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

August 26, 2005

Wow, I just found my Slaughter Stick it to ya CD. Fly to the Angels, now thats a power ballad. It's right up there with Home Sweet Home. :cool:

kneilmigz · August 27, 2005

@kneilmigz: Hindi po glam ang Jesus Jones.
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oo nga eh. napansin ko din...

nahalo kasi sa collection kaya akala ko glam din... :blush:

cruesome · August 28, 2005

two albums i equally loved from EXTREME, too bad only "More Than Words" enjoyed local popularity, all other songs were only aired over NU107 back then.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002GJ7.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002G0P.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

extreme (ex treme) [[>L, boston rockers]]

1. boston based funk/rock, vegas style, progressive musical four piece band; used to inhabit the music scene and make brilliant songs, this formula consists of a cherone, gary; who sings like a madman and writes lyrics like shakespere on acid, a badger, patrick; a blonde haired bass gun, if he pulls the trigger he will rock your world, a bettencourt, nuno; portugese guitar player, plays his music like a serial killer with a mind of musical notes, a geary, paul; a short haired drummer who will blow your eardrums out. 2. Everything Under The Sun

http://www.geocities.com/neptune_vicinity/Extreme_Esteem/III_sides_tour_ext_logo_pic1.jpg

http://web.idirect.com/~music/extreme/graphics/ecollage.gif

hitman531ph · August 29, 2005

JOHN WAITE

As a solo artist and as the lead singer of the Babys and Bad English, John Waite was a fixture album-oriented rock radio stations during the '70s and '80s. Waite had a talent for power ballads and driving arena-rock, occasionally touching on New Wave-styled power-pop, as well. Though he didn't consistently have hits, several of his songs -- including "Missing You," the Babys' "Isn't It Time," and Bad English's "When I see You Smile" -- became radio staples.

John Waite formed the Babys in London, England in 1976 with Wally Stocker (guitar), Mike Corby (vocals, keyboards), and Tony Brock (drums). Initially conceived as a teen-pop band, the group earned a record contract based on the strength of a video demo they constructed with producer Mike Mansfield. Chrysalis pushed the band heavily, resulting in a "Isn't It Time" becoming a hit in the US and UK in 1977. As their career progressed, the group began to experiment with synthesized, New Wave-inspired power pop, which resulted in a handful of minor hits. Jonathan Cain became the band's keyboardist in 1978, and he and Waite developed a close relationship. When Cain left the Babys to join Journey in 1981, the group disbanded.

Waite began his solo career the following year, releasing Ignition on Chrysalis. While the album generated the minor hit "Change," his second album, 1984's No Brakes, became a genuine Top 10 hit on the strength of the number one single "Missing You." While "Missing You" was an international smash, eventually becoming one of the best-remembered songs of the early MTV era, No Brakes produced only one other hit, the Top 40 "Tears." Its failure to produce another blockbuster was indicative of how Waite's solo career would proceed. Mask of Smiles (1985) barely managed a Top 40 entry ("Every Step of the Way") but Rover's Return (1987) produced no hits, bringing Waite's career to a stand-still.

With his career stalled, Waite formed the super-group Bad English with former Babys Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips (bass), ex-Journey guitarist Neal Schon, and drummer Deen Castronovo. The group's eponymous debut, released in 1989 on Epic Records, became a platinum success after the power ballad "When I See You Smile" became a number one hit. "Price of Love" was a Top 10 hit in the wake of "When I See You Smile," but their 1991 followup Backlash suffered from one. Bad English broke up shortly after the album's release.

cruesome · August 29, 2005

Wow, I just found my Slaughter Stick it to ya CD. Fly to the Angels, now thats a power ballad. It's right up there with Home Sweet Home. :cool:
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i remember back in college, may sweetie and her friends shrieks as they watch blas elias hits the drums on the "fly to the angels" video. lucky bastard

Dr.Love · August 29, 2005

Blas Elias --> One of the prettiest glam drummers.

