According to Brian May, this commemorative game has been a year in the making and will hopefully begin popping up in stores this coming May. The goal of the game has been altered to reflect the band’s legacy; instead of buying up real estate and utilities in an effort to bankrupt friends and family, players will instead attempt to achieve Queen-style greatness by following “the amazing gig history of Queen, from their very first at Imperial College in 1970 to their last with Freddie Mercury at Knebworth Park in 1986” and buying “gig locations and hit singles” as they go, says EW.
Queen Monopoly features an assortment of new playing pieces designed after key moments in the band’s history. In addition to May’s guitar, players can choose from a robot (inspired by the News of the World album artwork), a bicycle (a nod to the bands’ “Bicycle Race”), a vacuum cleaner (as seen in the video for “I Want to Break Free”) and a hammer (an allusion to “Hammer to Fall”).
I recently saw a show by a band that does a bunch of 80's throwback songs and about 30 seconds into their set I said to my husband, "No one bangs their head anymore" because these guys in fact were. It reminded me of how the term "headbanger" was born from the fact that everyone that hit the stage used to do just that. Today's throwback is to a song by Kix, a group that surely knows a thing or two about banging their heads.
Kix first got together in the late 70's and after being a local staple on the Baltimore music scene they finally broke through nationally several years later. While they have had a slew of albums that have spawned several hard-rocking singles, "Don't Close Your Eyes" is what cemented them in the minds of many. It became a song about suicide prevention, one that resonated with many, unfortunately.
I walk by where you work everyday Hoping you'd glance my way A smile would break out from me to you Conversation would make its way
Sandee (Sandra Casanas) is one of those artists that made a lasting impression, but then was lost way too soon. She was actually one third of the original Expose` lineup from 1984-6 with Ale` and Laurie Miller. After the group was reformed Sandee went her own way and carved a nice solo career for herself. "Notice Me" went to number 9 on Billboard's dance chart back in 1989 and remains a club staple to this day. Sadly, Sandee was found dead in her Hollywood, Florida back in 1998 after suffering a severe seizure. The freestyle world grieved her loss together with various tributes and to this day Sandee is often discussed at freestyle events.
You take your road, I'll take mine The paths have both been beaten Searchin' for a change of pace Love needs to be sweetened I scream my heart out, just to make a dime And with that dime I bought your love But now I've changed my mind I'm not your fool Nobody's fool Nobody's fool I'm no fool
Here's a nugget for all of you glam rock fans out there. Cinderella's debut album, Night Songs is officially 30 years old. THIRTY! Does that make you feel as old as it makes me feel? I'd say that Cinderella spent a bit of their early years lots in a sea of fellow headbangers but when I looked back, they actually did chart pretty well. They were also innovative in that all of their first videos had a continuing storyline.
In their first video, "Shake Me" a Cinderella-type girl was transformed into a bad girl that hung with the band. Her wicked sisters (AKA the polka dot twins) were always nearby. "Nobody's Fool" picks up the story with Cinderella heading to practice with the guys but then leaving in order to make it home by midnight.
"Nobody's Fool" ended up being a really popular power ballad, with tons of radio play. MTV also had the video for it on an every four hour loop for months. In an era where power ballads by glam rockers were everywhere, this song probably lands in my top five or six.
You can also catch Cinderella's Tom Keifer performing live at the M3 Rock Festival, which looks like an absolutely insane lineup, doesn't it?
Ahhh Kip Winger. Just stare at the photo for a minute because doing that will likely drag you back in time. I stumbled onto this interview with the rocker in a (GASP) 25-year-old issue of Sassy magazine and was kind of sucked in. I was 17 when he and his band, Winger, first broke through and even then he struck me as smarter than the average bear. I'm not sure what drives this interview more, his intelligence or the reporter's love for him. I think you had to be there to be sure.
But he is smart and back then he had a clear direction of what the bands' second album would be. It was pieced together in a pretty painstaking way, which I appreciate. I've loved their catalog of music over the years, but Winger's self-titled debut remains my favorite. It was one of those albums that I played almost all the way through and it followed me everywhere. It was in my Walkman, in my stereo, playing on the bus to school and then one of the things that we listened to at the end of the night at work.
