80s Throwback: RUN-DMC - 'It's Tricky'

This speech is my recital, I think it's very vital
To rock (a rhyme), that's right (on time)
It's Tricky is the title, here we go...

I was cruising through the DailyBOOM archives yesterday and realized something that honestly surprised me, there hasn't been nearly enough old-school rap featured here. That's a mistake I plan on correcting immediately, and there really isn't a better place to start than RUN-DMC.

While just about everyone else seemed completely obsessed with the group's legendary collaboration with Aerosmith on "Walk This Way," I was over in my own lane blasting "It's Tricky." It was the third track from their groundbreaking Raising Hell album, and for me, it was every bit as memorable as their biggest crossover hit.

Released in late 1986, "It's Tricky" was everywhere. It received constant airplay on local radio, and MTV had the video in heavy rotation. Back then, MTV still had the power to turn a great song into a cultural event, and RUN-DMC knew exactly how to make an impression. The video was packed with personality, humor, and one of those unexpected celebrity cameos that made you do a double take - magic duo Penn & Teller showed up to add even more fun to the chaos.

What I always loved about "It's Tricky" was that it perfectly captured the energy of RUN-DMC. The beat was infectious, the lyrics were playful, and the chemistry between Run, DMC, and Jam Master Jay was undeniable. It wasn't trying to be overly serious—it was simply cool, confident, and impossible not to sing along with. Even now, it's hard to hear that opening without wanting to shout, "It's Tricky to rock a rhyme..."

Looking back, Raising Hell was one of those albums that helped redefine what hip-hop could be. It introduced countless listeners to rap music while proving that the genre belonged right alongside rock, pop, and everything else dominating the charts in the mid-'80s. RUN-DMC weren't just making hit records, they were changing the landscape of popular music.

Nearly four decades later, "It's Tricky" still has all the energy it did back in 1986. It instantly transports me to afternoons spent watching MTV, waiting for my favorite videos to come on, and reminds me why this era of music continues to hold such a special place in my heart.

Boom Radio: MTV's First 24 Hours Playlist

80s Throwback: Don Henley- 'The Boys Of Summer'

But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone

I can still remember the first time I saw the video for Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer." It was late on a Friday night at my grandmother's house, sometime back in 1984. Those weekends usually meant staying up later than I was allowed at home, flipping through videos until my eyes couldn't stay open any longer. This video came on and I was completely mesmerized.

Looking back, I think it may have been the first time I realized just how much I loved black-and-white music videos. There was something about the stark imagery that made everything feel more important. It wasn't flashy or overloaded with special effects. Instead, it was cinematic, emotional, and haunting in a way that stayed with me long after it ended.

More than forty years later, the video still holds up beautifully. That's no small accomplishment. So many videos from the MTV era scream 1984 with giant hair, neon colors, and dated production techniques. "The Boys of Summer" somehow escaped all of that. It feels timeless. You could watch it today without knowing when it was made, and it would still have the same emotional impact.

Of course, when I was 13 years old, I had absolutely no idea what the song was really about.

The idea of looking back on your youth with a mixture of nostalgia and regret was completely foreign to me. Thirty years old seemed ancient. Forty? That practically meant your life was over. At that age, your world revolves around what happens this weekend, not what happened twenty years ago.

It's funny how life has a way of proving you wrong.

Today, I understand every word of that song in a way I never could back then. Memories become more valuable. Summers seem shorter. Certain songs instantly transport you back to a specific place, a specific person, or even a specific feeling you thought you'd forgotten.

Ironically, that's exactly what DailyBOOM has become.

Seven days a week, we're looking back at the music, movies, television shows, and moments that shaped our lives. We revisit them not because we're stuck in the past, but because those memories still matter. They remind us where we've been, who we were, and sometimes even who we've become.

Maybe that's why "The Boys of Summer" has never faded away. It isn't really about summer at all. It's about time. It's about growing older while holding onto the pieces of ourselves that made those younger years unforgettable.

Every summer, this song seems to find its way back onto playlists everywhere, and honestly, it deserves its annual return. It's one of those rare tracks that somehow becomes more meaningful with every passing year.

So if you're putting together your soundtrack for the season, this one belongs on it.

Turn it up, watch the video one more time, and let it take you wherever your own memories happen to live. Chances are, they're waiting for you in black and white.

