"Pac Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia -- oh yeah. 7th grade. We were all Pac-Man nuts then.
"Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth -- ya know, this one didn't receive tons of airplay around here. But it's sort of been branded into the national 80s consciousness -- much like "I Melt With You" by Modern English (and where the hell is THAT song on this list, huh?).
"Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti -- great song! I loved it. Still do.
"Pilot of the Airwaves" by Charlie Dore -- I don't remember this one. But I have heard it since then (for a while I was hooked on a Canadian online station). It's okay.
"The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex -- great dance song.
"The Promise" by When in Rome -- one of my favorite one-hit-wonder-of-the-80s songs. Love, love, love it.
"Pump up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S -- At first, I hated this song. It grew on me. A lot.
"Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco -- Oh my God. Summer '83. Memories of playing in Granny B's backyard with Gigi (who came up to visit her grandparents, who were also neighbors), Natasha and Ansley (Granny B's great-grandchildren). Gigi and I were more babysitting than anything else, but it was all fun. And we listened to this over and over -- Ansley always wanted to sing the "super-duper" part.
"Radioactive" by The Firm -- oh yeah.... a fabulous song. But they also had another good one, "Satisfaction Guaranteed." I can still name all four members of The Firm.
"The Rain" by Oran "Juice" Jones -- heh heh heh. I loved this song. There was also an answer song, where some female singer answered his "charges" -- "$3700 lynx coat? Sucka, that ain't even a $37 rabbit coat!" Great, great song.
"Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang -- another of the few rap songs I enjoy. Sixth grade recess where we made up silly dances to this, and "Whip It" and a few other songs.
"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood -- I had a big oversized white tee with "Frankie Say: Relax" on it. I did. I loved the song, and I suppose I always will.
"Respect Yourself" by Bruce Willis -- well, he'll never make me forget the Staples Singers!!!
"Right on Track" by Breakfast Club -- I remember this one. It's okay....
"Rock On" by Michael Damian -- puh. leeze. David Essex has the only version that matters.
"Romeo's Tune" by Steve Forbert -- one of my very very very very very favorites. Love, love, love, love, love this song. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! I could listen to it over and over. And do.
"Round and Round" by Ratt -- okay, technically, chart-wise they might have been "one-hit" but HELLO? "Lay It Down" with Chucko the Clown in the video? At the little boy's birthday party? And didn't they also have "Way Cool Junior" in '89 or '90? Okay, rant over -- I loved this song. There. I said it.
"Rumors" by Timex Social Club -- damn fine dance tune.
"Rush Hour" by Jane Wiedlin -- I could take it or leave it. I liked the Go-Go's stuff better.
"Sausalito Summernights" by Diesel -- another FABULOUS one from the "WAU" collection. When I first heard the WAU collection, I kind of remembered it but couldn't say for sure. It's a great song, though!
"Seven Year Ache" by Rosanne Cash -- really good! A great artist who's still putting things out. Not commercial enough for modern CHR radio and too artsy for Nashville. Dang, that's a shame, because Black Cadillac is a CD worth listening to.
"Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott -- oh yeah. oh yeah. Great B&G song.
"She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze featuring Wendy Fraser -- I liked this one. Still do. Still makes me a little sad to hear it sometimes.
"She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby -- okay, another one I take umbrage with. Yes, he had a huge hit with this, but he also had "Hyperactive" which is a durn fine song as well. Anyhow, good heaven, Mr. Komoto, this one's BEAUTIFUL!
"So Alive" by Love and Rockets -- Didn't they also do "No New Tale to Tell"? I remember that one from MTV. Anyhow, great song. Still love it.
"Somebody's Knockin'" by Terri Gibbs -- oh yeah. I remember this one. 6th grade.
"Stand by Me" by Mickey Gilley -- BLECH!!!!!!!!! If I'm gonna rank the Looziana piano-playing cousins, The Killer is far and away #1. Mickey is a poor 2nd. Brother Jimmy is an even-more-distant 3rd. (If you didn't know, those are Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, and Jimmy Swaggart). Hate this version.
