"Classical Gas" by Vanessa-Mae

Good evening, Dialophiles, and we sincerely hope we are finding you in good spirits tonight, as we welcome you to the second entry in our three chapter exploration of 1990’s cover tunes! Tonight’s track is also noteworthy for being the first instrumental featured on the blog, so without further ado, allow us to present Ms. Vanessa-Mae, and “Classical Gas”.

(Usually, we intersperse lyrics in our review, but for an instrumental, I’ll have to trust that you are playing the music while reading the article… it’s either that, or I type… “do-do-do-do-do-do…” every few paragraphs!)

A 17 year old violin prodigy, (at the time of Classical Gas’s release…) Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson released three LPs in Europe without much notice, until her commercial breakthrough with 1995’s “The Violin Player”.

Classical Gas is a cover of Mason Williams’ 1968 US #2 instrumental pop hit, the original of which fits firmly in the sub-genre of “baroque pop”, radio friendly pop/rock layered with orchestral, classically tinged arrangements and melodies. ‘60s groups like The Left Banke “Walk Away Renee”, and The Association “Cherish”, “Never My Love”, based large portions of their catalog on baroque sounds, while legendary groups like The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, and even The Beach Boys, and The Beatles recorded songs using elements of the genre.

Taken from the aforementioned “The Violin Player”, an impressive merging of classical, pop, and techno themes, Classical Gas was not released as a single in the US, but it did reach #41 on the UK singles chart. From the same LP, Vanessa scored a UK #16 hit with her rendition of Bach’s Toccata & Fugue, a song that always reminds me of the classic video game Gyruss due to Bach’s composition being used as background music for the game.

Though she never crossed over big in the US, nor had a major radio chart presence “across the pond”, Vanessa caught the eye (and ears) of many of the musical elite. She went on to work with Janet Jackson and Prince, in addition to Beatles producer George Martin on his 1998 Beatles tribute LP In My Life, in which she covered the Fab Four’s “Because”.

I recall hearing the original Mason Williams recording in the early 80s, as it was played during the “Metromedia Community Calendar” screen shown on WTTG channel 5 in Washington DC around 5:30 am weekday mornings, before the daily cartoons would start. The music accompanied a static image of the Metromedia logo, repeated ad infinitum, with information superimposed over top informing about upcoming events like the annual Ramblin’ River Raft Race on the mighty Potomac. (for instance… or maybe a nice RV show)

Even as I was impatient for Tom & Jerry or the Flintstones to begin, I grew to enjoy the upbeat, yet soothing melody of Mason’s tune, and when I heard Vanessa’s modern interpretation years later, I instantly got a flashback to those relaxed mornings and that community calendar on TV. Funny what the mind remembers isn’t it?

And even thought isn’t a holiday tune, I believe its classical instrumentation and upbeat melody wouldn’t sound out of place with a modern holiday music assortment that leans toward artists like Manheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra… Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the ever lovin’ radio dial, and we’ll see you in the new year with our ONE HUNDREDTH review!

"Hello It's Me" by Groove Theory

Welcome, all you Dialophiles out there in the world of “the interwebs”! We humbly invite you on a musical journey as the Dial transmits three interesting cover tunes from the ‘90s that deserve a second look. Spaced out over our next three blog entries, together we’ll dabble in a progressive soul cover of a lite rock standard, then a modern classical interpretation of a 60s baroque pop instrumental, and finally we’ll wrap up with an alternative rock treatment of a late 70s pop/rock classic.

So without further ado, prepare to mellow out and relax with the first in this three cover song exploration… Snuggle up with something (or someone…) comfy and tune your mind to Groove Theory’s “Hello It’s Me”.

“Hello… it’s me. It’s me baby. I’ve thought about us for a long, long time…”

Firmly belonging to the “Neo Soul” genre (D’Angelo, Maxwell, Erykah Badu), Groove Theory comprised of singer-songwriter Amel Larrieux and songwriter-producer Bryce Wilson. The duo drew much inspiration from soul of the late 60s and 70s, projecting a greater sophistication and classier form of R&B than most of what was produced by the immensely popular hip hop and new jack swing camps at the time.

“Hello…” the story of a heartbroken protagonist, who is releasing their romantic partner from their dying relationship, is an interesting case of what we at the Dial consider a “third generation cover”. You see, Amel and Bryce were covering the 1974 Isley Brothers album track, the “quiet storm” arrangement of which was clearly the inspiration for Groove Theory’s mellow cover. However, the Isleys’ were covering an earlier hit version recorded by rock icon Todd Rundgren, which peaked at US #5 in 1972, and served as the prototype for mid-tempo soft rock throughout the 70s.

But the lineage doesn’t stop there… Rundgren, as part of his earlier group Nazz, first recorded the song as a psychedelic ballad in 1968, and this original version of “Hello” peaked at US #66 in 1969.

“Maybe I think too much, but something’s wrong… there’s something here that doesn’t last too long… maybe I shouldn’t think of you as mine.”

