Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Dino- 'I Like It'

 

"Take me by surprise
Look into my eyes
And show me that
Your love is real"

Remember back in the day when a great club song would get stuck in your head from the first spin? Dino (AKA Dean Esposito) had one of those in 1989. "I Like It" was that track. You could dance to it and whenever it came on you ended up in a better mood by the time it ended. Dino's career as a performer only last for a few years but he has remained active in the music business by writing and producing for other artists, such as Sheena Easton.

Dino is also connected to the music industry via his wife, Caroline Jackson. If her name doesn't ring a bell the fact that she's one of the original Cover Girls should help jog your memory. She currently performs at various freestyle shows across the country with the rest of the OCG.

Anyway, back to Dino. How much do you still love this song?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Level 42 - 'Lessons In Love'

"I'm not proud, I was wrong
And the truth is hard to take
I felt sure we had enough
But our love went overboard
Lifeboat lies lost at sea
I've been trying to reach your shore
Waves of doubt keep drowning me
All the dreams that we were building
We never fulfilled them
Could be better, should be better
For lessons in love"

We all have those songs that, for whatever reason, we just love, and "Lessons In Love" by Level 42 falls into that category for me. It wasn't the band's most successful single when it topped the charts at number 12 back in 1987 (that honor goes to "Something About You" which reached number 7 the previous year) but it has always stuck in my head. The lyrics are all about screwing up a relationship and I'm pretty sure that my 15-year-old self had done exactly the same thing at that point in time, making it pretty much "my" song. 

The thing is that "Lessons In Love" could easily have been (and probably was) a lot of peoples' songs because who hasn't been there. The best lessons are those learned the hard way and Level 42 spells it out perfectly. I've always thought it was more than a little ironic that this song's melody makes me happy while the lyrics are a bit somber. Check out the video below. Do you remember this one?

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Cause & Effect - 'You Think You Know Her'

"Like children
Rarely seen and never heard
Emotion
Bare your soul you'll never learn
But don't ask why
And you won't get lied to
Speak to her softly
It's something you get used to
You think you know her
But you never really lived a life without her"

The 80's might have been the start of the synth-pop boom but the genre of music continued to expand even into the 90's. I vaguely remember a group named Cause & Effect coming along and reminding me of all the reasons why I loved groups like New Order. Cause & Effect had a very similar sound but the vibe was a bit more progressive. "You Think You Know Her" heated up the dance floors in 1990 and while it only climbed to number 38 on Billboard's club charts I always thought that it had a really great sound. This is no doubt kind of a lost hit and I'm curious just how many of you will remember it.

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

Nu Shooz on Facebook

Nu Shooz on Twitter

Nu Shooz on Instagram

Nu Shooz on YouTube

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Bangles - 'Hazy Shade of Winter'

Hang on to your hopes, my friend
That's an easy thing to say, but if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again
Look around, the grass is high
The fields are ripe, it's the springtime of my life
Ahhh, seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me

Not every cover of an already popular hit works even if it's performed by a big name. Just ask Taylor Swift about that recent Earth, Wind & Fire cover. But when it does work, it usually helps to spin the song in a completely different direction, one that introduces it to a new audience.The Bangles version of "Hazy Shade of Winter" did exactly that. It was released in 1987 as part of the Less Than Zero soundtrack, but if you were a longtime Bangles fan, then you knew that they had been playing the song live since the early 80's.

The song, originally done by Simon and Garfunkel back in 1966, has a great arrangement that allows each of the ladies to shine- something that was important to them at the time. They also filmed a slick futuristic video to go along with it and that gave the song an even sharper edge. The Bangles spent the mid-80's fighting for the same band credibility that the men were being given because they could rock out just as much as the guys. "Hazy Shade of Winter" seemed to really be a breakthrough for them.

 Do you remember the video?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Eurythmics 'Here Comes The Rain Again'

Here comes the rain again
Raining in my head like a tragedy
Tearing me apart like a new emotion

I'm not sure how it is wherever you're reading this from, but it seems to be raining everywhere this week.  Not that I mind it. I actually seem to be more productive when it rains. The weather also reminded me of a favorite 80's song by the Eurythmics. "Here Comes the Rain Again" hit the charts back in 1984, you know, when synth music was in its heyday and for good reason.

