Just WOW. 25 years. I was a full-fledged adult when this song came out, for goodness' sake.
I unashamedly and unabashedly admit that I have loved this song from the first time I heard it. and I especially loved the MTV Music Awards re-do of it, lip synching and all.
Since we're still early in June, which is Gay Pride month, and it's The Other Half's birthday, I thought I'd continue with the theme of "gay anthems," those you don't have to be gay. . .but it couldn't hurt! -type songs. Of course, there are so many to choose from, I didn't have room for all of them last week anyway. Let's get started.
1. Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat (1984) - I'll confess to missing this one, having been firmly stuck on top-40 music at the time, and only 18. Still, my younger (straight) brother insisted that it get a spot this week! Apparently, it was really, really gay. 2. Express Yourself by Madonna (1989) - One of Madge's best, and certainly her most stylish video.
3. You Spin Me 'Round (Like a Record)by Dead or Alive (1985) - Pete Burns was like the sinister Boy George, and this song was everywhere in 1985. 4. Brand New Loverby Dead or Alive (1986) - Just as fun as the previous tune.
5. No More Tears (Enough is Enough)by Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer (1979) - I mean, like you could get these divas together, and it not be a gay anthem? Unfortunately, there is no video. But that note Babs holds? Fabulous.
6. Believe by Cher (1998) - About time Cher made an appearance, right? And at the time, people were marveling at her longevity. . .16 years ago.
7. Lady Marmalade by LaBelle (1974) - Sure, the Christina Aguilera/P!nk/Li'l Kim/Mya cover version might qualify, but this is the classic original, and even burst on the scene before disco really went mainstream. 8. True Colors by Cyndi Lauper (1985) - When I think of a gay anthem, I think "upbeat," but there can be no denying this one has it's place in our big gay hearts.
9. Beautiful by Christina Aguilera (2002) - Much like the previous entry, this ballad is on the list, even if it's a bit sad. It's the defiance that sells it. 10. We are Family by Sister Sledge (1979) - But we've got to get it back to a dance party, right? And why this one didn't occur to me last time, I have no idea. So, let's dance this weekend out!
And I still left out any Donna Summer solo songs, and countless others. Maybe we'll revisit this party to close out the month. Happy Monday, everybody.
It's June everybody, and though many Pride celebrations have scattered across the calendar, June is still Gay Pride Month. And so, I thought I'd do a bit of a combo here, of my different regular features. For the first time ever, this is Blast From the Past/The Gay Thing! And I present to you gay anthems, from the far and the not so distant past. Enjoy, and join the parade, won't you?
1. I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor (1978) - I can't say why this was a gay anthem. The lyrics could fit anyone in a bad relationship. But boy howdy, was it. 2. I Am What I Am by Gloria Gaynor (1983) - Gay is right in her name, so she gets two in a row (despite a bit of an anti-gay kerfuffle in recent years). And this one is super gay.
3. Y.M.C.A. by The Village People (1978) - I could go nuts with Village People songs in this category, but we'll leave it at this one. So popular, straight people dance to it at sporting events. 4. Go West by Pet Shop Boys (1992) - Actually a Village People song, remade. Really, really gay.
5. Outside by George Michael (1998) - Made as a snarky retort to his arrest for public lewdness, this song (and video) scream "gay," where Michael had previously been coy. 6. You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by Sylvester (1978) - You'd think it would be impossible to get any gayer than this one.
7. Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1984) - You'd be wrong, because this is the gayest song ever! 8. It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls (1982) - Wait. Hold on. This is gayer, even though it's ostensibly about straight women fantasizing about men. And written by Paul Shaffer?
9. Vogue by Madonna (1990) - With a dance taken straight from gay subculture, Madonna made an indelible mark, in fact, it's probably her most famous song. 10. Born This Wayby Lady Gaga (2011) - From the much more recent past, we have the ultimate gay anthem, even if it was (sorta kinda) borrowed from Madonna's Express Yourself (itself worthy of a place in a sequel to this column). The song starts at about 2:30 after a long, weird preamble.
And now that you're all danced out, it's time for a brand new week. Happy Monday!
You know 'em, you love 'em. Songs that have their own dance. Not all were what you'd call dance crazes, but most were. Some are flat-out embarrassing. One was included in last week's "Novelty Hits" installment, but simply couldn't be left off here. Most can be done by most anyone, some are a little trickier. Get your dancin' shoes on, and join me!
