Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz perfectly captured the polished, sophisticated sound that defined so much of late-'80s pop. With its sleek production, heartfelt lyrics, and unforgettable melody, it's a song that has never really gone out of style.
Written and sung by Clark Datchler, "Shattered Dreams" tells the story of heartbreak after realizing a relationship was built on lies. Instead of relying on over-the-top drama, the song lets its smooth arrangement and emotional honesty do the heavy lifting. That's part of what made it stand out then and why it still sounds fresh today.
The single became an international smash, reaching the Top 5 in several countries and climbing all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It helped launch the band's debut album, Turn Back the Clock, which remains one of my favorite albums from that era.
Sadly, this week brought heartbreaking news for fans of the band. Johnny Hates Jazz co-founder Calvin Hayes, whose keyboards and musicianship helped shape the group's signature sound, passed away at the age of 63. While Clark Datchler's voice became the band's calling card, Hayes was an essential part of the creative force that brought songs like "Shattered Dreams," "Heart of Gold," and "Turn Back the Clock" to life. His passing is a reminder of just how much these musicians contributed to one of pop music's most elegant catalogs.
Nearly 40 years later, "Shattered Dreams" remains a masterclass in sophisticated pop songwriting. It's emotional without being melodramatic, catchy without feeling disposable, and every time I hear those opening notes, I'm reminded why Johnny Hates Jazz earned a permanent place on my '80s playlist.
Rest in peace, Calvin Hayes. Thank you for helping create one of the defining sounds of an unforgettable decade.
You can live your life lonely heavy as stone Live your life learning and working alone Say this is all you want but I don't believe that it's true 'cause when you least expect it waiting round the corner for you Love comes quickly whatever you do you can't stop falling Love comes quickly whatever you do you can't stop falling
When the Pet Shop Boys arrived in America in 1986, they did so in a big way. "West End Girls" became an undeniable smash, climbing all the way to No. 1 and helping usher synth-pop into the mainstream at a time when the genre was absolutely everywhere. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe suddenly found themselves among the biggest names in pop music.
Their follow-up single, "Love Comes Quickly," didn't enjoy the same chart success in the United States, but for many fans, it's one of the duo's finest moments. In fact, it's long been considered one of the Pet Shop Boys' own favorite songs, and it's always been one of mine too.
There's something wonderfully understated about "Love Comes Quickly." Instead of delivering an over-the-top love song, it captures that quiet realization that you've already fallen for someone before you even had a chance to stop it. Love doesn't ask permission. It doesn't wait until the timing is perfect. One day you're going about your life, and the next, those feelings have completely taken over.
The song's shimmering synths, elegant melody, and Neil Tennant's cool, understated vocals make the message even more powerful. It's romantic without being overly sentimental, proving that sometimes the strongest emotions are expressed with the fewest words.
Looking back, "Love Comes Quickly" may have been overshadowed by the massive success of "West End Girls," but it has aged beautifully. It's one of those songs that reveals something new every time you hear it, reminding us why the Pet Shop Boys became one of the most respected and enduring acts of the synth-pop era.
Not every great song becomes a blockbuster hit. Sometimes the ones that leave the deepest impression are the quieter follow-ups that loyal fans continue to treasure decades later. "Love Comes Quickly" is one of those songs for me, and forty years later, it still sounds just as elegant and heartfelt as it did in 1986.
"There`s a real fine line Between love and hate And I`m not the type To just sit and wait I`ve made up my mind I can`t wait for you anymore"
Ya know that one song that you remember so well years (okay decades) later that no one else can recall? Bardeux's "When We Kiss' fits that bill for me. I have never mentioned it to another soul that has any idea what I'm talking about and if I play it for them, they still don't remember it. Bardeux was actually a dance duo from OC, Stacy "Acacia" Smith and Lisa "Jaz" Teaney (at least on this song), who released their first album, Bold As Love in 1988.
While Bardeux is often described as a one-hit-wonder, they actually had a few singles that charted on Billboard's Hot 100 and they did really well on the dance charts during their short time together. I've always loved "When We Kiss' because it's almost more of a spoken word song than anything else and that really made it stand out back in 1988. Check it out below. Do you guys remember Bardeux?
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ICYMI:
There are very few albums in my life
that I've liked from start to finish Exposure, the debut
effort from legendary girl group Exposé is still near the
very top of my shortlist of favorites. 1987 was a year of firsts for
me- the first job slinging fish in a fast-food restaurant. First summer
of freedom thanks to turning sixteen and having a bestie with a car. A first taste of heartbreak courtesy of a boy that I didn't honestly
even like. Exposé was there with me every step of the way. Whether
they were blaring from a boombox while my friends and I laid in the
sun covered in baby oil or were whispering through my Walkman
headphones about seasons changing while tears rolled down my cheeks
at 2am, they were there. And I was grateful.