Diecast · August 30, 2005

anak nang.... s**t bat ngayon ko lang to nakita?? i love glam!

some of the ones i listen too..

def leppard - hysteria , animal

van halen - baluchiterium, dreams

nelson - after the rain

extreme - get the funk out

mr big - green tinted 60s mind, promise her the moon

bon jovi - you give love a bad name

hitman531ph · September 1, 2005

FLEETWOOD MAC

While most bands undergo a number of changes over the course of their careers, few groups experienced such radical stylistic changes as Fleetwood Mac. Initially conceived as a hard-edged British blues combo in the late '60s, the band gradually evolved into a polished pop/rock act over the course of a decade. Throughout all of their incarnations, the only consistent members of Fleetwood Mac were drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie -- the rhythm section that provided the band with its name. Ironically, they had the least influence over the musical direction of the band. Originally, guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer provided the band with its gutsy, neo-psychedelic blues-rock sound, but as both guitarists descended into mental illness, the group began moving toward pop/rock with the songwriting of pianist Christine McVie. By the mid-'70s, Fleetwood Mac had relocated to California, where they added the soft rock duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to their lineup. Obsessed with the meticulously arranged pop of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, Buckingham helped the band become one of the most popular groups of the late '70s. Combining soft rock with the confessional introspection of singer/songwriters, Fleetwood Mac created a slick but emotional sound that helped 1977's Rumours become one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. The band retained its popularity through the early '80s, when Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie all began pursuing solo careers. The band reunited for one album, 1987's Tango in the Night, before splintering in the late '80s. Buckingham left the group initially, but the band decided to soldier on, releasing one other album before Nicks and McVie left the band in the early '90s, hastening the group's commercial decline.

While Fleetwood Mac had finally attained their long-desired commercial success, the band was fraying apart behind the scenes. The McVies divorced in 1976, and Buckingham and Nicks' romance ended shortly afterward. The internal tensions formed the basis for the songs on their next album, Rumours. Released in the spring of 1977, Rumours became a blockbuster success, topping the American and British charts and generating the Top Ten singles "Go Your Own Way," "Dreams," "Don't Stop," and "You Make Loving Fun." It would eventually sell over 17 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it the second biggest-selling album of all time. Fleetwood Mac supported the album with an exhaustive, lucrative tour and then retired to the studio to record their follow-up to Rumours. A wildly experimental double album conceived largely by Buckingham, 1979's Tusk didn't duplicate the enormous success of Rumours, yet it did go multi-platinum and featured the Top Ten singles "Sara" and "Tusk." In 1980, they released the double-album Live.

Following the Tusk tour, Fleetwood, Buckingham, and Nicks all recorded solo albums. Of the solo projects, Stevie Nicks' Bella Donna (1981) was the most successful, peaking at number one and featuring the hit singles "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," "Leather and Lace," and "Edge of Seventeen." Buckingham's Law and Order (1981) was a moderate success, spawning the Top Ten "Trouble." Fleetwood, for his part, made a world music album called The Visitor. Fleetwood Mac reconvened in 1982 for Mirage. More conventional and accessible than Tusk, Mirage reached number one and featured the hit singles "Hold Me" and "Gypsy."

After Mirage, Buckingham, Nicks, and Christine McVie all worked on solo albums. The hiatus was due to a variety of reasons. Each member had his or her own manager, Nicks was becoming the group's breakaway star, Buckingham was obsessive in the studio, and each member was suffering from various substance addictions. Nicks was able to maintain her popularity, with The Wild Heart (1983) and Rock a Little (1985) both reaching the Top 15. Christine McVie also had a Top Ten hit with "Got a Hold on Me" in 1984. Buckingham received the strongest reviews of all, but his 1984 album Go Insane failed to generate a hit. Fleetwood Mac reunited to record a new album in 1985. Buckingham, who had grown increasingly frustrated with the musical limitations of the band, decided to make it his last Fleetwood Mac project. When the resulting album, Tango in the Night, was finally released in 1987, it was greeted with mixed reviews but strong sales, reaching the Top Ten and generating the Top 20 hits "Little Lies," "Seven Wonders," and "Everywhere."

