-industrial-metal revolving-member combo led by Alain Jourgensen, mostly known for their mid-90s alterna-crossover hit "Jesus Built My Hotrod," yes? But are you aware that Ministry had much milder origins, starting as a New Wave dance club synthpop duo? And that With Sympathy, the duo's first album, is still my favorite (and yes, I also adore everything else up through and including Psalm 69). Sympathy's first half is a fairly solid synthpop collection, much in the Soft Cell vein, complete with Chicagoan Jourgensen singing in a snotty British accent and even, GASP, rapping at one point on the single, "I Wanted To Tell Her". "I Wanted To Tell Her", along with "Work For Love" were respectable club hits, and who was around early MTV that doesn't remember the video for "Revenge"?

And golly, through the magic that is YouTube, how about a live version of such from 1983? Yowza!

...but a personal favorite was the last song on the album, "She's Got A Cause", with its off-beat snare and extra snotty vocal delivery ("SHE'S. GAUGHT. A CAWWWZE!"). It's like Marc Almond, but straight.

Now, of course, Alain disowns this album, to the point of letting it lapse out of print for quite a few years now. He claims his record label at the time, Arista, pushed this poppier sound down his throat, but I do have to take issue with that - I certainly wasn't there, but songs like "Cold Life" and "(Everyday Is) Halloween" were done before AND after Arista came into the picture. Besides, can a record company actually force you to write a song? Certainly they can pick and choose compositions you don't prefer, but I've yet to see Joe A&R Guy worm his way into someone's brain, take control of their fingers and hit the DX7 keys for you.

Whatever the issue was, Ministry went on to discover guitars, machine-gun drum loops and lots and lots of drugs. But I don't understand the hatred for this album, a nice little time capsule of perfectly acceptable synthpop that deserves a nice remastering and re-release. Maybe now that Al's clean (since 2003!), he can look back on his misspent youth with a little more understanding and lift the embargo.

"I Wanted To Tell Her" peaked at #13 on the Billboard Club Play Singles Chart and at #106 on the Bubbling Under Chart in 1983.

Amazon has a nice selection of Ministry, including "Early Trax", which compiles some early work from this period. "Early Trax" and more are also available on

"Oh yes I will, oh no you won’t, oh yes I will, oh no I want / what you got"

2009-06-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else change their facial expression as they write?

Let me explain. Y'see, I can't hide my feelings when I'm writing. If I'm typing away some angry screed, my brow furrows, my lips downturn and my expression matches what's flowing from my fingers. People walk by my office, peek inside and say things like, "Is everything okay? You look really mad."

"No, just writing!" Let's just say I suck at poker.

I bring this up because right now I have a big goofy grin on my face because I love Swingers and I adore their two singles.

Swingers formed after vocalist Phil Judd left Split Enz in the late '70s. Judd puttered about New Zealand with a punk band called Suburban Reptiles until they broke up. Taking the Reptiles' bassist and drummer, the trio became Swingers and in 1980 recorded their first single, "One Good Reason". Now, before you read any further, take a listen to "One Good Reason". G'head. Trust me here.

Is there a big goofy grin on your face now, too? How great is that song? Sorry I'm all gushy, but that's truly one of the great lost singles of the '80s, crammed with hooks, humor, angular guitars, falsetto backing vox, just a tidy little encapsulation of what New Wave was all about in under three minutes.

"One Good Reason" cracked the New Zealand Top 40, but didn't do much anywhere else. That would change with Swingers' next single, the equally infectious "Counting The Beat". "Beat" took off like a rocket, hitting number one in Australia and helping the band get a gig in the movie "Starstruck", which apparently is some sort of cult hit, though I've never seen it. Here's a clip from the flick of Swingers performing "One Good Reason" - pay attention to the jerky, quirky New Wave choreography:

And while we're at it, here's the video for "Counting the Beat" that got a bit of MTV play in '82:

An American compilation called "Counting the Beat" was released that same year - it consisted of Swingers' sole LP, "Practical Jokers" with "One Good Reason" added. Unfortunately, the band was unable to translate their Australian/NZ success to these shores, or replicate it down under, either, so they split up soon after. Judd went on to score movies and record solo works, while bass player Dwayne "Bones" Hillman joined a little band called Midnight Oil that made a fair amount of noise.

What they left was a decent album with two fantastic singles that sound as immediate and fresh today as they did in '80 and '82. Some smart hipster band with asymmetrical haircuts and a Misshapes pedigree could totally rip them off and hit big today. Please credit Lost in the '80s when doing so, thanks.

"One Good Reason" did not chart.
"Counting The Beat" peaked #45 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart in 1982.

"Counting The Beat" was reissued on CD in 1997, but is a bit pricey on Amazon...you can find it much cheaper on eBay.

"what if i forget / and reach for you / will i dream about you?"

2009-06-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

Pop's road is littered with the remains of artists who unsuccessfully attempted the transition from "quirky" and "fun" to "mature" - Toni Basil, Altered Images, and sadly, one of the most talented performers of the '80s, Cyndi Lauper.

After two huge albums, a hefty number of Top Ten singles, and countless videos co-starring her manager/boyfriend, her mom and wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano, Lauper tried to jettison most of her image idiosyncrasies with her third album, A Night To Remember. Gone were the Rock & Wrestling connection, the extreme wardrobe and vocal hiccups and yelps, replaced by a sleek, almost 1940's movie queen look and a more traditional, straight-ahead vocal approach that did not suffer any loss in quality.

And it worked - at first. Night's first single, the Steinberg/Kelly composition "I Drove All Night" hit the Top Ten, complete with a stylish video showcasing the new, streamlined Lauper. So, it seemed the follow-up, "My First Night Without You" would be a slam-dunk to continue the streak, seeing as it was also written by Steinberg/Kelly (along with Lauper). It was even melodically familiar, ripping off the beginning of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" (made famous by the Pointer Sisters) and even recalling "I Drove" in places. But, for whatever reason, "My First Night" stalled in the low 60s, a chart derailing from which Lauper would never recover.

Is that fair? Take another listen to "My First Night"...it's a heartrending affair, dancing dangerously close to the shmaltz line until you get to the middle eight and the lines:

Will I be able to sleep?
Will I lie in my bed and weep?
What if i forget
And reach for you
Will i dream about you?

It's a genius lyric that has the protagonist in total dread that the relationship is truly over and then there's the brutal realization that the bed is going to be a lot colder and emptier for the first time in memory. Excuse me, I need a tissue. No, I'm fine, it's just my contacts. Leave me alone.

Lauper would not release another album until 1993's Hat Full of Stars which basically died on arrival. She's made a comeback of sorts as a grand dame of divas, but has yet to regain her rightful chart crown as such. Her sheer talent and likeability keeps people rooting for her, though, myself included.

"My First Night Without You" peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989.

Get Cyndi Lauper music at Amazon or on

Special thanks to John Beck for the inspiration and materials!

"stilletto heels and split skirt, you're a dream / but when you lock that bedroom door, I scream"

2009-06-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

One of the more out of left field musical directions pop took in the early '80s was, of all things, a rockabilly revival, most notably led by the Stray Cats. As distinctly American as this sound was, the Cats had to go overseas to the U.K. to get noticed, then broke thru in the States a couple of years later. This little sub-genre had a few more players, including the Polecats and my favorite, Roman Holliday (two L's, please).

Roman Holliday set themselves apart from the rest of the rockabilly revivalists by incorporating more swing elements in their music, complete with a horn section, a move later adopted by the Stray Cats' Brian Setzer who would make a boatload of cash. Roman Holliday weren't so lucky - such is the peril of being ahead of the behind times (see, cuz they were a nostalgia-based act and...oh, never mind).

The band's first single, "Stand By", got a little chart action and a lot of MTV play, thanks to a cute on the outside video that I didn't really get at my younger age, until an older sister explained to me that our hero, lead singer Steve Lambert, was losing his virginity to a HO-WAHR (say it in a Gina Gershon in "Showgirls" voice):

Roman Holliday's second single kept up the swingin' sound - "Don't Try To Stop It" was a fun little number with another cute video to match, but didn't cause much of a stir:

Faced with a middling reaction to their debut, someone in the Roman Holliday camp lost their goddamn mind, since their second full-length album had the group dump their single unique selling point, the swing throwback sound, and instead embraced the most generic '80s pop/rock schlock possible. The lead-off single was even written by "Mutt" Lange, aka Mr. Shania Twain, for goodness sakes. Gaze upon the horror that is "One Foot Back In Your Door" and weep for Roman Holliday:

Yeah, they broke up after that. Sad, really. But somewhere the JoBoxers, Polecats and Stray Cats of the world secretly smiled. BONUS TRIVIA! Roman Holliday's original lead singer was actually Peter Noone, formerly of Herman's Hermits, but he left before they recorded anything. See? Not every decision the band made was bad!

"Stand By" peaked at #54 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1983.
"Don't Try To Stop It" peaked at #68 on the same chart that same year.
"One Foot Back In Your Door" peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. Yeah, seriously.

Roman Holliday's debut album is in print as a pricey Japanese import at Amazon.

Lost Cars Month - The Cars Door To Door

2009-06-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Cars were in a peculiar position in 1987. After the huge success of Heartbeat City and some lesser success with various solo outlets, the band regrouped to work on a new album. Judging from the results, one could assume the band was torn between going back to basics or just throwing in the towel to give the people what they wanted, or assumed, from a Cars album. Door To Door is a strange beast - the first single, "You Are The Girl", was a shameless rewrite of "Tonight She Comes", a big hit from the Greatest Hits album that had some out a year prior, just slowed down a tad with some new lyrics slapped on. Not exactly a creative pinnacle.

In a complete turnaround, the second single, "Strap Me In", was a breath of fresh air, as the group shook off all the slick Mutt Lange/Roy Thomas Baker sheen they'd been shellacked in for years and delivered one of their rawer, rockier tracks, reminiscent of the Panorama era. The lyrical theme has changed somewhat - instead of Ric Wanting What He Can't Have, we now have songs about not only having it, but possibly regretting it, or settling in for the ride. Naturally, something as less slick and intriguing as "Strap Me In" tanked. After all, who wants to hear someone complain about being married to a supermodel?

Elektra wasn't about to give up on one of their biggest cash cows, however, picking the most Soft Rock/Adult Contemporary song in the entire Cars oveure as Door's third single. "Coming Up You" is almost sickly sweet, full of tinkly keyboards, shmoopy lyrics and, since he sang on their biggest ballad "Drive", Ben Orr vocals. Having said all that, I actually kinda like it and feel it should have been a much bigger hit than its paltry chart ranking reflects. I'm sure Elektra felt the same way.

But contrast it with "Strap Me In" or the album's title track, which is absolutely the thrashiest, punkiest song The Cars ever put to vinyl, and it's obvious Ric was having a serious identity crisis. Which Cars did he want to give us? The new, super-shiny plastic pop hits Cars or the New Wave/Suicide-influenced Cars of old? And what direction could The Cars go next?

Sadly, we'll never know. The Cars broke up just as "Coming Up You" was struggling up the charts, creating sort of a nice bookend for the New Wave era of the '80s.

"Strap Me In" peaked at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Charts in 1987.
"Coming Up You" peaked at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.
"Door To Door" was not a single.

Lost Cars Week - Benjamin Orr The Lace

2009-06-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

So of all the Cars solo projects (I haven't forgotten Greg Hawkes' 1983 effort - but it's mostly instrumental), whose do you think was the most successful? You'd think the main vocalist and songwriter, Ric Ocasek's, right?

Wellllll...yeah. While Ric's first stab at non-Cars success stumbled out of the gate, his second solo release, 1986's This Side of Paradise scored a #15 hit with "Emotion In Motion". But that same year, Benjamin Orr, Cars bassist and other vocalist (he sang "Drive" and "Just What I Needed" among others, 'membz?) released his first solo album, The Lace, and scored a sizeable ballad-y hit of his own with "Stay The Night".

Surprisingly, The Lace isn't half bad - it's very much a product of its time, a showcase of mid-80s radio-friendly rock in the vein of your Mister Misters, et al. I'm a particular fan of the second single, the very Cars-like "Too Hot To Stop", complete with appearances in the video from Hawkes and Cars drummer David Robinson. While not in the video, Cars guitarist Elliot Easton played on the album. There's just one thing missing...

That's right, no Ric. But hey, plenty of hot chicks with extremely feathered hair in flowing robes! And Ben's "dancing" shows why The Cars tended to stand still in place during live shows. Yikes.

Sadly, Orr died of pancreatic cancer in late 2000, effectively ending any chance for a full-fledged Cars reunion. But the band did come together once more after this solo effort to record their final album...which we'll look at next time.

"Too Hot To Stop" peaked at #25 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart in 1987.

The Lace has recently been re-released - you can pick it up at Amazon.

Lost Cars Month - Elliot Easton Change No Change

2009-05-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

So, we've established that between writing every single Cars song (with rare exceptions of collaborations with keyboardist Greg Hawkes) and releasing a solo album that Ric Ocasek was very much the creative force behind the band. So who exactly was clamoring for solo projects from the other members?

Whether the public wanted them or not, every non-Ric Cars member with the exception of drummer David Robinson put out a solo disc in the 80s. And why not? The band had built up plenty of exposure and goodwill by 1985, with Heartbeat City putting them firmly at the top of the charts and on radio with five Top 40 singles from that album alone (hats off to them for getting a song as moody and dark as "Why Can't I Have You" in the Top 40 - talk about momentum). And they had to feel creatively stifled with Ocasek calling all the shots. So if opportunity presents itself, grab it, I suppose.

And if you get the chance to work with a songwriter like Jules Shear, dear God, you better grab it, especially if your only previous claim to fame was squiggly, brilliant guitar solos like Elliot Easton's. Easton teamed with Shear to write 1985's, Change No Change, and it was a mixed bag of barely there song sketches and momentary power pop brilliance. Por ejemplo...

First single "(Wearing Down) Like A Wheel" starts off promisingly enough, but then someone forgot to put a chorus in there. Whoopsie. Not the best foot to put forward to get people interested in your album.

Especially when you have much superior songs like "Shayla" hanging around. Here Jules' songwriting contribution really shines through, while Elliot puts on his best Elvis Costello mask. Why this wasn't the first single is one of those questions we'll have to ponder. But it wasn't, so Change No Change had its brief moment in the sun, then faded from view. Easton and Shear worked together later that decade in the power pop combo Reckless Sleepers, who put out an unjustly ignored album in 1988.

And of course, there was always that day job with The Cars to fall back on...or pervert the memory of...

"(Wearing Down) Like A Wheel" peaked at #36 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart in 1985.
"Shayla" did not chart.

Change No Change is recently back in print - you can pick it up at Amazon or on

Lost Cars Week - Ric Ocasek Beatitude

2009-05-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

After relative public indifference towards Panorama's experimentation (while the album peaked at a respectable #5, it failed to chart a single any higher than #37), The Cars regrouped and retreated back to fizzy New Wave pop with 1981's Shake It Up, arguably the most calculated and least essential Cars album (yes, I'm counting Heartbeat City and Door To Door in making those pronouncements). For every crowning achievement like "Since You're Gone" or "Cruiser", there were kiss-ass concessions to Top 40 radio (title track, anyone?) and just plain filler ("Maybe Baby"). Be honest - when was the last time you put this CD on? Do you even own it on CD? However, with the success of the title track, The Cars were back on the hit racetrack.

Which made the brave, experimental nature of Ric Ocasek's first solo album, 1982's Beatitude all the more surprising. Since he wrote all The Cars' songs, it would have been quite easy for Ocasek to keep in that creative vein, crank out a few more radio-friendly hits and bank all the proceeds for himself. Thankfully, this was not the path trodden.

Wellllll, except for that lead-off single. Alright, you got me. "Something to Grab For" is basically Cars-by-numbers (yes, Ric wants again wants something he can't have!), save for the stop/start beat of the chorus, vaguely reminiscent of Panorama's "Touch & Go". Unfortunately, it fared just about as well on the charts as that ill-fated single, despite a moody video played to death by MTV.

Two more singles were released to try to shore up the project - "Jimmy Jimmy" was a departure, since it focused on someone other than the narrator (!), in this case the boredom of disaffected Reagan-era teens, with the line "Nobody's gettin' off" summing it all up. The electro-pulse of the track is quite different than the Cars sound, emphasizing the dancier aspects of the song.

The third single, "Prove" sank without a trace, save for some dance chart action, but don't feel too badly. Ric ramped up The Cars yet again and produced one of the most successful rock albums of the 80s, Heartbeat City. But the solo thing appealed to other band members, too...as we'll see tomorrow.

"Something To Grab For" peaked at #47 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1983.
"Jimmy Jimmy" peaked at #25 on the Mainstream Rock Chart and at #60 on the Club Play Chart in the same year.

Beatitude is out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon and other Ric Ocasek tunes on

Lost Cars Month - Panorama

2009-05-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

While this shambles its way across the country, embarrassing itself in half-empty sheds nationwide (as Molly Shannon's Marcy Darcy would say, "Don't even get me started!"), what better time to devote a week to the real Cars, the New Wave darlings who didn't necessarily want to be New Wave. This week, we'll focus on the band's lost gems, alongside some lost solo projects along the way.

Why not begin with my favorite Cars album, Panorama? The Cars' third album was their most challenging, mostly jettisoning the band's trademark happy skip/shuffle Crickets bounce and peppy melodies for a darker, more aggressive tone. Gone were the handclaps and shiny background singalongs, replaced by David Robinson's increasingly synth-aided drums (by Heartbeat City he'd be drummer in name only) and Greg Hawkes' menacing keyboards while Elliot Easton's always-innovative guitar solos and Ric Ocasek's Iggy Pop meets Buddy Holly vocal theatrics stayed pretty much the same, with a few minor tweaks.

Ocasek's lyrics for the Cars can mostly be pared down to a one sentence logline - Ric wants something he can't have, whether it's affection, a girl, acceptance, etc. I mean, just look at some of the opening lines on most of the songs on Panorama:

I'm gonna get what's comin' to me
All I need is what you got
I wanna shake like Liguardia
It's my party, you can come(well, consider the song's title, "Don't Tell Me No")
Do you have to be so hard to get?

Ric definitely stuck to a theme with the Cars - that would change after this album. But we're getting ahead of ourselves...

Panorama's first single, "Touch & Go" was a perfect summation of this theme, but its start/stop faux reggae beat prevented it from reaching any higher on the charts than a puny #37. Two follow-up singles, "Don't Tell Me No" and "Gimmie Some Slack" failed to chart. But the album's true teasures are its bookends, the fantastic opening title track and the album's closer, "Up And Down".

"Up And Down" is one of those shoulda-been tracks that had the potential to be an AOR monster, alongside "Moving In Stereo" and "Bye Bye Love". But alas, it was not meant to be, as Panorama eventually faltered, leaving the Cars shaken up (har), wondering what the next move would be.

But first, Ocasek had a few things to get off his chest. We'll deal with that next Monday.

"Panorama" and "Up And Down" were not released as singles.

Get Cars music at Amazon or on

"llvin' on free food tickets / water in the milk from a hole in the roof where the rain came thru"

2009-05-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

Did someone mention Paul Young?

Oh yeah, I did.

Paul Young was one of the new crop of British blue-eyed soul acts that sprouted up like crabgrass in the early-to-mid 80s, like Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, Alison Moyet (post-Yaz), and yes, Climie/Fisher. While Young had a fairly high profile at the beginning of his career in the UK, thanks to his association with his second band, The Q-Tips, he had a tougher road making waves in the States. His first US single, the Marvin Gaye remake "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)", sputtered upon release, just breaking into the lower depths of the Hot 100 (it fared considerably better in the UK, hitting #1).

Ah, but the follow-up, "Come Back and Stay" fared considerably better, breaking into the Top 40 and establishing a Young foothold in the US. The song is a classic, but it's really about two things - the fretless bassline and the weird, Tourette's-ish backing vocals of Young's back-up singers, The Fabulously Wealthy Tarts. Paul's nearly a footnote in his own song.

A similar issue cropped up on No Parlez's third Stateside single, "Love Of The Common People", a song made famous here by a few country artists, including Lynn Anderson and Waylon Jennings. You've got the Tarts yelping "Ah ay yiiii yiii!", sleigh bells, vibes and oh yeah, Paul singing. Best part - in the second verse when Paul sings:

It's a good thing you don't have bus fare
it could fall thru a hole in your pocket
and you lose it in the snow on the ground

...the Tarts robotically intone "a good thinnnng...OUCH" in the background. Wha, huh, wha? The 12" mix is even crazier. (And since this is now officially the season for giving, here's the rare 12" mix of "Come Back And Stay" that was on the B-side.) No Parlez also featured a blue-eyed soul version of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" which isn't nearly as vomit-worthy as it sounds like it would be.

"Common People" fizzled out in the low 50s of the charts, and No Parlez soon followed. But a short year later, Young would find major success the second time around, thanks to an obscure Hall & Oates album track and yes, by dumping the Tarts.

But I still liked 'em. OUUUUCH.

"Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" peaked at #70 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1983.
"Come Back And Stay" peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
"Love Of The Common People" peaked at #45 on the same chart that year.

Get Paul Young music at Amazon or on

Frankly, I'm As Stumped As Heather

2009-04-27T16:10:00.000-07:00

Was marrying Heather Mills the most embarassing thing Paul McCartney ever did?

Unfortunately, no.

And this didn't help matters any:

So, is that the most cringe-inducing "Wacky Celebrity Cameo" video ever? Or is it the Paul Simon one with Steve Martin and repeat offender Chevy imitating MC Hammer?