Perhaps the best thing about the 80's
being so hot right now is hearing my kids walk around the house
singing the exact same songs that I was singing at their age. Why?
Because the music is fun and it holds up and that's precisely the reason why you can catch acts like Exposé (Jeanette Jurado, Gioia
Bruno and Ann
Curless) still lighting up the stage. Over the last few years
I've had a few opportunities to catch the ladies live and to connect
with both Gioia and Ann, both of whom I adore.
Jeanette has been a bit more elusive.
I'd liken it to catching a unicorn, you just know that if somehow you
can make it happen it'll be totally worth the time and effort. This
week I was finally able to chat with her one-on-one and was not
disappointed. She is deeply devoted to her family, including her
Exposé sisters, and has a sense of humor and a sarcastic streak that I
really appreciate. Most of all, Jeanette was totally present in this
interview and really dug deeper than even I expected. Check it out
below. Click the links and if you have an opportunity, go and see
Exposé live. I promise you'll love every minute!
Cate Meighan: It has been more than thirty years since you, Gioia
Bruno and Ann Curless
broke onto the music scene as Exposé, What is it that keeps you
still out there performing in 2017?
Jeanette Jurado:
First of all, I'm not at peace with myself or comfortable with myself
unless I'm singing somewhere. If I go too long without singing my
boys are like “Mom!!!” because I'm singing around the house or
I'm singing in the shower full blast (laughing). I have to have some
way to be able to get that out of me, it's like this built up energy
and if I can't go out and sing then I'm not a happy individual. The
second reason is actually getting together with Gioia and Ann. I keep
joking with them about how you hear of maybe once a year girl's
getting together with their friends and planning a girls' weekend. I
get to see them all the time and get paid (laughing)! What's there to
complain about? We go and stay at a nice hotel, enjoy dinner and
catch up on what's going on in each others' lives. The third thing is
the audience, of course. That moment when you first go out on stage
and you just feel the audience and the energy of that room. It really
is, quite addicting. It's really all of those things that keeps me
out there performing regularly.
(Photo: Robert Valesco)
CM:
Onstage I know that you refer to each other as “sisters”. Does it
really feel like a sisterhood to you?
JJ:
It's absolutely true. I have two real-life sisters, no brothers. I'm
the middle of the three. There's nobody that I argue with and love
more. In some ways you can kind of get away with stuff because you
love them so much that you know you're going to come back and work it
out. Ya know, you're sisters so you kind of have to. That's the same
way that it is with Gioia and Ann and I'm glad that we feel
comfortable enough to be horrible with each other sometimes
(laughing). I think it's a healthy thing and whenever there is a conflict between us I do think, “Okay, they're my sisters and I
know we're going to get past this just give it a little time.” and
in the end, we always do.
CM: The group really skyrocketed quickly (seven back-to-back top ten
Billboard hits) and you found yourselves on the road with your
sisters. Did you enjoy that part back in the early days of Exposé?
JJ:
That's a hard one. There was a time when we were in Europe
together, I think we were in Scotland and I was just so young and
homesick. Growing up I was never one of those kids that wanted to
travel the world, I was not even interested (laughing). I thought I
was going to get married and have children and stay in East LA for
the rest of my life so, surprise (laughing)! I was very young and I
was literally having a hard time getting out of bed. I just wanted to
stay in the hotel, order room service and watch CNN because it
connected me to the United States. Had it not been for Annie, who had
to literally at one point go and get a key to my room and force me to
come out- and she yanked me out (laughing) and made me leave. She
said I'd never get this opportunity again and that I had to get out
of bed because she had made reservations to go see this and that. I
think I was literally crying and she would often push me to go and
see things that I thought I had no interest in. Had it not been for
her I probably wouldn't have enjoyed half of the places that we
traveled to.
That
still really sticks out in my mind. I'm so grateful and I always
thank her because without Ann I wouldn't have done half the things
that I did. I'm much different now, but I think then I was just so
young and naive that I didn't realize the golden opportunity that was
right in front of my eyes that I fell into. I just didn't get it. I
just thought, oh this happens to everybody that wants to be a singer
(laughing). I think back now and it's comical, I thought it would
always be there and I'd always be traveling- you know, who doesn't
get a tour bus (laughing)? Because when you grow up and this is what
you wish for this is what happens, right? No. Now I look back and
realize the amazing blessings I had. Just the record company and
having Gioia and Ann and being able to travel. It was all a little
miracle in itself. Now I know! You're young and you think you're just
invincible until you grow a little more and realize you're not.
