One hit wonders: T’Pau “Heart and Soul”

Hailing from Shroshire, T’Pau became a one hit wonder with the song, “Heart and Soul”, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts in 1987 after being featured in a commercial for Pepe Jeans. The group was going to call itself Talking America but then changed to T’Pau, a name lifted from a Star Trek episode called “Amok Time”. In this episode, T’Pau was a Vulcan priestess played by Celia Lovsky (Soylent Green). Trekkers will no doubt recall that T’Pau was the first person Spock would salute with his famous “V” hand gesture. I doubt Celia was aware that a British pop band would adopt her character’s name, or that the elaborate costume that she was wearing would sell for $45,000 at auction forty years later.

The song owes its origins to the JX3P keyboard, which was top of the line at the time. One of the band’s guitarists, Ron Rogers programmed the unforgettable bass riff and everything else flowed from that. When I first saw the video, I thought the band was fronted by a pair of red-headed twins: one who liked to wear her hair down and rap, and the other who liked to wear her hair up and sing. But that is not the case – there was only one female lead singer, the amazing Carol Decker.

T’Pau actually went on to have several more big hits in the UK, but never again in the US. I don’t quite understand why. Carol Decker has an incredible voice and lead guitarist Dean Howard, who played with Deep Purple, brought solid rock credentials to punch up their pop sound. Maybe things would have been different if Decker accepted a role to play Don Johnson’s wife on this hit show Miami Vice, which would have inevitably led to a duet. Check out their 1993 compilation, “Heart and Soul – The Very Best of T’Pau” for an excellent retrospective of this underrated band.

Here is a 2011 acoustic performance by Decker, singing their biggest UK hit, "China In Your Hand":

Safe Sax in the '80s

There was no other decade that loved on the saxophone than the ‘80s! In this series, we present the evidence…

Made famous by the hit TV show "Family Ties", one-hit wonder Billy Vera took this tune to the top spot on the charts in 1987. The ripping sax solo was played by Jerry Peterson, who also lent his talents to the likes of Barbara Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Smokey Robinson, and many others.

Let's refresh our memory of those classic "Family Ties" moments that featured the song of love birds Alex P. Keaton and his girlfriend, Ellen. As most of you probably know, Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan (who played Ellen) actually had an off-screen romance that led to a long and happy marriage. I wonder if they played this song at their wedding?

'80s memes

One hit wonder: Nena "99 Red Balloons"

"99 Luftballons", or "99 Red Balloons" as we know it here in America, rapidly floated up the charts to the #2 position in 1983. Hitting #1 in many other countries, this anti-war song gained worldwide popularity and made the German band Nena a household name, at least for a little while. The band never had another hit in the US. The guitarist for Nena, Carlo Karges, was inspired when he saw balloons released during a Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin. What would happen if they were mistaken for missiles or some other unidentified flying weapon if they floated over the Berlin wall? Is it possible these harmless balloons could prompt nuclear war?

The song has a reference to Star Trek's Captain Kirk. Do you know another song that references a famed starship Captain? The answer is below.

Back for More: A Tale of Two Queensryches

In this ongoing series, we catch up with artists who made their mark in the 80s. Many of them are still alive and kicking!

Queensryche is a progressive hard rock band that formed in 1982 and pounded out some classics in the genre throughout the 80s. They hit their stride and broke through to the mainstream as the decade closed with the phenomenally successful record, “Empire”. Never able to surpass this summit, the band has slowly slipped down the mountain into near obscurity where only the most dedicated fans dared to tread. There have been some moments of genius in those years and a fairly well-received sequel to their landmark “Operation: Mindcrime” epic, but the flashes of brilliance have been too few and far between for most. The band imploded in 2012 for reasons that are still coming to light, but the result was lead singer Geoff Tate leaving to form his own version of Queensryche. Meanwhile, most of the other founding members continued by replacing Tate with Todd La Torre (Crimson Glory) and calling themselves Queensryche. There’s plenty material available online if you want to read the dirt about the split resulting in two Queensryches – we’re just here to voice our take on their music.

