Bradley's Buzz

50-46

50. MAD ABOUT YOU – Belinda Carlisle
(Brown/Evans/Whelan)
IRS single #52815 (US)/ #118 (UK)
Chart Debut: June 21, 1986 (US)/ August 16, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #3 US / #67 UK

I always loved the Go Gos and no one was more devastated than I was when they broke up, but a few years later Belinda was back and she was no longer the girl with the baby fat and cherub face, instead donned over a bright pink backdrop was the Belinda of ’86 svelte and dressed in black. But one thing she didn’t leave behind for her debut album was a charming little pop sensibility and the ability to capture summer in a song. Just like the Go Gos songs that came before “Mad About You” feels like summer. Just hearing the dunt dunt dunt dunt at the beginning makes me want to sauter off the top of my Escort and drive to the beach. Watch the video.

49. BREAKAWAY – Big Pig
(Mitch Bottler/Gary Zekley)
A&M single #3014
Chart Debut:
Chart Position: #60 US

Mostly notable being featured in the film Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, I knew the song long before they used it in that film. Big Pig’s BONK! album with its tin drums and iron lungs was on constant rotation in Ryanne’s Omni 024 just like Duran Duran. I love the whole album but “Breakaway” gets me going the minute I hear the opening chug and I love the lines of the whole song – “like a child in his fantasy/ punching holes in the walls of reality” and Mama did always say I can be what I want to be but I can’t change the course of my destiny, or something like that. See the video!

48. ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - Queen
(John Deacon)
Elektra single #47031 (US)/ EMI single #5102 (UK)
Chart Debut: August 30, 1980 (US)/ September 16, 1980 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #7 UK

With its funky bass line and Freddie Mercury’s vocals this is one of those songs that transcended genres. Even country hicks vowed to be buried to the tune of this song. I remember begging my mother to buy me the 45 and then like the child I was, I left it in the car while we visited relatives. I was devastated when we got back to the car and my brand new unlistened to record, was warped. I felt like killing myself! Luckily I flipped the record over and the b-side was called “Don’t Try Suicide” so I just begged my mother to buy me another one. Watch the video!

47. PLEASURE & PAIN - Divinyls
(Mike Chapman/Holly Knight)
Chrysalis single #42916 (US)/ #9799 (UK)
Chart Debut: October 1, 1985
Chart Position: #76 US / #12 aus

I love the Divinyls and this is the song that first got me into the brilliance of Chrissie Amphlett and Mark McEntee. Another little gem written by the team of Holly Knight and Mike Chapman, and once again produced by Chapman, this is the song that should’ve pushed Divinyls into the mainstream. A dark tale of an abusive relationship, “Pleasure & Pain” finds our antagonist actually thriving for the abuse her lover gives her – “Just don’t ask me how I’ve been getting off”. Fairly complex stuff for a rock song but such is the brilliance of the Divinyls. Due to the lack of buying interest, Chrysalis Records in America didn’t release any more singles off the What A Life! Album but in Australia, they got the brilliant “Sleeping Beauty” and “Heart Telegraph.” Personally, I recommend you run and buy every single Divinyls album you can get your hands on, or you could email me for Divinytyve, the bubbatunes compilation I created, which is probably THE best Divinyls compilation you’ll ever find. Watch the video and see how cool Chrissie really is!

46. I LOVE ROCK & ROLL – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
(Hooker/Merrill)
Boardwalk single #135
Chart Debut: February 13, 1982 (US)/ March 24, 1982 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #4 UK

Joan Jett rocks my world! Leave it to that leather-clad gal to take a completely obscure cover song and turn it into one of the most recognizable and popular songs of the entire decade of the 80s. Who doesn’t sing along as Joan puts another dime in the jukebox baby? And who doesn’t try to seduce the 17-year-old standing by the record machine? This single is Joan in one of her most brilliant moments and it’s one of the greatest moments in my karaoke career – though Joan may cringe to hear that. Relive the kick ass video here! and see the never released video in amazing color (who knew!)

and come back next time when we hit the numbers 45-41 of the Top 100 Singles Of The 80's - According to me!

Labels: Belinda Carlisle, Big Pig, Divinyls, Joan Jett, Queen, Top 100 Singles Of the 1980s

posted by swivek @ 8:56 AM 0 comments

# 55-51

and here we are at the last 5 in the first 50 (??) of our TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s, so let's jump right in with numbers 55-51!

55. VACATION – Go-Gos
(Valentine/Caffey/Weidlin)
IRS single #9907
Chart Debut: June 18, 1982 US
Chart Position: #8 US

For some reason, the Go Gos just never did it for the UK clan, this song; arguably one of their best never even cracked the top 100 in England. But for me, it cracked a lot – I love the Go Gos, and always did from that very first song I heard in the summer of 1981. Speaking of 1981, when I was a kid we were one of the first families to have cable and you can just imagine how I spent my time – watching old reruns of 70s sitcoms on the Superstation and staying up all night watching MTV. Back then, MTV was a music video channel that played videos by everyone – not just the scattered video here and there by the current pop idols. They also had one of the coolest things and one that sparked intrigue in all of the MTV youth – the “World Premiere Video”. They would count down and talk about it all week long until they had the big premiere of the new video. As was the case with the Go-Gos “Vacation” video in the summer of 1982. Completely full of summer feeling, I still remember seeing that video premiere and every time I hear this great, and I mean great little pop song, I reflect on how cool I thought the world was in 1982. Watch the video here!

54. BREAK MY STRIDE – Matthew Wilder
(Matthew Wilder/Gregory Prestopino)
Private I/ Epic single #38-04113
Chart Debut: November 26, 1983 (US)/ January 21, 1984 (UK)
Chart Position: #5 US / #4 UK

The upbeat pop fun just doesn’t stop it does it? Here we have another little gem that I almost completely forgot about until I was going through my 80s songs to make up this list. I almost peed my pants in excitement when I realized I had this song! “Break My Stride” and Matthew Wilder’s follow up “The Kid’s American” were two songs I played over and over as a kid. How I loved them, and now that I found this gem again, I won’t ever let it go. Let’s all take a little rowboat to China cause nothing is gonna break my stride; nobody’s going to hold me down. On a side note, Matthew Wilder ended up on the other side of the recording system by producing a slew of huge albums including No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom. Watch a peformance from Solid Gold.

53. RUMORS – Timex Social Club
(Alex Hill/ Michael Marshall/ Marcus Thompson)
Jay/Cool Tempo single #1001
Chart Debut: July 12, 1986 (US)/ September 13, 1986 (UK)
Chart Position: #8 US / #13 UK

Are you all as surprised as I am about how high on the charts this song got? For some reason, I thought I was the only one who even knew it existed. I don’t know who or what the Timex Social Club was but they released this kick ass little song (fairly risqué for its time I would think) in 1986 just as I was going through the dramas, problems and rumors of the high school mill. “Did you hear that one about Tina? Some say she’s much too loose/ that comes straight from a guy who swears he’s tasted her juice…” or “Did you hear that one about Bradley, some say he must be gay, I try to argue but they said if he was straight he wouldn’t move that way…”

Okay, the song mentions Michael as being gay not Bradley, but you know what I am getting at. Every time I hear this song I think about the time I was walking home from school with my pal Keith Kennedy and some kid I had never met before. Soon the kid was going on and on about Bradley Jacobson and all the scandalous but fun things he had been up to.

I stopped Keith before saying anything and instead just asked the kid if he even knew who Brad Jacobson was. The kid, obviously fairly smart and honest admitted that he had no idea, so I introduced myself. Incidentally, all the things he was saying were true but that wasn’t the point now was it? Listen here.

52. MIDDLE OF THE ROAD – The Pretenders
(Chrissie Hynde)
Sire single #29444 (US)/ #ARE21 (UK)
Chart Debut: January 27, 1984 (US)
Chart Position: #19 US

I love me my pissy Chrissie Hynde and wish I could’ve included every single awesome Pretenders single that was released through the 80s. But as time would have it, and the list was so large already I had to settle for one, so I went with the biggie. This is not only one of my fav Pretenders songs ever, this is one great kick ass single. Taken from their biggest selling album Learning To Crawl, “Middle Of The Road” finds Chrissie more pissed off than usual as she sings about the injustices of the world. With its thumping beat, the boys backing “oh, oh, oh”s, Chrissie’s countdown at the bass break (1,2,3,4) and the mere mention of a cul-de-sac puts my little blonde head into a spin. See a live performance here.

51. THE WARRIOR – Scandal featuring Patty Smyth
(Holly Knight/Nick Gilder)
Columbia single #38-04424 (US) / CBS single #4367 (UK)
Chart Debut: July 21, 1984
Chart Position: #7 US

The other Patty Patty that ruled my world in the 80s, Patty Smyth and Zack Smith had led their band Scandal into fairly popular territory with their 1982 self titled EP, but it was this rock ditty co-written by my beloved Holly Knight, that secured the band their one and only top 40 hit. Set to the perfect 80s rock guitar riff and Patty’s salty slightly scratchy vocals we were all shooting out the walls of heartache in the summer of 1984. Admit it, who didn’t make the gun with your fingers whenever the lines “Bang, bang” came on? I still do and have almost caused numerous accidents while driving and listening to Scandal.