Buckingham decided to leave Fleetwood Mac after completing Tango in the Night, and the group replaced him with guitarists Billy Burnette and Rick Vito.

sickness · September 2, 2005

May mga nadownload ako na mga mp3 ng mga glam rock/hair bands sa edonkey. Yung iba nga doon eh mga live songs.

hitman531ph · September 2, 2005

THE DAWN

The Filipino rock band the Dawn were cloaked in mystery when a raw demo of their song "Enveloped Ideas" was first played on Manila, Phillipines' new wave radio station XB-102 in 1986. Opening with funereal synths and ghostly, operatic vocals à la Klaus Nomi, "Enveloped Ideas" had the fingerprints of a British import. The Dawn eventually topped U.K. groups such as the Colourfield, the Housemartins, and Friends Again on the station's request lines via listeners with no knowledge that the band was actually homegrown. The Dawn originated as a nameless trio in the mid-'80s with guitarist Teddy Diaz, Junboy Leonor (drums), and Clay Luna (bass). At first, Diaz was the group's singer. The band then unsuccessfully tried looking for a female vocalist. They met Jett Pangan while he was pretending to help a girl audition for the group. After hearing Pangan sing, the band hired him to be their vocalist. When Luna moved to the U.S., he was replaced by Carlos "Caloy" Balcells. In 1986, the group called themselves the Dawn, named after a portrait of the Holy Spirit that symbolized the dawn of a new life. With "Enveloped Ideas," the Dawn became underground superstars, a vibrant new wave act in a country then dominated by easy listening artists. The Dawn signed with OctoArts and subsequently turned into mainstream idols as well. On August 21, 1988, Diaz, by that time a rock & roll hero to many Pinoy musicians, was stabbed by a drunken goon and was dead on arrival at the hospital. The Dawn continued with Atsushi Matsuura as their new guitarist until Francis Reyes joined the band; Dodo Fernandez (keyboards) was also added to the lineup. As the public's taste began to veer toward hard rock, the Dawn toughened their sound; nevertheless, audiences still clamored for new wave classics like "Enveloped Ideas" and Dreams." In 1995, the Dawn broke up. Pangan formed the Jett Pangan Group while Reyes started working as a DJ on alternative rock station NU-107 (and is still with NU-107). In 2000, the Dawn reunited and recorded the album Prodigal Sun; they toured the U.S. a year later.

cruesome · September 5, 2005

May mga nadownload ako na mga mp3 ng mga glam rock/hair bands sa edonkey. Yung iba nga doon eh mga live songs.
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dami pang nagkalat bro sa irc lalo na sa bittorrents

Cain N Moko · September 5, 2005

THE POLICE

Nominally, the Police were punk rock, but that's only in the loosest sense of the term. The trio's nervous, reggae-injected pop/rock was punky, but it wasn't necessarily punk. All three members were considerably more technically proficient than the average punk or new wave band. Andy Summers had a precise guitar attack that created dense, interlocking waves of sounds and effects. Stewart Copeland could play polyrhythms effortlessly. And Sting, with his high, keening voice, was capable of constructing infectiously catchy pop songs. While they weren't punk, the Police certainly demonstrated that the punk spirit could have a future in pop music. As their career progressed, the Police grew considerably more adventurous, experimenting with jazz and various world musics. All the while, the band's tight delivery and mastery of the pop single kept their audience increasing, and by 1983, they were the most popular rock & roll band in the world. Though they were at the height of their fame, internal tensions caused the band to splinter apart in 1984, with Sting picking up the majority of the band's audience to become an international superstar.

Stewart Copeland and Sting (born Gordon Sumner) formed the Police in 1977. Prior to the band's formation, Copeland, the son of a CIA agent, had attended college in California, before he moved to England and joined the progressive rock band Curved Air. Sting was a teacher and a ditch digger who played in jazz-rock bands, including Last Exit, on the side. The two musicians met at a local jazz club and decided to form a progressive pop band with guitarist Henri Padovani. For the first few months, the group played local London pubs. Soon, they were hired to appear as a bleached-blonde punk band in a chewing gum commercial. While the commercial provided exposure, it drew the scorn of genuine punkers. Late in 1977, the band released its first single, "Fall Out," on IRS, an independent label Stewart Copeland founded with his brother Miles, who was also the manager of the Police. The single was a sizable hit for an independent release, selling about 70,000 copies.

