Corey Hart--Sunglasses at Night (1984)

     Am sure it's just me, but I have always had a problem remembering Corey's, especially ones of 1980's vintage. For the life of me, twenty five years on, I still get Corey Hart, Corey Feldman, and Corey Haim confused. You don't have to tell me they are not only different, but Hart is the one who was a successful recording artist (but I had to check to make sure). He also had one of the more distinctive hits of the mid-80's.
     Hart was born in Montreal, but traveled with his parents around the world, living in Spain, Mexico City, and Florida. His parents divorced when Corey was ten, and moved back to Canada with his mother, although would still travel a great deal which led to him singing to Tom Jones in Florida at the age of 11 and also for Paul Anka in Los Vegas shortly thereafter. He continued to sing throughout his teenaged years even representing his home country in Japan in 1980 at the World Popular Song Festival. By 1982, he had signed a contract with Aquarius Records.
     Success came relatively quickly for the young singer although upon it's release, his first album, "First Offense" didn't do well in Canada. It was only after it begin to catch fire in the US, on the strength of, "Sunglasses At Night" that he became a North American superstar. The song eventually reached number seven on the US charts.  Although having eight more top 40 hits through the rest of the decade (including, "Never Surrender" which sold even better than "Sunglasses"), he would always be linked to this song.
     A couple of interesting "what if" notes. He was given consideration to play the role of Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" movie. Director Steven Spielberg sent him a script and an invitation to do a screen test, but Hart declined wanting to focus more on his music career. He also rejected the idea of recording, "Danger Zone" since he was only interested in singing his own material. He continued to chart regularly in Canada throughout the 90's. Although he has done some recording since 2000, he has spent much of his time in the Bahamas with his wife and family.

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Sammy Hagar--Your Love is Driving Me Crazy (1982)

     The quintessential Californian rocker, Sammy Hagar's career has spanned four decades which includes roles in two top bands of their respective decades, as well as an impressive solo career. He was born in Salinas,  California,, but his family soon moved to Fontana where he grew up.
     Sammy played in a number of bands starting in 1967, until joining the band Montrose in 1973. He stayed there three years (73-75), until leaving after a dispute with Ronnie Montrose. However, this gave him his first taste of success and a couple of members of this group also left and became part of Hagar's backing band.
     This lead to his first solo success from 1976 to 1984. He began plowing the hard rock ground that was established with Montrose. "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy" was his best showing on the charts, reaching #13 in the winter of 1983. He had three other top 40 songs in his career to this point, but has had moderate success with other songs throughout. His credentials and appeal to the hard rock crowd has continued unabated.
     For many of a younger vintage, he is best known as the lead singer for Van Halen for 11 years. For 80's hard rock aficionados, debate has always raged about which version of Halen was better, the David Lee Roth version, or the Sammy Hagar. For me, they are both great, but two different kinds of bands. Roth's version was more playful, but the spotlight was (in his mind) Roth's alone, which of course caused the friction between the real star (Eddie and his guitar) and the lead singer. This made for some epic music, but it also paved the way for Roth's exit. For my money, Hagar's version of the group was a much more interesting one musically, but that perhaps had more to do with the group stretching out a bit more. I've personally always like Hagar's voice anyway.
     After his stint with VH, he began mixing a solo career with other group work, such as Los Tres Gusanos, Planet Us, Sammy and the Waboritas, and Chickenfoot. He is probably best known now for his businesses. He has a couple of restaurants in Las Vegas and St. Louis where all profits go to local charities, a couple of mountain bike shops in California, and of course Cabo Wabo Tequila.

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David Foster--Love Theme From St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

     You know, for such a lousy movie,  (and for all who might have 'Brat Pack' revisionist history, 'St. Elmo's Fire WAS a lousy movie) there was some pretty good music that came out of it. The two most memorable were written by Canadian composer David Foster, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" which was sung by John Parr, and it's "Love Theme".
      Foster however has been writing and performing his own music since the early 70's with Canadian groups. The first of those, "Skylark" actually had a top 40 hit with the song, "Wildflower" (#9--1973). Along with studio musician Jay Graydon, they formed the band Airplay who's probably best known for writing and performing the original version of, "After the Love Has Gone" which would later be made famous by Earth, Wind & Fire.
     In the 80's, he turned to writing with some impressive credits such as "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "You're the Inspiration" by Chicago, "Who's Holding Donna Now" by DeBarge, "The Best of Me" by Olivia Newton-John, and "The Glory Of Love" by Peter Cetera.
     Although he never stopped composing the last 20 years has also seen him adding producing to his credits producing artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Brandy,  Josh Groban and many others.

