Currently Booming Lost Hit: REO Speedwagon- 'That Ain't Love'

80s Throwback: Bruce Springsteen - 'Born In The U.S.A'

Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. was already generating massive buzz before it even hit record stores, thanks to the success of its lead single, "Dancing in the Dark."

The summer of 1984 was absolutely stacked with chart heavyweights. Both Duran Duran and Prince spent weeks sitting comfortably at No. 1, making it impossible for "Dancing in the Dark" to climb any higher than No. 2. That didn't matter much, though. Springsteen's popularity exploded, and suddenly everyone wanted a piece of The Boss.

The music video became almost as iconic as the song itself. It's famously remembered for launching the career of Courteney Cox, who was pulled onstage to dance with Springsteen during the performance. At the time, she was just another aspiring actress. Not long after, she'd become one of television's biggest stars.

I remember that summer vividly because so much of it was spent sitting outside with a giant ghetto blaster, listening to the radio and waiting for my chance to call in and win an album. Back then, stations gave away records every hour, and getting through on the phone felt like winning the lottery.

A few days after Born in the U.S.A. was released, my friend and I both made it our mission to win a copy. She got through first and became caller number eight, taking home Steve Perry's Street Talk. Naturally, that only made me more determined. An hour later, I finally beat the busy signal, became caller number ten, and won my own copy of Born in the U.S.A.

As exciting as winning the album was, what I remember most is the two of us heading to the radio station together to pick up our prizes. It was such a simple moment, but it's one of those memories that's stayed with me all these years.

Looking back, if MTV hadn't played the "Dancing in the Dark" video every few hours that summer, I'm not sure I ever would have become such a fan of Springsteen's biggest album. Funny how one song—and one lucky phone call—can become such a lasting memory.

Check out the video below and see if it brings back a few memories of your own.

DailyBOOM 4th of July Playlist

80s Throwback: Aerosmith - 'Janie's Got A Gun'

Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" has always told a powerful story.

Released in 1989 from the incredible Pump album, "Janie's Got a Gun" wasn't your typical hard rock anthem. While many bands were singing about parties and girls, Aerosmith tackled the painful subject of child abuse with a song that was both haunting and unforgettable. It was a bold move, and one that paid off, earning the band its first Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Then there was the video.

Back when MTV still ruled our afternoons, this was one of those videos you couldn't look away from. Directed by a young David Fincher, years before he'd go on to direct films like Seven, Fight Club, and The Social Network, the video played like a short psychological thriller rather than a promotional clip.

Actress Kristin Dattilo portrayed Janie with heartbreaking vulnerability, while Lesley Ann Warren played her mother and Nicholas Guest portrayed her abusive father. Instead of spelling everything out, Fincher used unsettling imagery, shadows, flashbacks, and symbolic scenes to reveal the abuse Janie had suffered. The tension builds throughout the video until her act of revenge leaves viewers questioning justice, trauma, and survival. Even today, it's still one of the most powerful music videos of the MTV era.

Musically, the song is just as impressive. Joe Perry's guitar work is razor-sharp, Steven Tyler delivers one of the best vocal performances of his career, and the band's use of dynamics, from eerie quiet moments to explosive choruses, creates an atmosphere that's impossible to ignore.

Looking back, "Janie's Got a Gun" was years ahead of its time. It opened conversations about abuse that many people weren't ready to have in 1989. Years later, Steven Tyler would launch Janie's Fund, a charity that helps girls who have experienced abuse and neglect, proving the song's message wasn't just for the charts; it became a mission.

Thirty-plus years later, the song remains one of Aerosmith's most daring achievements. It's uncomfortable. It's emotional. It's brilliantly performed. And every time I catch that opening riff, I'm instantly transported back to sitting in front of MTV, completely mesmerized by one of the most cinematic music videos ever made.

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.

