The Georgia Satellites--Keep Your Hands To Yourself (1986)

     Rock music is almost always an amalgamation of the influences that come before it. There are those times that something fresh and truly innovative comes along, but for the most part music points as much to it's past as is does to it's future. The key is to put them together in combinations that sound fresh and exciting. There are times however, that a group or a song come along at a time that is totally out of time with the other music that goes on around it, and because of this is never quite as appreciated as it should be. This brings us to the Georgia Satellites.  
     The group was centered on singer Dan Baird, and guitarist Rick Richards, who formed Keith and the Satellites back in 1980 out of Atlanta. The band lasted for a few years when Barid and Richards formed The Georgia Satellites who went into the studio in early 1984 to record a demo. For various reasons the guys in the band decided it wasn't really going anywhere and by mid 84' had broken up.
     Their former manager however, continued to promote the demo in his homeland of Britain. A small label in Yorkshire liked what they heard and released the demo as an EP called, "Keep the Faith". The media response in the UK inspired the group to reform and record an album. That album, "Georgia Satellites" became a huge hit in the US led by the number 2 single, "Keep Your Hands To Yourself"
      If you were a music fan in the mid-80's, you can remember how different this sounded on the radio. Wedged in between the early days of hair metal, 80's dance, and the last vestiges of new wave, it was truly an anomaly. For those who were a bit older, it was easy to identify the Stones-like guitar riffs and the witty lyrics of Baird which showed he had been listening to a bit of Chuck Berry in his day. In the 70's this band would have had a lot greater success, but in the mid/late 80's, they were seen as a novelty and although the next album, "Open All Night", was almost as good as the debut, it didn't fair nearly as well and by the early 90's, the group was soldering on without Baird who had left for a solo career. For at least a short time in 1986 however, The Satellites reminded us about

 

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Samantha Fox--Touch Me (1986)

      From the earliest days of media in the 20th century, artists have attempted to cross over artistic mediums. From radio and records into movies, and later into TV, there has been attempted to "do it all". From Bing Crosby to Elvis to Rick Nelson to John Travolta to Miley Cyrus...there has been a fascination from those in other medias to attempt (?) to sing.
     Which brings us to Samantha Fox. There had been those had been a model turned singer before. The first which comes to mind is Andrea True who had a hit with, "More More, More" in 1976. Of course, some might argue that True actually fell in the category of movie star (well, at least if your forte was Porn). Given that, Samantha Fox then might be one of the first who became a hit singer after becoming a star as a model.
     Those who remember Fox might be surprised to know that she was a singer first. She had been on the stage before beginning school and had made her first appearance on TV at the age of ten. By 1980, at the age of 14 she had formed her own rock band and had been making a few recordings. It was in 82' however that her fortunes changed in a way that had nothing to do with music.
     Her mom had photographed her in lingerie for an amateur modeling contest run by The Sunday People newspaper. She came in second and drew the attention of The Sun newspaper who is famous for their "page six" girls. By 1984 at the age of 18 she had her first topless photo on "page six" and for the next three years became one of the most famous models in Britain   
     Her mind was never far from music however, and in 86' she retired from her role as the UK's top model to concentrate on her singing career. Signing with Jive Records that same year, she recorded five albums over the next six years. Three singles became top 10 hits in America. "Touch Me" in 86, "Naughty Girls (Need Love Too)", and "I Wanna Have Some Fun" both in 1988. Her star faded considerably by the early 90's, but it still a well known quantity in her homeland.

