"I Think I Love You" by Voice of the Beehive

Hey Dialophiles!

We’re so delighted you’re joining us this evening to “plug in” to the latest song from the not-so-distant past. Tonight the Dial beams a signal direct to your speakers containing Voice of the Beehive’s “I Think I Love You” from their 1991 “Honey Lingers” LP.

Being a man who enjoys a good cover tune, this track really jumped out at me. Not only because it was an alt-pop cover of a sunshiny ‘70s pop classic, but also because this was the first time I noticed a remake of a song explicitly created for a television show. Of course, this practice wasn’t new… take a listen to any of the numerous covers of “The Peter Gunn Theme” released throughout the years for proof of that, but this Partridge Family re-do was the first one that really captured my ears. I could just picture Keith, Laurie, Danny and the rest rocking out to this modern incarnation in their maroon pants suits.

The Honey Lingers LP spun-off three singles, “Monsters and Angels” (US #74, #8 US Modern Rock, & UK#17), “Perfect Place” (UK #37), and ITILY, which peaked at UK #25, but wasn’t released to American radio at all, neither top 40 or college/modern rock stations. Damn shame too, I believe if it had gotten the right push, (perhaps through frequent airing of its "Rocky Horror-esque" music video), this offbeat little cover could’ve landed a similar peak position in the U.S., possibly even top 20.

Voice of the Beehive’s discography is filled with charming and bouncy alt-pop courtesy of vocalists and songwriters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland. Drawing equal influence from new wave, 70s pop, and 80s modern rock (B-52s, Strawberry Switchblade…) their music served as a nice balance to the traditional gloomy vibe of U.S. college radio at the time.

Give it a listen, and see if you don’t think you love this take on this iconic pop classic! And Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Kyle’s Radio Dial!

“I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of ?

I’m afraid that I’m not sure of, a love there is no cure for.

I think I love you, isn’t that what life is made of ?
But it worries me to say… that I’ve never felt this way…”

"Lawyers in Love" by Jackson Browne

Good Evening Dialophiles!

Tonight’s selection from airwaves (and jukeboxes) past is a catchy little ditty that skewers American materialism while also tossing in jabs at religion and the Cold War. Sit back and enjoy as the Dial proudly presents Jackson Browne’s 1983 hit “Lawyers in Love”!

“Lawyers” was a tune I completely forgot about until around 15 years after its release, when I caught its music video on an eighties themed segment on VH-1. As soon as the opening rhythm began, memories of hearing the tune at the age of nine flooded back to me. Once I started really examining to the lyrics, I was greatly amused at its sarcasm and condemnation of the materialistic American persona, something I certainly hadn’t grasped upon first listen. Shockingly, the song really has nothing to do with lawyers, whether in love, or otherwise…

Observing Browne’s near-transfixed state, at eating his TV dinner while watching events unfold on his set, holds just as much sardonic weight now (late 2012 going into ’13), as it did on that late ‘90s viewing, and during its original release. It’s clear that some things never change.

Of course, given that I was watching this very video on TV (while enjoying some sort of a snack, myself), the irony wasn’t lost on me. Was I no better than Browne’s TV junkie? It’s an unsettling thought, but I sure was humming the melody, complete with catchy “oooooh – sha la la” refrain for days afterwards.

“Lawyers” served as the first single from Jackson’s “Lawyers in Love” LP. The scathing song peaked at #13, making it his fourth most successful top 40 hit, behind…”Running on Empty”, “Doctor My Eyes”, and the “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” soundtrack contribution “Somebody’s Baby”.

So spin this underplayed chart hit, and pay close attention to the main character in the video… see if he doesn’t remind you of some people you may know...

“I can’t keep up with what’s been going on… I think my heart must just be slowing down… Among the human beings, in their designer jeans…

Am I the only one who hears the screams… and the strangled cries of…

Lawyers in Love”

"We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard

Hey Dialophiles,

Let the Dial ease your start-of-the week blues with the latest entry in our continuing study of former hits that rarely pop up on terrestrial airwaves these days… Cliff Richard’s 1979 smash “We Don’t Talk Anymore”.

The lead single from the LP Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile, “We Don’t..” peaked at US#7, UK#1, and topped the singles chart in Germany for five weeks!

This melodic melding of pop, soft rock, and disco details a romance on the downslide, a fact that doesn’t seem to bother Cliff. You see, his woman has already pulled away emotionally, so as the blame can rest on her shoulders, he’ll sleep with no guilt.

In fact, it is that last point that leads me to confess to a quick misheard lyric from my childhood.  For years, I thought the chorus contained the line…

“My ankles’ asleep… and I ain’t got it cheap!”

The real verse is “But I ain’t losing sleep, and I ain’t counting sheep.”

Hey, when you’re five years old, you can’t possibly be expected to hear every lyric correctly!

After running its course on top 40 radio by the middle of the following year, Richard’s pop nugget all but disappeared from the airwaves.  Fast forward to 1987, when I grew strongly nostalgic for the music I listened to earlier in my youth. The hits I fondly remembered from the late ‘70s through about ’85 seemed to be in “radio limbo” at the time, as they were too old to be on “current” stations, but too new to be considered “oldies”.