I still remember the very first time that I heard this song. I was in middle school and had gone to a friend's to do homework. We were watching Entertainment Tonight and back then the show would often end with a video premiere. Truth be told, they really would only show one verse of the video but it was still kind of a big deal. One verse was plenty for me though and by the end of that same week my allowance was being spent on the 45 which I played constantly.

"Here Comes the Rain Again" easily remains one of my favorite Eurthmics songs to this day. Check out the video below and tell me, is it one of yours too? 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Level 42 - 'Lessons In Love'

"I'm not proud, I was wrong
And the truth is hard to take
I felt sure we had enough
But our love went overboard
Lifeboat lies lost at sea
I've been trying to reach your shore
Waves of doubt keep drowning me
All the dreams that we were building
We never fulfilled them
Could be better, should be better
For lessons in love"

We all have those songs that, for whatever reason, we just love and "Lessons In Love" by Level 42 falls into that category for me. It wasn't the band's most successful single when it topped the charts at number 12 back in 1987 (that honor goes to "Something About You" which reached number 7 the previous year) but it has always stuck in my head. The lyrics are all about screwing up a relationship and I'm pretty sure that my 15-year-old self had done exactly the same thing at that point in time, making it pretty much "my" song. 

The thing is that "Lessons In Love" could easily have been (and probably was) a lot of peoples' songs because who hasn't been there. The best lessons are those learned the hard way and Level 42 spells it out perfectly. I've always thought it was more than a little ironic that this song's melody makes me happy while the lyrics are a bit somber. Check out the video below. Do you remember this one?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Cure- 'Why Can't I Be You?'

"You turn my head when you turn around

You turn the whole world upside down

I'm smitten I'm bitten I'm hooked I'm cooked

I'm stuck like glue

You make me, make me, make me, make me hungry for you

Everything you do is simply dreamy

Everything you do is quite delicious

So why can't I be you?"

I'll admit it, I'm not exactly a fan of The Cure. I cherry pick, carefully. For whatever reason I've always, always loved "Why Can't I Be You" and it's all about the video. Maybe it's because Robert Smith is slightly more animated than usual or because his lip liner is MIA. Maybe it's the costumes or the fact that the video features some of the most awesomely bad choreography ever. I don't know but when you put these things together it ends up looking like this (below), and I happen to love, this.

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Animotion- 'Room To Move'

It's not that I don't love you, oh no
It's just that I, I've got to have room to move
That's all I need, that's all I ask for
Room to breathe, room to move

That's all I need, that's all I ask for
Give it to me, room to move
Everybody needs, room to move

You guys remember Animotion, right? They had that hit song called "Obsession" that will now probably be stuck in your head for the rest of the day simply because I mentioned it. Well, back in 1989 they also had another hit, "Room To Move" which featured Cynthia Rhodes (ex-wife of Richard Marx) and Paul Engemann on lead vocals. It was featured in the 1988 science-fiction comedy film, My Stepmother Is an Alien and reached number 9 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Believe it or not the lineup on "Room To Move" is almost entirely different from the group that first broke through back in 1984. The original band, led by Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams, has reunited

in recent years and continues to perform. The lineup that featured Rhodes and Engemann was short lived but they did produce a great song so check it out below!

Daily Boom Lost Hit: Level 42- 'Something About You'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Pet Shop Boys - 'West End Girls'

Sometimes you’re better off dead
There’s a gun in your hand and it’s pointing at your head
You think you’re mad, too unstable
kicking in chairs and knocking down tables
in a restaurant in a West End town
Call the police! There’s a madman around
Running down underground
to a dive bar in a West End town

"West End Girls" was one of the first songs by the Pet Shop Boys to do really well on the charts and to this day, more than 30 years later it's still considered one of their best. It's also timeless. The first time that you hear it you're really not sure if it's old or brand new. The fact is, "West End Girls" debuted back in 1985 at a time when Brit-pop and synth music was exploding. Thompson Twins, Bananarama, The Human League... were all sitting at the top of the charts and there was plenty of room for Pet Shop Boys to join the party. Check out "West End Girls" below. Is it one of your favorites by the duo?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Men At Work - 'Overkill'

"I can't get to sleep

I think about the implications

Of diving in too deep

And possibly the complications

Especially at night

I worry over situations

I know will be alright

Perhaps it's just imagination

Day after day it reappears

Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear

Ghosts appear and fade away

Alone between the sheets

Only brings exasperation

It's time to walk the streets

Smell the desperation

At least there's pretty lights

And though there's little variation

It nullifies the night from overkill."

