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

[Cain N Moko]

TIL TUESDAY

 

Remembered for their lone hit single "Voices Carry," 'Til Tuesday gradually evolved from a new wave pop band into a vehicle for the songwriting of Aimee Mann. Emerging at the tail end of new wave, 'Til Tuesday's commercial fortunes were helped dramatically by a stylish video for "Voices Carry," which quickly became an MTV favorite. However, the group wasn't able to follow the single with another hit; furthermore, their albums weren't just ignored by the public, they received little media attention as well. By their third album, Everything's Different Now, the band had no chance at reaching the charts, but Mann's songs had gained a cult following, including musicians like Elvis Costello. Once the album stiffed, the stage was set for Mann to pursue a solo career.

 

After studying at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mann (vocals, bass) became involved the in the city's punk scene, singing with the Young Snakes and an early incarnation of Ministry. By 1983, she had formed 'Til Tuesday with her boyfriend Michael Hausman (drums), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Robert Holmes (guitar). 'Til Tuesday played around the Boston area during the next year, eventually winning a battle-of-the-bands contest at a local radio stations. Shortly after the contest, the band signed with Epic Records. By the time the group recorded its 1985 debut, Voices Carry, Mann and Hausman had separated and their failed romance provided the basis for many of the songs on their album. Voices Carry became a hit a few months after its release as the title track climbed into the Top Ten; the record peaked in the Top 20. By the time of the album's release, Mann had become involved in a well-publicized romance with songwriter Jules Shear.

 

'Til Tuesday quickly re-entered the studio to record their second album, Welcome Home. Released in the fall of 1986, Welcome Home failed to produce any big hits, with "What About Love" only charting to #34 and "Coming Up Close" failing to make the Top 40. Pesce left the band after the release of the album and was replaced by Michael Montes; the band also added guitarists Jon Brion and Clayton Scoble. Around the time of the release of Welcome Home, Mann's relationship with Shear dissolved, and she entered a writer's block, which was relieved by a collaboration with Elvis Costello. Costello co-wrote one song on 'Til Tuesday's third and final album, Everything's Different Now. Released in 1988, the album was largely inspired by Mann's breakup with Shear. Though it sold even worse than Welcome Home, the album received strong reviews that cited the growth of her songwriting.

 

'Til Tuesday broke up after Everything's Different Now. Mann became embroiled in legal problems with Epic, which meant she couldn't begin her solo career until 1993, when she released Whatever. Mann's solo debut received strong critical reviews, and she enjoyed a successful cult following throughout the '90s

[Cain N Moko]

MISSING PERSONS

 

Famed as much for their video-ready space-age image as for their music, the Los Angeles-based New Wave outfit Missing Persons formed in 1980, a year after the marriage of singer Dale Bozzio and her drummer husband Terry. A onetime member of Frank Zappa's backing band, Terry Bozzio met the former Dale Consalvi (an ex-Playboy Bunny) at a Hollywood recording studio; after founding Missing Persons -- initially dubbed U.S. Drag -- the couple recruited fellow Zappa alumnus Warren Cuccurullo on guitar and Patrick O'Hearn on bass, and with classically trained keyboardist Chuck Wild in tow, they began playing area clubs.

In 1981, the band released its self-titled debut EP; after signing to Capitol, the label reissued the record in 1982, and the singles "Words" and "Destination Unknown" both nearly hit the Top 40. Their videos also helped Missing Persons find success on the fledgling MTV network, where Dale Bozzio's hiccuping voice and campy look (comprised of shocking-pink hair and sci-fi outfits capped off with Plexiglass bras) combined with the group's synth-driven songs to make them naturals for heavy rotation. Later in 1982, the group issued its first full-length album, Spring Session M (an anagram of their name), which launched the underground smash "Walking in L.A."

 

After 1984's Rhyme and Reason notched only a minor hit with the single "Give," Missing Persons enlisted Chic's Bernard Edwards to produce 1986's dance-pop effort Color in Your Life; the album stiffed, however, and both the band and the Bozzios themselves broke up. While Dale Bozzio issued one solo album on Prince's Paisley Park label, Terry Bozzio went on to work with Jeff Beck; Cuccurullo, meanwhile, joined Duran Duran, O'Hearn recorded several instrumental new age albums, and Wild composed music for films and television

[Cain N Moko]

THE FLIRTS

 

The Flirts were a Menudo-like creation devised by Hi-NRG mogul Bobby Orlando. This bubbly female trio sang his songs while he performed most of the instrumentation and kept the girls on the album sleeves looking young. The ambitious New York producer released several Flirts records on his independent O Records label, which shot out a ridiculous amount of wax in the early '80s.

