Prism - Don't Let Him Know

Prism's "Don't Let Him Know" seems like the perfect follow-up to Bryan Adams, as their one U.S. hit was actually written by Adams and Jim Vallance.  The history of Prism, however, goes all the way back to the early 1970s, when producer Bruce Fairbairn and songwriter Jim Vallance formed the band.  Over time, Prism became successful north of the boarder, with ten top 100 hits between 1977 and 1981.

Even when Vallance started working with Bryan Adams, he remained active (as a songwriter) with Prism, and in the summer of 1981, Vallance and Adams wrote "Don't Let Him Know" for Prism.  Vallance has subsequently stated that the song was influenced by "Bette Davis Eyes," and we think that you can hear that, especially in the drums.  In any event, "Don't Let Him Know" would go on to be Prism's only top 40 hit in the U.S., making them an official one-hit wonder (although, to be fair, they had three other songs that broke the U.S. top #100).

We don't think that an official video was ever made for the song (if any readers know of one, please let us know in the comments).  As a result, we have gone with a clip from Solid Gold, although, sadly, the Solid Gold Dancers do not make an appearance.  Prism broke up in 1982, although the band later re-formed and continues to play to this day.

Coll trivia fact:  Bruce Fairbairn would go on to become a hugely successful record producer for Krokus, Loverboy, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and AC/DC among others until his untimely passing in 1999.

Bryan Adams - Hearts on Fire

The "every man" rock star, Canadian Bryan Adams seems to have flown under the radar during his career -- until you consider the large number of catchy rock songs he has written and the 75 million (or so) records that he has sold.

Although Adams released his first album in 1980, it was 1983's Cuts Like a Knife and 1984's Reckless (a #1 album that went 5x platinum in the U.S.) that really launched his career.  However, in typical ERV style, we are not going to go with anything off those smash records.  Instead, we dug a little bit deeper into his catalog.

"Hearts on Fire" was originally written during the Reckless recording session with Adams' longtime songwriting partner, Jim Vallance.  Two years later, Adams recorded the song and it became the second single off his 1987 album, Into the Fire, where it peaked at #26 on the U.S. charts.  While it was not a huge hit, it is a solid, and pretty typical Bryan Adams song.  No question about it; the dude knows how to write a decent rock song.  The video is about as straightforward as they come (much like Mr. Adams, we imagine) -- it is a performance clip, from a 1987 concert in Florida.

Cool trivia fact:  Bryan Adams sang backup on Mötley Crüe's 1989 album Dr. Feelgood (other artists who sang backup on the album include:  Sebastian Bach, Robin Zander, Jack Blades, Rick Nielsen  and Steven Tyler).

Femme Fatale - Falling In and Out of Love

Femme Fatale was a pop metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico who were led by the charismatic front woman Lorraine Lewis.  The band formed in 1987, and quickly moved to LA -- the center of the pop metal movement of the late 1980s.  From there, they signed a record deal, and put together an album (their 1988 self-titled debut).

While the singles "Waiting for the Big One" and "Falling in and out of Love" both received some airplay on MTV, the album's sales were only so-so.  Neither single charted, and the album peaked at #141.  This was likely due to the abundance of similar bands; we think Femme Fatale simply got lost in the mix.

After touring as the opening act for Cheap Trick, Femme Fatale went back to the studio to work on their follow up effort,  which was to be called Lady in Waiting.  However,  it was never released, as they were dropped by their label (MCA).

The video for "Falling in and out of Love" is classic late 1980s hair metal goodness, complete with headbanging, swirling cameras and lots of lights.

Lorraine Lewis has remained in the industry without much mainstream success, but she continues to perform Femme Fatale songs to this day.

Beastie Boys - She's On It

Every once in a while, outside events will influence a blog posting and sadly, today is one of those days, as Adam Yauch (MCA) has passed away.  For those who don't know, MCA, along with Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) were the Beastie Boys.

Eighties Rare Videos previously highlighted "Shadrach," from the inventive and influential Paul's Boutique album, but the impact of the Beastie Boys extends beyond that one album.  In fact, the band's longevity and innovation really stand out in an industry where neither is common.

While the Beastie Boys started as a punk band in the late 1970s, they had evolved into a hip hop band by the early 1980s.  They then worked with Rick Rubin and Def Jam on the License to Ill LP, and became huge stars.  However, instead of continuing with the party/hard rock/rap formula, the band expanded and produced some of the most interesting music of the 1990s.