CM: Once Exposé started to
conquer the charts several other girl groups like Sweet Sensation
and The Cover Girls also started to break out. Did you keep
your eye on the competition?
JJ: I'd have to say I was pretty
secure (laughing) only because we were so busy that I probably wasn't
even paying attention. The three of us discuss that quiet often, how
we were so busy and just spinning in everything going on within us
and around us. Everything was so new to us so to tell you the truth I
was not paying attention. I was secure in a very naive way
(laughing). I had enough to worry about within Exposé to waste a
minute worrying about anything outside of Exposé. We were absolutely
in our own bubble and I don't remember having conversations about
what anyone else was doing.
CM:
When the group disbanded back in 1996, were you ready to move on?
JJ:
I was def ready. We were all
just so miserable in that contract. I didn't think that at the time I
was saying goodbye to Kelly (Moneymaker, who replaced Gioia Bruno in
the early 90's) and Ann. I knew that it wouldn't be goodbye for the
three of us so I was good with that. I knew that wasn't gonna go away.
But we were all just so tired of waiting to be told what we could or
couldn't do. We were also not as young as when we had first started
and so there were other things that had become important to us. Our
freedom being one of them(laughing). I was definitely ready to not be
in that position any more.
CM:
So then you fast forward a decade and you girls decided to reunite.
Was that an easy transition or did it take some pushing?
JJ:
It took a little pushing in the beginning. It was weird talking to
the girls about coming back. I think so much of it for me was
wondering if we would still have an audience, because I didn't know
for sure. I had met a friend that suggested we get back out there and
I called a few booking agents thinking that interest really wouldn't
be there. But once I had conversations with various people that were
still anxious to work with us, then I thought that maybe we were just
missing out on an opportunity to still be doing this. I think some
pushing came between the three of us, actually putting ourselves in
that zone after we had been on our own for so long. We are three very
headstrong women and getting together and making decisions can be
tough. Sometimes what's great for Ann and I may not be the best thing
for Gioia or vice versa and so it's always a compromise. Just like in
any marriage, it's a constant compromise and so it takes a lot of
putting your ego aside. Luckily, we were all ready to do that and so,
here we are. Ann and I still have kids at home to worry about. The
good thing is that Gioia is also a mom (her daughter is 29) so she
really understands those feelings and that love and how important it
is to be present. Somehow it all balances itself out. She knows that
this is the real gig, here at home (laughing).
CM:
I'm generally a B-side girl when it comes to music. What are some
of your favorite Exposé songs that maybe weren't released as singles
or haven't gotten the mainstream accolades as say, “Point Of No
Return”?
JJ:
A favorite of mine that didn't get as much attention. Funny enough,
“In Walked Love” I love doing and I love the adult
contemporary genre of our songs. I love being able to sing background
(laughing). I love sitting behind Gioia or Ann and supporting them
because I don't get to do it all the time. I get to sit back and
really hear their voices and work on blending backgrounds and those
are some of my favorite moments and songs. We rate our own
performances on whether or not it was a great blend or the volume of
the band. Those are all of the things I'm actually thinking of
(laughing) and we need to have the full band with us to really figure
out how to tweak our performances in general. We all discuss the
technical part when we get off stage.
It
depends on the audience that we're about to perform for how we pick
our songs and how we get to perform them. When we're doing the
freestyle shows and it's a bunch of people onstage then we only have
a short amount of time and I know the audience is there to hear the
hits. So it's like bam- bam-bam, I'll arrange the show that we're
about to do to please that audience. When we have a show where we
have a live band, then I know it's more relaxed and we have an
opportunity to play around with our arrangements and our song choices
as well. It's a much more personable audience and so we have to be
more personable as well. That gives us a better chance to talk to our
audience, maybe tell them a story about the songs and really just
play off of each other a little bit. I think the audience expects to
see that investment from us at that type of show.
CM:
Expose` shows are generally on the weekend and so what does a typical
weekday look like for you now?
JJ:
Right now my day consists of doing things with the boys because
they're out of school. When they're in school it's so much easier
(laughing) because when they're here it's like “Mom can
we do this, mom can we do that...” so there's a lot of planning
around them and cooking three times a day rather than just once.
Right now I'm also putting together another band and getting
all of the music together , talking to the guys. A lot of scheduling
and figuring out who is free for certain dates. There are new
arrangements for the live band shows that we're doing. That's my day.