 

The first album from The Flirts called 10 Cents A Dance (1981) churned out the classic new wave hit "Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)." The second hit that follwed was "We Just Wanna Dance" which was largely accepted by New Wavers as well. The third single "Boy Crazy" was a minor hit.

 

Subsequent albums from The Flirts failed to chart.

[Cain N Moko]

2 LIVE CREW

 

No rap group (save, perhaps, N.W.A) has stirred more controversy or provoked more heated debate than the 2 Live Crew. The furor over the graphic sexual content of their X-rated party rhymes -- specifically their 1989 album As Nasty as They Wanna Be -- was a major catalyst in making rap music a flash point for controversy and an easily visible target for self-appointed moral guardians. The fierce attacks on the group's First Amendment rights put many of their defenders in an awkward position -- passionately supporting their freedom of speech on the one hand, but often finding little artistic merit in their music. And they were indeed crude and coarse, and frequently misogynistic by most standards; even if they fit squarely into a tradition of raunchy, sexually explicit black comedy (Redd Foxx, Rudy Ray Moore, Blowfly, etc.), many critics and intellectuals found their view of sex repellently juvenile, even ugly (and if they found it funny, it was hard to say so publicly). Despite (or, more likely, because of) that fact, the 2 Live Crew were fairly popular even before all the uproar and benefited greatly at first from all the publicity, although later on the novelty perhaps wore off due to overexposure. Regardless of whether one enjoys their sense of humor, to focus only on the controversy ignores the 2 Live Crew's musical contributions. They were responsible for popularizing the booming, hard-driving sound of Miami bass music, and they were the founding fathers of a populist, dance-oriented rap subgenre that relied on simple, explicit chants and up-tempo rump-shaking grooves, appropriately dubbed "booty rap."

Despite their inextricable link to Miami, the 2 Live Crew actually started out in California, with a membership of Fresh Kid Ice (born Chris Wong Won in Trinidad), DJ Mr. Mixx (born David Hobbs), and Amazing V. The trio released their debut single, "Revelation," in 1985 and its popularity in Florida led the group -- sans Amazing V -- to move to Miami, and after second single "What I Like," they were joined by Brother Marquis (born Mark Ross). They scored a record deal with local impresario Luke Skyywalker (born Luther Campbell in Miami), who initially served as their manager, and then joined the group as a performer and bandleader. With Campbell came a big part of the group's on-record taste for sleaze, and accordingly their 1986 debut album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, featured songs like "We Want Some Pussy" and "Throw the D" (as in dick). It became a word-of-mouth success, eventually going gold. Even at this early stage, obscenity was an issue; in 1987, a Florida record store clerk was acquitted of felony charges after selling the album to a 14-year-old girl. Campbell hit upon the idea of selling "clean" and "dirty" versions of the group's albums so that younger fans would have a less explicit alternative. 1987's Move Somethin' was the first album released in this format, and it became an even bigger underground hit than its predecessor thanks to notorious cuts like "One and One," an X-rated retelling of the Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night" (which established the Crew's penchant for blatantly copped samples). In 1988, a record store in Alabama was fined for selling a copy of Move Somethin' to an undercover cop (a conviction later overturned on appeal), setting the stage for the Crew's home state to declare war.

 

As Nasty as They Wanna Be was released in 1989 and became the group's biggest hit yet; the single "Me So Horny" even climbed into the Top 40 despite virtually nonexistent airplay. Word spread even farther about the group's unadulterated raunchiness, attracting the attention of the ultraconservative watchdog group the American Family Association, who weren't satisfied with the album's parental advisory warning sticker. AFA supporter Jack Thompson, a lawyer and religious activist, convinced Florida governor Bob Martinez to open an inquiry into whether As Nasty as They Wanna Be violated Florida obscenity laws. The state prosecutor determined that action had to be taken on the local, not state, level, and thus in early 1990 Broward County sheriff Nick Navarro obtained a copy of the album and secured a ruling from County Circuit Court Judge Mel Grossman that there was probable cause that the album was legally obscene. Navarro warned record stores around the county that selling the album might subject them to prosecution, and the 2 Live Crew filed suit alleging that Navarro had unconstitutionally overstepped his bounds. In June, District Court Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled that As Nasty as They Wanna Be was legally obscene, and therefore illegal to sell. Record retailer Charles Freeman was arrested two days later for selling the album to an undercover cop, and the three rapping members of the 2 Live Crew were arrested on obscenity charges for performing material from the record in a local club. They were acquitted a few months afterward, thanks in part to expert testimony from Duke professor Henry Louis Gates, and Freeman's conviction was later overturned on appeal.

