Billy Ocean - Loverboy

Rounding out our All Hallows Even 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 Star Wars fan.

Long time viewers may recall that this is Billy Ocean's second appearance on ERV, as "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" 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.

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.

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. 

It's probably best to not analyze it too much, but it is a weirdly engaging and odd Halloweeny clip.

Cool trivia fact: superstar music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange co-wrote the song, along with Keith Diamond and Billy Ocean.  

Laura Branigan - Gloria

Long time ERV readers will know that we love to feature covers, especially when the remake is a big hit.  For instance, we have previously posted "Bette Davis Eyes," "I Love Rock 'n' Roll, " and "Mickey" - and a bunch more.  Yep, they're all covers (readers can use the Covers label to the right to see all of the videos in this category.)

"Gloria" is another song that fits - it was the single that launched Laura Branigan's career, and was her biggest hit as well.  Plus, we bet that most English-speaking readers have no idea that it is a cover of an Umberto Tozzi song.  In a bit of good fortune, the co-producer of Branigan's first LP, Greg Mathieson, was the keyboard player on the original version, and suggested a remake.

Laura Branigan would go on to become a pretty big pop star in the 1980s - all five of her albums released in that decade broke the top 100.  In addition, her first three LPs all reached #34 or higher, and she had seven top 40 singles, led by "Gloria," which peaked at #2 for three weeks in late 1982. Interestingly, (to me, at least) "Gloria" was kept out of the top spot by two different songs - Lionel Richie's "Truly" and the previously mentioned "Mickey," covered by Toni Basil.

The video for "Gloria" ... well, let's just say that the label did not spend a ton of money on it.  It's Branigan on a modestly decorated soundstage, lip-singing away.  Not surprisingly, we don't recall seeing the clip back in the day, although the song was all over the radio for a time.

Laura Branigan would remain active in the industry until her untimely death (from a brain aneurysm) in 2004.

The Umberto Tozzi version came out in 1979, and was a top 10 hit across several countries in Europe.

Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie

"C'est La Vie" was the song that was played at every party in 1987, before fading away.  It was the debut single from Robbie Nevil, and became his biggest hit, peaking at #2.  Interestingly (to me at least), it spent 2 weeks at #2, but was blocked from the top spot by 2 different songs - "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott and "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & The Beaters.

Robbie Nevil was born in Los Angeles and worked in the industry for years prior to landing a recording contract in 1986.  His self-titled debut album was a hit, reaching #37 and yielding three top 40 hits ("Dominoes" and "Wot's It to Ya" are the other two).  He would go on the have five top 40 singles before transitioning to songwriting, and remains active in the industry as of this writing.  

The video for "C'est La Vie" was shot at a construction site, and shows a shy Nevil hanging with a bunch of models.  The clip (and song) were strong enough to go into heavy rotation for a time at MTV. 

Oh, and one other thing - this is a cover.  Nevil did co-write the song, but it was released by Beau Williams two years earlier:

Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)

While Billy Ocean may have seemed like an overnight success, nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, he had been in the music business for 15 years prior to his rapid ascent to stardom.

Born as Leslie Charles in Trinidad and Tobago, Ocean moved to London as a child, and quickly became immersed in music (his father was also a musician).  By the late 1960s, Ocean was trying to make a go of it as a professional singer, which led to a name change -- Ocean supposedly comes from the Oceans 11 football team in Trinidad and Tobago.  He scored his first album in 1976, and had a few minor hits over the years, but few would have predicted his successes in the 1980s.

Ocean's fifth LP - 1984's Suddenly - blew up, and for several years Ocean was a bona fide star.   Between 1984 and 1989, he had 3 Top 20 albums, and 11 top 40 singles - including 3 #1s and 2 #2s.  Wow.

"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" was the song that started the run.  The lead single off the Suddenly LP, it hit #1 in the U.S. (and #6 in the UK).  The video is pretty standard fare, but this is some well-crafted pop.

While Ocean's star faded somewhat after his 1980s heyday, he remains active in the industry as of this writing.

Note that the cool, and very weird video for Billy Ocean's "Loverboy" was posted on ERV in October 2021, as part of our annual All Hallows Even celebration. 

Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance

Although American readers may remember Neneh Cherry as a one hit wonder, she actually had two top 10 hits ("Kisses on the Wind" is the song that you forgot about).  And while her period of commercial success was brief in the U.S., she had a longer stretch in Europe.  For instance, in Britain Cherry had 10 top 40 singles, running through the late 1990s.

Interestingly, Neneh Cherry was born in Sweden, and is the stepdaughter of jazz musician Don Cherry (hence the surname).  After moving to London as a teenager in the late 1970s, she became active in the punk scene but soon expanded into other musical genres.  This would eventually lead to catching lightning in a bottle, as "Buffalo Stance" became a huge hit (reaching #3 in both the U.S. and U.K.)

The song refers to a photo shoot stance, and is named after the Ray Pretri's Buffalo group.  It also pays homage to Malcolm McLaren's 1983 song "Buffalo Gals" (which it samples from).  The catchy tune combines dance and hip hop elements, while the video is a perfect late 1980s timepiece:

However, the 1988 hit version of the song was actually a re-make (cover?) of a 1986 Morgan McVey B side, "Looking Good Diving With The Wild Bunch" that featured Neneh Cherry.  Morgan McVey were comprised of Jamie Morgan and Cameron McVey, and released one single ever - 1986's "Looking Good Diving."  Two years later, Cameron McVey and Neneh Cherry were an item (they married in 1990) and McVey was producing Cherry's solo album ... and well, you know the rest.

Wang Chung - Everybody Have Fun Tonight

A wonderfully catchy piece of dance-pop, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" was the peak of Wang Chung's career, and might also be the most dangerous eighties video ever made.  (More on the second point in a bit.)

Wang Chung (originally spelled  Huang Chung) was a British new wave act that formed in London in 1980.  The group was comprised of  Jack Hues (born as Jeremy Ryder) on vocals and guitars, Nick Feldman on bass, and Darren Costin on drums (though he left the group in 1985).  Named after the first note in the Chinese classical musical scale, the band released their first LP in 1982, using the original spelling.  However, it was 1984's Points on the Curve that put them on the map (in the U.S., at least), as "Don't Let Go" and "Dance Hall Days" became top 40 hits.

The band continued to have success in 1985 with the soundtrack of To Live and Die in L.A, but 1986's Mosaic contained their biggest hits, with two top 10 singles -- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (#2) and "Let's Go" (#9).

Unfortunately, Wang Chung's 1989 LP, The Warmer Side of Cool did not do particularly well, and the band broke up in 1990.  The did re-form in 1997, and remain together as of this writing.

Now, as to the video ...  The clip was directed by the famous duo of Godley and Creme, who opted for a strobe effect of rapid cuts.  Unfortunately, someone at the BBC became concerned that this cause trigger epileptic seizures, and the network banned it on health grounds.

Shannon - Let The Music Play

"Let the Music Play" was a successful and influential single that helped create the dance sound of the eighties.  When the song was released in 1983, dance had mostly fallen off the pop charts, as nothing had filled the void left by the collapse of disco.

With its Latin beats and use of drum machines and synthesizers, "Let the Music Play" pointed to a new sound, that was initially called the "Shannon Sound," but eventually evolved into Freestyle music.  Unfortunately, Shannon did not remain at the forefront of the scene, as other acts such as Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and The Jets became far more successful.  However, "Let the Music Play" really opened the door for much of mid to late 1980s dance pop.

Shannon (born Shannon Green) was in the business in New York City when she met producers Mark Liggett and Chris Barbosa.  She auditioned for them, they liked her voice, and soon afterwards they were in the studio recording "Let the Music Play."  The success of the single (it hit #1 on the dance charts and #8 on the pop charts) led to a 1984 LP of the same name, but that turned out to be Shannon's commercial peak.  Although she had several dance and R&B hits, she did not break the top 40 again, and she asked to be released from her contract in 1987.  However, Shannon remains active in the industry as a working musician to the present day.

In spite of the song's success, the video for "Let the Music Play" remain somewhat rare, exacerbated by the fact that MTV (and many other video channels) were more focused on rock and new wave at the time.  As a result, it's perfect for ERV.

