I Hate Myself for Loving You

So, today I was having lunch with a co-worker at one of our favorite places--Subway.   Yes, it's true.  Not very exquisitely exotic or anything, but you always know how much it will be, and you know it is not fried.  I like to eat healthy food most of the time.  So, Subway is a good choice, and it is bright and cheery and yellow inside.  Kind of makes it "sunny" even on the gloomiest days.  This particular Subway usually plays light rock or pop on their radio station of choice, but today I heard Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself for Loving You."  I thought, "Wow!  I haven't heard this in ages!"  I was even more surprised this evening when I read that the song came out in 1988.  Why was I thinking it was much earlier than that--like 1982?  I am getting all my years confused lately.  I hate myself for getting old...

Recent pic of Joan

Anyway, this song is awesome.  It's another one where I hadn't paid attention to the lyrics back in the day, so I took a look this evening.  The song is all about a woman who hates herself for loving a guy who is a cheater.  Ah, yes, we have heard this scenario many times before in '80s songs.  Well, we have heard songs where a woman is cheated and feels badly--maybe angry, sad, etc.  But!  We have only Joan Jett to really sock it to us with her title.  Yeah!  I think she wraps it up perfectly.  Listen to the lyrics--they are terrific.  I especially like, "But I've been dreamin' 'bout the lovin' you do..."  That just makes me smile.  Kind of a lyrical "wink."  Very cool.  The other part I remember was something about "but you don't know what you was missin' last night."  Little did I know that the whole verse ends with another bit of a jab at this guy: "Hey man bet you can treat me right...but you don't know what you was missin' last night...I want to see your face and say forget it just from spite..."   Sweet!  I love that last part.  This song is truly awesome.  I guess it's good to not have been overplayed.  Makes you really appreciate it many years later.  And Joan Jett is truly 100% rock and roll.  Enjoy!

Jon Bon Jovi and Advil? Oh no....

Pic from Jon Bon Jovi's Advil commercial

Yes, as you can see from the title, I ran across an ad today with Jon Bon Jovi for Advil.  I was mortified.  "Say it ain't so," was all I could think.  When I think of Advil, well, I think of joint pain and arthritis...but not Jon Bon Jovi!  I think the whole connection implies that he is aging, and I guess we all are, but can't we just pretend that time stands still?  Even I have joint pain and arthritis from years of clarinet playing, but I like to just forget about things like that.  Yes, in Becky's World, it's much happier to remember then fun loving days of one's youth.  So...

I decided to look at some Bon Jovi songs.  There are so many great ones, and I LOVE Bon Jovi.  It's amazing--I really liked them when I was younger, and now I am completely entranced and mystified.  I must say that I think Jon Bon Jovi looks better than ever.  He has not aged at all--just has smaller hair now :)  I like all of his hairdos, quite frankly.  When I looked at Bon Jovi's titles, I found "Born to Be My Baby" and had to pick this song.  I don't think it got as much airplay as some of their other tunes, but it sure is good!  I forgot until I watched the video this evening.  It is chocked full of coolness--or what I would have considered cool back in high school when the song came out.  Oddly enough, I still find it to be a great tune and video.  I love the way they are playing a bit in the beginning, testing the instruments.  Jon counts off, "two, three, four," and they get crankin'!  Awesome vocals, drums, guitars, and of course, lyrics.  Listen to the lyrics--they tell the story once again of a young couple without much money but with lots of love to keep them together through days of hard work to make ends meet.  Very romantic.  And he sings, "My heart beats like a drum (all night)...flesh to flesh, one to one (and it's alright)," and the group harmonizes with him--and it truly melts my heart.  I kind of feel like a silly teenager again, but hey, it's Jon Bon Jovi!  And when Ritchie Sambora looks at the camera and winks, well, that just ads to the melting factor.  Remember when he and Heather Locklear got married, and they were the perfect couple?  Oh well...at least the music survives :) Music will always survive, no matter how many times people break up, make up, etc...

