Boom Radio: Cate's Musical Diary- Skating Rink Classics

Boom Radio: Deep Dives with Patrick Hemming (Aired4-29-22)

Listen to "DeepDives The 70s Covers Project" on Spreaker.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bananarama- 'Trick Of The Night'

When the day is over

And the work is done

Well it's a different story

As the darkness comes around

I tried to let you know

You're going the wrong way

And the streets you thought

Would all be paved with gold

But when the wind cuts through

You'd even try to sell your soul

Everywhere you go

It's the long way

Bananarama is easily one of the most popular girl groups of the 80's. Songs like "Cruel Summer", "Venus" and "I Heard A Rumor" kept them near the top of Billboard's Hot 100 charts for a few years in the mid-80's. Their True Confessions album from 1986 is probably one of my all-time favorite pop efforts from that era, with "A Trick of the Night" arguably being one of Bananarama's best songs ever. The album version is basically a ballad but when it was released in December of 1986 as a single extra synthesizer and vocals were added in to give it a dance feel.

"A Trick of the Night" was also included on the Jumpin' Jack Flash movie soundtrack. While the song kind of stalled out on the charts it is still considered by many to be one of the ladies' best songs, especially in retrospect. Do you guys remember this one?

Currently Booming: C-Bank- 'He's Just A Step Below Me'

Exclusive Interview: Autograph- Still 'Turning Up' Fans with Old Classics and Brand New Music

In light of the sudden passing of beloved founding Autograph member Randy Rand, DailyBOOM is flashing back to an interview with the whole band back in 2017.

ICYMI:

I recently spent a jam-packed weekend at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, MD. rocking out to a lineup that easily took me back to 1980-something over and over again. It really was heaven for this only occasionally reformed headbanger and if my sixteen-year-old self only had half a clue of where she would eventually find herself many moons later... yeah, not in a million years. Along the way, I had an opportunity to interview Autograph, thirty-some-odd years after winning their first album by being the tenth caller on a radio request line. The lyrics and melodies from  Sign In Please will forever be imprinted in my brain but absolutely nothing prepared me for the four guys that came through the door.

Steve Lynch, Randy Rand, Simon Daniels, and Marc Wieland had left the stage just minutes earlier and within a minute or two of meeting became one of my highlights of this whole festival. They are talented, tight, connected enough to finish each others' sentences and they are really hilarious. Positive energy, gratitude, and a connection to the fans are what keep Autograph playing nearly forty years after first finding (turn up the) radio success. Check out my chat with the band below!

(Photo: Cate Meighan)

Cate Meighan: You guys sounded great out there. How did it feel?

Steve Lynch: It felt fantastic! The energy was good and the crew really had everything together for us. It was nice to be able to flip ourselves around out there and just be able to enjoy it.

Simon Daniels: It's nice in a show when you see the audience's energy grow and they start participating. It's then pretty obvious from our perspective that they're feeling comfortable and that helps to fuel our performance. The way that we look at it is that it's like a big party and we're a big family. I've never understood why people say good luck instead of have a good time.

SL: We should change that (laughing). Let's put out a memo- good time, not good luck. Because honestly, luck has nothing to do with it.

CM: How is performing now different from when you first started out thirty-plus years ago?

SL: We're older (laughing)! I think it's more relaxed now and it is different because our fans are older, but they're bringing their kids along. Seeing their kids getting into the music is a really big bonus. It says a lot when people are still coming out to see you three decades later. We actually wrote a song about it, “You Are Us We Are You”.

It's about the audience being involved and every generation represented because part of every generation loves this type of music. It's happy, up music that you can sing along to. This thing called grunge came along and everyone wanted to do heroin and commit suicide. That wasn't nearly as much fun (laughing). The '80s really were just the best.

SD: It feels awesome because we get to travel and a lot of stuff goes in to when we play- whether it's for fifteen minutes or for fifty minutes. It really does pay off because there is no better feeling than hosting this kind of party.

