We finish up New Wave Month with a rare clip from my favorite new wave artist, Yaz (AKA - Yazoo). This is one of their most popular tunes, with an instantly recognizable, fast-moving synthesizer and Alison Moyet's powerful vocals. I hope you've enjoyed this month-long trip down new wave memory lane with me. Stay tuned as we return to our regular mix of today's best hits and great tunes of the distant and not so distant past. Peace!
British duo Go West scored big a few times in the 80's and 90's with songs on the more pop/dance side of new wave music, and this was their very first and one of their biggest singles ever. Check out We Close Our Eyes...
British rocker Billy Idol got his start in the late 70's with the punk band Generation X, but he really came into his own in the early 80's and beyond starting with this great tune. Oh yeah, it's a nice day, for a white wedding...
The last time I posted this song, it was in English, but oftentimes I think the original is better, even when it's not in English. Some of you may remember Falco, the Austrian recording artist who hit it big here in English (well, sort of!) with Rock Me Amadeus. Most of you will know this tune in English from British new wave band After the Fire, or even maybe even Laura Branigan's version of it called Deep In the Dark. Anyway, I've always loved the song, especially the cool guitarish track. In English or German, it's still a great tune. Enjoy Der Kommissar...
Here's a favorite for Easter Sunday by one of the most enduring bands to come out of the new wave era. Erasure, a duo consisting of singer/songwriter Andy Bell and keyboardist Vince Clarke, first broke onto the scene in 1985 with their debut set, Wonderland, and they've never looked back. With a string of hits in the late 80's and beyond, these two have been making beautiful music together for 30-plus years now. Here's one of my favorites, an anthemic and beautifully written song with catchy lyrics and an awesome melody. Check out A Little Respect and here's wishing a Happy Easter to all who celebrate...
Here's one of the earliest songs to be considered new wave and has become a classic of the genre. British recording artist Gary Numan released the song in August of 1979 and though he had a string of hits in the U.K., this was his only major U.S. hit. Check out Cars...
This catchy ditty was a huge hit for Adam and the Ants front-man Adam Ant, who had just left the band to begin a solo career which never quite reached this same pinnacle again. So click play below and relive an 80's new wave gem...
We're continuing on with the last week of New Wave Month and a trio of British gals who uniquely harmonized their way from early new wave roots with songs such as this one and Really Sayin' Something to a relatively short-lived super pop stardom on Venus and I Heard a Rumor. Check out Bananarama's hypnotically haunting Cruel Summer...
Berlin was a band out of Los Angeles that gained steam as the 80's rolled on. Fronted by talented vocalist Terri Nunn, these guys reached their pinnacle in 1986 with Take My Breath Away, from the Top Gun Soundtrack. Inspired by Hump Day, here's their first real hit from their second album, a tune that caused a lot of controversy in its day for the racy lyrics and suggestive content. Check out Sex (I'm a)... (The video is soooo 80's!)
Ooh, this New Wave Month thing has been so easy! There are so many great songs to choose from I have yet to find a day that's given me any sort of difficulty in the decision-making department. Next up is the outrageously and overtly sexual Dale Bozzio and her band Missing Persons. The band had several hits behind the quirky and high-pitched singer, including Destination Unknown, Give and Walking in L.A., but this one is hands down my favorite, and the first in this writer's memory to tackle this subject (see Madonna, Bedtime Stories, Words, Berlin, No More Words, et. al.). So check out the funky Words....
I can't believe it's already the 21st and I am just now getting to Blondie, one of the more successful bands of the new wave era. It's hard to know where to start with Deborah Harry and gang. They could have a blog post on their career all their own. Hmmmm? Anyway, rather than post one of their super super hits, like Heart of Glass or Call Me, I thought I'd share one of my favorites of theirs, the sweet Dreaming...
For anyone who lived their formative years during the 1980's, new wave music was surely a part of that experience. As I've been talking about all month long, new wave music first came about in the late seventies and melded together two dying genres of music: punk and disco. With a more rockish sound than disco music and less of a harder edge than punk, new wave music became very popular during the decade and a great many stars were borne out of the movement.
One of the most enduring bands to come out of the new wave movement was the Athens, Georgia-based B-52's. The five-member group consisting of Fred Schneider (vocals), Kate Pierson (vocals), Cindy Wilson (vocals), Keith Strickland (guitar, drums, keyboards), and Ricky Wilson (guitars) started their journey in 1976 and created an as yet unheard of type of sound that eventually skyrocketed them to garner a huge following that has spanned more than thirty years.
