Kim Wilde - Kids In America

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.

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."

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.

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.

MTV Debuted August 1, 1981

 It was 40 years ago today ... (to commandeer a phrase).

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:

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.

Below is the first two hours of MTV, including commercials. We hope that you dig it.

As for ERV ... more videos will be coming soon :)

Rick James - Give It To Me Baby

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.

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.

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).

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  "U Can't Touch This." 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 Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories: Rick James, which is worth watching, in our view.

"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.

Sadly, Rick James died of a heart attack in 2004. He was 56.

Duke Jupiter - I'll Drink To You

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.]

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.

"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.

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.

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes

Long time viewer(s) may recall that this is Hall & Oates second appearance on ERV; "How Does It Feel To Be Back" (a truly rare song and video) was posted back in September 2015.

"Private Eyes" highlights Hall & Oates in their prime, and shows the incredibly catchy pop craftsmanship that made them superstars.  The song was originally written by Warren Pash, and started as a Janna Allen solo project, before turning into a Hall & Oates song - with assists from Janna and Sara Allen and Daryl Hall. As an aside, Sara Allen was Daryl Hall's long term girlfriend ("Sara Smile" was written about her) and sisters Sara and Janna were heavily involved in Hall & Oates songwriting in the early 1980s.

The video was released at the dawn of the MTV era, but its low budget charm was likely evident even in 1981.  The backup band (with G.E. Smith), the trench coats and fedoras ... this represents a master class in how to make a fun, inexpensive video.  Still, we don't remember seeing the video much on MTV back in the day, though it did show up on other programs, such as HBO's Video Jukebox (now who remembers that).

And as many readers will know, the song went on to become a #1 smash, cementing Hall & Oates position in the industry.  In fact, between 1980-83, the duo released 3 LPs and had 11 top 40 singles and 4 #1s.  While their commercial success faded after their 1980s heyday, Hall & Oates have remained active in the industry (with some breaks) to the present day. 

Cool trivia fact: for some extra fun while watching the video, check out bass player Tom Wolk. (Trust us.)

Cool trivia fact #2: The song's title came from the 1980 movie of the same name.

Rush - Tom Sawyer

As many readers will know, sometimes The Universe calls out and makes a request.  Often times these are serendipitous events, but some of the time they are sad - and that's ok.  We've been processing the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart, and were unsure at first whether to put a post up.  Then, we heard "Tom Sawyer" on the radio, reminding us of all that is great about Rush and rock and drummers.  Even better, the video is somewhat rare.

"Tom Sawyer" was the second single off Rush's breakout 1981 LP, Moving Pictures. ("Limelight" was the lead single.)  The song only reached #44 on the U.S. charts, but was a mainstay on FM rock radio in the 1980s.  The album rose to #3 and eventually went 4x platinum, making it Rush's best selling LP in the U.S.

The video was shot in Le Studio in Quebec, Canada during a cold Canadian winter.  With the exception of a quick outside intro shot, the rest of the clip is the band playing in the studio - note that these were the last few years before MTV, and we suspect the video was something of an afterthought.  As a plain vanilla video, we don't recall seeing it on MTV; perhaps it picked up a bit of airplay in the early days.

The song is particularly noteworthy in our book due to the front and center nature of the drum line.  This is the stuff that drum heroes are made of, and true to form, Rush drummer Neil Peart quickly established himself as rock's greatest living drummer.

Rush would go on to have significant success throughout the 1980s, and continued to record and tour through 2015. 

 
Cool trivia fact:  Rush is a one hit wonder, only 1982's "New World Man" broke the top 40 (at #21).

Cool trivia fact #2: Rolling Stone ranks Moving Pictures at #379 on their list of the greatest 500 albums ever.

George Harrison - All Those Years Ago

George Harrison's Somewhere in England album was originally slated for release in October 1980.  However, Warner Bros. initially rejected the album as too laid back (label speak for not enough radio-friendly songs).  As a result, Harrison was re-working the material when John Lennon was murdered in December 1980.

