23 July 2021 - Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill a Man

You'd think that Cypress Hill would have risen to prominence on something having to do with weed.

You would be wrong.  This song was their first hit, their debut single, and featured homages to many popular hip hop and punk artists of the day, with Q-Tip and Ice Cube making cameos in the video.  See if you can hear the Suicidal Tendencies reference near the end of the song.  

I mentioned homage.  This was the height of the popularity of so called "gangsta rap" groups such as NWA - and I really hate typing that name out, because it generalizes and minimizes such a broad category of music.  The violence referenced here by three very high guys is absolutely homage, and having these guest stars in the video drives that home.

At any rate, it's an enjoyable tune, and I hope you give it a listen.  

22 July 2021 - Debbie Gibson - Only in My Dreams

Remember when Tiffany and Debbie Gibson were two artists you had to choose between?   They never bought into that, so neither did I.  Besides, they did different things.  Tiffany is best known for, well, a cover. Clearly, I have zero issue with that - and if you have not seen Totally Covered, you need to.

But this was different.  Whereas you'd expect a young pop artist to be singing songs written by others, especially in the mid-1980's, that's not what Debbie Gibson did.  She WROTE this song in 1984 - when she was 14 - and recorded it in 1986.  

The video was recorded in Asbury Park, near where she lived.  The song was a top 5 hit in September 1987.

In 1998, Deborah Gibson re-released the song, with a different remix, after she left Atlantic Records.  The new version is 1) more mature, and 2) notice the name change.  

21 July 2021 - Suzanne Vega - Luka

The breakout music hit of 1987 was "Luka" by Suzanne Vega.  A singer/songwriter from Greenwich Village, the song was from her second album, Solitude Standing. Some albums, you remember where you were when you bought them.  I bought this one at Record Town at the McKinley Mall in suburban Buffalo.  It is the last cassette I ever bought in a cardboard longbox.  And, it was a revelation.

This song is written and performed from the point of view of an abused child.  This isn't something that was common in 1987, let alone for a hit song - #3 on the pop charts, and her 2nd biggest worldwide hit.  Give it a listen.    

20 July 2021 - Agnetha Fältskog - Can't Shake Loose

You didn't know Agnetha from ABBA had a solo career, did you?

I say "had". She's still releasing music.  In fact, she reached her high water mark in 2013, with her album A. This song is not from that album, but rather from her 1983 English language debut solo album (she had Swedish language albums prior to ABBA, beginning in the late 1960's, and did have some major hits in her home country), Wrap Your Arms Around Me.  It is Agnetha's biggest US solo hit to date, reaching #29 in 1983.  

The song is a pretty typical 1980's pop/rock song, penned by Russ Ballard.  

19 July 2021 - Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time

You all remember Eddie Murphy from all his movies, or maybe from Saturday Night Live.

Did you remember that he make music, too?!  His biggest hit was this single, written and produced by the late great Rick James and recorded in James's Buffalo NY studio.  My biggest surprise in researching this post was that Rick James had a Buffalo, NY studio.  

The lore of the song is more interesting, though.  The story goes, it was the result of a $100,000 bet between Murphy and Richard Pryor, over whether or not he had musical talent.  No word on whether or not the bet was paid out, but the song reached #2 on the Billboard charts.

16 July 2021 - The Bangles - Manic Monday

So, let's get the things I know I'm going to hear out of the way.  

"Why are you posting THIS SONG on a Friday!?"   Because it's a great song any day of the week.  I won't fit inside your box.   

"Wait, didn't Apollonia 6 record this first?"  Well, yes, they did, with Prince - the songwriter - but he pulled the song from their album - that version would not be released until 2019.  So, this was the first released version of the song.  And it's amazing - showcasing the harmonies of which the Bangles are capable, as well as giving Susanna Hoffs a chance to shine on lead vocal, as opposed to Debbi Peterson.  

"But wait. Their VERY NEXT SINGLE 'If She Knew What She Wants' was essentially the same situation, except Jules Shear wrote that, and that was on Totally Covered, so why not put this there?"  Jules Shear released his version a year before the Bangles did.  Come on, now.  We do our research.  

"But wait. Their IMMEDIATE PRIOR SINGLE was 'Going Down To Liverpool' by Katrina and the Waves.  I read Totally Covered.  I know the score."  Again, Katrina and the Waves recorded and released that song years before - and RERELEASED it after this as the B side to "Walking on Sunshine". 

"You've called songs covers for a lot less.  Did you think we'd forget the whole 'One of Us' debate?"  Yes.  You may remember the agony over that decision.  

Great.  Now I'm out of time.  Let's just get to the song.

"But wait.  Don't you traditionally include a live version of these songs?"  Well, yeah.  We do like to do that.   Here's one from 1986.  

15 July 2021 - Amy Grant - Baby, Baby

As many of you know, Amy Grant is a Christian music superstar. Her first seven studio albums, plus the compilation The Collection, which was something of a crossover breakthrough, were quite overtly Christian in themes, with some of her songs taking lyrics right from the Bible.  And they were hits - many of them went gold or platinum, despite primarily being sold in Christian bookstores.  

Her eight studio album, Lead Me On, was the one that really started the wiggle to secular music, but it was still pretty Christian.  

On March 5, 1991, Amy Grant's ninth studio album, Heart In Motion, was released. It was a very strong secular turn - but still did well on Christian charts. This song remains her biggest hit to date -it's a standard, cheerful pop song that will make you smile.