1. Walk the Dinosaur by Was (Not Was) (1989) - This one breaks down the steps for you, in case you want to dance along. It went to #7 on the pop chart. 2. Stand by R.E.M. (1988) - Strictly speaking, not a dance. But the dance in the video was emulated on dance floors anyway. One of R.E.M.'s peppier numbers, it hit #6.
3. Vogue by Madonna (1990) - This song did not inspire the dance, but it sure dragged it into the mainstream. It went to #1, naturally. 4. The Hustle by Van McCoy (1975) - The quintessential 1970s song and dance. It's kind of light weight, but boy is it dripping with nostalgia. Also #1.
5. The Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths(1989) - Cheese, to be sure, but nowhere near as cheesy as the next one. The dance was called "The Electric Slide," not "Boogie," and the song itself went to only #51. 6. Macarena by Los Del Rio (1992) - This is the one I mentioned that was featured last week. #1 for an absurd 14 weeks, this one is embarrassment for anyone who might sing a verse and be overheard. But since I featured this last time, this time, I'm using the video that teaches the dance.
7. Velcro Fly by ZZ Top (1986) - Not a huge hit, though it got a lot of airplay on MTV. And the dance was choreographed by Paula Abdul, before she was nationally famous. Only hit #35. 8. Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyoncé (2008) - I almost didn't feature this one, since I thought it was too recent. But guess what? It's six years old. Solidly in the past, and one of the most copied dances in that past six years too. Also a #1 tune.
And now that you're danced out, it's time to start a new week. Happy Monday!
Still the reigning champions! Image from source, Billboard
This is a really interesting list (and there are several others on Billboard's site), compiling the top 100 acts of Billboard Hot 100, of all time. What's cool to me is seeing where modern acts, acts from my youth (1970s and 80s) and all-time greats stack up. The Beatles, no surprise, are still number one. But looky there, Madonna is number 2! And there are some real surprises in there. Would you have thought that Paula Abdul would make such a short list? Or Tony Orlando and Dawn? The Captain & Tenille? Yup!
Thanks to BoyCulture for pointing out this little pop culture nugget. I was a Madonna fan from the beginning, or as near to the beginning as a high school sophomore in Whitehall, Ohio can get. From the days of Holiday--when we didn't even know what she looked like (unbelievably, many thought she was black)--through Lucky Star, Borderline, Like a Virgin and Material Girl, I was in full-blown Madonnamania. And then she started releasing them practically two at a time, with album cuts and soundtrack songs coming right after the other. Crazy for You came from the Vision Quest soundtrack, quickly followed by Angel from the Like a Virgin album, quickly followed by this track, a song that never even had a proper release.
Into the Groove came from the Desperately Seeking Susan movie, perhaps Madonna's one critically lauded performance (and the critics hedged by saying she was basically playing herself). I, and probably lots of other fans, bought Into the Groove on the 12" single, which was actually the B-side to Angel. The song occurred right in the middle of Madonna's first heyday, while she was still a "Boy Toy," and unashamed pop star. Being taken seriously as an artist didn't seem to be a goal yet. She was just sexy and fun. So, while Into the Groove didn't chart on the top 40, it was a #1 dance track, and remains one of Madonna's best remembered songs. And it's been around for twenty-eight years.
The fact that Madonna's Express Yourself is 24 years old is at once impossible to believe, and also easy to swallow. As one of her most iconic videos--perhaps one of the medium's most iconic as well--it feels younger than it is. Still, it came out in 1989, barely the 80s, but still the 80s. It marked a turning point in my life, becoming popular as I transitioned from a boring, hum-drum life as a bank teller, and started a new career in the amusement industry.
Though that career fizzled out about eight and a half years in, it led to where my life is now, in Las Vegas, in the sign industry, married to The Other Half. Express Yourself was released as a maxi-single, with a couple of remixes. The song was already a favorite of mine, having been included onthe Like a Prayer album. The remixes really changed the feel of the song, making it even more fun. When the video came out, I was enthralled. It was the peak of my Madonna-mania, and also sort of a turning point for her. The next year would come The Immaculate Collection, and the almost X-rated Justify My Love. It was the tail end of Madonna's 80s heyday, and the beginning of a more mixed reception (though there are still many, many gems from the 90s forward).