Once I discovered that lite rock stations had become a repository for many of these “in limbo” songs, I spent much of my free time taping them off the radio. Great tracks like Hall & Oates’ “You’ve Lost That Loving’ Feeling”, Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without A Face”, Paul Davis’ “’65 Love Affair”, and yes, “We Don’t Talk Anymore”. I remember it took several weeks of patience, my fingers hovering over the record button, before I happened to snag Cliff’s 1979 hit on my beloved TDK D90 cassette.

And here’s a little historical notation… Richard’s pop ditty was the 6^th music video aired on MTV’s first day, August 1^st 1981. It followed “Video Killed the Radio Star” (The Buggles), “You Better Run” (Pat Benatar), and tracks by Rod Stewart, The Who, and Ph.D.

The Dial invites you to enjoy this great radio classic, from a truly simpler time.

“Well, it really doesn’t matter to me, I guess your leaving was meant to be. It’s down to you now… you wanna be free…”

"Romeo's Tune" by Steve Forbert

Happy Sunday, Dialophiles!

After enlightening you all with a month of relatively obscure songs, the Dial now beams a warm, nostalgic signal to your speakers containing a ditty that was all over American Top 40 radio in late ‘79 going into 1980. Tonight, we are pleased to feature Steve Forbert with “Romeo’s Tune”.

Taken from 1979’s Jackrabbit Slim LP, and peaking at #11 in February ’80, Forbert’s upbeat, playful melody is accentuated with poetic lyrics, (“Let me smell the moon in your perfume…”) creating a joyous, romantic vibe that sidesteps the typical overwrought,  schmaltzy clichés found in your average love song.

Forbert was undeservedly a one hit wonder, despite being lauded in critical circles as the “next Dylan”. He continues to release albums on small independent labels every few years, and his lone top 40 track has seen a 2007 revival by country artist Keith Urban.

I remember humming along to “Romeo’s Tune” on the radio (WPGC FM) while getting ready for first grade on chilly Maryland mornings. As Steve never actually sings the title in the song, for years I misidentified the song as “Meet Me in the Middle o’ the Day” after the opening lyrics. A similar issue plagued my early recollection of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” which for a time, I called “Thunder Only Happens”. By the time my high school years begun, I had immersed myself in the history of the pop charts, and learned the proper titles of both songs.

It’s been at least ten, possibly even twenty years since I last heard Forbert’s tune on the radio, so I’m going to give it a spin, sit back and let the nostalgia waft over me. Come join me, won’t you?

“Meet me in the middle of the day, let me hear you say, everything’s okay. Come on out beneath the shining sun. Meet me in the middle of the night, let me hear you say, everything’s alright, sneak on out beneath the stars and run, yeah.”

"Under the Water" by Jewel

Hey Dialophiles! 

Today, the Dial gives thanks for friends, family, food, and fun… and of course, forgotten songs. Tonight’s featured addition to our jukebox of the quirky, is a tune that we’ve just recently rediscovered, Jewel’s “Under The Water”.

“Under” is an atypical recording for the sweet Alaskan songstress, far removed from her pop and adult contemporary material for which she is primarily known. The track is driven by a mid tempo hip-hop/ funk beat, is layered with alternative rock styled keyboards and guitars, and features eccentric lyrics about bees, blood, noise and toys (and that’s just in the first stanza!)

Jewel even raps here (and holds her own rather well), although her performance is less LL Cool J and more Debbie Harry as in Blondie’s classic “Rapture”.

Featured on the original soundtrack to the 1996 film “The Craft”, which was comprised largely of covers, such as Love Spit Love’s treatment of The Smiths’ “How Soon is Now”, “Dangerous Type” by Letters To Cleo (a Cars remake), and the Beatles cover “Tomorrow Never Knows” by Our Lady Peace, Jewel’s original self-penned track stood out from the rest in it’s vibe and lyrical unfamiliarity. “Under” was never released as a single, so it never charted on the Billboard singles charts.

 

Everybody enjoy your holiday, and a happy Thanksgiving to all!

 
“Under the water, the total is more than the sum. Under the water, I hear who’ll I’ll become”

"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" by Blue Öyster Cult

Hey Dialophiles!

Tonight, the Dial cuts through the static to bring you a classic rock signal from 1981, a track providing an exploration of a person’s fragile mental and emotional state after years of abuse from an unstated antagonist. Allow us to present Blue Öyster Cult’s “Veteran of the Psychic Wars”.

Appearing on their 1981 release Fire of Unknown Origin, “Veteran” melds elements of progressive rock (think ‘70s era Genesis and Styx) and hard rock (ala Black Sabbath and Nazareth), with brutally honest lyrics detailing a mind weary of constant conflict.

