Showing posts with label New Wave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Wave. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

R. I. P GEORGE MICHAEL


I believe "Careless Whisper" by Wham is one of the greatest and classiest hits of the 80s. Never understood why many of my classmates didn't like this.  Of course, I also like Seether's Vanilla Fudge-ing of the song from a few years back.



Sunday, February 28, 2016

POWER POP & SKINNY TIE BAND IPOD PLAYLIST


I noticed, while rereading an older post, that I would do a post and Ipod playlist for power pop or, as they were known in L.A. in the 80s, "skinny tie bands."

This is one of those "Is it a genre or not" forms of rock & roll. The term "power pop" was first coined by The Who's Pete Townsend, who used it to describe the music of The Who and Small Faces. Other bands of that era (The Monkees, The Raiders, The Searchers, The Kinks) could be considered as influences on the Power Pop sound, however the major influence on the sound and look of Power Pop was The Beatles.

Shortly after the 70s began, a group of bands began springing up that hearkened back to that British Invasion sound. One of the first was the British band Badfinger, who were on the Apple label and even recorded a song written by Paul McCartney (He produced it, as well).

Another group that set the pattern for the Power Pop bands to come was the American group The Raspberries, lead by Eric Carmen. Later on, the San Francisco based band The Flaming Groovies switched from a rockabilly sound to a Power Pop sound.

The phrase Power Pop was next used by a music critic in 1978 to categorize this growing trend. The boom years for these bands were from 1978 to around 1986. The most successful of these groups was The Knack, who were from L.A. Club owners in L.A. dubbed the Power Pop bands, with their Beatle-like suits and ties, the "Skinny Tie bands." The glam/heavy metal bands, known for their mounds of sprayed, long hair, were dubbed "Hair bands."  That is where those terms came from.

Of course, the early Power Pop bands didn't dress like The Beatles did in 1964. They looked like other bands of the early 70s. It was The Knack, who started the fashion trend to dress like The Beatles. They also took a ton of flak over it.

While the last year of this trend is 1986, the music continued to be popular at college frat parties for years to come. More recently the sound has hit the charts again by bands such as Fountains of Wayne, Semisonic and The Rembrants.

This is not a countdown. I'm not ranking these songs, it is just for your listening pleasure. It is the order they came up on my Ipod.

"My Sharona" - The Knack
"Shake Some Action" - The Flaming Groovies
"Cruel To Be Kind" - Nick Lowe
"What I Like About You" - The Romantics
"Scream" - Artful Dodger
"A Million Miles Away" - The Plimsouls
"The Hero Takes The Fall " - The Bangles
"You Don't Want Me Anymore" - Steel Breeze
"Yellow Pills" - 20/20
"Someday Someway" - Marshall Crenshaw
"Alex Chilton" - The Replacements
"This Beat Goes On / Switching to Glide" - The Kings
"I Wanna Be Wit You" - The Raspberries
"Every Word Means No" - Let's Active
"Walking On Sunshine" - Katina & the Waves
"There She Goes" - The La's
"Wake Up Boo" - The Boo Radleys
"Love Is For Lovers" - The dBs
"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" - The Rubinoos
"Blood & Roses" - The Smithereens
"Hazy Shade of Winter" - The Bangles
"I'll Be There For You (Theme from Friends)" - The Rembrandts
"And We Danced" - The Hooters
"Superman" - R.E.M
"That Thing You Do" - The Wonders
"Girl of My Dreams" - Bram Tchaikovsky
"867-5309 / Jenny" - Tommy Tutone
"September Girls" - Big Star
"I Want You To Want Me" (live) - Cheap Trick
"Down On the Boulevard" - The Pop
"Hold On To Something" - Great Buildings
"All Come True" - World Party
"The Good Life" - Fire Town
"No Matter What" - Badfinger
"Talking In Your Sleep" - The Romantics
"Just a Smile" - Pilot
"Baby Its Cold Outside" - Pezband
"I Want To Help You Ann" - The Lyres
"Starry Eyes" - The Records
"Precious To Me" - Phil Seymour
"She Don't Know Why I'm Here" - The Last
"Lay Your Love On Me" - Racey
"Behind the Wall of Sleep" - The Smithereens
"Mary Anne" - Marshal Crenshaw
"Where Have You Been All My Life" - Fotomaker
"Tell That Girl To Shut Up" - Holly & The Italians
"Radio Free Europe" - R.E.M
"Driver's Seat" - Sniff N the Tears



