Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Lisa Fisher- 'How Can I Ease the Pain'

All alone, on my knees I pray

For the strength to stay away

In and out, out and in you go

I feel your fire

Then I lose my self control

How can I ease the pain

When I know your coming back again

And how can I ease the pain in my heart

I have to admit, I had completely forgotten about Lisa Fisher's "How Can I Ease The Pain" until MTV Classic played it's stunning video the other day. Whatever I was doing at the time, I stopped to watch every second of it. This is easily one of the very best ballads of the '90s. When it was released back in 1991 Fisher kind of skyrocketed to success. She was the IT girl and was expected to follow "How Can I Ease The Pain" with years of equally gut-wrenching ballads. Her Grammy win for the track only reinforced that notion.

So where has Fisher been for the last 25 years? The answer is everywhere. She has toured, dueted, and provided backing vocals for Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan... you get the idea. She also does tour on her own and sounds even better live. Few songs from the '90s connect with heartbreak quite like "How Can I Ease The Pain".

Daily Boom Lost Hits: A'Me Lorain- 'Whole Wide World'

"I always love a little mystery
But now the tensions killing me
No place left for words to hide
I never thought it could be quite so tough
Lips once sealed are splitting up
There ain't no secrets to outshine, father time."

I can remember walking into a Listening Booth store in the middle of my local mall and flipping through their one rack of 12" dance mixes of freestyle/house music and finding a copy of A'Me Lorain's "Whole Wide World". I bought that and a copy of Lisette Melendez's "Together Forever" and felt like I hit the music lottery. Back in 1990, in the middle of suburban Pennsylvania, club music was a novelty rather than a standard. I was 90 minutes from Philly, two hours from NYC and basically just far enough out for stores not to carry a whole lot of dance stuff. 

I was still glued to Dance Party USA and my friends from the series so I knew what was popping in the clubs. I found a way to get my hands on Judy Torres and Coro even if I had to order it. But A'Me Lorain was an unexpected find and I played this record into the ground. She is still around, in case you were wondering. She dropped a dance track last spring that didn't do much chart-wise, in spite of getting a bit of club play. You can check it out here.

In the meantime, revisit "Whole Wide World"!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Debbie Gibson - 'Anything Is Possible'

"Much to my surprise I felt
A warm, not cold vibe
When he looked in my eyes
(Oh yeah, it's possible)
His bad boy front not charm
Was his disguise
Oh whoa whoa
(Let me tell ya)
He read so much into me
Listened so attentively
He liked me, I rest my case
Wasn't just a pretty face."

Debbie Gibson was one of the biggest pop princesses to come out of the 80's. By the time 1990 rolled around she (and much of her audience) had grown up and it was time to prove it. "Anything Is Possible" marked the debut of a sexier Gibson. The video included black lace, leather, and sleeker dance moves. It was probably one of her better singles in terms of packaging but by 1990 the pop waves were starting to slow down. That meant fewer sales for Gibson and this ended up being her first album not to break the top ten on Billboard's chart. I think 25+ years later it still holds up as one of her best and updated songs. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Cause & Effect - 'You Think You Know Her'

"Like children
Rarely seen and never heard
Emotion
Bare your soul you'll never learn
But don't ask why
And you won't get lied to
Speak to her softly
It's something you get used to
You think you know her
But you never really lived a life without her"

The 80's might have been the start of the synth-pop boom but the genre of music continued to expand even into the 90's. I vaguely remember a group named Cause & Effect coming along and reminding me of all the reasons why I loved groups like New Order. Cause & Effect had a very similar sound but the vibe was a bit more progressive. "You Think You Know Her" heated up the dance floors in 1990 and while it only climbed to number 38 on Billboard's club charts I always thought that it had a really great sound. This is no doubt kind of a lost hit and I'm curious just how many of you will remember it.

Currently Booming: Pebbles - 'Giving You The Benefit' (Soul Train Performance)

90's Nostalgia: Lisa Fisher- 'How Can I Ease the Pain'

All alone, on my knees I pray

For the strength to stay away

In and out, out and in you go

I feel your fire

Then I lose my self control

How can I ease the pain

When I know your coming back again

And how can I ease the pain in my heart

I have to admit, I had completely forgotten about Lisa Fisher's "How Can I Ease The Pain" until MTV Classic played it's stunning video the other day. Whatever I was doing at the time, I stopped to watch every second of it. This, is easily one of the very best ballads of the 90's. When it was released back in 1991 Fisher kind of skyrocketed to success. She was the IT girl and was expected to follow "How Can I Ease The Pain" with years of equally gut-wrenching ballads. Her Grammy win for the track only reinforced that notion.

So where has Fisher been for the last 30 years? The answer is everywhere. She has toured, dueted and provided backing vocals for Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan... you get the idea. She also does tour on her own and sounds even better live. Few songs from the 90's connect with heartbreak quite like "How Can I Ease The Pain".

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Madonna - 'Vogue'

"All you need is your own imagination
S20o use it that's what it's for (that's what it's for)
Go inside, for your finest inspiration
Your dreams will open the door (open up the door)

It makes no difference if you're black or white
If you're a boy or a girl
If the music's pumping it will give you new life
You're a superstar, yes, that's what you are, you know it"

Have you ever watched Paris Is Burning?  It's a documentary that focuses on the Drag Ball culture in Harlem in the 80's and even if that's generally your kind of thing, it's definitely worth watching. So much of modern day culture and our phrasology is rooted in those early competitions. Madonna first watched the documentary in the late 80's and eventually introduced it to another type of audience in early 1990, via "Vogue".