It never charted as a single, which is typical of the output of B.O.C. In fact, they only reached the American top 40 twice… first with 1976’s iconic “Don’t Fear The Reaper” (#12), and next with the rock standard “Burnin’ For You” (#40), which was also extracted from the Fire of Unknown Origin LP. However, despite their limited chart impact, BOC’s songs have influenced legendary acts as diverse as Metallica, Guns N Roses, Nirvana, and fIREHOSE.

Now it’s time for a little personal history…

Back in the early 90s, I stumbled across an arresting vision of an animated gigantic smiley-faced spaceship hovering over the Pentagon on cable TV around 1am. Now, when you see something like that, you owe it to yourself to stick with it, and I quickly found myself mesmerized by the second half of “Heavy Metal”, a movie I was only vaguely familiar with prior to that point, but once the end credits rolled, I made it a priority to seek out and watch the entire film.

Shortly thereafter, I visited my local Blockbuster, and was informed that Heavy Metal wasn’t available for rent or purchase… something about legal issues surrounding the music on the soundtrack. However, not to be thwarted, I snagged a professionally packaged VHS bootleg from a record show (recorded off of a late 80s Showtime airing), which allowed me to finally view the entirety of this genius, surreal, “chock-full-of-rock”, sci-fi anthology masterpiece.

So what’s the connection here? BOC’s “Veteran” is featured prominently in an early segment in Heavy Metal, a futuristic film noirish piece entitled “Harry Canyon”. A tale about a cabbie that gets tangled up with gangsters, a mysterious woman, and an ancient artifact of pure evil, Harry Canyon’s story ended up providing the basic plot line for the 1996 live action sci-fi thriller The Fifth Element.

So if it were not for that chance encounter on cable TV two decades ago, we here at the Dial may never have discovered Blue Öyster Cult’s rockin’ 1981 ode to being on the verge of insanity… whether in an animated world, or not.

You see me now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars…

I’ve been living on the edge so long, where the winds of limbo roar

And I’m young enough to look at, and far too old to see

All the scars are on the inside…

"A Trick of the Night" by Bananarama

Hey Dialophiles!

Sit back and relax this fine Thursday night, as the Dial beams a forgotten track to your speakers, and thus, your mind. May we introduce London’s own Bananarama, and their 1987 masterpiece “A Trick of The Night”.

Featuring their “classic lineup” of Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward, and Siobhan Fahey, (later of Shakespeare’s Sister, known for their 1992 U.K. #1 and U.S. #4 hit “Stay”) the ladies cobbled their name together via the tropical vibe of their earliest recordings (“Banana”), and the Roxy Music track “Pyjamarama” (“-rama”)

Extracted from the True Confessions LP, “A Trick of the Night” was a minor hit in the U.K., peaking at #32, but criminally stalled in the States at #76, despite receiving exposure on the soundtrack to the Whoopi Goldberg film “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”.

I’ve always enjoyed songs that capture that “nighttime vibe”. Those tunes which evoke images of walking down city streets, noting the neon signage glowing from the storefronts, even as the dark sky above twinkles with stars. Hall & Oates’ “Maneater”, Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”, Wham’s “Careless Whisper”, and Glenn Frey’s “You Belong To The City” all possess this relaxed, slightly forlorn quality, as does this breathtaking pop classic by our girls from London. Due largely, of course, to the breathy, seductive vocals sung in unison, the overlapped choruses and verses near the outro, and Keith Thomas’ saxophone interludes which elicit mental imagery of smoky rooms and whispered promises.

Give it a spin, and see if you don’t agree with us here at the Dial that this British track deserved to be a top 10 smash, on both sides of the pond. 

“Whatcha doin’, hey, whatcha doin’? Walking through danger, can’t see the wrong or the right.

Whatcha doin’, tell me whatcha doin’, can’t be a stranger… must be a trick of the night.” 

TWO-FER TUESDAY: Dan Fogelberg

Good evening, Dialophiles! 

When trying to select which track from my musical collection to spotlight next, I kept returning to one specific artist, but couldn’t decide which of two tracks should get the nod. This is exactly the kind of dilemma that calls out for a "Two-Fer Tuesday". So tonight, the Dial presents for your enlightenment, a duo of selections from Mr. Dan Fogelberg.

Beginning in 1974, Fogelberg released a series of critically acclaimed LPs, which were equally influenced by folk, rock, jazz, and classical. His mellow sounds and poetic lyrics placed many hits on the hot 100 and AC charts, such as the wedding toast classic “Longer”, the melancholy holiday tale “Same Old Lang Syne”, and the tribute to his father Lawrence, who had indeed been a bandleader and music teacher, “Leader of the Band”.

The Dial’s first selection tonight from Dan’s discography is 1982’s “Missing You”. First released on his 1982 Greatest Hits LP, the single reached #23 pop, #6 AC (Adult Contemporary), and tells the simple story of a traveling man dearly missing his lady love back at home. 

I first heard “Missing You” when spending a weekend at my grandparents’, on their transistor radio that I set by my pillow so I could listen to top 40 as I drifted off to sleep. The track, especially Dan's guitar solo, impressed me with its “rockier” edge when compared to his softer, easy listening hits, and it seemed to echo a Hall & Oates, Chicago, or Kenny Loggins styled vibe.  To this day, when I hear its opening notes, I’m back in my grandparents’ guest room, complete with old roll top desk against the west wall, and the stars of the night sky visible out the window on the opposite side. A very comforting cosmic visual to accompany Fogelberg’s forgotten former hit. 