"Sugar Don't Bite" by Sam Harris -- Sam Harris. The much-hyped first winner for male vocalist ever on Star Search. Sam Harris. Whose "Sugar Don't Bite" stunk up the airwaves and didn't get any further than 39th. Wonder whatever happened to him? (PS: I just found out, apparently, he's a star of the musical stage. Go read his Wiki article. It's a completely glowing review..... )
"Surrender to Me" by Robin Zander (with Ann Wilson) -- great song from Tequila Sunrise. Robin Zander. In his day, man, was he cute (Tom Petersson, now HE was hot). Anyway......
"Sweet Baby" by Stanley Clarke and George Duke -- another great song from my late elementary school days. Hard to imagine, but I covered part of elementary school, all of high school, and part of college all during the 80s. Geez. Anyway, I liked this song. Nice and sweet. They don't write 'em like that anymore.......
"Swing the Mood" by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers -- now THAT's the one I was thinking of when I was talking about "Hooked On Swing"
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell -- I used to like this one. I still do, a smidgen, but it's SOOOOOOO dang overdone for 80s weeks and 80s weekends, and BLECH! they took a good song and overkilled it.
"Take Your Time (Do It Right), Part 1" by The S.O.S. Band -- GREAT dance tune!
"Talk It Over" by Grayson Hugh -- first time I heard this, I had to do a double-take: "He said WHAT?" Hmm. Maybe Grayson Hugh had a good point.
"Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora -- yep. I recall this one. It got a decent amount of airplay -- for once, not overdone or underdone. Probably why I do like this one.
"Tender Love" by Force M.D.'s -- oh wow. I remember this one pretty well. Slow dance in the gym. Don't even remember who danced with me. Guess it wasn't that important.
"Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" by Joey Scarbury -- another one from Spring '81 and Mr. Rice's scienzzzzzzzzzzzz clazzzzzzzzzz. It was rather unoffensive. I can take or leave it.
"There's No Stoppin' Us" by Ollie and Jerry -- brrrrrreak. Brrrrreak dancing. Oh man. Can't believe I remember that. Good song, though.
"They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman -- I really enjoyed this song. And when her show came on Fox a few years later, I actually remembered who she was. Some folks didn't remember the song.
"Tired of Toein' the Line" by Rocky Burnette -- good memories of Summer '80. I can't remember if it was Em or Tee who had the 45 of this. I liked it.
"Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers -- ehhhhhh. I could frankly care less for it. Somehow, and I still know not how, I ended up with a copy of their cassette (sans case). I didn't buy it, so I have no idea how I got it. Apparently, no one missed it enough to claim it either. Well.
"Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo -- now this was a good song. Okay, so I have very fond memories of music from about 1983-1986.
"Tuff Enuff" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds -- I will always associate this song with Al Bundy. Big fan of Jimmie Vaughn though.... and his album with Stevie Ray, shortly before SRV left us for good....
"Turning Japanese" by The Vapors -- another one that's been branded into the national 80s consciousness. I honestly don't remember much airplay for this one around here.
"Turn up the Radio" by Autograph -- now this one got TONS of airplay. A local rumor was that one of our local boys was in the band. Welllllll, Mark *had* a band called Autograff, but it was not these guys. There was also the rumor that they were Russian.
"Two Occasions" by The Deele -- another good B&G, slow-dancing song. Why do I keep seeing my high school gym whenever I think of these songs (and countless dances in the gym? Homecoming Dance. Christmas Dance. Spring Dance. Luau back-to-school Dance.).
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles -- again, really from the late 70s, but SOOOO part of the 80s as it was the first video ever played on MTV. You know, I miss the old MTV from 1981-88 or so. Back when they played videos.
"Wake Up (Next to You)" by Graham Parker and The Shot -- I *do* remember this one. Saw the video on "Night Tracks" if memory serves. Nice song.
"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister -- ah! Smells like Teen Angst. Smells like Teen Rebellion. Smells like yesterday's dinner.
"What About Me" by Moving Pictures -- From the Annals of Self-Pity, Volume 1. Still listen to it whenever it comes on, but I can't believe how utterly childish and whiny it sounds.
"What Are We Doin' In Love" by Dottie West (and Kenny Rogers) -- okay, I again take umbrage. Hello -- down in the 70s section, she's listed for "Every Time Two Fools Collide" -- so are we saying "one hit wonder" of each decade?? Anyhow, I liked this song. But I always liked Dottie West's music. When I was very young, apparently I was very fond of her song "Country Sunshine" (or so my folks tell me).
