Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 64!!!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Here we go!

Land of Confusion – Genesis

“Land of Confusion” is a rock song written by the band Genesis for their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The song was the third track on the album and was the fourth track from the album to become a single, which reached #4 in the US and #14 in the UK in 1987. It made #8 in the Netherlands. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The lyrics, further emphasized by the music video, discuss the greed and uncertainty of the Cold War-era 1980s, but evoke a sense of hope for the future. The song is remembered by many Genesis fans because of its video, which featured puppets from the 1980s UK sketch show Spitting Image.

The song is widely remembered for its music video, which had heavy airplay on MTV. The video drew controversy for its portrayal of Ronald Reagan as being physically and cognitively inept. The video features puppets by the British television show Spitting Image. After Phil Collins saw a caricatured version of himself on the show, he commissioned the show’s creators, Peter Fluck and Roger Law, to create puppets of the entire band, as well as all the characters in the video.

The video opens with a caricatured Ronald Reagan (voiced by Chris Barrie), Nancy Reagan, and a chimpanzee (parodying Reagan’s film Bedtime for Bonzo), going to bed at 16:30. Reagan, holding a teddy bear, goes to sleep and begins to have a nightmare, which sets the premise for the entire video. The video intermittently features a line of stomping feet, illustrating an army marching through a swamp, and they pick up heads of Cold War-era political figures in the swamp along the way (an allusion to Motel Hell).

Caricatured versions of the band members are shown playing instruments on stage during a concert: Tony Banks on an array of synthesizers (as well as a cash register), Mike Rutherford on a four-necked guitar (parodying Rutherford’s dual role as the band’s guitar and bass-player), and two Phil Collins puppets: one on the drums, and one singing.

The video, directed by John Lloyd & Jim Yukich and produced by Jon Blair, won the short lived Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video during the 1988 Grammys. The video was also nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video of the Year in 1987, but lost to “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel (coincidentally, Genesis’ former lead singer). It also made the number-one spot on The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau’s top 10 music videos in his year-end “Dean’s List” feature, and number three on the equivalent list in his annual survey of music critics, Pazz & Jop (again losing out to “Sledgehammer”)

Photograph – Def Leppard

“Photograph” is a 1983 single by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their album Pyromania. It was written as a tribute to the late actress Marilyn Monroe, as singer Joe Elliott often stated before playing the song live onstage. When released as a single it reached #1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and #12 on the Pop Singles chart. In 2006 the song was used in promotional ads for the DVD release of Blades of Glory. In 2009 it was named the 13th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

The 1993 live recording of the song in Sheffield, England appeared in the music video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as part of a Def Leppard downloadable track pack, as did the 1993 live recording of “Rock of Ages”. The song was also included in the tracklisting of the rhythm music video game Battle Of The Bands. In 2008 they performed the song with country star Taylor Swift on CMT Crossroads.

Joe Elliott comented on the Vault album that this song was a big hit in the US and that he felt disappointed that it didn’t become a hit in the UK. Nationally syndicated sports talk show host Jim Rome commonnly refers to “Photograph” as one of the all time great rock songs ever.

There are two versions of the music video. The uncensored version shows a knife scene at the beginning, and on the censored version of the video, it is almost the same except the knife scene is replaced with a stationary black cat. There are several appearances by the late Marilyn Monroe in the video, as the song is actually about her and lead singer Joe Elliot’s declaration that he doesn’t “want [her] photograph” but that that’s all he’s got and he must admire her from afar.

The music video was directed by David Malletand was shot on Friday December 2, 1982 (Bassist Rick Savage’s 22nd birthday), in Battersea, London, England. It featured the video debut of guitarist Phil Collen.

I’ll Be There For You – Bon Jovi

“I’ll Be There for You” is a Billboard Hot 100 number one single written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and performed by American rock band Bon Jovi.

Originally released on the 1988 album New Jersey, it became the band’s third single from the album when it was released as a single in 1989. As the band (and hard rock music) was at its peak popularity at this time, the song quickly climbed to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their fourth and final number one single. The song has remained as one of Bon Jovi’s signature songs and a classic in the power ballad genre. The song was also a peek into a more mature sound heard on their following albums Keep the Faith and These Days.

The video for the song features the band performing on a dark stage with an almost monochromatic blue color due to the stage lighting, with close-ups of each member, most notably lead singer Jon Bon Jovi and guitarist Richie Sambora. The video footage then switches midway to black-and-white footage from a Bon Jovi concert at the old Wembley Arena in London, England.

Cher performed the song at some early North American dates of the “Heart of Stone Tour” in 1990. John Cooper of Skillet often plays an acoustic version of the song during the bands live shows.

In the 2005 film A Lot Like Love, the lead character played by Ashton Kutcher serenades his love interest (played by Amanda Peet) with the song “I’ll Be There for You.”

Heart of Glass – Blondie

“Heart of Glass” is a song by American New Wave band Blondie. Featured on the band’s third studio album, Parallel Lines, it was released as a single in 1979 and topped the charts in several countries, most notably in the United Kingdom and United States.

Rolling Stone ranked the song number 255 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

“Heart of Glass” was originally recorded in 1975 under the name “Once I Had a Love,” and was much slower with a blues/reggae vibe to it. The song was frequently performed on tours, then was re-recorded with the same title in 1978, when the song was made a bit more rock-oriented. When Blondie recorded the album Parallel Lines, disco was big on the music scene, and producer Mike Chapman decided to give the song the disco twist that made the song what it is today, and one of the best-known Blondie recordings. For the single release the track was remixed by Chapman with the double-tracked bass drum even more accentuated.

The song was released in January 1979, and reached number one in both the US and the UK. The UK B-side was “Rifle Range”, from Blondie’s self titled debut album while the US single used the Parallel Lines track “11:59″. The accompanying music video for “Heart of Glass” was filmed at Studio 54 in New York City.

The versions appearing on the 7″ single issued in early 1979 varied from country to country, some used the regular album version (UK, 3:54), others an edited album version (US, 3:22) and others an edited version of the 12″ Disco Mix (4:10), which is the one usually found on current hits compilations like the 1994 anthology The Platinum Collection, Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound (2005) and Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision (2006). For the band’s very first hits compilation, 1981’s The Best of Blondie, producer Mike Chapman created a special mix including elements from both the 12″ Disco Version and the 12″ Instrumental (4:33). The 1981 version appears on 2002’s Greatest Hits.