"She's On It" was an early example of the Rick Rubin rap/rock style and Rubin even appears in the video.  The song was on the Krush Groove soundtrack (now who remembers that movie).  The song did not chart, but the video was played on MTV and laid the groundwork for what was to come.  It also seems appropriate for today, as MCA has the first line: "There's no confusion / in her conclusion."

Cool trivia fact:  The model in the video is Sharon Middendorf and there is a link to an interview with her from beastiemania.com in the comments section.

The Gap Band - Party Train

Originally called the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band, after their neighborhood in Tulsa, the Gap Band produced some of the catchiest funk this side of Rick James.  The band was centered around three brothers -- Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, who started playing music in the late 1960s.  They eventually moved to LA, and released their first album in 1974.  However, it wasn't until the early 1980s that the band really took off.

"Party Train" is from 1983's Gap Band 5: Jammin', the last of 4 straight gold or platinum albums for the band. While the song peaked at #3 on the R&B charts, it surprisingly did not break the top 100 on the Billboard pop charts.  The album peaked at #28, although it did hit #2 on the R&B album charts.

The video is classic Gap Band -- flashy, exuberant and fun.  Yes, the Wilsons loved their cowboy hats and boots (they were, after all, from Tulsa).  However, the video is just a crazy, funky California beach scene.  With the exception of Charlie Wilson's ill-advised (really small) bathing suit, this clip is a winner.  And there is even dancing with roller skates (briefly, around 4:37).

Although the Gap Band's popularity declined after the 1980s, they continued to perform until Robert Wilson's untimely death from a heart attack in 2010.

A rarer Gap Band classic, "Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" was posted on ERV in January 2014.

Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes

"Bette Davis Eyes" is another non-rare song and video, on the blog because it is a cover, something that may surprise many of our readers.  While the last 'songs that you didn't know were covers' entry -- Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" was a huge hit, "Bette Davis Eyes" was even bigger.

Kim Carnes (sometimes thought of as the female Rod Stewart due to her blonde hair and raspy voice) had a solid, interesting career even before the success of "Bette Davis Eyes."  She started in the New Christie Minstrels, singing folk songs in the late 1960s, then went out on her own as a singer / songwriter.  She gradually became successful , and really broke out in 1980.  In that year, her duet with Kenny Rogers, "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" hit #4, while Carnes' cover of a Smokey Robinson & The Miracles song, "More Love" hit #10.

But her cover of Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon's "Bette Davis Eyes" became a hit on an entirely different scale.  The song was originally recorded in 1974 by Jackie DeShannon as a pop / jazz song (yes, really).   DeShannon, best known for "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," knew Carnes -- they appeared together in a 1967 film, C'mon, Let's Live a Little.  However, it was Donna Weiss who pitched the song, as a fallback after Carnes passed on her newer composition.  

Carnes' version of "Bette Davis Eyes" spent 9 weeks at the top on the Billboard charts (non-consecutive, as it was interrupted for one week by the "Stars on 45 Medley.")  Billboard named in as the #1 song of 1981, and it won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.  How's that for a hit single?

Unfortunately, Carnes was not able to follow it up with another big hit, although she did have a sting of successful singles through 1986.  As her performing career waned, she transitioned to songwriting, eventually moving to Nashville, where she lives (and writes) to this day.

And the original Jackie DeShannon version ...

(Amazing, huh?)

Note that Carnes' "Voyeur" was posted on ERV in May 2014.

Jason and the Scorchers - White Lies

One of the nice things about writing a blog on eighties rare videos is that is provides an opportunity to revisit and perhaps even introduce a few folks to bands who produced great music, but never made it big.

Jason and the Scorchers (JATS) are a great case in point.  Although front man Jason Ringenberg was originally from Illinois, the band formed in Nashville in the early 1980s.  Stylistically, JATS broke new ground as a country/punk band and probably defined cowpunk as much as any other group.

Loved by critics, Jason and the Scorchers never really broke out in spite of really strong material.  The short answer is that their sound was too country for rock stations and too rocking for country stations.  Ironically, just a few years later, the emergence of modern country with strong rock influences would lead to a rise in popularity of country music.

"White Lies" was the main single of Jason and the Scorchers first full length album -- 1985's Lost and Found.  The album barely broke the top 100, and the song did not chart on the hot 100.  Jason and the Scorchers put out two other solid albums in the 1980s before breaking up in 1990.  They have since reformed a few times and continue to perform.

