MFD Random Five #55

In which I shuffle through some music files and listen to the first five songs from the years 1976-85 that randomly pop up.

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1. "Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbitt (1980, Elektra)
   I must have dug the thing back in '80 because I remember every word. I still like the percussive vocals in the verse but the chorus doesn't do much for me now. No bridge, no solo, just a below-average turnaround. But here I am still singing. Go figure.


2. "One Love in My Lifetime" by Diana Ross (1976, Motown)
   Miss Ross. A great Motown single. Sounds like a Supremes tune (especially the intro and chorus) and that's fine with me. As good as it is, it barely makes the top half of songs from that '76 self-titled album.


3. "Kingdom Come" by David Bowie (1980, RCA)
    I once succinctly described the entire Scary Monsters album as "all tension, no release" but this cover of a Tom Verlaine tune hidden halfway through side 2 might be the exception that proves that description. Full of Fripp's manic guitar work, this thing isn't exactly an easy listen, but it's quality stuff nonetheless.


4. "Stay With Me" by George Howard (1985, GRP)
   This is smooth jazz at its nadir - overproduced, mostly synth accompaniment, and Simmons or DMX Drum way up in the mix. And not much to the writing - mostly just one lick. Howard got a pleasant tone on the soprano sax, which isn't easy to do, so I'll give him that. But this was popular, hit #1 on the jazz charts, and moved a bunch of copies - hell, I've even got the CD. Shrug.


5. "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung (1984, A&M)
   I'd almost forgotten this tune but here we go. Like many people, I lost interest in Styx with the Kilroy debacle. Still, DDY was able to later score one more top 40 hit with this ballad. It's not terrible, but sure could have used some Tommy Shaw crunch. 

Music ads for 1980 releases

Rock Short Takes, March 1984

Click on the image below to open a pdf file of the "Rock Short Takes" album reviews from Musician magazine's March, 1984 issue. Artists include David Bowie, Chic, and The Minutemen.

Album ad #74

RCA Christmas Ad (1983)

• Kenny Rogers - Eyes That See in the Dark
• Daryl Hall & John Oates - Rock 'N' Soul, Part 1
• Eurythmics - Touch
• Lionel Richie - Running with the Night
• Daryl Hall & John Oates - H2O
• David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture
• Elvis Costello - Punch the Clock
• JoBoxers - Like Gangbusters
• Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
• Bucks Fizz - Greatest Hits
• Lionel Richie - Lionel Richie

Random album ad #59

David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)

Top Singles of July '83

Let's take a look at what was topping the various singles charts July 8 & 9, 1983.

	Billboard	CashBox	Radio & Records
1	"Every Breath You Take" The Police	"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant	"Every Breath You Take" The Police
2	"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant	"Every Breath You Take" The Police	"Electric Avenue" Eddy Grant
3	"Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara	"Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Michael Jackson
4	"Never Gonna Let You Go" Sergio Mendes	"Time (Clock of the Heart)" Culture Club	"Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara
5	"Too Shy" Kajagoogoo	"Let's Dance" David Bowie	"Our House" Madness
6	"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" Michael Jackson	"Never Gonna Let You Go" Sergio Mendes	"Come Dancing" The Kinks
7	"Time (Clock of the Heart)" Culture Club	"Too Shy" Kajagoogoo	"Stand Back" Stevie Nicks
8	"Come Dancing" The Kinks	"Always Something There to Remind Me" Naked Eyes	"I'm Still Standing" Elton John
9	"Don't Let It End" Styx	"She's a Beauty" The Tubes	"Never Gonna Let You Go" Sergio Mendes
10	"Our House" Madness	"Beat It" Michael Jackson	"Is There Something I Should Know?" Duran Duran

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Exclusive MFD meta-analysis of the above charts:

