Selection A16: Hall and Oates -- Out of Touch

It was the summer of 1984.  I was 14.  I had a paper route.  MTV was big, and something I would watch whenever there wasn't something else on TV.  And Hall and Oates was about to blow my socks off.

They came out with a new album called Big Bam Boom.  It was different than previous albums because they parted ways with their normal producer,  Neil Kernon, and hired Bob Clearmountain to produce, and hip-hop DJ Arthur Baker to play with the mix in post production.

Some say the sound is too busy, but the whole album moved me.  Out of Touch, the first single released from the album, was mind blowing.  Above is the album/single version, and it is pretty good, good enough to get into my jukebox.  But below is the video version of the song, and the 14 year old in me couldn't wait for the next time it would come on MTV.  It is that good.

It opens with a bit of the song Dance On Your Knees which is the first track on the album.  Arthur Baker is credited with co-writing the song with Darryl Hall.  It definitely has a hip-hop feel to it.  The song in the video uses that track a few other times, and it was the song I liked better.  So much better, I would record it in Mono from our VCR so I could listen to it on my paper route.  It was that good.  I almost never found a clear version of the video mix, until one time while listening to Crap From The Past Ron played it, and said it was from the Hall and Oates greatest hits CD, Playlist.  Needless to say, I bought it as soon as I could.

The big problem here is the 45 I put in the jukebox won't be the video version.  I can live with that.

Selection B16 is Cold Dark and Yesterday.  It's a good track for a B side, and if they were to have released more than 4 songs from this album, I could see this one making it near to the bottom of the top 40.  Good enough to get a few plays in the jukebox.

Selection A15: Don Henley -- All She Wants to do is Dance

Let me follow up an odd pairing with a song that is odd for the artist that made it. Oh, it's got the political messaging Don Henley is famous for, so it isn't that.  No, it's a dance song.  This song made it to #9 on the pop charts in the Spring of 1985, but it made it all the way to #10 on the dance chart.

As a kid, I liked this song because it was so danceable.   The slap drumbeat, the highly distorted guitar.  The synth when it comes in strong.  And that's just the opening.  The bridge also has a strong synth solo.  This is not your typical Don Henley song.  It's one of only two I really like from him, the other being Sunset Grille.  Both are from the great Building the Perfect Beast album. 

Speaking of, the title song of that album is selection B15.  Listening to it now, and there's not much there for me. It is another song I wouldn't expect from Henley, a perfect companion for this 45, but it won't get many plays on the Jukebox.

Selection A14: Art of Noise -- Kiss (featuring Tom Jones)

I hope I am not alone in liking odd parings.  This is actually three in one: an 80s synthpop group called The Art Of Noise; a 60s vocalist Sir Thomas John Woodward who goes by the stage name Tom Jones; and pop superstar Prince.  

The Art of Noise formed in London in 1983.  They consisted of engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with arranger Anne Dudley (who is already on the jukebox as the arranger for Selection A4, Too Many Walls) producer Trevor Horn and music journalist Paul Morley.  They are popular for creating music out of everyday sounds.  You may hear a buzzsaw right next to a bassline.  This digital sampling was new at the time, and it was definitely an interesting sound.  

This, along with their interpretation of Peter Gun are their most popular, although they are also known for Close (To The Edit), and Paranoimia (featuring Max Headroom), all top 20 singles in England.  Here in the US, only Kiss and Paranoimia made the top 40.

Kiss  was already a number one for Prince.  It is his third.  It started as a one minute acoustic demo that he handed off to the band Mazarati, formed by former Revolution bassist Brown Mark.  When they finished with the song, Prince liked it so much, he took it back, added the guitar solo, and kept the band's background vocals.  

The Art of Noise remake is a work of art.  Hiring Tom Jones to do vocals was genius.  I really like his interpretation here.  And the music is typical Art of Noise, pounding drums, horns, noises, and the bridge includes references to their previous hits, including the theme to Dragnet, along with the songs I mentioned earlier.  And though it is weird, it works for me.    

Selection B14 is E. F. L.  It is more typical Art Of Noise goodness.  I highly recommend talking at least one listen.