J. Geils Band - Come Back

ERV regulars will recall that we posted "Love Stinks" back in July 2012.  And our Facebook readers will note that we would have prefered to post "Just Can't Wait" here, but alas, no video appears to have been made for that song.  Fortunately, our second choice is still quite solid indeed.

"Come Back" is J. Geils at their danciest (not totally sure that this is a word, but let's go with it).  The song is clearly influenced by the popularity of Disco, and we suspect that means that lead singer Peter Wolf had a particularly large impact on the songwriting -- though officially virtually every song on the Love Stinks LP was co-written by Wolf and keyboardist Seth Justman.

"Come Back" ended up becoming the highest charting single off the Love Stinks album, reaching #32 (the title cut hit #38, while "Just Can't Wait" peaked at #78).  However, the video was not played as much as the insanity that is "Love Stinks," making this a bit of a rare one.

As many readers will know, the J. Geils Band story is a bit sad.  The band toiled as an overgrown bar band, gradually becoming a major act, before finally breaking out with 1982's Freeze Frame.  Success seemed to ruin the group, as Wolf left in 1983 to embark on a solo career.  The remaining member released one album (1984's You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd) before breaking up the following year.  However, there have been periodic reunions in recent years.

The Stone Roses - She Bangs the Drums

By the end of the 1980s, the music industry seemed to be at an inflection point.  The trends that had held for much of the later half of the decade seemed to have run their course, and many critics (and even some fans) were looking for something new and fresh.  (This eventually led to the grunge scene of the early 1990s, though that was not on anyone's radar in 1989).

In Britain, the trend that seemed to have the best chance of being "The Next Big Thing" was the Madchester scene.  Based in Manchester (of course), this music was a combination of 1960s power pop and electronic dance, with elements of rock thrown in for good measure.

While there were several bands thats became associated with the Madchester scene, the Stone Roses were the poster children.  They formed in 1983, and by the late 1980s the lineup had become settled with Ian Brown (vocals), John Squire (guitars), Mani (bass), and Reni (drums).  The group's debut album was released in 1989, and slowly gained traction during that summer.  By 1990, the band had become a bonafide sensation in the U.K., with 4 top 40 hits, and a #5 album.  In contrast, the  Stone Roses never really broke through in the U.S., as neither their singles nor their album broke the top 40.

Sadly, after their breakout in the U.K., the band slowly fell apart.  Egos, lawsuits and the rock lifestyle delayed their second album until the end of 1994.  Although the appropriately named Second Coming did well in their home market, it was viewed as a weaker album by critics.  The strains of touring in support of their second LP proved to be the nail in the coffin and the group officially broke up by the end of 1996.  However, the group did re-form in 2011 and appear to be together as of this writing.

For the blog, we went with "She Bangs the Drums."  The song was released in July 1989 and became the group's first top 40 hit.  It remains as our favorite (favourite if you are reading this in the U.K.) song from the band.

Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone ranks The Stone Roses debut LP at #319 on their list of the 500 greatest albums ever.

The System - Don't Disturb This Groove

By combining two seemingly disparate musical styles -- synth pop and soul -- The System created some very interesting music in the 1980s and pointed the way forward towards the modern dance and electronic era.

The duo formed in New York in 1982 and was comprised of Mic Murphy (vocals and guitars) and David Frank (keyboards).  The group's interesting musical style and strong production values caught the attention of many industry insiders (especially in the dance segment), but failed to break through to the general public.  In fact, The System only had two charting singles -- 1983's "You Are in My System" (#64) and "Don't Disturb This Groove," which went to #4 on the charts (yes, that makes The System an official one hit wonder).

Although their success as a band was modest, Murphy and Frank remained active in the New York studio scene as performers, and Frank transitioned to helping with arrangements and production.  [Frank contributed to Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You," Phil Collins' "Sussudio," and Mtume's "Juicy Fruit."  He also worked on Scritti Pollitti's Cupid and Psyche 85 LP.]