I also talk to the booking agents and figure out if we want to do
dates or not. So it's a little of family and work. I'm all
encompassing of my family but I also get to do a little Exposé stuff too. It's important to the three of us that we all have a
responsibility in the group and so we've sliced it up in three
pieces. My piece happens to be the music part of it.
I
don't think that I'm any more technical than Gioia or Ann is but I
have the advantage of working regularly with the band. Most of the
time when we go out on the road I have a closer relationship with
them because I work with them from where I live. I rehearse them and
choose which band members we're going to use and so by the time we
get to the stage there's already a great relationship between me and
the guys. Ann and Gioia will sometimes just be working with them for
that day or two and then they're off. So I keep up the relationship
with phone calls so I'm kind of the link between the three of us and
them.
CM:
I think that our kids are about the same age. Is it as hard for
you to step back and let your boys become more independent? I know I
struggle with helicoptering myself.
JJ:
I struggle every single second of the day. It is so difficult for me
and the fact that my boys are both driving just like, drives me
insane. You pray every time they get in the car and it's so difficult
to let them fly on their own. I keep myself in check because I don't
want to ruin them by being too over protective. It's just hard
because there's no way that you can make sure they're safe once they
go out the door so I have to tell myself that I've done my best. I've
taught them, talked to them and then I shout things to them at least
12 times as they're walking out the door (laughing). These poor kids.
It's my hardest struggle of all, letting them go.
CM:
You so rarely speak on the record, what would you like to say to
all of the fans that still listen toExposé and venture out to the
live shows?
JJ:
Oh my gosh, it's going to sound so corny but I'm just so grateful to
them. I'm grateful that they have a desire to come and see us and
that it's important enough to leave their homes and spend their hard
earned money- whether it's for the first time or the fourth time.
Sharing that time with them means so much to me, now more than ever,
so I'm just really grateful. We did a show recently and it was a
city-run event. The audience wasn't as big as we're used to, the
advertising was a little strange and it was very hot. We performed
and then after the show we actually walked around after the show and
talked to the audience, which we never ever get to do. It was just
the best thing talking to them was so wonderful. It's just like when
I go to see a group that I admire or grew up with. When you meet them
you tell them the story of why they're so important to you and what
their songs remind you of. I love hearing all of that stuff and we so
rarely get a chance to really do it!Even if we're signing autographs
after a show it's not the same. This time we went out to talk and to
connect with as many people as we could as they were leaving. It was
so cool and I wish we could do that more often, have those actual
conversations
when things aren't so crazy and venues aren't rushing to get people
out the door.
The
people were introducing us to their kids that they brought along,those Exposé babies (laughing)It was just so great and I wish and
hope we'll maybe be able to do that more often. It's still weird to
think that our songs and our music means as much to people as some of
my favorites mean to me. So when we're reminded of our impact, for
whatever reason, it makes me more grateful now than I've ever been.
How can I not be? It just melts my heart knowing that it touches
someone.
And we could feel the motion of a thousand dream Doctor, doctor, can't you see, I'm burning, burning?
Oh, doctor, doctor, is this love, I'm feeling?
I often will say that 1984 was musically one of the best years in my life. In a matter of months Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Cyndi Lauper and countless others were blaring from boom boxes while revolutionizing the fashion of an era. The group Thompson Twins can also quite easily be included in the mix of great music.
Into The Gap was the group's fourth album (led by Tom Bailey and Alannah Curie) and it cranked out a few hits that landed on Billboards charts, including my favorite, "Doctor! Doctor!" The heavy synth song did incredibly well on both the Hot 100 and Billboard's dance charts. The video itself was made at a time when technical tricks were more important than any kind of story line. Clouds, pastel lighting and ice skaters all are heavily featured in between the Thompson Twins performing their song. Check it out for yourself below. Do you still love this new wave style?
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!
At Christmas time, it's hard but while you're having fun
There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear
Where a kiss of love can kill you, and there's death in every tear
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you"
Back in 1984 a food shortage in Ethiopia lead a group of artists to band together to create a Christmas song that would ultimately raise money to help. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas" and then recruited some of the biggest names in the music industry at the time to perform under the group name Band Aid. While the song never cracked the top ten on Billboard's U.S. charts it still is probably one of the most familiar modern Christmas songs around. It also has been re-recorded over the years with the proceeds always going to benefit a current cause.
It's absolutely impossible to creep into the month of December without doing a very obvious daily 80's throwback. "December" is a track off of Expose`'s debut album, Exposure that never really got the credit that it deserves. Way back in 1987 Arista was marketing this trio as a dance or freestyle group and perhaps didn't realize just how well some of their ballads would eventually do. "Come Go With Me" was the lead single off of the album and "December" actually ended up being its' B-side.
