I've Paid My Dues

I have a half black, half white outfit just like Freddie's in this video.  Well, sadly, our "Queen November" is wrapping up today.  The Excellent 80's sincerely hopes you've enjoyed the plethora of Queen videos that we've presented over the last 30 days.  Just like we did on day one, we are dipping back into their greatness from the 70's.  From 1977 it's one of the greatest and most recognizable power ballad anthems of all-time.  Here they are with "We Are the Champions"...

"We Are the Champions"
Single by Queen
from the album News of the World
B-side	"We Will Rock You"
Released	7 October 1977
Format	7", CD single
Recorded	1977
Genre	Rock
Length	2:59
Label	EMI (UK) Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Queen, assisted by Mike Stone

You Can Tell That I'm A Doctor By the Clothes That I Wear

I had the "Lethal" cassette from this group back in high school because I loved the jam "You Cold Wanna Be With Me" and "Roxanne, Roxanne," which we've featured in The Excellent 80's already.  Today's video comes from their debut album and features some monster trucks.  Who said only rednecks got into monster trucks?  Once again, here's the Kangol Kid, Doctor Ice, and the Educated Rapper who were collectively known as UTFO with "Leader of the Pack"...



"Leader of the Pack"  

by UTFO
from the album:  UTFO
released:  1985

I Just Can't Handle It

Today's Queen video has been featured in The Excellent 80's before, but it was a #1 hit for the band in the U.S. back in 1980 so I'm inclined to present it again as part of our "Queen November" we have going on here.  Written as a tribute to Elvis Presley here is Queen with "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"...

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Single by Queen
from the album The Game
B-side	Spread Your Wings (live) or We Will Rock You (live)
Released	5 August 1979
Format	Vinyl record (7" / 12")
Recorded	June - July 1979
Genre	Rockabilly[1]
Length	2:42
Label	EMI, Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #1

This Dude Had Some Great 80's Hair

It's purely an instrumental video and track for you today taken from a live performance in Austin, TX in 1988.  It comes to you from one of the best and respected guitarists in the world.  From Austin, here is guitarist Eric Johnson with his awesome hair and his grammy-award winning instrumental - "Cliffs of Dover"...

"Cliffs of Dover"
Single by Eric Johnson
from the album Ah Via Musicom
Released	February 1990
Recorded	March 1988 to June 1989 at Austin's Riverside Sound, Saucer One Studio, Arlyn Studios, Studio Seven
Genre	Instrumental rock (hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock)
Length	4:10
Label	Capitol Records
Writer(s)	Eric Johnson
Producer	Eric Johnson

And Another One Does, And Another One Does

Wearing the all-important red sweat band, donning a sweet yellow tank top, and sporting a sweet white baseball cap with horns, Freddie Mercury sings the iconic 1980 Queen song "Another One Bites the Dust"...

"Another One Bites the Dust"
Single by Queen
from the album The Game
B-side	"Don't Try Suicide" (US) "Dragon Attack" (UK)
Released	22 August 1980
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	1980
Genre	Funk rock[1]
Length	3:36
Label	EMI, Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	John Deacon
Producer	Queen, Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #1

80's Movie Weekend

I have to admit that I never saw today's movie flashback from 1983.  From the same producers of "Chariots of Fire," here is an interesting looking movie starring Peter Riegert ("Boon" from the classic movie "Animal House") and Burt Lancaster.  It's "Local Hero"...

the trailer...

Local Hero
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Bill Forsyth
Produced by	David Puttnam Iain Smith
Written by	Bill Forsyth
Starring	Peter Riegert Burt Lancaster Denis Lawson Fulton Mackay
Music by	Mark Knopfler
Cinematography	Chris Menges
Editing by	Michael Bradsell
Studio	Goldcrest Films
Distributed by	20th Century Fox (UK) Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	17 February 1983
Running time	111 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	£3,080,000[1]
Box office	$5,895,761

Radio Ca-Ca?

