Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Kiss - 'Tears Are Falling'

"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!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Heart - 'Never'

"Hey baby I'm talking to you
Stop yourself and listen
Some things you can never choose
Even if you try yeah
You're bangin' your head again
Cause somebody won't let you in
One chance, one love
Your chance to let me know

We can't go on
Just running away
If we stay any longer
We will surely never get away
Anything you want, we can make it happen
Stand up and turn around
Never let them shoot us down
Never, never
Never, never run away."

During the mid-80's women really did dominate the airwaves and MTV. Pop princesses were everywhere, at times they were tricky to tell apart but two women that most definitely stood out were Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. They first rose to fame in the '70s and then enjoyed a pretty huge comeback in the '80s with their self-titled album. The second single off of it, "Never" remains one of my favorites.

It shot to number four on Billboard's chart in 1985, to become Heart's best-selling single thus far and the take-charge lyrics seemed to really click with listeners. At least enough for MTV to keep the video in heavy rotation for a long while. In the thirty-plus years since, the Wilson sisters have gone their separate ways to work on various projects, but seem to reunite every few years for a new Heart album.

Currently Booming: Dokken on American Bandstand (1985)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Alexander O'Neal & Cherrelle - 'Saturday Love'

"When I think about you, my feelings can't explain
Why after all this time my heart still feels pain
When I look at you, memories of love like no one before
You stay on my mind
Special feelings, special times
(Always so special)
I was yours and you were mine
(Made for each other)
All the good I won't forget
(You will stay on my mind)
Saturday the day we met
For always and forever you'll be my Saturday love"

Ya' know that song that gets stuck in your head, but you don't really mind too much? Well, one of those little ditties for me is Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal's "Saturday Love". When it was released in 1985 it kind of solidified the two as one of THOSE R&B duos. The kind that was sure to have a hit together. On their own, both Cherrelle and Alex were poppin', but together was fire.

If you search YouTube you'll find recent performances of this song and it's pretty clear that these two still share a special bond. Alex has seen better days vocally but Cherrelle? Man, she still sounds great. "Saturday Love" seems like a great way to kick off this weekend so... here it is!

Currently Booming- Hall & Oates Liberty Concert in NYC- 1985 (Watch)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Stevie Nicks -'I Can't Wait'

"She wonders how many more hours
Her heart will feel broken
In secret she says she needs to see him
But no words are spoken
She dances around in a circle
Well she's got that feeling now
Blame it on something at first sight
Put the blame on me if you want to
To be continued
I can't wait... I can't wait"

I've always that that "I Can't Wait" is one of Stevie Nicks' better solo songs. It was the first single released from her third solo album back in 1985 and it did very well. It made it to number 20 on Billboard's Hot 100 and the video was n heavy rotation on MTV. Still, it seems to be lost beneath a bunch of other songs by Nicks and after I did a bit of digging I realized the reason why. 

Stevie explained it herself in the liner notes of her 1991 compilation album, Timespace: The Best of Stevie Nicks.

"To understand this song, you sort of have to let yourself go a little crazy. Love is blind, it never works out, but you just have to have it. I think this was about the most exciting song that I had ever heard. My friend, Rick, whom I had known since I was 18 and he was 13, brought over this track with this incredible percussion thing, and gave it to me asking me if I would listen to it and consider writing a song for it. I listened to the song once, and pretended not to be that knocked out, but the second Rick left, I ran in my little recording studio and wrote 'I Can't Wait.' It took all night, and I think it is all about how electric I felt about this music. And that night, that SATURDAY night, Rick and I went into a BIG studio and recorded it. I sang it only once, and have never sung it since in the studio. Some vocals are magic and simply not able to beat. So I let go of it, as new to me as it was; but you know, now when I hear it on the radio, this incredible feeling comes over me, like something really incredible is about to happen.""

If you search on Youtube you'll see that she performed it a few times in 1986 but left it alone after that. I understand that rush that she mentions because I get it too whenever "I Can't Wait" comes on the radio. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Glenn Frey - 'You Belong To The City'

"You're out of your room
And down on the street
Moving through the crowd
In the midnight heat
The traffic roars
And the sirens scream
You look at the faces
It's just like a dream"

Miami Vice was never my thing. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever watched an entire episode of the 80's classic show (maybe I should), but the soundtrack? Well, that was fantastic. There was a time in the middle of the decade when every artist either wanted a cameo on the show or at the very least to have one of their songs featured. I think my very favorite song used was Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City".

Sure it worked great with the Miami vibe on the show, but it also worked great for the rest of America. It went to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1985 and the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. I know because I actually remember doing the math so that I could anticipate when it would show next so that I could watch it. 

