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.
Let's Active came out of the vibrant Southeastern college rock scene of the early 1980s and could have become a big time alternative band if things had broken for them. Unfortunately, this did not happen, leaving the group as more of a footnote in 1980s music. This is a shame, as they produced some of the best college pop this side of R.E.M.
The group was founded in North Carolina in 1981 and was led by singer/songwriter Mitch Easter. Easter is best-known for his work with R.E.M.; he produced their debut EP, Chronic Town, and co-produced (with Don Dixon) the band's first two LPs, Murmur and Reckoning. Easter's own sound was not totally dissimilar to R.E.M., but with more 1960s pop and less folk influences.
For the blog, we went with "Waters Part" from Let's Active's first LP, 1984's Cypress. The song did not chart, while the album only reached #153. Sadly, Let's Active never had a album break the top 100. The group released additional albums in 1986 and 1988 before breaking up in 1990, though there have been some reunion shows in recent years.
Cool trivia fact: The Let's Active name came from a nonsensical expression used on a Japanese T-shirt back in the day.
Fronted by the provocative and gorgeous Terri Nunn, Berlin was a LA-based synth pop group that had nothing to do with Germany (the band admired the late 1970s German synth scene; hence the name). The group was formed by bassist John Crawford in 1978 and featured a shifting lineup with Nunn as the lead singer, though she briefly left Berlin to pursue an acting career in 1979-80.
Berlin's first LP (1980's Information) was released when Nunn was acting and featured Virginia Macolino on vocals. Although that album did not chart, the group's second effort, 1982's Pleasure Victim became Berlin's biggest success, and featured several early MTV staples. "The Metro," "Sex (I'm A ...)," and "Masquerade" all broke the top 100, but none of them hit the top 40.
Berlin continued to have success with 1984's "No More Words" (#23) and 1986's "Take My Breath Away" (a #1 hit from Top Gun). However, creative tensions over whether to focus on a pop or new wave sound doomed the band and the group called it quits in 1987.
Terri Nunn has had the legal use of the Berlin name since the late 1990s, and continues to record and perform to the present day.
For the blog, we went with "Masquerade," a somewhat lesser-known Berlin cut. The video picked up a bit of airplay on MTV back in the day, and the song reached #82 on the charts.
Cool trivia fact: A remixed version of "Masquerade" was featured on the soundtrack to Perfect (a no-so-great movie starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis ... probably the less said about the movie, the better).
The previous time that we discussed Billy Squier was last August, when Squire's amazingly terrible video, "Rock Me Tonight" was featured on the blog. "Rock Me Tonight" is sometimes viewed as the worst major video ever made, and one that may have contributed to the decline of Billy Squier's career and/or Western civilization as a whole.
While Squier continued recording through the mid-1990s, he did not have a top 40 single or album after "Rock Me Tonight," making it an interesting and somewhat sad anecdote. And that would be the end of the Billy Squier story, except ...
Squier's trademark sound was punctuated by a driving beat, something that is particularly evident on his earlier work ("The Stroke," for instance). Bolstered by the superb (and loud) Bobby Chouinard, this strong backbeat would differentiate Squier's songs from many of his contemporaries. In fact, he led off his first solo album -- 1980's Tale of the Tape -- with a drum intro on "The Big Beat" (side 1, song 1).
Having a clean drum break proved to be irresistible to early rap acts, and the drum intro on "The Big Beat" was sampled as early as 1981. Over time, the enthusiasm for the drum line has not waned, and it has been used by artists including: Jay-Z ("99 Problems"), Run-D.M.C. ("Here We Go"), and Alicia Keys ("Girl on Fire'). As of this writing, "The Big Beat" has been sampled in nearly 200 songs, and is one of the 10 most popular samples of all time. Other Squier songs, particularly "The Stroke" are also popular samples.
Unfortunately, this popularity has not translated to a resurgence in Squier's career, and in recent interviews he seems someone ambivalent about the sampling. For readers who are interested, Squier's first two LPs -- Tale of the Tape and Don't Say No are particularly strong and well worth a listen.
