Evil or Divine?

Today's campy 80's video from the band Dio may have scared you from being in elevators back in the day, because this one jacked up elevator. With fresh electronics and awesome make up jobs, here is another classic Dio song and video - "Last in Line"...




Lyrics | Dio lyrics - Last In Line lyrics

"The Last in Line"
Single by Dio
from the album The Last in Line
B-side Stand Up And Shout (live)
Straight Through The Heart (live)
Released 1984
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1984
Caribou Ranch, Colorado, USA
Genre Heavy metal
Length 5:48
Label Vertigo
Sterling Sound
Writer(s) Ronnie James Dio, Jimmy Bain, Vivian Campbell
Producer Ronnie James Dio

Please Please Tell Me Now

With the posting of the new nine and a half minute Duran Duran video earlier this month here in The Excellent 80's I went back, looked, and realized I had missed this gem from 1983's United States re-issue of the band's 1981 debut album "Duran Duran." As long as you don't care about videos that don't make a lick of sense or are offended by naked buns then you should enjoy this quirky video for Duran Duran's "Is There Something I Should Know"...




Lyrics | Duran Duran lyrics - Is There Something I Should Know? lyrics

"Is There Something I Should Know?"
Single by Duran Duran
B-side "Faith in this Colour"
Released 19 March 1983
4 June 1983 (US)
Format 7", 12"
Recorded London, December 1982
Genre Pop, New Wave
Length 4:11
Label EMI - EMI 5371
Writer(s) Duran Duran
Producer Duran Duran, Colin Thurston, Ian Little

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4
UK peak: #1

Got the Groove That Hits the Bone

Today's "futuristic" video from 1988 features my favorite German rock band The Scorpions. A bunch of hot futuristic chicks accompany the video, but what really cracks me up are the facial expressions of the band members the first half of the video. Seriously? Somebody thought these were cool shots? Hilarious is what I think. Here are those bad boy Scorpions with "Rhythm of Love"...




Lyrics | Scorpions lyrics - Rhythm Of Love lyrics

"Rhythm of Love"
Single by Scorpions
from the album Savage Amusement
Released 1988
Recorded 1988
Genre Heavy metal
Length 3:47
Writer(s) Rudolf Schenker
Klaus Meine
Producer Dieter Dierks

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #75
U.S. Rock Tracks peak: #6

80's Movie Weekend

I saw this 1982 film with my grandmother and sitting through this movie for an 11 year old was pure torture back in 1982. Sure this movie had its target audience, but I was not it, and at a running time of over three hours this was worse than being a school. I might enjoy watching and learning from this movie today, but the scars it left on me as an 11 year old make me never want to sit through this thing again. Here is Ben Kingsley who won an Academy Award in the role of "Gandhi"...

Even the trailer is too long...



Gandhi
Directed by Richard Attenborough
Produced by Richard Attenborough
Screenplay by John Briley
Starring Ben Kingsley
Music by Ravi Shankar
George Fenton
Cinematography Billy Williams
Ronnie Taylor
Editing by John Bloom
Studio Goldcrest Films
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) 30 November 1982 (1982-11-30) (India)
3 December 1982 (1982-12-03) (United Kingdom)
Running time 191 minutes
Country India
United Kingdom
Language Hindi
English
Budget $22 million
Box office $52,767,889

I Know There's Something Going On

Today's song was a huge hit around the world in 1982-83 by one of the original members of the supergroup ABBA. Anni-Frid Lyngstad (aka "Frida") released a solo album in 1982 while ABBA was on a break. The album was produced in part by Phil Collins, and the first single and biggest hit from that album features Phil on the drums and backing vocals. Here is the video for the song in which Frida sings repeatedly that "I Know There's Something Going On"...