It's another great 80's song with a fantastic sax solo- which can totally make a song, in case you haven't already noticed. "You Belong to the City" has just enough wail in there to make it fantastic. Check it out below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Mötley Crüe - 'Home Sweet Home'

"You know I'm a dreamer

But my heart's of gold

I had to run away high

So I wouldn't come home low

Just when things went right

It doesn't mean they were always wrong

Just take this song and you'll never feel

Left all alone

Take me to your heart

Feel me in your bones

Just one more night

And I'm comin' off this

Long and winding road

I'm on my way

I'm on my way

Home sweet home"

There was a point in time when I was in tenth grade where I couldn't escape Motley Crue, nor did I want to. I probably saw the Video for "Home Sweet Home" a thousand times in 1985 and my reaction was always the same. I stopped whatever I was doing to watch it as if I'd never seen it before. It's not like they were MY group and like I had a low key obsession with them because I didn't. But I loved Theatre of Pain and at the time I appreciated every cut off of the album.

I wasn't alone either. Not only were the boys extremely popular but they really did help to usher in the whole hair band thing. Groups like Motley Crue helped to grab our attention and then Def Leppard, Whitesnake, RATT and a bunch of others helped to hold it. The video for "Home Sweet Home" features a look at life on the road for the band back in 1985 and it gave the MTV generation a clue about just how many people were being turned on to the idea of glam rock- enough to drop money on tickets. Check it out below. Do you remember the first time you saw it?

 

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Dokken - 'It's Not Love'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Divinyls- 'Pleasure And Pain'

"Lover lover why do you push
Why do you push, why do you push
Baby baby, did you forget about me
I've been standing at the back of your life
Back row center just above the ice"

I was under the (wrong) impression that I didn't like anything at all by Divinyls.  Then I went back and listened to some of their earlier stuff and realized that I actually love some of it. I'm just not a 90's-era I Touch Myself fan. After a bit of a musical journey, I came to understand exactly how much Chrissy Amphlett contributed to the female rock movement.

Once the 90's rolled around Divinyls had totally embraced a pop music sound and image but the 80's were a different story. The band rocked and Amphlett was known for her sexy image. Most of the time she was wearing fishnets and a schoolgirl outfit and her style added to the uniqueness of the band. They eventually split in 1996 after a 16-year career together. 

Amphlett was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and couldn't undergo chemotherapy/radiation because she had Multiple Sclerosis. The singer eventually died in 2013 at the age of 53 but Divinyls music definitely lives on.  "Pleasure And Pain" is my favorite song by them. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Glenn Frey - 'You Belong To The City'

"You're out of your room
And down on the street
Moving through the crowd
In the midnight heat
The traffic roars
And the sirens scream
You look at the faces
It's just like a dream"

Miami Vice was never my thing. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever watched an entire episode of the 80's classic show (maybe I should), but the soundtrack? Well, that was fantastic. There was a time in the middle of the decade when every artist either wanted a cameo on the show or at the very least to have one of their songs featured. I think my very favorite song used was Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City".

Sure it worked great with the Miami vibe on the show, but it also worked great for the rest of America. It went to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1985 and the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. I know because I actually remember doing the math so that I could anticipate when it would show next so that I could watch it. 

It's another great 80's song with a fantastic sax solo- which can totally make a song, in case you haven't already noticed. "You Belong to the City" has just enough wail in there to make it fantastic. Check it out below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Madonna- 'Into The Groove'

"Only when I'm dancing can I feel this free
At night I lock the doors, where no one else can see
I'm tired of dancing here all by myself
Tonight I wanna dance with someone else"

I thought we would kick this morning off with a great classic Madonna song. "Into the Groove" was by many considered to be her first real, bonafide hit. The track was featured on the Desperately Seeking Susan soundtrack and probably one of the best parts of the entire film. The summer of 1985 was all about Madonna and we were all heading to the theater's to catch her performance beside Rosanna Arquette. Not too long ago I happened to get my hands on a copy of the Rolling Stone issue that was devoted to Desperately Seeking Susan and everything else that Madonna had going on back then.

So much nostalgia in that one photo right there, isn't there?

"Into the Groove" became a dance anthem for an entire decade and it certainly transcended the film that featured it. The video also inspired a generation's fashion sense. Even at 14, black lace, crop tops and kitten heels were part of my wardrobe. Check out the video below. How long has it been since you've seen Desperately Seeking Susan?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Pet Shop Boys - 'West End Girls'

Sometimes you’re better off dead
There’s a gun in your hand and it’s pointing at your head
You think you’re mad, too unstable
kicking in chairs and knocking down tables
in a restaurant in a West End town
Call the police! There’s a madman around
Running down underground
to a dive bar in a West End town

"West End Girls" was one of the first songs by the Pet Shop Boys to do really well on the charts and to this day, more than 30 years later it's still considered one of their best. It's also timeless. The first time that you hear it you're really not sure if it's old or brand new. The fact is, "West End Girls" debuted back in 1985 at a time when Brit-pop and synth music was exploding. Thompson Twins, Bananarama, The Human League... were all sitting at the top of the charts and there was plenty of room for Pet Shop Boys to join the party. Check out "West End Girls" below. Is it one of your favorites by the duo?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Nayobe- 'Please Don't Go'

Please don't go, please don't go
Don't go there tonight
It just isn't right
You may not come back to me
Our future we'll never see
You're throwing our life plans away
Please don't go

While I technically live near the beach now, that feeling of driving "down the shore" as a kid never fades. It was a once a year occasion that amounted to being just about everything to me and my friends. Wildwood, Ocean City, Seaside Heights were all a possibility and I think that memory of hitting the boardwalk at night as a kid is one that I'll never forget.