"Spies Like Us" peaked at #7 (ye Gods!) on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.
Chevy Chase recently played a batshit crazy screaming Jew-hater on "Law & Order".
Dan Aykroyd married beyond his station then got bloated.

"twisting the bones until they snap / i scream but no one knows"

2009-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Fiction Factory is one of those bands whom I've always read about since they came and went in the early '80s, but never actually heard until a few years ago. You know how certain bands just don't interest you for whatever irrational reason, be it their name, appearance, whatever? For some reason Fiction Factory just fell into this category for me, and honestly, I couldn't tell you why. Total Blind Spot Band for me.

My loss, since their one significant single, "Feels Like Heaven", is an absolute (retroactive) classic. Evocative of Depeche Mode with a bit of Heaven 17 while sounding somewhat unique, thanks to some real piano, "...Heaven" is a deceptively simple song that reveals its complexity with repeated listens. For example, it sure seems like a love song, until you dig deeper:

See how we planned for saddened eyes
And tears to pave the way
I fought the fever as I knew
My hair it turned to grey

Study your face and fade the frame
Too close for comfort now
We can recall the harmony
That lingered but turned sour

Feels like heaven

...and you realize this dude is ecstatic because he's finally leaving a drama queen bee-yotch that he can barely stand to be near. Neato!

Unfortunately, Fiction Factory had trouble following up this non-hit-in-the-first-place single. Another album, then pffft. Their debut, "Throw The Warped Wheel Out", is still in print however, albeit as an import, and that's pretty darn impressive for an album released in 1984 that never charted.

And am I the only one who sort of hears "Feels Like Heaven" every time I hear follow one-hit wonders When In Rome's "The Promise"? Hmm. Feels like plagiarism.

"Feels Like Heaven" did not chart.

Get Fiction Factory music at Amazon.

When New Wave Happens To Old Artists - Stevie Nicks

2009-04-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

Can't do one without doing the other, I suppose.

After seeing massive success with her debut solo album, "Belladonna", Stevie Nicks settled into more regular pattern of releasing solo works between Fleetwood Mac ~~cash grabs~~ reunions, delving into a bit of synth-y New Wave with her second solo album, 1983's "The Wild Heart". You probably heard the story about its first single, Top 5 hit "Stand Back" - "that's Prince playing keyboards!" Well, not really. Prince reportedly played on the demo version of the song and gets a co-writing credit, but keyboardist Sandy Stewart actually did the synth duties on the finished product. And the video is significant because it was the only time Stevie ever used a treadmill:

Yes, Lost in the '80s - home of the cheap shot.

Stewart also co-wrote "The Wild Heart's" second single, "If Anyone Falls", which was even more synth-drenched. "If Anyone Falls" is a pleasant enough tune, but those opening lyrics still crack me up:

"I hear a voice in the room next to mine
Feels good, sounds good
Closes the door from behind
And another voice comes thru the door"

...then she goes on to talk about her lover. Um, who were the other two people in the room next to hers? Her lover and a mistress? And the voice closes the door? Impressive. Huh? Coke paranoia says what?

Don't blink or you'll miss Mick Fleetwood...

Speaking of Bolivian nose candy, boy oh boy howdy, was Mizz Nicks snortin' it up by the 'dozer-full back in those days. Ever hear the urban legend about the origin of the Stevie Nicks Booty Bump? It's really not worksafe. Let's just say it involves snorting coke without using your nose, but with a straw and another orifice. If you'd like me to share further, ask me in the comments. But anyhooze, the point being is that Miz Nicks was getting progressively more and more snowblind, so outside writers were brought in, more synths were stacked up and the result was "Rock a Little". Love the title - rock a little, not a whole lot, 'k?

First single "Talk To Me" was pretty typical Nicks fare and resulted in another big Top 5 hit. The follow-up, "I Can't Wait" is quite interesting, though. Take a listen and forget it's by Stevie Nicks for a sec - get to about the thirty second mark and tell me that doesn't sound exactly like New Order at the time. The synth-bass, the sampled orchestral stings...a definite influence, and not one people would immediately associate with the Welsh Witch.

And as for the video, I have two words for you: Stairs Choreography!

After a rocky "Rock A Little" tour, marred by the ravages of coke on Nicks' voice and figure, Stevie retreated for a bit to rejoin the Mac for a couple more albums, with two disjointed and relatively ignored solo albums before finally cleaning up her act and joining the classic Mac line-up for the huge "The Dance" comeback album and tour. Since then, Stevie continues to work with Fleetwood Mac while putting out solo work in the downtime. And Nicks hasn't left the New Wave/Dance influences entirely behind her, as her #1 Dance Club Hit from 2001, "Planets of the Universe" can attest.

Oh, and uh, wow.

"If Anyone Falls" peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983.
"I Can't Wait" peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.

Get Stevie Nicks music at Amazon or on

When New Wave Happens To Old Artists - Lindsey Buckingham

2009-04-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

An alarm clock rings starting from the right speaker, crossing over to the left, then back and forth. A chorus of Lindseys intones "I want you" in a robotic monotone while high pitched squeals dance in the background, as if someone is trying to tune in a radio station that isn't quite there. This continues for about forty seconds, until a happy synth riff begins, signaling a shift in tone for the song and Lindsey Buckingham's career.

The song is "I Want You" and the album is 1984's "Go Insane," Buckingham's second solo album and his first to fully embrace the drum machines, synthesizers and vocal effects that made up New Wave.

Oh, and he plays some guitar on it, too.

Big Love = Big Hair

Recorded during one of Buckingham's periodic dissastifaction with Fleetwood Mac, "Go Insane" scored a Top 40 hit with its title track. The album works as a sort of loose concept detailing the disintegration of Lindsey's relationship with his girlfriend at the time, with "I Must Go" breaking down the reasons why:

I've been trying just to get to you
Hey little girl, leave the little drug alone
I just can't seem to get thru
Hey little girl, leave the little drug alone...

...and this is why I must go

"Side one" of the album is brilliant, with four killer potential singles in a row, including second single "Slow Dancing", a strange little funk number that got some MTV video play, but failed to chart in the Hot 100. I guess we weren't ready for gothic funk yet.

While "Go Insane" did well sales-wise, Buckingham eventually retreated back to the Mac for another go 'round with 1987's "Tango In The Night", whose first single, "Big Love" sounded suspiciously like a "Go Insane" outtake (it was pure Lindsey, who played every instrument and did every vocal, including the sped-up "uh ah" grunts and moans at the end). By the time Buckingham got around to another solo album, 1992's "Out Of The Cradle", the New Wave-isms were gone, but not the great songcraft.

Score: Lindsay, 1, New Wave, 0.

"Slow Dancing" peaked at #108 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Singles Chart in 1984.
"I Want You" and "I Must Go" were not released as singles.

Get Lindsay Buckingham music at Amazon or on

"when i first saw you / i had a feeling right from the start / in love i was falling"

2009-03-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, where were we? Oh, that's right, we were talking about xylophones.

The Romantics were a power pop group that had a brief flirtation with the Top 50 in 1980 with a song called "What I Like About You". Drummer/singer Jimmy Marinos handled the vocal duties, belting out a rave-up that had its finger on the pulse of guitar-based New Wave of the time. Unfortunately, the song stalled at #49 and was never heard again.

You wish. Unless you're in a frat or a sorority.

So yeah, you know the deal - song flops upon initial release only to find new life years later via commercials and licensing blah blah.

However, The Romantics had another big (actual charted) hit with their fourth(!) album, "In Heat". The vocal duties for the Top 3 hit "Talking In Your Sleep" were handled by guitarist/singer Wally Palmar, no big deal, right? I mean, a band with a drummer as a frontman never gets very far (shut up, Genesis fans. I'm looking at you, Jellyfish!). The problem is that dear Wally had a bit of a - how to put this politely? - faggy lisp (I'm allowed to say that). So, the chorus ended up sounding like:

I hear the thecreths that you keep
When you're talkin' in your thleep

Why not just let Jimmy sing everything? What's that? You kicked him out of the band? Oh, dear.

That's right, management squabbles led to Jimmy's exit from the band shortly after "In Heat's" breakthrough to the charts. Nothing ruins a band like success, no? Luckily, The Romanticths had already filmed the video for "Talking In Your Thleep's" follow-up thingle, "One In A Million". While not setting the charts on fire like the first single, "Million" is a great little pop tune, the kind you really don't hear anymore. And what's that in the instrumental break? A xylophone solo? Nah, steel drums. But close!

The band tholdiered on for a fifth album, 1985's "Rhythm Romance", and I'll be darned if its first thingle wasn't a complete rewrite of "One In A Million" with a bit of the '60s classic "Black Is Black" thrown in for good measure. "Test of Time" had a saving grace, however...you guessed it, xylophone! Xylophone is the new cowbell, y'all. And yes, poor Wally ends up thinging "Tetht of Time".

Look, it didn't do well, okay? Lesson learned - your drummer may be a rooster-haired, skin-pounding meathead lacking any vocal subtlety, but geez, let the wookie sing.

(And not for nothing, but The Romantics Greatest Hits album has the WORST cover art imaginable. I'd sue.)

"One In A Million" peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
"Test of Time" peaked at #71 on the same chart in 1985.

Buy Romantics music at Amazon or on

.

"it's spinning me round & round & round / high frequency pulses of electronic sound"

2009-03-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

One of the more (only?) popular New Wave acts from the Home of Rock & Roll in the early 80s (I'm excluding Akron) was Exotic Birds, formed by three students at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1983. The line up evolved over the years, but one constant was singer/songwriter/percussionist Andrew Kubiszewski. The Birds’ music was right in touch with the times, very much in the early Depeche Mode/Erasure style, with one unique difference – Kubiszewski’s ever-present xylophone.

Thaaaaat’s right, Andy could shred the xylophone. I’m not being glib here. During the Birds’ live shows, Kubiszewski would stand behind a xylophone, playing his intricate, lightning fast melody lines while singing, never hitting a bum note. For most bands, this would cross over into pure gimmickry, but Exotic Birds had strong songs so the xylophone was never the musical focus, just another layer.

After a single, an EP and a reshuffled line up later, Exotic Birds released a second EP, “L’Oiseau”, in 1986. Joining the band for this EP was a local keyboardist and part-time music store employee who had been bouncing around several minor cover bands and original projects in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. His name? Trent Reznor. Here's Trent and the Birds talking about being part of this newfangled wave of "computer musicians" along with Thomas Dolby on Live on 5 in 1985. Clevelanders will note the cameo by über-Stepford anchor Wilma Smith, whose chemically and surgically preserved face has not changed one iota in the passing 21 years:

”Dancing On The Airwaves” was “L’Oiseau’s” leadoff single, continuing a tradition of Birds’ songs with “dance” or “dancing” in the title (I can name three off the top of my head – hey, it was a theme). “Airwaves” was the first Birds single to cross over onto Cleveland Top 40 and AOR radio, getting some minor airplay. But it seemed that whenever the Birds seemed ready to break through on a national level (MTV had briefly added a video for “No Communication” off the first EP), the band would retreat, take a few years off, retool, then return. That was the case here as well, as “L’Oiseau” would be the band’s last release until 1989.

Reznor had left the band at this point to concentrate on his own project, a little thing that a short year later would become Nine Inch Nails, but he still contributed some keyboards and programming to the Birds’ actual first full-length album, “Equilibrium”. Some of the Reznor sound comes thru when listening to the album’s single, “Imagination”. The off-kilter beat and a bit of the synth guitar squall effects would resurface soon after on NIN’s debut single, “Down In It”, and boy, doesn't that little spoken-word bridge sound familiar?

The Birds were a little derided by the then-hipster groupthink around Cleveland because of their accessible dance sound and fearlessly mainstream ambitions. Well, poo on them. I loved the Birds and spent quite a few bucks going to see them play at the Phantasy Theater and Spanky's in happening North Ridgeville, Ohio. Besides, the band's alumni went on to become one of the most influencial alternative/industrial bands of the '90s (Trent and NIN) and drum for bands like Prick and Stabbing Westward (Andy - he even wrote Stabbing Westward's big alterna-hit "What Do I Have To Do"). Everything's incremental.

Here's a link to an Exotic Birds website that hasn't been updated in a while, and as a bonus, here's the first Exotic Birds video, "No Communication", from 1983. This is the one that got added to MTV's playlist and earned the Birds some local bragging rights:

"Equilibrium" is long out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon.

"Dancing On The Airwaves" and "Imagination" did not chart.

"did you ever wake up in the middle of a dream / and scream out loud?"

2009-03-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't have to tell you Pete Shelley was in one of the most important punk bands ever, The Buzzcocks, should I? Of course not, you knew that. You also knew that as the Buzzcocks soldiered on, they evolved into a more "post-punk" sound, combining their claustrophobic noise with pure pop hooks. I'm sure you're also aware that when Pete left the Buzzcocks, he went into full-tilt synth-pop, creating classic, historically important singles such as "Homosapien" and "Telephone Operator".

But did you know about his third solo album, an even more mature and synth-melded piece of work created with über-synth producer Stephen Hague called "Heaven and the Sea"? And that it spawned his one and only charting single in America, the tense and desolate "On Your Own"? And did you know that this CD is extremely hard to find and goes for big bucks when you can find it?

Of course you did. You're so smart.

"On Your Own" peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart in 1986.

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"past money and colours / make believe / good cheap values / for a thrifty clown"

2009-03-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

While it was INXS’s third album, “Shabooh Shoobah” was the first to be released in the States, and their worldwide breakthrough, thanks to the single “The One Thing”. But it was the album’s third single that was my favorite – “To Look At You”.

Hutchence is in full Bryan Ferry mode here, slinking around the verses, crooning and mumbling lines like:

What is the name to call
For a different kind of girl
Who knows the feelings
But never the words

I’ve listened to this song for more than two decades, but until I typed that out just now, I never realized this girl who can’t describe her feelings (“Happy? Sad? Bloated?”) might be borderline slow. But then you get to the final chorus:

What is the name to call
For a different kind of girl
Who knows the feelings
But never the words
To this . . . real life documentary

“Real life documentary”?? As opposed to a fake mockumentary? Oh, Michael. Maybe she’s not the slow one. Good song, though.

From there, some territories got “Spy Of Love” as a fourth single, which I never understood. Not a bad song, just the very definition of “album track” to me. Me, I was more about “Jan’s Song” – I love the faux reggae beat, the overall bouncy nature of the song and the weird lyrics about…what? A hot political activist? A socialist fashionista (“she puts her hat on / looks in the mirror / says to herself / ‘nothing to fear’”)? Here’s the band performing the song live on what’s billed as their “U.S. television debut” (I have no supporting documentation for that, so we’ll have to trust the person who uploaded it):

"Shabooh Shoobah" is a strong album, an early 80s classic that needs re-issuing, along with "The Swing" and "Listen Like Thieves" while you're at it, Rhino, thankyouveddymuch. ~~And hey, throw on that U.S. promo only extended version of "To Look At You" that I can't find anywhere, cool?~~ (Ask and ye shall receive.) And a poster-sized foldout of the original inner sleeve?

Grrrrowwwwwlllll.

Of course, you know the INXS story ended in tragedy. That’s right, they went on a reality show to choose their new lead singer. Oh yeah, and Hutchence hung himself. Buuuuut seriously folks, this ain’t the last time we’ll see INXS around these parts. Stay tuned.

"To Look At You" did not chart.
"Jan's Song" was not a single.

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"supersonic motivating rhymes are creating / and everybody knows that J.J. Fad is devasting"

2009-03-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Why? Because I can.

Besides, how can you hate on J.J. Fad (Just Jammin' Fresh And Def)? They're aDORable. The first female rap group to be nominated for a Grammy, even. And can you believe they were produced by N.W.A.'s Dr. Dre (yes, that Dre - forgot about him, did you?), Eazy E and DJ Yella? Dre had a soft spot for fluff, also producing Michel'le ("No More Lies!" - your nose is growin', Pinnocho!) during this period.

"Supersonic" is total fun, a pioneering single in what I call "big booty bass babygirl rap", a tradition carried on today by groups like Fannypack and the über-raunchy Gravy Train!!!!("four exclamation points, hooker").

The follow-up, "Way Out", is more of the same, and isn't the hook stolen from an old Jetsons' cartoon?

I want to hear this pumpin' from every car and iPod earbud this weekend, people. And can anyone do the really fast part from memory besides my buddy Roy?

"Supersonic" peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100, #22 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart and at #10 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart in 1988.
"Way Out" peaked at #61 on the Hot 100 and at #51 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart in 1988.

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"did your mother ever tell you / that the joyful are free?"

2009-02-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

Bowie hearts Iggy.

This we already know. David Bowie’s musical life was changed when he first heard the Stooges perform in the early ‘70s and entered into a long friendship with Mr. Osterberg, a/k/a Iggy Pop. A few years and failed albums later, Bowie tracked the struggling, newly sober Pop down in a sanitarium, er, “hospital”, and convinced him to begin a solo career after the Stooges’ implosion. The happy couple relocated to Berlin and recorded some of the most important albums in rock (and New Wave) history; Bowie’s “Low”, “Heroes” and “Lodger” and Iggy’s “The Idiot” and “Lust for Life”. After that, Iggy went his own way and lost the plot. Ever seen the movie “Velvet Goldmine”? It was sorta like that, but not really.

As Iggy floundered in the early 80s, Bowie, well…you know. “Let’s Dance” was humungous, if safe, and Dave also had a huge hit with “China Girl”, a song co-written and originally recorded by…Iggy Pop. Bowie wanted Iggy to have some royalty money, so the story goes, so David recorded the song as sort of a favor. When it became a Top Ten hit, Bowie threw the money on his already teetering pile and moved on, while Iggy probably paid his rent by its due date for the first time.

Bowie was flush with cash and he wanted to help his old mate out. So together, Bowie and Pop collaborated on what was meant to be Iggy’s big Top 40 breakthrough album, Blah Blah Blah. The idea was to create an accessible album that would finally let Iggy live comfortably, and since Bowie was at his highest commercial apex since the Ziggy days, he was the man to do it.

“Cry for Love” was the first single and was so bland, AOR-by-numbers and inconsequential, I’m not even going to bother posting or discussing it. Bleh. Moving on. Trust me here.

The second single was a remake of “Real Wild Child (Wild One)”, a song first made famous by Jerry Lee Lewis. You know this one, since it’s been used in so many commercials years after its release, but at the time, it failed to chart. MTV played it a bit here and there, but it wasn’t anywhere near a hit. Strike two for Blah Blah Blah.

The albums’ third attempt is the real reason I’m writing this post – I absolutely adore “Isolation”, because it’s the most pure sounding Bowie/Pop collaboration on this set. The production is a bit dated, but Iggy’s delivery is impassioned and the Bowie backing vocals give the affair a real Sixties/Righteous Brothers groove amid all the drum machines and synths (Bowie is not credited with backing vox on the insert, but just listen and you tell me). And the “I need some lovin’/like a fastball needs control” metaphor is hysterical. Just a great track all around.

Another favorite, if a little too long, is “Shades”, another ballad a la Iggy. This was another of the few new Bowie/Pop co-written efforts, and featured a spirited “Woo hoo!” backing hook that makes me smile each time I hear it. If Blah Blah Blah had sounded more like these two tracks, it may be a little more fondly remembered than it is.

As it stands, Iggy’s true commercial breakthrough finally happened four years later, when “Candy”, a duet with the B-52s’ Kate Pierson, hit the Top 20. A few years later, “Lust For Life” was first used in the soundtrack for the movie Trainspotting, then began popping up in commercials for banks and cruise lines (not bad for a song about kicking junk). Then, “Real Wild Child” got its day in the commercial sun, as it also made the advertising soundtrack rounds.

I imagine Iggy has no problem paying his rent/mortgage these days, and the man deserves that.

”Isolation” did not chart. “Shades” was an album track.

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"no, no, no, no, no, no / i don't want you to go / no, no, no, no, no / i don't want to lose your love"

2009-02-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

Now, I realize it may seem that way, but I don’t mean to be hating on Blancmange. In fact, I’m pretty much a fan. Just not of that remake. How about I prove it with some Blancmange love?

”Lose Your Love” was from the synthpop duo’s final album, Believe You Me, and if memory serves me, it was their first for Sire Records. I get the feeling Sire had big plans for the twosome, who had spent the previous few years garnering some MTV play and underground dance hits with their instantly catchy melodies paired with some seriously histrionic vocals (“Blind Vision” anyone?). But with this album, Neil Arthur toned down the yelps and hysteria and we got a more polished vocal delivery, perhaps in preparation for mainstream success in the States, while instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe abandoned much of the third world flourishes that adorned previous releases for a more straight-ahead synthpop sound not unlike another keyboard based duo, Erasure. Basically, Believe You Me smoothed off any edges that made Blancmange, well, Blancmange. It flopped.

That doesn’t stop “Lose Your Love” from being undeniably catchy, if not a bit repetitive near the end. But if you think your patience is being taxed near the end of the four minute song, try the 12” mix, clocking in over 10 minutes. That’s right…ten minutes. It’s a bit of an endurance test, to be sure. The video, however, is hilarious, recalling the Art of Noise’s “Close (To The Edit)” (was it by the same director, Zbignew Rabzinski (sp)?):

The duo tried to salvage Believe with a second single, ”What’s Your Problem”, which ended up sounding like an Erasure outtake. I’m not sure why Sire wanted two Erasures on their label at the same time, or if Blancmange intentionally went out of their way to ape their sound, but the proof is there on wax (or digital numbers on aluminum, since Believe actually made it to CD for a brief period). Unfortunately, even with Erasure’s commercial clout during that period, it didn’t help matters any and the single and album sank. Shortly after, Blancmange called it a day.