1. "Every Breath You Take" (29 pts)
2. "Electric Avenue" (28 pts)
3. "Flashdance...What a Feeling" (23 pts)
4. "Never Gonna Let You Go" (14 pts)
5. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (13 pts)
6. "Time (Clock of the Heart)" (11 pts)
7. "Too Shy" (10 pts)
8. "Come Dancing" (8 pts)
9. "Our House" (7 pts)
10. "Let's Dance" (6 pts)
11. "Stand Back" (4 pts)
12. "Always Something There to Remind Me" (3 pts)
13. "I'm Still Standing" (3 pts)
14. "Don't Let It End" (2 pts)
15. "She's a Beauty" (2 pts)
16. "Beat It" (1 pt)
17. "Is There Something I Should Know?" (1 pt)

Return of the Jedi (1983)

For those of you working on my biography, please note I found employment at the local Burger King while in high school (it wasn't a difficult job to land). It was a minimum wage job, which, at the time, was $3.35/hr.  I was fortunate and didn't have to work; my parents provided me with everything I needed. However, I wanted to buy a new trumpet for college, had a burgeoning record buying habit to support, and all my other friends were working part-time jobs, so why not?

A few of the buttons I wore on my Burger King uniform, ca. 1983-84

As you can guess, it's fairly easy to move up quickly in such a turnover-rich environment. So,within a matter of months I had progressed from stock boy to cook to the choice non-management job position: drive-thru cashier.

Burger King drive-thru: The dream job of children everywhere.

What's all that got to do with Return of the Jedi? With purchase of a Coca-Cola drink, Burger King customers in late May/early June 1983 received a Return of the Jedi promotional glass like the ones below for an additional fee (I'm think it was around 50¢ but who the hell knows?). A different glass each week. I grabbed my glasses out of the boxes in the drive-thru area on my way out the door, wrapped them in newspaper, stuck them in a box and forgot about them. Until my recent move. (It's a good thing I never used them as they're allegedly tainted with lead or cadmium or some such.)

Having hauled these around for 35 years and never displaying them, I decided to unload them on eBay (I know you're wondering: I started the bidding at $4 for the set and the auction ended at $29.13. All proceeds go to the MFD Forever Home Construction Costs Foundation).

But isn't this (allegedly) a music blog?

John Williams wrote a song for the Ewoks which appeared at the end of the film:

The Meco version peaked at #60 on the Billboard chart in 1983:

Rap on this track credited to Duke Bootee, who produced and rapped on "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five in 1982.

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But there was more to May, 1983 than the release of a Star Wars movie. Here's a reminder as to what was topping the Billboard charts on May 28, 1983.

	Top LP Thriller Michael Jackson
	Hot 100 "Flashdance...What a Feeling" Irene Cara
	Soul Album Thriller Michael Jackson
	Soul Single "Save the Overtime (For Me)" Gladys Knight & The Pips
	Rock Album Cargo Men at Work
	Rock Single "She's a Beauty" The Tubes
	Dance "Let's Dance" David Bowie
	Country Album The Closer You Get Alabama
	Country Single "You Take Me for Granted" Merle Haggard
	Adult Contemporary  "My Love" Lionel Richie
	Jazz Jarreau Al Jarreau
	Inspirational Age to Age Amy Grant
	Videogame Centipede Atari
	Videocassette Jane Fonda's Workout Jane Fonda

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Here's what was playing on MTV around the time of The Return of the Jedi's release. I remember seeing the movie with some friends at a mall theater in southwest Houston, but don't think I've seen it since. Sorry, Billy Dee.

Cashbox, May 28, 1983, p. 17

MFD Random Five #26

In which I click the shuffle icon on the iTunes app and listen to the first five songs that pop up from the years 1976-85.

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1. "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang" by Silver (1976, Arista)
   Starting off this random five with a one-hit wonder from a California country-rock band. Not bad for an obvious Eagles knock-off. I could do without the aggressive string hits in the chorus, but it's fairly catchy otherwise. I'm reminded of summer trips to the pool in the summer of '76 with the AM radio blaring.


