I was always a disco kid. My first 45 single was Disco Duck, followed by Chic's "Le Freak" and Regina Ward's "Ring My Bell". My dad would let me choose the last song that he played on his stereo every night and for years it was disco, until Pat Benatar came along, anyway. Disco died a pretty fast death but in 1983 along came Shannon to remind us all that dance music was still cool.
"Let the Music Play" has the coolest syth and drum machine beat and it drives the song all the way through. Decades later, this is considered one of the first freestyle songs ever made. What I know for sure is that when it comes on now, 32-years after first hitting the charts, everyone still gets up to dance. It's legendary.
As for Shannon, well, she's still out there doing her thing. She is still performing those songs that made her a household name and a whole new generation of freestyle fans have embraced her. More often than not Shannon is seen performing in a Freestyle Explosion show that features a whole roster of popular 80's acts like Expose`, The Cover Girls, Nu Shooz and more.
Check out "Let the Music Play" the video that launched Shannon's career:
Once I had a love and it was divine Soon found out I was losing my mind It seemed like the real thing but I was so blind Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind
Okay so technically, Blondie's "Heart of Glass" was actually released as a single in early 1979, but I remember it from Halloween of that year, so that makes it almost an 80's song, right? No? Whatever. It's my throwback for today because it really kind of defines an era of my life. I mean I was a little kid, but everything that I recall about disco, this song defined.
I remember Halloween in particular because my parents were having a costume party. I was about 8-years-old and my mom had dressed me up in a bright blue Cleopatra costume and I can still remember being in the bathroom for what seemed like forever while she and my aunt did my eye makeup. I also recall lots of compliments on my cat eyes. Aside from that, my DJ father had Blondie's "Heart of Glass" - the extended dance mix spinning on his turntable every few minutes.
I couldn't tell you much else about this party at all. I just remember feeling really grown up in my costume and getting to stay up really late, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also can see my parents cleaning up after everyone had left and of course, dad played Blondie one last time for me. So there ya have it, my earliest version of what an adult party would be like included Blondie. I have to admit, I ended up partying quite often with Debbie Harry and the guys playing in the background.
(This review of Whitesnake's Greatest Hits Tour ran on my other site. Here it is in case you missed it!) In theory this is supposed to be just another fairly normal night in the life of an entertainment reporter. Show up at an event, gather info, grab photos and then make a quick get away. The same thing that I've done for better than twenty years. But on this particular evening the job itself is familiar, but the emotions attached to it, well they're larger than any high pitched screech that David Coverdale can hit. As Whitesnake's band members went through their own personal rituals to prepare for their recent show at The Fillmore Theater, a venue just outside of Washington, DC I found myself unexpectedly revisiting my own bit of history.
You see a few decades ago David Coverdale saved my life. Whitesnake and I go way back even if it has been a well kept secret. We go back thirty years to when my overly religious mother dragged me to church three times a week. I'd play hair band songs in my head just to survive the two hour sentence. Back to when I rushed to my after school job at a fish and chips place where I mopped up the baked potato bar and ran the register for hours. Having to strategically place the fast food joint's hat over my big hair was totally worth it just to escape the cult-like church's insistence that followers do as they're told rather than think for themselves.
Working a closing shift meant that I'd be coming home from work after mom fell asleep, something that did wonders for my love of music. MTV was banned from my house but what mom didn't know wouldn't hurt her and so once home after work I had my routine down. Every night I crawled out of my work uniform- the khaki pants and white polo shirt, threw them into the hamper and changed into my Esleep pajamas. I crept downstairs and took a deep breath as I turned on the small kitchen light. I'd quietly make myself a bowl of Ramen noodles and then I'd sit down on the floor right in front of the tv in the living room. My parents knew that I'd be up because I needed to eat something but mom had no clue that watching MTV was also part of my night.
