The Music Of The 80s - Favorites, Classics And Rarities

[Cain N Moko]

SHEILA E.

 

Before she became a solo artist in 1984, drummer Sheila E. played with Azteca, the Latin jazz-fusion band led by her father, percussionist Pete "Coke" Escovedo; she also played on two of his solo albums recorded for Fantasy Records. Prince discovered Sheila E. around 1983 and had her sing on "Erotic City," the B-side to his number one 1984 single, "Let's Go Crazy." Prince also helped her secure a record contract with Warner Bros.; she released her debut album, Sheila E. in the Glamorous Life, in 1984. Written by Prince, the title track hit the U.S. Top Ten and her second single, "The Belle of St. Mark," charted in both the American and British Top 40. The following year she released Sheila E. in Romance 1600, which featured the number 11 hit "A Love Bizarre." Her self-titled album was released in 1987, yet it didn't have the commercial impact of her two previous records. Sheila E. joined Prince's band for the 1987 Sign O' the Times tour and is featured prominently in the resulting film documentary of the same name. Four years later, she returned with her fourth album, Sex Cymbal. Despite it's heavy dance beats and vivacious compositions, Sex Cymbal failed to chart. After her brief stint ringleading the band on Magic Johnson's late-night show, The Magic Hour, Sheila E. returned to recording and released The Writes of Passage in fall 2000

[Cain N Moko]

EXPOSE'

 

In the long-standing tradition of prefabricated pop acts, the Miami-based trio Exposé was the creation of producer/songwriter Lewis A. Martineé. Martineé brought together Ann Curless, Jeanette Jurado, and Gioia Bruno, supplying them with a batch of songs penned by himself and the result was a slew of pop, dance, and R&B charting singles. Injecting it all with a bit of Latin flavoring, Martineé and Exposé scored big with their first outing, simply titled Exposure. Released in 1986, the album reeled off a string of hits, including the pop Top Tens "Come Go With Me," "Point of No Return," and "Let Me Be the One," and a number one with the ballad "Seasons Change." The album itself sold over two-million copies and reached the Top 20. Martineé did little to tamper with the formula on the follow-up release, What You Don't Know, aside from giving it a slightly more pop feel and enlisting outside songwriters for a couple tracks (one of which, Diane Warren's "Your Baby Never Looked Good in Blue," became another Top Ten hit). While not as successful as the debut, What You Don't Know still managed to notch four hit singles and achieve gold-selling status. Bruno left the trio in 1992 due to health reasons and was replaced by Kelly Moneymaker for a self-titled release later that same year. By now, the formula had worn thin and only "I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me" managed to click at radio, leaving the album to fail to even go gold. Their output since has been limited to greatest-hits compilations

[Cain N Moko]

THE COVER GIRLS

 

This New York female dance/pop trio was the project of music promoter Sal Abbatiello and had a revolving lineup of vocalists, starting with Louise "Angel" Sabater, Sunshine Wright, and Caroline Jackson. This version of the group had three minor R&B chart hits in 1987, including Spring Love and Show Me. By the time of their 1989 Capitol album We Can't Go Wrong, Wright was replaced by Margo Urban. This lineup scored a number eight pop hit in the album's title track.

 

For the 1992 release Here It Is, Abbatiello replaced Urban and Sabater with Evelyn Escalera and Michelle Valentine, and by 1996's Satisfy none of the original Cover Girls remained. Instead, vocal duties were handled by a new trio of vocalists, Damie, Gayle, and Shelia, on this effort

[VX200Racer]

How about Flesh for Lulu, Dead or Alive...

[Cain N Moko]

TAYLOR DAYNE

 

Dance-pop diva Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wonderman) had a remarkably quick ascent to stardom in the late '80s, sailing into the Top Ten with her first single, "Tell It to My Heart." Dayne began singing professionally after graduating from high school, performing with the rock group Felony and a new wave outfit called Next; neither band had any success. Once Dayne finished college, she began singing solo. Her first effort was a dance interpretation of the ballad "Tell It to My Heart"; her version led to a contract with Arista Records, who released the song in the fall of 1987. It soon became a hit, propelling her to stardom.

