8EEZ Playlist: Birthday Edition

Hello there! Today is the day that God or Mother Nature decided to pollute this world with my existence! So, I apologize to the world for soiling this universe with my natural weirdness and need to be frighteningly in-your-face about it. To make it up, I'll treat you to my current playlist, made up of songs from the 1980s that most people have by now, forgotten all about.

But first—an anecdote about this author.

I was born in Brooklyn, NY. I was raised as a Fundamentalist Christian who wasn't allowed to listen to any secular music except Sesame Street and any music that didn't have the name Jesus attached to it! I began to listen religiously to the Casey Kasem countdown at age 13. I remained a virgin until the age of 40. Never been married, went to the Fame high school, and the number one hit at the time of my arrival on Earth was Gilbert O'Sullivan's jaunty suicide ode, "Alone Again (Naturally)."

Now—which of these was a lie?

Don't answer that. Here's a list of songs that may have come and gone, but that still ignite the sense of fun when you first heard it.

10. "And The Beat Goes On" — The Whispers (1980)

This Watts, CA funk/soul group had a pair of twins fronting the band. Released as disco was experiencing its last hurrah. But, as lead singer William "Scotty" Scott observed, the beat goes on and on! They would score their biggest hit in 1987 (30 years later) with "Rock Steady."

9. "Really Wanna Know You" — Gary Wright (1981)

Sweet and sexy mid-tempo ballad from the New Jersey keyboardist who fronted a band named Spooky Tooth. He is, of course, known for two synth-pop/rock ballads, "Dream Weaver", and "Love Is Alive", both in 1976 and both went to the peak position of number two that year. It was a five-year gap since his very last hit: this one.

8. "Love On a Two-Way Street" — Stacy Lattisaw

She was a then 14-year-old singer from Washington D.C. who scored a soul hit with this Sylvia Robinson/Burt Kyes song that was initially a hit for the soul group, The Moments, back in 1970. What separated this from the original hit was Lattisaw's mournful delivery which worked on it being from a female's point-of-view. Incidentally, Ray, Goodman and Brown, the original Moments line-up, scored a comeback hit with "Special Lady." Indeed, this girl was.

7. "Give It Up" — KC (1984)

From the then disco king who fronted the Sunshine Band is this juicy piece of audio candy which was his last official Top 40 hit. Used often by the breakdancing groups in their street shows, or so that's what I remember from my youthful days.

6. "Only You" — Yazoo/Flying Pickets (1982/1983)

A big new wave hit in Britain by the duo behind the smash hit "Situation", which subsequently had a more successful cover hit by a five man a cappella group. First version is a somber, beat-heavy mid-tempo dancey record with Alison Moyet's mournful vocals making it powerful. The Pickets version is a more torchy version, but still delivers the goods and actually improves upon the original by allowing the singing to take center stage. I often wonder if Billy Joel may have heard the song and used its key to create "The Longest Time."

5. "Leave It" — Yes (1984)

This UK progressive rock band had a lesser hit with this one after the smash of "Owner Of a Lonely Heart", but oddly enough, with its chilling a cappella opening and doo-wop opening, took the dance/rock genre to another insane level. Their cutting edge video was less schizophrenic and horror-themed than "Owner", but it showed what early computer technology had accomplished and what it could accomplish.

4. "Go Insane" — Lindsey Buckingham (1984)

The Fleetwood Mac legend scored a smash hit with his first solo hit, "Trouble", back in 1981. This 1984 follow-up also broke the mold in the 80s dance/rock milieu, but somehow, slipped under the radar. For shame!

3. "Cry" — Godley & Creme (1985)

Moody rock ballad from two members of the British pop/rock band 10cc, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. Produced by Buggles founder Trevor Horn, it's also known for its distinct music video with various faces morphing in and out of each other; a concept also used in the Michael Jackson video for "Black & White." Godley and Creme themselves would become music video pioneers as well, helming videos for various artists as Herbie Hancock, Wang Chung, The Police, and U2, to name a few.

2. "Crazy In The Night" — Kim Carnes (1985)

Many know this singer/songwriter for her smash hit "Bette Davis Eyes" which became one of 1981's biggest smashes before Olivia Newton-John stole its thunder with "Physical." Four years later, she comes out with another signature song, penned by her and dealing with a topic many of us know by heart: fear. Peaked only at number 15 and was forgotten ever since by many (except this writer) and actually, if you listen closely to the lyrics, makes for a perfect song to play around Halloween!

As the Casey Kasem once observed, the number one best-forgotten song of the eighties is by...

1. "Ah! Leah!" — Donnie Iris (1981)

Yes, folks — nerds CAN rock! This ode-to-a-girl-rocker a la "My Sharona", had a nice long, slow groove, mostly electric guitar sound, and some very naughty lyrics, but when I guess most people laid eyes on the artist; a Dominic Ierace from New Castle, Pennsylvania and found out he wore cat-glasses and wasn't a Rick Springfield-like poster boy. I guess that may be why the song didn't perform as well as it should have. Who knows? Oh, well. It's at the top of this list and below is the link to the video.

Enjoy and until next time.

PS. The author wrote this article on August, 9. His "actual" birthday.