"What I Am" by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians -- I hated this song. I really did. We had a jokester in the fraternity who referred to himself or herself as The Gray Ghost. Everyone got "Gray Ghosted" at least once. The Gray Ghost left a message on our white board one day: "Attention Everyone: Edie Brickell was found dead today -- she'd been choked in shallow water. Her epitaph will read as follows: She wasn't aware of too many things. She knew what she knew, if you know what I mean." That just slew me!
Another reason I wasn't too fond of this song: during Spirit Week, each organization was asked to take part in the banner contest. That year, the theme was music. We had a KICK-ASS banner with "Back in the High Life" -- great picture of a Cougar going for a winning layup. It was fabulously detailed. We came in 2nd. Sigma Nu -- a 2nd tier frat at that time, just coming off double secret probation -- won with "Edie Growell and the New Paw-hemians." Even other frats were like, "Dude, the A Phi O's got cheated!!!!" I can't like this song. But I do love her "Good Times" from '94 (with a killer video that was included as part of the Windows 95 upgrade, along with Weezer's "Buddy Holly").
"Wild Wild West" by The Escape Club -- great song! And sure beat the hell outta Kool Moe D's "Wild Wild West'!
"Welcome to the Boomtown" by David and David -- this one got some play on MTV, but not on radio around here.
"When I'm with You" by Sheriff -- The lead singer of Sheriff was taken to a local hospital shortly after the recording of this song. It took a team of 18 doctors and other assorted medical personnel to remove the vise-grip from his genital regions. When asked why it was there in the first place, he squeaked out, "How else was I supposed to hit that high note?" By the way, I hate this song.
"When the Heart Rules the Mind" by GTR -- I liked this one. My friend LMM and I were at Girls' State that year, and the night before, we'd gone to Columbia to stay with her sister and brother-in-law. We watched MTV all morning before our ride came to get us, and I taped this song off there. I still like it.
"Where Are You Now?" by Jimmy Harnen w/ Synch -- blech.
"Whirly Girl" by Oxo -- another "WAU" classic. And I sort of remembered it from earlier, but I have it now.
"Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" by Icicle Works -- I liked this one.
"White Horse" by Laid Back -- Eurosynthpop at its finest.
"Who'll Be The Fool Tonight" by Larsen/Feiten Band -- another WAU great!!
"Without Your Love" by Roger Daltrey -- now, this one is on WAU, but I honestly didn't remember it. I was far more familiar with his effort from '85 called "After the Fire" (which got a lot of play on MTV). Great song, it was. "WYL" is good too!
"Yes, I'm Ready" by Teri DeSario (w/KC) -- passable cover. I can take or leave it.
"You Could Take My Heart Away" by Silver Condor -- another GREAT GREAT one from the WAU files. I didn't remember this one at all. Apparently, it didn't get played here. But I have fallen head-over-heels for this song. Great, great, great song!
"You're a Friend of Mine" by Clarence Clemons (with Jackson Browne) -- another one I can take or leave. It's good, but not fabulous. Ya know.
That's it for now!
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"Pac Man Fever" by Buckner and Garcia
The first thing that comes to mind is a school assembly on my last day in Cape Girardeau (we moved to Arkansas in the middle of my 11th grade year). The assembly unveiled the new trash cans around campus, all painted with the acronym "HELP", which stood for — I kid you not — (H)elp (E)liminate (L)itter with (P)ac-man. A sample trash can made its appearance to the tune of "Pac Man Fever."
[grits teeth] And that Spring, I bought the LP. [/grits teeth] Contained such classics as "Frogger's Lament", "Do the Donkey Kong" and unreleased bonus track "I'm Holding Out Because My Psychic Said There'd Be a Really Cool X-box Available 20 Years From Now"
"Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth
-- ya know, this one didn't receive tons of airplay around here. But it's sort of been branded into the national 80s consciousness -- much like "I Melt With You" by Modern English (and where the hell is THAT song on this list, huh?).
It received NADA airplay in Little Rock. At least if you don't count AT40 on Sunday morning (I'm amazed KKYK ran it; half the songs on any given week were not played!).
"I Melt With You" isn't on the list because the song peaked at #78 (Spring ‘83). And from what I gather here, the (rather loose, if you ask me) standard for this list is peaking inside the top 40.
Some OHW lists I've read and heard use "only one song in the top 10" as a standard, regardless of any predecessors and/or follow-ups peaking in the 40.