God Bless Mother Nature...and Father Time

I was having fun this evening looking at various disco songs, which I realize are not from the 80s.  There was one that I thought about posting because it was remade later, but low and behold, I ran across "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls.  I had no idea that this song was written in the 80s!  It was released in 1982, which completely shocked me.  I seem to remember it being on the radio in the 70s, but I guess I was mistaken!  It surely didn't sound like the rest of the pop tunes on the airwaves in 1982.  Nope -- this one preserved a disco feel from the previous decade.  Amazing.  I am still in shock!

Anyway, the Weather Girls were Martha Wash and Izora Rhodes.  There was a ton of controversy surrounding groups using Martha Wash's vocals in the 1990s with slim model-types lip syncing to her vocals in the videos (for the songs "Make You Sweat" by C&C Music Factory and "Strike It Up" by Black Box).  I really liked "Strike It Up," but it is sad that they used her powerful vocals and masqueraded them with the models.  Definitely a 90s way of thinking I suppose. The 70s seemed much more accepting of people's differences, and in the 80s, well, we were so busy being obsessed with space and the future and synthesizers...it all just kind of got lost.  I also found out that this song was written and produced by Paul Shaffer (from the David Letterman show) and Paul Jabara.  They supposedly offered it to Diana Ross and Barbara Streisand--who both turned it down.  I would be curious to hear Diana Ross sing it.  With all due respect to Ms. Ross's unmistakably beautiful voice, Martha Wash's voice had a very different element of power and beauty.  She was perfect for this.  I say was, because, sadly, she passed away in 2004.  God bless Mother Nature for gracing us with Ms. Wash's voice (and Ms. Rhodes' as well).  This is a terrific song, and you have to love the funny religious exclamations in it that are are just so fitting..."It's raining men!  Hallelujah!  It's raining men...Amen!"  God bless Mother Nature indeed.

Detroit Rock City

It's getting pretty late in Becky's World, and tomorrow is Friday.  Thank goodness.  As tired as I am right now, I am excited for the weekend.  Last weekend I heard "Detroit Rock City," another Kiss classic, on the radio while I was driving.  Again, I cheat a bit here because the song was written in 1976, but that is alright.  I am sure this song was heard on classic rock stations in the 80s, and it is still getting airplay today.  I never actually heard the song until this year when I discovered the Kiss Symphony video.  I had very little idea of what Paul Stanley was singing (other than "get up...get down...") and then I discovered the sad inspiration behind the song.  Becky's World is pretty happy, so I will leave the research on this one (for those who don't already know) to my readers.

I really do think the performance with the Melbourne Symphony ads an exceptional punch and huge level of excitement to the song.  Well, that and the awesome pyrotechnics.  I couldn't help but notice that at 1:59 in the video, the brass section comes in to join the guitar melody.  Oh yeah, the brass can really kick some, uh, rear.  How cool is that?  I can only sit here and drool over that part, because even if the woodwinds had it, well you can't see or hear them in that part of the video.  That's okay.  Plenty of good music to go around for everyone.  I think I am getting addicted to this performance video.  I guess the song isn't really that sad if you think about it as a celebration of spirit and life.  Alright, it's sad, but this video is kickin', and the guitar solos cranking along give the tune unbelievable gusto and momentum.  Perfect to ring in the weekend.  Enjoy!

ABBA Goes Out with a Boom

This evening, I was looking for some interesting covers or samples of songs from the '80s.  After a couple of searches, I discovered one of the most amazing songs by ABBA, "Lay All Your Love on Me."  I can't believe I had never heard this song!  It is truly one of the best songs, musically, that I have heard in a long time.  The song was recorded and released on the group's 1981 album, Super Trouper.  If you have not heard this tune, check it out.  It is not only a terrific song from a harmonic and melodic perspective, but the lyrics are amazing---one of my new favorite "jealousy" songs.  Wow.  This one is first-rate.  The lyrics tell the story of a woman who is madly in love with a man and starting to feel a bit possessive.  She urges him, "Don't go wasting your emotion...lay all your love on me...don't go sharing your devotion...lay all your love on me."  I think the best part is that harmonically, the song sounds very much like a hymn.  Definitely has a religious, devotional, plagal cadence thing going on...with a pop/disco feel.