Padovani was replaced by Andy Summers, a veteran of the British Invasion, following the release of "Fall Out." Summers had previous played with Eric Burdon's second lineup of the Animals, the Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, the Kevin Ayers Band, and Neil Sedaka. The Police signed with A&M by the spring of 1978, committing to a contract that gave the group a higher royalty rate in lieu of a large advance. A&M released "Roxanne" in the spring of 1978, but it failed to chart. The Police set out on a tour of America in the summer of 1978 without any record to support, traveling across the country in a rented van and playing with rented equipment. Released in the fall of 1978, Outlandos d'Amour began a slow climb into the British Top Ten and American Top 30. Immediately after its release, the group began a U.K. tour supporting Alberto y los Trios Paranoias and released the "So Lonely" single. By the spring of 1979, the re-released "Roxanne" had climbed to number 12 on the U.K. charts, taking Outlandos d'Amour to number six. In the summer of 1979, Sting appeared in Quadrophenia, a British film based on the Who album of the same name; later that year, he acted in Radio On.

Preceded by the number one British single "Message in a Bottle," Reggatta de Blanc (fall 1979) established the group as stars in England and Europe, topping the U.K. charts for four weeks. Following its release, Miles Copeland had the band tour several countries that rarely received concerts from foreign performers, including Thailand, India, Mexico, Greece, and Egypt. Zenyatta Mondatta, released in the fall of 1980, became the Police's North American breakthrough, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. and Canada; in England, the album spent four weeks at number one. "Don't Stand So Close to Me," the album's first single, became the group's second number one single in the U.K.; in America, the single became their second Top Ten hit in the spring of 1981, following the number ten placing of "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" in the winter. By the beginning of 1981, the Police were able to sell out Madison Square Garden. Capitalizing on their success, the band returned to the studio in the summer of 1981 to record their fourth album with producer Hugh Padgham. The sessions, which were filmed for a BBC documentary hosted by Jools Holland, were completed within a couple months, and the album, Ghost in the Machine, appeared in the fall of 1981. Ghost in the Machine became an instant hit, reaching number one in the U.K. and number two in the U.S. as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" became their biggest hit to date.

Following their whirlwind success of 1980 and 1981, in which they were named the Best British Group at the first Brit Awards and won three Grammys, the band took a break in 1982. Though they played their first arena concerts and headlined the U.S. Festival, each member pursued side projects during the course of the year. Sting acted in Brimstone and Treacle, releasing a solo single, "Spread a Little Happiness," from the soundtrack; the song became a British hit. Copeland scored Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish, as well as the San Francisco Ballet's King Lear, and released an album under the name Klark Kent; he also played on several sessions for Peter Gabriel. Summers recorded an instrumental album, I Advance Masked, with Robert Fripp. The Police returned in the summer of 1983 with Synchronicity, which entered the U.K. charts at number one and quickly climbed to the same position in the U.S., where it would stay for 17 weeks. Synchronicity became a blockbuster success on the strength of the ballad "Every Breath You Take." Spending eight weeks at the top of the U.S. charts, "Every Breath You Take" became one of the biggest American hits of all time; it spent four weeks at the top of the U.K. charts. "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" became hits over the course of 1983, sending Synchronicity to multi-platinum status in America and Britain. The Police supported the album with a blockbuster, record-breaking world tour that set precedents for tours for the remainder of the '80s. Once the tour was completed, the band announced they were going on "sabbatical" in order to pursue outside interests.

The Police never returned from sabbatical. During the Synchronicity tour, personal and creative tensions between the bandmembers had escalated greatly, and they had no desire to work together for a while. Sting began working on a jazz-tinged solo project immediately, releasing The Dream of the Blue Turtles in 1985. The album became an international hit, establishing him as a commercial force outside of the band. Copeland and Summers demonstrated no inclination to follow their bandmate's path. Copeland recorded the worldbeat exploration The Rhythmatist in 1985, and continued to compose scores for film and television; he later formed the prog rock band Animal Logic. With his solo career -- which didn't officially begin until the release of 1987's XYZ -- Summers continued his art rock and jazz fusion experiments; he also occasionally collaborated Fripp and John Etheridge.

