ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS 2023… IS A NEW (Older) XMAS SONG AT NO. 1!

Happy Holidays everyone!  I hope you are all doing well and staying safe out there!  So, it’s been awhile.  How long, you ask?  Well, since July 2022, when I was bursting with excitement over the newfound success of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).”  Before that, just two blog posts in 2021.  

Before I continue with this (return) blog post, I want to thank everyone who’s been reading my blog (which started in early 2016) and continue to enjoy it and comment about it, and continue to subscribe to it!  I’m forever grateful. 

With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, Christmas 2023 is already here…at least in the form of holiday music.  

For decades, pop singles charts in other parts of the world have celebrated the holiday season with an annual offering of old and new Xmas classics.  And, in Britain, at least, they’ve always made a big deal out of what would be the coveted “Christmas No. 1!”

Over here in the U.S., from at least the late 70s until a few years ago, it was very hard for a Christmas song to even chart on the BILLBOARD Hot 100.  The Eagles’ “Please Come Home For Christmas” reached No. 18, and the 1984 charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid (the biggest-selling U.K. single during the entire 1980s, and still the second-biggest of all time in the U.K.) made a big debut inside the Top 40, but by then, it was already January, and the highest it could go was No. 13, despite selling 2.5 million copies here in America and going Gold, because, at that point, no radio stations were playing it. 

Well, thanks in large part to streaming services and digital song sales, a few years ago, BILLBOARD updated its Hot 100 rules to include Christmas songs every year, if they got enough sales, airplay and streaming to warrant an appearance.  It’s been interesting.  

You have holiday classics more than or close to 60 years old by Burl Ives (“A Holly Jolly Christmas” from 1964), Brenda Lee (“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” from 1958) and Bobby Helms (“Jingle Bell Rock” from 1957) hanging around the Top 5 every Xmas since the Hot 100 update, and it’s cool.  

Even Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (which was never officially released as a single here in America) has found its way to the upper echelon of the BILLBOARD Hot 100, and with every year, climbs higher and higher, and in the last chart week of 2022, has since given Wham! their first Top 5 hit since “I’m Your Man” reached No. 3 in February 1986. 

And, leading the way during the holiday season every year since the update, Mariah Carey’s HUGELY POPULAR “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” from her 1994 multi-platinum holiday album, MERRY CHRISTMAS (which has sold 15 million copies worldwide).  “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was not allowed to chart in 1994, per BILLBOARD Hot 100 rules at the time, since it wasn’t officially released as a physical single.  

Now, I will easily admit that, while Mariah certainly has talent and then some, I have never really been a fan of Mariah Carey, and certainly not a fan of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”  But, when BILLBOARD updated its Hot 100 rule to include holiday music, as a singles chart nerd, when “All I Want For Christmas Is You” went to No. 1 in 2019 (after waiting 25 years), the various records (no pun intended) it set were impressive.  

To briefly borrow from Joni Mitchell’s “River” (from 1971), we’re coming on Christmas 2023, after ruling the BILLBOARD Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks spanning four holiday seasons, can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let another song, a new (older) song be the Christmas No. 1 here in America? 

With that said, and kind of inspired by Kate Bush’s monumental, unparalleled and triumphant return to the Hot 100 over the summer of 2022 with her brilliant 1985 classic, the aforementioned “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” what if we delved deep into the 80s for other Xmas classics to be the new (older) Christmas No. 1!

Thanks to its Season 4 inclusion in STRANGER THINGS, “Running Up That Hill” (the BILLBOARD No. 5 Song of Summer in 2022; No. 23 for all of 2022!) surprised everyone (yours truly included) by reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100, spending 15 consecutive weeks in the Top 10, and 20 new weeks on the Hot 100 (for a total of 40 weeks, when adding the 20 weeks it spent on the Hot 100 in 1985).

We could take a page from Kate Bush’s amazing chart run in the Summer of 2022 and do the same with a holiday gem from the 80s and beyond!  I know these are all long shots (…or are they?…), but it’s fun to think about.  So, let’s go!

KATE BUSH — DECEMBER WILL BE MAGIC AGAIN (1979).

Kate Bush performed a song on her 1979 Christmas holiday special called “December Will Be Magic Again.”  That version was never released as a single.  Another version a year later WAS released, and reached the U.K. Top 30.  But, it’s the original 1979 version I would love to see released and maybe even do well, especially after the comeback Kate had in 2022.

JOHN & YOKO AND THE PLASTIC ONO BAND — HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) (1971).

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly 43 years since the tragic death of John Lennon.  But, John’s music has endured, and, surprisingly, the 1971 song never reached the Top 40 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, until 2022, where it reached No. 38 on the Hot 100.

Following John’s death in 1980, several of his songs re-charted in the U.K. and other parts of the globe.  “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” reached a new U.K. peak in 1981 at No. 2 — right behind “Imagine” at No. 1.  I could totally see “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” re-enter the upper reaches of the Hot 100 every holiday season!

THE WAITRESSES — CHRISTMAS WRAPPING (1981).

“Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses (from the 1981 EP, I COULD RULE THE WORLD IF I COULD ONLY GET THE PARTS) is a song that started many of the holiday shows Maryhope and I did on STUCK IN THE 80s.  Honestly, it’s so much fun, I don’t know why it’s not on the Hot 100 every Christmas already!

THE RAMONES — MERRY CHRISTMAS (I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT TONIGHT) (UK REMIX; 1987).

The Ramones have actually hit the BILLBOARD Hot 100 three times, and all from the 1977 album, ROCKET TO RUSSIA: “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” reached No. 81, “Rockaway Beach” (their highest-charting single) went to No. 66, and their cover of the 1958 Bobby Freeman classic, “Do You Wanna Dance?” stopped at No. 86.  

In 1987, they released the song, “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight),” and a U.K. remix of which became a holiday staple on STUCK IN THE 80s for a long time.  Wouldn’t you like to see The Ramones back on the chart and in the Top 40 for the first time?  Or the Top 10?  Or even No. 1?  I know I would!

CHRIS REA — DRIVING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (1986).

Englishman Chris Rea has had so much success in his U.K. homeland, but very little success here in America.  He reached No. 12 on the Hot 100 in 1978 with “Fool (If You Think It’s Over),” and despite having five other Hot 100 hits between 1978 and 1989, Chris Rea is criminally regarded as a one-hit wonder here in America.

First released in 1986, “Driving Home For Christmas” was widely available in 1988, found on the Chris Rea compilation, NEW LIGHT THROUGH OLD WINDOWS.  In 1988, “Driving Home For Christmas” stopped at No. 53 on the U.K. singles chart, and reached a new peak of No. 10 in 2021!, and over the years, has reached the Top 10 in at least 10 other countries.  It’s time for some American chart love during this holiday season!  

Up until a few years ago, I had actually forgotten about this holiday treasure, but since then, it’s been part of my holiday go-to playlist.  And, I love it more and more each year.  If you have never heard this gem before, in a word, I call it “lovely.”  You will too!  Check it out!

DAVID BOWIE & BING CROSBY — PEACE ON EARTH/LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (1977 / 1982).

When I saw this performed on BING CROSBY’S MERRIE OLDE CHRISTMAS on television during the 1977 holiday season, I thought it was so magical, and it will be a part of me for all time.

Since I wasn’t really following music back in 1977 (I know, hard to believe now), David Bowie was not on my radar (also very hard to believe).  But, for a long time now, “Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy” has been my favorite Xmas song ever.  There’s just something so special about it.

This song was one of the last songs Bing Crosby recorded before he passed away in October 1977 at the age of 74.  It reached No. 3 in the U.K. and Ireland, and No. 6 in Norway.  I will love this song for all time, and I’m kinda surprised it hasn’t reached the Hot 100 ever.  Maybe this year?

THE HIVES & CYNDI LAUPER — A CHRISTMAS DUEL (2008).

Cyndi Lauper has put out so many holiday songs over the years that are worthy of Hot 100 representation EVERY holiday season, like 1992’s “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” with Frank Sinatra, 1993’s “Feels Like Christmas” and the always fun “Christmas Conga,” from Cyndi’s wonderful 1998 holiday album, MERRY CHRISTMAS…HAVE A NICE LIFE.  But, it’s Cyndi’s memorable 2008 duet with the Swedish band The Hives, “A Christmas Duel,” that has topped my Cyndi Xmas list for the past 15 years.

One of the many things I love about Cyndi Lauper is that she will perform with pretty much everyone, no-holds-barred.  And on “A Christmas Duel,” you have this amazing 60s Motown-type, girl-group sound replete with lyrics that are, well, I’ll just say, non-traditional.  It’s brilliant, it’s fun, it’s bold, it’s got swears and managed to reach No. 4 in The Hives’ homeland of Sweden.  Pretty fucking impressive.  And, yes, a big honkin’ longshot of making the Hot 100 here in America ever.  But it’s a nice thought.

THE POGUES featuring KIRSTY MacCOLL — FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK (1987).

I had already started working on this blog post when today, Thursday, November 30, 2023, I learned of the very sad passing of The Pogues’ singer and principal songwriter, Shane MacGowan, who had passed away at the age of 65.  Of Shane MacGowan’s passing, Irish president Michael Higgins said:

“[Shane’s] words have connected Irish people all over the globe to their culture and history …  The genius of Shane’s contribution includes the fact that his songs capture within them, as Shane would put it, the measure of our dreams — of so many worlds, and particularly those of love, of the emigrant experience and of facing the challenges of that experience with authenticity and courage, and of living and seeing the sides of life that so many turn away from.”

If there is any one holiday song that I have come to love more and more every year, it’s this one.  “Fairytale Of New York” by The Pogues and the late, great Kirsty MacColl has become one of my all-time favorite holiday songs.

“Fairytale Of New York” originally reached No. 2 in 1987, and has returned to the Top 20 on the U.K. singles chart every year since 2005.  It is THE most-played Christmas song in the U.K. of the 21st century, and as of the week ending today, November 30, 2023, “Fairytale Of New York” has amassed a total of 113 non-consecutive weeks on the U.K. Top 75 singles chart, good for sixth-best of all time.  There are many in the U.K. and beyond that are calling for “Fairytale Of New York” to be this year’s Christmas No. 1 in the U.K., myself included.

Though the song has gone five-times Platinum in the U.K., “Fairytale Of New York” and its holiday message of nostalgia, alcoholism, addiction and lost love has never quite resonated here in America, which is disappointing and sad, though with Shane’s passing today, “Fairytale” is now No. 11 (as of this writing) and moving up on the iTunes chart here in America.  That makes me smile!

In the U.K., the most-popular Xmas song ever is “Fairytale Of New York,” while here in America it’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”  Let’s go to change that!

LAST CHRISTMAS — WHAM! (1984)

So, if “Fairytale Of New York” isn’t an option for a new (older) Christmas No. 1 in the U.S. of A., how about one of the songs that has the best chance of unseating Mariah Carey at the top this Xmas — “Last Christmas” by Wham!

