Every time I hear that unmistakable saxophone intro, I'm right back in middle school, getting ready in the morning with MTV playing in the background. It seemed like the video was always on, and somehow it made even the most ordinary school morning feel a little more grown-up and mysterious.
Released in 1985 as part of the Miami Vice soundtrack, "You Belong to the City" became one of Glenn Frey's biggest solo hits, climbing all the way to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. While Frey had already cemented his legacy with the Eagles, this song proved he could absolutely stand on his own.
And that saxophone.
If you grew up in the '80s, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The haunting, smoky sax melody practically became its own character. It captures the feeling of late-night streets, bright city lights reflecting off rain-soaked pavement, and the loneliness that can exist even in a city full of people. It's one of those instrumental hooks that's instantly recognizable within the first few notes.
The music video only amplified that feeling. Like so many videos of the era, it had a cinematic quality that fit perfectly alongside Miami Vice. Frey wandered through the city after dark, surrounded by neon lights, empty streets, and that unmistakable mid-'80s atmosphere. It wasn't flashy, but it was cool. Everything about it felt effortless.
Watching it before school probably wasn't what my teachers had in mind as morning motivation, but I loved it. Between the music, the visuals, and that unforgettable sax solo, it left an impression that has lasted decades.
One thing I've always appreciated about "You Belong to the City" is how well it has aged. While some '80s productions sound trapped in their decade, this one still feels stylish and timeless. Sure, the synthesizers scream 1985, but they do so in the best possible way.
It's also a reminder of just how dominant saxophone-driven pop songs were during the decade. From television themes to rock ballads and pop hits, the sax wasn't just an instrument, it was the emotional centerpiece.
Every once in a while, this song pops up on a playlist, and for four minutes I'm no longer sitting at my desk. I'm back in my childhood bedroom, getting dressed for another day of middle school, glancing over at MTV while waiting for the bus. Funny how a song can hold onto a memory that vividly.
That's the magic of great music. It doesn't just remind us of the past, it lets us visit it again.
"You're out of your room And down on the street Moving through the crowd In the midnight heat The traffic roars And the sirens scream You look at the faces It's just like a dream"
Miami Vice was never my thing. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever watched an entire episode of the 80's classic show (maybe I should), but the soundtrack? Well, that was fantastic. There was a time in the middle of the decade when every artist either wanted a cameo on the show or at the very least to have one of their songs featured. I think my very favorite song used was Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City".
Sure it worked great with the Miami vibe on the show, but it also worked great for the rest of America. It went to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1985 and the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. I know because I actually remember doing the math so that I could anticipate when it would show next so that I could watch it.
It's another great 80's song with a fantastic sax solo- which can totally make a song, in case you haven't already noticed. "You Belong to the City" has just enough wail in there to make it fantastic. Check it out below!
"You're out of your room And down on the street Moving through the crowd In the midnight heat The traffic roars And the sirens scream You look at the faces It's just like a dream"
Miami Vice was never my thing. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever watched an entire episode of the 80's classic show (maybe I should), but the soundtrack? Well, that was fantastic. There was a time in the middle of the decade when every artist either wanted a cameo on the show or at the very least to have one of their songs featured. I think my very favorite song used was Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City".
Sure it worked great with the Miami vibe on the show, but it also worked great for the rest of America. It went to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1985 and the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. I know because I actually remember doing the math so that I could anticipate when it would show next so that I could watch it.
It's another great 80's song with a fantastic sax solo- which can totally make a song, in case you haven't already noticed. "You Belong to the City" has just enough wail in there to make it fantastic. Check it out below!
I don't believe that I deserve this ride You took me for my very heart and pride You let me down and now your hand is out Well, here's some spare change you can count
"Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash almost feels like a lost hit to me. When everyone thinks of Quarterflash I think "Harden My Heart" instantly comes to mind, right? I happened to catch the video for "Find Another Fool" the other day and remembered that THIS is the song by them that I loved most.
Rindy Ross' vocals and then sax playing is just everything and this band was pretty rock solid. Quarterflash first formed in Portland back in 1980 and within a year or so they hit it big. This live video performance was filmed in 1981 after they were already playing to huge audiences. Am I the only one that misses the saxophone making a regular appearance in currently trending music?
"Cryin' on the corner, waitin' in the rain I swear I'll never, ever wait again You gave me your word, but words for you are lies
Darlin', in my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd go But it's time to let you know
I'm gonna harden my heart I'm gonna swallow my tears I'm gonna turn and leave you here"
I think one of the very first videos that I can remember watching is Quarterflash's "Harden My Heart". I remember as a kid it not making a whole lot of sense to me and visually it reminded me of an episode of Doctor Who. I was a bit freaked out by that show but I quickly got over it resembling it because I absolutely loved the song.
