song of the day – “Move On” | INXS | 1987.

Michael Hutchence, the charismatic and brilliant singer / songwriter / musician and co-founder of my favorite band, INXS, would have been 59 today (1.22.2019).

Michael Hutchence, 1987.

Michael’s tragic death on 11.22.1997 at the age of 37 was the first celebrity / music-related death that really hit home for me.  I remember getting pissed off at the TV that day because there wasn’t a whole lot of coverage about it here in America, as opposed to other parts of the globe.  But, mostly, I was upset because he was gone way too soon. 

As I’m sure I’ve mentioned here on the blog, but 10 years and two weeks before Michael died, I saw INXS at Colby College in Waterville, Maine on November 7, 1987.  It was at the beginning of their massive KICK tour, and I was right there in the front row, at least until I saw a friend get picked up and carried off the stage because everyone was crowding the stage.  Michael had to tell everyone to move back.  And once I moved to the bleachers, I was fine. 

Michael Hutchence was phenomenal and amazing to watch.  So much energy and charisma.  His stage presence was oft-compared to The Doors’ Jim Morrison, and I could totally see why.  There was no one out there like him, and no one since.  By the end of the KICK tour, INXS had gone from playing colleges like Colby to playing stadiums around the world.  Absolutely incredible.

One of the best things I loved about INXS was their penchant for B-sides that weren’t on the albums.  I sometimes wonder why some songs made it on to the albums and these incredible B-sides did not.  One of those amazing B-sides was the flip side of their huge hit (and worldwide No. 1), “Need You Tonight”: “Move On.”  Actually, it was the flip side only in certain parts of the globe, including Australia, the U.K. and Japan.  The American B-side of “Need You Tonight” (on both the 7” and 12” singles) was the (also excellent) “I’m Coming (Home).”

From the import 12″ single of “Need You Tonight.”

“Move On,” written by the primary songwriting team for INXS, Michael Hutchence and keyboardist / guitarist Andrew Farriss (though definitely a strong group effort), tackles the beginning of the end of a relationship, and consistently saying, “you gotta move on.”  Many times, a B-side for an artist will be just another cut off the album, sometimes a throwaway track, but with the majority of INXS B-sides, you get something new altogether, and something that sounds like it could have been on an album.

The full album cover for KICK, 1987.

The original 1987 12-song KICK album clocked in at just over 39 minutes.  Surely, plenty of room to add some of those awesome album-worthy B-sides, but sometimes the best B-sides aren’t meant to be on albums.  Bruce Springsteen’s “Pink Cadillac” is one of THE BEST B-sides ever, and a perfect example of why albums are flowed and organized a certain way, and as a result, why excellent non-album B-sides like “Pink Cadillac” and “Move On” exist.

A fun picture disc of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark” and a very distinct “Pink Cadillac” presence.

R.E.M. and The Cure were among those who were also fans of the non-album B-sides, and The Cure even devoted an entire 2004 Rhino 4-CD box set to their B-sides, called JOIN THE DOTS: THE COMPLETE B-SIDES.  Pretty impressive.

Some of the most-memorable INXS B-sides are “Guns In The Sky” (the Kookaburra Mix for the 7” and Nick’s Twelve Inch Mix (naturally, for the 12” single), “Laying Down The Law” (with Jimmy Barnes, from THE LOST BOYS soundtrack) and “Do Wot You Do” (originally featured on the PRETTY IN PINK soundtrack).

From the 7″ single of “New Sensation.”

Most folks prolly won’t remember “Move On,” but I hope you give it a listen, and even more so, I hope you remember loving all those years ago, and have rediscovered again.  Musically, I think “Move On” is one of INXS’ finest, even if it didn’t make the album.  But, it sure sounds like it could have been there.

Happy Birthday Michael, wherever you are…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNF46kS0NE8

INXS, 1987, from L to R: Tim Farriss, Kirk Pengilly, Garry Gary Beers, Michael Hutchence, Andrew Farriss, Jon Farriss.

song of the day – “One Vision” | QUEEN | 1985 / 1986.