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Foreigner--I Want To Know What Love Is (1984)

     I've always thought of Foreigner as a 70's band, and why not. The band's first album was released in 1977 and immediately cracked the top ten with, "Feels Like The First Time"(#4) and "Cold As Ice"(#6) . The next year saw even great success with the release of "Double Vision"(#2)  and "Hot Blooded" (#3). They were one of the few 70's bands that had as great of success with FM fans as with top 40 (although by this time the lines between two were blurring)
     The six piece group,named because three of it's members (Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Dennis Elliott ) were British, and three were American, (Lou Gramm, Al Greenwood, Ed Gagliardi), were riding high on the charts even as the next decade turned. The album, "Head Games" did well but the singles off of the album didn't do quite as well. The 1981 album, "4" was the first to go number one and the songs, "Urgent" (#4) and "Waiting For a Girl Like You" (#2) brought them back to top 40 prominence. By 1983, it began to look as if the group might be running out of steam. The musical landscape had changed drastically over the previous few years, but the first single from the 1984 album, "Agent Provocateur" changed all of that
      "I Want To Know What Love Is", written by Mick Jones, with assistance by Lou Gramm (exactly how much assistance depends on which artist you ask) and was a distinct turn from anything they had released before. The distinct vocals of Gramm were there, however the musical backing were almost dreamlike with backing by The New Jersey Mass Choir. The change of pace was enough not only to give Foreigner their first top 40 hit in two years, but their first and only #1.
      Although the last top 40 hits were in the late 80's, Foreigner continues to tour and record although Jones is the last remaining original member. In fact, in 2010 the song, "In Pieces" hit #21 on the Adult Contemporary charts. You can find more about them at: http://www.foreigneronline.com/ . Lou Gramm's website is here: http://www.lou-gramm.com/

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Lita Ford--Kiss Me Deadly/Close My Eyes Forever (1988)

     When The Runaways broke up in the early 1979, the focus went to the careers of Cherie Currie and then a couple of years later to Joan Jett as both went solo. Lead guitarist Lita Ford took some time to continue working on her singing skills and released her first solo album, "Out For Blood" in 1983 and a follow up, "Dancin' On The Edge". Neither made the kind of impact that Ford had hoped for, so she went to work with Tony Iommi as producer on her next album. Both were pleased with the result, but for some reason that has still to be explained, the album was never released. This led Ford to make a change that would have a huge impact on her career.
     She signed a contract with RCA Records, and hired Sharon Osbourne Management to help rebuild her career. Osbourne had gained a lot of respect in the industry for her no nonsense, take no prisoners approach having rebuild her husband Ozzy's career. Ford began to streamline her hard rock approach that melded with the pop/metal that was being heard on the radio. This coupled with her decision to produce her own album resulted in "Lita" which gave her the two biggest hits of her career.
     "Kiss Me Deadly" was released in 1988 and reached #12 on the charts. Early in 89', "Close My Eyes Forever", a duet with Ozzy Osbourne hit #8. She has released four albums since then, the most recent being "Living Like a Runaway" in 2012. You can find out more by going to:  http://www.litafordonline.com/

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Dan Fogelberg--Same Old Lang Syne (1980)

