It's gotta be a strange twist of fate Telling me that Heaven can wait Telling me to get it right this time Life doesn't mean a thing Without the love you bring Love is what we've found The second time around
Some movie pairings are so good you desperately want to see them happen again. Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta were one of them.
After Grease became a massive cultural phenomenon, putting the two of them back together seemed like a no-brainer. They had chemistry, they could sing, they looked fantastic together, and America was still completely obsessed with them.
So naturally, Hollywood decided to put them together again. And then Hollywood apparently decided to get really weird about it.
The result was Two of a Kind, which landed in theaters in late 1983. And if you don't remember it, there's a pretty good reason for that. It bombed.
Like, really bombed.
Because while Grease gave us leather jackets, poodle skirts, teenage romance and songs that we still know every word to, Two of a Kind gave us... Four angels trying to convince God not to destroy Earth and start over.
Yep. That's the movie.
Newton-John and Travolta play two people whose relationship becomes part of a plan to save humanity from divine annihilation. Because apparently, after Grease, somebody sat around a Hollywood conference table and thought, You know what these two need? Angels. And the possible destruction of the planet. Critics were not impressed. Audiences weren't exactly lining up around the block either.
And honestly, even the combined star power of Newton-John and Travolta couldn't overcome a plot that sounded like someone had mixed a romantic comedy with a leftover Twilight Zone script.
But here's where things get interesting. The movie may have been a dud, but the soundtrack gave us a winner.
"Twist of Fate" was released as the first single from the soundtrack, and Olivia Newton-John absolutely delivered. The song climbed into the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100, giving her another major hit and ultimately becoming far more memorable than the movie itself.
In fact, if you mention Two of a Kind to most people today, there's a pretty good chance they'll respond with, "Oh yeah...that Olivia Newton-John song!"
And "Twist of Fate" is also a pretty great snapshot of where Newton-John was in her career at the time.
The days of the sweet, innocent Sandy from Grease were rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Newton-John was clearly interested in pushing beyond the good-girl image that had followed her for years, and her music and style were becoming considerably more sophisticated—and, let's be honest, a whole lot sexier. She was reinventing herself. Again.
And while Two of a Kind didn't exactly give her the comeback sequel to Grease that Hollywood was hoping for, it did give us a damn good pop song. So let's forget the angels and the questionable plot.
Just turn up "Twist of Fate" and enjoy Olivia Newton-John doing what she did best.
Because sometimes the best thing to come out of a terrible movie is the song you still can't get out of your head 40+ years later.
If you weren’t walking around in some state of chronic melancholy, you almost didn’t fit in. Not that any of us really felt like we fit in anyway.
Douglas Coupland’s Gen X novels seemed to remind us that we had been born into confusion, uncertainty and a general sense of What the hell are we doing here? Feeling like a misfit was practically part of the uniform. And, for a while, I was absolutely leaning into it.
I had traded in my hair bands for Bush, Pearl Jam, the Afghan Whigs and pretty much anyone else who sounded like they were closer to Seattle or Portland than the East Coast. Flannel? Absolutely. Questioning the meaning of everything? Obviously.
Then Janet Jackson came along and completely changed the mood.
Her 1993 self-titled album, janet., stayed in my CD player for what seemed like months. I was obsessed with everything about it. The music. The videos. The attitude. The choreography. And, yes, Janet's abs. Let’s not pretend we weren't all staring at those too.
This wasn't the same Janet Jackson who had given us Control and Rhythm Nation. She had grown up, thrown open the doors and completely reinvented herself. The music was sexier, funkier and more confident, while still having that unmistakable Janet sound. And somehow, it was exactly what I needed.
Maybe it was the timing. Maybe it was the music. Maybe it was the fact that Janet seemed to have figured out something the rest of us were still struggling with: you didn't have to fit in. You could create your own damn world.
The entire era was so ridiculously well-packaged that it was impossible not to get sucked into it. Even the fashion worked. Yes, I am talking about the flannel shirts. Janet somehow made them look infinitely cooler than the ones the rest of us were wearing.
MTV was still a thing in those days, and Janet's videos were events. The behind-the-scenes footage featuring her dancers made me desperately wish I was one of her "kids." Seriously. Those dancers were awesome. And then came If. That video remains one of my absolute favorites. The song itself was fantastic, but the choreography? Holy hell.