Selection A13: Billy Ocean -- Loverboy

I know what you are saying.  You are saying, "I see what you did there, Bill.  Lovergirl, then Loverboy. Good one."  Well, these songs aren't just similar in name.  They also aren't just close together in the Jukebox. They also passed by each other on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984-85.  Billy's song made it all the way to number 2 in February of 1985.  It is from the album Suddenly.

The video for this song is awesome. Especially to a 14 year old kid.  It's just so sci-fi (or is it sy-fy now?)  An alien guy rides into a bar in a cave that is similar to Mos Eisley Cantina right off a beach?  And Billy is trapped in a floating pyramid thing, Zod like through the entire video?  And of course, alien boy thing rides off into the sunset with alien girl thing (after killing her alien boyfriend) at the end.  It's a classic on weirdness alone.

And the song isn't half bad, either.  The opening is different than the rest of the song, with a soft synth note breaking into horns (ba-ba-ba-bop!) followed by a smooth guitar entrance into the song.  While I really like the opening, the song's chorus and bridge really do it for me.  The chorus has a strong guitar/bass riff, and the bridge has that same strong riff with some other noises including scratching that just work for me.

Do you like 50s music?  Selection B13 should make you smile.  It's a take on the music from that time, and it's actually Billy's first hit single from 1976.  Not bad, and actually might get a few plays.

Selection A12: Teena Marie -- Lovergirl

There was so much I didn't know about this song when it was released and made it to #4 in 1984.  I didn't know who Teena was at the time.  She was born Mary Christine Brockert, although she was known as Tina. If you bought the 45, you knew she was on Motown Records.  But being a 14 year old white kid from a small town, I couldn't have possibly known her history behind being on that label.

She was the first white woman to be signed to Motown.  She started off recording in 1976, but didn't put out her first album until 1979.  It was produced by Rick James, who gave up producing a Diana Ross album to work with her.  He gave her the signature name (although it was almost Teena Tryson) and her first R&B hit, the #8 I'm a Sucker For Your Love.  She wound up having seven top 40 R&B hits leading up to this one.

This song became only her second top 40 hit, with I Need Your Lovin' being the first in 1980.  And I loved it from the first time I heard it.  The video on MTV showed Teena playing guitar, a hook I really enjoy.  She also wrote and produced it.  It's not a synth song, or your typical pop song.  It's almost a rock song.  Which is probably why it charted higher on the pop charts at #4 than on the R&B charts at #9.

Teena died in 2010.  It is believed she had a grand mal seizure that may have been brought on by a hit on the head she suffered in 2004 when a picture frame fell while she was lying in bed.  She never married, although she did have a child in 1991.  She is the godmother to Nonya Gaye, and has also cared for Rick James son Rick Jr., and took in Lenny Kravitz early in his career.  She will truly be missed for her talent, and her caring.

Selection B12 is an instrumental... sort of.  It still has some vocals, just not all of them.  But seriously, couldn't they do better than this for a B side?

Selection A11: The Doobie Brothers -- What a Fool Believes

This song makes it to the jukebox on music alone.  But I have to admit, I like a web series called Yacht Rock, which gave some fake backstory to the song.  Since it is not safe for work, I'll let you search for it.  But make sure to go to channel 101 for higher quality videos over YouTube.

This song was released when I was 9 in 1979.  It actually was written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonnald.  Loggins actually beat the Doobies in releasing the song five months earlier in 1978.  But it only appeared on his album Nightwatch, and for good reason... it was bad.

The Doobies made it to number one with this song, the only other number one they had other than 1974's Black Water.  It was one of the few number one songs of 1979 that wasn't disco.  It was from the album Minute by Minute, which also spawned the top 15 Minute by Minute, and the top 30 Dependin' On You.

Musically, this song works.  It's got great piano, drums, and bass.  I'm not highly enamored with the synth, however.  And McDonnald sings lead, and when a song is this good, McDonnald shines.  You can expect his two top 10 hits to make it to the jukebox as well.

Don't Stop and Watch the Wheels is selection B11.  It's not bad, but just doesn't catch my attention.