It's been 21 years since Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury passed away due to the AIDS virus.  It doesn't seem like that long honestly, but the years go by faster and faster.  From 1984, here is a song that reached #1 in the UK and #16 in the U.S.  The video was also nominated for video of year at the MTV video awards.  The song was apparently inspired by Roger Taylor's son when he uttered the words "radio ca-ca" while listening to a bad song on the radio.  Here is Queen with "Radio Ga Ga"...

"Radio Ga Ga"
Single by Queen
from the album The Works
B-side	"I Go Crazy"
Released	23 January 1984
Format	Vinyl record (7", 12")
Recorded	1983
Genre	Rock
Length	5:44 (Album/video version) 4:23 (US radio edit) 6:53 (12" extended version) 6:01 (12" instrumental version)
Label	EMI / Capitol
Writer(s)	Roger Taylor‎
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #16
UK peak:  #1

Happy Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope you enjoy some turkey and some football, and most of all the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!  Check out the beginning of the parade from 30 years ago in 1982!  Yes, 30 years ago!

You Got Mud On Your Face

Back to the late 70's today as we continue on with our "Queen November" featuring the best of Queen from the 80's and late 70's.  Get your stomp and clap on for today's two minute track that was later issued together with "We Are the Champions" as a worldwide top ten single.  Soon after the album came out, a lot of radio stations began playing the songs back to back without interruption.  I want to get you pumped up for some feasting tomorrow!  So, here is "We Will Rock You"...

"We Will Rock You"
Single by Queen
from the album News of the World
A-side	"We Are the Champions"
Released	7 October 1977
Format	7"
Genre	Hard rock
Length	2:01
Label	EMI (UK), Elektra (US)
Writer(s)	Brian May
Producer	Queen, assisted by Mike Stone

This song also brings to memory one of my favorite openings from one of the best TV shows of all-time - Cheers...

Have I Told You

Next to Elvis, today's artist could curl that upper lip into a snarl and sing with the best of them.  Another similarity is that Elvis had great hair in his prime, and I'd argue that there weren't too many in the 80's who had hair that could match William Michael Albert Broad's.  Elvis could swivel his hips while William chooses to hump the ground in today's video.  Better known as Billy Idol, here is his 1986 hit "To Be a Lover"...




Lyrics | Billy Idol lyrics - To Be A Lover lyrics

"To Be a Lover"
Single by Billy Idol
from the album Whiplash Smile
Released	September 23, 1986
Genre	New Wave
Length	3:52
Label	Chrysalis
Writer(s)	William Bell, Booker T. Jones
Producer	Keith Forsey

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #6

Pressure Pushing Down On Me

Even though today's video doesn't even feature Freddie Mercury or David Bowie, it features a lot of stock footage of traffic jams, explosions, riots, kissing and more.  Here is Queen with David Bowie - no it's not Vanilla Ice - with "Under Pressure"...

"Under Pressure"
Single by Queen and David Bowie
from the album Hot Space
B-side	Soul Brother
Released	26 October 1981
Format	7" vinyl / 12" / CD single
Recorded	Mountain Studios, Montreux, July 1981
Genre	Rock
Length	4:02
Label	EMI, Elektra
Writer(s)	Queen and David Bowie
Producer	Queen and David Bowie

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #29
UK peak:  #1

80's Movie Weekend

I'm sure this weekend's 80's movie flashback is another in the long list of awesome 80's movies I never saw. I don't really even recall this movie being out in 1987, but apparently it grossed a whopping $548,000.  It features an ensemble cast and 21 different comedy skits directed by five different directors.

the trailer...



I believe you can actually watch the whole film on youtube as well.  Here is the first part of the film should you want to try it out...

