MTV in the 80s Song of the Day

[jingle.boy]

ok... 'better' music.

[Orbert]

Tony Banks of Genesis once cited Pet Shop Boys as one of his favorite bands.  I figured if one of my favorite composers names them as a favorite, they're worth checking out.  I did, and while they had a good sound and great production, I didn't find anything particularly mindblowing about their music.  Better, or at least less offensive, than most 80's stuff.

[KevShmev]

Actually, a lot of their post-80s material is their best stuff.  Very, Nightlife, Fundamental and Yes are all chock full of good songs.

[Orbert]

Ah ha, the anomoly.  The band whose better material came later, not earlier in their catalogue!

Now I have to hunt down some later Pet Shop Boys.

[DebraKadabra]

I never delved beyond West End Girls and What Have I Done To Deserve This.  Not bad though.

[KevShmev]

Phil Collins - Sussudio

Awful.  This is one of those songs that should be put in a coffin and buried forever.  It's that bad.  And it went to number 1! Yikes.

[Cool Chris]

Agreed. How did this become huge?

Wait... how did Phil Collins become huge?

[KevShmev]

Wait... how did Phil Collins become huge?

As a solo artist, I think In the Air Tonight was what really launched him.  And that is a great song.

[King Postwhore]

Phil became huge by growing a mullet of course.

[nicmos]

The crowd in that video has to go in the 80's fashion hall of fame.  And they don't even look like they're having much fun until the director tells them to start dancing and clapping.

[Jaq]

The only thing I really like about Sussudio is the fact that the title was just something Phil sang to fit the melody, and he never found anything to replace it, so it stuck. 

[FreezingPoint]

I quite like this song. In fact, No Jacket Required is my favorite Phil Collins album, and also one of my favorite pop/rock albums of all time.

[bosk1]

I don't dislike ANYTHING from Phil Collins.

[Orbert]

It's catchy, and the horns are great.  Can't say I like the song, though.

The live version with the Phil Collins Big Band smokes, though.

[DebraKadabra]

Phil Collins - Sussudio

Awful.  This is one of those songs that should be put in a coffin and buried forever.  It's that bad.  And it went to number 1! Yikes.

Right on, Kev.

[KevShmev]

Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok

I had completely forgot about this song until last week! I remember digging it when I was a kid, especially musically.  I was never a big fan of the talking style of the verses, but I liked the chorus.  And the song is still wicked cool musically. 

[Jaq]

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK AND THE CHORUS IS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD!

Dammit Kev, another earworm I thought defeated. 

[Orbert]

Catchy song, one of those rare 80's tunes that I actually have on my iPod.

Things I learned/realized while trying to hunt down an mp3 of this song:

• Murray Head was Judas Iscariot in the Broadway version of Jesus Christ Superstar.  That's my favorite version, I've listened to it hundreds of times, and I never recognized his voice.
• The song is from the Broadway version of the musical "Chess".  For some reason, it is nearly impossible to find this version.  Instead, the London version is everywhere, but the cast is different, and the story is actually quite different (for one thing, they completely changed the ending).  But the soundtrack with Murray Head is nowhere to be found.
• I was listening to the soundtrack, and sometimes the chorus would come in and the female voices would do a run in tight harmony and I'd say "What is this, ABBA?"  The music was written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the guys from ABBA, who also wrote most that group's music.

End of music lesson.

[KevShmev]

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK AND THE CHORUS IS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD!

Dammit Kev, another earworm I thought defeated. 

 

Catchy song, one of those rare 80's tunes that I actually have on my iPod.

Things I learned/realized while trying to hunt down an mp3 of this song:

• Murray Head was Judas Iscariot in the Broadway version of Jesus Christ Superstar.  That's my favorite version, I've listened to it hundreds of times, and I never recognized his voice.
• The song is from the Broadway version of the musical "Chess".  For some reason, it is nearly impossible to find this version.  Instead, the London version is everywhere, but the cast is different, and the story is actually quite different (for one thing, they completely changed the ending).  But the soundtrack with Murray Head is nowhere to be found.
• I was listening to the soundtrack, and sometimes the chorus would come in and the female voices would do a run in tight harmony and I'd say "What is this, ABBA?"  The music was written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, the guys from ABBA, who also wrote most that group's music.

End of music lesson.

Interesting.  Not sure of the difference, but I did find what I knew as the normal version of this song on amazon immediately.  Only cost me 99 cents.

[Zydar]

KevShmev: How do you find the songs that you decide to make the Song Of The Day?

First I thought you chose from your favourites, but I very soon realised that's not the case

[Orbert]

Well, $@%!

Yeah, I just went to Amazon and the original soundtrack was even listed first, before the London one.  I guarantee you, five years ago that was not the case.

[King Postwhore]

KevShmev: How do you find the songs that you decide to make the Song Of The Day?

First I thought you chose from your favourites, but I very soon realised that's not the case

Looks through his old VHS tapes.

[KevShmev]

KevShmev: How do you find the songs that you decide to make the Song Of The Day?