I quietly turned the dial, making sure that the sound was completely off at first and once I was sure that there were no footsteps on the stairs a sense of relief would swallow me whole. This was my only hour at home that nothing and no one could invade. MTV always premiered new videos at the top of the hour and on one memorable night there was a song by Whitesnake called “Still Of The Night” coming up next on Headbanger's Ball. The song was brand new, off of the band's self-titled album, a record that would eventually go on to sell over eight million copies in the states alone. I can honestly say that I had zero advance thoughts about this band that I had never heard of before, but within two minutes about a million half sentences were flooding my brain.
The band's lead singer hit his opening pose and I swear the world spun a little faster for a second or two. A few minutes in and my jaw was on my lap. I realized that I had goosebumps all over and it was the singer's fault. This guy clearly still has IT, whatever that IT is. Maybe it was the way he ran his left hand through his hair or the way that he rocks back on his feet when he dances with a big grin on his face. Or it could be how graceful he actually is or the fact that my head rushes and I feel like jello every time that he mumbles “Oh baby” with a clear British accent.
David Coverdale and his fellow snakes went to church with me the following Sunday. The music in my head was far more real than anything going on in this building. I quite literally took David to church with me, a lot. His lyrics saved me from becoming an overachieving clone of my mother and also spared me her wrath. God forbid I actually fall asleep during one more message about how only 144,000 people would go to heaven while the rest of us would play with lions and tigers on a music-free paradise earth instead. I was pretty positive that Coverdale understood what it was like to feel completely alone while surrounded by hundreds of people. I would worship at his feet long before I would buy into the surreal church life that I was born in to.
Whitesnake really did help to save my sanity and in many ways also my life. Nothing around me made much sense at sixteen but those lyrics did. Somewhere along the way Coverdale went from being another hot rock star to an adult that actually “gets it” and I didn't have very many of those to look up to. Whitesnake brought me weekly salvation from a religion that cared more about controlling my every move than it did about the condition of my head or heart.
Eventually I found my way out and spending a few hours in the presence of modern-day Whitesnake meant that I would inevitably find myself reconnecting with that teenager that is usually a distant memory. As I stood near the stage waiting for the show to start I realized that the energy in The Fillmore was a lot different than usual. While it's generally a pretty popular venue, this near capacity crowd was really friendly. It felt more like a family reunion than a building holding a bunch of strangers and from the stories being shared around me I couldn't help but think that mine may not be the only life saved by this band.
Whitford/St. Holmes delivered a pretty fierce opening set with music from their recently released Reunion album. By the time they wrapped up with a medley of classics by Aerosmith and Ted Nugent it was obvious that they had made some new fans to go along with the large crew already singing along. During the quick changeover between sets people packed in a little tighter and settled in for whatever the snakes had up their collective sleeve.
A fifteen song set played to perfection was what Whitesnake delivered up to this electric Silver Spring audience. “Bad Boys” kicked things off and really set the tone for the rest of the show. Coverdale, Reb Beach (guitars), Joel Hoeskstra (guitars) Michael Devin (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums) and Michele Luppi (keys) were ready to rock and the crowd responded immediately. The mixed demographic for this show was pretty interesting. The college kids behind me sang along just as loudly as the forty-something's beside me. Up ahead was a seventy-year-old in a vintage Whitesnake concert tee that played convincing air guitar right along with Joel.
Speaking of Joel, his solo featured him working magic on both his electric and acoustic guitar's with equal finesse and ease. He is certainly a legend in the making and his ear to ear grin is as genuine as it is infectious.
This show is dubbed as a “Greatest Hits Tour” and it really is exactly as advertised. The band ripped into classic songs like “Fool For Your Loving” and “Love Ain't No Stranger” early in the evening with Coverdale completely owning his place on the stage. Front men like him are truly few and far between and every movement feels intentional. While pacing the stage Coverdale makes eye contact and has real interactions with those in the audience. The exchanges are random, real and prove that the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee not only values his fans, but understands just how far a second of acknowledgment can go.
As the evening rolls on there are a few surprises, one being the inclusion of “Sailing Ships” to the setlist. The gorgeous acoustic intro gives way to proof that Coverdale's voice is as stunning as ever and I was personally thrilled when this song was followed by a particularly forceful “Judgement Day”. Within about eight minutes the snakes went from one musical end of the spectrum to the other without missing a proverbial beat.
