The 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.
Patrice Rushen was part of the cool jazz scene of the early 1980s with artists such as George Benson and Al Jarreau. As was the case with many R&B artists, Rushen began her career as a traditional jazz artist (piano and vocals) and transitioned to R&B in the late 1970s. She actually had a fair amount of success on the R&B charts, with 8 singles that broke the top 40, but mainstream success was more elusive.
"Forget Me Nots" was off Rushen's seventh studio album, 1982's Straight from the Heart. This record was her biggest commercial success, reaching #14 on the charts, led by "Forget Me Nots," which hit #23 on the singles chart. By the by, Rushon co-wrote the song (with Teri McFadden and Freddie Washington) and co-produced the LP (with Charles Mims).
While Rushen did not have another big hit, she had continued success on the R&B charts throughout the 1980s. She has sporadically released albums since then, and also transitioned to become a renowned music director. In addition to working with Janet Jackson, Rushen also became the first female musical director of the Grammy Awards. She remains active in the industry as of this writing.
Cool trivia fact: Patrice Rushen is a one hit wonder, as only "Forget Me Nots" broke the top 40.
Cool trivia fact #2: "Forget Me Nots" has been frequently covered, most notably by Will Smith in 1997's "Men In Black."
Brooklyn rappers Whodini were pioneers in the emerging New York rap scene, and are especially notable for their musical approach, which combined R&B with rapping. As a result, many critics credit the band with laying the groundwork for the New Jack Swing genre that took off at the end of the decade.
The group consisted of Jalil Hutchins and Ecstasy (John Fletcher). From 1986 on, the act also included DJ Grandmaster Dee (Drew Carter). The group originally formed when DJ John "Mr. Magic" Rivas asked an intern (Jalil Hutchins) to write a song for the Rap Attack show (originally on WHBI, then on WBLS in New York). Hutchins wrote and recorded a song, but decided that he needed another voice, and asked Ecstasy (a rival rapper) to join him. "Magic's Wand" became the theme song for the Rap Attack show and eventually led to a recording contract for Hutchins and Ecstasy.
The act was named Whodini due to the single "Magic's Wand". Interestingly, Thomas Dolby co-produced the band's debut record on Jive Records -- Dolby had become interested in rap, as many early artists used electronic music, and Dolby had sent a demo recording to Jive Records, who proceeded to hook him up with Whodini. Small world, huh?
The video for "Magic's Wand" was one of the first rap videos made, but did not receive much airplay on MTV. Along the same lines, the group picked up airplay on urban stations but never crossed over, and saw their popularity decline during the 1980s, hurt by management and label changes. While Whodini's output dropped over the years, they remain together and still perform as of this writing.
I think of Lenny Kravitz as a 1990s artist, but like Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, his first album came out in 1989. Unlike Nine Inch Nails, Kravitz' music has a definite retro vibe; he has basically made a living with updated late 1960s/early 1970s rock and funk. As a result, critics have panned his music as derivative. While there is an element of truth to this, it is also unfair -- Kravitz' music has classic rock influences, but there are also modern touches, something that led to significant commercial success in the 1990s.
"Let Love Rule" was from Kravitz debut album of the same name, and it became his first charting single, at #89. The album peaked at #61 and remains (as of this writing), Kravitz' only non-top 40 album of his entire career. Interestingly, Kravitz has only had 4 top 40 singles, and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" was not one of them (it somehow failed to break the top 100 in the U.S.).
The video for "Let Love Rule" was directed by Lenny Kravitz' then-wife, Lisa Bonet (they divorced in 1993). The home movie feel and use of kids was highly effective in my view and presented Kravitz as a modern hippie -- something that he didn't really shake until the success of 1993's "Are You Gonna Go My Way."
While "Let Love Rule" was a modest hit in the U.S., it really launched Kravitz in Europe, and he remains the rare artist who is probably more successful outside of his home country.
Cool trivia fact: The video for "Let Love Rule" was nominated for MTV's best new artist award, but he didn't win -- Michael Penn did for "No Myth," which was featured on ERV in November 2012.
"Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" is the Gap Band's second appearance on ERV ("Party Train" was posted back in May 2012). While this song is less well-known, it is yet another classic Gap Band tune, with a funky bass line and a catchy melody. "Burn Rubber on Me" was off the poorly titled Gap Band III (it was actually the group's fifth LP), which many critics consider to be their strongest album.
