You must understand Though the touch of your hand Makes my pulse react That it's only the thrill Of boy meeting girl Opposites attract
This week is pretty much the start of summer in my house and if you live on the East coast like I do then you were probably more than happy to see the sun shining for real. I was in the car doing the last day of school drop off thing when I heard Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" and boy did it take me back. As my soon-to-be high school freshman got out of the car to get on her bus it clicked that I was exactly her age when this song was popular.
In fact, way back in 1984, Tina topped Billboard's charts and boy was she in great company. The rest of the top ten was rounded out by the likes of Prince, Huey Lewis & the News, John Waite and Corey Hart. Back in 1984, we used to do the math to figure out when our favorite videos would be on. Admit it, you did it too. New videos were at the top of every hour and they repeated every four hours. If you watched in the morning before school then you likely knew that the same exact videos would be on the next day, just 12 minutes later because the schedule barely changed at all.
Do you remember the summer of Tina strutting in those fishnets with her bitty jean jacket and pretty epic wig? Of course, you do because it was the year of Jackson'sVictory tour which we all fantasized about going to see. My friends and I all took turns leaving for the Jersey Shore and mailing each other postcards from Wildwood as if we'd not actually see each other again in a matter of days. Then there were those white clunky shell necklaces and bracelets. I think I wore three at a time because they were so cool and seemed to somehow prove that I had a life outside of Smalltown, USA. Ghostbusterswas an absolute phenomenon and Beverly Hills Copwas a huge deal. Oh and my hair reeked ofSalon Selectives. The smell is like a mash-up of strawberry, cherry and god knows what else and if you're REALLY lucky you can find it to this day!
My dad was thrilled the year that Tina reinvented herself and came back. He had been a DJ for years and had an in-home studio that I would kill for now and he knew what a powerhouse she actually was. While my local DJ's focused on how great she sounded after mentioning her great legs on the 45 of "What's Love Got to Do With It", dad always had a way of making me connect with the stripped down music, lyrics and the voice presenting it all to me. I'm also pretty sure that he appreciated Tina's fishnets too.
31 years ago, as Tina walked those legs right to the top of Billboard's Hot 100, where she stayed for three weeks, I was walking my little legs into 8th-grade classes just like my daughter now. It makes me wonder, when she is my age and looks back on the summer before 8th grade, what will stand out in her mind?
When I mention the name John Schneider I'm going to bet that the first image that comes to mind is a flash of the 70's breakout television hit, The Dukes of Hazzard, right? If you're a little younger than me then maybe you're brain races to that dad you wished you had on Smallville. Schneider has made a name for himself by breathing life into characters that are uniquely embedded in our own personal history. He is also a well-established country music veteran that has spent this entire year manifesting a trio of projects that complement each other beautifully.
I caught up with John earlier this week and learned that he is standing in exactly the spot he intended to be in as the holidays roll around.
John Schneider on manifesting a book, a movie and new music all at once:
"A whole lot of work and a whole lot of planning went into this year because things don't just happen by themself. We've sown a lot of seeds this year. I think the last time that we spoke I was thinking about doing a book. I'd put little potential chapter titles in my phone as people would ask me different things, and then I would fill in some details. I made sure to write about the bad stuff, like losing the property, because you have to put the bad in the recipe too. Alicia (Allain, Schneider's business partner, and wife) and I were talking and she said that it needed to be a movie. I didn't want to do a documentary, and so she suggested putting all of these things into a movie that celebrates the 40th anniversary of Dukes of Hazzard while weaving our lives into it. That became not only the book, "My Life, My Way" but it also became Christmas Cars, which is already the top-selling movie that we've made thus far."
John on the importance of Christmas Cars:
"The great thing about being independent filmmakers is that Alicia and I can make what we want and say what we want to. When the world sees this movie and hears things like the war of northern aggression, rather than the term Civil War, hopefully, some people will hear that and google it. We want to make people curious about the details of the people and events that they think they're already familiar with. I'm not beating them over the head, I'm just throwing things out there to make them think. We try and do that in a really fun way in Christmas Cars. There's heart in it, there's obviously Christmas in it and there's the community in it and I think that is really the salt in the recipe that was The Dukes of Hazzard. You need community and you just can't get anything done without the help, support, and appreciation of your friends and family. You can try and you can wear yourself out. All kinds of things happen in life to try and keep you from your goals, but you persevere because you have made a promise to do so.