“Crying In The Rain” has always been another favorite and quite frankly it alone is worth the ticket price because it includes an absolutely insane drum solo by Tommy Aldridge. If dancers leave everything on the dance floor then he left it all on his drum kit, quite literally. Halfway through he ditches his sticks and starts using his hands, fists and even forehead to stay on beat. The Fillmore crowd was loud all the way through the show but the eruption after his solo should have taken the roof off.
Whitesnake band leader RebBeach seemed to have a bit of a fan club of his own in attendance and why not? The man makes his guitar wail in ways that other musicians can only dream of doing and his solo was a testament to that. Michael Devin and his bass also had a moment in the spotlight during a really cool solo.
It wouldn't be a greatest hits show without a few of the classics that everyone knows, right? “Here I Go Again”, “Is This Love” and “Give Me All Your Love Tonight” were particularly inspired performances. Watching these guys together it's kind of hard to believe that they haven't been playing together for decades. Coverdale has said that adding new people and feeding off of their energy is part of what has kept him out there for so long and I believe it. They really do seem to not just feed off of each other, but bring out the best in each other musically.
There was one encore and only one was necessary. “Still Of The Night” brought down the house as only it could. Aside from it being a guitarists wet dream it is also Coverdale at his best. His scream is still legendary and he projects a kind of heat that is only possible by living completely in the moment. He has probably sang this song thousands of times and still completely connects himself to it. This song is a must-see-live for every hard rock fan out there and it was truly the only way to end such a fantastic evening.
I know that this is rumored to be Whitesnake's final tour and if that ends up being true then David Coverdale will most definitely be going out on his own terms because nothing is forcing him into retirement. The band is rock solid and appears to be having a great time performing together and people are still more than happy to plunk down money for tickets. Whitesnake is built to last and probably has a few more good years in them if they choose to continue touring the world.
It has been decades since I clung to the lyrics of “Judgement Day”, “Saints An' Sinners” and “Here I Go Again”as if my next breath depended upon it but seeing the latest incarnation of Whitesnake left me feeling equally winded.
What do you say to an artist that has no idea the impact that they've made on your life? Over the years I've had so many people tell me that music saved their life and I have admittedly thought that those words, that notion was just a little bit dramatic. But as I stood staring at Coverdale, in his black long-sleeve shirt, ripped jeans and still-perfectly tousled hair I realize, I am one of those people. I understand too that no matter how eloquent my words, they'll never capture the gut-level love and gratitude that I felt while watching him leave the stage.
Setlist
“Bad Boys” “Slide It In” “Love Ain’t No Stranger” “The Deeper the Love” “Fool for Your Loving” “Sailing Ships” “Judgement Day” Guitar Solos “Slow an’ Easy”
Bass Solo
“Crying in the Rain” (with Drum Solo) “Is This Love?” “Give Me All Your Love” “Here I Go Again”
Ocean 98's Bulldog & The Rude Awakening show had the privilege of chatting with Tori Amos this morning about her latest endeavor. Fans of Amos already are well aware of her decades-long work with sexual assault survivors and the documentary that she is currently promoting is one that everyone should take the time to watch. "Audrie & Daisy" will premiere on Netflix beginning on 9-23-16 and it focuses not only on the assault of two young women but also the bullying that follows an already traumatic experience.
Amos is hoping that everyone will tune in and that this documentary will help to start a very necessary dialog. We hear about college kids being assaulted because those stories often make national news, but a lot of parents don't realize that these same scenarios are happening to girls in middle school. Take a listen to our interview with Amos this morning and then be sure to catch "Audrie & Daisy" on Netflix!
I stumbled onto something pretty cool last night. An acoustic set performed by Guns N' Roses in October of 1987, about 3 months after the release of their now-classic album, Appetite for Destruction. Rather than performing the huge hits off of their debut album they used this opportunity to test out some new material, including a little song called "Patience". Check out the video below!