So, while Express Yourself was over half my life ago, it was only seven years into Madonna's (so far) 31-year career in the public eye. It marked a peak in her dance pop hits both in audio and video that previewed the even better Vogue. I've always considered Express Yourself to be the middle of a trilogy started with Open Your Heart and ending with Vogue. I don't know if anyone--even Madonna--sees any connection, but if I could only pick out three of her songs or videos, those would be the ones. So, without further ado, here's Madonna performing Express Yourself over the span of the last 24 years. [Video found at BoyCulture.com]
And because I can't resist, here is the original video:
Some of my favorite songs are actually not original versions, but remixes. Maybe it's the gay thing, but I've always been a fan of remixes, all the way back to the time of 12" singles. If you really dig a song, and then find three remixes of it, it can sometimes be a real thrill (or it can sometimes be mind-numbing drek). Sometimes, the well-known version of a song is the remix, and it's the original that sounds different. And in a couple of odd cases, both versions were popular. Don't know what I mean? Okay. . .
1. & 2. You Don't Know by Cyndi Lauper - The lyrics are the same in both versions of this shoulda-been-a-hit, a song about ignorance and bigotry. The album version was somber and slow. The remixed version is powerful and driving. I like 'em both.
3. & 4. Missing - by Everything but the Girl - This band has quite a following, though this is their only real hit in the US. The song itself wasn't a hit until it was remixed. Compare and contrast. . .
5. & 6. The Reflex - by Duran Duran - Everybody remembers this song, one of the final "heyday" hits by the band. But the version you know sounds very different in its original album version. The remix is definitely an improvement here.
7. & 8. One by One - by Cher - This song is very probably the reason Cher's next album Believe started out dancy. One by One was a languid ballad that was turned into a dance song that lit up the dancefloor.
9. & 10. Express Yourself - Madonna - In this last example, we have a case where both the album version and the remix were hits. In fact, you probably know both versions, and didn't realize how different they are. But there are different instruments, different backing vocals. . . and both are great!
And that'll about do it for this week. Unbelievably, it's time for another work week. So let's make the best of it. Happy Monday!
This week, in Blast from the Past, we revisit 1987, which is 25 years ago. I know, it's shocking to me too. I used to measure my age by imagining that a kid born when x happened would be old enough to drive, old enough to vote, whatever, when I thought back to a time. But I realize that kids born in 1987 are now old enough to be college grads, and married with children themselves. Isn't that freaky?
Those kids were either infants or not yet born when these songs were burning up the charts. How many of them feel like much newer songs to you? So off we go, in no particular order, other than these were all hits during 1987. . .
All of the songs above were number one hits, except the last six (Swing Out Sister, Hipsway, Breakfast Club, Pseudo Echo, T'Pau and The Other Ones, which were one-hit wonders I'm particularly fond of. Some of these songs are so mired in their very 80s-ness, it's not difficult to believe it's been 25 years. Others? Seem much more recent to me. Anyway, there's a little mortality to start your week with. Happy Monday!
Madonna's Erotica album continued to crank out hits, even though the vibe at the time was that she was overexposed (literally and figuratively). Rain showed a little of the range she was to show in her eclectic song choices during her big push at movie stardom. In fact, that started before the Erotica album, and I forgot about it in last week's edition. This Used to be My Playground from A League of Their Own was huge, as was the movie (a rarity for Madonna).
I'll Remember followed, from the movie With Honors. A new maturity was evident in Madonna's music, at least I thought so. The 1994 album Bedtime Stories continued in that vein, with a lot less pop confection, and a whole lot more complexity. Secret was the first big hit, though they did manage to remix it for the dance floor.
Take a Bow was a full-on ballad, a duet with Babyface. But follow-ups from Bedtime Stories were a bit odd, and started a trend I think, of Madonna albums with two solid hits and a bunch of more experimental stuff thrown in. Human Nature--the album track--contains the words "bitch" and "shit," and had an entirely different radio edit.
From there, Madonna seemed to be on a long audition for the lead in Evita with songs showcasing her voice, not her pop. That culminated--of course--in her landing the role, most famously singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina (which has a fantastic dance mix, by the way). But she got back to the studio for the Ray of Light album, which produced a couple of hits, including the title track.
This began though, for me, a lessening of my enchantment with Madonna. I began to look back fondly at the early-to-mid career stuff, and started enjoying the current stuff less. This may be a function of my age, I realize. But where I can listen to Erotica or Like a Prayer all the way through, by Ray of Light, I'd skip to my favorite tracks. But I loved the movie tracks, Beautiful Stranger from Austin Powers in The Spy Who Shagged Me, and American Pie from The Next Best Thing (and if Don McLean likes it too, you can't hate on me, right?).