Lyrics | Frida lyrics - I Know There's Something Going On lyrics

"I Know There's Something Going On"

Single by Anni-Frid Lyngstad
from the album Something's Going On
B-side "Threnody" (album version)
Released 1982
Format Cd/Vinyl
Recorded 1982
Genre Art Rock, New Wave
Length 5:29 (album version)
4:04 (edit)
Label Epic / Universal
Writer(s) Russ Ballard
Producer Hugh Padgham, Phil Collins


Charts

Chart Position
Australian Singles Chart 5
Austrian Singles Chart 3
Belgian Singles Chart 1
British Singles Chart 43
Canadian Singles Chart 30
Costa Rican Singles Chart 1
Dutch Singles Chart 3
Finnish Singles Chart 7
French Singles Chart 1
German Singles Chart 5
Irish Singles Chart 23
Italian Singles Chart 7
Norwegian Singles Chart 3
Polish Singles Chart 3
South African Singles Chart 5
Swedish Singles Chart 3
Swiss Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 13

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! The Excellent 80's is thankful for your continued viewership whether you've only been in here a few times or many times over the years. I found this little clip from Nickelodeon's "Thanksgiving Fest," but it's really just the commercials that came on. I love the BK's commercial and the Nintendo commercial and graphics are just outstanding...



Here's some more sweet 80's commercials sandwiched in the Garfield Thanksgiving special...



I'm also thankful for Van Halen so enjoy a little VH on this special, special day!




Lyrics | Van Halen lyrics - Unchained lyrics

"Unchained"
Single by Van Halen
from the album Fair Warning
A-side "Unchained"
B-side "Sinners Swing!"
Released 1981
Recorded 1981
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 3:29
Label Warner Bros.

Nobody Knows Who You Are!

Ruff ruff ruff! This is awesome. I hadn't thought about or seen this music video in over 20 years until I ran across it on Grantland's worst videos of all time story. This is from sometime in the 1980's from an MTV show called "Basement Tapes" where no name bands tried to get noticed. This is the worst... or is it the best? You decide. Here is Dog Police with "Dog Police"...



"Dog Police"

by Dog Police

I Never Wanted to Settle Down

Where else are you going to find a video today featuring a hard rock/glam metal band from the 80's from Norway? I predict nowhere! It's the little known band TNT with their biggest hit. It's a single from 1987 with a video that probably cost 100 bucks to make. Cue the wind machine, and action - here is TNT with "10,000 Lovers (In One)"...




Lyrics | T.n.t. lyrics - 10,000 Lovers (In One) lyrics

"10,000 Lovers (In One)"
Single by TNT
from the album Tell No Tales
B-side "Desperate Night"
Released 1987
Format 7" single
Genre Hard rock, Glam metal
Length 2:53
Label Vertigo
Writer(s) Tony Harnell, Ronni Le Tekrø, Morten "Diesel" Dahl
Producer Bjørn Nessjø

Baby Sneezes, Mummy Pleases

Today is the first video in the Excellent 80's by a singer known mainly for her singing and songwriting contributions which peaked with 1970's hit "You're So Vain." She was also married and had two children with James Taylor. She made albums all through the 80's but just never quite managed to gain that popularity she had achieved in the 1970's. From a 1987 album comes today's top 20 hit from the singer/songwriter born in NYC in 1945. Here is Carly Simon with "Coming Around Again"...




Lyrics | Carly Simon lyrics - Coming Around Again lyrics

"Coming Around Again"

by Carly Simon
from the album: Coming Around Again
released: 1987

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18

80's Movie Weekend

Here's an 80's movie I never saw, but I heard it's kind of a holiday/thanksgiving type feel that might be mood-fitting this time of year. It has a castful of stars including Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Woody Allen, Barbara Hershey, and Daniel Stern. It's a story that begins and ends with a Thanksgiving dinner and also picked up Academy Awards for best supporting actor and actress. It's the Woody Allen directed "Hannah and Her Sisters"...

the trailer...