As an unapologetic Expose`fan, I have to say that this is one of my very favorite songs by them. Gioia Bruno leads "December" with Jeanette Jurado and Ann Curless backing her up and the end result might just be one of the best ballads of the '80s never to be released as a single. It makes sense that "December" was a B-side because it certainly deserved play, but the ladies team obviously underestimated the wide range that these ladies actually have. This was several months before "Seasons Change" was released and everyone fell in love with the group so "December" was a risky bet. Had it been on a follow-up album it might have been a single. itself.
If you've never listened to this song, here's your chance. It's a nice reminder of just how amazing Bruno's voice really is.
Hang on to your hopes, my friend That's an easy thing to say, but if your hopes should pass away Simply pretend That you can build them again Look around, the grass is high The fields are ripe, it's the springtime of my life Ahhh, seasons change with the scenery Weaving time in a tapestry Won't you stop and remember me
Not every cover of an already popular hit works even if it's performed by a big name. Just ask Taylor Swift about that recent Earth, Wind & Fire cover. But when it does work, it usually helps to spin the song in a completely different direction, one that introduces it to a new audience.The Bangles version of "Hazy Shade of Winter" did exactly that. It was released in 1987 as part of the Less Than Zero soundtrack, but if you were a longtime Bangles fan, then you knew that they had been playing the song live since the early 80's.
The song, originally done by Simon and Garfunkel back in 1966, has a great arrangement that allows each of the ladies to shine- something that was important to them at the time. They also filmed a slick futuristic video to go along with it and that gave the song an even sharper edge. The Bangles spent the mid-80's fighting for the same band credibility that the men were being given because they could rock out just as much as the guys. "Hazy Shade of Winter" seemed to really be a breakthrough for them.
Saw you looking so nice, Hot stuff, pants on fire, Please me, I want you now,
I'm born to flirt, You're born to run, Let's get together, And get it on.
Come home with me baby, Ooh, ya must be lucky, No I don't do this for anyone, Come home with me baby, Ooh! ya must be lucky, I was looking for somebody, And you got the body I want"
When we first were introduced to Pete Burns, the lead singer for Dead Or Alive, right out of the gate it was pretty clear that he was not the typical artist. His mild gender-bending was on full display in early songs like "Brand New Lover" but by the time the group released their fourth studio album, Nude, in 1989 he had clearly quit caring what people thought. Burns was doing music his way and while mainstream radio was kind of afraid of it, Dead Or Alive was burning up the dancefloors.
"Come Home With Me Baby" maybe would have been a huge hit if sung by someone else, if the lyrics were toned down just a bit. Burns was fearless in demanding a one-night-stand and the Latin freestyle vibe made this such a huge club hit. At a time when any hint of an alternative lifestyle was not only hidden but still considered taboo in middle America, Dead Or Alive did their thing anyway. And it was fabulous. Check out "Come Home With Me Baby" below, my all-time fav by Dead Or Alive.
Do you remember Club Nouveau? Sure you do if you were raised in the '80s because back in 1987 their remake of "Lean On Me" shot to number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, making it one of those songs that stayed stuck in your head. Club Nouveau followed that hit with a song called "Why You Treat Me So Bad" which did really well on the dance charts. The beat resembles Timex Social Club's "Rumours" and for good reason, Jay King formed Nouveau' after leaving Timex Social Club and fully embracing a new jack swing sound.
Lyrically, this song kind of speaks to all of us. Who hasn't realized that they were dating the worst possible person and probably for way too long? "Why You Treat Me So Bad" is a breakup anthem, 1980's style. Check out the video below, do you remember this one?
"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!
I think that one of the coolest things about music is how it affords each and every one of us the ability to travel through time. You know what I mean, that twenty-second song intro that just for a flash of a moment makes you feel like it really is 1987 all over again. Some songs just stay with you, forever imprinted in your mind, following you through life like comfortable old friends, and no amount of passing time changes your love for them. Nick Van Eede, the co-founder, singer and songwriterof Cutting Crew, has created exactly that kind of gift for millions of people worldwide via "(I Just) Died In Your Arms", a song that shot to number one in 1987 and continues to pop up in pop culture to this day.
I think that most people believe that once you "make it" in the music industry you're sort of set for life if you handle your money properly. The actual truth is that the music business is at best, a harsh place to try and exist. You could be at the top of the charts and playing sold-out shows now and in six months you're back to waiting tables or washing dishes. The only solid guarantee is that every star eventually falls from the sky and then it takes talent, timing, and unshakable determination to get back up again.
