Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Loverboy - 'When It's Over'

"When you look into his eyes

Comes to you as no surprise

It's always the same

Every time he's out with you

He tries to tell you what to do

You don't need it that way

Sometimes you think you're playing the fool

He's running around breaking all the rules

Somehow that don't seem fair

There's got to be a better way

You know what I'm trying to say"

Believe it or not, there was a moment in time when women couldn't get enough of Loverboy's lead singer, Mike Reno. I know this for sure because my mom appeared to be one of them. Was it the red leather pants? Was it the bandanna tied around his head? Was it his aggressive lyrics that did it? Who knows maybe it was a combo of all three. All that I'm positive of is that something that he did worked because the band was hot and nearly forty years after they first got together, here we are still mentioning them.

1981's Get Lucky album really put Loverboy on the musical map here in the states and the string of singles that it produced was the proof. "When It's Over" was a breakup anthem with a twist. It was told from the perspective of a man watching another woman's relationship crumble. In other words, Reno was the best friend, would be lover or older brother trying to save you from yourself and your own bad judgment. Who doesn't need one of those? Check it out for yourself below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Franke & the Knockouts- 'Sweetheart'

 Sweetheart

Who love you from the start?
Who treats you like a star?
Oh sweetheart
Who loves you baby?
Who loves you wrong or right?
Cause you're the spark in my life
Yeah day and night

"Sweetheart" by Franke & the Knockouts is one of those songs that I remember loving but I knew absolutely nothing about. It ended up on my Discover playlist that Spotify hand-picks for each user every Monday. This song was a top-ten Billboard hit for the New Jersey group way back in June of 1981. Franke & the Knockouts eventually put out two successful albums and had a few singles before splitting in 1986.

This is where it gets pretty cool, Tico Torres moved on to play drums for none other than Bon Jovi and lead vocalist Franke Previte's writing talents were honored a few years later. He contributed two tracks on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" and the infamous "I Had The Time Of My Life". The later actually earned Previte an Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Before those great accomplishments came "Sweetheart", complete with chest hair, glitter and (not so) slick dance moves!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Olivia Newton John - 'Physical'

"I'm sayin' all the things that I know you'll like
Making good conversation I gotta handle you just right, you know what I mean
I took you to an intimate restaurant, then to a suggestive movie
There's nothing left to talk about 'less it's horizontally."

Olivia Newton John was the perennial girl next door in the '70s. Her string of soft rock hits gave no advance notice of what was to come from her in the '80s. "Physical" was originally intended for Rod Stewart, who in 1981 was the king of raunch. Somehow, Olivia ended up recording the song and before she could pull it (something she actually tried to do), "Physical" took off. It skyrocketed up the charts and sat at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 for ten weeks. The video really raised eyebrows as the singer worked overtime in the gym trying to whip a bunch of men into shape. She gave up just as their transformation into hot, muscular dudes occurred. Of course, there was a catch, they all appeared to be gay, except for one.

The video is pretty iconic but I always appreciated Olivia's live (okay lip-synched) performances in workout gear. The only thing that makes this clip better is the Solid Gold dancers! Check it out below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Foreigner- 'Urgent'

"You play tricks on my mind, you're everywhere, but you're so hard to find
You're not warm, you're sentimental
You're so extreme, you can be so temperamental"

I know that these guys were a bit older when they had a string of hits that began in the late 70's but being ten years past retirement age seems unreal. I remember when "Urgent" first came out in the summer of 1981. It was catchy and really the perfect single off of their 4 album to lead with. At the time, Foreigner was a pretty well-established rock group but this album helped them to crossover onto the pop charts where they would spend years making their presence known.

"Urgent" was something different though. It was one of those songs that everyone loved after 30 seconds in and I suspect that it probably still has that effect to this day on those not familiar with Foreigner's extensive catalog. Back in 1981, I had a little transistor radio that I carried around with me and it was an era where we all really did listen to the radio for hours just waiting for your favorite DJ to play your favorite songs. "Urgent" was certainly one of those songs for me.