Incidentally, the guy who co-wrote this ditty with my Holly is none other than the Nick Gilder who scored huge in 1978 with his single “Hot Child In The City” and Mike Chapman, who produced a lot of my favorite female led bands including Blondie and our favorite Patty – Miss Benatar, produces the whole Warrior album including the next two singles “Beat Of A Heart” and “Hands Tied” which both strangely peaked at #41 on the top 100. Mike, like Holly Knight shows up a few more times on our list, so keep on the lookout. Watch the video!

We'll be shooting out the walls of the next 50 in our top 100 after I take a much needed rest...

Labels: Go Gos, Matthew Wilder, Mike Chapman, Nick Gilder, Scandal featuring Patty Smyth, The Pretenders, Timex Social Club, Top 100 Singles Of the 1980s

posted by swivek @ 4:00 PM 0 comments

Swivek For 75 Cents!

THE BEST 75 CENTS YOU'LL EVER SPEND!
That’s right at http://www.soundclick.com/ you can own your very own exclusive Swivek singles including the new release “Everything’s Fine” from the latest album ARMY FATIGUE.

Also available is the exclusive Single Mix of “Come Alive”, and there are plenty of old favorites available as well including “Where The Boys Are”, “Debbie Doesn’t” and “Cherry Go Go.”

So run those digits over your keyboard and go to www.soundclick.com/swivek so you can buy some Swivek Singles! Daddy needs some new CDRs!

posted by swivek @ 10:15 PM 0 comments

26 Years Ago In Knots Landing...

Episode #9 'THE CONSTANT COMPANION'
Original Airdate: February 21, 1980


CONSTANT CHRYSANTHEMUMS
Tonight's episode found our often unused Ginger Ward in the midst of a king sized pickle. Yes, our Ginger was the focal point of today’s episode for it seems she has a constant companion who will not let her just retire to a back scene. The Ging must be brought forward and we must watch and if you’re like me, you must fall in love with this episode and our bug-eyed gal.

We know it’s going to be a great episode when the very first scene starts with a starry eyed Ging staring at a vase of flowers at work. I noticed a few episodes back that The Ging wears the highest high heels ever to walk the kindergarten classroom. That is unless you went to school in Mosinee, Wisconsin where my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Smith also wore giant high heels and had big Dolly Parton hair.. I loved that woman and as soon as I’m done typing out this little synopsis, I’m hitting google and I’m going to find out whatever happened to her. Perhaps I’ll send her some flowers, and perfume and a corsage and a tape… oops looks like I’m getting ahead of myself.

So back at Oceanside Elementary School, our Mrs. Ward calls in her local janitor to ask him about the flowers. He tells her he is just the deliveryman around here and he doesn’t know where they’re coming from but he does know they’re not from him. He figures its one of the kids, but that Ging is much too dedicated of a teacher to not come into work an hour before the kids and she even stays later than the kids, so it’s all a big mystery.


But that doesn’t stop our Ging from harassing her kindergartners. She asks them once again if anyone was giving her the flowers. She calls them chrysanthemums and the cutest little black boy tries to repeat the word. A word I can't spell or say! He finally gets it, showing this Bradley up. He also tells the Ging that he's the one sending them. Ging asks him, "You are? The flowers are from you?"

He says, "Maybe."

Then a little smart girl who is our predecessor to Meg Mackenzie says, "No, he's in my car pool and he never has flowers." to which one of his buds stands up for him and says, "He said maybe."

Our little cutie says, "I said maybe.”

So our poor Ging is still left without any answers. Meanwhile, I think the cast could only benefit by having this little child as a comic foil. It seems to work on sitcoms, why not a soap opera!

That afternoon as our Ging gets into her Datsun, there is a big problem. It seems her little car won’t start. She gets out and a short little man named Arthur comes sauntering over. He tells her to open the hood and once they do, it becomes quite apparent that neither one of them know what to do. Ginger calls the auto club and the man arrives to look under the hood and actually know what is going on. It seems her distributor cap is gone. Not broken but actually gone. He figures someone has a strange sense of humor or they didn’t want Mrs. Ward to leave. The auto man offers her a ride through his tobacco stained teeth and leery grin but she opts to go with short little Arthur instead.

The school duo arrive in the cul-de-sac and as Ginger gets out of the car and leans in to thank Arthur, that little man has already made his way to her front door claiming that he loves her yard, he loves her house and he wants to go inside and check it out. Ginger seems touched by his excitement so she lets him in. The inside is even more exciting to him and he runs through the hall to the living room and admires the stereo system, the fireplace, the walls and he never once mentions that they don’t have any windows. I personally think he will like the house even more when they rearrange it and you walk into the living room and the kitchen suddenly is next to the living room with a slated gate and bar a la Happy Days, but something tells me Arthur may not stick around long enough to notice those changes.



He asks Ginger for some coffee and she runs into some other room, (I’m still confused as to what the actual architecture is on this house). She arrives from a whole other part of the house from where she disappeared to, carrying a copper pot of coffee.. She practically drops it when she burns her hand on the hot metal. It seems that she has shoddy potholders. Arthur runs to get her some ice and puts it on her hand as Kenny walks through the door.

Kenny doesn’t know what to make of the scene with the little man cupping his wife’s digits. They explain the whole situation and Kenny decides Arthur should stay for dinner. Ginger doesn’t like it too much as she (and the viewing audience) has decided that Arthur is a strange bird.

Ging and Kenny feed the little man and apparently feeling Arthur may be uncomfortable with his height if they all sit in grown up chairs, they decide to dine on the floor around the coffee table. Once Arthur starts talking about bugs, Ginger decides that its time for him to leave. He offers to pick her up in the morning but she tells him that Kenny will take him. Kenny proves he has more going on in the looks department than the brains department when says he has to work early. Ginger insists that she too has to be in early. She tells Kenny that the little man gives her the creeps.

But The Ging isn’t the only person in the cul-de-sac to be having problems for our little Valene is having a constant companion too. Her burden is her lack of education. She sends Gary off to work and sneaks into her oak bureau pulling out books and notepads. She begins reciting dates about conquering America and wars with Mexico when Gary comes sauntering back in as he forgot his ad campaign. (On a side note our Gary has been talking about the knots landing ad campaign for about four episodes now, I get the feeling there may be a commercial coming up).

Gary sees all the books and his blonde wife under them and wonders what’s going on. Valene confesses she is studying to get her high school diploma. She feels left out since Karen and Ginger both have college degrees and even Laura had a bit of college. Note again, that Valene seems to remember that Laura dropped out of college but can’t for the life of her remember that Laura’s mother died when she was 12. I’m surprised Val didn’t ask Laura yesterday why her mother couldn’t take care of her ill father.

But once again I have digressed beyond belief. I tell you being blonde is fun! Anyway, Gary tells his Val gal that there ain’t no shame in asking for a little help. Val doesn’t want any help because if she should happen to fail then everyone will know what she is up to. Gary wishes her luck and runs off to Knots Landing Motors while Val hits the books one more time.

That night, Gary comes downstairs to find his little Val all curled up in a ball on the living room floor with books and notepads all around her. He covers her and heads for bed and this my friends is where Valene first discovered the art of writing while sitting on the ground. See it all goes back to this first season.

The next day, Ginger goes into work to find more presents on her desk. This time there are not only flowers but a corsage and perfume as well. Not to mention, just for laughs a potholder. She sees Arthur out of the corner of her eye (no jokes intended for the peepers) but he runs away. After work she is finally able to confront him when he is waiting by her car. She freaks out on the little man and tells him she doesn’t want any of his gifts. He realizes the potholder was a bit bold but he wasn’t really trying to get into her pants or anything, and he most definitely did not give her flowers or perfume, as the poor guy is allergic to his own shampoo.

The little man takes off running to his Gremlin (which incidentally my grandmother; the oft mentioned Ferlie Bird, used to drive a Gremlin. I loved that little yellow car).. Anyway, it occurred to me as he went running to his car in a nervous frenzy, that we don't know exactly what this man does at Oceanside Elementary School. I mean is this man a teacher? He's so nervous around the Ging, how would he behave in front of twenty unruly children? I certainly hope he works in the office or Richard Avery may have a new campaign next year when he runs for the school board.

Ginger rushes home only to have the phone start ringing. A strange voice calls “Mommy, Daddy” a few times then hangs up. She is beside her eyes by this time. Kenny doesn’t know what to make of all the gifts either, especially her new stash of children’s book. I’m starting to sense a theme happening by now but maybe I’m the only one because our heroes can’t make hide nor tail of it all.