First I thought you chose from your favourites, but I very soon realised that's not the case

I have a master 80s playlist in iTunes, that includes my favorites and whatnot.  I then made a duplicate playlist titled DTF 80s, and then I added a bunch of 80s songs many would call essential, but ones I don't like enough to have in my own playlist, since, as a completist, I do have quite a few mp3s of songs I am iffy on, and then there are songs I might remember when seeing them on Totally 80s (but don't have an mp3 of).  And then I just randomly pick songs from it and delete them from the DTF 80s playlist so I know not to accidently feature them again.  So, if I ever accidently feature a song I've already done, it's cause I forgot to delete it.

Well, $@%!

Yeah, I just went to Amazon and the original soundtrack was even listed first, before the London one.  I guarantee you, five years ago that was not the case.

Hehe, there ya go.

Looks through his old VHS tapes.

Funny you say that, as I do still have four or five old 6-hour VHS tapes from the 80s just full of videos, but they are useless now, what with me not really having a working VCR anymore.

[Orbert]

In the version I have, there's an orchestral instrumental titled "Bangkok" which leads directly into the song "One Night in Bangkok".  The volume on the instrumental is really low compared to the song.  Is it that way on your copy?  It seems like such a cool tune, but when I'm shuffling, it's half over before I realize that it's even playing because it's so quiet.

[Cool Chris]

[Murray Head was Judas Iscariot in the Broadway version of Jesus Christ Superstar.  That's my favorite version, I've listened to it hundreds of times, and I never recognized his voice.

This version of the album is stellar, between him and Ian Gillan, and everyone else. Maybe because it was the first I heard, but every other verison just sounds... wrong. I know that isn't fair, but I can't listen to any other version. I get chills when he gets to "I shall be dragged through the slime and the, slime and the, slime and the mud!!!"

Interestly, I've never heard him doing anything else. I've heard this song, but never knew it was him.

[King Postwhore]

Kev, no lie, I just threw out about 45 VHS tapes when we cleaned out the basement.  All I recorded over the years.  I do have a VCR in the bedroom we never use.

[jingle.boy]

I had forgotten about this song too, but it for some reason jumped into my consciousness a few weeks back.  Didn't have it in my library, so thank god for the internet.

Totally dug this tune back in the day, and still do.  Eletronic, pop, and a little prog in there all at once.  Here's a one hit wonder.

[wkiml]

Kev, no lie, I just threw out about 45 VHS tapes when we cleaned out the basement.  All I recorded over the years.  I do have a VCR in the bedroom we never use.

come on be honest you use it as a clock

[jingle.boy]

Kev, no lie, I just threw out about 45 VHS tapes when we cleaned out the basement.  All I recorded over the years.  I do have a VCR in the bedroom we never use.

come on be honest you use it as a clock

Or it's always flashing 12:00

[KevShmev]

Kev, no lie, I just threw out about 45 VHS tapes when we cleaned out the basement.  All I recorded over the years.  I do have a VCR in the bedroom we never use.

I won't lie, either: there will probably come a day very soon where I have to throw out all of my VHS tapes - probably 100+ when you count ones full of videos, old wrestling shows in the late 80s/early 90s, sitcoms (I still have almost every episode of Cheers on VHS), movies, etc. - and it will make me a bit sad when I finally have to do it.

[KevShmev]

In the version I have, there's an orchestral instrumental titled "Bangkok" which leads directly into the song "One Night in Bangkok".  The volume on the instrumental is really low compared to the song.  Is it that way on your copy?  It seems like such a cool tune, but when I'm shuffling, it's half over before I realize that it's even playing because it's so quiet.

I don't think so.  It seems fine. :shrug

[jingle.boy]

Kev, no lie, I just threw out about 45 VHS tapes when we cleaned out the basement.  All I recorded over the years.  I do have a VCR in the bedroom we never use.

I won't lie, either: there will probably come a day very soon where I have to throw out all of my VHS tapes - probably 100+ when you count ones full of videos, old wrestling shows in the late 80s/early 90s, sitcoms (I still have almost every episode of Cheers on VHS), movies, etc. - and it will make me a bit sad when I finally have to do it.

I had a whack load of things on VHS that were irreplaceable.  About a year ago, I got myself a USB-RCA dongle, the appropriate software, and 'ripped' all my VHS tapes, along with all my Hi-8 camcorder tapes.  Now everything is digitized, and I don't need to keep a VCR just for the heck of it, or the physical space of all those cassettes.

[King Postwhore]

Guys, guys!  I have a cable box for the time!  It's for all my old pronos.  Come on now.

[DebraKadabra]

Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok

I had completely forgot about this song until last week! I remember digging it when I was a kid, especially musically.  I was never a big fan of the talking style of the verses, but I liked the chorus.  And the song is still wicked cool musically.

YES!  I've always loved this song!

[Orbert]

In the version I have, there's an orchestral instrumental titled "Bangkok" which leads directly into the song "One Night in Bangkok".  The volume on the instrumental is really low compared to the song.  Is it that way on your copy?  It seems like such a cool tune, but when I'm shuffling, it's half over before I realize that it's even playing because it's so quiet.

I don't think so.  It seems fine. :shrug

Damn, I may have to bust out 99 cents and upgrade my copy.