80's Television

OK, this series lasted three seasons but I couldn't stand to watch one episode. It starred Linda Hamilton, and I like Linda Hamilton. But, her co-star was an absolute beast! Literally, he was a beast, and he was hideous to look at. I'm sorry! I know that that was the whole point of the show, but I still couldn't do it. I found the Disney cartoon much more entertaining and pleasing to the eyes and ears. For those of you that watched it for it's 1987-1990 run, here is your flashback to then and the tv series "Beauty and the Beast"...

the intro...



Beauty and the Beast

Pictured: Linda Hamilton (Catherine), Ron Perlman (Vincent)
Format Drama
Fantasy
Romance
Created by Ron Koslow
Starring Linda Hamilton
Ron Perlman
Roy Dotrice
Jay Acovone[1]
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 3
No. of episodes 56
Production
Running time approx. 48 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel CBS[2]
Original run September 25, 1987 (1987-09-25) – August 4, 1990

I Wish I Was Someone Else

Let's kick off the work week with a funny video from The Ramones from 1986. It's Ramones Aid time everybody, so let's get serious! Time for Hands Across Your Face as we raise money for the sake of raising money and getting rich! I love this video that makes fun of the USA For Africa video. Here are The Ramones with a little help from some big name stars in the video of "Something To Believe In"...




Lyrics | Ramones lyrics - Something To Believe In lyrics

"Something to Believe In"

by The Ramones
from the album: Animal Boy
released: 1986

80's Movie Weekend

I love today's movie. Way before he was making a movie for any random script that came across his desk, Nicolas Cage was Herbert I. "Hi" McDunnough, a petty criminal who would meet his future wife Edwina "Ed" (Holly Hunter) after she takes his mugshots from a recent arrest. The two have trouble conceiving a child, and so Hi steals one for her, and chaos and hilarity ensue. Directed by the Coen brothers and also starring John Goodman and William Forsythe (two Forsythe sightings in one month!), of course I'm talking about "Raising Arizona"...

the trailer...



the diaper chase scene... I think we can all relate, right?...



Raising Arizona

Directed by Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Produced by Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Written by Joel Coen
Ethan Coen
Narrated by Nicolas Cage
Starring Nicolas Cage
Holly Hunter
Trey Wilson
John Goodman
William Forsythe
Sam McMurray
Frances McDormand
Randall "Tex" Cobb
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography Barry Sonnenfeld
Editing by Michael R. Miller
Studio Circle Films
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) March 6, 1987
Running time 94 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $6 million
Box office $22,847,564

See the People Walking Down the Street

It's been a long time since I've posted the all girl group from L.A. known as The Go-Go's. Back in August of 2008, we had "Vacation," and before that back in 2007, we had "Our Lips Are Sealed." Well, today, over three years since their last appearance in The Excellent 80's, here is a live performance video of a song that peaked at #2 back in 1982. It's "We Got the Beat"...




Lyrics | Go-go's lyrics - We Got The Beat lyrics

"We Got the Beat"
Single by The Go-Go's
from the album Beauty and the Beat
B-side "Can't Stop the World"
Released May 27, 1980 United States
January 16, 1981 United Kingdom
Format 7" single
Recorded 1980
Genre New Wave
Length 2:32
Label Stiff (1980), I.R.S. (1981, 1982), A&M (1982)
Writer(s) Charlotte Caffey
Producer Richard Gottehrer, Rob Freeman
Certification Gold (CRIA, RIAA)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2

One Hand On the Ground, One Hand in Space

I was ok with today's campy 80's music video until the bald dude wearing the white dress appears as well as the other dude holding the very large snake. Did we need this in the video? I think not. And what is Ric Ocasek doing as a telephone operator/dispatcher of some sort? All I have to say, is helllooo, hellllooo again. From the "Heartbeat City" album here is "Hello Again"...




Lyrics | Cars lyrics - Hello Again lyrics

"Hello Again"
Single by The Cars
from the album Heartbeat City
B-side "Hello Again" (Dub Version)
Released October 15, 1984 (1984-10-15)
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1983-1984
Genre Dark Wave, avant-garde,[1] New Wave
Length 3:47
Label Elektra
Writer(s) Ric Ocasek
Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange
The Cars

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #20

Awake From Dusk to Dawn

Today, The Excellent 80's brings you the band formed in Las Vegas sometime around 1988 that was a bright but brief shining star at the tail end of the glam metal sound of the 80's. Their album "Stick It To Ya" provided quite a few hit songs including the first song to be released from the album. Cue the wind machine, rain, leather, and sexy girls... here is Slaughter with "Up All Night"...




Lyrics | Slaughter lyrics - Up All Night lyrics

"Up All Night"
Single by Slaughter
from the album Stick It to Ya
Released 1990
Recorded 1989
Genre Hard rock
Label Chrysalis
Writer(s) Mark Slaughter and Dana Helm

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #27

80's Television

After a nice stint playing a genie, Barbara Eden took to Harper Valley U.S.A. for some craziness! It was a short-lived sitcom lasting all of two seasons and 30 episodes, but oh, what glorious episodes they were. I know you remember "Harper Valley PTA"...