Why would it be cool to have “Last Christmas” be the Christmas No. 1 here in America this year?  Well, besides replacing Mariah Carey at No. 1, “Last Christmas” is already No. 13 and moving up on the latest BILLBOARD Hot 100 (dated December 2, 2023).  “Last Christmas,” which has risen steadily in the past few years, reached a new peak in 2022 at No. 4.  

The late, great George Michael (who passed away on Christmas Day 2016) was just inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Class of 2023.  I think that a 39-year-old holiday pop song reaching the top all these years later is a testament to George Michael’s work, with Wham! and solo.  

The day after Halloween 2023, Mariah Carey released a video basically saying it’s almost Christmas and time to play her song and make it No. 1 again.  Ugh.  How fucking annoying.  Some say it’s not Xmas until Mariah Carey says it is (and the day after Halloween no less)?!  I don’t think so.  But it’s another reason to hope that “Last Christmas” rules the top of the Hot 100 chart this Xmas.  AND, it’s an 80s Xmas song!  Of course I want it to be No. 1!  

So, let’s go to make it this year’s new (older) Christmas No. 1 song in America!  “Last Christmas,” the 2023 Christmas No. 1 in America, and “Fairytale Of New York” as the 2023 Christmas No. 1 in the U.K.!  And no Mariah Carey!!  That would be a Happy Christmas for this chart nerd indeed and beyond!

Thank you, so much, my partner, Maryhope, for inspiring me to write and get back to doing something I love, and for everything you do, and everything you are!

Maryhope and yours truly during our annual holiday and solstice show at WMPG-FM, Portland, Maine, December 17, 2017!

And thank you Shane, for your words and your music, Christmas will definitely be missing a light and then some this year…

A toast to you, Shane MacGowan, wherever you are…

song of the day – “Mickey” | TONI BASIL | 1982/1983.

As part of their Oscars tribute for the 2.9.2020 awards show, CBS SUNDAY MORNING aired a wonderful segment featuring the one and only “Toni Basil, Choreographer To The Stars” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY69LqURago).

When you mention the name Toni Basil, most folks would say, “Sure!  She had that one hit, ‘Mickey’!”  Even the interviewer of the CBS SUNDAY MORNING piece called Toni Basil a one-hit wonder.  Well, “Mickey” may have been her only big hit (and only Top 40 hit), but she did have two more singles chart on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, and if you only know her for “Mickey,” like I did back in 1982, there’s so much more to her story than that.

That’s Toni Basil “with the red dress on,” getting everyone’s attention, including Elvis, in a scene from 1964’s VIVA LAS VEGAS.

Long before “Mickey” was even a thought, Toni Basil had already made her mark as an actress, dancer, singer, filmmaker and choreographer.  In 1964, she appeared in the Elvis Presley film, VIVA LAS VEGAS (as the dancer in the red dress during the song, “What’d I Say”), and was the assistant choreographer and a dancer for the concert film, THE T.A.M.I. SHOW (which included her friend and fellow dancer, Teri Garr).

Toni Basil in 1965’s VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS.

In the second half of the 60s, Toni appeared in a number of films, including 1965’s VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS (a MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 favorite), 1968’s HEAD (co-written and co-produced by Jack Nicholson and starring The Monkees, and which Toni also choreographed), and 1969’s EASY RIDER (opposite Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper).

Toni Basil and Peter Fonda in 1969’s EASY RIDER.

During the 70s, Toni Basil appeared in 1970’s FIVE EASY PIECES (also with Jack Nicholson), and continued her multi-decade career in film choreography, including major films like 1973’s AMERICAN GRAFFITI and 1979’s THE ROSE (with frequent collaborator, Bette Midler).  She also appeared on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE numerous times in the show’s early years, and sold out solo performances at The Roxy in Los Angeles in 1976.

In 1979, popular British songwriters / producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman wrote a song called “Kitty,” recorded by the British Glam Pop band, Racey, for their 1979 album, SMASH AND GRAB.  A year later, Toni Basil renamed the song “Mickey,” recorded it, and in 1981, before the advent of MTV, she also conceived, choreographed,  directed (and I believe paid for) the video, and even used a modified version of her Las Vegas High head cheerleader outfit for the video (which she still owns!).  She was 37 or 38 at the time the “Mickey” video was shot, and the video is widely considered to be the very first choreographed music video.

From the “Mickey” music video.

Toni Basil’s debut album, WORD OF MOUTH, was released in the U.K. in late May 1981, and “Mickey” was released as a single, but was not a hit at that time.  The album also features covers of the David Essex classic, “Rock On,” and three Devo covers — “You Gotta Problem” (a reworked cover of “Pity You”), “Be Stiff” and “Space Girls.”  And as a bonus, Devo performs on the songs (she was also involved with Devo co-founder and bass player Gerald “Jerry” Casale at the time, and she was a fan of the band)!

WORD OF MOUTH would be released in the U.S. in April 1982, nearly a year after its U.K. release.  Though not immediate, the success of the album and first single “Mickey” would rely on word of mouth (and a whole lot of cheering) that would get Toni Basil onto the music map. 

“Mickey” debuted unsuspectingly on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 at No. 83 in early September 1982.  Five weeks later, it made its debut in the Top 40, and took its time climbing up the chart, until exploding into the Top 15 in mid-November 1982.  The following week, it leapt into the Top 10 on the Hot 100, and in mid-December 1982, it spent a week at No. 1, and would have stayed on top longer, had it not been for the huge hit by Daryl Hall & John Oates (who had a number of huge hits around the holidays in the 80s), “Maneater.”   “Mickey” would go on to spend over half a year on the Hot 100, sell over two million copies in the U.S. alone, and finished the 1983 American singles chart year at No. 36.

The original U.K. single cover art for “Mickey.”

Word of mouth got out about “Mickey” around the globe, too, and it spent five weeks at No. 1 in Canada, two weeks at No. 1 in Australia (the sixth biggest hit of 1982 there), plus it reached No. 2 in New Zealand and through a re-release in the U.K., No. 3 in Ireland, South Africa and BILLBOARD’s Dance chart.

After “Mickey,” Toni Basil released three more singles from WORD OF MOUTH, and the final single released from the album, “Shoppin’ From A To Z,” reached No. 77 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in March 1983.  Later that year, Toni Basil released her second studio album, a self-titled effort that generated her third and final Hot 100 entry, “Over My Head,” which reached No. 81 in early 1984, plus it reached No. 4 on BILLBOARD’s Dance Chart, and was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in 1984 (the first year of the VMA’s) for Best Choreography In A Video, losing out to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”  Toni was actually nominated twice in that category that year, also being nominated for the choreography for Bette Midler’s video for her cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Beast Of Burden.”

Toni Basil has received a number of nominations and awards over the years, and won an Emmy Award in 1988 and Hip Hop International’s Living Legend Award.  “Mickey” is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as one of the groundbreaking singles of the 80s.

NERDY FUN FACT: One of my favorite pieces of trivia regarding Toni Basil is that she taught both David Byrne and David Bowie how to dance.  She choreographed and co-directed the Talking Heads video for “Once In A Lifetime” in 1980.  Apparently, she and David Byrne studied archival footage of “preachers, evangelists, people in trances, African tribes and Japanese religious sects” to see how David could somehow incorporate a combination of it into his performance.

From the “Once In A Lifetime” music video.

According to a 2007 interview she did about the making of the video, Toni Basil said, “David kind of choreographed himself.  I set up the camera, put him in front of it and asked him to absorb those ideas.  Then I left the room so he could be alone with himself.  I came back, looked at the videotape, and we chose physical moves that worked with the music.  I just helped to stylize his moves a little.”

Toni Basil and David Byrne, 1987.

For David Bowie, Toni Basil choreographed his 1974 Diamond Dogs tour and his 1987 Glass Spider Tour, as well as the video for his song, “Time Will Crawl.”  In 2008 and 2009, Toni was the associate director and choreographer for Tina Turner’s LIVE: 50th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT TOUR.  25 years before, Tina made the biggest comeback of the 80s and one of the biggest comebacks of all-time, thanks to Mr. David Bowie believing in her (another one of my favorite pieces of 80s music trivia).

Talk about your selfies!  Toni Basil, Debbie Harry and David Bowie!

When “Mickey” reached No. 1 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, Toni Basil was 39.  Toni Basil is now 76, in amazing health and still thriving.  In 2019, at the age of 75, she choreographed Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, which just picked up two Academy Awards, including a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Brad Pitt.

From 2019’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, that’s Leonardo DiCaprio hamming it up and dancing 60s style, courtesy of choreography by Toni Basil.

What’s up next for Toni Basil?  I’m guessing more hella amazing choreography, maybe some cheerleading, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she even resurrected her own music career.  A return to the singles chart in more than 35 years to join the likes of Billie Eilish and Lizzo?  That’s something I would cheer about… 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aqLwHP4y6Q

song of the day – “We Got The Beat” | The GO-GO’s | 1981 / 1982.

On January 15, 2020, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced their 2020 inductees, which included a semi-diverse list of artists, including Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, The Doobie Brothers, T. Rex (long overdue), The Notorious B.I.G. and the only woman to be inducted in the 2020 class, Whitney Houston.

While it was hoped that Pat Benatar and Chaka Khan (as half of Rufus and Chaka Khan) would also be inducted this year, it’s not surprising they weren’t.  At the very least, the Dave Matthews Band didn’t get in.  How the fuck did they get nominated in the first place?  Christ.  But I digress.

A couple of days before the Rock Hall inductees were announced, the Academy Award nominees were announced.  Only one woman of color was nominated for a major acting award and no female directors (and there were many in 2019) were nominated. 

Here on the blog, I know I’ve often mentioned the lack of women in the Rock Hall, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way.  And, with the double whammy of the Oscar nods and the Rock Hall inductees this week, I’m hopeful that by 2021, we’ll see a lot more women nominated everywhere. 

On the day the Rock Hall inductees were announced, I read an article online about 10 female artists who should be in the Rock Hall (and five who might be next).  At the top of the list, Carole King.  Abso-fucking-lutely.  One of the greatest songwriters of all-time, her 1971 TAPESTRY album was so huge, it spent 15 weeks atop the BILLBOARD album chart, won four Grammy Awards, has sold over 25 million copies worldwide, and was the No. 2 album of the year in the U.S. for both 1971 and 1972, and the No. 22 album for 1973.  Pretty fucking amazing.

Other women on the list I would certainly vote for included Björk, Kate Bush, Dolly Parton and The Go-Go’s.  Courtney Love and her band, Hole, were on the list as well, and as was written in the article, “this one should be a no-brainer.”  WTF?!  She is only on the list because she was married to Kurt Cobain.  She did a decent acting job in a couple movies in the late 90s (including 1998’s MAN ON THE MOON), and the band had one okay song, but really?  A “no-brainer?”  How about just NO!!!  I would much rather have chosen Mariah Carey and Sheryl Crow (both on the list) over Courtney Love, and those are artists I am not really a fan of.  And nowhere (again) on the list was Cyndi Lauper.

Future Rock Hall inductees (yes, please!) Cyndi Lauper and Dolly Parton.