     1980 was arguably Dan Fogelberg's best year in the music industry. It began with the album, "Phoenix" rising up to the #3 spot on the charts, his best selling single, "Longer" reaching #2 and "Heart Hotels" making the top 40 as well. Late that year came the release of, "The Innocent Age" which, although not quite reaching the same heights on the charts (still was #6 at it's peak), spawned four top 20 hits through 1982. One of the reasons several of these songs became classics was the autobiographical nature of his writing. All who are Fogelberg fans know, "Leader of the Band", but the one that always stuck out to me not only because of the song, but it's back story was "Same Old Lang Syne"
     His website admits that this was based on an encounter with an old girlfriend back in the mid-70's. (If your not familiar with the story...I suggest you click on the link below and listen) Because at the time he wrote the song the woman was still married, (he thought)  the singer refused to release her name to the public. There is reason the song is still played during the holidays every year, as old themes of love found and lost and holiday recollection are captured within the melancholy of the tune itself, complete with a sax solo from Michael Brecker.
     The rest of the story comes upon the death of Fogelberg in 2007. A woman named Jill Greulich came forward in December of that year with the story. Back in Woodruff High School in the late 60's  they had dated when her name was Jill Anderson. They went to different colleges and after graduation Jill got married and moved to Chicago and Dan went to Colorado to purse his musical career. On December 24, 1976, the chance meeting in Peoria occurred when both were going to a convenience store to pick up some food items. They bought a six pack of beer and drank it in her car for two hours while they talked.
     Jill remembers the first time she heard "Same Old Lang Syne" while driving to work, but never said anything because she feared that coming forward would disrupt his marriage. Interestingly enough, by the time of the songs release, she had divorced the man described in the song. As with many autobiographical songs, there were a few changes to make the song work. Jill noted two inaccuracies. She has green eyes, not blue, and her husband was not an architect - he was a physical education teacher, and it is unlikely Fogelberg knew his profession anyway.

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A Flock of Seagulls--I Ran (1982)

     The memories of the 80's and it's music seem to be indelibly stamped on the minds of those who lived through it in a way that no other decade of music ever will. That's isn't necessarily because the music was that much better (although there was great music made), but with the advent of MTV and it's rock and it's country offspring, the images that were connected  in a way never done before. By the 90's and beyond a generation of music listeners and TV watchers had  gotten used to it and videos became strictly promotional tools rather than a combination of that and cable entertainment.
     Because it was so new our minds become wedded (for better or worse) to the images regarding a song or artist. When one mentions Cindi Lauper, Thomas Dolby, Duran Duran, or Eurythmics you can certainly remember the song, but the image that comes with it cannot be untangled. More than a few artist might never had a hit in the states if it were not for those images which brings us to Mike Score's hair.
     In the early era of videos, very little was actually spent on making them, and the video to "I Ran" was one of the cheapest, with the band surrounding the one camera as it spun around taking pictures. However, one could not take your eyes off of Score's hair that seemingly sprouted wings on both sides while dipping over the front covering one eye (on re-watching this video, it occurs to me that it's isn't nearly a pronounced on this video than it would be later)
     For music fans who were still recovering from disco, it was a strange sight, and the music provided a backdrop that seemed odd as well. However it just seemed to be the right sound and look at the right time. "I Ran" went to number 9 that year and it's followups, "Space Age Love Song" (#30) and "Wishing (I Had a Photograph Of You) (#26) made 1982 a very successful year for the band.
     They reached the Hot 100 once more in 1984 and then vanished from sight. The song proved that just like dozens of other songs from the 1980's, a picture was worth at least a couple of hundred thousand in sales.

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The Fixx--One Thing Leads To Another (1983)

     The Fix began life as The Portraits in 1979. Founded by vocalist Cy Curnin and drummer Adam Woods, the brought in Rupert Greenall (keys), Tony McGrail (guitar) and Charlie Barret (bass) to round out the lineup. The band released a couple of singles that went nowhere at which point McGrail left and Jamie West-Oram in mid-1980. About that time they changed the name of the group to The Fix, and a few of their recordings were picked up by the BBC. This higher profile led to a major label contract with MCA who were concerned about the drug connotations of the band's name and an extra "X" was added on to the name.
     The band's first success here in the states came with the 1982 release, "Stand or Fall" off of the album, "Shuttered Room". However, the big hit came in 1983 with the song, "Saved By Zero", then "One Thing Leads To Another" later that year. It was the only song they released that reached the top 10 anywhere (#4 here, #1 in Canada). North America was where they found their biggest success reaching the top 20 as late as 1986 ("Secret Seperation").
     They still tour regularly here in the states and have recently released an album with their classic lineup. You can read more about the album an the group here: http://www.thefixx.com/