Hmm…let’s see. I prove my love for Blancmange by posting two of their lesser singles from a final, derivative album that took away all that made them unique, all in the pursuit of a hit.

I really need to work on showing affection.

”Lose Your Love” peaked at #2 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart in 1985.
“What’s Your Problem” did not chart.

Get Blancmange music at Amazon.

When New Wave Happens To Old Artists - Alice Cooper

2009-02-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

The 80s were a weird period for Alice Cooper, and that’s saying something.

In the 70s, Alice’s musical journey had wound through catchy, extremely underrated “shock rock” like “School’s Out” and “I’m Eighteen” to borderline adult contemporary hits such as “Only Women Bleed” and “How You Gonna See Me Now”. But as the 70s waned, so did Alice’s hits. Alice’s career needed a jumpstart. So, why not rip off Gary Numan?

Huh?

That’s right – in 1980, Alice teamed with the famous Roy Thomas Baker (the producer best known for putting the New Wave chrome sheen polish on The Cars’ first three albums), ditched the horror costuming and eye make-up and became “Alice Cooper ‘80”, releasing Flush the Fashion, a full-tilt New Wave album very much in the synth-based Gary Numan vein. And it wasn’t half bad.

Now the title, Flush the Fashion, could be seen as an ironic statement, since Alice was certainly embracing current fashion, or perhaps Alice was sincere in that statement in an effort to hold on to his existing fan base, who might have blanched at such genre-hopping. He shouldn’t have bothered – that was going to happen regardless once those fans heard the first single.

“Clones (We’re All)” was written by songwriter David Carron and brought to Alice via Baker, who thought it would make a terrific single, with its menacing tale of clones taking over human society, only to discover the loneliness of being just like everyone else. Baker was right – “Clones” is an excellent song, a tight, hook-filled number with just enough guitar crunch to offset the synthesized proceedings. It also became Alice’s first hit in two years, just squeaking into the Top 40. There was even a video that ripped on Numan's fog-filled affairs (which in turn were a rip on Bowie's Thin White Duke period, but still...). The video is neat in that Alice sings a live vocal over the track, but boy, the booze made him look a little rough:

Follow-up single, “Talk Talk” was another cover, this time an updating of an old garage classic from The Music Machine. You wouldn’t know it from the Numan-isms all over Alice’s version. “Talk Talk” was another well-crafted New Wave blast, but unfortunately flopped. The Flush the Fashion album soon dropped off the charts right behind, but Alice didn’t quite give up on New Wave yet. As his alcoholism spiraled out of control, Cooper’s next three albums, Special Forces, Zipper Catches Skin and Dada grew more wildly experimental, and some would argue, unlistenable. An eventual stint in rehab followed, after which Alice retreated back to his standard horror schtick, mascara intact, hiding beneath faux-hair metal shlock like “Poison”.

Of course, he returned to the Top Ten.

Alice’s New Wave legacy was legitimized years later when The Smashing Pumpkins covered “Clones” as a b-side, doing justice to a great single.

”Clones (We’re All)" peaked at #40 on the Billboard Top 40 and at #69 on the Club Play Singles Chart in 1980.
“Talk Talk” did not chart.

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"your hands are tired / your eyes are blue / i'm keeping you right here"

2009-02-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

A quickie today:

The Go-Betweens were one of those college-rock-y bands you used to see here and there on MTV’s “120 Minutes” ten minutes before 2 a.m. The Australian band was led by songwriters Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, and released a stream of albums until they broke up in 1989, only to reform in 2000. Unfortunately, McLennan died fairly recently. Back in the 80s, I’d see a video of theirs every so often, but nothing really grabbed me until I saw “Right Here,” a cute song with an equally cute (and sometimes disturbing!) video.

Flash forward to about 15 years later – I’m digging thru some old VHS tapes, finding out which ones to toss in preparation for a move, and I find some old “120 Minutes” episodes, one featuring this video. Reminded of this great song, I purchase a then-recently remastered and re-released “Tallulah”. I listen to “Right Here” over and over again, put it on the iTunes and shelve the rest.

So, howzabout it, Go-Betweeners? Am I missing some great stuff here? What portion of this album or the rest of their work should I explore next?

EDIT: I hate hitting "Publish Post", then suddenly remembering stuff - I forgot that one of my favorite bands, Ivy, covered the Go-Betweens' "Streets Of Your Town", a song I love. Sigh. I need to break this album out this weekend, don't I?

”Right Here” did not chart.

Get Go-Betweens music at Amazon or on

"there's not, I think, a single episode of 'Dallas' that I didn't see"

2009-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

It was tough growing up in the late 70s/early 80s as an ABBA fan in America.

Y’see, while the Swede popsters were next to the Beatles and Elvis in pop chart dominance worldwide, in the States they were relegated to the occasional Top 10 or Top 40 hit, with many, many more singles falling far short of that. “Mamma Mia,” a single that everyone now retroactively adores? Peaked at a wimpy #32. “Money, Money, Money”? #56. “Voulez-Vous”? #80. As a young, ahem, homo I proudly called ABBA my all-time favorite group, much to the puzzled stares of my grade school classmates, most of whom were mocking and/or clueless.

Sure, each new ABBA album would have one or two hits here, but as the group aged, the hits got smaller and smaller – “When All Is Said And Done”, the lead-off single from the group’s final studio album The Visitors, peaked at a paltry #28, hardly the way to introduce the American public to what may be your most mature, cohesive album.

That’s right – The Visitors was a big step for ABBA, as the quartet finished off their first decade as a group and their second album of the 80s. The title track was an immediate declaration that the band was moving in a new, grown-up direction. Gone were the Dancing Queens and Ring Ring campiness, replaced by a dark, synth-driven New Wave number about the terror faced by Russian dissidents of the time. It was a thematic turn for ABBA, which makes the fact that it was chosen as a second single from the album in America baffling and/or encouraging (the rest of the world got “One of Us” as the first single and “Head Over Heels” for the second). I’d like to think Atlantic, the group’s U.S. label, was behind this mature direction. They supplemented “The Visitors” single release by releasing a 12” to the clubs, where it got considerable play. Joe. My. God. was kind enough to forward this ultra-rare, DJ-only Disconet Remix.

The Visitors LP was a relative stiff worldwide, especially coming off the hugely popular Super Trouper. ABBA was feeling creative fatigue as well, so they took a break before working on their tenth studio album. A few tracks in, malaise set in again, so the group stopped recording and culled two of the new tracks for inclusion on a career-spanning greatest hits collection called The First Ten Years. Both songs were released as singles, and the first of those, “The Day Before You Came”, was, despite the group’s feelings about the proceedings, another leap forward into adulthood for the group, both in subject matter and presentation. It was 1982, and ABBA finally entered the MTV age, as the single was accompanied with a full-blown film production, complete with an aerial helicopter shot and artful direction, as opposed to the videotaped “stand in front of this backdrop and mime the lyrics” style of their earlier promo clips:

Perhaps it was the dour tone of the song (which is actually quite upbeat if you listen to it carefully – it’s the day before [he] came, so it has a happy ending, see) or the length (it tops out at just under six minutes), but “The Day Before You Came” fared poorly on the charts worldwide (to be fair, it was a huge hit in some smaller territories) and didn’t even chart in the States. Were people over ABBA, or just not on board with “adult” ABBA? More importantly, was ABBA over ABBA?

The second new single to be pulled from The First Ten Years, “Under Attack”, did even worse. Atlantic didn’t even bother to release it in the States. It wasn’t bad per se, it just wasn’t anything Olivia Newton-John wasn’t doing slightly better at the time. It’s interesting to note the prominence of synthesizers in both new songs – this was truly synthpop. “Huh, wha, huh?” you exclaim? Think about it – synth-based pop = synthpop. Ask the Human League about ABBA’s influence and I rest my case.

I love ABBA’s late videos. Agnetha (the “pretty one”) started to hit the wall and wasn’t so bubbly cute anymore and I swear to God, Frida smelled blood and pounced, cutting her bad perm into a punky, spiked mulletish do, and dear Lord, in the “Under Attack” video sporting pink and purple streaks in her hair:

It was like after ten years of being ignored, the shy, plain, brainy girl who used to draw Hello, Kitty on all her Trapper Keepers in the back of the class went totally goth her sophomore year.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to watch ABBA enter their full-blown adult New Wave phase. Creatively beat and disillusioned by the muted response to their last few releases, the group took a sabbatical, from which it never returned. The remainder of the aborted tenth album's songs have trickled out here and there – “Cassandra” and “Should I Laugh Or Cry” were used as b-sides for the final two singles, the somewhat bizarre “I Am The City” finally surfaced as a track on More Gold and "You Owe Me One" and a snippet of “Just Like That” (which remains unreleased in its full form) appeared as part of the Thank You For The Music box set. Benny and Bjorn went on to fulfill their dream of writing a hit musical (?) by penning Chess with Tim Rice and Agnetha and Frida went on to release solo works which we’ll definitely cover here in the future (guess who was more successful? It’s always the quiet ones…).

What would an ABBA reunion be like? Awful. I think any momentum would be lost and we’d get a nostalgia show, nothing more. What do you think? Comment away.

”The Visitors” peaked at #63 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart and at #8 on the Club Play Chart in 1982.
Neither “The Day Before You Came” nor “Under Attack” charted.

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"hope's dashed to the floor like shattered teenage dreams / boys living next door are never what they seem"

2009-01-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

1983. Pop music was in constant, upheaveled flux - American radio = Journey and Foreigner, so British acts looked to music video as an outlet. As a result, the MTV, Night Tracks and Night Flight (God, I miss that show) playlists ended up looking like a Kentucky Beef Stew, made up of anything left over in the fridge from meals before. Michael Jackson snuggled up next to Killing Joke, while Killing Joke took Def Leppard and After the Fire from behind.

Out from this wonderful orgy skipped Bananarama.

Made up of three girly-friends from the outskirts of the punk/new wave/ska scene, Bananarama couldn't sing, couldn't dance, couldn't miss. It took a few tries, but they finally broke the U.S. with "Cruel Summer", a song most consider to be about lost love in the summertime, when in fact, it's about sheer boredom. But that's exactly what Bananarama were clever at - musical misdirection.

Bananarama songs were chirpy, singsongy pop confections which brought sunny days, happy times and slumber parties to mind. The lyrics, however...

...the lyrics...

...that was were they completely snowed over the American public.

Bananarama songs were often lyrically dark, dense, multi-layered affairs that completely contrasted their happy-go-lucky accompianment. Take for example, "A Trick of the Night", one of their minor hits from 1984. On the surface, the chorus sounds like a typical love song:

Whatcha doin'
Hey, whatcha doin'
Walking through danger
Can't see the wrong or the right
Whatcha doing,
Tell me whatcha doing
Can't be a stranger
Must be a trick of the night

...but then you dig deeper and find:

When the day is over
And the work is done
Well it's a different story
As the darkness comes around
I tried to let you know
You're going the wrong way

And the streets you thought
Would all be paved with gold
But when the wind cuts through
You'd even try to sell your soul
Everywhere you go
It's the long way

Now you're no longer
Just the boy next door
When they were falling in love
With that clean cut smile
Change of style
Just for a little while

...and you look at the title of the song again and realize it's about a sad, young male hustler. Brilliant and completely underrated.

My favorite Bananarama misdirection has to be "Robert DeNiro's Waiting." For years and years, I thought the song was basically about a girl with a "Taxi Driver" fetish, nothing more. Until I read an interview with former head Banana Siobahn Fahey who revealed the true nature behind the lyrics:

Hope's dashed to the floor like shattered teenage dreams.
Boys living next door are never what they seem.
A walk in the park can become a bad dream
People are staring and following me.
This is my only escape from it all:
Watching a film or a face on the wall.

Robert de Niro's waiting
talking italian.

...is about a girl who's been raped and now cannot connect with anyone, save her celluloid hero, Robert DeNiro.

Of course, great things that get a taste of mainstream success can never last in their pure form for very long, so Bananarama succumbed to the Stock/Aiken/Waterman hit machine, having huge hits with "Venus" and "I Heard a Rumor," et al.

But for a while there, they had us all fooled.

Download "Robert DeNiro's Waiting"

"Robert DeNiro's Waiting" peaked at #95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.

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"i'll take the lead / you take the pain / you see, i engineer this game"

2009-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

My junior year in high school, a few friends and I decided to form a New Wave band. Our inspiration? R.E.M.? The Smiths? The Replacements? Not exactly…

Try Animotion.

We loved “Obsession”, we loved their clothes, loved the campy video, loved the less than glamorous looks of the two lead singers – basically, Animotion were relatable. And there were six of us, including one male lead singer (ahem, me) and one female lead (ahem, not me), so why not? We called ourselves “Fax & Frixion” – keep in mind, this was a few years before fax machines became ubiquitous, so we were very forward thinking.

In a classic illustration of Eighties thinking, we put image before substance and immediately took some press shots, imagining our album cover and lyric sleeve photos…

Yes, I’m the dork sitting on the roof of that old, rusting vehicle staring off at something REALLY MEANINGFULLY. Where’re the other 3 in the band? In class – we shot these during a study hall in the woods behind our high school. True!

And there I am on the far left dangling like a stray butt nugget. The two lovely girls were also in the band and I hope they don’t mind me sharing this embarrassing moment with the whole Interwebnet. (Hi, girls!)

Fax & Frixion had a few unproductive meetings/practices where we sorta learned “Obsession” and A Flock of Seagulls “Space Age Love” song. We then began bickering over who was responsible for what and what songs to do, blah, blah, etc. You can’t run a band as a democracy, sorry, and there is only room for one diva and it was NOT one of the biological girls. Ahem. Somewhere, an old 90-minute cassette tape exists of us butchering these songs. I pray it is never found.

Ah, moving on to the long, strange, incestuous story that was (is?) Animotion…

Animotion emerged from the mid-80s Los Angeles New Wave scene and were welcomed to the Top 10 with a tight, hooky Holly Knight/Michael Des Barres composition called “Obsession”, which we all know and love. “Obsession” was actually a remake, originally recorded by Knight and Des Barres in 1983. But as any regular reader of this here blog can tell ya, it’s the follow-ups that count.

Animotion’s second single, “Let Him Go”, wasn’t bad at all. It’s more of a showcase for Astrid Plane, the female half of Animotion’s dual lead singers, but the bewildering lyrics betray the fact that it was written by the male half, Bill Wadhams:

You're holding him so tight that he can't move
If you never give him room you're gonna lose.
He's feeling like he's tied up in a knot
Ev'ry time he comes home late he's on the spot.

Trust him to be the kind of man he wants to be
You aren't gonna keep him long if you give him the third degree.

Let him go
Let him go
Do the things he's got to do
Give him the freedom that he needs even though it worries you.
Let him go
Let him go
Have the faith that he'll be true
It's the only way you can be sure he'll come back to you.

That’s right, ladies! Let your man go off and do any old thing he wants – if he really loves you, he’ll stumble home eventually. I kid the “Let Him Go”, but I like it quite a bit…it may have been a bit too propulsive to go much higher in the charts than it did, but it made for a great dance mix.

Animotion’s next step was the dreaded second album, and in a classic case of the sophomore jinx, “Strange Behavior” made little noise. That may be the fault of lead-off single, “I Engineer” (dance mix), a moody slice of electro-pop that had “Obsession’s” feel, but less of a hook. I do love the very Abba-esque harmonies that accent “this game!” in the chorus. And “I Engineer’s” pedigree! Written by Holly Knight (why mess with success?), super-producer Mike Chapman and Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin! Yikes!

Songwriter Holly Knight went on to form Device in 1986, a New Wave-y pop band produced by Mike Chapman which featured lead vocals by Paul Engemann. Three years later, Animotion rose from the dead, but in an overhauled line-up that featured, tah dah, former Device vocalist Paul Engemann and Mrs. Richard Marx, aka Cynthia Rhodes. Gone were our funky, normal looking singers, so we went from this:

…to this:

This bland, focus-group approved version of Animotion had an equally bland, focus-group approved hit called “Room To Move” that was done much better a year earlier by its songwriters, Climie/Fisher. The personality and magic were gone, but there must not have been too many hard feelings, since former singer Astrid Plane married Animotion’s bassist. The original line-up resurfaced last summer on (again!) NBC’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and continue to tour - check out some of those show line-ups! With Missing Persons and Bow Wow Wow? Wow.

“Let Him Go” peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.
“I Engineer” peaked at #76 on the Hot 100 in 1986.

Buy Animotion music on Amazon.

"and on the platform / I saw your hat form / a sort of halo as the crowd rushed home"

2009-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

I come not to bury Wang Chung, but to praise them.

Not the “wacky”, “party” Wang Chung that crapped “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”, “Let’s Go” and “Hypnotize Me” upon the world, but rather the real Wang Chung, who made darkly catchy pop with a more serious undercurrent. The Wang Chung that was pretty much Lost in the 80s.

Starting life as Huang Chung, the band recorded one album for Arista Records in 1982. Two years, one new label and a simplified name change later, the trio released one of the most essential albums of the New Wave era, “Points on the Curve”. Am I over-praising “Points”? Not really – it’s excellent, front to back, and gave the band a Top 20 hit with “Dance Hall Days”, a quirky a dance hit as you can get (by the way, it was “we were cool on craze”, not “Christ” as my sister thought). But “Dance Hall Days” was not Wang Chung’s first hit. That honor goes to the far superior “Don’t Let Go”.

Desperate and bouncy all at once (try pulling that one off sometime), “Don’t Let Go” is an atmospheric New Wave classic that doesn’t get enough respect. You never hear it on Eighties Flashback radio shows or see the video on VH1 Classic and that’s too bad. It kicked off “Side Two” of the album back in the day, but should have been the first song on Side One, since it really set the true tone of the album better than “Dance Hall Days”, which actually kicked things off. Luckily, “Don’t Let Go” was completely ignored, since it scraped the bottom of the Top 40, paving the way for “Dance Hall Days’” success (I still haven’t forgiven the band/Geffen for picking “Don’t Be My Enemy” for the [flop] third single instead of “Even If You Dream”, perhaps the best song on the set).

This led to the band (now reduced to the more-familiar duo we all remember from the videos) being asked to provide a track for “The Breakfast Club”. Wang Chung’s contribution, “Fire In The Twilight” would have fit just fine on “Points on the Curve”. While released as the soundtrack’s follow-up to Simple Minds’ massive “Don’t You Forget About Me,” “Fire” failed to spark any chart action. That doesn’t stop it from being an entertaining rock stomper, very 1985 in its sound. I've included the superior single mix with a slightly different chorus that's never been on CD. And fine, since no one else is gonna do it, here's the super-rare video for the single, complete with Molly Ringwald cameo:

The duo’s next full-length project was a soundtrack for the film “To Live and Die In L.A.” The duo’s evocative atmospherics served them well here and the title track very nearly made the Top 40. But as with any other soundtrack, there are some sludgy instrumental parts to tromp thru. If you like the whole “Miami Vice” vibe, here’s where it started.

The lackluster reception of the band’s last few singles must have spooked someone, since their next album, “Mosaic”, was Pop City. You know the hits, you know the bombast, you know how sick you are of them now, so let’s move on. Congrats on your retirement fund, boys!

With their final album, “The Warmer Side of Cool”, it appears the duo got their pop jones out of their systems, since it’s a welcome return to the darker mood of their earlier works. As a result though, it was far less successful. Lead single “Praying To A New God” was a notable attempt to fuse the more commercial production and hooks of the “Mosaic” era with the more aggressive ambience of their past work, and it wasn’t half bad.

HERE IS WHERE A VIDEO LINK TO "PRAYING" WOULD GO, BUT UNIVERSAL RECORDS DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE IT OR PROMOTE SALES. SORRY.

Alas, the single and album as a whole fared poorly and Wang Chung went their separate ways until recording a new track for a greatest hits effort in 1997, then resurfacing on the NBC “where are they now” summer series, “Hit Me Baby One More Time”, where they performed a surprisingly rousing and entertaining version of Nelly’s “Hot In Herrre”.

The response the duo got on that show has inspired them to reform and record a new album, including a song called “Abducted By The ‘80s” and, in keeping with the times, a MySpace page.

”Don’t Let Go” peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
“Fire In The Twilight” did not chart.
“To Live And Die In L.A.” peaked at #41 on the same chart in 1985.
“Praying To A New God” peaked at #63 on the same chart in 1989.

Buy Wang Chung CDs at Amazon or on

When New Wave Happens to Old Artists - Don Henley

2008-12-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

Fans of the super laid-back, southern California twang of the Eagles must have gone into cardiac arrest upon hearing the first synth-blast chords of Don Henley’s first solo single, “Johnny Can’t Read”. Teamed with new writing partner Danny Kortchmar, Henley seemed eager to leave the Eagles in the dust and update his sound and approach for the 80s. The resulting album, “I Can’t Stand Still,” is awash with synthesizers, mechanical percussion flourishes and hiccupy, New Wave-influenced vocals. As a young eighth-grader, I was familiar with the Eagles thanks to a worn-out copy of “Greatest Hits” my older brother received one Christmas – however, I wasn’t a big fan. So, when I first heard “Johnny Can’t Read” on our local Top 40 station one night, I was surprised to discover it was not in fact the Boomtown Rats, but rather from the same guy who once warbled “Welcome to the Hotel California” over and over until I changed the station.