Three-plus decades later, I can still remember pieces of it.
If was released as the second single from janet. and became another massive Janet moment. The video was visually stunning, incredibly sensual, and packed with choreography that seemed almost impossibly precise. It was one of those videos that made you stop whatever you were doing and watch.
Looking back, it's kind of funny to think about how much music could affect your mood back then. There were no playlists customized by an algorithm to tell you what you should be listening to. You bought a CD, put it in the player and lived with it. And I lived with janet for months.
It was the perfect antidote to my early ’90s existential crisis. While everyone else was busy being miserable in flannel, Janet was reminding us that there was nothing wrong with being confident, sexy, ambitious and completely in control of your own identity. Maybe that's why the album still hits differently for me. It wasn't just a great record it was a mood changer.
By 1986, Madonna wasn't just ruling the charts, she was defining an entire era. In just a few short years, she had reinvented herself once again, trading the lace gloves and "Like a Virgin" look for a stronger, more mature image. Gone was the wild-haired club kid. In her place stood a toned, confident woman with a cropped hairstyle that perfectly matched the powerful message behind "Papa Don't Preach."
When the song was released, it immediately sparked controversy. The music video follows a young woman as she tells her father that she's pregnant and intends to keep the baby. Today, it might not seem quite as shocking, but forty years ago it ignited debates everywhere.
Some groups accused Madonna of glamorizing teenage pregnancy, while others claimed the song was taking an anti-abortion stance. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. Ironically, Madonna's own position almost became secondary to the conversation itself. What she really accomplished was getting people to talk openly about a subject that had often been considered off-limits in mainstream pop music.
Of course, none of the controversy hurt the song's success. If anything, it fueled it. "Papa Don't Preach" became Madonna's fourth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, further cementing her status as the biggest female pop star of the decade.
Looking back, it's easy to see why the song has endured. Beyond the headlines and the debates, it's simply a well-crafted pop record with an unforgettable melody and one of Madonna's strongest vocal performances of the '80s.
Whether you remember the controversy firsthand or are discovering it for the first time, "Papa Don't Preach" remains one of the defining pop moments of 1986.
(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?
"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?
"Much to my surprise I felt A warm, not cold vibe When he looked in my eyes (Oh yeah, it's possible) His bad boy front not charm Was his disguise Oh whoa whoa (Let me tell ya) He read so much into me Listened so attentively He liked me, I rest my case Wasn't just a pretty face."
Debbie Gibson was one of the biggest pop princesses to come out of the 80's. By the time 1990 rolled around she (and much of her audience) had grown up and it was time to prove it. "Anything Is Possible" marked the debut of a sexier Gibson. The video included black lace, leather, and sleeker dance moves. It was probably one of her better singles in terms of packaging but by 1990 the pop waves were starting to slow down. That meant fewer sales for Gibson and this ended up being her first album not to break the top ten on Billboard's chart. I think 25+ years later it still holds up as one of her best and updated songs. Check out the video below!
"It was only late last night he was out there sneakin'
Then he called you up to check that you were waiting by the phone
All the world's a candy store
He's been trick or treatin'
When it comes to true love girl with him there's no one home
He's a coldhearted snake look into his eyes
Oh, oh he's been telling lies he's a lover boy at play."
Who didn't love Paula Abdul back in 1988? The media had her pegged as a sweet, girl next door type that just so happened to dance her ass off. She was a former Laker girl that had already choreographed for Janet Jackson when her own solo album dropped. Forever Your Girl was a bonafide hit. By the time the third single, "Cold Hearted" was out, Abdul decided that it was time to sex up her image a bit.
She mixed Bob Fosse inspired choreography with moody lighting a barely-there costumes and the result, well it was magic."Cold Hearted" is one of those videos that trained dancers consider memorable. I appreciate how timeless it is. If you were to watch it for the very first time today you would never know that it's 30 years old. Abdul and her crew create frozen moments that are memorable even after a few decades.
I also like to kick the weekend off with something fun and this sure fits the bill. Check it out below.
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.
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:
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).
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?
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.
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.
"Hey baby I'm talking to you Stop yourself and listen Some things you can never choose Even if you try yeah You're bangin' your head again Cause somebody won't let you in One chance, one love Your chance to let me know
We can't go on Just running away If we stay any longer We will surely never get away Anything you want, we can make it happen Stand up and turn around Never let them shoot us down Never, never Never, never run away."
