Remember When, vol. 3

Continuing our memory exercise via song therapy. Rules are simple: listen to a random song, remember where/when i first heard it, and/or thoughts associated with the song. Or lack thereof. Especially if memory fails to serve.

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Let The Music Play (1983)
Shannon
I confused this singer with Del Shannon, dead rocker. I remember this being played a lot during parties and in discos (where else should it be played? funerals?).


Owner of A Lonely Heart (1984)
Yes
Along with "Jump", "Another One Bites The Dust", "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", this song joins a short list of anthemic rock songs that you, er ... I would like to mimic performing onstage. Wasn't too long before its familiar guitar riff gets adapted into rap/hiphop (Kyper's "Tic tac Toe", 1990).


Say You Will (1987)
Foreigner
Foreigner sounded tired by 1987, which is as well, because they couldn't compete with the onrushing glam metal train (Bon Jovi, GnR, Poison, Metallica) that would be a wreck within 4 years (hello, Kurt Cobain).


This Time I Know Its For Real (1987)
Donna Summer
Minor hit/last gasp for disco diva.


Tarzan Boy (1986)
Baltimora
Ah ... where do we start? 2nd year high school. Dance contest by class. We sophomore punks got punk'd. We were far too ahead of our time, dancing to Tarzan Boy, and losing out to the seniors. I knew we got more cheers than them. I still remember the dance steps (nyhahahahah!). Fast forward two years later, and we kicked everyone's asses with Only In My Dreams. I guess seniors get preferential treatment. Take that!!

Meanwhile, Baltimora (Jimmy McShane) reportedly died of AIDs in the 90s.


Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1988)
The Robert Cray Band
I see them being reviewed in magazines then, along with the Jeff Healey Band and Stevie Ray Vaughan, but again, never was much of a blues man. I do remember the blind Healey performing in the maligned/celebrated Roadhouse, and Vaughan's death in a chopper crash in 1990. As for Robert Cray, I'd listen to him from time to time, just to for a change of pace and mood.


We Don't Need Another Hero (1985)
Tina Turner
Ah, those days when Mel Gibson was still Mel Gibson, budding Australian superstar. Though I liked MadMax 2 more than the first or this Thunderdome. Did Tina Turner actually perform this in the movie? She didn't? A pity. Nyhahahahaaa!


Don't Stop The Dance (1985)
Bryan Ferry
After being transplanted to the big city to attend college, my musical horizons widened a bit more. I barely heard of Roxy Music before, much less Mr. Ferry. So I was already retro then (or just plain late). Let's start the fiesta. My personal fave is actually their remake of "Jealous Guy."


Keep On Movin' (1989)
Soul II Soul
Barely registered a blip on my radar, but indicative of the light funk soul trend I've come to like.


Addicted To Love (1985)
Robert Palmer
And I thought at that time this was a Grace Jones track. Nyahahahaha.


Have You Seen Her? (1989/90)
MC Hammer
There's too much blurred lines between '89 and '90. Anyway, what I remember is: Opisina, Galing Opisina. Willie Nep fever. woohoooo!


My One Temptation (1989)
Mica Paris
I remember reading about her in one magazine that she was in the long list of Prince's proteges (or at least endorsees). But I never got to hear any of her work ten. Not bad.


Obsession (1985)
Animotion
A poor man's Human League - they're apes (you know, aping). Minor disco filler, and pretty much fell off the face of the earth after.


Spanish Eddie (1985)
Laura Branigan
Her name itself evokes brashness, like we have to listen to her or else. The song reminds me of a corny joke i read in my music bible in those days (Jingle Magazine):
Q. When did Laura Branigan lose her virginity?
A. The night Spanish Eddie cast it in ...


Ooookay. Outta here.