I’ve made my case for Cyndi to be in the Rock Hall (or at least nominated, fer fuck’s sake) many times here on the blog, and you can go back and read about my reasons for why she should have been inducted years ago, so if you see #Cyndi2021 trending anywhere this year, that’s prolly why. 

Even Steve Miller (who has had his own issues with the Rock Hall) called them out when he was inducted in 2016, and said, “keep expanding your vision, to be more inclusive of women.”  That’s goddamned right.

The Go-Go’s are definitely worthy of being in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  The Los Angeles New Wave / Punk Rockers, formed in 1978 and consisting of singer Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin on rhythm guitar, Kathy Valentine on bass guitar, Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboards, and drummer Gina Schock, were the first all-female group to reach No. 1 on BILLBOARD’s album chart with their 1981 album, BEAUTY AND THE BEAT.

One of two covers used for BEAUTY AND THE BEAT.

The album spent six weeks on top in March and April 1982, sold over two million copies in the U.S. alone, was the No. 2 album in America for 1982, and was one of the biggest debut albums of all-time.  To date, The Go-Go’s remain as the only all-female band to both write their own songs and play their own instruments on an album that reached No. 1 on the BILLBOARD album chart.  Still pretty impressive nearly 40 years later. 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAT was released in early July 1981 on I.R.S. Records, and took awhile for it to catch on.  The first single released from the album, “Our Lips Are Sealed,” also took awhile to catch on, but it ultimately reached No. 20 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, and also took its time leaving the survey, spending its 30th and final week on the Hot 100 in late March 1982.  It was on the chart so long, it ranked at No. 63 for all of 1982, beating out about 20 Top 10 hits, including their own single, “Vacation” (the No. 8 title track from their 1982 album).

The second single chosen from BEAUTY AND THE BEAT was “We Got The Beat,” released this week in January 1982.  Written by Charlotte Caffey, this song made its original 1980 appearance on Stiff Records, and in the U.K., was released as a single in July 1981.  It was so popular in the dance clubs, the import got so much play, it even reached No. 35 on BILLBOARD’s Dance chart in 1981.

The cover art for the original Stiff Records single version of “We Got The Beat.”

The re-recorded version you hear on BEAUTY AND THE BEAT did not take long to debut on the BILLBOARD Hot 100.  Just a couple weeks after its release, it debuted at No. 79 in late January 1982, and just two weeks later, debuted inside the Top 40 at No. 31.  By mid-March, the catchy two-and-a-half-minute New Wave / Dance classic had beat its way to the Top 10.

For three weeks in April 1982, “We Got The Beat” stayed at No. 2 on the Hot 100, held off by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ monster hit, “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” and stayed on the chart for 19 weeks, exiting in early June 1982, nearly a full year after the release of BEAUTY AND THE BEAT.  “We Got The Beat” also reached No. 3 in Canada, No. 29 in Austria and No. 7 on BILLBOARD’s Mainstream Rock chart.

NERDY CHART FACT: Both “We Got The Beat” and the namesake of the The Go-Go’s originated from a song they covered, “Going To A Go-Go,” a 1965 hit by The Miracles, co-written, co-produced and sung by the legendary Smokey Robinson.  The week after “We Got The Beat” left the BILLBOARD Hot 100, a live version of “Going To A Go-Go” by The Rolling Stones debuted on the chart.  So, in a way, the Go-Go’s kept beating on until “Vacation” immediately followed The Stones into the Top 40 in July 1982.

The Go-Go’s broke up in 1985, after their third album, 1984’s TALKSHOW, Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin had successful solo careers, got back together briefly in 1990 and 1994, and have been together for over 20 years, and released their fourth album, the wonderful GOD BLESS THE GO-GO’s, in 2001.  In the summer of 2018, a musical about the band, HEAD OVER HEELS, premiered in New York.

One of the posters for the HEAD OVER HEELS musical.

“We Got The Beat” was named as one of “The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll,” a list that includes songs by the also-yet-to-be-nominated/inducted Siouxsie And The Banshees, Salt-N-Pepa, The B-52’s and the aforementioned Cyndi Lauper. 

Today (January 18, 2020) was the fourth annual Women’s March, which started worldwide the day after Donald Trump was sworn in as President Gas.  This year’s protest march for women’s rights and more took place in many cities in the U.S., including an event in Portland, Maine.

From the 2020 Women’s March in Philadelphia, January 18, 2020.

A hope I have for 2020 and beyond is that more women everywhere are recognized for the incredible work they do, not just in entertainment, and are treated (at least) as well and as fairly as their male counterparts.  Nearly 40 years ago, five young women from L.A. shouted, “Yeah!  We Got The Beat!”, and it was an inspiration to women everywhere.  And women still have the beat and then some.  It’s time for men everywhere to take notice and start dancing to that beat.  It’s long overdue…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f55KlPe81Yw

song of the day – “Sacrificial Bonfire” | XTC | 1986.

You ever notice how the last 10 days of every year are always jam-packed with events and holidays?  You start with the awesome Winter Solstice, then Xmas Eve and Xmas Day (sometimes there are years, like this year, when Hannukah falls around that same 10-day period), and then it’s New Year’s Eve.  There are countries around the globe which have other holidays they observe in those last 10 days of the year as well (Canada’s Boxing Day comes to mind, prolly because Bob & Doug McKenzie remind me about it every year I listen to their version of “The Twelve Days Of Christmas,” from their 1981 comedy album, THE GREAT WHITE NORTH).

Bob & Doug McKenzie, celebrating the Twelve Days Of Christmas in The Great White North, 1981.

I can’t vouch for any other countries, but for as long as I can remember, here in the U.S. anyway, until about 6:00pm Xmas Eve (and to borrow from the brilliant NBC TV show, THE GOOD PLACE),  it’s a forking shirtshow.  I’m sure Mary’s Boy Child, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself didn’t have that in mind about Xmas back in the day.  But, like clockwork, once Xmas is over, and for the last six days of the year, it goes from everything Xmas to everything revisited from the past year — a parade of seemingly endless lists featuring the best and worst of everything from the year almost gone by.

But, December 31, 2019 will not only be the end the year, it’s the end of the decade as well.  And, for me, this decade had some moments, both good and bad…

In this past decade, I lost the best job I ever had (so far), followed by unemployment for the first time in my life, and later temp work (which led to the job I’m currently in, as of this writing, anyway).

The poster for the last regular STUCK IN THE 80s show, 2.12.2017.

The 2010s saw the end of my long-running radio show, STUCK IN THE 80s, after nearly 21 years, with a celebration on my 50th birthday where Maryhope, Jedi Master Shawn Emerick and I braved the Valentine’s weekend blizzard of 2017, the three of us shared the air for one more time together, shut down the station after the show, and I even got to “drop the mic.”

Shawn Emerick, Maryhope and me, WMPG-FM, 2.12.2017, being STUCK IN THE 80s together one more time.

The last couple of years, though, and this year in particular, have been among the hardest in my life.  In mid-December 2017, I lost my biological baby brother, Mark.  In early October of this year, my adopted baby brother Jonn, such an incredible spirit, the father of two amazing girls (ages 11 and 7), and a two-time Iraq war veteran, died unexpectedly at just 32.  And, in early July 2019, one of the strongest and most incredible and loving men I’ve ever known, Maryhope’s dad, Dennis, passed away, surrounded by family from all over.  I haven’t properly written blog posts about them yet, and I promise there will be blog posts, or long distance dedications, if you will, on the way in the New Year dedicated to Jonn and Dennis.

Me and my brother Jonn and one of my favorite photos of the two of us, from Thanksgiving 2017.

The high point of the 2010s, though, for me, is finding the love of my life after a 50-year search, and she was right there the whole time — my best friend, Maryhope.  She has inspired me in so many ways, from getting me into new (old) music to writing this blog, from embracing my inner hippie to running again for the first time in decades (inspiring my training for a 5K for the first time in my life); from eating better, getting me to try yoga, meditation and tea (and loving all of it) to being at my lowest weight in 24 years.  She is the light in my life and the love of my life, and to borrow from a sweet, amazing song by Ben Folds, I am the luckiest.

Me and Maryhope, Pine Point, Scarborough, Maine, 10.24.2019.

This past decade, I’ve had the best New Year’s Eves of my entire life — with Maryhope.  A couple of years ago, for New Year’s Eve 2017, we even took over the WMPG airwaves for eight-and-a-half hours that night, though it didn’t start out that way.  We were only supposed to be on the air for four hours, I believe, in our old time slots on Sunday night, but then other hosts asked if we would fill in for them too.  Four hours turned into six, then to eight-and-a-half, which put us 90 minutes into 2018!  In all the years I’ve been on the radio, I’ve had the most fun (and done my best work) on the air with Maryhope.  We had a such a great time making radio and ringing in the New Year on the air.

The 2017 poster for our epic 8 1/2 hour New Year’s Dance Party welcoming in 2018.

It’s the subject of ringing in the New Year that inspired me to write one more blog post this year, which itself is inspired by one of my favorite songs by England’s XTC that really was the perfect choice: “Sacrificial Bonfire” from the 1986 Todd Rundgren-produced masterpiece, SKYLARKING.

It took awhile, but over the years, I grew to love the music of XTC, and while “Dear God” may have inspired me (and many others) to buy the album, 33 years later, SKYLARKING remains as one of my all-time favorite albums, though interestingly enough, not for “Dear God” (which wasn’t on the original album release). 

NERDY CHART FACT: Out of the 14 albums XTC released between 1978 and 2000 (including two albums by the XTC side project, The Dukes Of Stratosphear), SKYLARKING is still often regarded today as their best album, but strangely enough, it’s their lowest-charting album in the U.K., spending only a week on the U.K. album chart at No. 90.  Here in the U.S., SKYLARKING peaked at a respectable No. 70 on the BILLBOARD album chart, but three of their other albums – 1980’s BLACK SEA, 1982’s ENGLISH SETTLEMENT, and 1989’s ORANGES & LEMONS, all charted higher.

NERDY TUBE-ULAR FUN FACTS: XTC co-founder and drummer Terry Chambers left the band in 1982, and for stepping in on drums for SKYLARKING was Prairie Prince, the drummer for The Tubes.  Prairie Prince was credited on the album as “the part of the time bomb,” while special thanks were given to The Tubes themselves (“who let us use their amplifiers”). 

Vocalist and guitarist Andy Partridge wrote most of the songs on SKYLARKING, while bassist and vocalist Colin Moulding wrote five songs, including the album’s gorgeous closer, “Sacrificial Bonfire.”

The first 10 seconds of the song starts with a soft echo of subtle, yet prominent pounding drums which grow louder with each second, and segues into a beautiful, Pagan-inspired guitar bit that Colin Moulding described in a 1998 interview as “a a touch of ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ and a bit of Arthur Brown’s ‘Fire’ in it, I suppose.  But I wasn’t moralizing.  It was just that this was an evil piece of music and good would triumph over it.”