“Hard days I’m traveling along for too long… ooh-ooh I’m missing you I’m always somewhere that I never belong. Ooo-ooh I’m missing you”

Our second selection from Dan’s resume is an extract from 1990’s The Wild Places LP, “Rhythm of the Rain”. A mid-tempo jazz-influenced reading of the 1963 #3 pop hit by The Cascades, their version being a teenage breakup lament using the famous metaphor of rain for tears. Through Dan’s capable musicianship, this ‘60s classic is recast as a mature and heartfelt romantic plea. 

“Rhythm” peaked high on the AC charts at #3, but never crossed over on the pop side… a shame, but not surprising in a year largely dominated by rap and energetic dance acts. Personally, I became familiar with “Rhythm” through playing The Wild Places album in the Square Circle record store I worked at in high school, and I always looked forward to his interpretation of this classic song. Be sure to pay special attention to the final 30 seconds, which interpolates the first verses to the Beatles’ “Rain”. 

“Listen to the rhythm of the failing rain… telling me just what a fool I’ve been. I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain, and let me be alone again.”

Dan sadly left us on 12/16/07 after a long bout with cancer.  I was quite moved by the news, as I always appreciated his melodies and lyrical prowess, and his music was always present in some way or another as I was growing up.

Much respect to you, Dan, and much thanks for enriching our lives (and mine in particular) with your songs. The Radio Dial salutes you, kind sir.

"Seven Days" by Sting

Hey Dialophiles!

I'm feeling rather mellow tonight, which correlates perfectly with the Dial's latest serving, a track from Gordon “Sting” Sumner’s 1993 pop masterpiece “Ten Summoner’s Tales”… the amusing and upbeat “Seven Days”.

A lyrically rich and clever song, in which Sting’s lady love is being woo’d by a burly gentlemen described as six feet ten and resembling a Neanderthal. It seems that the lady had grown weary of the pacifistic ways of Sting’s character, so she wrote him an ultimatum telling him to fight for her love in seven days, or release her to follow her new suitor.

I’m particularly fond of Sting’s realization that he and his challenger will not be locking wits for her love... “IQ is no problem here… we won’t be playing Scrabble for her hand I fear… I need that beer”. 

The tune also possesses a truly catchy chorus that ticks down the days Sting has remaining in which to make his move, concluding with “Sunday’d be too late”, the seventh day mentioned in the note.

We never learn the results of the confrontation, as the song ends with Sting stating he “can’t run away” because he loves her so. I like to think that he found his courage and bested his challenger, a true David and Goliath scenario to be sure, even if no tile-based board games were involved. Of course, the other school of thought is that perhaps he’d be better off without the girl…

And as a shout out to Sting’s earlier group, the final thirty seconds of Seven Days features an interpolation of The Police’s 1981 hit “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”…  “Do I have to tell a story… of a thousand rainy days since we first met…” a snippet Sting also incorporated into The Police’s “O My God” from Synchronicity.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy this jazz-styled tale of a man torn between fighting for the woman he loves, and protecting his own neck. We here at the Dial like to think he made the right decision.

“Monday, I could wait till Tuesday, if I make up my mind… Wednesday would be fine, Thursday's on my mind, Friday'd give me time, Saturday could wait… But Sunday'd be too late.”

"I Didn't Mean To Turn You On" by Cherrelle

Happy Sunday, Dialophiles!

In order to start this October week in a delightful way, the Radio Dial features the lesser-heard, now generally obscure, original version of a song that nearly topped the charts in 1986 in a different incarnation. 

1984 saw the release of R&B chanteuse Cherrelle’s debut LP “Fragile”, which contained one of the earliest compositions from iconic songwriting team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On”.

Telling the tale of a woman’s apology and rebuttal to a man’s unwanted and awkward advances, “I Didn’t Mean To…” featured a black & white music video that acts as both a tribute to, and spoof of, King Kong. The single reached US #8 on the hot R&B singles chart, but failed to make a major impression on the hot 100, settling only for #79. Nevertheless, I recall seeing this video twice on NBC’s “Friday Night Videos”, and though it’s amusingly low budget, the image of King Kong reaching into Cherrelle’s apartment was one that stuck with me for years.

As you watch the video, note the animated bouncing jungle plants (straight from cartoons of the ‘30s!), Cherrelle’s exposed shoulder (ahhh, ‘80s fashions!), and Kong’s breakdancing routine on the roof of what has to be a very reinforced apartment building!

Of course, by now, you should recall that “I Didn’t Mean To…” reappeared on the airwaves two years later, in a rocked-up version by Englishman Robert Palmer as a follow up to his career defining smash “Addicted To Love”. Palmer’s version hit #2 in ‘86, far eclipsing the success of Cherrelle’s original. As great as Robert’s rendition is, I always felt the lyrics to be more believable when sung by a woman.