Exclusive Interview: 'Zebra's' Randy Jackson Talks Touring, Symphonic Shows & The Depth of Those Treasured Lyrics

IICYMI

I was first introduced to Randy Jackson's work when I was still a little kid. In the 1970s my dad was music-obsessed and used his gigs in local radio to justify his growing vinyl collection. Growing just as quickly was his literal wall of stereo equipment. He would make several trips to a store called Stereo House before finally plunking down a wad of cash and walking out with a big box of something that he would spend the next several hours agonizing over. The sound had to be just right and once he nailed it there were a few albums that were spun religiously. Steely Dan, The Moody Blues, Foreigner, and Genesis gave way to a few up-and-coming, semi-local bands. One of those was Zebra, featuring Randy (Jackson)  lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitar master. Add in Guy Gelso on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, plus Felix Hanemann on keys, bass, and backing vocals as well, and what you get is a rock trio destined for success.

The band first formed in New Orleans in 1975 and to this day Randy, Felix, and Guy consistently tour not just the gulf coast, but all the way up and down the Eastern Seaboard.  True old-school rock fans know exactly who Zebra is and I was lucky enough to steal a bit of Randy Jackson's time ahead of the band's performance at the M3 Rock Festival at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD. 

Check it out below!

 Randy Jackson on how Zebra prepares for gigs now after 45 years together:

"I think it's different for each of us, but we really don't get together to rehearse as a band. The only time we've really done that in the last 20 years is when we were doing some shows down in Louisiana where we were going to be playing with the symphony. Then we had to change a lot of the ways that we were playing and we actually did songs we don't normally do, so we got together and we rehearsed for about a week back then. The only big difference with that was that there were a lot of guitar changes. I had like nine guitars on stage and usually, I only have one.  

We were just trying to do as much as we could to make it work with the symphony, but other than that, everybody just practices on their own. I know Felix practices a lot at home and goes over his parts, the keys, and his voice, and then Guy with his drums. The one thing I wish we did do more of is a vocal rehearsal between the three of us. I think that would help us, but we're always running out of time."

Randy on those powerhouse vocals:

"We haven't had to change keys at all on our songs and I've been very, very fortunate to have kept my range. I can do pretty much anything I did years ago.  I think my voice might have been a little stronger when I was younger, but the difference is not too noticeable to me. The range is still there, so we've been lucky as far as that goes, or I've been lucky. I haven't noticed any difference in Guy and Felix’s range either.  I went to a vocal coach in the eighties believe it or not after we did the first three Zebra records because I didn't like my pitch in the studio. It wasn't the way I sounded; it wasn't the tonality; it was just the pitch. He had me doing scales and stuff, and he also showed me techniques to keep me from losing my voice, by singing properly."

Randy on those incredible symphony shows:

"Well, it's always just as awesome as you can imagine. It's the real deal, yeah. When we started off with Zebra, you know, we were playing like Moody Blues or Zeppelin and trying to emulate a symphony with the keyboards, but you know, having the real thing there is just like nothing else. I kind of remember the first time I did “Rain Song” with the Atlanta symphony. It was the first time we performed it on stage and when the strings came in, I felt like I was kind of lifting off the ground, you know? It was unbelievable."

Randy on how Covid-19 affected the band:

"Well, when everything got shut down in March of 2020, I was down in New Orleans and we really didn't know how bad it was and how contagious it was going to be. Nobody really knew, right? Like, we knew things were shutting down, and fortunately, I had a place to stay down there. I decided just to stay in New Orleans and didn’t even try to fly back to New York where I live, for about five months. I set up a little live online show that I did every day, usually in the afternoons. I was on Facebook every afternoon performing, but it certainly wasn't the same as having the live crowd in front of you. But at the same time, I was getting feedback in real-time, you know, with the messages people were sending, asking for songs and stuff.  

I'm still set up to do them. I keep thinking every week I'm going to do one this week and yet all of a sudden it gets late and I'm tired. I certainly learned a lot because I was using a green screen and stuff like that and I had no experience with that when I first started. I'm always learning anyway. I mean, whether it was Covid-related or whatever, I try to learn as much as I can. 