Todd Rundgren added a stunning eight-piece string arrangement to the song, and Andy Partridge, in the same 1998 interview, agreed: “It was a good ending to the album, fading deep into the night.  It just leaves you in blackness with the slightest hint that dawn is coming.”

I keep coming back to the lines “Change must be earned / Sacrificial bonfire must burn / Burn up the old / Ring in the new / Burn up the old, ring in the new…” 

2019 had some truly amazing moments in it, like going to New York with Maryhope the first weekend in January and seeing Strawberry Fields, The Met, The Cloisters and unintentionally being part of a street dance routine near Times Square, but overall it was a hard year.  For me, I think “Sacrificial Bonfire” exudes hope that when you “burn up the old” and “ring in the New,” or “reign in the good” and “banish the bad,” there’s that strong chance, that strong belief, that strong, deep feeling inside you that the next year will be better.  And I believe that, I really do.

So, let’s go to take the advice from the boys out of Swindon, “burn up the old” and “ring in the New,” and I truly wish that your 2020 is full of hope and excitement and peace, a new U.S. president, and a much-belated Rock Hall nod for Cyndi Lauper (for starters), and to borrow from John Lennon, who would have been 80 in 2020, I hope it’s a good one, without any fear…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiVhg2_aVtg

XTC, 1986, from L to R: Dave Gregory, Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding.

song of the day – “Shadows Of The Night” | PAT BENATAR (1982 / 1983)

Recently, when I’ve been driving in the Batmobile (what I call my cross-bred compact-to-midsize car, or what Bruce Wayne would prolly drive if he wanted an unsuspecting vehicle, unlike say, the Batmobile), sometimes I take a break from my iPod or Spotify, and I tend to listen to Classic Rock or Classic Hits Radio (80s are apparently considered Oldies now, go figure).

The real Batmobile, from 1989’s BATMAN.

One thing that has caught my attention is the amount of airplay given to songs that didn’t do as well as they should have back when they were released, and based on the huge amount of airplay they still get to this day, would have been bigger hits back in the day.

The first song that comes to mind is Stevie Nicks’ incredible “Edge Of Seventeen.”  One of the most-played Stevie Nicks solo hits played today.  And somehow, it only managed to peak at No. 11 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 back in April 1982.  But, as I’ve mentioned before, with respect to Casey Kasem’s AMERICAN TOP 40 and BILLBOARD magazine, in the scheme of radio, sometimes it doesn’t matter what position you peaked at on the singles chart.

One of the best examples of this is “I Melt With You” by Modern English (from the album, AFTER THE SNOW).  Upon its original 1982 release on 4AD (the independent label’s first hit), it fared well on BILLBOARD’s Mainstream Rock chart (No. 7) and even charted on BILLBOARD’s Dance chart, but stopped at No. 78 on the Hot 100 in 1983.

The 1982 single cover art for the original “I Melt With You.”

Fast forward to 1990, and a re-recorded version of “I Melt With You” (from the album, PILLOW LIPS) reached two positions higher on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 76 in the Summer of 1990.

The single cover art for the 1990 reworking of “I Melt With You.”

But, regardless of chart position(s) attained, “I Melt With You” has been a radio staple for over 35 years, and rightfully so. 

Another song that was a Top 20 hit back in the day and would have been a Top 10 hit (with all the airplay it’s getting today) is “Shadows Of The Night” by 2020 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominee (and future inductee) Pat Benatar.

Released in September 1982 (a month in advance of the album, GET NERVOUS; my personal favorite), “Shadows Of The Night” was the lead single released from the album, her fourth studio release. It debuted on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in mid-October at No. 69. 

In its fourth week on the chart, “Shadows Of The Night” reached No. Top 40.  The following week, it rocketed up to No. 23.  But, in November 1982, usually a relatively quiet time on the charts (at least back then), there was a lot of heavy activity in the Top 20, from songs like “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye, “The Girl Is Mine” by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry,” “Rock This Town” by The Stray Cats, and “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates.

The Stray Cats, rocking up the singles charts in late 1982.

This heavy activity on the chart slowed down Pat’s climb into the Top 20.  Starting a couple of weeks before Xmas and lasting into the first week of 1983, “Shadows Of The Night” occupied its respectable No. 13 peak for four weeks, and dropped off the Hot 100 a month later.

Around the globe, “Shadows Of The Night” also reached the Top 20 in Australia and Canada, No. 50 in the U.K. (in 1985) and charted in New Zealand as well. On BILLBOARD’s Mainstream Rock chart, it was one of her biggest Rock hits on that chart, peaking at No. 3.  “Shadows Of The Night” also scored Pat Benatar her third Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1983.

The first time I recently heard “Shadows Of The Night” on the radio, I was pleasantly surprised to hear it.  Usually these stations play “Heartbreaker” (her first hit) or “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Love Is A Battlefield” or “We Belong” (her biggest hits), and they still do, often. 

But, then I started hearing “Shadows Of The Night” more, and on different stations.  Maybe it’s the Rock Hall nod, maybe it’s radio stations branching out from the more familiar, it’s hard to say, though it’s quite welcomed.

Pat Benatar has been one of my all-time favorite artists for a long time.  She also has an incredible track record on the BILLBOARD charts.  Her first six albums were certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum, and on the Hot 100, she has an impressive Top 40 chart history.  Out of her 17 Hot 100 appearances between 1979 and 1988, only two of them didn’t reach the Top 40 (1980’s “You Better Run,” No. 42, and the second video to air on MTV; and, 1986’s underrated “Le Bel Age,” No. 54).

After several missed attempts over the years to see Pat perform live, in February 2018, I finally saw Pat Benatar and her longtime guitarist, producer, songwriter, collaborator, and husband (since 1982), Neil Giraldo, perform an acoustic show in Cranston, Rhode Island.  It was totally worth the wait.

Neil Giraldo and Pat Benatar, from their wedding day, 1982.

Can’t tell you how happy I was that they played acoustic versions of two of my favorite Pat Benatar songs, the lesser-remembered “Promises In The Dark” and “We Live For Love,” the latter a song for which their 2016 tour was named after.

NERDY MUSIC VIDEO FUN FACT: The World War II-themed music video (which unfortunately I can’t find) features actors Judge Reinhold and Bill Paxton (who appeared together in 1981’s STRIPES).

From the “Shadows Of The Night” music video.

I am so hoping Pat Benatar gets inducted into the Rock Hall next year, not just because I’ve been a big fan for 40 years, but also because there were only 2.5 women (along with Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan, of Rufus And Chaka Khan) who were nominated out of the 16 total artists nominated.  I hope they all get inducted, actually.

Will the induction of more women into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame get commercial Classic Rock radio stations to play more women?  I hope so.  Right now, Pat Benatar is one member of an elite group of female artists heavily played currently on Classic Rock and Classic Hits radio, which also consists of artists like Joan Jett, The Go-Go’s and Fleetwood Mac. 

Maybe more female inductees will garner even more female nominations.  Maybe the upcoming (and highly anticipated) WONDER WOMAN 1984 movie will inspire the Rock Hall and Classic radio as well.  That soundtrack will kick much ass I’m sure!

In the meantime, I still haven’t given up on somehow fixing the algorithm commercial stations currently use on the warped ratio between the male artists played vs. the female artists played.  Let’s even it out already!  Damn…

“We’re running with the shadows of the night / So baby take my hand, it’ll be all right / Surrender all your dreams to me tonight / They’ll come true in the end…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6hZ4NwFCg0

song of the day – “Following” | THE BANGLES featuring MICHAEL STEELE | 1986.

Lately, on the off-chance I don’t have my iPod at the ready, I’ve been flipping through the Central Maine/Southern Maine radio dial in hopes of finding something good.  Usually I’m disappointed. 

Yesterday (Saturday, 11.9.19), I was in the basement of my parents’ house helping my dad stack some wood for the winter, and had the radio blasting his go-to station, which has been his go-to station for over 40 years.Right now, they play mostly the big hits of the 70s and 80s, and throw in the occasional 60s and 90s songs as well. 

The DJ on yesterday was horrible.  He talked over every goddamn song (and most likely pre-recorded 4 days ago), and there were hardly any women played.  I kept yelling into the radio, “play some women dammit!” to no avail.

We should all start some sort of coalition to get women played on the classic hits stations like this one.  And it’s not just here; it’s all over, sadly.  I’ve brought this subject up before on the blog, and it’s an alarming fact that almost no women are represented on classic hits radio, and the ones that make appearances on playlists are usually repeated the next time a female artist is represented on the air.  Equally breaks my heart and pisses me off.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is another case.  They have this weird reluctance of nominating women in.  For the class of 2020, only 2.5 women out of 16 were nominated: Pat Benatar, Whitney Houston, and Chaka Khan (Rufus featuring Chaka Khan).  It’s disgraceful!  Why is the Rock Hall so afraid of nominating women, like Cyndi Lauper?!  Cyndi was eligible 11 years ago, and not one single nomination.  There’s plenty of great women nominees out there!  And I’m sure we could have inducted at least one more woman over the Dave Matthews Band.  Christ.

More women dammit, and less Dave Matthews!

I know this won’t make up for the lack of women played on CHR, but I’m devoting my next several blog posts to women — solo women, women in bands, women-led bands.  Just feels right.

The Bangles: “We love being played on the radio! Kickass! Now how about some more women dammit!”

One of the few songs featuring women I heard yesterday on the radio was “Manic Monday” by The Bangles.  The Prince-penned track was a big hit and totally deserves its place in classic hits radio and beyond.  But, why stop there or “Walk Like An Egyptian” or “Eternal Flame?”  The Bangles had eight consecutive Top 40 hits between 1986 and 1989, popular hits including “In Your Room,” “Walking Down Your Street” and their brilliant cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Hazy Shade Of Winter” (from LESS THAN ZERO).

Their lesser-known songs are also worthy of being on the radio more.  Songs like 1984’s “Going Down To Liverpool” and “James,” or their 2003 comeback single, “Something That You Said,” or the stunning song on 1986’s DIFFERENT LIGHT, written by bassist Michael Steele, “Following.”   

It took awhile for DIFFERENT LIGHT to make any sort of noise on the charts or in record stores.  The album was released January 2, 1986, and by the end of the year, “Walk Like An Egyptian” was No. 1 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, and the album was riding high on the BILLBOARD album chart.

Mixed in with the four major singles from the 12-song album — “Manic Monday,” “If She Knew What She Wants” (written by Jules Shear), “Walk Like An Egyptian” and “Walking Down Your Street” — are a couple of songs sung by bassist Michael Steele: a cover of Big Star’s “September Gurls” (written by Alex Chilton), and “Following.”

I remember the first time I heard “Following.”  It was later in my adult life, and long after The Bangles had broken up in 1989.  Having been used to all their big Pop hits, I never knew a song like “Following” ever existed in The Bangles’ catalog.  Well, upon my first listen, it didn’t take long (maybe about three minutes and 18 seconds) for it to become my favorite song by them.

I once described “Following” as a “DIFFERENT LIGHT” for The Bangles (a play on the album’s name), because it’s so different from anything on that album, or anything they have put out, before or since. 

