tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50318622002286484572024-03-20T11:09:49.602-04:00Eighties Rare VideosThe place for great and not-so-great nearly forgotten videos from the decade of Miami Vice, mullets, and acid wash jeans. All praise to the bands, YouTube, and the original posters of these videos.Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.comBlogger487125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-81570450762373099752022-10-29T22:27:00.001-04:002022-10-29T22:27:59.795-04:00Rick Springfield - Human Touch<p>Our second <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Hallows%20Even" target="_blank">All Hallows Even</a> clip is Rick Springfield's "Human Touch." This is Springfield's second appearance on ERV; his cover of Sammy Hagar's "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2012/01/rick-springfield-ive-done-everything.html" target="_blank">I've Done Everything for You</a>" was featured on our little blog way back in 2012.</p><p>"Human Touch" came in the midst of Rick Springfield's heyday - between 1981 and 1988 he had 16 top 40 hits and five top 40 albums. Over time, we've come around on his work - there is a fair amount of solid pop rock songs in his catalog, including this one. Helped by the slightly odd video, the song hit #18 on the charts, while the Living in Oz album reached #12 and would become the third of four consecutive Springfield albums to go platinum.</p><p>The apocalyptic sci-fi video starts with some small skeleton people wondering into a lab that contains Rick and ... a bunch of dancers, it seems. The year: 2016. The world seems to be a total wasteland (sadly, Springfield might not have been that far off about 2016). There is then a bunch of dancing, some computers, and a four eyed saxophonist (no, not with glasses ... but with four actual eyes). The result is an odd but fun video, which is easily recognizable as an 80s clip (the special effects ... oh my).</p><p>The sci-fi elements, set, and costumes make this an excellent Halloween video, and we hope that our reader(s) enjoy it as much as we did.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yo0uTu2uLtI" width="320" youtube-src-id="yo0uTu2uLtI"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-32569169474897753022022-10-26T21:07:00.001-04:002022-10-26T21:22:06.038-04:00Missing Persons - Destination Unknown<p>Well, it is the time of year where ERV rolls out some rare, spooky, and/or atmospheric videos - welcome to our 11th annual <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Hallows%20Even" target="_blank">All Hallows Even</a> celebration!</p><p>First up is Missing Persons' strong 1982 cut, "Destination Unknown." Long time readers may recall that we featured Missing Persons' cool, artsy video for "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2012/03/missing-persons-surrender-your-heart.html" target="_blank">Surrender Your Heart</a>" back in 2012. That entry also does a good job of providing some background on the band, so we'll politely suggest following the link.</p><p>"Destination Unknown" is one of Missing Persons older songs and was originally released on the band's 1980 EP (along with "I Like Boys," "Mental Hopscotch" and a cover of the Doors' "Hello, I Love You.") It was also the second single released from the group's breakout 1982 LP, Spring Session M (unsurprisingly, "Words" was the first single).</p><p>From an All Hallows Even point of view, we dig the atmospheric video which feels somewhat dream-like. Bonus points for the broken mirror, which is prominently featured in the clip. The video did manage to go into rotation on MTV for a time, though we don't think that it was featured quite as much as "Words" was.</p><p>While we suspected that Missing Persons could be a one hit wonder, they actually never had a top 40 hit. "Words" and "Destination Unknown" both peaked at #42, thought the Spring Session M album (an anagram of the band's name) did better, reaching #17 on the charts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1WDly1Oc_P4" width="320" youtube-src-id="1WDly1Oc_P4"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-22539096457042888072022-04-18T20:35:00.001-04:002022-04-18T20:35:48.885-04:00Peter Wolf - Come As You ArePeter Wolf remains one of the more interesting characters in rock and roll, although we are still a bit sad about his untimely departure from the J. Geils Band -- but more on that later.<div><br /></div><div>Wolf (given name: Peter Blankfield) was born in New York City and moved to Boston to attend art school at Tufts University. His first roommate? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lynch" target="_blank">David Lynch</a>. (Yes, seriously.) While at Tufts he got into the Boston music scene, which in 1968 led to a job at the new FM rock station in Boston, WBCN. Wolf became the first nighttime DJ on BCN, going by Woofa Goofa. However, he soon left the radio station to focus on making it as a rock star with the mighty J. Geils Band.</div><div><br /></div><div>We've previously posted two great videos from the J. Geils Band - "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2012/07/j-giles-band-love-stinks.html" target="_blank">Love Stinks</a>" and "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2015/06/j-geils-band-come-back.html" target="_blank">Come Back</a>," both of which were off the successful Love Stinks LP. The band's next album, 1981's Freeze Frame, became a #1 album, but a rift in the band soon developed over their musical direction. Wolf wanted to continue with a more blues rock sound, but the rest of the group favored a more pop/dance direction. As a result, Wolf left the group in 1983 and ventured out on his own.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Come As You Are" (no, not the Nirvana song) was the lead single off the 1987 LP of the same name. It became a hit, reaching #15 on the charts, though it would be Wolf's last top 40 hit. The video is a tribute to a Bobby Van dance routine from the 1953 movie <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWT5NWgkFjU" target="_blank">Small Town Girl</a>, </i>and is a hoot - typical high energy Peter Wolf.