When last heard from, Cherrelle brought us 1999’s “The Right Time”, featuring her cover of Patti Austin and James Ingram’s ’82 quiet storm ballad “Baby Come To Me”.

So give it a spin, and allow Cherrelle’s soulful voice and uptempo beat to work their charms on you… just remember… for goodness sake, she’s not trying to turn you on. 

“You read… me wrong.  I wasn’t trying to lead you on…

I want a friend… I didn’t mean to turn you on.”

"Thunder Island" by Jay Ferguson

Hey all you Dialophiles!

Whaddya say we hold on to summer just a little bit longer? The Radio Dial has locked onto a lovely little vacation destination, featuring sun, fun, sand, and the occasional storm… but don’t you worry about that. Hurry, pack your swimwear and sunscreen, and book a cruise out to Jay Ferguson’s "Thunder Island"!

Ferguson charted twice before via his earlier bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, with their hits "I Got A Line On You" (#25 in 1969), and 1972’s "Run Run Run" (#27), respectively.

Thunder Island, the title track from Jay’s second solo LP, peaked at #9 in 1978. A cheery, yet ultimately wistful recollection of a romance on the beautiful isle, it would not have sounded out of place on a Jimmy Buffett LP of the era.

And in recent years, Ferguson has been behind a very recognizable tune, which plays in the living rooms of many Americans on Thursdays at 9pm… the theme to the NBC sitcom "The Office".

Thunder Island is rather special to me, because after not having heard it since around ’79, it popped up on the radio (inexplicably) several times in early 2008. Interestingly, this occurred almost always while on a date with Michele, the woman who would later become my wife and mother of our daughter.  We considered Ferguson’s Caribbean-flavored pop ditty to be "our song". 

And as today, Tuesday, 9/25/12 marks our two year anniversary, I’m posting our song right here on the ever lovin’ Radio Dial… Happy Anniversary honey!

Sha la la la la la my lady… In the sun with your hair undone…

Can you hear me now, callin’ your name from across the bay.

A summer’s day, laughin’ and a hidin’… Chasin' love, out on Thunder Island.

"Gimme Little Sign" by Danielle Brisebois

Good evening, Dialophiles!

Tonight, the Radio Dial plucks a forgotten cover from the musical past, and presents it to you for your listening enjoyment. So without further ado, here’s Miss Danielle Brisebois, with “Gimme Little Sign”.

Danielle first made her appearance as a child actress on CBS’s “All In The Family”, and later, “Archie Bunker’s Place”, playing Stephanie Mills, who came to live with Aunt Edith and Uncle Archie in 1978. After appearing in classic ‘80s series like Mr. Belvedere, Knots Landing, and Tales from the Darkside, she switched her focus to music.

Her debut 1994 LP Arrive All Over You is largely inspired by power pop, with a hint of alt rock. Produced by Gregg Alexander, whom she would later join as a member of the New Radicals, track 6 was this outstanding cover of Brenton Wood’s 1967 soul classic.

Danielle’s largest hit on the pop charts was as part of the aforementioned New Radicals, the 1998 one-off album project that produced the smash hit “You Get What You Give”.

Since then, Danielle has written for, or had her compositions covered by, artists like Donna Summer, Kelly Clarkson, and Kylie Minogue, and her greatest success as a writer came in the form of two top 10 hits for Natasha Bedingfield… “Unwritten”, and “Pocketful of Sunshine”.

I find it impossible not to smile when listening to this bouncy, flirtatious track, as Danielle sings of a young love on the verge of blossoming. No wonder it’s remained a favorite here at the Dial for the last eighteen years.

“Cuz when I’m feeling down… wearing a frown… You’ll be there when I look around… 

Just gimme some kind of sign, boy, oh my baby… To show me that you’re mine, boy… alright”

"Space Invaders" by Uncle Vic

Yo Dialophiles! 

Tonight’s entry on the Radio Dial happily finds a way to combine three of my main passions, forgotten and obscure pop songs, classic video games, and quirky humor.

Most folks assume that 1982’s “Pac-Man Fever” was the first pop song with a video game inspiration. But two years earlier, Cleveland Ohio’s own radio DJ Victor Blecman, a.k.a Uncle Vic, took a shot at the charts with his ode to the granddaddy of all cosmic battle games… “Space Invaders”. 

A tongue-in-cheek novelty track detailing a player’s growing obsession with a Space Invaders machine at his local bar, and featuring electronically modulated commentary from an “actual” alien creature, Uncle Vic’s invader blasting tune was released as a 45 RPM single on the Prelude label in 1980. No full length LP from the good uncle was released, and the single didn’t appear to make a showing on any national chart, but Vic did release a few follow up tunes like… “E.T. Phone Home”, “Got No Video” and his 2008 attack on rising fuel costs, “Gasoline Blues”. 

I recall hearing Space Invaders only once back then, playing from a friends pocket radio in my first grade lunch room. Miraculously, I found a mint condition copy of the Space Invaders single (along with 45s for Buckner & Garcia’s “Pac-Man Fever” AND “Do the Donkey Kong”), nearly 20 years later in a thrift store for 50 cents a piece. 