 

Meanwhile, As Nasty as They Wanna Be had become the forbidden fruit of choice for teenage boys across the country, selling over two million copies. Several other incidents were reported around the country involving record store owners being arrested for selling the album. The publicity also attracted the attention of George Lucas, who successfully sued Campbell for trademark infringement over his stage and label name, Luke Skyywalker; he subsequently shortened both to Luke. Capitalizing on the media frenzy, Campbell struck a distribution deal with Atlantic and put together a semipolitical album called Banned in the U.S.A., after securing rights for the title track from Bruce Springsteen; it was billed to Luke Featuring 2 Live Crew. It sold like hotcakes on first release, and the title single became the group's second Top 40 hit. In 1991, the group released the first full-length live rap album ever, Live in Concert, as well as the official follow-up to As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Sports Weekend. They sold disappointingly, especially considering the group's recent notoriety, and proved to be the last albums they would record together as a quartet. To compound matters, Luke Records was successfully sued for 1,600,000 million dollars in royalties by MC Shy D.

 

In 1992, the Court of Appeals in Atlanta overturned Jose Gonzalez's ruling that As Nasty as They Wanna Be was legally obscene. At issue was Gonzalez's refusal to heed expert testimony (he'd pronounced himself fit to judge community standards of decency, since he'd lived in the community for 30 years), as well as the fact that the burden of proof of obscenity should have rested with Sheriff Navarro, who submitted nothing besides a copy of the album as evidence. The appeals court's decision was later upheld by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the 2 Live Crew were drifting apart. Luke and Fresh Kid Ice both released solo albums (I Got s**t on My Mind and The Chinaman, respectively), and original Crew members Ice and Mr. Mixx teamed up as the Rock on Crew for Deal With This. Luke continued his solo career over the rest of the '90s.

 

In 1994, Luke, Fresh Kid Ice, and new rapper Verb (born Larry Dobson) regrouped as the New 2 Live Crew, issuing the album Back at Your Ass for the Nine-4. The same year, the group found itself back in court yet again, this time over a lawsuit by the publishers of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman." They charged 2 Live Crew with plagiarism for recording a parody of the song on As Clean as They Wanna Be, alleging that the reinterpretation tarnished the image of the original. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled that parody constituted fair use and found in favor of the group. The New 2 Live Crew didn't last long as Luke chose to concentrate on his solo career. In 1995, Luke Records filed for bankruptcy, as Campbell was beset by creditors and expenses; both he and the remaining 2 Live Crew wound up on Lil' Joe, a label founded by his ex-business partner Joe Weinberger. In 1996, Fresh Kid Ice, Brother Marquis, and Mr. Mixx re-formed the 2 Live Crew without Campbell and released Shake a Lil' Somethin'. Brother Marquis departed afterward, and down to the two original California members, the 2 Live Crew issued The Real One in 1998. Luke, meanwhile, continued to record steadily, as well as releasing several compilation albums showcasing new South Florida talent

[Cain N Moko]

JOURNEY

 

During its initial 14 years of existence (1973-1987), Journey altered its musical approach and its personnel extensively while becoming a top touring and recording band. The only constant factor was guitarist Neal Schon (b. Feb. 27, 1954), a music prodigy who had been a member of Santana in 1971-1972. The original unit, which was named in a contest on KSAN-FM in San Francisco, featured Schon, bassist Ross Valory, drummer Prairie Prince (replaced by Aynsley Dunbar), and guitarist George Tickner (who left after the first album). Another former Santana member, keyboard player and singer Gregg Rolie, joined shortly afterwards. This lineup recorded Journey (1975), the first of three moderate-selling jazz-rock albums given over largely to instrumentals. By 1977, however, the group decided it needed a strong vocalist/frontman and hired Steve Perry (b. Jan. 22, 1949). The results were immediately felt on the fourth album, Infinity (1978), which sold a million copies within a year. (By this time, Dunbar had been replaced by Steve Smith.) Evolution (1979) was similarly successful, as was Departure (after which Rolie was replaced by Jonathan Cain). Following a live album, Captured (1981), Journey released Escape, which broke them through to the top ranks of pop groups by scoring three Top Ten hit singles, all ballads highlighting Perry's smooth tenor: "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believin'," and "Open Arms." The album topped the charts and had sold nine million copies by 1996. Frontiers (1983), featuring the hit "Separate Ways," was another big success, after which Perry released a double-platinum solo album, Street Talk (1984). When the group got back together to make a new album, Valory and Smith were no longer in the lineup and Raised on Radio (1986) was made by Schon, Perry, and Cain, who added other musicians for a tour. Following the tour, Journey disbanded. Perry went into a prolonged period of seclusion as Schon and Cain formed Bad English with vocalist John Waite. Bad English had several hit singles, including the chart topper "When I See You Smile," before breaking up. Perry returned to recording in 1994, releasing For the Love of Strange Medicine. Although the album went gold, it was a commercial disappointment by previous standards. In 1996, Perry, Schon, Cain, Valory, and Smith staged a Journey reunion, releasing the million-selling Trial by Fire, which featured the gold-selling Top 20 single "When You Love a Woman," and going on tour. Perry and Smith opted out of the reunion after the tour, but Journey continued, hiring a new lead singer, Steve Augeri (formerly of Tall Stories), and a new drummer, Bad English's Deen Castronovo, who made their debuts on "Remember Me," a track on the 1998 Armageddon soundtrack. The band next re-convened in 2001. Arrival, Journey's 11th new studio album, was released in April, followed by a national tour

