Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Thompson Twins- 'Doctor Doctor!'

I saw you there, just standing there

And I thought I was only dreaming, yeah

I kissed you then, then once again

You said, you would come and dance with me

Dance with me, across the sea

And we could feel the motion of a thousand dream Doctor, doctor, can't you see, I'm burning, burning?

Oh, doctor, doctor, is this love, I'm feeling?

I often will say that 1984 was musically one of the best years in my life. In a matter of months Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Cyndi Lauper and countless others were blaring from boom boxes while revolutionizing the fashion of an era. The group Thompson Twins can also quite easily be included in the mix of great music. 

Into The Gap was the group's fourth album (led by Tom Bailey and Alannah Curie) and it cranked out a few hits that landed on Billboards charts, including my favorite, "Doctor! Doctor!"  The heavy synth song did incredibly well on both the Hot 100 and Billboard's dance charts. The video itself was made at a time when technical tricks were more important than any kind of story line. Clouds, pastel lighting and ice skaters all are heavily featured in between the Thompson Twins performing their song. Check it out for yourself below. Do you still love this new wave style?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Tina Turner- 'Private Dancer'

"Well the men come in these places

and the men are all the same

You don't look at their faces

and you don't ask their names

You don't think of them as human

You don't think of them at all

You keep your mind on the money

keeping your eyes on the wall

I'm your private dancer

a dancer for money

do what you want me to do

I'm your private dancer

a dancer for money

and any old music will do."

I fell in love with Tina Turner's music back in 1984 when she released Private Dancer. I knew nothing of her career years earlier with Ike and I knew nothing of her struggle to establish herself as a solo artist. I only knew that when the video for "What's Love Got To Do With It" started I was completely sucked in. I remember at that time my dad would buy singles' and add them to a mixtape, then I'd get to keep the 45. At the time my dad, like every other DJ on the radio was mesmerized by Tina's fishnets on the cover. I just thought she reeked of coolness.

By the time the title track, "Private Dancer" was released I was already a fan. At first, I thought that the song was a bit boring but it quickly grew on me. Now many moons later I love it AND all three of the videos that have been released for it. The one below is my very favorite. Shot during a concert at Wembley Arena, it shows just how popular Tina really was in her heyday. It's also a subtle version of a song that's kind of timeless, don't you think?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Chicago - 'Hard Habit To Break'

"I was acting as if you were lucky to have me

Doin' you a favor I hardly knew you were there

But then you were gone and it was all wrong

Had no idea how much I cared

Now being without you

Takes a lot of getting used to

Should learn to live with it

But i don't want to

Living without you

Is all a big mistake

Instead of getting easier

It's the hardest thing to take

I'm addicted to ya babe

You're a hard habit to break"

I'm still a sucker for a great 80's ballad and Chicago's "Hard Habit To Break" will probably always hit a nerve with me. I have no gut level love story connected to it. In fact, I was in seventh grade when it reached number three on Billboard's singles chart. But the lyrics? Well, I still always kind of got them. Back in 1983, MTV was enough of a novelty that even the videos for ballads like this one were watched with such interest. I remember my parents hadn't invested in "the music authority" yet so I lived to watch at my best friend's house after school. And it's funny because the very first memory that I have when "Hard Habit To Break" comes on is of sitting on the living room floor with my friend and her older sister and demolishing a bag of Middleswarth chips while watching the video. 

Great memory. Great song. Chicago have had so many hits since the late 60's that's it hard to pick a favorite but this really is mine. Check out Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin sharing vocals below!

Soundtrack Sunday: Breakin' - 'Ain't Nobody' by Chaka Khan & Rufus

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Eurythmics 'Here Comes The Rain Again'

Here comes the rain again
Raining in my head like a tragedy
Tearing me apart like a new emotion

I'm not sure how it is wherever you're reading this from, but it seems to be raining everywhere this week.  Not that I mind it. I actually seem to be more productive when it rains. The weather also reminded me of a favorite 80's song by the Eurythmics. "Here Comes the Rain Again" hit the charts back in 1984, you know, when synth music was in its heyday and for good reason.

I still remember the very first time that I heard this song. I was in middle school and had gone to a friend's to do homework. We were watching Entertainment Tonight and back then the show would often end with a video premiere. Truth be told, they really would only show one verse of the video but it was still kind of a big deal. One verse was plenty for me though and by the end of that same week my allowance was being spent on the 45 which I played constantly.

"Here Comes the Rain Again" easily remains one of my favorite Eurthmics songs to this day. Check out the video below and tell me, is it one of yours too? 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Cars - 'Drive'

"Who's gonna pick you up when you fall
Who's gonna hang it up when you call
Who's gonna pay attention to your dreams
Who's gonna plug their ears when you scream
You can't go on thinking nothing's wrong
Who's gonna drive you home tonight?"

1984 was a huge year for a 19-year-old model named Paulina Porizkova. After working the Paris runways for a few years she landed the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition. She also played the crazy girl in The Cars video for "Drive". It wasn't a typical tune by the band because, while Ric Ocasek wrote the song, it was Benjamin Orr who sang the lead vocals.