 

The main thing was that our income was just zero, you know, we weren't making any money. The real source of income for Zebra has been live performances. I mean, we've sold a lot of records, but that income has amounted to not nearly enough to support us, you know? So, everybody adjusted to in a different way. Felix played, he has a Zeppelin tribute band he plays in and they started playing gigs in late 2020, I think. They were kind of out there before other bands were. That was his call. Guy, he has had cancer twice in the past so his immune system isn't the greatest. He chose to just really box himself in and now he's okay. We all got ourselves through it."

Randy on creating lyrics that make people think:

"Who's Behind the Door. When I think about where the inspiration came from for that song I think it’s mainly from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was a big science fiction reader when I was a teenager and I was into physics actually, physics was my second major in college. 2001, that movie leaves you with more questions, than answers.  That's what I was trying to do lyrically with it, you know, it's not necessarily about extraterrestrials. It could be if you read into it that way, or it could be religious, you know?  

It could be because there are references to spiritual stuff too. It’s kind of the way I am with everything in my life, I don't like to take the easy way.  Yes or no, or black or white doesn't work for me because there is always a gray area to every question or every situation.  I usually try to take the time to explore the gray area because it makes things more interesting to me.

When I was first writing the songs I made a lot of lyrics asking a lot of questions about subjects just to get people thinking and wondering. I hope that they've helped encourage people to ask questions of their own. I also think the songs hold up lyrically and that's such a good thing."

 

Randy on new music coming:

"We're always threatening to do a new record (laughing). I’ve been saying that for so long now it's ridiculous. But, eventually, I'm sure we'll, at least do a couple songs, you know? It used to be all work and as you get older then there are other things, and so now it's grandkids. When the kids are young, you’ll never get that time with them back so you’ve got to make it a priority". 

Randy on how the Zebra fanbase has grown and changed:

"Grandkids are now the kids in the audience and a lot of them are even in their twenties now- it's pretty amazing. They come out and are Zebra fans, you know, and they all have the same kind of story, either their dad introduced them to the band or their grandfather was into the band. It's cool, I mean, we're fortunate that people are listening to our music at all, let alone for 40 years. That’s a pretty long time!"  

Randy on a few of Zebra's most memorable moments:

"One moment that has always stuck out in my mind was when we were on the road with Sammy Hagar in 1984. as the opening act for his, I Can't Drive 55 tour. We were out on the road and when we started the tour everything ran smooth and we were getting a good soundcheck for the shows. Then as the tour kind of went on his crew was just getting later and later until finally, we were barely getting a line check before we went on. He got wind of it somehow and he showed up unexpectedly when they were starting to load in one night and he chewed the whole crew out right there and said,

‘you know, what do you think these guys are here for? They're supposed to warm up the crowd. If they sound crappy it reflects on all of us.’  

After that, we got a soundcheck every night and I was impressed by that.

There have been lots of little moments, along the way. One of the biggest crowds we played in front of when we first started was at a place in New Orleans. I don't remember the name of it, but it was a two-story building and they had a wet t-shirt contest going on (laughing). They had like five bands playing, three of them were inside the building and two of them were outside. We were an outside band. Nobody knew who in the world we were, it was maybe in 1975, I think. It was the first time a lot of people had seen us and it was great for us. You know, we got a lot of good exposure. People liked the band and the owner said he really liked us and invited us to come back the next week on the big stage inside. We were all excited about it and so, we came back the next week kind of expecting the same thing that happened the week before. We moved all the equipment upstairs and it's a gloomy day. It's raining and it's definitely not going to be as nice of a day. Then we found out about halfway through setting up that it's not a wet t-shirt contest with women. It's a men's wet t-shirt contest! (Laughing) Not the most brilliant idea but we still get a good laugh out of it."