Spending 4 hours in the car also meant that we were driving to where the coolest music was. In 1985 I alternated between rock and club music and I think the latter just epitomizes boardwalk fun. The songs blaring in all of the t-shirt shops on the boardwalk were ones that I would never hear on the radio at home. In 1985, Nayobe's "Please Don't Go" was hands down THE club hit of the summer and now even 30 years later it is still identified as one of those songs that remind my generation of summer beach fun.

Even if you have no clue who Nayobe is, I'm going to bet that you'll remember this song.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Kate Bush - 'Running Up That Hill'

You don't want to hurt me,
But see how deep the bullet lies.
Unaware I'm tearing you asunder.
Ooh, there is thunder in our hearts.

Is there so much hate for the ones we love?
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?
You, it's you and me.
It's you and me won't be unhappy.

I've always been a bit of a Kate Bush fan but I think my appreciation for her has definitely as I've gotten older. Back in 1985 her video for "Running Up That Hill" was in pretty heavy rotation on MTV and it featured Bush doing an interpretive dance to the haunting song. It was quirky and kind of unusual which helped to make the song memorable. Supposedly when it was first released record executives worried about how people would react to it. The original title was "Make A Deal With God" and they flipped it to "Running Up That Hill" to be safe.

The lyrics were what were in question and eventually Bush explained the song, proving there really was no reason for concern. The gist of "Running Up That Hill" is that relationships are hard and if men and women could make a deal with God to switch places even for a little while the result would be pretty enlightening. That notion still holds true now, more than thirty years later!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bananarama - 'Do Not Disturb'

"We took the late flight 
Close to heaven in the cold half light 
All the pleasures of that very first night 
Crystal clear in my mind 
No complications 
Just another reservation 
In a beach hotel 
We found a room with a view 
Lock the door and change the sign 
Do not disturb" 

If you were to ask the ladies which song they least liked, Bananarama would probably tell you "Do Not Disturb". It was released in 1985 ahead of their True Confessions album that came early the following year. They've said in the past that it's a song that has never felt right to them but I have to say, I'm really glad that they recorded it. 

It feels like the standard blueprint for a great mid-80's song. It's super catchy, the synth is on point and the video is really cute. But the remix? That's really what gives this thing legs. I recently ordered the 12" and was thrilled to discover that I love the extended version. I also remember dancing to it back in the day.

The True Confessions era of Bananarama is probably my favorite. They grew up and had traded in some of the boyish clothes for a bit of a sexier vibe. You may not remember "Do Not Disturb" but if you like what you hear then you need to check out the rest of the album. "Venus" was their next single after this. Need I say more?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Murray Head - 'One Night In Bangkok'

"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster

The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me."

You may not remember the name Murray Head, but you'll definitely remember the one-hit-wonder that he sang on in 1985. "One Night In Bangkok" was part of the Chess musical that came out after its' concept album took off. Murray was simply a British actor that was brought in to read the lyrics and probably never anticipated the song being so well-received. Check out the video below. Of course you remember this, right?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: 'Til Tuesday - 'Voices Carry'

"I try so hard not to get upset
Because I know all the trouble I'll get
Oh, he tells me tears are something to hide
And something to fear-eh-eh
And I try so hard to keep it inside
So no one can hear
Hush-hush, keep it down now, voices carry"

You guys remember "Voices Carry", right?  The song by 'Til Tuesday barreled up Billboard's charts to number 8 back in 1985 and the video really did help the group to become one of MTV's early favorites. Aimee Mann's vocals about a doomed love affair are haunting and ring true for anyone that has been in a relationship with the wrong person. You feel like you can't do anything right and everything that the other person does is just plain wrong as well. At one point in time, Cyndi Lauper was hoping to record "Voices Carry" herself and ya know what, it probably would have been a hit for her too.

Instead, 'Til Tuesday did the honors and it cemented their place in new wave history.  Rather than going with the original video, I thought I'd instead post this live performance. Do the math- it's about ten days short of being 30 years old!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Ratt - 'Lay It Down'

"I know you don't really know me
I know you don't really care to see me
I'm into total affection
Not being scared if you never please me
You know you really want to lay it down
Right now
And how"

When I was 16 I started to work at a fast food restaurant and crushed hard on a coworker. He was hilarious, creative and REALLY into Ratt. I was already familiar with Stephen Pearcy and the rest of the group (hello, Round & Round?!) but didn't realize just how much I loved them until Invasion Of Your Privacy came out. It to this day remains a favorite album. Not only do I like every song, but I want to hear it all in order. How often do you actually get to say that about an album?

"Lay It Down" was the first single released and it kind of threw down the proverbial gauntlet for the rest of the album. It was the second-highest ranking top 40 hit for the band and one of their best videos. Check it out below!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Pat Benatar - 'Invincible'