It climbed the charts quickly and became The Cars biggest hit to date. At the time of filming Ocasek was married to his first wife and Porizkova was just a teen. Fast foward five years and the two ended up getting married. The cool thing is that they still are, almost 30 years later.

"Drive" is one of THOSE 80's songs. It's kind of a familiar comfort whenever it comes on the radio. Even if you don't love it you'll probably find yourself singing along.It made an impression back in 1984 and still resonatestoday. Check out the video below.

Soundtrack Sunday: 'Breakin'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Scorpions - 'Big City Nights'

"When the sunlight is rising up in my eyes

And the long night has left me back at somebody's side

It feels alright for a long sweet minute like hours befor

But it's more like looking out for something

I can't find anymore

Big city, big city nights

You keep me burning

Big city, big city night's

Always yearning"

1984 was really a fantastic year for The Scorpions. It was the year when the German band finally broke through on the U.S. charts with songs like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Still Loving You". Believe it or not, they were already on their ninth album when they released Love at First Sting and it ended up being the highest-charting album (number 6 on Billboard's charts) in the states for the Scorpions. 

The third single released, "Big City Nights" was an MTV favorite and it helped to put the rockers in the first flight of heavy metal artists that would eventually end up reigning supreme over the end of the decade. The Scorpions, Ratt, and KISS helped to usher in hairbands and glam rock with some really solid rock tracks. "Big City Nights" was one of them. Check it out below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Ratt - 'Round And Round'

I knew right from the beginning

That you would end up winnin'

I knew right from the start

You'd put an arrow through my heart

Round and round

With love we'll find a way just give it time

Round and round

What comes around goes around

I'll tell you why, dig

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.

Currently Booming: Corey Hart on 'American Bandstand' -1984 (Watch)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Billy Idol - 'Flesh For Fantasy'

"There's a change in pace

Of fantasy and taste

Do you like good music

Do you like to dance

Oh yeah

Hangin' out for a body shop at night

Ain't it strange what we do to feel alright

Oh yeah

So when will you call

I am experienced oh yeah"

I think between late 1983 and 1984 it was absolutely impossible for MTV to play for more than an hour without showing a Billy Idol video. "Rebel Yell" became an instant anthem and Idol's classic sneer and bad boy demeanor made "Eyes Without A Face" equally popular. But "Flesh For Fantasy"? That was my favorite. Probably because it was edgier and the video featured some (barely dressed) bad ass dancers. The fact that my bible thumping mother thought that Idol was the devil in black leather only made me like him even more.

I love the fact that even 30 years later you can still catch Idol rocking out, lip curl and all. What song is your favorite?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Kiss - 'Heaven's On Fire'

"I look at you and my blood boils hot, I feel my temperature rise

I want it all, give me what you got, there's hunger in your eyes

I'm getting closer, baby hear me breathe

You know the way to give me what I need

Just let me love you and you'll never leave

Feel my heat takin' you higher, burn with me, Heaven's on fire

Paint the sky with desire, angel fly, Heaven's on fire

I got a fever ragin' in my heart, you make me shiver and shake

Baby don't stop, take it to the top, eat it like a piece of cake."

I was in middle school when Kiss decided to take off their makeup and put out a few videos without it. "Heaven's On Fire" was the first release and it was so popular in my area and with my group of friends that I honestly thought it did much better on the charts than it actually did. It was on the radio constantly and MTV couldn't seem to get enough of the band either. Deciding to take the makeup off for a while was actually a brilliant move because it helped to revitalize them. MTV had really hit its' stride by 1984 and unmasking Kiss was a great publicity tool to generate buzz. Plus the lyrics were blatantly sexual and with a title like that, people were already all over this song.

"Heavens On Fire" is one of the few songs from that era of music that KIss continued to play live even after deciding to put their stage makeup back on. Check it out below!

Daily Boom's Soundtrack Sunday: 'Beverly Hills Cop'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Animotion- 'Room To Move'

It's not that I don't love you, oh no
It's just that I, I've got to have room to move
That's all I need, that's all I ask for
Room to breathe, room to move

That's all I need, that's all I ask for
Give it to me, room to move
Everybody needs, room to move

You guys remember Animotion, right? They had that hit song called "Obsession" that will now probably be stuck in your head for the rest of the day simply because I mentioned it. Well, back in 1989 they also had another hit, "Room To Move" which featured Cynthia Rhodes (ex-wife of Richard Marx) and Paul Engemann on lead vocals. It was featured in the 1988 science-fiction comedy film, My Stepmother Is an Alien and reached number 9 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Believe it or not the lineup on "Room To Move" is almost entirely different from the group that first broke through back in 1984. The original band, led by Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams, has reunited

in recent years and continues to perform. The lineup that featured Rhodes and Engemann was short lived but they did produce a great song so check it out below!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Teena Marie- 'Out On A Limb'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Jacksons - 'Torture'

She was up a stair to nowhere
A room forever I'll remember
She stared as though I should have known her
Tell me what's your pain or pleasure
Every little thing you find here
Is simply for the thrill you're after
Loneliness or hearts of fire
I am here to serve all masters

In 1984 the Jackson family made a comeback of sorts, thanks primarily to the insane success of Michael Jackson. His Thriller release was the biggest thing out there and so it only made sense for the rest of the family to try and ride Michael's coattails. Their Victory album sold copies based on the two singles that Michael sang on. "Torture" was one of those and while it was met with mixed reviews, I remember it getting lots of airplay in my area. 