To me, a true OHW has to be: Only one song – and it has to be TOP 10 – and nothing else in the 40, preferably nothing above #50, even more preferably nothing at all except the hit. But it's all academic, right? :-)
"Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti
But what about those folks who didn't have a rule book? This brings back one of the better first dates I've ever had. It was late October 1985, and I'd have a whirlwind romance with this woman before it imploded several months later. Her personality would eerily foretell that of Josiebelle's five years down the road. We'll call her Proto-Josie. :-)
Gleck's Maxim of Dating: I think the success of a first date increases in direct proportion to the entire relationship's level of crash-and-burn. First date with Proto-Josie and Josiebelle? Both awesome. Relationships? Crash-and-burn. First date with Seraphim? Terrible. Relationship? Awesome.
"Pilot of the Airwaves" by Charlie Dore
It got a bit of airplay in Cape. It sounded best on KJAS, an AM station running gobs of reverb and a Gates Solid Statesman compressor cranked up to 11. The acapella opening shined on that station, creating a wall of sound that would've buried Phil Spector.
"The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex
-- great dance song.
A DAMN great song, dance or otherwise. If it's not my favorite song from 1984, it's certainly in the top five.
"The Promise" by When in Rome -- one of my favorite one-hit-wonder-of-the-80s songs.
Does not register at the present time. This might be from one of my periodic "hit-the-wall" periods.
"Pump up the Volume" by M/A/R/R/S
I shouldn't like this song. I should truly hate it. It's blatantly hip-hop. Why in tarnation, then, do I love it???
"Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco
Camp, pure and simple.
So ... where is he now? After being relentlessly pursued by Nabisco for trademark infringement, he entered the Witness Protection program and now goes by the name Burrito. Today, he lives in Height-Ashbury with his common-law wife Fajita, selling hippie souvenirs on a street corner. I'd advise against telling him, "Hey – you look like that Taco guy who did that song about puttin' on the Ritz." He'll cold-cock you faster than you can say "Mmmmm, good cracker."
"Radioactive" by The Firm
-- oh yeah.... a fabulous song. But they also had another good one, "Satisfaction Guaranteed." I can still name all four members of The Firm.
They made two albums ..... putting Jimmy Page's guitar and Paul Rodgers' vocals together (along with Chris Slade from Manfred Mann), and .... and ....... *snort* Okay, 3 of 4 ain't bad. :-D
Anyhoo, this was a great, tho' short-lived band. And I too prefer "Satisfaction Guaranteed" over "Radioactive", although it was no slouch.
"The Rain" by Oran "Juice" Jones
-- heh heh heh. I loved this song. There was also an answer song, where some female singer answered his "charges" -- "$3700 lynx coat? Sucka, that ain't even a $37 rabbit coat!"
Oh man, I completely forgot about the parody/answer. I heard it just once, and cannot even begin to tell you what it was called, or whodunit.
"Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang
Somewhere I have a "Dr. Demento" aircheck containing the song "Beatles' Delight" (that might not be the title, now that I think about it ...). There was also a funny parody recorded by a then top-40 station in Savannah with the title "Unwrapper's Delight"
"Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
The song struck me as overrated then, and I can't say my feeling has changed over the last two decades. Code LIFM (Like It For Me).
"Respect Yourself" by Bruce Willis
His vocal chords should've been STAPLE'd shut.
"Right on Track" by Breakfast Club
So so. Liked the movie (and old radio program) better.
"Rock On" by Michael Damian
-- puh. leeze. David Essex has the only version that matters.
Say no more.
"Romeo's Tune" by Steve Forbert -- one of my very very very very very favorites. Love, love, love, love, love this song. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! I could listen to it over and over. And do.
I get the feeling you like this song a little. ;-) Me, it's okay — it's taken years to overcome a real mental block toward liking this song (bad memory associated with 9th grade P.E., hearing the jocks coming into the locker room singing "Bring me Southern kisses from your room!"). I think I'm there, at last. It's a good, underrated hit song from a great malaise period for top-40.
"Round and Round" by Ratt -- okay, technically, chart-wise they might have been "one-hit" but HELLO? "Lay It Down" with Chucko the Clown in the video?
"Lay It Down" squeeeaked into the room, peaking at #40. So, sorry, Ratt, you don't qualify. Any final words before I pull the trap door lever?
