Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Spandau Ballet- 'True'

With a thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue

Dissolve the nerves that have just begun

Listening to Marvin (All night long)

This is the sound of my soul

This is the sound

Always slipping from my hands

Sand's a time of its own

Take your seaside arms and write the next line

Oh, I want the truth to be known

I love those songs that serve as an instant vehicle to take me back in time. Spandau Ballet's "True" 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. "True" 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 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!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: New Kids On The Block - 'Step By Step'

Step by step, oh, baby, gonna get to you, girl
Step by step, oh, baby, really want you in my world
Step! Hey, girl, in your eyes I see your picture of me all the time
Step! And, girl, when you smile you got to know that you drive me wild
Step by step, oh, baby, you're always on my mind
Step by step, oh, girl, I really think it's just a matter of time.

Let's kick this week off with a great dance track by New Kids On The Block. Even if you weren't a fan of bubble gum pop there is probably one song by this iconic boy band that you did secretly like and it might have been "Step By Step". The guys first broke through in 1988 with songs like "Please Don't Go Girl" and "Hangin' Tough" which helped them to develop a rock solid screaming teen girl fan base in record time. By the time "Step By Step" was released in the spring of 1990, NKOTB were already bonafide superstars.

This song takes me back to high school when I was trying to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. While lost in that confusion I was a die-hard fan of USA network's Dance Party USA. The teen dance program taped about an hour away from me and on many cool occasions my friends and I piled into an old car and drove to the studio to be on the show. As big as NKOTB was in my hometown, it was nothing compared to the love for the boy band that this entire group of kids felt. Maybe it was because the guys had been guests on the show quite often and that strengthened the appeal, but when you walked in you were clearly on NKOTB turf and that was fine with me.

Who was your favorite member of New Kids On The Block? Come on, we both know that you really did have one! In case you need a refresher, check out the video below and report back!

Boom Radio: Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey (Aired 8-27-21)

Boom Radio: Deep Dives with Patrick Hemming (Aired 8-27-21)

Listen to "Deep Dives 08 27 21 '07-'18" on Spreaker.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Samantha Fox - 'Touch Me (I Want Your Body)'

"Quick as a flash

You disappeared into the night

Did I hurt you, boy?

Didn't I treat you right?

You made me feel so good

Made me feel myself

Now I'm alone

And you're with somebody else"

Way back in 1986 Samantha Fox REALLY shook the music industry. It was a point in time when women were thought to be best at ballads or bubblegum pop tunes. Taking any stage and blatantly singing about sex was not just unheard of but it was also pretty unacceptable. The double standards were still in effect and so if a male rocker mentioned sex it was cool but women still knew better than to go there. At least until a catchy little tune called "Touch Me (I Want Your Body)" landed in DJ's hands.

I'm sure the fact that Sam was hot and a topless model didn't hurt because she looked like a poster child for sex. And this song worked. It went to number 1 all over the world and much of the music-buying public really latched on to this song. She was playful, provocative and in control- something that appealed to men and women alike.

"Touch Me" was also a great club banger so if it wasn't on your radio or MTV you could count on hearing it at the club. It literally was everywhere. Sam enjoyed a few years of success in the U.S. and she had a string of Billboard hits thanks to the impact of "Touch Me".  Check out the video below!

Daily Boom's Freestyle Friday: Lisette Melendez- 'Together Forever'

"I've seen us come together in my dreams
And felt the kiss that makes me love you
Enough to see us through
It took some time to feel the way I feel
That's why I know I'm here forever
And you will always be there"

If you've been reading DailyBOOM for any length of time then you already know that I consider Freestyle Friday a bit of an institution. I love that Latin freestyle has been kept alive and well since it first broke through in a major way back in the '80s. Then, groups like Expose, The Cover Girls, and Sweet Sensation helped to bring freestyle music to Billboard's Hot 100. They all got serious radio play so even if you didn't know who was singing, you certainly knew the songs and I'll bet that you still do.

