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