The final straw happens when a midget delivers a birthday cake for Ginger Killman. Yes, we have our second maiden name now.. (Clements being the first of course). Ginger says she is Ginger Ward now but the midget decides that’s close enough and sings her a birthday song. Ginger tells him that it won’t be her birthday for five months but he gives her the cake anyway. She opens the cake and the number 8 is printed on it. She freaks out and I think she’s about to remember something but Kenny decides its high time they head over to Arthur’s to find out what the little freak is trying to prove.

Arthur apologizes for his mother’s absence at this little interrogation but Kenny doesn’t even care to meet poor Art’s mama. He wants to know what Arthur is trying to prove by giving his wife all these presents. “Geez, I didn’t know a pot holder was such a big whoop. I mean the woman did burn her pretty little fingers. I was just trying to help.” Ginger realizes it’s not Arthur and we fade to commercial.


The Wards decide it’s high time to call Hill Street Blues and Daniel J. Travanti makes his grand entrance. He tells The Ging that there really hasn’t been any crime, just a big nuisance. I have expected him to pull a Richard and say, “Perhaps your husbands empty stomach is the real victim here. I hear you’ve been feeding him left overs.” He tells our Ging to make a list of people who want to schlep her or who have schlepped her in the past just in case they want more action. She gets quite perplexed when she realizes that there is going to be a long list that she will never show Kenny. Kenny decides to call off his trip to San Francisco but for some strange reason our Ging tells him, “No go, how am I ever going to prove I can carry this show if you’re always all over me. You go and then next week when I want something I’ll beg you to stay. That’s called diversity. You’ll see.”

Val’s day didn’t go much better. She has worked and worked trying to time herself on her test and no matter how many times she winds up that egg timer, she just can’t make it. She begins to get frustrated and wants to cry. Even the doorbell won’t distract our soon to be valedictorian so Karen is left with a bundle of hand picked flowers. She leaves them at Val’s door and I begin to wonder if Karen is Ginger’s stalker.

The next day Val decides to try it all again and after a much-needed talk from Gary about swallowing pride and asking for help; she rings up Laura and invites her for coffee. Once she hangs up the horn, she pulls out the bigger buns and calls the actual college graduate next door. The girls spend all day helping our Valene until Richard pops in, of course to dismiss these crazy gals as nothing. Unfortunately, he is the only one who knows the hypotenuse of a triangle. Although his lovely Red did know it had something to do with the triangle. He shows them what it is, they realize how simple it is and he asks Laura for his dinner. What a guy.

Ginger arrives home that night with a tape left in her mailbox. Poor girl, first flowers, then corsages, then perfume and now a tape. She pops it in and prays it’s the newest Cosmic Steeple demo.

Poor Ginger discovers its not a rock band, it’s a strange scary tape with a baby crying, then a woman singing a nursery rhyme, then the “Mommy, Daddy” of her earlier phone calls and finally a piano lullaby. Whatever could it all mean? Ginger wonders the same thing and then plays it again. The phone rings and she is about to answer it when we both realize that she has a very pretty nail polish on. We move back up to her face and are aghast at how lovely our Ginger really does look today. But we don’t have time for this, she is in deep drama. She grabs her purse and heads to the door. She screams as there is someone there but a la “When a Stranger Calls” it is Mr. Police Detective.

He comes in and asks about Kenny actually having gone to San Francisco. I begin to suspect that he is her stalker and wonder what Mr. Travanti’s story really is. After a little coaxing, Ginger fesses up about the tape. He wants to hear it so Ginger plays it one more time. This time our Ging is ever excitable and begins to cry. He realizes there is some connection being made and he pulls her closer to him and tells her he is there for her.

Now either there was a little edit here and I missed something he said or something he did or even worse, I just totally missed a Daniel J. move on the woman, but she jumps from him and calls him a bastard. He leaves but tells her she knows where to find him if she needs him. I just don’t get it but I can only assume that she thought or he really was trying to come onto her in this dire time of ginger need.

She runs in the dark night to the only safe haven in the cul-de-sac; the Fairgates. She tells Karen and Sid the whole sordid tale. Why it’s just like her flashback from a few episodes ago. It seems our Ginger got pregnant when she was 16 and her mother forced her to have an abortion. The boy she had the fling with was named John. She lost track of him but the corsage is the one she wore to junior prom and the perfume is what he used to buy her. Oh my god, is everyone connecting all the dots here, I by now am at the edge of the barcelounger practically spilling my wine. Finally, Ginger says that Johns’ mother still lives in the same house and maybe she should go and see him. Sid tells her she should bring Kenny but our Ging has one more basket to drop, it seems Kenny knows nothing about any of this. So fearless leader Fairgate, Karen that is, offers to come with her.

The next day, Valene breaks the big drama of the Ginger spectacle when Gary drives her to the local community college to take her GED test. He offers to come in with her but she says she needs to do this on her own and she is ready, ready I tell you, to get that diploma and start on a novel about his evil family. She’s going to be a success damn it. And damn it if it isn’t true for our next Val/Gary scene shows our happy bumpkin hopping into that Mercury and telling her hubby that she did it, its’ over and she even finished on time! That Val, only nine episodes in and she’s already moving her character forward.

We open the scene at John's mother's house (who by the way has the burden of being named Beatrice) with overdubs of her talking but our very first camera shot is of a garden of yellow flowers. Flowers like the ones our Ginger has been getting for the whole episode. Our special guest star Priscilla Pointer (a/k/a Katherine Wentworth) has finally emerged. She is talking to Karen and Ginger about all the kids that used to hang out in the garden and yard. There were children for miles until one by one they all grew up and went to school, had abortions and broke her heart. She gets postcards from all over the world. Ginger finally asks about John but our special guest has big news. John went to Vietnam and though he came back, he was wounded and he died about six months ago. Ging and Karen stare at each other and are both quite upset that this mystery still isn’t solved.

Karen and Ginger arrive back at the Fairgates where Karen is holding a vase full of those flowers. She tells Ginger that she feels bad for Priscilla Pointer having nothing to hold onto anymore but the memories and her flower gardens. That’s all Ginger needs to hear and she realizes that it’s the special guest star that’s been terrorizing her for the past hour! Well, its about time Ginger! But she did look fab through out her ordeal, don’t you think?

Ginger runs out the door to go confront the guest star just as Diana walks in to say, “What’s going on?” and earn her Also starring bill.

Ginger sneaks up behind Priscilla who is watering her flowers and wearing a mumu (can’t believe I didn’t mention that earlier.. maybe this is where Ginger gets the idea for her and Abby’s season 4 outfits)..

“It’s you,” says Ginger. “You’re the one sending me all those gifts and harassing me.” Our special guest swears she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Ginger tells her that her mother made her give up the baby. Then Priscilla surprises us all when she talks about those flowers and how she saw Ginger and John having sex in those flowers and she wasn’t upset by it at all for she really thought they made a wonderful couple. I also think she was taking some lessons on how to make Mr. Special Guest Star feel good. But what do I know; all I really know is this mother was staring out the window as her son was doing the bimbo from down the block.

Finally our special guest freaks out and tells Ginger that she killed her grandchild and she killed John; for if the baby had been born John would’ve never went to Vietnam. Ginger shows us her acting chops when she tells the stalking basket case that this is something she has lived with all these years, the baby was hers and it was inside of her and she feels the emptiness every day. Ginger finally says, “I tried to forget and get on with my life and you hold on to it and it’s killing you. I won’t suffer for you or with you.” I give a great big hurrah! And Priscilla is left holding her hose and wondering if Dallas is hiring.

Ginger comes home to find Kenny in the bedroom. She tells him that it’s all over. I think there’s going to be huge emotions and all of the truth will come spilling out of our Ging but apparently the last scene wiped her clean of her acting chops so she just tells him that there was a boy long ago who had a mother who went crazy but now there will be no more flowers, books, perfume, or corsages. There is however, a tape she’d like her husband to hear, as it could be the next big hit if a disco beat is put to it.

So there you have it, the story of Ginger’s constant companion from your constant companion

posted by swivek @ 9:52 PM 0 comments

# 60-56

We continue with our TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s with numbers 60 - 56!


60. NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS
(Andy Farriss/Michael Hutchence)
Atlantic single #89188 (US)/ Mercury single #INXS12 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 1, 1987 (US)/ November 12, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #2 UK

As I said back at #90 when we had our last INXS entry, I thought Michael Hutchence was one of the sexiest guys to ever strut across a stage. It wasn’t just the way he looked or acted, it was his voice and the brilliant sexy deliveries of that voice. In all of the INXS singles released with Michael, none capture that raw sexiness like “Need You Tonight”. Just the emphasis of certain phrasing sends me right up a wall whenever I listen to the song. You’ll have to excuse me – I have to go take a cold shower. Watch the video here.

