George Harrison--All Those Years Ago (1981)

     Over the years there has been many songs written either referencing or directly dealing with John Lennon. After his shocking death in December of 1980, the musical world attempted to come to grips with his legacy. There are several song that stand out, the first (and in my mind the best) was Elton John's "Empty Garden" off of the 1982 album, "Jump Up". Paul McCartney came in with "Here Today" from his album, "Tug of War", and this song by George Harrison.
     Of the three songs mentioned, this was the first one released ("Here Today" was never released as a single). George had written a song for Ringo, but Starr never cared much for it because it was a bit high in pitch for the drummer. Harrison took the song back and in the meantime, when Lennon died, he put new lyrics to song. He took Ringo's voice off of the song, but kept his drumming track, then invited Paul and Linda McCartney with former Wings member Denny Lane to come and provide backing vocals.
     At the time the single was released, some critics found it a bit trite because of the bouncy music, but lyrically it spoke of George's loss. With it's release in May of 1981 it was the first of many tributes to the fallen Beatle. It was the third of four top five hits for Harrison who would not be heard from on the American charts again until 1987's, "Got My Mind Set On You"

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Dan Hartman--I Can Dream About You (1984)

     One of the fun things about the history of modern music is that not everything is always as it seems. Take Dan Hartman for instance. In the late 70s and early 80's he had several top 40 pop hits including this one. However, he got his first break as a bass player for one of the more popular rock acts of the early 1970's.
     Dan and his brother Dave had a high school band called The Legends in their home town of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At the time Dan played keyboards and wrote much of the material. They actually recorded several songs, but success was not to be found. His first big break professionally was playing for the Johnny Winter Band for a period of time. Johnny's brother Edgar was looking for a bass player and hired Dan to fill that role in 1972. Hartman's first major contribution was on the album, "They Only Come Out At Night". "Free Ride" was the follow up to the monster hit,  "Frankenstein" and came in at #14.
     Hartman went solo in 1976 and had his first success with a dance number called, "Instant Replay". .Although not all of his songs were considered dance numbers, he always seemed to have had good luck on the dance charts. The biggest his of his career was this one, reaching number 5 in 1984. It was first offered to Hall & Oates, but they turned it down since at the time, they normally didn't do covered. They later recorded the song for their 2004 album, "Our Kind of Soul" as a tribute to it's writer who died earlier that year of brain cancer.

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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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Paul Hardcastle--19 (1985)

     During the late 60s/early 70's, the war was written about and sung about extensively. After the war, musicians, like the rest of the country did their best to forget what had happened and the war was rarely mentioned until the early 80's. At that point several began not only to take a historical look back, but began to access the toll on the men and women who served during that time. Billy Joel was one of the first singers to deal with the issue with the song, "Goodnight Saigon" from the album, "The Nylon Curtain" in 1982.
     A couple of years later, songwriter/keyboardist Paul Hardcastle was watching a news special called, "Vietnam Requiem" and was struck by how young many of those who died were, and how when HE was 19, he was out in the pubs having a grand time. He was also moved by how many had just been ignored upon their coming home.
      This was the genesis behind the song, "19". From a musical standpoint, it was ground breaking for it's use of processed speech and sampling. He had reached the charts earlier in 1985 with a song called, "Rain Forrest", but this song touched a nerve with a population who was either too young to remember the war, or who were attempting to come to terms with it. At the time there were those who considered the song un-American, but Hardcastle refutes this claim. In fact, many veterans at the time praised the song as an attempt to at least bring to light the plight of many of those who had suffered with the after effects of post-war syndrome.
     He continues to record and release smooth jazz albums. His website can be found here:  http://www.paulhardcastle.com

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Jan Hammer--Miami Vice Theme (1985)