Selection A10: Wa Wa Nee -- Stimulation

Okay, confession time.  The Australian band Wa Wa Nee was one of my favorites growing up.  I remember playing their self titled album over the intercom at my fast food job after hours.  The sound in the store was crappy, but I liked the band so much I did it anyway.

The first single from that album in Australia was Stimulation.  It didn't get far here in America even though it was released after the moderately popular Sugar Free (a song you'll be hearing about later).  But it was their most popular song in their home country, reaching #2 in 1986.  It only reached #86 here in the states.

 It's a solid middle of the road pop song.  It has a good back beat, and a good base line.  I doesn't have a strong synth presence, and that helps the song along.

Selection B10 is Headlines.  I never bought the 45" as a kid, just the album, so I had never heard this song before today.  It's not bad.  Like the other songs from the album, I bet I could listen to it a lot.

Selection A9: Steely Dan -- Hey Nineteen

Steely Dan was an American jazz rock band founded by core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Originally from New York, they didn't make it big until they moved to California. They are named after a steam powered... um... device from the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch.  They have 10 top 40 hits to their name, three of which went top ten.  This is one of them, going to #10 in 1981.

The song is about an older man hitting up a younger woman at a bar.  But she doesn't even know who Aretha Franklin is.  There are some references to some questionable things, including Cuervo Gold and the fine Columbian making for a good night.  The fine Colombian of course is cocaine.  Donald Fagen once said in an interview that his hope was that songs like this would be enjoyed by soccer moms in dentist chairs bobbing their heads unaware of the filthy lyrics.  As an eleven year old, I had no clue of the nature of the song, but I liked it a lot.  

And songs bring back memories.  This one is no exception.  A song that doesn't have a chance of making the jukebox, I Wanna Be Your Man by Roger (a guy who could make the jukebox in Scritti Politti's Boom! There She Was) brings back memories of my first car crash.  It was playing on the radio when that crash occurred.

For Hey Nineteen, It's playing basketball with my older brother, who is six and a half years older than me. The memory is from playing indoor basketball, in our basement, with a Seyfert's potato chip tin as a goal (it was a big tin) with a 10 pound weight at the bottom. Once, I was reaching into the tin to get the ball, and I tipped it too far, and the weight fell on my right pinky toe.  It hurt like hell.  My brother was telling me to play through it.  My toe wound up bleeding, and I lost the nail.  Play through it I did not.  I do believe Hey Nineteen was playing at the time, although I am not sure.  It definitely played a lot in that basement that winter while we played.  Ah, good times.

Selection B9 is Bodhisattva.  It was not on the album Gaucho.  It's named after an enlightenment being in Buddhism.  Judging it by the few seconds I have listened to it so far, it's not going to get much play.

Selection A8: The KLF w/ Tammy Wynette -- Justified & Ancient (Stand by the JAMs)

Remember back on selection A3 when I likened Chaka Khan and Green Gartside (of Scritti Politti) to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?  Well, this weird combination is more like a peanut butter and bologna sandwich, or pizza with pineapple.  You don't think they should work together, but for some reason, there are people who think they are delicious. I, by the way, like both.

Most of you should know Tammy Wynette, or "The First Lady Of Country" Miss Tammy Wynette as she is billed on this 45.  She was born Virginia Wynette Pugh in 1942.  She has 23 number one songs to her name, and several number one albums... on the country charts.  She is most famous for Stand By Your Man.

The KLF is an British acid house band from the late 80s, early 90s.  They had limited pop success in the US, but were huge in Britain and the dance charts.  In 1990 they had their biggest US hit, with the #5 smash, 3am Eternal.  They have been known as the Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu, and The Timelords.  To say they are a weird band is an understatement.  I'd suggest looking at their history on Wikipedia, it's fascinating, and something I can't do justice with in limited words.