“Johnny Can’t Read” was less a scathing indictment of the failures of our educational system than more of a catchy Objectivist shrug:
“Is it teacher’s fault?
Oh, no
Is it mommy’s fault?
Oh, no
Is it society’s fault?
Oh, no
Well, is it Johnny’s fault?
OHHHHH NOOOOO!”

Musically, “Johnny” seems to have been influenced by The Nails’ “88 Lines About 44 Women” and the Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died”, with its rote, deadpan reading and rapid-fire delivery, especially near the end where Don ends up yelling “WOKKA WOKKA WOKKA!!” in his best Pac Man impersonation. Another nice touch near the end is when Don tosses off the line “There’s a new kid in town” which serves a dual purpose – it reminds the listener of who he is, while announcing who he is now. Alas, it was all a bit too much for Top 40, as the single stalled at a disappointing #42.

Now the follow-up single to “Johnny Can’t Read,” that you’ve heard. “Dirty Laundry” was a huge hit, which eventually climbed to #3 and basically saved Don Henley’s otherwise-stillborn solo career. With one near-hit and one blockbuster to his debut album’s credit, it was time for single number three.

“I Can’t Stand Still” was the choice, an almost Eagles-y ballad but with decidedly New Wave production. It always struck me as some sort of unholy mix of Zeppelin's "D'yer Maker" crossed with the Payolas “Eye Of A Stranger”. The organ/synth riff drives the song, underscoring the increasing desperation and agitation of the lyrics. And where there used to be a squiggly Joe Walsh guitar solo had this been an Eagles tune, here we get a squiggly synth solo that must have driven Eagles fans insane. I loved it.

Unfortunately, not enough people did, so “I Can’t Stand Still” stood still at #48. Luckily, this didn’t deter Henley from mining New Wave to embellish his second solo album, “Building The Perfect Beast” – and he was rewarded with two huge smashes, “Boys of Summer” and “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”.

The drummer for the Eagles using a drum machine – who would imagine?

”Johnny Can’t Read” peaked at #42 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1982.
“I Can’t Stand Still” peaked at #48 on the same chart in 1983.

Buy Don Henley CDs at Amazon or on

"Quandary...what's a quandary?"

2008-12-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a question that may not have an answer: What should be considered the first New Wave song?

First, we have to decide on a concrete definition of "New Wave", which may be impossible...is it choppy, poppy, angular guitar-based post-punk? Is it mostly synth-based? Is it fashion-based? Is it the generic term Sire Records' Seymour Stein applied to all of his late-70s CBGBs signings to make them more palatable to radio programmers? The only possible definition of New Wave I can come up with is "I know it when I hear it," and that's far from scientific.

That won't stop me from trying to answer the question, though. And it shouldn't stop you, either. Let's tackle it. What do you think should be considered the first New Wave song?

I'm going with Sparks' "In The Future" from "Indiscreet", released in 1975. One listen and you might agree - all the elements are there. The keyboards, the forward-looking, off-kilter lyrics, the chopping post-punk beat (funny, considering punk was in its most nascent form at the time).

Let's hear your suggestions.

Depeche Clones Month - Cause & Effect

2008-12-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

Note: Okay, I’m stretching it a bit on this one. When I conceived “Depeche Clones Week”, I had three bands in particular in mind and set about writing all three articles before posting the first. Once I had finished the third, I discovered to my horror that the CD was actually released in 1990, thereby making it ineligible to be “Lost in the 80s”. I could have sworn it was released in 1989…argh. So, I was faced with a choice – scrap the entire article and post or just throw it up with the assumption that even though the original release came out in 1990 (not the re-release on Zoo, which came out in 1992), the album must have been recorded in – tah dah! – 1989.

Guess which I chose?

Formed in Sacramento, the duo of Robert Rowe and Sean Rowley known as Cause & Effect started off on Nastymix Records, home to Sir Mix-a-Lot of all people (not entirely surprising – Mix’s later collabs with the Presidents of the United States showed his love for alternative rock). Two years after its initial indie release, Cause & Effect’s first album was re-released by major label Zoo, but not without some re-sequencing, remixing and renaming, the formerly self-titled debut now being called “Another Minute”.

Before they got picked up by Zoo, Cause & Effect broke thru the dance charts with “What Do You See” and my favorite, “You Think You Know Her”. Later, with major label muscle behind them, “You Think…” actually became a Top 40 hit and “Another Minute” hit the Hot 100. I’m sort of partial to the original indie versions myself, so that’s what I’ve posted.

Things looked bright for Cause & Effect, until tragedy stuck during a 1992 tour. Just before a show, Rowley died from heart failure brought on by an asthma attack. After some time and retooling, Rowe, along with a couple new band mates carried on, releasing “Trip” in 1994 and scoring another Hot 100 hit with “It’s Over Now.” A couple of releases have trickled out since.

…and so ends Depeche Clones Month. I hope fans of the bands featured take it in the lighthearted nature it was intended. And if anyone doubts the Mode-like similarities of the bands featured, allow me to present this unaltered screen shot from Amazon taken earlier this week:

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin' is all.

”You Think You Know Her” peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #8 on the Dance Club Play Charts.
“Another Minute” peaked at #75 on the Hot 100 and at #31 on the Dance Club Play Charts.

Get Cause & Effect music at Amazon or on

Depeche Clones Week - Red Flag

2008-12-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

I have a special place in my heart for Red Flag – you see, they were the first “real” rock band I ever interviewed, back when I was a Broadcast Journalist in the U.S. Army.

It’s okay, I’ll give you a few minutes to wrap your head around everything in that first sentence.

Brothers Chris and Mark Reynolds were born in Liverpool, England, but formed Red Flag many years later in the late 80s in San Diego. By the time they signed to Synthecide/Enigma and released their debut, “Naïve Art,” I was stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey, California, working as a DJ and reporter for the base cable radio station and newspaper (heady stuff, I know). I was addicted to San Francisco alternative radio station KITS, particularly the Steve Masters show since he played the best shit and seemed very passionate about the music. It was on Masters’ show that I first heard “Russian Radio” and thought, “Didn’t Depeche Mode just release a new single last month?”

Eventually, I found out it was actually by a band called Red Flag. Bought the CD, liked it quite a bit and discovered the duo was touring through San Francisco in a few weeks. In a display of youthful fearlessness combined with enthusiastic naivety, I phoned up their label, Enigma, and requested an interview for my radio show. They agreed and soon I was driving up to a small club in SF to interview the brothers backstage before the show.

The Reynolds Brothers could not have been nicer to a nervous, fumbling, slightly mis-informed music fan/interviewer. They answered each eager question in detail, coloring each response with funny anecdotes, giving me plenty to work with. In fact, they put me at ease so much that I felt the misguided need to give them some advice – in my zeal, I suggested that “Broken Heart” would make a great single. After all, everyone I played it for loved it! It would be a sure-fire hit.

Months later, I found out “Broken Heart” was in fact the album’s FIRST single and had done poorly. Whoops. God bless ‘em for not pointing this out and making me feel like a moron. I've posted the superior U.K. remix by Jon St. James and Stacey Q (yes, "Two of Hearts" Stacey Q) of SSQ, who we'll get to someday soon.

Just as Red Flag were about to break thru (“Russian Radio” had been added to MTV’s “120 Minutes” and nearly hit the top ten of the Billboard Dance Charts), Enigma went under. The boys signed to IRS Records for one single, but were dropped soon after. Still plugging away, Red Flag continued releasing music under their own label (and moving further away from the Mode-isms into their own sound), until Mark Reynolds’ unfortunate passing in 2003.

I consider myself lucky to have met them at the start and will always remember how gracious they were to a glasses-wearing, crewcut-having music geek like myself.

"Russian Radio" peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart in 1988.
"Broken Heart" peaked at #24 on the same chart the same year.

Get Red Flag music at Amazon or on

Depeche Clones Month - Camouflage

2008-12-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

That’s right -- all this month, Lost in the 80s will focus on artists who, in leiu of marching to the beat of a different drummer, chose rather to program their drums to imitate highly influential synth-pop pioneers Depeche Mode. There’s more of these Depeche Clones than you think, as we’ll see.

But before we begin, let me preface this week by saying I’m not hating on these bands. Honest. In fact, I was inspired enough to shell out for their CDs back in the day, so they must have had some appeal. And they did – while shamelessly aping DM’s sound, each of the bands featured this week brought something to the table, whether it was a catchy riff, a memorable lyric or just plain funny hair.

Camouflage formed in the mid-80s and had a huge hit in their native Germany and a minor hit in the States with “The Great Commandment”, possibly because people thought it was a new Depeche Mode single. If they thought that of their debut single, the follow-up, “That Smiling Face”, must have really thrown them for a loop. If you close your eyes while listening, you can almost see Martin Gore in a leather mini singing the background “Ahhhhs”.

Camouflage diversified their sound on a couple of follow-up albums to become less Depeche-y (Depeche-ish?), but there weren’t many takers and the band dissolved in the early 90s.

More Depeche Clones later this week!

“That Smiling Face” peaked at #26 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart and at #37 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart in 1989.

"there's no point in us making any more dates / why don't you play football with some of your mates"

2008-11-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

This post is sort of about Tracey Ullman, but is more about Kirsty MacColl and the Boomtown Rats.

At first I thought Tracey Ullman was a little too well-known for a “Lost in the 80s” post. After all, her first single, “They Don’t Know”, peaked at #8 on the charts in 1984, hardly obscure by any stretch. But I found when talking to people about Tracey’s music career just about all of them said the same thing: “Tracy Ullman used to make records?”

Sure. But not only did our Tracey make records, she made damn good ones that evoked the 60s girl group sound while sounding surprisingly contemporary. The backing tracks had a beefier sound and almost punkish urgency that made her records more than just mere nostalgia mining. And like any good girl group singer, Tracey was more than happy to blend into the musical wallpaper and surrender to the song and whatever producer she happened to be working with.

Tracey’s only hit in the States, “They Don’t Know”, was originally recorded by the incredible and dearly missed Kirsty MacColl, who had quite the storied recording career herself. Kirsty also became the backing singer du jour in the late 80s, appearing on albums from the Smiths, Talking Heads and, um, Frida.

Tracey and her label Stiff liked what Kirsty was doing, so after “They Don’t Know” hit, Kirsty contributed a few more songs and backing vocals to the following full-length Ullman album, “You Broke My Heart in 17 Places”. The title track was a MacColl composition and featured her typically genius wordplay – ”…cuz you broke my heart in 17 places / Shepherd’s Bush was only one”. Probably lost on the majority of people here in the States, but hey…you can’t beat the tune.

That album did well enough in the UK (and here, actually – it peaked at #34 on the charts), that a quick follow-up was in order. Not one to mess with a winning formula, “You Caught Me Out” was another pastiche of the 60s and new wave, featuring more Kirsty-written songs, including, yes, the title track. “You Caught Me Out” was, again, originally recorded by Kirsty and was co-written with members of the Boomtown Rats, who also played on the track, giving it a driving, punky feel. Unfortunately, contractual snags prevented Kirsty’s version from ever being released until years after her untimely death. Meanwhile, Tracey’s version was even more hyper, the organ higher in the mix, the beat more insistent, the vocals more histrionic. Is it blasphemy as a Kirsty fan to say I prefer Tracey’s version?

“You Caught Me Out” the LP also featured a cover of “I Know What Boys Like” by The Waitresses. That Butler guy gets around lately.

While “You Caught Me Out” was never released stateside, Rhino has put out a compilation CD that features Tracey’s first LP in its entirety, along with some b-sides and a healthy portion of the second LP, as well. Get it at Amazon .

The cute video for "They Don't Know" features a surprise cameo at the end:

Neither song was released as a single.

"cold beer will cure a cold / cold beer and pretzels takes care of cancer!"

2008-11-17T19:17:00.000-08:00

Quiz – complete the following statement:

Sparks’ heyday was/is –

(A.) In the mid-70s when, as part of the glam movement that included Bowie and T. Rex, they scored several Top 20 hits,
(B.) In the early 80s, when they broke thru into the American market with massive MTV airplay for “Cool Places”, their duet with the Go-Go’s Jane Weidlin,
(C.) In the mid-90s, when they had dance club hits with “When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’”, “When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)” and “The Number One Song in Heaven” (featuring Jimmy Sommerville) or,
(D.) Currently happening with the release of their critically acclaimed “Lil’ Beethoven” in 2002 and “Hello Young Lovers” just last month.

If you’re from the UK, you probably answered (A). If you’re from the U.S., you probably answered (B). If you’re a fading club kid, you may have answered (C), and if you’re a twenty-something hipster and part-time Pitchfork writer, you surely answered (D). After 35 years and 20 albums touching upon just about every era and sub-genre of pop music, any answer is really acceptable.

Ron and Russell Mael recorded the first Sparks album back in 1971to a largely indifferent public. It wasn’t until three years and two albums later that the UK got into the witty wordplay and unconventional song structures (and subjects) to make Sparks unlikely teen idols. It took America a few more years to catch on, but by 1982, Sparks finally broke into the Hot 100 with “I Predict”, a single inspired by the National Enquirer:

You’re gonna take
A walk in the rain
And you’re gonna get wet
I predict

You’re gonna eat
A bowl of chow mein
And be hungry real soon
I predict

Sparks were flying high after having adopted another band called Bates Motel to back them up. “Angst In My Pants” was the second album to come from this lineup, and lead-off single “I Predict” was a fairly big hit along the west coast. It even nabbed the boys a spot on “American Bandstand”. This was probably Sparks’ most successful period in the States – they finally charted on the Hot 100, they were featured on the soundtrack to the movie “Valley Girl”, they were one of the most played artists on the nation’s most influential new wave radio station, KROQ, and here they were trading quips with Dick Clark.

I firmly believe you must have a specific type of brain wiring to be a Sparks fan. I’ve played Sparks songs for friends of mine that have nearly similar tastes in music and have been rewarded with blank stares. Some people just don’t get it and that’s okay. While the early 80s were probably Sparks’ most accessible period for America, it seems most of the nation just wasn’t quite ready for songs about instant weight loss, living female cigarettes who die a fiery, ashy death, and the dangers of being “Eaten By The Monster Of Love”.

“Angst In My Pants” laid the groundwork for Sparks in the States that they built upon a year later with…well, that’s another Lost in the 80s post. Trust me, Sparks gave me a lot to work with here – as one of my all-time favorite bands from the 80s(...and 70s, and 90s, and 00s...), you’ll be reading about them here again soon.

”I Predict” peaked at #60 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart.
“Angst In My Pants” peaked at #173 on the Pop Albums Chart.

Buy Sparks CDs at Amazon.com or on

"then you hit me with the hard facts / and everything cracks that's Bruiseology"

2008-11-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Growing up in northeast Ohio, it was easy to hate the constant grey skies, suburban boredom and West Virginia/Kentucky hick mentality that migrated northward. But when it came to music in the late 70s/early 80s…well…there was a lot to love.

Devo, Pere Ubu, Chrissie Hynde, the Dead Boys, the Numbers Band, etc. etc. Trust me, we pretty much held our own.

I went to high school in Lorain County, which was aggressively backwards and country-bumpkin. My only oases from the constant barrage of Journey, Boston and the Michael Stanley Band (echh) were Oberlin, (home of one of the most progressive liberal arts schools in the nation, nestled smack-dab in the middle of hicksville), Coventry, (another progressive arty urban area east of Cleveland), and another progressive college town a bit further southeast, Kent.

All three were homes to college radio stations, the only stations at the time who dared play “college rock” like R.E.M., the Lucy Show, Pylon, et al. As a teen, I clung onto these stations like a life preserver, my knuckles white yet grateful for salvation, no matter how small. I, and others like me, had one simple goal – escape.

I suppose that’s why I have such an affinity for the quirkier bands that came from Ohio – the pressure to conform and their wholesale rejection of it inspired me and kept me from settling for a life at the Ford factory. They pushed me to create my own art, see things from a different perspective and always ask “why do it that way?” Alongside Devo, a big favorite was the Waitresses.

The Waitresses formed sort of by accident, as the legend goes, when Tin Huey guitarist Chris Butler recorded a song he wrote and played all the instruments on called, “I Know What Boys Like” and invited his friend Patty Donahue to sing the lead. Some time later, the track scored Butler and his fictitious band a label deal – he told the label the band was “back in Ohio.” One hastily assembled band later and the Waitresses were signed and gigging around New York City. While recording their full-length debut, “Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?”, the band contributed a track to a label Christmas EP. The resulting song, “Christmas Wrapping”, went on to become a holiday staple on college and alternative rock radio, and can even be heard on your local “Classic 80s” station each December (who could have imagined such a thing in 1981?). Later, “…Boys” became an MTV and cult hit, which led to the band recording the theme for the “new wave” sitcom “Square Pegs”, found on an EP, “I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts”. Which in turn leads us to album #2…

“Bruiseology” didn’t have quite the buzz or sales of the band’s first album, but there’s some great stuff in there. Nothing quite beats Patty’s semi-bored statement that kicks off side two – “Uh oh, there I go – thinkin’ about sex again!” While Butler wrote all the songs, Patty’s offhanded delivery brought the point home brilliantly. Although they made a good team, tensions surfaced during the recording of “Bruiseology” which caused Donahue to leave and be temporarily replaced by Holly Vincent (of Holly & The Italians). Donahue returned to the group before the album’s release, but the band would soon fall apart again, this time for good.

I have to wonder if any of that tension resulted in some of the album’s lyrical content, especially the title track. Over a hyperactive sax riff and bouncy beat, Patty sings (Chris’s words):

OK, it’s over
That’s it, I’m quitting
Yes, I’ll deny it
Never wanted this anyway

…only to immediately contradict her(his)self:

No, it’s not over
I’m never stopping
I can’t deny it
I’ve been wanting this all my life

…and later:

Pretends this never
Happened I better
Practice my crawling
Back with a tail ‘tween my legs

It may have been coincidental, but that’s a helluva happenstance. Things were deceptively cheerier on the album’s first single, “Make The Weather”, until you paid attention to the lyrics:

Now it’s black and white
Now my golden and green’s turning grayer

“Make The Weather” didn’t storm (sorry) up the charts, but the video did get a bit of light rotation MTV play and shows up on VH1 Classic every now and then. See?

Can I just say I love that squiggly guitar solo Chris rips and how the guitar, bass, keys and sax all come together at the end? Okay, thanks.

After the band split, Butler went on to become a producer, as well as a more experimental solo artist – check out his blog. Patty moved into the A&R side of things for a few years, but sadly died of cancer in 1996 at the age of 40. It’s unfortunate that the band’s history will always be summed up with that downer of an ending, but like a lot of the Waitresses’ songs, and life itself, you get the sad with the glad.

”Make The Weather” did not chart.

Get Waitresses CDs at Amazon or

"then we wound up at HoJo's for hamburgers to go"

2008-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hey, Blondie! Congrats on making it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! What are you gonna do now?

Awk-ward.

So, anyhoo...questionable lapses in acceptance speech taste aside, Debbie Harry (along with long-time partner Chris Stein) continued making music after Blondie's initial split in 1982 - well, actually, before.

"Koo Koo" was released in 1981, between Blondie's "Autoamerican" and "The Hunter". Basically driven by Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, Harry's first solo shot was expected to be huge, coming off the massive success of "Autoamerican". They must have printed millions upon millions of these suckers, 'cuz boy, they filled cut out bins for years after. First single "Backfired" was probably a safe bet - "Hey, let's do 'Rapture' again!" - but radio rejected its retread vibe. I don't mind "Koo Koo", but it's not something I go out of my way to walk across the living room to my CD shelves to pick up and put on. I mean, not since I bought it and thought of posting it here, anyway.

After this stiff, Blondie returned to do the Contractual Obligation Shuffle with "The Hunter", which bombed, too (although, my love for "Island of Lost Souls" has grown over the years). That then freed Debbie and Chris to continue putting out "solo" Debbie stuff through the '80s, with fair to middling success ("French Kissin' in the U.S.A." anyone?). Her solo single output had one thing in common: None of it ever hit the Top 40, despite from fun stuff, including a collab with the Thompson Twins ("I Want That Man").

However, Debbie (later Deborah, please), did quite well on the Dance Charts, where "Sweet and Low" made a bit of a mark near the end of the decade, complete with an excellent video that, if not directed by, was certainly influenced by Stephen Sprouse. With the exception of a Nagel print, it don't get much more '80s than that, kids.

Get Debbie Harry songs on iTunes.

"Koo Koo" is available on Amazon, but prepare for sticker shock.

"Backfired" peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100, #71 on the Black Singles and #29 on the Club Play Singles Charts.
"Sweet and Low" peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart.

"she's carryin' a burnin' torch inside / she holds it firm & tight"

2008-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

1982 was a big year for the J. Geils Band – after 13 albums, hundreds and hundreds of live shows and a few scattered Top 40 hits, they became overnight sensations with “Centerfold” spending six weeks at Number One and “Freeze Frame” following in the Top Ten.

The “Freeze Frame” album is a certified 80s classic, no doubt, showcasing a band honed by years on the road firing on all cylinders. Front to back, there’s not a dud in the bunch – even “Flamethrower”, an album track consigned to the b-side of the “Freeze Frame” single caught fire (heh) on the Black Singles chart, and it’s easy to see why. “Flamethrower” is arguably the hottest (heh) song on the album, a scorching (I’ll stop now) funk number that should have been single number three, not just a b-side. I’ll say that “Flamethrower” best represented all sides of the J. Geils Band – the Stones-ish blues swagger, the chunky funk, the accessible pop sensibility, all wrapped up in five glorious minutes.

Then it all went to hell.