In 1989, The System went on hiatus, and Frank moved to LA and opened the Canyon Reverb recording studio, which became quite successful.  He is perhaps best known as the co-writer and co-producer of Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle."  Murphy briefly pursued a solo career in the early 1990s.

The System has also periodically re-formed in the ensuing years, and has released material in 2000, 2009, and 2013.

Prince - Uptown

"Uptown" is the answer to a great trivia question -- it was the first single released off Prince's classic Dirty Mind album.  The song was named after the bohemian uptown neighborhood of Prince's hometown (Minneapolis) and touches on themes of tolerance and bigotry, which would be recurring concepts for Prince.

Long time readers will recall that we have previously posted videos of "Dirty Mind" and "Controversy" on ERV, as these videos may also be less well-known to our readers.  Due to the fact that Prince was not an overnight success, his early material did not get the exposure that it deserved, in our humble opinion.  As an example, "Uptown" certainly qualifies as a rare video and I don't recall ever seeing it on MTV back in the day.

The "Uptown" video appears to have been shot at the same time as "Dirty Mind," using the same set and audience.  This was a common occurrence in the days before MTV, when videos were used as promotional tools.  From a sound perspective, "Uptown" is more of a straight up dance number, in contrast to the electric funk of "Dirty Mind."  Again, this is typical Prince, as his ability to write songs in different musical styles really differentiates him from most other artists.

Released in September, 1980, "Uptown" was not a huge hit, but did chart, reaching #101 on the singles charts.  This was also sadly typical of Prince in this period, as he only had one top 40 single (1979's "I Wanna Be Your Lover") prior to the 1999 album.  Of course, that LP changed everything, and catapulted Prince into superstardom for the remainder of the decade (and beyond).

Ladies and gentlemen, for your audio and video pleasure ... His Purpleness.

Animotion - Obsession

We continue our series of songs that you didn't know were covers with Animotion's 1985 hit, "Obsession."  This song was originally written by Michael Des Barres and Holly Knight (more on them in a moment).

Animotion was a San Francisco-based band that was mainly comprised of former members of the Sci-Fi rock band Red Zone.  The six member band was also notable for having co-lead singers -- Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams.  Their 1985 self-titled debut LP reached #28 on the charts, led by "Obsession," which would go on to become a #6 hit for them.  Unfortunately, lineup changes and weaker material would hurt the band, though they did release three major label albums before their 1989 break up.

The video for "Obsession" is a nice set up for our forthcoming All Hallows Even celebration; it looks like a cool mid-1980s costume party in California.  MTV loved the vid and it went into heavy rotation for quite some time in 1985, which no doubt helped the song.

As previously mentioned, the original version was written and performed by Michael Des Barres and Holly Knight and was featured in the 1983 movie A Night in Heaven.  By the by, Holly Knight has been previously mentioned on ERV (we now have a tag for her) as a big time songwriter.  There is more on her on the posts for John Waite's "Change" and  Lou Gramm's "Just Between You and Me" ... and yes, she wrote both of those songs too.

Cool trivia fact:  Animotion is not a one hit wonder, as 1985's "Let Him Go" (#39) and 1989's "Room to Move" (#9) both broke the top 40.

The Whispers - Rock Steady

The Whispers are an old school R&B act that formed in Los Angeles in 1964.  The band began regularly charting on the R&B charts (and occasionally hitting the singles charts) in 1969.  Their fortunes took a turn for the better in 1979, when the disco-influenced "And the Beat Goes On" went to #1 on the R&B charts and broke the top 40 at #19 on the singles charts.

"Rock Steady" was from the group's 1987 LP, Just Gets Better with Time.  This was the Whispers eighteenth studio album, and it became the second highest charting album of their career at #22  - only the band's self-titled 1979 album charted higher, at #6.

The video is a pretty standard performance piece, although the mustaches of Wallace (Scotty) and Walter Scott are prominently featured.  Sadly, "Rock Steady" was the last big hit of the Whispers' career, although they continue to record and perform to the present day.

Cool trivia fact:  "Rock Steady" was co-written by L.A. Reid and Babyface, who also produced the Just Gets Better with Time album (it was one of their first projects together).