In 1991, this single was released.  It was released 23 years from Wynette's #1 single Stand By Your Man (thus the sub-title, Stand by the JAMs, a play on their previous band name).  Wynette said of being paired up with the KLF, "I really don't know why they chose me. I was apprehensive at first, but I'm really excited with the way it's all turned out", Wynette said. "Mu Mu Land looks a lot more interesting than Tennessee.... But I wouldn't want to live there."  Wynette actually went on tour with the band in 1992, and at one point in Australia collapsed from exhaustion.  The song made it to #11 on the US charts.

In the song there is a reference to, "Make mine a 99!" or "Mine's a 99!"  This is in reference to the 99 flake, or Cadbury 99 ice cream.  Since the band has used an ice cream van in their concerts, this reference, along with the reference to, "rockin' to the rhythm in an ice cream van" makes sense.

Why do I like it?  I was a big fan of 3am Eternal when it came out.  When this got regular airplay, I loved it, too.  I also lived in Tennessee for two years in my early childhood, so Wynette may just be in my blood, even though I don't like much country music. 

Selection B8 is a slowed down vocal version with Black Steel on vocals.  It's a change of pace, and nothing more.

Selection A7: Duran Duran -- Union of the Snake

This song was released almost 30 years ago, in October 1983.  Man does that make me feel old.  I remember buying this single on Christmas Eve of that year, on the way up to my Aunt and Uncle who lived near Notre Dame.  We went there every Christmas Eve to see the rest of my mom's family.  I used their record player to play that single for the first time.  It was the first song from the album, and would make it to #3 early the next year.  A later single, The Reflex (a possible jukebox song), would be Duran Duran's first #1 single.  The album Seven and the Ragged Tiger made it to #8, and would be the last with the full lineup until the 2004 release Astronaut.

I was listening to Radio2 from the Netherlands today, and the album this song comes from was their classic album of the week.  So they were playing all the tracks and not just the hits, one an hour.  Being one of the first albums I ever bought, and one of my favorites, it definitely brings me back.

And Union of the Snake is my favorite from the album.  I'm a sucker for good synth-pop, and this one delivers in spades.  But what really does it for me is that guitar.  It's sort of a disco guitar, playing in the background, helping keep the beat with the drums (a ripoff of David Bowie's Let's Dance).  It's a little funky.  Not nine cans of shaving powder funky, but maybe three or four.

The lyrics, like all Duran Duran songs, were pretty oblique.  Simon LeBon has said the "borderline" is between conscious and unconscious.  But in later interviews, he said it's just all about sex.  Which is fine.  In my early teen innocence (yeah, right) it didn't really mean that, even at a time when everything else did.  With the video getting heavy play, it was about a snake union.  Now, I just wonder what their dues were.

Selection B7 is Secret Oktober, a song recorded and mixed just hours before the album was sent to press, in an all night session.  And it shows.  Not a song that will get any jukebox play.

Selection A6: Paper Lace -- The Night Chicago Died

I bought my first 45 in 1983.  Actually, I bought two, Eurythmics Here Comes the Rain Again, and Billy Joel's Tell Her About It, but it had a scratch, so it was returned.  I hate the whole An Innocent Man Album to this day.  My point here, is that when you see an older song like this one, I probably came upon it in my adulthood.  And yes, I didn't start listening to this song until after 2000.

This is an odd rock song.  It has a driving beat, it has synthesizers, and the transitions and structure of the song is truly unique.  It's very listenable to me, which is why it gets 5 star status in my library, which means it can be played 1-2 times a month.  Four star songs get played 4-5 times a year, and three star songs 1-2 times a year.  

The story in the song?  It's fake.  Being from Nottingham, England, the fellas from Paper Lace had never been to Chicago.  If they had, they wouldn't have claimed the story was from the "Old East Side", since the East side of Chicago is basically Lake Michigan.  There is an East Side neighborhood, but it is 13 miles south of downtown, and far from where Capone did business on the North Side.  Also, police stood aside and let the gangs fight it out, so the fact that "100 cops were dead" never happened, either.  But Al Capone was real, so for many, this is real, and I'm okay with that.