I think that Christmas Cars is going to speak to a lot of people, about a half-hour after they've seen it. The message hits you a little bit later on and to me, that's the mark of a good film. It shouldn't end just because the end credits roll. It's like gumbo and it needs to marinate for a while because it tastes better later. Hopefully, people will want to watch it again because of that."
John on challenging the assumed narrative:
"The (inaccurately called) Confederate flag, which is really the Union Jack, has become like a universal sign of racism and intolerance. So, anyone who has that on their car, as if I put it on the General Lee myself, must also be racist. They don't even give you the benefit of the doubt, if I have that car then I must be racist. So now wait a minute, just because I have a bedsheet in my chest of drawers, am I accused of being a Klansman? No, I'm not. So why not actually ask what I think about it before just jumping to such a conclusion? Is it because I might have an intelligent answer that might diffuse some of the fear that's being sold out there? I bet that's exactly it."
(John Schneider Promo Shot- Official Facebook)
John on reaping the rewards of what he has sown:
"People are buying the book, people are buying the movie, and people are buying our music that's in the movie and so all of that is just incredible. I can't say that it's completely unexpected because like I said, these are seeds we have sown and they are plans that we've had. People will say, 'Well, it's great when a plan comes together', and yes, it really is (laughing). Our plan was to do the music and the book and then to put both of those into the movie. Then finally, our plan was to successfully release everything out into the world. Had we not planned it and had we not decided to go for it then none of it would have happened. I believe firmly in just going for it, make a plan and go for what you want. You have to have a target so that you know when you hit it. Plan your work and work your plan. The worst thing that can happen is that you're just breathing air and taking up space."
John on challenging others' to do what they love:
"I realize that there are people that think they're supposed to be miserable and so they just do what they have to in order to get by, rather than doing what they love. They do whatever to pay the mortgage and the car note and somehow they've been told that they're supposed to be miserable and they've believed it. A lot of people have grown complacent with that and they're okay with it. If you think you're okay with that then I dare you to question whether or not you really are. See if when you question yourself quietly you don't come to a realization that you're here for a purpose.
We're all here for some reason and we all play some part in this game. What's your part? What position do you play and what position are you supposed to play? I think that a lot of people have bought into the idea that they're supposed to be spectators when it's not necessarily true. Chances are that you knew why you were here when you were a little kid and then life and loved ones talked you out of it. See if that idea still makes you smile and if it does, move towards it. Read books about it, just do something and see where it leads you."
(John Schneider Promo Shot- Official Facebook)
John on writing another book:
"Those who have read the book seem to be loving it, at least that's the feedback that I'm getting. I feel great about it but I have to say, writing these chapters made me start thinking of other things to talk about. I can't help but think of how to peel the artichoke back even further so that I can get into some more stuff for the next book. In the first book you're in a position of having to come up with the right recipe to make it all work. The second time around it's not exactly going to write itself, but it is going to categorize itself and that's really terrific. So once 2019 is squared away that is definitely something that I'll be working on."
"Something is wrong as I hold you near Somebody else holds your heart, yeah You look at me with your eyes in tears And then it's raining, feels like it's raining Oh no, tears are falling Oh no, tears are falling, whoo oh Oh no, tears are falling, whoo oh I saw you cry And now it's raining (yeah) Looks like it's raining (someone stole your heart) And now it's raining, feels like it's raining."
1984 was a monstorous year for KISS. Their album Animalize spawned the hit "Heaven's On Fire" and for the first time the hard rock icons were performing and shooting videos without their infamous makeup. It was almost strange to see them all glammed up. Big hair, lipstick and colored spandex replaced their old painted face look and the MTV crowd kind of ate it up.
By the fall of 1985 the boys were back with their 13th studio album, Asylum, which didn't do as well as its' predecessor. However, it brought with it one of my all-time favorite KISS tracks, "Tears Are Falling". The video was filmed earlier in the year in London and for whatever reason I was kind of obsessed with it. My uber religious mother believed that anything connected to KISS was leading fans down a path of imminent destruction, so I really had to keep my love for the band on the low.
Instead of watching MTV after school and out in the open like my friends I'd get up super early to watch it before mom crawled out of bed. There was a point in time when the "Tears Are Falling" video played at 6:40am for about a week straight and I was up and out of bed to see it.