I remember being 15-years old and in tenth grade when Eddie Money released Can't Hold Back, an album that had several breakout hits like "Take Me Home Tonight" and "I Wanna Go Back". The video to the latter was all about a middle age man revisiting his high school, walking through empty halls and remembering his youth. At the time of its release, I was still that high school kid and so while my head got the concept, there was no way that I'd really get it.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and "I Wanna Go Back" can almost feel like an anthem on particularly lousy adult days. It's funny how, as a teen, you really don't understand how your life will change. Some of those turns will be natural and gradual while others feel like detours that lead to nothing but a dead end. But one thing is constant and that is that nothing really stays the same.
Not that change is a bad thing by any means, but it's amazing how those years just fly by and those teenage worries that were like life and death now seem pretty laughable. Check out the video below, what does it remind you guys of?
You guys remember Nu Shooz, don't you? Husband-and-wife team John Smith and Valerie Day fronted the pop group, which dropped four pretty popular albums back in the 80's. 1986's Poolside brought us such singles as "I Can't Wait" and "Point of No Return", both of which are probably burned into the memory of most of us that were teens in the 80's.
In case you somehow were unfamiliar with Nu Shooz, Target latched on to "I Can't Wait", using it as part of the retail giants 2015 holiday campaign. That is helping to bring Nu Shooz to a younger audience and the timing really couldn't be better, because Valerie and John just realeased a new album, BagTown, a few months ago.
I thought that when you gave me love My life would start to change Instead I saw that I was wrong My life was re-arranged
"Bad of the Heart" by George LaMond might just be one of freestyle's very best break up songs of all time. I have to wonder who helped to motivate the stinging lyrics way back in 1990. Of course I think most of us can actually think of an ex or two of our own that they apply to and that, is precisely why this song has become a freestyle anthem.
I remember seeing LaMond perform back in the early 90's and after catching his set again a few months back I have to say that he may actually sound better now! Check out the liver performance below and if you'd like to check LaMond out live then you're in luck because he still pops up in freestyle shows all over the country. Check out his tour dates here.
Sometimes there's a particular reason behind the 80's throwback each day and other times, there really is not. Today I can thank Spotify's Discover Weekly for making the choice for me. If you have Spotify then check out your own personalized Discover Weekly. Basically they curate a special playlist for you each week based on your musical taste and I have to say, I usually love what they put together for me.
Anyway, Naked Eyes "Promises, Promises" is on my current list and it's a song that I've always loved, It was the second release back in 1983 off of their Burning Bridges album. Ironically, Naked Eyes was actually one of the very first groups to make full use of synthesizers in their music. If you were around in the early 80's then I don't have to explain just how popular the synth sound was and how it really ruled Billboard's Hot 100.
It's really rare for me to love just about every single song on any album. I really do cherry pick most of the time and so when something is good all the way through, I remember it. I'm currently working on something that requires quite a bit of research on the mid-80's so I ordered a bunch of old magazines off of Ebay to take me back in time. The best way to get into the right mindset seems to be a combination of forgetting what I think I already know and reading what was actually written way back then. Yesterday I was flipping through a copy of Rolling Stone from 1987 and came upon a piece on Def Leppard.
Now, flash forward 29 years and we already know that their Hysteria album is considered to be one of the best rock albums in history. It went 12x platinum and spawned 7 singles over the course of about 18 months. To this day, "Pour Some Sugar On Me" remains a rock party anthem that nearly everyone seems to know the lyrics to. Ironically, the album's producer, Mutt Lange set out to help the guys create the rock equivalent of Michael Jackson'sThriller, meaning that nearly every track on it could be released as a successful single. Mission accomplished.
But back in 1987 when Hysteria was first released, Def Leppard had no clue of what was really to come. Instead all that the guys knew for sure is that it took them three years to complete the album and that no one deserved the amount of bad luck that they had to persevere through in order to complete the record. It was during this time that drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm after a car accident and had to learn how to play all over again, using his left foot and pedals. That crisis was the clincher and from it the title Hysteria was born. The media was all over the group at the time of Allen's accident and it was the one word that seemed to sum up their lives.