Timex Social Club - Rumors

Originally called the Timex Crew, Timex Social Club switched names after a lineup change and ended up as a classic one hit wonder.  The group originally formed at Berkeley High School (in Berkeley, California) in 1982. Timex Social Club's sound combined elements of R&B, jazz, hip hop and dance into something that would come to be know as new jack swing in the early 1990s, and if things had broken slightly differently for the group, they could have been major players in that scene.  However, squabbles and lineup changes prevented this from happening.

The group only released one major label LP, 1986's Vicious Rumors, which hit #29 on the R&B albums chart but did not break onto the main albums chart.  However, the single "Rumors" became a hit, reaching #8 on the singles chart.  While the follow up singles ( "Thinkin' About Ya" and "Mixed-Up World") both broke the top 20 on the R&B charts, they did not enjoy crossover success and the group broke up.

Producer Jay King, who had a major influence on the group's sound would go on to form Club Nouveau (literally:  New Club) and would land 2 more top 40 hits, including the 1987 cover of Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" which would go to #1.

Timex Social Club has re-formed in recent years and continues to perform as of this writing.

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 Brothers Johnson - Stomp!

"Stomp" is a real toe-tapper and a somewhat forgotten classic by the Brothers Johnson -- who really were brothers.  The song is also an excellent example of early 1980s dance/funk, sometimes called sophistifunk, for sophisticated funk.

The Brothers Johnson were centered around George and Louis Johnson and began as a backing band before signing with A&M Records in 1975.  The group immediately became successful, and had four consecutive platinum LPs between 1976 - 1980.  They also scored four top 40 hits (and had eleven top 40 singles in the R&B charts).

Part of their success was likely due to having the smarts or good fortune to work with Quincy Jones.  Mr. Jones produced the band's first four albums, co-wrote a few songs, and helped the group collaborate with songwriters such as Rod Temperton and Michael Jackson.  We should all be so lucky.

The video for "Stomp" is pretty standard pre-MTV stuff, and shows the brothers playing and driving in their car while people dance.  The song seems to be channeling old Kool & the Gang; we particularly dig the bass solo at 2:30.  "Stomp" ended up being the band's last big hit at #7, while the album Light Up the Night reached #5.  After a less successful album in 1981, the brothers split up, although they have reunited several times through the years.

Midnight Star - No Parking On The Dance Floor

One of several successful acts on S.O.L.A.R. Records, Midnight Star had 12 top 40 R&B songs during the 1980s, although only one of them (1984's "Operator") broke the pop top 40.  The band was formed at Kentucky State University in the mid-1970s and was led by the Calloway brothers (Reggie and Vincent).  In fact, Reggie's production skills played a central role in the band's success.

As an aside, S.O.L.A.R. (Sound of Los Angeles Records) was the re-formed Soul Train Records.  The label started as a partnership between Dick Griffey and Don Cornelius (Soul Train's creator and MC).  However, Cornelius quickly realized that he did not have the time for the TV show and a record label, and backed out of the project.  Griffey remained with S.O.L.A.R., but the change was amicable, allowing S.O.L.A.R. to leverage Soul Train's connections.  While Shalamar was the most successful act on the label, Midnight Star, Klymaxx and The Whispers (among others) had some success as well.  The label eventually closed in 1992, a victim of changing tastes.

For the blog, we went with the title cut from the 1983 LP, No Parking on the Dance Floor.  This album was Midnight Star's most successful LP, reaching #27 on the charts.  The single did not do as well, and only reached #43 on the dance charts (and #81 on the pop charts).  However, the song is an eighties funk/dance classic, complete with a Roland SVC-350 Vocoder.  We also dig the video, which highlights 1983 fashion trends.

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

One of the many great things about writing blog entries for ERV is that is provides an opportunity to link seemingly disparate songs (and bands) in assorted crazy ways.  For some examples, check out the first two singles by Feargal Sharkey, or the Hoodoo Gurus' song that sounds a bit like a Robert Plant single.  In this case, there is a surprising connection between The Flirts and Pet Shop Boys ... more on that in a moment.