Winger was everywhere. And Kip was hot. He also had the hair that every teen girl was striving for. I worked a few hours a week at a salon and nearly every girl came in carrying a picture of Kip because THAT was the dye job or kind of curl they wanted. He was hot and his hair was legendary.
That first album though, is spawned four singles and spent well over a year on Billboard's Hot 200 album chart. It also recently was named one of Rolling Stone's Top 50 metal albums of all time, kind of proving that this band still stands out from the mountain of hair bands that came and went over the years.
Winger has released several albums over the years and they are still together and touring as I type. I could have chosen several videos to feature but I need to take you guys back to "Headed for a Heartbreak" but done with the Colorado Symphony. It's still gorgeous, don't you think?
You can also catch them performing live at the M3 Rock Festival, which looks like an absolutely insane lineup, doesn't it?
Coffee, tea on me baby Touche a la' My opening line might be a bit passe But don't think that I don't know I'm feeling for ya Cause I got a vibe on you the first time that I saw you saw you
Yesterday I spent quite awhile listening to Teena Marie's Starchild from 1984. I have been on a real Tee kick lately, thanks to THIS GUY over here & his radio show, The Power Hour. It all started with my accidentally stumbling onto this clip of Jeanette Jurado's cover of "Portuguese Love" which just blew me away,
Once I realized that it was originally Teena Marie's song made me go back through Lady Tee's catalog of music and I had forgotten just how much of her stuff I actually love. I remember when Starchild first came out because her song "Lovergirl" was a huge hit. Like, it was played every 3.5 hours on the radio like clockwork and the video was constantly popping up on MTV. Not that I was supposed to know that because at that point in time my mom had banned MTV from our house. I remember sneaking it while upstairs and going to my grandmother's to freely watch videos.
The only problem there was that in 1984 my grandmother didn't have MTV so I was at the mercy of America's Top Ten countdown which had video clips and of course, Friday Night Videos. You remember that right? It came on at midnight and everyone tried to stay awake long enough to watch even if they had MTV, just because.
So anyway, I knew that the video for "Lovergirl" was in heavy MTV rotation but I never caught a glimpse while at home. I had to finally see it late at night while at my grandmother's and I remember it being sandwiched between Madonna and Phil Collins. I was stunned that such a big, soulful voice came out of such a tiny pale chick. I knew Teena was tough though because she ran with Rick James and even though I was only 12-ish I totally understood what being his (sometimes) other half had to entail.
While Starchild made me happy as a kid, as a grown woman I totally appreciate the unbelievable range of talent that Lady Tee had. It's a damn shame she left us so soon.
It's Record Store Day! That means plenty of exclusive releases on vinyl for you (and me) to enjoy. Click HERE to check out the full list and to also find a record store near you!
Love if you're there come save me From all this cold despair I can hang when you're around But I'll surely die if you're not there Love come quick, love come in a hurry There are thieves in the temple tonight I feel like I'm looking for my soul (Soul) Like a poor man looking for gold (Gold) There are thieves in the temple tonight
Do you remember Graffiti Bridge, the Prince film from 1990? Honestly, neither do I but the soundtrack to it is pretty great. It was also our official introduction to his then-new backing band, The New Power Generation. "Thieves In The Temple" was one of the best songs off of it and it charted very well as a single, hitting number 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the summer of 1990.
The song lyrically featured Prince reflecting on a dishonest relationship with a nugget of spirituality thrown in for good measure. As for the beat, well the remixes of "Thieves In The Temple" still are fire. I remember the video debuting on MTV and it being a really big deal because it represented a brand new Prince. New look, new sound and a new band to help pull the full package together. The choreography in the video was pretty tight too. Check it out for yourself below!
My kids have a really hard time imagining what life was like back in the 80's, when patience and waiting were both the order of the day. We're all so used to YouTubing whatever video clip that we want to see when we want it that's it's almost hard to think of life before the internet. Back in 1984 our lives revolved around MTV and the fact that they seemed to repeat popular videos every 4 hours or so. Believe me when I say that my friends and I did the math and would come running inside when we thought that a favorite video was going to air.