Given the unmistakable similarities between the Isley Brothers and Groove Theory versions, including the overall silky vibe and the repeated “hellos” sung at the opening (which existed in neither Rundgren’s solo or the Nazz’s versions), one speculates as to whether Amel and Bryce knew of those earlier rock versions when they set out to cover the track. Since Rundgren’s 1972 hit has always been a staple of classic rock and adult contemporary stations, it’s reasonable to assume that Groove Theory were at least passingly familiar with his recording, but it seems much less likely that they knew the obscure version that started it all, Nazz’s trippy original. Unless I can ask Bryce or Amel directly, we’ll all just have to ponder for now…In the words of Led Zeppelin… “It makes me wonder”.

Regardless of which version(s) they were familiar with at the outset, Groove Theory succeeded in making a truly classy, deeply soulful interpretation of the rock standard which deserved to be a big hit in its own right. Criminally, it wasn’t released as a single, and received zero airplay, so unless you owned the Groove Theory LP, this lovely remake passed you by.

“I take for granted that you’re always there… I take for granted that you just don’t care… sometimes I can’t help seeing all the way through.”

The Groove Theory LP produced one solid hit, 1995's delectable “Tell Me”, which peaked at #5 on the Hot 100, and #3 on the R&B charts, and was co-authored by Rick James due to the use of a sample from his 1983 Mary Jane Girls’ dance smash “All Night Long”. Two follow ups, the similarly classy “Keep Tryin”, and “Baby Luv”, stalled in the lower reaches of the pop charts, though each managed top 30 status on the R&B charts.

Give Amel and Bryce’s “Hello” a listen, and for a fun lesson in musical evolution, queue up all the versions on YouTube or whichever online music service you use and listen to the many ways the same song was interpreted over the years. Or if you’re a true hardcore Dialophile, cue up the Nazz, Todd Rundgren, and the Isley’s tracks on your original vinyl LPs, cassettes, or compact discs… “CDs” to those of us in the know! Physical media FOREVER!

“It’s important to me… that you know you are free… ‘Cause I never want to make you change for me.”

"Long Gone" by Bryan Adams

What is UP, Dialophiles? Tonight, the ever lovin’ Radio Dial beams a signal to your PC, laptop, phone, tablet, or whatever crazy miracle device you use, containing a totally classic cut from nearly three decades hence. Get ready to rock out with Bryan Adams and his 1985 track “Long Gone”!

“The telephone’s been ringin’… ringin’ off the wall… It’s your Las Vegas lawyer, another long distance call. He says you get the house and the car… and I get the clothes I got on.”

Written by Adams and long time collaborator Jim Vallance, Long Gone is a humorous track about various emotions and situations surrounding a bitter divorce. At first, Adams’ feels relief and euphoria at the conclusion of his marital union. He even appears fine with giving his “ex” pretty much every possession shared between them, just as long as she is out of his life.

However, by the second verse, Bryan pines for reconciliation, as he attempts to call his former flame to assure her that his feelings were genuine, even while admitting that her own feelings for him may have not been.

“Operator, get me Manhattan… get my baby on the line…Sooner, or later… she’s gotta realize… That all my feelings were for real… but maybe she was leadin’ me on…”

The third and final verse lists a few more items she got in the divorce (the Frigidaire, his favorite chair), and condemns the whole process as a “legal crime”, before ending with the uneasy statement that “in a matter of time, she’ll be back for the rest of me”.

If this exact song had been written today, I suspect these final lyrics would be significantly different. Instead of mentioning the fridge and a chair, perhaps we’d be singing along to something like…

“She took the iPhone 6, my ’15 Prius, people say she got the best of me…
She got my Xbox One… I know that she’s not done… she’ll be back for the rest of me.”

(okay, okay, so it’s not great art… I’m just having a little fun here!)

In the cinematic tour de force South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the Canadian Minister of Movies (not a real Parliamentary position, BTW…) claims that the Canadian government has apologized for Bryan Adams on several occasions. I can only assume this refers to Adams’ trend toward schmaltzy soft rock in the ‘90s, something that also plagued rockers Rod Stewart and Elton John in the same decade.

But back in '85, he delivered some of the strongest power pop/rock this side of Springsteen. His Reckless LP was packed with hit after monster hit... “One Night Love Affair”... “Run To You”... “Heaven”... “Somebody”... “Summer of '69”... and the Tina Turner duet “It’s Only Love”. Maybe it was because the LP had already produced six singles that A&M (Adams’ record label) declined to release a seventh, but “Long Gone” is by far the best of Reckless’ album tracks, and it would have been interesting to note where it would have charted had it gotten a push at radio.

So give it a spin, Dialophiles! Be sure to let us know if you agree that Bryan’s ode to messy divorces deserved to be heard on America’s airwaves, as opposed to being overlooked and largely… well… long, long, long gone.

“Yeah… now she’s GONE! Long long long long gone! Now I’m a happy boy, yeah!”

/

"The Other Woman" by Ray Parker Jr.

Happy Halloween weekend, Dialophiles! 