Today, 1.21.2019, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the United States, an annual holiday to remember the life and legacy of the nonviolent activist, civil rights leader and American Baptist minister.  Cities and states across America started celebrating holidays to Dr. King (born on January 15, 1929) as early as 1971, three years after he was assassinated in Memphis.  He was just 39.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during his “We Shall Overcome” speech, 3.17.1966.

In 1983, Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law, and was first observed three years later, on January 20, 1986.  Not all states were on board at first, and it took 14 years for all 50 states to observe and recognize MLK Day as a federal holiday, with South Carolina being the last.

A couple of months before the first officially-recognized MLK holiday here in America, over in the U.K., Queen released the first single from their forthcoming twelfth studio album, A KIND OF MAGIC: “One Vision,” a song either inspired by their triumphant performance at Live Aid four months earlier, or inspired by Dr. King, and the extraordinary things he did in his far-too-short lifetime.  I’d say “One Vision” was truly inspired by both.

Thanks to the film BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY and the phenomenal award-winning performance by Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, Queen had an incredible year in 2018.  Queen was everywhere from commercials to sporting events to the BILLBOARD Album chart, where the soundtrack to BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY reached No. 3, and to the BILLBOARD Rock Songs chart, where 10 songs from the soundtrack made appearances for (at least) the first time.  Several songs even reached the Top 5 on that chart: “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Somebody To Love,” and outside the soundtrack, seven other songs charted as well, including “We Will Rock You” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” reaching the Top 10.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY gave more insight on how they came to play at Live Aid.  The band wasn’t interested in performing at first, as they had just come off an extensive Spring 1985 tour for their 1984 album, THE WORKS.  But, at almost the last minute (the band wasn’t even listed on the Live Aid poster), Queen was finally convinced by Live Aid co-organizer and Boomtown Rats singer / songwriter, Bob Geldof to perform. 

Queen’s Freddie Mercury, embracing the Live Aid crowd at Wembley Stadium, 7.13.1985.

Their 21-minute, six-song set not only breathed new life and inspiration into the band, it was hailed by many as the greatest performance in the history of Rock and Roll.  I also believe Queen’s late entry into Live Aid was the reason Howard Jones performed only song at Live Aid — “Hide And Seek” — on Freddie Mercury’s Steinway grand piano.  I’m sure HoJo was more than happy to oblige and so very happy to be involved with the event.

Howard Jones, performing at Live Aid, 7.13.1985, on Freddie Mercury’s Steinway grand piano.

Howard Jones, performing “Hide And Seek” at Live Aid.

There are many Queen classics solely written by one or two members of the band, but “One Vision” was credited to all of them; the band as a whole.  That’s the way they wanted it.  And it paid off.

The album, A KIND OF MAGIC, wasn’t even finished when “One Vision” was released in November 1985 (and wouldn’t be released until June 1986).  “One Vision” was well-received in the U.K. and Ireland, reaching Nos. 7 and 5, respectively, and reached the Top 40 in at least six other countries around the globe, as well as the BILLBOARD Rock chart.  On the BILLBOARD Hot 100, it debuted in early December 1985, but stalled for a couple of weeks at No. 61 in mid-January 1986 and was on the chart for just 10 weeks.  The song was also featured in the film, IRON EAGLE, starring Louis Gossett, Jr.

“One Vision” may not be one of Queen’s most-remembered hits, but thanks to Live Aid, it gave the band the renewed energy to head back into the studio for the first time in about two years, record and release “One Vision” before the end of the year (guitarist Brian May is even sporting his Live Aid T-shirt in the song’s video).  And, in the process, Queen’s vision was back on track, and at the same time, they were able to pay tribute to the great Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision, in their own way…

The MLK Memorial, Washington, D.C.

“I had a dream / When I was young / A dream of sweet illusion / A glimpse of hope and unity / And visions of one sweet union / But a cold wind blows / And a dark rain falls / And in my heart it shows / Look what they’ve done to my dream, yeah…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OGd4gplxQM

Queen, L to R: Roger Taylor, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, for Live Aid, 7.13.1985.

song of the day – “Let’s Dance (Live In Europe)” | TINA TURNER & DAVID BOWIE | 1985 / 1988.

