Midnight Star - No Parking On The Dance Floor

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

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

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

Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue

"Midnight Blue" may not be the rarest song on ERV, but it has become something of a forgotten classic.  The song was the first single off Lou Gramm's 1987 solo record, Ready or Not, and it became a hit, reaching #5 on the charts.  In fact, Gramm had three solo top 40 hits, including "Just Between You and Me" (not the April Wine song) which was featured on ERV in April 2012 and "True Blue Love."

The Ready or Not LP was a collaboration between Gramm and Bruce Turgon, who had worked together in the band Black Sheep.  When Gramm joined Foreigner, Black Sheep disbanded and Turgon became a working musician in LA.  However, the two artists remained in touch, and as the chemistry in Foreigner deteriorated, Gramm invited Turgon to work with him on a solo project.

The video for "Midnight Blue" is pretty standard fare, but that doesn't make it bad.  By the by, the actress in the video is Traci Lind, who left the industry long ago (there is an interview with her on Noblemania for those who are interested), while the actor is Joe Holland, who died in 1994.

While "Midnight Blue" may not have broken any new ground creatively, it is a damn fine rock song, in your author's opinion, helped by a catchy guitar line.  And Lou Gramm has a voice that sounds like it was made for rock.  It adds up to one of the better rock songs of the decade.

Cool trivia fact:  R.E.M. covered "Midnight Blue" on a bunch of their shows in the fall of 1987, and an audio version from one of these concerts has survived:

The Cars - Since You're Gone

Long time readers will note that we have previously posted solo videos from Ric Ocasek ("Something to Grab For') and Benjamin Orr ("Stay the Night"), so it seemed appropriate to roll out a Cars video as well.  In fact, "Since You're Gone" was on the original list of videos to be posted from August 2011, so we suppose that it's about time.

The Cars were at the forefront of the new wave scene; the band's blending of new wave, rock and pop made for interesting and radio-friendly music that justly made them stars.  The band's roots go all the way back to Columbus, Ohio in the early 1970s where Ric Ocasek (Otcasek) and  Benjamin Orr (Orzechowski) met.  Relocating to Boston, the duo went through several musical styles before becoming a new wave act with Greg Hawkes (keyboards), Elliot Easton (lead guitar) and David Robinson (drums).

In 1977, a demo recording of "Just What I Needed" caught the ear of WBCN DJ Maxanne Sartori, which led to a recording contract and tons of success.  We view the first two Cars LPs as classics, with strong songs from cover to cover.  The band's music is also noteworthy for their use of interesting rhythms and offbeat lyrics.  Sadly (for the blog), they were released in the 1970s.

"Since You're Gone" was off the Car's fourth album, 1981's Shake It Up.  This was the last Cars LP produced by Roy Thomas Baker (he did the previous three, as well as albums from Queen).  Shake It Up was more pop than new wave, and after a few years off the band returned with 1984's Heartbeat City, which was even more top 40 oriented.  At the peak of their success, the band took a break and released a half-hearted effort (1987's Door to Door) before breaking up.

Original vocalist and bass player Ben Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000, ending any hope of a true reunion.  However, Easton and Hawkes formed the New Cars (with Todd Rundgren, Prairie Prince, and Kasim Sulton) and released Move Like This in 2011.

300: The Beatles - I Feel Fine

In August of 2011, nearly 30 years to the day after MTV blasted off, we started Eighties Rare Videos.  This is our 300th post since then, and we have to tell you the truth: it has been a blast.  As long time readers will know, we try to do unusual posts on our round numbers (feel free to click through for the 50th (51st in actual fact), 150th and 200th posts).

For this post, we decided to look back on the history of rock and roll music videos.  It is actually a confusing and somewhat controversial topic, as artists have been filmed for nearly as long as there has been rock and roll.  However, for the purposes of ERV, we consider it a 'true' music video if it was a clip filmed solely for the purpose of promoting a song.  This excludes appearances on TV shows, concert footage, and scenes from movies -- which significantly reduces the number of clips.

As we were exploring the topic of music videos, it occurred to us that the most important band in creating the genre was the Beatles.  It's not that the Beatles made the first music video (they didn't) but they did use the form as a way of generating visibility when they couldn't possibly be on every TV show that wanted them.  This situation worsened after the band stopped touring and became ... well, the greatest rock band ever.

This led us to wonder ... what was the first Beatles music video?  Remember the rules: no concert or TV footage, and no clips from movies.  We went looking for the first promotional video, and we think that we found them.  We believe that the first clips were the 1965 videos of "I Feel Fine."  Interestingly, the band shot two videos, both directed by Joe McGrath:

So there you have it -- the first Beatles videos; the start of a path that led years later to MTV and eventually to ERV.  We hope that you like it.

Lastly, thanks again to our readers -- we truly enjoy sharing the music with you, and we're happy to hear from you.  Please feel free to leave comments, email us, or friend us on Facebook.  And don't just keep us to yourself -- share us with your friends.

We'll be back in a few days time with more rare eighties videos.  Until then, keep the faith.

The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?

