Don't Be Ridiculous

It's America or Burst for Balki Bartokomous as he meets up with his cousin Larry Appleton in this sitcom that originated in 1986... I watched the early seasons of this sitcom, but I think it went downhill when the cousins started getting married... This show also produced a spinoff called "Family Matters" (remember Urkel?)... check out some stuff from "Perfect Strangers"...

the intro



and who could forget "the dance of joy"...



and check the pair out with a pretty good MC Hammer imitation for white dudes...



Perfect Strangers

Format Sitcom
Created by Dale McRaven
Starring Bronson Pinchot
Mark Linn-Baker
Melanie Wilson
Rebeca Arthur
Opening theme "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" by David Pomeranz
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 8
No. of episodes 150 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive
producer(s) Thomas L. Miller
Robert L. Boyett
William Bickley
Michael Warren (seasons 6-8)
Howard Adler
Robert Griffard (season 6)
Paula A. Roth (seasons 7-8)
Running time 24 minutes 30 seconds

Ah! Donnie Iris!

What can I possibly say about this video that would do it justice... the hair, the sweet yellow tux, the high tech camera tricks... do yourself a favor and flash back to the greatness of 1981 and the greatness of Donnie Iris today with "Ah! Leah!"




Lyrics | Ah! Leah! lyrics

"Ah! Leah!"

by Donnie Iris
from the album: Back on the Streets
released: 1981

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #29

80's Movie Weekend

A woman, a geek, and Edgar, the evil home computer! What to do, what to do! Today's classic 80s movie takes us back to a simpler time of computers when no one knew anything about them, but if you weren't careful, they could destroy you and your life... "Electric Dreams"



The trailer...



the duel scene...



the ending... what great acting! Oscar! Oscar!




Electric Dreams

Directed by Steven Barron
Produced by Larry de Waay
Rusty Lemorande
Written by Rusty Lemorande
Starring Lenny Von Dohlen
Virginia Madsen
Bud Cort
Don Fellows
Music by Giorgio Moroder
Philip Oakey
George O'Dowd
Cinematography Alex Thomson
Editing by Peter Honess
Distributed by MGM
United Artists
Release date(s) 1984
Running time 95 min.
Country UK / U.S.A.
Language English



I had long forgotten about this movie until I ran across a post over at Stuck in the 80's and so I just had to take a look at the video "Electric Dreams" by Human League lead singer Philip Oakey and producer Giorgio Moroder... from the very forgettable movie "Electric Dreams," here is Moroder and Oakey with "Together in Electric Dreams"...




Lyrics | Together In Electric Dreams (Extended) lyrics

“Together in Electric Dreams”

Single by Giorgio Moroder and Philip Oakey
from the album Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder and Electric Dreams soundtrack
Released 1984
Format Single
Recorded 1984
Genre Synthpop Electronica
Length 3:45
Label Virgin Records
Producer Giorgio Moroder

Like A Honeybee You Took the Best of Me

OK, this is the fourth week of my "Fraud Fridays" theme, and I am going to put you out of your misery by announcing this will be the final Fraud Friday video until further notice... Milli Vanilli slowing it down for us today with "Girl, I'm Gonna Miss You"... it's a tragedy for me that "Fraud Fridays" are over with (but I'm reserving the right to bring it back at anytime in the future)...




Lyrics | I'm Gonna Miss You lyrics


“Girl I'm Gonna Miss You”

Single by Milli Vanilli
from the album Girl You Know It's True
B-side "All or Nothing" (remix)
Released 1989
Format CD maxi
7" single
12" maxi
Length 4:20
Label Arista
Writer(s) Frank Farian, P. Bishoph, D. Kawohl
Producer Frank Farian

Charts
Chart (1989-1990) Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks #21
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs #20
UK Singles Chart #2

P.S. I wish someone would upload the video of them at the MTV event where the song started skipping while they were performing...

Give Your Free Will A Chance

For strange videos, this one ranks right up there... it's from the band known as Yes and if I would have been in this band and someone suggested that we should all turn into animals of some sort in the video, I would have had to say no... formed in London in the late 1960's, here is Yes with "Owner of a Lonely Heart"...

Yes - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Uploaded by Dan_of_the_Land

Lyrics | Owner Of A Lonely Heart lyrics

“Owner of a Lonely Heart”

Single by Yes
from the album 90125
B-side Our Song
Released October 1983
Recorded 1983
Genre Neo-progressive rock
Length 4:25
Label Atco Records
Producer Trevor Horn

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #1

Slow Motion Weekdays Stare Me Down

How much did this video cost, a hundred bucks? Regardless, it is another classic from the band that originated in Worcester, Mass., in the late 1960's. With Peter Wolf providing lead vocals, here is J. Geils Band with "Freeze Frame"...