I know that when I first say Men At Work you're probably going to think of "Down Under", the song that everyone most associates them with. And for good reason, because it's a great song with a hook that borders on brilliant. Of course it was a hit and it's one of those songs that you know right off the bat. That's where the brilliance comes in to play. Just about every song by the group has a melody that is kind of a mash up of synth and reggae, with the exception of one song, "Overkill".

While I appreciate the humor and fun of most of the earlier songs, Men At Work's "Overkill" from their second album, Cargo, in 1983 proved that the guys could be serious, if not straight up melancholy. I really love this side of the band and it shows lead singer Colin Hay to be a bit deeper then I would have at first believed. While I love a fun song, I equally appreciate the "Overkill" type songs hidden between cheerier tracks on any album. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Men At Work - 'Overkill'

"Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear

Ghosts appear and fade away

Alone between the sheets

Only brings exasperation

It's time to walk the streets

Smell the desperation

At least there are pretty lights

And though there's little variation

It nullifies the night from overkill."

I know that when I first say Men At Work you're probably going to think of "Down Under", the song that everyone most associates them with. And for good reason, because it's a great song with a hook that borders on brilliant. Of course, it was a hit and it's one of those songs that you know right off the bat. That's where the brilliance comes in to play. Just about every song by the group has a melody that is kind of a mash-up of synth and reggae, with the exception of one song, "Overkill".

While I appreciate the humor and fun of most of the earlier songs, Men At Work's "Overkill" from their second album, Cargo, in 1983 proved that the guys could be serious, if not straight up melancholy. I really love this side of the band and it shows lead singer Colin Hay to be a bit deeper then I would have at first believed. While I love a fun song, I equally appreciate the "Overkill" type songs hidden between cheerier tracks on any album. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Natalie Cole - 'Jump Start (My Heart)'

"Our love is running down, done fell into a slump

Give me a spark to get the fire burning

A get my engine moving, set these wheels a turning

Our love could use some rejuvenation

You bring the wine, I'll bring the sweet conversation

Romance is here to stay, I'll testify 'cause I need some today

So won't you

Jump start my heart

Charge me up when I'm running down

Oh, jump start my heart

Lift my feet up off the ground"

"Jump Start (My Heart)" is a bit of a lost hit for Natalie Cole. I think most people associate her with ballads and songs that serve as a tribute to her father (Nat King Cole). But by now, you know me and you know that I can't turn down a song that makes me want to move something. I mean, that's a good way to kick off the weekend right?  Check out the video below for "Jump Start (My Heart)". Do you remember it?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bananarama - 'Venus'

"Goddess on the mountain top
Burning like a silver flame
The summit of beauty and love
And Venus was her name
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire."

Back in the spring of 1986, Bananarama found their way to the top of the U.S. Billboard charts with their remake of The Shocking Blue's "Venus". It was a song that they believed would lend itself to dance floors but it took a bit of convincing to find a production team that agreed. Thankfully they did and their instincts were dead on because "Venus" still to this day has a way of setting any dance floor on fire.

The video for this is just so much fun. Sure, Bananarama has always loved to play dress up but my favorite moments of "Venus" is when they are all just dancing and having a blast. Check it out below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Thompson Twins- 'Lies' on Solid Gold

You told me you loved me
So I don't understand
Why promises are snapped in two
And words are made to bend

The Thompson Twins are one of the best known groups to come out of the UK during the early 80's synth-pop movement. They had a number of hits in the states with 1982's "Lies" being one of their first. It his number one on Billboard's dance chart and landed in the top 50 on Billboard's Hot 100. It's one of those songs with an unforgettable hook so you know it almost from the minute it starts.

The only thing that could be better than just the Thompson Twins is featuring their performance from Solid Gold from early 1983.  A classic synth track combined with the Solid Gold dancers is just about as 80's as it gets, don't you think?

