My mental jukebox has awakened me with another 80s tune for you (and me, naturally). Today, it’s “Lean on Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)” by Red Box. From their amazing debut album The Circle and the Square, this song is an instant sing along classic. From 1985, I discovered this song while on business in London, England, as well (much like with yesterday’s track). Check it out!
Category: Hidden Gems
About Hidden Gems
Song of the Day (or So) #11
Today’s song of the day is “Love Like Blood” from Killing Joke’s Night Time album. I first heard this song when I was on business in London back in 1985. I was immediately taken by the Goth-like sound of the vocalist along with the pounding drums and driving bass of this track. This was immediately and still remains one of my all time favorite 80s tracks. You just can’t go wrong with this one. Crank it!
Five Guilty Pleasure Tracks #1
There are many, many songs that get produced in the span of a year. Many of them are forgettable junk, of course, then there are those that become our favorites. But there is also a third, strange category of guilty pleasure songs: songs that are not the best, but we love them anyway just because.
Maybe they conjure an emotion or a memory from a better time, they are a great tune to jam out to, or were just to popular at the time to truly engage with properly. Whatever the reason, these beasties do exist and I have my own guilty pleasure playlist like most other music fans of the New Wave era. Here are some from my playlist in no particular order.
1. The Tubes “Talk To Ya Later” (1981)
Never was a very big fan of The Tubes or their major hit “She’s a Beauty” (which now sounds much better in comparison to modern ‘music’), but this one is just fun. Crank it up to 11 and enjoy the politically incorrectness of it all!
2. Sammy Hagar “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” (1983)
More of a synth pop and New Wave guy, I came onto the Sammy Hagar scene much later than most. That is a shame. Some of his songs like “I Can’t Drive 55” and “There’s Only One Way To Rock” have grown on me a LOT since the 80s ended and we won’t even get started on “Heavy Metal”. Great stuff!
3. Chaka Khan “I Feel For You” (1984)
On a completely different vibe, there was the effervescent and all-too-familiar “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan (featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel on the rapping duties, if memory serves). From the album of the same name, I hated this track when it came out because it was played to death. But, I have grown to like it a lot more in recent years. Just good fun!
4. R.E.M. “Stand” (1989)
From the pumping organ intro to the nonsensical and repetitive lyrics, this one is an earworm that begs to be sung along to… loudly! Off their album Green, this track was played on the radio A LOT during the end of the 80s decade. Still fun today. Enjoy!
1. Limahl “Never Ending Story” (1984)
Now here is a song that only had limited popularity during the 80s, but has become a much more prominent tune in recent years (oddly enough). From Limahl’s solo album Don’t Suppose, this featured great vocals (of course!) and an unforgettable synth pop arrangement from the legendary Giorgio Moroder. I was always a fan of this one, but now I can sing it out loud and not get goofy looks from people. Well… I might still get goofy looks.
Disclaimer of Upfrontness
The links in the above article are indeed Amazon affiliate links. If you click on them to purchase any of this awesome music, the channel will receive a tiny bit of moolah to keep the lights on (i.e., we get paid a little bit). Just so you know! If you decide to support Frizzo’s Electric Café by doing this, though, it will not cost you anything extra and you will have our undying gratitude, so thanks in advance!
Song of the Day (or So) #2
So, this morning I woke up with this song in my head. It’s “Wishful Thinking” by China Crisis off their Working with Fire and Steel: Possible Pop Songs Volume 2 album (1983). Dreamy and melancholy, this song didn’t have much impact in the US, although I understand it was a good size hit in the UK and elsewhere. Plus, it features an oboe, so what’s not to love? What song is on your mind today?
Sounds of West Germany
Five Essential Songs of the 80s
For all the youth who read this, there was a time when Germany was divided in to two countries: East Germany, which was part of the Eastern Bloc and West Germany, which was part of NATO. Many of the iconic German bands of the 80s were from West Berlin (the line between the countries ran through the center of the city) or other parts of West Germany. Here are five of my favorite songs by 80s German bands. Enjoy!
Alphaville “Dance With Me”
A band that became known for the international mega-hit “Forever Young”, Alphaville has a very strong early catalog of material from the 80s (and the band is still active today)! This upbeat number is from their sublime second album, Afternoons in Utopia. If you get a chance, give the whole album a listen. It’s a masterpiece! Anyway, here is the track:
Propaganda “Duel”
Claudia Brucken and company came to prominence with this catchy and quirky song about a relationship gone very wrong. Synthesizers, syncopation, and sorrow. What could possibly be better? This one is required listening for fans of 80s music.
Peter Schilling “The Different Story (World of Lust & Crime)”
Best known for his international hit “Major Tom (Coming Home)”, this lesser-known synth pop masterpiece is from the album The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime) from 1988. Great song + strange video = 80s magic!
Swimming With Sharks “Careless Love”
Sisters Annette and Inga Humpe released this glossy, dreamy piece of pop perfection in 1987 under the name Swimming with Sharks. The arrangement is amazing and the sisters’ voices are spot-on for the material. Very hard record to find these days, but very worth tracking down. There are several other good songs on the album, as well.
Nena “99 Luftballons”
No list of 80s music acts would be complete without mentioning Nena from the album Nena. Released in 1983 in both German and English versions, this song was a massive chart hit on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world. Great energy and groove for a song about the end of the world. Just a little ahead of its time?
Shameless Plug
If you like these songs and want to support the artists and this channel, consider purchasing their works via the links below (just click on the album titles). Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you on the flip side!
Propaganda Secret Wish
Peter Schilling The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime)
Swimming with Sharks Swimming with Sharks (out of print)
Nena Nena