Saturday, March 31, 2012
Heart on Tour...and Barracuda
Labels:
1980s music,
Ann Wilson,
Barracuda,
Heart,
Nancy Wilson,
rock bands,
rock music,
summer tour
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Take....On....Me.....
Labels:
1980s music,
A-Ha,
cartoons,
MTV,
music videos,
Norway,
Norwegian singers,
pop music,
Take On Me
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Piece of My Heart
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Come on, come on, come on! |
Labels:
Ann Wilson,
Bonnie Tyler,
Erma Franklin,
Faith Hill,
Heart,
Janis Joplin,
Joss Stone,
Melissa Etheridge,
Piece of My Heart,
Sammy Hagar
Monday, March 26, 2012
Happy Birthday to Steven Tyler!
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Rag doll... |
Labels:
1980s music,
Aerosmith,
music videos,
Rag Doll,
rock music,
Steven Tyler
Good Times Bite the Dust
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Clams on the halfshell |
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...and roller skates |
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Don't You Want Me - Part II
Now I am an adult, so it takes a bit more to make me laugh...but not much. I happened to find an "orchestral version" of this song on YouTube. There are several of these videos, which are completely man-made and rather hysterical. I especially love reading the comments when they say "Hey--they're not really playing this. This is fake. This is so dumb!" Well, yes, they are not really playing "this," and that is why it's so funny. This particular video is a mash-up of parts of the San Francisco Symphony performing Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring (the composer's names are misspelled in the YouTube notes, unfortunately). Anyway, for classical music geeks like myself, it is amazingly funny. Michael Tilson Thomas is one of the greatest conductors out there, which makes it even funnier. So, I hope you will enjoy this clip. I've added the original Human League video and the "orchestral version."
Friday, March 23, 2012
Urgent!
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Tenor sax with fire in its veins... |
Labels:
1980s music,
Careless Whisper,
Foreigner,
rock music,
saxophone solo,
tenor saxophone,
Urgent,
Wham
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Burnin' for You
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Original alien cult member? |
Labels:
1980s music,
aliens,
Blue Oyster Cult,
Burnin' for You,
Don't Fear the Reaper,
love,
rock music
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Bringin' on the Heartbreak
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Not a broken rose...just a pretty one |
Just a Steel Town Girl on a Saturday Night...
So, the song follows the main character in the movie, Alex. She is just a steel town girl who works as a welder by day and an dancer by night. Some of her dance gigs are a bit, well, different. Not obscene or anything--just a bit provocative. She's always dreamed of attending a formal dance school, but she doesn't have the money. She meets her Prince Charming, he pulls some strings at the school, and she gets accepted. She's thrilled--until she finds out he is the reason she got in. She gets mad at him, pummels him (not enough to hurt him, though), and then they make up and everything is okay. They live happily ever after! I don't think he is in the video, but there are plenty of dance scenes complete with legwarmers. I loved legwarmers--still do. Hers were the best. Made everyone back in 1983 want to become a dancer (or at least wear legwarmers and a torn sweatshirt). Ah, the good old days... Enjoy!
Labels:
1980s music,
dance,
Flashdance,
Footloose,
legwarmers,
Maniac,
michael Sembello,
music videos,
Pittsburgh,
steel town,
sweatshirt
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Getting the Gig
Hello everyone. I know it is late, and I really wanted to write about a song this evening. But, alas, I am too sleepy to give you something that would be worth reading! So, I will cop out and give you a link to something I wrote earlier in the week that was just published! Yes, it is in MusicianYou Magazine! Better yet, you can even see a real picture of me with my bass clarinet--as opposed to just the rainbow smoke that is on the "About Me" section of this page. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the article. It's about getting started in the music business/arts world. You can find it here: http://www.musicianyou.com/articles/getting-the-gig. Until next time...
Labels:
arts world,
bass clarinet,
gigs,
music business,
MusicianYou Magazine
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Down Under
I was reading some commentary about the song, and Colin Hay said it's not really a patriotic song, but rather a bit of a protest against the over development and commercialization of Australia. I can understand that. I am sure it was a nation of immense natural beauty and indigenous people who were kind of trampled over from colonization and all that. Unfortunate, but here in the U.S., everything is one "melting pot" as we've heard so many times. Kudos to Colin Hay for remembering and celebrating the true heritage and beauty of the country--and especially for giving us such an incredibly fun, likable, upbeat, and unique tune. Spotlight on a woodwind instrument never hurt, either! I've included an additional version of the song from a live performance by Ringo Starr and His All-Star Band, which includes Sheila E and John Waite. Pretty cool. Nice to get all those legends together on stage. Enjoy!