 

Taylor Dayne's first album, also titled Tell It to My Heart and released in early 1988, was a continuation of her dance-pop formula: no matter if the song was an up-tempo number or a ballad, she belted out her vocals over the carefully constructed synthesized backing tracks. The formula led to three more Top Ten singles from her debut: "Prove Your Love," "I'll Always Love You," and the number two "Don't Rush Me"; the album eventually sold over two million copies. Can't Fight Fate, Dayne's second album, was nearly as successful, spawning the hit singles "With Every Beat of My Heart," "I'll Be Your Shelter," and the number one "Love Will Lead You Back," as well as selling over a million copies. However, Dayne's fall out of the Top Ten was nearly as quick as her rise; "Heart of Stone," the fourth single from Can't Fight Fate, stalled at number 12 and only one of the singles ("Can't Get Enough of Your Love") from her third album, Send Me a Lover, cracked the Top 40 and, even then, it only reached number 20. Despite her declining sales, Dayne remained a favorite of many dance music fans, returning in 1998 with Naked Without You

[Cain N Moko]

Dead or Alive has been featured on Page 18 of this thread.

 

I'll feature a Flesh For Lulu in the next post, more complete than hitman's post on Page 10

[VX200Racer]

Dead or Alive has been featured on Page 18 of this thread. 

 

I'll feature a Flesh For Lulu in the next post, more complete than hitman's post on Page 10

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Thanks! Meron na ba Orange Juice and Adventures?

[Cain N Moko]

FLESH FOR LULU

 

Fusing the strut and swagger of the Rolling Stones and New York Dolls with the dank coldness of goth-rock, Flesh for Lulu arose from Brixton to build their initial rep*tation in London's so-called "Batcave" scene. Vocalist/guitarist Nick Marsh, drummer James Mitchell, guitarist Rocco Barker (formerly of Wasted Youth), and bassist Glen Bishop made enough of an impression with their leather, mascara, and lipstick to cut a single for Polydor, "Restless," after which Bishop departed in favor of Kevin Mills. The singles "Roman Candle" and "Subterraneans" followed, with new member Derek Greening joining to play keyboards and guitar, and a self-titled album appeared in 1984. It proved quite unsuccessful, and Flesh for Lulu found themselves back in the world of indie labels for the 1985 EP Blue Sisters Swing, which attracted attention for its possibly blasphemous cover art (two nuns kissing) more than the band's greatly improved music. The improvement continued on that year's full-length Big Fun City, an eclectic outing that aroused the interest of the Beggars Banquet label. With a new rhythm section of Mike Steed (bass) and Hans Perrson (drums), 1987's Long Live the Flesh was a stab at success on mainstream and/or college radio, and "I Go Crazy" proved a minor hit on the latter. Commercial aspirations got the better of the band on the somewhat generic Plastic Fantastic, a 1989 record that spelled the end of Flesh for Lulu's career

[Cain N Moko]

THE ADVENTURES

 

Organized in London by vocalist Terry Sharpe and guitarist Pat Gribben (formerly of Belfast's Starjets), the Adventures also comprised vocalist Eileen Gribben, guitarist Gerard "Spud" Murphy, bassist Tony Ayre and drummer Pat Crowder. The group signed to Chrysalis and released their self-titled debut album in 1984. The band had two hits "Send My Heart" and "Two Rivers" in the UK. The album was renamed and repackaged as Theodore & Friends for the U.S. market, but didn't find success. The band finally had a hit in the UK and US, four years later, after moving to Elektra Records. The 1988 album Sea of Love contained the modest hit "Broken Land" but failed to move much beyond that. After another album the following year, Trading Secrets with the Moon, the Adventures drifted into obscurity

[Cain N Moko]

ORANGE JUICE

 

The leaders of the Scottish neo-pop uprising, Orange Juice formed in Glasgow in late 1976. Originally dubbed the Nu-Sonics, the group comprised vocalist/guitarist Edwyn Collins, guitarist James Kirk, bassist David McClymont and drummer Steven Daly; following the formation of the Postcard label by Collins protege Alan Horne, the quartet renamed itself Orange Juice in 1979, adopting the new moniker as well as an aura of romantic innocence as a direct reaction to the increasingly macho aggression of punk.

