Friday Jukebox 8.22.14

If you have heard by now, Don Pardo, announcer of the original JEOPARDY! series passed away on Sunday night at the age of 96. He even lent his voice to the 'Weird Al' Yankovic song from 1984, a cover of Greg Kihn's "Jeopardy."

Friday Jukebox 8.8.14

I'm a big fan of Joe Jackson. Not just 'Steppin' Out', but this song here as well. "You Can't Get What You Want," from his 1984 album Body and Soul. Pure top 40 hit.

Friday Jukebox 1.17.14

30 years ago this year, will mark the release of Instincts, by the San Francisco-based Romeo Void. It features "A Girl in Trouble," in which it was written in response to a line from "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson: "But the kid is not my son."

 

Cha'mone Muthafucka! 

 



Friday Jukebox 8.23.13

I felt like going back to the '80s for this: a heavily-underrated masterpiece by the band Leatherwolf from 1984, called "Alone in the Night." After hearing this in a couple of Bloodstain Lane videos, I finally found the title and the music. Note: this was also used in the soundtrack to the 1988 film Return of the Living Dead II.

Friday Jukebox 5.18.12: A Short Tribute to Donna Summer.

On Thursday, Donna Summer (think "Hot Stuff" and "She Works Hard For Her Money") passed away after battling cancer at age 63. What is interesting out of this was that I had Cats Without Claws, released in 1984, years back on cassette. Cats Without Claws, was her 12th studio album, including such tracks as the title track itself, along with "Suzanna" and the best track on the album, "Maybe It's Over."

Friday Jukebox 2.10.12

This song...we'll...I can say that if it weren't for the Audi LED ad during the Super Bowl, I wouldn't know about this one. Echo & the Bunnymen "Killing Time," from 1984's Ocean Rain.

And You'll See Why 1984 Won't Be Like 1984.

The greatest Super Bowl commercial ever. Ran basically one time-during Super Bowl XVIII on CBS. Promoting the MacIntosh. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs passed away on Wednesday after months of battling cancer. He was 56.

Friday Jukebox 9.23.11

Since one of our past FJ's was on Claudja Barry, let's do this again. This time, a great song from Barry from 1984, "Trippin' on the Moon." Like some, even most of Barry's productions, this was also produced by Jurgen Korduletsch, who from what I've researched, married Barry. Coincidence?

Friday Jukebox 8.26.11: A Tribute to Two Songwriters.

This is also my 200th post.

On Monday, two talented songwriters passed away.

Jerry Leiber, writer of Elvis' "Hound Dog" from 1956. Aged 78. Along with partner Mike Stoller, not only worked with Elvis, but a who's who of artists, from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to B.B. King, Buddy Holly and James Brown just to name a few.

Also, Nick Ashford passed away, age 70. Along with partner (and later wife) Valerie Simpson, Ashford was a writer as well as musician. Both Ashford and Simpson teamed up on "Found a Cure" (1979), "It Seems to Hang On" (1978), and "Solid" (1984).

I discovered, that now that I'm following Nile Rodgers (Chic) on twitter, he tweeted that it was Ashford that "gave Chic their first break." And the rest of history.

Friday Jukebox 6.24.11: A Tribute to Clarence Clemons.

As you all aware, Clarence Clemons, the saxophonist for the E Street Band passed away earlier this week. You all remember the video for the E Street Band's "Dancing in the Dark" from the Born In the USA album (1984), where a young Courtney Cox (Friends, Cougar Town, etc.) came on stage and danced with both Clarence and Bruce! Enjoy as this is a tribute to a big contribution to a big name act that everyone loves and adores. RIP Big Man.