And what became of Victor himself? He remains a beloved Ohio celebrity, and currently runs “Uncle Vic’s DJ Services”, for all your wedding and party needs. No word yet on whether he is still trying to beat that Space Invaders machine though… 

“Well there it is in the corner of the bar… I tried to run, but I didn’t get far… Those weird little men, I blow ‘em away… I’d sell my Mom for a chance to play…He’s hooked, he’s hooked, his brain is cooked!”

"Because of You" by The Cover Girls

Hey Dialophiles!

Upon scanning the airwaves for the long forgotten and the unfairly ignored, Kyle’s Radio Dial has locked frequencies onto “Because of You”, a tasty little slice of Latin-tinged dance pop.

Recorded by The Cover Girls comprising of Caroline Jackson, Sunshine Wright, and lead vocalist Angel Clivilles, and composed by late C&C Music Factory founder David Cole, “Because of You” peaked at #27 pop, #16 US dance, and #47 on the R&B charts when released as a single in late 1987.

I absolutely loved this jam when it was new, and I stayed up beyond my typical bedtime for several nights to try and tape this off the radio. I finally snagged it at around 1:30 am on the third night, and it was playing on my Walkman on the school bus the very next day. It’s a bouncy, positive, youthful song, very much evocative of a first crush or high school sweetheart kind of love. Plus, I’ve always been enamored of Angel’s sweet voice. :^)

Much like their contemporaries, Expose and Sweet Sensation, The Cover Girls mined a Latin freestyle pop vein, and had several hits including the top 10 smashes “We Can’t Go Wrong” (US#8 in ’89) and the Rose Royce cover “Wishing on a Star” (US #9 in ’92).

Ya know, I’ve always been an unapologetic fan of pop music. Whether it’s The Partridge Family, Abba, Debbie Gibson, or even the Spice Girls, if it’s got a decent hook, a catchy melody, and tends toward the upbeat, I’ll usually appreciate it on some level. And I truly appreciate The Cover Girls and their sweet and fun ’87 dance hit. Now… where did I put my Walkman?

“Now I’m jumping up and down… spinning all around, because of you, babe.

I’m as happy as can be, and it’s definitely because of you, babe…”

"Ladykillers" by Lush

Hey Dialophiles!

Belly on up to the table for a heaping helping of today’s musical blue plate special… “Ladykillers” by British alt rockers Lush.

Culled from their 1996 release Lovelife, and peaking at #22 on the UK Singles chart and #18 on the US Modern Rock charts (but achieving no Hot 100 position), Ladykillers features Miki Berenyi’s sarcastic decrying of various men she’s encountered in the dating scene, including, it is strongly rumored, The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, in verse 2. (“Hey you, the muscles and the long hair…”). The first and third verses allegedly spear Liam Gallagher from Oasis and Weezer’s Matt Sharp.

During the ‘90s, I was gainfully employed at no less than three mall based record stores (not concurrently, mind you), Square Circle (later to become “The Wall”), Waxie Maxies, and Waves Music.  

Like many music retailers, Waves had multiple ceiling mounted TVs playing music videos all day long, and one of the tunes I enjoyed hearing (and watching) the most was “Ladykillers”. It was a welcome respite from the uninspired pop ballads, rap & R&B, and dance music (“Macarena”, feh.) that dominated those video playlists. 

To this day, whenever I hear Miki’s biting vocals, and see the stylish and humorous video, I’m instantly positioned at the rear entrance of Waves’ odd “L” shaped location, to make sure that CDs didn’t “walk out” of the store, if you catch my meaning. 

Some may call this a man-hating song, but I feel the clever lyrics and hard rocking, yet melodic vibe make it accessible to everyone, regardless of gender. 

Besides, who doesn’t enjoy hearing jerks get called out in a musical selection? It’s one of the many reasons that Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” has remained in the public consciousness. Well, there is that speculation as to who that song is actually about, but that’s an article for another time, and some other blogger…

“I’m as human as the next girl, I like a bit of flattery… 

But I don’t need your practiced lines, your school of charm mentality so… 

Save your breath for someone else and credit me with something more, 

When it comes to men like you, I know the score, I’ve heard it all before.”

"Make A Move On Me" by Olivia Newton-John

Hey Dialophiles!

I'm coming to realize that 1982 is, hands down, my favorite year of music in the 1980s. I'm always thinking of tunes from that very year to eventually spotlight on the Radio Dial. Back then, I had really immersed myself in the top 40 sounds... on car rides with my folks, on my portable AM/FM radio/cassette deck in my room, and spinning hits via vinyl on my Emerson record player. One of the forgotten former hits from that year is getting the spotlight tonight, Olivia Newton John's "Make A Move On Me".

The follow up single to her smash hit "Physical", which held at US #1 for an amazing ten weeks, "Make A Move" is a bouncy, fun filled pop song all about a woman's recognition that a certain guy fancies her... and she's perfectly okay with that... so long as he hurries up. In fact, she encourages the fella to "spare her all the charms, and take her in his arms"! Ah yes, a confident woman!