59. HIDIN’ FROM LOVE – Lisa Hartman
(Bryan Adams/Jim Vallance)
RCA single #13251
Released: 1982
Chart Position: -

And we’re back… Oh, my poor girl. All Lisa Hartman ever wanted to do was sing. Her mother swears she didn’t speak her first words, she sang them. While in high school, Lisa ran around Houston as the front woman in a rock band. In 1976, at the ripe old age of 19, Jeff Barry who had written such 60s classics as the Shangri-Las “Out In The Streets” saw Lisa perform and immediately had her signed to Don Kirshner’s namesake label. In LA, she recorded her very first album, the self titled ditty captured all that was oh so 1976 Olivia Newton-John pop but it failed. So Lisa took up some modeling and acting gigs, got a lead in the ABC series Tabitha, and released another single in 1978. Nothing.

In 1979, she recorded yet another album Hold On – studying close to the 60s Motown stuff she loved. Again, no hits. So it was back to acting and modeling.

In 1982, our girl released what is her best album of recorded material, Letterock. Clad in a blue teddy on the back of the record sleeve, you knew you were onto something good. The songs were perfect for the 1982 woman rock stuff happening. She had covers of uber popular Rick Springfield, she had originals about gay boyfriends, Juice Newton styled ballads, and a Holly Knight song that had reached the top 40 two years earlier for the band Spider; and she had this single – “Hidin’ From Love” written by a then fairly unknown Bryan Adams. The song has all the power packed punch of Quarterflash or Scandal – two female led rock outfits scoring hits around this time, but for some reason our girl just never had the hit she deserved.

So Lisa went back to acting and onto one of my all time favs - Knots Landing where she played ill-fated rock singer Ciji Dunne in the fourth season (1982-83) and when she was proved to be uber popular, she came the following year as Cathy Dunne in one of the more better crafted "look-alike" soap scenerios (think "Vertigo"). After her success on Knots Landing, RCA Records re-released the Letterock album in 1984 retitled Lisa Hartman and with the front and back covers switched. Lisa even did some promotion appearing on Solid Gold and a few other shows (as you can see); but still the album did nothing chart wise.


I guess in the end Lisa Hartman scored out all right considering her acting career definitely took off starring for three years on my beloved Knots Landing, and making a slew of TV movies through the 90s, and though a fourth and final album in 1987 didn’t score any better than her previous efforts, an almost forced collabaration with husband Clint Black scored her a top 40 pop hit, a number one country hit and a few awards for the song “When I Said I Do” – so Lisa Hartman got what she wanted after all. You Letterock girl! Check out this awesome My Space site dedicated to Lisa Hartman's music and you can even hear our #59 song right on the site!

58. CHANGE – John Waite
(Holly Knight)
Chrysalis single #42606
Released: 1982
Chart Position: #54 US

I have to admit that John Waite has always kind of bothered me. I think it’s his endless changing of bands and styles. Is he trying to be Steve Perry? Is he trying to be Nick Gilder? Is he trying to be Stephen Tyler? I just don’t get it. But the one thing that he did do and he did very well is this single. “Change” is written by my beloved Holly Knight and produced by Neil Geraldo – that’s right Ms. Pat Benatar’s right hand man, and it was even released on the same label as Pat and Blondie, so it’s really no wonder it’s so good. The story of always wanting more than you have or deserve is fuelled by a pretty high energy guitar rock song and everyone can relate to the lyrics – “We always wish for money/ we always wish for fame/ we think we have the answers/ some things aren’t ever gonna change…” Perhaps Holly should’ve also handed this one over to Lisa Hartman – I’m sure she could’ve nailed it even better. I couldn't find the video for it, but here is John performing an acoustic live version though it's nowhere near as great as his original recorded version.

57. SWEET CHILD O MINE - Guns n Roses
(Adler/Hudson/McKagan/Rose/Stradlin)
Geffen single #27963
Chart Debut: July 23, 1988 (US)/ August 20, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #24 UK

There are numerous claims that Appetite For Destruction changed the music scene when it debuted in 1988. For some reason I didn’t notice, all I knew was that it was a damn good album. When I threw my cassette into the car player, rolled down the windows, turned up the volume and drove along Wausau, Wisconsin – it was an exuberating experience. Plus I was finally able to be cool with all the head bangers. “Sweet Child O Mine” is the single that drove the album into the stratosphere and likely so. It’s a great song that makes you turn up the volume and sing along. I mean who doesn’t do the Axl sway when the song starts playing? Watch the video here!

56. I WANT THAT MAN – Deborah Harry
(Currie/Bailey)
Sire/Red Eye single #22816 (US)/ Chrysalis single #3369
Chart Debut: October 7, 1989
Chart Position: #2 Modern Rock (US) / #13 UK

“Here comes the 21st century/ it’s gonna be much better for a girl like me..” and so declared the chorus of this ultra cool Deborah Harry solo single. Co-written and produced by the Thompson Twins’ Alannah Currie and Tom Bailey, I thought for sure this would be the single that made it clear Debbie could score huge on her own. The keyboard intro, the dance back beat, the shaking little breakdowns and the sing along lyrics make it one of the best singles of the late 80s. They even played it on the Wausau, Wisconsin rock radio station! Plus Debs looked super cool as a vampire/singer in the video who goes after the man she wants – of course she gets him; she even rips off his cross and bites his neck. That’s our Debs - if she wants it, she gets it. By the way, I too want to be the Queen of the USA – but you don’t have to send me roses every other day – make it twice a week. Watch the video here and see a great live performance from 1989 from the Roller Derby show. It's almost as cool as the video!

The 21st century may be here but our #1 single of the 80s won't be here for a while yet, so stay put and I'll be back with numbers #55-51!

Labels: Deborah Harry, Guns n Roses, INXS, John Waite, Lisa Hartman, Top 100 Singles Of the 1980s

posted by swivek @ 3:33 PM 0 comments

26 Years Ago In Knots Landing...

Episode #8 ‘CIVIL WIVES’
Original Airdate: February 14, 1980 – Valentine’s Day!

PHLIPPING PHILLBY FROM PHILLY
What a Valentine's Day our Kar Bear Fairgate is about to have. Well, okay the show doesn't actually take place on Valentine's Day but it did air on Valentine's Day in 1980 and Karen's marriage is about to be tested by a trampy woman named Susan Phillby. All I can really say about Susan right now is she is no Anne Matheson!

So who is this Susan Phillby you ask? Well, I’m glad you brought that up.. come with me on a journey into 1980 where we meet our fav gals of the cul-de-sac as that familiar Mercury Marquis wagon pulls up to the Fairgate house. Karen, Laura and Val hop out of the car and run to the back where Karen has bought a huge iron set of shelves. Karen is ever faboo in a pair of jeans and pig tails yet the girlie look doesn’t stop her from taking charge of this situation. She organizes the lift out of the iron shelves (something one like myself would notice actually appears in the Fairgate kitchen a few episodes later!) and as the girls heave and ho, dragging it to the front door we get our first drama.

Karen and Val tell Laura that she should go visit her ill father in Pittsburgh. Laura insists that Richard doesn’t want her to go. Our girls tell her she needs to just march over to that hairy little pipsqueak and tell him she’s going to see her father. She asks Karen, “Is that what you would do if you were married to him?” Karen simply says “yes,” when I would’ve expected, “I wouldn’t have married him in the first place.”

Karen leaves Val and Laura to bring the monstrosity into the house by
themselves while she runs back to the car to get a big trunk she has also purchased. I would’ve sworn the girls went rummage saleing but Val asks why Karen didn’t have it delivered so apparently this stuff is brand spanking new. As the girls unload the car full of junk, I mean Karen’s new furniture, a taxi pulls up. Some woman with a pristine outfit and perfect hair saunters up the yard, “You must be Karen,” she says.

“Why yes I am, “ says our gal still holding her trunk.

“I’m Susan, “ No bells ring in Karen’s ears, “Susan Phillby,” still nothing from our Kar Bear, “I went back to my maiden name after I divorced your husband you silly woman!” Karen realizes this is Annie’s mother, Sid’s ex-wife, the one who was married to our saint prior to us meeting him. Before I say, “Well come on in,” Karen invites the woman into her suburban world.

The gals of the cul-de-sac don’t know what to make of this East coast gal, especially since she is Sid’s ex-wife. Laura and Val just nudge each other on the couch as the two Mrs. Fairgates banter. Karen hops on the horn and tries to get through to Sid but he is off tinkering with a motor as usual.

Susan tells the girls that her lawyer was supposed to call Sid and set up this meeting as they have papers to go over about Annie. I think to myself it’s a little late to discuss custody, I mean she’s 18 years old. My bet is little Annie pulls the same crap in Philadelphia that she did in Knots Landing on episode one, so Susan wants her to move in with the Fairgates. But we’ll have to wait and see.

Karen finally gets Sid on the phone and he too is a little slow when he hears Susan is in town. “Susan?” he asks with no bells ringing, “You know your wife,.. umm ex-wife,” says Karen. Sid wants to talk to Susan, as he knows nothing about these papers or her visit. He wants to know why she’s there and Karen grabs the phone inviting her to stay for dinner. Sid insists that it not a good idea, I agree and by the nudging going on over at the couch, I think Val and Laura are in agreement with us all.