Meanwhile, several years later (in 1998) a Europop group called Vengaboys emerged on the scene.  I remember their "We Like to Party" being a big hit in the U.S., but I had forgotten all about one of their catchiest and silliest songs, "Boom Boom Boom Boom."  No, it is not about rockets blasting into space or an anti-war protest song.  It is about something completely different.  Yeah, you've probably guessed it.  If not, just check out the lyrics.  Pretty simple.  The interesting part is that they sampled ABBA's "Lay All Your Love on Me."  I guess that makes sense, since the "boom" is really about the same thing.  Anyway, check it out for yourself.  The Vengaboys song is at least an extremely fun and funny tune that may haunt your ears for a while, but it will probably make you laugh as well...

A Matter of Touch?

So, I was driving back from a long weekend visit with my family, and I stopped at a McDonald's at the bottom of a huge mountain range.  While I was in the restaurant, I heard a really catchy tune by Billy Joel.  I recognized it clearly, but I could not remember the title...and I certainly couldn't hear the title in the chorus.  I thought, "A matter of touch?  A matter of love?"  Wow.  I simply could not hear what he was singing.  A matter of touch surely didn't make sense.  A matter of love was a bit closer, but I just knew it wasn't correct.  Then, finally, I realized what he was singing AND what the title was --- A Matter of Trust.  Hmmm.  Sounds kind of boring as a title, actually.  A matter of trust?  Is that really very interesting?  Usually songs about cheating, loneliness, or unrequited love are always more interesting, intense, and sometimes even fun.  But, alas, this IS Billy Joel, and he is a master songwriter and lyricist.  I cannot think of a Billy Joel song that I do not like---they are all amazing.  So, with this one, there is no difference.  It is a solid, lyrical, melodic, and "meaty" tune from 1986.  It has more guitar than you would ordinarily hear in a Billy Joel song, but that is what makes it so perfect for the time (well, that and his pure, focused vocal performance).  Most of Billy's songs feature the piano, which is his main instrument.  So, this is a bit different.  I can't really imagine someone else covering the tune, but you know, perhaps there could be different lyrics.  In fact, this song is so solid that you could probably sing just about anything over the instrumental foundation.

Christie Brinkley Cover Girl Ad -- Classic!

As for the actual tune and video, both are very upbeat.  The song is obviously about a couple building a relationship to last--one that is based on trust and set to withstand the tests of time.  In the video, we see Billy's wife at the time, Christie Brinkley.  Yup, she was a famous model, and they were newlyweds.  She is holding their infant daughter, Alexa Rae Joel, who is now a grown woman and singer/songwriter just like her dad.  Unfortunately, Joel and Brinkley divorced later.  She married someone else and had a few more children.  Then, there was a scandal with her husband cheating on her with some teenaged babysitter.  Oh well!  Very, very 80s.  Well, the scandal part was 80s, but the actual facts were kind of more current (90s? 21st century?).  Luckily, the video is a fun jam in New York City, which will always be cool and inspiring, no matter what decade we are in.  I hope you enjoy this song and video.  If you can't understand the lyrics, just make something up...

What About Love

So, Heart is one of my favorite groups from the '80s, and I absolutely love them.  I never get tired of their music, and all of their songs (from both the '70s and '80s) are terrific.  I heard "Barracuda" on the radio as I was driving home the other day -- definitely an excellent tune for driving through a twisty route through the mountains.  I looked at a couple of their songs that I hadn't heard in a while, including "What About Love."  This song is amazing, and I admit that Ann Wilson's vocals in the beginning were always so mesmerizing to me that I didn't listen to the rest.  I could remember the chorus pretty clearly, but I had to go back to read the full lyrics.  Beautiful, truly beautiful.  Pretty simple to understand.  Ann is singing to a man -- "the love I'm sending, ain't making it through to your heart."  Sounds like perhaps the man is preoccupied with work and forgetting about love.  I don't know how anyone could resist the touching lyrics of the song, which I imagine is one of the keys to it's popularity.  Well, that...and the video.  I hadn't seen it in ages, and I am not sure I understand it completely.  Definitely some kind of weird industrial underworld.  Guess it kind of goes along with the style of the day.  It has some very cool moments, like Nancy Wilson raising her guitar high above her head (kind of a "pray to the god of guitar" gesture -- very, very cool).  When she pops out of a mold after hot, molten liquid is poured in, that is pretty cool, too.  The video is fiery and intense, and I wonder what it would have been like in a different setting.  But, alas, it rocks....and so does Heart.  Hope you enjoy this wonderful power ballad.