SL: We play 60-100 dates a year now and it's so much easier than it was years ago. Now we're flying in and we make sure that our backstage riders have the venues supplying the amplifiers. This way we don't need a big crew. It's just the four of us and maybe some guests that we fly with us into the shows. It's much less hassle and it costs a lot less because we don't have to hire a tour bus, pay a driver, then pay for fuel and insurance. It's much easier for us now. There was one year when we toured for eleven months straight. We went from touring with Motley Crue to Heart and then back to Motley Crue again. Plus, we were doing club dates in between the tour. If they had us playing three or four nights on tour then we would play at clubs on our off nights. We would play eleven nights in a row, then take one off. We did that for almost a year and in the end, we were really burnt out, but we were also really tight.

CM: How do you feel that your newer music differs from the classic Autograph tunes that we all know so well?

SD: We're working on bridging the two. We're heavier but it's because we're more organic and the music is raw and polished. The songs are very much the same, uplifting with pretty positive energy. Memorable melodies and harmonies.

SL: We still love choruses that make people sing along. That was a big part of the 80's niche.

SD: The lyrics may sound a little more modern in the way that people talk now but it's still the same theme. Always up, we don't need to the darkness of life. The old stuff the fans know but I'm also surprised by the reaction we're getting with the newer stuff. All the generations that are listening seem to really respond to it. It is very difficult to come and play a new song. We're slowly transitioning while keeping the familiar elements. We've got to be creative. I think that we still have a lot to offer and we're young spirits so we've got to do this, for us.

CM: What is your song-writing process like now?

SD: We table all of our ideas. We know what we sound like and we know how we play. I write a lot of lyrics and ideas.

SL: We then all kind of join in.

SD: Everyone arranges the song and it sort of creates the sound that we have. We all talk often so everyone is really in touch with the ideas. It really is a whole band effort.

CM: What's next for Autograph?

SL: We take it one step at a time. The next thing is releasing our new album. Then keeping ourselves out there touring and writing more.

SD: We know what we want to do and we have the spirit of a new band. It's a unique situation because there are fans that might have been attached to a different lead singer. There are barriers to break through and in time, we're doing that. At the end of the day, we feel like we're conquering those barriers.

CM: Do the fans play a big part in why you're still taking the stage like the one at the M3 Rockfest?

SL: That's why we came back to play in the first place! We were out of the game for a quarter of a century. I mean we were really (laughing) out of it. It took us maybe four rehearsals to find our comfort zone when we first got back together. It was like riding a bicycle with flat tires at first but by that third rehearsal, there was air in those tires. By playing with so many different people throughout your lifetime, you know what your job is before you even go into rehearsal. You know your part and so by the time we go in we each already know our parts. We know our vocals and our instruments. There are times when the first time that we've played a song as a group is onstage. We each have a recording, we learn our part and experience makes it all work.

SD: Getting the band together was effortless and when things are effortless you know to just go with the flow. There was friendship, mutual respect and a clear vision. I've been in bands before but I've never felt like I've had real friends. We all look out for each other and I've never had that in a band before. A lot of our success now has to do with our state of mind. Because we're older and we realize that what's good for the band is actually now good for each one of us.

SL: We have a good camaraderie. We drove eleven hours yesterday and most of the time we were either laughing or sleeping.

SD: Not one single fistfight (laughing).

CM: So since it's the fans that lit a fire under you to get Autograph back together in the first place, what do you most want them to know?

SD: During the show we feel like we're in a big living room together. People seem to feel more comfortable when they see others feeling comfortable. No darkness, no drama .We want them to have a good time and a good life. They're on this journey with us.

SL: We want the fans to keep coming to see us play. It feels like it's getting better each time we play. We just want them to walk away just knowing that they have shared the show with us. We see them as our friends and they are on stage with us. We are also right beside them in the audience with them. We will always go out and take photos, give autographs and anything like that. We really want them to feel like they are a big part of the whole experience, because for us, they are.