Almost immediately after its release, “Heart of Glass” became the subject of controversy because of its disco sound. At the time, Blondie was one of the bands at the forefront of New York’s growing New Wave musical scene and were accused of “selling out” for releasing a disco song. According to Blondie front woman Deborah Harry, “Heart of Glass” made the band pariahs in the eyes of many of their fellow musicians in the New York music scene. The band was accused of pandering to the mainstream that many punk/new wave bands at the time were actively rebelling against.

There was also the issue of the use of the expression “pain in the ass” within the lyrics which, at the time, did not sit easily with the BBC. The radio version changed it to “heart of glass.” In Australia, the song was banned from radio for its “strong language.”

Despite the controversy, the song was a huge hit and helped propel Blondie from cult group to mainstream icons. The band itself has acknowledged the success of the song in helping their careers and has downplayed criticism of the song, pointing out that Blondie always experimented with different styles of music and that “Heart of Glass” was their take on disco. The band itself has jokingly taken to referring to the song as “The Disco Song” in interviews.

The “Heart of Glass” promotional video was filmed at the Studio 54 discothèque in New York City with director Stanley Dorfman. The video begins with footage of New York City in the night before joining Blondie perform at Studio 54. Then, the video alternates between close-ups of Harry’s face as she lip-syncs, and mid-distance shots of the entire band. In the video Harry wears a silver dress designed by Stephen Sprouse. To create the dress, Sprouse photo-printed a picture of television scan lines onto a piece of fabric, and then, according to Harry, “put a layer of cotton fabric underneath and a layer of chiffon on top, and then the scan-lines would do this op-art thing”.The popularity of the song helped Sprouse’s work earn a lot of exposure from the media.

“Draped in a sheer, silver Sprouse dress,” Kris Needs summarized while writing for Mojo Classic, “Debbie sang through gritted teeth, while the boys cavorted with mirror balls”. Studying Harry’s attitude in the “effortlessly cool” video, music writer Pat Kane felt she “exuded a steely confidence about her sexual impact … The Marilyn [Monroe] do has artfully fallen over, and she’s in the funkiest of dresses: one strap across her shoulder, swirling silks around about her. Her iconic face shows flickers of interest, amidst the boredom and ennui of the song’s lyrics”. Kane also noted that the band members fooling around with disco balls, “taking the mickey out of their own disco fixation”. Reviewing the Greatest Hits: Sound & Vision DVD for Pitchfork Media, Jess Harvell wrote that while “owning your own copy of ‘Heart of Glass’ may not seem as cool [anymore] … there’s the always luminous Deborah Harry, who would give boiling asparagus an erotic charge, all while looking too bored to live”.

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 63!!!

Alright, Alright…let’s get this thing rolling.  #63.  I love that number.

Jump (for My Love) – Pointer Sisters

“Jump (for My Love)” was the opening track (and third single) of the Pointer Sisters’ 1983 album, Break Out.

Released prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics games, the song’s video featured footage of athletes competing in track and field events. The song was the second of four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in a row for the sisters in 1984; it peaked at #3 in July. It also appeared on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart and reached the Top 10 in the UK, peaking at number six.

The original title given to the song simply was “Jump.” The title was modified to “Jump (for My Love)” prior to its release to avoid confusion with the Van Halen song Jump, which was released earlier the same year.

The song netted the group a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1985.

In 2003, this recording was used in the movie Love Actually.

Do That To Me One More Time – Captain & Tennille

“Do That to Me One More Time” is a song performed by American pop duo Captain & Tennille. It was their second chart-topping hit in the U.S., following “Love Will Keep Us Together” from 1975. The song was included on the duo’s 1979 album, Make Your Move. The song was written by Toni Tennille.

After a decline in popularity from the height of their success in the mid-1970s, the Captain and Tennille signed with Casablanca Records under the guidance of Neil Bogart. “Do That to Me One More Time” was a comeback for the duo, but they failed to achieve further success on Casablanca and their contract was not renewed. Vocalist and songwriter Toni Tennille played the song for Bogart at her house with husband Daryl Dragon in Pacific Palisades, California on an electric piano. Bogart reacted enthusiastically, saying: “That’s a smash! There’s no doubt in my mind that’s going to be your first single.”

“Do That to Me One More Time” became Captain & Tennille’s second and final number-one hit when it reached the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending February 16, 1980. The song had logged four consecutive weeks in the runner-up position on this chart behind Michael Jackson’s hit “Rock with You” before ascending to the top of the chart. The song also achieved some crossover success on the Billboard adult contemporary and R&B charts. It was their highest-charting hit on the UK Singles Chart, where it reached #7 in March 1980. The duo also recorded a version of the song in Spanish.

Harden My Heart – Quarterflash

“Harden My Heart” is the most popular single by the rock group Quarterflash, off their Quarterflash album, released in 1981.

The song was originally released as a single in early 1980 by Seafood Mama, Quarterflash’s predecessor band. It featured more sparse instrumentation but a more dramatic vocal arrangement than the hit version and was a regional success on radio stations in Portland, Oregon.

After changing their name, Quarterflash released their self-titled debut album in 1981 which contained the new version of “Harden My Heart”. This version was released as the album’s first single. In January of 1982, it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart. The song also reached the Top 20 in Germany and in France, though it stalled below the Top 40 in the United Kingdom. It was the group’s only Top 10 single on the Hot 100, although their follow-up single off the album, “Find Another Fool”, and their 1983 hit “Take Me to Heart” both entered the Top 20. This song is included in the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, in the radio station Emotion 98.3.

Let’s Hear It For The Boy – Deniece Williams

“Let’s Hear It For The Boy” was the second number-one song for both Deniece Williams and the soundtrack to the feature film Footloose. It climbed to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1984, as well as number one on the dance and R&B charts, and peaked at number two on the UK singles chart. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.

The Australian group Young Divas covered the song on their debut album in 2006. The 2008 soundtrack of the hit Nickelodeon show iCarly features this version of the song.

It is a pivotal song in the US Queer as Folk continuum. This version is performed by Katty B and is a theme song for the character Justin Taylor.

The Mexican Latin Pop singer Byanka has sung by the 1985 song title “Escucho al Muchacho” and composed by “José T. Martinez”.

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 62!!!

After a week break, It’s back!!!

Oh, by the way, did I see ANOTHER Saints win? Eat it suckers.

