"I'd like to know more than just your name Did you come here alone or with someone If only you would open up And let me know just where you're comin' from
Are you lookin' for a new love Or does commitment seem to bring you down Is that a look of yes or is it no Please don't tease me, ho...oh..."
Way back in the summer of 1987 Jody Watley's self-titled album was in heavy rotation thanks to a string of catchy singles. "Don't You Want Me" was the third one to be released and it achieved some pretty amazing crossover success. More importantly, it proved that "Looking For A New Love", which had been released several months earlier, was not a fluke. Ms. Watley had arrived, hoop earrings and all.
This song was totally my jam way back then and to a certain degree, it still is thirty years later. "Don't You Want Me" makes you move, which is one of the reasons why Watley lands in the 21st spot on Billboard's Top Dance Artists of All Time list.
"Girl you are to me, all that a woman should be And I dedicate my life to you always The love like yours is grand It must have been sent from up above And I know you'll stay this way, for always
And we both know, that our love will grow And forever it will be you and me Ooh your life is sun Chasing all the rain away."
Atlantic Starr had a female singer before they hired Barbara Weathers and singers have followed her, but none enjoyed similar success. Hers is the voice most closely associated with the group and it's her voice that you hear on songs like "Secret Lovers" and "If Your Heart Isn't In It". By the time the group's 1987 release rolled around great things were a foregone conclusion and the ballad "Always" totally delivered.
I was in tenth grade and it was the song for every couple that I knew, especially the ones that only made it three months. Let's face it, in high school a few months seemed like proof that it would last forever, didn't it? I suspect "Always" still finds its way onto plenty of wedding playlists to this day.
"Baby tell me does she love you like the way I love you Does she stimulate you, attract and captivate you Tell me does she miss you existing just to kiss you Like the way I do Tell me does she want you, infatuate and haunt you Does she know just how to shock and electrify and rock you Does she inject you, seduce you and affect you Like the way I do Like the way I do"
Years before Melissa Etheridge became an Indie rock darling of the 90's she made some serious moves as a rocker. When her self-titled first album was released back in 1988 it featured a song called "Like The Way I Do". It never charted well on Billboard's Hot 100 but it did really well on the modern rock charts. It also was in heavy rotation on rock stations across the U.S. In between Warrant and Kix you were quite likely to hear Etheridge's "Like The Way I Do" or "Similar Features" being played to break up the hair band predictability.
Check out the video for "Like The Way I Do" below!
There are very few things that I remember about the beginning of eleventh grade. It was 1987 and I was coming off my very first summer of working full time, which meant a lot of extra cash in my pocket. A lot of that cash was spent on music, of course. Richard Marx was getting airplay with "Don't Mean Nothing" which I really didn't love. But the follow up single I couldn't get enough of. "Should've Known Better" . And the video that went with it. Marx wasn't exactly my type at the time. I preferred men with bigger hair, lipstick and spandex, but I played his debut album into the ground.
Many years later I'll readily admit to listening to Marx quite often and "Should've Known Better" is still my favorite. He has also aged like a fine wine and is far more handsome to me now than in 1987. Daisy Fuentes (his wife since Dec. 2015) is a lucky woman. Plus it's nice to see a celeb couple that genuinely seems happy together. Check out "Should've Known Better". below.
"I never meant to cause you any sorrow I never meant to cause you any pain I only wanted one time to see you laughing I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain."
I was in 7th grade during the summer of Purple Rain and I remember it well. It was that rated R movie that none of us were allowed to see so we absorbed every possible detail from television, MTV and magazine articles. Back in the 80's (you know, when everything wasn't just the click of a mouse away) we cut everything about our favorites out of the newspaper or any magazine that we could find. My friends and I were divided down the middle, either you loved Prince or you loved Michael Jackson- it couldn't be both. I was a Prince girl and built my magazine cut out scrapbook accordingly. And the music truly did directly influence everything back then. If you loved Prince then you represented with your purple on the daily. Most Prince fans loved Madonna equally, especially when they toured together so it was a mix of purple lace hair bows, crosses and purple jelly bracelets all summer long.
That summer ended up being the very best one of my childhood and the Purple Rain was always part of the soundtrack. My friends and I spent hours at the kitchen table together glued to a boom box waiting for a chance to call in to Q-102 (THE station to listen to) to try and win a copy of the soundtrack. None of us won a Prince album but we did score theBoss, Steve Perry, Chaka Khan and a few others. Music was absolutely everything back then, especially when you were at the mercy of a DJ or MTV to play it for you.