Check out Autograph's official site here

Follow Autograph on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Men At Work - 'Overkill'

"I can't get to sleep

I think about the implications

Of diving in too deep

And possibly the complications

Especially at night

I worry over situations

I know will be alright

Perhaps it's just imagination

Day after day it reappears

Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear

Ghosts appear and fade away

Alone between the sheets

Only brings exasperation

It's time to walk the streets

Smell the desperation

At least there's pretty lights

And though there's little variation

It nullifies the night from overkill."

I know that when I first say Men At Work you're probably going to think of "Down Under", the song that everyone most associates them with. And for good reason, because it's a great song with a hook that borders on brilliant. Of course it was a hit and it's one of those songs that you know right off the bat. That's where the brilliance comes in to play. Just about every song by the group has a melody that is kind of a mash up of synth and reggae, with the exception of one song, "Overkill".

While I appreciate the humor and fun of most of the earlier songs, Men At Work's "Overkill" from their second album, Cargo, in 1983 proved that the guys could be serious, if not straight up melancholy. I really love this side of the band and it shows lead singer Colin Hay to be a bit deeper then I would have at first believed. While I love a fun song, I equally appreciate the "Overkill" type songs hidden between cheerier tracks on any album. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Cyndi Lauper - 'True Colors'

"You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged

Oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

And the darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow"

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. 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Dan Hartman - 'I Can Dream About You'

"I can dream about you 
If I can't hold you tonight
I can dream about you
You know how to hold me just right
Moving sidewalks, I don't see under my feet
Rising up from down here below where the streets see
Me lonely for you."

It really is pretty amazing how one song can take you back in time. Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" is certainly one of those songs for me. A little cheesy? Sure. But it was popular during the summer of seventh grade for me and 1984 is permanently benchmarked in my mind as my favorite childhood year. It represents bar-b-que chips, grilled cheese made under the broiler, and sneaking sips of beer in my friend's bathroom.

It represents neon accessories, summer vacations to Wildwood, NJ, and books filled with Scratch N Sniff stickers. Gold chains, seashell bracelets, and striped shorts. 1984 was all about the music- from watching videos on MTV to sitting outside with a boom box- music was always involved. Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, John Waite, and, of course, Dan Hartman. They were all in heavy rotation.

I can remember calling our local radio dedication hour and asking to hear "I Can Dream About You" on a whole bunch of occasions. The best part? I'm as happy to hear it now as I was back then!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Eddie Money- 'Endless Nights'

"Here I am, just standing in circles

And the logic is turning me round

My mind keeps holding

Only one thought

When you gonna call

I think it's worth the time

How you gonna change

All these endless nights

If you could stop

Leading me around

You're never gonna change

All these endless nights"

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 the radio cranked. It brings me back to stonewashed 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.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Heavens Edge- 'Hold On To Tonight'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Kiss- 'Hide Your Heart'

Better hide your heart, better hold on tight

Say your prayers, 'cause there's trouble tonight

When pride and love battle with desire

Better hide your heart, 'cause you're playing with fire

One of the ways to almost ensure a hair band hit back in 1980-something was to create a love triangle that played out in under 5 minutes. The story of Tommy, Rosa and Tito laid the groundwork for "Hide Your Heart" by KISS back in 1989. The history behind this song is kind of interesting because after Paul Stanley first wrote the song it was actually rejected for the band's 1987 album, so Bonnie Tyler recorded it. Her version of "Hide Your Heart" was released in 1988 but didn't exactly set the rock world on fire.

Eventually, KISS did decide to record the song for their 1989 Hot In The Shade release and it did pretty well on the main steam rock charts, reaching number 22. While this wasn't one of the best charting songs by KISS it actually has always been a favorite of mine. Check out the video below. Do you guys remember this one? You HAVE to, right?

Currently Booming: Madonna - 'Everybody'- Live at Danceteria (1982)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Vixen - 'Edge Of A Broken Heart'

"I can't believe I could've been so blind, but love is strange
I thought about it for a long long time, but the truth remains
I don't need another lonely night to dry my tears
The answer's plain as black and white, and I can see the picture very clear
 I been living on the edge of a broken heart
I don't wanna fall, I don't wanna crawl
I been living on the edge of a broken heart
Don't you wonder why I gotta say goodbye."