     If you are over 30, you probably remember the effect that the show, "Miami Vice" had in the year 1985. The show was a huge hit and made Don Johnson into a star. It's use of color on the show became a trademark of the 80's (for better or for worse). It had an effect on fashion, as Johnson's pastel t-shirts with white coat and pants ensemble, became a fashion statement in a decade of strange fashion statements. I need to take the time to mention, in full disclosure, that your writer fell prey to that particular statement. Thankfully, all photograph evidence of this has been destroyed. Let's just say that the outfits look great on Mr. Johnson, but were not meant for men who are built like fireplugs.
     In an era where the creative outlets of music and film became fully wedded, the music took on as much of the scenery as the city of Miami itself. This was due mainly to the talents of Jan Hammer. Jan, who moved to the Untied States from Czechoslovakia in 1968 to take advantage of a scholarship from the Berklee School Of Music, was well intrenched in the world of Jazz, then Jazz Fusion. He was one of the pioneers in that genre as one of the original members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He released his first solo album in 1975 and then formed, The Jan Hammer Band that next year. For the next several years he traded off solo projects and band albums, including several very good collaborations with guitarist Jeff Beck and also with Al Di Meola.
     To the average Joe however, his most notable work started with Miami Vice. It can be stressful enough to score a movie or one TV show, but he consistently scored a number of pieces for the show. The theme not only gave him his only hit, but opened up a totally new field for him. Since he has scored a number of movies, and continued to record with many artists in jazz and pop fields.

       

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John Hall Band--Crazy (Keep On Falling) (1981)

     John Hall was a singer/guitarist for the band Orleans. They had hits such as, "Still the One" and "Dance With Me". He left the group in 1977 and began a solo career with two hits which reached the top 100. "Crazy (Keep On Falling)" was the highest charting of the two reaching number 42 in the winter of 1981/82. He rejoined Orleans in 1985 and worked with them for another 12 years while continue to write for others as well. Always politically active, Hall ran for the House of Representatives in the state of New York and served one term from 2007-2011.

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Hall and Oates--You Make My Dreams (1981)

     Hall and Oates have by far become the most popular duo in the history of rock music. Their blend of genres, which they called, rock and soul resulted in 34 chart entries with six of them hitting number one and ten others being in the top 10.
     Darryl Hohl and John Oates met as members of rival bands. At the Adelphi Ballroom in Philadelphia in 1967, there was a "battle of the bands" competition. Darryl was a member of The Temptones, and John, The Masters. Sometime during the proceedings a fight broke out between members of rival street gangs and shots rang out. Both men headed towards a service elevator for safety. While in their hiding place they got to talking and discovered that not only were they into the same music, but they both were students at Temple University. They began to hang out together, and eventually became roommates although they wouldn't actually begin working together musically for another couple of years.
     In 1970, they began working seriously as a duo and in 1972 was offered a contract. They were obviously talented, but an early problem developed as both men skipped around different genres. Listening to their early/mid 70's output now, you can hear them struggling to find a sound. They would skip from folk to rock, to soul. On several occasions, this would catch fire as it did with the singles, "She's Gone" (released in 74'...became a top ten hit on re-release in 76'), "Sara Smiles" (76) and Rich Girl (77).
      It was the blue eyed soul path they would eventually head down towards as the 70s turned into the 80s, and it was there they struck gold.. "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling" in 1980 got things rolling, but it was, "Kiss On My List" in early 1981 that put the duo on the path of becoming one of the biggest artists of the decade. The massive years from a chart perspective was from 81-84, but they were to put songs on the charts as late as 2005.
     They will still perform together from time to time, but both men have spent individual projects..  Both  have released solo albums, and Hall has been a part of the successful, "Live from Darryl's House" 

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Eddy Grant--Electric Avenue (1983)

     Eddy Grant was born in 1948 in Guyana and in 1960 him and his parents immigrated to England, where the youngster became influenced by the new sounds of r&b influenced rock and roll that was beginning to happen. Several years later, he formed a group called The Equals in 1965 which was one of first interracial groups in that country, and soon gained a reputation for strong live performances.  They had some major peaks and valleys on the charts but one song of note was, "Baby, Come Back" in 1968 which was a number one song at home, and even reached  the top 40 here in the states.