"Tell It To Carrie" - The Romantics
"Magic" - Pilot
"Go All The Way" - The Raspberries
"Your Love" - The Outfield
"Stacey's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne
"Tonight" - The Raspberries
"I'm On Fire" - Dwight Twilley Band
"Ship Of Fools" - World Party
"Baby Blue" - Badfinger
"Too Late" - Shoes
"Good Girls Don't" - The Knack
"Rock & Roll Girl" - The Beat
"This Is Airebeat" - The Squares
"Day By Day" - The Hooters
"Time Won't Let Me" - The Smithereens
"In the Street" - Big Star
"Dreaming Is Easy" - Steel Breeze
"She Goes Out With Everybody" - The Spongetones
"I Will Dare" - The Replacements
"Lisa Anne" - Bill Lloyd
"Nothing From Today" - The Vipers
"Get Over You" - The Undertones
"Places That Are Gone" - Tommy Keane
"Whatever Happened To Fun" - Candy
"Chemistry" - Semisonic
"Girls" - Dwight Twilley Band
"Buried Alive" - The Lyres
"Come On, Come On" - Cheap Trick
"Fall On Me" - R.E.M
"Boy On a Roof" - The Outnumbered
"Honor Among Thieves" - Artful Dodger
"In a Different Light" - The Bangles
"L5" - Fools Face

The last one is a Springfield, MO. band, that had a statewide following in the 80s.

Friday, March 1, 2013

DISCO SHOCK OR I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY MADE A DISCO RECORD


I've been searching for photos of generic disco compilations for these Ipod playlist post, but (pardon the pun) this cover not only is a great cover but (pardon the pun again) has the perfect title for this playlist.

Disco's popularity caused some well established mainstream performers to try their hand at disco. Most of these not only were great records by the artist, but some of the best hits of the disco era. On the other hand, these artist made enemies with some hardcore disco haters (Rod Stewart took the most flak of these artist). Some of these may not have intended to be disco records per say, they just were embraced by the disco crowd and the club DJs.

For the most part, people have forgiven these artist for going disco.

 "I Was Made For Loving You" Kiss
“Heart of Glass” Blondie
“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” The Kinks
“Copacabana” Barry Manilow
 “Alive Again” Chicago
“Here Comes the Night” Beach Boys
“Do You Think I’m Sexy” Rod Stewart
“Mama Can't Buy Your Love” Elton John (You could also count "Philadelphia Freedom" as disco too)
"Miss You" Rolling Stones
"Young Americans" David Bowie
"December 1963 (Oh What a Night)" Four Seasons
"Another One Bites the Dust" Queen
"Goodnight Tonight" Paul McCartney
"Shakedown Street" Grateful Dead
"Clones" Alice Cooper
"All Over The World" Electric Light Orchestra (From the movie, Xanadu)
"Volarie" Al Martino
"Don't Stop The Music" Bay City Rollers
"Right Behind The Rain" Brenda Lee (I heard an interview with Brenda Lee where she mentioned making a disco record that she felt was a mistake. This song, from 1980, is the closest thing to disco by Brenda Lee that I could find. If you know of a better example tell me.)

  

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I AM NOT ASHAMED PLAYLIST 5

It is time for me to list more songs that are in my Ipod that I'm not ashamed to admit to liking. Some call these guilty pleasures. Life is to short to be guilty about your entertainment choices.

Ars Nova - "March of the Mad Duke's Circus" (An early prog rock band)
Capt. Groovy and His Bubble Gum Army - "Capt. Groovy and His Bubble Gum Army" (Really Bobby  Bloom of "Montego Bay" fame)
The Monroes - "What Do All the People Know" (Great lost hit of the 80s)
Geoff Goddard - "Sky Men" (A sci-fi Joe Meek novelty. Goddard played keyboard on the more successful Joe Meek production "Telestar")
The Squares - "This is Airebeat" (British New Wave/pop pop of late 70s/early 80s "This has always been a backwater")
Tommy Roe - "Dizzy"
The English Congregation - "Softly Whispering I Love You"
The Fabulous Poodles - "Mirror Star" (A 70s punk song about playing air guitar)
Chad McDevitt Skiffle Group with Nancy Whiskey - "Freight Train" (Early British hit in this country in the 1950s)
Baz Luhrman - "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" (One of the best spoken word/recitations ever)
Cee Lo Green - "Forget You" (One of the great ultimate break up songs - How could anybody not like it?)
Ray Parker - "The Other Woman" (A great R&B hit of the 80s that you don't hear anymore)
Blondie - "Heart of Glass"
Louie Armstrong - "Old Man Mose"
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band - "Abba Zaba"
The Rembrandts - "I'll Be There For You" (YES I DO LIKE THE THEME SONG TO FRIENDS! WANNA MAKE SOMETHING OF IT!)
The Breakfast Club - "Right On Track" (A memory from high school)
Owl City - "Fireflies"
Rockwell - "Somebody's Watching Me" (Barry Gordy Jr's son - featuring backing vocals by Michael and Jermaine Jackson)
The Combo Kings - "Batman A Go Go" (A soul dance hit from 1966 - There was a similar James Bond dance number)
The Seeds - "Pushing Too Hard" (One of my all time favorite songs. It sums up my life. If I ever find who was responsible for taking this out of the TouchTunes juke box at Buffalo Wild Wings, I will kill them!)
Charlie Dore - "Pilot of the Airwaves" (A song about a girl in love with a radio DJ. Dore was a Emmylou Harris sound alike from Australia)
Robbie Dupree - "Hot Rod Hearts" (I was told this was "dirty" when I was in elementary school - Never figured out why)
The Lettermen - "Come Back Silly Girl " (Early sunshine pop -slightly un-PC title)
October Country - "My Girlfriend Is a Witch" (Psychedelic/Sunshine Pop by Ray Bradbury fans - he even wrote the liner notes on their only LP)
Sarah Brightman/Michael Crawford - "The Phantom of the Opera"
The Beginning of the End - "Funky Nassau" (Fast reggae hit of the early 70s)
The Bosstweeds - "The Theme from Faster Pussycat Kill Kill"
The Coasters - "Little Egypt" (Singing Yiiiinnnng YYYaaang! Gitchy gitchy!)
The Hollywood Argyles - "Alley Oop"
Morris Day & the Time - "Jungle Love"
Even & Jaron - "Crazy About This Girl"
Cliff Richard - "Dreaming"
Hank Ballard & The Midniters - "Annie Had a Baby"
The Floaters - "Float On" (A Quiet Storm hit featuring the most romantic line ever "Cancer and my name is Larry")
The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
Neil Sedaka "Bad Blood"
Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"
The Hollies - "If the Lights Go Out" (From their 80s reunion LP - Why was this song not a bigger hit?)