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The Fabulous Thunderbirds--Tuff Enuff (1986)

     By the 1980's, there had been enough time passed in the history of rock music to have spawned what I call road warriors. In the 50's and 60's, there was still a prevailing feeling that the music would someday fade away and many an artist who didn't "make it" in a few years, would give it up and "get a real job". Many of those artists that you see onstage today from that era had taken a hiatus for a decade or two before reforming to take advantage of the nostalgia boom over the last 20 years.(although there are more than a few exceptions to that...especially in r&b and soul)
     By the early 70's, an entire generation had grown up knowing nothing more than rock began to see it as a life long career rather than a youthful fling. Many of these musicians were more interested in the music and lifestyle than the money (although no one ever gave up THAT pursuit either). This began the rise of groups that would make their living from tour to tour, connecting with the people without the help of radio or marketing.
     Over the years there have been times where a song from a group would intersect the public taste and they would have one or two hits.....which brings us to The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
     The group formed in 1974 as a blues band. After a couple of years they became the house band at Antone's in Austin where they continued playing the blues, but in backing many other artists they developed the style that the group became known for. By 1979, they had a record deal with a local label. It did well enough that a year later they signed a major deal with Chrysalis. Their popularity began to grow, especially with other musicians, however this did not lead to strong record sales and they were dropped from the label in the mid-80's. Soon picked up by Epic a year later, they had revamped the group somewhat and were ready to move in a fresh direction.
     The single "Tuff Enuff" was produce by Dave Edmunds and broke them through to a wide audience, reaching #10 in the summer of 1986. It also began a series of popular hits ("Wrap It Up", and "Powerful Stuff") which kept them in the limelight for the next three years. Although the singles action ended in 89, they never stopped releasing albums or touring and to this day remain a top club draw. You can find out more about their new album and tour here: http://fabulousthunderbirds.com/

    

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Berlin--Take My Breath Away (1986)

     Am not an expert on movies, but if I recall, the 80's became the first decade where the lines between popular music and film were blurred. Much of the emphasis in the decade has been on MTV and it's influence on music, but there was a great impact on movies as well. The cross pollination between the two is not unusual, as Elvis made a career of it in the 60s, but the movie was the usually the vehicle for selling the music. In the 80's, with the advent of the mini (and inexpensive) movie ads that were videos being pumped it televisions throughout the world, the music became advertisements for the movie.

     I'm not suggesting that the movies or music wouldn't have done well without the other (at the time Cruse was a red hot up and comer), but there is no doubt that the 80's were a time that's difficult to separate the music from the film that it is found on. Twenty-five years later, many think of Berlin as a one hit wonder, and it was their only #1 hit, but they had a top 40 song just two years before, and had been hitting the lower end of the charts since 1983. On the flip side, you cannot watch the movie without thinking of the song.....

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The Bangels--Manic Monday (1986)

     The Bangels started out as a power pop band that had a fixation on British rock from the 60's. Their first album, "All Over the Place" is still (in my opinion) by far the best album they have ever done. It was that recording that caught the ear of Prince who had a song that was originally intended for the group "Apollonia 6" and their debut album. At the last minute, he pulled the song and had done nothing with it since.    
     The girls were flattered, but did not record the song with the idea of it being a hit single. Hearing the finished product convinced them otherwise and it became a #2 hit. It opened the door for several years of great success on the charts, including two #1's. But internal pressures, much of which was caused by the media's insistence on placing singer Susanna Hofts as the "lead singer", split the band apart by 1990. The group has harkened back to their original sound on the latest album, "Sweetheart of the Sun" (2011), which has reminded us how good of a band they were, and how successful they could have (and should have) been.

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Bananarama--Venus (1986)

     Whenever I want to listen to catchy, fun, 80's style dance music, this song, along with ,"I Heard a Rumor" are two that make the top of the list. Childhood friends  Keren Woodward, Sara Dallin along with Siobhan Fahey, who they met in art school, already had a number of successful hits in the UK. 1983's, "Cruel Summer" broke through to the top ten in America, but they had encountered a bit of a slump and had hooked up with the production team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman which breathed new life into their career.
     The song "Venus" was done by the Dutch group, Shocking Blue in 1969, and reached #1 in early 1970. The girls had used the song as a part of their act for several years, but their producers never thought it would work as a dance song. Stock and company resisted doing it as well, not convinced of it's commercial viability. The group persisted and it was included on their, "True Confessions" album. It became their only #1 and has held up well through the years as a great example of 80's dance/pop.

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