It’s hard to believe that David Bowie has been gone three years today (1/10/2019).  Doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, prolly because I still feel like he’s always here.  And I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.  This morning, I read a lovely column from London’s THE INDEPENDENT – “Why David Bowie will never really die.”

Columnist Lucy Jones said that “of all the musical legends who have died in the last decade, [David] Bowie feels strangely present and alive, thanks to both the internet and the alternative worlds he created which still exist for his fans…  In breaking his own ‘suburban curse,’ as he put it, Bowie ushered multiple generations of people to do the same.  Often, he wrote about loneliness and isolation, a feeling of falling to Earth and not really knowing what’s going on, and either leaving it there and reveling in nihilism or exploring its treatment: connection…  Essentially, his legacy lives on because he changed the way people felt about themselves and the world.  And not in a flash-in-a-pan way.  When swayed here and there by this and that, I often think of his singularity and force, and ape his spirit to forge ahead.  Be more Bowie.”  Brilliantly said, and absolutely true.  Teenagers across the globe are discovering David Bowie as I type these words, and I think it’s extraordinary. 

Speaking of extraordinary, I can think of at least a couple instances in the 80s where David Bowie changed the lives of extraordinary recording artists – and they both have the same Bowie connection. 

When I saw Duran Duran and Chic in Brooklyn, New York a few years ago, just three months after the sad passing of David Bowie – one of the amazing stories to come out of that show was the story of how, after the early 80s disco backlash, no one wanted to work with Nile Rodgers (crazy, right?).  Nile told everyone in attendance that David Bowie was the first person who wanted to want to work with him in the 80s after the disco backlash.  Not only did Nile Rodgers’ incredible producing efforts give David Bowie one of the biggest albums of his career, it also gave him one of his biggest singles ever, if not the biggest.  And Nile Rodgers didn’t have to look for work again – the work came to him.

Nile Rodgers and David Bowie.

Not only did David Bowie change the artistic life of Nile Rodgers, he did the same for Tina Turner.  Before Tina became THE comeback story of the 80s (if not for all-time), Tina was struggling as a solo artist.  She released four solo albums and 11 singles between 1974 and 1979, and out of those, only one album and one single charted low on the respective BILLBOARD charts.

Fast forward to 1983, where, at the insistence of David Bowie, Tina was signed to a singles deal with Capitol Records.  The first single released under this deal was a gorgeous cover of the Al Green classic, “Let’s Stay Together,” her second collaboration with Sheffiield, England New Wavers Heaven 17.

The “Let’s Stay Together” 12″ single.

“Let’s Stay Together” was a huge success across the globe, reaching the Top 10 in Belgium, The Netherlands and New Zealand, and the Top 20 in Finland, Germany and Ireland.  Over in the U.K., it reached No. 6 and was certified Silver (Al Green’s original reached No. 7 there).  Over here in the U.S., “Let’s Stay Together” gave Tina her first solo Top 40 hit on BILLBOARD Hot 100.  It also reached No. 1 on BILLBOARD’s Dance chart and No. 3 on BILLBOARD’s R&B chart.

After the success of “Let’s Stay Together,” Capitol Records had to rethink their contract with Tina, and gave her a three-album deal, asking for an album immediately.  That album was PRIVATE DANCER, which reached No. 3 on the BILLBOARD album chart, sold 5 million copies in the U.S. alone and generated three Top 10 hits, including the No. 1 sensation, “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”

After another Top 5 album, 1986’s BREAK EVERY RULE, Tina Turner released her TINA LIVE IN EUROPE album in 1988, consisting of performances between 1985 and 1987, and featuring the likes of Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and two songs in 1985 with David Bowie, including “Let’s Dance.”  But there was a sweet twist and a play on the song’s title.

Tina Turner and David Bowie, 1985.

Tina and David began their duet with “Let’s Dance,” the 1962 global Top 10 hit by Chris Montez (“Hey baby won’t you take a chance? / Say that you’ll let me have this dance / Well, let’s dance, well, let’s dance…”).  Then, about 75 seconds later, they brilliantly moved from that “Let’s Dance” to Bowie’s No. 1 “Let’s Dance” from 1983, switching off on vocals.  The crowd went nuts for the collaboration and the medley, but I think Tina and David enjoyed it most of all.  You can see it in their faces, it’s beautiful.