We don't recall ever seeing the original video for "The Big Beat" on MTV back in the day, so it definitely qualifies are a rare (and cool) video. We're not totally sure about the yellow pants, though. Also worth checking out: roller skates! (1:20) and an obscure Eraserhead marquee (2:30, but blink and you'll miss it).
Utilizing a sound that combines ska, hardcore punk, and heavy metal make the Mighty Mighty Bosstones a unique and interesting band. The act's roots go back to the early 1980s punk scene in Boston, although the Bosstones didn't officially form until the mid-1980s. Led by the plaid-wearing Dicky Barrett, the band built a local following and was signed by Taang! Records in 1989.
The group's first LP for Taang! was the 1989 Devil's Night Out LP, and we went with the title cut for the blog. The song is reasonably representative of the group's early sound, which is to say a bit all over the place (but mostly in a good way).
As with many innovative acts, the Bostones built a solid following, but did not achieve huge commercial success, although their 1997 song, "The Impression That I Get" did pick up a bunch of airplay. However, the Bosstones are viewed as one of the creators of ska-core and their music laid the groundwork for bands such as No Doubt.
While interest in ska and ska punk waned since the late 1990s, the Bosstones have continued to record and play (with a few hiatuses) to the present day.
Cool trivia fact: Dicky Barrett has been the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2004.
Although they never became a household name, EPMD was a hugely influential East Coast rap act. The duo from Long Island, NY formed in 1986 and took their name from the two MCs -- Erick Sermon (Easy Erick, E Double, E) and Parrish Smith (Parrish Mic Doc, PMD). Some sources state that the group started as EEPMD, and then shortened the name to make it easier to pronounce.
EPMD's first album, 1988's Strictly Business, was a breath of fresh air in the rap scene. Instead of using dance or electronica as the basis for their music, EPMD relied heavily on old school funk, with a dose of rock and pop thrown in for good measure. This, combined with their strong but laid back rhyming translated to a sound that was trailblazing,
While none of the singles from the album charted on the Billboard pop charts, the album reached #80 and went gold. Over time, it has been recognized as a classic, and was even ranked #453 on Rolling Stones' list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Respect.
For the blog, we went with the title cut, which nicely represents EPMD's sound and solid use of grooves. While Eric Clapton's cover of "I Shot the Sheriff" is the main sample, pieces of "Jungle Boogie" (Kool & the Gang) and "Auto Man" (Newcleus) are also used, as is an earlier EPMD song "It's My Thing."
EPMD remained successful within the rap scene until their 1993 breakup, and had a second successful stint in the late 1990s before a second breakup. They appear to be together again as of this writing.
The is the Michael Stanley Band's second appearance on ERV as "He Can't Love You" was posted back in October of 2011. (By the by, "He Can't Love You" is a great early video, and was played on MTV on day one.)
The group was formed by Michael Stanley Gee in 1974 (he changed his last name early in his career, as another musician with the surname Gee was already signed to his label). While the band were local heroes in Cleveland and had decent success in the midwest, they never quite broke out at a national level. This is a shame, as the group has a solid straight up rock sound and was known for their high energy shows. In retrospect, they just never got the lucky break that helps launch many careers.
"My Town" is off the Michael Stanley Band's 1983 You Can't Fight Fashion LP, which was the band's last major label release. The album reached #64 on the charts, while "My Town" hit #39. The tune is a love song to Cleveland, which the video underscores.
The Michael Stanley Band remained together until 1986, but finally broke up as they were simply unable to continue economically. They have reunited periodically, and Michael Stanley remains active in the music industry to the present day.
WIth a little bit of luck, Frozen Ghost could have made it big. They had a new wave-influenced, radio-friendly sound, and their first single ("Should I See," below) picked up a bit of radio play. However, they were unable to build on this initial success and faded from view.
Frozen Ghost (sometimes spelled Frōzen Ghōst) formed in Toronto in 1985, and were initially made up of Arnold Lanni (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Wolf Hassel (bass). Lanni and Hassel had previously been two-fifths of Sheriff, who had a #1 hit with "When I'm With You," (in 1989, 4 years after that band broke up).