Karen gives Miss Piggy type kissies to her would be Kermit and hangs up the horn. She decides to let Laura and Val keep our Phillby company while she heads upstairs to clean herself off. Laura, of course takes this opportunity to bust out of there and leaves our hillbilly alone with our swanky special guest. I’m sure they’ll have a lot to talk about.

As it turns out they don’t have much to talk about at all with Val smiling every now and then, lowering her head and making sure she doesn’t look like a naïve country girl who’s uncomfortable. Sid comes running into the house and Susan throws down her cup of Valene coffee and heads up the one step entry way. She tells him he looks fabulous as usual. Val sees this as her opportunity and just hopes to heck that Sid will acknowledge her presence before she breaks into cold sweats. As Susan shamelessly flirts with her ex-husband, Sid finally says, “Oh Hi.” To Val who smiles again. Sid tells Susan he has to go change and runs upstairs. So Val smiles, lowers her head and makes sure she doesn’t look like a naïve country girl who’s uncomfortable.

Upstairs, Sid finds Karen changing into her thirteenth outfit; she can’t find one she likes. Personally I think they all look fine, it’s that damn bun in her hair that has to go. Sid wants to know why she would be so crazy as to let Susan stay for dinner. Karen laughs and calls her hubby vain when she realizes he thinks Susan is after him.

“Do you think that beautiful woman downstairs after 18 years came across the continent to hook up with you?” Sid waits until Karen is out of the room before he tells us, “I don’t think it, I know it.”

It occurs to me watching this little show, (this is where I contemplate what I’ve seen so far i.e. commercial break) that our poor Karen is always having to come out from her suburban bun hairdo and challenge it up with back East rich women who had flings or marriages with her husband of the time. This is really just a pre-op for the Anne/Mack scenes and I swear some of the same dialogue will be used. However, by the time we meet Anne, things are a little more heated up and despite this Susan trying to show us class and demeanor, had she run up against Anne Matheson, I think our little Annie would’ve kicked this woman to the curb, I also think that Karen is quite a bit younger than Sid, as both Sid and Susan look to be about the same age, while little Karen doesn’t look like she was in their class photo.

But don’t let this entire Philly phlippant stuff think there aren’t other things happening around the cul-de-sac because there is action everywhere (except for the Ewings).. over at Kenny and Ginger’s, The Ging has a new boyfriend. His name is Eric and he’s about 15 years old.

She comes home with a bunch of groceries and jazz records when Eric just happens to be riding his bike past the house. He stops in and brings some groceries in. The Ging puts on the records and they listen. It seems Eric’s grandfather loves old jazz and he even plays the saxaphone. I wonder which side of the family that Grandfather is on.

Kenny comes home and makes fun of their music and packs up a bag because those crazy Cosmic Steeple people are having more problems. Poor Ging is left all alone…

But not for long because Eric runs home for about two seconds, to grab some records and head back over to Ginger’s to give her a little company. Karen introduces Sid’s ex-wife to Eric but he doesn’t care and he’s back out the door to get some wooing done. Diana, however, doesn’t seem too impressed with this ex-wife woman. She has her crooked teeth all in a gnarl and when Susan announces she needs a hotel room, Diana just says,” Why not give her my room, that’s what we do when we have special company.”

Susan corrects the monster and says, “Guests, dear”; Diana raises her cheeks and leaves the room with Michael in tow. I’m not sure why Dirty D is so hostile but who knows with that girl.

“She’s a moody one,” says Karen. But Karen doesn’t stop talking there, oh no, she does what we all knew she would do, she invites Susan to stay with them, because why not? She is civil.

Over at the Averys, Laura tells her husband that her and Jason are going to see her father. The ever-loving bundle of hair tells her no. She tells him he is ill, to which Richard just tells her he will outlive them all. Finally she tells him that she already bought the plane ticket so I think the matter will be closed but oh no. He tells her to cancel the ticket. Just then the phone rings and its Sid. He wants Richard to come over and look at those papers regarding Annie. It seems Susan can’t find her lawyer and the papers are about a trust fund from the Phillby’s but the old Phillby daddy never trusted Susan to handle such things. Richard looks cock eyed at his wife and tells Sid he’ll be over there since he needs a change of scenery. You know
he’s just going to check out the guest star, after all, every single one who has come onto the show, he has hit on. You know it’s just a matter of time before he finally goes after one full force.

Richard looks over the papers and tells us all what they are about. It seems Susan wants to give Annie her full trust fund in one big sum to teach her some responsibility. Sid doesn’t think it is such a good idea and neither do I. However, it occurs to me here that had this been a later season this storyline may have dragged on further. I also suspect that Susan wants this trust fund released so she can steal it and live on it since she spent all of her money and is now penniless.. but of course, I may have seen one too many soap operas.

Susan wants Richard’s opinion and Richard decides he wants some of that old woman Phillby so once he discovers Susan is in town for the weekend, he rushes home where he tells his wife, “You must think I’m a monster, of course you can go visit your father, then I can go bang our neighbor’s ex-wife.” Laura gushes, “Oh Richard thank you.” And people wonder why the character of Laura becomes so cynical.. hello this is sarcasm in the making.

Once Laura is gone, Richard stops over at the Fairgates and pretty much invites himself to dinner. He tells Karen that they should all go out, dinner and dancing. Just then Susan appears from behind them. She hears Karen says, “Oh, so you and Susan can be a couple. I don’t think Sid will go for it.” Susan chimes in, “Of course he will, it’s a brilliant idea.”

We finally get some Gary Ewing action when Gary and Sid are walking around in Sid’s private part of the dealership where he keeps all of his classic cars. Susan appears from out of an old Thunderbird and I wonder if she thinks she’s Suzanne Somers from American Graffiti.

Gary, having said his three lines of dialogue for this week, leaves the two alone. Susan decides to bring out the big guns and tells Sid that he was the most sensitive and giving lover she ever had. She found him under a car and that’s where they should’ve stayed making love every single day. I just about vomit but she doesn’t stop. She gets closer and closer and tells him that she needs to feel the Fairgate one more time. She won’t ruin his marriage; she just wants some quicky loving. It seems her crabby old mother died and she met some new faboo guy who ditched her and now she’s feeling all, well, Phillby.

Karen realizes she may have gotten in over her bun when her and Sid discuss the day’s activities. She tells her husband that if there is something he needs to do then he should do it. I think, “Have you gone mad? Has that bun finally done you in?’ But then I realize its Karen and things will probably work out all right.

Meanwhile, Eric stops in to see Ging one more time, this time bringing more records and lasagna. The Ging tells him that she has already eaten and in a moment of pure genius, she realizes the little Eric may be after more than Kenny’s stash of Sylvie records. She turns off the music and asks him if he has a girlfriend. She tells him that her sister, Jill (upcoming episode alert!) is coming to town next weekend. She’s 14 and just started dating and they should hook up. Eric feeling dissed, leaves the lasagna and gives Ginger the records. The Ging just smiles and I can’t help but wonder if she’s smiling because she’s touched or because she just broke the heart of a horny 15 year old. You never can tell with The Ging, she’s just so complex.

Dinner and dancing moves along quite slowly as Sid doesn’t utter a word. Karen wants to know what happened between the two exes at the garage but he won’t speak about it. Later, as our gang sits, Susan declines another glass of wine while Kar Bear takes the whole bottle and swigs it. I like the drinking Karen much better than the post prescription Kar Bear who though never chastises anyone, never takes a sip of gin herself. Anyway, Susan asks Sid to dance and Karen gives her permission, and then realizes she might as well dance with Short Pants Avery.

Richard and Karen watch as Susan edges closer to her husband’s ears .. with her phillby lips! Susan tells Sid that she is packing tomorrow and moving to the Beverly Hills Hotel where he can check in on Monday morning. He tells her what Karen told him about doing it and Susan practically gets giddy. Sid tells the would be lover that Karen gave him a choice because she knew he wouldn’t go through with it. This annoys Susan to no end so she grabs her big white fur coat and makes Richard take her out of the place. Karen realizes now that they are in way over her bun.

Richard drives Susan to the overlook that every TV show or movie has to show us. They talk about the scenery and Susan suggests they just leave the spot and drive until she tells him to stop. Eventually we find out where they ended up as we see them pull into a motel. “Any objections?” she asks. Richard, of course has none.

Back in the sac, Sid is staring out the window. Karen tells him that she’s sorry that she invited the woman into their house but she just wanted to be civil. Sid is sick of her civil act and knows she did it all so she could test his fidelity. Karen tries to pretend that isn’t the case but you know when she’s lying.

The next morning, there is still no sign of Richard or Susan in the cul-de-sac and Karen says, “Well good. At least they didn’t do it in Laura’s bed.”

Meanwhile at the Moonriver Motel, Richard is putting on his clothes while Susan does up her face. He tells her that he is always hungry after sex with a special guest star. He wants to tell Laura to stay a couple more days. Susan asks why he would do that? “Well, since we got to know each other better, maybe we can see where we go from here?” Susan tells him he can go to hell and she can go back to Philly, that’s where they’re going.