Blondie - Behind the Music Remastered

Last night, I had the chance to watch VH-1's "Behind the Music Remastered" episode about the group Blondie.  It was really, really good.  I realized after watching this that there was so much to the group that I never knew.  The first and foremost was that they were from the NYC area.  Debbie Harry grew up in NJ and then moved to the city, where she met the other band members.  Wow -- I can't believe I didn't know this!  Makes me proud since I am from NY.  I guess I had never really listened to an interview with her, either, and I was pretty surprised.  She seemed very mellow, laid-back, pensive, soft-spoken, and introspective.  Just seemed so different from her persona on stage.  I think it is amazing. Kudos to her, because she is definitely a performer and a "regular person."  Nice to see a dichotomy there.

There are so many songs by the group that are terrific - "Heart of Glass," "Rapture," "Call Me," "Tide is High."  What is truly remarkable is how different those songs are stylistically.  I love all of these and could certainly listen to them again and again, but I found something that is kind of a "lost gem" in her discography -- "Dreaming."  I think the last time I heard this song, I was shopping in Express.  It doesn't get as much attention as her other hits, but it is just a very cool song nonetheless.  The lyrics are nice and light.  Interesting, too, and certainly "dreamy."  It's nice and refreshing to hear these type of lyrics, although the first line really packs a punch --"When I met you in the restaurant, you could tell I was no debutante."  Touché!  Very cool -- sort of "tongue in cheek."  Lyrics like that always make me smile.  I hope you'll enjoy this song as well.  Check out the VH-1 episode, too.  It is worth watching,

Rod's Heart Can't Tell You No

In the last few minutes of the evening, I was thinking about another song to write about.  Contemplated something with "love" in the title once again and then decided to look for one with "heart" in the title.  Again, there are many good contenders.  Oddly enough, I thought about a Rod Stewart song that always pulled at my heartstrings, "My Heart Can't Tell You No." It's pretty straigtforward in that he sings about "when the one you love's in love with someone else...don't you know it's torture, I mean it's a living hell."  He really packs a punch in his delivery of these lyrics.  He really emphasizes "love" and "torture."  To me, it sounds like "when the one you loooooooove's in love with someone else...don't you know it's torrrrrrrrture, I mean it's a living hell."  The rest of the lyrics are pretty intense, too.  Take a listen, but keep a tissue closeby to wipe away the tears.  This is a tough one to listen to with a dry eye.  Plus, in the video, Rod looks really, really sad.  He's just singing and watching from the outside as this girl is romanced by another guy.  My heart goes out to Rod.  If you'd like to see the song in a completely new light, you can watch the version by Sara Evans from 2011.  It's a country version.  Pretty interesting.  Rod's version dates back to 1988.  It's a classic!  Enjoy, and don't be upset if you can't keep from welling up with tears...

Love Hangover

Happy Valentine's Day!  I know it is already February 14th in some parts of the globe, so I thought I would get a headstart on the celebration.  Valentine's Day is the number 1 holiday in Becky's World.  Why?  Well, I'm not sure, but it happens right before my birthday, so there must be something in the stars to make this my all-time favorite holiday.  There are also so many great love songs out there, and I have written about many of them in some of my previous posts.  I am trying to think of my favorite love song, but there are just so many...and not all of them have "love" in the title.  But, it is Valentine's Day after all, so I thought I would check out some songs about love.  There are over 1072 songs with "love" in the title, so this was a tough one...until I remembered "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross.  Now, this was written in 1976, so it is not an 80s song.  Again, I am cheating, but I couldn't help it.  It was performed by Erykah Badu at the BET tribute to Diana Ross in 2007, so it has definitely spanned the test of time.  I actually think this is my favorite performance of the song, so I had to post the video.  It is amazing.  What a terrific tribute to Ms. Ross!  "I don't need no cure...I don't need no cure...I don't need no doctahhhh...I don't need no cure..."  Pretty amazing stuff.  Ms.Badu's performance was really top notch.  Even Diana Ross looked pretty entranced!