Check out the video below. It was made when MTV was still brand spanking new and every artist out there was trying to figure out how to perform a song that could be shown every few hours on a loop if they were really lucky.

Currently Booming: American Bandstand- Dec. 1981- (Full Episode)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: REO Speedwagon - 'Take It On The Run'

"You're thinking up your white lies
You're putting on your bedroom eyes
You say you're coming home but you won't say when
But I can feel it coming
If you leave tonight keep running
And you need never look back again
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around"

I think REO Speedwagon is one of the very first bands that I really remember from childhood. I don't mean just a song here and there either. When Hi Infedelity was released it was always playing somewhere. My dad had it in his nightly rotation. The people that lived across the alley from us would blast it when they were outside and my friend Judy's older brother played it constantly too. They had the big liquor cabinet, side table, turntable thing and if it wasn't REO that was blaring then you can bet it was The Cars instead.

I knew all the words to every single song (whether I wanted to or not) but "Take It on the Run" was probably my favorite. It was a bit heavier and really showcases (still) what a great band REO Speedwagon is. Check out a live performance of it below! 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Franke & the Knockouts- 'Sweetheart'

 Sweetheart

Who love you from the start?
Who treats you like a star?
Oh sweetheart
Who loves you baby?
Who loves you wrong or right?
Cause you're the spark in my life
Yeah day and night

"Sweetheart" by Franke & the Knockouts is one of those songs that I remember loving but I knew absolutely nothing about. It ended up on my Discover playlist that Spotify hand-picks for each user every Monday. This song was a top-ten Billboard hit for the New Jersey group way back in June of 1981. Franke & the Knockouts eventually put out two successful albums and had a few singles before splitting in 1986.

This is where it gets pretty cool, Tico Torres moved on to play drums for none other than Bon Jovi and lead vocalist Franke Previte's writing talents were honored a few years later. He contributed two tracks on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" and the infamous "I Had The Time Of My Life". The later actually earned Previte an Academy Award for Best Original Song. 

Before those great accomplishments came "Sweetheart", complete with chest hair, glitter and (not so) slick dance moves!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Foreigner - 'Waiting For A Girl Like You'

"When you love someone, when you love someone

It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too

Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong?

This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I want to be sure

I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life

I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive

I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive

Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life"

There were so many great power ballads to come out of the 80's. I love the term "power ballad" because it insinuates that the group can really rock out once this particular song ends. That idea certainly held true for Foreigner back in 1981 when they released "Waiting For A Girl Like You".  It was one of those mushy songs that got tons of airplay because of the sentimentality (wedding song material). I was really young so I didn't care about that but I did love the synth vibe to it that a then-unknown Thomas Dolby provided.

"Waiting For A Girl Like You" was the second single released off of Foreigner's 4 album and it went to number two on Billboard's Hot 100. "Urgent" was the first release and it grabbed lots of attention so fans were ready to see what was up next when Foreigner dropped their ballad. I can remember fighting to get a clear signal on my transistor radio whenever either song came on because I loved them equally.  Check out "Waiting For A Girl Like You" below. Is it one of your sentimental favorites too?

Currently Booming: Hall & Oates on 'American Bandstand' in 1981 (Watch)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Billy Squier - 'In The Dark'

"Life isn't easy from the singular side

Down in the hole some emotions are hard to hide

It's your decision, it's the chance that you take

It's on your head, it's a habit that's hard to break

Do you need a friend, would you tell no lies

Would you take me in, are you lonely in the dark

In the dark"

Wayyyy back in the very early 80's there was a young rocker named Billy Squier that was kind of like a shooting star. He could sing and play and perform with the best of them. His earliest songs like "The Stroke" and "My Kinda Lover" did great on the charts and they were pop-ish enough to get a whole lot of top 40 airplay as well. 

