Billy Ocean - Loverboy

Rounding out our All Hallows Even celebration is "Loverboy" by Billy Ocean.  This is definitely one of the oddest 1980s videos, with a plot that seemingly has nothing at all to do with the song.  We suspect that there may have been some controlled substances involved, along with at least one Star Wars fan.

Long time viewers may recall that this is Billy Ocean's second appearance on ERV, as "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" was posted last March.  As we mentioned then, Billy Ocean (given name: Leslie Charles) was a modestly successful singer until 1984, when his Suddenly LP broke out, reaching the top 10 in both the U.S. and the UK.

While "Loverboy" was a big hit (#2 in the U.S. and #6 in the UK), it was not as big a hit as "Caribbean Queen" in either market. Not not worry, though, Billy Ocean remained massively successful through the rest of the decade.

As to the video ... it is a perfect Halloween video, from the sci-fi perspective.  We are of two minds here - on the one hand, it is trying to be an ambitious mini-movie.  On the other hand, there seems to be little plot, and the visuals are cheesy, though perhaps less so by the standards at the time.  The plot seems to revolve around a lizard creature, who goes to a cantina to ... kidnap a female alien (?), after killing her date in an unprovoked burst of laser fire. Yeah. 

It's probably best to not analyze it too much, but it is a weirdly engaging and odd Halloweeny clip.

Cool trivia fact: superstar music producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange co-wrote the song, along with Keith Diamond and Billy Ocean.  

Real Life - Send Me An Angel

For our second All Hallows Even treat, we're posting Real Life's "Send Me An Angel" (the original version; more on that in a moment).

Real Life were an Australian band that formed in Melbourne in 1980.  Originally called The Wires, the group changed their name to avoid being confused with Wire (the UK punk rock act).  They settled on A Private Life, which turned out to be a terrible choice, as they were then threatened with a lawsuit from Private Lives (a Sydney band) and so changed their name again to Real Life.

"Send Me An Angel" was the lead single from the group's first LP, 1983's Heartland. The song did reasonably well, reaching #29 on the U.S. charts, and going to #6 in their native Australia.  The video, with a spooky forest and a wolfman (prince?) looking for his Celtic (?) princess (?) seems ... odd, but definitely Halloweeny.

As mentioned above, Real Life re-released the song (and video) in 1989, as part of their Send Me An Angel/Best of Real Life compilation.  Incredibly, "Send Me An Angel" re-charted even higher in the U.S., reaching #26.  The video is less interesting (and less spooky) than the original, but we've included it here anyway (cause that's what we do).

Special shout out to M, who asked for our help after seeing a portion of the video on Loop ... and then found it herself.  Obviously, we liked it enough to put it up on the blog.

Kiss - I Love It Loud

Welcome to ERV's 10th annual All Hallows Even party.  A reminder to our newer readers: our  prior ghostly (ghastly) clips can be found using the All Hallows Even tag on the right.

Leading off this year's festivities is "I Love It Loud" by Kiss.  As most readers know, Kiss has a long and somewhat controversial history.  The group started in New York City in 1973, and was led by Paul Stanley (guitar and vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass and vocals).  Ace Frehley (guitars) and Peter Criss (drums) rounded out the original lineup.  Right from the start, Kiss was known for their makeup, costumes, and theatrical stage shows as much as for their music.

The group really broke out following their 1975 Alive! double album and had a period of superstardom, which was on the wane by the early 1980s.  Changes to their sound likely didn't help - 1979's Dynasty was dance-influenced, while the 1981 "Music from 'The Elder'" concept album included orchestral parts.

With this backdrop, "I Love It Loud" from the 1982 Creatures of the Night LP was a return to form.  Although the album didn't become a huge commercial success, the anthemic hard rock and focus on music videos laid the groundwork for Kiss' success in the 1980s.  Stanley and Simmons capitalized on this by having the band remove their makeup (on MTV no less) and effectively repositioned Kiss as a pop metal act, which paid huge dividends for the rest of the decade.

From a Halloween perspective, "I Love It Loud" is spot on.  The makeup, costumes, and tank/drum kit are nicely complimented by the sonic assault (and glowing eyes).  The result works, in our opinion, and makes for a fun Halloweeny video. 

Eddie Money - I Wanna Go Back

This is Eddie Money's second appearance on ERV; "Think I'm in Love" was posted more than 10 years ago (way back in August 2011).  As most readers will know, Money was a star in the late 1970s and 1980s with four platinum LPs and 11 top 40 hits (yes, two of which were in the early 90s).

"I Wanna Go Back" was one of those hits; it reached #14 on the singles chart, while the Can't Hold Back album reached #20 on the album charts.  The video is a combination of Money in concert and going back to a high school reunion.  At the reunion, he sees (but does not connect with) a mysterious blonde - played by Marilyn Martin, who sang the backing vocals on the track.

Eddie Money remained active in the music industry (and even dabbled in acting) until his death from cancer in 2019. 

As a cool bonus, "I Wanna Go Back" is one of those "I bet you didn't know that it is a cover" songs that we love so much at ERV.  The original version was recorded in 1984 by Billy Satellite, an Oakland rock band who never quite made it ... and the original version also has a video (you're welcome):

Cool trivia facts:  "I Wanna Go Back" was also covered by Greg Rollie and Ace Frehley.

MTV Debuted August 1, 1981

 It was 40 years ago today ... (to commandeer a phrase).