</div><div><div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e8hBClqyor8" width="320" youtube-src-id="e8hBClqyor8"></iframe></div><br /><div>Cool trivia fact: Wolf was married to actress Faye Dunaway from 1974-79.</div></div></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-13802684353902296492022-03-31T21:59:00.000-04:002022-03-31T21:59:13.871-04:00Stevie Wonder - Master blaster (Jammin')<p>There are not a lot of true music legends, either in general or on ERV, but Stevie Wonder certainly qualifies. Born as Stevland Hardaway Morris, and blind since shortly after birth, Wonder started in the music industry at 11 (!) and was given the name Little Stevie Wonder by Motown producer Clarence Paul.</p><p>While many acts count their top 40 songs or albums, one indication of Stevie Wonder's success is the amount of #1s. Wonder has ten #1 songs and three #1 albums. In the 1970s, his music - an upbeat fusion of soul, pop, and R&B - dominated the charts (and was critically acclaimed, to boot). For example, Wonder has four albums in the <i>Rolling Stone</i> top 500, including three in the top 60. </p><p>His 1980 LP, Hotter Than July may not quite reach the career peaks of his 1970s efforts, but it is still an extremely good record. The album would peak at #3 and go platinum, while "Master Blaster (Jammin')" would reach #5 on the singles chart. The song was heavily influenced by Wonder's friendship with reggae legend Bob Marley. The title is a nod to Marley's 1977 song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqVy6eRXc7Q" target="_blank">Jamming</a>" and the lyrics, envisioning a world at peace, were also likely influenced by Marley.</p><p>Wonder continued to have significant commercial success through the 1980s, albeit with a somewhat more commercial sound. Although his production has decreased in the years since, he remains active in the industry as of this writing, and remains a true living legend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AbqgBtxm4Jo" width="320" youtube-src-id="AbqgBtxm4Jo"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-54496714221393622292022-03-14T21:03:00.001-04:002022-04-18T01:51:03.951-04:00Kim Wilde - Kids In America<p>For a time in 1982, and again in 1987, it looked like Kim Wilde might break out and become a pop star in the U.S., but unfortunately the stars did not align for her. However, she did carve out a long career in Europe and the UK, as well as two breakthrough hits in the U.S.</p><p>Wilde was basically born into the music business; her father (Marty Wilde) had several hits in the 1950s and early 1960s before transitioning to a career as an entertainer. By the early 1980s, Marty was working with his son Ricky. Kim offered to sing backup vocals in the studio with Ricky, and drew the attention of Mickie Most, the head of RAK Records. Ricky and Marty recognized that this could be a big break for Kim and wrote a song for her: "Kids in America."</p><p>The song became a hit in the UK and Europe in 1981, but it was the video, shown on the fledgling MTV cable channel that really drove Wilde's U.S. success. "Kids in America" peaked at #25 in August 1982 - roughly eighteen months after its UK peak (at #2 in February 1981). However, Wilde's other singles did not do well in the U.S.; none broke the top 40. In contrast, from 1981-86, she had nine top 40 hits in her native UK.</p><p>Surprisingly, in 1987 Wilde broke through again, this time with a cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," which went to number 1. Although Wilde never had another top 40 hit in the U.S., her career remain strong in the UK throughout the 1990s. She later became a DJ and TV presenter which continues to the present day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UqMcevcUmqg" width="320" youtube-src-id="UqMcevcUmqg"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-29258500757500169442022-02-22T20:47:00.002-05:002022-02-22T20:47:56.379-05:00Hipsway - The Honeythief<p>Ah, the one hit wonder - such an interesting phenomena. The category is comprised of major bands where only one single hit the Top 40 (such as <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2012/07/roxy-music-more-than-this.html" target="_blank">Roxy Music</a>), talented underappreciated artists who never quite caught on (<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2012/06/marshall-crenshaw-whenever-youre-on-my.html" target="_blank">Marshall Crenshaw</a>), and acts who just caught lightning in a bottle (<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2013/06/tpau-heart-and-soul.html" target="_blank">T'Pau</a>).</p><p>Hipsway is mostly the latter, but there was definitely talent in the band, as well. The group formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1984 and was led by Johnny McElhone (fomerly of <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2014/03/altered-images-happy-birthday.html" target="_blank">Altered Images</a>) on bass. Singer Grahame Skinner, guitarist Pim Jones, and drummer Harry Travers rounded out the lineup.</p><p>The group's self-titled debut album came out in 1986, and had a seriously catchy song on it, "The Honeythief," which became a hit. Interestingly, "The Honeythief" was the third single released from the LP, which is kind of hard to understand. At any rate, the song reached #19 in the U.S. and #17 in the UK, and helped the album to chart, too (#55 U.S., #42 UK).</p><p>Unfortunately, follow up success was elusive, thought Hipsway did have a few charting songs in the UK. However, after the poor performance of their second LP (1989's Scratch the Surface), they broke up. Noteably, Johnny McElhone would go on to have continued success in the UK with his next band, Texas (a definite candidate to show up on this blog down the line).</p><p>Hipswap did re-form in 2016, and even released a new album in 2018.