I still love nearly every song on this album and at least half of them have a specific memory attached. While Hysteria is not my favorite track, it is a great one, especially knowing a bit of the back story.
I tend to go out of my way to choose songs that aren't in heavy rotation on every 80's radio station across the U.S. just to keep things fresh, but I think given the loss of Prince last week, it's only right to revisit some of his stuff. The Bangles "Manic Monday" was originally written by him and obviously Prince knew exactly what he was doing when he gave it to this great girl band.
Here's one from the old school freestyle vault for you guys. Earlier this week Gioia Bruno posted a clip for the demo of Expose's song "I Know You Know". The track, off of their debut Exposure album back in 1987, is arguably one of Expose's very best. It was never released as a single but it is one that, to this day, the ladies love to perform live and audiences eat it up. Enjoy!
Besides acid wash jeans, big hair and neon everything, a really popular 80's video usually featured a killer sax solo. It was a decade that decided that saxophone players could singlehandedly make or break a track. Here's a clip of some of the best 80's songs that were heavy on the sax.
Who love you from the start? Who treats you like a star? Oh sweetheart Who loves you baby? Who loves you wrong or right? Cause you're the spark in my life Yeah day and night
"Sweetheart" by Franke & the Knockouts is one of those songs that I remember loving but I knew absolutely nothing about. It ended up on my Discover playlist that Spotify hand-picks for each user every Monday. This song was a top-ten Billboard hit for the New Jersey group way back in June of 1981. Franke & the Knockouts eventually put out two successful albums and had a few singles before splitting in 1986.
This is where it gets pretty cool, Tico Torres moved on to play drums for none other than Bon Jovi and lead vocalist Franke Previte's writing talents were honored a few years later. He contributed two tracks on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" and the infamous "I Had The Time Of My Life". The later actually earned Previte an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Before those great accomplishments came "Sweetheart", complete with chest hair, glitter and (not so) slick dance moves!
I've already mentioned that Gioia Bruno of Expose' will be teaming up with the Glow Girls to headline a seven-day Caribbean cruise, 80's Afterglow at Sea. Gioia, Roxy Astor, Hollywood and Sunny all chatted with Ocean 98'sBulldog & the Rude Awakening yesterday morning and the result was pretty hilarious. You can listen to the fun below!
You don't want to hurt me, But see how deep the bullet lies. Unaware I'm tearing you asunder. Ooh, there is thunder in our hearts.
Is there so much hate for the ones we love? Tell me, we both matter, don't we? You, it's you and me. It's you and me won't be unhappy.
I've always been a bit of a Kate Bush fan but I think my appreciation for her has definitely as I've gotten older. Back in 1985 her video for "Running Up That Hill" was in pretty heavy rotation on MTV and it featured Bush doing an interpretive dance to the haunting song. It was quirky and kind of unusual which helped to make the song memorable. Supposedly when it was first released record executives worried about how people would react to it. The original title was "Make A Deal With God" and they flipped it to "Running Up That Hill" to be safe.
The lyrics were what were in question and eventually Bush explained the song, proving there really was no reason for concern. The gist of "Running Up That Hill" is that relationships are hard and if men and women could make a deal with God to switch places even for a little while the result would be pretty enlightening. That notion still holds true now, more than thirty years later!
You told me you loved me So I don't understand Why promises are snapped in two And words are made to bend
The Thompson Twins are one of the best known groups to come out of the UK during the early 80's synth-pop movement. They had a number of hits in the states with 1982's "Lies" being one of their first. It his number one on Billboard's dance chart and landed in the top 50 on Billboard's Hot 100. It's one of those songs with an unforgettable hook so you know it almost from the minute it starts.
The only thing that could be better than just the Thompson Twins is featuring their performance from Solid Gold from early 1983. A classic synth track combined with the Solid Gold dancers is just about as 80's as it gets, don't you think?