During 1986, the Police made a few attempts to reunite, playing an Amnesty International concert and attempting to record a handful of new tracks for a greatest-hits album in the summer. As the studio session unraveled, it became apparent that Sting had no intention of giving the band his new songs to record, so the group re-recorded a couple of old songs, but even those were thrown off track after Copeland suffered a polo injury. Featuring a new version of "Don't Stand So Close to Me," the compilation Every Breath You Take: The Singles was released for the 1986 Christmas season, becoming the group's fifth straight British number one and their fourth American Top Ten. Following its release, the group quietly disbanded, reuniting to play Sting's marriage in 1992. That same year, a Greatest Hits album was released in the U.K. The following year, the box set Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings was released, followed in 1995 by the double album Live

ice_sp · September 6, 2005

Anybody out there who is old enough to remember the Fusion Jazz craze of the 80's, when Tom Scott, Bob James, David Benoit, Ronnie Laws, Seawind, Chuck Mangione were kings? 101.9 was THE F.M. radio station back then. Seemed like there was a major artist coming to MNL every month. Anyody know where to obtain CDs from that long-ago era?
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the best! tom scott's "keep this love alaive" featuring david pack; david benoit's "key to you" also featuring david pack; ronnie laws' "stay awake"; sewind's "follow your road", chuck mangione's "feel so good|. to add to these, george benson's "moody mood"; hiroshima's "come to me"; shakatak's "nightbird" & "invitation"; boy katindig's "i'll always stay in love this way" featuring baron barbers; spyro gyra's "morning dance", the manhattan transfer's "shaker's song", and my favorite al jarreau's "spain". all heard at citylite 88.3.

plus the classic's from 99.5rt!

countrystyle · September 6, 2005

all i can remember is that i used to listen to RJ-FM and was 'introduced'
to steely dan, michael franks, earl klugh, chick corea, jean-luc ponty, atbp;
also seen dave brubeck quartet in concert (on channel 4). great times.
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hayop ang mga binanggit mo na yan, mga idol ko. di ko lang kilala si jean-luc ponty. ano ba hawak niya?

September 6, 2005

Yep I also miss Citylite 88.3. They closed down a couple of years ago. Naalala ko nong una silang nagsisimula. They were playing mainstream jazz. Later on medyo naging hard core jazz. Pero nahalata ko in the mid 90's kahi hindi jazz na music at may konting pagka jazz pinapatugtog na rin nila. Sayang they closed down around 2001. At the time they opened. Sila lang talaga ang Jazz station sa metro manila. They opened in 1987 during my college years. So somehow that station was synonymous with my college days. Nung late 80's kasi medyo na uso noon ung mga Jazz bars such as Rhythm and Booze, Reasons (I don't know if they're still open), Jazz Rhythms, Birdland, Blue Moon etc. I used to hang out in these bars before. hehehehe.

ice_sp · September 7, 2005

Yep I also miss Citylite 88.3. They closed down a couple of years ago. Naalala ko nong una silang nagsisimula. They were playing mainstream jazz. Later on medyo naging hard core jazz. Pero nahalata ko in the mid 90's kahi hindi jazz na music at may konting pagka jazz pinapatugtog na rin nila. Sayang they closed down around 2001. At the time they opened. Sila lang talaga ang Jazz station sa metro manila. They opened in 1987 during my college years. So somehow that station was synonymous with my college days. Nung late 80's kasi medyo na uso noon ung mga Jazz bars such as Rhythm and Booze, Reasons (I don't know if they're still open), Jazz Rhythms, Birdland, Blue Moon etc. I used to hang out in these bars before. hehehehe.
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hayyy the glory days! nice to walk down memory lane................ rhythm & booze (makati ave & annapolis), jazz rhytms (jupiter & nakpil), reasons (pasay rd), east st. louie.....and yes... the mairachi music at the old tia maria near i.s. .........the years of yore....mainstream & fussion jazz... only at citylite 88.3.

thank God, theres 105.1 crossover noe to keep me sane!

Sero · September 7, 2005

hmm. reasons in pasay road, brings back a lot of memories during those times.

Kamusta na kaya si Edong? I don't know if anyone of you knows him.

ice_sp · September 8, 2005

there's also this jazz/ 70'/ 80's hip bar, "the naked ear" in dapitan street, near metro bank, where cerveza negra was a staple drink. the last time i was there was around three years ago.

hitman531ph · September 8, 2005

Although there are countless groups who have released a couple of albums and then disappeared into the shadowy recesses of pop culture trivia, Liverpool's Wild Swans deserved a slightly better fate. Led by former Teardrop Explodes organist Paul Simpson, the group's pair of discs attracted little attention on either side of the Atlantic when released, yet stand up favorably, in retrospect, to the group's better-known contemporaries.