The band has been through a lot during that time, most notably enduring the loss of founding member Ricky Wilson to an AIDS-related illness in 1985. The death resulted in a temporary hiatus from making music for the devastated band, which wouldn't put out a new album until the hugely successful Cosmic Thing four years later. Collectively both before and after that album, The B-52s have amassed a nice collection of memorable tunes over the years, and here are my picks for their ten best:
10 - Legal Tender
The opening track to the band's third album, Whammy! is a slow, but steady moving ditty that pokes fun at the craft of counterfeiting. It's a fun tune that gets the album going in a nice way. Check it out...
#9 - Whammy Kiss
Whammy kiss me Whammy hug Revitalize me give me whammy love... C'mon mammy, throw me that whammy
This song, the title track to the band's Whammy! hearkens to their first effort, with a steady, rhythmic music track coupled with lyrics that are incomprehensible, a staple of the band's sound. It's one of those things the band did so well and helped make them well, The B-52's! Check out Whammy Kiss...
#8 - Song for a Future Generation Not a huge hit by any means in many places, but this tune from the Whammy! album is unique in that all five members of the band have a turn at taking lead vocal. The song is satirical in that it pokes fun at that part of the American dream about getting married and becoming whatever you want. Great song!
#7 - Roam This eco-friendly, global village kind of tune was the follow-up to the immensely popular Love Shack and it's pretty good all on its own. The dual vocals here by Kate and Cindy are simply splendid in this feel-good tune...
#6 - Strobe Light Is that you baby? Yeah! Got something to tell ya. Oh, what? I wanna see you tonight I want you to walk in the door I want you to lay on the floor Cause tonight's the night We make love under the strobe light...
One of this writer's personal favorites, Strobe Light is nothing but pure fun! The song is a wonderfully brilliant back and forth between Fred and Kate about getting together for some love under the light. Fabulous!
#5 - Planet Claire This iconic tune is all about a chick from a foreign planet who drives a Plymouth Satellite and breathes pink air. With a long guitar intro and few lyrics, this opener to their debut set is classic B-52s!
#4 - Dance This Mess Around
Why don't you dance with me? I'm not no limberger! This song, from the B's first album, is slow and sultry at the verses (which borrow lyrics from the Supremes) and really gets going as Cindy belts out the nonsensical chorus, and the tune gets even more raucous as Fred joins in for the finale. I posted this one as Song of the Day the other day, so check it out here.
#3 - Private Idaho This song, off of the B's sophomore record, Wild Planet in 1980, was my first ever experience with the group's sound. I remember it fondly: back when I was in my early 20's, I used to frequent a disco called Spectrum on Friday nights, and on a very regular basis, the deejay would play this quick-paced, crazy wonderful tune. I remember wanting to get a copy of it, but I had no idea who it was or even really what the heck they were singing. I finally asked the deejay and he shared it with me so I could make my purchase. And thus a B-52's fan was borne!
#2 - Love Shack
Though the B-52's had been around for more than twelve years by the time this one came out, they never really had a huge hit until this was released in 1989. The song, with such memorable lines as the famous, tin roof, rusted, helped make this one a million copy seller and catapulted the group into the pop stratosphere. Oh, and look for the supreme dragster Rupaul making her national debut in the video...
#1 - Rock Lobster Even though Love Shack may be the B-52's most successful single ever, this is the one that put them on the map. From their debut eponymous album, Rock Lobster is the very symbol of what gave this group their own unique sound, with fast-moving guitar riffs that induce the body to move and lyrics that make absolutely no sense at all. The tune is the band's first to become a hit, hitting the #58 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1978, and remains as the band's best song. Check out a classic...
So there you go, the ten best songs from that iconic new wave band, The B-52s. Of course there are some honorable mentions bubbling just below the surface of the top ten that include such classics as Summer of Love, 52 Girls, Girl from Ipanema Goes to Greenland, Give Me Back My Man, and more. I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane and stay tuned for more on John's Music World's New Wave Month.
And you may find yourself living in another part of the world
And you may find yourself living behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself,
Well, how did I get here?
We continue New Wave Month with Talking Heads. The band, made up of lead vocalist David Byrne, drummer Chris Franz, bassist Tina Weymouth and keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison were borne out of the punk scene in the late 70's and segued nicely into the MTV video era with several hit tunes bolstered by airplay on the then fledgling channel. Here' one of their best...