     He began his foray into reggae music with the opening of a record company, Torpedo in 1970, but the work with the company, plus his hectic schedule with The Equals took a toll. Despite Grant being a teetotaler, and a vegetarian to boot, he succumb to a heart attack at the age of 23 in 1971. He quit The Equals and sold the record company. Grant then bought a record studio and began to focus on recording other artists. When he did appear again on record, with 1977's, "Message Man", it was a totally different personality on record, with a much stronger (and bitter at times) message politically. It was also the beginnings of what is now known as soca, which was a hybrid of Calypso and Soul. Some, especially fans of Lord Shorty will dispute this, but either way this album was one of the first to fuse the two.  
     His star continued to rise as a solo artist in Britain as his mix of Caribbean influences and Soul began to make waves all through Europe, finally making an impact here with the release of, "Electric Avenue" in 1983 off of the album, "Killer on the Rampage" reaching number 2 in the spring/summer of 1983. The next year he reached the top 40 again with the theme from the movie, "Romancing the Stone" which was his last hit here in the states.
     His influence however continued to grow around the world. Although he continues to write and record, he has spent much of his time recording reggae legends, mentoring new artists, and developing a new reggae hybrid called, ringbang.

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Amy Grant--Every Heartbeat (1991)

     As most of you who have been reading the Omnibus for any time at all know that we pretty much stay within a time frame of the mid-50's to 1990 with exceptions now and then. For many this singer was defined in the 90's, but those who have kept up with her career from the beginning know that it has gone on much longer and her influence much deeper.
     For those who don't know, Contemporary Christian Music has been around a bit over 40 years now and has established a nice niche within the recorded music business. In the last 20 years or so there have been more than a few crossover artists from CCM to the pop charts. Artists from Jars of Clay and DC Talk to Michael W. Smith  have found it's way to a larger audience. It might not be a big thing to any of you reading, but as close 30 years ago, anyone who would dare reach out to a "secular" audience would be considered anathema to many Christian leaders. Looking back now, it's easy to see why. Of course, there is the sectarian nature of "Christian" music verses "Non-Christian" music,  but there were also battles within the church walls itself about allowing anything stronger than folkish type music in the building.  Now, there were always singers and bands with a more rock sound. Larry Norman and the Resurrection Band (which to my ears is still one of the best Christian rock bands period) come to mind, but they were always on the fringes, and besides they never intended the music to be for believers anyway. Then came Amy Grant.
     If there was a superstar in those days it was Amy. Her recording career began at the age of 18 in 1978, and in five years had become a dominant seller within the business. Her 1982 album, "Age to Age" was the first album in the CCM category to be certified gold, and in 1985 it went platinum. It seemed (at least to me) a natural progression to be the first artist in this genre to "break through" to the pop charts, and it happened in 1985 with the single, "Find A Way". There was a loud debate (mostly generational) about "losing" Amy to secular music. Her albums had always be accessible lyrically to a wider audience, and as it turned out she continues to be a top ten seller on the CCM charts as well as pop.
     Her huge chart breakthrough was with album, "Hearts in Motion" in 1991 with three top ten singles. ("Baby, Baby", "Every Heartbeat" and "That's What Love Is For") Since then she is a regular on the album charts as she straddles her country/folk/pop tinged music with lyrics that deal not only with God, but with issues that everyone (including Christians) deal with. After all of these years, she has proven not only to be a fine CCM and pop singer, but a songwriter who is woefully underrated.   

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The Go-Go's--We Got the Beat (1982)

     The history of girl groups on the pop/rock charts is woefully low compared to solo artists. There was a burst of activity in the early 60's, as groups like The Shrielles, The Ronettes, The Cookies under the producing hand of Phil Spector were all over the charts. Motown also had early success with groups like Martha & the Vandellas and of course, The Supremes. As the the rock and roll era morphed into the modern rock era, most groups involving all women were left behind. The early 70's brought the group Fanny and guitarist Suzy Quatro began to push the doors open, with The Runaways upping the ante in the latter part of the decade. (You are welcome to add the Wilson sisters and Heart into this discussion, but because the group has always had men in it, am not including them in this discussion). The Go-Go's seemed to split the difference between the 70's rock sound, with a 60's girl group sensibility.
     They were formed in Los Angeles in 1978 and consisted of Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar), Margot Olavarria (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). They began life as a west coast punk band, in fact for a brief time Carlisle was a member of the seminal LA punk band, The Germs, but she contracted a case of mono and left the band before playing a gig. Charlotte Caffey was added late in 78, and Gina Schock replaced Bello in 1979. Those changes also brought a change from straight up punk to a more power pop sound. In 1980 Olavarria left the band and replaced by Kathy Valentine.
     They signed with I.R.S. Records in 1981, and their first album Beauty and the Beat, became a huge (and totally unexpected) hit. The first single, "Our Lips Our Sealed" went to number 20, but it was this song, written by Caffey, and recorded by the band originally in 1980 and released by Stiff Records in the UK that took off into the top 5. The album was hailed as a great new wave album that in reflection had much more to do with 70's style power pop, than any new wave artists. The next few years saw more hits, but the effects of tensions within the group, not to mention their ability to party just as hard as their male counterparts caused the output to suffer. All of the women have gone on to alternate between touring as a group, and solo projects, with Carlisle having the most success on the charts. If you are interested in knowing more about the history of girl groups, a great resource can be found here: http://www.girl-groups.com/  

