MTV in the 80s Song of the Day

[wkiml]

excellent driving song...roll down the windows and crank it up

[DebraKadabra]

Eh... I'd change to another station whenever it would be played on the radio.

[wolfking]

Lou Gramm - Midnight Blue

This is a nice, little toe-tapper.  Not something I'd call a favorite, but still an enjoyable song.  And it kind of stood out in 1987 as a rock song that was actually a rock song, not a big pile of cheese.  In other words, this song could have been released in 1977 and it would have sounded just right on a modern day classic rock radio station.

Good song, I actually heard it on the radio the other day for the first time and years and cranked the shit out of it.

[KevShmev]

Kajagoogoo - Too Shy

This is another one of those 80s song I can say I liked at the time, but was never a favorite, and nowadays doesn't do a whole lot for me.

[DebraKadabra]

BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!

[King Postwhore]

You know what shocked me, that the bass player in Kajagoogoo is the bass player in Steven Wilson's band.  Nick Beggs is his name.  I would never think their music worlds would cross paths.

[Jaq]

You know, Kev, whenever you make a second version of this thread, I submit that it should be called "ver. 2 BLEHCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" in honor of Debra. 

[wolfking]

Pretty smooth song, I like it.

[Orbert]

The bass line is pretty cool, and it really makes the song.  The fact that the bass player went on to bigger and better things is also cool.

[black_biff_stadler]

BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!

[KevShmev]

Seems like it's getting harder to please some...  However, this one is sure to make most following this thread happy.

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

Tawny Kitaen is solely to thank for this video being so great and so memorable, but the song itself is utterly fantastic; a monster ballad that manages to rock hard at the same time.  I didn't know anyone who didn't think this song was totally awesome back in 1987.  Obviously, the original 1987 version is the best one, not the radio version they released the same year (that had the verses way too upbeat and was more synth-driven). 

[King Postwhore]

Back when Tawny was hot enough to deal with all that crazy.

[Mindflux]

  I didn't know anyone who didn't think this song was totally awesome back in 1987.

<-- Didn't. Still don't.

[bosk1]

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

It is a very well-written, well-constructed song.  And I agree that the album version is better than the radio version. 

The 1982 Saints and Sinners version ain't bad either, but it has a completely different groove to it.  I wasn't familiar with Whitesnake until I saw them on the Slide It In tour opening for Quiet Riot on their Condition Critical tour, and I didn't hear the 1982 version until well after being very familiar with the 1987 version, so it always sounded a bit odd to me.  I'm sure old-school Whitesnake fans who were with the band from the early days felt that way about the 1987 version after having the original for 5 years before hearing it redone.  Funny how we have a tendency to do that with music (i.e. to often subjectively feel that the first version of a song that we individually have heard to be the "definitive version").  But to me, the 1987 version just sounds more polished, focused, and better performed. 

And the video...

[BlobVanDam]

It is a very well-written, well-constructed song.  And I agree that the album version is better than the radio version. 

That. Excellent ballad. The original version isn't bad, but the 87 version is superior in every way imo.

And of course, a memorable classic video for obvious reasons.

[Orbert]

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

I didn't know anyone who didn't think this song was totally awesome back in 1987. 

I don't mean to piss on anything here, but I do think that dissenting options should at least be heard.  I never liked this song, at all.  It had the clichéd "slow intro, then do the same thing only heavy" trick, it had the "repeat the catchy chorus, repeat it again, okay one more time" deal, it had the "sleazy video" thing going on, basically all the tricks.  100% formulated to be a big hit, and of course it was.  Yes, Tawny was hot.  Super hot.  But she was also a total sleazebag, and that's just a turnoff for me.

Obviously, the original 1987 version is the best one, not the radio version they released the same year (that had the verses way too upbeat and was more synth-driven). 

I'm only familiar with the MTV version, because there was nothing to the song that inspired me to look any further.

[jingle.boy]

Great song... great video... amazing album.  My favorite radio hit from that album.  Classic Power Ballad, and that's a style of song that I absolutely adore.

[masterthes]

Great video (naturally), and I like the radio version better than the studio version (I'm assuming the studio version is the one without the scream?)

[KevShmev]

  I didn't know anyone who didn't think this song was totally awesome back in 1987.

<-- Didn't. Still don't.

Okay, but I didn't know you in 1987, so...

I don't mean to piss on anything here, but I do think that dissenting options should at least be heard. 

Well, of course!  I mean, if not, would we really endure Debra's "BLECH!" remark towards every other song here lately?

But yeah, positive and negative opinions are welcome about all songs posted.