In his thirty-five years since starting Cutting Crew, Nick has experienced the highs of sold-out tours, as well as the unimaginable loss of Kevin MacMichael, the secret ingredient (and brilliant guitarist) that helped to balance the band. Despite the losses, a storyteller can never stay quiet for too long and over the last decade or so he has rebuilt the band with a new Cutting Crew co-conspirator, guitarist Gareth Moulton, who has truly honored the past while leaving his own imprint on the music.
The band was steadily gigging until Covid-19 brought the touring industry to a screeching halt, making this the perfect time for that new release that had already been planned. Ransomed Healed Restored Forgiven puts an incredible symphonic twist on a catalog of already beloved songs. It was a risky move but one that Nick completely embraced. We spoke recently about these reimagined classics and Nick was happy to really dig into the details of how this album came to life.
Nick Van Eede on embracing the idea of a symphonic album:
"It was a wonderful thing! Fifty years ago when my granddad would hear me playing guitar in the lounge he would say, 'your songs seem to work well, if only they had an orchestra' and then many years ago when we first got a publishing deal there was always mention of an orchestra. Over the years, I have performed 3 or 4 of the songs maybe 25 times with an orchestra. Cutting Crew songs aren't better than anyone else's' and they're no worse than anyone elses', but I do kind of write those big melodies, and the layering of our arrangements just begged for it. I've joked about how I've been waiting for the call to do this and then there really was a call out of the blue from a record label to do it (laughing). Then came the million-dollar question of do you do this with songs that are so precious to millions of people and risk making it not as good. I finally decided to jump and so we jumped off the cliff together!!
It was time-consuming and meticulous work. I wish I could sexy it up and tell you that I flew all over the world to make this album but it didn't happen that way (laughing). You know how everyone is doing things now since the world has changed because of this virus? People are recording remotely or doing concerts from their house, well this was done pre-Covid but really under the same rules because of how scattered we all are. The string arranger was in Manchester, my guitarist is in the middle of England, I'm in the south of England, the orchestra was in Prague, the engineer was in Slovenia and lastly our drummer, he was in Russia. It was quite a task and there were moments in time when we just said, 'f--k it this is just impossible'- like while trying to tell a Russian drummer that the high hat isn't quite right (laughing), those were the tricky bits. The beautiful thing was working with the string arranger, Pete Whitfield, I must say that it was a pleasure and gift for me.
It's not a perfect science because especially the rocking songs like "Any Color", have some great string parts but you can't really layer too much. I grew up playing classical guitar and if you came to my house now I wouldn't be playing rock music, I'd be playing you classical music because I know my composers and I'm pretty deep into them I love it and sometimes I'm humbled by it you know, I listen to Mahler's "Adagio" and think, well that's it, there's no point in writing another note (laughing). When Pete, our string arranger, would send me huge manuscripts of notes I'd thank him and remind him that I'm not very good at reading music (laughing), then ask him to send the audio along as well. Only then I would get involved, which he liked. He told me so many acts in the past have hired him and they'd get what they get, so he was happy that I wanted to be involved."
Nick on reimagining Cutting Crew songs after the works of specific composers:
"I have recently worked with quite an acclaimed classical composer in this tiny little village in Sussex where I live. His name is Nigel Crouch and he has always loved "I've Been In Love Before". He insisted that the composer that was the best match was Sibelius and told me to listen to the last movement of Symphony #5. I checked it out and pointed Pete to that and so now on that song you can hear some movements a' la Sibelius.
"The Broadcast" was a risky one to makeover. When the song was first imagined I had this transistor radio and I would never listen to the pop stations. Instead, I'd go right up to the end of the dial on short wave and you'd just get these strange sounds. It would be like propaganda from North Korea or Arabic music and that was my little world at the time. I really wanted to get the feeling of when I was a teen in rural Sussex and so Pete and I both agreed that the style of music was like that of a British composer named Ralph Vaughan Williams. I was at first worried that the song might feel a bit too Broadway but hey, we're reimagining these songs and they're supposed to sound different, right?.
"(I Just) Died In Your Arms", the Reprise, has to be one of the most emotional recordings that I've ever had to do, just me and the orchestra. I think it was done in two takes, just did it and cut the takes together. Those words now as a 62-year-old man mean something completely different to me then when I originally wrote them as a 26-year-old guy. I've lost my father, I've lost my brother, I've lost Kevin my original guitarist and best pal, I have a daughter too- so many things have changed. I've always been good at writing fairly oblique lyrics and something that you can read whatever you want to in it but doing that one as an older guy meant a lot of tears. There were a lot of tissues on the floor (laughing). That song was in the style of Edward Elgar who is probably my favorite British composer. We got his trademark cellos to move around and sound very foreboding yet beautiful at the same time. That will go down as one of the most memorable moments in my entire career.
