"Dare" by Stan Bush

      Hello Radio Dial fans! I’m gonna have to geek out here (more than usual) over the Dial’s latest selection. As you all should know, I'm passionate about several things – top 40 music of the 70s and 80s (obviously), classic video games, amateur astronomy, and my favorite toy line from my childhood, the Transformers. Something about those shape-shifting warring mechanoids from Cybertron ignited my imagination more than any other science fiction franchise, and they continue to interest me today.

As this month marks the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of 1986’s Transformers: the Movie, The Dial is bringing you one of our favorite cuts from the soundtrack of that film, a tune played throughout the movie to punctuate action and add to the uplifting feel of the scenes it was featured in. Let us proudly introduce “Dare”, by Orlando, Florida’s own Stan Bush.

“Sometimes when your hopes have all been shattered, there’s nowhere to turn. You wonder how you keep going…”

An inspiring song about digging deep and finding the power within yourself, “Dare” belongs to a similar wheelhouse as Survivor's two “Rocky” themes (“Eye of the Tiger” and “Burning Heart”), John Parr’s “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)”, Irene Cara’s “Flashdance (What A Feeling)”, and the Karate Kid extract “You're the Best” by Joe Esposito, every last one of which were pulled from movie soundtracks.

Unlike these other songs, however, Dare was recorded by a lower profile artist, and was attached to a movie which appealed to a niche market audience , so not many music fans outside of ‘80s kids and sci-fi fans know of the track. Additionally, “Dare” never had an official music video, nor was it ever released to radio, and as such, never charted on the hot 100.

However, Bush’s other contribution to the soundtrack, the unofficial theme song “The Touch”, has gone on to become a much referenced pop culture artifact, appearing in multiple TV shows, video games, and movies, even those outside of the Transformers franchise, including a version sung purposely off-key by Mark Wahlberg in the very different film “Boogie Nights”.

“Think of all the things that really matter, and the chances you’ve earned… the fire in your heart is growing.”

While I recognize that “Dare” sounds rather dated with its power pop/rock sound, and guitar and keyboard heavy arrangement, Stan’s tune still gets us going here at the home office. Especially the Radio Dial kids, both of whom were raised on old school Transformers and know their Starscream from their Skywarp, if you know what I’m sayin’.

Personally, whenever I hear “Dare”, I am reminded of the fact that the Transformers movie came out when I was very ill in the hospital. I recall watching the movie trailers on the TV in my hospital room, and I couldn’t wait to get better so I could go to the theatre and see it. Finally seeing Optimus Prime and Megatron on the big screen about 2 weeks later was the ultimate prize for getting better and it was well worth the wait. It was also the first movie I saw in the theater by myself, which was a huge deal for me. This of course, was back when you could let your 12 year old go to a movie alone and NOT be paranoid that something would happen to him. Those were simpler times, indeed.

“You can fly, if you try, leaving the past behind… heaven only knows what you might find.”

So, I invite you to step back three decades to when heroic Autobots battled evil Decepticons on the big screen (before all this modern day Michael Bay nonsense), and Stan Bush’s “Dare” spoke to the hearts of similar ‘80s kids like myself. The “video” below is a fan made accompaniment of various clips from the original ‘84-‘87 animated series and from the movie itself. (Normally I don’t care for fan made videos, but if you’re a Transformers fan, this one is great fun for the sheer number of characters featured. You’re welcome.)

Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“Dare! Dare to believe you can survive… you hold the future in your hand.

Dare! Dare to keep all your dreams alive. It’s time to take a stand. You can win if you DARE!”

 
 

"She's In Love With You" by Suzi Quatro

   

    

     Hello Radio Dial fans! Thanks for checking in as we begin the month of August! Adding to what has been a hot summer throughout much of the country, the Dial is beaming a forgotten rocker from Detroit native Suzi Quatro to your speakers, wherever you may be. Turn up the volume (and turn on the A/C), for Suzi and her 1980 single “She’s In Love with You”!

“So if you see her all alone one night walk up to her discreetly… ask her why. And if she replies with words that don’t make sense, it may be just because she’s shy.”

“She’s In Love…” concerns a woman whom is letting her male friend know about another girl that loves him from afar. However, unlike other songs with a similar plot (such as Melissa Manchester’s 1982 hit “You Should Hear How She Talks About You”), here Suzi’s narrator is simply giving her guy friend a friendly “heads up”, instead of revealing herself to be the actual interested romantic party at the end of the song.

“She’s In Love…” was Suzi’s biggest US solo hit (with one caveat, which I’ll mention shortly), and it JUUUUST missed the Top 40 at position #41 in January 1980. This was not the only Quatro single that knocked on the door of the 40 and was denied access, as “I’ve Never Been in Love” peaked at US #44 in October of ‘79, and “If You Can’t Give Me Love” hit US #45 in June of that same year.

Now for that caveat… Suzi DID hit the US Top ten (#4) in ‘79 with the soft rock classic “Stumblin’ In”, a sweet song about a lasting love. However, as this was recorded as a duet with singer Chris Norman, its success is attributable to both artists as a pairing, and is not technically a solo Suzi single.

“Don’t take advantage of her lack of understanding just because you think you could… Treat her right, treat her good… take her home and make her feel the way she should.”

Written by the songwriting team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the “Chinnichap” duo was responsible for many top U.K. pop/rock hits by acts like Mud, and Smokie, in addition to many of Quatro’s earlier UK-only hits as well, like “Devil Gate Drive”, a UK chart topper in ’74.

Despite being better known in their native London than in the States, the Chinnichap team was also successful in bringing their signature sound to the U.S., with hits like The Sweet’s “Little Willy”, and “Ballroom Blitz” (#3 in ’72, and #5 in ’73, respectively), Exile’s “Kiss You All Over” (#1 in ’78), Toni Basil’s “Mickey” (#1 in ’82), Huey Lewis & the News’ “Heart & Soul” (#8 in ’83), and Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good To Me” (#5 in ’84).

“So take her home and hold her close… touch her where she feels it most, but be true… And when she’s makin’ love to you, she’ll do what you want her to.”

Quatro, a.k.a. “Leather Tuscadero” (Happy Days fans know what I’m talkin’ about), drew her inspiration from The Beatles and Elvis, and has in turn, inspired tons of female rockers with her bass proficiency, leather clad tough chick image and glam-meets-bubblegum style. Joan Jett, both as a solo artist, and as a member of The Runaways, is the most obvious lady rocker that owes a debt to Suzi, but we can also look toward Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, The Pixies’ Kim Deal, and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, in addition to groups like L7, and Girlschool. Possibly even the White Stripes on some level, as the opening riff for WS’s signature song “Seven Nation Army” bears a strong resemblance to Quatro’s 1981 single “Lipstick”... but that’s another story altogether.

So, click that window below and rock out with Suzi, as we here at the Dial delve through more of our forgotten and worthwhile cuts from years past to bring you another classic track in about two weeks.

Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“She’s in love with you… That’s all she wants to do… She’ll never let you down, she’ll never fool around, ‘cuz she’s in love with you.”