As the spooky season winds down, make sure to check out the Dial’s latest signal, a top ten smash from ’82 that has spirited away from current radio playlists. A song that interestingly enough, sports a fairly elaborate horror themed music video, nearly two years before the iconic “Thriller”. Give it up for Mr. Ray Parker Jr., and “The Other Woman”!

“I’m just… the average guy. I fooled around a little on the side… Never thought it would amount to much…”

Following a lucrative career as a studio musician in the ‘70s, where his musical chops can be heard on recordings by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, The Spinners, and Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra (among many others), Parker formed the R&B/disco group Raydio with Arnell Carmichael, Vincent Bonham, and Jerry Knight, later of the 1983 hit “Breakin… There’s No Stopping Us”.

Raydio released four LPs from 1978 through 1981 on a yearly basis, all of which were certified gold. Three singles (“Jack and Jill”, “You Can’t Change That”, and “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)” peaked in the pop top 10, and even more placed well on the R&B charts. However, all good things must come to an end, and Raydio disbanded in late 1981, opening the door for Ray to begin his solo career.

“Now I know the rules of the game… you hit it once, then break away clean… I should have never gone back, I know…”

His first solo jam released to radio (not Raydio…) “The Other Woman” served as the title track from Ray’s same named LP, and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late spring of ‘82. Parker’s next big hit was 83’s “I Still Can’t Get Over Loving You”, a silky smooth mid-tempo #12 hit, then came his signature song, the three-week chart topping “Ghostbusters”. You may have heard of it. I think there was some sort of movie by the same name as well…

Anyway, TOW deals with a rather risqué topic, the thrill of seeing a lover on the side, and the risk of getting caught being unfaithful. Throughout the song, Parker admits he’s wrong, but he revels in the deception, explaining that he hates to cheat, but it feels better when he sneaks!

“Ohhhh… this affair is unique. All my life I never met such a freak. She keeps me going strong for so long… when I get home, it’s all gone. Makes me want to grab my guitar… and play with it all night long”

TOW is worth noting for its original campy horror video which features a rising corpse, a gothic castle with Frankenstein’s Monster as a doorman, a weird potato-headed humanoid that loves to boogie down staircases, and some sort of undead saxophone player! Also, the actual “other woman” depicted here is a vampiress, who successfully plants a bite on Parker’s neck, right after he wraps up the first verse! Count Parker Jr?

I also enjoy how Parker’s first girlfriend pursues him to the castle to rescue her man, but bolts once she realizes what a freaky scene he’s gotten himself into! The admittedly low budget video predates MJ’s legendary “Thriller” by a over year, which makes me wonder if TOW had any influence, even slight, on Michael’s masterpiece.

Supposedly, this video was rarely seen because MTV had an issue with showing an interracial romance, even one of the tongue-in-cheek horror homage variety. The more commonly seen video (and less imaginative) clip shows Ray singing with a starfield projected behind him.

Now, in tying together my two main passions, ‘80s music and ‘80s arcades (yes, there is a connection here…), I recall spending a Saturday afternoon with my Uncle Artie in a local video arcade, in which I was mainly playing the hot new game of the time, Ms. Pac-Man. This arcade had a sound system cranking out the hot hits of the day, and at one point, TOW started blasting over the speakers.

In my arcade loving innocence, I started imagining that Ms. Pac herself WAS the other woman being sung about… as if Ray was spending less time with his girlfriend in order to play the arcade game! Hey, Buckner & Garcia’s “Pac-Man Fever”, a song all about one man’s addiction to the original dot gobbling game hit its chart peak (US #9) a month or so before, so it made perfect sense to my eight-year-old mind, that TOW could have had a similar interpretation!

Yeah, it’s a little embarrassing (but amusing) to relate that story now, but whenever I hear TOW nowadays, even though I well know what the song is REALLY about, I still get brief “flashbacks” to that day in that arcade, playing Ms. Pac to my heart’s content. And that’s always worth a smile, and perhaps a bouncing pretzel or two.

“I’m in Love… with the other woman… my life was fine… ‘til she blew my mind… Somebody HELP ME!” 

"No Myth" by Michael Penn

Good morning, afternoon, or evening, Dialophiles!  (Feel free to choose the greeting that applies best to your current time!)

The Dial is back with another classic track from the distant past to stir those memories in the jukebox of your mind. Head on back to 1989 as we listen to Mr. Michael Penn and his top 20 hit “No Myth”!

“So, she says its time she goes… but wanted to be sure I know… she hopes we can be friends.”

Peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and scoring an impressive #4 position on the Modern Rock chart, No Myth was Penn’s first, final, and ONLY major hit. Pulled from his debut LP March, Penn charted four additional singles on the US Modern Rock chart (1992’s “Seen the Doctor” charted the highest of these at #5, one notch below No Myth’s peak), before turning his focus toward scoring motion pictures such as Boogie Nights, The Anniversary Party, and Sunshine Cleaning, among many other films.

A very poetic and intellectual slice of folk inspired alt-pop, the track is perhaps best remembered among casual radio listeners by the chorus that mentions literary figures Romeo and Heathcliff. Of course, we all get the Shakespeare nod, but not all of us would know that the Heathcliff mentioned here is no cartoon cat, but instead the main character in Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.