Harrison took a previously written song (originally intended for Ringo), changed the lyrics, and recorded it with a little help from his friends.  Ringo actually played drums on the song, and Paul McCartney (along with Linda McCartney and Denny Laine from Wings) sang backup vocals.  As a result, this was the first song to feature the three ex-Beatles since 1970.

In the aftermath of Lennon's death, the feeling of sadness and nostalgia was palpable, and "All Those Years Ago" became a huge hit - reaching #2 on the charts (and only kept out of the top spot by "Bette Davis Eyes.")  The video, featuring footage of Lennon, Harrison, and the rest of the Fab Four, fits the song quite well - it's more a celebration than a dirge.

After Harrison's 1982 LP Gone Troppo fell flat, he took a five year break from the business before his next album.  He then remained sporadically active in the music industry until his untimely death from cancer in 2001. 

Pat Benatar - Promises In The Dark

Pat Benatar's Precious Time album showcases the singer at the height of her powers and to this day it remains your author's favorite Benatar album.  While the LP didn't break new ground, it did show a refinement in the songwriting.  This combination of sharp, straight up rock and that voice (certainly one of the strongest in 1980s rock) proved irresistible to fans and led to huge commercial success.

While "Promises in the Dark" only reached #38 on the charts, the album went to #1 and ended up going double platinum to boot.  Sales were likely helped by the performance video, which was prominently featured on MTV, as was the sister video for "Fire and Ice."

After Precious Time, Benatar's sound evolved in a more of a pop direction, and eventually she even got into jump blues (on the True Love album).

Long time readers will recall that we featured Benatar's "You Better Run" cover as the second post on ERV in August 2011 (not coincidentally it was also the second video ever played on MTV).  In addition, her cover of "All Fired Up" was on ERV in March of 2014

Cool trivia fact:  "Promises in the Dark" is one of only two top 40 singles entirely co-written by Benatar and Giraldo (out of 15 top 40 hits).  The other one: "Ooh Ooh Song" from 1984's Tropico.

Cool trivia fact #2:  "Take It Anyway You Want It," (from the Precious Time LP) was co-written by Neil Giraldo and Martin Briley. (Yes, that Martin Briley, featured on ERV in October 2011 for "Salt of My Tears.")

Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio - A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)

Ray Parker, Jr. formed Raydio in 1977 with with Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael.  The group's smooth pop/funk quickly led to success, with "Jack and Jill" and "You Can't Change That" as strong examples of their style.

First among equals bands, where there is one dominant member, often have trouble staying intact and Raydio was no exception.  By 1980, the group was called Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio; this only lasted around a year before Parker left Raydio to go out on his own.

"A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" was off the last Raydio LP of the same name, and the success of the song and album likely encouraged Ray Parker, Jr. to go solo.  The single reached #4 on the charts, while the album peaked at #13 and went gold.

While the song picked up a significant amount of airplay on pop and adult contemporary radio, we don't recall ever seeing it on MTV.  The combination of the soft pop sound and MTV's initial positioning as a new wave/rock video channel probably account for this.  However, the vid is an awesome timepiece -- from the time Parker gets out of his Porsche, we were hooked.  Smooth, relaxed love advice never sounded so good (at least in 1981).

As regular readers will know, Parker's solo career go off the a strong start, with "The Other Woman," featured in our All Hallows Even celebration of 2014.  However, his career was inconsistent from there, though he did score a #1 hit in 1984 with "Ghostbusters."

The John Hall Band - You Sure Fooled Me

Long time readers may (or may not) recall that we posted The John Hall Band's "Crazy" video way back in January, 2012.  That song became a minor hit, and picked up some airplay in the early days of MTV.  While researching "Crazy," we discovered the video for "You Sure Fooled Me" and put it in the bullpen, where it remained until today.

"You Sure Fooled Me" is a totally solid rock song -- as an aside, why wasn't The John Hall Band bigger?  Sure, they aren't exactly breaking any new ground here, but the music is surprisingly good.