During the mid-80's women really did dominate the airwaves and MTV. Pop princesses were everywhere, at times they were tricky to tell apart but two women that most definitely stood out were Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. They first rose to fame in the '70s and then enjoyed a pretty huge comeback in the '80s with their self-titled album. The second single off of it, "Never" remains one of my favorites.
It shot to number four on Billboard's chart in 1985, to become Heart's best-selling single thus far and the take-charge lyrics seemed to really click with listeners. At least enough for MTV to keep the video in heavy rotation for a long while. In the thirty-plus years since, the Wilson sisters have gone their separate ways to work on various projects, but seem to reunite every few years for a new Heart album.
I want to have some fun Move my body all night long Working hard every day So I ain't staying home no way
So technically, it's Freestyle Friday here at Boom and I know that Samantha Fox isn't exactly in that category but she is one hell of a dance artist. She has also taken part in some of those freestyle shows that criss-cross the globe so in my mind, that makes Fox fair game. Close enough, right? Plus, I've always loved her. Fox was the very first woman that I can remember bluntly singing about sex in songs that actually charted well.
"Touch Me" was her breakthrough hit in the U.S. and I think the shock value alone easily made copies fly off of the record store shelves. By the time Fox returned with a follow-up album in 1988 we all knew what she was about. "I Wanna Have Some Fun" became a hit in my senior year of high school and it was one of those club hits that my friends and I listened to in between Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. It was simply a fun track that just so happened to have a double entendre which worked perfectly for Fox's sexed up image. Check out the video below. Were you a Samantha Fox fan?
"Allow me some time to play with your mind And you'll get there again and again Close your eyes and imagine my body undressed Take your time cuz we've got all night, oooh You on the rise as you're touchin my thighs and Let me know what you like If you like I'll go Down da down down down da down down I'll hold you in my hand and baby"
The early 90's were pretty damn emo. If you weren't walking around in a state of chronic melancholy you almost didn't fit in. Not that any of us really ever felt like we fit in. Douglas Coupland's Gen X novels reminded us that we were born into confusion so feeling like a misfit was par for the course. I had traded in my hairbands for Bush, Pearl Jam, Afghan Whigs and just about anyone else that was closer to Seattle or Portland than they were to the east coast. And then Janet Jackson reinvented herself and her sound.
Her self-titled album from 1993 stayed in my cd player for probably months straight. I was obsessed with the music, the videos, her abs- just everything. It was all so well-packaged (flannel shirts included) that it probably helped pull me out of my self-induced funk within a week or two. It was all so slick and between the videos and MTV's behind-the-scenes footage I really wished that I was one of her "kids" (dancers). I mean really now, they were just awesome. Check out the video for "If" below. It is still my fav and dear god, nearly 30 years later I still remember the choreography!
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:
"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.
"All you need is your own imagination S20o use it that's what it's for (that's what it's for) Go inside, for your finest inspiration Your dreams will open the door (open up the door)
It makes no difference if you're black or white If you're a boy or a girl If the music's pumping it will give you new life You're a superstar, yes, that's what you are, you know it"
Have you ever watched Paris Is Burning? It's a documentary that focuses on the Drag Ball culture in Harlem in the 80's and even if that's generally your kind of thing, it's definitely worth watching. So much of modern day culture and our phrasology is rooted in those early competitions. Madonna first watched the documentary in the late 80's and eventually introduced it to another type of audience in early 1990, via "Vogue".
Vogueing is the popular dance style that spilled out of the underground NYC clubs and onto MTV in middle America. I mean, I know I was doing it and if you ever found yourself in a club back then you most certainly knew the choreography to the song. Madonna's song ensured that we not only knew what it meant to Vogue, but we also knew how to strike that pose.
The video itself remains one of her best (I think). Shot in stylish black and white, it honors glamorous old Hollywood while paying tribute to the queens that really inspired Madonna. Check out the classic video below.
Do you guys remember Karyn White? She first garnered major radio play in the summer of 1988 with "The Way You Love Me" and that song kicked off a string of hits for the rising star. In an era when JodyWatley, Taylor Dayne and Paula Abdul were taking over the charts, White found herself easily in the mix. Her self titled album produced a string of hits including my favorite, "Secret Rendezvous". It peaked at number 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 and burned up dance floors and car radios alike. Check out the video below!
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?
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