Just after midnight on August 1, 1981, the world's first 24 hour video music channel launched.  At the time, only a few cable systems in New Jersey had MTV, though this quickly changed -- primarily due to consumer pressure driven by the "I Want My MTV" ad campaign:

MTV quickly became a sensation, and those of us who lived through the music revolution will never forget it.  In fact, we started our little blog 10 years ago (August 2011), after being inspired by the hoopla around the 30th anniversary of MTV.

Below is the first two hours of MTV, including commercials. We hope that you dig it.

As for ERV ... more videos will be coming soon :)

Jim Capaldi - Living On The Edge

While Jim Capaldi is not a household name (even here on ERV), he was an interesting and important figure in rock, especially during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Capaldi was born in  Evesham, Worcestershire (this isn't important, but we liked it anyhow) and became involved in the lively London music scene during the 1960s. He eventually started jamming with Steve Winwood, Dave Mason, and Chris Wood and they formed the influential rock/jazz band Traffic in 1967.

One of our favorite facts about Traffic concerns the way they wrote their songs.  Capaldi would write lyrics first and then Winwood would compose music that suited Capaldi's lyrics.

After Traffic broke up (for the second time in 1974), Capaldi married a Brazilian woman (Aninha Campos) and raised a family in Brazil, where he became interested in environmental and social issues (and Samba).  Although Capaldi remained active in the industry, his only real solo success came from his 1983 Fierce Heart LP.  That album hit #91 on the charts and generated two charting singles -  "That's Love" (#28) and "Living on the Edge" (#75). In typical ERV form, we are opting for the lower charting song, primarily because we like it better.  Additionally, it has a pretty far out there video with birds, motorcycles, and what appears to be some sort of Native American ceremony. 

[Note that the MTV has the wrong album title on their credits - Rock Art and the X-Ray Style is a 1999 album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros.]

Jim Capaldi died from stomach cancer in 2005. 

Split Enz - I Got You

Split Enz (the NZ is a reference to New Zealand, where the band originated) formed in 1973 in Auckland.  The founders - Tim Finn and Phil Judd - wanted to create an eclectic pop band; hence the name (which was originally spelled correctly).

During the 1970s, the group went through a myriad of changes, both in terms of style and personnel.  The most significant change was Judd's departure; he was replaced by Tim Finn's brother Neil in 1977. During much of this period, Split Enz was a flamboyant art rock band, but they had little success outside of New Zealand and Australia.

This changed with their 1980 release, True Colours, which was something of a coming out party for Neil as a songwriter.  The resulting material had a stronger pop sound, and this combined with more straight-forward visuals allowed Split Enz to ride the New Wave (see what we did there?)

True Colours became a #1 album in Australia and New Zealand, and broke into the charts in the U.S.  "I Got You" also charted, though it only reached #53 on the U.S. charts.  However, it was top 40 in several countries, and hit #1 in Australia and New Zealand.

While the group continued releasing records for the first half of the 1980s, there seemed to be a growing musical disconnect between Tim and Neil, and Tim Finn finally quit the group in 1984.  Shortly afterwards, Neil broke up Split Enz and went on to even greater success in Crowded House.  The Finn brothers did work together on Crowded House's 1991 LP, Woodface, and more recently as The Finn Brothers. 

Cool trivia fact:  As mentioned above, Split Enz is a no hit wonder in the U.S.; "I Got You" (#53) was their highest charting single.  However, Neil Finn did have two top 40 hits with Crowded House - "Don't Dream It's Over" (#2) and "Something So Strong" (#7).

Cool trivia fact #2: "I Got You" was the 81st video played on MTV's first day; interestingly, it was the third Split Enz video played on MTV, after "History Never Repeats" and "One Step Ahead."

Poco - Call It Love

Casual music fans may view Poco as an answer to the trivia question: What group did The Eagles raid for their bass players?  In truth, Poco was a pioneering country rock band who flirted with crossover success twice, but never quite broke through.

Poco was formed in 1968 from the ashes of Buffalo Springfield, when Richie Furay and Jim Messina started the group. Rusty Young, Randy Meisner, and George Grantham rounded out the original lineup. Although their country rock sound was considered groundbreaking, the group had only modest success for much of the 70s.  The act was also probably hurt by their significant turnover; by 1978 only Rusty Young remained from the original lineup.

Poco's first potential breakout came with the release of their Legend LP in 1978.  The album went gold and generated two top 40 hits - "Crazy Love" (#17) and "Heart of the Night" (#20).  Sadly, the group was unable to follow up that success and saw declining record sales in the 1980s.  By the mid-80s, Poco had lost its recording contract and things looked bleak.

However, Poco caught its second big break when Richard Marx went to bat for the band, and had his manager (Allen Kovac) take them on as a client.  This led to a reforming of the original lineup, a new recording contract, and a new album, 1989's Legacy.  Surprisingly, this album was a hit, also going gold (and also with two top 40 hits - "Call It Love" (#18) and "Nothin' to Hide" (#39)). And once again, Poco was unable to capitalize on this success, although they remained a working band through 2013 (and sporadically since then).

Cool trivia fact: "Call It Love" was directed by Michael Bay (Transformers, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon) in one of his first directing jobs.