In the aftermath of Sheriff, Frozen Ghost scored a recording contract with WEA and released their self-titled debut LP in 1987. While the album only reached #107 on the charts, "Should I See" did a bit better and peaked at #69. The band opened for Howard Jones and The Thompson Twins and released a follow up album, Nice Place to Visit in 1988. It did not do well, and after 1991's Shake Your Spirit, the group broke up.
Arnold Lanni and Wolf Hassel have remained in the Canadian music industry to the present day; Lanni has become a producer, while Hassel has continued to play bass.
It goes without saying that MTV had a seismic impact on the music business; by 1982 or so, MTV was one of the most influential factors in the industry. However, the video music channel showed its importance virtually right from the start, even when it was not widely carried on cable systems. Of course, the early impact was a bit hit or miss, but it did show the tremendous potential of the channel.
One early success story was the Tarney-Spencer Band's single, "No Time to Lose." Australians Alan Tarney (guitars, vocals) and Trevor Spencer (drums) rose to prominence as members of Cliff Richard's backing group in the early 1970s, and went out on their own in 1975. They released three LPs, the last one being 1979's Run For Your Life. The album was a modest success, reaching #184 in the U.S., while the single "No Time To Lose" peaked at #84. Soon afterwards, A&M dropped the band, and the duo broke up.
MTV picked up the "No Time To Lose" video (roller skates and all) in 1981, and a re-released version of the single reached #74 on the charts -- 2 years after the group broke up. Unfortunately, Tarney and Spencer had moved on with their careers, and no attempt was made to reunite as far as we know.
Interestingly, both Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer would go on to become producers, and remain in the industry to the present day. Trevor Spencer moved back to Australia and is a Perth-based producer, while Alan Tarney remained in the U.K. Tarney is best known for his work with a-Ha -- he co-produced the band's first three LPs, including Hunting High and Low (which included the huge hit, "Take On Me.")
Oingo Boingo was one of the more interesting 1980s bands, with a theatrical flair that was often compared to Devo. The band formed in LA in the 1970s and began as an avant-garde musical theater act called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Shortening their name to just Oingo Boingo, the group (led by Danny Elfman) transitioned to a ska/dance/new wave sound, and was signed by I.R.S. Records in 1980.
As a southern California band with dramatic tendencies, Oingo Boingo was tailor-made for the movies, and eventually made a series of appearances on movie soundtracks. This continued into the 1990s as frontman Elfman became friends with director Tim Burton, and the band contributed a song to virtually every Burton film of the era. (In addition, Elfman wrote the musical score for virtually all of Burton's movies).
"Weird Science" was on the soundtrack of the John Hughes movie of the same name, and the song was also included on the group's 1985 LP, Dead Man's Party. The single became the most successful release of Oingo Boingo's career, reaching #45 on the charts, while the album hit #98, and eventually went gold.
Although Oingo Boingo never enjoyed mainstream success, they remained a well-known cult act until they disbanded -- after a Halloween show (!) in 1995. Danny Elfman remains active in the industry, and has become a huge success as a movie and TV soundtrack composer.
Cool trivia fact: Elfman wrote the theme to the popular TV show, The Simpsons.
What better way to continue our Halloween celebration than with Alice Cooper. Cooper (born Vincent Furnier) emerged on the scene in the 1970s with the band of the same name (in fact, Cooper took the band's name on as his own). As a cool aside, the name Alice Cooper supposedly came to the group during a session with a Ouija board.
After the act broke up in 1974, Cooper continued as a solo artist, although his success waned during the late 1970s and early 1980s due to weaker material and alcohol abuse. By the mid-1980s, Cooper had cleaned up his act, and revitalized his career by providing a song for the Friday the 13th, Part VI movie soundtrack. "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" also appeared on Cooper's 1986 Constrictor LP. The single went to #56 on the charts, while the album reached #59.
This success helped to re-establish Cooper as a flamboyant rock star, and he has continued to record and perform to the present day. He also expanded into movies and radio -- his syndicated radio program, Nights With Alice Cooper has been on the air since 2004 and is well worth a listen (or three).
The video below highlights Alice Coopers showmanship. This, combined with clips from the movie, make it a superb holiday treat.
