Every once in a while, someone who knows me from my little 80s radio program, STUCK IN THE 80s (on WMPG community radio in Portland, Maine) will come up and ask me, “Why the 80s?” My usual go-to response is, “The 80s keep me young, especially the music.” I could do a series of blog posts about downright fun songs from the 80s, and I’d be at it for years. One song that definitely fits into that category is “Holiday” by The Other Ones.
The Other Ones were a Berlin, Germany-based Rock band half-comprised of Australian members, including siblings Alf Klimek (vocals) and twins Jayney Klimek (vocals) and Johnny Klimek (bass). The three Australian siblings traveled to Berlin and recruited three Berlin musicians, guitarist Andreas Schwarz-Ruszczynski, keyboardist Stephan Gottwald and drummer Uwe Hoffmann.
In Berlin, they formed The Other Ones in late 1983, and were signed by Virgin Records a year later. Their self-titled debut album was released in late 1986, and the first single, “We Are What We Are,” debuted on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 in mid-April 1987 and became a moderate hit, spending a week at No. 53 in late May 1987, and reaching No. 31 in Canada and No. 38 in New Zealand.
A couple of months later, their second single from the album, “Holiday,” debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 90. For a couple of weeks, it looked like “Holiday” would not chart well, but it started picking up steam, and by mid-October 1987, it debuted inside the Top 40 at No. 36. The following week, it made a healthy move up to No. 29, but for reasons that still puzzle me to this day, the next week, “Holiday” retreated to No. 31, then No. 32, and then was gone from the Top 40 after just four weeks and gone from the Hot 100 after 17 weeks. “Holiday” also reached No. 4 in Germany and No. 10 in New Zealand.
The band released one more album in 1988, LEARNING TO WALK, but it was not well-received and the band started breaking up a couple of years later.
Nearly 30 years later, though, “Holiday” is still one of my favorite songs (and one of the most fun songs) from the 80s, especially the 12” remix. You can’t help feel good while listening to it. I know I feel good when it comes on, even if I’m not on (a hola hola ho and a hola hola hey) another holiday…
FOREVER YOUNG 