Oh, and I don't think "Way Cool Junior" came close to the 40; I remember it being more of an AOR track.
Gotta say that "Round and Round" remains one of my ‘80s guilty pleasures. Another song that can bring back the sights and sounds of the Summer of ‘84 — Coty Wild Musk and all.
"Rumors" by Timex Social Club
-- damn fine dance tune.
In the wise words of that great philosopher, The Horse from Ren & Stimpy: "No sir, I don't like it."
"Rush Hour" by Jane Wiedlin
Ahhhhh, Jane. Jane, Jane, Jane. I used to have a crush on her. (I'm sure you can gather, through my commentary here, that I've always had a fetish for brunettes). She looked truly great on those early Go-Gos album covers, especially "Talk Show." Her cameo in the movie adaptation of the board game Clue was genius.
But then I heard her talk. A thin, whiny voice making Cyndi Lauper's sound warm and sweet. Talk about shattered illusions.
Song was okay.
"Sausalito Summernights" by Diesel
-- another FABULOUS one from the "WAU" collection. When I first heard the WAU collection, I kind of remembered it but couldn't say for sure. It's a great song, though!
One of the favorites from 1981. A truly magical pop record. As often as it got played in Cape Girardeau, I figured it was a top ten hit. That is, until I bought my first Joel Whitburn book in 1983. What? Only #25??
Oh, and the listmonger got it wrong ... the correct title is "Sausalito Summernight."
"Seven Year Ache" by Rosanne Cash
Two words: fantastic talent. A beautiful person who shines down in the trenches with her husband Rodney Crowell, another amazing talent cheated out of the respect he deserves.
SYA was a great crossover hit, but I think I'm more fond of 1983's "It Hasn't Happened Yet" and her 1988 cover of "Tennessee Flat-Top Box."
"Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott
Yeah, a good R&B hit. Remind me to tell you a great story related to this one.
"She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze featuring Wendy Fraser
When Dirty Dancing first came out, the song "(I've Had) the Time of My Life" nicely summed up my college years. It captured my mood, both the contentment I was feeling and the creeping uncertainty of post-college life. "Wind" was released as a single in the Spring of ‘88. College was behind me, and I was working in Pine Bluff. I was on afterburners at that time, but the sad feel of this song summed up what was in the past ... as well as the storm clouds beginning to gather in the horizon.
"She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby
-- okay, another one I take umbrage with. Yes, he had a huge hit with this, but he also had "Hyperactive" which is a durn fine song as well.
Agreed on "durn fine", but "Hyperactive" can't qualify. It was one of the fabled "MTV hits"; chartwise it petered out at #62. So we have no choice but to be so blinded by its OHW status.
This is one of Our Songs. Only Talmadge & Seraphim can make a romantic hit out of ... this! (Dunno how it became this way ... I do know it came about early in our relationship during an IM chat one evening).
"So Alive" by Love and Rockets
-- Didn't they also do "No New Tale to Tell"?
Yeah, I like this one. Not sure on a chart position relative to "Tale."
"Somebody's Knockin'" by Terri Gibbs
"Lord, it's the devil, would you look at him..." That's right, Terri. You blind-as-a-bat fool, you let in the friggin' KIRBY VACUUM GUY!!! I liked this song as much as I do the Kirby guys.
"Stand by Me" by Mickey Gilley
No thanks, I'd rather sit. Far, far away.
"Sugar Don't Bite" by Sam Harris
From the Star Search hall of fame. The American Idol of its day .... much as I detest(ed) both, I'll take the former any day. At least there's Ed McMahon to make fun of.
"Next up is WILLIAM HUNG! yyyyyyyYESSSS!!!!!! Hi-YOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Great job, Will. Here, have some BUDWEISER and some ALPO ... and take this envelope with MY PICTURE ON IT. You may already be a winner."
"Surrender to Me" by Robin Zander (with Ann Wilson)
Take it or leave it. But no white flag from this bumpkin ... sorry.
"Sweet Baby" by Stanley Clarke and George Duke
-- ......Nice and sweet. They don't write 'em like that anymore.......
No, they don't. A great Summertime ‘81 classic that'd slipped my mind, has a great sound that calls to mind the softer side of Earth Wind & Fire.
"Swing the Mood" by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
That's not drizzle. That's Glenn Miller crying from above.
Them's not hailstones. That's Glenn Miller, fighting mad with an arsenal of snowballs.
