Yeeehaw Dialophiles!
Tonight, we invite you to enjoy a mid ‘80s tune that we sometimes get nostalgic for here at the Dial, even as its singer celebrates his OWN nostalgia for an earlier era, the ‘50s! Tune in for Dan Seals and “Bop”!
Put on your bobbie socks, baby… Roll up your old blue jeans.
There’s a band playin’ down at the armory… Who knows what rock and roll really means.
Originally known to top 40 fans as “England Dan” from his hit making partnership with John Ford Coley, (1976’s “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”, and ‘79s “Love is the Answer” among other hits...) Seals turned to country music in the early 80s as a soloist, eventually scoring sixteen top 10 singles on the US country chart, eleven of which went all the way to #1.
Extracted from his “Won’t Be Blue Anymore” LP in ’85, “Bop” was his second country chart topper, which also crossed over to #42 on the Hot 100, just barely missing the lowest position on the Top 40. However, since I didn’t listen to country radio back then, I only caught this bouncy ode to ‘50s sock hops a few times on my local top 40 stations before the track was retired from their playlists. It wasn’t until much later that I learned the song was a smash on country radio.
“Bop” was written by Jennifer Kimball, and Paul Davis, himself a country/pop artist known to top 40 fans via the hit ballad “I Go Crazy” (#7 in ’77), and the 1982 #6 hit “’65 Love Affair”, another upbeat nostalgic nod to a bygone era.
I’ve got an old photograph in my pocket… We were still in our teens…
Lord knows I feel a lot older now, but you still look the same to me.
The charming music video features an older couple visiting a dance at a local armory, all the while reminiscing about their younger “courting days”. Their recollections are filmed in black & white appropriately enough, and a fun driving scene features the teenagers in a ’55 Ford T-Bird switching to their elder versions in that iconic cars’ ’85 model during the “present day”. Seals himself appears throughout the video, as the musician at the armory, playing, appropriately enough, “Bop”.
Let’s twist and shout, oh just like in the good ole’ days...
Baby watch out, you know I just can’t stand it when you look at me that way.
In the mid ‘80s, it was very difficult for a country artist to gain a major hot 100 hit. The “Urban Cowboy” crossover trend of the early part of the decade had ended, and MTV fueled acts like Madonna, Duran Duran, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen (“The Boss” to you and me…) dominated top 40 playlists. In fact, there was a nine year country cross over lull on the pop singles charts that stretched from Kenny and Dolly’s “Islands in the Stream” in ’83, all the way to “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992.
I always thought that “Bop” could have charted higher at Top 40 had it been released during the early 80s, or if a more pop/rock-n-roll leaning mix had been shopped to Top 40 stations in ‘85. But alas it was not, creating a song that seemed obscure to me, but turned out to be quite well known to many country music fans.
Sadly, Dan passed away in Nashville on March 25, 2009, due to lymphoma related complications. Much peace in the next life good sir, the Radio Dial tips our Stetson in your honor.
I wanna bop with you baby, all night long... I wanna be-bop with you baby, ‘til the break of dawn...
I wanna make it a night like it used to be... When our hearts were young and our souls were free…
Tonight, we invite you to enjoy a mid ‘80s tune that we sometimes get nostalgic for here at the Dial, even as its singer celebrates his OWN nostalgia for an earlier era, the ‘50s! Tune in for Dan Seals and “Bop”!
Put on your bobbie socks, baby… Roll up your old blue jeans.
There’s a band playin’ down at the armory… Who knows what rock and roll really means.
Originally known to top 40 fans as “England Dan” from his hit making partnership with John Ford Coley, (1976’s “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”, and ‘79s “Love is the Answer” among other hits...) Seals turned to country music in the early 80s as a soloist, eventually scoring sixteen top 10 singles on the US country chart, eleven of which went all the way to #1.
Extracted from his “Won’t Be Blue Anymore” LP in ’85, “Bop” was his second country chart topper, which also crossed over to #42 on the Hot 100, just barely missing the lowest position on the Top 40. However, since I didn’t listen to country radio back then, I only caught this bouncy ode to ‘50s sock hops a few times on my local top 40 stations before the track was retired from their playlists. It wasn’t until much later that I learned the song was a smash on country radio.
“Bop” was written by Jennifer Kimball, and Paul Davis, himself a country/pop artist known to top 40 fans via the hit ballad “I Go Crazy” (#7 in ’77), and the 1982 #6 hit “’65 Love Affair”, another upbeat nostalgic nod to a bygone era.
I’ve got an old photograph in my pocket… We were still in our teens…
Lord knows I feel a lot older now, but you still look the same to me.
The charming music video features an older couple visiting a dance at a local armory, all the while reminiscing about their younger “courting days”. Their recollections are filmed in black & white appropriately enough, and a fun driving scene features the teenagers in a ’55 Ford T-Bird switching to their elder versions in that iconic cars’ ’85 model during the “present day”. Seals himself appears throughout the video, as the musician at the armory, playing, appropriately enough, “Bop”.
Let’s twist and shout, oh just like in the good ole’ days...
Baby watch out, you know I just can’t stand it when you look at me that way.
In the mid ‘80s, it was very difficult for a country artist to gain a major hot 100 hit. The “Urban Cowboy” crossover trend of the early part of the decade had ended, and MTV fueled acts like Madonna, Duran Duran, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen (“The Boss” to you and me…) dominated top 40 playlists. In fact, there was a nine year country cross over lull on the pop singles charts that stretched from Kenny and Dolly’s “Islands in the Stream” in ’83, all the way to “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus in 1992.
I always thought that “Bop” could have charted higher at Top 40 had it been released during the early 80s, or if a more pop/rock-n-roll leaning mix had been shopped to Top 40 stations in ‘85. But alas it was not, creating a song that seemed obscure to me, but turned out to be quite well known to many country music fans.
Sadly, Dan passed away in Nashville on March 25, 2009, due to lymphoma related complications. Much peace in the next life good sir, the Radio Dial tips our Stetson in your honor.
I wanna bop with you baby, all night long... I wanna be-bop with you baby, ‘til the break of dawn...
I wanna make it a night like it used to be... When our hearts were young and our souls were free…
I first saw this video about 30 years ago on TV late at night while working on a frustrating firearm repair. This video was a very refreshing break from my work. I intently watched it and remembered the very pleasant day when this sort of thing, and dances were a reality. When was the last time you heaard of a dance being held in a National Guard Armory? It used to be done.
ReplyDeleteThat first video on TV was all black and white. Also, there was more flashbacks to the time of the older couple. He actually wore his old shoes in scenes dancing in the video, and she was wearing the old style saddle shoes, bobbie sox, and wore a plain, pleated skirt. It wasn't until some time later that this newer color version came out. I can only imagine that since videos of this type were very rare back then to be seen on TV that the newer one was made later.
I wish I had the download of this to watch it more as it gives me very pleasant memories of those days. I almost cry with the feeling because I do feel it.
I am vey pleased to see this write-up of Bop. Wish we could once again go back to those types of days in today's society.
Thanks for the heartwarming feeling with your writing, and the music.
An oldie of those 'Happy Days'.
Dave Jacobs
DJnRF@yahoo.com
Hi Dave! Thanks for sharing your memories and for the positive feedback! I never saw the black and white version of the video, but I'll take a look for it. Many songs back then had multiple videos, (or at least multiple edits of the same video), so maybe "Bop" was no exception.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it would be nice to return to those simpler times, but at least we have the music to transport us there momentarily. :^)
Take care!
Kyle S.
Kyle's Radio Dial