I just heard this song “On the Loose” by the band Saga on the radio today and it took me back to 1981 when MTV first hit the tube with all music all the time! This song is totally 80’s with those awesome keyboards and the guitar being tight on the solo!
As I listened to this song, I was listening to the lyrics, “No one could stop me now! Tonight I’m on the loose!” ....And I thought, if “No one can stop you now”, why aren’t you and the band still around?
Then, I heard these guys are still touring. Doh!
If I could go back in time, I’d find a 1975 Chrysler Cordoba with rich Corinthiannnn leather seats, an 8 track tape player with a cassette adaptor and play this tune till the tape starts to stretch and ruin! Yeah!
A few years ago, I fell in love with this song called “Beggin’” by a group called Madcon, a Norwegian hip-hop group.
As I started researching this song, I came to realize and was embarrassed that I had no idea it was a remake of the famous 1967 Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song, “Beggin’”!
Madcon's version of the song is a total re-recording of all instruments by the production team 3Elementz, and all vocals by Madcon. This single went 6 times platinum and was the highest selling song in Norway in 2007, and received the "Hit of the Year".
"Beggin'" was actually composed in 1967 by Keyboardist/songwriter Bob Gaudio and the lyrics were written by Peggy Farina (lead singer on the song “My Boyfriend’s Back”).
I was not aware that Bob Gaudio had also written or co-written almost every single Four Seasons hit!
I love the fact that a song in the 60’s can be a hit again 40 years later by adding a little rap and then making it sound like it’s from the 70’s!!
Sad to say, I wonder how many Madcon fans even know who Frankie Valli is?
Hey, wait.......doesn't he look like Frank Stallone????
Wow! These guys not only look alike, they're both singers and they're both named Frank! What a trip!
ANYWAY....I digress......
What’s funny is, if you didn’t know the title when listening to the song, you would think he was saying…. “Peggy!...Peggy Sue.. ooh ooh ooh…”
So, if I compare both versions.....my favorite version would be ?? Frankie's of course!!
I love this song!! The bass line really rocks! It's so funny to see Patty Smyth dance all Totally 80's "Fresh Prince" Carlton in this video! Aaaahhh. Those were the days!
What's really funny? The bass player looking a little like an 80's George Clooney!
“Goodbye to You” was written by Scandal band member/founder and guitarist Zack Smith and sung by Patty Smyth and released as a single in 1982. The band broke up a few years later but has since reunited.
Cool facts:
1. Patty Smyth was asked by Eddie Van Halen to replace David Lee Roth (after he quit).
2. The original Demo video of "Goodbye To You" was filmed in a small studio and features Bon Jovi playing guitar (was a friend of the band) and Late Show with David Letterman’s, Paul Shaffer playing the keyboards/synthesizer. In the released version, Paul actually wrote and recorded the keyboard solo and based it on Del Shannon's "Runaway".
Eruption:Initially, "Eruption" wasn’t even considered as a song for the first Van Halen album as it was just a guitar solo Eddie performed live in the clubs or as a warm up but producer Ted Templeman overheard it in the studio as Eddie was rehearsing it for a club date and decided to include it on the album. Eddie Van Halen later recalled, "I didn't even play it right. There's a mistake at the top end of it. To this day, whenever I hear it, I always think, 'Man, I could've played it better.'"
Spanish Fly: After 'Eruption”, Eddie recorded Spanish Fly as a follow up to the famous “Eruption” on the second album, Van Halen II, as a direct response to people suggesting Eddie was a good rock guitarist, but that he probably couldn't go beyond this. Again, when Ted Templeman heard Eddie playing this song at a party, he stated, “You play acoustic too?” and suggested he add it to the album. Eddie got a kick out of it and ultimately rehearsed the song until it was ready to record. He played it in one take with a pick on a nylon string acoustic guitar.
All Music Guide has described Eddie Van Halen as, "Second to only Jimi Hendrix...undoubtedly one of the most influential, original, and talented rock guitarists of the 20th century!”
Frank Rodriguez has described Eddie Van Halen as, “Undoubtedly THE most influential, original, and talented rock guitarists of the 20th century!”
The year was 1979! The introduction of the Sony Walkman, Swatch Watch, Apple Computers, Sock Sweat Bands, Skateboarding, Slip n Slides and this song, PleaseDon’t Go, my all time favorite KC and the Sunshine Band record!
A few facts you might not have known??