When you think of women in rock one of the first groups that has to come to mind is Vixen.  They've sold over a million records and were battling the likes of Def Leppard at the height of the hair band craze in the late 80's.  The lineup changed a tiny bit but the most commercially successful variation of Vixen included Janet Gardner, lead vocals, guitar, Jan Kuehnemund, lead guitar and backing vocals, Share Pedersen, bass and backing vocals and Roxy Petrucci on drums.

The ladies have toured and broken up a few times over the years. Back in January of 2013 they had worked out all of their differences and were ready to announce a reunion plan when Keuhnemund was diagnosed with cancer. She fought hard until finally losing her battle in October of 2013. The remaining members of Vixen vowed to play on in her honor and they've done just that. While the group isn't in the midst of a rigorous tour, they do pop up at hard rock festivals and similar events so if you're a fan, keep your eyes open because you just might be able to catch the ladies rocking out.

Freestyle Friday: The Cover Girls LIvestream from 10-15-20

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Ace of Base- 'The Sign'

Exclusive Interview: Whitesnake's Joel Hoekstra on Touring, Playing with Cher & More

Since Covid-19 has brought gigs to a screeching halt we are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.

If you're a rock fan then Joel Hoekstra is a man who needs precious little introduction. He spent several years on stage in the Broadway production of Rock of Ages and used that experience to launch a career that has him now playing beside some of his childhood heroes. Hoekstra believes that greatness comes from playing as often as he can and working with bands like Foreigner, Night Ranger and of course, Whitesnake (to name only a few) has helped to shape him into a versatile virtuoso. 

Hoekstra has been busy with Whitesnake rehearsal's this week as the band is gearing up to hit the road for the Juke Box Heroes Tour with Jason Bonham and Foreigner, but he was kind enough to give me a few minutes of his time.

(Photo: Cate Meighan)

Cate Meighan: I know that Whitesnake's rehearsals just started a few days ago, how's it going so far?

Joel Hoekstra: We started on June 4th and it's really great to see the guys. Everyone in this lineup gets along so well and that makes it really great to be back together again. The band sounds really tight already. Everybody did their homework leading into rehearsal (laughing) and is remembering all of the songs. David (Coverdale) is in great spirits and is singing fantastic, so we're all excited to get back out on the road again.

CM: You were last on the road together for the greatest hits tour two years ago. How will this show compare to that one?

JH: It's different in that we're sharing the bill and playing the bigger venues this time around. It's going to be a great night of classic rock. Jason Bonham will be playing all of the Led Zeppelin stuff and it just doesn't get much cooler than that. Of course, then you'll get the Whitesnake catalog and the Foreigner catalog which means that it's realistically going to be a night where just about everyone knows every song played. That's the kind of show that just doesn't come around that often.

CM: There has been so much excitement and speculation surrounding the new album, Flesh & Blood, which recently had its' release date pushed back. Is there a chance that the first single from that project, "Shut Up & Kiss Me" might make its' way into the setlist?

JH: I'm not 100% able to discuss the setlist (laughing) because it might get me in a bit of trouble. I'm sure it'll be up online right after the first show so I've got to at least make you wait until then to find out!

CM: How does it feel to have the band back together again?

JH: It's really great to be back. I've spent a decent amount of time with David and Reb (Beach) over the last year working on the new music, which is cool. I feel like my relationship with both of them has grown. Just to finally see everyone else too and have us all together is truly the best part.

CM: I know that mixing it up and doing different kinds of projects seems to have really become your forte. Michael Sweet of Stryper recently mentioned working on something bluesy with you. Can you tell me more about that?

JH: It's in both of our plans to do that and hopefully while I'm out on this tour I can send him some ideas. We both like to work quickly and Michael is so talented and just a super nice guy. It's going to get done, I promise (laughing). We just have to find the time in our schedules to actually get together and do it. It'll be cool though because we're on the same page with exactly what we want to do.