Queensryche “Frequency Unknown”

First out of the gate was Geoff Tate’s Queensryche with their album “Frequency Unknown”. The first song showcased off the record as a single was “Cold”, which pretty much sums up the reception that greeted “Frequency Unknown”. The record was trashed for bland songs and a horrible mix, the latter of which Tate quickly moved to address. It also didn’t bode well that some of the musicians working with Tate bailed due to artistic differences. Listening to the record, Tate largely continues the sound of recent efforts by the band – in other words, gloomy and lumbering. If you enjoyed Queensryche for the last decade or so, this record should satisfy somewhat, but there is nothing here that comes close to the 80’s material. The record was a chore to listen to, but I did find some elements of “Cold” and “Everything” enjoyable. 

Queensryche “Queensryche”

Todd La Torre’s Queensryche begins their chapter with a self-titled record. As the record rips into a much more muscular single, “Where Dreams Go To Die”, three things are quickly evident: 1) La Torre is a dead-ringer for Tate, actually sounding more like a younger version of him. 2) This version of Queensryche is clearly more energized and inspired – the songs come at you hard and fast with blistering riffs and thunderous percussion. 3) There is a great deal more of the early Queensryche coming through in the songwriting, along with a heavier dose of the melodic elements that made “Empire” and some of the songs from “Hear in the Now Frontier” so great. In addition to the first single, some other great tracks include “Spore”, “Redemption”, and “Vindication”, some of the best songs I’ve heard out of Queensryche in a long time.

Covered in '80s

In this ongoing series, we highlight 80’s cover tunes or ‘80s songs that have been covered by other artists. Sometimes it’s a win-win: an 80’s song covered by another 80’s artist! Which version is your favorite?

Today the spotlight shines on the song "I Found Someone". Most of you will associate this tune with Cher, who took it to the top 10. The song appeared on her self-titled 1987 record and got a ton of airplay.

While no one took this song higher on the charts than Cher, she was not the first to cover it. Laura Branigan did a version of "I Found Someone", which came from her album, "Hold Me". Her version stalled at #90 on the charts in 1986.

Which brings us to the original writers of this song, Mark Mangold (of the grossly underrated band Touch, which was featured in our "You Were Robbed" post yesterday) and Michael Bolton. Bolton came full circle on this song by producing Cher's version. Here is Mangold's band Touch performing "I Found Someone":

And finally, Michael Bolton performing it:

You Were Robbed – Touch

"You Were Robbed" features artists and bands that should have gotten much more recognition and fame than they did. Check them out now...better late than never!

The late 70s/early 80s AOR band Touch was an outgrowth of an earlier band called American Tears. Touch, led by Mark Mangold, released their self-titled debut in 1979 with their singles gracing rock radio as the decade transitioned. At the forefront of the AOR genre, the band oscillated between straight up melodic rock like Survivor or Journey to prog rock like Triumph or Styx. A little ahead of their time, the first single “Don’t You Know What Love Is” stalled at #69 on the Billboard charts.

Another classic cut off this immaculate debut record was “When The Spirit Moves You”:

“Yes – You Need To Rock N’ Roll” proved to be a great anthem for the band and fans alike:

To round out our sampling of “Touch”, give a listen to “Last Chance For Love”:

A great deal of turmoil between the band members and management prevented the formal release of the follow up record, “II”, which was produced by none other than Todd Rundgren. Fortunately, you can hear it today on sites like Spotify. Mangold would move on to become a respected songwriter, most famously for his collaboration with Michael Bolton to pen the hit “I Found Someone”. The debut by “Touch” didn't get the respect it deserved back in the day, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it now.

80's movie bullies: Where are they now?

Ever wonder what happened to your favorite movie bullies? A nice little list can be found here, featuring several classic bullies from the 80's. Can you guess which bully was a viking in those Capital One credit card commercials?