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Debbie Gibson--Lost In Your Eyes (1989)

     As I listened to this song again for the first time in a couple of decades, the first question that leaped in my mind was, "Why wasn't this woman more popular?", especially in wake of the massive success of Taylor Swift. For many of Ms. Swift's fans who were much to young to remember Debbie Gibson, she is the youngest to ever write, record, AND produce a  number 1 single on the Hot 100. One of the reasons is the country music crowd is much more flexible when it comes to the age of their stars. The country charts are littered with teen girls who had success, some of them long term, (Tanya Tucker was barely in her teens when her first single, 'Delta Dawn" was released in 1972) Teen pop idols has notoriously short shelf lives, and this was how Gibson was marketed and was never able to get out of the mold created for her.
     The good news was that although her music star had faded by 1991 here in the states, she has continued to record and perform dance, then adult contemporary albums that remain popular around the world, especially in Europe and Japan. More importantly, in 1992 she made her debut on Broadway and the bulk of her success in the United States stems from her time as a singer/actress. Many may not remember as much today, but it was her eight top 20 hits (including two number 1's) from 1987 to 1989 that laid the foundation for the successes of many teen singers (several like Ms. Swift, who has taken greater control over their art at a much younger age) over the last two decades.

 

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Genesis--Land of Confusion (1986)

     When we left things yesterday, Peter Gabriel left to pursue a solo career. The band tried out around 400 singers to replace him before settling on Phil Collins. Over 30 years later, it's easy to think that the band's move to more pop oriented material was a sharp line between the two singers. This was far from the truth as several of the albums post-Gabriel were progressive in nature as well. "A Trick of the Tail" (1976),  "Wind & Wuthering" (1976), and "Seconds Out" (1977--a live album). Of course, you can hear a gradual shift towards more pop sounds, but they would never totally leave their artsy roots. Looking back all of these years later, they were actually ahead of the curve. While the late 70's became a wasteland for many of the progressive rock heroes earlier in the decade, Genesis saw the writing on the wall and began a change to a sound that took the best parts of their prog roots and wedded them to a more pop structure.
     Am not sure if his leaving hastened this change over, or vice versa, but by the album, "..And Then There Were Three" (1978), Steve Hackett had left as well leaving it down to a trio of Banks, Rutherford, and Collins. The 80's was when this lineup struck gold time and time again. Beginning with, "Follow You, Follow Me" (1978), they racked up seventeen top 40 hits through 1992, with the apex of this popularity coming between 1986 and 1988, which included, "Land of Confusion"
     Although a big fan of 70's progressive rock, I always felt an detachment to Gabriel era Genesis. I've always found the latter era group to be more tuneful. To be fair, Peter Gabriel has also done better creatively in his solo career after leaving the group which helped launch his career. Despite what prog rock sympathizers might tell you otherwise, the 80's version could rock as well, and this song is a good example of it. Things began to slow down in the mid-90's, especially after Collins left in 93',   and although there had been a couple of reunions since, 1997's, "Calling All Stations" wrapped it up for the group as a recording entity. 