The Gap band was made up of the Wilson brothers (Charlie, Ronnie and Robert) and was named after the streets of their neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street). While they only had two top 40 hits on the pop charts ("Early in the Morning" and "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"), they were mainstays on the R&B charts, where they had 24 top 40 hits.
Although "Burn Rubber on Me" only reached #84 on the pop charts, it was the Gap Band's first #1 hit on the R&B charts. Gap Band III reached #16 on the main charts (also #1 on the R&B album charts), firmly establishing the group as funk stars.
The video is a simple performance piece full of pure funky cowboy wonderfulness.
As we mentioned earlier, the Gap Band remained popular through the 1980s, and continued performing until Robert Wilson passed away (heart attack) in 2010.
Alternative rockers Jane's Addiction were a truly unique band when they emerged from the LA scene in the mid 1980s. While their music was shaped by many bands and genres, supposedly their two most significant influences were Led Zeppelin ... and The Cure. Add some provocative art school imagery and a healthy dose of drugs and the band became a sensation in the LA club scene. The buzz around Jane's Addiction led to a bidding war, which Warner Bros. won with a then record advance of $250,000 (or so).
The group was named after Jane Bainter, who really did have a drug problem and was a housemate of lead singer Perry Farrell (along with a dozen or so other folks). The classic lineup added Dave Navarro (guitar), Stephen Perkins (drums) and Chris Chaney (bass).
"Jane Says" was written about the same Jane (Bainter), and incorporated elements of her life, including her boyfriend/drug dealer Sergio. An earlier version of the song was released on Jane's Addiction's self titled independent record, but the song was re-recorded for the group's major label debut, 1988's Nothing's Shocking. The re-recorded version added the steel drugs that are a key element of the song's now classic sound.
While "Jane Says" received some college radio airplay, it did not chart on the main charts (it did hit #6 on the Modern Rock Charts). Nothing's Shocking did not break the top 100 on the album charts, hurt by the lack of videos and mainstream radio airplay. Jane's Addition did not make a video of "Jane Says" in 1988, and the video they made for "Mountain Song" was banned from MTV due to nudity. The video below is from Jane's Addition's 1997 compilation album, Kettle Whistle.
Jane's Addiction would go on to release another strong album in 1990, Ritual de lo Habitual, and would co-found the first Lollapalooza festival before the band broke up in 1991. Farrell and Perkins would go on to form Porno for Pyros while Navarro would join the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a time. Jane's Addiction has re-formed several times in recent years, even releasing an album in 2011.
Cool trivia fact: While the Kettle Whistle live version of "Jane Says" features Eric Avery on bass, the video is with Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers). The audio for the song was recorded in 1991 with Avery, while the video was recorded in 1997 on the Relapse tour (with Flea).
Cool trivia fact #2: Jane's Addiction never had a top 40 hit, and only had one single that charted at all, 2003's "Just Because," which peaked at #73.
An early and somewhat forgotten rap success story belongs to Anthony Smith, aka Tone Lōc. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Lōc left Compton (and the infamous Crips gang) to seek fame and fortune as a rapper. He then had the good fortune to work with Young MC and The Dust Brothers; the result was 1989's Lōc-ed After Dark, which became the second rap album to hit #1 on the charts, following The Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill.
"Funky Cold Medina" was the second Young MC penned song to become a huge hit, reaching #3 on the charts ("Wild Thing" had previously hit #2). The song used Foreigner's "Hot Blooded" as the main sample, but also sampled "Honky Tonk Women" and "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones and "Christine Sixteen" by Kiss. (Ahh, the pre-litigation days of sampling ...)
Sadly, "Funky Cold Medina" was it as far as Tone Lōc's successful rapping career went -- he would never have another charting LP or top 40 single. He then transitioned to acting, and seems to be making a decent living.
The video is Lōc-tastic and shows off his larger than life personality and sense of humor. Definitely one of our favorites from back in the day.
The Queen of Cool, Jody Watley, was a major star for a few years in the late 1980s. Between 1987 and 1989, she scored two top 20 albums and six top 10 hits. While her pop success has faded since then, she remains active and continues to have dance hits to the present day.