Selection B6 is Can You Get It When You Want It... I'm listening to it for the first time.  It's not bad.  My kids are dancing, so it can't be bad.  But it probably won't get many plays.  Here, check it out for yourself:

Can You Get It When You Want It

Selection A5: Phil Collins -- Don't Lose My Number

I would just like to say right up front... I loves me some Phil Collins.  Also Collins lead Genesis.  My first pick from this album, No Jacket Required, is an odd one.  It's not my favorite song, from Phil, or from the album.  But my reason for picking it requires you to have owned this 45.

It was rare when I flipped a 45 over and found a song I actually liked.  Some had remixes of the A side, and they were hit or miss.  My favorite remix was of Robbie Nevil's Wot's it to Ya (I know, I owned the album, I wasted $1.45... until the B-side, that is).  And sometimes you find a B-side that is worthy of more than one listen... they may even make it onto your latest mix tape.  We Said Hello Goodbye is one of those songs.

There's something about a well written piano pop song.  Just ask Billy Joel.  This song, while slow, is just fantastic.  The chord progressions are tight.  The lyrics are meaningful.  When the drums hit, it just knocks you off your socks.  For that and that alone, unless the A-side is complete crap, this 45 deserves to be in the jukebox.

And Don't Lose My Number, while probably not jukebox material on it's own (Sussudio should make it, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves) is definitely not crap.  It's got that signature Phil Collins on drums sound.  But not much else.  It made it to #4 on the charts here in America, and the album made it to #1 for several weeks.

Below is the official video.  It's got 2 minutes of "acting" and all through the song there are background noises that are annoying when you just want to hear the song, thus the video I chose above.  But I am including this here because it's a part of the history of the 45.

Selection A4: Cathy Dennis -- Too Many Walls

The only real ground rule I have for this list is that the song I choose must have been released on 45.  The 7 inch 45 wax disc came to prominence in 1949 as a replacement to the 10 inch 78 shellac disc.  It fell out of prominence in the late 80s.  So a song from 1991 would probably not have been released to 45, right?

When I was looking at this song yesterday, I wondered... can I find a 45 for it?  And it turns out, I can.  So it gets to be in the jukebox... so let's roll:

Cathy Dennis, when I say that name, images of bubblegum pop/dance/techno probably comes to mind.  With songs like Come on and Get My Love, Just Another Dream, and Touch Me (All Night Long), Cathy was at the forefront of that early 90s dance scene.  

This song is not a dance song.  Not even close.  It is a song Dennis herself says is the best song of the album (Move to This), with by far the best lyrics.  The other songs are quite vacant, although fun.  And she's right.  It's a song about being with someone, even when others build walls between you.  

The song, musically, was written by Anne Dudley.  You may not have heard of her, but you have heard of the band she is a part of, The Art Of Noise.  It was just an instrumental with strings until Cathy adapted it for her album.  She wrote the thoughtful lyrics.  It went to #8 in 1991 and was her 4th top ten.  Touch Me (All Night Long) was the only top 5 of those four, and it hit #2.

I don't know what it is about slower songs like this.  My wife doesn't picture me as liking songs like this, either.  Anne Dudley always makes music that is pleasing to the ear to me.  And Dennis's lyrics are beautiful as well. The only thing I don't like about this song is that it doesn't sound like it has a real instrument.  They are mostly electronic, except for the strings at the end.  It's obviously not a deal breaker to me, but I could see it being annoying to some.

B4 is an acoustic version.  It's just Cathy and a guitar.  And it is hauntingly beautiful.  She really showcases a good voice here.

Selection A3: Chaka Khan -- Love of a Lifetime

This song, to me, is like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  The commercials say two great tastes that taste great together.  I've always thought it's crappy peanut butter and crappy chocolate making a passable candy bar.  But in this case, it's two artists I really like adapting to each other.

You know Chaka Khan.  She has 2-3 other strong possibilities to make the Jukebox, with I Feel For You, Ain't Nobody, and This is My Night.  

My other favorite in this song is Green Gartside.  Don't know him by that name?  How about the lead singer of Scritti Politti?  They also have a couple strong possibilities for the Jukebox, including Perfect Way, and Boom! There She Was.  