I had a friend take me to see Stryper when I was a kid and still in school. They put on such a great show, I was totally blown away. They put on such a killer show even back in the 80's. Now to actually know the band and to be able to call them my friends is just incredible.

CM: I bet that kind of scenario happens to you a lot now!

JH: It really has been a recurring story over the last ten years of my career- getting to know guys that I looked up to as gods when I was a kid. There was a moment this year when I was out with David (Coverdale) for his birthday. It was just him, his wife, Reb and I at his birthday dinner. I sat there for a minute just thinking that if someone had ever told me when I was still in high school that this moment would eventually be happening I would never have believed it (laughing). I would never have thought that it would ever be possible. I have a lot of moments of clarity like that and it's really cool.

CM: I know that you've spent the early part of this year working with Cher and the rest of her band in Las Vegas. How was that experience?

JH: It was great. My interaction with her was so limited though. The most that I've talked to her is a minute before we would go onstage when we're in a circle exchanging pleasantries. That's literally about it (laughing). She's great to work for though and it's a very professional organization. The musicians are amazing and it has been a real joy for me to have a chance to get to know a lot of them.

It has been really nice to broaden my horizons during my downtime from Whitesnake and break that rock stereotype a little bit. There are showman moments in it where I get to step out and then there are moments when I get to step out with someone that's a pop icon. She's a legendary performer and the set is really diverse musically, which is fun. I get to play anything from 60's pop to disco, all the way up to her 80's hard rock thing. There's a lot happening stylistically and that's fun from a musical perspective for me to be able to play it.

(Photo: Jay Marz)

CM: Does mixing stuff up help you to stay creative?

JH: I really just want to keep working and mixing things up allows me to get paid while becoming a better player. That's how I've always wanted to establish becoming great on the guitar and I think that playing a lot is how you get really good at it. Wherever life takes you and whatever opportunity presents itself, that's how you're meant to get good at it.

I love actually making music. I love being part of a band and musical scenarios where I'm working with other musicians and doing the best that I can with that. I also live in NYC and so just the sheer expense of it means that I should keep working and making money to pay my bills (laughing).

CM: After all of these years of playing with so many great musicians, what inspires you these days?

JH: I keep going to improve.. My definition of success is to never have to do anything other than play guitar. That's the modern day musical dream for me. Forget about someday wanting to own a mansion with 17 sports cars that I can crash and replace whenever I want to (laughing). I'm just trying to work and have a good time while doing it. Hopefully, I'll even be considered a good guy in the process.

It really is a job for us. Sure there's a lot of fantasy to it because you get to be onstage in front of an audience and sometimes you're treated really well, but essentially, it comes down to working hard. I keep that in my head at all times because it's important to keep yourself grounded. Ego will kill your career. I think you need to work hard and then as opportunities present themselves, do what you can with them. That creates your life story more than just having one solid goal. You can't make your goals that narrow.

As a kid I never would have said that I wanted to play guitar in a Broadway show, it was not on my radar at all but doing Rock of Ages turned out to be a huge break for me. It was a six-year gig that changed my whole financial reality. I did the best that I could with it and it led me to right now. I think that you need to do your best with every single thing and then you'll see where it leads you.

It sounds like a cliche, but I do believe that the harder you work the luckier you'll get. Just about every big moment that I've had I can actually trace back to another moment that made no financial sense for me to be doing at the time (laughing). Sometimes you need to do things for the experience and to invest in yourself. You plant some seeds and then wait to see what eventually grows.

CM: What would you like to say to those fans that have supported and continue to support you in everything that you do?

JH: I appreciate their support so much and I try to be thankful every day for the chance to do all of this. I have a laundry list of things that I'm thankful for every day and the fans are definitely on it. It's amazing to be making a living playing music and to have the opportunity to do all of this. The fans are a big part of what makes it all possible.