On the flip side, I think my first memory of this song was from the Muppet Show.  I used to watch that show religiously.  Loved Ms. Piggy and wanted to be just as glamorous.  Meanwhile, I am not sure why this song was on, because it surely isn't for kids...but it was the 70s, so that's alright.  It was a different time altogether.  All I know is that the clip from the show scared the daylights out of me.  Something about the darkness and those big muppets dancing around frightened me.  Well, and maybe the slow tempo in the beginning, too.  Then, when the bass guitar came in, I seem to remember identifying the sound with a rubber band.  Wow, I am so glad I became a musician, because my take on the clip is so much different now.  Still a little creeped out by the muppets, but certainly not by the music.  Enjoy!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Tribute to Whitney Houston

I still cannot believe that we have lost the great Whitney Houston this week.  It was so sudden and unexpected -- almost surreal.  I heard the news last night when I was out of town.  This morning at the airport, all the news channels were running stories about her untimely passing.  Tonight on the Grammys, I believe Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan will be paying tribute to her in song.  It's so sad -- I think she was at an age to really stage a comeback, but now she will live on in spirit.  Rest in peace, Whitney.  We will miss you.

Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield

Well, I am away from home at a conference again, so it took me a while to decide on a tune for this evening.  I did a bit of browsing and decided to take a look at Pat Benatar's "Love Is A Battlefield."  I absolutely LOVE this song and always did.  I can't believe it came out in 1983 -- it seems like just yesterday!  I used to play this song over and over and never got tired of watching the video, too.  I think I took a hiatus from listening to it in the past few years, because it may have gotten just a bit too much airplay for my taste.  It is a terrific song.  Don't want to spoil it by hearing it too much.

So, I heard it again this evening and watched the video.  I knew the video was terrific and remembered how cool the dance sequences were.  I read that Pat Benatar had to learn the dances and found it to be very challenging since she was not a dancer.  I can understand that.  The first time I saw an opera, I was amazed at how the chorus had to sing AND dance.  No way that I would be able to do that!  Anyway, the video is awesome.  If you haven't seen it in a while, check it out.  Short story line -- Pat plays a young woman who gets in an argument with her folks.  They throw her out of the house, she runs away (taking a bus out of town) and ultimately winds up as a prostitute/stripper or something like that.  I think it's a prostitute, because she is in some kind of club with a bunch of other women and one really, really ugly looking pimp.  Yikes.  His gold tooth and the look on his face are so creepy.  But, he is a terrific dancer.  You can tell when they have the little shoulder-to-shoulder dance off.  My guess is that the actor was a dancer.  Gotta love when Pat throws the drink in his face, too.  Take that, pimp!  She and the girls have one last dance number and then escape from the place.  Yup, they go out into the sunrise as opposed to sunset.  We see Pat on the bus again.  I guess she is on to her next destination (hopefully someplace with less scary pimps).  Just kidding.  I LOVE Pat Benatar.  I know others have tried to sing this song, but only Pat can do it the way it should be done.  She has a couple of tour dates in April.  Maybe I will get to see her!

Madonna - Halftime Show Super Bowl XLVI

I haven't had a chance to watch Madonna's Halftime Show in its entirety, but here it is!  I will have to comment later.  I was so happy that she performed some of her classics, like "Vogue" and "Like a Prayer."  Enjoy!

(Back) Into the Groove with Madonna

Okay, so everyone is talking about Madonna and her Super Bowl performance tomorrow night in Indianapolis.  Lots of speculation, many quick links with supposed play lists for her set, and all kinds of short interviews on the web.  Meanwhile, I found a video on her YouTube Channel of the new song that she is performing ("Gimme All Your Luvin'" with Nicki Minaj and MIA).  The song is alright.  Catchy, upbeat, fun, modern.  But, alas, I still like vintage Madonna tunes, better.  One of my favorites is "Into the Groove."  Anyone remember that one from 1985?  It was from the movie "Desperately Seeking Susan," where Madonna starred with Rosanna Arquette.  Honestly, I saw the movie when it came out and had a lot of trouble following the storyline, but that is alright.  I was just a young girl, and the story was kind of off-beat.  Besides, I just saw the movie because Madonna was in it.  Essentially, it's about a woman who has amnesia (Rosanna Arquette) and becomes obsessed with the life of Madonna's character (Susan).  Yup, that's about it.  It's kind of cooky and crazy and takes place in NYC.  I just thought the song was so great, and the video had scenes from the movie.  Eventually, I realized the song was really much, much better than the movie.  Come to think of it, I believe the same can be said of "Dick Tracy."  Remember that movie with Madonna and Warren Beatty?  Oh, and the romance between Madonna and Warren Beatty?  I digress...so, back to the song...