Susan arrives, still wearing her white fur and tells Sid that she went too far. She always goes too far but its one of the things she likes best about herself. Sid tells her, “if only that were true.”

She looks stunned and our Saint Sid says, “That you liked yourself.. at all.”

Susan decides she needs a cup of joe after that lengthy tongue lashing from her ex-husband. She finds Karen doing a crossword and decides to sit a spell. “I was just telling Sid how I go too far,” she tells our Kar bear. “Its an old habit.”

“Perhaps you should break it,” says feisty Fairgate.

Susan tells Karen that she had Sid in the palm of her hand, but she moved too fast. Karen asks if he told Susan that he wanted to bone her in the back of a Thunderbird. Susan says no and Karen gives wise advice when she says, “Wanting something and doing it are two completely different things.”

Karen admits to the Phillby that she wanted this competition and she knew what Susan wanted right from the moment she hopped out of the cab. Susan wants to know why she played into the hands, “He would’ve never chosen you,” says Karen, “You’re not good enough for him.”

Susan realizes her guest spot is probably over and heads off into a taxi. Richard stops by the driveway and tells Sid that he and Susan just drove around all night. Sid goes back to the house and tells Karen what Richard said. She asks if he believes him and Sid admits its what he is going to believe. Karen confesses everything to her husband about her wanting him to choose between her and Susan. She knew he was in love with her when they met and when they married and she just wanted him to choose and to choose in front of her. Sid admits that he knew he loved Karen and not Susan when Diana was sick. I figure since Diana seems pretty sick to me, these two will love each other forever!

And there you have it folks, the arrival and de-rival of Sid’s first wife. She came, she tried to get a little Sid, she got a little hair in her fingernails from Richard’s back instead and she headed off into the Philadelphia sunrise..

But next week kiddies, oh yes next week, our Ging gets to shine and shine, for she’s having a constant companion.. but who is it? Is some crazed killer stalking her? Is it some geeky co-worker out to get a little action? Or is it a special guest star trained in the art of Barnes Wentworth?

Well, I’m not telling.. not until next week anyway

bradley

posted by swivek @ 5:07 PM 1 comments

# 65-61

It's got to be a strange twist of fate that brings us ever closer to the top as we count down the TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 80s! Now let's go on to numbers 65-61!

65. TWIST OF FATE – Olivia Newton-John
(Kipner/Beckett)
MCA single #52284 (US)/ EMI single #5438 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 15, 1984 (US)/ November
Chart Position: #3 US / #50 UK

I don’t care how corny it may sound to some people but Olivia Newton-John is one of my all time favorite singers. I love just about everything she ever does or records. I have loved her when she was country, I loved her when she went Sandy sass, through her endless aerobic workouts, her synth pops and her sultry late 80s look. It’s Grease that really made me a Livvie lover and I’ve never looked back.

“Twist Of Fate” came out a few years after the huge success of Grease but it was with John Travolta that Liv was once again connected to when they made the 1983 film Two Of A Kind, from which this single is taken. Now the movie isn’t nearly as bad as the critics want you to believe. It’s a little tale about divine intervention where the big guy in the sky will only stop the destruction of the world should two unlikely people put aside their dastardly habits and find love in each other (our heroes).

Interestingly enough, one doesn’t have to sit through the movie to get the gist of the storyline for its all right there in the song’s lyrics – “Do we deserve a second chance/ how did we fall into this circumstance?/ we weren’t so straight and narrow/ this is much more than we deserve/ a higher voice has called the tune/ two hearts that lost their beat will now resume/ the gift of life extension/ by divine intervention…” Oh yes, thumping along over an oh so 1983 synth line Livvie tells us it must be a twist of fate telling us that Heaven can wait.. and if the song wasn't thrilling enough just look at how cool Livvie looks on the record jacket! Watch the video!

64. I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE – Duran Duran
(LeBon/Rhodes/Taylor)
Capitol single #44237 (US)/ Parlophone single #YOUR1 (UK)
Chart Debut: October 22, 1988 (US)/ October 1, 1988 (UK)
Chart Position: #4 US / #14 UK

I always liked Duran Duran but never got on the big New Romantic phase that they were such a part of. My friends were all over the boys of Duran and my best pal Melsie swore Nick Rhodes was the hottest piece of Duran meat ever. But other than a few songs here and there after “Planet Earth” in 1981, I didn’t run out to buy the latest Duran merchandise. That is until “I Don’t Want Your Love” and its parent album Big Thing came out in 1988. At the time I was going through my teenage runaway schtick and my gal pal Ryanne would pick me up every night in her yellow and black Omni O24 and take us off to work at the Crack’d Pot Café. This song was one of the oh so many gems we would jam to as we headed through the night. For some reason all of my teenage lust and bitterness was exemplified in this Duran Duran song and the dead on sexual energy of the songs lyrics still make me feel like a teenager and when those background b-girls chime in, come on – it’s pure magic. Watch the video!

63. MICKEY – Toni Basil
(Mike Chapman/Nicky Chinn)
Chrysalis single #2638/ Radialchoice single #TIC4 (UK)
Chart Debut: October 9, 1982 (US)/ February 6, 1982 (UK)
Position: #1 US / #2 UK

Toni Basil’s album Word Of Mouth is one of the most overlooked albums in the new wave era of the early 1980s. Working with the Mothersbaugh brothers of Devo and covering two of their songs, this album has new wave all over it. But alas everyone only remembers “Mickey”, but that isn’t necessarily a crying shame because “Mickey” is one of the most fun singles to come out of the era. Since everyone knows the song I won’t go into much detail about but will instead give you some tid bits of trivia you probably will never need to know.
1. “Mickey” is a cover of a song called “Kitty” which was sung from the male perspective.
2. Toni Basil only recorded the album because she wanted to make the videos. Word Of Mouth was released as a video and an album at the same time.
3. The cheerleading stomps were not in the original “Kitty” song. Toni added them as she wanted to make the video with cheerleading choreography.
4. Toni Basil was and is a world class choreographer who has done dance numbers for films including some Elvis Presley movies and has been Bette Midler’s choreography since the early 70s.
5. Terry Ellis, the head of Chrysalis Records released “Mickey” as a single after his young daughter heard it and couldn’t stop singing it.
Check out the video!

62. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Concrete Blonde
(Concrete Blonde)
IRS single #102096
Released: 1989
Chart Position: -

In the liner notes for the remastered version of Concrete Blonde’s Free – the album which spawned the “Happy Birthday” single – Midwest born Kevin Couch states, “Growing up in the Midwest I would often romanticize about what life would be like in Los Angeles. No one painted a more vivid picture than Concrete Blonde. This was a darker Los Angeles where one could find crippling frustration, helplessness and even loneliness on their birthday. However, behind it all there was a strong feeling of empowerment and independence.” Reading his statements, I realized the whole thing could’ve been written by me. Like Kevin, I had absolutely no dillusions about the city of angels when I moved here, and a lot of that had to do with the countless hours I listened to Concrete Blonde.

”Happy Birthday” shows the desolatation and loneliness one can feel all alone in the cold city – particularly alone on your own birthday. “Outside in the hall, there’s a cat fight/ it’s just after midnight/ I guess I’ll be all right/ I’m laid out on the floor/ drunk and poor…” The coolest part about the song is Johnette isn’t terribly bothered about her situation, she just smokes out the window, stares at her ceiling stain and wishes herself a happy birthday while a poppy little song plays behind her. One more brilliant gem from the brilliant mind of Johnette Napolitano. Watch the video!

61. LOVE IS A STRANGER - Eurythmics
(Annie Lennox/Dave A Stewart)
RCA single #13618 (US)/ #DA1 (UK)
Chart Debut: October 15, 1983 (US)/ April 9, 1983 (UK)
Chart Position: #23 US / #3 UK

Where “Happy Birthday” hides its glumness inside cheery music, Annie and Dave make no qualms in “Love Is A Stranger” about being in moody territory and they are going to suck you in whether you like or it or not. “Love is a stranger of a different kind…” so the song goes, and Annie tells us love will temp you in and tear you apart, love is like a drug that after only one taste you won’t get enough of the stuff, and of course love is the ultimate monster which leaves you walking around like a zombie. With Dave’s edgy synth sounds and Annie’s powerful pipes you’d think I would’ve paid more attention to her warnings. Watch the video here!

We've had dangerous love monsters, lust, lonely birthdays and divine intervention so come back tomorrow as we keep on moving and see what other treasures the top 100 singles has to offer us as we head to numbers 60-56!

Labels: Concrete Blonde, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Olivia Newton-John, Toni Basil, Top 100 Singles Of the 1980s

posted by swivek @ 3:58 PM 0 comments

# 70-66

and our countdown continues with numbers 70-66!