At any rate, this early video includes old cars and a girl, as the band brings the song to life, in a charming, yet low-budget sort of way.  In spite of their efforts, we don't recall ever seeing the vid or hearing the song, and it doesn't appear to have charted.  As we noted on the "Crazy" post, the group released a second LP before breaking up, though Hall would remain in the industry as a songwriter before embarking on a brief career in Congress (yes, really).

Oh, and as previously mentioned, John Hall is not related to Daryl Hall (or John Oates) and got his start in the 1970s band Orleans (of "Dance with Me" and "Still the One" fame).

Commodores - Lady (You Bring Me Up)

A nearly perfect 1981 time capsule (right down to the short shorts and high socks), "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" captures the Commodores at the end of the Lionel Richie era, when they were still one of the biggest acts in pop/funk.

The group formed while at the Tuskegee Institute in the late 1960s, and signed with Motown Records in 1972.  They quickly rose to become one of the most popular acts in 1970s and early 1980s pop/funk; between 1975 and 1981 they had 10 top 30 LPs and 15 top 40 singles.  As many reader will know, the Commodores sound evolved over time, becoming more pop and less funk.  This migration to pop was driven by singer/songwriter Lionel Richie, which created tension in the band and ultimately led to Richie leaving in 1982.

In the aftermath of Richie's departure, the Commodores soldiered on as a working band, but without a ton of major commercial success.  Lionel Richie would of course go on to become a major pop star, before going into semi-retirement in 1987.

"Lady (You Bring Me Up)" became a #8 hit in 1981, while the In the Pocket LP would peak at #13.

Cool trivia fact:  The Commodores had great difficulty picking their name, and ultimately chose it by picking a name out of the dictionary.  This led the band to joke that they almost became known as the Commodes.

Cool trivia fact #2:  The group is looking at a Billboard magazine at the start of the video, and eagle eyed readers may notice the back page advertisement for Van Halen's Fair Warning album (our favorite Van Halen LP), which was released in April, 1981.

Styx - A.D. 1928 / Rockin' the Paradise

Long time readers will recall that videos which were played during the first day of MTV (August 1, 1981) have a special place in our hearts at ERV.  Is this rational?  Probably not. (Especially since we did not get MTV on our cable system until the following summer).  But there you have it.

Which brings us the Styx' "A.D. 1928 / Rockin' The Paradise," the 10th video played on MTV (yes, ever).  "A.D. 1928" is the piano and keyboard intro, while "Rockin' the Paradise" begins with the guitars (around 1:10 below).  The song is a good example of the band combining different musical styles, while the live (ish) video highlights the band's showmanship.

Styx are an interesting band and an unlikely success story.  The group formed in Chicago in the late 1960s and officially became Styx when they signed their first recording contract in 1972.  Originally a prog rock act, the band's style become progressively more pop rock during the 1970s, leading to their 1977 breakout, The Grand Illusion.

"Rockin' the Paradise" was off the group's 1981 Paradise Theater album, a concept album based on the opening and eventual closing of a theater in Chicago.  By this point, the tension between guitarists Tommy Shaw / James Young (who were more rock oriented) and keyboardist Dennis DeYoung (who was more pop ballad focused) were nearing a breaking point.  The conflict would eventually boil over during the 1983 Kilroy Was Here album and the group would break up the following year.

In spite of this, the Paradise Theater album would reach #1 on the charts, although "Rockin' the Paradise" surprisingly did not chart.  However, "The Best of Times" (#3) and "Too Much Time on My Hands" (#9) would both break the top 10.

Styx re-formed in 1989 (without Tommy Shaw, who was in Damn Yankees at the time), broke up in 1992, and reformed in 1995.  They remain together (with some personnel changes) as of this writing.

Tommy Shaw's solo video for "Girls With Guns" was posted on ERV in September 2013.

