Stevie Wonder - Master blaster (Jammin')

There are not a lot of true music legends, either in general or on ERV, but Stevie Wonder certainly qualifies.  Born as Stevland Hardaway Morris, and blind since shortly after birth, Wonder started in the music industry at 11 (!) and was given the name Little Stevie Wonder by Motown producer Clarence Paul.

While many acts count their top 40 songs or albums, one indication of Stevie Wonder's success is the amount of #1s.  Wonder has ten #1 songs and three #1 albums.  In the 1970s, his music - an upbeat fusion of soul, pop, and R&B - dominated the charts (and was critically acclaimed, to boot).  For example, Wonder has four albums in the Rolling Stone top 500, including three in the top 60. 

His 1980 LP, Hotter Than July may not quite reach the career peaks of his 1970s efforts, but it is still an extremely good record.  The album would peak at #3 and go platinum, while "Master Blaster (Jammin')" would reach #5 on the singles chart.  The song was heavily influenced by Wonder's friendship with reggae legend Bob Marley.  The title is a nod to Marley's 1977 song "Jamming" and the lyrics, envisioning a world at peace, were also likely influenced by Marley.

Wonder continued to have significant commercial success through the 1980s, albeit with a somewhat more commercial sound.  Although his production has decreased in the years since, he remains active in the industry as of this writing, and remains a true living legend.

Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before

"Never Knew Love Like This Before" was a catchy pop/R&B hit from Stephanie Mills that became her biggest hit.  The song reached #6 on the charts, while the Sweet Sensation LP peaked at #16 and went gold.

Mills grew up in Bedford–Stuyvesant (Brooklyn) and landed a recording contract at 16.  Her big break came a year later, when she was cast as the original Dorothy in the Broadway production of The Wiz, a role she held from 1974-79.  Known as "the little girl with the big voice," Mills transitioned to the music industry full time after The Wiz, and had 5 gold records and three top 40 singles during the late 1970s and 1980s. She also had 24 top 40 R&B singles, including five #1s.  We believe that she is still active in the industry as of this writing.

The video for "Never Knew Love Like This Before" is literally Mills happily dance-walking through a park.  Ah, for the simple days before MTV, when promotional videos were something of an afterthought for much of the industry ...

Cool trivia fact:  "Never Knew Love Like This Before" was co-written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, who also co-produced the Sweet Sensation album. Hardcore Madonna fans will note that Reggie Lucas was the original producer on Madge's self-titled debut (he also wrote "Borderline.")  Unfortunately, he and Madonna did not see eye to eye, and she brought in John Jellybean Benitez to remix the album prior to its release. 

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Private Eyes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody

Rufus were a successful funk act during the 1970s with six top 20 albums, as well as ten top 40 singles.  However, changing tastes and lead singer Chaka Khan's desire to go solo (a story as old as time) resulted in the group's decline at the end of that decade.  In fact, although Chaka Khan's 1978 LP Chaka made her an emerging star, the singer remained in the band for an additional two albums to fulfill her contract.

All of this made Khan's appearance on 1983's Stompin' at the Savoy – Live album somewhat surprising.  The album and documentary were meant to be a commemoration of Rufus, and Khan was not required to participate.  Fortunately, she opted to assist with the project.

In addition to the live songs, the group recorded four new studio tracks for the double album, one of which was "Ain't Nobody."  This led to a dispute with their label, as the band wanted the song to be the lead single, while label executives were less enthusiastic about the track.  Warner Bros. finally relented after the song's composer (Rufus keyboardist Hawk Wolinski) threatened to sell the rights of "Ain't Nobody" to Quincy Jones for the upcoming Michael Jackson album Thriller.  (Some readers may have heard of this album, as it was somewhat successful.)
 
"Ain't Nobody" would go on the become a big hit, reaching #22 on the charts (and #1 on the R&B charts).  The song became an eighties dance mainstay, and won a Grammy to boot.  However, in spite of this, the video received little airplay on our favorite video music channel.

Rufus disbanded after the album, and have rarely played together since.  Chaka Khan remained successful as a solo artist, though she only had one top 40 hit post-Rufus: "I Feel For You."

Cool trivia fact:  Khan's 1984 hit "I Feel For You" is a cover of a Prince song.  It was originally on Prince's self-titled 1979 LP.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul - Forever

Yesterday, The Universe requested another video for the blog, and as per usual we am only too happy to oblige.  In this case, the rare and exceptional "Forever" by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul made an appearance on my radio while commuting to work.  A quick google search (after safely parking the car) confirmed it an an Eighties Rare Video; and so here it is.

Steven Van Zandt (aka Little Steven or Miami Steve) is one of the most colorful personalities in rock.  He got his start in the Jersey Shore scene of the early 1970s, most notably with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (their later song, "New Romeo" was previously posted on ERV).  After helping Bruce Springsteen with the horn arrangement on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," he became a member of the E Street Band, where he remained until 1984 (and from the late 1990s on).