Rick James - Give It To Me Baby

Although he was a funk artist, Rick James lived like a rock star. Huge highs, crashing lows, drugs, and horrific personal behavior defined much of James' life.  The resulting portrait is complicated, but there is little doubt that James was a major star who wrote some of the finest funk of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Rick James (given name: James Johnson) was born in Buffalo and was interested in music from a young age.  In his teens, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to avoid the draft, but he deserted in 1964 and fled to Toronto.  While there, he became involved in the local music scene and became friends with Levon Helm (The Band), Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. His band (The Mynah Birds) did well enough to sign a recording contract with Motown, but the entire thing fell apart after James was for imprisoned for desertion.

After working in the industry for years, James finally got his big break with Motown in 1978.  His solo LP, Come and Get It became a huge hit, launching James' career and helping to revitalize the Motown label.  However, it was his 1981 Street Songs album that became his biggest success - reaching #3 on the album charts, and providing two top 40 hits - "Give It To Me Baby" (#40) and "Superfreak" (#16).

Drug use and changing tastes caused James' success to decline during the 1980s, though he did receive a bump when MC Hammer sampled "Superfreak" in his 1990 smash  "U Can't Touch This." Unfortunately, James' personal problems (i.e., drugs) prevented him from capitalizing on this. James was introduced to a younger audience again in 2004, when he was featured on a Chappelle's Show segment Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories: Rick James, which is worth watching, in our view.

"Give It To Me Baby" was the first true video that James recorded and was the first single released off Street Songs.  It's a fantastic example of Rick James at the peak of his powers - nearly out of control, charismatic, and seriously captivating.

Sadly, Rick James died of a heart attack in 2004. He was 56.

Mental As Anything - Live It Up

"Live It Up" is an upbeat song with an interesting history from a cool, quirky band from Australia.  Mental As Anything were an art rock band that formed in Sydney in 1976.  The group would go on to have significant success in their home market, with three top 10 albums and twenty (!) top 40 singles.  The band is also noteworthy for their odd and humorous videos.

Their 1985 release, Fundamental, proved to be Mental As Anything's biggest success.  The LP peaked at #3 on the Australian album charts, while the "Live It Up" single hit #2 on the singles charts.  It's easy to see why, as it's a great pop song with a fantastic hook.

The song then won the lottery as it was picked for the Crocodile Dundee film and soundtrack.  Dundee became an international phenomenon; it was also the second highest grossing film in the U.S. in 1986 (slightly behind Top Gun). "Live It Up" was re-released and would go on to have significant international success, reaching #3 in the UK, for example.

While the band's success faded over time, they remained an active working band through 2019, when Greedy Smith, the last remaining original member, died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

In spite of the global success of "Live It Up," Mental As Anything never broke through in the U.S., making this an eighties rare video.

Cool trivia fact: In 2020, "Live It Up" was adopted by fans of the Glasgow, Scotland soccer team Rangers FC, who pushed in to #1 on the UK iTunes charts in December of that year.

The Cult - Lil' Devil

Long time readers may recall that we have previously featured The Cult on ERV (twice), with "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain."  Both of these videos were off the group's breakout LP, Love.

In the aftermath of Love, The Cult went back into the studio to work on their follow up album, tentatively titled Peace.  However, a funny thing happened during the recording process - the band grew increasingly dissatisfied with making an album that seemed (to them) like Love, part 2.  As a result, they switched producers, opting for Rick Rubin (who was primarily known as a rap producer).  One suspects that the record label was likely in full blown panic mode by this point.

However, the results (which became the Electric album) were an inspired effort.  Rubin stripped down The Cult's sound, which really brought out the AC/DC-like elements - anthemic, guitar-oriented songs which happened to feel right at home on rock radio.  Electric would go on to reach #38 on the U.S. charts and would go platinum.  While none of the singles off the LP broke the top 40, they all hit the Mainstream Rock Charts, a testament to how much they were played on the radio back in the day.

For the blog, we went with "Lil' Devil," a fun straight up rock song with a solid video and some seriously rock and roll lyrics (lizard in a bottle? cyclone kiss?)  This one definitely sounds better loud.

Los Lobos - Will the Wolf Survive?

Los Lobos were an unlikely and underrated success story in the 1980s.  The group's roots date back to 1973, and they were originally named Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles (the wolves of East Los Angeles.)  The band's name came from a 1977 National Geographic article, "Where Can the Wolf Survive?" making the group perhaps the only rock act named after a story in Nat Geo.

Their music blended traditional rock with country and Tex-Mex influences, creating a unique sound that became critically acclaimed.  Unfortunately, major commercial success proved to be elusive - they only had three charting singles, two of which broke the top 40 (although their cover of "La Bamba" hit #1 in 1987.)

"Will the Wolf Survive?" is a lovely piece of songwriting, and shows the sophistication of Los Lobos.  Rock, country, and Latin American sounds seem to effortlessly fuse together.  The lyrics use the metaphor of a wolf, trying to find his place in a modern world, to illuminate the status of immigrants. In our view it is poetic and evocative.

The single, "Will the Wolf Survive?" peaked at #78 on the singles charts, while the album How Will the Wolf Survive reached #47.

Los Lobos remains together (with most of their original members) as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  Rolling Stone rated How Will the Wolf Survive as the 30th best album of the 1980s (and at #431 on their list of the greatest albums ever)

Cutting Crew - One for the Mockingbird

Many ERV readers will recognize Cutting Crew as the band behind "(I Just) Died in Your Arms," a #1 song from 1987.  In typical Eighties Rare Videos form, we're not featuring that song; instead we are opting for the last of their three top 40 hits, the upbeat "One for the Mockingbird."