J.Geils Band - Freeze Frame
Uploaded by hushhush112

Lyrics | Freeze Frame lyrics

"Freeze Frame"

by J. Geils Band
from the album: Freeze Frame
released: 1982

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #4

80's Video Games Commercials

It's still September and it's definitely Tuesday, and that means more classic tv ads of your favorite Atari games back in the day...

Asteroids...



who would have thought that someone could have come up with a jingle for Yars Revenge...



help E.T. get home...



Mario Brothers...

You're Not Shy, You Get Around

The interesting thing about this video today from the group Foreigner is that they chose to put the drummer at the front of the stage kind of spot-lighting him. Interesting choice for an other-wise boring video, but a cool song... from 1981, make it fast, make it "Urgent"...




Lyrics | Urgent lyrics

“Urgent”

Single by Foreigner
from the album 4
A-side "Urgent"
B-side "Girl on the Moon" [7"][1]
"Head Games" (Live) / "Hot Blooded" (Live) [12"][2]
Released July 2, 1981
Format 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl promo
Recorded 1980–1981
Genre Rock
Length 3:29 [7" (single edit)]
4:27 [12" (album version)]
Label Atlantic
Writer(s) Mick Jones
Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #4

80s Movie Weekend

Another John Hughes classic for this weekend's movie flashback... Molly Ringwold, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader, and.... Duckie! That's right, time for a little look back to 1986 and "Pretty in Pink"...

the trailer...



check out these ancient computers...




Pretty in Pink

North American Movie Poster
Directed by Howard Deutch
Produced by Lauren Shuler
Written by John Hughes
Starring Molly Ringwald
Andrew McCarthy
Jon Cryer
Harry Dean Stanton
Annie Potts
James Spader
Cinematography Tak Fujimoto
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date(s) February 28, 1986
Running time 96 min.
Country United States
Language English



of course, the big hit from the soundtrack, here is the british synthpop group known as Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark or OMD with "If You Leave"




Lyrics | If You Leave lyrics

“If You Leave”

Single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
from the album Pretty in Pink soundtrack
Released 28th April, 1986
Format 7", 12"
Genre Synthpop
Length 4:30
Label Virgin Records
Producer Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Tom Lord Alge

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #4
UK Peak: #48

Together We Are One, Seperated We Are Two

It's friday, and you know you are loving this "Fraud Fridays" theme that I have going on, because you're checking back in to see a group that you really liked at one time, but would never admit to in a hundred years... on with the video... the acting at the beginning of the video and the leaping chest bump to begin the song are horrendously awesome... "Girl You Know It's True" ooh, ooh, ooh, Milli Vanilli, we still love you... get those feet pumping!




Lyrics | Girl You Know It S True lyrics

Girl You Know It's True

Studio album by Milli Vanilli
Released 1989
Recorded 1988
Genre Dance, Pop
Length 41:01
Label Arista Records
Producer Frank Farian

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #1

Somebody...

Formed in Philly in 1982, this band rocked the glam metal world as well as any other band in the mid to late 80s... making their debut on The Excellent 80s, it's Cinderella doing an awesome acting job at the end when the girls end up with members of that "other" popular rock band... check out "Somebody Save Me"...

Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
Uploaded by jpdc11

Lyrics | Somebody Save Me lyrics

“Somebody Save Me”

Single by Cinderella
from the album Night Songs
Released February 10, 1987
Format 7", 12"
Genre Glam metal
Length 3:16
Label Mercury

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #66

How Can I Forget You, Girl?

In today's case, how can I forget these guys? I just can't. It's the english group known as Naked Eyes with a double shot in the Excellent 80's today... first up, a video with some phone booths and pay phones in it, which reminds me of the days prior to cell phones... here is their biggest hit - "Always Something There To Remind Me"...




Lyrics | There's Always Something There To Remind Me lyrics

“(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me”

Single by Lou Johnson
Released 1964
Genre Pop
Writer(s) Burt Bacharach, Hal David

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #8


Naked Eyes followed up that hit with this one - "Promises Promises"...




Lyrics | Promises Promises lyrics

"Promises Promises"

by Naked Eyes
from the album: "Burning Bridges"
released: 1983

US Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #11