'My forbidden lover' is another one of those catchy tunes only Chic could make during the late Seventies. It was the second single from the band's third album 'Risque'.
Rod Argent wrote 'She's not there' and was recorded by his band the Zombies in 1964. Although this version became a hit in several countries, it was not as memorable as the 1978 cover version by Santana.
I've been searching for this single for such a long time, that I totally forgot I was searching for it. I saw it for the first time in over 10 years, and for a reasonable price too. For a moment, I was even wondering whether I had it or not...
Boney M officially disbanded after the commercially unsuccessful and ininspired album 'Eye dance' (1985). From that point, several different versions of the group were formed. The classic line-up reformed in 1988 for the album 'Greatest hits of all times - remix 88', but this reunion didn't last very long: within the year Liz Mitchell left the group, to be replaced by Madeleine Davis.
According to Sting, 'Walking on the moon' is about the feeling of being in love. He wrote the song when he: 'was drunk in a hotel room in Munich, slumped on the bed with the whirling pit when this riff came into my head. I got up and starting walking round the room singing: 'Walking round the room, walking round the room'. That was all. In the cool light of morning I remembered what had happened and I wrote the riff down. But 'Walking round the room' was a stupid title so I thought of something even more stupid which was 'Walking on the moon'.'
In 1986, Nena released their sixth album 'Eisbrecher' ('Ice breaker'). It was to be their last album as a band; frontwoman Nena Kerner continued as a solo artist, still using the name Nena. The single 'Mondsong' was written by her and recorded with the band.
Although the Police never formally broke up, 1985 was the year in which all three members started concentrating on solo projects. The most successful of the three was Sting, who launched his solo career in the summer of 1985 with this single, 'If you love somebody set them free'. It was the first single from his first solo album, 'The dream of the blue turtles', which he recorded with a band of accomplished jazz musicians.
'Blok aan mijn been' was the third and final single taken from the self-titled debut album by the Frank Boeijen Groep, the Dutch band that was founded by Frank Boeijen at the end of the Seventies. Like its predecessor 'Vrijdagavond', this single failed to chart.
Just three weeks ago, in my entry about the single 'Manzanar', I wrote that I hadn't been able to find a copy of the third and last single from Cock Robin's third album 'First love last rites', 'Straighter line', and indeed, it has been a hell of a search. But fortunately the single popped up on a mailorder website 12 days ago, and so now I do have it.
David Bowie recorded 'Up the hill backwards' as a track on his 1980 album 'Scary monsters (and super creeps)'. The lyric is often seen as a commentary on the public coverage of his divorce from Angela Bowie, one of several tracks on the album that muse over the double-edged sword of celebrity. It has also been interpreted as facing up to crises in general.
After Mai Tai had some big successes in the Eighties, their career came to a complete standstill when their third album 'Cool is the rule' (1987) was less successful. They disappeared from view until 1991, when a 'Best of' album was released. This album featured one new track, 'Dance in the light'. That single did not chart.
'Love of the common people' was written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins. The lyrics tell a bleak story of poverty and joblessness. Though Wilkins and Hurley did not expressly say so in the lyrics, the song is also a protest of what they saw as the failure of the American government to do more for the poor and unemployed than it had. The track was originally recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1967, then covered by Nicky Thomas in 1970.
'Thursday's child' was released as the third and last single from Tanita Tikaram's second album 'The sweet keeper'. The track was re-recorded for the single release. However, this did not help matters much: the single did not chart.
According to Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, 'The circus' was a deliberate departure of the pop sound of their previous six singles. The lyric touches on social issues and center around the lament of 'working men', whose bright futures and job securities are left shattered in the modern world of greedy corporations and technology.
With Bobby Farrell out of the line-up of Boney M and new male singer Reggie Tsiboe in, the group was facing difficult times. With already three singles landing outside of the top 40 in Germany, 'Somewhere in the world' was the fourth attempt at having more success - but another failure.
Paloma San Basilio was born on November 22, 1950 in Madrid, Spain. She started her career in the Spanish music scene in the Seventies with the album 'Sombras'. In 1985, she represented Spain during the Eurovision Song Contest with 'La fiesta terminó'. This song was composed by Juan Carlos Calderón, who is best known for the 1973 entry 'Eres tu' by Mocedades, which ended second in the Contest but went on to become a worldwide hit. 'La fiesta terminó' was less successful: it finished 14th in the Contest in a field of 19 competitors.
'Only your love' was the first single by Bananarama after a four year relationship with the producers trio Stock, Aitken & Waterman. This song was co-written and produced by Youth. It was released as the first single from the group's fifth studio album 'Pop life' and released several months prior to its release.
'Never knew love' was written by John Paul and Derek Bordeaux and recorded by Rick Astley on his third album 'Free', the one he made without the involvement of Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Instead, this track was produced by Gary Stevenson and Astley himself.
I might never have heard 'A little respect' if Kim Wilde hadn't decided to start performing the song live during her 2009 spring tour. Although the single was a big hit in the UK in 1988, I didn't hear the song at the time so I caught up 21 years later.
If this song sounds familiar to you, then most probably you're reminded of the original version of 'Song sung blue' by Neil Diamond, recorded in 1972. It was a number 1 hit in the USA, also reaching number 14 in the UK singles chart.
'More than physical' was one of two tracks on Bananarama's 1986 album 'True confessions' that were produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, with the other tracks being produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. The other track was 'Venus', which had just become a worldwide hit after its single release. 'More than physical' was released as the follow-up in an attempt to capitalize on that success.
'Principles of lust' was the third single released from Enigma's debut album 'MCMXC a.D.'. The single version of 'Principles of lust' is actually 'Find love', part two of the album version of 'Principles of lust'. The song contains a sample of 'Justify my love' by Madonna. The cover includes a detail from the painting Venus, Cupid, Folly, and Time by Agnolo Bronzino.
The title track of T'pau's debut album 'Bridge of spies' was released as a single in the USA and Germany only. This is the German single, featuring the US edit of the track, as well as the live version of 'Sex talk' which was released as a single in the UK around the same time.
Daryl Hall sketched out the basics of 'I can't go for that' one evening at a music studio in New York City in 1981 after a recording session for the album 'Private eyes'. Hall played a bassline on a Korg organ, then came up with a guitar riff - both were recorded by sound engineer Neil Kernon. The duo Hall & Oates took it from there the next day.
'I won't steal away' was one of the songs to come out of the collaboration between the Time Bandits lead singer Alides Hidding with American hit producer Dan Hartman. It was recorded on the band's 1986 album 'Fiction' and released as a single.
'No one is to blame' was a track on Howard Jones' second studio album 'Dream into action'. It was originally recorded as a ballad, but for the single release, the track was re-recorded with Phil Collins producing and adding backing vocals and drums into the mix.
I bought the German pressing of this single at the time of its release, and found an American pressing with a totally different sleeve in 2000.
A common mondegreen in this song is the perception that, following the title line, Jeff Lynne shouts 'Bruce!' However, he is actually saying a made-up word 'Grroosss'. After the song's release, so many people had misinterpreted the word as Bruce that Jeff Lynne actually began to sing the word as Bruce for fun at live shows.
'Love is a stranger' was originally released in November 1982, but it failed to chart. When 'Sweet dreams (are made of this)' became a hit single, this single was re-released in March 1983. On that occasion, it peaked at number 6 in the UK singles chart, number 13 in the Dutch Top 40 and number 23 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
I bought two different copies of this single: at the time of its re-release, I bought the Dutch pressing. Sixteen years later, I found a UK pressing with a totally different sleeve: the original 1982 version.
The Australian Little River Band crossed over to America after they became very successful in their homeland in 1976. When they combined the release of the single 'It's a long way there' with promotional visits, they managed a breakthrough in the USA, which in turn meant that their career took on a global scale.
The single 'Discotheque' was the start of one of a controversial period for the band U2. Critics and fans were put off by the dance-inspired album 'Pop' and the band themselves later expressed dismay at the fact that they had to finish the album too quickly because the accompanying Popmart tour was already booked.
This single was released when the Russian town St. Petersburg was still called Leningrad. The song was written by Billy Joel about a Russian clown named Viktor, whom he met while touring the Soviet Union in 1987. Throughout the song, major items of Viktor's and Joel's lives are compared to show the cultural difference of the United States of America and the Soviet Union.
Released in 1987, 'Best kept secret' was the second and last single release from the China Crisis album 'What price paradise', which was released the year before. It was their first single to also be released as a cd-single, which was a new format at the time.
I have to be honest and say that these days I don't like Golden Earring at all. They have turned into a band that is mercilessly repeating itself with performances in theatres with unplugged concerts. The band members are these old men who should think about having an annual prostrate checkup instead of planning new tourdates.
Salomé was born as Maria Rosa Marco on June 21, 1943 in Barcelona, Spain. She found international fame in 1969 when she represented Spain during the Eurovision Song Contest with the song 'Vivo cantando' ('I live singing'). Two memorable aspects of the performance were Salomé's costume – a pantsuit covered in long strands of porcelain resembling beads – and the fact that the singer chose to dance on the spot during certain parts of the song.
'Round and round' was the fourth and last single from Spandau Ballet's 1984 album 'Parade'. It was a hit in the UK, but it performed less well in the chart than its three predecessors, stalling at number 18.
Billy Idol's third studio album 'Whiplash smile', released in 1986, contained the midtempo ballad 'Sweet sixteen', which was subsequently released as a single in 1987. At the time of its release, I bought a cassette single in London, and only got around to buying the 7" single two years later.
'Reasons to be cheerful, part 3' can be described as a 'shopping list song'. It is a simple list of a number of reasons to be cheerful. The list of reasons to be cheerful includes Buddy Holly, equal voting rights for men and women, Piccadilly Circus in London, porridge oats, wine, Elvis Presley, a cure for smallpox, going to the toilet, National Health Service's free glasses, Woody Allen, the song 'Volare', Smokey Robinson and nudity.
Izhar Cohen returned to the Eurovision Song Contest for Israel in 1985 after winning the 1978 edition with 'A-ba-ni-bi'. He performed the song 'Ole, ole!' together with four unnamed band mates. At the close of voting, the song finished 5th in a field of 19 competitors.
'Escapade' was inspired by the Martha & the Vandellas 1965 single 'Nowhere to run', which Jackson originally intended to remake, but instead choose to record a new song with a similar feel after a suggestion from producer Jimmy Jam.
When 'Can't stay away from you' was released in the autumn of 1988, it was credited to Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, effectively phasing out the band name. The album 'Let it loose', from which the single was taken, was re-released as 'Anything for you', also reflecting this change of name.
After his daughter Kim had some success with her first two albums, father Marty decided to get back into the game as well. He signed with Kaleidoscope Records, a small subsidiary of Epic Records, and released this cover of the Roy Orbison track 'In dreams'.
It's interesting how record companies sometimes think they know better than the artist. For the second single of the Dutch Frank Boeijen Groep, the record company re-edited the track 'Vrijdagavond' ('Friday night'), including the chorus not two, but four times. The cuts are audible and frankly only make the song repetitive.
Released in 1985, 'Found my girl' was dedicated to Charlotte. The song was written by Leee John and Ashley Ingram, so without any additional information I can only assume that the girl meant something to one of them - or both. However passionate the message in the song, it left the audiences cold, as the single didn't chart in any territory.
This limited edition 'scratch 'n' sniff' sleeve still works after 15 years: there is a sweet strawberry/cherry smell coming from the front when you rub it. It's a good gimmick, but fortunately the music on the disc is very good too.
Released in late 1984, 'Johnny come home' was the debut single by the British band Fine Young Cannibals, taken from their self-titled debut album. The lyric of the song tells the gritty realistic story of a runaway youth, and alternates from the first-person narrative, explaining how his arrival in the big city has not turned out as he expected, to the view of the parents in the chorus, expressing their wish that he would come home.
Sting commented about 'Every breath you take': 'I woke up in the middle of the night with that line in my head, sat down at the piano and had written it in half an hour. The tune itself is generic, an aggregate of hundreds of others, but the words are interesting. It sounds like a comforting love song. I didn't realise at the time how sinister it is. I think I was thinking of Big Brother, surveillance and control.'