A power struggle between chief songwriters Peter Wolf and Seth Justman fractured the group the next year. Wolf took his voice and embarked on a solo career, while Justman kept the band and the powerful brand name. 1984 promised a showdown between the two projects.

Peter Wolf struck first with “Lights Out” and its title track single. “Lights Out” was a fair success, making the Top 40, but while the voice was unmistakable, there was something bland and studio musician-ish about the whole affair. The spark was missing. I preferred the follow-up, “I Need You Tonight”, because it seemed quite contemporary, glossy production and all, and it’s just a better song, really. It scraped the Top 40 as well. Now it was the J. Geils Band’s turn.

Many people don’t want to remember “You’re Gettin’ Even While I’m Gettin’ Odd”, including presumably the band itself, since it’s mentioned nowhere on their official website. I am here today to say it’s not that horrible. Really. The problem is just that you listen and think, “Gee this isn’t too bad, but if Peter Wolf was singing it, it’d be so much better.” That thought only occurs about twice per song, though. Once you get past that it’s a hooky, kooky little affair that seems a bit “Freeze Frame 2: Electric Boogaloo”. In fact lead-off single “Concealed Weapons” is almost an exact Xerox of “Freeze Frame”, with a guitar lick stolen from either “Day Tripper” or Killing Joke’s “Eighties” (take your pick – Nirvana would later steal it yet again for “Come As You Are”), another lick lifted from the “Peter Gunn Theme”, and a melody line so familiar you almost want to sing “I could see it was a rough-cut Tuesday, Slow motion weekdays stare me down…”

The album and single tanked. I remember seeing the album in cut-out bins everywhere soon after its release, where of course I picked it up and kind of enjoyed it. Peter Wolf went on to have a few more hits and sell some more albums while the J. Geils Band went on to record the theme for “Fright Night” (AWFUL), then call it a day. The band reunited in 1999 for a tour, but when tickets didn’t move, they split again.

We’ll always have “Flamethrower”, though.

“Flamethrower” peaked at #25 on the Billboard Black Singles Chart and at #30 on the Mainstream Rock Chart in 1982.
“I Need You Tonight” peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 10 and at #22 on the Mainstream Rock Chart in 1984.
“Concealed Weapons” peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #26 on the Mainstream Rock Chart in 1984.

Go nuts for J. Geils Band tracks on iTunes.

Ditto for Peter Wolf.

"I'm holding on to my sanity / I feel the beginning of emergency"

2008-10-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

When they both hit the Top 40 in 1983, it was a common debate: Who was better, Madonna or Cyndi Lauper?

While Madonna had the sex appeal, looks and dance moves down, it was the general consensus that Cyndi had True Talent. After all, she helped co-write some of her own songs and she had that voice – that wonderful, squeaky, cutesy-poo, then suddenly dead serious belting voice. Lauper had control and nuance Madonna could only dream of. Unfortunately, as Madonna’s image matured, Cyndi seemed to become even more infantile, getting involved with wrestling, contributing the theme song for “The Goonies” and filming video after madcap, wacky video. And when Madonna went into films, someone decided Cyndi had to follow.

And we were presented with “Vibes,” co-starring Jeff Goldblum. I’m not going to pretend I’ve ever seen this flick or can comment knowledgeably about it, because I haven’t and I can’t. But judging solely on the clips featured in the video for the theme song, boy, did it look stinky.

“Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China)”, wasn’t bad by any stretch, it was perhaps just a little too familiar. It has the corporate stink of someone at the movie studio ordering up “a Cyndi Lauper-type song”, only this time they got the real thing. The single didn’t do well at all, especially in comparison to her string of hits previous. It's never shown up on any domestic Lauper compilation - I happen to have an old 3" CD single from when Sony was trying that format out.

Tellingly, this was the last “wacky” Lauper song – her next album showcased a new, more mature look and sound and it was rewarded with a return to the Top 10 with “I Drove All Night”.

And that Madonna? She did okay.

”Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China)” peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.

Click the iTunes logo to buy Cyndi Lauper songs:

SITE NOTE: Help a brother out and click on a Google ad above to defray hosting costs. Thanks!

“ink and paper / the broken heart in black and white”

2008-10-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Allow me to get something off my chest first, if I may: Modern English’s “I Melt With You” was not a hit back in the day. No matter how many former cheerleaders at your high school reunion squeal when it comes on, I am here to tell you those people not only did not like that song when it was released, they never even heard of it. The popular kids were not digging Modern English in 1983 – they were more about Loverboy, Def Leppard and Michael Jackson. It wasn’t until years and years later that revisionist history kicked in and suddenly everyone loved that song, even the jocks whom regularly beat up the “fags” in Duran Duran t-shirts back when the single was struggling to its peak of #78 on the Hot 100.

Not that I’m bitter or anything.

I bring this up because of conversations I have with people I went to high school with when I go back to small town Elyria, Ohio. Oh, I’ll be at the local mall with my nieces and nephews and someone will invariably stop me at the food court, “Hey John, is that you??” (and I’m always amazed they recognize me, since I’m nearly 70 lbs. larger and have zero hair). I’ll give a weak smile and that I-totally-don’t-know-you “Heyyyy!” and my sister will jump in and work the stranger’s name into the convo. Invariably, the conversation will veer to music and this person, who I barely remember save only for being on student council or some other A-list high school activity will say something to the effect of “Do you still listen to all that ‘punk rock?’”

Now, I did like some true punk rock, but I rarely listened to it around people in my high school – I knew better. But back in 1983, Modern English were easy to lump into “punk rock” if you were Sally McTreasurer who dated Trent Von Linebacker. It was “fag music”, but you were trying to be nice. So it became “punk!” Tee hee! So yeah, I still harbor some residual anger that “my” music has been co-opted by the cool kids and say, Burger King, over the decades. Oh, well. They’re all still fatter and older looking (possibly due to said Burger King).

ANYHOO…

“Ink and Paper” was even more obscure than Modern English’s first two American “hits” (“Melt” and 1984’s exquisite “Hands Across the Sea”, which we’ll get to another day). It didn’t even chart, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. The band seemed so desperate for another hit, they even ripped off the “ohh, ohh, ohh” refrain from Springsteen’s “Born to Run”, for God’s sake. A grab for green doesn’t get much more red, white and blue than that. Yet, “Ink and Paper” is still a fondly remembered song for me – 1986 was a pretty big year for me (graduation and all), and the “Stop Start” LP this came from what was a fairly solid effort I wore out quite a bit that year.

Modern English limped along to re-record “I Melt With You” in 1990 (that version didn’t chart much higher, either) on an otherwise new album called “Pillow Lips”, then one final gasp in 1996 with “Everything Is Mad”. But massive airplay of the hit that wasn’t has probably led to a quite comfortable life for the lads.

Just don’t stop me in the mall and tell me how much you loved it back then, liar.

”Ink and Paper” did not chart.

"wearing the fame / like a loaded gun..."

2008-10-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Shona Laing was fairly well known in her native New Zealand for years before finally scoring an American record deal in the late 80s with fledgling indie label TVT Records (who, a year later, would sign Clevelander Trent Reznor). Laing’s first U.S. album, 1987’s “South”, generated two light rotation MTV hits, “(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” and “Soviet Snow”.

“(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” is a strange little thing, all violins and, er, JFK samples looped around a nice little melody about being glad one is not a member of the seemingly cursed family. Words not mentioned in the song include, “assassination”, “Compound” and “Chappaquiddick”.

Follow-up single, “Soviet Snow” is a bit less metaphoric, focusing on the then-recent Chernobyl disaster. Not quite pop music subject matter, yet this song crossed over into the Dance Charts – I remember hearing it quite a bit at the Nine of Clubs, Cleveland’s premiere alternative music dance club back in the day. Ah, the Nine of Clubs…there’s a series of entries in and of itself…

”(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” peaked at #14 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Chart in 1988.
“Soviet Snow” peaked at #32 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart that same year.

"pull up your socks, you’re the boy in the box / what did the rebel say?"

2008-09-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, Corey Hart. You’re trying so hard to say something meaningful and deep here, but we’ll be damned if we know what you’re on about. Is it about James Dean, as you claimed in many an interview? Or is it just a bunch of random rhymes that sounded good at the time? ”the wolf cried ‘fox’ to the boy in the box…” Really? You’re gonna go with that one? Y’sure, hun? Okay.

A graduate of the Simon Le Bon School of Lyrics, Corey Hart began his questionably poetic career with the equally bewildering “Sunglasses at Night”. See, he wears ‘em in the dark so he can “weave and breathe your storyline”. Or something. While lyrically lacking, Hart could definitely whip up a hook, evidenced by “Sunglasses”, and his second album’s smash single “Never Surrender” (which kinda takes an Elmer Fudd sheen with his delivery, “nevah suwwendahhhhh!”).

Oh, Canada, so much to answer for...

After “Never Surrender” hit #3, the album’s title track, “Boy In The Box”, was up next, a dancey time capsule that sums up 1985 pretty neatly; obtuse lyrics, fake, compressed drums with a snare that sounds like someone spanking a thawed turkey with a ping pong paddle, and that annoying little orchestral sting that was in every third song released that year. The 12” version takes it to even more ludicrous levels. But ya know what?

I still like it. When the "one, two / you can't get enough" of the chorus hits, I'm right there.

”can you see me from outside? / can you hear me from outside?” Uh, no dude, you’re IN A BOX.

"Boy In The Box" is out of print, but Amazon has an import and used copies for sale.

”Boy In The Box” peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #19 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

When New Wave Happens to Old Artists - Liza Minnelli

2008-09-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

The year: 1989. The artist: Liza with a “z”. The idea: Bring Liza back into the present out of the standards ghetto she’d been reduced to by teaming her with the Pet Shop Boys, who would write, produce and play on her new album. The results: “Results”. The verdict?

Not half bad.

There are two stories floating around about how this project came to be – one has Liza’s then-current recording manager, none other than Kiss’s Gene Simmons, suggesting the collab. Another version has a Sony exec, quite probably Walter Yetnikoff, sparking the idea. In either case, it was one of those wild ideas that smacked of both desperation and inspiration – combine the most camp, gayest sensibilities of the Pet Shop Boys with the most camp, gayest icon short of her mother, Liza Minnelli.

“Results” was a mix of previously recorded Pet Shop Boys tunes like “Rent” and “Tonight Is Forever”, alongside some carefully selected covers (including a bewildering version of Tanita Tikaram’s “Twist In My Sobriety”) and new PSB material. Something in the songs must have breathed some life in ol’ Liza, since she toned down much of the histrionics that had plagued her delivery and actually emoted, giving the songs surprising depth. That didn’t mean the album was without its campy moments.

First single “Losing My Mind,” a Stephen Sondheim composition, seems almost unfair to put Liza through, considering her past. But luckily, Liza was in on the joke and delivered a winking performance like a champ. Dance clubs went nuts for it (imagine that), and Liza had a bona fide hit single – “Losing My Mind” peaked at #6 on the U.K. charts. U.S. radio, predictably, wanted nothing to do with it.

Now imagine Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford as a Disco Diva and you get the idea behind the album’s follow-up single, “Don’t Drop Bombs”. To wit:

I'd rather not have to hear about
Your other girls on your expense account
I know you carry on, behind my back
With your secretary, you'll have a heart attack

What’s not to love?

But as was noted earlier, it wasn’t all wink-wink nudge-nudge campy fun. The album has some honestly earnest moments, most notably “Love Pains,” a disco hit first made famous by Yvonne Elliman. It’s shocking to hear some actual grit in Liza’s voice, especially during the chorus – it’s a side she should have explored more, instead of marrying gay plastic surgery addicts and popping Xanax.

“Results” is pleasantly surprising. Don’t let the fact that it’s Liza Minnelli scare you off, especially if you’re a Pet Shop Boys fan. The album must have done okay since it’s not only still in print, but there's now a remastered version, complete with bonus remixes and a DVD of all the videos made to promote the album.

Score: Liza – 1, New Wave – 0. Decision, Liza.

Minnelli went on to record more standards, Broadway-ish things, but never returned to the pop charts. She did, however, earn major cool cred points by portraying Lucille 2 on "Arrested Development", the greatest sitcom since "Seinfeld". So for that, she gets major props.

”Losing My Mind” peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music Sales chart in 1989.
“Love Pains” peaked at #40 on the same chart the same year.

360 Minutes

2008-09-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

This could be interesting...from a press release:

Dave Kendall, the creator and former host of MTV’s "120 minutes," will host "Party 360 with Dave Kendall" on SIRIUS’ First Wave channel. SIRIUS listeners will hear Dave play 360 minutes of alternative party songs every Friday night.

"Party 360 with Dave Kendall" will be broadcast on First Wave SIRIUS channel 22 each week on Friday nights at 6 pm ET.

Dave joins original MTV veejays Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter and Nina Blackwood who also host shows on SIRIUS. Dave Kendall created, produced and hosted MTV's "120 Minutes" from 1986-1993. The show is credited with bringing artists like Midnight Oil, Sinead O'Connor and The Cure to a mainstream audience. After 120 Minutes, Dave went on to produce various music shows for radio and television and also volunteers for Rejoice Urban Development Foundation, an A.I.D.S. charity, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

First Wave broadcasts the first wave of alternative music from the era that defined alternative. On the channel, SIRIUS listeners will hear The Clash, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Echo & the Bunnymen, Morrissey, New Order, The Police, Psychedelic Furs, The Ramones, REM, The Smiths, Squeeze, Tears For Fears, U2 and many others.

Unless the rest of the schedule has changed, this should lead nicely into "Party Out of Bounds with Fred Schneider" at 9pm ET.

This week on Popdose!

2008-09-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

Get Lost in the '80s today with Bowie paramour Ava Cherry.

"High is the risk of striking out, the risk of getting hurt…"

2008-09-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from the New Wave casualties of the ’80s (and there are more to come), let’s get something truly decent and sadly Lost in the ‘80s…former Undertones lead singer Feargal Sharkey’s debut solo single, “A Good Heart.”

The Undertones scored a few UK hits from 1978 through their breakup in 1983, most notably “Teenage Kicks,” a song famously championed by the legendary DJ John Peel. After the band’s dissolution, Feargal provided the vocals for The Assembly’s “Never Never,” a one-off collaboration with Depeche Mode/Yaz/Erasure muso Vince Clarke. 1986 saw Feargal’s first proper solo album, a nicely produced affair with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart. “A Good Heart” was a fine choice for a lead-off single, an excellent tune written by Lone Justice’s Maria McKee which nicely showcased Feargal’s soaring, warbly singing style.

While “A Good Heart” topped the charts in the U.K. and Australia, it sputtered in the States, an audience nearly completely ignorant of the Undertones and Feargal’s overseas chart pedigree. The follow-up single, “You Little Thief,” made even less a splash.

Sharkey went on to release one more album, 1988’s “Wish”. Since then, The Undertones have reformed and re-recorded without him and he’s been relatively quiet. Seems a good band these days is hard to find.

“A Good Heart” peaked at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.

Feargal's two solo CDs are out of print, but you can find them used on Amazon(just be ready to pay big for the debut). However, the entire Undertones catalog is more readily available.

Wireless Reconnected

2008-09-10T08:30:00.001-07:00

We've wished for it, hoped for it, prayed for it, even talked about it here, and now it seems to be really happening.

EMI is remastering and re-releasing Thomas Dolby's first two, completely essential albums, The Golden Age of Wireless and The Flat Earth next year.

Of course, the reissuing of Wireless brings with it an instant debate...which version? The original, UK release without "She Blinded Me With Science" and the rock version of "Radio Silence," or the later American version with "Science," the more ambient "Silence," and all the remixed versions of the other tunes?

Well, Thomas is debating that himself over on his blog and he wants your input. Here's your chance. I'm pretty happy with the playlist he suggests, actually.

And yes, "Wreck of the Fairchild," the single most requested song via e-mail in the history of this blog (I get about one a week, even when I HAVE IT UP ON THE MAIN PAGE HERE, people) is included.

When New Wave Happens to Old Artists - Steve Miller Band

2008-09-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, this one might sting a bit.

The Steve Miller Band was riding high after the huge success of 1982’s “Abracadabra” LP and single – the single was just about the biggest hit of that year and the album followed suit, peaking at #3. The secret of “Abracadabra’s” success was pretty simple – take a basic, catchy Steve Miller tune (not altogether different from “Swingtown”, really), add some current synth and production touches to keep it fresh and bam!, there’s your smash. Was it telling, though, that the album was unable to produce one Top 40 follow-up single, even with “Abracadabra’s” momentum? Hmmm…

We got our answer in 1984, with the release of “Italian X-Rays”. Now there are plenty of examples in pop history of an artist losing the plot, but boy, this is a prime example of one not only losing it, but intentionally taking it, digging a 12 foot hole in the ground, tossing said plot inside, filling the hole with cement and covering any tell-tale signs of the deed with sod. So, what happened? Only Steve can tell us for sure, but it sounds like someone along the line, whether it was the band or their record label, decided the new wave touches that made “Abracadabra” a smash should be expanded and layered to ridiculous levels. If a little worked a lot, then a lot would work…well, not at all.

The terror began with the album’s first single, “Shangri-La”. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad. Truth be told, I kinda like “Shangri-La”. You have a funky bassline, a catchy call and response vocal melody (even if it is unintentionally hilarious when the backing vocals sing “Celebrate” with absolutely zero enthusiasm), and hey, cowbell! But I can only imagine old school Steve Miller fans standing mortified, mouths agape when they first heard this. It was too radical a sound shift for old fan, too muted and wrapped in that Steve Miller laid-back style for the new wave fan. Just who was supposed to enjoy this?

If long-time Steve Miller fans were simply appalled at “Shangri-La”, I’d love to have an old Beta tape of their reactions to the follow-up single, “Bongo Bongo”. Oh, “Bongo, Bongo”…where to begin? This song was notorious in my little group in high school because it was just so god-awful and gimmicky, and yet you simply could not get it out of your head after you heard it. I’m warning you now, if you download and listen to it (get past the annoying and unnecessary 30-second keyboard intro), you will spend the rest of your day walking around singing “ba-ba-ba-bongo bongo” and looking like a moron. File this one under “What Were They Thinking/Snorting?”.

“Italian X-Rays” did some damage. The Steve Miller Band never returned to the Top 40 and it took a few albums and a highly publicized “return to blues roots” album before Steve regained a fraction of his old fans. New Wave is a bitter mistress. She can bring you joy and equal amounts of pain.

Ba-ba-ba-Bongo Bongo.

”Shangri-La” peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.
“Bongo Bongo” peaked at #84 on the Hot 100 that same year.

A label called Eagle Records had the courage to re-master and re-release this in 2005.

Dear NBC:

2008-09-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Please make the check out to "John C. Hughes." Thanks.

NBC gets "Lost in the '80s"

The Peacock is plunging further into the '80s with a TV series
described as "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" meets "The Ice
Storm."

Source

When New Wave Happens to Older Artists – Donna Summer

2008-09-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

Things weren’t really happening for Donna Summer in 1980. The Queen of Disco and the sound she and producer Giorgio Morodor ushered in had fallen out of favor, replaced by New Wave, which was basically disco (four on the floor beat, off-beat open high-hat, lyrics about sex) with a dumbed-down punk aesthetic and major label approved moniker. Donna had also left her longtime label, Casablanca Records, to become one of the flagship artists (along with John Lennon) for a new start-up helmed by a guy named David Geffen.

So to say it was a considerable gamble for Summer to embrace New Wave and release “The Wanderer” on a new label isn’t entirely true. “Considerable gamble” implies there’s a lot to lose, and let’s be honest, at this point, Donna had enough riches and chart showings to keep her set for a while. It was a pleasant surprise when the title track became a Top 3 hit – it looked like Donna just might shake off the disco tag and move along with the times. All it would take is a couple more strong singles off the album…

“Cold Love” was the follow-up to “The Wanderer,” a straight-ahead rock track with a little bubbling synthline underneath to give it that New Wave sheen. “Cold Love” had a lot going for it – a strong, riffy start, a hooky verse, an always-terrific vocal (one thing that was a slam-dunk for any Summer song, no matter how weak) – all it was missing was a chorus.

Okay, so it had a chorus: ”Cold love / cold love / another shot of rock & roll love”. Fine. I guess the rest of the song was so strong, this chorus just came off a little weak and “Cold Love’s” chart showing ultimately reflected this. On to single #3, then.

“Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’” is okay, not as strong as “Cold Love” and certainly nowhere near as catchy as “The Wanderer”, yet it was still able to struggle into the lower reaches of the Top 40 (#40, to be exact – hey, it’s Top 40!). Lyrically, it treads the same ‘ol, same ‘ol, how fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, the only true riches are found within yourself, blah blah. I’m actually surprised this single did as well as it did – it’s nothing too special.

Summer continued to notch chart hits thru the rest of the 80s, hitting the Top Ten with “Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)”, “She Works Hard For The Money”, and her return to straight-ahead disco (err, sorry, “dance music”), “This Time I Know It’s For Real”. She continues to tour and record, scoring dance hits, including her recent Top 5 dance hit, “I Got Your Love”, so her dalliance in New Wave didn’t do any lasting damage, and was probably the first step in showing her range and versatility.

Not every older artist who dabbled in New Wave could say the same, however…stay tuned…

”Cold Love” peaked at #33 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1981.
“Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’” peaked at #40 on the same chart in 1981.

"The Wanderer" is currently out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon.