Notorious – Duran Duran

“Notorious” is the 14th single by Duran Duran. It was released internationally by EMI on 20 October 1986. “Notorious” was the first single issued from the album Notorious, and the first released by Duran Duran as a 3-pieces band after the departure of Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor. It was a smash hit all around the world, reaching #7 in the UK, #2 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top 5 in several countries. Duran Duran’s success was on the wane, however, and the band would reach the Top 10 in the US only once more with “I Don’t Want Your Love” in 1988, before 1993’s “Ordinary World” and “Come Undone”.

“Notorious” marked the debut of the new streamlined trio version of Duran Duran, as both Roger and Andy Taylor had left the band by the time the single and album were released. In fact, the acrimonious nature of Andy Taylor’s departure was reflected in the song to a certain degree. According to songwriter Simon Le Bon, the lyric “Who really gives a damn for a flaky bandit” was a direct dig at the guitarist.

As a trio, the band had enlisted the help of Nile Rodgers to take over production duties. His funk influences can be felt all over the single, from the tempo to the use of The Borneo Horns brass section. Rodgers also plays guitar on the single.

The video for “Notorious” was shot in November 1986 by directors Peter Kagan and Paula Greif, and bore an uncanny resemblance to the video the duo had filmed in June of that year for Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love”. The video was shot in black and white Super-8 with a hand-held camera, with quick cuts and changes of zoom and focus. It featured the three-piece band performing the song on a sound stage, with scantily clad dancers in the background choreographed by Paula Abdul.

The young model Christy Turlington appeared in outdoor scenes with the band. A still photo from this location was used as the cover of the album Notorious.

You can hear the gasping from a girl who is falling in love with a boy.

When the track made its debut on Montreal radio station CHOM during the 20 October, 1986 edition of the nightly radio show “Rock And Roll News”, DJ Randy Renaud declared that by the next night, the song “Amanda” by Boston (which had been holding on to the number one spot on CHOM’s charts for several weeks) could “Kiss the number one spot goodbye”. Sure enough, by the next night, CHOM had received enough requests for the song that it supplanted “Amanda” from the #1 spot on the stations nightly countdown show, “The Top Six At Six”.

Ask – The Smiths

“Ask” is a song by The Smiths. It was released as a single in October 1986, reaching #14 in the UK Singles Chart. As with most of The Smiths’ singles, it was not included on an original album. It can be found on the compilations The World Won’t Listen and Louder Than Bombs as well as the live album Rank, where it is introduced as the band’s new single. The UK cover shows Yootha Joyce who starred in the UK television series George & Mildred. The song features Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals.

There are two versions of this song. The version that appears on the single releases and the album The Very Best of The Smiths fades out slightly sooner and has the vocal track lasting until the end of the song. The backing vocals in this version are also mixed differently and are louder. The version that appears on all albums (save for the one listed above) fades out later (though the end of the track is audible, albeit at a very low level) and has the vocal track ending before the fade begins.

Dancing With Myself – Billy Idol

“Dancing with Myself” is a song by the band Generation X released in 1981, from their album Kiss Me Deadly. It was one of their first true hit singles. At the time of its release, the band shortened their name to simply “Gen X.” Also of note, the band contained only Billy Idol and Tony James from the original line-up. Idol went on to have great success with the single when he released a more pop friendly version (absent of the driving guitar and bass in the Gen X version) on his first solo release, Don’t Stop.

Some have speculated that the song is about masturbation, but more likely it was inspired by what Tony James and Billy Idol witnessed in a Japanese night club during the band’s 1979 Japanese Tour as patrons watched themselves dance in the space enhancing mirrors which covered the walls.

The music video was directed by Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Poltergeist).

The song is featured in the 2007 film Flushed Away. It is also featured in a 2008 advertisement for the French health insurance company La Mutuelle Générale. A cover version by The Donnas played at the end of the 2004 film Mean Girls.

Dancing with Myself was used in the 1998 film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie. The song was also featured and is sung by Gonzo in an episode of Muppets Tonight. The song was recently featured in the TV show Gossip Girl. It is also featured in the music video game Guitar Hero 5. Artie from the TV show Glee sings the Nouvelle Vague version of the song in the ninth episode “Wheels. It was also the closing song of an Ugly Betty episode (Plus None, Episode 5 of Season 4).”

In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel

“In Your Eyes” is a song by musician Peter Gabriel from his 1986 album So. It reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. It was not released as a single in the UK. Gabriel later released an extended version of the song which was nearly 9 minutes in length (as compared to the original 5:29 version that appears on the album). Like many of his songs, “In Your Eyes” contains significant African influences, even more so when performed live (on the So tour) as an extended vocal duet with Youssou N’Dour.

The song was the finale of the Secret World Tour, and is the final track on the Secret World Live album.

In 1993, Gabriel performed the song on Saturday Night Live.

The song was included on the US version of his 2003 compilation Hit, but not on the European or Japanese versions.

In 2005, after 19 years of accumulated sales, the song brought Gabriel his first Gold single, certified in the U.S. by the RIAA.

American singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Gaines included an acoustic live version of “In Your Eyes” as a bonus track to “Scares Me More”, the second single off his 1992 self-titled Chrysalis debut album. Though neither of the single’s tracks charted nationally, “In Your Eyes” received more radio attention than the A-side (particularly in the Northeast, where the album hit #4 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers Northeast and #5 on the Heatseekers Mid-Atlantic charts despite not containing the track) and became a fan favorite.

After two more albums which failed to match the modest success of his debut, Gaines included both a new live version and a studio recording of the song on his 2001 album Always Be. Released to radio, the recordings found their greatest success at the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks format, where Gaines had a long-running minor hit, peaking only at #22 but remaining on the 40-place chart for 24 weeks. Always Be peaked at #25 on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart.

In 1988 (at the end of the 1987 NFL season), NBC Sports used “In Your Eyes” in for the prologue (narrated by Dick Enberg) of the AFC Championship Game between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.

The song was used twice in the 1989 Cameron Crowe film, Say Anything…, as well as in its trailer. An iconic scene from the film occurs when broken-hearted Lloyd Dobler serenades his ex-girlfriend, Diane Court, outside her bedroom window by holding a boombox up above his head and playing the song for her. The scene has become a standard pop culture reference for romance. Repopularized by its usage in the film, the song reentered the charts but narrowly failed to crack the top 40 in its second run, reaching as high as #41.