[Cain N Moko]

STEVE PERRY

 

If only one singer could be selected as the most identifiable with '80s arena rock, it would have to be Journey's Steve Perry. Born Stephen Ray Perry in Hanford, CA, on January 22, 1949 (to Portuguese parents), Perry was raised in another California town, Lemoore, during which time he worked at his stepfather's turkey ranch. But by the age of 18, Perry wanted to try and fulfill his rock & roll dreams, so he relocated to Los Angeles. The singer paid the bills by lending his vocals to radio and TV advertisements, as well as working as an engineer at Crystal Studios. In addition to singing, Perry was also a drummer and involved in several different bands during the '60s/'70s, including such obscure local acts as the Nocturns, Dollar Bills, Sullies, Ice, Pieces, and Alien Project, the latter of which was on the verge of signing a recording contract when the group's bassist died in a car accident, promptly leading to the group's breakup.

Dejected, Perry gave up on music completely and returned back to Lemoore to work once more at his stepfather's turkey ranch. But at his mother's insistence, Perry decided to give music another try. Just as he came to the realization, the manager of the prog rock/fusion act Journey, Herbie Herbert, contacted Perry to see if he'd like to try out for the lead singer spot in the group. Perry was eventually welcomed into the band and Journey's sound shifted away from their early indulgent style and toward a more focused mainstream rock sound. The move paid off; over the course of several albums in the late '70s (1978's Infinity, 1979's Evolution, and 1980's Departure), the Perry led version of Journey became one of the top U.S. arena rock bands. Founding keyboardist Gregg Rolie was replaced by former Babys member Jonathan Cain shortly thereafter, which would result in Perry finding a perfect songwriting partner. Just when it appeared as though Journey couldn't get any more popular, Journey scored two of the early '80s biggest rock records back to back -- 1981's Escape and 1983's Frontiers -- which confirmed what fans had known for several years: that the group members were the undisputed kings of arena rock (as the two albums spawned such massive hit singles as "Don't Stop Believin'," "Who's Crying Now," "Open Arms," "Separate Ways," and "Faithfully").

 

While Journey was on a brief break from touring and recording around this time, Perry issued his very first solo album in 1984, Street Talk, which unsurprisingly sounded almost identical to Journey and spawned a sizeable US #5 hit single with "Oh Sherrie" (as well as a US #18 hit, "Foolish Heart"). Journey regrouped in 1986 for Raised on Radio and although the album was another sizeable hit, it was noticeably not up to snuff when compared to their previous stellar releases. Sensing this themselves, Journey quietly broke up shortly thereafter. Little was heard from Perry subsequently, as a sophomore solo effort slated for release in 1988, Against the Wall, was ultimately shelved. Journey remained out of commission for several years while a pair of compilations, 1988's Greatest Hits and 1992's boxset Time 3, proved to be steady sellers. Perry finally got around to issuing a second solo album, For the Love of Strange Medicine, exactly ten years after his solo debut.