[bosk1]

I don't mean to piss on anything here, but I do think that dissenting options should at least be heard. 

Absolutely.  I totally get where you're coming from.  I mean, you're completely, unequivocally wrong in your opinion.  But I totally get where you're coming from. 

That song may check all the "boxes" you mention.  But that still doesn't stop it from being a terrific song that makes me wanna rock you in the morning and roll you in the night. 

[Orbert]

Dude, I'm married.  Calm down.  And for God's sake (and mine) don't play that song if it makes you feel that way.

[bosk1]

Any way you want, I'm gonna prove my love for you.

[jingle.boy]

makes me wanna rock you in the morning and roll you in the night.

Wrong song and band.  You're referring to this?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELtpTBf-pMU

[bosk1]

makes me wanna rock you in the morning and roll you in the night.

Wrong song and band.  You're referring to this?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELtpTBf-pMU

I know it's the wrong song.  But it is absolutely the right band.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjgD1HIVFC4 

[Cool Chris]

Never knew there were 2 versions of this song, only aware of the one I saw on TV (endlessly).

[Jaq]

Classic song off a classic album with a classic video...can't really go wrong with Whitesnake's 1987 album, can you? Whitesnake had a habit of re-recording songs, as Crying In The Rain and Fool For Your Loving were also reworks of earlier versions. Given their initial lack of success in America, it kind of makes sense, but I imagine the overseas market was like 'What?"

I saw Whitesnake on the Slip of the Tongue tour, with Kix opening-one of the last concerts I went to with my best friend, who took up a job as a cop about a year later and our schedules never really meshed for going to shows. It was a memorable concert for a lot of reasons-hey, Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg together was enough to justify the ticket price-but my two favorites were this. The first was getting about 20 people around me and my best friend to sing "FUCK OFF AND DIE! FUCK OFF AND DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" to the tune of Kix's Don't Close Your Eyes. (This coming after seeing Tesla, Great White, and Badlands a few months earlier and turning Great White's Once Bitten, Twice Shy's chorus to "My, my, my, why don't you fuck off and die." Which retroactively isn't as funny as it used to be after the Station fire, but trust me, back then it was a riot.)

The second-and the more memorable one-came when Whitesnake came out for the encore and Coverdale asked the crowd "What do you want to do now?" Which I answered with a full throated "I WANT TO FUCK YOUR WIFE!", causing a good 30 people to fall over themselves laughing.

Needless to say, a sizable amount of alcohol was involved in the evening.

[bosk1]

  I saw that tour also, but different opener.  I think it was Faster Pussycat, but I don't recall for sure.  Saw them in Columbia, MD.  Great show.  Actually, I saw them on three consecutive tours, and all three were great shows.  On the Slide It In tour, they were the second band in between Kick Axe an Quiet Riot at the Oakland Colosseum (indoor).  All three bands were outstanding.  Sykes tore it up.  On the S/T tour, saw them at Day On The Green at the Oakland Colosseum (outdoor stadium where the Raiders and A's play) after Jetboy and Poison, and before Motley Crue.  Jetboy were boring.  Poison actually put on a very good show.  Whitesnake were outstanding.  Crue were pretty good, but I'm not really a fan.  Then the aforementioned Slip Of The Tongue tour. 

[King Postwhore]

I guess I was lucky.  I saw Whitesnake with Dokken!


Or was it, Just Got Lucky?


:IfIOnlyKnewTheCSIMiamiEmote:

[jingle.boy]

I guess I was lucky.  I saw Whitesnake with Dokken!


Or was it, Just Got Lucky?


:IfIOnlyKnewTheCSIMiamiEmote:

Let me help you out there bro

[King Postwhore]

I've got to write that down.

[bosk1]

I guess I was lucky.  I saw Whitesnake with Dokken!

Which tour?

[DebraKadabra]

You know, Kev, whenever you make a second version of this thread, I submit that it should be called "ver. 2 BLEHCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" in honor of Debra. 

Nicely played, sir.

BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!!!!!

 

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

I dug it quite muchly back in its day but... really didn't age too well for me.  The video didn't help much with that either.

[King Postwhore]

I guess I was lucky.  I saw Whitesnake with Dokken!

Which tour?

Same tour.

[DebraKadabra]

I saw Whitesnake open for Crue on the S/T tour and Whitesnake blew Crue AWAY.  Big time.

[KevShmev]

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus

I never cared for any of their music back in the 80s.  In fact, this song was downright annoying to me.  I've come around to sort of liking it, as I finally gave a whole listen to Violator a while back, most of which is quite good, but this will never be something I call a favorite.