Pet Shop Boys (no 'the') are an English duo of Neil Tennant (vocals, keyboards) and Chris Lowe (keyboards, vocals).  The group formed in 1981 and were originally called West End (after the section of London), before changing their name to Pet Shop Boys, after a friend who actually worked in a pet shop (and was a boy).

In 1983, the duo met New York producer Bobby Orlando (Bobby O); they were big fans of his dance-driven productions.  Bobby O agreed to produce some Pet Shop Boys songs, and worked on 11 songs, including "West End Girls," which became a minor U.S. club hit.  The group dropped Bobby O in 1985 (only after agreeing to pay him of cut of their royalties) and signed to EMI/Parlophone.

By the way, Bobby Orlando was also the producer/creator of The Flirts. (!)

Pet Shop Boys remixed the Bobby O songs for their major label recordings, and went on to become big stars.  "West End Girls" became a #1 hit in the U.S. and U.K., and their 1986 debut LP, Please, broke the top 10 in both countries.  The duo would go on to have 42 top 30 singles in the U.K. and 6 top 40 hits in the U.S.  They have sold more than 50 million units over their career and remain active as of their writing.

 The original "West End Girls" video is below.  Note that the song was inspired by the T.S. Eliot poem 'The Waste Land.'

And, of course, the original version, produced by Bobby O:

Information Society - What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)

Information Society could have easily become big stars if things had broken their way just a bit more.  The band's sound was early 1980s synth pop meets late 1980s techno, which could have made them the perfect dance band to transition into the 1990s.  However, things didn't work out that way, and they ended up having a brief period of success in the late 1980s before fading from view.

The group formed in Minneapolis and the core consisted of James Cassidy, Paul Robb, and Kurt Harland (Valaquen).  The band's name came from Ingsoc (newspeak for English Socialism) from the Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.  In fact, the band's debut EP was called The InSoc EP (and came out in 1983).

However, it was Information Society's self-titled 1988 LP that catapulted them onto the scene, led by "What's on Your Mind."  The song plays like an updated early 1980s synth pop gem and became a huge hit, reaching #3 on the charts, while the album hit #25.  Surprisingly, "Walking Away" also broke the top 10, though we only vaguely remember it.  By the by, the band also had a third top 40 hit with 1990s "Think."

After the group's big breakthrough, their popularity steadily waned in the 1990s and they officially broke up in 1997, before reforming in 2006.

Cool trivia fact:  As many readers will know, "What's on Your Mind" sampled two Star Trek lines, including Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) saying "It's worked so far, but we're not out yet!" in the intro and (of course) Mr. Spock's (Leonard Nimoy's) "Pure energy" line used in the chorus.

Sheila E. - A Love Bizarre

Although she is sometimes thought of as a Prince protégé, Sheila E. (Escovedo) was actually an accomplished musician before she played with His Purpleness.  Several family members were professional musicians, most notably her uncle (and also her father, we believe), who were in Azteca.  In fact, she initially met Prince at one of her concerts in 1978 before reconnecting with him in the mid-1980s.

Sheila E. began working with Prince during the Purple Rain sessions (1984), and it quickly turned into a full collaboration.  Her 1984 LP, The Glamorous Life was primarily comprised of songs written by Prince, including the title track (which was originally intended for Apollonia 6).

While the single "The Glamorous Life" remains Sheila E.'s best known song (and highest charting at #7), we opted for "A Love Bizarre," from her 1985 album, Romance 1600.  The song was also written by Prince and performed as a duet between The Unpronounceable Symbol and Sheila E.  It also did well (#11), underscoring the Midas touch that Prince had during the 1980s.

Sheila E. eventually joined Price's band for a few years (87-89) before going off on her own.  While she has recorded a few solo albums, she has mostly worked as a musician in the intervening years (including a few stints with Prince).

Cool trivia fact that may only interest me:  "A Love Bizarre" is the second song featured on ERV from the Krush Groove soundtrack.  The Beastie Boys "She's On It" was on the blog back in May 2012.

Cool trivia fact #2:  Sheila E. is not a two hit wonder.  In addition to "A Love Bizarre" and "The Glamorous Life," she also broke the top 40 with "The Belle of St. Mark."  Nope, we don't remember that one either.