If you want to see the previous "I AM NOT ASHAMED" Ipod playlist, here are links:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4 

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

DESDINOVA'S CAMPY 80's PLAYLIST

As I promised (or threatened), I have created a campy 80s playlist, much like the campy 70s playlist. I mentioned I was apprehensive about doing this, because some people that grew up in the 80s don't have a sense of humor about the music and culture of that era. On the other hand, as graduate of the class of 1987, I want to point out those songs that scream 80s. None of these songs are not bad. As a matter of fact, I don't think any of these are as bad as some of the songs on the 70s playlist, it is just they sound "so 1980s." The minute you hear them you say "That song  is from the 80s." As with the other list, I have included songs by some great major artist, because it wouldn't be an 80s list without these artist or the particular song. Also a few of these are actually songs from around 78 or 79, but they sure sound like the 80s. These are in no particular order.

The Buggles - "Video Killed The Radio Star"
The Mo-Dettes - "White Mice"
Prince - "1999"
Devo - "Whip It"
Bauhaus - "Bela Lugosi's Dead"
Stacey Q - "Two Hearts"
Loverboy - "Notorious"
Eddie Rabbit - "I Love a Rainy Night"
Frank & Moon Zappa - "Valley Girl"
Flock of Seagulls - "I Ran (So Far Away)"
Animotion - "Obsession"
The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
Corey Hart - "Sunglasses at Night"
Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart
Olivia Newton-John - Physical
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Aldo Nova - Fantasy
The Gap Band - "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - "Lost In Emotion"
Kim Carnes - "Bette Davis Eyes"
The J. Geils Band - "Centerfold"
Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf"
Bruce Springstein - "Born in the U.S.A"
Diesel - "Sausalito Summer Night"
Rick James - "Super Freak"
Cyndi Lauper - "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"
Human League - "Don't You Want Me"
Madonna - "Like a Virgin"
Pet Shop Boys - "West End Girls"
Peter Schilling - "Major Tom (Coming Home)"
Nena - "99 Red Balloons"
Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl"
Soft Cell - "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go"
Thomas Dolby - "She Blinded Me With Science"
Wham! - "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
The Eurythmics - "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)"
Yaz - "Situation"
Earth, Wind and Fire - "Let's Groove"
Billy Idol - "Hot In The City"
Culture Club - "Karma Chameleon"
Van Halen - "Jump"
Kool & The Gang - "Celebration"
Gary Numan - "Cars"
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - "I Love Rock & Roll"
Michael Sembello - "Maniac"
Motley Crue - "Shout at the Devil"
Pat Benetar - "Sex as a Weapon"
Robert Palmer - "Addicted To Love"
Warrant - "Cherry Pie"
Sheena Easton - "Morning Train"
The Police - "Roxanne"
Peter Gabriel - "Games Without Frontiers"
Mike & The Mechanics - "Silent Running"
Katrina & The Waves - "Walking On Sunshine"
The Cars - "Shake It Up"
Bonnie Tyler - "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

I'm sure somebody reading this is thinking I left off something or one of their favorites. This is just one playlist. Since I'm a product of the 80s, I may do another 80s playlist. I also plan a heavy metal playlist, so I may take care of some omissions there.
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