Hipsway - The Honeythief

Ah, the one hit wonder - such an interesting phenomena.  The category is comprised of major bands where only one single hit the Top 40 (such as Roxy Music), talented underappreciated artists who never quite caught on (Marshall Crenshaw), and acts who just caught lightning in a bottle (T'Pau).

Hipsway is mostly the latter, but there was definitely talent in the band, as well.  The group formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1984 and was led by Johnny McElhone (fomerly of Altered Images) on bass. Singer Grahame Skinner, guitarist Pim Jones, and drummer Harry Travers rounded out the lineup.

The group's self-titled debut album came out in 1986, and had a seriously catchy song on it, "The Honeythief," which became a hit.  Interestingly, "The Honeythief" was the third single released from the LP, which is kind of hard to understand.  At any rate, the song reached #19 in the U.S. and #17 in the UK, and helped the album to chart, too (#55 U.S., #42 UK).

Unfortunately, follow up success was elusive, thought Hipsway did have a few charting songs in the UK.  However, after the poor performance of their second LP (1989's Scratch the Surface), they broke up.  Noteably, Johnny McElhone would go on to have continued success in the UK with his next band, Texas (a definite candidate to show up on this blog down the line).

Hipswap did re-form in 2016, and even released a new album in 2018.

Vandenberg - Burning Heart

The Dutch band Vandenberg was one of a surprising number of acts from that country to flirt with international success.  For example, both Golden Earring and Shocking Blue have previously been featured on ERV.  Led by (and named after) lead guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, the group was known for its melodic hard rock sound and classical flourishes, especially on the guitar solos.

Vandenberg's 1982 debut LP did reasonable well, reaching #65 on the album charts, helped by the "Burning Heart" single, which reached #39. Note that Vandenberg's song is totally different from Survivor's "Burning Heart" (a #2 hit from 1985, from the from Rocky IV soundtrack).

A successful debut album, a hit single, and a melodic hard rock sound should have translated to further success, but Vandenberg's second and third albums did not do well, and the band broke up in 1986.  The following year, Adrian Vandenberg joined Whitesnake, and remained with them through the remainder of the decade.

Adrian Vandenberg remains active in the industry as of this writing - and is also a painter.

Divinyls - Pleasure and Pain

"Pleasure and Pain" is the second Divinyls video to show up on ERV; "Boys in Town" was posted back in July 2012, shortly before the untimely death of lead singer Chrissy Amphlett.  We view Divinyls as a unique and underrated band who were likely hurt by their hard to categorize sound that managed to combine rock, new wave, and pop elements all at once.

Interestingly, "Pleasure and Pain" was not the lead single off their 1985 What a Life! LP.  It was actually the fourth single released - perhaps because it was not written by the band.  The song was actually co-written by producer Mike Chapman and 1980s songwriter extraordinaire Holly Knight.  (Knight has shown up on the blog before; click on her name in the labels section for more info.)

I remember "Pleasure and Pain" picking up a fair bit of airplay on Boston rock radio when it came out, but the song only reached #76 on the charts, while the What a Life! album peaked at #91.  To be fair, the band did become stars in their native Australia, but it did seem like they never really broke through in the U.S. in the 1980s. (Although "I Touch Myself" did become a big hit in 1991.)

The energetic video featuring Chrissy Amphlett was filmed in the closed Balmain power plant in Sydney, Australia.  In our view it suits the song pretty well:

In addition to the vid, we also found a cool making of video, showing the somewhat boring hard work that went in to making music videos during MTV's heyday.

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.

Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers - Tomorrow People

David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley was reggae legend Bob Marley's eldest son, and he built a career in the industry after his father's untimely passing in 1981.  Along with several siblings, he formed the Melody Makers in 1979 -- named after the British music trade rag, by the by.

The group released three independent albums in the 1980s and built enough of a fan base to get signed by Virgin Records.  Their first major label release was 1988's Conscious Party, and it became a surprise hit.  The album climbed to #23 on the charts, while "Tomorrow People" broke into the top 40 (barely) at #39.  The sound was undoubtedly helped by the production team of Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth (both of Talking Heads fame), who helped find the pop side of the strong material.