Every time I heard this, my mind would recall Elmer Fudd singing "Kill da waaaaabbit! Kill da waaaaaaabbit!"
"Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
Overplayed, but I still like it. Curiously, despite being top 10, it got no airplay on the Little Rock top-40s (again, except for AT40).
"Take Your Time (Do It Right), Part 1" by The S.O.S. Band
-- GREAT dance tune!
Further proof that we crackers are the reason for the demise of disco. The Soul/R&B acts, for the most part, did it right. A cool song on the radio during the (very) hot Summer of ‘80.
"Talk It Over" by Grayson Hugh
-- first time I heard this, I had to do a double-take: "He said WHAT?"
Another big Adult Contemporary hit during my KOTN days. I like the song in spite, and find that line amusing. People should get their minds out of the gutter and realize that the best and most enlightening conversation oft times occurs horizontally.
"Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora
Why does my mouth taste like Listerine mint all of a sudden?
"Tender Love" by Force M.D.'s
The ultimate ‘80s "slow jam." Dunno why I even like it, but I do. My 45 copy came from a radio station with bad tonearm tracking, so it has gobs of cueburn (surface noise at the beginning of a record caused by friction when cuing it for airplay).
"Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)" by Joey Scarbury
-- ...It was rather unoffensive. I can take or leave it.
That about sums up my opinion of both the song and the TV show.
"There's No Stoppin' Us" by Ollie and Jerry
TG, 1984: HATE IT. Don't these people know they're looking like such buffoons when break dancing?
TG, 2006: A decent period piece, and - in retrospect - a good piece of ‘80s camp.
"They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman
-- I really enjoyed this song. And when her show came on Fox a few years later, I actually remembered who she was. Some folks didn't remember the song.
Same here! I shouldn't have liked the song, but for some twisted reason I did. The album title was just as amusing: "You Broke My Heart In 17 Places." Neat how she snagged Paul McCartney for the video.
"Tired of Toein' the Line" by Rocky Burnette
-- good memories of Summer '80.
Absolutely. A good candidate for inclusion in a future "What About Us?" anthology.
"Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
I always thought it was a pretty neat song, at least as far as 1988 went. (I'll like it for you)
"Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo
A big reason that 1983 was a great year for top-40. I'd say 1981-84 was a great spread, and maybe add in ‘85 and ‘86.
"Tuff Enuff" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Overrated and B2AC.
"Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
-- another one that's been branded into the national 80s consciousness. I honestly don't remember much airplay for this one around here.
Yeah, it barely squeaked into the 40. Of course, in Cape it got played a lot. That, and it was also in high rotation on WLS 890/Chicago, one of my nighttime presets.
And Rick Moranis, as Tom Munroe, forever altered the dynamic of this record when he turned a great partytime punk classic into loungey MOR. "Turrrrrrrrn-iiiiiing Jap-uh-NEESE!"
"Turn up the Radio" by Autograph
Van Halen kicked off their "1984" tour in Little Rock. And I was there. Autograph was the opening act, and they played this song. A full YEAR (!) before it was released as a single.
"Two Occasions" by The Deele
-- another good B&G, slow-dancing song.
Don't remember this ‘un.
"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
Can't this list make up its gaw-durned mind??!! Which IS it? ‘70s? Or ‘80s? It can't be both. It has to be one. What's it gonna be, boy.....?
"Wake Up (Next to You)" by Graham Parker and The Shot
Another "take it or leave it" tune.
"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
-- ah! Smells like Teen Angst. Smells like Teen Rebellion. Smells like yesterday's dinner.
Smells like my son's "Axe" deodorant. The "Animal House" parody video made the song, tho'. Whatzisname, who played Neidermeyer, reprised his role beautifully.
"What About Me" by Moving Pictures
Good gawd on a Marx Big Wheel! What about YOU? What about US?!?!
A big'un on the K-"TAL" anthology of plod-pop. "I'm noooot a perrrrfect perrrrrrsonn...."
"What Are We Doin' In Love" by Dottie West (and Kenny Rogers)
-- okay, I again take umbrage. Hello -- down in the 70s section, she's listed for "Every Time Two Fools Collide" -- so are we saying "one hit wonder" of each decade??
"Collide" isn't even listed in my Joel Whitburn Bible, by West or anyone else. According to said biblio device, and the standards in use here, this song would indeed qualify.