"Berlin In Winter" is now one of our biggest songs to play live and it stems from a story that you just can't make up. In 1989 when the wall fell, Cutting Crew was on tour and I remember watching the television with Kevin and seeing these amazing images and beautiful human moments. Three days later we were actually playing in Berlin. We had a hit record on their charts and a sold-out tour but only about twenty-five people came to the gig (laughing), quite rightly too. I think we did about six songs and had people onstage with us and then we went down to the wall together and had an incredible time. That has always been one of the abiding memories in my life and this song is an imaginary song about a guy who was sequestered by the Communists to build the wall, lived through all of the atrocities of it and then was there as an old man to see it fall. It's hard to write a story because you have to have a beginning, a middle, and an ending in only three verses, so I'm very proud of that one.
I knew it had to be Russian sounding for this recording, Pete said 'that's Shostakovitch and I was thinking more Tchaikovsky, something with a haunting, descending cello line and again a quite cold and daunting sound, but definitely a Russian influence.
That time in Berlin, it was a blur and pure joy but no anger. There could have been people coming through from the east, pointing at the policemen or saying 'f--k you' or whatever, but instead it was a beautiful embracing evening. I have a memory of being with a big roadie friend of mine who had a hammer and dinged off a piece of the wall for me and I've still got that here somewhere. It has really stuck with me and I've played in Berlin 20 times at least since then. It's one of my favorite cities in the world. It shows those scars but it has done it very well. It's a special place and they've kept the wall intact in some places so that you can see it. It's just a little wall, not this gigantic thing, but of course, if they tried to cross it back then they would have been shot.
So if I make another million pounds I'd love to buy an apartment there. I'd love to live there as an older guy. Let it be said too that new Germany is a wonderful place. They've never ever tried to sweep it under the carpet, everywhere you go there are memorials to the history of the country. I think I work more there than anywhere else and I love it."
Nick on the legacy of "(I Just) Died In Your Arms":
"I knew it was special because that was reinforced by anyone that heard the really scratchy first demo. I was 25 then and had been writing quite well for about 7 years, so I had other things to compare it with. The longevity of it absolutely staggers me. Ten years after I thought well that was a good run (laughing), twenty years after it was an even better run. It may be 20 million people's worst song in the world but that doesn't take away from the other 200 million people that really like it. I've always just really embraced the song and it's a number one record that has really outlasted a lot of other number one records. I always refer to the song as 'she' and I say that she's my passport, she's like a lover, she's an accidental dinner conversation, she's my bank manager (laughing), so I'm quite happy to have her in my life.
When it came time to do this album I wanted to do this song near the end because I needed to know how we were going to make this album work first. I felt that touching this song was really risky and somehow it just came together. I don't really smoke but I had about ten cigarettes that day and a lot of Johnnie Walker as well to get the vocal right."
Nick on his writing process:
"Well, this is important, I never, ever sit down and tell myself I'm going to write a song about something in particular, like my daughter's blue hair (laughing). It just doesn't work that way. I do have the ability to write very obliquely though and that leaves my lyrics open to interpretation in a myriad of ways.
It has to hit a very high bar that I set for myself. I won't put anything out there in writing that I view as just a filler song. I'm always proud of my albums and while you don't have to like every song, they've hit my bar and that is always in the back of my mind. At the same time, when you give birth to something you must never share it too soon. Just let it roll and if it starts sounding a little like "Hey Jude", as an example, don't worry, it might not end up sounding anything like "Hey Jude". Don't get scared, it's just not there yet, and don't kill it too soon.
I really have to sit there and find that muse though. I usually write on the keyboards because I love them becauseI don't play them very well, so I have all sorts of happy accidents because I don't know what the f--k I'm doing (laughing). It's also all very phonetic and I've been brave enough to at times just make sounds that kind of hit with the music. Once you're really off and running then the actual lyrics just seem to pour out and you can be done with it even in an hour because you found what has rooted you to the song.
Also, I'll warn you, if during the course of this conversation you say something to me that I absolutely love it'll be written down and transferred to my ten-meter long piece of wallpaper that I sometimes stick up in my studio. It has my little catchphrases, titles and sayings that I really like and so while creating something I can look up and see all of these possibilities. It's my responsibility as a songwriter to keep track of possibilities."