The late '80s brought the rise and decline of hair bands and as we rolled into the 90's grunge and alternative music reigned. Freestyle music really took a back seat to the moodier stuff but a few artists did make enough of an impact in spite of that, to do well. Lisette Melendez was one of them. She spent a few years putting together her debut album, Together Forever, and by the time it was released in 1991 people were ready to dance again.

 A few songs off of the album were huge hits in the clubs and the title track cracked the top 40 on Billboard's Hot 100. I can't think of a better way to start your Friday than to remind you of a song that will make you dance. TGIF indeed. Check out "Together Forever" below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback- Def Leppard "Hysteria"

It's really rare for me to love just about every single song on an album. I really do cherry pick most of the time and so when something is good all the way through, I remember it.  I'm currently working on something that requires quite a bit of research on the mid-80's so I ordered a bunch of old magazines off of eBay to take me back in time. The best way to get into the right mindset seems to be a combination of forgetting what I think I already know and reading what was actually written way back then. Yesterday I was flipping through a copy of Rolling Stone from 1987 and came upon a piece on Def Leppard.

Now, flash forward 30+ years and we already know that their Hysteria album is considered to be one of the best rock albums in history. It went 12x platinum and spawned 7 singles over the course of about 18 months. To this day, "Pour Some Sugar On Me" remains a rock party anthem that nearly everyone seems to know the lyrics to. Ironically, the album's producer, Mutt Lange set out to help the guys create the rock equivalent of Michael Jackson's Thriller, meaning that nearly every track on it could be released as a successful single. Mission accomplished.

But back in 1987 when Hysteria was first released, Def Leppard had no clue of what was really to come. Instead, all that the guys knew for sure is that it took them three years to complete the album and that no one deserved the amount of bad luck that they had to persevere through in order to complete the record. It was during this time that drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm after a car accident and had to learn how to play all over again, using his left foot and pedals. That crisis was the clincher and from it the title Hysteria was born. The media was all over the group at the time of Allen's accident and it was the one word that seemed to sum up their lives.

I still love nearly every song on this album and at least half of them have a specific memory attached. While Hysteria is not my favorite track, it is a great one, especially knowing a bit of the backstory.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Culture Club - 'Miss Me Blind'

"Now there's no need to demand

Grab my golden hand

I'll teach you

And you'll never be sure

If the way that you need

Is too much like greed

Decide if you are rich or you're poor

I know you'll miss me

I know you'll miss me

I know you'll miss me blind

Bet you make the fool run

Bet you know how

To make it last forever"

I have to admit, Culture Club always kind of gets a little lost in my pile of 80's classics and I'm never really sure why. I've always been a Boy George fan and some of this groups' songs really are timeless. Then there are those that carry a personal time-stamp, like "Miss Me Blind". This takes me back to a Friday night in 1984 when it was pouring and we had just left a pizza parlor connected to our local mall. We stepped outside into the rain and a few thunderbolts later and my parents and I were taking cover inside of The Jean King- a store that was exactly like its' name implied. 

As the rain poured down on the roof above, I was surrounded by racks of Jordache, Calvin Klein and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. It was denim heaven. I'm pretty sure if I walked into that store today I'd be amazed by how small it actually was but on this particular night, it was divine. In my mind any good store also has great music playing and "Miss Me Blind" was always my favorite Culture Club song so obviously, the fact that it was on here only makes the memory sweeter. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: LL Cool J - 'Around The Way Girl'

"I want a girl with extensions in her hair
Bamboo earrings
At least two pair
A Fendi bag and a bad attitude
That's all I need to get me in a good mood
She can walk with a switch and talk with street slang
I love it when a woman ain't scared to do her thing
Standing at the bus stop sucking on a lollipop
Once she gets pumping its hard to make the hottie stop
She likes to dance to the rap jam
She sweet as brown sugar with the candied yams
Honey coated complexion
Using Camay
Let's hear it for the girl she's from around the way"


There are some songs that are just so catchy that even if they aren't typically your style of music, you can't help but love them. I think LL Cool J's "Around The Way Girl" really falls into that category. I can't remember ever hearing anyone complain when it comes on the radio and even if rap isn't your thing, I'll bet you know at least some of the lyrics. Don't you?