Watley got her start as a Soul Train dancer, and then was invited to join Shalamar in 1977. Frustrated by the group's lack of interest in her songs, she left the group in 1982 and moved to London, where she worked with Musical Youth and Art of Noise (she was also part of the 1984 Band Aid project). She later returned to the U.S. and released her eponymous (and hugely successful) solo album in 1987.
For the blog, we went with "Still A Thrill," a lesser-known single from her debut album. The song only reached #56 on the charts, and we do not think that the video was widely played at all. This is a shame, because it is a great late 1980s funk song, with a definite Minneapolis feel to it. It turns out the Watley's co-writer was none other than André Cymone, who had been Prince's bass player (pre-Revolution). Cymone and Watley were also married until 1995.
Cool trivia fact: Watley's dance partner (and choreographer) was Tyrone “The Bone” Proctor, a fellow Soul Train dancer from back in the day.
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.
When De La Soul's debut album came out in 1989, it created quite a stir in the music industry. At a time when old school rap had started to feel stale, De La Soul's funky, jazzy and quirky take on hip hop was a breath of fresh air. That album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was both critically and commercially successful and was hailed by many critics as a sign of things to come.
The lead single from the LP was "Me Myself and I" which would go on to become De La Soul's only top 40 hit (at #34), while the album would reach #24 and go platinum. At the time, the group's positive message and broad use of samples seemed to be pushing hip hop in an upbeat, artistic direction; it was easy to believe that this was the beginning of a new era. This sense of a movement was reinforced by the Native Tongues collective, which was a grouping of artists (led by De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Jungle Brothers) who shared a musical vision that was positive, laid-back and somewhat Afrocentric.
Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan for De La Soul. First, The Turtles sued the band for not obtaining permission to use their song "You Showed Me" as a sample (in "Transmitting Live from Mars"). The Turtles eventually won the case, which had a huge impact on the rap industry, as samples now had to be cleared (and paid for) prior to work being released. This delayed the group's second album, and made it more difficult to produce the layered songs that they favored.
In addition, the group had a difficult time artistically as their recordings varied in style but did not resonate as well with critics and listeners. To my ear, it almost sounds as if they were trying to find their sound, something that became more difficult after the industry's shift to gangster rap in the early 1990s. While the band continued to record, their audience seemed to shrink with every record. To their credit, De La Soul has stayed together and continues to record to the present day.
Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone rated 3 Feet High and Rising as the 103rd album on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Carl Carlton has been a working musician since the mid-1960s, and had two top 40 hits in his career. The second big hit was 1981's "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" from his shirtless self-titled album (yes, really). The song reached #22 on the charts, and helped propel the album to the #34 slot, making it the highest charting album (but not single) of Carlton's career.
The video features Mr. Carlton in a Michael Jackson-esque white tux and four swimsuit beauties (Misses Pieces, Gemini, Virgo and Aries if you must ask). Carlton serenades the women and there is a little bit of dancing involved ... and that's pretty much it.
In any event, "She's a Bad Mama Jama" is a seriously good pop/funk song, written by Leon Haywood. Haywood's name might not ring a bell, but you know his one hit -- 1975's "I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You." Younger readers may recognize the melody as "Nuthin' But A G Thang," which samples (essentially covers) the song.
Carlton's first big hit was a cover of "Everlasting Love," which peaked at #6 in 1974. As an aside, "Everlasting Love" is a great and interesting song that is one of two songs to have broken the top 40 in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. (The other song to do this is "The Way You Do the Things You Do".)
Carl Carlton remains active to the present day, but has not had another major hit. In recent years, he has rotated to more gospel-related music.
More a community of artists than a static band, Soul II Soul were nevertheless one of the more interesting and creative R&B acts of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jazzie B (real name: Trevor Romeo) formed the group in London in 1988 with a lineup that included Nellee Hooper and Caron Wheeler among its ranks. [Carol Wheeler appeared on ERV last December as a backup singer in the Elvis Costello and The Attractions song, "Everyday I Write the Book."]
Soul II Soul's sound was a modern take on traditional R&B and soul. In particular, by combining samples with modern R&B, they made songs that were more interesting and creative than most R&B on the radio at the time. The group's first album, Club Classics Vol. One (called Keep On Movin' in the U.S.) was a hit, reaching #14 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K. The singles "Keep On Movin'" (#11 in the U.S.) and "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" (#4) became big hits, and the group appeared to be headed for continued success.