Peter Gabriel asked to see Crowe’s film. Crowe had the production company send him rough cut. He approved the use of his song, but told Crowe that he was uneasy about the overdose of the main character at the end. The studio had sent Gabriel the film Wired instead.

In the 2005 Cold Case episode entitled “Family”, the song appears towards the end as a 1988 murder case is resolved.

In the American Dad episode “It’s Good to Be the Queen”, Stan Smith, in an attempt to get Francine to forgive him, forces Gabriel Byrne—whom he mistakenly believes to be Peter Gabriel—to sing “In Your Eyes” while holding the actor above his head, a la the Crowe film’s Lloyd Dobler character.

Wait? What?

Sorry, no flashback this week.  I was otherwise occupied. 

Back next week with more for you!!!

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 61!!!

It’s November already?

Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi

“Livin’ on a Prayer” is Bon Jovi’s second single from their Slippery When Wet album.

Jon Bon Jovi did not like the original recording of this song, which can be found as a hidden track on 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong. Richie Sambora convinced him the song was good, and they reworked it and included it on their Slippery When Wet album. It spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987, from February 14 – March 7, and two weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, from January 31-February 14. It also hit number four on the UK singles chart.

After the attacks of September 11th, 2001 — in which New Jersey was the second-hardest hit state after New York, suffering hundreds of casualties among both WTC workers and first responders — the band performed an acoustic version of this song for The Concert for New York City. Bon Jovi performed a similar version as part of the special America: A Tribute to Heroes.

In 2006, online voters rated “Livin’ On A Prayer” #1 on VH1’s “list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s”. More recently, in New Zealand, “Livin’ On A Prayer” was #1 on the C4 music channel show’s “U Choose 40″, on the 80’s Icons list. It was also #1 on the “Sing-a-long Classics List”. On January 28, 2008, “Livin’ on a Prayer” re-entered the official New Zealand RIANZ singles chart at number 24, over twenty years after it was first released.

Australian music TV channel MAX placed this song at #18 on their 2008 countdown “Rock Songs: Top 100″. In 2009, the song returned to the charts in the UK, notably hitting the number-one spot on the UK Rock Chart.

The song is noted for its use of the talkbox for the “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” backing lyrics.

The song is about a fictional working class couple, Tommy and Gina, who struggle to make ends meet and maintain their relationship.

Tommy “used to work on the docks” “union’s been on strike, he’s down on his luck”. Gina works at a diner, “workin’ for her man”.

Some have interpreted the lyrics to be anti-labor, as the striking labor union seems to be the catalyst for the troubled chain of events for Tommy and Gina. However, others have pointed out that the song does not clarify the circumstances behind the strike, and that the rest of the song does not appear to have a political message.

“I wrote that song during the Reagan era and the trickle-down economics are really inspirational to writing songs….” – Jon Bon Jovi

New Jersey is the only state in the union without an official state anthem, but Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” is cited by many, after Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, as a sort of unofficial anthem. “Livin’ on a Prayer” was one of the theme songs for the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Kerry.

That same year, “Livin’ on a Prayer” was the “theme song” for the 2004 Boston Red Sox after their historic comeback in the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. During halftime at Philadelphia Soul Arena Football games, the song is played, paying tribute to their owner Jon Bon Jovi. For a commercial about the Arena Football League that Bon Jovi did with John Elway, he asks the quarterback (who is suiting up to go into the fictional game) “What? Are you living in the past?” To which Elway says, “Better than living on a prayer.” The song is often played during Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles home games, during an offensive rally when the home team needs a big clutch hit. The Washington Nationals use this song in-between innings karoake contest. The song has been performed by many college marching bands including Michigan State University, The University of Tennessee Auburn University, Purdue University, Notre Dame (Where it is also, as of 2008, a very popular song on campus), Northern Illinois University, Boston College, Pennsylvania State University, Eastern Michigan University, Niagara University, Northwestern University, University of Michigan, Columbia University, and Georgia Tech and it is frequently a crowd favorite. The song become a theme for the George Mason University Patriots during their run to the Final Four in 2006. The Rutgers University Scarlet Knights football team plays “Livin’ on a Prayer” in the 4th quarter of all home games.

“Livin’ on a Prayer” is the unofficial theme song of the Stimson Superfans, a group of Fanatic Washington State Volleyball fans, and the song is sung by the group before every WSU Volleyball game.

Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” was featured in the film Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, and appears on its soundtrack album. The song was also featured on the trailer and a commercial for the 2009 film Paul Blart: Mall Cop.

A brief a cappella set of “Livin’ on a Prayer” was included as part of the November 7, 2006, episode of the TV show Gilmore Girls. In 2009 the song was featured on an episode of the hit UK series Skins.

The song is in the 2008 version of the Cadbury’s “Trucks” advert. The song’s chorus was used in an old Filipino Zesto orange juice commercial in the 1990s. The lyrics were reworked as “Cool and refreshing, that’s the way to go-o. Oh! Way to go, Zesto!”

It is a playable track for the music video game Rock Band 2 and for Guitar Hero World Tour. On the latter of the two, the ending is changed. Instead of it fading out on the ending chorus, it finishes the chorus and then has an “outro” riff. The song is also featured in the musical video game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2.

On May 8, 2009, the song was featured prominently in the final scene of “Everybody Hates G.E.D.”, the final episode of the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris. The scene was a tribute to “Made in America”, the final episode of the HBO drama The Sopranos, which featured Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” in its final scene.

An altered version of this song, entitled ‘Livin’ on a Grant’, is the anthem of the New ERA cohort of students within University College Dublin. The chorus is amended to reflect New ERA students’ defiance of the status quo within Irish university society.

Working For The Weekend – Loverboy

“Working for the Weekend” was a song released in 1981 on the rock band Loverboy’s second album Get Lucky. The song contained more of a pop feel than the other songs that the band produced, but this new sound proved to generate a lot of success, as the song reached #29 on the pop singles charts, and #2 in mainstream rock in the United States in January 1982.

It is ranked #100 on VH1’s 100 greatest songs of the 80’s.

Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys

“Hey Ladies” is a song by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, featured on their album Paul’s Boutique. It was the album’s only charting single, hitting #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is also the first single in history to chart in the Top 20 of both the Billboard Hot Rap Singles and Modern Rock Tracks charts, hitting #10 on the former and #18 on the latter. It also appears on Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science.

The lyric “cutting up the rug” is common slang for dancing.

A music video, in the vein of Saturday Night Fever, was made for the song.