I always liked the tune because it had an excellent beat and very "cool" lyrics -- especially to young 5th graders who wanted to be just like Madonna back in 1985.  I was on that list.  I loved the way she spoke in the beginning of the song, "And you can dance, for inspiration, come on, come on, I'm waiting..."  The rest of the lyrics are very hip indeed, focusing on dancing and love, and putting the woman in charge as Madonna sings, "Get into the groove, boy you've got to prove, your love to me, get up on your feet, yeah step to the beat, boy what will it be..."  Back in the day, I don't think any of my 5th grad pals really paid that much attention to the vocals, but we sure did memorize the lines so we could dance and sing to the records...and yes, they were vinyl records.  Ah, memories.  Now, it seems kind of fun and whimsical to listen to the lyrics.  Nothing wrong with cute lyrics about love.  I think her song for tomorrow night's Super Bowl performance will be about love, too, but I was so distracted by all the activity in the video and song that I think I missed the lyrics entirely.  Oh well.  Hope you enjoy this peek from Madonna's past..

Easy Lover

Finally, Friday....ah....  It's the day I have been waiting for all week!  Time to celebrate, and what better way to do that than with an up tempo '80s classic?  I was thinking of a particular song by Toto, and then I did some browsing on the internet, ultimately finding the song "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey.  This was written in 1984, so it is perfect!  I forgot how much fun this song is--and the video as well.  If you watch the video, it begins with  Phil and Philip (wow, I just noticed they have the same name) riding up in a helicopter.  The opening synthesizer line kind of goes with the helicopter controls engaging, so it all sort of syncs up so to say.  Then, the two are in the studio, rehearsing and recording the song.  It looks like they are having so much fun, and I especially like the part where they are working in this "swap the mic" dance move.  But, it is not as funny as the segment where it looks like Philip Bailey is showing Phil Collins some of his classic Earth, Wind, and Fire dance moves.  Awesome! 

I can remember this song from back in the day, and I admit that I didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics.  I remember "she's an easy lover, she'll get a hold on you believe it," but that was about it.  I actually remember the opening keyboard lick more than the lyrics.  So, I looked at the lyrics this evening.  Yeah, I kind of remember now: "She's an easy lover, she'll get a hold on you believe it, she's like no other, before you know it you'll be on your knees..."  Aha!  That is pretty interesting.  And then it gets better: "She's an easy lover, she'll take your heart but you won't feel it, she's like no other, and I'm just trying to make you see."  Ouch!  She'll take your heart but you won't feel it?  That is heavy.  Reminds me of "Maneater" by Hall and Oates or "Evil Woman" by the Electric Light Orchestra.  The difference with this tune is that it is kind of upbeat and happy--so much so that you don't realize the words are telling you this woman will rip your heart out!  Ah...love...and heartbreak.  Well, the woman is an easy lover, so I guess it all makes sense.  Whatever the case, the song is well-written, and both of the Philip/Phils harmonize amazingly.  Philip Bailey has that awesome "falsetto" type voice, and coupled with Phil Collins, it is just a terrific song.  They could be singing about anything, and it would be terrific.  Enjoy!

Don Cornelius - May You Find Love, Peace, and Soul

Unfortunately, Don Cornelius is not the latest in a string of death hoaxes.  No, the former host of "Soul Train" died yesterday.  He took his own life after struggling with health and personal issues.  He will be missed greatly.  I thought I would post one of my favorite Soul Train clips to remember him.  Wishing him eternal love, peace, and soul...