It would seem Penn is a bookworm, perhaps drawing from the same school of songwriting as Sting, who was quite fond of literary references of his own. Consider the Greek monsters, The Scylla and Charybdis, named checked in “Wrapped around Your Finger”, and the line “that old man in that book by Nabakov” (the book being the controversial Lolita) contained in “Don’t Stand So Close To Me”, during his hit making days with The Police.

Penn scatters other esoteric reference points throughout the track, as well. Listen for mentions of Chinese junk boats, Soho, and Fred Astaire.

“I think yeah, I guess we can say I… but didn’t think to ask her why.  She blocked her eyes and drew the curtains with knots I’ve got yet to untie…”

The brother of actors Sean and Chris Penn, and husband of ‘Til Tuesday’s chief songwriter and lead vocalist Aimee Mann (“Voices Carry”), Michael won the 1990 MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist… but like many who have won a similar award (MTV issued, Grammy or otherwise), their follow ups cannot match the popularity of their debuts, often causing the artist to unfairly disappear into obscurity. Consider Debby Boone, Rickie Lee Jones, Hootie & the Blowfish, Paula Cole, and of course, the debacle surrounding Milli Vanilli.

The parent LP March and the No Myth single contains some heavy hitters. Prince & The Revolution’s Wendy (Melvoin) & Lisa (Coleman) on bass and keyboards, and session drummers Jim Keltner (Carly Simon, Gary Wright, Steely Dan, and three ex-Beatles solo work, but not McCartney), and Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Smashing Pumpkins) on drums.

Aronoff’s involvement explains why I always thought No Myth’s final drum fill sounded like Mellencamp’s smash “Jack & Diane”. I wonder if Kenny was unintentionally borrowing from his earlier performance?

“I’m between the poles and the equator, don’t send no private investigator to find me please… Unless he speaks Chinese, and can dance like Astaire overseas… okay.”

It’s a shame we didn’t hear more of Michael’s brand of smart alt-folk-pop at Top 40 radio, but sometimes mainstream success eludes even the most noteworthy artists. Given its virtual abandonment by current radio, one would be forgiven for thinking they imagined the song altogether. But as shown by the Dial’s latest transmission, it’s clearly no myth.

“What if I were Romeo in black jeans? What if I was Heathcliff, it’s no myth… maybe she’s just looking for… someone to dance with.”

"Love is Noise" by The Verve

In a rare instance of modern music overtaking the Dial’s receivers, hot on the heels of last month’s review of 2013’s “Wishing Well” by Wild Cub, we bring you a quality track that is only six years old… practically a “brand new song” when compared to the typical tunes we cover! Fine tune your speakers, and settle on in, for The Verve’s comeback hit “Love is Noise”.

“Will those feet in modern times, walk on soles that are made in China?”

Spearheaded by vocalist and songwriter Richard Ashcroft, alongside guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury, Manchester England's The Verve is perhaps best known stateside for the elegant 1997 hit “Bitter Sweet Symphony”, and the resulting legal battles regarding its use of a sample of an orchestral cover of a Rolling Stones song… look it up and give it a read, it’ll make your head spin. But across the pond, this alternative rock group racked up six UK Top 40 singles, three of which peaked in the top 10 including the aforementioned "Bitter Sweet".

 

Not issued as a single in the U.S. (a damn crime, as I’m convinced this awesome cut would have handily eliminated the “one-hit wonder” designation from Ashcroft’s group…), “Love” was successful in returning The Verve to the UK top 10, landing a very respectable #4 position, following an 11 year absence from the chart. 

 

“Are we blind… can we see? We are one, incomplete.”

 

The first cut pulled from 2008's Forth LP, and lyrically inspired by a William Blake poem, “Love” seems to sarcastically suggest that the pursuit of romance is a selfish distraction from the bigger picture of improving ourselves on a personal and societal level. The very chorus seems to deride love as purely unnecessary, as if it is just so much noise in the background. 

Additionally, the verses take a stab at consumerism, (the Chinese made soles, and a mention of “bright prosaic malls”, whose corridors “go on and on and on”), along with a recognition of the “world’s affliction”, “righteous anger”, and “addiction”. Perhaps the addiction Ashcroft sings about is to the very consumerism he is rallying against here. 

 

“Will those feet in modern times, understand this world’s affliction?”

Despite the somewhat cryptic lyrics, “Love” delivers an upbeat groove that draws equally from alternative, pop, and dance. Listen for the curious and catchy background vocal loop which is actually Ashcroft playing around on an old vocoder. It sounds like he's chanting “Oh no, Oh no, Oh no”...

 

When coupling The Verve with last month's Wild Cub entry, you would be forgiven, Dialophiles, if you assumed we were abandoning that core decade we love so much. Not to worry, we haven't turned our back on our love of the '80s,we just wanted to showcase a few recent tracks that deserved the Dial's spotlight!

Stay tuned as we bring you more great tracks from the 70s through the current day, heavily weighted toward the decade of leg warmers, Atari, fluorescent neon colors, and of course, MTV! (back when they actually played videos... don't get us started!)

 

"Love is noise... love is pain... love is these blues that I'm singing again..."

 

A RADIO DIAL EXTRA: Wild Cub's "Wishing Well"

That time has come again, Dialophiles... the time to enlighten not with an overlooked goodie from decades hence, but instead with a recent tune that you likely haven't heard before... a "Radio Dial Extra", if you will! So without further ado, let's enjoy the mellow sounds of Nashville's indie rock quintet Wild Cub, and "Wishing Well".

Drawing inspiration from a variety of 80s flavors such as "new romantic" (Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran), Level 42 styled "sophisti-pop", college radio mainstays Squeeze, and harmonies that seem pulled from Little Creatures-era Talking Heads (think "And She Was"...), Wild Cub comprises of singer-songwriter Keegan DeWitt, multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock, Herry West on bass, Dabney Morris on drums, and the lineup rounds out with keyboardist Eric Wilson.

"In the hot night, I hear your voice... that blind horizon tying it's blood red line to the center of choice..."

Be sure to listen to the rhythm sequence throughout the track that features a pronounced echo. The first time I heard Wild Cub's brilliant cut, that echo loop made me think of dropping a coin or rock into a well, and the resulting splash far below. It also brought to mind the echoing drip sound associated with underground cavern systems. It's certain this was intentional, and it's a great addition that really adds atmosphere to an already dreamy piece of music.

If you like what you hear here, check out Wild Cub's entire debut LP, Youth, released in 2013. Other standout tracks include "Wild Light", "Thunder Clatter", and the Chris Isaak "Wicked Game" complimenting "Drive".

I'd also like to extend a hearty handshake to Greg, a true and loyal friend of the Dial, for tipping me off to this wonderful frequency inhabited by Wild Cub!

"Hold on, hold on... I broke my back down waiting on a wishing well..."

"Thief in the Night" by KISS

Are you ready to ROCK, Dialophiles? Are you ready for an awesome overlooked track from an iconic groundbreaking hard rock band that's still going strong after 40 years? Well, all I have to say to you is...

YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST!!! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE LAND... KIIIIIIIIISSSSS!

"Far off in the distance, a shape in the night… alright!  On a mission of mercy, if the price is right…"

Tonight, the Dial dabbles in a choice cut of powerful, and unashamed hard rock by bringing you the 1987 album track "Thief in the Night". Extracted from Kiss’ Crazy Nights LP, and featured on the B-side to the album’s second single “Reason to Live” (a #64 Hot 100, and a #34 US Rock hit), Thief uses gothic horror parallels (possession, ritual slayings, strangulation), to tell the story of a man who attempts to steal a woman’s heart, only to find that she has turned the tables on him, leaving him broken hearted with a farewell note.

Featuring the late 80s KISS line up of founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons (heard here singing lead), along with lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, and drummer Eric Carr, Thief was recorded during the “no make up” phase of their career.

Though Thief was written by Gene (along with frequent KISS collaborator Mitch Weissman), their recording is actually a cover of a version by punk artist Wendy O. Williams from her 1984 solo LP WOW. This wouldn't be the only time that KISS mined a Simmons authored track originally given to Wendy… it happened again with “It’s My Life”, also originally on her WOW LP, which was revisited by KISS for 2001’s “The Box Set”. Williams, a Grammy nominated artist best known for her work with shock rock group The Plasmatics, is also known for recording a must-be-heard bizarre duet of Tammy Wynette’s 1968 c&w standard “Stand By Your Man” with Motorhead’s Lemmy.
 
"It's a ritual slaying, but the tables are turned, oh no. And now he's prayin', but it's his turn to burn."

An interesting footnote to KISS's storied career is that they were unable to crack the top 40 with even one single in the  '80s, after all their iconic hits the prior decade. Of course, a cut with a title such as “Lets Put The X in Sex” would expectedly encounter some resistance from cautionary radio program directors, but tracks like “Heaven’s on Fire”, “Creatures of the Night”, and “Tomorrow”, are fine rock songs that should have clicked at any top 40 playlist.

I suspect that in the era of new wave and “Thriller”, KISS was likely considered unhip, or even campy by the majority of '80s teens (“oh, those guys that wore the makeup, that my older brother listened to?”) Still, they managed nine hot 100 singles in the decade of decadence (including the aforementioned "Heaven's on Fire", a #49 peak), before returning with a surprise out of nowhere #8 hit in early 1990 with the Michael Bolton penned love ballad “Forever”.

The reason KISS is top of mind here at the office of the Radio Dial, is that on August 26, myself, “Mrs. Radio Dial”, our 8 year old son, and my sis-in-law, attended the KISS and Def Leppard "Heroes" concert at the Blossom Music Center. It was our son's first concert ever, and what a show it was. Def Leppard played first, and ran through a set that hit practically all of their pop metal classics, riling up the crowd up into a fist pumping vigorous rock sing along, in spite of a downpour that soaked us all. The precipitation had passed by the time KISS exploded onto stage, complete with pyrotechnics, crazy lights and fog machines, and they truly commanded the Blossom stage. Leading off with their 1998 single "Psycho Circus"... Gene, Paul, guitarist Tommy Thayer, and drummer Eric Singer, rocked out a mix of 70s and 80s smashes, including "Duece", "War Machine", "Hotter Than Hell", "Hide Your Heart", "Calling Dr. Love", and of course, the show's closer "Rock and Roll All Nite".