Hannah and Her Sisters

Directed by Woody Allen
Produced by Robert Greenhut
Written by Woody Allen
Starring Woody Allen
Michael Caine
Mia Farrow
Carrie Fisher
Barbara Hershey
Lloyd Nolan
Maureen O'Sullivan
Daniel Stern
Max von Sydow
Dianne Wiest
Cinematography Carlo Di Palma
Editing by Susan E. Morse
Distributed by Orion Pictures Corporation
Release date(s) February 7, 1986
Running time 106 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $6,400,000 (est.)
Box office $59,000,000

I'm Addicted to Ya Babe

From their most successful album ever, Chicago 17, here is the band Chicago with one of their four hits from the album. Cue the horns and the anguished women, here is "Hard Habit to Break"...




Lyrics | Chicago lyrics - Hard Habit To Break lyrics

"Hard Habit to Break"
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago 17
B-side "Remember The Feeling"
Released July 1984
Recorded 1984
Genre Rock
Length 4:48
Label Full Moon/Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Steve Kipner, John Lewis Parks
Producer David Foster

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3

Ah, Now I Don't Hardly Know Her

Loved me some Joan Jett back in the 80's. She was badass. We featured her former bandmate from The Replacements, Lita Ford, yesterday. Here is a remake Joan did of the Tommy James and the Shondells hit from 1968 called "Crimson and Clover." I do think Joan did this song justice. I love this version...




Lyrics | Joan Jett lyrics - Crimson And Clover lyrics

"Crimson and Clover"

by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
from the album: "I Love Rock and Roll"
released: 1981

You Feel the Power

Today's short video coming in at just under three minutes is just funny. It comes from the former lead guitarist of the band The Runaways who's solo career peaked with the hit single "Kiss Me Deadly." That's right, it's the hot guitar playing singer known as Lita Ford with one of her earlier solo efforts called "Gotta Let Go"...




Lyrics | Lita Ford lyrics - Gotta Let Go lyrics

"Gotta Let Go"

by Lita Ford
from the album: Dancin' on the Edge
released: 1984

U.S. Mainstream Rock charts peak: #1

Girl, I've Been Watching You

One thing I won't be watching is this video again. Somebody thought this video was a good idea. Wow, was he/she wrong. This is one horrible video for one of the top hits of 1987, and I don't plan to ever watch it again. Hitting #1 on the U.S. Billboard charts, here is NYC born singer Gregory Abbott with "Shake You Down"...




Lyrics | Gregory Abbott lyrics - Shake You Down lyrics

"Shake You Down"

Single by Gregory Abbott
from the album Shake You Down
Released September 29, 1986
Format Vinyl record (7")
Recorded CBS 06191(1986)
Genre R&B
Length 4:04
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Gregory Abbott
Producer Gregory Abbott
Certification Platinum (RIAA)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1

We've Come a Long Long Way to Be With You

Today's interesting song and video comes from a band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The entire band was made up of German musicians and has a Led Zeppelin sound to it. From 1988 here is the band Kingdom Come with "Get it On"...




Lyrics | Kingdom Come lyrics - Get It On lyrics

"Get It On"
Single by Kingdom Come
from the album Kingdom Come
Genre Hard rock
Glam metal
Length 4:23
Label Polydor Records

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #69
U.S. Mainstream Rock tracks peak: #4

80's Movie Weekend

Long before he was the governator, he was ripping up movie screens and taking on made up creatures like in today's 1987 film where Ahhnold takes on the "Predator"...



why does Apollo Creed always have to die!? Is it a black thing? It's a racist thing against Apollo I think!




Predator

Directed by John McTiernan
Produced by Joel Silver
Lawrence Gordon
John Davis
Written by Jim Thomas
John Thomas
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Carl Weathers
Elpidia Carrillo
Bill Duke
Jesse Ventura
Kevin Peter Hall
Music by Alan Silvestri
Cinematography Donald McAlpine
Editing by Mark Helfrich
John F. Link
Studio Silver Pictures
Lawrence Gordon Productions
Davis Entertainment
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) June 12, 1987 (1987-06-12)
Running time 107 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget US$15,000,000
Box office $98,267,558

The Return of Duran Duran

Happy 11/11/11 day to you! For this peculiar day, I am taking you out of the 80's for a day with a brand new video from one of the bands that dominated the 80's with their music and style and still appears to be going strong today.