By the early 1980s Little Steven was looking for additional creative outlets, and was also becoming increasingly political (more on that in a moment).  This led to several solo rock/soul albums; 1982's Men Without Women was the first (and best in the eyes of many critics).  For readers who like rock and classic R&B (think late 1960s Motown), this LP is highly recommended.

Sadly, the album never quite found its audience.  The LP peaked at #118, while "Forever" hit #63.  We remember hearing it on New York rock radio back in the day, but do not recall ever seeing the video -- which is full of NYC 1982 goodness including Times Square, old cars and at least one Mohawk.

In addition to Little Steven's solo records, he was instrumental in the formation of the Artists United Against Apartheid "Sun City" effort which has also been posted on ERV.  In 1999 he landed an acting lead in The Sopranos TV show, and has continued his work as a musician and DJ (Little Steven's Underground Garage) to the present day.

Daryl Hall & John Oates - How Does It Feel To Be Back

Although they would go on to become the most successful duo of the rock era,  Daryl Hall & John Oates had a choppy career before becoming superstars for most of the first half of the 1980s.

Hall and Oates met in 1967 in Philadelphia, and began working together in 1970.  While their first three albums (for Atlantic) were unsuccessful, 1975's self-titled album (on RCA) made them pop stars.  Between 1975 and 1977, they had three top 10 hits with "Sara Smile," "She's Gone," and "Rich Girl."  This run of success ended with "Rich Girl" and they had no top 10 hits through the end of the 1970s.  In fact, 1979's X-Static was the duo's first non-Gold record on RCA.

Needless to say, this made 1980's Voices album a really important record for the group, and they opted to go with the John Oates track "How Does It Feel To Be Back" as the lead single.   Had the duo not gone on to become hugely successful, this would have become a forgotten track.  Perhaps it still is.  The strong pop song doesn't even really sound like a typical Hall & Oates single, mostly due to Oates' voice (Hall sang most of the big hits of the 1980s).

"How Does It Feel To Be Back" did not become the big hit the the band had hoped for -- it stalled at #30.  However, the next single, a cover of the 1964 Righteous Brothers hit, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" became a surprise success at #12, and "Kiss on My List" became the duo's second #1 hit (after "Rich Girl").  The rest of the story is history, as they say.

Note that Hall & Oates inexpensive but masterful video for "Private Eyes" was featured on ERV in September 2020.

The Jam - Town Called Malice

The Jam were a popular, influential, and interesting band in Britain, but couldn't get arrested in America.  Between 1977 and 1982, the group had 18 top 40 U.K. singles and 6 top 25 LPs without any real success in the U.S.

The band formed in Woking (England) in the early 1970s, and burst onto the scene in 1977.  While their early work fit into the punk scene, they had a stronger melodic sense and more obvious 1960s soul influences than many of their contemporaries.  Over time, this soul sound became more pronounced, though they remained popular throughout this transition.

At peak of their popularity, singer/guitarist/songwriter Paul Weller decided to disband The Jam in order to form a full-on soul band, which led to the creation The Style Council in 1983.  When The Style Council's popularity faded, Weller ended that group in 1989 and has remained a solo artist to the present day.

"Town Called Malice" was off The Jam's last studio LP, 1982's The Gift.  The title was inspired by Nevil Shute's 1950 novel A Town Like Alice, though the content was not.  The contrast between an upbeat melody and more downbeat lyrics (reflecting the mood in Britain at the time) made the song a huge hit; it reached #1 on the British charts.

The video is all 1982 goodness, and shows the cool, mod-revival style that led to Weller's nickname "The Modfather."  We're particularly partial to the soft ultra-white lighting.

Cool trivia fact:  Not only did every Jam single break the top 40 in the U.K., but two import singles also charted (1981's "That's Entertainment" at #21 and 1982's "Just Who Is the 5 O'Clock Hero?" at #8).

The Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene

The Blow Monkeys were part of the U.K. blued-eyed soul scene of the mid 1980s.  The band formed in 1981 and were led by singer/songwriter Dr. Robert (Bruce Robert Howard).  While the group had ten singles and four albums on the U.K. charts between 1986 and 1990, they are essentially a one hit wonder in the U.S. -- although they did contribute a cover of "You Don't Own Me" to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

For the blog, we opted to go with their one charting single, 1986's "Digging Your Scene" from the Animal Magic LP.  The smooth retro soul sound contrasts nicely with the lyrics, which are pretty blatantly about AIDS.  Interestingly, Dr. Robert (the songwriter) was straight but really enjoyed the gay/club scene in Britain.  Given all of the negative attention on AIDS at the time, he decided to write a song expressing his support for the community.  "Digging Your Scene" would go on to reach #14 in the U.S., while the album went to #35.