I think that Quarterflash singlehandedly made me love the saxophone in under four minutes. From that point on, I looked for and usually found a sax solo in every song that I loved in the 80's. Rindy Ross handles vocals and sax like a rock goddess and in my mind, no other woman has ever come close to her playing. She said in an interview years ago that she felt the sax was like an extension of her voice and I actually get that feeling when a Quarterflash song plays.
I don't think I'm alone in loving "Harden My Heart" because it is one of the top songs that old school radio stations across the U.S. favor. And honestly, how could they not? Whatever happened to sax being a regular part of top 40 music? It added so much to so many songs, why did it disappear and who is going to decide to start bringing it back- one song at a time?
"I feel so unsure As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor As the music dies Something in your eyes Calls to mind a silver screen And all its sad goodbyes
I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool I should have known better than to cheat a friend And waste a chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you"
I miss just about every radio friendly song containing a sax solo. It's like the calling card for any 80's song that still gets airplay. A great sax solo can turn a song into a bonafide hit. "Careless Whisper" is one of those songs. It is unmistakable. Twenty seconds in you know exactly what song it is. I remember my dad first bringing the single home all kinds of excited. It was by this new British group called Wham and I HAD TO listen to it, immediately. He insisted and I couldn't understand his overwhelming need to share it.
Then it started and I totally got it. It really WAS different and it really was a musical moment for me. One of the first songs that I remember really hitting me on a deep level. It wasn't superficial bubble gum pop. It wasn't a great synth beat with no meaning. It was deep and it was the first time that I ever had a song show me just how music connects people.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley had written it years earlier and while it was technically released as George's first solo single, it's known as a Wham song. It appears on their Make It Big album and was performed by them from the very start. I know you already know the song, but how does it make you feel?
Since Covid-19 is preventing any new gigs DailyBOOM is flashing back to some of our favorites from previous years, plus some interviews that are oldies but goodies! Enjoy this flashback!
ICYMI
Chances are that if you're a rock fan you already know who multi-instrumentalist Tom Gimbel is. He started playing the drums as a young child and eventually that early rhythmic base turned him into the musical virtuoso that he is today. After touring with Aerosmith for several years beginning in the late '80s, Tom joined Foreigner back in 1995 and has loved every minute of it. The band puts his talents to great use and in any given show you'll see him moving effortlessly between guitar, keys and of course that magical saxophone.
Foreigner kicked off their Juke Box Heroes Tour with Whitesnake and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening earlier this month and I was fortunate to steal a few minutes of Tom's time before the Jones Beach, NY show. What ensued was a conversation over coffee and blueberry muffins (although miles apart) that was sprinkled with serious laughter. The only thing more entertaining than Tom's playing might just be his personality. He is clearly the guy that makes friends with everyone in the room- but only if he wants to.
(Photo provided by Tom Gimbel )
Cate Meighan: So, you're one week into the Juke Box Heroes Tour, how is it going so far?
. Tom Gimbel: The shows have been beyond our wildest dreams. It's so good and we're having such a great time. We're with two other bands, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening and Whitesnake. Jason Bonham was in Foreigner as our drummer for about three years and we just toured with his band last year so they're a ton of fun and we've known the Whitesnake guys forever. It's like being in rock n' roll band camp on the road, like a little fraternity (laughing). It's just a fun summer tour with really spectacular staging and wonderful weather so far. Mick Jones is on top of his game, Kelly Hansen (lead vocalist) is singing as well as ever and everyone else sounds great so we're having the time of our lives.
CM: What defines a great show for you?
TG: I think it's when the band is really clicking together. There's honestly never a bad night for us. We have good nights and then we have great nights. A lot of times it's the sound on stage like if you get on a cement floor the sound can be harsh and brittle. The way the room is designed and the energy of the crowd, everything contributes. When the sound is good and we're all grooving because the audience is into it, those are the ingredients for a great night.
CM:When you were younger did you ever see your career unfolding the way that it has?
TG: When you're young you have all these dreams of fame and fortune. I was never so interested in fame, but fortune? Well, that was interesting (laughing). I really hoped and believed that if I worked super hard and had a little bit of luck, good things would happen and that's really still my feeling. I work hard and hope for the best, and the good things have been pretty consistent.
When you're young and you just want to be a musician, you really don't think about what you'll be doing this many years later. Or if you do you think you'll be a billionaire, retired by the pool, racing horses or something (laughing). In actuality, the world has changed and real-life rolled in and that important music kind of became free. The world changes and you just adapt to things. The CD business kind of crumbled and people are acquiring music in different ways so you have to think of other ways to create income. That's why you see guys starting their own tequila company, coffee line or hot sauce.