“Following” is an Alt-Folk-type ballad, sung in the first person, and about Michael’s high school sweetheart, and you can hear the conviction in her voice.  Though not released as a single here in America, it was released around Europe and even reached No. 22 in Ireland, and was a minor U.K. hit single.  I had kind of hoped at one point, The Bangles would grow out of the Pop sound and embrace more songs like this.  But, it was not to be.

In 1999, the four of them — vocalist and rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs, sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson (on lead guitar and drums, respectively) and Michael Steele — got back together and in 2003, released their fourth studio album, DOLL REVOLUTION.  The album was well-received, less Pop-oriented, and of the 15 songs on the album, many were written or co-written by each member of the band.

FUN MICHAEL STEELE FACT: as Micki Steele, she was a founding member of The Runaways, but left just before the band’s big major-label debut.  And she co-wrote one of the songs on 1977’s QUEENS OF NOISE, the second studio album for The Runaways, “Born To Be Bad,” sung by Joan Jett.

The Runaways, 1975: Micki Steele, Sandy West, Joan Jett.

“Something That You Said” was the lead single from DOLL REVOLUTION (co-written with Charlotte Caffey, guitarist for The Go-Go’s, who had their own reunion album in 2001, GOD BLESS THE GO-GO’s), and reached No. 38 on the U.K. singles chart.  The album’s opener (and inspiration for the album title) was “Tear Off Your Own Head (It’s A Doll Revolution),” a cover of an Elvis Costello song released just a year before, on his WHEN I WAS CRUEL album.

The Bangles reunion was short-lived, though.  Although she left in 2004 during the middle of The Bangles’ comeback tour, Michael Steele officially left the band in 2005 over artistic disputes involving touring and recording (she didn’t want the band to be a “Dick Clark oldies band” and wanted to focus more on new material; not a bad thing).

I couldn’t find anything recent on Michael Steele, sadly, but I am forever grateful for “Following,” and I will always admire her for wanting to be more than “Walk Like An Egyptian” and “Eternal Flame.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hMGJbESQCs

song of the day – “Skateaway” | DIRE STRAITS | 1980 / 1981.

In 1980, when I was a geeky, lanky 13-year-old living in Central Maine, I was not what you would call popular, which was fine, because I had my select friends in junior high school, and that was good enough for me.  When I wasn’t nerding out during the day at school, I would nerd out after school and on weekends by the radio, listening to the favorite radio station of my youth, WIGY 105.9 (or Y106, as it was called).  Back then, more stations (at least in Maine) didn’t bother to mention their full number on the dial, they would either round up or round down.  The biggest Classic Rock station in Maine, WBLM, was just seven years old at the time, and at the time broadcasted from a house in Lewiston/Auburn, Maine.  They were at 108 on the FM dial.  They were my second-favorite station back then.

The infamous WBLM blimp logo that’s been around almost as long as I have…

It was not uncommon for students anywhere in Central Maine to possess and often wear their WBLM T-shirts, featuring their call letters and their logo, “the blimp.”  They were everywhere, and I think I had one.  I can’t imagine I wouldn’t.  (Haven’t seen them for a very long time, though, sadly.)  It was also not uncommon for stores like Ames or Zayre (remember those?) or Kmart to sell huge polyester tapestries and square mirrors housed in a wooden frame featuring band logos on them.  Those were everywhere too.  I should know – I had a huge J. Geils Band handprint tapestry on one of my walls, and a Rolling Stones tongue logo mirror on another wall, replete of course, with cut out bumper stickers of the call letters for my two favorite radio stations stuck on the mirror.  Aaaah youth.

Not quite the mirror I had, and mine was a regular square mirror with the logo, but it’s not far off.

Remember when radio stations gave away albums back in the day?  WIGY did that often, and I was lucky enough to win a few albums from them in 1980, including The Doobie Brothers’ ONE STEP CLOSER and Dire Straits’ MAKING MOVIES.  I would like to think I still have the MAKING MOVIES album I won, but I fear I parted with it long ago.

My respect for Dire Straits grew over the next few years, and my respect for MAKING MOVIES even more so.  In 1980, the four-man Rock band from London led by guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler, was coming off a successful year with their 1978 self-titled debut album, and huge hit, “Sultans Of Swing,” which reached No. 4 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in 1979 and was a Top 10 hit around the globe.

The band’s second album, 1979’s COMMUNIQUÉ, fared well, but it wasn’t until MAKING MOVIES, released in October 1980, that I heard from Dire Straits on the radio again. 

The album was co-produced by Mark Knopfler and Jimmy Iovine, who Mark recruited for MAKING MOVIES after hearing Jimmy’s production of Patti Smith’s 1978 version of “Because The Night,” which she wrote with Bruce Springsteen, and not only became a Top 15 hit on the Hot 100, but one of the biggest songs of 1978.

And since Jimmy Iovine had also worked on a couple of Bruce’s early albums – BORN TO RUN and DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN – E Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan was also recruited to play keyboards on MAKING MOVIES (Mark Knopfler’s brother, David, left during the recording of the album). 

“Skateaway,” the third in a killer trio of songs on Side One of MAKING MOVIES (which also included future singles “Tunnel Of Love” and the U.K. Top 10 hit, “Romeo And Juliet”) was about a female roller-skater zooming through the busy streets of the city, listening with her headphones to a radio station on her portable radio (a Sony Walkman, perhaps, since that was just released a year before).  “Hallelujah, here she comes!”

Around the time “Skateaway” and MAKING MOVIES caught my attention on WIGY, it debuted on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 at No. 90 in late December 1980.  “Skateaway” was a moderate hit on the chart, spending a week at No. 58 the end of January 1981.  Four weeks later, it skated away off the chart after 10 weeks.  It also reached No. 31 on the BILLBOARD Rock chart and No. 37 on the U.K. singles chart. 

From the “Skateaway” music video.

I think, kind of like my delayed respect for MAKING MOVIES and “Skateaway,” it was the same for a lot of folks.  It’s an amazing album.  Dire Straits always had a sweet (and successful penchant) for recording long songs (there’s only seven songs on MAKING MOVIES), which doesn’t always bode well as radio hits, and I don’t think radio stations were ready for Dire Straits in 1980, apart from the chart success of “Sultans Of Swing.”  If radio embraced the band like record buyers did, they would have had more than four Top 40 hits in America and 1983’s brilliant “Industrial Disease” wouldn’t have stalled at No. 75 on the Hot 100.

After the huge success of 1985’s BROTHERS IN ARMS album, Dire Straits would release one more studio album, 1991’s ON EVERY STREET, a live album from that tour, 1993’s ON THE NIGHT, and one final live album, LIVE AT THE BBC, in 1995.  After that album’s release, Mark Knopfler disbanded Dire Straits and pursued a successful solo career (he had already scored many films, including the gorgeous score for 1987’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE).

In a 2008 BBC interview, Mark Knopfler was asked about a possible Dire Straits reunion, and he declined, saying, “It just got too big.  If anyone can tell me one good thing about fame, I’d be very interested to hear it.”

The band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2018, though Mark Knopfler didn’t show up.  Dire Straits bassist John Illsley accepted the honor, and of Mark’s absence, he said, “I’ll assure you it’s a personal thing.  Let’s just leave it at that.”

The legacy of MAKING MOVIES lives on, however, with much respect and admiration nearly 40 years later.  On a 2012 list of the 100 Best Albums Of The Eighties, ROLLING STONE ranked MAKING MOVIES at a very respectable No. 52. 

So, if you haven’t heard MAKING MOVIES before, or haven’t heard it in a long time, go pick it up, or if you still have a Walkman like I do, pop in a cassette of MAKING MOVIES, put on your roller skates (or roller blades, or whatever the young kids are using these days) and skateaway, that’s all…

“She gets rock n roll and a rock n roll station / And a rock n roll dream / She’s making movies on location / She don’t know what it means / But the music make her want to be the story / And the story was whatever was the song, what it was / Roller girl, don’t worry / DJ play the movies all night long / All night long…”

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

song of the day – “Abracadabra” | STEVE MILLER BAND | 1982.

Waiting for the real Colin Hay to begin, Rockland, Maine, 8.16.2017. He was, of course, fantastic and soulful.

Hey everyone!  Thanks so much for being patient with me, as I’ve taken an unexpected (but quite enjoyable) absence from the bloggy thing since the end of July.  There’s been work stuff, home stuff, I had a fun time attending concerts featuring Blondie, the 80s Retro Futura Tour (including Howard Jones, Modern English, Men Without Hats, Paul Young, Katrina of Katrina And The Waves, and The English Beat!), and most recently, seeing the wonderful Colin Hay in beautiful Rockland, Maine. 

I’ve also been spending a lot of quality time with the incredible and awesome Hope, my superfriend, sassy radio co-host and writing hero, which included a swim in the cold Atlantic Ocean here in Maine that changed me forever.  There’s a lot more to say, and I will, in a post coming soon that will be about Hope and that swim in the ocean and much more!  And Hope comes up again later in this post, so stay tuned!!

That’s the absolutely lovely HopeyT and me, Kettle Cove State Park, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, 9.2.2017!

When I started my tribute to my radio hero, Casey Kasem, back on June 1, school was in session and Summer was weeks away.  Well, it’s now September 9, 2017, school is back in session and Fall is less than two weeks away.  I’ve had fun bringing you this tribute to Casey (who passed away in June 2014 at the age of 82), and wanted to make sure (1) you all didn’t think I would hold out on the Number One song of this tribute, and (2) that I get this in ASAFP, because what’s a Top 40 countdown without a Number One song?

Much like AMERICAN TOP 40, this post will be full of nerdy chart facts and then some, but first, I wanted to recap the songs I’ve posted in this series so far.  These songs (which include five (real) one-hit wonders of the 80s), are ranked at the positions they peaked at on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 (with peak year), and though they do not represent a definitive Top 40 list for me, but I love all of them, and hope you’ve enjoyed reading about them!