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XW9iOaNaO7A" width="320" youtube-src-id="XW9iOaNaO7A"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-72355044013489281082022-02-14T22:18:00.000-05:002022-02-14T22:18:02.119-05:00Kix - Cold Blood<p>Although they were lumped in with the hair metal scene, Kix were actually more of a bluesy hard rock band, along the lines of <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2014/04/acdc-flick-of-switch.html" target="_blank">AC/DC</a> or <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2011/12/cinderella-shake-me.html" target="_blank">Cinderella</a>. Additionally, they were an East Coast act, cutting their teeth primarily in the northeast until their all-too-brief period of success.</p><p>The band formed in Maryland in 1977 and were initially called Shooze. They then changed their name to The Generators before finally settling on Kix. Led by frontman Steve Whiteman, and with bassist Donnie Purnell as the primary songwriter, the group seemed to have all of the ingredients for major success. However, in spite of strong material their first three albums barely dented the charts.</p><p>This all changed with 1988's Blow My Fuse. The LP went platinum and reached #46 on the charts, led by the power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes" (which reached #11 on the singles charts). However, in classic ERV style, we're opting for "Cold Blood" instead - a straight up banger that is more representative of Kix' style.</p><p>Unfortunately, the band was unable to maintain its momentum; the 3 year delay between Blow My Fuse and Hot Wire probably didn't help matters. With the emergence of grunge, their fate was sealed, and the band broke up in 1995. However, they subsequently re-formed in 2003 (without Donnie Purnell) and have been performing since, albeit with some personnel changes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r4t-P38plTI" width="320" youtube-src-id="r4t-P38plTI"></iframe></div><p>Cool trivia fact: the actress in the video is Helene Clarkson.</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-66812360391146878942022-01-30T20:43:00.001-05:002022-01-30T20:58:40.816-05:00Sting - Fortress Around Your Heart<p>By the early 1980s, The Police were one of the biggest bands in the world, so Sting's 1985 solo album was huge news. Interestingly, The Police were apparently only on hiatus at this point, but they officially broke up shortly after a failed attempt at recording a new album in 1986.</p><p>Likely contributing to the breakup was the huge success of The Dream of the Blue Turtles (named after a dream that Sting had). The album showed significant musical growth for Sting as it was both more polished and jazzier than The Police. The result was an LP that peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts with four top 40 hits.</p><p>"Fortress Around Your Heart" was the third single off Blue Turtles and it reached #8 on the charts. In our view, it was the most Police-like single off Sting's first solo album, and the odd, atmospheric video didn't hurt the song's success a bit. In fact, it was all over MTV for a time in 1985.</p><p>Sting would go on to have almost continual success throughout his career, though he does seemed to have slowed down of late. The Police eventually reunited for a hugely successful 2007-08 tour, but then disbanded, seemingly for good. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OiPiRKbNCWY" width="320" youtube-src-id="OiPiRKbNCWY"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-21105759454263306882021-11-22T21:54:00.004-05:002022-04-05T21:05:28.318-04:00The Outfield - My Paradise<p>The 1980s musical equivalent of a sunny summer day, The Outfield recorded a bunch of bright power pop gems, but somehow never became big stars. While their first LP broke the top 10, they quickly fell out of favor, something that baffled us at the time (and ever since). We suppose that there is no small amount of luck involved in success, and the group was not the flashiest, but they truly deserved a better fate.</p><p>Long time readers may recall that we featured the group's "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-outfield-say-it-isnt-so.html" target="_blank">Say It Isn't So</a>" on ERV back in 2014. That song was one of four singles off the Play Deep LP that did receive some airplay during the band's all-too-brief period of major success (primarily 1986).</p><p>For the blog we had several good options, and finally decided on 1989's "My Paradise." This song was the second single off the Voices of Babylon album (after the title track). We don't recall seeing the video back in the day, and the single stalled at #72 on the charts. To our ear though, this is a power pop gem. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JG6bA5GJ1hc" width="320" youtube-src-id="JG6bA5GJ1hc"></iframe></div><p>The Outfield continued recording through the early 1990s, but were absent from the industry from most of the rest of that decade. They became more visible in the 2000s, but officially broke up when guitarist (and primary song writer) John Spinks died in 2014. Sadly, lead singer/bassist Tony Lewis has also died (in 2020). </p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-80910058349284393092021-10-24T17:23:00.002-04:002022-10-26T21:22:55.566-04:00Billy Ocean - Loverboy<p>Rounding out our <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Hallows%20Even" target="_blank">All Hallows Even</a> celebration is "Loverboy" by Billy Ocean. This is definitely one of the oddest 1980s videos, with a plot that seemingly has nothing at all to do with the song. We suspect that there may have been some controlled substances involved, along with at least one <i>Star Wars</i> fan.</p><p>Long time viewers may recall that this is Billy Ocean's second appearance on ERV, as "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2020/03/billy-ocean-caribbean-queen-no-more.html" target="_blank">Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)</a>" was posted last March. As we mentioned then, Billy Ocean (given name: Leslie Charles) was a modestly successful singer until 1984, when his Suddenly LP broke out, reaching the top 10 in both the U.S. and the UK.