 

1996 saw Journey regroup for a new studio recording, Trial by Fire, and a proposed tour. But shortly before the tour was to get underway, Perry discovered that he had a degenerative hip condition, which effectively squashed all plans for a reunion tour (Perry's unwillingness to get corrective surgery right away ultimately led to his ousting from the group, as Journey would soldier on with Perry clone Steve Augeri behind the mic). Perry contributed a pair of tracks to the soundtrack for the 1998 Disney animated film Quest for Camelot before a Perry compilation, Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased, was issued later the same year. Perry was interviewed in the early 21st century for an episode of VH1's Behind the Music that focused on Journey, during which the singer told his side of the story of his ousting from the group and the happenings behind the scenes. In addition to his work with Journey and as a solo artist, Perry has lent his vocal talents to recordings by such other artists as Sammy Hagar, Jan Hammer, and Kenny Loggins

[Cain N Moko]

BAD ENGLISH

 

In the late '80s, ex-Journey guitarist Neal Schon teamed up with ex-Babys vocalist John Waite and other arena rock veterans to form Bad English. One of the last supergroups of the decade, they made power ballads like there was no tomorrow, and they did it better than most because Waite could carry a tune and Schon created the power ballad prototype during his years in Journey. In late 1989/early 1990, the group scored two huge hit singles -- "When I See You Smile" and "Price of Love" -- and were big draws in concert. However, the follow-up album, Backlash, experienced one of massive proportions, failing to have even one Top 40 hit. The band called it quits soon after its release

[Cain N Moko]

ATLANTIC STARR

 

Atlantic Starr was among the top urban contemporary acts of the '80s and fared well in the adult contemporary market as well, but their roots were '70s soul and funk. The East Coast outfit was formed in White Plains, NY, in 1976 by three brothers: lead singer/guitarist David Lewis, lead singer/keyboardist Wayne Lewis, and trombonist/percussionist Jonathan Lewis. After the Lewis Brothers hired lead singer Sharon Bryant, trumpeter William Sudderth, saxophonist Damon Rentie (who was replaced by Koran Daniels in 1981), bassist Clifford Archer, drummer Porter Carroll Jr., and percussionist/flutist Joseph Phillips, Atlantic Starr's original nine-person lineup was in place. Influenced by '70s funk/soul bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, the Commodores, New Birth, and L.T.D., Atlantic Starr started playing around the northeastern U.S. They had only been together for about two years when they signed with A&M and started working with Bobby Eli, a well-respected producer/songwriter from Philadelphia. Produced by Eli in 1978, Atlantic Starr's self-titled debut album wasn't a mega-platinum blockbuster but did reasonably well and contained the funk hit "Stand Up" (which made it to number 16 on Billboard's R&B singles chart). Eli went on to produce the band's second album, Straight to the Point; while that 1979 release did OK, A&M knew that Atlantic Starr could be bigger. So in 1981, the band changed producers and enlisted James Carmichael for their third album, Radiance. It was a wise move; Radiance and its hit single "When Love Calls" established Atlantic Starr as a supergroup in the R&B market. It was on Radiance that the charismatic Bryant (who was featured on "When Love Calls") really blossomed as a singer and her lead vocals played a major role in the band's success. Carmichael went on to produce 1982's "Brilliance" (which contained the number two R&B single "Circles") and 1983's Yours Forever; the latter includes "Touch a Four Leaf Clover," another major hit featuring Bryant.

Although Bryant was never Atlantic Starr's only lead singer -- Wayne and David Lewis also provided their share of lead vocals -- she was a major asset. So it came as quite a disappointment when she left Atlantic Starr in 1984 to pursue a solo career. But all was not lost. The talented Barbara Weathers was hired as a replacement and 1985's As the Band Turns -- Atlantic Starr's first post-Bryant album and sixth album overall -- found the outfit unveiling a smaller lineup that consisted of Weathers, the Lewis Brothers, and Phillips. Sudderth, Daniels, Archer, and Carroll were all gone, but despite those personnel changes, Atlantic Starr was still distinctive and recognizable. As the Band Turns, which contained the major hit "Secret Lovers," turned out to be Atlantic Starr's last album for A&M; in 1987, they moved to Warner Bros. and fared well with the album All in the Name of Love and the smash hit "Always." A syrupy adult contemporary ballad, "Always" reflected the Lewis Brothers' desire to have the type of crossover success that Whitney Houston and Lionel Ritchie had been enjoying in the '80s; they got their wish when "Always" soared to number one on both the pop and R&B charts.

