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?

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".

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.

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.