"In a hotel chamber, on a cryptic note... 'cause where there's fire, there's gotta be smoke, oh no... Footsteps in the twilight, and red nails 'round his throat..."

The boys didn't see fit to drop "Thief" into the set list, which makes sense given it's relative obscurity, but there were no complaints from the Radio Dial family, as Gene spit "blood" and breathed fire, and Paul swung out to a centrally located podium to be "among" the crowd. Thayer delivered several blistering solos and Singer pounded the skins on his levitating drum set. The show was great, and it was wonderful to see our boy get so into the side show theatrics and powerful heavy rock vibe. Afterwards, he even asked me if I was going to put a KISS song on the blog next because they are AWESOME!

So give "Thief" a spin, and rock out to the powerful sound that Gene, Paul and the guys have consistently delivered for four decades. In the words of the youngest of the Radio Dial kids, our 2 1/2 year old daughter...

"DIG IT!!! CLASSIC!!! ROCK N ROLL!!!!"

I think that sums it up quite nicely. 
 
"Like a thief in the night - she breaks into his heart.  Like a thief in the night - she never leaves her mark."

"Object of My Desire" by Starpoint

Hey Dialophiles! Tonight, the big ‘ole, bad ‘ole Radio Dial brings you a tasty track all about fantasizing about that person you’ve just met. Crank it up, and feel the groove laid down by Starpoint, and their now-overlooked mid 80s groove “Object of My Desire”!!!

“You glanced my way, I lost all control. Anxiety had taken hold. My body quivered, hot flash just ignited in me…”

Using the well-mined plot device of a lovesick woman, longing for the man who excites her, (reminding me of Animotion’s “Obsession”, among others…) “Object” is marked by Renee Diggs’ powerful vocals, and memorable keyboard and guitar work which creates a sound that is definitely a slice of the era in which it stems from.

The lead single from Starpoint’s 1985 LP Restless, “Object” was one of those songs that I had completely forgotten about until I happened to hear it on the radio again in the late 90s. As soon as that opening synthesizer riff began, I was transported back to ’85, and wondered how I ever forgot this great party track in the first place. I soon purchased a 1980’s compilation disk that featured the track, and proceeded to practically wear it out over the next week or so.

A sextet of musicians comprising of the Phillips brothers, Ernesto (lead guitar), Orlando (bass guitar, keyboards, and saxophone), George (keyboards), and Gregory (drums), all of whom provided backing vocals, along with Kayode Adeyemo (songwriting and lead male vocals), and Renee Diggs (lead female vocals), the Annapolis, Maryland based group charted 24 R&B singles from 1980 – 1990, including 1980’s “I Just Wanna Dance With You” (R&B #19), ‘83’s “Don’t Be So Serious” (R&B #14), and 1988’s “Say You Will” (R&B #18).

“Turn on emotions so strong… passion’s fire burns on and on… my body screams, please make love to me!”

While the lyrics are tame by today’s standards, back when it was new (and I was eleven), I recall thinking the song was quite dirty. Little did any of us know what would be coming down the pike several years later… 2 Live Crew, anyone? (ugh…)

In hindsight, while the song is not exactly subtle in regards to its adult subject matter, (the “fireworks explode deep inside of me” line being the chief example, even though it is left purposefully ambiguous whether these “fireworks” resulted from a fantasy daydream or a real life encounter…), “Object” manages to be playful without crossing the line into filthy territory.

Also, this is a song who’s peak Hot 100 position does not correlate with how much I personally heard it on the radio back then. Much like U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love)” which seemed to be everywhere on the radio, but only peaked at #33, Starpoint’s jam peaked at a surprisingly middle-of-the-road #25 pop, but it did nail the #8 slot on the R&B singles chart.

I chalk my familiarity with the track to growing up in Southern Maryland, an area in which most major stations were out of Washington D.C., and as such, our Top 40 playlists often featured R&B and early hip-hop jams that may not have gotten play on similar outlets in other cities. When I started researching the Billboard chart positions of songs, I was astonished this only earned a #25, as I was expecting it to have been a top 5 pop hit, based on the amount of times I heard it back in the day. Even as such, “Object” proved to be Starpoint’s biggest pop crossover success, and tied with 1987’s “He Wants My Body” as their biggest success on the R&B singles chart.

So, take a spin back twenty nine years, and loose yourself in Renee’s fervid vocals, as she pines for the man who has excited her passions. Make sure to keep your ears open for that awesome keyboard riff throughout. Ah, how can you possibly miss it? 

“You’re the object… SUGAR!… of my desire… oh baby, ignite my fire! Object of my desire… hey you really turn me on!”