Randy on what he wants Zebra fans to know:

"I think we're just so fortunate that the music has held up. I mean, we're not 20 years old anymore and I think when people come to see us now, they're certainly coming to see us more for the music than anything else (laughing). That's a big compliment too. I mean, just the fact that we're still doing this and that people are still coming is wonderful. The band has transcended generations and we are so grateful."

Check out Zebra's official site for upcoming gigs and more right HERE.

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Boston- 'Can'tcha Say You Believe In Me (Still In Love)

Exclusive Interview: The Doobie Brothers' Patrick Simmons Talks RRHOF, Vegas Residency & New Music in the Works

(Photo: Andrew Macpherson)

We are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.

ICYMI

When I was growing up in the late seventies The Doobie Brothers were truly a staple in my house. My dad was WAY into classic rock and for two hours each night (like it or not), I was given the kind of musical education that will truly last for my entire lifetime. The older I get, the more I realize just how much I love songs like "Long Train Running" or "China Grove" and it's not just because the bands' four Grammy's and 48 million records sold tell me that I should. I genuinely appreciate the intricacies of their work.

Based on their fanbase that numbers in the millions, it's clear that I'm not alone. The band wrapped up a summer tour with Santana only to announce that their first-ever Las Vegas residency will begin in early 2020. As if that isn't exciting enough the true shining moment of 2019 for The Doobie Brothers likely comes in the form of their first-ever nomination into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

I recently caught up with founding member/multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Patrick Simmons, to chat about all the exciting news and some new music to come from The Doobies. Check it out below!

(Photo: Tyler Habrecht)

Patrick Simmons on The Doobie Brothers finally being nominated for The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:  

"It feels great and everyone, including myself, is really pleased about it. You don't really think about it all the time because it's something that's out of your control, but when something like this comes along we really appreciate it. It's just a nomination so it doesn't mean that we're there yet, but at least we're on the path and that's pretty special. It's kind of a big deal (laughing), I think. 

If we were to make it in then the guys who founded the band, and the second configuration of the band that included Michael McDonald, I think all of those guys would be recognized. I would hope that as many of those guys that could, would choose to show up and have a go at playing because it would really be fun for everybody."

Patrick's thoughts on touring now:

"We did the tour with Steely Dan last year and then this summer we toured with Carlos Santana. I love shows where we're the headliner and so on, but I enjoyed the heck out of playing those shows with Carlos this year. We would jam with him almost every night. We would do "She's Not There" or something like that and just had a great time playing with him. 

When when we go off on our own we're just The Doobie Brothers in Concert and then two-thirds of the audience are the hardcore fans that have had the records and know the songs. That's when you can have those light-up moments when you can look out and see the audience with a surprised look on their faces and hear a spattering of applause when they know the songs. Those are such fulfilling moments for me personally

I love the medium-sized halls that have between 3000-5000 seats. Old theaters often sound really good. We recently played the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska and it was just so great. Such a fantastic theater and an incredible audience. I like the towns that don't always have big concerts coming through because it's a little more special when someone like The Doobie Brothers does play there. Those kinds of venues usually sound great and the audiences are enthusiastic and they're coming out just to see you. We have a great house engineer too that makes us sound really good onstage. You can feel the energy and it's as exciting and fun for us as it is for the audience." 

(Photo: Tyler Habrecht)

Patrick on discovering how to make some old songs feel brand new again:

"This year we did this thing at The Beacon Theater where we played "Toulouse Street" and "The Captain and Me" both front to back, all the songs and we ended up having a wonderful time. We had never played some of those songs in a live setting before and we realized how well they really translated. We had never tried them before because, in our own minds, they weren't the right songs to play live for our concerts. So this was something new that we discovered, not only do these songs really work, but they're fun to play too (laughing). 