It's been years since I featured Duran Duran here in The Excellent 80's with a "Duran Duran December" back in 2008. Well, the gang is back along with all of the gorgeous models that don't seem to have aged a bit since the 80's. Duran Duran released their 13th studio album earlier this year, and (along with director Jonas Akerlund) cleverly used these models (you'll recognize Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova, and Helena Christensen among others) in their new video for the new release which has a great 80's sound to it. Here is the enjoyable nine and a half minute new video and song for the group entitled "Girl Panic!"...




Lyrics | Duran Duran lyrics - Girl Panic lyrics

"Girl Panic!"
from the album: All You Need is Now
released: 2011

I'll Search Low and I'll Search High. R.I.P. Heavy D

We lost an outstanding voice in the music community on Tuesday afternoon when rapper Heavy D (Dwight Arrington Myers) passed away at his Beverly Hills home. I always enjoyed Heavy D's smooth flow, his non-threatening presence, and his fashion style with the oversized colorful suits he would bust out in many of his videos.

Heavy D was born in Jamaica and raised in New York, and he not only put out albums, but he also collaborated with the biggest of stars including the late Michael Jackson on "Jam," and sister Janet on "Alright." Heavy D also performed the rap to the TV shows "In Living Color," and "MadTV." Along with rapping, Heavy D also perfected his acting chops in bit roles on TV and film including the recently released Eddie Murphy - Ben Stiller flick "Tower Heist."

He always seemed like the kind of guy you could hang out with and just kick it, and he always seemed like the kind of guy that would be good for a laugh and knew how to have fun. His most popular raps were about having fun, dancing, and finding a good woman. I bought his 1989 cassette tape "Big Tyme" which topped the soul albums chart and hit #19 on the pop album charts. Still an outstanding listen to this day, here is a song off that album that made it to #8 on the U.S. R&B charts and #1 on the U.S. rap charts. Here is "Somebody For Me"...




Lyrics | Heavy D & The Boyz lyrics - Somebody For Me lyrics

Here is the theme song to the 1990's hit sketch comedy show "In Living Color" that was sung by Heavy D...



R.I.P. Heavy D... you will be missed...

Me and Romeo Have Never Been Friends

I was a big fan of this song back in 1987 though I don't really recall the video very much. After watching it I'm sorely disappointed I didn't see it more back in 1987. It probably received more airplay on VH1 Soul or BET vs. MTV, but the song was a crossover hit for the R&B group LeVert, which was comprised of Sean and Gerald Levert, the sons of O'Jays founder Eddie Levert, as well as Marc Gordon. I love the hair and I love the shoulder pads the LeVert boys are rocking with their suit jackets for this video for "Casanova"...




Lyrics | Levert lyrics - Casanova lyrics

"Casanova"

by Levert
from the album: The Big Throwdown
released: 1987

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5

80's Bullies

I saw this on eBaum's World last week. This is an awesome five minutes of movie clips from great 80's movies that features bullies of the 80's like Chet from "Weird Science," Biff from "Back to the Future," and Billy Zabka in a bunch of movies in which he was always the bully.

Check it out you dork...

TV Dinners

I kind of like to forget that ZZ Top ever made this song, but I saw this video posted recently on Grantland's worst music videos of all-time story and had to at least post the video in here as well. With some crazy 80's style computer generated graphics check out the bearded boys with "TV Dinners"...