</p><p>While "Loverboy" was a big hit (#2 in the U.S. and #6 in the UK), it was not as big a hit as "Caribbean Queen" in either market. Not not worry, though, Billy Ocean remained massively successful through the rest of the decade.</p><p>As to the video ... it is a perfect Halloween video, from the sci-fi perspective. We are of two minds here - on the one hand, it is trying to be an ambitious mini-movie. On the other hand, there seems to be little plot, and the visuals are cheesy, though perhaps less so by the standards at the time. The plot seems to revolve around a lizard creature, who goes to a cantina to ... kidnap a female alien (?), after killing her date in an unprovoked burst of laser fire. Yeah. </p><p>It's probably best to not analyze it too much, but it is a weirdly engaging and odd Halloweeny clip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tyrowWnlNnQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="tyrowWnlNnQ"></iframe></div><br /><p>Cool trivia fact: superstar music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange co-wrote the song, along with Keith Diamond and Billy Ocean. </p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com6Boston, MA, USA42.3600825 -71.058880116.607909392010612 -106.2151301 68.112255607989383 -35.902630099999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-49304627200765830442021-10-19T20:14:00.002-04:002022-10-26T21:23:09.266-04:00Real Life - Send Me An Angel<p>For our second <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Hallows%20Even" target="_blank">All Hallows Even</a> treat, we're posting Real Life's "Send Me An Angel" (the original version; more on that in a moment).</p><p>Real Life were an Australian band that formed in Melbourne in 1980. Originally called The Wires, the group changed their name to avoid being confused with Wire (the UK punk rock act). They settled on A Private Life, which turned out to be a terrible choice, as they were then threatened with a lawsuit from Private Lives (a Sydney band) and so changed their name again to Real Life.</p><p>"Send Me An Angel" was the lead single from the group's first LP, 1983's Heartland. The song did reasonably well, reaching #29 on the U.S. charts, and going to #6 in their native Australia. The video, with a spooky forest and a wolfman (prince?) looking for his Celtic (?) princess (?) seems ... odd, but definitely Halloweeny.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hwfErYUoqx8" width="320" youtube-src-id="hwfErYUoqx8"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>As mentioned above, Real Life re-released the song (and video) in 1989, as part of their Send Me An Angel/Best of Real Life compilation. Incredibly, "Send Me An Angel" re-charted even higher in the U.S., reaching #26. The video is less interesting (and less spooky) than the original, but we've included it here anyway (cause that's what we do).<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0R6WIbx8ysE" width="320" youtube-src-id="0R6WIbx8ysE"></iframe></div><p>Special shout out to M, who asked for our help after seeing a portion of the video on Loop ... and then found it herself. Obviously, we liked it enough to put it up on the blog.</p></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-64324322754501529882021-10-12T20:48:00.002-04:002022-10-26T21:23:40.640-04:00Kiss - I Love It Loud<p>Welcome to ERV's 10th annual <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Hallows%20Even" target="_blank">All Hallows Even</a> party. A reminder to our newer readers: our prior ghostly (ghastly) clips can be found using the <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/search/label/All%20Hallows%20Even" target="_blank">All Hallows Even</a> tag on the right.</p><p>Leading off this year's festivities is "I Love It Loud" by Kiss. As most readers know, Kiss has a long and somewhat controversial history. The group started in New York City in 1973, and was led by Paul Stanley (guitar and vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass and vocals). Ace Frehley (guitars) and Peter Criss (drums) rounded out the original lineup. Right from the start, Kiss was known for their makeup, costumes, and theatrical stage shows as much as for their music.</p><p>The group really broke out following their 1975 Alive! double album and had a period of superstardom, which was on the wane by the early 1980s. Changes to their sound likely didn't help - 1979's Dynasty was dance-influenced, while the 1981 "Music from 'The Elder'" concept album included orchestral parts.</p><p>With this backdrop, "I Love It Loud" from the 1982 Creatures of the Night LP was a return to form. Although the album didn't become a huge commercial success, the anthemic hard rock and focus on music videos laid the groundwork for Kiss' success in the 1980s. Stanley and Simmons capitalized on this by having the band remove their makeup (on MTV no less) and effectively repositioned Kiss as a pop metal act, which paid huge dividends for the rest of the decade.</p><p>From a Halloween perspective, "I Love It Loud" is spot on. The makeup, costumes, and tank/drum kit are nicely complimented by the sonic assault (and glowing eyes). The result works, in our opinion, and makes for a fun Halloweeny video. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LMcDg2HwOnM" width="320" youtube-src-id="LMcDg2HwOnM"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-85137712610274666472021-09-09T22:56:00.000-04:002021-09-09T22:56:25.827-04:00Eddie Money - I Wanna Go Back<p>This is Eddie Money's second appearance on ERV; "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2011/08/think-im-in-love-eddie-money.html" target="_blank">Think I'm in Love</a>" was posted more than 10 years ago (way back in August 2011). As most readers will know, Money was a star in the late 1970s and 1980s with four platinum LPs and 11 top 40 hits (yes, two of which were in the early 90s).