Blog Archives
FlinterFile: The Blues Brothers- Sweet Home Chicago
The Blues Brothers made the song Sweet Home Chicago popular again in 1980, when it was released on the soundtrack of the movie. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Electric Light Orchestra- All Over The World
The movie Xanadu was released in 1980. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Squeeze- Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
This song from Squeeze was written by Glenn Tilbrook (music) and Chris Difford (lyrics). Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: France Gall- Il Jouait Du Piano Debout
France Gall released her new album album Paris, France in 1980. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Bruce Springsteen- Hungry Heart
Bruce Springsteen had his first top 10 hit in 1980, with Hungry Heart. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Frank Duval- Angel Of Mine
Frank Duval was a composer of music, which was used in television series like Derrick (a German detective). Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Rod Stewart- Passion
Rod Stewart released his tenth album, Foolish Behaviour, in 1980. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: The Whispers- And The Beat Goes On
In 1980, The Whispers scored their first hit. Though they formed in 1964 (!), they had to wait a long time for their first hit. With a positive look on a broken relationship, they knew to get into the discos. Leon F. Sylvers III had written the song, and was said the Whispers should record the song. They knew right away they could make it a hit, but Sylvers had little hope it would succeed. However, it would be a big hit (like the Shalamar hits he produced), with a number 19 position in the US and even number 2 in the UK. Enjoy
The Whispers- And The Beat Goes On
FlinterFile: Alides Hidding- Hollywood Seven
In 1980, Alides Hidding had his first hit. The song was written by Harry Lloyd and Gloria Sklerov in 1976 for Terry Jacks, who just had the hit Seasons In The Sun. On the way home, Gloria Sklerov saw a motel called Hollywood Eight. With Harry Lloyd, they changed their title to sing it better. However, it never was recorded by Terry Jacks, but it ended by Jon English. Alides Hidding’s version was especially a Dutch hit, reaching number 25 in the charts. After this success, Hidding carried on with his band the Time Bandits, with which he had several hits. After that, he started writing hits for artists such as Dan Hartman and Jennifer Rush. Enjoy
Alides Hidding- Hollywood Seven
FlinterFile: Talking Heads- Once In A Lifetime
In 1980, the Talking Heads released one of their biggest hits. It deals with not being happy with life, while there is nothing you can do to stop life from moving on. David Byrne, the leader of the Heads, took quite some lines from the evangelist radio, of which he thought they were useful directions. Brian Eno (yes, the producer of the U2) wrote the chorus and produced the song. The video is seen as a piece of art. It charted at number 14 in the UK. Enjoy
Talking Heads- Once In A Lifetime
FlinterFile: Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart
In 1980, Joy Division came with their response to the song Love Will Keep Us Together from Captain & Tennille. Ian Curtis, singer of the band, saw his marriage break up and hanged himself a month later. The band had the agreement that they would end Joy Division if any member was lost: so they did, and they went on as New Order. Though the song itself is dark in the lyrics, the song was one of the best songs Joy Division made: it ended at number 13 in the UK chart. Enjoy
Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart
Song of the day: Air Supply- All Out Of Love
In 1980, Air Supply released All Out Of Love, one of the five US hits with the word ‘love’ in the title. Air Supply was formed in 1975, because both Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock were cast for the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. They already released this song in 1978 in Australia, but for the release in the whole world, two years later, some changes were made. This resulted in a number 2 hit in the US and a number 11 hit in the UK, where it would be their only hit. Enjoy
Air Supply- All Out Of Love
Song of the day: Odyssey- Use It Up And Wear It Out
In 1980, Odyssey had their first and only number 1 hit in the UK. Despite the fact they did not make it to the charts in the US (their home country), it would be the start of a list of charting singles in the UK. Their first hit there had been of three years earlier, making it to number 5. They were back on the disco scene! Enjoy
Odyssey- Use It Up And Wear It Out
Song of the day: Yarbrough & Peoples- Don’t Stop The Music
In 1980, Yarbrough & Peoples made their debut. They brought the song to number 7 in the UK and number 19 in the US, and even number 1 in the US R&B chart. After the song left the charts, it became a favourite to sample in other songs. Artists who sampled the song were TLC, Puff Daddy and 2PAC. Enjoy this lovely disco hit
Yarbrough & Peoples- Don’t Stop The Music
Song of the day: Tom Browne- Funkin’ For Jamaica
In 1980, Tom Browne brought us a memoir of New York, where he grew up. He thought about writing this song when he visited his parents at their home. The vocals were done by Toni Smith and Tom Browne played the saxophone. It would be a number 1 hit in the US R&B chart and a number 10 hit in the UK. Enjoyn this disco hit
Tom Browne- Funkin’ For Jamaica
Song of the day: REO Speedwagon- Keep On Loving You