2. "Tumble and Twirl (Extended Dance Mix)" by David Bowie (1984, EMI America)
   I like the Tonight album better than most and this song is in the top half of the tunes on it. The extended mix doesn't do much to the album version (except inexcusably removing some sweet background vocals and move the drums up front in the mix), but that's okay as the driving original version is good on its own. The bridge is shite but the tasty horn parts in the chorus more than make up for it.


3. "Words" by Missing Persons (1982, Capitol)
   Great new wave tune that somehow missed the Top 40, but I was watching more MTV than listening to the radio by this time. Probably the first tune I heard from the group, back when Dale Bozzio's quirky vocal tics were entertaining. A friend had given me his copy of Spring Session M and I quickly learned why he gave it away - other than the singles, the filler was wretched. But I still appreciate Warren Cuccurullo's guitar work here and love the way Dale says "But it's less than nowhere now..."


4. "One Lonely Night" by REO Speedwagon (1984, Epic)
   I'm not the biggest REO Speedwagon fan, usually calling them REO Journeywagon or OREO Chuckwagon or some such mockery. As such, I don't remember this tune too well. I dig the chorus and bridge, but there's not much to the verse, the guitar solo is rather generic, and the ending totally exposes Kevin Cronin's vocal limitations.


5. "Send Her My Love" by Journey (1983, Columbia)
   Speaking of the Journeywagon. By '83, I considered myself too cool to listen to Journey, so I didn't give this one much of a chance when I probably should have. It's a good tune, not great, but Steve Perry and Neil Schon bring the goods despite mediocre material.

MFD Random Five #24

In which I click the shuffle icon on the iTunes app and listen to the first five songs that pop up from the years 1976-85.

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1. "Feels So Good" (single edit) by Chuck Mangione (1977, A&M)
   This single topped the pop charts in June, 1978; I began playing trumpet in August, 1978. Cosmic coincidence? Not in 12-year-old Mark's mind. I bought the album on cassette and started a 3 or 4 year phase where I'd buy anything Mangione released. I bought the sheet music and discovered there were awful lyrics that didn't quite fit the music:
   

   There's no place for me to hide
   the thoughts of all
   the times I've cried and felt this pain
   that I have known
   because I need just to hear
   that special something
   
   And then one day
   you just appeared
   you said "Hello
   let's make love along the way."
   Your name is music to my heart
   I'll always really love you
   
   Feels so good when I'm with you
   I can't believe you love me too
   with you it feels like it should feel
   feels so good
   
   I'll trade my baseball cards for you
   Now I can't believe that dreams come true
   with you my smile sticks all the time
   with you the sun will always shine
   
   Feels so good when I'm with you
   I can't believe you love me too
   with you it feels like it should feel
   feels so good

   

   Pinback from the MFD archives



2. "Always Crashing in the Same Car" by David Bowie (1977, RCA)
   Mangione to Bowie: now there's a segue that's about as subtle as a Trump tweet. This track is a deep cut from side one of the Low album. While I prefer side two of that album, this song about the frustration of making the same mistake again and again resonates with me and I dig the guitar work by Ricky Gardiner. And Bowie sounds so calm about crashing as if he's resigned to the fact that he'll be doing this forever.


3. "California Über Alles" by Dead Kennedys (1979, Alternative Tentacles)
   The band's first single, the lyrics are just as timely today as they were in the late '70s. Over three minutes long; it's much longer than most surf-punk tunes you'll hear.


4. "Dirty Mind" by Prince (1980, Warner Bros.)
   If this isn't my favorite Prince song, it's certainly in the discussion. Insanely ahead of its time. That keyboard riff over the ostinato bass! Prince, never one to stick to convention, gives us a wonderful bridge but no chorus whatsoever. My friend Jim had this album and sometime in 1982 he let me borrow it for a dub. I arrived at my house and was met by my father in the kitchen. He asked what album I had and I reluctantly showed him the following cover which was met by silence, a look of disdain and disappointment, and a quick end of the conversation. I guess I should be glad he didn't want to hear any of the lyrics.
   