(Photo Credit: Karsten Steiger)
The emphasis is also now on live music and that really fits the bill for me because it's my favorite thing. I love to play with the audience and have good interaction. When I watch my favorite bands I go to YouTube so that I can watch them play live. I still love the albums and want to have both, but when it comes to The Beatles, Al Green or Marvin Gaye I want to watch them play live, that's my thing. I never got to see The Who play live but I can watch their concerts from 1972. You know it's nice to just go back in time and visit with them and see how they gelled right there onstage.
CM: What is it that keeps you out there performing after all these years?
TG: It's the music for sure. I love playing rock guitar with a drummer, that's my favorite thing to do and then I love singing on top of that. Playing the saxophone and just being able to wail away on "Urgent" is about as much fun as you can have. This is what we all are looking for and it's what you work towards as a musician, so when the summers come around touring is just what we do.
(Photo provided by Tom Gimbel )
CM: What do you do to keep that musical spark lit for yourself?
TG: I'm always working on little projects. They recently did something with the wireless units and so we can't use the same frequencies that were once used for the microphone that is on the saxophone. That meant we had to get all new wireless stuff and that meant that we can no longer use the mic that I like, so we're shopping for microphones and I've had to try other ones. When it finally sounded good again I was so happy. I'm always looking for a magical reed for my tenor sax because it can make a drastic difference the way that the sound just jumps out of the saxophone big as a house.
There's always something to keep me inspired. I'll be looking at guitars online and then I find the same thing on eBay and think 'oh, I've gotta buy that quick before somebody else gets it". There should be a parental safety measure that stops you from being able to buy things after midnight. (laughing). I have storage space filled with things I thought I might need. It's okay though because it keeps me out of trouble.
CM: You're not a planner are you?
TG: I definitely go with the flow. I've never been a planner, I'm like one step at a time, no wait, two toes at a time (laughing). I'm really a linear person so I do things one step at a time in a sequence. It has worked for me and I like who I am now. I think we get more comfortable with ourselves as the years go by. When you're young you're always trying to prove something to somebody. Growing into your own skin is the best benefit of getting older.
CM: You've mentioned a few times how much things have changed over the years and with that change comes an onslaught of not so positive things, what is something that kind of eats away at you?
TG: I think it's a travesty that music programs are being taken away in the schools. Music was not only the best part of school for me but it probably kept me in school. Music was my motivator and I think a lot of kids might find themselves in that same situation, with music being the one thing that they like. It keeps kids out of trouble. We often bring choirs from local high schools on stage to sing with us. We tell people to talk to their board of education or school administrators to see if they can somehow help because these programs are being just stripped away. These kids haven't done anything wrong but they're being punished and losing something they need. It's really sad for the kids and we need to work together to save the music and other creative programs.
CM: You've got so many good things going on is there anything missing from your life at this point?
TG: Mostly these days I'm looking for my keys (laughing) because they're gone! Seriously, my keys, my phone, sunglasses that I can't find because they're still on my head (laughing).
CM: What would you like to say to the fans that have supported you for so long?
TG: I want to thank the fans for coming out and rocking with us and we'll continue to do this for as long as they want us to. We're so grateful. The stuff that Mick Jones has written with Lou Gramm has just held up so well that it's really timeless. I get a huge charge out of playing music with other musicians, but when you add the audience in then the element of excitement is palpable. I think the audience is the secret ingredient that connects it all and really makes it work. People sing and dance, stomp and swear, whatever. It's all an outlet and that's what a rock concert is supposed to be, it's therapeutic. Where else do you get to yell and scream in public- it's like primal scream therapy only cheaper (laughing) and you go home feeling so much better!
Besides acid wash jeans, big hair and neon everything, a really popular 80's video usually featured a killer sax solo. It was a decade that decided that saxophone players could singlehandedly make or break a track. Here's a clip of some of the best 80's songs that were heavy on the sax.
I don't believe that I deserve this ride You took me for my very heart and pride You let me down and now your hand is out Well, here's some spare change you can count
"Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash almost feels like a lost hit to me. When everyone thinks of Quarterflash I think "Harden My Heart" instantly comes to mind, right? I happened to catch the video for "Find Another Fool" the other day and remembered that THIS is the song by them that I loved most.
Rindy Ross' vocals and then sax playing is just everything and this band was pretty rock solid. Quarterflash first formed in Portland back in 1980 and within a year or so they hit it big. This live video performance was filmed in 1981 after they were already playing to huge audiences. Am I the only one that misses the saxophone making a regular appearance in currently trending music?