A Little Respect – Erasure

“A Little Respect” is a song written and recorded by British synthpop duo Erasure, released in September 1988 as their tenth single. It was issued as the third European (and second American) single from their album The Innocents.

Known as one of their signature tunes, “A Little Respect” continued Erasure’s success on the UK singles chart, where it hit number four to become the band’s fifth Top 10 single. It was also Erasure’s second consecutive Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it climbed to number 14, and hit number two on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.

Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the heavily synthesized instrumentation is accentuated by acoustic guitar and Bell’s use of falsetto in the chorus. The lyrics are an empowering plea to a lover to show compassion and respect.

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 60!!!

Another week, another few videos.

Enjoy!

We Are Family – Sister Sledge

“We Are Family” is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to gain club and radio play. It eventually went Gold, becoming the number one R&B and number two pop song on the US charts in 1979. Along with the track, “He’s the Greatest Dancer”, “We Are Family” reached number one on the disco charts. It was also the theme song for the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, and was featured in both the 1996 film The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, and the 1997 film The Full Monty.

The song was used as the 1979 theme song for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won baseball’s World Series that year. The song was also played during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.

This song was re-released in 1993 in remix form in the UK, where the original had peaked at number seven on the singles chart. Titled the “Sure Is Pure Remix Edit”, the single surpassed the success of the original, reaching number five in the UK and remains their third biggest hit to date in that country (after “Frankie” and the 1984 remix of “Lost in Music”).

This song is also featured on DANCE! Online, a multiplayer online casual rhythm game, and the karaoke game Karaoke Revolution Volume 2.

During the 1980s and 1990s, The Disney Channel featured the song in a D-TV music video set entirely to clips from the cartoon short Casey Bats Again.

Artists who have covered the song include Jordan Pruitt, the Spice Girls, The Corrs, and Babes in Toyland. In addition, Rodgers organized a re-recording of the song in 2001 as a benefit record for the September 11, 2001 attacks. He also produced a version featuring characters from popular children’s television shows such as SpongeBob Squarepants and Sesame Street. This version aired on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and PBS as a public service announcement. In December 2007, the song was announced as one of the 2008 inductees to the Grammy Hall of Fame. Kinshuk Nath in 2009 with his own office rendition of We Are Family.

Good Times – Chic

“Good Times” is a 1979 song composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. It was first recorded by their band Chic, for their 1979 album Risqué. In August of that year, it became the band’s second number one single on both the Billboard Hot 100 and soul singles chart. Along with the tracks, “My Forbidden Lover”, and “My Feet Keep Dancing”, “Good Times” reached number three on the disco charts. The song has become one of the most sampled pieces of music in history, most notably in rap and hip-hop music.

The song is ranked #224 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In late 1979, Debbie Harry suggested that Nile Rodgers join her and Chris Stein at a Hip hop event in a communal space taken over by young kids and teenagers with boom box stereos, who would play various pieces of music to which performers would break dance. The main piece of music they would use was the break section of “Good Times.” A few weeks later, Blondie, The Clash and Chic were playing a gig in New York at Bonds nightclub. When Chic started playing “Good Times,” rapper Fab Five Freddy and members of the Sugarhill Gang jumped up on stage and started freestyling with the band; Rodgers allowed them to “do their improvisation thing like poets, much like I would playing guitar with Prince.”

A few weeks later Rodgers was on the dance floor of New York club LaViticus and suddenly heard the DJ play a song which opened with Edwards bass line from “Good Times”. Rogers approached the DJ who said he was playing a record he had just bought that day in Harlem. The song turned out to be an early version of “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, which Rogers noted also included a scratched version of the song’s string section. Rogers and Edwards threatened The Sugarhill Gang with legal action, which resulted in them being credited as co-writers on “Rappers Delight”

“Rapper’s Delight” did not achieve as much chart success as “Good Times” (peaking at #36 on the U.S. pop chart and #4 on the American R&B charts, compared to Chic’s #1 peak on both charts) but it helped to popularize the bassline and the song, and it became one of the most sampled tracks (and hence one of the most distinctive basslines) in the history of recorded music. Having agreed on a commercial structure for the use of their song in “Rappers Delight”, Edwards and Rodgers agreed to later uses in other songs, subject to their strict criteria.

The lyrics are largely based on Milton Ager’s “Happy Days Are Here Again.” It also contains lines based on lyrics featured in “About a Quarter to Nine” made famous by Al Jolson. Nile Rodgers has stated that these depression-era lyrics were used as a hidden way to comment on the then-current economic depression in the United States.

The Boys Are Back In Town – Thin Lizzy

“The Boys Are Back in Town” is a single from Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song came out in 1976 on their album Jailbreak. It was honoured with the 499th position among Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone praised lead singer Phil Lynott’s “Gaelic soul” and called the “twin-guitar lead by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson” used “crucial to the song’s success”. The song is played at most Irish Rugby matches. In March 2005, Q magazine placed “The Boys Are Back in Town” at number 38 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

The original 1976 UK single release featured album track “Emerald” as a B-side, although in some territories “Jailbreak” was chosen. The single was remixed and re-released in several formats in March 1991, after the success of the “Dedication” single, but failed to chart. The 12″ EP featured the extra tracks “Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed”, “Black Boys on the Corner” and a live version of “Me and the Boys”.

This Charming Man – The Smiths

“This Charming Man” is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer/lyricist Morrissey. It was released as the group’s second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade. The song is defined by Marr’s jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey’s characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.

Feeling detached from and unable to relate to the early 1980s mainstream gay culture, Morrissey wrote “This Charming Man” to evoke an older, more coded and self-aware underground scene. The singer explained of the song’s lyrics, “I really like the idea of the male voice being quite vulnerable, of it being taken and slightly manipulated, rather than there being always this heavy machismo thing that just bores everybody.”

Although only moderately successful on first release—the single peaked at number 25 on the British singles chart—”This Charming Man” has been widely praised in both the music and mainstream press. The single was re-issued in 1992, reaching number 8 on the UK singles chart (also making it The Smiths biggest UK hit by chart position). In 2004, BBC Radio 2 listeners voted it number 97 on the station’s “Sold On Song Top 100″ poll. Mojo magazine journalists placed the track at number one on their 2008 “50 Greatest UK Indie Records of All Time” feature.