Currently Booming: 1983 Wildwood Tram Car Ride (Watch)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The System- 'Don't Disturb This Groove'

Pay attention, are you listening? You're my favorite girl
Excuse me for the moment, I'm in another world
On a mountain, by a fountain, flowers blooming everywhere
With Venus and cupid, the picture's very clear

It's strange how I can hear a song and easily remember the time of year that it first became popular. The summer of 1987 was loaded with great music and there was one little song that seemed to follow me everywhere that I went. The System's "Don't Disturb This Groove" eventually became know as the official song of that summer but that was after it followed me to the Jersey Shore, to Six Flags and it played in the background no matter what store I shopped in at the time. I affiliate "Don't Disturb This Groove" with car windows rolled down and sunshine. And maybe a bit of Sun In and my big boom box as well. 

I love when songs are kind of timeless in that you really can't tell by listening what era that are from. This is one of those so check it out below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bananarama - 'Cruel Summer'

The city is crowded 

My friends are away 

And I'm on my own

It's too hot to handle

So I got to get up and go 

It's a cruel, cruel summer 

Leaving me here on my own 

It's a cruel, 

It's a cruel cruel summer 

Now you're gone

You're not the only one

(Revisiting this one) Since Memorial Day weekend is creeping up on us, and it is, like, the unofficial start to summer, it only seems right to take a look at one of the most popular summer songs of the 1980's. I'm talking about Bananarama's "Cruel Summer".  Not only is this a popular summer track, but it's also probably one of the most easily identified songs to come out of the 80's. I say "Cruel Summer," and you instantly hear the music, don't you? It instantly brings me back to the Jersey shore in the early 80's. I remember scorching sun, the smell of Coppertone, and this song playing from someone's boom box on the beach.

That's the sign of a great song- when it transports you back in time. Where does "Cruel Summer" take you back to?

Daily Boom 80's Lost Hit: Bardeux - 'When We Kiss'

"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?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Pink Floyd - 'Comfortably Numb'

O.K.
Just a little pinprick
There'll be no more aaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on, it's time to go.

Is Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" one of the very best songs in classic rock history?  In my opinion, it absolutely is. Aside from the chilling lyrics, those guitar solos are some of the best ever recorded. Roger Waters and David Gilmour really struck gold with this one and the rest of their legendary album, The Wall.

"Comfortably Numb" was first released as a single back in 1980 with a pretty sharp video that ended up being a part of Pink Floyd's film, The Wall. That piece of art is an 80's classic with it likely making much more sense if you're drunk or high while watching it. I remember back in 1987 having a biology teacher that was rumored to be a huge "burnout". The stories of kids going to his house a block from the school and smoking with him while watching The Wall swirled for years. I always figured that there probably some truth to the rumors, in part because he would laugh about them without ever denying anything. He also strongly encouraged us all to watch The Wall because he believed it would become part of pop culture history. Guess what- he was right! Check out "Comfortably Numb" below. To this day it remains one of my favorite 80's songs.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Thompson Twins- 'Doctor Doctor!'

I saw you there, just standing there

And I thought I was only dreaming, yeah

I kissed you then, then once again

You said, you would come and dance with me

Dance with me, across the sea

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?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Shannon- 'Let the Music Play'

"So we started dancing

And love put us into the groove

As soon as we started to move

As soon as we started to move

Love said

Let the music play

He won't get away

Just keep the groove

And then he'll come back to you again

(Let it play)"

I was always a disco kid. My first 45 single was Disco Duck, followed by Chic's "Le Freak" and Regina Ward's "Ring My Bell".  My dad would let me choose the last song that he played on his stereo every night and for years it was disco, until Pat Benatar came along, anyway.  Disco died a pretty fast death but in 1983 along came Shannon to remind us all that dance music was still cool. 

"Let the Music Play" has the coolest syth and drum machine beat and it drives the song all the way through. Decades later, this is considered one of the first freestyle songs ever made. What I know for sure is that when it comes on now, 32-years after first hitting the charts, everyone still gets up to dance. It's legendary.

As for Shannon, well, she's still out there doing her thing. She is still performing those songs that made her a household name and a whole new generation of freestyle fans have embraced her. More often than not Shannon is seen performing in a Freestyle Explosion show that features a whole roster of popular 80's acts like Expose`, The Cover Girls, Nu Shooz and more. 