40. CLONES (WE’RE ALL) – ALICE COOPER (1980)

39. SLIPPING AWAY – DAVE EDMUNDS (1983)

38. PROMISES IN THE DARK – PAT BENATAR (1981)

37. WHISPER TO A SCREAM (BIRDS FLY) – ICICLE WORKS (1984; (real) one-hit wonder of the 80s)

36. SOMETIMES A FANTASY – BILLY JOEL (1980)

35. FAKE FRIENDS – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (1983)

34. ME MYSELF AND I – DE LA SOUL (1989)

33. PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) – U2 (1984)

32. VALLEY GIRL – FRANK & MOON ZAPPA (1982)

31. (GHOST) RIDERS IN THE SKY – THE OUTLAWS (1981)

30. LIES – THOMPSON TWINS (1983)

29. TURN UP THE RADIO – AUTOGRAPH (1985; (real) one-hit wonder of the 80s)

28. POINT OF NO RETURN – NU SHOOZ (1986)

27. THE RIGHT THING – SIMPLY RED (1987)

26. NOT JUST ANOTHER GIRL – IVAN NEVILLE (1988)

25. TAKE ME WITH YOU – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION featuring APOLLONIA (1985)

24. ONE WAY OR ANOTHER – BLONDIE (1979)

23. YOU CAN CALL ME AL – PAUL SIMON (1986 / 1987)

22. AIN’T NOBODY – RUFUS & CHAKA KHAN (1983)

21. FOOL IN THE RAIN – LED ZEPPELIN (1980)

20. OUR LIPS ARE SEALED – THE GO-GO’S (1982)

19. PUSH IT – SALT-N-PEPA (1988)

18. LET ME TICKLE YOUR FANCY – JERMAINE JACKSON with DEVO (1982)

17. YOU ARE THE GIRL – THE CARS (1987)

16. HOLIDAY – MADONNA (1984)

15. ONE OF THE LIVING – TINA TURNER (1985)

14. DIGGING YOUR SCENE – THE BLOW MONKEYS (1986; (real) one-hit wonder of the 80s)

13. TARZAN BOY – BALTIMORA (1986)

12. WHAT’S GOING ON – CYNDI LAUPER (1987)

11. EDGE OF SEVENTEEN – STEVEIE NICKS (1982)

10. RELAX – FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (1985)

09. THE ONE I LOVE – R.E.M. (1987)

08. LET THE MUSIC PLAY – SHANNON (1984)

07. WHAT I AM – EDIE BRICKELL & NEW BOHEMIANS (1989)

06. INFATUATION – ROD STEWART (1984)

05. WANNA BE STARTIN’ SOMETHIN’ – MICHAEL JACKSON (1983)

04. HEART AND SOUL – T’PAU (1987; (real) one-hit wonder of the 80s)

03. LOVE SHACK – THE B-52’S (1989)

02. DANCING IN THE DARK – BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1984)

Throughout this series, I’ve been mentioned how many songs peaked at each position between 1979 and 1989.  It’s only fitting that songs which reached No. 1 would have the highest number of songs hitting the apex of the BILLBOARD Hot 100.  For this post, I am only counting the songs that reached No. 1 between January 1980 and December 1989, and for that 80s time period, 232 songs went all the way to No. 1.  Let’s get nerdy now (if you’re not already there), with some chart feats about No. 1 songs during the 80s and the BILLBOARD Hot 100:

• FOUR (REAL) ONE-HIT WONDERS reached No. 1 during the 80s – Bobby McFerrin (“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”), the second-chance single, “When I’m With You” by Sheriff, Jan Hammer’s “Miami Vice Theme,” and Vangelis (“Chariots Of Fire (Titles)”), though the composer did reach the chart separately twice in the early 80s as part of the duo Jon & Vangelis, with Jon Anderson of Yes.

• MOST WEEKS SPENT AT NO. 1 IN THE 80s (27); MOST NO. 1 SONGS FROM ONE ALBUM (5); MOST NO. 1 SONGS IN THE 80s (9) – Michael Jackson.  The King Of Pop reached No. 1 in the 80s with “Rock With You” (1980; 4 weeks at No. 1), “Billie Jean” (1983; 7 weeks), “Beat It” (1983; 3 weeks), “Say Say Say,” with Paul McCartney (1983 / 1984; 6 weeks), “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” with Siedah Garrett (1987; 1 week), “Bad” (1987; 2 weeks), “The Way You Make Me Feel” (1988; 1 week), “Man In The Mirror” (1988; 2 weeks); “Dirty Diana” (1988; 1 week).

• MOST NO. 1 SONGS IN THE 80s (if you’re NOT Michael Jackson): Madonna (7), Phil Collins (7 solo hits), Whitney Houston (7), George Michael (6 solo hits, which includes “Careless Whisper”), Daryl Hall & John Oates (5), Lionel Richie (5).

• NO. 1 WITH MOST WEEKS SPENT ON THE HOT 100 – 40 – “Red Red Wine” – UB40. It spent 25 weeks on the Hot 100, including a week at No. 1 in 1988, and had charted for 15 weeks in its first chart run in 1984.

• MOST CONFIGURATIONS AT NO. 1 – PAUL McCARTNEY, with Wings (“Coming Up (Live At Glasgow),” 1980), with Stevie Wonder (“Ebony And Ivory,” 1982), and with Michael Jackson (“Say Say Say,” 1983 / 1984).

• NO. 1 WITH MOST WEEKS SPENT IN THE TOP 10 OF THE HOT 100 (15) – “Physical – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (1981 / 1982), and “Eye Of The Tiger” – SURVIVOR (1982).  SUPER NERDY FUN FACT: the song which spent the most weeks in the Top 10 in the 80s didn’t even reach No. 1 – “Hurts So Good” by John Mellencamp spent 16 weeks in the Top 10, with four of those weeks in the runner-up spot.

• MOST WEEKS SPENT AT NO. 1 IN THE 80s (10) – “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John (1981 / 1982).  While it’s more commonplace on the Hot 100 these days, the biggest song of the 1980s would be the only song to spend at least 10 weeks at No. 1 on the chart for next 10 years.  In 1992, Boyz II Men spent a then-record 13 weeks at No. 1 with “End Of The Road.”  Two No. 1 songs later, Whitney Houston would break that record with “I Will Always Love You,” which spent its 14th and final week on top in late February 1993.  The current record is 16 weeks at No. 1.

In the most recent tabulation of the Greatest Of All Time Hot 100 songs for BILLBOARD’s legendary singles chart, many songs from the 80s were represented, and are currently ranked as follows:

08. “Physical” – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (1981 / 1982; 10 weeks at No. 1)

15. “Bette Davis Eyes” – KIM CARNES (1981; 9 weeks)

16. “Endless Love” – DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (1981; 9 weeks)

24. “Eye Of The Tiger” – SURVIVOR (1982; 6 weeks)

29. “Every Breath You Take” – THE POLICE (1983; 8 weeks)

31. “Flashdance…What A Feeling” – IRENE CARA (1983; 6 weeks)

40. “Another One Bites The Dust” – QUEEN (1980; 3 weeks)

41. “Say Say Say” – PAUL McCARTNEY & MICHAEL JACKSON (1983 / 1984; 6 weeks)

54. “Call Me” – BLONDIE (1980; 6 weeks)

57. “Lady” – KENNY ROGERS (1980; 6 weeks)

63. “Centerfold” – THE J. GEILS BAND (1982; 6 weeks)

64. “(Just Like) Starting Over” – JOHN LENNON (1980 / 1981; 5 weeks)

68. “I Love Rock ’N Roll” – JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS (1982; 7 weeks)

73. “Ebony And Ivory” – PAUL McCARTNEY & STEVIE WONDER (1982; 7 weeks)

75. “That’s What Friends Are For” – DIONNE & FRIENDS (1986; 4 weeks)

77. “Upside Down” – DIANA ROSS (1980; 4 weeks)

83. “Billie Jean” – MICHAEL JACKSON (1983; 7 weeks)

86. “Abracadabra” – THE STEVE MILLER BAND (1982; 2 weeks)

89. “Say You, Say Me” – LIONEL RICHIE (1985 / 1986; 4 weeks)

91. “All Night Long (All Night)” – LIONEL RICHIE (1983; 4 weeks)

95. “Waiting For A Girl Like You” – FOREIGNER (1981 / 1982; 10 weeks at No. 2; still tied for a record for spending the most weeks peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100)

98. “Hurts So Good” – JOHN MELLENCAMP (1982; 4 weeks at No. 2)

So, for now, the 80s represent more than a fifth of the greatest hits to grace the BILLBOARD HOT 100.  Pretty damn cool.  I know it won’t always be like that, and I always wonder why some huge hits like Prince’s “When Doves Cry” (No. 1 for 1984) or Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall” (No. 2 for 1980) aren’t up there, but songs these days tend to stay atop the Hot 100 (and the chart as a whole) a lot longer than they did back in the day, but honestly, I’m grateful for the songs that are still there. 

When I was preparing for this hefty blog post (prolly my second-longest, save for the Prince tribute post in April 2016), I was going through the list of No. 1 songs, and there are some songs I’ve already featured as a “song of the day” (Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” comes to mind, and has often as of late), and there are many others I love. 

But, I concede that there are some real stinkers in there, too: Will To Power’s awful covers medley of “Baby, I Love Your Way” and “Freebird” (subtitled “Freebaby,” which is just heinous)?!  How in THE HELL did that get to go to No. 1 and “I Don’t Want Your Love” by Duran Duran stops at No. 4, and U2’s “Desire” stops at No. 3?!  For the love of all things holy!  And though I admit enjoying the movie MANNEQUIN, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship?!  Are you kidding me?!  Even Grace Slick denounced that piece of shit.  While the go-to “worst song of the 80s” award is usually 1985’s “We Built This City,” I can tolerate that way more over “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”  Yes, I’m THAT guy.

If I was going for my absolute favorite No. 1 song of the 80s, there’s no competition.  It’s “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds.  It’s also my all-time favorite song.  But it’s a post I want to save for another time.  So, I thought it would be fun to bring in Hope, my writing hero, who, unlike yours truly, doesn’t obsess and write about nerdy chart facts or Top 40 hits, let alone ones that hit No. 1.  I thought it would be cool to have her choose the song for this post.

On August 11, 2017, Hope was kind enough to send me her list of her picks for No. 1 songs from the 80s, many of which have been already mentioned in this post!  One of those songs, and a song that is almost universally loved (like “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie, “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, or the aforementioned Tears For Fears, Prince and Simple Minds gems) is “Abracadabra” by The Steve Miller Band.

Hope had included “Abracadabra” under the category of “Situational” No. 1 songs.  For Hope, “Abracadabra” was popular during the Summer after her high school graduation (“the glamorous Summer in The Hamptons!”), and she loves the line, “black panties with an angel’s face.”  Who wouldn’t love that line?!  It’s awesome (much like Hope herself)!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin native Steve Miller formed his Psychedelic Rock / Blues Rock band in San Francisco back in 1966.  Since his first two albums were released in 1968, through to his 1988 Jazz album, BORN 2 B BLUE, Steve Miller had been on Capitol Records, and he had some huge albums in the 70s. 

After 1981’s CIRCLE OF LOVE album (with the sweet Top 40 hit and criminally-forgotten gem, “Heart Like A Wheel”) failed to become his fourth consecutive platinum album here in America (though it was certified Gold), Steve was undeterred, got to work, and released the ABRACADABRA album in mid-June 1982.

Of the album, ROLLING STONE said, “The essence of good magic is deception, and with the release of this album, Steve Miller has earned the right to twirl his wand and shout, ‘Abracadabra!’”

Well, Steve thought so too, but Capitol wasn’t so sure.  The song inspired by Diana Ross (whom Steve met on a Pop music TV show in the 60s) told THE HOWARD STERN SHOW in 2016 that Capitol Records didn’t see a hit with the song “Abracadabra”:

“Capitol didn’t believe in [“Abracadabra”] and didn’t want to release it.  I had a different deal with Phonogram in Europe.  When it came out in Europe, I cancelled my American tour because it was Number One everywhere in the world, except the States.”  Once again, the record label got it wrong.