By early 1983, The Smiths had gained a large following on the UK live circuit and had signed a record deal with the indie label Rough Trade. The deal, along with positive concert reviews in the weekly music press and an upcoming session on BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel’s radio show, generated a large media buzz for the band. In a music scene dominated by corporate and video-driven acts, the Smiths’ camp and bookish image stood out, and many expected the band to be the breakthrough act of the UK post-punk movement. The previous October Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their iconic track “Relax”, which was seen as an anthem to an out alpha male self-assertiveness, and alien to many UK homosexuals. However, The Smiths’ May 1983 debut single “Hand in Glove” failed to live up to critical and commercial expectations, mostly due to its perceived low production values. When Rough Trade label mates Aztec Camera began to receive day-time national radio-play with their track “Walk out to Winter”, Marr admitted to “feeling a little jealous, my competitive urges kicked in”. The guitarist believed The Smiths needed an up-beat song, “in a major key”, in order to gain a chart positioning that would live up to expectations.

Marr wrote the music to “This Charming Man” especially for the Peel session on the same night that he wrote “Still Ill” and “Pretty Girls Make Graves”. Based on the Peel performance, Rough Trade label head Geoff Travis suggested that the band release the song as a single instead of the slated release “Reel Around the Fountain”, which had gathered notoriety in the press due to what were seen as lyrical references to paedophilia. The Smiths entered Matrix Studios in London on September 1983 to record a second studio version of the song for release as a single. However, the result—known as the ‘London version’—was unsatisfactory and soon after, the band travelled to Strawberry Studios in Stockport to try again. Here, they recorded the more widely heard A-side.

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 59!!!

What a difference a week makes!  Last week I asked where the cold weather was…well it’s here.  It’s 20-30 degrees cooler this Sunday.

Oh, and the Saints knocked off the Giants.  Woo Hoo!!!

Here we go…

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

“Eye of the Tiger” is a song performed by the American rock band Survivor from the album Eye of the Tiger, released in 1982. It was used at the request of Sylvester Stallone for the film Rocky III. The mix of the song heard in the film features tiger growls, though these are omitted on the album and single versions.

“Eye of the Tiger” topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for six weeks beginning July 24, 1982. The single was number two on the Billboard Top Pop Singles of 1982 year-end chart and number one on the Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles year-end chart. “Eye of the Tiger” also reached number one in the UK, Irish and Australian charts. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1982, representing two million records sold in the U.S. Survivor won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Eye of the Tiger”. The song received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and was voted “Favorite Song” by the People’s Choice Awards (in a tie with “Truly” by Lionel Richie).

In an interview with Songfacts, co-writer Jim Peterik explained the song’s title.

“At first, we wondered if calling it ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ was too obvious. The initial draft of the song, we started with ‘It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight, rising up to the spirit of our rival, and the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night, and it all comes down to survival.’ We were going to call the song ‘Survival.’ In the rhyme scheme, you can tell we had set up ‘rival’ to rhyme with ’survival.’ At the end of the day, we said, ‘Are we nuts?’ That hook is so strong, and ‘rival’ doesn’t have to be a perfect rhyme with the word ‘tiger.’ We made the right choice and went with ‘Eye Of The Tiger.’”

The song was listed at #21 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100 and was named the 63rd best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead Or Alive

“You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” is a song by Dead or Alive on their 1985 album Youthquake. The original cut was over four minutes long and was edited for the album. The unedited version was released on an ’80s CD called Monster ’80s Volume Two.

This song was the first UK number-one hit for the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Released in November 1984, the record reached number one in March 1985, taking seventeen weeks to get there. In the US, it peaked at #11 in September of that year.

The video was directed by Vaughan Arnell and Anthea Benton.

The strings were based on Richard Wagner’s classical piece Ride of the Valkyries.

“You Spin Me Round” was re-released in 2003 at the same time as the Dead or Alive greatest hits album Evolution was released. The song reached #23 in the UK singles chart. It was re-released again on January 30, 2006 because of lead singer Pete Burns’ controversial time as a contestant on television series Celebrity Big Brother and reached #5.

Earlier remixes were in 1996 and 1997 (some are included on the US, European and Australian releases of Nukleopatra). In 1999 these mixes were issued in the US as a 2CD set. The first disc held seven mixes of “You Spin Me Round” while disc two has five mixes of “Sex Drive”. In 2000, new mixes appeared on Fragile and in 2001, on Unbreakable: The Fragile Remixes. No videos were made for these.

The song has been re-released three times since its original release in 1984. Each time of its release, it achieved success, but failed to match the success of the original. However, after lead-singer Pete Burns’ run on UK Celebrity Big Brother, the single was re-released and managed a Top 5 peak on the UK Singles Chart in 2006.

You Got It – Roy Orbison

“You Got It” is a song from Roy Orbison’s album, Mystery Girl (1989). The song reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the adult contemporary chart, returning Orbison to the Top 40 for the first time in 24 years. It also hit number three on the UK Singles Chart in the spring of 1989. This was a few months after Orbison’s death of a heart attack on December 6, 1988, at the age of 52. While “You Got It” was Orbison’s last hit single in the United States, the single, “I Drove All Night”, made the UK Top 5 later in 1992. In addition, it was his only solo top ten hit on the Hot Country Songs charts, peaking at #7.

In the U.S., the song became a hit again in 1995 for Bonnie Raitt, who recorded a version for the soundtrack of the film Boys on the Side. It peaked at number 34 on the Hot 100.

Orbison gave his only public rendition of the hit, to the applause of a huge crowd, at the Diamond Awards Festival in Antwerp, Belgium, a few days before his death. This footage was incorporated into the song’s music video.

Perfect – Fairground Attraction

“Perfect” is the title to Fairground Attraction’s first single, released in Apirl 1988.

The single reached number one on the 9 May 1988 in the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed for one week, and stayed in the chart for thirteen weeks. It also reached number one in Australia for three weeks in August and September 1988. In the UK, it was released as a 7″ single, 12″ single, cassette single, and CD single). The song was included on the band’s first album, The First of a Million Kisses, later the same year. It was used in television advertising for Asda in the late 1980s. It was re-released as a single in 1993 after it had reappeared on the compilation album Celtic Heart.

“Perfect” won the award for Best Single at the 1989 BRIT Awards.

The song was used for advertising for UK supermarket chain Waitrose in the late 1990s and is currently[when?] used for advertising Dulux paints in Australia.

It has been covered by Katie Melua, Katherine Crowe and Japanese singer Bonnie Pink.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!!