 

After All in the Name of Love, Weathers left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Porscha Martin, who was featured on 1988's We're Movin' Up. Martin was around for a few years before being replaced by Rachel Oliver (Atlantic Starr's fourth female vocalist) in the early '90s. Atlantic Starr's relationship with Warner Bros. ended after 1991's Love Crazy, and in 1994, the band recorded one album for Arista: Time. That album was a commercial disappointment and the single "I'll Remember You" only made it to the fifties on Billboard's R&B and pop singles charts. Time (which was David Lewis' last album with the band) found a fifth female singer, Aisha Tanner, replacing Oliver. And when 1999's Legacy was distributed by the small, independent Street Solid label, Atlantic Starr unveiled yet another lineup -- one that consisted of two Lewis Brothers (Wayne and Jonathan) as well as Oliver (who had returned and replaced Tanner) and a new male singer named DeWayne Woods. Although Legacy received very little attention, Atlantic Starr hung in there and was still performing for die-hard fans when the 21st century arrived

[Cain N Moko]

AL JARREAU

 

The only vocalist in history to net Grammy awards in three different categories (jazz, pop, and R&B, respectively), Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, WI, on April 12, 1940. The son of a vicar, he earned his first performing experience singing in the church choir. After receiving his master's degree in psychology, Jarreau pursued a career as a social worker, but eventually he decided to relocate to Los Angeles and try his hand in show business, playing small clubs throughout the West Coast.

He recorded an LP in the mid-'60s, but largely remained an unknown, not reentering the studio for another decade. Upon signing to Reprise, Jarreau resurfaced in 1975 with We Got By, earning acclaim for his sophisticated brand of vocalese and winning positive comparison to the likes of Billy Eckstine and Johnny Mathis. After 1976's Glow, Jarreau issued the following year's Look to the Rainbow, a two-disc live set that reached the Top 50 on the U.S. album charts. With 1981's Breakin' Away, he entered the Top Ten, scoring a pair of hits with "We're in This Love Together" and the title track. After recording 1986's L Is for Lover with producer Nile Rodgers, Jarreau scored a hit with the theme to the popular television program Moonlighting, but his mainstream pop success was on the wane, and subsequent efforts like 1992's Heaven and Earth and 1994's Tenderness found greater success with adult contemporary audiences.

 

A string of budget compilations and original albums hit the shelves at the end of the decade, but into the turn of the century his original output slowed down. That was until he signed with the Verve/GRP label in 1998 and reunited with producer Tommy LiPuma. LiPuma had produced Jarreau's ostensible 1975 debut, We Got By, and the pairing seemed to reinvigorate Jarreau, who went on to release three stellar albums under LiPuma's guidance, including 2000's Tomorrow Today, 2002's All I Got, and Accentuate the Positive in 2004

[Cain N Moko]

MANHATTAN TRANSFER

 

Riding a wave of nostalgia in the '70s, the Manhattan Transfer resurrected jazz trends from boogie-woogie to bop to vocalese in a slick, slightly commercial setting that sometimes failed to gel with the group's close harmonies. Originally formed in 1969, the quartet recorded several albums of jazz standards as well as much material closer to R&B/pop. Still, they were easily the most popular jazz vocal group of their era, and the most talented of any since the heyday of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross during the early '60s.

 

When the group was formed in the late '60s however, Manhattan Transfer was a hippie cornball act similar to Lovin' Spoonful or Spanky & Our Gang. The lone LP that appeared from the original lineup -- leader Gene Pistilli plus Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson and Pat Rosalia -- was Jukin', assembled by Capitol. An odd and hardly successful satire record, it was the last appearance on a Manhattan Transfer album for all of the above except Hauser.

 

After Hauser met vocalists Laurel Masse and Janis Siegel in 1972, the trio re-formed Manhattan Transfer later that year with the addition of Alan Paul. The group became popular after appearances at a few New York hotspots, and recorded their own debut, an eponymous LP recorded with help from the jazz world (including Zoot Sims, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis and Mel Davis). Featuring vocalese covers of "Java Jive" and "Tuxedo Junction" as well as a Top 40 hit in the aggressive gospel tune "Operator," the album rejuvenated the field of vocalese (dormant since the mid-'60s) and made the quartet stars in the jazz community across Europe as well as America.

 

The Manhattan Transfer's next two albums, Coming Out and Pastiche, minimized the jazz content in favor of covers from around the music community, from Nashville to Los Angeles to Motown. A single from Coming Out, the ballad "Chanson d'Amour," hit number one in Britain. Though Masse left in 1979 for a solo career, Cheryl Bentyne proved a capable replacement and that same year, Extensions introduced their best-known song "Birdland," the ode to bop written by Weather Report several years earlier.

 

Throughout the 1980s, the group balanced retreads from all aspects of American song. The 1981 LP Mecca for Moderns gained Manhattan Transfer their first American Top Ten hit with a cover of the Ad Libs' 1965 girl-group classic "The Boy from New York City," and earned more recognition with "On the Boulevard" and the ballad "Smile Again" and a remake of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkely Square". The album included a version of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" and a surreal, wordless tribute (?) named "Kafka." (The album also earned Manhattan Transfer honors as the first artist to receive Grammys in both the pop and jazz categories in the same year.) The production on virtually all was susceptible to '80s slickness, and though the group harmonies were wonderful, all but the most open of listeners had trouble digesting the sheer variety of material.