Well, after seeing the success of “Abracadabra” overseas, Capitol gave in and released it in the U.S., a month before the ABRACADABRA album was released.  “Abracadabra” debuted on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in late May 1982 at No. 75, and took just four weeks to debut within the Top 40. 

The next few weeks were a steady climb, and by late July 1982, “Abracadabra” had become Steve Miller’s first Top 10 hit in five years, to the month.  With John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good” camped out at No. 2, and Survivor’s “Eye Of The Tiger” camped out at No. 1, “Abracadabra” was stuck at No. 3 for four weeks before it could work its magic on reaching No. 1. 

In early September 1982, after 15 weeks on the chart, “Abracadabra” finally hit No. 1 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100, giving Steve Miller his third No. 1 U.S. single overall, and his first No. 1 single since 1976’s “Rock’n Me” spent a week on top.  The No. 1 run of “Abracadabra” was just as quick as “Rock’n Me,” and his first No. 1 song, 1974’s “The Joker,” which also spent a lone week at No. 1.

The Steve Miller Band, 1982.

The following week, Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” snuck into the No. 1 position when no one was looking and stayed there for two weeks.  “Abracadabra” dropped to No. 3 (behind previous No. 1, “Eye Of The Tiger”).  But, in a magical chart feat, “Abracadabra” moved back up to No. 2 the next week, and by the end of September, “Abracadabra” reclaimed the No. 1 spot for one more week, before John Mellencamp’s little ditty about “Jack And Diane” started its four-week run at No. 1.  “Abracadabra” stayed on the Hot 100 until mid-Novemer 1982, and left the chart after nearly half a year.  It finished the year at No. 9 here in America. 

Around the globe, “Abracadabra” worked its magic on the singles charts of many countries, reaching No. 1 in Switzerland (six weeks), Sweden (four weeks), Australia and Canada (two weeks), and Austria, No. 2 in the U.K., Germany and Ireland, No. 4 in Norway, No. 8 in New Zealand, and No. 26 in the Netherlands.

“Abracadabra” was the last song The Steve Miller Band placed inside of the Top 40 of the BILLBOARD Hot 100, though they charted several more times through 1993, including the brilliant but oddly-underrated “I Want To Make The World Turn Around” from 1986.

Steve Miller continues to tour today, and in 2016, he was inducted as a solo artist into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, where he had some not so nice things to say about the whole thing, calling the Hall a “private boys’ club full of fucking gangsters and crooks,” and vowing to make it better. 

The Steve Miller Band, 2015.

He suggested taking the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominating committee, replace every one of them and start over.  I hope it works out, because Devo, from Akron, Ohio (less than an hour south of Cleveland, where the Hall is based), should have been inducted years ago, much like the incomparable Cyndi Lauper, who has taken on Blues, Standards, Folk, Dance and Country music in the past 15 years, not to mention writing a book, winning a Tony Award and co-founding the True Colors Fund, which works to end homelessness among LGBT youth, and even testified before Maine Senator Susan Collins in 2015 about this very subject. 

This photo of Steve at the 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony speaks volumes, and not favorably for the Hall…

As for me and Hope and many others for “Abracadabra,” it’s one of those infectious songs that deserved to go to No. 1, and 35 years later, it still holds up.  At least the five-minute, eleven-second album version.  When the single was released, I bought it, but was instantly pissed it wasn’t the long version!  Sure, it’s only a minute and change difference, but if you hear the single version vs. the album version, you can tell the single version is a bit sped up, and the kick-ass instrumental that closes out the rest of the song isn’t there.  That’s even why I chose the video link below.  It’s not a link to the actual video, but to the album version.  You know, all these years later, I’m still impressed that sped up, edited single version got the song to No. 1.  Maybe that was magic too.

Speaking of magic, Hope inspired me recently to start training for a 5K using the Couch To 5K app (C25K); we’re both training for it, and finishing Week 5 of 8 this weekend!  Hope and I haven’t run a proper 5K in our adult lives, and the last time I ran the equivalent of a 5K was in high school during Cross Country, where I lettered my senior year.  Holy cats, that was 33 years ago! 

Post-run workout, 9.7.2017! (With a kick-ass playlist by DJ HopeyT to keep me going!)

But, you know what?  Maybe it’s not magic after all that’s got us training for our first 5K ever – and in our early 50s!  Maybe you just need to believe.  Just like Steve Miller believed he had a hit with “Abracadabra,” even as his longtime record label disagreed – and he was right!  It’s one of THE BEST songs of the 80s and of all-time.  And I believe getting through this 5K (and other aspects of my life) will happen with belief over magic, though I have to say, when it happens, it will feel pretty damn magical and then some…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKCV8gzSlYw

song of the day – “Dancing In The Dark” | BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | 1984.

On June 15, 2014, Casey Kasem, host of the longtime countdown program, AMERICAN TOP 40, passed away at the age of 82.  From my first blog post (and prolly some more inbetween then and now), I explained how, in 1979, I was a geeky, lanky and somewhat lost 12-year-old living in Central Maine, had a few friends and not a lot of interest in much of anything, but at some point early that year, I discovered AMERICAN TOP 40, and was glued to it every weekend.  Not only could I hear the 40 biggest songs in the country every week, but also Casey’s cool trivia and facts about the songs and the artists, a trait I treasure to this day.  For me, the show was No. 1 with a bullet.  And still is (thanks to the re-airing of broadcasts of AT40 on iHeart Radio).

In honor of my radio hero, Casey Kasem, since the start of June, I have been highlighting songs that peaked in the Top 40 of the BILLBOARD Hot 100 (including five (real) one-hit wonders of the 80s), just like on AMERICAN TOP 40, the hits have gotten bigger with each post.  On June 1, 2017, I featured a song that peaked at No. 40.  With the next post, I’ll feature a “song of the day” that went all the way to No. 1. 

As Casey used to say on AT40, “And on we go!”

If you listened to AMERICAN TOP 40 as faithfully as I did back in the 80s, before Nos. 2 and 1 were announced, he’d usually take a commercial break before announcing them, and would usually say, “The two biggies are coming right up!”  “The two biggies.”  Always cracked me up and still does.

But, when it came to AMERICAN TOP 40, “the two biggies” were, in fact, a big deal.  There a few positions on the chart that are the most frustrating, like Nos. 101, 41 and 11, but no other peak position on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 (or any singles chart, for that matter) was more frustrating to stop at than No. 2.

Foreigner endured the No. 2 position the longest in the 80s, spending 10 weeks in the runner-up spot in 1981 and 1982 with “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” a chart record Foreigner still shares to this day.  And I believe Madonna, who has six No. 2 songs to her credit (four of them in the 80s), still holds the chart record for most No. 2 singles in Hot 100 history.

All told, nearly 100 songs reached No. 2 between 1979 and 1989, including songs by three Beatles (Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison, whose 1981 No. 2 hit, “All Those Years Ago,” was a tribute to John Lennon), two Jacksons (Michael and Janet), and a couple of (real) one-hit wonders, including the Cold War Classic by Nena, “99 Luftballons.”

Some of the biggest songs in history that maybe you thought were No. 1 hits in America were actually No. 2 hits, such as “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins, “We Got The Beat” by The Go-Go’s, “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant, “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins, “Hurts So Good” by John Mellencamp, “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones and “Purple Rain” by Prince And The Revolution.

Several artists peaked at No. 2 between 1979 and 1989 with two songs, including The Bangles, Culture Club (with their first two hits), Air Supply, Duran Duran, Glenn Frey, Kool & The Gang, John Mellencamp, Billy Ocean (including the guilty pleasure, “Loverboy,” which a DJ back in the day once referred to as “Heavy Metal Disco”; I would disagree), plus Robert Palmer, Pointer Sisters, Linda Ronstadt (in two big duets with James Ingram and Aaron Neville), Tina Turner and Jody Watley. 

Michael Jackson gets an honorable mention, as he peaked at No. 2 with “The Girl Is Mine” with Paul McCartney, and he is featured in an uncredited role backing up Rockwell on “Somebody’s Watching Me.”  Likewise with Sheena Easton, who backed up Prince uncredited on “U Got The Look” and had her own No. 2 hit in 1989 with the sexy Dance hit, “The Lover In Me” (a long way from when she took that “Morning Train” to No. 1 in 1981; I’m sure Prince may have had something to do with it).

Speaking of Prince, he had three No. 2 hits between 1979 and 1989, or in this case, 1984 through 1987, with the aforementioned “Purple Rain” and “U Got The Look,” but also with “Raspberry Beret.”  He, too, gets an honorable mention, as he composed the No. 2 hit for The Bangles, “Manic Monday.”

And a number longtime recording artists saw their biggest hits stop at No. 2, like The Cure (“Lovesong”), Journey (“Open Arms”), The Greg Kihn Band (“Jeopardy”), and Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing In The Dark.”

If there was any one huge artist in the 80s I wanted to see reach No. 1 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 singles chart, it was Bruce Springsteen.  I was first introduced to Bruce’s music with 1980’s “Hungry Heart,” from his first No. 1 album, THE RIVER.  At the time, I had no idea he had already released four critically-acclaimed and successful albums.

After “Hungry Heart,” I was a Bruce fan for life – granted, not the superfan that Hope is, but I don’t think anyone loves Bruce’s work more than Hope, except maybe for Bruce’s wife, Patti Scialfa.

“Dancing In The Dark” was released in early May 1984, a month before the BORN IN THE U.S.A. album was released.  And, right out of the gate, it was a hit.  “Dancing In The Dark” blasted onto the BILLBOARD Hot 100 the last week of May 1984 all the way into the Top 40, at No. 36.  By the next week, it was already No. 18, with its eyes set on No. 1.

Bruce had hit No. 1 before – as a songwriter.  A song from his 1973 debut album, GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J. – “Blinded By The Light” – was recorded by the London Rock band, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, in 1977, and spent a week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in February 1977, exactly four years to the month when Bruce’s original was released as a single.

“Dancing In The Dark” had a lot going for it – a popular video directed by Brian de Palma (SCARFACE, THE UNTOUCHABLES, CARRIE, DRESSED TO KILL and the first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film) with actress Courtney Cox (FAMILY TIES, FRIENDS) dancing with Bruce on the stage (the video would win the MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance). 

It also had a 12” Dance remix courtesy of Arthur Baker (who’s remixed songs for Daryl Hall & John Oates, Afrika Bambaataa, Cyndi Lauper, Pet Shop Boys and New Order).  The “Blaster Mix” was miles away from anything on 1982’s NEBRASKA or 1980’s THE RIVER, but people loved it.  Not only did it reach No. 7 on BILLBOARD’s Dance chart, it was the biggest-selling 12” single for all of 1984.  Arthur Baker would also go on to remix the follow-up Bruce singles “Cover Me” and “Born In The U.S.A.” as well.

As much as “Dancing In The Dark” had going for it in its second week on the Hot 100, another single debuting on the same chart that early June was “When Doves Cry” by Prince, released in advance of the album and film, PURPLE RAIN.  “When Doves Cry” reached the Top 40 a week later, and just like “Dancing In The Dark,” made a big move into the Top 20 the following week.