As Postcard's flagship band, Orange Juice quickly distinguished the label as a leading proponent of independent pop music; their 1980 debut single "Falling and Laughing," recorded for less than 100 pounds, garnered massive critical acclaim, and subsequent releases like "Blueboy," "Simply Thrilled Honey" and "Poor Old Soul" further established the group as a major new talent. Soon, sessions began for a full-length album; however, in the midst of recording, Orange Juice left Postcard to sign to Polydor, which funded the LP's completion. After the 1982 release of the album, titled You Can't Hide Your Love Forever, ex-Josef K guitarist Malcolm Ross joined the group, hastening the exit of Kirk and Daly (who went on to form Memphis) and paving the way for Zimbabwe-born drummer Zeke Manyika.

 

Manyika's addition gave Collins the new capability of exploring a more complex fusion of pop and blue-eyed soul; consequently, 1982's Rip It Up was a more ambitious affair than its predecessor, veering from the buoyant Motown tribute "I Can't Help Myself" to the energetic pop of the title track, Orange Juice's lone Top Ten single. However, subsequent releases failed to chart, and relations between the group and Polydor began to disintegrate; amid these tensions, both Ross and McClymont quit, with Ross later resurfacing in Aztec Camera. Reduced to the duo of Collins and Manyika, Orange Juice enlisted reggae producer Dennis Bovell to record the 1984 EP Texas Fever.

 

After a makeshift tour, Collins and Manyika returned to the studio to record a dark, ambitious full-length effort; released in 1984, neither The Orange Juice nor its singles "What Presence?!" and "Lean Period" charted, and Collins was dropped from his contract, although Polydor kept Manyika on as a solo act.

 

Only in 1995 did the stunning single "A Girl Like You" (appearing in the soundtrack of "Empire Records")finally win Collins the commercial respect that had so long eluded him and his former bandmates.

[VX200Racer]

THE ADVENTURES

 

Organized in London by vocalist Terry Sharpe and guitarist Pat Gribben (formerly of Belfast's Starjets), the Adventures also comprised vocalist Eileen Gribben, guitarist Gerard "Spud" Murphy, bassist Tony Ayre and drummer Pat Crowder. The group signed to Chrysalis and released their self-titled debut album in 1984.  The band had two hits "Send My Heart" and "Two Rivers" in the UK.  The album was renamed and repackaged as Theodore & Friends for the U.S. market, but didn't find success.  The band finally had a hit in the UK and US, four years later, after moving to Elektra Records. The 1988 album Sea of Love contained the modest hit "Broken Land" but failed to move much beyond that. After another album the following year, Trading Secrets with the Moon, the Adventures drifted into obscurity

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Thanks Cain! Hindi man lang na mention yung "Tears" dito na i liked both the accoustic and studio versions!

[Cain N Moko]

Even ABBA spilled over to the 80s, the early 80s at least.

 

ABBA

 

The most commercially successful pop group of the 1970s, the origins of the Swedish superstars ABBA dated back to 1966, when keyboardist and vocalist Benny Andersson, a onetime member of the popular beat outfit the Hep Stars, first teamed with guitarist and vocalist Bjorn Ulvaeus, the leader of the folk-rock unit the Hootenanny Singers. The two performers began composing songs together and handling session and production work for Polar Music/Union Songs, a publishing company owned by Stig Anderson, himself a prolific songwriter throughout the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time, both Andersson and Ulvaeus worked on projects with their respective girlfriends: Ulvaeus had become involved with vocalist Agnetha Faltskog, a performer with a recent number one Swedish hit, "I Was So in Love," under her belt, while Andersson began seeing Anni-Frid Lyngstad, a one-time jazz singer who rose to fame by winning a national talent contest.