70. BETTE DAVIS EYES – Kim Carnes
(DeShannon/Weiss)
EMI America single #8077
Chart Debut: May 16, 1981
Chart Position: #1 US / #10 UK

I love Kim Carnes and she had herself a few brilliant singles through out the 80s but “Bette Davis Eyes” stands out as her crowned achievement. I’m not the only one who feels that way, as this song is one of the biggest selling records of the entire decade. It spent countless weeks at #1 and shows up on almost every other 80s compilation. A cover of a Jackie DeShannon song, it was Kim’s keyboardist who came up with the idea of adding the synth line and made the song the classic it is. I still love the video from the opening scene of the wind blowing off the shroud covering Kim’s face to the new wave zombies dancing and slamming their fists on the floor to the drumbeat. Kim would release more new wavey rock songs through out the decade before going back to the country stylings she was doing prior to this single, but it’s the years of 81-86 that Kim really triumphed. Watch the video.

69. MAJOR TOM (COMING HOME) – Peter Schilling
(Lodge/Schilling)
Elektra single #69811 (US)/ WEA single #9655 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 11, 1983 (US)/ May 5, 1984 (UK)
Chart Position: #14 US / #42 UK

Obviously inspired by David Bowie, this little German boy named Peter Schilling decided to retell David Bowie’s story of Major Tom from “Space Oddity” in the 80s land of synth pop. For me, it totally worked, I just love this song and in all of its strange 80s darkness. Whether a huge David Bowie fan feels the same way, I’m not sure, but as a one off hit, this is what the 80s was really all about – 4, 3, 2, 1 Earth below us, drifting, falling…. Watch the rare video.

68. JUST LIKE HEAVEN – The Cure
(Gallup/Smith/Thompson/Tolhurst/ Williams)
Sire single #69443 (US)/ Friction single #FIC27 (UK)
Chart Debut: January 9, 1987 (US)/ October 7, 1987 (UK)
Chart Position: #40 US / #29 UK

A classic for the alterna set – this song is one of the cheerier in the Cure canon and Robert Smith probably cringes every time he thinks about all the college co-ed kids in pastels bopping along with “Just Like Heaven.” But regardless, he created a timeless tune that still has me bopping around no matter what pastels I’m wearing. Watch the video.

67. DESTINATION UNKNOWN – Missing Persons
(Bozzio/Bozzio/Cuccarello)
Capitol single #5161
Chart Debut: 1982
Chart Position: #42 US

“Life is so strange when you don’t know/how do you get to where you’re going to/you can’t be sure of any situation/something could change and then you don’t know…” and so begins the LA new wave stylings of sex pot Dale Bozzio and her band which included that well hung hunk Warren Cuccarello. Together for only a few short years, Missing Persons came up with some classic songs but no “Words” or “Mental Hopscotch” can replace the flamboyant fun appeal of not knowing where you’re going to. Watch the video.

66. STOP DRAGGIN’ MY HEART AROUND – Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
(Tom Petty/Mike Campbell)
Modern single #7336 (US)/ WEA single #79231 (UK)
Chart Debut: August 1, 1981 (US)/ August 15, 1981 (UK)
Chart Position: #3 US / #50 UK

Backing out of the uber cool new wave songs, we find ourselves in good old-fashioned rock and roll royalty with our first Stevie Nicks single in our countdown. I will never hide the fact that I love Stevie with extreme passion. I do believe she’s a tad eccentric, but I think she’s completely fine with that, and if ever there was a performer who knew exactly who she was it’s Miss Nicks in all of her witchy glory. I believe her to be a great poetess who can charm just about rock man in her presence. All you have to do is read the liner notes to her greatest hits package to know every song is somehow inspired by or written because of a man – a man who was somewhere on the rock charts between 1975 and 1990. One such man is Tom Petty, who went to work and wrote this little ditty as Stevie’s debut solo single. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, although, written by others, Stevie completely makes it her own and it’s barely a duet with Tom singing one key line and melody for the chorus. In fact, you can tell it comes from Stevie’s gut when her deep vibrato chimes in, “There’s people running around loose in the world/ Ain’t got nothing better to do/ than make a meal of some bright eyed kid/ you need someone looking after you….” I was that bright-eyed kid and I had Stevie’s music to look after me. Watch the video and look for Stevie's bad lip synching - she says on the DVD for Crystal Visions she didn't know all the words so she would just turn and stare adoringly at Tom Petty. Who knew she was such a riot?

Come back next time as I continue to drag this countdown all around the musical map!

Labels: David Bowie, Kim Carnes, Missing Persons, Peter Schilling, Stevie Nicks, The Cure, Tom Petty, Top singles of the 1980s

posted by swivek @ 3:31 PM 0 comments

TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980's

According to Bradley ... of course.

Everyone knows I am quite obsessed with the 80s - nothing more so than the endless music that came out of that decade. I love everything, and know quite a bit about the comings and goings of the musical styles - so I thought it was high time I shared with you - both of you who read my blog - the TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980S!

Believe me this was not an easy task but after sorting through the 1,672 songs I had chosen as my favorite 80s songs, it was time to muddle through them and pick only 100. Since I, myself am quite eclectic, I can tell you this list is rather eclectic too.

What was a hit or not had very little bearing on my choices. There was really only three criteria I cared about:

1. The song had to have been released as a single - no album tracks, or soundtrack fillers here, all bonafide releases on their own. Sadly some classics were then put on the shelf including Violent Femme's "Blister In The Sun" and Bonnie Hayes & The Wild Combo's "Girls Like Me" - two of my fav tracks from the 80s; both of which were never released as singles.

2. The single had to have been released and charted (if it did indeed chart) during the 1980s. That means my girl Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker" though it spent time on the charts in 1980 didn't qualify as it was released in October of 1979 and debuted on the top 100 in December of 1979 - also excluded was "Video Killed The Radio Star" a song I could've sworn screamed the 80s when in fact its first debut was September of 1979. P.S. Don't worry about poor Patty she makes an appearance or two regardless of "Heartbreaker"'s absence.

3. Finally, I had to love love the song. A song I could and/or would or do sing aloud every now and then. A song I would put on the endless compilations I make for people.

And with that in mind, I came up with MY top songs. Many may disagree, many may laugh, but hopefully all will remember and for any you don't know or can't recall, be sure you get in touch with me for you are missing out on something - I'm sure of it.... and as always, please comment and let me know how the songs took you, hooked you or made you spew...

So without further ado, I give you the first 5 in a long line of posts:
BRADLEY'S TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s
100-96



100. COOL RIDER – Michelle Pfeiffer
(Dennis Linde)
RSO Single #1070 – 1982

“If you really want to know what I want in a guy, I’m looking for a dream on a mean machine with hell in his eyes…” and so begins the very BEST song in the entire Grease 2 collection. The song, like the movie is highly underrated. As it turns out, Grease 2 as a DVD and in web site searches is much more popular than the original Olivia Newton-John/John Travolta film. I put that on the fact that the adults who were teenagers in 1978 when the original came out aren’t quite as internet savvy as the adults who were teenagers in 1982 when the sequel came out. Also when it comes to camp value, Grease 2 highly out cheeses the original. Either way, I love them both and Michelle Pfeiffer looks HOT HOT HOT. I know every time I hear the song (which is more often than you’d think) I want to throw on a black and pink reversible jacket, straddle a ladder and tell everyone how I want a C-O-O-L-R-I-D-E-R.

and for a really good time, check out www.grease2.net - an awesome website dedicated to the film and full of trivia, a message board and great pictures and happens to be run by a friend of mine. In fact, just this past weekend she organized a Grease 2 reunion with some of the cast members and plenty of fans! And see the awesome performance by Miss Michelle Pfeiffer on You Tube.


99. DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ – Journey
(Cain/Perry/Schon)
Columbia/CBS Single #38-02567 (US)/ #1728 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 7, 1981 (US) / February 27, 1982 (UK)
Chart Position: #9 US / #62 UK

One of the few Journey songs Lisa Hartman chose NOT to cover in her Knots Landing glory days. It’s actually one of my favorites by the band. Personally, Steve Perry freaks me out, particularly in his videos when he is singing in all get out and his lips quiver. I think it’s because my bitchy neighbor in high school, Jill Breivegal is the spitting image of Steve and she once took a six-pack of beer away from me threatening, “You’ve had your day sunshine!” But as for the song, it reminds me of better times. Times when I put on my roller skates, hit the High Roller rink and went round and round dreaming of my small town boy ways living in my lonely world. Watch the video on You Tube.