"In The Dark" was my absolute favorite though. It has such a great edge to it and when I hear it now 37 years later I still really dig it. It was considered a no-brainer that Squier would have a long-standing career in rock, at least until 1984 album Signs of Life was released. The lead single, "Rock Me Tonight" was the biggest hit of his career but the video that accompanied it was so awesomely bad that it is often viewed as the thing that all but killed Squier's career. He is still around and you might catch him playing but his career just never was the same.

I've always kind of wondered if it was the negativity that did him in or if it was his reaction to it. If it somehow ate away at him and made him a little fearful of creating some new stuff. Either way, it's a shame because this dude is pretty great. Check out "In The Dark" below!

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!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Quarterflash- 'Find Another Fool'

I don't believe that I deserve this ride
You took me for my very heart and pride
You let me down and now your hand is out
Well, here's some spare change you can count

"Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash almost feels like a lost hit to me. When everyone thinks of Quarterflash I think "Harden My Heart" instantly comes to mind, right? I happened to catch the video for "Find Another Fool" the other day and remembered that THIS is the song by them that I loved most.

Rindy Ross' vocals and then sax playing is just everything and this band was pretty rock solid. Quarterflash first formed in Portland back in 1980 and within a year or so they hit it big. This live video performance was filmed in 1981 after they were already playing to huge audiences. Am I the only one that misses the saxophone making a regular appearance in currently trending music? 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: John Lennon- 'Starting Over'

Our life together is so precious together,
We have grown - we have grown,
Although our love is still special,
Let's take our chance and fly away somewhere alone

I was nine years old when John Lennon's "(Just Like) Starting Over" was first released and it's actually one of those songs that really does stick in my head. It was really popular for several weeks leading up to Lennon being gunned down outside of The Dakota in NYC, but it shot to number one and stayed there after his death. I was a really young Beatles fan so of course, Double Fantasy was on my turntable and after Lennon's death, I think it was all that I listened to for a long time.

You have to remember, back in 1981 the only way that we got our info was via the news or newspaper so, at that time, people really clung to what little they had. In this case, it was Lennon's new songs that he would never get to perform live and the next phase of his love affair with Yoko Ono that would never happen. So many people criticized their relationship but obviously, there was something about this woman that made Lennon decide to completely change his life for the better.

Since New Year's for most of us is about resolving to change pieces of our life for the better, the hope found in the lyrics to "(Just Like) Starting Over" really struck me as pretty appropriate. Lennon wrote of the future that he anticipated and even planned for, just like many of us have done while jotting down those resolutions. The only difference is that most of us will get to live long enough to see them come to fruition (or not), unlike Lennon.

Currently Booming: MTV's First 24 Hours Playlist

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Human League- 'Don't You Want Me'

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
That much is true
But even then I knew I'd find a much better place
Either with or without you
The five years we have had have been such good at times
I still love you
But now I think it's time I lived my life on my own
I guess it's just what I must do
Don't. Don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me
Don't. Don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me

I have to admit, I don't really remember a ton about being 11-years-old but there is one thing that does stick in my head and that's that 1982 was the year of The Human League in my house. I'm not sure if my dad was still working in radio at the time but he certainly still had his radio buddies and the ability to get his hands on any new music from just about anywhere. In late 1981 The Human League released Dare, their third studio album which didn't really strike too much of a cord here in the states, until they dropped "Don't You Want Me" and it's unforgettable video.

I'm really not sure what it was about the video that made it become so iconic but for whatever reason, the visuals really stuck and somehow felt way ahead of their time. My dad didn't just love "Don't You Want Me" but he had to get his hands on a special German (I think) extended mix import that featured machine guns on the track during the chorus. Dad had a stereo that rivaled whatever you'd find in any radio station and he always cranked things up as loud as he could get away with. This version of this song, drove my mother completely out of her mind. It was the heavy artillery fire mixed in with those synth beats that drove her out of her mind and caused some serious fights.  She would complain and it seemed for awhile there like The Human League was in some serious heavy rotation.