Labels:
1980s music,
Australia,
Down Under,
flute,
John Waite,
Men At Work,
Ringo Starr,
Sheila E
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Hold On Loosely
Labels:
.38 Special,
1980s music,
guitar,
Hold On Loosely,
rock music,
Survivor
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Don't Stop Believing

Labels:
1980s music,
Detroit,
Don't Stop Believing,
Journey,
rock music,
Steve Perry
Thursday, March 8, 2012
No One Like You
The video is pretty interesting... The lead singer is in jail and on death row, or so it seems. But, alas, in the end, it is only a dream. I wonder what this song would be like with a different video--maybe something kind of mystical and supernatural. I think that would make for an interesting effect. Kind of a juxtaposition of fantasy and reality, heaven and earth, darkness and light. Just a thought. In the meantime, this song stands terrifically on its own, video or not. So, ladies and gentlemen, start your radios, computers, iPods, or whatever else you have to enjoy this awesome classic tune!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Who's Got Two Tickets to Paradise?
Well, I think clearly the answer to the title of this post is Eddie Money for sure. I heard this song tonight while I was listening to "Nights with Alice Cooper." I have to say that everytime I hear this song, I have to smile. If someone ever told me they had two tickets to paradise, I would pack my bags and leave tonight :) I don't know why this song makes me laugh, but you know what? It is one awesome song. I guess it depends on your interpretation. Some people may find the lyrics and title to be sort of, well, "cheesy," but in all honesty, I think the lyrics are cool and creative. Definitely has the sense of going on a trip and being swept away when we all know what it's about. According to Wikipedia, it was inspired by Eddie Money's girlfriend, whose parents wanted her to marry a doctor or lawyer--but definitely not a musician. He wanted to take her away--sweep her off her feet (and probably get her away from her parents before they made her marry someone else). Whatever the case, the song has some excellent guitar playing and a real "drive" that kind of makes you want to get up and go. I know I am ready to pack my bags.
There is no official video for this song--probably because it was released as a single in 1978. So, I cheat a bit once again. There are plenty of videos on YouTube of Eddie Money performing this live, so I thought I would throw one in. This one is a vintage live performance from 1978, and the audio is really quite amazing. I did contemplate posting a recent video of Eddie performing this live, but the vintage one is really a gem. Helps us remember him from back in the day, and it really captures the essence of the song. Eddie has changed a bit since 1978, but that's okay--he's always going to have those two tickets to paradise...
Monday, March 5, 2012
Turn Me Loose
So, I hope you enjoy this vintage video. Awesome bass guitar in the beginning. I found a cover of this song from 2007 by an Australian group called "Young Divas," but, well...yeah, I didn't care for it. So, here is the original "Turn Me Loose," along with a recent performance from 2006. Turn yourself loose and crank it up!
Labels:
1980s music,
Loverboy,
Mike Reno,
music videos,
rock music,
Turn Me Loose,
Young Divas
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Fleetwood Mac - Seven Wonders
And now on to the video... It is pretty interesting to watch. I had forgotten all about it, but it definitely says 1987. No offense to Fleetwood Mac. I am sure they had stylists on the set with outfits, make-up, etc. You can tell the time period from the poofy crinoline skirt and tight bustier on Stevie. The group definitely has the late-80s glam look, which kind of makes me chuckle when I think about Stevie Nicks. She always really had her own very unique style. She makes the late-80s thing work, though. Kudos to her and the rest of the group. They do look a bit uncomfortable, though, or maybe they are just laughing to themselves. All I know is that if you watch the video carefully, you will see some interesting, tender looks between her and Lindsey. Of course, we all know the history behind the two, and it is quite amazing. You can even see a tear in Lindsey's eye if you watch super-closely. Enjoy!
Friday, March 2, 2012
It's Jon Bon Jovi's Life--and His Birthday!
I chose "It's My Life" to celebrate Mr. Bon Jovi's birthday. After all, it's his life, and he can proudly celebrate (and sing about) himself today! I love this song, and even though it is from 2000, it's perfectly fine for an '80s music blog, because Bon Jovi IS the '80s. The group, and Jon, are legendary. There are several versions of this song out there, including the original, a "Storytellers" version, and an "Unplugged" version. I prefer the original video and the "Storytellers" one. The original video is an action-packed thriller of a piece, with lots of fancy stunt work and all kinds of stuff. The "Storytellers" version lets us focus on Jon Bon Jovi and Ritche Sambora's beautiful vocals, harmonies, and awesome musicianship. The lyrics are inspiring and really make me feel like getting "up and at 'em" so to say. Jon sings, "It's my life...it's now or never...I ain't gonna life forever...I just wanna live while I'm alive. My heart is like an open highway...like Frankie said I did it my way....I just want to live while I'm alive..." Of course, Frankie is Frank Sinatra. Very, very cool. And Jon's heart is like an open highway? Well, who can top that? I feel myself getting weak in the knees... Oh, Mr. Bon Jovi, hat's off to you! We celebrate you and toast you today on your special day. Thank you for being who you are and giving such great music to us (especially the ladies who aren't always paying attention to the actual lyrics but rather staring at you and smiling...).
Labels:
Bon Jovi,
Frank Sinatra,
It's My Life,
Jon Bon Jovi,
MTV Unplugged,
Ritchie Sambora,
VH-1 Storytellers
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