2000's Music once again featured two fantastic pop ditties, the title track and Don't Tell Me (my favorite Madonna song since Vogue).
After that, I'll be honest with you, there are only two more Madonna singles that make my "favorites" cut. The entire American Life album is skippable. I liked Die Another Day from the James Bond movie, and one song from Confessions on a Dance Floor: Hung Up. Even though 2008's Hard Candy is very likely the last CD I've bought at the store, I can't recommend it. I'm not saying it's bad, only that it isn't for me.
Madonna is seven or eight years older than me, but I think she's aiming a lot lower than that, and hopefully for her, she's hitting the target. But give me 1983-1990 Madonna most days, with a sprinkling of 1990-1994 and a dash of those videos on this page. I'll probably be playing those when I'm well past Madonna's current age.
After the True Blue album, Madonna was really trying to light a fire under her movie career. Even though she was busy, she managed to squeak out a few tunes in the next couple of years, from Spotlight (off the You Can Dance remix album), to Causing a Commotion and Who's That Girl? from the movie of the same name. Only the last of that bunch has an official video to my knowledge. And then, Madonna switched gears to the much more serious, much more artistic with Like a Prayer.
The album finally gathered her some respect in the music industry, and marks something of a change in her career from pop singer to artist. There was still controversy, but none of it worked to her detriment. Other songs from the album like Cherish and Express Yourself are video classics.
Madonna finally nabbed a part in a hit movie as "Breathless" in Dick Tracy, and the companion album I'm Breathless produced the quintessential Madonna tune, Vogue. It's a pretty clear dividing line between her early and later work. The Immaculate Collection, a greatest hits collection, had two new hits, most notably the extremely risque Justify My Love. The video was so racy, it got banned from MTV and went on to be the highest selling "video single" ever.
By the time she followed up with Erotica, there was a full-on media onslaught, with her SEX book also hitting the stands. Madonna risked career-killing overexposure. But the music was great. Different, but great. The title track was a little kinky and weird, but it's a good song. The follow-up, Deeper and Deeper has a great double-entendre title (much like the non-hit track, Why it's so Hard).
I was not among the earliest fans of Madonna, on the dance floors of New York. I was a skinny little teenager in podunk Whitehall, Ohio. But very, very shortly after I heard Madonna's first radio hit, Holiday, I wanted to know more. Like many people, I thought she was black at the time. This seems very odd today, but there was no visual to go with the record at first. The single just said "Madonna."
How could an artist so known for her changes of appearance have started out with few knowing what she looked like? Anyway, that changed very quickly. This was the advent of MTV after all, and no one used the medium quite as skillfully as. Ms. Ciccone. After Holiday, the next video to burn up MTV was Burning Up. I don't think it even charted on radio playlists, but we all got a little taste of what she was about with the end of that video.
The hits flew quickly after that. Lucky Star showed off her Catholic imagery, and a bit of the "underwear on the outside" thing. We also learned she could dance. Right after that, Borderline turned out to be more than just a pop tune and a throwaway video. This was already turning into art. 80s art, but art nonetheless.
After that, the chronology was kind of a blur. As I was transitioning from high school to college, Madonna released her second album, Like a Virgin. By this time, her image was solidly in place, right down to her "Boy Toy" belt buckle. In addition to hits like the title track, Madonna was also charting extra songs from movies like Desperately Seeking Susan and Vision Quest. From the former came Into the Groove, a song that got tons of play, and it wasn't even a single. And from the second album, the track that would become a nickname for Madonna for years, Material Girl.
All along the way, Madonna was morphing from a "street urchin", to a ersatz Marilyn Monroe to her own creation. By 1987--and after a Playboy and Penthouse mini scandal--she was a very slick, sleek phenomenon. Her True Blue album continued to prove that she wasn't a flash in the pan, and generated several hits, including my favorite, Open Your Heart and the almost forgotten title track, True Blue.
Two more tracks from that album are much more likely to be covered in any retrospective, the pro-choice/pro-life (take your pick) Papa Don't Preach and La Isla Bonita. By this time, Madonna was already a bona fide superstar, eclipsing virtually all other 80s pop stars. And there was a lot more to come.
To be continued in a future edition of Blast from the Past. For now, happy Monday!
It turns out everybody gets rejected, even Madonna. No, not now, back before she was a one-named superstar. It's got to hurt to be one of the people who declined to sign her to a contract. Who knows though, if she hadn't gotten exactly the breaks she got at exactly the time she did, she may never have broken through in the same way. Still, Mr. Ienner had to be kicking himself long about 1984. . .