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Romantics - 'Talking in Your Sleep'

"When you close your eyes and you go to sleep
And it's down to the sound of a heartbeat
I can hear the things that you're dreaming about
When you open up your heart and the truth comes out
You tell me that you want me
You tell me that you need me
You tell me that you love me
And I know that I'm right
'Cause I hear it in the night
I hear the secrets that you keep
When you're talking in your sleep"

My first introduction to The Romantics came when a snippet of their video for "Talking Your Sleep" played back on American Top 40's top ten video countdown back in 1984.  Sure, it wasn't MTV but everyone had tapped into the music video craze and created their own version of it. The video itself was bizarre because it featured a bunch of women seemingly standing in their sleep clad either in lingerie or pajamas.

I loved the song and when my dad gave me a copy of the 45 single I can remember playing it constantly. Some synth ends up sounding really dated to me. This isn't one of those songs. "Talking In Your Sleep" still holds up as a pretty solid song. I may not go out of my way to play it nowadays, but when it comes on the radio or pops up in my work playlist I'm not shutting it off either.

Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: The Church- 'Reptile'

"Too dangerous to keep
Too feeble to let go
And you want to bite the hand
Shoulda stopped this long ago

Go now, you've been set free
Another month or so you'll be gorging on me
With your lovely smile
I see you slither away with your skin and your tail
Your flickering tongue and your rattling scales
Like a real reptile."

The Church is an Australian band that formed way back in 1980. Original members Marty Willson-Piper, Peter Koppes, Richard Ploog, and Steve Kilbey on vocals finally broke through on the American charts eight years later with their album Starfish. "Reptile" did pretty well on Billboard's modern rock chart and it's a song that I've always loved. The Church is technically an alternative group but their music is considered psychedelic and dream pop. Dreamy is really the only way that I can describe the guitar work. It just sucks you in and then the rapid-fire chorus just totally delivers.

I love when a song makes such an impact on you that even decades later you remember exactly where you were the first time that you heard it. "Reptile" is one of those for me. Check out the live performance video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Spandau Ballet- 'True'

With a thrill in my head and a pill on my tongue

Dissolve the nerves that have just begun

Listening to Marvin (All night long)

This is the sound of my soul

This is the sound

Always slipping from my hands

Sand's a time of its own

Take your seaside arms and write the next line

Oh, I want the truth to be known

I love those songs that serve as an instant vehicle to take me back in time. Spandau Ballet's "True" is most certainly one of those. Every time I hear it (which is actually pretty often) I'm instantly reliving 1983 all over again. To say that this song got a lot of air play would be a real understatement, especially since even now, more than 30 years later it's still in heavy rotation on some stations. "True" is the kind of song that you just kind of know all of the words to, even if you don't like it. I remember it always being on in the car and so nearly every time I hear those opening notes, then at least for a second I'm back in my dad's old Buick driving to god knows where.

"True" was Spandau Ballet's biggest hit in the U.S. and while they aren't often seen here they do often still perform in the UK. You guys remember this song, right? I'm betting that you start singing along (even if it's just in your head) almost immediately!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Tears For Fears - 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World'

"It's my own design
It's my own remorse
Help me to decide
Help me make the most
Of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever lasts forever
Everybody wants to rule the world"

It takes a pretty amazing song to not only represent one generation but then resonate with several more to come. When you actually do lock down one of those classics they are rarely feel-good anthems as well. Tears For Fears kind of did the almost impossible in 1985 with "Everybody Wants to Rule The World". Whenever it is played it turns into an instant sing-a-long doesn't it?

I mean, you know it and if your kids are teenagers they probably know it too (though they may not admit it). It puts you in an instant good mood but at the time that it was written, the undertones were pretty serious. The message remains just as much a rally cry, just towards different countries. 

When Tears For Fears released their Greatest Hits compilation late last year, Curt Smith explained the phenomenon that the song remains.

“I think a lot of these songs, now that I’ve listened back to them, are kind of just as poignant as they were then, but just towards different people, different areas of the world. Back when we were doing Songs From the Big Chair and ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World,’ we were really discussing the Cold War,” he says. “But it was the U.S. and Russia then, and now the concern is more the U.S. and Korea. I find that fascinating.”

It is fascinating in that I'm sure it never occurred to them that the song would remain relevant with future generations. Check out the video below. Do you love it as much as I do?