The Smiths were an interesting band whose fortunes widely diverged on each side of the Atlantic.  In Britain, they had 3 #2 and 1 #1 LPs and 18 top 40 singles.  In the U.S., they did not have a top 50 album or a charting single.  Nevertheless, they were critically acclaimed in both countries and widely seen as perhaps the most important British alternative act of the decade.  In particular, their use of guitars and rejection of dance beats cut strongly against the grain, and laid the groundwork for the 1990s alternative scene in the U.K.

The band formed in Manchester in 1982 and consisted of Morrissey (Steven Patrick Morrissey, vocals), Johnny Marr (John Maher, guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums).  The Smiths was chosen as the most ordinary name they could think of, to contrast the band with the synth pop scene, where names such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Spandau Ballet were used.  After an indy single was picked up by John Peel, the influential BBC Radio 1 DJ, the band landed a recording contract which led to nearly immediate success in their home market.

"How Soon Is Now?" was originally the B side of "William, It Was Really Nothing." As the song gained momentum, it was released as a single in its own right, and was added to some versions of the Meat is Murder LP.  The single reached #24 on the U.K chart in 1985 (and re-charted at #16 in 1992).

Although "How Soon Is Now?" is not viewed as a typical Smiths song, it is a lush, atmospheric masterpiece.  The opening line was inspired by a quote from the George Eliot novel Middlemarch.  Johnny Marr's guitars were painstakingly crafted using multiple amps, which made the song difficult to play live in the 1980s.  (In fact, the band rarely played it live).  The video was put together by Sire Records; the band only found out about it after the fact (and by all accounts, was none too pleased).  Both the short and long versions of the video are below:

Cool trivia fact:  The 1990 Soho hit "Hippychick" starts with the famous guitar intro from "How Soon Is Now?"

Cool trivia fact #2:  A Love Spit Love cover was used in the movie The Craft, and as the theme to the U.S. TV Show Charmed.  (Love Spit Love was the Butler brothers' band after The Psychedelic Furs broke up).

Cool trivia fact #3:  Many critics believe that the intro was influenced by the Rolling Stones' 1964 cover of Bo Diddley's song, "Mona (I Need You Baby)."  Decide for yourself:

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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."

Warrant - Down Boys

Warrant was the band that everybody loved in 1989, and many claimed to hate by 1991.  The truth is Warrant were neither rock gods nor demons.  Instead, they were a successful glam metal hair band out of the late 1980s LA scene whose image and pop sensibilities led to two top ten albums in 1989 and 1990.

The group was formed by guitarist Erik Turner in 1984.  After some amount of turnover, the lineup became Turner and Joey Allen on guitar, Jani Lane (vocals), Jerry Dixon (bass), and Steven Sweet (drums).  By 1987, Warrant had increased their visibility and were regularly playing on the Sunset Strip, which led to a recording contract with Columbia Records.

The band's first album, 1989's Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich went to #10 on the charts, helped by 3 top 40 singles -- "Down Boys" (#27), "Heaven" (#2) and "Sometimes She Cries" (#20).  1990s Cherry Pie hit #7 on the album charts, and the band managed to squeak out another charting album (#25) with 1992's Dog Eat Dog.  However, the rise of grunge effectively ended Warrant's main period of success, though they have continued releasing albums (with somewhat shifting lineups) to the present day.

For the blog, we went with "Down Boys," the first single off the first album.  The song is a bit harder than the rock ballads that the band became known for, but it does show off the pop hooks.  The video is a masterful job of image creation and we think that most readers will be able to easily identify why the genre became known as hair metal.

Sadly, Warrant's original lead singer, Jani Lane, died of alcohol poisoning in 2011.  He was 47 years old.

Cool trivia fact:  The Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich album was delayed for months after singer Jani Lane had a nervous breakdown after finding his best friend and girlfriend in bed together.  The incident became the inspiration for "I Saw Red," a #10 hit from the Cherry Pie LP.

Cool trivia fact #2:  Many of the lead guitar parts were recorded by studio musician Mike Slamer, who was brought in by producer Beau Hill.  This led to rumors that the Warrant guitarists Erik Turner and Joey Allen did not play a note on the debut album, which seems to be untrue.

Greg Kihn Band - Reunited

Greg Kihn followed up the success of 1983's "Jeopardy" (featured on ERV during our 2013 All Hallows Even extravaganza) with another catchy pop/rock song, "Reunited."  Unfortunately, the song and video did not gain traction on our favorite music video channel.  In fact,  "Reunited" did not break the top 100, while the Kihntagious album stalled at #121.

In retrospect, this is less surprising, as MTV was continuing to look for the next new thing, and Kihn's brand of straight up rock and roll may have seemed too basic.  However, "Reunited" is a totally solid song, and the video was an entertaining remake of The Wizard of Oz.

Without MTV's support, Kihn's success waned, although his 1985 LP, Citizen Kihn did reach #51 (led by the #30 single "Lucky").  However, that was his last charting alum.  Kihn continued to release albums on a regular basis through the 1990s (releases have been less regular since then), and became a DJ on San Jose's KFOX radio station for 12 years, ending in 2012.

As an extra bonus, we found a short feature on the making of "Reunited"

Cool trivia fact:  Joe Satriani was briefly a member of the Greg Kihn Band (in 1986) before he left to embark on a solo career.

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

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

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

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

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

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