   

   

   and he wears this same outfit in the music video. Don't look, Dad!



5. "(Everytime I Turn Around) Back in Love Again" by L.T.D. (1977, A&M)
   Now this song will send me out the door in a good mood. The funk groove is enough to carry the thing, but they put some tasty horns on top of the groove and then the Jeffrey Osborne vocals transcend the whole arrangement. 11-year-old Mark loved this song and he wasn't alone: #1 R&B, #4 pop, #19 disco. Single sleeve offered below for no other reason than the out of this world graphic.
   
   
   

Vintage Music Pinbacks #9

Ninth in a series.

Buttons, badges, pinbacks - whatever you call 'em, I've got a shoebox full. Here's a few of my vintage music pinbacks from the '70s and '80s:

1.  1.125" Men at Work, Cargo, 1983
2.  1.25" Duran Duran, ca. 1982
3.  1" Buzzcocks ca. 1979
4.  1.25" Foreigner, ca. 1982
5.  1" Bauhaus, "Spirit" 1982
6.  1.75" Nick Heyward, North of a Miracle, (Dr. Pepper Music Festival?), 1983-4
7.  1" David Bowie, "Ashes to Ashes" 1980

Vintage Music Pinbacks #8

Eighth in a series.

Buttons, badges, pinbacks - whatever you call 'em, I've got a shoebox full. Here's a few of my vintage music pinbacks from the '70s and '80s:

1.  1.25" Berlin, "Sex (I'm a...)" 1982
2.  1" Spandau Ballet, ca. 1980
3.  1.25" Rolling Stones "In Concert" ca. 1981
4.  1.25" Thompson Twins logo, ca. 1983
5.  1.25" The Police, Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980
6.  1" Crass, "Nagasaki Nightmare" 1981
7.  1.25" David Bowie, Let's Dance, 1983
8.  1" The Human League, ca. 1981

Vintage Music Pinbacks #2

Second in a series.

Buttons, badges, pinbacks - whatever you call 'em, I've got a shoebox full. Here's a few of my vintage music pinbacks from the early '80s:

1.  1.75" Rolling Stones 1981 Tour
2.  1.5" The Police (pinback dated 1983)
3.  1.25" The Milkshakes, ca. 1981
4.  1" The Motels, All Four One, 1982
5.  1.25" The Kinks, State of Confusion, 1983
6.  1.25" Asia logo 1982
7.  1" Adam Ant, "Antmusic" 1980
8.  2" David Bowie, "Fashion" 1980

Charting the Charts: David Bowie - Tonight (1984)

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Here's a look at how David Bowie's 1984 album fared in various publications:

1984
Date	Billboard 200	Cashbox 200	Rolling Stone 50
Oct 13		55
Oct 20	35	19
Oct 27	24	9
Nov 3	21	7
Nov 10	17	6
Nov 17	17	6	12
Nov 24	11	9
Dec 1	11	12	5
Dec 8	24	21
Dec 15	35	26
Dec 22	31	30
Dec 29		40

1985
Date	Billboard 200	Cashbox 200	Rolling Stone 50
Jan 5	40	40
Jan 12	41	49	24
Jan 19	43	58
Jan 26	51	61	41
Feb 2	70	71
Feb 9	78	83	40
Feb 16	86	83
Feb 23	105	83
Mar 2	110	87
Mar 9	143	94
Mar 16	164	97
Mar 23	182	114
Mar 30	195	128
Apr 6		151
Apr 13		178
Apr 20		189
Apr 27		191
May 4		196
May 11		198
May 18		200
May 25		200

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(click any photo to enlarge)

Rolling Stone, November 8, 1984, pp. 71 & 73

Smash Hits, September 27, 1984, p. 25

Robert Christgau

The Great Rock Discography, 7th ed.:	4/10