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Harold Faltermeyer--Axel F (1985)

     Harold was born in Munich, Germany and from an early age showed talent at the piano, which eventually earned him a spot at the Munich Music Academy. He began with classical, but took a liking to rock as well playing the organ in his teen years with a combo. His talent caught the eyes and ears of Giorgio Moroder in 1978, who invited the young musician to Los Angeles to play the keys and help arrange the music to the "Midnight Express" soundtrack.
     This began a fruitful partnership where he assisted Moroder in producing music for Donna Summer and others. More importantly he found himself working more soundtracks such as, "American Gigolo" and "Foxes". He got is big break on his own in 1984, creating the music for the movie, "Beverly Hills Cop" in which the single, "Axel F" was taken. The song not only reached #3 on the pop charts here in America, but became a worldwide hit on the pop and dance charts.
     He followed this up by composing the music to the Chevy Chase film, "Fletch" in 1985 and teaming again with Moroder on the soundtrack to "Top Gun" in 1986.
     Faltermeyer continued to work scoring soundtracks for movies and computer games.

    

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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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Falco--Rock Me Amadeus" (1985)

    Johann Hölzel was born in Vienna in 1957. He quit school at the age of 16, and after serving the Austrian army at the age of 17, moved to Germany to make a go of it as a musician. The pianist/guitarist spent time in various groups there and in Austria, along the way picking up the name "Falco" in honor of a famous East German skier.
     His first chart success was 1982's, "Der Kommissar" (which means the inspector) and loosely inspired a song of the same name which became a one off hit for the British rock band, "After the Fire" in that same year. I say loosely because although it was the same musically, the lyrically were very different, which most would never pick up on since Falco's version was entirely in German. After a second album, he began experimenting with singing in English.
     The result of this was the song, "Rock Me Amadeus" in 1985. Inspired by the 1984 movie, "Amadeus", it became the first number 1 song on the American charts by a German speaking artist. The song was spoken in German and English, but there is not a full English version, and it's album version (which clocks in at 8 minutes) is a mini-biography of the great composer.
     As opposed to many who think the song was a one-hit wonder, he actually had another top 20 single with,"Vienna Calling" (#18) later that year. Although it was the last of his success here in the states, he continued to do well in Europe up to his death in 1998 from injuries caused by a car accident in the Dominican Republic.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominee--Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

     Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are nominees, and like almost all of others, can be debated on the merits of it's recorded output. What is not debatable is mentioning Jett without first talking about The Runaways.
     The Runaways were brought together with the help of Kim Fowley who managed the group and also promoted their jailbait image which unfortunately kept the group from having a real shot at long term success. The core of the the group at the beginning was drummer Sandy West, and Joan Jett (real name: Joan Larkin) and was soon joined by bassist Micki Steele who left soon after the addition of guitarist Lita Ford. Steele would make her own mark on rock later in the 80's with The Bangles. Cherie Currie (vocals) and Jackie Fox (guitar) rounded out the group.
     By the time of the release of their first album in 1976, it was obvious that Cherie Currie was considered the visual centerpiece with her lingerie endorsed bad girl looks. What propelled the band however was a combination of Lita Ford's straight ahead rock hooks, which were already well developed at the age of 17, and Joan Jett's glam influenced power chords. All of this was wrapped up with an urgency which was more than fueled by the punk movement (at least the LA version). What hurt the group overall was Fowley's almost total control over the band which, with a group of teenaged girls came across as exploitative (even in mid-70's west coast). Another problem was the content. Rock in the 70's was fueled by male dominated groups singing about sex, drugs and rock and roll. However, a hearing a group of under aged girls sing about it seemed very uncomfortable for American tastes.
     Currie lasted two albums with the band before leaving with Jett taking the lead role for two albums. However, the musical divide between Jett and Ford was becoming more obvious and with Fowley having left as well, the decision was made to break the band up in 1979. Ford had success in heavy metal during the 80's, but it was Jett who continued to develop the strong glam and punk elements started by The Runaways as she formed The Blackhearts.  (by the way...if you are wanting to see a great film about the group...don't bother with the big budget "The Runaways" (2010), but seek out "Edgeplay: A Film About The Runaways" (2005) which was filmed by bassist Vicki Blue)