In 1971, Faltskog ventured into theatrical work, accepting the role of Mary Magdalene in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar; her cover of the musical's "Don't Know How to Love Him" became a significant hit. The following year, the duo of Andersson and Ulvaeus scored a massive international hit with "People Need Love," which featured Faltskog and Lyngstad on backing vocals. The record's success earned them an invitation to enter the Swedish leg of the 1973 Eurovision song contest, where, under the unwieldy name of Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida, they submitted "Ring Ring," which proved extremely popular with audiences but placed only third in the judges' ballots.

 

The next year, rechristened ABBA (a suggestion from Stig Anderson and an acronym of the members' first names), the quartet submitted the single "Waterloo," and became the first Swedish act to win the Eurovision competition. The record proved to be the first of many international hits, although the group hit a slump after their initial success as subsequent singles failed to chart. In 1975, however, ABBA issued "S.O.S.," a smash not only in America and Britain but also in non-English speaking countries such as Spain, Germany and the Benelux nations, where the group's success was fairly unprecedented. A string of hits followed, including "Mamma Mia," "Fernando," and "Dancing Queen" (ABBA's sole U.S. chart-topper), further honing their lush, buoyant sound; by the spring of 1976, they were already in position to issue their first Greatest Hits collection.

 

ABBA's popularity continued in 1977, when both "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "The Name of the Game" dominated airwaves. The group also starred in the feature film ABBA -- The Movie, which was released in 1978. That year Andersson and Lyngstad married, as had Ulvaeus and Faltskog in 1971, although the latter couple separated a few months later; in fact, romantic suffering was the subject of many songs on the quartet's next LP, 1979's Voulez-Vous. Shortly after the release of 1980s Super Trouper, Andersson and Lyngstad divorced as well, further straining the group dynamic. Super Trouper contained the last ABBA single to hit the US Top 10 "The Winner Takes It All" in 1981. The Visitors, issued the following year, was the final LP of new ABBA material, and the foursome officially disbanded after the December 1982 release of their single "Under Attack."

 

Although all of the group's members soon embarked on new projects -- both Lyngstad and Faltskog issued solo LPs, while Andersson and Ulvaeus collaborated with Tim Rice on the musical Chess -- none proved as successful as the group's earlier work, largely because throughout much of the world, especially Europe and Australia, the ABBA phenomenon never went away. Repackaged hits compilations and live collections continued hitting the charts long after the group's demise, and new artists regularly pointed to the quartet's inspiration: while the British dance duo Erasure released a covers collection, ABBA-esque, an Australian group called Bjorn Again found success as ABBA impersonators. In 1993, "Dancing Queen" became a staple of U2's "Zoo TV" tour -- Andersson and Ulvaeus even joined the Irish superstars on-stage in Stockholm -- while the 1995 feature Muriel's Wedding, which won acclaim for its depiction of a lonely Australian girl who seeks refuge in ABBA's music, helped bring the group's work to the attention of a new generation of moviegoers and music fans

[Cain N Moko]

AGNETHA FALTSKOG

 

Although she had made a name for herself as a solo artist in Sweden, Agnetha Faltskog will always be best known as one-fourth of ABBA, one of the most commercially successful and internationally beloved pop acts of all time. Born on April 5, 1950, Faltskog was encouraged to pursue her love of music from an early age and was already performing with two school friends as the Cambers by the time she was a teen. Leaving school at 15 to pursue her music, Faltskog soon found herself singing with Bernt Enghardt's band and attracting a following. Through Enghardt, she secured a record deal and she soon topped the charts in Sweden with her first release. Faltskog's homeland success continued throughout the rest of the '60s, but her future with ABBA was secured when she met and became engaged to Björn Ulvaeus in 1969. The two were married in 1971, but Faltskog continued to record and perform as a solo artist, although she was singing backup, along with Anna-Frid Lyngstad, on Ulvaeus' and songwriting partner Benny Anderssen's recordings. In 1974, the four, as ABBA, took the Eurovision song contest prize with "Waterloo" (having lost the prior year with "Ring Ring") and within weeks the song was topping the charts all over the continent.