Thirty-plus years later, I still love it so check out the video below!
She wasn't looking for a cuddle in the back seat He wasn't looking for a five minute thrill She wasn't thinking of tomorrow or of next week This vacancy he meant to permanently fill I need an everlasting love I need a friend and a lover divine An everlasting precious love Wait for it, wait for it, give it some time.
Howard Jones is an interesting 80's icon. Despite having 15 songs to hit the top 40 from 1983-1992, he was hardly a media darling. Jones is to this day widely considered to be one of the most defining figures from the syth pop era but back then he was a bit of a misfit. There were always guys that looked cooler and acts that were splashier and in the end Jones actually admitted that it was just fine with him. He never necessarily was taking aim at fitting in anyway.
Instead of being known for his look, it's his music that has lasted for decades. Catchy songs like "What Is Love" and "No One Is To Blame" still get plenty of blame. I happen to still love "Everlasting Love"- a nifty little tune about a guy looking for a whole lot more than just a quick fling. Check out the video below!
"Through the night...through the dawn, Behind you another runner is born. Don't look back, you've been there. Feel the mist as your breath hits the air. And it's underneath the moonlight, passing some; Still your heart beats in the moonlight like a drum."
This, was one of those songs that I never knew the name of, until recently. I'm talking about Manfred Mann's "The Runner". It was released in the spring of 1984 and ended up being used for the Summer Olympics. If I had remembered that little detail then I could have easily figured out what this song was, but I was thirteen in 84' and completely forgot that detail.
Anyway, "The Runner" is really a fantastic example of what a great classic rock sound is made up of. Great vocals and a really solid band that just knows how to jam. I could gush about this as it quickly shot into my tom ten classic rock songs of all time but instead, I'll just let you listen.
Do you ever want to vent your feelings and feel empowered? The K-12 Tour lets its audience do just that, with songs that are relatable to all humans ages 10-110. The newest album from Melanie Martinez birthed a bunch of plush punk fans at The Fillmore in Philadelphia for a sold-out show. earlier this week and I was thrilled to be a part of the fun.
A strong feminist opener, Lauren Ruth Ward, first pumped up the crowd and made the stage her own with a stripped-down set that included just a guitarist, and a drummer. Fans traveled from as far as Ohio just to see her perform and with a huge voice that has the grit of Stevie Nicks and the stage presence of Janis Joplin, this Philly native is one to watch.
Once Lauren bowed to adoring old and new fans alike, the crew started cleaning up the stage in preparation for the main attraction. The age spanning attendees applauded as they swept and moved props. It was reminiscent of that classic episode of SpongebobSquarepantswhere he, to great applause, cleaned tomatoes from the talent show stage.
Finally, the lights went up and the energy was electric as the featured femme hit the stage to deafening cheers from the audience. Melanie has arrived and K-12 class is now in session. Wheels started rolling as ‘Wheels On The Bus’ opened the evening, followed by ‘Class Fight’ and ‘The Principal’, before a lesson for all plays on the screen. It was the first of seven taught during the night, with my favorite being, “Don’t dim another’s light in order to shine. We all shall shine together.”
In between each extravagantly creative set, a heavenly harpist played to raise the anticipation of the audience in the most soothing of ways. Several more songs follow,each one including unique choreography until the album is finished, Then Melanie's gorgeous voice asks, “Who’s ready for some throwbacks?!” Four encores echo, ‘Sippy Cup’, ‘Alphabet Boy’, ‘Mad Hatter’, and ‘Fire Drill’.
If everything was like K-12, then I would go back to “school” anytime!
She's so fly, she'll drive you right out of your mind
Steal your heart when you're blind
Beware she's schemin', she'll make you think you're dreamin'
You'll fall in love and you'll be screamin' dreamin'
One of my favorite groups from the New Jack Swing era is Bell Biv DeVoe, If you remember, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe decided to branch off from their success as members of New Edition and BBD was born. Their debut album Poison made a pretty big splash back in 1990 and had a few singles that landed in the top ten on Billboard's Hot 100. The first track, also titled "Poison" was a huge hit thanks to MTV showing heavy rotation favor on the video. Check it out below. I'm pretty sure that you'll remember this one!
