Loose Ends is a group that doesn’t get enough props. They were one of the first British soul groups to make noise with R&B audiences; as a matter of fact, “Hangin’ On A String” was the first song by a UK act to top the American R&B charts¹. Their sound was familiar and exotic at… Read More “Hangin’ On A String (Contemplating)” by Loose Ends (1985)
Three years before he released his first record as a member of New Edition, and five years before he rubbed us the right way, Johnny Gill had a modest R&B hit with “Half-Crazy”, a piano ballad I (if I remember correctly) overheard one night in my bedroom as my parents were watching the video in… Read More “Half-Crazy” by Johnny Gill (1985)
My high school experience was nothing like anything John Hughes ever captured in a film. For one thing, there were people of color in my high school. Actually, Brooklyn Tech was (and still is) predominantly Asian. And not one of them sounded or acted like Long Duk Dong. Also, I don’t think my high school… Read More “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds (1985)
I don’t have a lot to say about “Don’t Lose My Number”. It was the third single from No Jacket Required, which was his biggest album. He won an Album of the Year Grammy for it. I didn’t actually see it happen; I listened to my mom and stepdad watch it from my room where… Read More “Don’t Lose My Number” by Phil Collins (1985)
I discovered this amazing not-quite-a-hit via Rhino’s (awesomely curated) The Disco Years CD series from the mid ‘90s. Although “Don Quichotte” came a few years too late to “officially” qualify as disco (whatever that means), it’s also not hi-NRG or dance-pop a la Madonna, it’s…it’s absurd is what it is. Absurd synthesizer music with pidgin Spanish,… Read More “Don Quichotte” by Magazine 60 (1985)
First off, let’s show some love to the brown girl attitude all over “Crush On You”’s first couplet: “you must have heard it from my best friend/she’s always talkin’ when she should be listenin’”. You weren’t getting that much sass in your pop/R&B in the ‘80s, especially from female singers. Then Elizabeth Wolfgramm and Janet Jackson hit you with… Read More “Crush On You” by The Jets (1985)
So as “Crazy for You” has been circling my mind, I’ve been wanting to write about how Madonna was this tough-as-nails New York chick and the reason “Crazy for You” hits so hard is because of the level of vulnerability Madge shows in her performance. And there’s validity to that. “Crazy for You” has a… Read More “Crazy For You” by Madonna (1985)