Bonus Lost B-sides: Duran Duran & Kissing the Pink

2008-08-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

“Secret Oktober”, the flip side of Duran’s “Union of the Snake” is truly a buried gem, a song that would have considerably brightened the overblown and overly bloated “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” (perhaps replacing the unnecessary instrumental “Tiger, Tiger”?). “Secret Oktober” is basically Simon and Nick, vocals and synths, very much in the vein of “The Chauffer” off “Rio”, a nice melody over a comparatively understated synth riff. It continues to be a big fan favorite to this day – I even saw them do it live in 1994 during the Cucurillo years, so it must be close to the boys. Luckily for Durannies, each and every b-side and remix is available on two different box sets. The first one (’81-’85) is essential, the second, not so much.

And by request, here’s a pretty rare Kissing the Pink b-side – “Garden Party” is not the Ricky Nelson hit, but rather an extension of its a-side, “Maybe This Day” (which we've talked about here). I’d like to think it was meant to describe the party sung about in “Maybe This Day” (over the garden wall she said / let’s go to the party). Perhaps, or maybe it has nothing to do with it. In any case, it’s an arty, moody little number, worth a couple of listens, but hardly their best.

Lost B-sides Week: Thomas Dolby "The Wreck of the Fairchild"

2008-08-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

One of Thomas Dolby’s earliest singles (even before THAT song, I believe) was the incredible “Airwaves,” a song I think was tough for him to equal – it’s mellow and epic all at once, with mysterious lyrics and a fantastic bridge with great lines:

Control has enabled
the abandoned wires again, but
the copper cables
all rust in the acid rain
that flood the subways with
elements of our corrosion
cable them to me.

Of course, when “Airwaves” was released as a single, the bridge was completely excised. Sigh.

“Airwaves” didn’t exactly burn up the charts – it was never even released as a single in the States. That ramps up the scarcity factor of today’s b-side, “The Wreck of the Fairchild,” a mostly instrumental funk/reggae/new wave stew with a pretty cool finish that segues directly back to its a-side. “Fairchild” sounds like a song in progress, something just waiting for a melody line to be written over it, but ultimately scrapped to an obscure b-side, never to appear on any other compilation or collection. Too bad – it would have been interesting to see it fleshed out, since it fits the vibe of Dolby’s first (and completely essential) album, "Golden Age of Wireless", which is in dire need of a deluxe re-mastering (complete with original mixes of “Radio Silence” and b-sides – c’mon, EMI). It was featured on the initial UK pressing of the LP, but quickly deleted and replaced by “One of Our Submarines” and a little-known song called “She Blinded Me With Science”.

Download “The Wreck of the Fairchild”.
And just because, here is the full version of “Airwaves”.

”The Wreck of the Fairchild” was the b-side to “Airwaves,” released in 1982, and on the first UK pressing of “The Golden Age of Wireless”.

"we spoke about the time and place of our first meeting / without a word i knew you knew that i cared about you"

2008-08-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

There was a discussion over at Silence Is a Rhythm (scroll down about half a page) about the recent Human League reissues and how EMI have done an okay job with them. One thing I hated, though, is that they were so close to being perfect by only one or two tracks.

The Hysteria remaster is more than serviceable, including all the remixes of the era, but my main beef was that by including just two missing tracks from the U.S. Fascination EP, EMI would have sewn up the entire early Human League output. EMI halfway corrected these omissions by including one of the missing tracks, "You Remind Me of Gold", on the new Human League Remixes and Rareities CD. So, I'm going to take the initiative to post the other missing track.

"I Love You Too Much (Original Version)" was recorded for this EP (the other songs were all previously released singles or b-sides in the U.K.) and was later re-recorded for the Hysteria album. This original version is vastly superior, in my not so humble opinion. Where the Hysteria version just sorts of drones on, this version is quite the little funky number. Check out that bassline and the incredibly tone-deaf backing "Ahhhhhs" from the girls. No comparison.

But hey, good job anyway, EMI. Don't think we Leaugeophiles don't appreciate the effort. See? I didn't even bring up the "EMI stands for Every Mistake Imaginable" joke!

Whoops.

"I Love You Too Much" was not released as a single.

"i could blame it all on the heavens above / or i could blame it all on the stars"

2008-08-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Years before Cowboy Troy fused rap and country to create “Hick Hop”, Rhode Island outfit Rubber Rodeo, dressed in fringe jackets, cowboy boots and bolo ties, added the punk aesthetic alongside new wave’s sound to Patsy Cline-ish melodies to create “Cowpunk”, which on paper sounds like an unholy alliance, but in practice wasn’t too bad.

Fusing synths and drum machines with lap-pedal steel guitar and twangy “y’all” vocals, Rubber Rodeo’s major label debut, “Scenic View” was kitschy and catchy at the same time. I remember an initial big push from MTV for the first video, “The Hardest Thing”, which is where I first heard them (after all, radio wouldn’t touch something like this). MTV must have had the video in medium rotation, because I saw the band romping through the huge dinosaur park later featured in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” several times. I was hooked and bought the album, but MTV dropped the video just as quickly.

I do remember seeing the video for the second single, “Anywhere With You”, a couple times, but not nearly as much as the first one, which is strange since “Anywhere” actually was a bigger hit, charting on the Hot 100 for a few weeks.

Two years later, Rubber Rodeo released a second album, “Heartbreak Highway”, featuring the single “Souvenir”, which you’ll find on one of EMI’s “Living In Oblivion” compilations. I never understood why they chose that song, since just about no one heard that second album – maybe “Souvenir” was a radio hit somewhere? – but “Heartbreak Highway” stripped away more of the country touches until Rubber Rodeo sounded like pretty much everything else in 1986. And with that, Rubber Rodeo closed up shop and rode off into the pop sunset, but not before leaving us with at least two great tracks.

”The Hardest Thing” did not chart.
“Anywhere With You” peaked at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1984.

"not one Picasso, he'd give me a pair/that's what I've always dreamed of"

2008-07-28T21:21:00.001-07:00

Wrapped in taffeta and camp while sporting a foot-high blonde beehive, Mari Wilson (not the Supreme) stepped out of the mid-sixties and straight into the new wave movement with her 1983 debut, “Show People” and its centerpiece single, “Just What I Always Wanted (single version)”.

Wilson began her career with a huge backing group dubbed the “Wilsations”, including three male background singers who had the nelliest, campiest choreography ever. Mari notched a couple chart hits in the U.K. and MTV put the “Just What…” video in light rotation, where I sat waiting to see it for hours and hours, alongside the video for Tears For Fears’ “Pale Shelter” after my best friend Brandon claimed he saw once and I refused to believe him (he was right, by the way). There, tucked between such videos as Planet P “Why Me?” and Rod Stewart “Baby Jane” came Mari, all sixties girl group glam and lush production, belting a Bacharach-ish tune with electronic drums. Heaven.

Wilson’s “Show People” album was packed with such treasures, but the highlight was probably her version of “Cry Me a River”, where she very nearly ditched all the camp novelty aspects of her act and gave a stirring, moody performance. It’s quite lovely and pointed toward her future career as a smooth-jazz performer. A few more singles, a cameo in the Soft Cell video for “What!”, a record label dispute and one final jazzy album in 1991 followed, then the quiet life until this month, when Mari released her first album in 15 years, “Dolled Up”.

VH1 Classic rolled the “Just What I Always Wanted (extended version)” video here and there when they still played videos. Sigh.

You can find some more recent Mari Wilson CDs here, and one compilation of her new wave era songs, but don’t have a coronary when you see the price tag.

”Just What I Always Wanted” failed to chart in 1983.
“Cry Me a River” was not released as a single in the U.S.

"we both know we're never gonna make it / but when we touch, we never have to fake it, Leah!"

2008-07-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Straight outta Beaver Falls, PA, came Dominic Ierace, playing in local combos until he and his band The Jaggerz hit number two in the ‘70s with “The Rapper”. After The Jaggerz dissolved, Ierace played with Wild Cherry, who had a hit with the ubiquitous “Play That Funky Music”. Then by 1980, Wild Cherry hit the pits.

That’s when Dominic Ierace, R&B/funk band sideman, became Donnie Iris, power pop/new wave hitmaker.

Teamed with keyboardist Mark Avsec, Iris had a decent run of chart singles in the early ‘80s, his biggest Pop hit being “My Girl”, a sickly sweet ‘60s-tinged Beach Boys-ish rip which peaked at #25. But thankfully, history won out over chart positions and Iris is better known these days for a brilliant 3:42 blast called “Ah! Leah!”

“Ah! Leah!” was huge in the Cleveland/Pittsburgh markets where Iris made his home(s), played in constant rotation in 1981, and spilling over nationally. It was deserved. “Ah! Leah!” is classic power pop, all crunchy chords, harmonic backing vocals and an echoing “Ah! Ah!” bridge that still gives me goose bumps. “Ah! Leah!” struggled up to #29 on the charts which is a shame – so many people still remember and love this song – in fact, I got an e-mail about it today that inspired me to finally finish this post I’ve been puttering around with for months (thanks, Mark!).

Iris returned to the Top 40 a year later with “Love Is Like a Rock”, another regional smash that if recorded by, say, Rick Springfield (ahem), would have been a Top Ten smash. As it is, it barely squeaked into the Top 40. If I asked you if you remembered this song, you’d look at me blankly – however, if I played it for you, you’d say, “Ohmigod, who did this song! I used to LOVE it!” G’head, try it.

Another year later, Iris and MCA Records wanted some of that MTV video action the kids were all hot about. Riding the new wave bandwagon, Iris released “Do You Compute?”, a very timely play on TRS-80s, Timex Sinclair 1000’s, and romance. The video is HYSTERICAL, with Donnie attempting to build a perfect woman via computer, (years before “Weird Science!”), only to end up trapped in the computer himself. I wish I had it – I’d post it so you could see if my theory that the woman in the video is indeed Joanna Lumley aka Patsy Stone from “Absolutely Fabulous”. I swear it is.

And hey, how about a modern-day remake of that video, done shot for shot in someone's rec room?

What’s Donnie up to these days? Still playing dates here and there, and…well:

Image from Parallel Time, the Unofficial Donnie Iris Site

I would KILL to have Donnie Iris as my mortgage broker.

Get Donnie Iris CDs here...and you should, they're great.

”Ah! Leah!” peaked at #29 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1981.
“Love Is Like a Rock” peaked at #37 in 1982.
“Do You Compute?” peaked at #64 on the same chart in 1983.

"S-s-s-se-ss-sex-sex-s-sex Crime-cr-cr-cr-cr-cri-crime"

2008-07-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Back in 2005, we saw the (nearly) complete re-release of 8 of Eurythmics albums, remastered and chock full of bonus tracks and b-sides, some never before released. Each disc features one cover version as a bonus track, which is pretty neat. Here's the scoop, along with track listings.

Now, what's missing?

This:

After hitting paydirt in America with their 2nd and 3rd LPs ("Sweet Dreams" & "Touch"), Annie & Dave were invited to create the soundtrack for the dark, dreary, depressing film version of George Orwell's "1984". While the film was a drag, the songs weren't - they were darker in tone, but then again, Eurythmics always played with darker elements. The first single, "Sexcrime (1984)" did well overseas, but conservative ears in America weren't ready for this. Dance clubs (particularly gay ones - shocker) were though, and the extended version of the track very nearly topped the dance charts.

"Sexcrime's" follow up, "Julia", was a complete 180 - a somber, slow ballad, mournful and bitter. While a beautiful song, it wasn't what the charts were looking for. However, overseas charts went nuts for it.

So, why isn't the "1984" soundtrack on the slate for reissue? Only the band and their label can say for sure, but I'm guessing it has to do with the vagaries of soundtrack rights - often the movie studio, not the record label, holds the rights to such things. A pity - these two songs alone are reason enough to set the album free.

But hey, that's why I'm here.

"Sexcrime (1984)" peaked at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1984.
"Julia" did not chart.

"don't worry daddy, i'll have her home at a respectable hour"

2008-07-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

I’m not scared – I’ll come right out and say it.

Rick Springfield is one of power pop’s unsung heroes and should be held up right next to your Eric Carmens, Matthew Sweets and Alex Chiltons.

While he’s primarily known for his impressive string of hits in the ‘80s, Springfield actually got started in the early ‘70s, scoring his first Top 40 hit, “Speak to the Sky”, in 1972. Some lean years and a gig as an animated Saturday morning cartoon character on “Mission Magic” followed, until Rick scored a gig on ABC’s “General Hospital” as Dr. Noah Drake. This just happened to coincide with the release of his “Working Class Dog” album, a record that front to back is packed with power pop classics, like “Jesse’s Girl”, “I’ve Done Everything For You” (written by Sammy Hagar), and my favorite, “Love Is Alright Tonight”.

“Love Is Alright Tonight” has some seriously evil lyrics, especially coming from a heavily promoted "teen idol":

Don’t worry daddy, I’ll have her home at a respectable hour
Go to sleep daddy, you won’t think about tonight
With the night comes a feeling of incredible power
Gonna love her daddy, she’ll be feeling it tonight...

Oh, Rick. You scamp.

There’s no “guilty” modifier to be added to the pleasure in these songs – they’re three to three and a half minutes of well-composed, tightly played power pop. Springfield’s fluffy teen idol image overshadowed the work at the time, but listen to these songs now and they hold up. Timeless. You can put on “Love Is Alright Tonight” and crank it, whether it’s 1981 or 2005. In fact, I often do.

Now, if Rick made any mistakes in his career, it was jumping on the movie gravy train and getting a bit overexposed via his starring vehicle, “Hard to Hold.” And musically, he started to veer away from the four-piece guitar-based ensemble and experiment with synths. A LOT of synths. Songs like “Human Touch”, “Celebrate Youth” and “Rock of Life” are oozing with dated swooshes, bleeps and bloops. But even in this keyboard-heavy later period, Rick could pull out a stunning, deceptively simple song like “State of the Heart”.

Rick is still recording today, and even had a sizeable Adult Contemporary hit last year called “Beautiful You”. But track for track, you won’t find anything as powerful as the one-two punch of the “Working Class Dog” and “Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet” albums. These two need some serious remastering and reissuing.

And power pop history needs to recognize Rick.

Buy Rick Springfield CDs here.

”Love Is Alright Tonight” peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1982.
“State of the Heart” peaked at #22 on the Hot 100 chart in 1985.

"now is the time / to call the doctor!"

2008-06-30T23:29:00.000-07:00

I’m not going to ramble on and on about the genius that is DEVO. Let’s assume my readers are hip and musically sophisticated enough to know all the background – bred in Akron, Ohio, conceptualized the concept of de-evolution (“we must repeat”), groundbreaking videos and albums, blah, blah. Let’s concentrate on Devo’s downward slope period.

After releasing what I feel is their second best LP, “Oh No, It’s Devo”, to a largely indifferent reception, Devo had reached the end of their initial contract with Warner Brothers Records. Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were uncertain about Devo’s future, so there was a lull period between 1982 and 1985 that saw only one new Devo release.

The theme for the horrific Dan Aykroyd vehicle “Dr. Detroit”.

Let’s not dwell on the bad things – the “Theme From Dr. Detroit” was a great little middle-period Devo single, with a characteristic motivational lyric and hyper beat. It was also Devo’s first chart hit in some time, bringing the band enough exposure to get them another one-album deal with Warner Brothers – unfortunately, that resulted in 1985’s “Shout”…but hey, we’re staying positive here!

Let’s give some half-hearted praise to the WB for leasing out all the Devo albums to Collector’s Choice, who has reissued them all this year. I say “half-hearted” cuz they’re pretty skimpy on bonuses, unlike the vastly superior Infinite Zero reissues from the early ‘90s. Would it have killed them to simply pick those up and put ‘em back out? Feh.

Major praise goes to Target Video, who just released “Devo Live 1980”, a full-length Devo live show from, um, 1980, complete with all the filmed segments the band would show between costume changes.

Help support this site by purchasing The Devo Catalog via this link. Thanks!

One thing you won’t find on any of those CDs is the original single version of the “Theme From Dr. Detroit”. Rhino did put an extended version on the “Pioneers Who Got Scalped” anthology, but six minutes of this tune is about three far too many. So here, direct from my little Backstreet Records 45, is the single mix. Enjoy.

”Theme From Dr. Detroit” peaked at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Oh yeah, “Dr. Detroit” the movie makes is now on DVD as well, but I ain’t linking to it!

"life was so simple then/a kind of playtime/you made it easy then/we had a great time"

2008-06-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Like many a budding homo, I was quite the little fashion plate in high school. Yes, that's me with the grey pleather pants, white nylon vest, white leather skinny tie and man perm.

I won the Senior Class Superlative for "Biggest Individualist", which we all know was code for "Biggest Punk Faggot Who Hates Dressing Like Everyone Else". I also won "Biggest Gossip", but that's not germane to this discussion. I held the record for most different hairstyles in our senior yearbook - 11. Yes, 11. Short, long, dyed black, permed, dyed blonde, long in back, long in front, short in back while long in front, etc. Gee, and I'm bald now. Who knew. DAMN YOU, LADY CLAIROL MIDNIGHT BLACK!

My musical tastes followed fashionable trends - I've talked about my love of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and their t-shirts before, but I also was quite fond of the opening act at the second Frankie concert I attended - Belouis Some.

Born Neville Keighley, Belouis (pronounced "Blew-wee" - really) first appeared on MTV and your more cutting edge radio stations with the best Ric Ocasek/Iggy Pop club rip in years called "Imagination." "Imagination" was funky, dark and had one of the best opening lines in pop history: "She lit a cigarette, both hands behind her back". You could only go down from there. "Imagination" played peek-a-boo with the lower rungs of the Hot 100, then sank.

CAREFUL - this is the NSFW version!

Then someone in marketing hit upon a grand idea - marry Belouis with Swatch Watches, the trendy, cheap ass plastic watches which were all the rage in 1985 (YES, I HAD 20. Whatever!). Suddenly, commercials featuring Belouis Some and moronic dancers modeling Swatches were all over MTV, bopping along to the follow-up single, "Some People". The commercials mimicked the video for the single, and vice versa, creating MTV/marking synergy. "Some People" rose a little higher than its predecessor, but still not high enough.

Belouis put on a great live show, though. I still remember it being quite good, almost eclipsing Frankie.

Another album followed in 1987, with "Let It Be With You" garnering some club play, but not much else. No Belouis activity followed until 1991, when the final Some CD was released, a techno-y mess. Find it now, I dare you.

And while you're at it, find all my old Swatches. I wanna put 'em on eBay.

"Imagination" peaked at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.
"Some People" peaked at #67 the same year.

"down in alabama they like home-cooked fare, yeah! / so we're gonna strap you to the frying chair"

2008-06-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Joe Strummer was not a very popular guy when 1986 rolled around. The year previous, he, alongside a new crew of imposters, had taken a nice healthy dump all over the Clash name by releasing the “final” Clash album, “Cut the Crap”, picking a name that filled critics with glee, all headline pun-ready. At this point, the Clash was down to Strummer and sorta Paul Simonon (he only plays on a few cuts). “Cut the Crap” was execrable, just awful – witness the “Hey, Hey, We’re the Monkees” vibe of track three, titled “We Are the Clash”. Yes, it was really that bad.

So when Strummer was asked to provide theme song for Alex Cox’s largely fictional “Sid & Nancy” biopic, no one expected too much. Diminished expectations aside, "Love Kills" was fantastic – a raw yet well produced number that would have fit nicely on “Combat Rock”. It may have been the most accessible Clash song ever, barring “Train In Vain”. Unfortunately, it was attached to a piece of trash.

Ah, “Sid & Nancy”…where to begin? How about with the overriding theme of the film, which was, who cares if they were two murderous junkies? THEY WERE IN LURRRVE. Wasn’t it sweet that after Sid stabbed his lover to death in a heroin haze that he was magically reunited with her in the afterlife and they took a taxicab straight to heaven? Awwwww…

Puke.

Just awful. Luckily, Strummer escaped unscathed and continued his solo career, even reuniting with Mick Jones at one point to do work on some Big Audio Dynamite stuff. Unfortunately, we lost Strummer in 2002 to a heart attack, but what a body of work the man left behind. “Love Kills” should have been a big crossover hit, but hey, here it is for us today. Enjoy.

Just don’t bother with the film.

"Love Kills" did not chart.

"it's raining / my sisters why can't we realize / that it won't be long?"

2008-06-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

“Contentious” is probably the word I’m looking for to describe the recording of the third (and at the time – har har – final) album from The Time. While “Ice Cream Castle” (the album is strangely singular while the single, “Ice Cream Castles” is plural – hey, it’s Prince, let him explain) talks of peace and harmony, the atmosphere surrounding its making was anything but.

Just before recording the album, Prince informed Time members Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis their services were no longer needed. Monte Moir exited in solidarity. New members were propped up, which really meant nothing except in a live setting, since Prince did everything, with some help from guitarist Jesse Johnson and, of course, the inimitable Morris Day. Day was extremely unhappy with the controlling structure of the “band”, not to mention his payday, or lack thereof. The Time was – I’m gonna say it, I’m warning you – running out.

Ignore the credits on the sleeve – Prince, in his “Jamie Starr” mode wrote and played most everything, with the exception of some guitar, vocals (Morris, of course) and lyrics. That control was chafing other band members, so the end was inevitable. Of course, not before The Time had the two biggest singles of their career off this set, “Jungle Love” and “The Bird”. “Jungle Love”, however, was NOT the first single…

That honor went to the title track, “Ice Cream Castles (full version)”, an almost mellow, popish workout with a nice, sweet message that touched on interracial love. The album version tops out after over seven and a half minutes, but it doesn’t feel like it. A radio edit was ignored by Top 40 radio, but then “Purple Rain” hit theaters. Must I continue?