Peaking at US #5 in April of '82, Olivia's lighthearted synth-heavy track would not seem out of place as musical accompaniment to a cheerleading routine. Yet, while the iconic (and indeed overplayed, even 30 years later) "Physical" remains a part of our pop culture consciousness, "Make a Move" slipped into radio obscurity, even a year or so after it's original release.  

So here's to Aussie Olivia Newton-John... former country songstress, "Pink Lady", and Xanadu muse, for creating one of the greatest unfairly forgotten top 10 hits of 1982, or the entire decade. 

  

"I'm the one you want... that's all I have to be...

So come on baby... make a move on me."

"Life in Dark Water" by Al Stewart

Good morning, dialophiles! We’ll begin the week today by listening to a selection from Scottish singer Al Stewart’s 1978 “Time Passages” LP, the enigmatic “Life in Dark Water”.

A truly haunting track concerning a rather unusual topic for a rock song, a solo mariner aboard a submarine lamenting his isolation. Is he lost? Is he insane? Is he a ghost, doomed to navigate the lower ocean depths with no further human contact? Could be any or all of these, or none of them…

Listen for the syncopated sonar “pings” throughout the track, especially in the final several seconds of the song… as metallic and cold as that sound is, the context of the song lend them an especially forlorn and wistful feel. Tim Renwick’s amazing guitar work gracefully reinforces a spooky and otherworldly quality.

Additionally, the final verse makes reference to a famous maritime mystery, the Marie Celeste, a merchant ship found in seaworthy condition, but completely abandoned in open water in 1872, with no explanation or evidence of what happened to the crew.

Time Passages, a follow up to Stewart’s 1976 signature album “Year of the Cat”, features lush production work by the iconic Alan Parsons, producer of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”,  Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”, and of course, his own material under the moniker The Alan Parsons Project.

I discovered this song in the early 2000s, after picking up the Time Passages LP from a local used book & record store. Upon the first listen, I became fascinated with Dark Water’s unusual subject matter, spectral instrumentation, and uncovering the story behind the lonely submarine crewman. Give it a listen… immerse yourself in the music, let the lyrics lodge in your mind, and arrive at your own conclusion…

“No sound comes from the sea above me… No messages crackle through the radio leads. They’ll never know, never no never, how strange life in dark water can be.”

TWO FER TUESDAY: Patty Smyth

Hello Dialophiles! The Radio Dial is getting it in under the wire with the latest TWO FER TUESDAY!!!! (Reminds me of cramming for a test back in high school several hours before class… ) Tonight the spotlight lands on singer Patty Smyth, as we listen to a track she laid down as lead vocalist of Scandal, and wrap up with a solo track from her second LP.

“Only the Young” 1984 

How did Patty and her band Scandal come to record a song so closely associated with 80s icons Journey? Well, the story here is that Journey wrote and recorded the song in ‘83 for their Frontiers LP, but decided to shelve the track. The song was then offered to Scandal, who included their version on the 1984 “The Warrior” LP, which contained Scandal’s signature tune (“Shooting at the walls of heartache, BANG BANG… I am the Warrior!”). One year later, Journey dusted off their recording and released it as a single from the Vision Quest soundtrack, taking it to US #9 on the Hot 100 in the process. 

As Scandal’s version was never released as a single, the Radio Dial proudly features it here for your listening enjoyment. Compare the two versions... Scandal's version is rather an interesting deviation from the normally heard Journey recording. 

“They’re seein’ through the promises… and all the lies they dare to tell. Is it heaven or hell? They know very well…”

 

“No Mistakes” 1992

Next up is the second single from Patty’s self-titled 1992 solo LP, which produced the monster Don Henley duet “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough”.  That entire album had more of an adult contemporary lean than her 80s rock recordings with Scandal, and as such, “No Mistakes” features a relaxed, soft rock vibe and mature lyrics that only come from years of lost loves and internal reflection…

This is one of those “lost hits”… I heard it frequently on the radio twenty years ago (has it really been that long?), but not a peep out of it since then. 

“There are no mistakes now baby… we did the best we could. It takes what it takes and sometimes, It takes much more time than it should.”

In 2005, Patty and her Scandal bandmates reunited for a small well received tour of East Coast cities, but so far, no new tunage from Smyth or Scandal has materialized save for a 2011 digital download of Silent Night.  But wherever Patty and company currently are, the Radio Dial will always tune them in. Somebody’s gotta shoot at those walls of heartache, after all!

"I'm Chillin'" by Kurtis Blow

Tonight, the Dial scans the radio band to lock onto a frequency rarely heard on my blog… hip-hop, specifically “old school rap”.

I grew up just outside of Washington DC, a city known for the development of “Go-go” music, a percussion-heavy blend of funk, R&B, and early hip-hop styles, along with the early promotion and championing of prototypical rap artists.