The other night, The Other Half called me into the TV room for a pop culture moment. He had the DVR paused at the beginning of Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, Marilyn Monroe's iconic song and dance number from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Of course, after watching it, I had to go to the YouTubes and watch Madonna's homage to the piece, her video for Material Girl. Both are pretty fantastic, though Madonna wisely limited the bad "grey jobs" on the guys' hair, compared to the movie. So first, here's the original:
Last week, after MTV's Video Music Awards, I noted that there was a time when MTV actually played music, and that they really set the tone for pop culture in the 1980s. Not a profound thought, I know. But those videos were a lot of fun. I said at the time that the post probably deserved a sequel, so here you go. . .
1. "Strip" by Adam Ant - Punk rock and "new wave" became mainstream by the time of the MTV generation, and by the time this song came out, even Adam Ant was too. He was still something of a rebel, but not by much. 2. "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John - There was a time when the world still didn't know that Elton John was gay. This video should have given them a clue. 3. "Hurts so Good" by John Cougar - I love I remember being surprised that John Cougar (later Mellencamp) had an earring. Wow, things have changed a lot since 1982. 4. "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top - ZZ Top had always been more a staple of AOR, but in the 80s, even they got in on the video music craze. 5. "You Might Think" by The Cars - The Cars was another group that pre-dated MTV, but they made the transition well, logging several video hits. This one was always a favorite. 6. "Open Your Heart" by Madonna- As a long-time Madonna fan, I even shocked myself for leaving her out of my first batch. Here's one of her best videos. 7. "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell - I used a Michael Jackson video in Part I, and he makes a minor (background vocals) appearance here, in a novelty hit by one-hit-wonder, Rockwell. 8. "Crazy in the Night" by Kim Carnes - The really big 80s hit for Kim Carnes was of course Bette Davis Eyes. But it was overplayed so much back then, I'm still sick of it. The Rockwell song reminded me of this Carnes hit, one I always liked better anyway.
That's it for Part II. I'll take a break for next week's Blast from the Past, but I may revisit it again with a Part III. There are a whole lot more great 80s tunes, and still lots of stars I've left out. Happy Monday!
It's something of a shock when you realize that most of your favorite music artists seem to be over 50. Last year, Prince turned 50, Michael Jackson did too (RIP, Michael), and Madonna--one of my long-time favorites--turned 50 as well. Amazingly, she's stayed relevant, and continues to churn out hit albums and singles. Already another year has gone by, and though the press is constantly making fun of her for her arms or her outfits, and declaring her "over," they still keep writing about her, don't they?
My favorite Madonna tunes and videos will always be those she produced between 1983 and around 1990 or so. There are exceptions, like Deeper and Deeper, Don't Tell Me, Hung Up and a few others. But for me, anything from her first greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, or almost any track from True Blue, Like a Prayer and I'm Breathless still make me just as happy as they did when they came out.
Last year I posted several of my favorite videos, all of which have been removed from YouTube. But, aha! There are some new ones up (for now), so here they are. Watch 'em before they disappear.
This video clip, from PBS' Nova shows you just how some of the "music" stars of the day can make beautiful music with little to no talent. Is it cheating? Uh, yeah. It's like PhotoShop for music.
At least when Cher and Madonna have used it, it was obvious, tweaking their voices into robotic pitches. Of course, they could have more subtly sweetened their voices with Auto-Tune on other songs without telling us.
Thanks to BoyCulture for pointing out this little pop culture nugget. I was a Madonna fan from the beginning, or as near to the beginning as a high school sophomore in Whitehall, Ohio can get. From the days of Holiday--when we didn't even know what she looked like (unbelievably, many thought she was black)--through Lucky Star, Borderline, Like a Virgin and Material Girl, I was in full-blown Madonnamania. And then she started releasing them practically two at a time, with album cuts and soundtrack songs coming right after the other. Crazy for You came from the Vision Quest soundtrack, quickly followed by Angel from the Like a Virgin album, quickly followed by this track, a song that never even had a proper release.
It turns out everybody gets rejected, even Madonna. No, not now, back before she was a one-named superstar. It's got to hurt to be one of the people who declined to sign her to a contract. Who knows though, if she hadn't gotten exactly the breaks she got at exactly the time she did, she may never have broken through in the same way. Still, Mr. Ienner had to be kicking himself long about 1984. . .