</p><p>"I Wanna Go Back" was one of those hits; it reached #14 on the singles chart, while the Can't Hold Back album reached #20 on the album charts. The video is a combination of Money in concert and going back to a high school reunion. At the reunion, he sees (but does not connect with) a mysterious blonde - played by Marilyn Martin, who sang the backing vocals on the track.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o0JqC2UDpoE" width="320" youtube-src-id="o0JqC2UDpoE"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Eddie Money remained active in the music industry (and even dabbled in acting) until his death from cancer in 2019. <br /><p>As a cool bonus, "I Wanna Go Back" is one of those "I bet you didn't know that it is a cover" songs that we love so much at ERV. The original version was recorded in 1984 by Billy Satellite, an Oakland rock band who never quite made it ... and the original version also has a video (you're welcome):</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lgHAWMb4Ayo" width="320" youtube-src-id="lgHAWMb4Ayo"></iframe></div><br /><p>Cool trivia facts: "I Wanna Go Back" was also covered by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fy49qZ9UwU" target="_blank">Greg Rollie</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6m_Ibx0SrU" target="_blank">Ace Frehley</a>.</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-17552679613083829602021-08-01T20:25:00.004-04:002022-09-21T02:14:51.888-04:00MTV Debuted August 1, 1981 <p> It was 40 years ago today ... (to commandeer a phrase).</p><p>Just after midnight on August 1, 1981, the world's first 24 hour video music channel launched. At the time, only a few cable systems in New Jersey had MTV, though this quickly changed -- primarily due to consumer pressure driven by the "I Want My MTV" ad campaign:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b9Lq9sqqbYY" width="320" youtube-src-id="b9Lq9sqqbYY"></iframe></div><br /><p>MTV quickly became a sensation, and those of us who lived through the music revolution will never forget it. In fact, we started our little blog 10 years ago (August 2011), after being inspired by the hoopla around the 30th anniversary of MTV.</p><p>Below is the first two hours of MTV, including commercials. We hope that you dig it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PJtiPRDIqtI" width="320" youtube-src-id="PJtiPRDIqtI"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>As for ERV ... more videos will be coming soon :)</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-64676942694541631552021-07-27T21:23:00.000-04:002021-07-27T21:23:55.712-04:00Jim Capaldi - Living On The Edge<p>While Jim Capaldi is not a household name (even here on ERV), he was an interesting and important figure in rock, especially during the late 1960s and early 1970s.</p><p>Capaldi was born in Evesham, Worcestershire (this isn't important, but we liked it anyhow) and became involved in the lively London music scene during the 1960s. He eventually started jamming with <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2016/04/steve-winwood-still-in-game.html" target="_blank">Steve Winwood</a>, Dave Mason, and Chris Wood and they formed the influential rock/jazz band Traffic in 1967.</p><p>One of our favorite facts about Traffic concerns the way they wrote their songs. Capaldi would write lyrics first and then Winwood would compose music that suited Capaldi's lyrics.</p><p>After Traffic broke up (for the second time in 1974), Capaldi married a Brazilian woman (Aninha Campos) and raised a family in Brazil, where he became interested in environmental and social issues (and Samba). Although Capaldi remained active in the industry, his only real solo success came from his 1983 Fierce Heart LP. That album hit #91 on the charts and generated two charting singles - "That's Love" (#28) and "Living on the Edge" (#75). In typical ERV form, we are opting for the lower charting song, primarily because we like it better. Additionally, it has a pretty far out there video with birds, motorcycles, and what appears to be some sort of Native American ceremony. </p><p>[Note that the MTV has the wrong album title on their credits - Rock Art and the X-Ray Style is a 1999 album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros.]</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AchH7gyjO7c" width="320" youtube-src-id="AchH7gyjO7c"></iframe></div><p>Jim Capaldi died from stomach cancer in 2005. </p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-734927392181315092021-07-14T19:50:00.001-04:002022-09-21T02:23:21.703-04:00Split Enz - I Got You<p>Split Enz (the NZ is a reference to New Zealand, where the band originated) formed in 1973 in Auckland. The founders - Tim Finn and Phil Judd - wanted to create an eclectic pop band; hence the name (which was originally spelled correctly).</p><p>During the 1970s, the group went through a myriad of changes, both in terms of style and personnel. The most significant change was Judd's departure; he was replaced by Tim Finn's brother Neil in 1977. During much of this period, Split Enz was a flamboyant art rock band, but they had little success outside of New Zealand and Australia.</p><p>This changed with their 1980 release, True Colours, which was something of a coming out party for Neil as a songwriter. The resulting material had a stronger pop sound, and this combined with more straight-forward visuals allowed Split Enz to ride the New Wave (see what we did there?)</p><p>True Colours became a #1 album in Australia and New Zealand, and broke into the charts in the U.S. "I Got You" also charted, though it only reached #53 on the U.S. charts. However, it was top 40 in several countries, and hit #1 in Australia and New Zealand.</p><p>While the group continued releasing records for the first half of the 1980s, there seemed to be a growing musical disconnect between Tim and Neil, and Tim Finn finally quit the group in 1984. Shortly afterwards, Neil broke up Split Enz and went on to even greater success in Crowded House. The Finn brothers did work together on Crowded House's 1991 LP, Woodface, and more recently as The Finn Brothers. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wiqBlKnb91A" width="320" youtube-src-id="wiqBlKnb91A"></iframe></div><br /><p>Cool trivia fact: As mentioned above, Split Enz is a no hit wonder in the U.S.; "I Got You" (#53) was their highest charting single. However, Neil Finn did have two top 40 hits with Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" (#2) and "Something So Strong" (#7).</p><p>Cool trivia fact #2: "I Got You" was the 81st video played on MTV's first day; interestingly, it was the <b>third</b> Split Enz video played on MTV, after "History Never Repeats" and "One Step Ahead."</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-12210901572678000672021-06-30T21:19:00.001-04:002021-06-30T21:19:06.115-04:00Poco - Call It Love<p>Casual music fans may view Poco as an answer to the trivia question: What group did The Eagles raid for their bass players? In truth, Poco was a pioneering country rock band who flirted with crossover success twice, but never quite broke through.</p><p>Poco was formed in 1968 from the ashes of Buffalo Springfield, when Richie Furay and Jim Messina started the group. Rusty Young, Randy Meisner, and George Grantham rounded out the original lineup. Although their country rock sound was considered groundbreaking, the group had only modest success for much of the 70s. The act was also probably hurt by their significant turnover; by 1978 only Rusty Young remained from the original lineup.</p><p>Poco's first potential breakout came with the release of their Legend LP in 1978. The album went gold and generated two top 40 hits - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0urDGb2-SU" target="_blank">Crazy Love</a>" (#17) and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6mAa7WZpWs" target="_blank">Heart of the Night</a>" (#20). Sadly, the group was unable to follow up that success and saw declining record sales in the 1980s. By the mid-80s, Poco had lost its recording contract and things looked bleak.</p><p>However, Poco caught its second big break when Richard Marx went to bat for the band, and had his manager (Allen Kovac) take them on as a client. This led to a reforming of the original lineup, a new recording contract, and a new album, 1989's Legacy. Surprisingly, this album was a hit, also going gold (and also with two top 40 hits - "Call It Love" (#18) and "Nothin' to Hide" (#39)). And once again, Poco was unable to capitalize on this success, although they remained a working band through 2013 (and sporadically since then).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cGEBXL11THc" width="320" youtube-src-id="cGEBXL11THc"></iframe></div><br /><p>Cool trivia fact: "Call It Love" was directed by Michael Bay (Transformers, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon) in one of his first directing jobs.</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-21883885508911499202021-06-20T00:03:00.006-04:002022-04-18T01:23:09.587-04:00Rick James - Give It To Me Baby<p>Although he was a funk artist, Rick James lived like a rock star. Huge highs, crashing lows, drugs, and horrific personal behavior defined much of James' life. The resulting portrait is complicated, but there is little doubt that James was a major star who wrote some of the finest funk of the late 1970s and early 1980s.</p><p>Rick James (given name: James Johnson) was born in Buffalo and was interested in music from a young age. In his teens, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to avoid the draft, but he deserted in 1964 and fled to Toronto. While there, he became involved in the local music scene and became friends with Levon Helm (The Band), Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. His band (The Mynah Birds) did well enough to sign a recording contract with Motown, but the entire thing fell apart after James was for imprisoned for desertion.</p><p>After working in the industry for years, James finally got his big break with Motown in 1978. His solo LP, Come and Get It became a huge hit, launching James' career and helping to revitalize the Motown label. However, it was his 1981 Street Songs album that became his biggest success - reaching #3 on the album charts, and providing two top 40 hits - "Give It To Me Baby" (#40) and "Superfreak" (#16).</p><p>Drug use and changing tastes caused James' success to decline during the 1980s, though he did receive a bump when MC Hammer sampled "Superfreak" in his 1990 smash "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo" target="_blank">U Can't Touch This</a>." Unfortunately, James' personal problems (i.e., drugs) prevented him from capitalizing on this. James was introduced to a younger audience again in 2004, when he was featured on a Chappelle's Show segment <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry2XlLKctiI" target="_blank">Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories: Rick James</a></i>, which is worth watching, in our view.</p><p>"Give It To Me Baby" was the first true video that James recorded and was the first single released off Street Songs. It's a fantastic example of Rick James at the peak of his powers - nearly out of control, charismatic, and seriously captivating.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1dNIQVYGXbM" width="320" youtube-src-id="1dNIQVYGXbM"></iframe></div><br /><p>Sadly, Rick James died of a heart attack in 2004. He was 56.</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-6822969198038721302021-06-08T18:13:00.003-04:002022-09-21T02:25:20.890-04:00Mental As Anything - Live It Up<p>"Live It Up" is an upbeat song with an interesting history from a cool, quirky band from Australia. Mental As Anything were an art rock band that formed in Sydney in 1976. The group would go on to have significant success in their home market, with three top 10 albums and twenty (!) top 40 singles. The band is also noteworthy for their odd and humorous videos.</p><p>Their 1985 release, Fundamental, proved to be Mental As Anything's biggest success. The LP peaked at #3 on the Australian album charts, while the "Live It Up" single hit #2 on the singles charts. It's easy to see why, as it's a great pop song with a fantastic hook.