To all my Canadian friends, Happy Crappy Canadian Thanksgiving!!!

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 58!!!

Alright, it’s the middle of October and in the 70s/80s.  When was fall supposed to “kick in?”

Physical – Olivia Newton-John

“Physical” is a 1981 song written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick and performed by Olivia Newton-John.

Recorded in early 1981, it first rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in America in November 1981 and stayed there for 10 weeks, until near the end of January 1982. In terms of chart placement, it was the most popular single of her career, as well as her final number-one (to date). Billboard ranked it as the number one pop single of 1982 (since the chart year for 1982 actually began in November 1981), and it was also the most successful song on the Hot 100 during the entire decade of the 1980s. The famous guitar solo is performed by Toto’s guitarist Steve Lukather.

Interestingly, “Physical” was preceded and followed in the #1 position by recordings of the duo Hall and Oates. “Private Eyes” yielded its top spot to “Physical” in November 1981, and “Physical” yielded to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” the following January.

The single, slightly edgier than she had been known for in the past (such as her songs from Grease and her country-pop ballad “I Honestly Love You”), proved to be immensely popular both in America and in the United Kingdom, despite the fact that the song was censored and even banned by some radio stations, particularly Adult Contemporary stations; in spite of Newton-John’s status as the reigning queen of soft-rock music at the time, “Physical” peaked at only number twenty-nine on the AC chart (its follow-up, the slightly softer-edged “Make a Move on Me,” found more acceptance at AC radio and went to number six AC as well as number five pop.) The song was a big dance hit and spawned a music video. The revamped acoustic version of the song was released on the 2002 Olivia duet album (2) as a bonus track.

The song ranks at #6 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100.

The video featured a lusty Olivia, dressed in a tight leotard, working out in a gym with several overweight men, who eventually transform into attractive muscular young men. The gym setting may have been partly an attempt to divert attention from the overt sexual connotations of the term “physical”. This was further emphasized by the twist comedy ending of the video, when the transformed men who are now oblivious to Newton-John’s advances are ultimately revealed to be gay (this was also a source of controversy; MTV frequently cut the ending when it aired the video, and the sometimes sensuous nature of the video also led to it being banned outright by some broadcasters in Canada and the United Kingdom). The video won a Grammy Award for Video Of The Year in 1983. The song was banned in South Africa for its suggestive lyrics.

Like her first number-one single, “Physical” sold over two million copies, being certified platinum.

The video was featured on Pop-Up Video on VH1.

I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) – Hall & Oates

“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” is a 1981 song recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates.

It was the fourth number-one hit single of their career on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second hit single from their album Private Eyes. It features Charles DeChant on saxello.

On January 30, 1982, “I Can’t Go for That” ended a 10-week run at the top of the Hot 100 by Olivia Newton-John’s song, “Physical”. “Physical” had knocked out “Private Eyes” from the top spot.

Thanks to heavy airplay on urban contemporary stations, “I Can’t Go for That” also topped the U.S. R&B chart, a rare feat for a non-African American act. The song also went to number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week in January 1982.

According to the Hall and Oates biography, Hall upon learning that “I Can’t Go For That” had gone to number one on the R&B chart, wrote in his diary, “I’m the head soul brother in the U.S. Where to now?”

“I Can’t for That (No Can Do)” is one of the 14 Hall and Oates songs that have been played on the radio over one million times, according to BMI.

The single 45 version is actually not just an edit of the song but an edit of the dance mix rather than the version from “Private Eyes”.

Daryl Hall sketched out the basic song one evening at a music studio in New York City in 1981 after a recording session for the Private Eyes album. Hall began to play a bass line on a Korg organ, and sound engineer Neil Kernon recorded the result. Hall then came up with a guitar riff, which he and Oates worked on together. The next day, Hall and longtime collaborator Sara Allen completed the lyrics.

“I Can’t Go for That” was voted number six on VH1’s list of “The 100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s”.

The song has been covered by a number of recording artists including Brian McKnight, The Nylons, Les Go (with Alfredo Alias), Donny Osmond, East End, Kansascali, and Orson.

According to Hall, Michael Jackson admitted to Hall that Jackson’s song “Billie Jean” copied elements of “I Can’t Go For That”.

Turn Your Love Around – George Benson

“Turn Your Love Around” is one of many major R&B, Jazz and Pop hit singles for George Benson. The song was written to help fill out Benson’s 1981 greatest hits album, “The George Benson Collection”. It reached the Top Ten on the Jazz and Soul charts in the USA, Turn Your Love Around”, went to number one on the soul singles charts, as well as number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in early 1982.

The song is notable for being one of the very first pop hits to feature a Linn LM-1 drum machine, programmed by noted session drummer Jeff Porcaro.

This song was sampled on the album version of Lil’ Kim’s “Not Tonight” and on the Japanese 1 million hit song “Da.Yo.Ne.” by East End X Yuri in 1994.

Call Me – Skyy

“Call Me” is a 1981 single by Brooklyn based funk group Skyy.

The crossover single was very successful in both the R&B and Dance charts. Despite the crossover success, where the single peaked at number twenty-six on the Hot 100.  It was only one of two Skyy singles to place on the chart.

Sunday Night Video Flashback Pt. 57!!!

Another Week!!! Let’s get this started!

Wish my New Orleans Saints luck today!!!

Also, for all my Hockey Fan Readers, I’ve included the 2010 Vancouver Canucks OFFICIAL Team Anthem as the LAST video. ENJOY!!!

Two of Hearts – Stacey Q

“Two of Hearts” is a song by artist Stacey Q, from her debut album Better Than Heaven.

The song was one of the highest-selling singles of 1986 (at over a million copies), reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single also did well in the Hot Dance Music / Club Play list, landing at #4, and was a top 10 hit in Australia where it reached #7 on the ARIA chart. It also made the top 60 for the Hot R&B / Hip Hop Play list. Stacey Q performed the song on the television show The Facts of Life, in character as “Cinnamon,” a rival of Tootie’s.

“Two of Hearts” was rated #27 in VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80’s.

The song was covered by Norwegian singer Annie. The cover version was produced by Richard X, it was released as a promotional single on October 27, 2008. “Two of Hearts” was also released as a free digital download through Annie’s official website.

All Right Now – Free

“All Right Now” is a rock single by the English band Free. The song, released in the summer of 1970, hit #2 on the UK singles chart and #4 on the U.S. charts. “All Right Now” originally appeared on the album Fire And Water, which Free recorded on the Island Records label, formed by Chris Blackwell. In 1991, the song was remixed and re-released, reaching #8 on the UK singles chart.