Nick on striking gold twice with guitarists' Kevin MacMichael and Gareth Moulton:
"When I found Kevin all those years ago it was like a good marriage because everything was easy, no egos when wrote together. He was my editor and very good at taking my straightforward jolly lyrics and making them darker. He would put some negativity in there (laughing) and it's what was needed. When I spoke at his funeral I think I judged the mood right and told that story, adding that if Kevin had his way that song would have been called "(I Just) Lived In Your Arms". So to find Gareth Moulton after having already found a Kevin was just astonishing. He has to tip his hat to what Kevin did while at the same time being himself and he has done that masterfully. Gareth does all of the sensational guitar playing on the album. He's my best friend and to find somebody like that is so special."
Nick on embracing whatever comes next:
"We have had 22 gigs canceled so far this year, including one in Trinidad, plus Switzerland, Japan, and everything else. There is still a show scheduled for Budapest and one in Tel Aviv but there are no flights. Also, if I go then when I come home I'll have to quarantine for fourteen days, so playing requires real thought. That said, we're very clever humans and so I imagine we'll figure it all out in the end. Things are going to be different and I'm ready to embrace it. I love doing the unplugged things and so maybe Gareth and I will just be dueting for a while and telling the stories behind the songs. When we do the rock shows he always tells me to stop talking (laughing), but I enjoy telling the stories too.
In spite of all of the awful things, there are so many beautiful young people coming through in this world and I'm totally encouraged by them. They'll lead the way towards whatever is next for us all in this crazy world."
Get your own copy of Ransomed Healed Restored Forgiven at Cutting Crew's official site. Check out their Facebook & Twitter for gig updates and behind-the-scenes fun.
"I'm not proud, I was wrong And the truth is hard to take I felt sure we had enough But our love went overboard Lifeboat lies lost at sea I've been trying to reach your shore Waves of doubt keep drowning me All the dreams that we were building We never fulfilled them Could be better, should be better For lessons in love"
We all have those songs that, for whatever reason, we just love and "Lessons In Love" by Level 42 falls into that category for me. It wasn't the band's most successful single when it topped the charts at number 12 back in 1987 (that honor goes to "Something About You" which reached number 7 the previous year) but it has always stuck in my head. The lyrics are all about screwing up a relationship and I'm pretty sure that my 15-year-old self had done exactly the same thing at that point in time, making it pretty much "my" song.
The thing is that "Lessons In Love" could easily have been (and probably was) a lot of peoples' songs because who hasn't been there. The best lessons are those learned the hard way and Level 42 spells it out perfectly. I've always thought it was more than a little ironic that this song's melody makes me happy while the lyrics are a bit somber. Check out the video below. Do you remember this one?
"Thank you for coming home I'm sorry that the chairs are all worn I left them here I could have sworn These are my salad days Slowly being eaten away Just another play for today Oh but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you Nothing left to make me feel small Luck has left me standing so tall Gold Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible Always believe in, because you are Gold"
I love those songs that serve as an instant vehicle to take me back in time. Spandau Ballet's "Gold" 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. "Gold" 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 actually 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!
I remember Kim Wilde's "Kids In America" being the second song on a compilation that I owned as a kid. It was sandwiched between Flock of Seagulls and The Waitresses and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't imagine likin g anything more by her until I heard "You Keep Me Hanging On", her remake of the old Supremes classic. It was one of my favorite songs of 1986.
It's funny when I think back to the 80's and how remakes of 60's classics were so normal. The girl groups of that era all loved The Supremes, who at the time seemed absolutely ancient. Now it's the equivalent of a new girl group loving En Vogue. Do the math.
How crazy is that?
Anyway, this remake of "You Keep Me Hanging On" went to number one in the states and it still is a great energized version of the classic. Check out the video below!
"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!
But I know it, the rhythm is gonna get'cha" Conga. That song was everywhere for months on end back in 1985. Gloria Estefan and the rest of the Miami Sound Machine made it impossible not to sing and dance along to their very first U.S. hit. If you got in the car it was on the radio, it was playing in the mall and you better believe there was a tamer instrumental version of "Conga" that played in the doctor's waiting rooms. It really was everywhere and the energy was infectious. I didn't think that the Miami Sound Machine could even potentially put out another song that I'd like nearly as much, but, they did it. In the summer of 1987 "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" dropped and I loved it. The synth, the Latin rhythm, her voice was just all perfect. Every once in awhile a song is perfectly crafted to be strong across the board. There is nothing missing on "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You". It still holds up as a great dance classic. Check it out below!
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