</p><p>The song then won the lottery as it was picked for the <i>Crocodile Dundee</i> film and soundtrack. <i>Dundee</i> became an international phenomenon; it was also the second highest grossing film in the U.S. in 1986 (slightly behind <i>Top Gun</i>). "Live It Up" was re-released and would go on to have significant international success, reaching #3 in the UK, for example.</p><p>While the band's success faded over time, they remained an active working band through 2019, when Greedy Smith, the last remaining original member, died unexpectedly of a heart attack.</p><p>In spite of the global success of "Live It Up," Mental As Anything never broke through in the U.S., making this an eighties rare video.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g5B8AFvWk8Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="g5B8AFvWk8Y"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cool trivia fact: In 2020, "Live It Up" was adopted by fans of the Glasgow, Scotland soccer team Rangers FC, who pushed in to #1 on the UK iTunes charts in December of that year.</div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-52931089242489730472021-05-10T22:51:00.001-04:002021-05-10T22:59:38.699-04:00The Cult - Lil' Devil<p>Long time readers may recall that we have previously featured The Cult on ERV (twice), with "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2011/08/she-sells-sanctuary-cult.html" target="_blank">She Sells Sanctuary</a>" and "<a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-cult-rain.html" target="_blank">Rain</a>." Both of these videos were off the group's breakout LP, Love.</p><p>In the aftermath of Love, The Cult went back into the studio to work on their follow up album, tentatively titled Peace. However, a funny thing happened during the recording process - the band grew increasingly dissatisfied with making an album that seemed (to them) like Love, part 2. As a result, they switched producers, opting for Rick Rubin (who was primarily known as a rap producer). One suspects that the record label was likely in full blown panic mode by this point.</p><p>However, the results (which became the Electric album) were an inspired effort. Rubin stripped down The Cult's sound, which really brought out the AC/DC-like elements - anthemic, guitar-oriented songs which happened to feel right at home on rock radio. Electric would go on to reach #38 on the U.S. charts and would go platinum. While none of the singles off the LP broke the top 40, they all hit the Mainstream Rock Charts, a testament to how much they were played on the radio back in the day.</p><p>For the blog, we went with "Lil' Devil," a fun straight up rock song with a solid video and some seriously rock and roll lyrics (lizard in a bottle? cyclone kiss?) This one definitely sounds better loud.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kZUABAirbE4" width="320" youtube-src-id="kZUABAirbE4"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-76950649218269067672021-04-16T17:12:00.001-04:002021-04-16T17:12:30.378-04:00Los Lobos - Will the Wolf Survive?<p>Los Lobos were an unlikely and underrated success story in the 1980s. The group's roots date back to 1973, and they were originally named Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles (the wolves of East Los Angeles.) The band's name came from a 1977 <i>National Geographic</i> article, "Where Can the Wolf Survive?" making the group perhaps the only rock act named after a story in Nat Geo.</p><p>Their music blended traditional rock with country and Tex-Mex influences, creating a unique sound that became critically acclaimed. Unfortunately, major commercial success proved to be elusive - they only had three charting singles, two of which broke the top 40 (although their cover of "La Bamba" hit #1 in 1987.)</p><p>"Will the Wolf Survive?" is a lovely piece of songwriting, and shows the sophistication of Los Lobos. Rock, country, and Latin American sounds seem to effortlessly fuse together. The lyrics use the metaphor of a wolf, trying to find his place in a modern world, to illuminate the status of immigrants. In our view it is poetic and evocative.</p><p>The single, "Will the Wolf Survive?" peaked at #78 on the singles charts, while the album How Will the Wolf Survive reached #47.</p><p>Los Lobos remains together (with most of their original members) as of this writing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lJVsUMKftMo" width="320" youtube-src-id="lJVsUMKftMo"></iframe></div><br /><p>Cool trivia fact: <i>Rolling Stone</i> rated How Will the Wolf Survive as the 30th best album of the 1980s (and at #431 on their list of the greatest albums ever)</p>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-24381659315212684282021-03-28T17:59:00.002-04:002021-04-03T20:22:46.944-04:00Cutting Crew - One for the Mockingbird<p>Many ERV readers will recognize Cutting Crew as the band behind "(I Just) Died in Your Arms," a #1 song from 1987. In typical Eighties Rare Videos form, we're not featuring that song; instead we are opting for the last of their three top 40 hits, the upbeat "One for the Mockingbird."</p><p>Cutting Crew's roots date back to The Drivers, a British band who landed a minor hit in Canada in 1982 with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhKvbb_8Mwo" target="_blank">Tears On Your Anorak</a>." [For American readers, an anorak is British slang for a heavy jacket.] During The Drivers tour of Canada, the Canadian group Fast Forward was the opening act, and Nick Van Eede (the lead singer of The Drivers) and Kevin MacMichael (Fast Forward's guitarist) struck up a friendship. After The Drivers broke up, Van Eede and MacMichael formed a new band - Cutting Crew.</p><p>In 1986, Cutting Crew's debut album (Broadcast) went on to become a hit, reaching #16 on the album charts, with the aforementioned three top 40 singles. Unfortunately, the band was unable to maintain this momentum, and after two relatively unsuccessful follow up LPs, they broke up in 1993.</p><p>By the by, the video for "One for the Mockingbird" is peak MTV ... wow. It is a rapid-cut assault on your senses, with more visual effects than most sci-fi movies. Still, we have to admit that it is fun in a totally 1987 way. And as a bonus, the video includes Frosty Beedle on drums (total bonus points for a seriously cool name).</p><p>Nick Van Eede has re-formed Cutting Crew a few times through the years, without any of the other original members. Sadly, Kevin MacMichael died of lung cancer in 2002.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h0pyH529mCw" width="320" youtube-src-id="h0pyH529mCw"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-26992501297211956302021-03-16T18:08:00.004-04:002021-03-16T20:15:57.451-04:00Duke Jupiter - I'll Drink To You<p>Here at ERV, we have a particular soft spot for the bar band. In the 1980s it seemed as though every city had a few of these groups - comprised of working musicians who generated a local following, hoping for their one big break. [The Pub Rock tag will direct readers to previously featured bands who fit the bill, with varying degrees of success.]</p><p>In Rochester, NY, Duke Jupiter was the prototypical bar band. Playing straight-ahead rock and roll, they were active on the scene from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. And for a brief moment in 1982, it looked as if they might break through, thanks to their exposure on a new video music channel ... but sadly it was not to be.</p><p>"I'll Drink To You" was the lead single off the group's 1982 LP, Duke Jupiter I. The music video is a simple concert clip of them performing at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA. The performance footage captures some of the energy of their live show (though the audience seems a bit .... sedate) and it was picked up by MTV, and put into rotation for a time. The song even charted - reaching #58, while the album reached #204.</p><p>Unfortunately, this was as close as the band came to breaking out, and in 1986 they played a farewell concert and broke up, ending a 13 year run. However, they have occasionally re-formed for reunions, though it is unclear if this will continue, as drummer Dave Corcoran died from cancer in 2018.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5iNwn95o3is" width="320" youtube-src-id="5iNwn95o3is"></iframe></div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-84913740810816602572021-03-06T22:24:00.000-05:002021-03-06T22:24:14.253-05:00MC Lyte - Cha Cha Cha<p>MC Lyte was a female trailblazer in hip hop and is the answer to a trivia question: who is the first solo female artist to release a rap record? (Answer: MC Lyte - Lyte As a Rock, 1988).</p><p>Born in Brooklyn, NY as Lana Moorer, MC Lyte began rapping at 12, and recorded her first song at 14. Lyte's first album came out when she was 17; though it was not a huge commercial hit, it did establish her as an important rising hip hop artist.</p><p>Lyte's second album (1989's Eyes on This) did better, reaching #86 on the album charts, and peaking at #6 on the rap album charts. "Cha Cha Cha" did not land on the singles charts, but was a #1 song on the rap charts for two weeks.</p><p>MC Lyte would go on to have further successes in the 1990s, and would expanding into acting, business ventures, philanthropy, and political causes over time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VMttICy5MSg" width="320" youtube-src-id="VMttICy5MSg"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cool trivia fact: the video for "Cha Cha Cha" was directed by Tamra Davis, who has directed a bunch of movies, TV shows, and music videos. Davis was married to Mike D of the <a href="https://eightiesrarevideos.blogspot.com/2011/10/beastie-boys-shadrach.html" target="_blank">Beastie Boys</a> for years, although they are now legally separated.</div>Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031862200228648457.post-86046081315455708512021-02-17T23:23:00.005-05:002021-02-18T13:12:19.061-05:00Little Feat - Let It Roll<p>This one goes out to D, the biggest Little Feat fan that we know.</p><p>For all intensive purposes, there were two Little Feats. The first version came out of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, and formed in the late 1960s. This group was led by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lowell George, and built a following in the 1970s. They were the prototypical swamp rock act, best known for "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaHEfJApEVM" target="_blank">Dixie Chicken</a>."</p><p>Unfortunately, George's erratic behavior and drug use (and differing views as to the musical direction of the band) led to Little Feat's demise by 1979. George made conflicting statements about whether he would re-form a new Little Feat or remain a solo act, but this was all rendered moot when he died of a heart attack later that year. He was 34.</p><p>The remaining members of the group managed to release one last album (1979's Down on the Farm), at which point Little Feat officially broke up. However, the now former bandmates remained in the industry, playing with other artists. In 1987, the surviving members re-formed the band, added a couple of new musicians, and set out to record an album. This became the second version of Little Feat.</p><p>Their 1988 album, Let It Roll served to successfully relaunch the band and further grew their audience. While we don't recall seeing much of them on MTV, the songs were all over rock radio in 1988. For the blog, we went with the title cut off the LP. Yes, the vintage hot rod is a little ZZ Top derivative, but the blending of cars and the band performing live mostly works, in our opinion. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen=" "class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9IyRNKleyyg" width="320" youtube-src-id="9IyRNKleyyg"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>While Let It Roll was Little Feat's last top 40 album, the band retained their loyal fan base, and remains active (with a few lineup changes) to the present day.Rockdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181390915635149375noreply@blogger.com0