It took me years to really understand that Prince was more than the freaky guy in purple with perfect eyeliner, that he was a musical genius. I had a friend absolutely obsessed with him and he spoon fed me various Prince facts while we worked together. By the time "Batdance" came along I understood what I was really listening to and came to expect nothing short of amazing-ness from him.
In the last 30 years so many other artists have come and gone as my taste has shifted and changed over the years. I can honestly say that I like a little bit of everything (minus country) but so few bring to the table what Prince has. I mean, how many on Billboard's charts can play 27 instruments? Yeah, none. How many currently rocking in the top ten will be relevant in 30 years? Maybe 1 or 2 right, maybe? Or maybe none at all.
Today's artists aren't built for the kind of longevity like Prince, David Bowie or even Glenn Frey. They don't bring all of those elements to the table and that has only made the loss of these icons feel that much heavier on our hearts. Prince himself confirmed years ago that there really is a vault filled with his unreleased music. There are albums from Prince & the Revolution and also a few with The New Power Generation. Perhaps part of what makes him so iconic is the fact that he was thinking beyond his life here. He was not only making sure that he wouldn't be forgotten, but he left new music behind so that his presence would be felt in a new way after the fact.
This has been an exhausting week and music is one of the ways that I take my own version of a mental health break. I've learned over the years that, while my taste is eclectic, nothing puts me in a better mood than dance music. Today I turned to Earth, Wind & Fire for a bit of inspiration and thankfully, it worked. When I was ten "Let's Groove" came out and I remember buying the 45 and playing it into the ground- and that was just in the first few weeks that I had it. Disco was technically dead so I clung to anything even remotely resembling it. I danced my ass off in the privacy of my own room and even back then I understood that this was one of those groups that did extra.
They were the whole package, with a whole section of horns and choreographed moves, Earth, Wind & Fire was a force to be reckoned with. In many ways they still are If you're lucky enough to catch one of their gigs now you'll quickly understand why they are still thriving. Check out "Let's Groove" below. I'm betting it makes you wanna get down too.
Today's throwback is a song that really needs no introduction or explanation. In 1987, after spending years in the studio putting it together, Def Leppard finally released Hysteria. The album was made with the intention of every track on it being single-worthy and they achieved exactly that. No song was bigger than "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and thirty years later it's one of those songs that nearly everyone knows the words to, regardless of their age. So click play and sing along below.
You make me, make me, make me, make me hungry for you
Everything you do is simply dreamy
Everything you do is quite delicious
So why can't I be you?"
I'll admit it, I'm not exactly a fan of The Cure. I cherry pick, carefully. For whatever reason I've always, always loved "Why Can't I Be You" and it's all about the video. Maybe it's because Robert Smith is slightly more animated than usual or because his lip liner is MIA. Maybe it's the costumes or the fact that the video features some of the most awesomely bad choreography ever. I don't know but when you put these things together it ends up looking like this (below), and I happen to love, this.
Conga. That song was everywhere for months on end back in 1985. Gloria Estefan and the rest of the Miami Sound Machine made it impossible not to sing and dance along to their very first U.S. hit. If you got in the car it was on the radio, it was playing in the mall and you better believe there was a tamer instrumental version of "Conga" that played in doctor's waiting rooms. It really was everywhere and the energy was infectious. I didn't think that the Miami Sound Machine could even potentially put out another song that I'd like nearly as much, but, they did it. In the summer of 1987 "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" dropped and I loved it. The synth, the Latin rhythm, her voice it was just all perfection. Every once in awhile a song is perfectly crafted to be strong across the board. There is nothing missing on "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You". It still holds up as a great dance classic. Check it out below!
When Cyndi Lauper first exploded on the scene I was in middle school and her crazy "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" persona totally worked for me and my friends. The mid-80's meant that absolutely anything went fashion wise and dressing for attention was kind of a way of life. Back then you were either Madonna's fan or Cyndi's. It was an either or kind of thing. Like, you also had to choose between Michael Jackson or Prince. I liked Cyndi, but Madonna was my girl.
Then the fall of 1986 happened and True Colors was released.and at least part of it was different. Older and more grown up, like me. I still loved Madonna more BUT I loved this album. The visuals for the video to the title track are still stunning to me, to this day. Crazy synth and outrageous fashion always has a place in pop music but every now and then a stripped down ballad is everything. Check out "True Colors" below and soak up the magic that still exists in it.