 

For the next eight years, ABBA would be one of the most successful pop acts in the world, earning numerous gold and platinum awards in innumerable countries. The quartet's commercial fortunes were not mirrored by critical appreciation. In fact, it was the winsome, good looks of the two female singers that drew more accolades, highlighted by Faltskog being crowned with the title of "Rear of the Year" in 1975. During the group's hit-making period, Faltskog's marriage to Ulvaeus would crumble, chronicled in the heart-wrenching "The Winner Takes It All," which featured possibly her finest vocal performance. During what was intended to be a mere break for the band in 1983, she began to record her solo, English debut with producer Mike Chapman. Released later in the year, Can't Shake Loose proved to be more successful in European markets, but the title track did climb into the Top 30 in the U.S. ABBA's extended break soon became a break-up (despite no formal announcement), leaving Faltskog to continue her solo career. Despite a significantly lower profile, she recorded numerous albums throughout the remainder of the '80s and the ensuing decade. Faltskog would have little further success in the U.S., but there is no question that her place in pop music history is quite secure

[Cain N Moko]

FRIDA

 

Frida, whose full name is Anni-Frid Lyngstad Fredriksson Andersson, was a Scandinavian solo singer in the 1960s and 1970s before she joined a group being put together by her boyfriend (and later husband), Benny Andersson, ABBA. ABBA was a massive international success especially during the second half of the '70s; the group disbanded at the start of the '80s, and Frida, who divorced Andersson, returned to solo work with the Phil Collins-produced Something's Going On in 1982. The album chalked up one US Top 10 hit "I Know There's Something Going On".

 

Among her other releases were 1984's Shine and 1996's Djupa Andetag

[Immortal666]

Thanks Cain! Hindi man lang na mention yung "Tears" dito na i liked both the accoustic and studio versions!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Uhm...I think because "Tears" was sung by the Chameleons and not the Adventures.

[snowbear]

spandaeu vallet, tama ba? hehehe

[hitman531ph]

That's SPANDAU BALLET.

 

Tony Hadley - Lead Vocals

Gary Kemp - Lead Guitar

Martin Kemp - Bass Guitar

Steve Norman - Saxophone, Keyboards, Percussion

John Keeble - Drums

[orlychio]

CUTTING CREW, DEPECHE MODE, BASTA ALL NEW WAVE BANDS

[orionpax]

in the UK, its called New Romanticism...tayo lang ang tumawag o nag coin ng "New Wave" na term sa UK invasion music

[bullseye2x]

bigla pumasok sa isip ko..yung WUDS ..or WOODS ba yung sumali sa battle of the bands nun pero nanalo ang ethnic faces... di si victor wood ha

[Karma Policeman]

The Cure, David Bowie, Pale Fountain, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Love and the Rockets, Eccho and the Bunnymen, Sisters of Mercy, New Order, Cindy Lauper, etc.

 

Astig ang 80's.

[hitman531ph]

BOY MEETS GIRL

 

The creative union of keyboardist George Merrill and singer Shannon Rubicam resulted in several major hits during the latter half of the '80s. Following their meeting at a wedding at which the two were hired to perform, the Seattle natives formed the venture Boy Meets Girl. Their eponymous, debut release in 1985 made some inroads when the single "Oh Girl" managed to scrape into the bottom reaches of the Top 40. A year later, Whitney Houston's version of their "How Will I Know?" (originally intended for Janet Jackson) became the third number one from Houston's debut, topping both the pop and R&B charts. The duo matched the success of that song when they wrote "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" for Houston's 1987 sophomore effort. It again reached the chart summit and snagged a win at the following year's Grammy Awards. Now established as songwriters, they released another Boy Meets Girl set in 1988 with Reel Life. With the breezy "Waiting For a Star to Fall," they finally notched a Top Ten single for themselves, as the song climbed to number five. They eked out another hit from the record when the follow-up, "Bring Down the Moon," inched to number 49. New Dream failed to elicit any interest upon its release several years later and their marriage would end in divorce during the '90s. Although they didn't come close during this period to equaling their commercial successes, either as artists or songwriters, they would continue to work together. 2003 brought the release of a new album, The Wonderground; it was released on their own label, BoyMeetsGirl Music