Jack Green - One by One

Jack Green is a Scottish guitarist who played in three famous bands.  Green was in T-Rex for five months in 1973, and was later a member of The Pretty Things from 1974 - 1976.  He was also a member of Rainbow for three weeks (apparently) in 1978.

Green was able to turn his experience in the industry into a recording contract, and he then released four solo records between 1980 and 1986.  "One by One" comes off Green's second album, 1981's Reverse Logic.  We remember the song from HBO's Video Jukebox, a program that played music videos between movies on the channel.  In fact, the main version of the video below comes complete with a HBO Video Jukebox intro.

The video includes a bowling alley, women (including Vanna Bonta) , and a trampoline.  Ahh, those early 1980s videos.  Sadly, neither the song nor the album charted.

As an added bonus, we found a version of the video with what appears to be the director's commentary:

Green apparently left the industry years ago, and now teaches guitar.  He also has a small film production company.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Featuring Stevie Nicks - Insider

Long time readers will recall that we love a good rock & roll story at ERV and "Insider" totally fits the bill.  Eighties music fans will also remember that Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks had a smash hit with their other duet (done around the same time), "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."  That song (the 25th video ever played on MTV) would go on to reach #3 on the charts making it anything but a rare song or video.

The collaboration between Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty began while Petty was recording his 1979 breakthrough LP, Damn the Torpedoes.  Nicks was in the early stages of putting her first solo album together and asked Petty to write a song for her.  Although Petty didn't respond at first, Nicks was persistent and eventually got Petty to agree around a year later, as he and the Heartbreakers were working on the follow up to Damn the Torpedos.

Here's where it gets really interesting.  The song that Petty wrote for Nicks was "Insider."  After it was recorded (in post-production, we imagine), Nicks realized that Petty really loved the song and gave it back to him for his album.  In response, Petty offered Nicks a different song, one that he (and guitarist Mike Campbell) had written earlier called "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."  The rest is history.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 1981 album eventually was named Hard Promises after a line in "Insider."  While the song never became a hit, it is a great song in our humble opinion and a rare video, too.

Cool trivia fact:  "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" was the highest charting single ever for both Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty.

Cool trivia fact #2:  The working title of Hard Promises was Benmont's Revenge, named after keyboardist Benmont Tench, who was mentioned in our salacious post on Feargal Sharkey's "A Good Heart" and "You Little Thief".

Note that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Change of Heart" (directed by Cameron Crowe) was posted on ERV in October, 2013.

Judas Priest - Hot Rockin'

Way back on August 7, 2011, when we hung out a shingle and opened for business, Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" was the last of our first nine clips.  [If readers are wondering while the commentary is so short, that partly explains it.]  We continue to love the video, and are particularly partial to the non sequitur two second opening.

"Breaking the Law" was off the groundbreaking 1980 LP, British Steel, which is regarded as one of the most important hard rock albums of the 1980s.  While 1981's Point of Entry is a solid album, it does suffer by comparison, if only because British Steel is just that good.  However, the high points remain quite strong; in short, this is some of the best 1980s hard rock ever made.

The anthemic "Hot Rockin'" (no "g") is representative of this period, and is just a great hard rock song.  On the downside, some critics believed that in focusing on straight up songs the band lost some of the darkness and mystique the their fanbase loved, something that Judas Priest rectified on the superb Screaming for Vengeance album in 1982.

The video starts as a workout tape, with the band exercising (and doing about as well as one would expect from a metal band).  Apparently, leather pants sans shirts constituted metal workout wear in 1981.  We then see the band showering (unclear if they are still in their leather pants) and blow drying, before an extremely poorly lit (and shot) car scene.  Finally, we get to see the band perform, complete with fire.

Judas Priest remained popular throughout the 1980s and remains together (with some personnel changes along the way) as of this writing.

Tarney-Spencer Band - No Time to Lose

It goes without saying that MTV had a seismic impact on the music business; by 1982 or so, MTV was one of the most influential factors in the industry.  However, the video music channel showed its importance virtually right from the start, even when it was not widely carried on cable systems.  Of course, the early impact was a bit hit or miss, but it did show the tremendous potential of the channel.