By the time The Time were crossover stars, it was over. Morris and Jesse had a few solo hits, the rest of the remaining band morphed into The Family (where is this CD, Warner Bros? And Vanity 6? C’mon.), and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis went on to become fabulously wealthy by producing/ruining the Human League and re-inventing Janet Jackson.

“Ice Cream Castles” was where this gangly white boy first heard of The Time, via a smooth video that MTV embraced for a brief time. I bought the album, loved the three singles and laughed at the amount of filler that padded the rest. But it was a nice gateway drug into the rest of Prince’s world, which I entered into freely. I’m sure I was the only 15 year old boy on my block singing “Do you think I’m a nasty girl?” and “If I was your girlfriend…”

Thank God.

”Ice Cream Castles” peaked at #11 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart.

"over the garden wall she said/ 'let's go to the party'"

2008-06-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Kissing the Pink.

Yes, that's totally what it means. Ahem.

Now that we've dispensed with all that, Kissing the Pink formed in 1980 in London and never really broke through in a big way, either home or abroad. Their first album, "Naked" came out in 1983 and MTV picked up on the moody video for "Maybe This Day", a darkish new wave/funk number featuring a sax solo perfect for stripping.

I haven't seen that video since (HELLO, VH1 CLASSIC PERSON WHO READS THIS BLOG - yeah, I see you in my stats!). As I grew older, I thought maybe I imagined this song until Napster came along (ah, memories) and I finally found it again. "Maybe This Day" even cracked Billboard's Hot 100, then Kissing the Pink went down.

Ahem.

Three years later, they surfaced for air, this time calling themselves the more broadcast-friendly KTP, and brandishing a much glossier sound with the album "Certain Things Are Likely". The album's first single, "One Step," got some minor club and MTV play, but the title track follow-up is what got KTP noticed in the States. "Certain Things Are Likely (Club Mix)" topped the Billboard Dance/Club Play charts in 1987, with a much funkier and superior remix of the album track that also paved the way for the emerging Chicago house scene. And hey, cowbell!

After this brush with success, the group became Kissing the Pink again, but never matched their previous heights. Another album followed in 1993, with another recorded for, then abandoned by Sony. Kissing the Pink members went on to do various production work, leaving two classic singles behind. Not bad for a band with...that...name...

"Maybe This Day" peaked at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Certain Things Are Likely" peaked at #97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart.

A guide to buying Kissing the Pink albums.

"And I've just about had enough of the sunshine, hey!"

2008-05-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

In a nice bit of blog synergy, it seems everyone is talking about blue-eyed soul…which leads me to one of the sadder stories of the also-rans (at least in the States) in this genre – Dr. Robert and the Blow Monkeys.

First off, that name. Is it a coke reference? A funny, random lark? Whichever, it certainly didn’t help their chances with radio programmers. Secondly, the Blow Monkeys had the misfortune of being signed to RCA Records in the United States, a fate I wouldn’t wish on my most hated enemy. RCA were notorious for being unable to break a fucking egg, much less a hit single.

But now, I must turn the table over to my good buddy RBM in London, who I consider the world’s foremost authority on the Blow Monkeys, not to mention the biggest Dr. Robert fan ever:

dr robert was (and is) the lisping anglo soul-singer wannabe of indeterminate sexuality who fronted the blow monkeys. their first record (1984) was a folky indie-pop bore, but “animal magic” and “she was only a grocer’s daughter” are two of the best british albums of the 80s. the blow monkeys had only one minor hit in the states, with “digging your scene” but may also be known for their cover of “you don’t own me” on the “dirty dancing” soundtrack (dreadful, just dreadful, but the lisping makes for amusement). dr robert sang about sex and love and sadomasochism and politics, and very strangely, collaborated with curtis mayfield. having been a feature of the UK pop and dance charts for some time, the blow monkeys finally called it quits around 1990, with a string of nearly identical “best of” albums following. unfortunately, dr robert went back to being being a folky indie-pop bore,and somehow managed to pick up paul weller as an even more surprising collaborator. his 7th solo studio album is imminent, as well as a 2-disc retrospective of his solo and blow monkeys material.

I might argue with “Digging Your Scene” being a minor hit…it actually charted at #14, so that’s Top 20. The follow-up, however…

“It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way” was the lead-off single from “She Was Only A Grocer’s Daughter”, and a song I thought was going to be the one to drive the band to the top of the charts in the States. Wrong. I loved the guitar strum riff, the horns, the cheesy backing vocals. No one else did. After embracing the cute video for “Digging,” MTV shunned this single, and radio programmers followed suit. I actually think it’s a superior song to “Digging”. But hey, I can pick the losers every time. I’m curious as to what you think of it.

”It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way” did not chart.

Believe it or not, this stuff is still in print!

Visit www.drrobert.com if you want.

"Curling smoke climbs upward slowly past my troubling face..."

2008-05-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

Talk about DIY – when club promoter and all-around Paris-Hilton-famous-for-merely-being-famous trailblazer Steven Strange didn’t like that there weren’t enough good songs to play on his club night, he grabbed some friends, some synths and made his own.

Under the name Visage, Strange, alongside a few former Magazine members and a couple of future Ultravox members including Midge Ure, created the template for the New Romantic movement of the early ‘80s – moody chords, high-hat heavy automated percussion and lyrics about fashion, clubbing and nightlife. They scored a club hit with their first few singles, “Tar”, a remake of “In The Year 2525” and of course, “Fade to Grey”, which ended up going to the Top Ten of the pop charts in the U.K.

Then came follow up time.

Luckily, Visage’s debut album was pretty strong from front to back, so culling a few more singles wasn’t a problem. In fact, "Mind Of A Toy" is one of the better songs on the album, an ode from the point of view of a discarded toy, campy to the extreme, especially when Steven spits out “spiteful girl, hateful boy” during the chorus. I still laugh every time, 25 years later. A nouveaux classique, to turn a phrase.

When it came time for album #2, dubbed “The Anvil” after the notorious NYC leather bar, things started to fall apart. There are still some great tunes, but the album as a whole was nowhere as strong as their first. Standouts were the title track, “We Move” and the first single, “The Damned Don’t Cry”, which instead of merely emulating “Fade to Grey’s” sound and success, built upon it. There’s a little less humor, a little more struggle for depth, unfortunately, the boys just weren’t good enough to pull it off completely. Reviews were scathing…I can’t find it anywhere online, but I remember Rolling Stone eviscerating “The Anvil”, awarding it a measly one star and proclaiming it “fashion over music.” That’s when I knew I had to own it.

After “The Anvil”, Ure and most of the musical braintrust left, leaving Strange to wobble on with new backing for one final album until giving up. Strange later went on to a smack habit, culminating in an arrest in London for attempting to shoplift a Teletubbie. He’s apparently clean now and fronting a new version of Visage that was on tap to remix Kelly Osbourne’s last single “One Word”, a song that more than liberally borrows from “Fade to Grey”. That remix has yet to surface.

Listening to both albums today, I find they both hold up a lot better than works by Visage’s contemporaries, including Spandau Ballet and Gary Numan. Visage sort of became the bridge between Morodor-era Donna Summer and more commercial new wave that came after Visage’s time in the spotlight, sort of an über-disco.

“The Anvil” is currently out of print, having its most recent reissue in 1997 by One Way Records, but you can still get Visage's first album fairly cheaply on Amazon as a import.

Neither single charted in the U.S.

"Superman had come to town to see who he could rock /He blew away every crew he faced until he reached the block"

2008-05-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Newcleus had been bouncing around the early hip-hop/breakdancing scene since 1977 when they were part of a DJ crew calling itself Jam On Productions, but it wasn’t until 1983 and a chance encounter with a sped-up tape machine that they stumbled upon a hit.

While many members came and went, the, uh, center of Newcleus (sorry) was Ben “Cozmo D” Cenac, who had some extra time to fill on a mixtape. Together with some family members, he recorded a favorite rap from their block parties, only this time with some of the vocals sped up, a la the Chipmunks. “Jam On’s Revenge” was born, blazing up cardboard breakin’ squares all over New York. Pop radio wasn’t having it, however. That would change with the release of the follow up, “Jam On It”.

Hard to believe now, but yes, Virginia, there was a time when Top 40 radio was scared shitless of rap. Mainstream radio programmers weren’t coming anywhere near this emerging musical force out of fear of offending listeners and advertisers. Besides, there was no side money from independent promoters coming in to justify adding rap singles to a Top 40 format. Why add Grandmaster Flash's “The Message” or “Basketball” by Kurtis Blow when you were getting hookers and another kind of blow from labels pushing Journey’s latest piece of crap? But who could hate a song about Superman coming to the block to get served by Cozmo D and his crew of funky sounding aliens? Despite the near-total embargo of rap on Top 40 radio in 1983, “Jam On It” broke thru, garnering significant sales and airplay, but not enough to crack the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100.

This song should have been at least a Top Ten pop hit – it was everywhere in my high school, and I was stuck in bumfuck Elyria, Ohio, so I can only imagine how popular it was elsewhere. But alas, Newcleus were destined to release a few fallow follow-ups, another full-length LP, and then get pushed aside by more aggressively commercial rap stars such as Run DMC, Kool Moe Dee and LL Cool J, who were just waiting in the wings for unprecedented mainstream acceptance.

But do we still get to say “Wikki, wikki, wikki, wikki?” Hell, yeah.

”Jam On It” peaked at #56 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Buy Newcleus' "Jam On This" at Amazon.

"there's a future here, there's a future there / just pick it up right out of the air"

2008-05-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

1986...small town Ohio Elyria West High School's Senior Prom! A date with my "best girlfriend" (uh huh)! And the song that reminds me most of this occassion?

"Say you, Say Me?"
"I Miss You" by Klymaxx?
"Broken Wings?"
"Greatest Love of All?"

Nope. Try the Woodentops' "Give It Time."

Huh?

Let me explain...our senior prom was awful and hideous. We didn't even have a live band like Midview High's prom (Me & the Boys, a local new wave-ish cover band with a hot chick singer that would do Berlin and Missing Persons tunes). We had OUR ENGLISH TEACHER as our DJ playing just the worst Top 40 shit. The only solid memory I have is of our after prom at some rec center where the dancing and prize giveaways continued. I won a prize package that included a free month's membership at a new local gym (ah, if only I'd http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifgone then instead of six years later...) and a bunch of promotional 45s.

One of these was The Woodentops' "Give It Time".

I was immediately drawn to this tune's laconic, lazy mood, complete with a James-ish trumpet solo. It just reminds me of summer days on a hammock, lemonade in hand (has anyone really done that? Ever? No?). On the strength of this song, I ended up getting both Woodentops albums on CD when they were re-released in the late '80s. I have to admit, I don't think I've ever listened to either one all the way thru. Woodentops fans? Am I missing out?

Did I just write about my effin' senior prom? Oh, God. I'm horrible.

"Give It Time" did not chart.

"keep up the good love for Chaka..."

2008-04-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

You got your Chaka Khan in my Scritti Politti!

Well, you got your Scritti Politti in my Chaka Khan!

Mmmm…hey! This is pretty good!

Chaka Khan was cooling off in 1986 after a major hot streak. Coming off a huge smash cover of Prince’s “I Feel For You”, she was back in the Top 40, but following such a big single ended up being a bit of a problem, as songs like “(Krush Groove) Can’t Stop the Street” and “Own the Night” struggled to even hit the Top 50. Even “Through the Fire,” a song that just about everyone knows now thanks to Kanye West’s sampling, peaked only at #60. Chaka needed a little boost back to the top.

Meanwhile, fey art-funksters Scritti Politti had finally broken thru the States the year prior with “Cupid & Psyche ’85,” an album that sounds as fresh and exciting today as it did twenty years (holy shit) ago. The technology and recording tricks that lead Scritti Green Gartside employed blew pop music wide open with this release, and homeboy does NOT get enough credit for that. “Perfect Way” hit #11 in the States and Scritti Politti were plotting their next move.

Why not write and produce Chaka Khan’s next single?

A bizarre collaboration that honestly sounds horrid on paper, but in practice works out quite nicely. I’m not quite sure who had this idea, Chaka, Scritti or their shared label at the time, Warner Brothers, but the results were inspired. Green pushed Chaka into a poppy, glossy, new wave-ish realm and Chaka pushed back with a stellar (as usual) vocal. Plus, you had Chaka referring to herself in the third person in the chorus which is always a slam dunk move. What could have been cringe-inducing came out sounding like a hit.

Only it wasn’t.

“Love of a Lifetime” did some considerable damage in the clubs, but petered out at a paltry #53 on the Hot 100. The rest of the accompanying album, “Destiny,” was produced by others, and the more rock sound of the remaining tracks shows this. There are portions of the album that make one think emulating Tina Turner’s comeback was the goal, and put next to the innovations of the single, the rest of the album lacks punch. A couple other singles from the disc hit the R&B charts, but after that, “Destiny” sank like a stone. It’s currently out of print in the States.

The video is a hoot and half, with Chaka obviously clueless of what the lyrics were, lipsynching like a drag queen at last call, clad in an indigo and cheetah print boot ensemble, surrounded by dancers clad in horrific spandex bike shorts, and is that Jan Hooks in the video?

Barring a sped-up sample on Kanye West’s “Through the Wire,” Chaka never returned to the Top 40.

”Love of a Lifetime” peaked at #7 on the Billboard Dance Singles Sales Chart, at #11 on the Dance Club Play Chart, #21 on the R&B Singles Chart and at #53 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Girl Fight Tonight! / blood and mascara will run / we’ll see how long your tan lines last / when you’re in a body cast!"

2008-04-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

While MTV has launched many a career, it could be argued that Julie Brown (the white one, as she called herself) was the network’s first home-grown superstar. By the time MTV was thru with her (or she was thru with MTV), Brown was a triple threat – a recording artist, television personality and movie headliner.

Julie Brown started out with some bit parts on sitcoms and movies in the early ‘80s, but found her true calling when her novelty song “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun” hit radio morning shows nationwide in 1985. The song was comedy genius and features one of my favorite lyrics ever - "The cops fired a warning shot that blew her off the float." A full-length LP, “Goddess In Progress” followed and MTV picked up the video for the single. Thus, a relationship was born.

Julie began making frequent appearances on the channel, becoming a sort of defacto VJ, cracking everyone up with her commentary on the bands and biting the corporate hand that fed her. MTV responded by giving her an entire half-hour, the classic “Just Say Julie,” where she predated “Beavis & Butthead” by inserting herself and her caustic comments into horrible videos by the likes of Rod Stewart (“Oh, I want him. I want him badly,” she’d faux moan).

Riding this momentum, Julie signed to Warner Brothers for her major-label debut album “Trapped In The Body of a White Girl” (“Goddess” was on then-indie Rhino). Paired with some stellar talent (hitmakers Steinberg & Kelly co-wrote the single “Girl Fight Tonight”), the album had sort of an identity crisis, where some older songs like “I Like ‘Em Big and Stupid” were re-recorded in all their novelty glory, and newer songs were not quite as jokey and almost half-serious sounding without the accompanying video (like the title track). The result was a watered-down version of Julie that didn’t chart.

The album has some bright spots, though, especially “Girl Fight Tonight” with its girl group trappings and hilarious delivery (“Shoo-be-do-bop and a shoo-bop-a run away”). It’s long out of print, but you can buy copies directly from Julie at her website.

Julie has continued acting, most notably on the TV series “Clueless” and her soap parody “Strip Mall” which sadly, Comedy Central cancelled without resolving the second season cliffhanger (did Tami – pronounced Tuh-ME – survive being tossed out of an airplane?).

Oh, and look at that….here’s the video for
“Trapped In The Body of a White Girl”!

Neither single charted.
“Goddess In Progress” peaked at #168 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart.

"my eyes look so heavy / i'm feeling in the past tense, i'm hardly aware"

2008-04-14T16:13:00.001-07:00

Cut from the Loverboy mold of rocking gently and non-offensively (which sounds like an insult, I realize, but isn’t really), Niagra Falls, Canada’s Honeymoon Suite (get it? GET IT?!?) got their big break when their self-produced single “New Girl Now” won a radio contest, attracting the attention of Warner Brothers Records in 1984.

“New Girl Now” is a nearly perfect slice of 1984, from the shiny synth chords laid over a pristine guitar crunch, to the low-budget video featuring our hero, The Lead Singer, trying his best to dump his girlfriend who bears more than a passing resemblance to Imogene Coca. The fact that he’d want to ditch this chick is understandable, given her propensity to call him at all hours and throw bricks thru his window, but why then is his New Girl Now “a lot like you”? Some guys never learn…or they just crave psycho strangestrange.

This song was another of my secret guilty pleasures back then, the 45 tucked away between my Smiths and Echo & the Bunnymen albums, lest I lose my punker cred. Back then, my friends and I would listen to it in an ironic fashion, mockingly air guitar-ing along to the solo and pumping our fists at the “SHE’S JUSSS LAHK YOO!” part at the end. Today, I love it unabashedly and without shame. I mean, 3:37…intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus to end. Perfect.

Honeymoon Suite went on to have a slightly bigger hit two years later with a single called “Feel It Again”, but that DIY AOR feeling was gone. The band had quite a few hits up north, but limped along in the States. They’re still together, apparently, releasing a new album in 2002.

But for now, imagine it's 2008, Friday night, June, summertime, hot summer night…storm clouds in the air – get in the car, roll down the windows, and blast this tonight. You’ll thank me Monday.

Purchase Honeymoon Suite's debut.

”New Girl Now” peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984.

“and if I can’t get an angel / I can still get a boy / and a boy would be the next best thing to an angel…”

2008-04-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

Goofy lyrics? Overwrought production? Histrionic vocals? Undeniable hooks?

Yes, we’re talkin’ Jim Steinman today, kids.

Would you really be surprised if I told you the writer/producer of such irresistibly schlocky classics like Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” album and Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” started out writing musical theater? Me neither.

Would you be surprised if I told you Jim had a hit of his own from an album called “Bad for Good”, which was originally written for Meat Loaf? “Rock 'n Roll Dreams Come Through” was a minor hit nationally, but HUGE regionally, especially in the Midwest. WGCL and CKLW played the crap out of this song. And why not? It sounds like a Meat Loaf song, only sung by a guy who can’t really sing. And a Boris Vallejo album cover? What’s not to like? But seriously…please don’t pay attention to the lyrics. You’ll hurt yourself.

Three years and a few bigger hits written for others (including Air Supply – cringe freely here) later, Steinman went back to his obvious first love…an overblown, bombastic rock musical, this one called “Streets of Fire”. The soundtrack had a huge hit with Dan Hartman’s “I Can Dream About You”, but the true cheese was Steinman’s studio creation , Fire Inc., over-emoting for more than six minutes (the average Steinman song running time) on “Tonight Is What It Means to be Young”. Diane Lane does a good job lipsynching this in the flick, but the real vocalist was named Holly Sherwood, who got the privilege of working with Steinman again in 1989 on a new project called Pandora’s Box that sold about 43 copies.

I kid the Steinman, but you know what? I own both CDs, so what does that say about me?

Yes, I am gay.

Jim Steinman’s “Rock ‘n Roll Dreams Come Through” peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Fire Inc.’s “Tonight Is What It Means to be Young” peaked at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Buy Bad for Good .

Buy the Streets of Fire soundtrack.

EDIT/ADDENDUM: I can't believe I did a whole post on Jim without giving him total props for his epic production on the Sisters of Mercy's "This Corrosion" and "Dominion/Mother Russia" - two examples of where bombast not only works, but excels.

Lost Down Under - Hunters & Collectors

2008-03-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

Another band Melbourne from punk’s ashes, Hunters & Collectors began life in 1981 as a raucous, horn-fueled live act, feeding off audience participation and feel more than songwriting. Over the course of their first four albums, this changed radically, as lead Hunter Mark Seymour began crafting some beautiful and catchy melodies, climaxing with their fourth album, “Human Frailty”.

Now before everyone in Australia e-mails me, yes, I’m aware H&C were HUGE down there. “Throw Your Arms Around Me” was a massive, U2 sized hit for the band in 1986. However, here in the States, H&C got little more than some late-night MTV airplay and a few modern rock radio spins, which is a shame.

“Is There Anybody In There” was a “120 Minutes” staple for a few months, with the memorable image of Seymour screaming from inside a TV as it tumbled to the ground after being thrown from a building…this image ended up being used during many MTV commercials of the period. The song itself was about how, with everything going wrong in the world, TV seemed to be only concerned with trivial events. Thank God that’s all changed.

H&C’s label at the time, IRS Records, continued to push the band by using their massive hit “Throw Your Arms Around Me” as the follow up, to little success. Some MTV play again, then Lost in the ‘80s.

It wasn’t until two years later and a new U.S. label that H&C would score a Top Ten Modern Rock hit with “Back on the Breadline.” After that and several roster shuffles and record labels later, Hunters & Collectors disbanded in the early ‘90s.

Neither song charted in the U.S.

Lost Down Under Week - Wa Wa Nee

2008-03-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

You know what the world needed more than anything in 1987? A group of white Australians trying to recreate the funk rock that was The Time! Missing Morris Day? Don’t worry, folks! Here's Wa Wa Nee's Paul Gray!

Well…not quite. I mean, Wa Wa Nee didn’t have a mirror-toting Jerome. Maybe that was the problem.