At the time, there was no other sound like theirs, and I personally credit the B-52's for seguing the whole music scene from disco and punk into the new wave movement. The lyrics, the vocals, the guitars, and the hair! The B-52's have put their own unique spin on the American music catalog and there's never been any band quite like them since.
Why don't you dance with me,
I'm not no Limburger
I'm not no Limburger
Just a Limburger, Just a Limburger
Limburger? Really? Really! These were the kinds of lyrics that put the B-52's so far out there from anyone else. The lyrics may be nonsensical, but they've always been undeniably fun, even today. The song is as vintage as the clip, and there's even a little nod to the Supremes in the first verse, which to me is hella cool. So with the weekend now upon us, it;s totally time to Dance This Mess Around... Enjoy!
If you are a bona fide B-52's fan like I am, then you're going to love the video at this link! It's a vintage clip of a performance at the Downtown Cafe in Atlanta, Georgia in 1978, before their master debut was even released.
Brit rockers Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were the creators of 7 albums and 25 singles in the 1980's, 10 of which hit the Top 40 here in the U.S. Though the two of them both found success both before and after Eurythmics, it was their time together that put them on the music map. Early on, before their sound changed to pure pop (like many others...Duran Duran, Police, INXS, et. al.), they were leaders in the new wave movement, some of their earlier songs like Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Love Is a Stranger, and Who's That Girl fitting the genre perfectly. here's one that came well into the height of their popularity, a more poppish song, but hard rocking and pure fun. Check out Would I Lie to You...
Before they became a boy band pop sensation and waaay before they'd become a respectable long-term and bona fide rock group, the boys of Duran Duran were a little on the edgy side of the new wave of music sweeping the music world in the early 80's. With early tunes like Planet Earth and this one, originally from their 1981 debut eponymous album, their music was decidedly new wave. Check out the early sounds of Duran Duran on Girls On Film...
I don't know why sometimes I get frightened You can see my eyes And tell that I'm not lying
Here's an early tune from New Zealanders Split Enz. I dunno, there's something about this song...love, love, love the chorus....I know I'll be singing it all day! Enjoy...
Sometimes creating a Song of the Day post can be a daunting task. Howard Jones is an artist who found great success during the new wave era and he had quite a number of hits. I knew I'd be posting a Jones' tune sometime this month and this morning I decided this was the day. I perused all of the songs I have of his on my computer and decided on Life In One Day, which is one of my favorites. The song has got a sweet fluteish melody, with a little bit o' gospel thrown in for good measure, and it has a great message, too.
Now I distinctly remember the video for the song. It was a performance piece. But I can't find it anywhere....grrrr!!!! Of course it seems to be the only one of his tunes without the video available. ...probably some sort of legal reason...but after all of that searching I decided to post at least the audio version because some of the performance vids out there are poor quality and the song is that good! So without further adieu, here's Howard Jones' Life In One Day...
This quirky, island-ish tune was the only hit in America for these Brit boys from their 1982 debut Pelican West. Though it wasn't a monster hit, it did get plenty of airplay on MTV and I've always enjoyed it. Click play below and perhaps you will, too...
I haven't ordinarily categorized this as a new wave song...it's under the 80's Dance playlist on my iPod, but it certainly fits into the new wave category, as well. This was, and still is, one of my all time favorite 80's tunes. It's dancey, it's sexy, and it's got a weird subject. I'll let you guess what that is just from the lyrics snippet above. Any-who, click play and enjoy...
The new wave movement was a direct result of the disco and punk music that flourished in the latter half of the 70's and waned in the early part of the 80's. Shades of glam rock from even earlier times also reappeared to work their way into the mix as the video age of MTV paved the way for artists to express themselves visually. This new genre of music blended the
rebelliousness of punk rockers with the dance floor affability of those who
mourned disco’s loss. Much of it was
silly, but danceable and fun, and sparked not only a musical craze that defined a
decade, but a pop culture craze as well.
I grew up in the 80's and I feel fortunate to have done so. Much of the new wave music from that time is an indelible part of the Soundtrack of My Life. Listening to many of those tunes brings me back to a time when I really didn't know all that much about life, but I was enjoying it like no other time.
That's me on the left in some new wave gear
from a Halloween party somewhere in the mid-80's
Since it's New Wave Month, I thought I'd share ten of my favorite new wave songs. It's difficult to narrow it down to just ten because there were so many good tunes back in those
days that still bring me back and make me move my feet. So many acts contributed their fair share to 80’s music and are an indelible
part of that Soundtrack of My Life, like Duran Duran, Divo, Culture Club, Blondie, the B-52’s, Depeche
Mode, Erasure, Dead or Alive, A Flock of Seagulls, and many more. I guess that's why I've been devoting a whole month to the genre.
