EXPOSÉ

Miami DJ and producer Lewis Martineé formed his all-girl dance group in 1984 and named them X-Posed.  The group members, Sandeé Casañas, Laurie Miller and Alejandra Lorenzo had their first Billboard #1 Hot Dance Club Play chart hit in no time: "Point of No Return," which is still considered one of the first Freestyle songs (after  Shannon’s “Let the Music Play”). A name change to the less suggestive Exposé, and the group was ready to record their next single, "Exposed to Love," which was another hit.

Arista Records was impressed with the group’s two hit singles right out of the gate, but not really impressed with the women themselves.  Arista told Martineé that if he wanted the money to make a full-fledged album, he needed to keep the producers, keep the musical sound intact, but dump the singers.  The new Exposé, Jeanette Jurado, Gioia Bruno and Ann Curless, released their first album Exposure, in 1987 and it was a huge hit.

Exposure sold over 3 million records and was the first debut album in Billboard Magazine history to feature four top-ten pop hits: "Let Me Be the One" (#7), "Come Go with Me" (#5), a re-recorded version of the song "Point of No Return" (#5), and "Seasons Change", which went all the way to #1 in February of 1988. Additionally, the album’s songs were also huge hits on the Hot Dance Club Play Chart, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart, and even the Adult Contemporary Chart.  Exposé’s enormous success inspired record producers all over the country to put together all-female groups to perform dance music. Some of these copycats, such as Seduction, Sweet Sensation, and The Cover Girls, actually had popular records of their own.

What You Don't Know , the group’s second album, was released in 1989 and was another big hit. Its five singles were massively popular: "What You Don't Know", "Tell Me Why," and "When I Looked At Him" all peaked inside the Billboard Top Ten at #8, #9, and #10, respectively. "Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue" peaked at #17, and “Stop, Listen, Look, and Think" was a dance club hit.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. - Psalm 119:105

ROBERT PALMER

Robert Palmer had been playing in bands and as a solo artist for over twenty years before he cracked the American Top Ten, as a member of the pop supergroup, Power Station. Palmer had several Top Forty hits all over the world like, “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor),” and “Every Kinda People,” but it would be his mid to late eighties hits that would make him a household name.

Duran Duran band mates John and Andy Taylor were taking a break from their hectic band schedule and got a couple of buddies together (Palmer, and the incredible Tony Thompson) to jam.  They liked what they heard and the foursome decided to cut a record of eight songs they enjoyed playing.  The Power Station LP was a huge hit and spawned two Top Ten singles: “Some Like it Hot,” and a cover of T-Rex’ “Get It On (Bang a Gong).” Since Palmer had not experienced this level of success before, he decided to strike while the iron was hot (cliché alert!) and release a solo album in the fall of 1985.

 Riptide sold over 5 million albums and charted 3 hit singles: the number one smash, “Addicted to Love,” a cover of Cherrelle’s great R&B tune “I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", which went to #2, and “Hyperactive.” Not only was “Addicted to Love” noteworthy for its memorable and often-imitated video filled with wall-to-wall fashion models, it also won Palmer a Grammy Award. Three years after Riptide, Palmer was back with Heavy Nova, another blockbuster album, known for its hit singles “Simply Irresistible” and a cover of the Gap band’s “Early in the Morning.”

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. - Isaiah 40:29

THE BANGLES

By the time the Bangles formed in 1981, sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson had already been playing in bands throughout high school. Susanna Hoffs joined the Petersons and they began to play out in the L.A. club scene, but really didn’t find their groove until, a few lineup changes later, ex-Runaways bassist Michael (formerly Micki) Steele joined.

The Bangles’ first LP, All Over the Place, was released in 1984 and made a little noise. The singles "Hero Takes a Fall" and "Going Down To Liverpool" received  lots of play on college radio and the group was liked so much by Cyndi Lauper that she invited them to open for her on 1984’s Fun Tour. The touring and greater exposure to the music industry provided the band with the inspiration to write enough material for their second album, Different Light.

1986’s Different Light was a great success for the band, selling over 5 million copies and spawning four Top Forty hits, with “Manic Monday" (written by Prince) going to #2 and "Walk Like an Egyptian",  going all the way to #1. The other two singles, “If She Knew What She Wants” and “Walking Down Your Street” were also big sellers from the album.

The Bangles’ hit streak continued into 1987 with their contribution to the soundtrack of the film Less Than Zero. The Rick Rubin produced cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s "A Hazy Shade of Winter", which they called "Hazy Shade of Winter", was a longer, harder-edged rock song, which they’ve stated sounds like they do live. "Hazy Shade of Winter" rocketed all the way up to #2 in the winter of ’87.