Classically Rewound - 1983

On Memorial Day weekend, Sirius XM’s Classic Rewind ran a great special called “The Top 30 Cassettes of 1983.” Here's their list:

30 Modern Romans - The Call
29 Speaking In Tongues - Talking Heads
28 Keep It Up - Loverboy
27 Money & Cigarettes - Eric Clapton
26 Bent Out of Shape - Rainbow
25 In Heat - The Romantics
24 Tour de Force - 38 Special
23 State Of Confusion-The Kinks
22 Kihnspiracy - Greg Kihn Band
21 Lick It Up - KISS
20 Midnight Madness - Night Ranger
19 Album - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
18 Mental Health - Quiet Riot
17 Cuts Like a Knife - Brayn Adams
16 Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
15 Let's Dance - David Bowie
14 Sports - Huey Lewis & The News
13 The Wild Heart - Stevie Nicks
12 The Distance - Bob Seger
11 Undercover - The Rolling Stones
10 Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
9 The Principle of Moments - Robert Plant
8 90125 - Yes
7 Frontiers - Journey
6 Genesis - Genesis
5 Uh-Huh - John Mellencamp
4 Synchronicity - The Police
3 Pyromania - Def Leppard
2 War - U2
1 Elimintator – ZZ Top

A solid list, no doubt. But as I looked it over a few things started to bother me.

First off, The Call? Talking Heads? Thinking back to 1983, I don’t remember either being all that popular on radio or even MTV. I think both caught on “after the fact.”

Second, the albums that didn’t make the list were shocking (most notably Asia’s “Alpha”).

So like any OCD chart geek, I dipped into my trusty “Joel Whitburn’s Rock Tracks” to determine what really were the “30” rock albums that were on everyone’s mind that year. With way too much free time on my hands, using the peak position of every song that charted on the Billboard Rock tracks, I calculated a points system for each album. Compared to the original list, exactly half still made the cut.

So here is my “Top 30 Rock Albums of 1983” (with the charted rock songs from each album along with their peak position as well as the chart position of the album if it made the Classic Rewind chart):

30 Duran Duran - Duran Duran
3 Is There Something I Should Know
19 Girls On Film

29 INXS - Shabooh Shoobah
2 The One Thing
17 Don’t Change

28 The Motels - Little Robbers
1 Suddenly Last Summer
18 Little Robbers

27 The Tubes - Outside Inside
1 She’s A Beauty
16 The Monkey Time

26 The Pretenders - Learning To Crawl
4 Back On The Chain Gang
11 My City Was Gone

25 Quiet Riot - Metal Health (18)
7 Cum On Feel The Noize
32 Slick Black Cadillac
37 Bang Your Head (Metal Health)

24 The Fixx - Reach The Beach
2 One Thing Leads To Another
9 Saved By Zero
13 Red Skies

23 Huey Lewis and the News - Sports (14)
1 Heart & Soul
7 I Want A New Drug

22 Neil Young - Trans
12 Little Thing Called Love
14 Mr. Soul
42 We R In Control

21 Duran Duran - Rio
1 Hungry Like The Wolf
5 Rio

20 Red Rider - Neruda
11 Human Race
13 Power (Strength In Numbers)
39 Crack The Sky (Breakaway)

19 The Kinks - State Of Confusion (23)
16 Don’t Forget To Dance
17 Come Dancing
26 State Of Confusion

18 The Rolling Stones - Undercover (11)
2 Undercover Of The Night
14 Too Tough
38 Too Much Blood

17 Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
7 Not Now John
8 Your Possible Pasts
31 The Hero’s Return

16 Loverboy - Keep It Up (28)
2 Hot Girls In Love
11 Queen Of The Broken Hearts
23 Strike Zone

15 Sammy Hagar - Three Lock Box
3 Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy
6 Remember The Heroes
24 I Don’t Need Love

14 Genesis - Genesis (6)
5 Mama
10 Just A Job To Do
16 It’s Gonna Get Better

13 Triumph - Never Surrender
2 All The Way
3 A World Of Fantasy
23 Never Surrender

12 Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - The Distance (12)
2 Even Now
11 Boomtown Blues
13 Roll Me Away

11 Jackson Browne - Lawyers In Love
4 Lawyers In Love
7 For A Rocker
18 Tender Is The Night
37 Cut Away

10 ZZ Top - Eliminator (1)
2 Gimme All Your Lovin’
8 Sharp Dressed Man
18 Got Me Under Pressure
38 TV Dinners

9 Men At Work - Cargo
3 Overkill
12 Dr. Heckyll And Mr. Jive
23 High Wire
27 It’s A Mistake

8 U2 - War (2)
2 New Year’s Day
7 Sunday Bloody Sunday
12 Two Hearts Beat As One
27 Surrender

7 Bryan Adams - Cuts Like A Knife (17)
6 Cuts Like A Knife
21 Take Me Back
21 This Time
26 I’m Ready
32 Straight From The Heart
44 The Only One