ICYMI- One last look at this before we pull the plug on the summer of 2016!
For many of us life just seems a whole lot better when we're surrounded by sun, sand and of course a great big ocean. Salt life is a real thing and it has been featured in music videos almost since the very start of MTV. Some of the most memorable visuals by music artists have featured the ocean as a backdrop. Since it's the unofficial start of summer I thought it would be fun to revisit some old MTV favorites. Each of these videos has a beach theme and really stands out in my memory (hopefully yours too). So here we go and in NO particular order...
Debbie Gibson- "Only In My Dreams"
Every time I'm telling secrets
I remember how it used to be
And I realized how much I miss you
And I realize how it feels to be free
This was actually Gibson's debut single. It was released in late 1986 but was written by the then-young star herself two years earlier. The video was shot at Asbury Park beach in New Jersey and helped to launch Gibson's career.
Belinda Carlisle- "Circle In The Sand"
Sundown all around
Walking thru the summer's end
Waves crash baby, don't look back
I won't walk away again
Oh, baby, anywhere you go,
We are bound together
I begin, baby, where you end
Some things are forever!
This was released in May of 1988 with Carlisle singing as various layered beach scenes flashed behind her. This song came at a time when the former Go Go's front woman could do no wrong musically. She had a string of solo hits, including "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" and "Mad About You" that all charted well.
The Fat Boys- "Wipe Out"
For three years straight we toured the nation
When we get through we needed a vacation
We wanted to party and get a little rest
So we packed our things and headed out west
We got our surfboards took the beach ball out
Jumped in a limousine ready to "Wipe out"
The Fat Boys were a hip hop trio from Brooklyn that first emerged in the early 80's. Their 1987 cover of "Wipe Out" was one of the biggest songs of the summer and this video was in heavy rotation on MTV.
Huey Lewis And The News- "Stuck With You"
Yes, it's true, (yes it's true) I am happy to be stuck with you
Yes, it's true, (yes it's true) I'm so happy to be stuck with you
'Cause I can see, (I can see) that you're happy to be stuck with me
(yes it's true) I'm so happy to be stuck with you I'm happy to be stuck with you
Happy to be stuck with you.
What guy wouldn't want to be stuck on a deserted island with Keely Shaye Smith circa 1986? Huey Lewis was probably thrilled to get to play in the sun and sand with the then-model for hours while filming "Stuck With You". The song itself spent 3 weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 and the video was one of the biggest of the year. The desert island in this is actually about ten miles from Paradise Island in Nassau.
Bow Wow Wow- "I Want Candy"
I know a girl who’s tough but sweet
She’s so fine, she can’t be beat
She’s got everything that I desire
Sets the summer sun on fire
If you're going to have a one-hit-wonder then you can only hope that the video that accompanies it also leaves a lasting impression, right? Well, Bow Wow Wow managed to do just that with "I Want Candy". I think when a lot of us think of the song we instantly picture the band buried up to their necks in sand!
Duran Duran- "Rio"
Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land
And when she shines she really shows you all she can
Oh Rio, Rio dance across the Rio Grande
While Duran Duran was picking up momentum in the early 80's their second studio album, Rio didn't really click here in the states- until their flashy video for the title song. "Rio" eventually became a visual example of all of the excesses that the decade became synonymous for. This features the band is slick suits speeding through the Caribbean on a yacht surrounded by beautiful women. Once the video was picked up by MTV then people realized what a great song this really was.
Britney Spears- "Sometimes"
Sometimes I run
Sometimes I hide
Sometimes I'm scared of you
But all I really want is to hold you tight
Treat you right, be with you day and night
Baby, all I need is time
Baby One More Time was the album that launched Britney Spears' career way back in 1999 and it just wouldn't have been complete without one sugary sweet ballad, right? "Sometimes" was met with mixed reviews in the spring of 1999. Even then not too many people were buying Spears as a virginal girl wanting to take things super slow with her squeaky clean guy but the beach-y backdrop is stunning.