Amazon Women on the Moon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Joe Dante Carl Gottlieb Peter Horton John Landis Robert K. Weiss
Produced by	John Landis Robert K. Weiss
Written by	Michael Barrie Jim Muholland
Music by	Ira Newborn
Cinematography	Daniel Pearl
Editing by	Malcolm Campbell
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	September 18, 1987
Running time	85 min.
Country
Language	English
Budget	$5 million
Box office	$548,696

One Man, One Goal, One Mission

From their "A Kind of Magic" album in 1985, here is Freddie and the boys morphing from their 1975 pose on the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video into current day pose of the same beginning their song "One Vision"...

"One Vision"
Single by Queen
from the album A Kind of Magic
B-side	Blurred Vision
Released	November 4, 1985
Format	Vinyl record (7", 12")
Recorded	September 1985
Genre	Hard rock
Length	4:02 (Single version) 6:28 (12" 'extended vision') 5:11 (Album version) 4:38 (Classic Queen version)
Label	EMI / Capitol
Writer(s)	Queen (Music: Roger Taylor/Queen, Lyrics: Queen)
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #61
UK peak:  #7

The Winds of Change Are Always Blowing

Never has there been a more awkward duet in my humble opinion.  Let's take a latin singing sensation and a country superstar who loves his weed, put them together on stage and have them sing a song about all the girls they've "loved" before.  1984 was a strange year is what I'm chalking this song up to.  The duo of Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias (for you youngsters, Julio is the father of current day star Enrique Iglesias) paired up to sing "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" and this accompanying video of the two followed...




Lyrics | Julio Iglesias lyrics - To All The Girls I've Loved Before lyrics

"To All the Girls I've Loved Before"
Single by Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
from the album 1100 Bel Air Place
B-side	"I Don't Want To Wake You"
Released	February 1984
Format	7"
Recorded	1983
Genre	pop, country
Length	3:30
Label	Columbia Records
Writer(s)	Albert Hammond and Hal David
Producer	Richard Perry

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #5
U.S. Country charts peak:  #1

Love Like a Road That Never Ends

My favorite lyric from today's song - "Next time I fall in love.  Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo."  Hey, we can't think of any lyrics so let's just "ooo" for the whole line instead!  This was a number one duet hit for Peter Cetera and Amy Grant in 1986.  Peter has the much nicer bangs in this "live" performance of the song.  Here is "The Next Time I Fall"...




Lyrics | Peter Cetera & Amy Grant lyrics - The Next Time I Fall lyrics

"The Next Time I Fall"
Single by Peter Cetera & Amy Grant
from the album Solitude/Solitaire
Released	1986
Format	7"
Recorded	1986
Genre	Pop
Length	3:43
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Bobby Caldwell and Paul Gordon
Producer	Michael Omartian

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #1

You're Lifting Me Up

Today's video features both black and white and color!  Whoa.  Crazy.  It's Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie with her highest charting solo effort from her self-titled album in 1984.  Here she is with "Got a Hold on Me"...




Lyrics | Christine Mcvie lyrics - Got A Hold On Me lyrics

"Got a Hold on Me"
Single by Christine McVie
from the album Christine McVie
Released	January 25, 1984
Format	7" (45 rpm)
Recorded	1983
Genre	Pop rock
Length	3:52
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Christine McVie, Todd Sharp
Producer	Russ Titelman

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #10

I Want to Break Free

Who wants to see the late, great Freddie Mercury dressed like a housewife today?  OK, so maybe it's not a pretty picture, but this 1984 song was a solid effort from Queen despite the video being banned by MTV at the time.  That banning probably led to the low record sales of this single in the U.S., but it was still went all the way to #3 in the UK.  Rolling on with our "Queen November," here is Queen with "I Want to Break Free"...

"I Want to Break Free"
Single by Queen
from the album The Works
B-side	"Machines (or 'Back to Humans')"
Released	2 April 1984 (UK)
Format	Vinyl records (7", 12"), CDs (3", 5")
Recorded	1983
Genre	Rock
Length	3:20 (Album version) 4:21 (Single mix) 7:16 (Extended mix)
Label	EMI, Capitol, Toshiba
Writer(s)	John Deacon
Producer	Queen and Mack

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #45
UK peak:  #3