Cutting Crew's roots date back to The Drivers, a British band who landed a minor hit in Canada in 1982 with "Tears On Your Anorak." [For American readers, an anorak is British slang for a heavy jacket.] During The Drivers tour of Canada, the Canadian group Fast Forward was the opening act, and Nick Van Eede (the lead singer of The Drivers) and Kevin MacMichael (Fast Forward's guitarist) struck up a friendship.  After The Drivers broke up, Van Eede and MacMichael formed a new band - Cutting Crew.

In 1986, Cutting Crew's debut album (Broadcast) went on to become a hit, reaching #16 on the album charts, with the aforementioned three top 40 singles.  Unfortunately, the band was unable to maintain this momentum, and after two relatively unsuccessful follow up LPs, they broke up in 1993.

By the by, the video for "One for the Mockingbird" is peak MTV ... wow.  It is a rapid-cut assault on your senses, with more visual effects than most sci-fi movies.  Still, we have to admit that it is fun in a totally 1987 way.  And as a bonus, the video includes Frosty Beedle on drums (total bonus points for a seriously cool name).

Nick Van Eede has re-formed Cutting Crew a few times through the years, without any of the other original members.  Sadly, Kevin MacMichael died of lung cancer in 2002.

Duke Jupiter - I'll Drink To You

Here at ERV, we have a particular soft spot for the bar band.  In the 1980s it seemed as though every city had a few of these groups - comprised of working musicians who generated a local following, hoping for their one big break.  [The Pub Rock tag will direct readers to previously featured bands who fit the bill, with varying degrees of success.]

In Rochester, NY, Duke Jupiter was the prototypical bar band.  Playing straight-ahead rock and roll, they were active on the scene from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s.  And for a brief moment in 1982, it looked as if they might break through, thanks to their exposure on a new video music channel ... but sadly it was not to be.

"I'll Drink To You" was the lead single off the group's 1982 LP, Duke Jupiter I.  The music video is a simple concert clip of them performing at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, PA.  The performance footage captures some of the energy of their live show (though the audience seems a bit .... sedate) and it was picked up by MTV, and put into rotation for a time.  The song even charted - reaching #58, while the album reached #204.

Unfortunately, this was as close as the band came to breaking out, and in 1986 they played a farewell concert and broke up, ending a 13 year run.  However, they have occasionally re-formed for reunions, though it is unclear if this will continue, as drummer Dave Corcoran died from cancer in 2018.

MC Lyte - Cha Cha Cha

MC Lyte was a female trailblazer in hip hop and is the answer to a trivia question: who is the first solo female artist to release a rap record? (Answer: MC Lyte - Lyte As a Rock, 1988).

Born in Brooklyn, NY as Lana Moorer, MC Lyte began rapping at 12, and recorded her first song at 14.  Lyte's first album came out when she was 17; though it was not a huge commercial hit, it did establish her as an important rising hip hop artist.

Lyte's second album (1989's Eyes on This) did better, reaching #86 on the album charts, and peaking at #6 on the rap album charts.  "Cha Cha Cha" did not land on the singles charts, but was a #1 song on the rap charts for two weeks.

MC Lyte would go on to have further successes in the 1990s, and would expanding into acting, business ventures, philanthropy, and political causes over time.

Cool trivia fact: the video for "Cha Cha Cha" was directed by Tamra Davis, who has directed a bunch of movies, TV shows, and music videos.  Davis was married to Mike D of the Beastie Boys for years, although they are now legally separated.

Little Feat - Let It Roll

This one goes out to D, the biggest Little Feat fan that we know.

For all intensive purposes, there were two Little Feats.  The first version came out of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, and formed in the late 1960s.  This group was led by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lowell George, and built a following in the 1970s.  They were the prototypical swamp rock act, best known for "Dixie Chicken."

Unfortunately, George's erratic behavior and drug use (and differing views as to the musical direction of the band) led to Little Feat's demise by 1979.  George made conflicting statements about whether he would re-form a new Little Feat or remain a solo act, but this was all rendered moot when he died of a heart attack later that year.  He was 34.

The remaining members of the group managed to release one last album (1979's Down on the Farm), at which point Little Feat officially broke up.  However, the now former bandmates remained in the industry, playing with other artists. In 1987, the surviving members re-formed the band, added a couple of new musicians, and set out to record an album.  This became the second version of Little Feat.

Their 1988 album, Let It Roll served to successfully relaunch the band and further grew their audience. While we don't recall seeing much of them on MTV, the songs were all over rock radio in 1988. For the blog, we went with the title cut off the LP.  Yes, the vintage hot rod is a little ZZ Top derivative, but the blending of cars and the band performing live mostly works, in our opinion. 

While Let It Roll was Little Feat's last top 40 album, the band retained their loyal fan base, and remains active (with a few lineup changes) to the present day.

Laura Branigan - Gloria

Long time ERV readers will know that we love to feature covers, especially when the remake is a big hit.  For instance, we have previously posted "Bette Davis Eyes," "I Love Rock 'n' Roll, " and "Mickey" - and a bunch more.  Yep, they're all covers (readers can use the Covers label to the right to see all of the videos in this category.)

"Gloria" is another song that fits - it was the single that launched Laura Branigan's career, and was her biggest hit as well.  Plus, we bet that most English-speaking readers have no idea that it is a cover of an Umberto Tozzi song.  In a bit of good fortune, the co-producer of Branigan's first LP, Greg Mathieson, was the keyboard player on the original version, and suggested a remake.