It took Wild Swans a while to get off the ground; an early lineup disbanded in the early '80s after recording a single for the Zoo label, but the band reconvened a few years later and released an official debut, Bringing Home The Ashes, in 1988. Although its most striking attribute was Simpson's vocal similarity to OMD's Andy McCluskey, the disc was filled with handsome, well-crafted guitar pop that gained a bit of color from splashes of organ and piano, and even made an occasional overture toward the dance floor. Simpson and bassist Joe Fearon made a far stronger impression with their 1990 follow-up, however, recruiting outstanding drummer Chris Sharrock and guitarist/vocalist Ian MacNabb from the Icicle Works, as well as that group's producer, Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie. Powered by Sharrock's rock-solid timekeeping, Space Flower touched on mild funk ("Melting Blue Delicious"), psychedelic-tinged rock ("Tangerine Temple") and hummable, chiming pop ("Butterfly Girl;" the Smithsy "Immaculate"), while Broudie glazed each of the album's 10 tracks with a likable, confident sheen.

That was the last transmission from the group, who exist now as a mere footnote to late-'80s pop. But those who bother to read the fine print and stumble onto Wild Swans may be in for a pleasant surprise indeed.

hitman531ph · September 8, 2005

ROMEO VOID

Thanks to the reductive onslaught of the "'80s party weekend" radio format and the numbing similarity of most '80s hits compilations, hearing the name Romeo Void instantly conjures up the phrase "I might like you better if we slept together" in most minds. The unforgettable chorus of their best-known song, 1981's "Never Say Never," the phrase on its own makes the song sound like some kind of shock-value novelty, and indeed, that's probably how many people remember it. Yet a careful listen to the verses, with their intimations of incest, murder, homelessness, and other dark subjects, makes plain that singer/lyricist Debora Iyall has more on her mind than simple salaciousness. The combination of Iyall's powerful vocals and searing imagery with the band's muscular blend of Joy Division's atmospherics and the Gang of Four's rattling momentum, with Benjamin Bossi's splattering free jazz saxophone coloring everything, made Romeo Void one of the strongest of the American post-punk bands.

Debora Iyall, a Native American (from the Cowlitz tribe) born in rural Washington and raised in Fresno, CA, moved to San Francisco in the mid-'70s to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. While there, she fell in with fellow students Peter Woods and Jay Derrah, who had formed a tongue-in-cheek '60s revival band called the Mummers and the Poppers. Iyall became the group's singer and also began incorporating music into her own poetry and performance art projects, drafting Frank Zincavage, a sculptor who also played bass and electronic drums, as her work partner. (Zincavage was also a noted graphic designer and photographer; his name and that of his sister, Diane Zincavage, appear in the credits of many San Francisco and Los Angeles indie albums of the era.) Intrigued by the burgeoning local punk and post-punk scenes, which included fellow Art Institute students like Avengers singer Penelope Houston and members of the Mutants and Pearl Harbor & the Explosions, Iyall, Zincavage, Woods, and Derrah formed Romeo Void on Valentine's Day 1979. Iyall has said that the name, meaning "a lack of romance," was inspired by a headline on the cover of a local magazine that read "Why single women can't get laid in San Francisco."

Shortly after the group's formation, original saxophonist Bobby Martin and another local reedsman, Benjamin Bossi, swapped bands, with Martin joining art punk extremists the Offs and Bossi teaming up with Romeo Void. The revised lineup recorded their debut single, "White Sweater," and a cover of Jorgen Ingmann's atmospheric 1961 twang-guitar instrumental hit "Apache," for the new local indie 415 Records in 1980. Before sessions commenced for their first album, 1981's It's a Condition, Derrah left the group, replaced by ex-Explosions drummer John "Stench" Haines. One of the masterpieces of American post-punk, It's a Condition received rave reviews upon its release. Perhaps even more importantly, Cars leader Ric Ocasek heard the album (supposedly, a roadie played it in the Cars' tour bus) and invited the group to his Synchro Sound studio in Boston. The resulting Ocasek-produced EP, Never Say Never, on the back of the enormous dance club and college radio airplay of the single, led directly to 415 Records' ongoing association with Columbia Records (bringing not only Romeo Void but also Red Rockers, Translator, Wire Train, and others to major-label status), who reissued the EP later in 1981 before ushering the group back into the studio to record their next album.