From the live version of “Let’s Dance,” 1985.

I don’t know how this live medley escaped me for so many years, but luckily Maryhope had introduced this to me years ago, and it’s still one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard.  Thank you, Maryhope!

This morning, I was nearly in tears upon hearing Peter Gabriel’s stunning orchestral version of “Heroes,” and it was as if I had just heard the news about David’s passing, but as the day progressed, I heard this song in my head, and I knew this was the song I wanted to share and to remember David Bowie today.  I’m still smiling from it.  You will too… #BowieForever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNvkOLYz9I4

song of the day – “Heart Of Glass” | BLONDIE | 1978 / 1979.

Happy 2019!  I hope this young year is treating you all well so far! 

Today, January 3, 2019, is a special day in music history, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the release of one of the most prolific and most memorable and downright cool singles of all time – “Heart Of Glass” by Blondie.

The “Heart Of Glass” 7″ single.

Founded by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein back in 1974, Blondie built up a following in places like the U.K. and Australia, but it took the New York Punk and early New Wave band four years and three albums to finally make it in their home country. 

Blondie’s third studio album, PARALLEL LINES, was released in late September 1978, but it took awhile to catch on here in America.  The first two singles off the album, “Picture This” and “Hanging On The Telephone,” were U.K. hits.  By the time “Heart Of Glass” was released on January 3, 1979, Blondie had already picked up three Top 10 U.K. hits out of four chart singles.  Back here in America, Blondie had yet to crack the BILLBOARD Hot 100.

The origins of “Heart Of Glass” began during the first year of Blondie, when Debbie Harry and Chris Stein wrote an early version of the song, called “Once I Had A Love.”  It was a slower version, then more funky than disco-sounding, and it was inspired by the 1974 song “Rock The Boat” by The Hues Corporation, which is regarded by many as the first-ever disco song to ever hit No. 1.

Mike Chapman and Debbie Harry hamming it up.

When popular producer Mike Chapman came on board to produce PARALLEL LINES, things started coming together for Blondie.  Mike Chapman produced for many successful artists and produced and/or wrote or co-wrote many singles in the 70s and 80s, such as artists like Sweet, Suzi Quatro, The Knack, Tina Turner, and songs like Exile’s “Kiss You All Over,” Nick Gilder’s “Hot Child In The City,” Toni Basil’s “Mickey” (all No. 1 hits), Huey Lewis And The News’ “Heart And Soul,” Bow Wow Wow’s “Do Ya Wanna Hold Me” and Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield”

The early version of “Heart Of Glass” was the last song Blondie presented to Mike Chapman, which appealed to him.  Different versions of the song were tried out, none of them working, and Debbie Harry was getting frustrated.  But Mike Chapman was focused.  He knew the song was something special, or could be.  And he asked her, “Debbie, what kind of music that’s happening right now really turns you on.”  Debbie said, “Donna Summer.”  Then Mike responded, “OK, then how about us treating this song like it was meant for Donna Summer?”  And, by way of the Giorgio Moroder-produced 1977 masterpiece, “I Feel Love” (which Blondie performed in concert for the first time in May 1978, and did again when Maryhope and I saw them in August 2017), “Once I Had A Love” transformed into “Heart Of Glass.”

I’m not sure if Mike Chapman or the band knew that “Heart Of Glass” would become a part of music history, because, oddly enough, on the track listing of the album, “Heart Of Glass” was relegated to the (normally filler) fourth song (of six) on Side 2 of PARALLEL LINES.  But, then again, PARALLEL LINES is not something I would call “filler.”

Maybe the answer of the song’s placement on the album comes from Chris Stein, who didn’t think it would as big as it was.  He once said, “We only did it as a novelty to put more diversity into the album” (which is prolly why it ended up buried on the second side of PARALLEL LINES).

Less than a month after the release of “Heart Of Glass,” fans’ hearts were full of love for the song in the U.K., and it spent the entire month of February 1979 at No. 1 on that singles chart, their first U.K. No. 1 single (of six).

From the “Heart Of Glass” music video.