6 The Police - Synchronicity (4)
1 Every Breath You Take
1 King Of Pain
9 Synchronicity II
9 Wrapped Around Your Finger

5 Stevie Nicks - The Wild Heart (13)
2 Stand Back
8 If Anyone Falls
12 Enchanted
19 Nothing Ever Changes
35 I Will Run To You

4 Asia - Alpha
1 Don’t Cry
5 The Heat Goes On
20 True Colors
24 Daylight
25 The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

3 Robert Plant - The Principle Of Moments (9)
1 Other Arms
4 In The Mood
6 Big Log
12 Far Post
44 Horizontal Departure

2 David Bowie - Let's Dance (15)
3 China Girl
6 Modern Love
8 Let’s Dance
11 Cat People
31 Criminal World

1 Def Leppard - Pyromania (3)
1 Photograph
1 Rock Of Ages
9 Foolin’
24 Comin’ Under Fire
33 Bill’s Got A Gun
42 Action! Not Words




Some things to note:
 - Certain obvious albums, like “Uh - Huh” from John Mellencamp or “90125” from Yes, did not chart because most of their singles peaked in 1984. It also explains how some albums from 1982, like Sammy Hagar’s “Three Lock Box,” made the list.

 - Such was the power of Michael Jackson, that had I dived deep enough, “Thriller” would have placed at #91 for the year. The residual effect of his popularity allowed acts like Lionel Richie, Rockwell and Shalamar to also hit the rock charts over 1983 and 1984.

 - Yes, “Pyromania” was THAT big. I remember that in High School, no other album came close to matching its popularity at the time. They had 6 singles chart over 1983. The only other album with that kind of release power that year was Bryan Adams’ “Cuts Like A Knife.”

 - Asia’s “Alpha” and Men At Work’s “Cargo” both placed in my Top 10 yet didn’t make Classic Rewind’s Top 30.

 - What was the lowest charted album of 1983? With one single, “Don’t It Make You Feel Good,” peaking at #48 that album would be “Opus - X” from Chiliwack.

 - And finally, for you fellow chart junkies, here are the top 10 Rock Singles of 1983:

1 Every Breath You Take - The Police
2 Photograph - Def Leppard
3 King Of Pain - The Police
4 She’s A Beauty - The Tubes
5 Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Journey
6 Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Yes
7 Love Is A Battlefield - Pat Benatar
8 If I’d Been The One - .38 Special
9 Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran
10 Suddenly Last Summer - The Motels

I hope Sirius XM does this every year. It will give me something new to obsess over every Memorial Day.

'80s memes

Covered in '80s

In this ongoing series, we highlight 80’s cover tunes or ‘80s songs that have been covered by other artists. Sometimes it’s a win-win: an 80’s song covered by another 80’s artist! Which version is your favorite?

In 1981, rock band Spider released an album called "Between The Lines" that contained two songs that would climb much higher on the charts later in the decade when covered by other artists starting their solo careers. While I am sure the members of Spider appreciate that their songs eventually became hits for others later on, it was a day late and a dollar short for this band - they split up in 1984 after releasing only two albums.

The Spider song "Better Be Good To Me" was a huge hit for Tina Turner, lifted from her debut solo record, "Private Dancer". She took the song all the way to #5 on the Billboard charts and won a Grammy for it as well.



And now the version we're all familiar with by Tina Turner:

The other tune covered from "Between The Lines" was called "Change", appearing on John Waite's first solo record,  1982's "Ignition". The single fizzled but resurfaced in 1985 on the "Vision Quest" soundtrack, this time going to #50 on the charts.

And now the John Waite version:

Back for More: Tom Keifer (Cinderella)

In this ongoing series, we catch up with artists who made their mark in the 80s. Many of them are still alive and kicking! 