Of course you do. This is one of the first songs that featured some heavy duty sampling (Mary Jane Girls, The Honey Drippers) and it's an example of how sampling another song can add to the value of another artist's work. I've always had a soft spot for LL and this remains one of my favorite songs by him. Nothing wrong with looking for a streetwise chick, right?

Boom Radio: Ratt N' Roll on Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey (Aired 8-20-21)

Boom Radio: Deep Dives with Patrick Hemming (Aired 8-20-21)

Listen to "Deep Dives 08 20 21 1999-2012" on Spreaker.

Currently Booming: NEW Debbie Gibson- 'The Body Remembers' (Listen)

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Nayobe- 'Second Chance for Love'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Jackson Browne - 'Somebody's Baby'

Boom Radio: Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey (Aired 8-13-21)

Currently Booming: NEW Jack Russell's Great White - Great Zeppelin ll: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin (Listen)

Currently Booming: NEW Night Ranger- ATBPO (Listen)

Boom Radio: Deep Dives with Patrick Hemming (Aired 8-13-21)

Listen to "Deep Dives Everything But The kitchen Sink 8/13/21" on Spreaker.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Blaque- 'I'm Good'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bon Jovi - 'Born To Be My Baby'

"Close the door, leave the cold outside

I don't need nothing when I'm by your side

We got something that'll never die

Our dreams, our pride

My heart beats like a drum (all night)

Flesh to flesh, one to one (and it's alright)

And I'll never let go cause

There's something I know deep inside

You were born to be my baby

And baby, I was made to be your man."

Do you have a favorite Bon Jovi song? I mean, is it possible to even pick just one? During their early rise to fame the band put out a handful of albums that ultimately dominated the airwaves throughout the 80's. While it's hard to pick, and songs like "Living on a Prayer" and "Runaway" definitely make my final cut of possibilities, I think that "Born to be My Baby" tops my list. The low-budget video has also been a favorite of mine. Forget about the arena-rock crowd, glam makeup and pyro that most rock videos showcased by the end of the decade, Bon Jovi took a simple approach. Just the band working in the studio, putting together their song. Instead of flipping a switch and performing for the cameras, the cameras capture them naturally interacting and guess what? It really works. Check out "Born to be My Baby" below.

Boom Radio: Mojo Rocks with Mojo Moomey (Aired 8-6-21)

Boom Radio: Deep Dives with Patrick Hemming (Aired 8-6-21)

Listen to "Deep Dives Melodic Rock 1986 - 1996" on Spreaker.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Johnny Kemp - 'Just Got Paid'

Check the mirror, we're lookin' fly
Round up the posse, jump in my ride
Radio rockin', a monster jam
Feel the rhythm, pump up the sound
I'm feelin' so good
Don't you know I'm just groovin' to the beat

Is there a more appropriate weekend song than Johnny Kemp's "Just Got Paid"?  I remember when this song first came out way back in 1988 I loved the fact that I could relate to it when I cashed my very first pay checks every Friday afternoon. "Just Got Paid" still speaks to a nation of 9-to-5 workers and nothing else feels like having that money in hand after a long week on the job, right?

This was Kemp's biggest hit and in climbed to number ten on Billboard's Hot 100. It sat at number one for a bit on the dance charts though and ultimately became one of the anthems of the decade. Sadly Kemp died in April of 2015 while on a cruise in Jamaica. He was actually scheduled to perform but instead Kemp was found face down in Montego Bay. The assumption has always been that he fell and ultimately drowned after hitting his head. 

Kemp may have passed away but you better believe that a little after 5 p.m. every Friday radio stations across the U.S. crack out "Just Got Paid", for old times sake.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Duran Duran - 'Come Undone'