 

"Della and the Dealer" by Hoyt Axton

Every once in a while Dialophiles, I discover a classic song that I’ve never heard before. A tune with a great melody that lodges in my brain and won’t let go, making me wonder where that song has been my whole life. Tonight the Dial brings you a signal containing one of those very tracks… fine-tune your receiver for the best signal clarity as the Radio Dial brings you Hoyt Axton and his 1979 ode to “Della and the Dealer”.

“It was Della and a dealer and a dog named Jake, and a cat named Kalamazoo… Left the city in a pick-up truck, gonna make some dreams come true.” 

I recently heard Axton’s musical tale on an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati, one of the greatest ensemble sit-coms ever, and that’s a fact! In the episode, station receptionist Jennifer Marlowe (played by Loni Anderson) receives an unexpected visit from a suitor from her distant past, “T.J. Watson”, played by Mr. Axton. Seems she made a childhood promise to marry him if neither one of them were hitched by that year. Watson, a guitar strumming songwriter from Texas, has come to collect his “prize”, the beautiful Ms. Marlowe. In her haste, Jennifer ropes DJ Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) into masquerading as her husband to get out of hurting Axton’s feelings, and as they say… wackiness ensues.

At one point, Axton sings a few bars of his song “Jealous Man” to Johnny, containing the threatening, yet comedic lyric… 

“You got the knife… I got the gun… c’mon boy, let’s have a little fun…” 

which earned a big laugh from the studio audience and the Radio Dial home office, alike.

However it was Axton’s performance of “Della and the Dealer” which I’ve been humming ever since I caught that episode.

“Yeah, they rolled out west where the wild sun sets, and the coyote bays at the moon.

Della and a dealer and a dog named Jake, and a cat named Kalamazoo.” 

Featured also on his 1979 LP "A Rusty Old Halo", "Della..." resembles a nursery rhyme, especially as Jake and Kalamazoo are given human characteristics… (at one point, Jake has a gun, and Kalamazoo enjoys a shot of rye), but it’s not a track I necessarily recommend serenading junior to sleep with, given it’s plot of shady characters, and murder, and a not so subtle cocaine reference.

While “Della” is firmly entrenched in the Jim Croce school of musical storytelling, I actually first heard a lyrical similarity to Barry Manilow’s 1978 disco smash “Copacabana (At the Copa)”… both Hoyt and Barry’s tunes deal with a love triangle and a murder in a public place, and both end ambiguously, leaving it up to the listener who survived the deadly assault.

“And the stage was set when the lights went out, there was death in Tucson town. Two shadows ran for the bar back door, but one stayed on the ground.”

Despite the high profile appearance on WKRP, Della only peaked at US Country #17, and did not cross over to the Hot 100. Given that 1979’s pop charts were largely dominated by disco acts like The Bee Gees and Donna Summer, I suppose it’s not too surprising that Axton’s traditional country-folk storytelling didn’t make inroads on the chart. Though Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” was a top 5 pop smash that year, so who knows what exactly held Hoyt’s tune back from realizing it’s deserved potential?

Axton charted fourteen singles on the country chart from 1973 through 1981, wrote the rock classics “Joy To The World” and “Never Been To Spain” for Three Dog Night, and “No No Song” for Ringo Starr, and is best known to children of the 1980s as Randall Peltzer, the well meaning inventor who brings a unique gift home to his son in Gremlins. 

Hoyt left us on October 26, 1999 after a fatal heart attack, but his folksie stories live on, whether he’s singing about Jeremiah the Bullfrog (who was a good friend of his…), or Della and a Dealer, and a dog named Jake, and that cat named Kalamazoo. Thank you, Mr. Axton, we raise a glass of our finest whiskey to you.

“If that cat could talk, what tales he’d tell, about Della and the Dealer and the dog as well.

But the cat was cool, and he never said a mumblin’ word.”

"You Should Hear How She Talks About You" by Melissa Manchester

Hey there Dialophiles, thanks for tuning to the ever lovin' Radio Dial!

What say we kick off the weekend with an upbeat pop ditty courtesy of songstress Melissa Manchester? Allow us to present 1982’s under appreciated top 10 smash “You Should Hear How She Talks About You”!

“She’s so very nice, you should break the ice, let her know that she’s on your mind…”

A cover of a relatively obscure album track by Charlie Dore (who charted in 1980 with “Pilot of The Airwaves” – see my review from March 2012), “You Should…” was the biggest hit single extracted from Melissa’s “Hey Ricky” LP, peaking at US #5 in September of 1982. It also went on to earn her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance the following year.

A serious departure from the adult contemporary ballads she was known for (‘75’s “Midnight Blue” and ‘78’s “Don’t Cry out Loud” being the best examples), “You Should…” bears a curious new wave-meets-Broadway stamp, and has a bubble-gum style chorus that instantly catches the ear and won’t let go.

Reportedly inspired by the theme of the Beatles classic “She Loves You”, “You Should…” introduces the listener to a female protagonist who is telling a male friend of his secret admirer, until she spills the beans that the secret admirer is actually herself.

“Aww, can’t you see it? Don’t you think she’s feeling the same? Aww, I guarantee it, she’s the one who’s calling your name.”

