Take or Leave Us

Today's "UK Thursdays" flashback to great 80's hits out of the UK brings us a duo known as Mel and Kim. The British pop duo sister act achieved success between 1986 and 1988 before Mel's terminal cancer took her life in 1990 at the age of only 23. Here is one of their two #1 hits and one of the biggest hits in the UK in the year of 1987. Love the straight 80's dancing in their video called "Respectable"...




Lyrics | Mel & Kim lyrics - Respectable lyrics

"Respectable"
Single by Mel and Kim
from the album F.L.M.
B-side Instrumental
Released 1987
Format 7" single, 12" maxi
Recorded 1987
Genre Dance-pop
Length 3:21
Label Supreme
Writer(s) Stock Aitken Waterman
Producer Stock Aitken Waterman

UK peak: #1

It's Just a Shame, and That's All

Today's video is from the song that was the first top 10 hit by the group with the same name as the first book of The Bible. From 1983, here is the song by Genesis in which my friend's little brother at the time thought the lyrics were "It's just a shame, this song." It's not this song, it's "That's All" from Genesis...


Genesis - That's All by jpdc11


Lyrics | Genesis lyrics - That's All lyrics

"That's All"
Single by Genesis
from the album Genesis
B-side "Second Home by the Sea"
Released October 31, 1983
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1983
Genre Pop rock
Length 4:23
Label Atlantic, Virgin, Vertigo
Writer(s) Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford
Producer Genesis, Hugh Padgham

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6

Hard Times You Had Before You

Chalk up today's music video flashback to another group trying their hand at some sort of Indiana Jones / safari themed video. The graphics and set is awesomely 80's bad as is the acting and the pointlessness to the video. Gotta love the 80's and gotta love today's cheesy video from the rock group Asia. Here is their top 10 hit from 1983 entitled "Don't Cry"...




Lyrics | Asia lyrics - Don't Cry lyrics

"Don't Cry"
Single by Asia
from the album Alpha
B-side "True Colors" (UK)
"Daylight" (outside of UK)
Released 1983
Format 7" single
12" single
Genre Progressive rock
Length 3:41 (album version)
Label Geffen
Writer(s) Geoff Downes
John Wetton
Producer Mike Stone

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10

Red, Gold, and Green

Today's flashback to 1983 gives us a video set in 1870 with a lead singer dressed up from the 80's and featuring a thief/cheater who gets his just due at the end of the video when he has to walk the plank on the Mississippi. It's a silly little video from a silly little group who fared very well in the early to mid 80's. Here is the eclectic Boy George and Culture Club with the group's biggest hit and only #1 hit in the States - "Karma Chameleon"...




Lyrics | Culture Club lyrics - Karma Chameleon lyrics

"Karma Chameleon"
Single by Culture Club
from the album Colour by Numbers
B-side "That's the Way (I'm Only Trying to Help You)"
Released 5 September 1983
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1983
Genre Folk rock, new wave
Length 4:12 (album version)
3:51 (single edit)
Label Virgin
Writer(s) George O'Dowd, Jon Moss, Mikey Craig, Phil Pickett, Roy Hay
Producer Steve Levine

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1

80's Movie Weekend

Sissy Spacek won a well-deserved Academy Award for her performance in this weekend's 80's movie flashback where she did her own singing. She starred in the biographical tale of country legend Loretta Lynn and her rise from humble beginnings to fortune and fame. Also starring Tommy Lee Jones as her abusive, alcoholic husband whom she married at the age of 13, here is "Coal Miner's Daughter"...

the trailer...



making her first public appearance in the movie...



Coal Miner's Daughter

Directed by Michael Apted
Produced by Bernard Schwartz
Written by Loretta Lynn
George Vecsey (autobiography)
Thomas Rickman
Starring Sissy Spacek
Tommy Lee Jones
Beverly D'Angelo
Levon Helm
Phyllis Boyens
Music by Owen Bradley
Cinematography Ralf D. Bode
Editing by Arthur Schmidt
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) March 7, 1980 (1980-03-07)
Running time 125 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Ready in the Intro, Cue up the Search-lite

We gave you "The Gas Face" last year, and this year 3rd Bass is back with another hit from their 1989 debut album called "The Cactus Album." So here is MC Serch, Prime Minister Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich with "Steppin' to the A.M."...