1982's Benefactors kicks off with a less-impressive shortened mix of "Never Say Never," almost completely eliminating Bossi's squalling, Albert Ayler-like solo, fading out before the hypnotic ending and bleeping out a rude word in the second verse. (This is the version the video, an early MTV staple, features.) A denser album than the sparse It's a Condition, Benefactors is nearly the equal of the earlier record, with the hyperactive dance-pop of "Undercover Kept" signaling a new interest in musical directness that would reap commercial benefits on their next album.

Like It's a Condition, that third album, 1984's Instincts, was produced by 415's former house producer David Kahne, but it's far slicker than the debut, a precursor to the ultra-shiny albums Kahne would do with the Bangles over the next couple of years. Although this newly commercialized approach scored the band their only Top 40 hit, "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)," which Iyall claimed is an answer song to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," the album is a disappointment in comparison to the stellar work that had preceded it. By the time of these sessions, Haines had been replaced by former session drummer Aaron Smith, and relations had become strained in the group. Romeo Void broke up in early 1985.

Debora Iyall recorded one solo album, 1986's Strange Language, which continued the commercial tendencies of Instincts, then returned to her previous career as a poet, artist, and teacher. She formed the noise pop duo Knife in Water in the '90s. Benjamin Bossi joined the Ordinaires. Romeo Void reunited for a few benefit shows in 1992 and later that year released a career-summary compilation, Warm in Your Coat, which featured one excellent previously unreleased song, "One Thousand Shadows," recorded as a live demo in late 1984 for a movie soundtrack, but it was never finished.

Edited September 13, 2005 by hitman531ph

hitman531ph · September 8, 2005

JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP

Few artists have had to face the uphill climb that greeted John Mellencamp (b. Oct. 7, 1951, Seymour, Indiana) after recording his ill-advised 1976 debut album, Chestnut Street Incident. First, there was the horrible name problem: Johnny Cougar. Then there was the "MainMan" logo on the back--the trademark of the company helmed by former David Bowie manager and strategist Tony DeFries. Then there was the pretty-boy, almost androgynous picture on the album jacket, looking as if it had been taken by a camera with a vaseline-covered lens. Finally, there was the music--or what could be found of it, once you'd gotten through the pointless versions of songs previously sung by the Doors, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and the Lovin' Spoonful. But 16 years later, when many of the world's most prestigious recording artists gathered together at Madison Square Garden to pay tribute at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert, who not only opened the show--but opened it with a cover of "Like A Rolling Stone"? Mrs. Cougar's little boy Johnny.

The transition of Johnny Cougar to today's entirely respectable John Mellencamp is an exemplary illustration of 1) How far an artist will compromise himself to break into the music business, 2) How much manipulation of image a manager or record label will engage in to break an artist, 3) How all the manipulation in the world can't help a flawed record, and, finally, 4) How long it can take to repair a rep*tation once it has become nearly irreparably damaged by all of the above.

From the very small Southern Indiana town of Seymour, a 23-year-old John Mellencamp took his demo tape in 1974 and went to New York in search of a record deal. He eventually visited the offices of MainMan's DeFries, and before long struck a deal that would ultimately result in Chestnut Street Incident, his embarrassing "Cougar" moniker, and a manager who wanted to push him to stardom the only way he knew how. "He tried to do the same exact thing with me that he did with Bowie," Mellencamp said in 1983, "but guess what? It was cool the first time around, but not second--hey, we've seen this act before, Jack!"

After the album flopped, and MCA opted not to release the intended follow-up The Kid Inside (though it would finally be released in the U.K. in 1982), Mellencamp signed a new deal with England's Riva label. Though the resulting album, 1978's A Biography, never saw American release, two of its tracks could be found on 1979's domestic John Cougar--and one of them, "I Need A Lover" finally helped the singer crack the American marketplace. Already a hit in Australia, the song was covered by Pat Benatar on her platinum debut and became a top 30 hit for Mellencamp himself in 1979.