In 1980, Kevin Cronin wrote a hard rock power ballad. The song would be recorded by REO Speedwagon and was featured on the album Hi Infidelity. It broke through to the top 50 of the US chart, a novelty for REO Speedwagon, and it even took the first place for a week! In the UK, the song would make it to number 7. Enjoy
REO Speedwagon- Keep On Loving You
Song of the day: Loleatta Holloway- Love Sensation
In the early eighties, disco was at his height. That’s the reason Loleatta has such a big smile: she had two hits in this time! One was Crash Goes Love, the other was the song of the day. The song was written and produced by Dan Hartman (Relight My Fire), who made a lot of records with this woman. It would be a number one hit on the dance chart, and it is said that this was an exchange: Holloway was allowed to sing on Relight My Fire, so he wrote the song. Dance and enjoy
Loleatta Holloway- Love Sensation
Song of the day: The Korgis- Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime
In the beginning of the eighties, James Warren wrote a song for his band: The Korgis. It would become a hit single, with a number 18 in the US and a number 5 in the UK. It even was number one in some countries! It would be one of their biggest hits, and one which was a favourite to cover. Brian Davis, Yazz, the Army of Lovers, and the Dutch band Krezip, all recorded the song. I learned about the song when I heard the Krezip version, and only lately discovered the rest of the history! Enjoy
The Korgis- Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime
Song of the day: Diesel- Sausolito Summernight
We make a little step to the eighties today, we’ll return to the seventies tomorrow. Why this step, you would ask. Well, it’s a song that tends to be forgotten. The band Diesel was a Dutch band, one of the few that had a hit in the US. They would start in 1978, when Pim Koopman, the former drummer of Kayak (I will probably feature them later), started a new band, which would be Diesel. Their album Watts in a Tank would be released in 1981 in the US, and that was the album where the song of the day was on. Sausolito Summernight would make it to number 25 in the US and even do number one in Canada! Enjoy
Diesel- Sausolito Summernight
Song of the day: Patrick Cowley- Menergy
An eighties disco song today! And the text on the front is only partly true: it was a number one in the US disco/dance chart, and not in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Just like the other singles of Patrick Cowley, the song managed to get in the Top 10 of the disco chart, but did not enter the normal chart. The song was later released with the vocals of Sylvester. In the normal version, the song is great, but the best version still is the 12 inch, which lasts for nearly 9 minutes! Enjoy
Patrick Cowley- Menergy
Song of the day: Gibson Brothers- Que Sera Mi Vida (If You Should Go)
In the late 70s, disco was on its top with lots of disco records coming out. In this period of success, a French group called the Gibson Brothers released two singles, which had a lot of success. Their first single, Cuba, did not do very good in the UK, but this song did: it reached number 5 in the UK. I would say: get dancing to
The Gibson Brothers- Que Sera Mi Vida
Song of the day: Blondie- Call Me
In 1980, a single came out. Well, more singles came out, but this particular one did come out then too. In the Billboard chart it became a number one and in the rest of the world it was a massive hit, too. One of the writers of the music was Giorgio Moroder, who firstly asked Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac), but she refused. Then Moroder turned to Blondie, who wrote the lyrics in a few hours and then recorded it. The rest is history. Enjoy
Blondie- Call Me
Song of the day: Fischer-Z- So Long
Fischer-Z, the band which had hits in the eighties, formed by John Watts as the singer and the guitar player and Steve Skolnik, who took the place as the player of the keyboards. Furthermore, there were David Graham, the bass player, and Steve Liddle, who was the drummer. They started in 1979, had their first hit with The Worker. A year later, in 1980, they had a new single, called So Long. Although it did not do great in the UK, it became a big hit in the Netherlands and Australia. And because I think it’s a great song, it’s the song of today! Enjoy
Fischer-Z- So Long
Song of the day: Christopher Cross- Sailing
Some songs have great lyrics. This early eighties song has them. Or I think it has great lyrics. Because it’s about sailing, but I have never sailed. I’ve never been on a sailing boat. But if I may believe this song, it’s a great experience to forget all your problems and get away from the world for a little time. Enjoy
Christopher Cross- Sailing
Song of the day: Barbra Streisand- Woman In Love
Yes, this woman had a lot of hits. They even made a song about her. Was a little succes, but not one of my favourites. But the songs she made were pretty good. And a lot of them were written by one of the members of the Bee Gees: Robin Gibb! Enjoy:
Barbra Streisand- Woman In Love
Song of the day: The Blues Brothers- Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Oh, the soundtrack of the Blues Brothers! What a good soundtrack, and what a movie!
In this movie there were certainly a lot of car crashes, and maybe it was the highest number of cars destroyed in a movie.
Anyway, the movie is brilliant, and I chose a song that everyone knows from the movie, with some good dancing:
The song of the day is Everybody Needs Somebody To Love!
And if you don’t know the movie, watch it: it’s fun!
The FlinterFiles 