You go around, tellin' lies, and now you wanna compromise
Whatcha tryin' to do to my heart
You better run, you better hide, you better leave from my side, yeah"
1981 was a pretty big year for me. It was the year that I finally turned ten, or "double digits" which, for whatever reason made me think I was a total big shot. It was also the year that I got a sparkling new bike that looked exactly like this one, but it was in pink.
I spent so many hours zooming up and down the alley behind my house with a neighborhood filled with kids. It was always girls against the boys in whatever game we played and let me tell you, the girls were way out-numbered. We talked a good game until the boys started throwing rocks and then out came the water works and running home to tell our parents. Needless to say, the boys were always in trouble.
I also remember that some of the stupidest things ever classified as toys. Do you guys remember Ka Bangers???? The only point in banging them together was to do it without hurting yourself or anyone else.
I can still hear my mother complaining about the idea of spending $3 on something so useless, yet my father did decide to take a 15 minute ride to find a set for me when every store near the house had sold out. The summer of 1981 was pretty memorable for me and not just because Lifesavers finally did the unimaginable and created blueberry lollipops,
it was also a musical turning point for me. Up until then I had been a total disco queen. My dad would listen to albums every night and I'd always get to choose the last song. For the longest time I completely tortured him with Abba.
"The Winner Takes It All", "Dancing Queen", etc. I was pretty obsessed. Then something happened and that something was MTV. It premiered in August of 1981 and at first it wasn't available everywhere.
Not all cable companies back then were sure that they should take a risk on an all-music network. Chain record stores did have MTV and believe me they installed televisions just to have it playing in the store. I remember going to the mall with my dad and basically camping out in the Gallery of Sound, watching music videos. At first there was only a handful and Pat Benatar's "You Better Run", being the second video ever shown, seemed to play hourly.
This Pat chick, she was really cool and super tough. I loved the fact that she seemed to hold her own with the guys despite being so tiny. Maybe it was the striped shirt and the leather, or it could have been just the song itself but either way I was hooked. My dad, who was working at a rock station at the time was beyond thrilled to help steer me away from disco and towards the kind of music that he loved, rock. Crimes of Passion became my very first album and I think that I played it into the ground.
It's kind of ironic to me that it took me 35 years to finally see Pat play live. I'm not sure exactly why that is, but this year I spent my birthday at one of her shows and it was just amazing. While I loved her way back then I totally respect the example that she has set for other your women trying to find their own way in the music biz. Plus she seems pretty normal and has always put her family ahead of being onstage. In fact, she and her husband didn't start touring full throttle again until after their two daughters were grown.
It's funny because if you see her in concert, Pat always mentions "You Better Run" as being a real turning point in her illustrious career because they really had no idea what, if anything would ever come of the whole music video concept. I have to think that she probably lit a real fire under more people that she could ever imagine just by taking a chance with a camera and that song!
When my crimes Will seem almost unforgivable I give in to sin Because you have to make this life livable
Do you guys love Depeche Mode as much as I do? Their Violator album helped to usher in a super successful run on Billboard's charts in 1989 but I actually prefer some of Depeche Mode's earlier tracks more. Back in 1987 they released "Strangelove" which I think is a bit of a lost track here in the states. It was the band's 18th single in the UK but it took them a little longer to catch on here.
"Strangelove" is off of Music For The Masses album and it eventually became the group's very first number one dance track on Billboard's dance charts back in 1987. The video has been shot and edited a few times. I think the one that I found is actually the edited edition for MTV. It features the guys performing and also a model romping around in various stages of undress. The backdrop is Paris and I can't believe how young lead singer, David Gahan is here. Check it out below. Do you remember this song? Was it a big club hit wherever you lived back in 1987?
If I could grow wings I would do anything Just to keep you with me Can't you see?
Honeymoon Suite's "What Does It Take" is one of those songs that left a lasting impression on me. Not because it got tons of airplay way back in 1986 or because it was on every time I turned my boom box on. In fact, it didn't even crack the top 50 on Billboard's Hot 100. But it was part of my favorite radio station's Top 10 at 10 countdown for a really long time. It was one of those songs that was goodnight dedication material and had staying power for months.
You guys remember the goodnight dedication shows, right? One of those things that I really miss about good old live radio. I can remember hitting redial repeatedly trying to get through to make a dedication and for a long time, this was THE song of choice.
Honeymoon Suite found moderate success back in the 80's but in truth they probably should have hit a lot harder than they did because they were really great. Like many of the other great bands to come out of the 80's, Honeymoon Suite still does perform together.