 

The group's 1985 tribute to vocal pioneer Jon Hendricks, titled Vocalese, marked a shift in Manhattan Transfer's focus. The quartet made it to US #40 with "Slice of Life". Subsequent works managed to keep the concepts down to one per album, and the results greatly improved. Such records as 1987's Brasil, where the title track managed to reach US #37. 1994's Tubby the Tuba (a children's record), 1995's Tonin' ('60s R&, and 1997's Swing may not have found the group at their performance peak, but were much more easily understandable for what they are. Spirit of St. Louis was issued three years later

[Cain N Moko]

BOBBY McFERRIN

 

Vocal virtuoso Bobby McFerrin ranks among the most distinctive and original singers in contemporary music -- equally adept in jazz, pop and classical settings, his octave-jumping trademark style, with its rhythmic inhalations and stop-on-a-dime shifts from falsetto to deep bass notes, often sounds like the work of at least two or three singers at once, while at the same time sounding quite unlike anyone else. The son of husband-and-wife classical singers, McFerrin was born in New York City on March 11, 1950, later studying piano at California State College at Sacramento and Cerritos College. After touring behind the Ice Follies, he performed with a series of cover bands, cabaret acts and dance troupes before making his vocal debut in 1977. While living in New Orleans, he sang with the group Astral Projection before relocating to San Francisco. There he met legendary comedian Bill Cosby, who arranged for McFerrin to appear at the 1980 Playboy Jazz Festival. A performance at the 1981 Kool Jazz Festival led to a contract with Elektra, and the following year McFerrin issued his self-titled debut LP. With 1984's The Voice, he made jazz history, recording the first-ever solo vocal album (sans accompaniment or overdubbing) to be released on a major label. His Blue Note debut Spontaneous Inventions followed in 1985 and featured contributions from Herbie Hancock, the Manhattan Transfer (on the Grammy-winning "Another Night in Tunisia") and comic Robin Williams; McFerrin also earned mainstream exposure through his unique performance of the theme song to the television hit The Cosby Show as well as a number of commercial spots. With 1988's Simple Pleasures, he scored a chart-topping pop smash with "Don't Worry, Be Happy"; around that time, he also formed the ten-member a cappella group Voicestra, featured on 1990's Medicine Music.

 

With 1992's Hush, McFerrin shifted gears to team with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma; the record remained on the Billboard Classical Crossover charts for over two years. The jazz release Play, a collaboration with pianist Chick Corea, appeared in 1992 as well. McFerrin returned to classical territory in 1995 with Paper Music, a collection of interpretations of works by Mozart, Bach and Tchaikovsky recorded with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, (which he joined as Creative Chair a year prior). For 1996's Bang! Zoom he teamed with members of the Yellowjackets; a second collaboration with Corea, The Mozart Sessions, appeared later that same year. With 1997's Circlesongs, McFerrin returned to his roots, recording an entire album of improvised vocal performances. He then recorded a collaborative album of classical and jazz standards for Sony Music Special Products in 2001. It teamed him with such esteemed musicians as Herbie Hancock, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. A year later Blue Note released his Beyond Words album, McFerrin's first work for the label in nearly a decade. It featured a band comprised of Chick Corea, Richard Bona, Omar Hakim, Cyro Baptista, and Gil Goldstein.

[hitman531ph]

RE-FLEX

 

The British new wave band Re-Flex had one nearly forgotten Top 40 smash, 1983's "The Politics of Dancing," that became a staple of '80s compilation CDs in the '90s. Featuring Baxter (vocals, guitar), Paul Fishman (keyboards), Nigel Ross-Scott (bass), and Roland Vaughan Kerridge (drums), Re-Flex were shamelessly derivative, pillaging from Heaven 17, Gary Numan, and David Bowie in massive doses. In fact, "The Politics of Dancing" could've been mistaken for a Heaven 17 tune. Nevertheless, the group had a knack for crafting radio-friendly hooks, and "the politics of ooo feeling good" line in "The Politics of Dancing" sounded irresistible in clubs and on new wave stations. The track peaked at number 24 on the Billboard charts on November 26, 1983. However, the song wasn't catchy enough for the producers of Footloose; they rejected the tune in favor of Shalamar's "Dancing in the Sheets." Re-Flex's debut album, The Politics of Dancing, was also released in 1983; they recorded the follow-up, Humanication, in 1985 and then split up. The group has two minor dancefloor hits, "Praying to the Beat" and "How Much Longer". "The Politics of Dancing" was resurrected on '80s retrospectives in the '90s, and the full-length was even finally issued on CD. In 2000, Fishman and ex-Frankie Goes to Hollywood member Peter Gill formed the experimental outfit London, Ltd., releasing About Eight Minutes in 2001.