Sadly, Wheeler left the band before the second LP was recorded, and further personnel turnover also had an impact on the group. While they remained stars in the U.K., they did not have another top 40 hit in the U.S. Jazzie B eventually disbanded Soul II Soul in 1997, although they have reunited and performed in recent years.
For the blog, we skipped right over their two big hits listed above and settled on "Jazzie's Groove," a funky, mostly instrumental song that features samples from Gary Byrd's "Soul Travelin' Pt. I," Beau Dollar's "Who Knows," The Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President" and Pleasure's "Celebrate the Good Things."
The Pointer Sisters were a fascinating group who managed to navigate the difficult pop and R&B waters during most of the 1970s and 1980s. They had 15 top 40 hits, and had a stretch in 1984 where they had four consecutive top 10 hits (including "Neutron Dance.")
The sisters (who really were sisters) were from Oakland, California. In the late 1960s Bonnie and June began singing (often as backup singers) and were soon joined by Anita and Ruth. They remained a quartet until 1977 when Bonnie left the band. While they were versatile in terms of their musical style, they were also distinctive due to their tight harmonies and strong vocals.
"Neutron Dance" was off their 1983 smash LP Break Out. However, the song is best known for its inclusion in the movie Beverly Hills Cop. The song was co-written by Allee Willis (who co-wrote Earth, Wind and Fire's "September" and "Boogie Wonderland") and Danny Sembello (the younger brother of Michael, who wrote "Maniac" from Flashdance.) Interestingly, the song was originally written for the 1984 film Streets of Fire, but it did not make the cut.
"Neutron Dance" reached #6 on the charts and was the last of the four top 10 Pointer Sister singles (the first three were "Automatic" (#5), "Jump (For My Love)" (#3) and "I'm So Excited" (#9)). The sisters had several more hits through 1987 and have remained active (with some personnel changes) through the present day.
Cool trivia fact: In 1974 the Pointer Sisters became the first black artists to play at the Grand Ole Opry.
Ready for the World (RFTW) was an R&B act out of Flint, Michigan who had a string of hits in the mid-1980s. The group formed in 1982 and soon had a major supporter in The Electrifying Mojo (a famous DJ on Detroit's WJLB). This eventually led to a recording contract with MCA.
The band's self-titled 1985 debut album reached #17 on the charts and went platinum. It also yielded a #1 hit in "Oh Sheila," a pop funk song that sounded a lot like Prince lite, which was not a bad thing in 1985. RFTW would go on to have seven top 10 hits on the R&B charts and three top 40 hits ("Oh Sheila," "Digital Display" and "Love You Down.")
The group released three more albums through 1991, with each one performing worse than its predecessor. They broke up in 1991, and lead singer Melvin Riley went out on his own (without much success). In 2005, RFTW re-formed and we believe that they still play together as of this writing.
Cool trivia fact: Lead singer Melvin Riley came up with the name Sheila by ... well, he just made it up because it sounded good. Apparently, the song was almost called "Oh Lisa."
It's funny how capricious the charts can be. While ERV is filled with one hit wonders, there are also some lesser-known bands who landed more than one top 40 hit -- as well as some great acts who never broke the top 40. Apparently, the music gods have a sense of humor -- how else can you explain the fact that Roxy Music and the Psychedelic Furs are one hit wonders, while Chilliwack and Stacey Q aren't (they have 2 top 40 hits each).
At any rate, this brings us (in a roundabout way) to Jermaine Stewart. Stewart got hist start as a Soul Train dancer before joining Shalamar as a backup dancer. Touring with Shalamar led to a meeting with Culture Club's bass player, Mikey Craig, who helped Stewart put together a demo tape that helped him secure a recording contract.
The anthemic pop / funk smash, "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" was off Stewart's second album, 1986's Frantic Romantic. The song was written by master songwriters Narada Michael Walden and Preston Glass. Walden wrote or co-wrote (among other hits): "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" (both with the songwriting team of Boy Meets Girl and both for Whitney Houston), along with songs for Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin.
"We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" hit #5 on the charts, while the Frantic Romantic LP reached #34. As savvy readers might have guessed from the introduction, Stewart had a second top 40 hit with "Say It Again" (#27) in 1987, as well as two songs that peaked just outside of the top 40 ("The Word Is Out," #41 and "Jody," #42).