“All Right Now” was a #1 hit in over 20 territories and was recognised by ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) in 1990 for garnering 1,000,000 plus radio plays in the U.S. by late 1989, and in 2000 an Award was given to Paul Rodgers by the British Music Industry when “All Right Now” passed 2,000,000 plus radio plays in the UK.

The song has recently found a home as part of the encore set for Queen + Paul Rodgers. Before “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions”, it offers the fans one more chance to sing along. Curiously, one of the engineers during the recordings of “All Right Now” was Roy Thomas Baker, who would later become Queen’s producer (he mixed “Killer Queen”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Me Now” among others).

According to drummer Simon Kirke, “All Right Now” was written by bassist Andy Fraser in the Durham Students’ Union building, Dunelm House. However, Paul Rodgers has stated unintentionally whilst performing with Queen that he wrote the lyrics to “All Right Now”. This remark can be heard on the Queen + Paul Rodgers CD, Return of the Champions, when “All Right Now” starts.

There are (at least) two mixes of Free’s “All Right Now”. The most popular version heard on album rock stations is 5:29 and a shorter mix is 4:13. The shorter one has a more complex guitar riff at the lead-in. The difference appears in the first seven seconds of the two tracks before Rodgers’ “Whoa, whoa, whoa”. The jazzier riff is apparent throughout the entire recording; there are also several slight variants to the bassline.

Furthermore, there are two mixes of the common 4:13 version. The first is the original ‘1970s’ version; this was later remixed using exactly the same vocal track, but replacing the guitars and drums with heavier, rockier sounding ones.

There is an outtake version on their box-set, and a version on Free Live!

“All Right Now” has been covered by many bands and artists; the most popular are by The Runaways in 1978, (Rick) Santers in 1984, Rod Stewart in 1985, ex-Wham! backing singers Pepsi & Shirlie in 1987, and by Scottish girl band Lemonescent in 2003. It has also been sampled in Tone-Loc’s song “Funky Cold Medina” in 1989. The Who covered it at a concert in Passaic, New Jersey on September 11, 1979. Sawyer Brown covers “All Right Now” as a part of their 2008 tour.

“All Right Now”, recorded by Mike Oldfield (produced by Tom Newman), with vocals by Wendy Roberts and Pierre Moerrlen, was issued as a one-sided promotional blue flexi-disc 7″ single in 1979. The single was given only to Virgin Records executives and was never issued to the public, making it one of the most elusive collectors’ items in the Oldfield catalogue. Its catalogue number is “Virgin TT-362″[1].

Since 1976, “All Right Now” has been the de facto fight song of the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB).

Steve Miller acknowledged that the intro to his 1976 #1 single “Rock ‘n Me” was a tip of the hat to All Right Now. “Yeah, it’s a tack on the wall for Paul. I did one concert in the two years that I was off the road. I went to London and played with Pink Floyd…it was a big, huge outdoor show so we needed a big rock and roll number that was really going to excite everybody. I just put it together and didn’t think much about it.”

The Sign – Ace Of Base

“The Sign” is a 1993 dance-pop song by the band Ace of Base. The song was an international smash hit, spending six non-consecutive weeks as number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, also reaching Number two in the United Kingdom. It was on an album called Happy Nation in most of the world, but The Sign in North America.

The song was the #1 song of 1994 according to Billboard magazine’s year-end charts. The song was ranked at #51 on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs for the first 50 years of the Hot 100 chart.

The song has been covered by The Mountain Goats, Atomic Raygun Attack, Teen Hearts, and an episode of Full House.

The music video of the song features the pop group singing amidst romantic and frolic images; “The Sign” was depicted as an ankh and a djed. The music video is Directed By: Mathias Julin.

Amid the images is a little story of a man and woman sitting side by side until the man leaves, seemingly abandoning the woman. However, he comes back with a rose and offers it to the woman. The woman graciously accepts and takes his hand. However, a bright light shines in the woman’s face, drawing her away, abandoning the man and dropping the rose on the chair.

It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls

“It’s Raining Men” is a song written by Paul Jabara and Paul Shaffer in 1979, and originally recorded by The Weather Girls in 1982. The song had been offered to Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Cher, and Barbra Streisand before being accepted by Martha Wash and Izora Armstead of The Weather Girls, with their version becoming an international hit, selling over 6 million copies worldwide.

It was covered by Martha Wash (of The Weather Girls) as a duet with RuPaul in 1997, Geri Halliwell in 2001 and by Young Divas in 2006. The song is hailed as a camp classic and more recently as a dance anthem, and as a classic female anthem, as well as a gay anthem.

The Weather Girls’ version went number one on the US Disco Chart, debuting in October 1982. It made number 34 on the US R&B chart and number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was released from their album Success. This version also made it to number two in the UK Singles Chart, #2 in Australia, and #1 on the Euro Hot 100.

RuPaul and Martha Wash duetted on “It’s Raining Men… The Sequel”, which was included on the 1998 Rhino Records compilation CD RuPaul’s Go-Go Box Classics.

“It’s Raining Men” was the first single of Geri Halliwell’s second solo album and was also on the soundtrack to the film Bridget Jones’s Diary. It was released in April, 2001.

It debuted at number-one in UK Singles Chart and stayed there for two weeks. It became Geri’s fourth consecutive number-one single in United Kingdom, selling 155,000 units in its first week and 80,000 in its second week. Overall the single went on to sell 421,670 copies in Britain alone, becoming the 12th best seller of 2001 and Geri Halliwell’s most successful single worldwide.

The song became the second best selling single of 2001 with over 3 million copies sold. The song had been added to the album at the last minute; another song, “Feels Like Sex”, had already been slated as the lead single. So far, of all the solo single releases of the Spice Girls members, this is still the most successful and best-selling. With this song, Geri Halliwell won the International Song of the Year award at the 2002 NRJ Music Awards in France. A remix of the song, The Almighty Mix from the Toshiba-EMI series “Dance Mania”, volume 20 was also featured in the 2002 Japanese video game, DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7th MIX and the 2002 Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME. This version of the song was used as the theme song in the advertisements for New Talent Singing Awards Vancouver Audition 2003. In July 2006 the song entered at seventy-nine on the Mexican Digital Sales Chart, spending two weeks inside the Top 100.