2017 is proving to be the year when a lot of 80's cult classic films are celebrating their 30th anniversary, isn't it? Today it's Ferris Bueller's Day Off's turn to celebrate. You guys remember this movie don't you? From the moment that Matthew Broderick delivered that opening monologue I think that most of us figured that he would be sticking around for awhile- and we were right.
Broderick, after many years of remaining tight-lipped he is now admitting that he did indeed date costar Jennifer Grey. Have you ever gotten the feeling while watching this that something was brewing between them? I'll admit I never caught on!
Do you remember the soundtrack to Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Give it another listen below. This is classic 80's movie music at its' best!
(This review of Whitesnake's Greatest Hits Tour originally ran in June 2016. Here it is again 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”
"Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)" was one of the best guilty pleasure songs of the late-80's. Samantha Fox firstburst onto the music scene with "Touch Me" back in 1986, raising many eyebrows. Lyrically she was the first chick to sing entire songs about sex in the bluntest way possible and there was something really ballsy about her doing that.
"Naughty Girls" quickly became an anthem of sorts in the summer of 1988 with the message being that everyone needs love, even when they think that they don't. Fox's videos were really slick and this one cut between a sexy bedroom scene and then her and her crew dancing in front of a graffiti wall. The video walked the line without ever going to far and the result kept Fox's music in heave rotation both on the radio and MTV.
In between listening to a bunch of hair bands, I was definitely a big Samantha Fox fan. Even now, when one of her videos comes on I inevitably stop what I'm doing to watch in spite of already having seen it a million times.
While I love Billy Idol's rough and tumble style and his anthems like "Rebel Yell" have to rank among some of my all time favorite 80's tunes, I loved when he took a minute in 1987 to slow things down. "Sweet Sixteen" is such a delicate song, one that took most Idol fans by surprise. It showed that this hardcore rocker had a soft side that was worth exploring.
My sophomore year of high school was
loaded with Eddie Money tunes. His album 'Can't Hold Back'
was heralded as a huge comeback for him and that meant a string of
hits that flooded my radio. "Endless Nights" was not
the biggest single, it cracked Billboard's top 40 but compared to
tracks like, "Take Me Home Tonight" it was the
hidden gem of the album. I had honestly forgotten about it until a
few days ago when it came on my radio at work and rather than think
about it, I kind of felt it.
Even though it's a bit of an angst-y
tune it still for whatever reason reminded me of car rides through
the country with the windows down, sun blaring and radio cranked. It
brings me back to stone washed jeans, big sweaters and banana clips.
Back to a moment in time when every little thing felt like the end of
the world, even though those things would eventually amount to
nothing compared to real adult life in the years to come. "Endless
Nights" feels like four minutes of everything that felt good
about 1987. Check it out below.
Do you remember Club Nouveau? Sure you do if you were raised in the '80s because back in 1987 their remake of "Lean On Me" shot to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, making it one of those songs that stayed stuck in your head. Club Nouveau followed that hit with a song called "Why You Treat Me So Bad" which did really well on the dance charts. The beat resembles Timex Social Club's "Rumours" and for good reason, Jay King formed Nouveau' after leaving Timex Social Club and fully embracing a new jack swing sound.
Lyrically, this song kind of speaks to all of us. Who hasn't realized that they were dating the worst possible person and probably for way too long? "Why You Treat Me So Bad" is a breakup anthem, 1980's style. Check out the video below, do you remember this one?
"Thank you for coming home I'm sorry that the chairs are all worn I left them here I could have sworn These are my salad days Slowly being eaten away Just another play for today Oh but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you Nothing left to make me feel small Luck has left me standing so tall Gold Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible Always believe in, because you are Gold"
I love those songs that serve as an instant vehicle to take me back in time. Spandau Ballet's "Gold" is most certainly one of those. Every time I hear it (which is actually pretty often) I'm instantly reliving 1983 all over again. To say that this song got a lot of air play would be a real understatement, especially since even now, more than 30 years later it's still in heavy rotation on some stations. "Gold" is the kind of song that you just kind of know all of the words to, even if you don't like it. I remember it always being on in the car and so nearly every time I hear those opening notes, then at least for a second I'm back in my dad's old Buick driving to god knows where.
"True" was actually Spandau Ballet's biggest hit in the U.S. and while they aren't often seen here they do often still perform in the UK. You guys remember this song, right? I'm betting that you start singing along (even if it's just in your head) almost immediately!
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