While the Blow Monkeys were unable to maintain their success in the U.S., they remained popular in the U.K. and became increasingly political over time.  Their 1987 anti-Thatcher song "Celebrate (The Day After You)" was banned by the BBC for it's perceived political bias, although it did reach #52 on the charts there.  The band broke up in 1990, but reunited in 2007 and has continued to perform as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  Although The Blow Monkeys' name sounds slightly obscene, it is actually Australian slang for someone playing the Didgeridoo.  It turns out that front man Dr. Robert spent his teen years in Australia before returning to the U.K. and he liked the expression.

De La Soul - Me Myself and I

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. 

Kim Carnes - More Love

"More Love" is the second Kim Carnes cover to appear on ERV, as "Bette Davis Eyes" was posted last April.  That post does a good job of summarizing Carnes' career and her long path to success -- follow the link above and check it out, if you are so inclined.  [In addition, Carnes' "Voyeur" appeared on ERV in May 2014.]

Unlike "Bette Davis Eyes," "More Love" is a reasonably traditional cover.  [For those who have not listened to the original version of "Bette Davis Eyes," we highly recommend it, as it is one of the more dramatic re-makes that we are aware of.]  "More Love" is a straightforward pop/soul song, originally recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1967.  The original version was a hit, peaking at #23 on the charts -- one of 26 top 40 hits for that band (!).  The Kim Carnes version charted even higher; the song hit #10, becoming Carnes' first solo top 40 hit ("Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer," a duet with Kenny Rogers, had previously hit #4 in 1980).

While all of that is interesting, it is the video of "More Love" that secured it a place on ERV.  Simply put, this is one of the great unknown early 1980s videos.  The song came out before MTV and was a little too adult contemporary for the channel; as a result most folks have never seen it.  However, it is a classic, and has a wonderful (and slightly off) sense of humor, with fork accidents, a burning piano and crashing dancers.  It is not clear how much the video helped the song, but Carnes career really took off in 1980 and 1981, so it probably didn't hurt.

The original version of the song, by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles is below:

Cool trivia fact:  the original version was written by Smokey Robinson, to his wife (Claudette Rogers Robinson) after she had a series of miscarriages (8 in total).  Claudette felt responsible for the miscarriages; the song was Smokey's way of re-assuring her.  The miscarriages also forced Claudette off the tours, but she and Smokey eventually had two children.  They were divorced in 1986, after 27 years of marriage.

New Edition - Candy Girl

For better or worse (mostly worse), New Edition created the template that would be used by boy bands during the 1980s and 1990s.  Unlike many other boy bands, though, New Edition was an actual group, and the members -- Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe and Ralph Tresvant -- all grew up in Boston.

The group was spotted by promoter Maurice Starr at a talent show, who signed them to a recording contract in spite of the fact that they came in second.  Star modeled the band after the Jackson 5 (in fact, the name signified that they were a 'New Edition' of that group) and actively shaped their sound and image -- for example, he co-wrote "Candy Girl" and played guitar and synthesizers on the Candy Girl album.

"Candy Girl" was a success -- it peaked at #46 on the charts (and also became a #1 hit in the UK).  However, in an infamous story, the boys (they were 13 to 15) were dropped off after their first tour and handed checks for $1.87 each (they rest was spent on tour expenses, they were told).  Unsurprisingly, the band lawyered up, eventually firing Star and signing a lucrative contract with MCA.

From there, New Edition would go on to much larger success, with four consecutive gold or platinum LPs.  Later, both Bobby Brown and Bell Biv DeVoe found solo success, and in Bell Biv DeVoe's case, became one of the originators of what became known as New Jack Swing.

Maurice Starr would quickly move on and form a white version of New Edition, which he named the New Kids on the Block.

While "Candy Girl" is not groundbreaking, it is a solid updated version of the Jackson 5 sound.  The video (which we don't ever recall seeing on MTV) is the band singing and dancing around Boston, we believe.  And yes, they guys were really young back then.

Terence Trent D'Arby - Wishing Well

Mixing old school R&B with modern pop and rock elements, Terence Trent D'Arby briefly looked like The Next Big Thing in music.  His debut album, Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby hit #4 on the U.S. album charts, and was a huge international hit as well.  However, his follow up efforts did not generate much commercial success, leaving him as an interesting one album wonder.

D'Arby was  born in New York City (as Terence Trent Howard), but grew up with his stepfather, which is where the Darby comes from.  As a young man, he was a boxer and joined the U.S. Army, a path that led him to Germany and eventually London, after he left the army.  Several years of working the London music scene led to a recording contract, and his first album was released with a ton of publicity and immediately became successful in Britain.

Although success in the U.S. was slower, his material gained traction in late 1987 and into 1988.  "Wishing Well" was his big hit, and it reached #1 (for 1 week) in May 1988.  From there, his career slowly fell apart, due to arrogance (he once proclaimed that his album was the most important LP since Sgt. Pepper), and weaker material that did not connect with his audience.  He eventually changed his name to Sananda Francesco Maitreya, but continues to write and record music.

Cool trivia fact:  D'Arby (Maitreya) was the guest lead singer of INXS in 1999, when they performed prior to the Sydney Olympics (their original lead singer, Michael Hutchence, died in 1997).