Check out "Let the Music Play" the video that launched Shannon's career:

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Culture Club - 'Time (Clock Of The Heart)'

"Don't put your head on my shoulder
Sink me in a river of tears
This could be the best place yet
But you must overcome your fears
In time we could've been so much more
But time is precious I know
In time we could've been so much more
The time has nothing to show
because
Time won't give me time
And time makes lovers feel
Like they've got something real
But you and me we know
We got nothing
but time"

When Culture Club's "Time (Clock Of The Heart)" was first released back in 1982 it was basically a stand-alone single that just so happened to really take off. It eventually hit number two on Billboard's Hot 100 and that paved the way for the London new wave group to break through in the U.S. Culture Club went to have numerous hits such as "Miss Me Blind" and "Karma Chameleon" but I think that "Time" might be the one that has held up the best. As for the group itself, Culture Club does still perform with lead singer Boy George and they are spending this summer touring the states.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Mötley Crüe - 'Wild Side'

Gang fights
Fatal strikes
We lie on the wild side
No escape
Murder rape
Doing time on the wild side
A baby cries
A cop dies
A day's pay on the wild side
Wild side, wild side
Tragic life on the wild side
Wild side, wild side
Kickin ass on the Wild Side

Motley Crue's "Wild Side" always takes me back to high school- on one day in particular. When I was in 11th grade I'd spend my morning cramming in all of my academic classes so that my afternoon could be spent at a vocational school. Cosmetology seemed like a dream job for a 16-year old girl that spent plenty of time teasing her own hair and being in beauty school meant that I had a little card that gave me access to every professional beauty supply store around. My supply of Apple Pectin shampoo was endless and eventually, I traded in a big can of Aqua Net for an even larger can of Vavoom which cemented your hair in place AND made it smell like coconut.

Anyway, the afternoon bus was filled with headbangers that had zero desire to go to college when they could be learning how to take a car engine apart, cook like a pro or even become a medical assistant, all while in high school. This bus ride was the high point of most days because we truly became a family and had each other's backs, no matter what. Most days the same 3 people sat in the very last row trying to hide the fact that they were smoking a blunt. It was normal. We kept the windows open in the dead of winter and usually had an ancient bus driver that was more concerned with how loud the boom box was than anything else. 

On this particular day, there was a fill-in, much younger bus driver, one who didn't care if the music was blaring. Motley Crue had just released Girls, Girls, Girls and the song "Wild Side" was our new anthem. Since the driver told the guys to play it as loud as they wanted to, our bus was rocking, with that one song playing on repeat. The guys decided to be extra brave and they lit up a bowl in the back seat. We figured that might be pushing it and halfway to the school the driver pulled over and came storming up the aisle. We thought we were dead. Since no one would dime anyone out I was expecting to go down for pot that I hadn't even touched. The guys hit the switch on the radio as the rest of us braced for hell. Instead, the young driver had come to the back of the bus to smoke with the guys!

After a minute or two, he galloped up the aisle, sat back down in the driver's seat and delivered us all to school, with Motley Crue still blaring, of course. Talk about taking a drive on the wild side!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam -'All Cried Out'

"Don't you know the heart will cause an inferno
Romance up in flames, why should I take the blame
You were the one who left me neglected [I'm so sorry]
Apology not accepted, add me to the broken hearts you collected

Ah, I gave you all of me [gave me all of you]
How was I to know you would weaken so easily
Ah, I don't what to do
I'm all cried out [I'm all] over you [I'm cried out too]"

I was a real sucker for a good tear-jerker break up song when I was a teenager and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "All Cried Out" was really one of my favorites. I can't remember if I was actually going through a break up back when it was first playing on the radio every few hours but I know it was my go-to song if I needed to conjure up a few tears. It parked itself in the 8th spot on Billboard's Hot 100 and remains one of Lisa Lisa's best remembered tunes.

While Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam is no more you can still catch lead singer Lisa Velez often popping up on Freestyle Explosion tours across the U.S., performing the catalog of hits that made her so popular all of those years ago.

Freestyle Friday: Expose`- 'Seasons Change'

Daily Boom Holiday Tunes: RUN-DMC 'Christmas In Hollis'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Band Aid- 'Do They Know it's Christmas'

"But say a prayer and pray for the other ones

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. 