98. WE BUILT THIS CITY – Starship
(Lambert/Page/Taupin/Wolf)
Grunt/RCA Single #14170 (US)/ #49929(UK)
Chart Debut: September 28, 1985 (US) / November 16, 1985
Chart Position: #1 US / #12 UK

This little ditty gets more negative press than it probably deserves, as it is a music critic’s nightmare. I’m not sure what the hoopla is really all about, but critics have chosen it as the WORST song of either the 80s or of all time - I can’t remember which. The reason behind their choice is the fact the song’s lyrics are a condemnation of corporate rock when the song is clearly corporate rock in full glory. Maybe Starship was trying to be ironic, but somehow I doubt it. For me I think it’s just a fun song – I love pissy Grace Slick’s snotty vocals and I’ve loved the song ever since I first heard it on the radio before it ever became a hit. Plus it has a catchy little chorus and I can rip it to shreds at the karaoke bar, and that to me makes a pretty damn good song. Paid critics be damned…Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxoqzhgKReY

97. BETTER BE GOOD TO ME – Tina Turner
(Mike Chapman/Nicky Chinn/Holly Knight)
Capitol/EMI Single #5387 (US)/ #338 (UK)Chart Debut: October 6, 1984 (US) / September 15, 1984
Chart Position: #9 US / #62 UK

When Tina reemerged in 1984 as the new rock queen she was determined to be, I admit I was right on that bandwagon. I had Private Dancer and loved the songs where she actually did rock out. As it turns out, it was rather a fluke and she would merge into Adult Contemporary faster than Celine Dion. However, she had her bits of rock in her vein and this was one of them. Co-written by one of my all time favorite songwriters Holly Knight (who you will find in a number of songs on this list) and one of my favorite producers Mike Chapman, the song was originally done by Spider – Holly’s band but Tina took it new levels and when she goes deep down in her register and says, “Prisoner of love, entangled in your web..” I still get kind of goose bumpy. And truth be told, I was in love with that dancer who comes out in white pants and no shirt to be tormented by the big T in the video. Fun stuff.
Watch the video on You Tube.


96. CENTERFOLD – The J. Geils Band
(Seth Justman)
EMI America Single #8102
Chart Debut: November 28, 1981 (US) February 13, 1982 (UK)
Chart Position: #1 US / #3 UK

Going to the roller skating rink was the only real teenager thing I was allowed to do as a kid, and on Wednesday nights, High Roller had 18 and younger nights and me and all 2 of my pals would meet up, have pizza, skate and get blisters. It was great! For our #96 ditty, I can claim in big exclamation that I won it in a roller skating contest! Can you even believe it? There I was just ready and waiting to do the big limbo. All Xanadu’d up and ready to skate my way to the history books. As it turns out, I was (and still am) pretty limber. So I just tucked my legs around my ears, put my skates to the floor and kept going down and down until I was the last one still going under that bar. My reward was the 45 of Centerfold, and to this day it’s not the striped shirt Peter Wolf wears in the video that gets me going (though if I could find that shirt you know I’d wear it), instead it’s the dreams of grandeur I had in 1981 when I was certain I would grow up to be the King Of The High Roller and I would be the one tossing those giant fuzzy dice around and holding the limbo bar – na, na, na, na, na, na na na. Watch the video on You Tube.

Come back tomorrow, when we visit songs 95-91

posted by swivek @ 3:20 PM 0 comments

And The Countdown Continues...

BRADLEY'S TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s continues with numbers 95-91!



95.CHEQUERED LOVE – Kim Wilde
(Marty & Ricky Wilde)
RAK Single (UK) #330
EMI America Single (US) #8139
Chart Debut: April 27, 1981 (UK)
Chart Position: #4 UK

The first official single from her debut album and the follow up to the immensely popular “Kids In America”, Kim Wilde kept up her new wave manically driven pop. I love the first album and really find it to be one of the best albums of the decade – it even made it into the bubbatunes reissue catalog as it has yet to see an official remastered version on CD. The song was released almost a year later in America as once again the follow up to “Kids” but it didn’t do nearly as well here as it did in the UK – which is a shame because Kim’s witty barrage on this and all songs on the first album is worth listening to over and over again. After two more albums she would score a major market contract with MCA Records and turn to dance but this big hair new wave princess is how I like my Kim - wild. See video here.

94. THE HARDEST PART - Blondie
(Debbie Harry/Chris Stein)
Chrysalis Single #2408
Chart Debut: January 1980
Chart Position: #84 (US)

Speaking of new wave royalty we have our first of a few (MANY) Blondie singles in our countdown. “The Hardest Part” was released in the US as the follow up to “Dreaming" from the band’s 1979 Eat To The Beat album. In the UK they got the single “Union City Blue” and while that too is a great song – the Brits thought so since it went to #13 and this one only went to #84 - the thumping funk of this track has always made it stand out, not only on album but as a single in itself. The more typical single to include in this list from the Eat album would be the third single “Atomic” and that would’ve fit in here fine with its electro whiz sound and grainy feel – however, due to time restraints (and too much Blondie) I had to choose and because “Atomic” was released as a single in an edited form cutting out the awesome bass line and changing a few things here and there – the single was never as good as the album version (though it too hit big in the UK at #1) so it was “The Hardest Part” that made the list and here are a few of the reasons why:

First and foremost, all you have to do is listen to the chugging drum beats and Jimmy’s insatiable keyboards when Debbie starts barreling through: “Bullet proof vest/ shatter proof glass/ overdrive, we’re gonna pass…” It’s a band effort if ever there was one, with every one of the 6 members pulling out all their punches… and then about two years ago, I went to a Blondie concert (imagine) and as we headed back into West Hollywood we went to Rage, on their alternative night. As we entered the bar pumping from the system was “The Hardest Part” and you can’t believe how enormous, thunderous and wonderful the song sounded even 26 years later. As Debbie scowls and crashes through the drums telling the tale of an armored car heist, you can’t help but tap your fingers, stomp your feet and throw on a black wig and sunglasses – or maybe it’s just me. See it here! For more Blondie video excitement, after years and years the whole Eat To The Beat album is finally on DVD, though you have to buy it as a CD/DVD combo with the Eat To The Beat album, but hey there's no losing in that.

93. YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG – AC/DC
(Johnson/Young/Young)
Atlantic Single #3761 (US)/ #11600 (UK)
Chart Debut: October 25, 1980 (US)/ September 13, 1980 (UK)
Position: #35 US / #38 UK

“She was a fast machine/she kept her motor clean/she was the best damn woman that I ever seen….” Now who isn’t singing the song once you read it? AC/DC’s Back In Black is arguably one of the best albums of the 80s. Recuperating after the death of singer Bon Scott, the AC/DC camp got Brian Johnson, Angus kept his schoolboy outfit and the team put out an excellent album that has been on head banger’s players since its inception. This single was the end all for all pot heads, metal heads and even the ones who didn’t know what a guitar was. A timeless classic no one has ever stopped singing. Watch the video.

92. VOO DOO – Rachel Sweet
(Rachel Sweet/Marc Blatte/Larry Gottlieb)
Columbia/CBS Single #38-03411 (US)/
#17016 (UK)
Chart Debut: November 1982
Chart Position: #72 US

My poor Sweet chanteuse – Rachel Sweet is one of those performers who pushed and pushed and yet never really made it to the big time. It’s not too surprising, as I believe she was just too damn talented. Her only real claim to the charts was the duet “Everlasting Love” with (gulp!) Rex Smith – who I do believe Rachel was horrified to find out she was being hooked up with. However, on her own, the girl did very nicely and “Voo Doo” is the single that really introduced me to the girl with the high and powerful voice. Creepily and sleekly produced the single is a moody little piece of pop seducing us in, with “the voo doo that you do … so well”.

It was after I heard this single I tried in vain to find other Rachel Sweet stuff. It wasn’t until just very recently that I was able to find all the music I had been so deprived of. Her best albums are definitely the ones that came before this, but this single did the introduction, and now thanks to record execs who are my age this album is finally available on CD; as a two-fer with her previous album …And Then He Kissed Me in which she does the original version of “Shadows Of The Night.” Definitely get your hands on some sweet, you won’t regret it… oh did I mention at the time of this her 4th album she was a whole 19 years old! Brittney isn’t worthy to hold Rachel’s microphone of talent. Abracadabra, baby!
Watch the video!

91. ASHES TO ASHES – David Bowie
(David Bowie)
RCA Single #12078 (US)/ BOW6 (UK)
Chart Debut: August 16, 1980
Chart Position: #101 US / #1 UK

Here is a perfect example of how the UK and US differ in musical taste. From one spectrum to the other “Ashes To Ashes” covered both ends of the charts. I have to admit the video for this one with Bowie stretched out by feeding tubes and his creepy clown man walking on the radioactive beach creeped me out. But the song is excellent. I found as I was doing this list, a lot of my more alternative style songs are all fairly dark or at least appear dark on the surface – perhaps it’s the fact I’m a Gemini that something dark and powerful can excite me just as much as some piece of fluff pop. Either way, Bowie’s 1980 Scary Monsters, the album which spawned this single and “Fashion” is arguably one of his best albums of the 80s and this song still stands the test of time as the Tony Visconti production pumps the more sordid tale of Major Tom, the junkie through the stereo.
Watch the video! But it's scary....

See you tomorrow when we conquer numbers 90-86 as our countdown of the TOP 100 SINGLES OF THE 1980s continues!

posted by swivek @ 3:12 PM 0 comments