The video for "Tomorrow People" is a well-crafted performance piece that seems to suit the song well.  The upbeat clip with the reggae-pop sound even went into heavy rotation for a time at MTV.

While Ziggy's time as a pop star was brief, he remains a major figure in the reggae scene and has continued to record and perform to the present day.

Cool trivia fact:  Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers are a one hit wonder, as only "Tomorrow People" broke the top 40.  However, that is one more top 40 hit than Bob Marley had.

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

Welcome to ERV's 5th annual All Hallows Even celebration, and feel free to click on the (appropriately named) All Hallows Even label to the right if you'd like to catch up on our earlier videos.  In short, we try to come up with rare and interesting Halloween videos to celebrate the spooky time of year.

Leading off this year is an artist who had some definite career advantages.  For instance, although being Barry Gordy's son may not ensure that you make in the music business, it sure can't hurt.  Ditto for having Michael Jackson (yes, that Michael Jackson) sing backup on your first single.

To be fair, Rockwell (born as Kennedy William Gordy) used a stage name, and may have even signed to his father's Motown label without the old man knowing.  Rockwell's first single was released in 1984 and is a perfect Halloween video (it has been in the bullpen from our first All Hallows Even post).  One viewing and you'll see (or remember) why.

"Somebody's Watching Me" turned out to be a big hit for Rockwell, reaching #2 on the charts, while his debut LP of the same name hit #15.  However, that was the peak of his success, and after his next two albums failed to break the top 100, Rockwell left the industry.

Cool trivia fact:  Rockwell is not a one hit wonder, as "Obscene Phone Caller" off Somebody's Watching Me reached #35 on the chats.

Bruce Cockburn - If I Had a Rocket Launcher

"If I Had a Rocket Launcher" was one of the more political songs to hit the charts during the 1980s.  The song was written by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn, who built a successful career in his home country, but saw little mainstream success south of the Canadian border.

Cockburn was born in Ottawa and entered the music business in the late 1960s.  His big breakthrough was 1979's "Wondering Where the Lions Are" which led to an extended period of chart success in Canada.  Between 1979 and 1997, Cockburn had 8 top 40 singles (and another 12 songs that charted but did not break the top 40).  In contrast, only  "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and "Wondering Where the Lions Are"  broke the top 100 in the U.S.

Interestingly, prior to 1984's Stealing Fire, Cockburn was not considered an unusually political songwriter, though his humanist and pacifist leanings were known to his fans.  However, an Oxfam sponsored trip to Central America underscored the troubles there, and led to much of the material on his album.  "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" was inspired by an actual event, where Cockburn saw Guatemalan refugees fired on by helicopters.

Although there was some controversy around the song -- particularly the last lyric, Cockburn has said that it is not a call for violence, but a cry for help.

"If I Had a Rocket Launcher" peaked at #88 in the U.S., while the Stealing Fire LP would reach #74.

Cool trivia fact:  Bruce Cockburn is a one hit wonder in the U.S.; only 1979's "Wondering Where the Lions Are" (#21) broke the top 40.

Ric Ocasek - Emotion in Motion

Back in September 2011, we posted Ric Ocasek's cool, quirky "Something to Grab For," off his first solo LP, 1982's Beatitude.  Four years later, Ocasek released his second solo album, This Side of Paradise. To my ear, this record sounds a bit tired (as in exhausted).  Of course, by this point the Cars had released five albums and the band was slowly coming undone.

Additionally, Ocasek and the Cars had transitioned from eccentric new wave songs to a more traditional pop sound.  The music wasn't bad at all, and it was lushly produced (no surprise, as Ocasek would go on to become a successful producer in the 1990s.)  However, it wasn't as sharp or interesting as their early material. In contrast, the first two Cars records are simply sensational in our opinion.

"Emotion in Motion" is the strongest cut off Ocasek's album, and it would go on to become his only top 40 hit as a solo artist (#15).  To be fair, The Cars also had 13 top 40 singles (and 3 #41s), so it's not like he didn't have a ton of success with his band.

The Cars released Door to Door in 1987 before breaking up.  Ocasek has remained in the industry and has released five albums since then, but has had little in the way of commercial success.  The Cars never did have a full reunion prior to Ben Orr's untimely death in 2000.