One of the first ones that I can really remember planning my life around was Ratt's "Round and Round". It was before hair bands and glam metal had really hit the mainstream so they were really different. Plus they weren't just playing their song onstage somewhere, there was actually a freaky storyline that included an attic dinner with real rats and Milton Berle. It was really just a taste of what was to come because a few years later hair bands like Ratt were ruling the charts.
"Round and Round", off of Ratt's debut Out of the Cellar album ended up being their most popular song. It climbed to #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1984. Steven Pearcy also became one of my very favorite lead singers to claw their way out of the decade of excess.
The official current RATT lineup includes Stephen Pearcy and you can catch them playing various gigs across the country.
You can also catch them performing live at the M3 Rock Festival, which looks like an absolutely insane lineup, doesn't it?
I've been looking for a savior in these dirty streets
Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets
I've been raising up my hands, drive another nail in
Got enough guilt to start my own religion
Why do we crucify ourselves?
Every day I crucify myself
And nothing I do is good enough for you
Crucify myself
Tori Amos has always been the kind of woman that leaves a lasting impression. Her song "Crucify" was the break out song from Tori's Little Earthquakes album back in 1992 and it also served as a bit of a calling card. In a sea of grunge bands and flannel, this redhead armed with a unique voice and piano really stood out. She became the alternative to what we already had established as, alternative music. Over the years Amos has always remained true to the style that brought her to our attention in the first place.
I remember "Crucify" being played like crazy on college radio and wondering if everyone would ever catch on to how great of an artist Tori was. Then one Saturday morning after an episode of Dance Party USA a teen interview show featured a whole segment on her. I don't remember details of the interview but it made me like her even more. Check out the video that kicked off Tori's career below!
"I wake in the night To find you on my mind Deep in a dream you'll always be Till the end of time"
When I think of classic power ballads Great White's "Save Your Love" pretty quickly comes to mind. When it first dropped way back in 1987 it had a haunting quality that still holds up even to this day. I was in eleventh grade when the song was first released and the lyrics really seemed to apply to myself and just about every friend that I had. Either we were crushing on someone or else in a relationship that we just KNEW was going to last forever.
Remember how when you were a teenager it was hard to imagine a romance not lasting forever, even though we all went through a whole bunch of break ups? Everything was the real deal, until the next day when it wasn't.
Great White was always, in my opinion one of the better glam rock bands to find its way out of the 80's. With Jack Russell leading the way, the guys always seemed to navigate through the sea of hairspray and fluff to throw down solid vocals and great guitar riffs. They have also been plagued with a multitude of addictions, breakups and line up changes but somehow still continue to tour under the name Jack Russell's Great White. You can check out their latest release here:
You can also catch them performing live at the M3 Rock Festival, which looks like an absolutely insane lineup, doesn't it?
Check out "Save Your Love" below, one of the videos that helped to put the guys on the power ballad map.
"Don't you know the heart will cause an inferno Romance up in flames, why should I take the blame You were the one who left me neglected [I'm so sorry] Apology not accepted, add me to the broken hearts you collected
Ah, I gave you all of me [gave me all of you] How was I to know you would weaken so easily Ah, I don't what to do I'm all cried out [I'm all] over you [I'm cried out too]"
I was a real sucker for a good tear-jerker break up song when I was a teenager and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "All Cried Out" was really one of my favorites. I can't remember if I was actually going through a break up back when it was first playing on the radio every few hours but I know it was my go-to song if I needed to conjure up a few tears. It parked itself in the 8th spot on Billboard's Hot 100 and remains one of Lisa Lisa's best remembered tunes.
While Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam is no more you can still catch lead singer Lisa Velez often popping up on Freestyle Explosion tours across the U.S., performing the catalog of hits that made her so popular all of those years ago.