If you don't already have tickets to the Jukebox Heroes Tour with Whitesnake, Jason Bonham and Foreigner then check out tour dates here. Visit Joel's personal site here to stay up to date 

on everything that he's doing.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Boy Meets Girl - 'Waiting for a Star to Fall'

"I hear your name whispered on the wind

It's a sound that makes me cry

I hear a song blow again and again

Through my mind and I don't know why

I wish I didn't feel so strong about you

Like happiness and love revolve around you

Trying to catch your heart

Is like trying to catch a star

So many people love you baby

That must be what you are"

The video to Boy Meets Girl's "Waiting For a Star to Fall" was on tv this morning and while it's not a song that I often think of, it's one that drags me back to a point in time. This was one of those songs that you couldn't escape during the summer of 1988. It was on in the car. On in the grocery store. On in the mall. And, that was a good thing because it just made your life a bit better whenever you heard it. Great melody, great lyrics written and performed by a then-happily married couple. It was all good and whenever I heard the song I wanted a little piece of that "all good-ness".

The story behind "Waiting For a Star to Fall" is interesting because Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill originally wrote it and submitted it to Whitney Houston's people. They passed on it but Belinda Carlisle's people grabbed it up and literally made her record it. She hated the song and fought hard to keep it off of her album.

At that point, Rubicam and Merrill decided to record it themselves and then added it to their second Boy Meets Girl album. The result? A smash hit and the group's ONLY hit so in the end, they must have been glad that no one else ended up using their song.

Check out the video below. The little blonde girl is actually Rubicam and Merrill's daughter!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Vanessa Williams- 'The Comfort Zone'

Boom Radio: Deep Dives with Patrick Hemming (Aired 4-8-22)

Listen to "DeepDives: AOR 2011-2022" on Spreaker.

Currently Booming: 'Let The Music Play' Celebrates Its' First Birthday

In case you've some how missed it, here's your chance to watch!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Sweet Sensation - 'Sincerely Yours'

"Dear I write you this letter

To show you how much your love means to me

I wish we could be together

I need you in my life oh can't you see

You promised we would be together

But you still haven't answered my letter

Oh, oh, I'm sincerely yours

The one my heart beats for, the one I adore

Oh, oh, I'm sincerely yours

The love that you gave I've never felt before."

Latin freestyle seems to go hand in hand with Friday, at least in my mind. If Friday is really the day to celebrate the weekend ahead then that means club songs, freestyle and old school house music are the very best way to kick it all off. Let me take you back to 1988 when Betty Dee and her girls stepped out from the shadow of Expose` and The Cover Girls and made their own mark in the dance world. 

Sweet Sensation had the hair, the clothes, and all the moves. But they seemed like the chicks down the street. This was the girl group that you really could have gone to school with or partied with. And their music rivaled other dance floor anthems. Songs like "Take It While It's Hot" and "Hooked On You" were featured on Open House Party and Dance Party USA, making the ladies a pretty hot commodity leading up to their number one single, "If Wishes Came True". 

Betty Dee, Jenae Colon, and Belle Ritter reunited a few years ago and on any given weekend you're likely to find Sweet Sensation hitting the stage somewhere on the east coast. "Sincerely Yours" remains one of their most popular hits. Check out the video below.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Sting- 'Englishman in New York'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Eighth Wonder- 'Cross My Heart'

Daily Boom: Shalamar - 'Make That Move'

"So many times

By holding back I let the good things pass me by

And then one day I asked myself the reason why

And like an answer from above you came into my life

And showed me one thing for sure

With love nothing is certain

You got to go for it when you feel it

Everybody, everybody needs somebody to love

And I choose you, baby, so let's

Make that move right now, baby

You only go out once in a lifetime

Make that move right now, baby"

There are a handful of dance songs that instantly put me in a good mood and Shalamar's "Make That Move" is one of them. I used to go to my grandmother's ever Saturday morning and while there I'd end up watching Soul Train. I'm not sure if I actually remember Jody Watley as a Soul Train dancer but even as a kid I knew that's where she cut her teeth on a national level, so I've always affiliated Shalamar with the classic dance show.

"Make That Move" has every element of disco in it that made me obsessed with the music in the first place and this performance is as fantastic now as it first was way back in 1981. Enjoy!

Currently Booming: American Bandstand 1984 Dance Contest