Daily Boom Holiday Throwback: Wham! - 'Last Christmas'

Currently Booming: Apollonia 6- 'Manic Monday' (Demo)

The untimely death of Prince has lead to a lot of interesting nuggets circulating across the internet. One of the more interesting things that I've stumbled onto is this demo of "Manic Monday" that was recorded (and never released) by Apollonia 6. Prince originally wrote it for his then-lover Apollonia and her girl group but when their popularity kind of tanked after Purple Rain he instead decided to give it to another girl group- of course The Bangles. We now know that this song launched The Bangles career almost overnight. Take a listen to the demo below, do you think Apollonia 6 would have fared nearly as well?

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

When the day is over

And the work is done

Well it's a different story

As the darkness comes around

I tried to let you know

You're going the wrong way

And the streets you thought

Would all be paved with gold

But when the wind cuts through

You'd even try to sell your soul

Everywhere you go

It's the long way

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

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

Currently Booming: Exclusive Interview: Nu Shooz

(BagTown Cover Art: Malcolm Smith)

ICYMI!!!

Valerie Day and John Smith, the masterminds behind the music of Nu Shooz, are always looking for creative ways to involve their fans in whatever they're doing and that certainly includes an active presence on social media. The band was first formed way back in 1979 and they were playing live gigs for years before that big breakthrough finally came. Back then Nu Shooz found it self working several nights a week onstage as part of Portland's pre-synth raging music scene. While the synth sound eventually was the catalyst that brought the bands' music to the masses (and earned them a Grammy nomination in 1987 for Best New Artist), their love for organic music and using real instruments runs deep. 1986's Poolside may be considered the most successful album for the Shooz, but their journey certainly has encompassed decades.

(Photo: Phil Isley)

While on paper it may seem that Valerie and John dropped off the radar for years, just the opposite is actually true. Valerie has performed with the Oregon Symphony Pops, several celebrated jazz artists and she has co-created a show called Brain Chemistry for Lovers beside Darrell Grant. John has been equally busy and his musical genius has kept him working in the commercial industry for more than twenty years. The 80's are one of the hottest genres out there right now and last Christmas Target decided to use "I Can't Wait" as part of their holiday advertising campaign. Admit it, you were singing along every time the commercial came on, weren't you?

The only thing bigger than the 80's right now are the tours circling the country that feature large roster's of some of the biggest names in old school music and so when the Freestyle Explosion show came knocking, Day and Smith were thrilled to jump on board. "It's amazing how strong the love for music from way back then still is. Social media also helps to keep us connected with our audience on a regular basis. It's neat to see fans from the 80's at our shows and they're now bringing their kids with them. We actually have different generations of fans waiting for autographs at meet and greets- that's a little surreal! We were told about a fun little tour (Freestyle Explosion) that would reunite Nu Shooz with a whole roster of other performers from the 80's and it's something that we've really enjoyed doing." explained Day in a recent interview with The Daily Boom.

(Photo: Mike Hipple)

Ironically enough, according to Smith, reconnecting with the diehard 80's fan base is what helped to breathe life into their latest album. "It was doing that tour that actually made us want to consider coming back with another Nu Shooz album. The love for that era of music is pretty amazing and the rush for us is still the same as it was back then. We decided that it was time to take ourselves maybe a little less seriously. We're definitely more confident both as artists and as people. Plus we have a really great band to play with. We have alumni band members now that have played our style for years. The cohesive mix makes for many “Life is good” moments. It was fun to have radio hits but nothing beats playing live."

"After making ourselves miserable musically we decided to make a record aimed at having fun and it has really worked for us. At one point John and I went to dinner with our good friends, Marv and Rindy Ross (of Quarterflash) and we were all feeling similarly about where we were at musically at that point in time. They were coming off the release of a more serious record (as were we) and Marv mentioned wanting to create an album that was just fun to play live. That idea really clicked with us and it felt like exactly what we needed to do as well." explains Day while contemplating why making this record has really worked for them.

(BagTown Cover Art: Malcolm Smith

The key to the magic that has unfolded really seems to be the fact that they have absolutely enjoyed the process.  According to Smith, "BagTown is the funnest (yes, 'funnest' and 'funner' became the descriptive words for BagTown)  album that we have made, maybe ever. With every record, the process of creation is different. Sometimes it's lyrics first, other times the music is written first. We made a city of bag people and started drawing on them and all of a sudden these bags were partying. The songs from BagTown actually came from creating this city and bringing it to life in our minds. Of course music for us is a two-way relationship and so the audience ends up being an equal partner in the whole experience."

Connect with Nu Shooz below so that you're kept up-to-date on everything that they're doing!



Nu Shooz Official Website

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