Wa Wa Nee hit the Australian charts in 1986 with a huge single, “Stimulation” that got to number two there. The next year, they had another hit, this time in America, with “Sugar Free”. Ah, “Sugar Free…”

Fire in your head, river in your bed
Two hundred dollar, see his face go red
Lost in a world where nothin' is nothin'
Burnt pretty bad, can't get another hit-ah

Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free
Oh, this oughta be, burnin' up, breakin' down
Oh, my love and me, oh, we're sugar free
Oh, ever wanna be, burnin' up, breakin' down

Is it about a hooker? A proponent of Sweet ‘n’ Low? Who the fuck knows. It was catchy and goofy fun, though. Unlike the Time, however, it hasn’t aged well. “Sugar Free” scraped the lower reaches of the Top 40, so it came time to release their secret weapon, their big Australian hit “Stimulation”.

Nah, no one else here heard it either.

After Wa Wa Nee broke thru with “Sugar Free,” they went on to – come on! Say it with me. We all know this by now, people. – record one more album, then break up, forever Lost in the ‘80s.

”Sugar Free” peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.
“Stimulation” failed to chart.

"pilot of the airwaves / here is my request..."

2008-03-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ah, Charlie Dore’s ode to calling the DJ request line. Every ‘80s child has been there, hanging on the phone, waiting for that busy signal to stop, finally getting it to ring, then sitting there waiting for the DJ to answer so you can make that request. Sigh. Well, Charlie had a decent sized hit with “Pilot of the Airwaves”, however, it seems to have faded into obscurity since it hit. But Charlie did okay since, writing songs for Tina Turner, Celine Dion and a little ‘80s jam for Sheena Easton called “Strut”. Who knew?

But we’re talkin’ requests…

Let’s dig into that mailbag a bit, yes?

One of the first e-mails I got from this site was waaaay back in March was from John G. who had two fine requests, one for Q Lazzarus and another for Heaven 17’s “Let Me Go”.

Can you believe this was Heaven 17’s only Hot 100 chart entry in the States? We suck.

“letit beme” writes in with a bunch of good requests, a few I may get to eventually, but I love one in particular – Industry’s “State of the Nation”.

Industry had an EP and later a full-length release on Capitol Records. Both are long out of print, but “State of the Nation” surfaced a few years ago on a CD compilation titled “Can’t Get Enough of the ‘80s”. Without getting too political, I think the lyrics are probably more relevant today than back in 1983…

”Pilot of the Airwaves” by Charlie Dore peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980.
“Let Me Go” by Heaven 17 peaked at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Club Play Singles chart and #32 on the Mainstream Rock chart (??) in 1983.
“State of the Nation” peaked at #99 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"always someone left out in the rain / it's always the same..."

2008-03-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Turn on any local “Hits of the ‘80s, ‘90s and Today!” radio station, and within an hour, I guarantee you will hear either of Naked Eyes’ big hits, “Promises, Promises” or “Always Something There to Remind Me”. While “Always…” was a cover, there are two entire generations who are completely unfamiliar with the Dionne Warwick original version it completely eclipsed. It was that good. In fact, both singles became perfect pop classics that just about everyone knows by heart.

They were not, however, Naked Eyes’ only Top 40 hits.

Naked Eyes’ first album was successful enough to have three singles released off it, a fairly new practice back in 1983, when most albums were worked for two singles max, then off to the studio for a new one. “Always” went Top Ten and its follow-up, “Promises,” almost matched it, peaking at #11. When it was decided to keep milking the debut album, “When the Lights Go Out” was the choice for single number three, a strange but tasteful decision.

“When the Lights Go Out” was even darker than the first two singles, which, poppy synths aside, were pretty bleak lyrically. Poor Suzy lives alone at home, calling a former lover’s name each night. My life story, pretty much! “When the Lights Go Out” squeaked into the Top 40 for a few brief weeks, then was forgotten…so forgotten, that when EMI put out the first Naked Eyes Greatest Hits compilation, it was left off, even though it was only one of the bands four genuine Top 40 hits! This bizarre omission was corrected on a later re-mastered and re-titled compilation, but strangely enough, that version is out of print, while the earlier, inferior greatest hits comp remains in print.

One short year later, Naked Eyes’ second album, “Fuel for the Fire” was released, and the first single was a blazing dancefloor number, “(What) In the Name of Love,” co-produced and remixed by none other than new wave /house pioneer Arthur Baker. You may remember Arthur Baker from his work with another tiny synthpop band called New Order.

I loved “(What) In the Name of Love,” including its cutesy video featuring the somewhat faceless Rob Fisher and Pete Byrne (Naked Eyes, of course), acting as bellboys at an upscale resort and stealing old guys’ money and young dames. Actually, it may have been that very same facelessness that hurt Naked Eyes in the long run. If they had strange, angular haircuts and “hip” clothes, they may have made more of a lasting impression.

As it stands, all they left behind were some great pop songs. Sadly, keyboardist Rob Fisher died in 1999, just as he and Byrne were prepping a Naked Eyes reunion album. EMI needs to get their shit together and put both of these albums back in print. One Way Records has a nice 12” and b-sides rarities disc in print, but that’s not enough.

Damn it.

”When the Lights Go Out” peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“(What) In the Name of Love” peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Naked Eyes' Pete Byrne chimes in via comments: "When I wrote "Promises" I had no idea that Bacharach and David had written a song with that title. They must have thought we were big fans...

Funnily enough the ASCAP award for "Promises" was presented to us by Hal David.

Nice to hear you talk about "Fortune and Fame" and "WTLGO" both of which are part of the new set I'm doing as Naked Eyes."

Get Naked Eyes music at Amazon or on

"distant lands I love so far away / I don't know why we don't go"

2008-03-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Another Lost in the ‘80s oddity…there’s not much biographical info or background floating around about The Other Ones, a Scandinavian-ish group who put out a single, self-titled album in 1987, and had a good-sized hit with “Holiday,” most definitely not the Madonna song.

I came across “Holiday” and the actual first Other Ones single “We Are What We Are” on a Virgin Records promotional cassette my sister got from her job as an assistant manager at Coconuts Records. In 1986, Virgin launched an American version of their UK imprint, and they had a heady roster out of the gate, including the Cutting Crew, a by this point limping along Killing Joke, Public Image Limited, and some spunky newcomer named Paula Abdul. To spotlight all these new artists, Virgin US issued this promo cassette packed with two songs each from these artists, including The Other Ones.

The Other One’s songs stuck with me for months and finally radio and MTV latched onto the album’s second single, “Holiday,” a bright, sunny romp that pretty much lives up to its title. I remember seeing some interviews with the band and gathered they were very European and foreign-y. They even had a strange bald guy who would talk over certain parts of the song, sort of ruining the whole thing with his ramblings, a move the Sugarcubes would perfect a short year later.

“Holiday” did its time on the chart, the album even charted briefly and then…Lost in the ‘80s. Years later, some surviving members of the Grateful Dead took the Other Ones name and consigned them to the dustbin for pop eternity.

”Holiday” peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“We Are What We Are” peaked at #53 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“The Other Ones” LP peaked at #139 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.

"Boys Do Fall in Love"

2008-02-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Mirage Records, a tiny little label with major distribution, was on fire in 1984. The label scored a few high-profile dance chart hits, but ended up getting their most notable hit of the year from an unlikely source…a solo Bee Gee.

And not even the hot one.

Robin Gibb had a previous solo album in the early ‘80s that didn’t cause much of a stir, and since the Bee Gees were laying pretty low in those post-disco days, he and Maurice had time to conjure up another, more successful album in 1984 called “Secret Agent”. Meanwhile, hot Bee Barry was off doing his solo thing and even scored a hit with “Shine, Shine”. Robin, however, wanted to go new wave.

Check out that cover. Those clothes. Those shades. It’s like watching your dad try to be hip after his divorce. But hey, the music wasn’t as embarrassing.

Okay, maybe a little. But I LOVED this song when it was out. I just loved it in private, lest anyone think I was a raging homo (that would come true a few years later). Radio didn’t play this much, but MTV rolled a cutesy little video that played along with the whole “Secret Agent” aspect. I thought I was alone in loving this tune, until one afternoon I was hanging out at my buddy Chris’ house – now Chris was the total high school jock, blond, blue, track team, homecoming king, you name it. We were good friends and lo and behold, I saw this 45 peeking out from under a Saga single or something.

BUSTED.

He also had Culture Club’s “Mistake #3”, which we’ll get to someday. I wonder if Chris ever came out?

Oh yeah, the song. Cute, fun, hooky, harmless and a big gay club hit, according to my friend Joe who remembers dancing to it at Traxx. It also scraped the bottom of the Top 40, which wasn’t too shabby for a Bee Gee in 1984. The little robotic backing vox near the end remind me of “Video Killed the Radio Star,” which “Boys” actually charted higher than (people seem to forget “Video” peaked at a paltry #40 when it was out).

Enjoy “Boys Do Fall In Love”, straight (ha) from my old little 45. I believe there’s a Dutch pressing of the “Secret Agent” CD that exists, but sells for ridiculous amounts when it surfaces.

”Do you have anything to add, Robin?”
“…no.”
Pic shamelessly stolen from the great snl.jt.org

”Boys Do Fall In Love” peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Secret Agent” failed to chart.

"...you don't know, you better hang with me!"

2008-02-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

I love remembering songs that are perfect for "Lost in the '80s", and Nolan Thomas' "Yo Little Brother" is so lost and forgotten, it's nearly sublime.

This is another of those tunes that everyone seems to remember, but wasn't much of a chart hit. "Yo Little Brother" was one of the first Latin Freestyle crossover hits that was years ahead of its time -- three years later, studio creations Exposé would score platinum with this sound and even the Pet Shop Boys plundered it for a Top Ten hit with "Domino Dancing". Then came Stevie B., George Lamond, etc., etc.

But poor Nolan Thomas barely scraped #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1985 with this nugget, and now he's truly Lost in the '80s...my Google Fu is pretty strong, but I'll be damned if I could come up with any info on this guy. All I know is that he was on Mirage Records, a tiny label with a big distribution deal that was on something of a roll in 1985 (stay tuned this week for more Mirage Records goodness), and that there was a video for this song I remember being sort of wretched and embarrassing.

I also wonder how my friends and I actually heard this song for the first time, since I don't remember radio touching it...was it via the video? Who knows. Lost in the '80s, I suppose.

Tip a 40 to the Nolan Thomases, Dinos, Georgios and Noels of the '80s with "Yo Little Brother," ripped directly from my little 45 I've had for 20 years(!). I don't believe it's ever been released on CD.

"Yo Little Brother" peaked at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, #26 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and #9 on the Billboard Hot Dance Singles chart.

"Yesterday's shattered / tomorrow's don't matter..."

2008-02-11T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hiccupy. Chipry. Helium-powered. Chipmunk.

All those descriptors have been applied to the singing voice of Altered Images' Clare Grogan, and for the most part, they're pretty accurate. While Altered Images scored quite a few hits in the U.K. with their particular brand of Martin Rushnet-sheened new wave pop, it took Dale Bozzio and Cyndi Lauper a few years later to make such vocal histrionics suitable for American chart success.

MTV showed some Altered Images love by putting early hits like "Happy Birthday" and "I Could Be Happy" into light rotation, but outside of "Happy" peaking at #45 on Billboard's Club Play Chart, America wasn't biting. So, Clare and their label, Portrait, decided to bite instead.

Altered Images' third album, "Bite", was a stab at "maturity," complete with a total image overhaul, ditching the campy pop-art dayglo and "fun" presentation for a sophisticated, glossy Altered Image. Just check out that cover. This is the same chick who two years earlier was running from a guy in a lion costume across a Warhol landscape in her video.

Tossed to the dumpster along with their old Image was longtime producer Martin Rushnet, this time around was replaced by two winning veterans, none other than Tony Visconti and Mike Chapman, who split the album nearly in half. The resulting album was a respectable attempt at grown-up disco at a time when the word "disco" was pop poison. Put Clare's somewhat limited chirps and squeals over it and you had an appealing, but utlimately destined to fail record.

Visconti seemed to embrace the new wave bent of the band a little more, and it shows in the tracks he produced, most notably "Now That You're Here," which tones down Clare a bit and creates a nice, orchestral dance groove.

Mike Chapman, though, obviously missed his most successful muse, Debbie Harry and Blondie, so each of his tracks seeks to recreate that sound. "Don't Talk To Me About Love" is the song from this album that had the most impact, hitting the Top Ten in the U.K., probably because it was a carefully constructed tribute to "Heart of Glass," a song Chapman played no small part in creating. On this side of the pond, MTV played it a bit, then it sadly disappeared, along with the band soon after. A year later, Cyndi Lauper released "She's So Unusual" and when I first heard "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," my first thought was "Clare?!?"

Clare Grogan went on to be an actress and has even toured the U.K. lately in a few 80s revival packages. The entire Altered Images catalog has been remastered with bonus tracks and comes highly recommended, although I prefer the single mix of "Don't Talk to Me About Love" which is included on a couple "Best of" comps, but left off "Bite."

"Bite" failed to chart.
"Don't Talk to Me About Love" failed to chart.

"Came a long way from the Valley / Aim so high / Shot so true"

2008-02-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

When it comes to spectacular pop flame-outs, it’s still tough to match the Knack, even 25 years after the phenomenal success of “My Sharona” and their debut album, “Get the Knack.” While that debut sold millions upon millions, their second album, “…but the little girls understand” did just okay, topping out at double platinum.

That third album, though…

“Round Trip” was released in 1981, just three years after “Get the Knack”. In that short amount of time, the group had alienated the rock press and even their fanbase so much that it peaked at a partly #93 on the Billboard Top 200. The Knack were actively despised. “Knuke the Knack” buttons and t-shirts were sold at Spencer’s Gifts nationwide. “Round Trip,” a sort of head-hung-low apology of an album, was dead before it was born.

As a junior high school student, I can remember seeing copy after copy stacked in our local Camelot Music’s cutout bin, a place I haunted like clockwork for buried treasure (Fred Schneider and the Shake Society for only 99¢!?? Sold!). Of course, I had some earlier familiarity with the Knack, thanks to their massive hit and the fact that I regularly checked out “Get the Knack” from the Elyria Public Library and quite liked it.

I have distinctly vivid memories of G-98, our local Top 40 outlet, playing “Round Trip’s” first single “Pay the Devil (Ooo Baby Ooo)” during the nightly Smash It or Trash It call-in show I taped every night. In fact, I saved that tape for months and months, playing that song again and again.

It got a 78% “Trash It” rating. Well, I liked it.

You have to give Capitol Records credit for releasing a country-ish waltz as the first single from the album. Either it was a bold statement that the Knack was expanding its sound and moving away from horny teen anthems or it was a horrible blunder. Take a pick.

Soon after, I heard another song from “Round Trip” on Smash It or Trash It called “Boys Go Crazy”. Now this…this was the Knack. “The boys go crazy when the girls say ‘no.” Back to speaking from the dick, a complete retreat from “Pay the Devil’s” experimentation.

It got a 64% “Smash It” rating. It didn’t even warrant a release, Capitol pulling it from the schedule when the Knack broke up, a scant three weeks after “Round Trip” hit the stores. Had the group stuck it out, leadoff track “Radiating Love” would have made a great single.

I made the 99¢ investment in “Round Trip” several times. At one point, I owned it on vinyl, cassette and even 8-track, just to have them. It’s a decent album, sort of all over the place and it betrays Doug Feiger’s drug problem at the time in certain moments. I came back to it now and then, especially to “Pay the Devil,” which with maturity, I posited might have been written about the Knack themselves:

You got it made
And you made it your way
Life’s looking great
Now you found the right games to play

Came a long way from the Valley
Aim so high, shot so true

Ooo baby ooo ooo baby ooo
Everybody got to read the review
Ooo baby ooo ooo baby ooo even you
Got to learn to give the devil his due

Contrition only gets you so far. In this case, it got the Knack in the mid-60s of the Billboard Hot 100. 21 years later, I bought “Round Trip” one more time…this time on a lushly remastered CD, complete with demos and bonus tracks.

Got to give the devils their due. Eventually.

”Pay the Devil (Ooo Baby Ooo)” peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Boys Go Crazy” was pulled from release.

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The Things That Dreams Are Made Of

2008-01-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Question: You’re the lead singer and lyricist of an up and coming underground synth-based band. You’ve just lost your songwriter and main keyboardist to an ego clash. You’re left with no one but the man who runs the slide projector during your live shows. What do you do?

If you answered “immediately go clubbing and hire two teenaged girls you see dancing as your new band members,” collect your smash platinum album and worldwide number one hit. But perhaps we should start at the beginning…

The Human League began life as an overly-arty, all-synth, anti-rock manifesto, brash in its rejection of all the trappings of “rock and roll”, eschewing the typical four-piece combo of bass, drums and two guitars in exchange for a reel-to-reel tape deck, two wobbly synthesizers and a slide projector. There were fewer more radical notions in 1977 than going onstage and boldly pressing “Play” on a tape deck to cue the drums that began your live show. It was a demonstration of wholesale rejection of what people expected from a concert, probably the most punk move made since “gabba gabba hey” was first uttered.

As word spread and crowds began to come ‘round, the League made some baby steps towards the mainstream. This came in the form of cover songs, the glammier and more popular, the better. A standout from the early League days was a medley of Gary Glitter’s “Rock & Roll, Part 1” and Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing”. Combining these two disparate tunes was a statement in and of itself, the populist football cheer and the jaded heroine-fueled club tune…quite summing up the League itself.

Word spread. Crowds grew bigger. Egos clashed. Martyn and Ian left, taking the songwriting with them, leaving lead singer Phil Oakey with nothing but his talent for melody and provocative, sometimes austere lyrics. Oh yeah, and Philip Adrian Wright, the slide projectionist. The League had a European tour scheduled in two weeks time and pulling out meant financial ruin. Something had to be done, and quickly.

So, Oakey went clubbing, found the girls, recruited new synthkids Ian Burden and Jo Callis, and even taught Wright the famous single-finger keyboard technique. Then together, they made pop history.

Don’t get me started on the resulting album, Dare. I could go on and on about that LP, how it’s nearly the most perfect pop album made, how it broke ground by being the first all-synth LP to hit number one and result in Top 40 hits, how it’s to this day still as fresh and vital as it was in 1981. Like I said, don’t get me started on Dare. And since Dare featured that song, it can’t be quite considered “Lost in the ‘80s”…after all, millions bought and heard it.

The follow-ups, however…

Dare was a hard thing to match. When you hit near-perfection, where do you go? The League Mark II had some luck with their next follow-up singles, “Mirror Man” and “(Keep Feeling) Fascination.” But when it came album time, severe writer’s block set in. This set a pattern that continued through most of their recording career; incredible singles surrounded by sub-par and sometimes even cringe-worthy tracks.

Three years after Dare, the group finally delivered Hysteria. The album is disjointed to say the least, with some real gems like “I’m Coming Back,” “So Hurt,” and “Betrayed” successfully recreating some of the chromeo-pop majesty, alongside things like a remake of James Brown’s “Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again (Six Times),” which was as truly awful as it sounds. For the lead-off single, they chose “The Lebanon,” a song that instantly betrayed the League’s mission statement – it featured guitar, front and center.

Flop.

“Hysteria’s” second single, while not making any big noise chart-wise, was noticeably more listenable. “Life On Your Own” is a sparse, desolate sounding track, nicely bringing home the point of the song’s narrative. It also manages to accomplish the neat trick of being Motown-ish while using no acoustic instruments. Try pulling that one off sometime. While “Life” charted a respectable #16 in the UK, it failed to chart at all in the States.

Now, how do you follow-up a flop follow-up? In the League’s case, it involved a lot of hand-wringing, internal squabbling and what may have sounded at the time to be an inspired decision to work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who were just leaving The Time for a production career. They needed a crossover pop band to work with and the League needed a hit. Badly. Thanks to Jam & Lewis, they got one. “Human” sailed to Number One worldwide and made the League viable again.

Then came the album.

Crash couldn’t have been more aptly named, to go for the completely obvious joke. It seems as if the League put themselves completely in the hands of Jam & Lewis, who had no idea what to do with them. The magic of the League was that they were perhaps the least funky, whitest band on the planet, and that exact mechanical nature, that very lack of funk, made them in fact quite funky. Kids breakdanced to drum loops pulled from “The Things That Dreams Were Made Of” and “Hard Times”. They did not dance at all to the horrific, forced-funk of “I Need Your Lovin’,” perhaps the worst song the League ever recorded (and it took SIX people, including Jam & Lewis, to write it).

But, like all Human League records, there’s at least one hidden gem. Crash’s came in the form of “Love On the Run,” another Motown-inspired song that mirrored “Mirror Man” and is an instance of what the Jam & Lewis/League teaming could have been. On this song, the producers do what was previously impossible…they pull an emotive performance out of Mr. Roboto himself, Oakey. It’s also, unsurprisingly, one of the few tunes on the album actually written by the League (though it should be noted, they didn’t write “Human”). Naturally, when it came time for a follow-up to “Human’s” massive success, the song chosen? “I Need Your Lovin’.” Ugh.

It took mere months for America’s cutout bins to be filled with copies of Crash.

Since then, the League have been fairly consistent…put out an album every five years or so, get one Top 40 hit off it, have the record company pick a horrid follow-up, repeat. In 2001, the League broke this streak by releasing Secrets, an excellent album from front to back, easily their best since Dare 20 years earlier. Reviews were stellar, appetites were whetted, and a killer first single, “All I Ever Wanted,” was chosen.

Weeks after the album’s release, their new record company went bankrupt.

Give them a year or so. They’re due for another hit.

All three singles failed to chart.

Learn more about the Human League at the totally tubular Secrets Online.

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