Laura Branigan would go on to become a pretty big pop star in the 1980s - all five of her albums released in that decade broke the top 100.  In addition, her first three LPs all reached #34 or higher, and she had seven top 40 singles, led by "Gloria," which peaked at #2 for three weeks in late 1982. Interestingly, (to me, at least) "Gloria" was kept out of the top spot by two different songs - Lionel Richie's "Truly" and the previously mentioned "Mickey," covered by Toni Basil.

The video for "Gloria" ... well, let's just say that the label did not spend a ton of money on it.  It's Branigan on a modestly decorated soundstage, lip-singing away.  Not surprisingly, we don't recall seeing the clip back in the day, although the song was all over the radio for a time.

Laura Branigan would remain active in the industry until her untimely death (from a brain aneurysm) in 2004.

The Umberto Tozzi version came out in 1979, and was a top 10 hit across several countries in Europe.

Fastway - Say What You Will

"Fast" Eddie Clarke rose to fame as Motörhead's guitarist, and can be seen on the "Ace of Spades" video, which was posted on ERV in November 2013.  However, a dispute during the band's 1982 U.S. tour resulting in him leaving the group - and he quickly set about forming a new one.

Around the same time, bassist Pete Way left UFO, and with Clarke formed a band, which they called ... Fastway.  Singer Dave King and drummer Jerry Shirley rounded out the lineup.  Unfortunately a legal dispute with Chrysalis prevented Way from recording with his new band; as a result he left the group prior to their first LP.  (Bass is uncredited on the album but seems to have been Mick Feat.)

Fastway's self-titled album came out in 1983, and represented a solid bluesy hard rock effort.  The album was a modest success, reaching #31 on the charts, though the "Say What You Will" single did not chart.  However, Fastway was not able to build a following, though they released several subsequent LPs, and even played on the Trick or Treat soundtrack (now who remembers that movie).  Clarke tried several lineup changes in the late 1980s, to no avail, and finally broke up the group in the early 1990s.

The video for "Say What You Will" did receive a bit of airplay back in the day, but eventually faded from view ... until now.

"Fast" Eddie Clarke remained in the industry until his death in 2018.

Elliot Easton - (Wearing Down) Like a Wheel

As we've mentioned before, The Cars appeared to be running out of steam by the mid-1980s, which led to three of the five member releasing solo albums.  ERV has previously featured work by guitarist/singer Ric Ocasek ("Emotion in Motion") and by bassist/singer Ben Orr ("Stay the Night") both of which came out in 1986.  However, The Cars' lead guitarist, Elliot Easton released his only solo album the prior year.

Easton's solo album was titled Change No Change and was co-written with Jules Shear.  If Shear's name sounds familiar, it's because he wrote Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night" and The Bangles' "If She Knew What She Wants."

The resulting record was neither a commercial nor a critical success.  While Easton is undoubtedly a gifted guitarist, the songs don't highlight this, and there was criticism of his voice, as well.  The album peaked at #99, and while "(Wearing Down) Like a Wheel" picked up a modicum of airplay, it did not chart.  It is a solid, if unspectacular song, and a nice rare video too.

In addition to the videos linked above, Ric Ocasek's earlier (and excellent) "Something to Grab For" was featured on ERV early on, in September 2011.  We also posted The Cars "Since You're Gone" in May 2014. [Yes, The Cars are well-represented on ERV.]

Cool trivia fact: Elliot Easton's given name was Elliot Steinberg.

Blue Murder - Jelly Roll

While many readers may not know who John Sykes is, most will have heard his music.  In fact, Sykes' story is another somewhat sad rock and roll tale.

Sykes got his big break in 1982, when he joined Thin Lizzy just before the recording of their last studio LP, 1983's Thunder and Lightning.  Sykes even co-wrote one of the tracks for the LP - "Cold Sweat." In 1984, as Thin Lizzy was winding up, Sykes joined Whitesnake.

ERV readers will recall that David Coverdale ran Whitesnake - full stop. (Note that "Slow An' Easy" and "Love Ain't No Stranger" have been previously featured on the blog.) Sykes joined the band in time to re-record some guitar parts for the U.S. release of the Slide It In LP, and toured in support of the album.  He and Coverdale then co-wrote all of the songs on what became the 1987 self-titled album, with the exception of two older Whitesnake songs that the band re-recorded.

Unfortunately, the Whitesnake story then became difficult.  Coverdale developed a sinus infection that required surgery and there was some doubt as to whether he would be able to continue singing. After being out of action for most of 1986, Coverdale returned to the studio and put the vocal tracks over the music. However, the delays and health issues strained Coverdale's relationship with the rest of the band; as a result, he fired everyone prior to the album's release.

Sykes would go on to form Blue Murder with Tony Franklin on bass and Carmine Appice on drums.  Their 1989 album was quite solid, but did not become a huge hit.  Sykes would later speculate that the label (Geffen) did not properly promote the group, perhaps due to being on the same label as Whitesnake.

Blue Murder would release a second album (Nothin' but Trouble) in 1993, but sales were disappointing.  The group broke up in 1995.

Cool trivia fact: the actress in the video is Meg Register.

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. 

The Screaming Tribesmen - I've Got A Feeling

Way back when ... in 2011, we envisioned ERV as a site which highlighted rare videos from the eighties - hence the name.  However, a funny thing happened when we started posting.  It turns out that a blog that only featured rare videos drew virtually no visitors.  As a result, we re-tooled, and included some rare videos, some that were less rare, along with a few covers (many that you might not know about) and an annual collection of spooky All Hallows Even videos.  This mashup is the ERV that you see today.