"Those were the times we had Sharing a joy that we thought would last Memories of love and affection Never really was just like a dream Was it the simple things That made me so crazy about you Was it your charm or your passion It's not hard to believe I love you and I need you so I... Sending you forget me nots"
While "Forget Me Nots" was released in 1982, making it a post-disco song, it is often still lumped in with that era of music. It was on Patrice Rushen's seventh studio album and while she had enjoyed a long career before it and has continued to write, sing and work to this day, "Forget Me Nots" is kind of her calling card. It has been one of the most sampled songs over the last few decades and well, why not? The baseline is unmistakable and the rhythm demands movement.
It might be 35 years old but just about every party or night at the club still includes at least one spin of "Forget Me Nots"!
Second time around I'm still believing words that you said You said you'd always be here "In love forever" Still repeats in my head You can't finish what you start If this is love it breaks my heart
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.
And let's celebrate (celebrate) the love we got (stop)
Say you're coming home."
Luther Vandross might have one of the most soulful voices to listen to ever. He is quite obviously best remembered for his ballads ("Here and Now", "Superstar", etc.) so I wanted to share something a little different. "Stop To Love" was the first single off of Vandross' fifth album and it was also his first top 20 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The video shows a fun side to Vandross, one that those cloesest to him often talked about. Sadly, the singer's life was cut short after a massive stroke left him comatose for two months in 2003. While Vandross did recover somewhat he never performed in public again and eventually died in July of 2005.
Now, I bring you home You told me goodnight's not enough for you I'm sorry, baby I didn't mean to turn you on No, I didn't mean to turn you on
You read me wrong I wasn't trying to lead you on Not like you think I didn't mean to turn you on
I think when most people think of Robert Palmer they almost immediately picture his "Addicted to Love" video, with him looking suave as several cloned women pretend to play instruments behind him. It's a visual that, even 30 years after the release of his Riptide album, is still etched into pop culture's history. It's classic, timeless, and back then everyone absolutely loved Palmer. While I really liked "Addicted to Love", my favorite song off of the album is actually the single that followed it.
"I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" hit the charts in early 1986 and I loved it immediately. Instead of girls with slicked back hair, this video featured women that looked like they were runway ready and the song itself has always felt a bit tongue-in-cheek, especially with Palmer singing it. It fit his image back then and the extended dance mix can still crush a lot of other 12" tracks out there.
Ironically, Palmer wasn't the only one to record "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On". Cherrelle did it first and Mariah Carey had a version decades later, but it's Palmer's that is the best known of all.
See that guy up there? Well my teenage self was pretty obsessed with him. David Coverdale first formed Whitesnake in the late 70's after fronting Deep Purple for several years. They released a handful of albums but it was Whitesnake's 1987 self titled release that ultimately turned them into a household name. Songs like "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love" soared to the top of Billboard's charts and Whitesnake was considered to be one of the best bands to come out of the 80's hair band era, mainly because they could really play.
I still remember the first time I saw this group on Headbanger's Ball (don't lie, you watched that show too). "Still of the Night" was the very first single off of Whitesnake's self titled effort and it was like nothing else from that era. The first two minutes absolutely kicked ass but when it slowed down I was totally sucked in. I also realized that Coverdale only had to mumble the words "ohhh baby" and I was a goner.
Has anyone else ever played their bass onstage with a bow? Not that I can remember but that effect helped to propel "Still of the Night" onto the list of top rock songs of all time. The video introduced us to the hotness of Coverdale and also one of the most popular video chicks of all time, Tawny Kitaen. Truly something for everyone in today's throwback clip so enjoy it!
I can't stop the feeling I've been this way before But, with you I've found the key To open any door I can feel my love for you Growing stronger day by day, An' I can't wait to see you again So I can hold you in my arms
While the 80's launched synth rock and the careers of icons such as Prince and Madonna it also gave us some pretty magical hair bands, didn't it? I know that you all still (maybe secretly) love your glam rockers because posts featuring them both here and on Boom's Facebook page tend to do really well. There's no shame in my game either because I have no problem admitting that at least one headbanger song turns up in my playlist each and every day.