Note that The Cars "Since You're Gone" was posted on ERV in May 2014.

L.A. Guns - The Ballad of Jayne

Best known as half of the inspiration for the Guns N' Roses name, L.A. Guns was a fixture on the Los Angeles hard rock scene in the 1980s, but never crossed over to big time mainstream success.  Lineup changes, and a sound that was more hard rock bar band than glam metal likely had something to do with this.

The band formed in 1983, and an early version of the group had Tracii Guns (born Tracy Ulrich) on guitar and W. Axl Rose on vocals.  Rose would leave to sing for Rapidfire and Hollywood Rose, before rejoining L.A. Guns, and the group was later renamed Guns N' Roses.  However, after a fight with Rose, Tracii Guns left Guns N' Roses and reformed L.A. Guns.  (Quite a tangled web, huh?)

L.A. Guns released their first major label record in 1988, and the LP did well, reaching #50 on the charts.  However, 1989's Cocked and Loaded did better, and hit #38 on the charts.  "The Ballad of Jayne" became the group's only top 40 hit at #33, making the band an official one hit wonder.

While 1991's Hollywood Vampires broke the top 50 on the album charts, the rise of grunge effectively ended any chance of L.A. Guns breaking out.  The band has continued as a working band  (with a ton of personnel changes) to the present day.  In fact, for much of the early 2000s, there were two version of L.A. Guns (one with Tracii Guns and one without).  In 2013 Tracii Guns broke up his version of the group, but we believe that the second version is active as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  "The Ballad of Jayne" is about actress Jayne Mansfield, who was killed in a car accident in 1967.

Big Country - Fields of Fire (400 Miles)

This is Big Country's second appearance on ERV, as "Look Away" was posted on the blog last August.  While U.S. readers will remember the band for their eponymous single (the group's only top 40 U.S. song), "Fields of Fire" was the first of 15 top 40 singles in their native U.K.

Similar to "Look Away," "Fields of Fire" is a grand anthemic rock song, punctuated by the bagpipe-like guitar sound that was Big Country's trademark.  It is also my favorite Big Country song.  The video, with the train, bagpipe player and toys generally works quite well (although the WWI scene seems a bit forced to me).  The song peaked at #10 in the U.K. and #52 in the U.S., and helped launch the band's debut LP, The Crossing (which would hit #3 in the U.K. and #18 in the U.S.)

From an American perspective, the band faded from view after The Crossing, although they remained popular in the U.K. for the remainder of the decade.  As was mentioned in the previous Big Country post, the group remained together until lead singer Stuart Adamson's suicide in 2001.  They have re-formed in recent years, although ex-Alarm singer Mike Peters departed the band in November 2013.  It appears that the current lead singer is Simon Hough and the group remains active as of this writing.

Chris Rea - The Road to Hell (Part 2)

Though Chris Rea was a major star in Europe in the 1980s and 1990s, he was more of a cult figure in the U.S.  Stylistically, his music was a modern English (no relation to the band) interpretation of the blues; while Rea and ZZ Top (below) shared some of the same influences, they interpreted the material differently.  Rea's smooth, laid-back feel often reminds me of Dire Straits, but Rea's songs seemed a bit darker compared to Mark Knopfler.

Chris Rea was born in Middlesbrough, England, and started his music career in 1973, when he joined the local band Magdalene (he replaced David Coverdale, who would go on to find success in Deep Purple and Whitesnake).  After kicking around the industry for several years, Rea released his first solo LP in 1978, and gradually built up a following in Europe, before breaking through in the U.K. in the mid-1980s.  Between 1985 - 1998, Rea had 8 top 15 albums in the U.K., and 11 top 40 singles.

"The Road to Hell (Part 2)" (and yes, there is a part 1) was a song with a long instrumental intro, and the label pushed to break the track into two parts.  It is off the 1988 album of the same name, and is generally viewed quite favorably by critics.  The song was conceived while Rea was stuck in traffic on the M25 (the major ring road around London).  "The Road to Hell" reached #10 in the U.K., but did not chart in the U.S., while the album of the same name was a #1 album in the U.K. (#107 in the U.S.)