Vogueing is the popular dance style that spilled out of the underground NYC clubs and onto MTV in middle America. I mean, I know I was doing it and if you ever found yourself in a club back then you most certainly knew the choreography to the song. Madonna's song ensured that we not only knew what it meant to Vogue, but we also knew how to strike that pose.

The video itself remains one of her best (I think). Shot in stylish black and white, it honors glamorous old Hollywood while paying tribute to the queens that really inspired Madonna. Check out the classic video below. 

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: En Vogue - 'Hold On'

"The art of playing games now

Is not the hearts you break

It's bound to good love you make

When it's hearts on fire

 Give him love everyday

Remember he needs space

Be patient and he'll give his heart to you

Don't waste your time

Fighting blind minded thoughts of despair

Hold on to your love

You gotta hold on"

The late 80's music scene featured several pop girl groups. You had The Bangles, Expose, The Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation... all of them had radio and chart success but there was a formula to it. I don't think that anyone really anticipated the change that was coming when the calendar flipped and a new decade began. The 90's ushered in an era of New Jack Swing, slowjamz and R&B that was just amazing. Groups like TLC, SWV, and Xscape kept women front and center.

En Vogue was a major player at the time. Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones teamed up in 1989 and by 1990 they had a bonafide chart hit with "Hold On". It was completely different from everything else that was getting airplay and that's what grabbed my attention immediately. To me, this video and song kind of drew a line in the proverbial sand and from this point on women had to really step up their game in order to compete musically. Check out "Hold On" below. Do you think it was a game changer too?

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Gary Moore- 'The Messiah Will Come Again'

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Jane Child - 'Don't Wanna Fall In Love'

"Ain't no personal thing, boy

But you have got to stay away

Far, far away from my heart, my heart

Don't you know what your kiss is doing

Let me tell it to you from the start, boy

I don't wanna fall in love

No, no

Love cuts just like a knife"

Do you remember Jane Child? She was one of the earliest shooting stars of the 90's that seemed to have a long career ahead of her. Child's look caught attention because no other woman on the top 40 charts was rocking a shaved head, braids and a nose ring. Her first single, "Don't Wanna Fall In Love" was a total bop. It was on in the car, it was on in the grocery store, it was on in your doctor's office. It followed you everywhere and that wasn't a bad thing. We were coming off of hair bands and New Jack Swing had its' finger on just about everything else so Child was really a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately, she's considered a one-hit wonder by most, but Child does have three albums out there so if you still love this song, then check the rest of her archive.  You remember this one, right?

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Poison - 'Life Goes On'

"Life goes on while you're miles away
And I need you
Time goes on as night steals the day
There's nothing I can do
You heal up my wounds
I tasted your tears
You spilled out your heart
So I let out my fears

But one fear that I kept to myself
Was how I prayed that you'd love no one else
Like you're saying you love me"

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You already know how much I love hair bands (and if you don't know then just click the link at the bottom of this post to view the archive) but Poison has never been a favorite. Not even a little. Sure everyone around me was obsessed with them especially in the late 80's, but it took me a little longer.

My turning point came in 1990 when Poison released "Life Goes On". That song was and is even to this day, a pure rock ballad. It includes one of the best guitar solos of that era. It was also a turning point for the band because they were starting to trade in some of the glam elements for a more masculine vibe.

"Life Goes On" is almost like a lost hit because of so many of Poison's earlier tunes out-selling it. The thing about lost hits is that they are always a gift to rediscover, so enjoy this one!

Currently Booming: Prince - 'When Doves Cry' Live (1990)

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Madonna- 'Justify My Love'

Currently Booming: Club MTV Full Episode (Feb. 1990)

Daily Boom Freestyle Friday: April - 'Someone To Hold'

"A lonely night
I'm thinking of you
So glad to know the things that you told me
Falling in love, is the best thing to do
I need you so, I want you to hold me
Can't you see when the lights are low
All I want, all I need
Is a touch of your gentle heart
When your close to me."

In the summer of 1990, freestyle and house music were almost all that I listened to. Several one-named artists popped up (definitely a Latin freestyle thing),  dropped a hot club song or two, and then disappeared back into anonymity. I'm not trying to be shady here at all. I loved their songs and went well into the '90s hoping that they'd return with another hot track or two. April was one of the artists that kind of ruled the genre. Every song that she put out took off up the Billboard club charts and we just couldn't get enough. If you were lucky enough to spend some time on Dance Party USA (and I was), then you knew April's music really well. 

I found this clip of her lip-synced performance on Dance Party USA. This was filmed in Ocean City, NJ in July of 1990. Enjoy it!

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Queensryche - 'Jet City Woman'

"Wonder where I'd be, you're the air to me."

Why crawl into Friday morning when you can kick it off with a great rock track from Queensryche? "Jet City Woman" was the fourth single off of the progressive metal bands' 1990 album, Empire. It was a top ten mainstream rock track and the song that prompted me to buy the album. Pulling the trigger and doing that was a real investment back then. I think that I had really liked the other singles up until this point and so when "Jet City Woman" dropped it was just obvious that I needed a copy of Empire.

The thing was, once I bought it I realized I was absolutely in love with Geoff Tate's voice and so the album was played nonstop for months by me. The band has been around since 1981 and continues to tour but not without a bit of drama. Tate was fired from Queensryche back in 2012 after some questionable clashes with group members. Things got all kinds of ugly before they improved and a court battle left the current roster of Queensryche owning the rights to use the band's name for professional use. Tate now tours with his band under the name Operation: Mindcrime (after Queensryche's popular 1988 release) and sounds really fantastic. 

Both groups do a version of that great catalog you'll no doubt remember so well. Check out "Jet City Woman" below!

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

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?

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Denise Lopez- 'Don't You Wanna Be Mine'

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Information Society- 'Think'