However, we do love our rare videos, which is a long-winded way of introducing The Screaming Tribesmen.  The group formed in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia in 1981 and was led by singer/guitarist  Mick Medew.  Their appealing pop-influenced indy rock sound generated some buzz, and the band released several EPs, and finally an album in 1987 - Bones and Flowers.

"I've Got A Feeling" was the first single off the Bones and Flowers LP, and it picked up a bit of airplay, reaching #8 on the U.S. modern rock charts.  Even better, the video was played on MTVs 120 Minutes.  Unfortunately, the band struggled to grow their audience, and (after several lineup changes) broke up in the mid-1990s.

Interestingly (to us at least), the band made two videos for "I've Got A Feeling." Here is the original stripped down version:

And this is the second, more polished MTV-ish video:

The Cure - Lullaby

For the final selection of our 2020 All Hallows Even celebration, we are going with The Cure's "Lullaby."  Skeptics might point at that just about any Cure song could be considered for a Halloween celebration, but this isn't totally true.  Yes, The Cure were known for their goth pop songs - they might even be the masters of this genre.  However, few of their songs were genuinely spooky - although "Lullaby" certainly fits the bill.

While the lyrics of "Lullaby" are literally about being eaten by "The Spiderman," the song is likely a metaphor. Lead singer Robert Smith wrote the lyrics, and in typical form, has provided several conflicting answers as to the meaning of "Lullaby."  Many fans believe that the song is a metaphor for drug addiction, a view shared by Tim Pope, who directed the video.  Other possibilities include depression, sexual assault, sleep issues, and even nightmares.

The video takes a somewhat literal approach to the song, creating a spider infested nightmare - though it is worth noting that Robert Smith plays both the victim and the spider. Amazingly (considering how dark it is), the clip won the video of the year at the 1990 Brit Awards.  The song would go on to reach #5 on the UK charts and become the highest charting single of The Cure's career there.  In the U.S., it was less successful, reaching only #74. ("Lovesong" also off the Disintegration LP, would hit #2 and become the band's highest charting single in the U.S.)

As many readers will know, The Cure remains active as of this writing, and have become one of the most successful alternative bands of the past few decades.  For other ERV videos of the group, "In Between Days" was posted in April, 2013 and "Pictures of You" was posted in September, 2014.

Cool trivia fact:  Rolling Stone ranked the Disintegration LP at #116 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight

We love highlighting the diversity of eighties music at ERV, and we particularly enjoy abrupt transitions from one video to the next. This made it hard to pass up the opportunity to go from Sheena Easton to Iron Maiden as part of our 2020 All Hallows Even Celebration.

Iron Maiden made this even easier by starting "2 Minutes to Midnight" with one of the filthiest guitar riffs of the decade.  Combined with a somewhat creepy video about ... well, we're not exactly sure, but it definitely passes the atmospheric Hallowweny test for us. (Although we're not quite sure why there's a yo-yo starting at 0:26).

The song would go on to become a hard rock classic, and it actually hit #11 on the U.K. charts, while the Powerslave LP reached #2 in the U.K. and #21 in the U.S.  As most readers will know, Iron Maiden remains active as of this writing, and is one of the few 1980s acts that has remained successful during the intervening years. 

For folks who want more Iron Maiden, "The Number of the Beast" was featured on ERV's first All Hallows Even celebration in 2011, while "Flight Of Icarus" appeared on our blog in 2015. Both are highly recommended from your friends at ERV.     

Cool trivia fact #1: "2 Minutes to Midnight" is one of the few Iron Maiden songs not written or co-written by bassist Steve Harris. It was co-written by guitarist Adrian Smith and singer Bruce Dickinson. This helps explain why it sounds different (to my ear, at least) from most other Maiden songs.

Cool trivia fact #2: The video for "2 Minutes to Midnight" about spies, cults, and a stolen nuclear weapon (we think) was the group's first concept video.  The theme plays off the fears on a nuclear war, which drove the title and lyrics for the song.

Sheena Easton - Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)

Nine years ago (!), we started an ERV tradition - the posting of the All Hallows Even videos.  We are justifiably proud of the 22 (and counting) clips that we have presented since then, which can be found using the All Hallows Even label to the right and down a bit.

Kicking off 2020 - on October 13th, no less, we'll start with Sheena Easton. Easton grew up in Scotland, and got her big break on the BBC reality show The Big Time, were amateurs showed off their skills (dressmakers, cooks, comedians, etc.) Easton appeared in 1980, as a singer, which eventually led to a recording contract - even though the talent manager on the show (Marion Massey) was quite lukewarm on her.

Easton would go on to become a genuine pop star, with 15 top 40 hits in the U.S. - all but 1 of which were in the 1980s. "Telefone" came out during Eason's early period of success, and went on to hit #9 on the charts, while the Best Kept Secret album reached #33 and went gold.

The video is a campy black and white classic.  While the single was released in August, the LP came out in October, so perhaps that's why they went with a movie monster theme.  Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, Quasimodo, King Kong, and a disembodied hand all make an appearance - making this a great way to kick off our All Hallows Even celebration.

Sheena Easton had continued success throughout the decade, and famously worked with Prince for a time.  She remains active in the industry to the present day.

As an added bonus, we found some behind the scenes footage shot when the video was being made.