Everyone knows Tom Keifer as the raspy vocalist behind Cinderella’s 1988 prom anthem, "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)". Of course, Cinderella had a string of blues-tinged rockers and ballads throughout the 80s, but then the band's fairy tale ended in the 90s. Tom Keifer is back though, with what should be the biggest comeback record of the year. You might have figured that he’d blown out his vocal chords a long time ago, but he sounds great on this record. Even better, the collection of songs comprising “The Way Life Goes” is stunning – solid lyrics, memorable melodies, and just the right touch of blues. The record doesn't sound dated at all and may rank up there among his best work. Favorites cuts include “Solid Ground”, “A Different Light”, and “Ask Me Yesterday”. If you want a sequel to “Don’t Know What You Got”, give a listen to “Thick and Thin”. Whether you were a fan of Cinderella or not, if you like straight up rock you have to give this record a trial run.

Happy Father's Day

In honor of all our 80's dads out there:

Covered in '80s

In this ongoing series, we highlight 80’s cover tunes or ‘80s songs that have been covered by other artists. Sometimes it’s a win-win: an 80’s song covered by another 80’s artist! Which version is your favorite?

"Wicked Game" is the song that put Chris Isaak on the map. First appearing in 1989, it rocketed to popularity thanks to an appearance in the 1990 movie, "Wild at Heart". Oh, and that sizzling video with the topless Helena Christensen probably had a little something to do with its popularity as well.

The song has been covered a number of times by a group of very diverse artists. One of the more recent versions is this acoustic rendition by 11th American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.



A powerful acoustic cover of this song was also done by hard rocking outfit Stone Sour in 2006.



Had enough slow, acoustic stuff? Then check out this rousing rocking version by HIM, from his 2003 album, "Razorblade Romance".

One hit wonders: When In Rome "The Promise"

In 1988, a new wave group from England called When in Rome burned up the airwaves with their one and only hit single, "The Promise", from their one and only album. "The Promise" just missed the Top Ten charts, peaking at #11. But in 2004, moviegoers watching "Napoleon Dynamite" were reminded of this song.

Covered in ‘80s

In this ongoing series, we highlight 80’s cover tunes or ‘80s songs that have been covered by other artists. Sometimes it’s a win-win: an 80’s song covered by another 80’s artist! Which version is your favorite? 

Charlie Sexton is a guitarist and songwriter who has served in Bob Dylan's band and the rock band Arc Angels. But back in the 80s he cut his teeth releasing a string of solo records that have become classics among AOR fans. The closing song on his 1985 album, “Pictures for Pleasure” was called “Space”. While it didn't raise any eyebrows at radio then, the boys in Cheap Trick knew a great song when they heard it. Cheap Trick covered "Space" just a few years later on their megahit album “Lap of Luxury”.

Safe Sax in the ‘80s

There was no other decade that loved on the saxophone than the ‘80s! In this series, we present the evidence…

 

Deniece Williams is best known for her perky contribution to the iconic '80s movie "Footloose" ("Let's Hear It For The Boy"). But she continued to release more perky pop tunes throughout the decade, including this underrated sax-laden ditty, "I Can't Wait". "I Can't Wait" was written by Skylark and appeared on her 1988 effort, "As Good As It Gets".

Jacko power

The Billboard Rock Tracks chart began in 1981 and tracked the top 60 rock songs, according to airplay on AOR stations across the US. Normally, traditional "black" artists were pretty much ignored, until 1983. Such was the power of Michael Jackson, that it helped to propel many "black" artists on to the rock charts. With help from Eddie Van Halen, this one peaked at #14 in 1983.

 

 This song continued the trend, featuring Toto as his backing band. It would peak at #42 in 1984.

 

 Rockwell would take a little nepotism and some help with Michael himself up to #31 in 1984.

 

 Just denting the chart at #49 in 1984, the solo was recorded by Toto's Steve Lukather and Richard Marx provided background vocals.

 

 I cannot imagine any rock station playing this, but enough did that Shalamar took this to #41 in 1984.

 

 Not all "black" artists played dance and soul. Jon Butcher and his band played a more straight ahead AOR and would peak at #7 in 1983 with this hit.

 

 Of course there was Prince, who charted regularly on the rock charts between 1983 and 1985, but good luck finding any videos online.

Then and Now: National Lampoon's Vacation

Everyone's favorite family road trip movie remains one of the funniest films of the '80s. Follow this link to check out what the characters looked like then (1983) and what they look like now (and what they've been up to!).