One early success story was the Tarney-Spencer Band's single, "No Time to Lose."  Australians Alan Tarney (guitars, vocals) and Trevor Spencer (drums) rose to prominence as members of Cliff Richard's backing group in the early 1970s, and went out on their own in 1975.  They released three LPs, the last one being 1979's Run For Your Life.  The album was a modest success, reaching #184 in the U.S., while the single "No Time To Lose" peaked at #84.  Soon afterwards, A&M dropped the band, and the duo broke up.

MTV picked up the "No Time To Lose" video (roller skates and all) in 1981, and a re-released version of the single reached #74 on the charts -- 2 years after the group broke up.  Unfortunately, Tarney and Spencer had moved on with their careers, and no attempt was made to reunite as far as we know.

Interestingly, both Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer would go on to become producers, and remain in the industry to the present day.  Trevor Spencer moved back to Australia and is a Perth-based producer, while Alan Tarney remained in the U.K.  Tarney is best known for his work with a-Ha -- he co-produced the band's first three LPs, including Hunting High and Low (which included the huge hit, "Take On Me.")

Mötley Crüe - Live Wire

Loud, brash, and borderline out-of-control, Mötley Crüe created the pop metal mold.  The band formed in 1981 in LA (of course), and were led by bassist Nikki Sixx (given name: Frank Feranna).  The original band consisted of Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee (given name: Thomas Lee Bass) and guitarist/singer Greg Leon.  When Leon left, Sixx and Lee replaced him with guitarist Mick Marrs (given name: Robert Deal) and singer Vince Neil (given name: Vincent Neil Wharton) and just like that, Mötley Crüe was born.

By combining hard rock with glam metal, Mötley Crüe stumbled upon a marketable formula.  This was helped by their solid hooks; some critics have compared the band to Cheap Trick, although we see a lot of Kiss influences as well.  The music and strong live shows would likely have made Mötley Crüe successful in any era, but the visuals proved to be a huge advantage in the MTV-led 1980s.  Unlike older hard rock bands (and even the New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts), Crüe embraced videos and became big stars as a result.

While the 1983 "Looks That Kill" video really propelled the band to hard rock stardom, we opted for their first major video, 1981's "Live Wire."  The band is not as polished as it would be in later efforts, but the vid shows a young, energetic band with some nice licks and a real understanding of visuals -- something that was often lacking in hard rock acts of the early 1980s.

Mötley Crüe would go on to sell 80 million units and have six top 10 LPs.  They would also have six top 40 hits during the 1980s, although "Live Wire" was not among them (it did not chart).  As of this writing, the band intends to go on a final tour and call it quits in 2015 or so.

Duran Duran - Girls on Film

Duran Duran were one of the first acts to truly embrace the emerging music video revolution, and their proficiency with the media helped them become superstars by the early 1980s.

The band formed in Birmingham, England in 1978, and fashioned themselves as a post-punk art band whose influences included Roxy Music and David Bowie.  The group was named after a character from the 1968 Jane Fonda film, Barbarella.  Signed to EMI, Duran Duran's self-titled debut LP was released in 1981, and they found immediate success in the U.K. (and a bit in U.S. clubs).

It was around this time that the "Girls on Film" video benefitted from almost unbelievable good luck.  Directed by future video superstars Godley and Creme, the original video was designed for late night TV shows and dance clubs, and featured a fair amount of nudity.  It was subsequently banned by the BBC, which generated a ton of publicity for the band.  An edited version of the video found its way to MTV and received some airplay, although neither the song nor the album really broke through on their initial release.

However, the success of the video seemed to solidify the band's visual focus, and led to the tremendous success of future Duran Duran albums and videos, starting with 1982's Rio.  A 1983 reissued version of the debut LP broke the top 10 in the U.S in 1983, one of 3 top 10 LPs that the band had between 1982 and 1983.