Lyrics | 3rd Bass lyrics - Steppin' To The A. M. lyrics

"Steppin' To the A.M."

by 3rd Bass
from the album: The Cactus Album
released: 1989

Looking From a Window Above

Every Thursday throughout the months of April and May, The Excellent 80's is bringing you a hit from across the pond in the UK that didn't chart or didn't chart very high in the U.S. for whatever reason. Today's video was a #1 hit in the UK around Christmas of 1983 spending five weeks atop the UK charts while failing to even chart in the U.S. It's the first ever a cappella chart topper in the UK by a band known as the Flying Pickets, and it's the first time I've ever heard this version... and I like it. Check out The Flying Pickets with a song originally written for the band Yazoo by former Depeche Mode member Vince Clark called "Only You"...




Lyrics | Flying Pickets lyrics - Only You lyrics

"Only You"
Single by The Flying Pickets
from the album Lost Boys
Released 1983/1984
Format 7"
Recorded 1983
Genre a cappella
Length 3:15
Label Virgin
Producer The Flying Pickets, John Sherry Sonet

UK peak: #1

If I Could Turn the Page

With Christine McVie on lead vocals, it's the British/American band Fleetwood Mac for you once again today on The Excellent 80's. After a short hiatus where both McVie and Lindsey Buckingham issued solo albums, the group got back together and put out the album "Tango in the Night" which was their biggest selling album dating back to their 1977 album "Rumours." Here is the Fleetwood Mac hit "Little Lies"...




Lyrics | Fleetwood Mac lyrics - Little Lies lyrics

"Little Lies"

Single by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Tango in the Night
B-side "Ricky"
Released August 29, 1987
Format 7", 12", Cassette Single
Recorded 1985-1987
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:38
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela
Producer Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Dashut
Certification Silver (UK)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4

I've Got a Pocket Full of Holes

From one Aussie band (yesterday's AC / DC post) to another, today's band makes their first appearance in The Excellent 80's. They formed in Australia in the late 70's and they enjoyed a lot of success in Australia and found pop stardom in the U.S. in 1987. With one of their hits from 1987, here is the Australian band Icehouse featuring a sweet mullet by lead singer Iva Davies with "Crazy"...


Icehouse - Crazy by jpdc11


Lyrics | Icehouse lyrics - Crazy lyrics


"Crazy"
Single by Icehouse
from the album Man of Colours
B-side "Completely Gone"
Released 1987
Format 7" single
Genre Soft rock
Synthpop
Label Regular
Writer(s) Iva Davies
Robert Kretschmer
Andy Qunta


U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14

Here We Go

It's time for the band from Down Under once again. Here is the Brian Johnson led AC/DC with the first single off of their 1988 album "Blow Up Your Video." It's a song called "Heatseeker"...




Lyrics | Ac Dc lyrics - Heatseeker lyrics

"Heatseeker"
Single by AC/DC
from the album Blow Up Your Video
B-side "Go Zone"; Snake Eye (12 inch and 3-inch CD only)
Released 14 February 1988
Format 7 inch, 12 inch, CD
Recorded August–September 1987
Genre Hard rock
Length 3:43
Label Atlantic Records
Producer Harry Vanda, George Young

UK peak: #12

80's Movie Weekend

Paul Newman stars in this courtroom drama from 1982 for our 80's movie flashback weekend. It was one of the top 10 grossing films of the year. Here is the trailer for "The Verdict"...



Summation...



The Verdict

Directed by Sidney Lumet
Produced by David Brown
Richard D. Zanuck
Screenplay by David Mamet
Based on The Verdict by
Barry Reed
Starring Paul Newman
Charlotte Rampling
Jack Warden
James Mason
Milo O'Shea
Cinematography Andrzej Bartkowiak
Editing by Peter C. Frank
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) December 8, 1982 (1982-12-08)
Running time 129 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Girl You Are to Me

Known for their chart topping hit "Secret Lovers" the R&B band from New York known as Atlantic Starr turned in a mushy, lovey-dovey #1 hit in 1987. Here is Atlantic Starr with "Always"...

Atlantic Starr - Always - 1987 @ Yahoo! Video

Always Lyrics

Girl, you are to me, all that a woman should be,
And I dedicate my life to you always.
A love like yours is rare,
It must have been sent from up above
And I know you'll stay this way, for always

And we both know, that our love will grow
And forever it will be you and me
Ooh you're like the sun,
Chasing all of the rain away,

full lyrics

more Atlantic Starr lyrics

"Always"
Single by Atlantic Starr
from the album All in the Name of Love
B-side I'm In Love
Released 1987
Format 12" maxi single
Recorded 1986
Genre R&B, Pop
Length 4:47 (album version); 3:59 (single version)
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) David Lewis, Jonathan Lewis, Wayne Lewis
Producer David Lewis, Wayne Lewis

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1