An '80s Moment with Alan
I've been swimming deep into the murky, day-glo waters of '80s pop music lately. DEEP. Like, I-can't-see-anything-around-me-anymore-because-I'm-so-far-down-the-sun-no-longer-reaches-me deep. I've been finding music I missed the first time around and discovering that I love it as much as the memory-laden favorites I always seem to crave. So, in what is sure to be a failed attempt to flush my mind of some excess nostalgia, I'm going to post some '80s videos. I hope you don't mind, but I really need to feel less alone here. Let us begin:
Ready For The World, "Oh, Sheila"
The best part about this video/song is that they're from Michigan, and obviously have some serious thing for Prince/Minneapolis--however, when the singer speaks, he has some sort of weird fake British/Irish/Euro accent (more on fake accents later).
Bardeux, "Magic Carpet Ride"
I know Bardeux are kind of an early era Madonna knock-off, but this song is way fun, criminally out of print, and kind of undeniable.
The Jets, "Crush On You"
Best '80s band ever? Possibly. It's not hard to believe that this band is made up entirely of one family, but it *is* hard to believe that there were 17 kids in the family. SEVENTEEN. KIDS.
Tina Yothers (yes, *that* Tina Yothers), "Baby I'm Back In Love Again"
I scored a copy of this on vinyl a few years ago, and I'm so glad I picked it up. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I love this song so much, but it's pure '80s teen pop, and that's something I find incredibly hard to resist. It's surprisingly not embarrassing for young Miss Yothers either--unlike the b-side track "Girlie, Girlie," where she sings in a fake Jamaican accent. It's totally unbe-freaking-lieveable. You think I'm lying, but I'm not.
I could truly post '80s videos all day. However, I'll spare you--but not for long. Watch out for another upcoming '80s-centric, youtube-filled post focused on my most favoritest genre of '80s music: pop ballads.
--Alan Wiley
Sara Beth on February 28, 2009 at 05:48 PM
Raspberry Beret by Prince & The Revolution
Fritters on January 18, 2009 at 10:33 PM
Don't know if Alan will get this, but I can't imagine anyone who loves Debbie Gibson, the Tina Yothers song and the Bardeaux up above wouldn't also be singing the forgotten praises of Bang Bang...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y69zVCcD1lg
Christian on January 18, 2009 at 07:56 PM
The accent in 'Oh Sheila' is Australian. In Australia, Sheila is a colloquial generic term for a girl.
Sonicfrog on January 08, 2009 at 10:21 AM
I went on an 80's YouTube blogging binge last week.
Here's one from Dave Stewart... The OTHER dave Stewart.
http://sonicfrog.net/?p=1188
And who can forget this from Pseudo Echo?
http://sonicfrog.net/?p=1184
Thurston on January 07, 2009 at 05:26 PM
Don't forget Tracie Young.
http://thurstons.blogspot.com/search/label/Tracie%20Young
RR Ryan on January 07, 2009 at 04:06 PM
Holy Crap. I Want to Love You Tender? How in the world is it possible to even remember that? Having asked the question, I have to admit that I do remember it and I have no idea why. I'm guessing a highly stimulated evening watching Night Tracks before going out. Or maybe a bar in Europe. Yikes.
mark on January 07, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Don't neglect Rubber Rodeo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEyYTIz6NOY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDqthYKc-aM
Cookie the Dog's Owner on January 07, 2009 at 01:13 PM
A nice selection there (at least from a cultural anthropology perspective), but they all pale in comparison to the ultimate 80s video: "I Want To Love You Tender."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA5GkLM5C7M
Garfield on January 07, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Bardeux were, um, important to me as a boy.
Chuck Pelto on January 07, 2009 at 12:54 PM
TO: All
RE: ERRATA!
Correction on the Paula Abdul item.
That should be:
[1] Cold Hearted Snake
[2] Take-off on "Air Erotica" from All That Jazz
Sorry about that. I was just shooting from the lip and hadn't watched the DVD in years.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
Chuck Pelto on January 07, 2009 at 12:51 PM
TO: All
RE: Better Still
Prince - Kiss
Pointer Sisters - So Excited
Paula Abdul - Cold Blooded Snake [Excellent take-off of Fly Me from All That Jazz]
Ghostbusters - Title Score
Pink Floyd - Learning to Fly
I could go on and on....
I captured several hours of what I thought were the best on VHS format tapes back then from VH1 and MTV. I wish someone would come out with albums of these works. They were excellent. They told stories as opposed to self-agrandizing narcissism.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
Alan Wiley on January 07, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Doh! Thanks, Sundog--color me corrected. It's fixed now.
gcw on January 07, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Wow. Tina Yothers. This isn't anything I'd ever want to hold bragging rights on. Scary.
Sundog on January 07, 2009 at 12:34 PM
And the song title is "Oh Sheila". The I comes before the L, not after.
Rhetorican on January 07, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I believe Ready for the World was produced by Prince. In any event, that song is very likely about Sheila E., who was one of Prince's "proteges" back in the day.
Rhetorican on January 07, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I believe Ready for the World was produced by Prince. In any event, that song is very likely about Sheila E., who was one of Prince's "proteges" back in the day.
Alan Wiley on January 07, 2009 at 12:07 PM
You're really not helping me feel less alone here, reidmc.
reidmc on January 06, 2009 at 10:00 PM
some tunes are best left forgotten