Edited December 22, 2005 by hitman531ph

[vmc05]

Definately deche mode, soft cell and other new wave bands

[hitman531ph]

TONI BASIL

 

Toni Basil was one of new wave's ultimate one-hit wonders, falling completely off the musical radar screen after topping the charts with the ubiquitous cheerleader-chant single "Mickey." Chiefly a choreographer, Basil was born Antonia Christina Basilotta in Philadelphia (sources listing her birth date range from 1943 to 1950) and attended high school in Las Vegas, where -- unsurprisingly -- she was a member of the cheerleading squad. After high school, she became a go-go dancer and quickly moved into choreography, working on '60s television shows like Shindig and The T.A.M.I. Show; in 1964, she appeared with Annette Funicello in the film Pajama Party, which she also choreographed. In 1966, Basil released her first single, the Graham Gouldman-penned "28"; the B-side was her recording of the title song from avant-garde filmmaker Bruce Conner's Breakaway, in which she also appeared as a dancer. Basil's acting career soon hit a peak with her role in 1969's landmark Easy Rider as a New Orleans hooker; she went on to appear with Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces and Dennis Hopper in The Last Movie. During the '70s, she choreographed films like American Graffiti and The Rose, and also worked on David Bowie's 1974 concert tour.

 

In the late '70s, Basil formed her own urban-style dance troupe, the Lockers, and moved into music video directing as well, helming the groundbreaking Talking Heads clip for "Once in a Lifetime." In 1981, she signed to Chrysalis as a recording artist and cut her debut album, Word of Mouth. Among the tracks was "Mickey," a song penned by the Mike Chapman/Nicky Chinn songwriting team (Sweet, Pat Benatar, etc.); it was originally titled "Kitty" and recorded by a group called Racey. Word of Mouth had been out for some time when "Mickey" finally began climbing the charts in Britain, eventually peaking at number two; a few months later, helped along by Basil's self-directed, cheerleader-themed video, "Mickey" hit number one in America and became an inescapable pop culture phenomenon. Basil wasn't so lucky with the follow-up singles, although "Street Beat" was a hit among new wave fans in the PHilippines. However, "Do You Wanna Dance", "Shoppin' From A to Z" and "Over My Head" only scraped the lower reaches of the charts, and her eponymously titled 1983 album stiffed. Basil returned to her earlier careers, taking occasional acting roles and choreographing for film, television, and commercials. Among her more notable assignments included the films Delirious, That Thing You Do, and My Best Friend's Wedding

[hitman531ph]

SOFT CELL

 

A synth-pop duo famed for its uniquely sleazy electronic sound, art students Marc Almond and Dave Ball formed Soft Cell in Leeds, England in 1980. Originally, vocalist Almond and synth player Ball teamed to compose music for theatrical productions, and as Soft Cell, their live performances continued to draw heavily on the pair's background in drama and the visual arts. A self-financed EP titled Mutant Moments brought the duo to the attention of Some Bizzare label head Stevo, who enlisted Daniel Miller to produce their underground hit single "Memorabilia" the following year.

It was the next Soft Cell effort, 1981's "Tainted Love," that brought the duo to international prominence; written by the Four Preps' Ed Cobb and already a cult favorite thanks to Gloria Jones' soulful reading, the song was reinvented as a hypnotic electronic dirge which became the year's best-selling British single, as well as a major hit abroad. The group's debut LP, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, was also enormously successful, and was followed by the 1982 remix collection Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing. Other Soft Cell hits include "What?" and their remake of Diana Ross & The Supremes hit "Where Did Our Love Go?"

 

While 1983's The Art of Falling Apart proved as popular as its predecessors, the LP's title broadly hinted at the internal problems plaguing the duo; prior to the release of 1984's This Last Night in Sodom, Soft Cell had already broken up. Almond immediately formed the electro-soul unit Marc and the Mambas; another group, Marc Almond and the Willing Sinners, followed before the singer finally embarked on a solo career in the late '80s. Marc Almond had a hit in the fading new wave genre in the late 80s called "Bittersweet"

 

After a number of years of relative inactivity, Ball later resurfaced in the techno outfit the Grid, which scored one US Top 10 hit "Swamp Thing".