Over here in the U.S., Blondie entered the BILLBOARD Hot 100 for the very first time, as “Heart Of Glass” debuted six weeks after its release, coming in at No. 84. A month later, they blasted into the Top 40, and by early April 1979, had made their way to the Top 10.  By the end of April 1979, “Heart Of Glass” spent its sole week at No. 1 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, and in the process, united Punk and Disco fans alike – no easy trick.

“Heart Of Glass” found much success outside of the U.K. and the U.S., reaching No. 1 in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand (where it was the No. 1 song of the year), plus the Top 10 in Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and Sweden. 

One piece of singles chart trivia that boggles my mind is the fact that “Heart Of Glass” was not a big hit on the BILLBOARD Dance chart (then known as the Disco Top 80).  It stopped at No. 58 there.  No worries, though, a 1995 remix of “Heart Of Glass” reached No. 7 on the Dance Club Play chart.

The “Heart Of Glass” 12″ single.

One piece of trivia regarding “Heart Of Glass,” however, I’ll never tire of.  In the first year of my second-favorite TV show ever, WKRP IN CINCINNATI, played “Heart Of Glass” so much on the show, the fictional WKRP was credited on helping the single and PARALLEL LINES do as well as they did, and an official RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) Gold record was presented by Blondie’s label, Chrysalis, to show creator Hugh Wilson.  For the show’s second season through the fourth and final season, you can see the Gold record hanging in the station’s “bullpen.”  Pretty damn cool.

An official Gold record of PARALLEL LINES, proudly hanging on the set of WKRP IN CINCINNATI.

The legacy of “Heart Of Glass” continues all these years later.  In 2010, ROLLING STONE listed “Heart Of Glass” at No. 259 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.  In 2016, PITCHFORK listed it at No. 18 of the best songs of the 1970s, and that same year, “Heart Of Glass” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Dozens of covers spanning many genres dating back to 1979 have been released, including versions by late Country guitar legend Chet Atkins, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, The Bad Plus, Nouvelle Vague, Erasure, and a lovely Jazz Pop vocal cover by The Puppini Sisters back in 2006.

Blondie on the cover of ROLLING STONE, June 1979.

Just this past year, “Heart Of Glass” was ranked at No. 66 among the biggest-selling singles of all-time in the U.K. (and Blondie remains as the all-time biggest-selling American band in the U.K.), and in 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  No doubt “Heart Of Glass” played a big role in that. 

And, to mark the 40th anniversary of “Heart Of Glass,” in October 2018, a new 12” single was released, featuring six different mixes, including the 1975 and 1978 versions of “Once I Had A Love,” two single versions, and the original 12” dance mix and its 12” instrumental counterpart.

The special 2018 EP of “Heart Of Glass.”

You can hear the legacy of “Heart Of Glass” on their latest album, 2017’s brilliant POLLINATOR, especially on the song, “Long Time,” one of my all-time favorite Blondie songs, and probably my favorite song of this decade.  Stephen Thompson of SPIN Magazine praised “Long Time,” and regarding its oft-comparison to “Heart Of Glass,” states it “never feels like a mere rehash, [showing] a future brighter than fans had any right to expect. It’s the best Blondie song in ages and a joy to behold.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Before “Heart Of Glass” was a hit, there was trepidation within Blondie.  Even drummer extraordinaire and original member Clem Burke refused to play it live at first.  But, eventually he gave in.  So did fans who initially thought Blondie sold out.  “Heart Of Glass” has long since been embraced the world over and lives on in radio immortality.  Though it’s not my favorite Blondie song (that distinction goes to 1979’s “Dreaming”), it’s one I’ll always treasure, especially since it introduced me to the band in early 1979. 

So, raise your hearts of glasses up high, and wish “Heart Of Glass” a Happy 40th!    Many of my favorite songs turn 40 this year, but I’m glad you’re the first.  I’ll love you and Blondie forever.

Blondie today, from L to R: Clem Burke, Chris Stein, Leigh Foxx, Debbie Harry, Tommy Kesler and Matt Katz-Bohen.

“Yeah, riding high on love’s true bluish light…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU

Blondie, New York, 1979, from L to R: Clem Burke, Nigel Harrison, Jimmy Destri, Frank Infante, Chris Stein, Debbie Harry.