The video for "Torture" was all glitzed out and Paula Abdul actually choreographed all of the dance moves. What's ironic is that while it was Michael's voice that prompted this song to climb the charts, his busy schedule prevented him from being in the actual video. Instead, he was replaced by a masked dancer that people knew wasn't really him. While it's not the best video around, I actually loved this song way back then and the video features all the components to make a great throwback.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Patti LaBelle - 'New Attitude'

"Somehow the wires uncrossed, the tables were turned
Never knew I had such a lesson to learn
I'm feelin' good from my head to my shoes
Know where I'm goin' and I know what to do
I tidied up my point of view
I got a new attitude
I'm in control, my worries are few
'Cause I've got love like I never knew
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
I got a new attitude"

The 80's reintroduced us to a few women (Tina Turner) that had previous success in a group (Chaka Khan) but found their own way to a solo career. Patti LaBelle is one of them, but it took her awhile. Seven years after the demise of LaBelle, she finally returned to the charts with a little dance ditty called "New Attitude". It did well on Billboard's charts and even better on dancefloors across the globe.

The cool thing is that now, more than thirty years later, "New Attitude" is often the soundtrack to anything intended to empower woman. It has become an anthem of sorts for ladies everywhere. For now, though, let's throw it back to its' original, feel-good video.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Dan Hartman - 'We Are The Young'

"Every street is an arcade of dreams

Uptown, downtown, explodin' at the seam

With lights and sounds and the soul parade

White and blue-collar promenade

We are the young, we are the young with the modern attitude

Breakin' down the walls, breakin' all the rules

We are the young, tomorrow comes and we might blow away

So we don't worry 'bout the price we pay."

I really loved Dan Hartman back when I was in 8th grade. "I Can Dream About You" was one of my very favorite songs and for as much of a fan as I was (or at least thought I was), I didn't remember"We Are The Young" until Martha Quinn played it on SiriusXM the 80's on 8 the other night. Like, not at all. I'm pretty sure I must have loved it at one point in time in spite of that.

"We Are The Young" was actually Hartman's third and final single to make the charts and it was considered a crossover hit because it first ranked on the dance charts. Hartman's music has lived on long past his short life ended back in 1994. Apparently, the singer died of an HIV related brain tumor after years of living his life as a closeted gay man. Songs like this one and "I Can Dream About You" make me wonder what else Hartman might have given us had he lived longer.

Check out the video for "We Are The Young" below. Does this one ring a bell?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Dokken - 'Alone Again'

"I'd like to see you in the morning light
I like to feel you baby when it comes to the night
Now I'm here and I'm all alone
Still I know how it feels, I'm alone again

Tried so hard to make you see
But I couldn't find the words
Now the tears they fall like rain
I'm alone again without you
I'm alone again without you, I'm alone again without you."

I'm not even going to pretend that there is anything profound about Dokken's "Alone Again" because there isn't. It is simply a solid power ballad that came before many of the standards of the late 80's. In a way, Don Dokken threw down the gauntlet on how to write and perform one with his 1984 release of "Alone Again".

The melody is good, the lyrics are tight and the song is performed well. What that means is that if this song should come on when you are having a bad relationship day, it might be exactly what you need to hear to feel less alone. Check out the video below,. Pretty awesome song, isn't it?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Laura Branigan - 'Self Control'

Oh, the night is my world
City light painted girl
In the day nothing matters
It's the night time that flatters
In the night, no control
Through the wall something's breaking
Wearing white as you're walkin'
Down the street of my soul

Laura Branigan's career skyrocketed back in 1984, at the height of the synth era. While songs like "Gloria" and "Solitaire" were pretty straight forward, safe musical selections, Branigan drew gasps with the release of "Self Control".  By 1984 artists were beginning to really play with their videos while trying to find ways to push boundaries a bit. "Self Control" was one of the first songs to find MTV unwilling to air its' video.

The clip depicts Branigan venturing out into a seedy underground nightlife and then finding herself in what seems to be an orgy. MTV insisted on edits to the clip before they would air it and eventually she caved in so that it would get the play is deserved. "Self Control" shot to number one in six different countries and it was in heavy rotation on radio stations across the world.

Branigan spent the decade of excess cranking out music and then by the 90's her popularity had waned. She died in 2004 of an aneurism at the age of 47.