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Frida--I Know There's Something Going On (1982)

     The group ABBA never formally disbanded, but just slowly faded away in 1983 with the unfilled promise that the group had not stopped recording. The quartet had basically lost interest, as well as being lured by other new and interesting projects. Frida Lyngstad was the first to take advantage of this as she paired up with the Phil Collins' produced, "I Know There's Something Going On".
     The other three members had one hit a piece in the US as well. Agnetha Falskog had a top forty hit in 1983, "Can't Shake Loose" (#29), and the team of Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson collaborated with Tim Rice to create the music for the musical, "Chess" . A single from that play "One Night in Bangkok" was recorded by Murray Head and reached number 3 on the charts in the spring of 1985.
     Frida, who had never sung rock before was lead by Collins to record an album that was a bit more edgy compared to her work with ABBA. Having come from a background in jazz, this interested her. As you hear this single, Collins' drums almost dominate over the vocals, but the effect is a striking one. She was to collaborate with producer Steve Lillywhite for the album, "Shine". The album (if you can still find it) shows her pushing the envelope even further, but the album went nowhere. She continued to work in Europe, but wasn't heard of again in the states, until the world-wide renaissance, which began again in the 90's. She currently lives in Switzerland.

    

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Glenn Frey--The Heat Is On (1984)

     Glenn Frey was having a solid career as a solo artist by 1984. Perhaps not to the level of The Eagles, his previous group, but three top 40 hits gave promise to a brighter future. From his late teens, the Detroit native had been at first been in a succession of local groups,  even singing backing vocals on the Bob Seger System's, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" in 1968. Thinking that his future was not going to be in his hometown, he went to California and shortly teamed up with J.D. Souther, a fellow Detroit native and soon formed the group, "Longbranch Pennywhistle". Looking back now, the group looked like a potential who's who of great musicians. Doug Kershaw Ry Cooder, James Burton, Larry Knechtel, and Joe Osbourn.
     The group had no promotion at all, but the connections within the band and in their gigging throughout California would serve Frey well, as he would come into contact with Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt. When the band finally folded, Ronstadt contacted him about playing in her backup band to support her nationwide tour in 1971. The band also consisted of Don Henley, Randy Mesiner, and Bernie Leadon. It wasn't long before the four chose to go on their own. It was thought in the music community that Leadon and Mesiner would be the leaders of this group since both had experience with name musicians, however it didn't take long for Henley and Frey to share songwriting duties and take leadership of the band called the Eagles.
     The Eagles is arguably the most popular American band in the 70's. (Fleetwood Mac was 2/5ths American), but as time went on the friction between the members, especially the principal songwriters became too much and they went their separate ways in 1982. Frey's first solo album, "No Fun Allowed" produced two top 40 this, and "The Allnighter" continued the momentum it a song from the movie, "Beverly Hills Cop" to send him into the top 10.
     The song written by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey, the song was one of five singles off of the soundtrack and contributed to the 80's being considered THE decade for pop hits.

 

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Sunday Morning Vault: Louisiana's LeRoux--New Orleans Ladies (1978)

    A couple of days ago, I asked my wife the question, "Was there a local band that everyone listened to when you were a kid". She is from Southern Mississippi, but was heavily influenced by music which came from New Orleans which is just 90 minutes to the West. Her answer was immediate, "Louisiana's LeRoux". I have to admit total ignorance to the group, which of course piqued my interest
     They began from the remnants of a group called the Levee band in 1977, who had backed Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Clifton Chenier. They first called themselves The Jeff Pollard Band, then Louisana's LeRoux (it would be later shortened to LeRoux). The group first consisted of Jeff Pollard (vocals, guitar), David Peters, (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Leon Medica (bass, backing vocals), Tony Haselden (vocals, guitars), Rod Roddy (keys, synths, vocals), Bobby Campo (horns, violin, percussion, vocals). They quickly scored a contract with Capitol and went to work on their first album.
     That album, "Louisiana's LeRoux", spawned the single, "New Orleans Ladies" which reached #59 on the US charts, but at least in their home base, it became their signature song. They released a couple more well received albums, but it wasn't until the 1982 album, "Last Safe Place" that they hit big with the single, "Nobody Said It Was Easy" which reached the top 20 (#18) and it looked as thought the future was bright for the band.
     However after a couple more singles which reached the bottom rungs of the top 100, Campo and Pollard both left the band. They faded from view until the 2000 release of the album, "Ain't Nothing But a Gris Gris" which showed a group that was still musically strong. You can check out their big hit, but at least for a generation of girls in the late 70's/early 80's this song became the band's theme.
You can read a lot more about this great band here: http://www.laleroux.com/

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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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