Lyrics | Zz Top lyrics - Tv Dinners lyrics

"TV Dinners"

Single by ZZ Top
from the album Eliminator
B-side "Cheap Sunglasses"
Released 1983
Format 12", cassette
Recorded 1982
Genre Rock
Length 3:50
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Billy Gibbons
Dusty Hill
Frank Beard
Producer Bill Ham


Chart (1983) Peak position
UK Singles Chart #67
U.S. Billboard Top Tracks #38

80's Movie Weekend

Anytime you can have a movie featuring Ogre (Donald Gibb) from the Nerds' movies and a young Forest Whitaker, AND the awesome acting of Jean-Claude Van Damme, then you know you have a hit! This was actually a pretty entertaining movie and one of the bigger hits from 1988. Here is "Bloodsport."

the trailer...



if you just want to skip to the end and check out the final fight,well here it is... you break my record, now I break you like I break your friend!



Bloodsport

Directed by Newt Arnold
Produced by Mark DiSalle
Yoram Globus
Menahem Golan
Screenplay by Christopher Cosby
Mel Friedman
Sheldon Lettich
Story by Sheldon Lettich
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
Donald Gibb
Leah Ayres
Music by Paul Hertzog
Cinematography David Worth
Editing by Carl Kress
Jean-Claude Van Damme (uncredited)
Studio The Cannon Group
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) February 26, 1988 (1988-02-26)
Running time 92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1.1 million
Box office $11.8 million (USA)[1]

Get Ready Tonight

A happy Friday to everyone! Last month was the first time I featured the band Shalamar in The Excellent 80's with "Dead Giveaway" and "Dancing in the Sheets." This month I'm back with an earlier hit of theirs from 1982. It's a very rudimentary video for a popular song (especially in the UK where it peaked at #6). Featuring the original Shalamar lineup of Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley, here is "A Night to Remember"...




Lyrics | Shalamar lyrics - A Night To Remember lyrics

"A Night to Remember"

Single by Shalamar
from the album Friends
B-side On Top of the World
Released June 12, 1982 (UK)
Format 7" single 12" single
Genre Funk, post-disco
Length 5:08
Label SOLAR Records
K 13162
Writer(s) Nidra Beard, Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers
Producer Leon Sylvers III

U.S. Billboard peak: #44
UK peak: #6

Can't We Try Just a Little Bit Harder?

Today I bring you a slow beautiful duet with the Canadian Kenny Rogers and his partner, Darryl Hannah. Seriously, look and tell me I'm not right. OK, if you want to get all technical about it, it's some hoser from Canada, eh, named Dan Hill and some babe named Vonda Shepard. I've never heard of Dan who I would say is more a combination of Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers, but if you ever watched the show "Ally McBeal," then you should remember Vonda Shepard as the singer at the local bar where the gang would go to blow off some steam. But in 1987, the duo came up with this Billboard top 10 hit. Here they are with "Can't We Try"...




Lyrics | Dan Hill lyrics - Can't We Try lyrics

"Can't We Try"

by Dan Hill with Vonda Shepard
from the album: Dan Hill
released: 1987

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6

The Return of Beavis and Butthead

I realize the idiot teens from MTV was a 90's thing, but they reviewed many an 80's video. So in honor of their valiant return to MTV this past week, here is a look back at a few of their 80's music video related reviews... huh, huh huh...

Beavis and Butthead take on Ratt's "I Want a Woman"...



B&B on Grim Reaper's "Fear No Evil" from 1985...



Finally the boys take on Hall & Oates "Maneater"...

Girl, It's Been a Long Time That We've Been Apart

Happy 11-1-11 day! Today's song obviously came out before the Billboard 100 really started recognizing the greatness of heavy metal music. Easily my second favorite from the German rock band formed in 1965 known as the Scorpions, today's song reached only #65 (it was a #1 hit on the U.S. Rock Tracks chart though). Here is the over-shadowed little brother of "Rock You Like a Hurricane." It's their 1982 hit "No One Like You"...




Lyrics | Scorpions lyrics - No One Like You lyrics

"No One Like You"
Single by Scorpions
from the album Blackout
Released March 1982
Recorded late 1981, Dierks Studio, Stommeln-Cologne, Germany
Genre Heavy metal
Length 3:57
Label Mercury, Universal
Writer(s) Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine
Producer Dieter Dierks

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #65
U.S. Rock Tracks: #1