Anyway, here’s my personal choices for the ten best new wave
songs. I hope you enjoy...
10- Lies - Thompson Twins
Lies is a magnetic track that’s
got a typically new wave feel. With
synth sounds, catchy lyrics, and ethnic musical samples added in for fun, this
one is a classic of the genre. Here's a clip of them performing the tune on an old music program you may remember called Solid Gold...
9- Private Idaho - The B-52’s
This early B-52’s smash from
their Wild Planet record is a fast moving, dance inducing, and utterly silly tune
that’s classic B’s sound. Love, love, love this one...
You're living in your own Private Idaho Living in your own Private Idaho On the ground like a wild potato...
8- Blue Monday - New Order
This song was a club smash for
the group off of its 1987 album Substance.
It had been a smash earlier in the UK and was reincarnated several times
during the decade and beyond only to reach the charts again. This seven-plus minute song is a bass-heavy,
haunting track that oddly contains no traditional
chorus. The tune is dance floor friendly
and irresistible to sing along to. Check it out on John's Music World;s Song of the Day post from last September right here.
7- I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses
This case of
naughty girl cockiness was a one hit wonder for this new wave group. The tune was featured in the 80’s teen comedy The Last American Virgin and the sound is all 80’s, and a lot of fun! I just posted it the other day and you can check it out here.
6- Goody Two Shoes- Adam Ant
Don’t drink, don’t smoke, what do you do?
This catchy
ditty was a radio smash for Adam and unforgettably fun for us. Check it out...
5- Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics
The Eurythmics, a duo made
up of Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, were one of the more successful groups of
the genre and of the decade. Included
among their string of top 40 hits was this haunting tune, and video, taking the listener
on a hypnotic journey through Lennox’s desolate emotions. Relive this one right here...
4- You Spin Me (Right Around) - Dead or Alive
I just posted Dead or Alive the other day because they were such an underground sensation during the new wave era who spurned a loyal following, myself among them. In what was their largest success to date, You Spin Me (Right Around) filled dance floors all over the place with its
captivating rhythms and chorus. The tune was sampled by Flo Rida a couple of years back, but before that it would
become the first of a string of hits for the group, which still maintains a
devoted fan base to this day. Get ready to dance...
3- Situation - Yaz
Originally known as Yazoo, this duo
comprised of Depeche Mode songwriter Vince Clark and vocalist Alison Moyet
released two classic albums during the new wave era. Their debut, Upstairs at Eric’s, is a classic
album featuring the #1 US dance hit Situation. This one nears the top of this list for its
uniquely identifiable keyboard-based track and Moyet’s powerful vocals.
2- I Ran (So Far Away) - Flock of Seagulls
Two things
come to mind when I think of a Flock of Seagulls; I Ran (So Far Away) and bad
hair! This one’s a classic, with catchy
lyrics and signature eighties synth-pop rhythms. It's so iconic of the era that I posted it as Song of the Day right here.
1-Rock Lobster - The B-52’s
With a hypnotic guitar melody
and nonsensical lyrics, Rock Lobster seduced a legion of music lovers and
became an instant classic in the new genre of music that would come to be known
as “new wave”. Fred Schneider’s one of a
kind vocals, paired with the harmonious duo of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson,
play off each other in perfect synch here. “Rock
Lobster” is the ultimate in frenzied fun! Check it out...
So there you have it! If you were around in the 80's, you're sure to remember virtually all of them. Have other favorite new wave tunes? I'd love to hear what you love in the comments below. In the meantime, stay tuned for more New Wave Month...
We continue New Wave Month here on John's Music World with a bona fide supergroup borne out of the era. Yes, the boys of Depeche Mode have been going at it for quite a long time now (30+ years!) with some tried and true staying power that's given them a huge fan base and they're still going at it. Here's one of their earlier hits, a fun, catchy tune from back in 1981...
Here's an iconic new wave tune from Brit group Flock of Seagulls. The year was 1982 and that hair, oh that hair...but the song was sooo good! Check out I Ran (So Far Away)...