"Don't You Want Me" is one of those songs that I seriously connect to grade school and it seemed to pop up on a regular basis for several years of my life. I talked to my dad recently to try and convince him to come for a visit. Some health issues prevented that from happening but he recently made a point of telling me that he was listening to The Human League, making it pretty clear that I'm not the only one that remembers the drama that their song caused.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Quarterflash - 'Harden My Heart'

"Cryin' on the corner, waitin' in the rain
I swear I'll never, ever wait again
You gave me your word, but words for you are lies

Darlin', in my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd go
But it's time to let you know

I'm gonna harden my heart
I'm gonna swallow my tears
I'm gonna turn and leave you here"

I think one of the very first videos that I can remember watching is Quarterflash's "Harden My Heart". I remember as a kid it not making a whole lot of sense to me and visually it reminded me of an episode of Doctor Who. I was a bit freaked out by that show but I quickly got over it resembling it because I absolutely loved the song.

I think that Quarterflash singlehandedly made me love the saxophone in under four minutes. From that point on, I looked for and usually found a sax solo in every song that I loved in the 80's. Rindy Ross handles vocals and sax like a rock goddess and in my mind, no other woman has ever come close to her playing. She said in an interview years ago that she felt the sax was like an extension of her voice and I actually get that feeling when a Quarterflash song plays.

I don't think I'm alone in loving "Harden My Heart" because it is one of the top songs that old school radio stations across the U.S. favor.  And honestly, how could they not? Whatever happened to sax being a regular part of top 40 music? It added so much to so many songs, why did it disappear and who is going to decide to start bringing it back- one song at a time?

In the meantime, check out this classic below!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Marty Balin- 'Hearts'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Blondie - 'Rapture'

" Fiab Five Freddie told me everybody's fly

DJ's spinning I said my, my 

Flash is fast, Flash is cool

Francois sais pas, Flashe no deux
And you don't stop, sure shot
Go out to the parking lot
And you get in your car and you drive real far
And you drive all night and then you see a light
And it comes right down and lands on the ground
And out comes a man from Mars
And you try to run but he's got a gun

And he shoots you dead and he eats your head"

I've always been a little bit Blondie obsessed. Ever since my parent's Halloween party when I was 8 I've known exactly who Debbie Harry is. That night, my dad played the extended dance mix of "Heart Of Glass" no less than 20 times and I went to bed wanting to grow up to BE Harry. Fast forward a few years and along came "Rapture" which was a total game changer.  Not only did Harry rap that legendary verse, but it was the very first rap verse to sit at the number one spot on Billboard's Hot 100.

Harry took what only guys like Grandmaster Flash and The Sugarhill Gang were doing, and made it even better. She was a game changer and "Rapture" was such a huge song. It was playing in the background of everyday life no matter where you went and I certainly wasn't complaining. The video is iconic and I still have to stop and watch it at least once a week. Check it out below!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Rick James - 'Give It To Me Baby'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Journey- 'Who's Crying Now'

"It's been a mystery

But still they try to see

Why something good can hurt so bad

Caught on a one-way street

The taste of bittersweet

Love will survive somehow, somewhere

One love, feeds the fire

One heart, burns desire

Wonder, who's crying now?

Two hearts, born to run

Who'll be the lonely one?

Wonder, who's crying now?"

I was having a conversation with someone about music the other day and they said that if they never heard another Journey song for the rest of their lives they'd be okay with that. It made me think a little and I realized that people do seem to have a kind of black or white reaction to the band. It's love or hate ( not even touching the debate over Steve Perry on vocals vs. anyone else) and I suspect it's based on the overkill of songs like "Don't Stop Believin'", "Lovin', Touchin' Squeezin'" and "Faithfully".

I mean, we do realize they had several albums filled with other hits, right? Journey's catalog of music is massive and loaded with a lot of really great songs. I can remember being about ten years old and listening to "Who's Crying Now" on my little transistor radio and being blown away by the vocals. Check out the live clip below and then tell me how much you hate Journey. I dare ya.