As the Bangles’ record company (Columbia) began singling out Susanna Hoffs as the lead singer of the group, a rift took shape and the media and fans started believing that she was the actual lead singer, although all of the band members sang lead equally on the album tracks. Internal strife as it was, it could not altogether cease the band’s continuing success; but the end was near.

Everything was the Bangles’ next album in 1988, and it proved to be another multi-platinum hit and it included their biggest-selling single, "Eternal Flame". Just weeks after topping the charts, the Bangles’ broke up.  But take heart, the band (minus Steele) has reformed and still tours often.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.-Psalm 40:2

LIONEL RICHIE

Lionel Richie, born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama, is a singer, songwriter, musician and producer who has sold over 100 million records (this is both solo and as a part of the Commodores).

Richie joined the Commodores a singer and saxophonist in 1968. During Richie's tenure, the band had several hits, most notably "Brick House," "Easy," "Three Times a Lady," "Still," "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" and "Sail On." Richie was also honing his skills as a songwriter, arranger and producer, during the late seventies and this culminated in the huge 1980 hit, "Lady," for his lifelong friend, Kenny Rogers.

The next year, Richie wrote and recorded another smash single, "Endless Love," from the film of the same name. This duet with Diana Ross became one of the biggest hits of her career and was the second highest selling single of the year (behind ONJ's "Physical"). "Endless Love" was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and won the 1982 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single. The success of the song made Richie feel like he could do well a solo artist.

Ritchie's debut album, Lionel Richie was released in 1982 and was an instant hit.  It produced several hit singles:"Truly" (#1),  "You Are" (#4), and "My Love" (#5). However, the big hits were yet to come.

Richie's second album, Can't Slow Down, was a smash. It was Billboard's number one album for four weeks, spent 59 consecutive weeks inside the Top 10 (including the entire year of 1984), went on to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1985 and sold over 20 million copies globally. Plus, all five singles from the album hit the Billboard Top Ten: "Penny Lover" (#8), "Running With the Night" (#7), "Stuck on You" (#3), and the two songs, "Hello" and "All Night Long" both went to #1 . "Stuck on You" was also a big hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

1985 was another successful year for Lionel Richie. He wrote and performed, "Say You, Say Me," the theme to the film White Nights. The song was number one on the charts for four weeks, and earned Richie an Academy Award. He also wrote "We Are the World" with Michael Jackson, to be performed by USA for Africa; another #1 hit, raising over $60 million for charity.

Richie released Dancing on the Ceiling in 1986 and although not as popular as Can't Slow Down, it was the top-selling LP for three weeks, and produced two more hit singles:"Dancing on the Ceiling" (#2), "Ballerina Girl" (#7). This was the end of Richie's hit streak in the eighties, as he retreated from the limelight due to exhaustion and to take care of his ailing father.

The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. - Psalm 29:11

RETURN OF THE ONE-HIT WONDERS!!!

Katrina and the Waves – “Walking on Sunshine” Top 10 all over the world in 1985

 Sugar Hill Gang - "Rappers Delight" – the first rap hit to go platinum in 1980

                                                           

The Vapors - "Turning Japanese" – a bit hit in 1980

                                                             

Frankie Goes to Hollywood - "Relax" – they relaxed all the way to #10 in 1985

                                                            

Harold Faltermeyer - "Axel F" millions of copies sold back in 1985                               

ALABAMA

Alabama is generally considered the most commercially successful country act in the 1980s. The band, composed of Fort Payne, Alabama natives, Randy Owen (lead vocals),  his cousin Teddy Gentry (bass guitar, background vocals), Jeff Cook (guitar, fiddle, keyboards), and Mark Herndon (drums, percussion), are often credited with bringing country music groups onto the mainstream pop stage.

  

The group's sound mixes traditional country, so-called "southern rock," and gospel music, topped off with smooth harmonies. This melodic combination has garnered Alabama record sales of over 70 million, dozens of awards, including two Grammys, and induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 2005.

Alabama released an album every year in the 1980's...every year... and according to Billboard Magazine's country singles chart, they had 26 #1 singles:

·   1980: "Tennessee River"; "Why Lady Why"

·   1981: "Old Flame"; "Feels So Right"; "Love in the First Degree"

·   1982: "Mountain Music"; "Take Me Down"; "Close Enough to Perfect"

·   1983: "Dixieland Delight"; "The Closer You Get"; "Lady Down on Love"

·   1984: "Roll On 18 Wheeler"; "When We Make Love"; "If You're Gonna Play in Texas"

·   1985: "Fire in the Night"; "There's No Way"; "40 Hour Week"; "Can't Keep a Good Man Down"

·   1986: "She and I"; "Touch Me When We're Dancing"

·   1987: "'You've Got' the Touch"

·   1988: "Face to Face" (duet with K.T. Oslin); "Fallin' Again"

·   1989: "Song of the South"; "If I Had You"; "High Cotton"

Additionally in 1987, Alabama contributed harmony vocals to  Lionel Richie's hit song, "Deep River Woman," and had a Top 7 single, "Tar Top" from their album, Just Us.