Rea remains active to the present day, and his albums continue to perform better in the U.K. and Europe compared to the U.S.

Cool trivia fact:  Rea is a U.S. one hit wonder, as only his 1978 single "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" (#12) broke the top 40.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peek-A-Boo

"Peek-A-Boo" was Siouxsie and the Banshees first charting U.S. single, although it was the band's 15th top 40 song in their native Britain.  Led by their dramatic frontwoman Siouxsie Sioux (Susan Ballion), the band came out of the Bromley Contingent -- a group of hardcore Sex Pistol fans.  However, instead of becoming a straight up punk band, Siouxsie and the Banshees found their own sound, which fused punk with art house and postmodern elements.

The band's unique sound and appearance quickly found an audience in the U.K.  In fact, "Peek-A-Boo" was off the group's ninth studio album (Peepshow); all of the previous eight LPs broke the top 15 on the U.K. album charts.

The song also showed Siouxsie and the Banshees' continued sonic experimentation.  The idea for "Peek-A-Boo" began during the band's previous album, when they began writing a song based on playing John Cale's "Gun" backwards.  A year later, the song, with its layered instruments and cutting lyrics was ready, and became the lead single off Peepshow.

Ironically, the success of "Peek-A-Boo" came back to haunt the band, as the song was found to infringe on the 1938 standard "Jeepers Creepers." In response, Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer (who wrote "Jeepers Creepers" ) would go on to receive songwriting credit for "Peek-A-Boo."

Siouxsie and the Banshees would remain together until 1996, although the members (including Siouxsie Sioux) remains active in the industry as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  Siouxsie and the Banshees is an official one hit wonder, as only 1991's "Kiss Them for Me" (#23) broke the top 40 in the U.S.

Chris Isaak - Don't Make Me Dream About You

Although Chris Isaak has only landed one top 40 single ("Wicked Game"), he has built a solid career on an updated Roy Orbison-influenced sound.  This is no small feat, as rockabilly artists in general haven't exactly been burning up the charts over the past few decades.

Isaak released his first album in 1985, but his breakthrough came on his third album, 1989's Heart Shaped World.  That album peaked at #7 on the charts and went triple platinum, led by the previously mentioned "Wicked Game."  Interestingly, that song was not an immediate hit, but gained momentum following its inclusion in David Lynch's 1990 movie, Wild At Heart.  Additionally, the heavily played video (featuring a topless Helena Christensen) probably didn't hurt.

After Heart Shaped World, Isaak saw his mainstream success fade, but has retained a loyal following.  He continues to perform and record (and dabble in acting) to the present day.

For the blog, we skipped the overplayed "Wicked Game" and opted for the less well known "Don't Make Me Dream About You."  The black and white video is stylistically similar to "Wicked Game" and seems well suited for Isaak's music.  The song is a bit more uptempo and is, we believe, a good representation of the Isaak rockabilly sound.

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.

Scritti Politti - Perfect Way

Although they were a one hit wonder in the U.S., Scritti Politti were more successful in the U.K., where they had 5 top 40 hits (and 15 charting singles).  The band's origins date back to 1977, but the group (named after the Italian phrase for political writings) was essentially the musical vehicle for Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside (born as Paul Strohmeyer).

Scritti Politti's pop sound (with new wave and blue-eyed soul influences) contrasted nicely with Gartside's complex and interesting lyrics.  The result was music that can be enjoyed on several levels, and unsurprisingly made the band something of a critical darling.  This was no doubt enhanced by the well-crafted studio productions.

"Perfect Way" comes off Scritti's 1985 studio LP, Cupid & Psyche 85.  While this was the band's second album, it was their first major label recording, which allowed Gartside access to the money and equipment that he desired.  As a result, it was a lush sounding, lyrically dense pop record that did surprisingly well on the charts.

While Scritti did not dent the U.S. charts after "Perfect Way," the group did continue to have mainstream success in the U.K. through the end of the 1980s.  Green Gartside remains active in the industry, and continues to release the occasional album (he rarely performs, due to stagefright).

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.

Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots

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."