The song was the band's first love ballad, and was the first number one song of 1980.
They took their name from lead vocalist Harry Wayne Casey's last name ("KC") and the "Sunshine Band" from KC's home state of Florida ('The Sunshine State').
“KC” worked part-time in a record store. He noticed often that customers would come in not remembering the titles of the records they wanted, and the store would lose the sale — this is the reason so many of his songs repeat their titles over and over.
Where is he now?
In the mid ‘90s, due to the revived interest in the music and fashions of the 1970s, “KC” re-formed the Sunshine Band and plays up to 200 dates a year and continues to produce other artists. He's still rockin'!
You know, if they ever made a movie about “KC’s” life, I could only see one actor playing him…...Jim Carrey!?! Come on! You can see the resemblance!
Aahhh. The music of Carlos Santana! Brings back some great memories!
You know, this song actually has a lot of history. Some people think that Santana was the first to come out with this song. "Oye Como Va" is a version of a song originally written by Cachao, a Cuban Mambo Musician and covered by Puerto Rican Latin Jazz and Mambo Musician, Tito Puente in 1963 and then popularized by Santana's cover of the song in 1970, helping to catapult Santana into super stardom.
For those who don’t know the meaning of the song, I’ll help you out.
Oye!
Listen up, y'all !
Como va mi ritmo ..bueno pa gozar
To how great my rhythm is going/flowing, for your enjoyment
(La música) mulata
A mixed blend (for a mixed audience)
This was the BEST song to listen to as I remember growing up having cookouts in our backyard with my family eating Fajita's! It also reminds me of eating my favorite dish of all time!Carne Guisada with Spanish Rice, Refried Beans and a stack of Hot Fluffy Tortillas!
When I was in Jr. High and High School, I can remember going to my favorite arcade game rooms (especially the one in the Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christi) spending ENDLESS amounts of quarters playing video games for HOURS! Wow! I’m getting depressed just thinking about all that money I wasted on those games “back in the day”! I loved playing Pac-Man although I have to admit that my favorite was Space Invaders and Asteroids.
It’s funny to think that Pac-Manjust celebrated its 30 year anniversary! Wow! How time flies! Pac-Man was first released in Japan in 1980 and is considered to be one of the classics and an icon of 1980s popular culture. As soon as it came out, the game became a social phenomenon that sold a ton of merchandise and inspired, among other things, an animated television series and this 1982 top top-ten hit single, “Pac-Man Fever” by Buckner & Garcia.
Pac-Man is one of the longest running video game franchises from the golden age of video arcade games and succeeded by creating a new genre and appealing to both genders.
It’s among the most famous arcade games of all time and has the highest brand awareness of any video game character. It’s actually on display at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
I gotta tell ya! I got a Pac-Man Fever!! And the only prescription……is more cowbell!!
I remember it well. High School, 1985, my senior year, listening to a variety of music, primarily hard rock/heavy metal when my wife (friend at the time and a good friend of hers) introduced me to a group called Oingo Boingo.
Oingo Boingo??? My initial thought was, “What kind of goofy crazy circus clown name is that for a band?” I really didn’t want to listen to their music but eventually, I gave in and was pleasantly surprised at the incredible musicianship of this band as I listened to what ultimately became one of my favorite songs, “Just Another Day!” They were incredible! They were very different! I didn’t realize how popular these guys were. In California, they were like the Beatles!
Years later, I was sitting in a movie theatre watching the movie, “Batman” when the credits showed that the scoring was done by none other than songwriter/composer (Oingo Boingo’s frontman) Danny Elfman!
Elfman would eventually score music for television and more movies! His main collaboration has been with Tim Burton and has scored all but two of his films (those being Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd).
His first major motion picture score was Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Elfman was so apprehensive at first because of his lack of formal training (he actually dropped out of high school), but with orchestration assistance from Oingo Boingo guitarist and arranger Steve Bartek (which today almost exclusively employs), he achieved his goal of creating his first musical score!
I had no idea his film scores included Edward Scissorhands, Good Will Hunting, Men in Black, Spider-Man, Big Fish, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Darkman, Alice in Wonderlnd and dozens more. Elfman also wrote the themes for more than a dozen TV series, including The Simpsons, Batman: The Animated Series, Tales from the Crypt and Desperate Housewives.
Wow! What talent!
Another interesting fact? He is married to actress Bridget Fonda and is related to actress Jenna Elfman.