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34

Mötley Crüe

Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Bob "Mick Mars" Deal, Vince Neil formed Mötley Crüe in 1981 and the umlauts over the “o” and “u” were supposedly inspired by Löwenbräu, which was a favorite beer of all the band members back then. The band toured for a couple years and had some success with their first release, Too Fast For Love, the 1981 LP produced and distributed via their own record label, Leathür Records, but it was not until it signed with Elektra and was given a marketing budget did they really begin to get noticed.

Their mixture of heavy metal and glam rock styles resulted in best-selling albums throughout the eighties, beginning with 1983’s Shout at the Devil. The Crüe’s second album produced three hit singles (“Shout at the Devil,” “Looks That Kill,” and “Too Young to Fall in Love”) and Theatre of Pain spawned two more hits (“Smokin' in the Boys Room” and “Home Sweet Home”) in 1985. The band’s makeup and outrageous clothes and hairstyles were perfect for music videos, which helped both albums go four times platinum.

The 1987 release of Girls, Girls, Girls saw the band producing a more polished, blues-influenced sound and the themes of the LP revolved around drug abuse, motorcycles, strip clubs, and the groupie-filled sexual escapades. The record’s singles, “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Wild Side” and “You’re All I Need” were as memorable as the band’s legendary offstage antics.  The partying came to a head when Nikki Sixx suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose. He was actually declared legally dead en route to the way to the hospital, but the paramedic, a Crüe fan, revived Sixx by giving him two shots of adrenaline to the heart. His two minutes of death inspired a hit single ("Kickstart My Heart") from the band’s next and last record of the 1980’s.

1989 was a great year for Mötley Crüe: they were finally sober, their fifth LP, Dr. Feelgood, was their highest seller, hitting number one, and then staying on the charts for over two years after its release, and they were nominated for Grammys in the Best Hard Rock Category for the singles, “Dr. Feelgood” and "Kickstart My Heart". The album garnered two more hit singles, “Without You” and “Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away),” but they were both released in 1990.

Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.- Romans 12:9

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

 

 

CULTURE CLUB

After being kicked out of his gigs with Bananarama, George O’Dowd christened himself “Boy George” and recruited some talented musicians (Mikey Craig, Roy Hay, and Jon Moss) in the London area, and Culture Club was born.

After not hitting with the first two singles from their first album, Kissing to Be Clever, Culture Club released the reggae-inspired "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", in September of 1982, and scored an international chart topper. Their next two singles were also big hits, the R&B/Smooth Jazz tune, "Time (Clock of the Heart)", and "I'll Tumble 4 Ya," making Culture Club the first group since The Beatles to have three Top Ten hits from a debut album in America. Kissing to Be Clever would eventually sell over 6.5 million records worldwide, and their next album, just over a year away, would be even bigger.

Colour by Numbers was released in October of 1983 and ended up selling over 10 million copies globally.  It spawned four US Top Ten hits ("Church of the Poison Mind,” Karma," "Miss Me Blind," and "It's a Miracle"), and a fifth one in the band’s native UK ("Victims"). Culture Club then won the 1984 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, where George gave a speech via satellite stating, "Thanks America, you've got style, you've got taste, and you know a good drag queen when you see one." This album was also notable for highlighting the band’s lead back-up singer, the phenomenal Helen Terry, and spring boarded her successful career.

As with all meteoric rises, descent must follow, and it did for Culture Club. They had a hit from the soundtrack to the great cult film Electric Dreams, called "Love Is Love", and then sold around two million copies of their next album, Waking Up with the House on Fire. The album had really only one hit single ("The War Song"),  and band member have stated many times that they were exhausted from an enormous world tour the year before, but were pressured to put out a new album for their labels (Virgin and Epic).

George’s drug abuse and internal squabbling took its toll on the band, and Culture Club’s final album (until a failed comeback in 1999), 1986's From Luxury to Heartache yielded only one hit single, "Move Away." By the end of the year, Culture Club was officially a band no more, leaving a legacy of smart, sweet songs and a gallery of bewitching videos.

A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit. - Proverbs 15:13

RUN DMC and JAM MASTER JAAAAAY!

Run–D.M.C.,  in my humble opinion, is one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop. At a time when most music industry people thought that rap music was a fad or a novelty (if they'd heard of it at all), this group validated the style, language, and culture of urban kids across America (and eventually the rest of the world).

Although a few earlier rap acts had garnered some popularity, before Run-DMC, this group took it to an entriely new level. Theirs was the first rap video ever played on MTV (Rock Box, in 1984). And they were:

• the  first rap artist with gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums.
• the first rap act to incorporate hard rock/heavy metal guitar into their songs.
• the first rap act to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
• the first rap act to chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 more than once.
• the first rap artists with a Top 10 pop charting rap album (Raising Hell).
• the only rap act invited to perform at Live Aid in 1985.
• the first rap act to perform to sign a major product endorsement deal (Adidas, of course!).