     Jett recorded a solo album in 1980, and was re-released as "Bad Reputation" and it was here that she began to garner critical and popular acclaim.  The album showed the blueprint for later albums, classic rock and roll with a touch of glam, along with a punk rock ascetic which comes across in attitude as much as the music itself.   The album did fairly well for a debut on the charts (#51), but it's influence on a generation of women rockers was vast. During this time she formed the Blackhearts. The group included Ricky Byrd (guitar), Gary Ryan (bass), and Lee Crystal (drums). The group's first album together, "I Love Rock-n-Roll" (1982) has become a rock classic in an era where the top 40 was dominated by new wave-ish acts. The lead single and it's follow up, a cover of Tommy James', "Crimson and Clover" reach the top 10 and not only expanded her fan base, but cause many more to re-discover her first album, and work with The Runaways.
     The next release, called, "Album" (1983) is arguably her most solid album although it's two singles didn't do as well on the charts. From a chart standpoint she continued the decade on a steady path which was highlighted with the top 10 single, "Hate Myself For Loving You" (1988). However, with each release she continued to cultivate her influence on many of the hard rock groups led by women.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominee--Heart

     The band Heart revolved around sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, although the genesis of the band began before the Beatles hit American shores...

     Bassist Steve Fossen, along with brothers Roger and Mike Fischer began a group called The Army back in 1963. The group went through several names before settling on Heart in the early 70's. This is also the time that Ann Wilson was brought in on vocals.
     Wilson had lived in Southern California and Taiwan before her dad's retirement from the Marines, where they settled in Seattle. She auditioned for the spot in the band in 1970. Mike, who had fled to Vancouver to escape the draft came down to see the band perform and began a romantic relationship with Ann. She persuaded the rest of the band to rejoin Mike in Canada, which they did. The city became home base for them for much of the rest of the decade.
      Nancy, who is four years younger, finished high school then began college. She quit and joined the band in 1974. Soon afterward she began a relationship with Roger. It was shortly after becoming a member that Mike quit to work behind the scenes. John Hannah (keys) and Brian Johnstone (drums) were brought in to fill out the sound.
     By 1975, the group had a healthy following in and around Vancouver. A demo had been made with the help of producer Mike Flicker, who eventually would produce their first five albums, and keyboardist Howard Leese who would become a full member of the band as Hannah and Johnstone had left the group. Michael Derosier became the drummer. 
     The resulting album, "Dreamboat Annie" would be picked up by Mushroom Records in 1976.  After quickly selling 30,000 units in Canada, it was released in the US, where the singles, "Crazy on You" and "Magic Man" both reached the top 40 and the group was on it's way. From early on, it was obvious that the girls had a musical vision of their own, but it was just as obvious that Robert Plant was a large influence on Ann. The album mixed hard hitting rock, with folk ballads (which was also a staple of middle Led Zep influence as well).
     From 1976 to 1980, the band released a series of top flight albums, "Little Queen" (1977), and "Dog and Butterfly" (1978) completed the trio of albums that are essential for anyone who is wanting to get into the groups output. The end of this period ended on a bit of a sour note as the romantic relationship between the Fischer brother and Wilson sisters ended, and a couple of months later the guys left the band. Roger's guitar work would especially be missed as they entered a period that was a bit unfocused. None of the albums, "Bebe le Strange" (1980), "Private Audition" (1982), or "Passionworks" (1983), were bad, just not up to the standards of the late 70's. Denny Carmassi (drums) and Mark Andes (bass) where brought in before the recording of "Passionworks" which would begin to show the new direction the band was taking and which would come to full fruition in 1985.
     1985 brought them to Capitol records from Epic and with that a change in direction. The songs on "Heart" (1985), "Bad Animals" (1987), and "Brigade" (1990),  had the band turn up the amps and head straight into arena rock territory. This along with a renewed focus on the sister's sexuality in time to take advantage of MTV propelled them to a comeback of sorts which would take them to the end of the decade.
     The singles would pretty much peter out after 1990, however their album output has been strong especially over the last 10 years with top notch albums, "Jupiters Darling" (2004), "Red Velvet Car" (2010), and "Fanatic" (2012). We finish up with two songs from the past, and one from the present.