Harper Valley (PTA)

Format Sitcom
Starring Barbara Eden
Fannie Flagg
Jenn Thompson
Anne Francine
Bridget Hanley
Rod McCary
Mills Watson
George Gobel
Allison Harvey
Opening theme "Harper Valley PTA", originally performed by Jeannie C. Riley
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 30

It Ain't the Way You Move

Trains! Wind! Smoke! This video has it all! OK, so maybe it's not the best video ever made, but it was 1982, and it was the first Top 40 hit for the band Night Ranger.
The thing I find interesting about Night Ranger is that they were a solid band with a signature song ("Sister Christian"), but for whatever reason were not really that highly thought of in my opinion whenever someone started listing great rock bands of the 80's. Good, but never great was always the underlying feeling I got about this band. They had six top 40 hits and cracked the top 10 twice. They were just a solid band putting out solid music for the better part of a decade including this hit, which was their first one back in 1982 - "Don't Tell Me You Love Me"...


Night Ranger-Don't tell me you love me by SirDroopy


Lyrics | Night Ranger lyrics - Don't Tell Me You Love Me lyrics

"Don't Tell Me You Love Me"

by Night Ranger
from the album: Dawn Patrol
released: 1982

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40

80's Movie Weekend

I'm a sucker for a good old fashioned crime/gangster movie, and somehow I missed this one from 1984. Considering the star power in this movie, I'm surprised I've never seen it on cable tv either.
After researching it a little bit, one of the reasons may have to do with the controversy over the running time of this movie co-written and directed by Sergio Leone. The uncut version came in at almost four and a half hours and was considered by many critics a masterpiece and the best film of the year. When it was ultimately released in the U.S. in 1984, it had been edited down to just over two hours and was panned by most critics.
So, I guess if you want to see a great crime film you need to track down the uncut version and watch that one. But, oh man, what a cast - DeNiro, James Woods, Pesci, Elizabeth McGovern, Burt Young, William Forsythe, and the list goes on. It's the movie "Once Upon a Time in America"...

the trailer...



Once Upon a Time in America

Directed by Sergio Leone
Produced by Arnon Milchan
Screenplay by Franco Arcalli
Leonardo Benvenuti
Piero De Bernadi
Franco Ferrini
Ernesto Gastaldi
Stuart M. Kaminsky
Sergio Leone
Enrico Medioli
Based on The Hoods by
Harry Grey
Starring Robert De Niro
James Woods
Elizabeth McGovern
William Forsythe
James Hayden
Tuesday Weld
Treat Williams
Joe Pesci
Burt Young
Brian Bloom
Scott Tiler
Rusty Jacobs
Jennifer Connelly
Music by Ennio Morricone
Cinematography Tonino Delli Colli
Editing by Nino Baragli
Studio Embassy International Pictures (now Regency Enterprises)
Distributed by Producers Sales Organization
The Ladd Company for Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s) May 23, 1984 (Cannes)
June 1, 1984 (USA)
Running time European theatrical version
229 minutes
USA theatrical version
139 minutes
Original director's version
269 minutes
Country Italy
United States
Language English, Italian, Yiddish
Budget $20 million (approx.)
Box office $5,321,508

Hey Little Girl is Your Daddy Home

Happy Friday everyone! Today's video won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1985. It's a dramatic portrayal given by The Boss himself as an auto mechanic who tunes up the same vintage Thunderbird every week that's dropped off by a well to do woman living the high life. It's a short little number but became Springsteen's fourth top-10 hit off of his "Born in the U.S.A." album. Here is "I'm On Fire"...




Lyrics | Bruce Springsteen lyrics - I'm On Fire lyrics

"I'm on Fire"
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Born in the U.S.A.
B-side "Johnny Bye Bye"
Released February 6, 1985
Format 7" single
Recorded February 1982
Genre Rock
Length 2:37
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6

What Can I Do

Today's hit from the band Styx occurred during the height of their popularity and close to the break up of the band over the always amusing "creative differences." This single cracked the top 10 off of their "Kilroy Was Here" album, and remains one of my favorite Styx singles. Here they are with the live version of "Don't Let It End"...




Lyrics | Styx lyrics - Don't Let It End lyrics

"Don't Let it End"
Single by Styx
from the album Kilroy Was Here
Released 1983
Recorded 1982
Genre Progressive rock
Length 4:53
Label A&M
Writer(s) Dennis DeYoung
Producer Styx

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6

You Make Me Itch and I'm Out of Calamine

Cue the leather, boots, wind machine, and crazy black and white touring footage! Featured once in here with their 1990 hit "House of Pain," we're back with a 1989 song from the same album by the band Faster Pussycat. It's a catchy little tune that didn't do much of anything on any charts, but I've always liked it. Here is Faster Pussycat with "Poison Ivy"...




Lyrics | Faster Pussycat lyrics - Poison Ivy lyrics

"Poison Ivy"

by Faster Pussycat
from the album: Wake Me When It's Over
released: 1989