As many readers will know, Duran Duran has never officially broken up, although they have had several extended periods of inactivity and a few lineup changes through the years.

Toni Basil - Mickey

Toni Basil's "Mickey" may seem like an odd choice for a rare videos blog, but loyal readers will recall that we love our covers at ERV ... especially if most listeners don't realize that the song is a cover.  This fits "Mickey" to a T.  [For other songs of the same ilk, check out the Cover label to the right.]

While the path to success is rarely a straight line, Toni Basil's journey was particularly circuitous.  Born as Antonia Basilotta in Philadelphia, Toni grew up as the daughter of entertainers and began her professional career as a dancer.  She quickly became interested in choreography and was an assistant choreographer (and dancer) on the Shindig! TV show.  Basil also sang and acted throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Later, Basil became interested in the new wave movement; in fact, she choreographed, and co-directed with David Byrne, "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads in 1980.  Soon afterwards, she recorded and released her debut LP, Word of Mouth, which came out in 1981 (U.K.) and 1982 (U.S.).

"Mickey" slowly gained traction, helped by the striking music video.  Legend has it that Basil came up with the idea for the video first, and then looked for a song to act as the soundtrack.  The video is considered to be the first formally choreographed clip to appear on MTV and was an early example of the power of the new video music channel.  The song would go on to become a #1 hit in the U.S. (#2 in the U.K.), while the Word of Mouth album went gold and reached #22 in the U.S.  However, Basil never had another top 40 hit, making her a rare (#1) one hit wonder.

In the years since "Mickey," Basil has remained active in the industry, mostly as a choreographer.

"Mickey" was a cover the a song originally called "Kitty" by the U.K. band Racey.  The song was written by the songwriting team of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, but was not originally released as a single.  It was on Racey's 1979 album Smash and Grab.

Cool trivia fact:  The cheerleaders in the video were part of a squad from Carson High School in LA.

Cool trivia fact #2:  Devo was heavily involved in the writing and recording of Word of Mouth.  At the time, Basil was involved with Devo member Gerald Casale and the group co-wrote several songs and acted as the studio band for the LP.

The Cars - Since You're Gone

Long time readers will note that we have previously posted solo videos from Ric Ocasek ("Something to Grab For') and Benjamin Orr ("Stay the Night"), so it seemed appropriate to roll out a Cars video as well.  In fact, "Since You're Gone" was on the original list of videos to be posted from August 2011, so we suppose that it's about time.

The Cars were at the forefront of the new wave scene; the band's blending of new wave, rock and pop made for interesting and radio-friendly music that justly made them stars.  The band's roots go all the way back to Columbus, Ohio in the early 1970s where Ric Ocasek (Otcasek) and  Benjamin Orr (Orzechowski) met.  Relocating to Boston, the duo went through several musical styles before becoming a new wave act with Greg Hawkes (keyboards), Elliot Easton (lead guitar) and David Robinson (drums).

In 1977, a demo recording of "Just What I Needed" caught the ear of WBCN DJ Maxanne Sartori, which led to a recording contract and tons of success.  We view the first two Cars LPs as classics, with strong songs from cover to cover.  The band's music is also noteworthy for their use of interesting rhythms and offbeat lyrics.  Sadly (for the blog), they were released in the 1970s.

"Since You're Gone" was off the Car's fourth album, 1981's Shake It Up.  This was the last Cars LP produced by Roy Thomas Baker (he did the previous three, as well as albums from Queen).  Shake It Up was more pop than new wave, and after a few years off the band returned with 1984's Heartbeat City, which was even more top 40 oriented.  At the peak of their success, the band took a break and released a half-hearted effort (1987's Door to Door) before breaking up.

Original vocalist and bass player Ben Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000, ending any hope of a true reunion.  However, Easton and Hawkes formed the New Cars (with Todd Rundgren, Prairie Prince, and Kasim Sulton) and released Move Like This in 2011.