80's Television - Saturday Morning Cartoons

Are you kidding me? I don't remember this cartoon at all, but for those of you that do... "Hello, my name is Rubik"...



"Rubik, the Amazing Cube"
September 10, 1983-September 1, 1984
The program, broadcast as part of The Pac-Man/Rubik, the Amazing Cube Hour block on ABC

Proving that the Rubik's Cube is still going strong today, check out this video of the guy who is the new world record holder...


The Mr. T cartoon... I love that he could pick up an alligator by the tail while in the water and swing it over his head...



"Mr. T" premiered in 1983 on NBC.
The Mister T cartoon starred Mr. T as himself, the owner of a gym where a group of gymnasts trained. He would help them with their training but they would also help him solve mysteries and fight crime. Thirty episodes were produced.

I've Got Pac-Man Fever

Fake to the left and move to the right because Pokey's too slow and Blinky's out of sight... I wish there was a good video of these guys doing this song, but I couldn't find one, so you'll just have to settle for the audio track of "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia...




Lyrics | Pac Man Fever lyrics

Pac-Man Fever

Studio album by Buckner & Garcia
Released 1981
Recorded 1981
Genre Rock / Disco
Length 32:53
Label Columbia Records (1982); Buckner & Garcia Productions (1999); K-tel Entertainment (2002 version)
Producer Buckner & Garcia

Weird Al came out with a song called "Pac-Man" and here is someone's video that they made to the Weird Al song...




Lyrics | Pacman lyrics

remember when Pac-Man came out on the Atari 2600? I had this game (and it pretty much sucked compared to the original game)...





All my money's gone so I'll be back tomorrow night...

Before Livin' La Vida Loca

Today, we're taking a look at the Latin pop group sensation that was formed in the late 70's known as Menudo. With one of its' 3,000 different lineups, but featuring perhaps the most well known member, little Ricky Martin (bright pink short sleeve shirt), here is one of it's biggest U.S. hits - "Hold Me"...



Sorry, couldn't track down any lyrics or billboard information for you, so you'll just have to do without today.

Fate Up Against Your Will

We head back over across the Atlantic for today's boring video... seriously, this video was boring back in 1984 and it's not much better today, but I still like the song to this day... it's a band that found their fair share of success in the UK and found some following in the U.S. as well... Here is one of their better known songs stateside, "The Killing Moon" by Echo & The Bunnymen (don't ever confuse them with Bunnyboys)...




Lyrics | The Killing Moon lyrics


“The Killing Moon”

Single by Echo & the Bunnymen
from the album Ocean Rain
B-side "Do It Clean"
Released 20 January 1984
Format 7", 12"
Recorded Crescent Studio in Bath
Genre Post-punk
Length 5:47
Label Korova
Writer(s) Will Sergeant, Ian McCulloch, Les Pattinson, Pete de Freitas
Producer The Bunnymen

UK Peak: #9

Is The Game You're Playing Hard to Get?

This smooth singing woman bust onto the scene as a solo artist big time around the middle of 1987... here is one of the most recognizable songs ever from Jody Watley - "Don't You Want Me"




Jody Watley Lyrics
Don't You Want Me Lyrics

"Don't You Want Me"

by Jody Watley
from the album: Jody Watley

Released: March 31, 1987
Label: MCA
Billboard peak position: 10
Billboard R&B peak position: 1 (3 weeks)
UK chart peak position: 50
Total worldwide sales: 5.0 million
U.S. sales: Platinum [4]
Canada: Gold [5]

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #6

How Ya Like Me Now?

In case you haven't noticed, I was into rap as it started to become more and more popular in the mid to late 80's... I was always interested in the whole LL Cool J - Kool Moe Dee on-going feud that the two waged for years... who won? LL I'd say, but nonetheless, here are my two favorite Kool Moe Dee tracks... from 1987 - "How Ya Like Me Now" and "Wild Wild West"...




Lyrics | How Ya Like Me Now lyrics

The Wild Wild West...