Axl Rose before Guns N' Roses

Before Guns N' Roses, Axl Rose was in the band Hollywood Rose with Izzy Stradlin. Before that, Axl Rose was in a band called Rapidfire. Below you can hear almost a full minute of Axl Rose singing a song called "Ready To Rumble", recorded by Rapidfire on May 25, 1983. If you want to hear more, there is a campaign for the tapes to be released - read all the details here.

Safe Sax in the ‘80s

There was no other decade that loved on the saxophone than the ‘80s! In this series, we present the evidence…

One of the most interesting collaborations in '80s music history - we have the mighty pipes of the late Clarence Clemons on the sax as well as the vocals, which he shares with songwriting genius Jackson Browne, and finally we have the "Splash" actress Daryl Hannah on backing vocals! All three of them are featured in the music video. The song came out in 1985, the stand out cut from Clemons' "Hero" album, made after Bruce Springsteen decided to forego the use of the E Street Band for his follow-up to "Born in the USA". Why was Daryl Hannah involved? She was Jackson's girlfriend at the time. The song climbed to #18 on the Billboard charts and remains a popular buddy anthem to this day.

You Were Robbed – Kim Mitchell

"You Were Robbed" features artists and bands that should have gotten much more recognition and fame than they did. Check them out now...better late than never!

When most people think about a Canadian rock star that hit it big in the US during the ‘80s, their mind goes to Bryan Adams. But if there was any other Canadian musician who deserved the same magnitude of success, it would be Kim Mitchell. Mitchell cut his teeth in another less known outfit called Max Webster, but began his solo career with a self-titled debut in 1982 featuring the song “Chain of Events”. You can hear his entire debut EP below, with “Chain of Events” appearing at 15:30.

 

Mitchell’s thirst for fame was satiated somewhat with the modest hit, “Go For Soda”, from his album “Akimbo Alogo”. Predictably, this song was used by a soda company (Mr. Pibb) and went on to earn Mitchell “one hit wonder” status in the US.

 

Unjustifiably, Mitchell fizzled out in the US after “Go For Soda”, but he found greater success in Canada with his 1986 follow-up record, “Shakin' Like a Human Being”. This album contained his most successful track in Canada, “Patio Lanterns”.

 

“Shakin' Like a Human Being” also spawned the excellent mid-tempo rocker, "Easy to Tame".

 

Mitchell has released a greatest hits compilation, which is a fine introduction to this underrated rocker. But there are lots of gems buried throughout his entire discography, so check them all out!

Hear Prince's demo of "Manic Monday" before the Bangles made it famous

"Manic Monday" catapulted The Bangles into the limelight - with their trademark harmonies and girl next door style, they struck a chord with music fans and Monday haters everywhere. While the Bangles are fine songwriters in their own right, they did not write this big hit - it was penned by none other than Prince. Follow this link and you can listen to a rare 1984 demo of "Manic Monday", performed by Prince and Apollonia 6.

For comparison:

This ain't no party...this ain't no disco...

Music always runs in cycles. When one scene takes over for another, a lot of acts love to jump the bandwagon, usually with mixed success. At the end of the 70s, as disco completed its musical world takeover, a lot of rockers decided to get a little funky.

Though a little early in the disco era, Wild Cherry was there first.

 

The song that probably made it safe for rockers to go disco.

 

 In probably the most infamous example of rockers going disco was Kiss.

 

Like every disco song of the era, you had to have strings.

 

Sometimes it's all about the beat.

 

The Stones were so steeped in "black" music, it was only natural they would give disco a shot.

 

While not really considered disco, there's no denying that danceable beat.

 

Probably the biggest of all the rockers going disco songs, this one hit #1 on the pop, dance and black music charts.

 

The reverse of all this was, some disco artists tried their hands at rock.

 

Finally, what's old is new again. Daft Punk is trying to bring back disco some 30 years on.

 

One hit wonders: Electronic "Getting Away With It"

Electronic - "Getting Away With It"

Electronic was a new wave "super group" of sorts that emerged in the late eighties with their only big hit barely cracking the US top 40, peaking at #38 in March of 1990. Many people mistook these guys for the Psychedelic Furs, but Electronic was fronted by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. Rounding out the line-up was guitarist Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Bernard Sumner (New Order). Marr claims the song pokes fun at misery magnet Morrissey, his ex-partner from The Smiths.