Robbie Nevil - C'est La Vie

"C'est La Vie" was the song that was played at every party in 1987, before fading away.  It was the debut single from Robbie Nevil, and became his biggest hit, peaking at #2.  Interestingly (to me at least), it spent 2 weeks at #2, but was blocked from the top spot by 2 different songs - "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott and "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & The Beaters.

Robbie Nevil was born in Los Angeles and worked in the industry for years prior to landing a recording contract in 1986.  His self-titled debut album was a hit, reaching #37 and yielding three top 40 hits ("Dominoes" and "Wot's It to Ya" are the other two).  He would go on the have five top 40 singles before transitioning to songwriting, and remains active in the industry as of this writing.  

The video for "C'est La Vie" was shot at a construction site, and shows a shy Nevil hanging with a bunch of models.  The clip (and song) were strong enough to go into heavy rotation for a time at MTV. 

Oh, and one other thing - this is a cover.  Nevil did co-write the song, but it was released by Beau Williams two years earlier:

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.

LL Cool J - Going Back To Cali

The late 1980s were a weird time for hip hop.  Following the huge success of the Beastie Boys' License to Ill, the genre found itself becoming more and more mainstream.  The backlash to this was predictable - and led to concern over artists "selling out" or "going commercial."

LL Cool J was in the midst of this maelstrom.  Born James Smith, he opted for a stage name based on Ladies Love Cool James.  He started rapping at 9, and was a rising star by 1988.  He also had a vision for hip hop that added ballads and pop sensibilities to the growing segment, something that was controversial back in the day. 

"Going Back to Cali," with its nostalgic intro, highlights LL Cool J's vision, and became his second top 40 hit ("I Need Love" was the first).  The song was originally released on the Less Than Zero soundtrack (best known for The Bangles cover of "Hazy Shade of Winter"), and was also released on the Walking with a Panther album, which reached #6 on the album charts.

As many readers will know, LL Cool J would go on to have a long and successful musical career, before transitioning to acting.  He remains active in both art forms at the time of this writing. 

Robert Plant - Burning Down One Side

Nothing lasts forever - not even the mighty  Led Zeppelin.  John Bonham's death in 1980 ended the band, and left the remaining three members jobless for the first time in years.  After the tragedy, John Paul Jones semi-retired from the business, while Jimmy Page would go on to form several groups (The Firm being the most successful).  However, it was Robert Plant who carved out the strongest career post-Zeppelin. 

In 1982, Plant released his first solo album, Pictures at Eleven ... and rock fans had no idea what to make of it.  Plant co-wrote all of the songs, but they sounded nothing like his prior band.  Sure, it was still rock, but it was wrapped in a smoother, jazzier package.  

Yet somehow, it worked.  Pictures at Eleven would go on to become a top 5 album in both the U.S. and the UK, and would establish Plant as a star in his own right.  He would go on to have an interesting, eclectic career, up to the present day.

The first song from Plant's debut solo LP was "Burning Down One Side."  Its odd vibe and striking visuals fit perfectly with MTV, and it picked up a significant amount of airplay, which no doubt helped the album, and introduced Plant to a new, younger audience.  It seems to have become a bit of a forgotten song and video, though, making it perfect for our little blog.

The Comsat Angels - I'm Falling

ERV reader(s) who are into movies from back in the day may recognize this song, as it was featured prominently in Real Genius, a fun (and underrated) 1985 flick starring Val Kilmer.  However, the Comsat Angels were a well-regarded early New Wave act, and with a bit of luck could have become major stars.

The band formed in Sheffield, UK in 1978 and were named after a J. G. Ballard short story.  Their initial work was sparse, atmospheric pop, in the same segment as Joy Division.  Unfortunately, they never quite found their audience and their label (Polydor) did not know how to promote them.

The band switched to Jive, and then Island records during the 1980s, and tried to transition to a more pop-oriented sound, in an effort to become successful.  Sadly, nothing seemed to work.  By 1990, the group even changed its name to Dream Command and released a more rock-oriented LP (Fire on the Moon).  Several years later, they broke up, although they did briefly re-form in 2009-10.

"I'm Falling" is a catchy synth pop song that hints at the strong songwriting of the band.  The song did not chart in the U.S., but did reach #90 in the UK.

Robbie Robertson - Showdown At Big Sky

In 1987, Robbie Robertson released his eponymous debut album.  Younger listeners might not have been quite sure what to make of it, but it was a significant event for the music industry.

To understand why, we need to go back to Robertson's prior work as the main songwriter of The Band.  That group started as Bob Dylan's backing act, but would go on to become one of the most influential acts of the late 1960s and early 1970s.  They helped pioneer a type of roots rock that influenced ... seemingly everyone, from The Beatles and the Rolling Stones to Eric Clapton and The Eagles.

The Band broke up in 1977 (documented through one of the greatest rock movies ever made - Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz).  And in the aftermath of The Band's breakup, Robertson didn't seem to have much interest in the mainstream music industry.  Instead, he acted and worked on film soundtracks (often with Scorsese).

So when Robertson decided to release his first solo record, it was kind of a big deal, especially as it became apparent that the sound was different from his prior work.  In general, the critics were supportive of the LP, though the commercial success was mixed.  "Showdown at Big Sky" did pick up a fair amount of rock radio play, but the song did not chart.  The album reached #38.  

Robertson continued to sporadically release albums through the years, and remains active in the music industry as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  Rolling Stone ranked Robbie Robertson's first solo LP at #78 on the best albums of the 1980s list. 

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.