I remember having a discussion with a friend back in the '90s about a line in the second verse. I maintained that the line is…

“She’s been talkin’ sweet and it’s on the street, how the girl’s been spreadin’ the word.”

My friend claimed the line actually was… “how our girlfriend’s spreading the word”.

Her argument was that “girlfriend” is sometimes used in a casual fashion to mean a platonic female friend, (as in “Heyyyy girlfriend!”) but personally, I didn’t hear the word used that way until the early nineties, when we were having this disagreement, about a full decade after the song was released. Maybe the part of Maryland that I called home lagged behind in adoption of slang terms, but I don’t really think so.

Despite the fact that seven out of ten lyrics websites agree with my friend’s interpretation, I still just don’t hear the line as “Girlfriend”.  I distinctly hear a “B” sound after the word “girl”, which supports my theory. Unfortunately I don’t have the original LP to check the liner notes, so unless Miss Manchester sees this post and reaches out to offer clarification (please?), the Dial’s official position is that the line is… “How the girl’s been spreadin’ the word.” So there.

“Talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk talk TALK… cant’cha see? (cant’cha see?) It’s me! OOOH! What she said, what she said!”

"You Should” was another one of those songs that that I stayed up late in order to try and tape off the radio back in the 90s, when my nostalgia for early 80s pop was reaching its peak.

Of course, in the pre-internet era, you couldn’t just log onto to your favorite music program (I’m a Rhapsody man, myself), and get a perfect copy of the track you want immediately. Back in those days, if you didn’t have the money to buy every single or LP you wanted (and I sure as heck didn’t), you had to hunt your music on the wild frontier of the airwaves, fingers poised over the record button on your stereo or boombox, in hopes to capture a song that’s sparked your memory, or lodged in your mind.  Sure, the recording may not have been the greatest quality, and sometimes you had to wait days or even weeks to get the song you wanted (especially if it was an older song that was rarely played), but MAN, what a great rush when you finally bagged it!

So give Melissa’s expertly crafted top 5 smash a spin, and make sure to tell your friends all about the Radio Dial blog. Maybe we’ll hear how you talk about US someday!!!

“You should hear how she talks about you, you should hear what she says. She says she would be lost with you, she’s half out of her head (out of her head).”

"Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie

Happy Independence Day weekend, Dialophiles! Hopefully you are all enjoying great times with family and friends, and reflecting on the history of our great country, and the freedoms we all share.  In order to contribute to the festivities, the Dial is bringing you a great track from glam rock pioneer David Bowie, his timeless 1980 classic “Ashes to Ashes”! (there may not appear to be a connection here... but keep reading!)

“Do you remember a guy that’s been…  in such an early song… I’ve heard a rumor from Ground Control… oh no, don’t say it’s true.”

A thematic sequel to Bowie’s 1969 hit “Space Oddity”, “Ashes” continues the story of troubled astronaut “Major Tom”. Where the original song has Tom accepting that his spaceship has malfunctioned and he’s drifting among the stars helplessly, “Ashes” re-defines the good Major as a junkie struggling with addiction and aging. Because of this, many musicologists interpret the song as being more about Bowie’s own personal demons, rather than a true second chapter to Tom’s spaceflight saga.

“They got a message from the Action Man… ‘I’m happy, hope you’re happy too. I’ve loved all I’ve needed to love… sordid details following.’”

Amazingly, this awesomely atmospheric single, which truly deserved to be a big hit, only “Bubbled under” the Hot 100 at position #101, though the parent LP “Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” topped the UK Album charts and made a very respectable #12 on the Billboard 200 here in the States.

I believe “Ashes” was a few years ahead of its time, and had it been released during the Duran Duran/Missing Persons/A Flock of Seagulls new wave era, it likely would have reached the top 30 on the singles chart here in the States, at least.

“I’ve never done good things… I’ve never done bad things… I’ve never did anything out of the blue… want an axe to break the ice… I wanna come down right now.”

Major Tom was revisited in another continuation, 1983’s “Major Tom (Coming Home)” by Peter Schilling. Though this US #14 hit single was created without Bowie’s involvement, it serves as a retelling of the original Space Oddity. Describing an otherwise normal space mission that goes awry, the ending is left ambiguous as to whether Tom passes away peacefully in his craft, or starts to tumble back to Earth with the malfunctioning ship.

I became re-familiar with “Ashes” in the mid 90s when a friend made me a compilation cassette of interesting cover songs, which included the 1992 Tears for Fears version taken from the “Ruby Trax” compilation LP. I had only heard Bowie’s original once or twice by the time I heard Tears’ cover, which, while quite outstanding in it’s own right, led to me seeking out and rediscovering the original Bowie track.

So, prepare yourself for your own journey of rediscovery, Dialophiles, and join Bowie and Major Tom in that capsule far out in space. Maybe from way up there, Tom can see the fireworks celebrations happening all over the country tonight. See, I found a way to tie it all together, after all!

“Ashes to ashes… funk to funky, we know major Tom’s a junkie. Strung out in heaven’s high… hitting an all time low.”