Safe Sax in the ‘80s

There was no other decade that loved on the saxophone than the ‘80s! In this series, we present the evidence…



Most people remember the Pure Prairie League as a country rock group from the '70s, best known for the radio friendly hit "Amie". But in 1979 soon-to-be country superstar Vince Gill took over lead vocals and earned the band this hit, which surpassed "Amie" as the band's biggest by reaching #10 on the Billboard charts. The sax-laced song was the lead off single from the band's ninth studio album, "Firin' Up". On the sax is none other than David Sanborn.

Raised On Journey

It's easy to look back now and say sure, Journey is one of the biggest bands of all time but that really only came with the recent pop culture success of "Don't Stop Believin'." I mean, don't get me wrong, Journey was big back in the 80s as well but they were never really respected by anyone other than the fans. I think time has changed that. At some point in the mid decade, a lot of bands began to crop up with that Journey sound and after the split, the band members themselves never did much to distance themselves from their signature sound, or more to the point, emulating Steve Perry's vocals.

Giuffria sounded SO much like Journey that most thought it WAS Journey when this single hit in 1983.

 

Though they were never commercially successful, Strangeways has attained something of a legendary status in cult AOR circles, thanks in large part to Terry Brock's soaring vocals.

 

Tall Stories singer Steve Augeri had nailed the Perry mannerisms so perfectly, Journey hired him in the late 90s to sing for the band.

 

After Journey split, the band without Steve Perry (Schon, Cain, Jackson) would go on to record two albums with different singers. The first was Jimmy Barnes, who had a more soulful edge.

 

The second was the more traditional rock singer Michael Bolton. Yes, rock singer. Now of course, he is an adult contemporary crooner but in the late 70s and early 80s was known for big bombastic arena rock.

 

Jonathan Cain reunited with his old mate from The Babys, John Waite, when Cain and Schon hired him for Bad English.

 

Though his stint in Journey was short lived, Jeff Scott Soto never tried to be Steve Perry and this brought the band a unique sound.

 

Finally, here's how Journey found their latest singer, Arnel Pineda...as a singer in a cover band.

 

The return of Michael J. Fox

Family Ties

Back To The Future (I, II, and III)

Teen Wolf

The Secret of My Success

Spin City

...and many more.

One of the '80s most beloved actors is returning to television and you can check out the promo here! His new show is simply called "The Michael J. Fox Show".

Getting the Led out...

As influential and legendary a band as Led Zeppelin was, there's no denying that early in their career they were nothing more than clones themselves, mainly ripping off blues artists of the 30s and 40s. Their greatness lied in the way they interpreted the material and put their own spin on it. A "Whole Lotta Love" anyone?

 

In the late 80s, hard rockers began to look at Led Zeppelin for inspiration.

Whitesnake, fresh off their success with the "Slide It In" album, hit the rock world hard with the first single of their massively successful 1987 self titled album, "Still Of The Night." David Coverdale did some of his best Robert Plant-like wailing while the video even featured Adrian Vandenberg pulling off Jimmy Page's bow on guitar trick. Of all the clones on parade at the time, Whitesnake did it the best.



Sensing blood in the proverbial waters, Kingdom Come took their inspiration to almost ridiculous extremes. Ironically, the band was a vastly talented lot but never shook their clone tag and folded almost as quickly as they hit the scene.




Great White never denied that Led Zeppelin was probably their biggest influence. Though they started their career as a pretty awful generic hard rock band, by the early 90s they matured into probably one of the best hard rock bands of the era. This clip showcases them right at the end where they just slay with an amazing cover of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You," where singer Jack Russell effortlessly hits all the right notes.



Take one son of a Led Zeppelin member, add a Robert Plant clone, listen to a lot of "Physical Graffiti" and wrap it in a late 80s production and you get pretty much what you would think it would sound like.



For the longest time, Robert Plant distanced himself from any connection to his former band. But, in the light of the sudden resurgence of the Led Zeppelin sound, finally began to embrace his legend status. During his "Now & Zen" tour, he even started to play some old songs like "Black Country Woman." Rappers in the 80s started to sample that big John Bonham drum, and rather than try to beat them, he joned them, sampling some of Zep's best known songs.