Sadly, Jermaine Stewart died of an AIDS-related illness in 1997. He was 39 years old.
Although they started as a jazz band in 1964(!), Kool & The Gang are best-known as a funk and R&B outfit from the 1970s and 1980s. The group was led by siblings Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell and released their first album in 1969. In an industry where few acts have any longevity, Kool & the Gang remained successful for the better part of two decades, helped by their willingness to evolve as musical tastes changed.
The band actually had two successful stretches -- a funk period from 1973 to 1975 or so best illustrated by "Jungle Boogie," which hit #4 in 1973, and a smooth R&B period from 1979 through the mid 1980s. The R&B sound was helped by the new leader singer James "J.T." Taylor, who joined the band in 1979 (and parted amicably in 1988 to focus on his solo career).
"Get Down On It" was a solid hit for the band, and peaked at #10. It was the 5th of 15 top 40 hits that the band would have between 1979 and 1986. They also had 4 top 40 hits during their earlier funk period, with a multi-year dry spell in between. While the song was a hit, the video remains rare, partly due to the blurred images and partly due to the fact that early MTV was not friendly to R&B acts -- hence, its inclusion on ERV.
While there have been some personnel changes, Kool & the Gang remain active in the music industry to this day.
"Misled," a damn catchy gem from 1984, was posted as part of ERV's All Hallows Even celebration in 2018.
Long time reader and commenter Sam requested Vanity 6, and we figured: why not? I mean who doesn't like your basic story about sex and drugs and rock & roll, with ties to Prince and The Time.
The Vanity 6 story begins in the early 1980s with Prince. By this point Prince is a star on the rise (note that ERV has previously featured "Dirty Mind" and "Controversy," which are great examples of his early work). He is also a prolific songwriter, and starts working on side projects to manufacture additional creative outlets.
The first project is The Time, featuring vocalist Morris Day. While The Time was an actual band, Prince (using the pseudonym Jamie Starr) wrote the songs and recorded all of the parts (except for the vocals). This gave Prince a different band, but one where he had total creative control.
Around the same time, Prince decides to create a female band (called The Hookers) to perform hyper-sexual songs while wearing lingerie. (Early 1980s Prince was way into sex and about as subtle as artillery about it.) The original band (with three of Prince's lady friends) progressed to the point of making demos when Prince met Vanity (given name: Denise Matthews) a Canadian model and B movie actress. Prince was smitten, he and Denise became an item and Denise eventually was renamed Vanity. Prince then made Vanity the lead singer of his female trio and named them Vanity 6 (after the number of breasts in the band ... seriously). The backup singers from The Hookers (Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie) remained in the band.
Vanity 6 goes into the studio (with his Purpleness, of course) and emerges with their 1982 self-titled debut album. The LP hits #45 on the charts, while "Nasty Girl" becomes a dance hit but does not break the top 100. Vanity 6 (with The Time backing them up) tour with Prince and the Revolution during their 1983 1999 tour, but Vanity eventually breaks up with Prince and develops a major drug problem. She then leaves Prince and the group to go out on her own.
Prince re-creates the band as Apollonia 6 for Purple Rain, using the same backup singers, and new music that was originally intended for Vanity 6. Eventually, Prince and Apollonia break up, and it seems that Prince's interest in designing a girl group also fades over time. Vanity ends up as an addict, nearly dies, and becomes a religious Christian. She has gone back to her given name and left the industry.
So there you go -- the Crib Notes version of Vanity 6. The video is a bit NSFW, and we went with the extended version because it is rarer, but it also has some additional NSFW dialog at the end.
Pebbles (born as Perri McKissack; Pebbles was a childhood nickname) had a brief but successful career as a solo artist before transitioning to management. She is one of few artists who was probably more successful as a manager than a performer ... but more on that in a moment.
Pebbles got her start as a backup singer for Bill Summers and Con Funk Shun in the early 1980s. In addition to singing, she began writing songs and eventually secured a recording contract with MCA. Her self-titled first album, released in 1987, peaked at #14 and produced two top 5 hits -- Girlfriend (#5) and Mercedes Boy (#2). Her second album, 1990s Always also did well and produced two more top 40 singles.