With the Chestnut Street album a virtual sales nonentity, John Cougar was largely perceived by the public as the debut of a new artist. And far from the Bowie-esque figure DeFries might have planned, the singer struck many as a straight rock 'n' roller from the heartland, much in the tradition of a Bob Seger or a Bruce Springsteen. Within a year, the follow-up album Nothin' Matters And What If It Did was in the top 40, and two of its hits--"This Time" and "Ain't Even Done With The Night"--were suitable proof the singer wasn't a one-shot hitmaker. And when 1982's American Fool shot to No. 1 and stayed there for nine weeks--as two of its singles, "Hurt So Good" and "Jack And Diane" simultaneously sat comfortably in the top 5--proof of anything was hardly an issue. John Cougar had produced 1982's biggest-selling album.

Rather than sitting still and basking in success, Mellencamp got busy. He produced Mitch Ryder's 1983 "comeback" LP Never Kick A Sleeping Dog, he recorded his own album Uh-huh (this time credited to John Cougar Mellencamp) in an Indiana farmhouse converted into a recording studio--and he began to stretch artistically. With 1985's triple-platinum Scarecrow, his lyrics took on such serious topics as the plight of the American farmer; the same year, he performed at Farm Aid I, later returning to both Farm Aid II in 1986 and Farm Aid III in 1987. Additionally, Mellencamp's straightforward rock sound was evolving: With 1987's Lonesome Jubilee, he added new band members and began featuring violins, accordions, pedal steel guitars and dulcimers prominently. Still another sign of the singer's desire to expand his horizons, the album was his most artistically mature statement to date. And the audience wasn't being left behind, either: Jubilee bore three hit singles, with both "Paper In Fire" and "Cherry Bomb" cracking the top 10.

Mellencamp's growth since has been amply displayed on such albums as Big Daddy (1989), Whenever We Wanted (1991), Human Wheels (1993), Dance Naked (1994), Mr. Happy Go Lucky (1996) and John Mellencamp (1998). Human Wheels, a top 10 album, might've been the singer's finest album ever; it was certainly the most forward-looking--perhaps due to the touch of co-producer Malcolm Burn, whose prior work with associate Daniel Lanois cast a distinctive sheen on much of the '90s finest pop and alternative rock music. You'd never have suspected it from 1976's Chestnut Street Incident, but at the rate John Mellencamp undergoes stylistic shifts with each new album, he could prove to be the next David Bowie. Think he'd enjoy the comparison?

Edited September 13, 2005 by hitman531ph

Tom Babauta · September 9, 2005

hmm. reasons in pasay road, brings back a lot of memories during those times.

Kamusta na kaya si Edong? I don't know if anyone of you knows him.
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Yup, tambay nga kami ng REASONS Pasay Road a long, long time ago.

I don't remember Edong. Sino siya doon? :huh: Sadly, closed na ito.

I think Rhythm & Booze and Jazz Rhythms are also closed too.

ice_sp · September 9, 2005

Yup, tambay nga kami ng REASONS Pasay Road a long, long time ago.
I don't remember Edong. Sino siya doon? Sadly, closed na ito.
I think Rhythm & Booze and Jazz Rhythms are also closed too.
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i think a jazz bar rennaisance here in our country is in order right bros? good!!!

so we could lay back, relax, chill, drink super dry and stolich tonic, while listening to the david benoit, tom scott, al jarreau, dave grusin, george benson, willie bobo, shakatak, hiroshima, sea wind, tony benet, earth wind & fire, kenny g, stanley clarke, george duke, spyro gyra, louie armstrong, anita baker, minnie riperton, sergio mendes, pauline wilson, kevyn lettau, dianne reeves, the rippingtons, manhattan transfer, lee retinour

Sir Duke

Stevie Wonder

Music is a world within itself

With a language we all understand

With an equal opportunity

For all to sing, dance and clap their hands

But just because a record has a groove

Don't make it in the groove

But you can tell right away at letter A

When the people start to move

They can feel it all over

They can feel it all over people

They can feel it all over

They can feel it all over people

Music knows it is and always will

Be one of the things that life just won't quit

But here are some of music's pioneers

That time will not allow us to forget

For there's Basie, Miller, Satchmo

And the king of all Sir Duke

And with a voice like Ella's ringing out

There's no way the band can lose

You can feel it all over