Back in the 80's bands like Motley Crue, Ratt, Dokken andWinger were smart because each and every album included at least one power ballad. If the female audience wasn't into the blaring guitars then these guys hooked them anyway, one love song at a time. I think we all had our favorites and one glimpse of Whitesnake's "Is This Love" video made me not only fall in lust with the song, but also with David Coverdale. It was a dreamy song and even Coverdale's future ex-wife Tawny Kitaen romping around couldn't kill the vibe. In fact it actually MADE it for every guy that I knew. This song prompted me to buy Whitesnake's self-titled release and the cassette lived in my Walkman for years I think. While my friends had Def Leppard and Motley Crue hanging in their lockers mine was devoted to Coverdale (he may still have a spot on my office wall but that's a totally different story).
I mean, to this day you can't deny the hotness. Also to this day, Whitesnake's 1987 release is by far one of the best records to come out of the 80's. "Still Of The Night" is pretty legendary amongst every guitarist I've ever talked to. Do your self a favor and revisit the album if you haven't listened in awhile. In the meantime, check out the stunning Mr. Coverdale below!
I recently saw a show by a band that does a bunch of 80's throwback songs and about 30 seconds into their set I said to my husband, "No one bangs their head anymore" because these guys in fact were. It reminded me of how the term "headbanger" was born from the fact that everyone that hit the stage used to do just that. Today's throwback is to a song by Kix, a group that surely knows a thing or two about banging their heads.
Kix first got together in the late 70's and after being a local staple on the Baltimore music scene they finally broke through nationally several years later. While they have had a slew of albums that have spawned several hard-rocking singles, "Don't Close Your Eyes" is what cemented them in the minds of many. It became a song about suicide prevention, one that resonated with many, unfortunately.
You know how you start in one place and end up on a totally different track? Well that is this throwback post completely. I went to look at Billboard's charts for this week back in the 80's to see if a song jumped out at me and one did. Barbra Streisand's "Woman In Love" was the number one song 35 years ago this week. I remember my mother loving the song and while she wouldn't ever turn the volume up, she'd shush us while it played.
More importantly, the instant visual that I get is of the Solid Golddancers slinking across the stage. If you were an 80's kid then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The line of skinny, big-haired women in gold bikini bottoms and halter tops sliding across the stage before jumping on one of the male dancers. "Woman In Love" was in one of Solid Gold's first countdowns with the dancers and I, like every other girl I knew, was obsessed with them. Of course we were all going to grow up to be a Solid Gold dancer, talent wasn't an issue and the idea that they may one day end their run and no longer exist was just unfathomable. We were told in school to aim high and so I did, I wanted the gold stripper shoes and matching headband.
Finding a clip of the Solid Gold dancers romping around to Babs was actually easy and her song is followed by Olivia Newton John'sXanadu on this particular countdown. That's like the ultimate bonus because in the late 70's my best friend Stacey and I were obsessed with Olivia. Not the good girl "Have You Ever Been Mellow" Liv, but the "Totally Hot" Olivia that was draped in pleather, trying to look tough.
"Lost in twilight, the memories Precious moments, you and me We've been old friends, all through the years Picture postcards, sharing tears What's in our hearts, there's never time, to say Need you tonight, lover don't fade away I've seen your city lights As I walk away."
When I think of 80's groups one of the first that has to come to mind is Journey. Whether they were rocking out or serving up one hell of a power ballad, Steve Perry and the rest of the guys always made a rock solid impression. It's really hard to choose just one favorite Journey song too. It totally depends on my mood on any given day. While I love their earlier stuff, Journey's 9th studio album, Raised on Radio has always been a favorite of mine.
The fifth single off of it, for whatever reason didn't do so great which at the time was pretty shocking to me. "Why Can't This Night Go on Forever" seemed like a pretty solid ballad to me and it was done in the same vein of every other one that charted well- or maybe that was the problem. Maybe back in 1986 we were all looking for something a tiny bit different from the guys. Regardless, it's still a really great song that seems to often be forgotten in Journey's extensive catalog of hits. Check it out for yourself below. Does this song ring a bell?