      
   
    
    

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Duran Duran--Hungry Like The Wolf (1982)

     If I were born ten years later, there might be a quaintness to the synthesizers of the 1980's. As it turns out, growing up during the early days of the Moog taught me a few things (like enjoying the bass sound in a recording) and it seemed as if the entire technology took a step back. Which is why a lot of early 80's stuff leaves me cold except for those artists who understood musical textures and could make the best of lousy keyboards.
     Which brings me to Duran Duran. One could, I suppose discuss the merits of their music, but listening to an hour of them (which happened in prep for the radio show) brings a numbness to my brain cells. Their sound was good enough, and was danceable, but what gave them staying power for so long were the videos.
     Like everyone else in my generation, the idea of seeing an artists rendition of a song was fascinating, even if the artist usually had very little to do with it. I can remember for hours sitting and just watching this (yes kids, MTV used to actually just show videos.....). Looking back now with a tad more jaundice view, it was obvious that without MTV Duran Duran would have gone the way of many a early 80's UK group. However, the guys could make love to the camera and the videos were interesting in a 1982 sort of way.
     In an age now where substance gets overshadowed by flash (there is still a lot of good stuff out there...but you have to work a bit harder for it), one has to look back and wonder if MTV was a good thing at all. Of course, the programming that you find on it now make this video clip look like Masterpiece Theatre.

 

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The Dream Academy--Life in a Northern Town (1985)

     The story of The Dream Academy began with the meeting of singer/guitarist Nick Laird-Clowes and keyboard player Gilbert Gabriel in the late 70's. They formed a duo called the Politics of Pop which emphasized different musical textures such as strings and woodwinds. They met and invited multi-instrumentalist Kate St. John to be a part of the group. With her addition, they changed the name to The Dream Academy and spent the next couple of years developing their sound. They were rejected by many record companies when Warner Brothers took a chance in 1985.
     The suits and Warner wasn't convinced of the marketability of  the first single, "Life in a Northern Town" and attempted to change it by adding a drummer, but Laird-Clowes and Gabriel dug in their heels and refused to change it. The song, released in the fall of 1985, made it up to number 7 on the charts, and the debut album it was on made it to the top 20. A follow up, "The Love Parade" found it's way to the top 40 the next year. Those were the only two hits here in the US, with the last showing on the top 100 coming in 1986 with a song off of the soundtrack to the movie, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Oddly enough the group never toured until 1991, years after they were relevant, then split up.
     The song itself was about Nick Drake, the British singer-songwriter of the early 70's. It's sound perfectly captured the melancholia of the tragically short life of Drake. It was a striking difference in sound from everything that was around it at the time, and of course like the best songs of any era, it cannot be pigeon-holed into a certain era.

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Dexy's Midnight Runners--Come On Eileen (1983)

     I've talked to a lot of people over the years who either really like this song, or really hate it. Either way, it is one of the most distinctive hits to come out of the 80's. The hybrid of soul and Irish music was an interesting combination that was unlike anything being played at that time.
     The "Runners" actually came from a straight up northern soul sound. Their previous album, "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels", had sparked a rebirth of the genre in the UK. Lead singer Kevin Rowland was/is a pretty idiosyncratic kind of guys, and his rules that he put on the band basically led most of them to quit on him.
      Rather than continuing on in the vein of their hit album, he put together a new band with a much more Celtic folk sound to them. The result was "Too-Rye-Ay", where they took on the roles of Irish vagabonds (Rowland like to do this kind of thing...in their previous incarnation, they dressed up like dockworkers, inspired by DiNero's "Mean Streets").
     The result was a number one song in the UK and here in the states. Interesting to note in the video that the drummer was sacked even before the video shoot was over. At the end of the clip, notice that the guy beating on his drum at the beginning was now gone. This was a pretty good microcosm of the group's history. 