We did a little tinkering with the arrangements to bring those songs forward a little bit and I think that those additions really brought the songs to another level. That was something that took us all by surprise and it brought us to a point where we had this interesting material that we had never considered using before. That made things more fun for everyone in the band. We've always included songs that were not hits in our setlists, but to be able to find material that we have never performed before ever, and have it work was a lot of fun. We threw these songs into the set and they really worked as far as the audience responding and so it's nice to have some old songs that feel new again.

We've only done a few of these shows so far, one in New York and another in San Francisco,  but they have been such fulfilling moments for myself and the rest of the band too. It's just so fun to challenge ourselves. Normally you start a show at one level and you move in an upward level of momentum until you get to your biggest hits and most popular songs. When you do an album all the way through the energy goes up and down and it's a little bewildering at first (laughing). The first show seemed a little weird but by the next one, we understood that the energy in this kind of setting flows more like if you're at home listening to a record. 

We also really take the time to tell some of the good stories behind these songs to help pull the audience in a little more too."

Patrick on new Doobie Brothers music:

"About six months ago or so, when we were all together, we went into the studio with some new stuff just to get our feet a little wet with some of the ideas that we had. Then we kind of sat on that material for a little while and our next task was to find a producer to work with. We wanted someone that could help us with perspective because it's always good to have that view from somebody outside of the band. We searched around and finally spoke to a guy named John Shanks and he has been working with us on some songs. We actually have some stuff in the can that we've recorded and pretty much finished, so we're talking about putting that out sometime next year. We're still in the early stages of figuring out how we're going to market it and what we're going to do with it. That's where we're at right now. I think we've got good songs and good performances so we just have to figure out where we're going with it. 

I know those of us that are writers are always working on something. Whether or not we'll end up using it for something, in those moments we have no idea, but in the back of our minds, there's always the thought that if The Doobie Brothers do some releases then this might be good for that. If not then they'll be good for something that we're doing individually on our own. Half of it is the fantasy of what might happen with the song (laughing), that's part of what being creative is all about. First, you have to imagine the music and then you have to imagine what you can do with it. I think it really enriches your life to have some creativity going on all the time. Since I discovered that I can write a song, it has been something that I've tried to do every day for all of my life. There's always something going on inside your head and every experience that you have, you reflect on it and figure out how you can use it creatively." 

Patrick on The Doobie Brothers first Las Vegas residency, beginning in 2020: 

"It was an opportunity that just presented itself. Obviously, it's kind of getting to be a 'thing' in Las Vegas. The business folks that run those entertainment centers where people just go to get away and play are always looking for something to get people in. They've been doing residencies with Aerosmith, Santana, Cher, Foreigner... there have just been countless artists doing it. In the past it was Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Wayne Newton (laughing) and so it's just a cool thing that we never really thought about doing ourselves. 

When it was offered we realized it's a great gig for an artist because you don't have to play and then travel to the next gig. The crew isn't packing up the gear every night and loading it just to unload it somewhere else the next day. Then there's the lighting and sound, just so many complicated components, so this is a real gift to any artist to be able to come in and play for a couple of weeks. As a touring professional band, it's lucrative and while we don't do it just for the money, we do have to get paid."

Patrick on what he hopes that people walk away with after seeing the band play live:

"I don't know if we are at the top of our game, but I do know that we have a really great band. Everyone is dedicated to doing the very best that we can. We work hard to make those three-part harmonies really tight and that's a huge part of the band. We are hard rocking and can get as heavy metal as anybody (laughing) because we like to play all kinds of music. That may be the oddest thing about the band, the fact that we're all over the map with what we play. There's country, some jazz-tinged stuff, we play super hard, loud stuff, we play straight-ahead blues. There are also ballads and some stuff that we think is really pretty (laughing) and delicate. 

We enjoy the challenge that comes with trying to inject different sounds and styles into our concert every night. We care about different musical forms and that's something that we really want people to understand after listening to the band play live."

(Photo: Kelly A. Swift)

Keep up to date on everything that The Doobie Brothers have going on by bookmarking their official site. Check out their tour dates here and grab some of the bands' merch too!