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Lyrics | Wild Wild West lyrics

"How Ya Like Me Now" and "Wild Wild West"

by Kool Moe Dee
from the album: "How Ya Like Me Now"
released: 1987

Wild Wild West peaks:
US Billboard Hot 100: #62
US R&B: #4

80's Television

Being a sports fan, I (ironically) think about London around this time of year (4th of July) and the biggest tennis championship in the world - Wimbledon. Let's take a flash back to 1980 and the sweet hair dos of Johnny Mac and Bjorn Borg as McEnroe fought off 7 championship points before the champion, Bjorg prevailed...

80's Movie Weekend - Fourth of July Weekend

OK, I have to sadly admit that I've never seen this movie, and yet many consider it to be one of the top patriotic films of the 80's... it has Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson, C. Thomas Howell, and Jennifer Grey, and I've never seen it! That's it, it's going in my Blockbuster que right now... I hope you had an excellent 4th of July and here are some clips from one of the next movies on my list - "Red Dawn"...

the trailer...



the invasion begins... damn Ruskies! always wanting to shoot unarmed innocent kids!



Red Dawn

Directed by John Milius
Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Buzz Feitshans
Written by John Milius
Kevin Reynolds
Starring Patrick Swayze
Charlie Sheen
Lea Thompson
Harry Dean Stanton
Powers Boothe
Jennifer Grey
C. Thomas Howell
Music by Basil Poledouris
Cinematography Ric Waite
Editing by Thom Noble
Distributed by MGM/UA Entertainment Co.
Release date(s) August 10, 1984
Running time 114 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget 4,200,000 USD

Give Me A Bottle of Anything, And A Glazed Donut - To Go!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone!
Following his remakes of Just A Gigolo and California Girls, Diamond David Lee Roth came back strong after parting ways with Van Halen with my favorite DLR solo song ... a tribute to the beautiful lady on Liberty Island - The Statue of Liberty... featuring Steve Vai on lead guitar... that's right, I'm talking about a "Yankee Rose"...




Lyrics | Yankee Rose lyrics

"Yankee Rose"

by David Lee Roth
from the album: Eat 'Em and Smile
1986

I Want To Be Forever Young

This song enjoyed a modest resurgence a few years back thanks to an instant cult classic movie known as "Napoleon Dynamite"... it's the German band, Alphaville and the video from 1984 - "Forever Young"... by the way, I like your sleeves...




Lyrics | Forever Young lyrics

“Forever Young”

Single by Alphaville
from the album Forever Young
B-side "Welcome to the Sun "
Released September 1984
Format 7" single
12" maxi
Genre Synthpop
Length 3:50
Label WEA
Writer(s) Bernhard Lloyd
Marian Gold
Frank Mertens
Producer Colin Pearson
Wolfgang Loos
Andreas Budde

Chart positions
Chart (1984-1985)[1] Peak position
Austrian Singles Chart 17
French Singles Chart 13
Norwegian Singles Chart 3
Swedish Singles Chart 1
Swiss Singles Chart 3

Maybe I'm Just Too Demanding

I didn't realize that the Purple one turned 50 about three or four weeks ago, and it was time to get the Artist formerly known as and currently known as Prince into The Excellent 80s before it's too late... Prince has been busy trying to get youtube and others to remove his videos citing copyright infringement or some such nonsense... let it go Prince! So while I still can, I wanted to get one of the most influential artists of all-time on here... from one of the greatest albums of all-time, "Purple Rain," here is "When Doves Cry"...




Lyrics | When Doves Cry lyrics

“When Doves Cry”

U.S. 7" single
Single by Prince
from the album Purple Rain
B-side "17 Days"
"1999" (UK 12")
"D.M.S.R." (UK 12")
Released 16 May 1984
Format 7" single
12" single
Recorded Sunset Sound, 1 March 1984
Genre Rock, Funk, Pop
Length 7" edit: 3:47
Album/12": 5:52
Label Warner Bros. Records
Writer(s) Prince
Producer Prince
Certification Platinum - (21 August, 1984)

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #1

50 Thou A Year Buys a Lot of Beer

That heading could only mean one thing... a mule carrying a tv on its' back... that's right! It's Timbuk 3 with today's video - a song you either loved or hated, I don't think there was an in-between... everybody now, "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades"...




Lyrics | Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades lyrics

The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

from the album: Greetings from Timbuk 3
released: 1986
US Peak: #19
UK Peak: #18