The other night a close friend told me Never let your heart fall into careless hands I said thanks that's very nice Appreciate your good advice But things don't always go the way that I planned
Oh oh oh, You you you Break my heart and shake it up You you you Take my heart and break it up Get me to the doctor My heart goes bang bang bang bang
Now on the more dancey side of new wave music is one of my favorite 80's groups, Dead or Alive. Lead by androgynous singer Pete Burns, these guys really hit the big time with their sophomore album, 1985's Youthquake, and continued on with another great one, 1987's Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know. The former produced four hit tracks, including the #1 smash You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) and their high energy style always filled up dance floors everywhere. Here's one of them, a #15 dance record for the boys and one of my favorites off of Youthquake. Check out My Heart Goes Bang...
Though Cyndi Lauper eventually became a bona fide legend in her time, it may not have seemed like she'd get as far as she did way back when. Her first album is really the only part of her music catalog that I would consider new wave, and I'm not talking Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or Time After Time. No, even though there is some pretty great classic pop on that legendary debut, She's So Unusual, the majority of the set is classic new wave, a bit off center, danceable, and lots and lots of fun.
You talk of sweeties, bashful sweeties
I've got one of those
Oh, he's handsome as can be
But he worries me
He goes to college and gathers knowledge
Oh, what that boy knows!
He's up on his Latin and Greek
But in his chicin' he's weak
Cause when I want some lovin'
And I've got to have some lovin'
He says please, stop it please
He's so unusual!
Ah, that is the first part of a great two-tune finale to the record, done in Betty Bop style. At this point, the set jumps quickly into a frenzied and fun song that I just love! New wave music at its best! Check out a very cool adaptation of He's So Unusual/Yeah Yeah...
On the more rockish side of the new wave scene was a talented Aussie band lead by singer Michael Hutchence, who reminded many of a modern day Jim Morrison. The band, INXS, had a string of hits throughout the 80's, and persevered through the 90's, as well, but the tragic death of Hutchence in November 1997 ultimately removed the band from appearing on any radar on the music scene. Here's one of their best tunes, a high energy jam from 1985 called What You Need...
Here's one of the biggest new wave hits of the 80's. That could be from its appearance on the soundtrack to one of John Hughes' most famous movies of the decade, The Breakfast Club. If you were around back in 85' or if you ever saw the film, then you definitely know this one...
The year was 1982 and something the world had never seen before was about to be unleashed. Culture Club's Do You Really Want to Hurt Me was released in the US in November of that year and hit the #3 spot on the charts for three consecutive weeks. It would be the first of several hits to hit the charts in the coming years for the British band. With a steady, reggae-ish beat and Boy George's unique vocal sound, this one certainly resonated with music lovers everywhere, although at first no one knew what to make of this mysterious, new, androgynous lead singer. Of course, George's immense talent as both a singer and a songwriter, as well as his penchant for showmanship, far outweighed any type of negative vibes thrown their way and the band, and he, went on to immense success. Check out Do You Really Want to Hurt Me...
Here's a new wave favorite for your Thursday. This 1982 jam by low-budget one hit wonder new wave band The Waitresses is simply irresistible. I don't know anyone who knows this new wave classic that doesn't love it! Check out I Know What Boys Like....sassy and saucy!
Welcome to Day Two of our March New Wave Month on John's Music World. Here's an early new wave tune from 1980 by a one hit wonder called The Vapors. Both the song and the video are so 80's...kitchy and fun! So start your Hump Day with about 4 minutes of kitchy fun and click play...
Two years ago, when I was still doing Song of the Day posts onJohn's World, March was New Wave Month. Well I like doing themed months and since it's been awhile since I've listened to any new wave music, I figured let's go for it again. So here's the intro I wrote on John's World's 1st New Wave Month two years back...the same will stick today:
I first became aware of new wave music probably a little later than many, but around the same time as most. For many of you, like me, MTV will certainly invade your minds this month because the then-innovative and groundbreaking channel gave new wave not only a place to be heard, but a visual, too, which contributed to the style, the fashion, and the popular culture at the time. An alternative lifestyle that went mainstream.
So look for posts that will jar your memories if you were growing up at the time. I hope to bring you to a happy place, too, reliving great times spent in blissful youth, with songs that are like precious files tucked away in the documents of your mind. Look to see and read about some great 80's new wave bands like Blondie, The B-52s, Duran Duran, INXS, Erasure, New Order, Depeche Mode, Bananarama, Dead or Alive, and some classic one-hit wonders that were theCall Me Maybe's and Somebody That I Used to Know's of their time.
First up this month is high-pitched singer Jimmy Somerville and his band Bronski Beat. The song typified the new wave sound...heavy on synthesizers, and a little rockish, only danceable. Oh I remember dancing to this one at the height of the evening back in 1984. Check out Bronski Beat's Smalltown Boy...
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