Georgia Satellites - Battleship Chains

This is the Satellites second appearance on ERV, as the band's one big hit "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" was featured in July 2012.  "Battleship Chains" was the second single off the group's debut LP and it became a minor hit, reaching #86 on the charts.  The song was written by Terry Anderson, who was not a member of the group.  Interestingly, Anderson also wrote "I Love You Period" which hit #26 in 1992, becoming Dan Baird's only solo top 40 hit (Baird was the lead singer and guitarist for the Satellites).  Unlike most of the Satellites' songs, "Battleship" featured guitarist Rick Richards on lead vocals instead of Baird.

In contrast to "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," "Battleship Chains" is further up the rock spectrum, more Stones than Skynyrd.  In fact, that is one of the impressive aspects of the band -- they produced self-consciously retro music that was also fresh, and encompassed musical influences as diverse as the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin.  While their music was viewed as something of a curiosity in the 1980s, it has aged better than many of their contemporaries.

The black and white video starts with a scratchy record into and then intersperses shots of pawn shops and pools halls with the band.  It is damn near pitch perfect, in our humble opinion.  This is a band that should be listened to at a BBQ joint with some ribs and cold beer.  Sadly, this cutting against the grain approach made it hard for the band to maintain a high level of commercial success, and they broke up in 1990, after two follow up LPs failed to gain traction (See the "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" post for more info on the band's history.)

Utopia - Feet Don't Fail Me Now

The story of Utopia is intertwined with Todd Rundgren, but the band evolved over time to become more than just an outlet for Rundgren's more adventurous music.  Fresh off his pop successes, Rundgren formed Utopia (originally called Todd Rundgren's Utopia) in 1973 to perform progressive rock.  By 1977, the band membership stabilized with Rundgren (guitar), Kasim Sulton (bass), Roger Powell (keyboards) and Willie Wilcox (drums), and this lineup would remain until the group disbanded.

The consistent lineup helped Utopia to become a real group, and by the early 1980s they had a sound that was somewhat distinct from Rungdren's, helped by the fact that other members wrote and sang material.  Unfortunately the group had label problem, which likely limited their commercial success.  It also didn't help that they were viewed as a progressive rock band at a time when that segment was seen as out of date.

In spite of these issues, "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" was a minor hit for the band, charting at #82, while the self-titled album peaked at #84.  The song and album were undoubtedly helped by the video, which went into heavy rotation on MTV for a while, due to its avant garde (at the time) vision of the band members as insects.

Unfortunately, Utopia was not able to really break through, and Rundgren broke up the band in 1986, though there have been periodic reunions since then.

Note that Todd Rundgren made an appearance on ERV for his underrated 1982 solo single, "Hideaway."

Cool trivia fact:  The song title refers to the "feets don't fail me now" catch phrase that dates back to the early 20th century vaudeville and chitlin' circuit performances, but its exact origins are unknown.

Cool trivia fact #2: Utopia is an official one hit wonder, as only 1980's "Set Me Free" (#27) broke the top 40 on the singles charts.

Honeymoon Suite - New Girl Now

"New Girl Now" is another forgotten gem, and the full video contains one of the coolest, eighties-ish intros ever put on tape.  The first 38 seconds starts with some guys doing graffiti, when a Delorean pulls up (presumably without the flux capacitor).  A blown kiss that turns into candy hearts follows (I just loved that bit), and we cut to the band on stage.

Honeymoon Suite formed in Niagara Falls, Canada in 1981, and went through several lineup changes in the early years, before settling on Johnnie Dee (vocals), Derry Grehan (guitar), Gary Lalonde (bass), Ray Coburn (keyboards) and Dave Betts (drums).

As we mentioned in the "Feel It Again" video (posted last May), "New Girl Now" launched the group's career when they won a battle of the bands on Toronto's Q107 radio station.  The self-titled debut album followed in 1984, and "New Girl Now" picked up some airplay.  The song eventually reached #57 on the charts, while the album climbed to #62.

Although the band never really broke through in the U.S., they had four charting singles, and one top 40 hit (the previously mentioned "Feel It Again.")  They had more success in their native Canada, and were a successful live act; they were the opening band on several big 1980s tours including Billy Idol, Heart and Journey.

The band remains active (with some personnel changes) as of this writing.

A special shout out to Sam on this one. (I hope that you have not seen the full intro with the Delorean).