By late June 1984, “Dancing In The Dark” had climbed to No. 4, while “When Doves Cry” was closing in at No. 8.  The following week, “When Doves Cry” had jumped to No. 3, and “Dancing In The Dark” was at No. 2, right behind Duran Duran’s “The Reflex.”

“When Doves Cry” proved to be too powerful for “Dancing In The Dark,” which stayed for four weeks in the runner-up position.  “When Doves Cry” was the biggest song of 1984 here in America.

Though “Dancing In The Dark” didn’t reach No. 1, Bruce Springsteen still had a lot to be proud of.  The song gave Bruce his first Grammy Award, winning for Best Rock Vocal Performance.  In the 1984 ROLLING STONE readers poll, “Dancing In The Dark” was voted “Single Of The Year.”  It’s also listed as one of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll.”  It sold a million copies in the U.S. alone, and the single’s B-side (one of the best ever), “Pink Cadillac,” was a Top 5 hit for Natalie Cole in 1988.

Around the globe, “Dancing In The Dark” was an international smash (though in some countries it took awhile), reaching No. 1 in Belgium and the Netherlands, No. 2 in Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden, No. 4 in South Africa and the U.K., No. 7 in Canada and Norway, No. 11 in Finland and No. 12 in Italy.  In Australia, though it stopped at No. 5, it was the No. 1 song of the year, spending 40 weeks on the singles chart there.

“Dancing In The Dark” was just the first part of an amazing journey for Bruce Springsteen and the BORN IN THE U.S.A. album.  Seven out of the album’s 12 songs were released as singles, and all seven reached the Top 10 on the Hot 100 between 1984 and 1986, tying a record set in 1984 by Michael Jackson’s THRILLER album. 

The first compact disc manufactured in the U.S.A. was BORN IN THE U.S.A.

BORN IN THE U.S.A. was No. 1 on BILLBOARD’s album chart twice, in July / August 1984 and January / February 1985.  PURPLE RAIN may have been the album of the year here in the U.S. for 1984 (BORN IN THE U.S.A. was No. 28), but for 1985, BORN IN THE U.S.A. was the No. 1 album of the year in America (and even No. 16 for 1986).

NERDY FUN FACT: BORN IN THE U.S.A. was the first compact disc manufactured in the U.S. for commercial release.  I remember seeing it at a DeOrsey’s in Waterville, Maine, and think it sold for something like $25.00.  And the record album still sounds better.

NERDY FUN FACT 2: According to a 1984 ROLLING STONE interview, the “Dancing In The Dark” Blaster Mix by Arthur Baker happened because Bruce had heard the remix Arthur did for Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” and he thought it was incredible: “It sounded like fun, so I hooked up with Arthur.  He’s a character, a great guy.  He had another fellow with him, and they were really pretty wild.  They’d get on that mixing board and just crank them knobs, you know?  The meters were goin’ wild.”

Bruce Springsteen is one of those rare artists who have been on the same record label from the start – Columbia.  Two other Columbia artists instantly come to mind – Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan.  There won’t be anyone else like them.  Ever. 

Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen (along with many other familiar faces) at the “We Are The World” recording session, 1985.

If you pull away the catchy dance beat, “Dancing In The Dark” is a personal song about the difficulty of writing a hit song and Bruce’s frustration of trying to write songs that will please everyone.  Though I’m thinking Bruce would have liked to have another of his more personal songs become his biggest hit, I would almost bet my record collection he’s alright with that hit being “Dancing In The Dark.”

Bruce Springsteen with The E Street Band, 1984.

“You can’t start a fire / You can’t start a fire without a spark / This gun’s for hire / Even if we’re just dancing in the dark…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs

song of the day – “What’s Going On” | CYNDI LAUPER | 1987.

On June 15, 2014, Casey Kasem, host of the longtime countdown program, AMERICAN TOP 40, passed away at the age of 82.  From my first blog post (and prolly some more inbetween then and now), I explained how, in 1979, I was a geeky, lanky and somewhat lost 12-year-old living in Central Maine, had a few friends and not a lot of interest in much of anything, but at some point early that year, I discovered AMERICAN TOP 40, and was glued to it every weekend.  Not only could I hear the 40 biggest songs in the country every week, but also Casey’s cool trivia and facts about the songs and the artists, a trait I treasure to this day.  For me, the show was No. 1 with a bullet.  And still is (thanks to the re-airing of broadcasts of AT40 on iHeart Radio).

In honor of my radio hero, Casey Kasem, for the entire month of June (and now through July), I will be highlighting a song each day (some days will have two songs!) that peaked in the Top 40 of the BILLBOARD Hot 100 (including five (real) one-hit wonders of the 80s), and with every blog post, just like on AMERICAN TOP 40, the hits will get bigger with each post.  On June 1, 2017, I featured a song that peaked at No. 40.  Sometime here in July, I’ll feature a “song of the day” that went all the way to No. 1. 

As Casey used to say on AT40, “And on we go!”

On Friday, July 14, 2017, I will be seeing my favorite recording artist, the incomparable Cyndi Lauper, perform here in Maine, and it’ll be my fourth time seeing her perform (for the time I got to interview her and meet her in July 2002,  I didn’t actually get to see her perform due to a transportation snafu, which would have been the first time I would have seen Cyndi perform).  She will be performing on the same bill as Rod Stewart, who, to my knowledge (the brain’s a bit fuzzy on this) is someone I have not seen perform live before.  I can’t wait.

And, if my fuzzy brain is again correct, I believe this is the first time Cyndi has performed in the Pine Tree State since her TRUE COLORS world tour brought her to the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine in December 1986 (sadly, I was sick and couldn’t go; I would have been there in a heartbeat).  I tried to get Cyndi to come back earlier than now (I mentioned it to her in my 2002 interview with her), but she’s been busy and then some.  Still, it’ll be wonderful to see her perform again, and it’ll be my third time since 2013.  My goal is to see her every year she’s performing from here on out.

Since Cyndi will be opening for Rod Stewart on this short tour, I’m betting her gorgeous cover of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” (from the TRUE COLORS album) won’t be on the setlist.  But a hopelessly devoted Cyndi Lauper fan can hope, right?

“What’s Going On” was one of nearly 70 songs that reached No. 12 on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 between 1979 and 1989, and covers were a theme, apparently, for the No. 12 position.  There were also No. 12 covers by Daryl Hall & John Oates (“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”), The Fat Boys & The Beach Boys (“Wipeout”), Carole King (“One Fine Day,” a song she actually wrote, but was a hit three times before her version charted), Van Halen (“Oh Pretty Woman”), The Nylons (“Kiss Him Goodbye”), David Lee Roth (“Just A Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody”), Anne Murray (“Daydream Believer”), plus one parody (“Eat It” by “Weird Al” Yankovic, parodying Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”), and two medleys (though not covers) by The Beach Boys and The Beatles (I think you can thank Stars On 45’s 1981 No. 1 hit, “Medley” – which WERE covers – for that).

Released as the third single from Cyndi’s wonderful 1986 album, TRUE COLORS, “What’s Going On” was a cover of the No. 2 Marvin Gaye hit from 1971, written during the heart of the Vietnam War.  Its personal and poignant lyrics (which could have been written today) resonated with the people of a generation, and it’s been hailed as one of the greatest songs of all-time.  In 1995, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame included it in its list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock, and in 2010, ROLLING STONE ranked it at No. 4 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

Cyndi’s spirited version of “What’s Going On” entered the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in mid-March 1987 as the “Hot Shot Debut” of that week, coming in at No. 63.  The second single released from TRUE COLORS, the No. 3 hit “Change Of Heart” (with The Bangles on backing vocals), was just ahead of it at No. 58.

“What’s Going On” blasted into the Top 40 the following week, winning the airplay award for that week.  It won the sales award on the Hot 100 two weeks later, and looked like another Top 10 hit for Cyndi.  But, for whatever reason, the sales and the airplay slowed, and “What’s Going On” spent a week at its peak position of No. 12 in early May 1987, and was gone from the Hot 100 by mid-June.

From the “What’s Going On” video.

Around the globe, “What’s Going On” also reached the Top 40 in Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand, and two excellent dance remixes by Shep Pettibone helped land the 12” single of “What’s Going On” at No. 17 on BILLBOARD’s Dance chart.  The energetic and passionate video for “What’s Going On” was also nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography In A Video.

Cyndi’s done a ton of incredible covers during her career, covering many genres, starting with her stint in Blue Angel to covers on SHE’S SO UNUSUAL to last year’s extraordinary Country covers album, DETOUR, and her songs, especially 1984’s “Time After Time,” have been covered many, many times.  But her cover of “What’s Going On” has always stood out to me, despite what it did or did not do on the Pop charts.      

Today, when I listen to Cyndi’s version of “What’s Going On,” I see the same thing Marvin Gaye saw when he co-wrote the song all those years ago – war, police brutality, injustice, and an aching lack of peace.  All of that shit is still happening today, but now includes events such as attacks on night clubs and concerts, attacking and killing people who just want to be free, and free to have a good time and be who they are.  What’s going on?! 

I wouldn’t even want to research how many people have been shot by police in the last several years (that didn’t need to be) and the cops got away with it.  Prince hit upon this in his brilliant 2015 song, “Baltimore,” talking about the deaths of Michael Brown and Freddie Gray (“If there ain’t no justice, then there ain’t no peace!”).  (All six officers involved in the Freddie Gray death – including one Sergeant and one Lieutenant – were acquitted and all charges dropped.)  What’s going on?!

The cover art for the 2015 benefit concert Prince put on in Baltimore.

I try to maintain a sense of it all, but most times I can’t.  We have the elected “leader” in Washington, D.C., trying to get answers out of Russia over the 2016 election and trying to have North Korea not launch any nuclear missiles, which is all fine and good (I don’t want a World War III), except for the fact that more than half of the country didn’t vote for this man, and who don’t believe in him.  #MyFakePresident would rather ban beloved Maine author Stephen King from tweeting to him than to be presidential.  What’s going on?!

Well, for now, when I can, I take comfort in things that make me happy and help me forget (albeit temporarily) that there’s all this other unnecessary bullshit going on in the world, like going to the ocean, seeing a movie, spending time with awesome people (you know who you are), and seeing a concert, which I will do when I see the lovely Cyndi Lauper (and Rod Stewart) on Friday, July 14, 2017 here in Maine.  I’d take you all there if I could.

You have to do everything in your power to do the things that make you happy and make you feel at peace – not just with everything in the world, but mostly with yourself – as much as you possibly can, to forget everything else going on, at the very least for a little while. 

And, if for some reason, you don’t think you can get to that point (or at least try to) where you do things – even little things that don’t cost much money or time – that make you happy or make you feel at peace, what’s going on?

Peace, Love, Understanding, 80s.  Works for me!  How about you?

“You see, war is not the answer / For only love can conquer hate / You know we’ve got to find a way / To bring some lovin’ here today…”

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