Bon Jovi- "In And Out Of Love"
Young and wired
Set to explode in the heat
you won't tire
Cause baby was born with the beat
Do you guys even remember this video from 1985? I had actually forgotten it but it has to be included here because it features the original Jersey boys playing on the boardwalk and in the sands of Seaside Heights!
David Lee Roth- "California Girls"
Well, East coast girls are hip,
I really dig those styles they wear;
And the Southern girls with the way they talk,
They knock me out when I'm down there,
The mid-west farmers daugh-ters
Real-ly make you feel alright,
And the northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at night.
Not long after leaving Van Halen in 1984 David Lee Roth returned to the airwaves with 1985's Crazy From The Heat. All four songs on the EP were covers of already established hits from the past. "California Girls" was kind of a no-brainer and the video loaded with chicks in bikinis became a summer staple.
Expose`- "Seasons Change"
Seasons change feelings change
It's been so long since I found you
Yet it seems like yesterday
Seasons change people change
I'll sacrifice tomorrow
Just to have you here today
In 1987 Expose` took their Miami freestyle sound and delivered it to the masses, with great success. Hits like "Come Go With Me" and "Let Me Be The One" landed in Billboard's top ten and solidified their run as a great dance band but that wasn't all that they were capable of. Their ballad "Seasons Change" earned the girl group their first number one single and just as the song was a bit of a departure, so was the video. Instead of being a flashy, fun live performance "Seasons Change" was set in a beach house. The girls are seen packing up their summer house while singing and eventually a run on the beach is of course in order.
Chris Isaak- "Wicked Game"
What a wicked game you played to make me feel this way
what a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you
what a wicked thing to say you never felt this way
what a wicked thing to do to make me dream of you
Take a sultry, haunting song, a topless Helena Christensen in Isaak's arms and film it in black and white. The result? Perfection, the kind that even 27 years after its' original release still makes you stop to watch.
Wreckx-N-Effect- "Rump Shaker"
All I wanna do is zoom-a-zoom-zoom-zoom
And a poom-poom - Just shake ya rump!
The year was 1992 and Teddy Riley's production and guest vocals made "Rump Shaker" a club classic for Wreckz-N-Effect. The visual of a hot chick walking in the sand playing a saxophone is probably still cemented in the minds of many men out there.
Madonna- "Cherish"
Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side
(Oh baby I) cherish the joy
You keep bringing it into my life
(I'm always singing it)
Cherish the strength
You got the power to make me feel good
(And baby I) perish the thought
Of ever leaving
I never would
This was the third single off of Madonna's 1989 Like A Prayer release. After two controversial songs in a row it was nice to see Madonna take on something as simple as love. Watching her play in the surf in "Cherish" was a nice reminder that while the diva was certainly issues-oriented, she still had a fun side.
Don Henley- "Boys Of Summer"
I can see you,
Your brown skin shining in the sun.
You got that top pulled down,
And that radio on, baby.
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong,
After the boys of summer have gone
Can you believe that this song is 32 years old? Well it is and I think that "Boys Of Summer" might be one of the most timeless videos around. The black and white imagery flashes through the different stages of a man's life, from boyhood to middle age adulthood and you can feel the major flashback unfolding in front of your eyes. This is undoubtedly one of Henley's best songs, don't you think?
There is just a sampling of some of the best beach videos in old school pop culture history. What are your favorites?
On Nov. 12th way back in 1984 Madonna released her second album. Like A Virgin cemented the material girl's place on the Billboard charts with five popular singles. "Like A Virgin" was actually Madonna's first song to hit number one on the charts and it, along with "Material Girl" are two of the tracks that helped to propel her to super stardom.
This was one of the albums that seemed to really resonate with teen girls and Madonna's concerts were jam-packed with young girls dressed up like their favorite performer. Like a Virgin has sold more than 21 million copies worldwide and it is considered to be by far one of the most successful albums of the 80's. There were so many great videos to come from this and I'm going to leave you with what is actually one of my very favorite Madonna songs, "Dress You Up".