In 1989, Pebbles married her second husband (she has been married 4 times as of this writing), record producer L.A. Reid. This led to the formation of Pebbitone (her management company) and Savvy Records (her record label). More importantly, Pebbles became the manager of a new female R&B group called TLC. While TLC became superstars, Pebbles relationship with the band deteriorated over time, and eventually TLC left Pebbitone, around the same time that Pebbles marriage to Reid ended. Pebbles then became more religious and left the secular music industry.
"Mercedes Boy" was written by Pebbles about a high school boyfriend, and co-produced by Charlie Wilson (of Gap Band fame). It is notable for having a strong guitar solo, which is something of a rarity for R&B (and may be one factor that helped the song cross over).
Cool trivia fact: The male dancer is Rudy Houston, a former Solid Gold dancer who also appeared in Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" video. In the 1990s, he apparently underwent a sex change operation (and appeared on the Sally Jessy Raphael Show to discuss it).
You have to hand it to the Jacksons -- when they went big, they really went big. Case in point: the 9+ minute video for "Can You Feel It" from 1981. For an early (pre-MTV) video, this is about as big as it gets. And while the video is dated (and just a bit over the top), it has become regarded as something of a classic in recent years.
1980's Triumph LP came during a weird period for the brothers. While the band had remained reasonably successful in the late 1970s, Michael's 1979 solo album Off the Wall had rocketed him to super-stardom, leading to speculation that he would leave the band to focus on his solo career. (This eventually happened, but not for several more years.)
At any rate, the video for "Can You Feel It" is particularly noteworthy for the Robert Abel's special effects. Michael (who co-wrote the song with Jackie) came up with the concept, which portrays the Jacksons as god-like creatures who spread magical pixie dust ... really. We particularly like that the special effects at times drown out the music.
"Can You Feel It" would go on to be a modest disappointment, peaking at #77 on the charts, while the Triumph album would do better, reaching #10 and going platinum. Of course, in 1982 Michael Jackson would release Thriller, and go on to become one of the most successful recording artists of all time ... but you already knew that.
With a really catchy backbeat and a fun, Flintstones-esque video, "Walk the Dinosaur" became a big hit in the late 1980s. The song was originally released in 1987 in the UK, where it would climb to #10, but it would not peak on the U.S. charts (at #7) until 1989. Needless to say, it became Was (Not Was') biggest hit, although it is worth noting that the band had an additional top 40 hit, as "Spy in the House of Love" reached #16 in 1988.
Was (Not Was) was founded by David and Don Was (really David Weiss and Don Fagenson) in the late 1970s, and over time the band gained a small following with their funky, slightly strange dance pop sound. However, only 1988's What Up, Dog? broke the top 50 on the Billboard album charts. By the early 1990s, the band went on hiatus, as David and Don Was pursued other endeavors -- Don became a successful record producer while David became a journalist (and produced several soundtracks). They reunited in 2004 and continue to perform together to the present time, even releasing a new CD in 2008.
Curiously, "Walk the Dinosaur" is an upbeat song with dark lyrics -- the song is about nuclear Armageddon. (Somehow that part didn't make it into the video). Also, the song has taken on a life of its own -- it has appeared on several soundtracks (including the 1994 version of The Flintstones movie) and was used at Chuck E. Cheese's and Disney's Animal Kingdom. Go figure.
Oh and consider yourself warned -- this thing will bounce around your head at random times for a few days. It is a damn catchy beat. And with that warning ... "Boom boom acka lacka lacka boom."
Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone ranked What Up, Dog? as the 99th greatest album of the 1980s.
Earth, Wind and Fire were perhaps the most successful funk/pop act of the 1970s, with six consecutive top five albums. "Let's Groove" was on the last of those, 1981's Raise. Although the single and album sold well, critics were less enthusiastic, and in retrospect, this album marked the beginning of the end for the band.
Maurice White, the main creative force behind Earth, Wind and Fire, co-wrote "Let's Groove," and he was clearly searching for an updated sound. He used a vocoder to create the intro; this funky futuristic vibe is accentuated by the video. In particular, we love the costumes and the video effects (the video was made using the classic Scanimate computer system, commonly used in the 1970s and early 1980s).
"Let's Groove" peaked at #3, while the Raise LP peaked at #5. In my book, it is noteworthy that even during their descent, E, W & F were still churning out some really solid music.
While the band soldiered on, they did not have any top 40 hits after 1982, and their album releases became less frequent, as well. However, they continue to perform (with Maurice White) to this day.