Finally, and completely on purpose, Ozzy Osbourne and Gary Moore teamed up with this tongue in cheek single.

Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock

"Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock" is a new CD featuring some of today's best power pop artists covering some of the best soft rock tunes of the '70s and '80s. Every choice of song is brilliant and you'll be tempted to sing along. It is rare to find a tribute album so consistently good, with each artist doing a masterful rendition of these treasured classics. Most artists put their own spin on these, with some rocked up (like "Don't Give Up On Us Baby" by Lisa Mychols) and some rocked down (like "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight" by Kelly Jones). A few are near spot on replicas, which I actually didn't enjoy as much because it was too much like just looking at a photograph of a famous painting. But even on those tracks I admire how the artists emulated the original sounds. Some of my other favorites in this excellent 2 CD collection include "I Love You" by Throwback Suburbia", "Believe It Or Not" (yes, the theme from "The Greatest American Hero"!) by Mike Ruekberg, "More Than I Can Say" by Linus of Hollywood, and "Cool Change" by Vegas with Randolph. There are a few lite rock classics that were overlooked, so let's hold out hope for another volume!

Stream the record at Spotify:

One hit wonders: Robert Ellis Orrall "I Couldn't Say No"

Robert Ellis Orrall & Carlene Carter - "I Couldn't Say No"

This duet with Carlene Carter went to 32 on the Billboard charts on March 26, 1983. The song was lifted from Orrall's sophomore album, "Special Pain". He resurfaced on the country charts in the 90s, and has written hits for other artists in that genre and beyond. Carlene Carter (wife of Nick Lowe and sister of Rosanne Cash - Johnny Cash was her stepfather) also become a country star in subsequent years. But 80s fans will always remember them for this song, which doesn't strike me as "country" at all.

Leno prank features 80s tunes

There is a viral video going around showing a talented couple singing '80s songs at an interactive gas station pump. They fearlessly belt out some Bon Jovi and Eurythmics - and do a great job of it! Check out the video here.

Lou Gramm Considering Retirement - Video tribute

It's hard to imagine the 80s without Lou Gramm and Foreigner. Lou announced that he is considering retirement, which inspired us to check out a few videos from his solo work.

Back for More: Mike Tramp (White Lion)

In this ongoing series, we catch up with artists who made their mark in the 80s. Many of them are still alive and kicking! 

Mike Tramp (White Lion) “Cobblestone Street”

White Lion roared onto the music scene at the height of the hair band frenzy in the late 80s with hits like “Wait” and “When The Children Cry”. After two follow-up albums, their pride was hurt and lead singer and songwriter Mike Tramp started a solo career. He’s been remarkably productive, quietly cranking out lots of solo records over the years to the delight of melodic rock fans. This year, he returns with a new album called “Cobblestone Street”. With its sparse arrangements and unplugged feel, “Cobblestone Street” is unlike anything he’s done before. The songs are mostly acoustic based with deeply personal lyrics about home and family. His raspy voice isn’t for everyone, and the slower, softer atmosphere may disappoint fans expecting a White Lion sound. However, I find the record a refreshing change from Tramp, with highlights including “Ain’t The Life I Asked For”, “Revolution”, and “Angel or Devil”. My favorite track in the bunch is “New Day”, which is a breezy affirmation to seize the moment. There’s also a new “unplugged” version of the White Lion hit, “When The Children Cry”, as a bonus track. Sending a message that is even more pertinent today, this song shows just how timeless music from the 80s can be.

Mike Tramp – Official site.

What's old is new again...

Daft Punk goes late 70s disco with something that could have came from the Commodores or Chic. One listen and this thing will be stuck in your brain for hours.

"Better Off Dead" cast - then and now

One of the quintessential movies of the 80s! See the cast of "Better Off Dead" as they appeared then and now, and learn what they've been up to! Oh, and one more thing..."I want my two dollars!"

"Better Off Dead" cast - then and now.

Lita Ford back with new video for "Mother"

80s hard rock queen Lita Ford is back with a new video, "Mother", taken from her latest record, "Living Like A Runaway"

Coming soon!

Coming soon...your new place to find and rediscover lost gems from the 1980s - music, TV, movies, books, pop culture, and more!