"Cryin' on the corner, waitin' in the rain I swear I'll never, ever wait again You gave me your word, but words for you are lies
Darlin', in my wildest dreams, I never thought I'd go But it's time to let you know
I'm gonna harden my heart I'm gonna swallow my tears I'm gonna turn and leave you here"
I think one of the very first videos that I can remember watching is Quarterflash's "Harden My Heart". I remember as a kid it not making a whole lot of sense to me and visually it reminded me of an episode of Doctor Who. I was a bit freaked out by that show but I quickly got over it resembling it because I absolutely loved the song.
I think that Quarterflash singlehandedly made me love the saxophone in under four minutes. From that point on, I looked for and usually found a sax solo in every song that I loved in the 80's. Rindy Ross handles vocals and sax like a rock goddess and in my mind, no other woman has ever come close to her playing. She said in an interview years ago that she felt the sax was like an extension of her voice and I actually get that feeling when a Quarterflash song plays.
I don't think I'm alone in loving "Harden My Heart" because it is one of the top songs that old school radio stations across the U.S. favor. And honestly, how could they not? Whatever happened to sax being a regular part of top 40 music? It added so much to so many songs, why did it disappear and who is going to decide to start bringing it back- one song at a time?
I don't believe that I deserve this ride You took me for my very heart and pride You let me down and now your hand is out Well, here's some spare change you can count
"Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash almost feels like a lost hit to me. When everyone thinks of Quarterflash I think "Harden My Heart" instantly comes to mind, right? I happened to catch the video for "Find Another Fool" the other day and remembered that THIS is the song by them that I loved most.
Rindy Ross' vocals and then sax playing is just everything and this band was pretty rock solid. Quarterflash first formed in Portland back in 1980 and within a year or so they hit it big. This live video performance was filmed in 1981 after they were already playing to huge audiences. Am I the only one that misses the saxophone making a regular appearance in currently trending music?
"I feel so unsure As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor As the music dies Something in your eyes Calls to mind a silver screen And all its sad goodbyes
I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool I should have known better than to cheat a friend And waste a chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you"
I miss just about every radio friendly song containing a sax solo. It's like the calling card for any 80's song that still gets airplay. A great sax solo can turn a song into a bonafide hit. "Careless Whisper" is one of those songs. It is unmistakable. Twenty seconds in you know exactly what song it is. I remember my dad first bringing the single home all kinds of excited. It was by this new British group called Wham and I HAD TO listen to it, immediately. He insisted and I couldn't understand his overwhelming need to share it.
Then it started and I totally got it. It really WAS different and it really was a musical moment for me. One of the first songs that I remember really hitting me on a deep level. It wasn't superficial bubble gum pop. It wasn't a great synth beat with no meaning. It was deep and it was the first time that I ever had a song show me just how music connects people.
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley had written it years earlier and while it was technically released as George's first solo single, it's known as a Wham song. It appears on their Make It Big album and was performed by them from the very start. I know you already know the song, but how does it make you feel?
I don't believe that I deserve this ride You took me for my very heart and pride You let me down and now your hand is out Well, here's some spare change you can count
"Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash almost feels like a lost hit to me. When everyone thinks of Quarterflash I think "Harden My Heart" instantly comes to mind, right? I happened to catch the video for "Find Another Fool" the other day and remembered that THIS is the song by them that I loved most.
Rindy Ross' vocals and then sax playing is just everything and this band was pretty rock solid. Quarterflash first formed in Portland back in 1980 and within a year or so they hit it big. This live video performance was filmed in 1981 after they were already playing to huge audiences. Am I the only one that misses the saxophone making a regular appearance in currently trending music?
"You're out of your room And down on the street Moving through the crowd In the midnight heat The traffic roars And the sirens scream You look at the faces It's just like a dream"
Miami Vice was never my thing. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever watched an entire episode of the 80's classic show (maybe I should), but the soundtrack? Well, that was fantastic. There was a time in the middle of the decade when every artist either wanted a cameo on the show or at the very least to have one of their songs featured. I think my very favorite song used was Glenn Frey's "You Belong to the City".
Sure it worked great with the Miami vibe on the show, but it also worked great for the rest of America. It went to number 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1985 and the video was in heavy rotation on MTV. I know because I actually remember doing the math so that I could anticipate when it would show next so that I could watch it.
It's another great 80's song with a fantastic sax solo- which can totally make a song, in case you haven't already noticed. "You Belong to the City" has just enough wail in there to make it fantastic. Check it out below!