[hitman531ph]

ANIMOTION

 

Riding the wave of MTV-friendly synth pop of the mid-'80s, Animotion took the coldly catchy "Obsession" to the Top Ten in the beginning of 1985. After that, success was elusive -- the follow-up, "Let Him Go," barely cracked the Top 40 just four months later. In 1988, over half of the band left the lineup, including the leaders Bill Wadhams and Astrid Plane; actress Cynthia Rhodes and former Device member Paul Engemann became the lead vocalists. (Fortunately, the personnel changes apparently didn't cause any animosity -- Plane married Charles Ottavio, Animotion's bassist and one of the founding members of the group.) The new lineup was lucky enough to score a Top Ten hit with "Room to Move," a lightweight song from a Dan Aykroyd movie that was even more lightweight (My Stepmother Is an Alien). After that brief flash of success, Animotion disappeared from the picture

[hitman531ph]

SLY FOX

 

Sly Fox only had one hit, but it was quite a single. In 1986, Sly Fox's “Let's Go All the Way" lit dynamite onto the pop charts, an infectious dance track with a thumping drum sound and funky bass. It may have seemed like a lone gem from a rather anonymous group of now-you-see-them-now-you-don't newcomers, but it was actually the work of Parliament veteran Gary ‘Muddbone' Cooper. “Let's Go All the Way", with its oddball mix of hip-hop, Latin pop, disco, and New Wave, crossed radio formats, from R&B to Top-40 to “Rock of the ‘80s" stations ruled by the Smiths and the Cure. Ultra slick, catchy, and making little sense, it could have only come from the ‘80s. Joined by vocalist Michael Camacho, Cooper was able to take his funk roots into the synthesized ‘80s, and “Let's Go All the Way" hinted at greatness. Unfortunately, their debut LP was critically panned and didn't sell well as it should. The album was drenched in filler, mainly lightweight funk and superficial pop/rock that left no lasting impression. Heavy exposure of “Let's Go All the Way" on MTV lengthened Sly Fox's shelf life, but without any other similarly strong tunes, they quickly joined the list of one-hit wonders, and Cooper moved on to other projects, including collaborating with blues guitarist Kelly Richey. “Let's Go All the Way" remains a favorite on ‘80s flashback programs and retro dance clubs.

[hitman531ph]

DONNY OSMOND

(Yes, he had a hit in 1989)

 

Donny Osmond has had many musical lives. As a very young child, he and his brothers started out as kid singers on The Andy Williams Show. In the late '60s and early '70s, fueled by the success of The Jackson Five, the Osmonds became close teenybopper competitors, with their own slew of hits. Donny was the centerpiece, and he competed with Michael Jackson for the hearts (and dollars) of pre-teens everywhere. Later, he forged a very successful solo career, and still later teamed with sister Marie for a hit TV show. Nonetheless, it took him until 1989 to release his first adult solo record, and tunes like "Soldier of Love" and "I'm in It for Love" with their George Michael-ish feel brought the former teen idol to the public eye once again. Work on the theatrical stage followed, and although Osmond's recording career again slowed after 1990's Eyes Don't Lie he remained active throughout the decade, most notably enjoying a five-year run as the lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He next made a splash in 1998 with a new daytime talk show co-hosted by sister Marie; that same year, he also released a solo holiday album, Christmas at Home. In 2001 he capitalized on his theatrical career with his release, This is the Moment which featured a contemporary collection of songs from Broadway

Edited January 6, 2006 by hitman531ph