Didn't like it, though. As for "Country Sunshine", it peaked at #49 on the pop chart in 1973. But I remember it more for being rewritten as a Coca-Cola commercial.
And Kenny? Stick to the chickens. Please.
"What I Am" by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
--"Attention Everyone: Edie Brickell was found dead today -- she'd been choked in shallow water. Her epitaph will read as follows: She wasn't aware of too many things. She knew what she knew, if you know what I mean."
I needed a change of clothes after reading this. I was howling like a wolf ... that is beautiful!!!!
"Wild Wild West" by The Escape Club
Four words: like it for me. Pretty please?
"Welcome to the Boomtown" by David and David
A cool, underrated classic from 1986. "All that money makes such a succulent sound...."
"When I'm with You" by Sheriff -- The lead singer of Sheriff was taken to a local hospital shortly after the recording of this song. It took a team of 18 doctors and other assorted medical personnel to remove the vise-grip from his genital regions. When asked why it was there in the first place, he squeaked out, "How else was I supposed to hit that high note?"
Another change of clothes, I was laughing so hard when reading this. My question is, was, and always will be: how, aside from creative editing, did he hold that high note for bloody 14 seconds????
Song? Neeeeeeeeeeh...............
"When the Heart Rules the Mind" by GTR
It's okay, although I can't get the immortal Rolling Stone review out of my mind. Six letters, in a brilliant show of disdain: TTL SHT.
"Where Are You Now?" by Jimmy Harnen w/ Synch
--blech.
Another song from my KOTN days. And I concur with your review.
"Whirly Girl" by Oxo
I love it. The video was even better.
"Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" by Icicle Works
Another bring-back-the-magic-of-Summertime-1984 song. Not played much in Little Rock (surprise, surprise), but I got to hear it a lot while in Birmingham for a visit that May.
"White Horse" by Laid Back
The song that started it all. I first heard this while on my "Alabama getaway" in May ‘84 (see above). The day after I got back home to Hot Springs, I was in Camelot Music in the mall, and found the album. I pulled it out to take a look, and I realize one of the employees had her hand on it, too. That exchange sparked a sweet-but-eventually-bumpy romance, the aforementioned woman who melted my heart with her dark hair, dark eyes and Coty Wild Musk. My first "serious girlfriend." (Yes, I was a late bloomer). And I don't give a flying whatever that CWM is a drugstore perfume – it was always one of my favorite scents way back when.
Anyhoo, just over a year later, after a crazy year of doing a long-distance relationship after I went off to ASU (in those pre-"dime-a-minute" and pre-internet and IM days), she dumped me for someone else. The next day, in a state of sheer heartbreak (listen to me, I'm sounding just like that guy in Moving Pictures ;-)), I was immersing myself in the comfort of Hot Dog Records in Jonesboro, and I found that Laid Back album. My heart would've been further torn to pieces, were it not for where I found it: the CUT-OUT BIN!!
"Who'll Be The Fool Tonight" by Larsen/Feiten Band
Nice, nice, NICE. I love this song, a piece of pop magic in 1980.
"Without Your Love" by Roger Daltrey
Sweet ballad. Especially funny when juxtaposed with Daltrey's other (non-top 40) single, "Free Me." THAT one, of course, was full of angst. "FreeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEE MEEEEE!!!!! Frrrooom this pain and miserrrrrryyyyyy"
"Yes, I'm Ready" by Teri DeSario (w/KC)
-- passable cover. I can take or leave it.
Memories of 9th grade hell. I vote "leave it."
"You Could Take My Heart Away" by Silver Condor -- another GREAT GREAT one from the WAU files. I didn't remember this one at all. Apparently, it didn't get played here. But I have fallen head-over-heels for this song. Great, great, great song!
Another of those "Only #32? DooooWHAA??" songs. Was all over the radio in Summer ‘81 Cape Girardeau. But evidently it did well in Memphis, so much so that FM-100 had it in the gold library ... I heard it several times while at ASU.
"You're a Friend of Mine" by Clarence Clemons (with Jackson Browne)
I like it, probably more than you do, but not overwhelmingly so.
Okay, that was fun. But don't expect me to remember a whole lot of the ‘90s hits, should there be a list for those too.
Cheers!
-TG
And in conclusion.....
(maybe THIS will cause the above comment to be recorded)
-TG
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