So what you are getting, essentially, is a Scritti Politti song, with the extraordinary pipes of Chaka Khan on lead.  How these two adapted to each other here is pretty neat.  Green co-wrote and produced a song for Chaka's voice.  I really can't picture Green's whispy voice singing this song, just as I can't picture Chaka singing most Scritti Politti songs.  You also see Chaka stepping out of her soul leanings to make a perfect pop song.  Two great tastes, that taste great together.

I am very fortunate to have heard of this song.  It never made it to the Top 40, getting to #53 before fizzling out.  It did have a strong presence on MTV, and after seeing it there a couple times, I bought the 45.  It's not a song that makes my top 20, but I know I wanted it in the Jukebox.  It just fits here.

The B-side is Coletrane Dreams.  Not much to see here.  But could they have done better?  Destiny, the album these songs come from, had four singles released in 1986 and 1987, with this song by far being the most popular.  While the album went to #25 on the charts, there aren't many strong songs here.  So no, I don't think there was much better to offer.  I don't think selection B3 will get many plays.

Selection A2: The Power Station -- Get It On (Bang A Gong)

It was the Summer of 1985, probably my favorite year musically.  Duran Duran was one of my favorite bands, coming off success with their Seven and the Ragged Tiger album, and the first #1 Bond Theme with A View to a Kill in July.  You'll be hearing more from Duran Duran as I fill the jukebox.

But they split off into two groups for the summer, Arcadia and The Power Station.  John and Andy Taylor, the guitarist/bassist teamed up with Robert Palmer, and Tony Thompson of Chic to form the band, and their first single, Some Like it Hot, hit number 6 earlier in the year.

This is a remake of a 1971 hit by T Rex.  I had never heard this song prior to hearing the Power Station version, as I was 1 at the time.  Needless to say, I like the Power Station version better.  The opening is brilliant.  I had never heard anything like it previously.  The song also has a great driving beat thanks to Thompson, and the Taylors rock out throughout with crunchy guitar and slamming bass.

I of course bough this single when it came out, and it got played a lot.  I got the album from my brother as a birthday gift.  I was shocked he bought it when I saw the cover.  He was going to a Christian college majoring in religious studies.  The cover leaves a little bit to be desired in the modesty department:

Selection B2 is Go To Zero.  It's a pretty good song in its own right, but I've never thought of it as anything but an album track.

Selection A1: Robbie Nevil -- C'est La Vie

This is my favorite song, and will probably be so until the day I die.  The opening, the eighth notes prominent through the song, the bridge (Hey, Jay Jay!).  It just works for me.  Not long after hearing the song (probably on MTV) I owned the 45.  Not long after that, I bought the album (probably a cassette by that time).

This song came out near the end of 1986, and got all the way to number 2 for two weeks.  It made it to number 6 for the 1987 year end countdown, the highest non-number one song of that year.  It was held out of the top spot by Gregory Abbott's Shake You Down, and Billy Vera and the Beaters' At This Moment.  This is truly a tragedy in chart history in my honest opinion.

Robbie Nevil was a writer first, writing for the likes of the Pointer Sisters, El Debarge, and Earth, Wind and Fire. This was his first shot at making his own music.  This could technically be labeled as a remake, however.  To make it weirder, it's a remake of a song he co-wrote for Beau Williams in 1984.

The B side was Time Waits For No One.  It's not a bad song, but it is a B side song for a reason.  Followup singles from the album were Dominoes, and Wot's It To Ya.

What is this?

There is a guy, who calls himself Ron "Boogiemonster" Gerber, who has a show called Crap From The Past.  Recently, he spent two whole years on a feature called "Ron's Dream Jukebox", where he populated his dream jukebox with 45s he would have liked to have had.  This is an homage to that.

What I am going to do is simple.  I am going to write about 2-3 posts a week with songs I would put into my own dream jukebox.  I have a playlist of about 108 songs that will increase as time goes by to choose from.  Starting will be easy, in fact, I know my first 20, and the first 60-80 shouldn't bee too hard.  It's choosing those last 20 or so that will be difficult.

It's a list based on my preferences, and I'll write a little story about why it belongs when I post.  I hope you enjoy it.