XYZ - Inside Out

The story of XYZ begins in Lyon, France - not exactly a hotbed of successful rock acts.  However, Patt Fontaine (bass) and Terry Ilous (vocals) hail from Lyon, though they moved to Los Angeles in 1984 in search of fame and fortune.

Fontaine and Ilous soon put a band together and by 1986 XYZ was playing on the Sunset Strip as the unofficial house band at the Whisky a Go-Go. A self-financed EP followed, as the band slowly gained a following in the LA hard rock scene.

In 1989, Enigma records signed them, and they cut their self-titled debut album, which Don Dokken produced.  The album ended up as a small success, reaching #99 on the charts, and the videos for "Inside Out" and "What Keeps Me Loving You" both picked up a bit of airplay on MTV.

Unfortunately, the 1991 follow up (Hungry) did not do well, and the band was dropped by the label.  XYZ broke up in 1993, although they have re-formed in the early 2000s, and appear to be active as of this writing.

For the blog, we went with the video for "Inside Out," an excellent time piece from 1989.  Hair, girls, and a sharp guitar hook - it's enough to make one wonder why these guys didn't do better.

Billy Ocean - Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)

While Billy Ocean may have seemed like an overnight success, nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, he had been in the music business for 15 years prior to his rapid ascent to stardom.

Born as Leslie Charles in Trinidad and Tobago, Ocean moved to London as a child, and quickly became immersed in music (his father was also a musician).  By the late 1960s, Ocean was trying to make a go of it as a professional singer, which led to a name change -- Ocean supposedly comes from the Oceans 11 football team in Trinidad and Tobago.  He scored his first album in 1976, and had a few minor hits over the years, but few would have predicted his successes in the 1980s.

Ocean's fifth LP - 1984's Suddenly - blew up, and for several years Ocean was a bona fide star.   Between 1984 and 1989, he had 3 Top 20 albums, and 11 top 40 singles - including 3 #1s and 2 #2s.  Wow.

"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" was the song that started the run.  The lead single off the Suddenly LP, it hit #1 in the U.S. (and #6 in the UK).  The video is pretty standard fare, but this is some well-crafted pop.

While Ocean's star faded somewhat after his 1980s heyday, he remains active in the industry as of this writing.

Note that the cool, and very weird video for Billy Ocean's "Loverboy" was posted on ERV in October 2021, as part of our annual All Hallows Even celebration. 

Ultravox - Vienna

Huge in the UK and Europe and relatively unknown in the U.S., Ultravox were an influential band that helped lay the foundation for synth pop.  The group formed in London in 1973, and was originally called Tiger Lilly.  The name was changed to Ultravox! when the act signed with Island Records in 1976, and the ! was dropped a few years later.

For all practical purposes, there were two versions of the band.  From the early days until 1979, Ultravox was led by John Foxx, and had an artsy synth-rock sound (to my ear, the sound is in the same genre as Devo).  Foxx left in '79 to start a solo career, and was replaced by Midge Ure, who pushed the band's sound in a lush, artistic direction.

The revitalized Ultravox would go on the have significant success in the 1980s in the UK, with 5 top 10 LPs and 16 top 40 singles, led by "Vienna," which hit #2 on the UK charts.  However, they made barely a ripple in the U.S., where only one album broke the top 100, and no singles reached the top 40.

I don't recall seeing the video on my favorite video music channel, but it is quite strong, especially for an early clip. Influenced by the 1949 movie The Third Man (which takes place in Vienna),  it was mostly shot in London, primarily at Covent Garden.  Interestingly, the band paid for the video, as their label at the time (Chrysalis) didn't think it was worth it.  [How things would change a few years later.]

As previously mentioned, Ultravox was successful through the eighties in Europe - and Midge Ure even co-wrote "Do They Know It's Christmas."  However, artistic difference led the Ure leaving the band in 1988, and the group broke up a few years later.  They did re-form (with Ure) in 2008, and played until 2017, but appear to have disbanded for a second time as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact "Vienna" was the 135th video played on MTV's first day.

Rush - Tom Sawyer

As many readers will know, sometimes The Universe calls out and makes a request.  Often times these are serendipitous events, but some of the time they are sad - and that's ok.  We've been processing the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart, and were unsure at first whether to put a post up.  Then, we heard "Tom Sawyer" on the radio, reminding us of all that is great about Rush and rock and drummers.  Even better, the video is somewhat rare.

"Tom Sawyer" was the second single off Rush's breakout 1981 LP, Moving Pictures. ("Limelight" was the lead single.)  The song only reached #44 on the U.S. charts, but was a mainstay on FM rock radio in the 1980s.  The album rose to #3 and eventually went 4x platinum, making it Rush's best selling LP in the U.S.

The video was shot in Le Studio in Quebec, Canada during a cold Canadian winter.  With the exception of a quick outside intro shot, the rest of the clip is the band playing in the studio - note that these were the last few years before MTV, and we suspect the video was something of an afterthought.  As a plain vanilla video, we don't recall seeing it on MTV; perhaps it picked up a bit of airplay in the early days.

The song is particularly noteworthy in our book due to the front and center nature of the drum line.  This is the stuff that drum heroes are made of, and true to form, Rush drummer Neil Peart quickly established himself as rock's greatest living drummer.

Rush would go on to have significant success throughout the 1980s, and continued to record and tour through 2015. 

 
Cool trivia fact:  Rush is a one hit wonder, only 1982's "New World Man" broke the top 40 (at #21).

Cool trivia fact #2: Rolling Stone ranks Moving Pictures at #379 on their list of the greatest 500 albums ever.