In the 1980's, these college freshmen from Hollis Queens released four albums. All are great, but the third, Raising Hell, was groundbreaking. Produced by Rick Rubin, and featuring Walk This Way, the remake/collaboration with Aerosmith (widely seen as restarting Aerosmith's fading career), this album went triple-platinum and put rap music on the mainstream map.

So today, my tribute to Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and the late, great, Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell!



Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.-Proverbs 3:5

A Few ONE-HIT WONDERS of the 80's!!!

What is a One-Hit Wonder, you ask? There are several definitions, but they typically vary only slightly. General consensus is that a One-Hit Wonder is any musical act that recorded only one song that reached the U.S. Top 40.  Of course, since many musical acts have numerous hits on the other charts, they are not considered one hit wonders.  For examples, there are countless Country, Rap, Blues, Jazz, and Heavy Metal artists that dominated their prospective charts in the eighties, but may not have even had a Top 40 hit (or, perhaps, one Top 40 hit).

Enough with the footnotes; here are songs from artists that I consider One-Hit Wonders:

“Mickey” by Toni Basil – was Billboard’s number one single in December of 1982

“Too Shy” by Kajagoogoo – was in the Billboard top five in the spring of 1983

“Double Dutch Bus” by Frankie Smith – a big hit in the summer of 1981

“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell – was a huge Billboard single in the spring of 1982

“99 Luft Balloons” by Nena – the far superior German-language version was a hit in 1984

“Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Taco - was a Billboard top four hit in September of 1983

 “Pee Wee’s Dance” by Joeski Love – a hit inspired by Pee Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985 

Ok, so these songs ought to keep you both humming and cringing for the rest of the week!

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. - Deuteronomy 6:5

U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, Jr.)

U2 formed in Dublin in the late seventies, under the name "Feedback" and their repetoire was primarily covers of great punk bands like The Clash, The Buzzcocks, and The Sex Pistols. After a few name changes and a few years to become more proficient in their craft, they released the album, War in 1983. This was U2's first really political record, containing the stunning singles "Sunday, Bloody, Sunday" and "New Years Day." The band's next album, The Unforgettable Fire, sold well, produced two remarkable singles "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "The Unforgettable Fire," but received mixed reviews.

Towards the end of 1988, U2 released Rattle And Hum, an excellent live album and documentary/concert film. The record was made up of performances from the Joshua Tree concert tour, but differed from that album because it contained more blues, folk, country tunes, covers from the Beatles and Stones, and even had B.B. King, Benmont Tench and Dylan as guest artists. The film and record was a great way for the band to end the decade because they was beginning to be widespread backlash, due to The Joshua Tree being so enormous and Bono and the Edge becoming so “earnest” and political.  Neither the film nor the album is as self-indulgent as I remember critics claiming them to be back then.

U2 did not release another record in the eighties (thank Heaven), but came back in 1991 with the fantastic Achtung Baby.

For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. - Psalm 36:9 

1987, U2 released its fifth album, The Joshua Tree, and ruled the world for a while. The album went platinum, gold, and diamond in several countries, selling upwards of 25 million copies, and garnered Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1988. The album's three big hit singles, "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", and "Where the Streets Have No Name," seemed to stay on the charts and on MTV for like, two years.

MUSIC: 1980 - 1989

On August 1, 1981. 12:01am. A new music channel called MTV went on the air.  It’s first “music video” was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by One-Hit Wonders, The Buggles. Music had become a visual medium like never before...

In my opinion (hey, this is MY blog!), the most significant artists were probably: Michael Jackson (of course), Madonna (duh!), Prince, Culture Club, Genesis, Run-DMC, and the Go-Go’s.

Obviously, there are literally HUNDREDS of artists which contributed considerably to the musical landscape: AC/DC, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Def Leppard, Whitney Houston, Guns N’ Roses, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Huey Lewis and the News, Bon Jovi and the list goes on…and on…

However, some acts were able to achieve, and then maintain, a level of both commercial success and artistic quality, while riding the waves of longevity. Then there are many reliable musical acts who pop up, release a couple (or a few) hit singles, disappear for a while, and the return with another hit or two.

 There are One-Hit Wonders, Two-Hit Wonders, and Why-the-Heck-Was-That-Song-a-Hit? Wonders.  I will explore them all (or most of them, anyway) in this blog. Some days I’ll write about a hit single; some days I’ll write about a hit album, yes, album; some days I’ll write about a great musical act (like Erasure), or a crappy musical act (like Joe Dolce).

It will always be ‘80s and it will always be fun!

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. - John 4:14