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Teri DeSario--Yes, I'm Ready (1979)

     Of all of the artists I've blogged about over the last 18 months, Teri DeSario has to be one of the most interesting artist from a creative standpoint.
     Upon graduation from high school in Miami, she played recorder and harp for a medieval/renaissance group called, the "Early Music Consort", from 1970 to 1977. She wanted to expand into other music, so along with husband Bill Purse, they formed "Abacus" which explored folk and jazz. It was during this time she was approached by Barry Gibb who had heard some of her music was knocked out by her voice. He had written a song for her, "Ain't nothing Gonna Keep Me From You".
     The song made it to the charts, and it was during this time that she bumped into an old high school mate, Harry Wayne Casey from KC and the Sunshine Band. They decided to record together and the result was a #2 hit for them in late 79/early 80. "Yes, I'm Ready", was originally recorded by Barbara Mason in 1965.
     They went on to record another duet, "Dancin' In the Streets" in the summer of 1980, she went into Contemporary Christian Music for a number of years before leaving that as well.

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Def Leppard--Photograph (1983)

     Discussing music in general is so fun for me because there are generally no fully right answers, and it's as varied as the people who make the music. It's been my opinion that taking the 1980's as a whole, that Def Leppard was the best hard rock band of the 1980's. Van Halen, Rush, and Iron Maiden can all be in the discussion, but for my money, the boys from Sheffield defined 80's rock better than anyone.
     They began in 1977 as a trio of Rick Savage, Pete Willis, and Tony Kenning, calling themselves, Atomic Mass. 18 year old Joe Elliot tried out as a guitarist, but was the others felt he would fit much better as the lead singer. It was Elliot that suggested the name "Deaf Leopard". Kenning adapted the name to "Def Leppard" so as to appeal to the punk rockers of that day.
     By 1978, Steve Clark, and 15 year old Rick Allen had joined the band and Kenning had left. They had released a three song EP and thanks to extensive playing on the BBC by influential DJ John Peel and relentless touring developed a strong following with hard rock fans in the UK.
     Their first album, "On Through The Night", released in 1980 was a strong debut and was a bit harder sound than many of their subsequent releases. It caught the attention of AC/DC producer "Mutt" Lange, and he agreed to produce their second album, "High N' Dry". This was the where the sound that defined them began to take shape.
     It was 1983's, "Pyromania" that broke them through in a major way to US audiences on the strength of three top 40 hits, the first one being, "Photograph"

 

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Chris DeBurgh--The Lady In Red (1987)

     Chris DeBurgh had four charting singles during the 1980's on the US charts, but only one, "The Lady In Red" cracked the top 20. As opposed to many artists who might have success in the UK and not the US or vice versa, DeBurgh never had prolonged staying power in either, instead doing very well in the rest of Europe and South America.
      DeBurgh was born Chris Davison in Argentina to British father and Irish mother. Due to his dad's job as a British diplomat, he traveled the world until settling in a 12th century Irish castle bought by his grandfather and transformed into a hotel. It's here that Chris began entertaining family and guests with his singing, and also how he adopted his mom's family name of DeBurgh.
     His music career began after being signed to a record contract in 1974 and opened for Supertramp. He began to build his fan base due to these gigs. His recordings during the 70's did well in South America, and somewhat in Europe, but didn't break through in the UK or US in any substantial way until the 80's.
     "The Lady in Red" was written for DeBergh's wife Diane, and was his only massive hit reaching number 1 in the UK and number 3 on the US charts. He never had another charting song in the US, but continues to have success around the world with his brand of soft pop.

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Dazz Band--Let It Whip (1982)

     The Dazz Band began it's life in Cleveland in the mid 70's as a jazz fusion band. They were first signed to 20th Century Records in 1978 as the band, Kinsman Dazz and it's first album by the same name was produced by Philip Bailey, who also co-produced their second disc, "Dazz" in 1980.
     By this time they had several songs on the R&B charts, and by 1980 had officially changed their name to "Dazz Band". This also came with a switch of labels as 20th century closed up shop, and the band was signed to Motown.Their first two albums with their new label produced three singles that reached the R&B charts, but it wasn't until 1982, and "Let It Whip" that the band reached it's peak on the R&B and pop charts (reaching #1 and #5, respectably).
     They continued to have success throughout the 80's, but outside of a couple of singles that reached the lower rungs of the hot 100, "Let It Whip" was about all of their influence on the pop charts.

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