Classic tracks like Newcleus’ “Jam On It”, “Freaks Come Out at Night” by Whodini, and Midnight Star’s “Freak-A-Zoid”, crossed over from “urban” radio formats onto our  local Top 40 stations, and were occasionally heard sandwiched in between hits by Prince, Huey Lewis & the News, and Madonna.  

As a result, my friends and I encountered many songs that kids living in other parts of the U.S. (say… Des Moines, Iowa…) likely never heard.

One of my personal favorites of this genre was Kurtis Blow’s “I’m Chllin’”, from his 1986 “Kingdom Blow” LP. Recorded with the Go-go ensemble Trouble Funk, and incorporating an interpolation of the theme to my favorite cartoon series ever, “I’m Chillin’” is largely a light-hearted boasting record, though it features lyrics critical of other MCs for putting down women in their rhymes…

“To diss a female is a lowdown shame, but you suckers make the records ‘cause you wanna get fame. All you radio cats, don’t play that crap. Can’t you see they’re messin’ up, all in the name of the rap?”

"A Girl Like You" by The Smithereens

Hey listeners! It’s time for the Radio Dial to sift through the airwaves and pull back another long ignored and unfairly forgotten chart hit from many moons ago. Tonight’s featured track? The Smithereens, with “A Girl Like You”!

Taken from their 1989 LP “11”, the title and album cover of which was a tribute the original Rat Pack version of “Ocean’s Eleven”, this lead single achieved #3 on the modern rock charts, and peaked at #38 on the hot 100.  Featuring Pat Dinizio and Jim Babjak on vocals and guitar, bass by Mike Mesaros, and drummer Dennis Diken, and a sound that draws equally from the harder rock of The Who and the Beatles, and the power pop of the Knack, “A Girl” sounded quite alien on the top 40 stations of the time, when sandwiched between  New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli, and Paula Abdul.

The “11” album was among the first cassettes I purchased with my 30% off employee discount at the Square Circle record store (my first COOL job!), and it was also the first song from my high school years that I recall hearing on a classic rock station… around 2002. I knew then that if a song from 1989 was considered classic rock, then I had gotten old. But that’s fine with me!

And given that I grew up in Maryland, I’ve always enjoyed that little shout out to Washington, (DC?) in verse 3.

“I'll say anything you want to hear, I'll see everything through.
I'll do anything I have to do… Just to win the love of a girl like you, a girl like you”

"Highway Runner" by Donna Summer

Hello listeners! You picked a great night to tune in, as the Dial is serving up a tasty platter from the incomparable Donna Summer, 1981’s “Highway Runner”. Telling the tale of a mysterious drifter, and recorded for the LP “I’m a Rainbow”, (which was shelved by Geffen Records until 1996!), "Highway" managed to receive some much deserved exposure on the soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Unfortunately, this great fusion of new wave, synth-rock, and sitar accompaniment wasn't released to the radio, so it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Summer will forever be known as the “Queen of Disco”, (deservedly so, as such sparkling songs as “Love To Love You Baby”, “Last Dance”, and “Bad Girls” prove), but her success with growing beyond the disco genre should not be overlooked. Consider the guitar rock jam of 1979’s “Hot Stuff”, ‘82’s Michael Jackson-meets-The Gap Band vibe of “Love Is In Control (Finger on the Trigger)”, and the bouncy teen pop inspired “This Time I Know It’s for Real”, from ’89, her final US top 10 hit.

Much love and respect to you, Donna. Thank you for brightening all of our lives with your gift of song.

“Highway, lead him to where he’s never been… Show that drifter what he’s never seen… Introduce him to this, acquaint him with that… Gotta keep searching like a stray, stray cat…”

"Inside And Out" by Feist

Hello listeners, and thanks for tuning in! Tonight, the Radio Dial beams a truly tasty track to your speakers, and in addition, your music loving minds… Feist’s 2004 single “Inside And Out”.

Leslie Feist has been recording indie folk rock since 1999 both as a soloist (under the singular name of “Feist”), and as part of the Toronto based rock collective Broken Social Scene. Her smooth, jazzy treatment of the Bee Gees’ tale of unconditional and aggressive love, taken from her Let it Die LP, features prominent saxophone work from Frédéric Coudere, and an innovative music video chronicling Feist’s progression through the buildings and streets of a major city, as seen through the development of individual still photographs.

Astonishingly, the only chart this great cover appeared on was the UK Top #100, where it managed a lowly #83 in 2005. She is, however, no stranger to the American charts, as two years later, her track “1234” peaked at US #8, which is, to date, her only Top 40 single in the states.

Recently, as I was perusing cover tunes and samples on www.whosampled.com, I located Feist’s re-titled version of The Brothers Gibb’s 1979 chart topper “Love You Inside Out”. As the Bee Gees were my favorite group of the late 70s, I decided to give Feist’s rendition a spin, and I instantly fell in love with this modern treatment of a classic pop song.

“You're the reason for my laughter and my sorrow… Blow out the candle I will burn again tomorrow. No man on earth can stand between my lovin' arms… And no matter how you hurt me, I will love you till I die…”