In addition to being an innovative band that wrote great country/punk songs, Jason and the Scorchers were also known for their high energy live performances.  For folks who are so inclined, here is a clip of them on Conan O'Brien performing "White Lies" around 1998.

JATS strong cover of Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie" was posted on ERV in 2013.

Breakfast Club - Right on Track

Your basic one hit wonder, Breakfast Club has an interesting backstory that has nothing to do with John Hughes.  (In fact, there is no relationship between the movie and the band at all, as far as we can tell).

However, Breakfast Club was Madonna's first band in New York.  Yes, that Madonna (and yes, that New York).  The Material Girl was briefly the drummer of Breakfast Club, in 1979, we believe.  She left to become the lead singer of her own band, Emmy, and then, of course, went out on her own.

Breakfast Club continued on, eventually signing a record deal and releasing their self-titled first album in 1987.  "Right on Track," helped out by a catchy, if somewhat bizarre video went on to become a top 10 hit, peaking at #7.  No doubt the grooving chickens helped (check out the video if you do not know what we are talking about -- coolest chickens ever.)

While Breakfast Club recorded a second album, it was never released and the band broke up in the late 1980s.

Coll trivia fact:  Stephen Bray, the Breakfast Club's drummer, was an old friend of Madonna's from Michigan.  He co-wrote "Right on Track," and co-wrote (with Madonna) "Into the Groove," "True Blue," and "Express Yourself"  among others.  Impressive.

Joan Armatrading - Drop the Pilot

Joan Armatrading is yet another artist who should have had more American success, but never quite found her audience.  In some ways this is understandable, as her music is eclectic and a bit hard to categorize.  However, she is a really solid singer/songwriter and well worth a listen.

Armatrading was born in Saint Kitts, but her family moved to Birmingham (UK) when she was young.  John Peel (the famous UK disc jockey) became a fan early on, and was a supporter of hers throughout her career.  While Armatrading is a bit of a cult figure in the U.S., she had a successful career in Britain, with 14 charting singles between 1976 and 1992.

"Drop the Pilot" from 1983's The Key was her biggest U.S. hit, peaking at #78, while the LP hit #32.  The video is a wonderful combination of a performance and an old movie, with the old Purple Rose of Cairo trick thrown in.  (Yes, we know that Purple Rose of Cairo came out 2 years after this video.)  Additionally, "Drop the Pilot" is representative of Armatrading's work in that it contains elements from multiple musical styles.

For readers who are interested in checking out other songs, we recommend "I Love It When You Call Me Names," "Love and Affection," and "Me Myself I."

Thomas Dolby - Airhead

So in typical ERV style, we're posting a Thomas Dolby song, but it isn't the one that you know and love.  However, it is rare and quite good, actually.

"Airhead" was the lead single from 1988's Aliens Ate My Buick (excellent title, right up there with Mars Needs Guitars, if you ask us (and you didn't)).  The album was a bit of a style change for Dolby, and was more dance influenced that the synth pop that preceded it.  As a result, his fans had a tough time with it.  The album peaked at #70 (Dolby's last charting LP), but fell off the charts relatively quickly.

The video is a wonderfully creative, slightly eccentric puppet show.  Dolby was (he probably still is) a visual artist; one suspects that he was involved in the design of the video.  We haven't been able to find anything out regarding a specific target for the song, but he did marry actress Kathleen Beller in 1988.  It is not too difficult to imagine Dolby finding inspiration for this song in the Hollywood scene.  [By the by, pay attention to the the lyrics; they are truly great.]

As Dolby's popularity waned, he transitioned to film and video game soundtrack work, and we believe that he continues to work in the industry to this day.

Cool trivia facts (a bunch):  Thomas Dolby's given name was Thomas Morgan Robertson; the Dolby nickname came from the keyboards and audio equipment that he used.  Surprisingly, Thomas Dolby is officially a one hit wonder in the U.S. -- while "She Blinded Me With Science" peaked at #5, he did not have another top 40 hit.  Lastly, Dolby played the keyboard intro to Foreigner's 1981 smash, "Waiting for a Girl Like You."  (See what you can learn by reading the whole entry.)

In the interest of completeness, here is the link to the extended dance version of "Airhead," called "Airhead's Revenge," and featuring Salt-n-Pepa.