Sunday, January 22, 2012

"Mickey" by Toni Basil - January 22 80's Quest Song/Band of the day


"Mickey" by Toni Basil was a really popular song when it came out. It was the kind of song that when it came on over the speakers at dances, all the girls went running on the dance floor.  It really has the potential to be one of those songs that could grate on your nerves, but somehow it never has, for me.  If I'm flipping around and it comes on the radio, I like to listen and sing along every time!

The video I like too.  My older brother played football, so that meant I always had to be dragged along to his games from the East Blue Devils, to the Vikings, and then JV and Varsity games once he was in high school.  I liked all the cute older football players, but I really didn't enjoy football, so the only thing for me to do there to pass the time and not go mad was to watch the cheerleaders.  I liked the outfits and the dance moves and the shakers and megaphones, the stomping and the sing song cheers, the pyramids and the way they would call out the players names and make a cheer out of it:  "Yay, John!  Yay Doe!!  Yay Yay John Doe!  Jooooooohn.   Doooooooe.  John Doe (clap, clap, clap).  I got to learn the whole team that way!  So maybe that's the reason I enjoy the video so.

Or it could just be Toni Basil's skills as a choreographer.  She grew up in Philadelphia.  Her mother was a vaudevillian acrobat, and her father was an orchestra leader.  Toni danced since childhood, and as she got older was a dancer on the "Shindig" show which ran on ABC from 1964 to 1966.  She was also a featured go-go dancer along with actress Terri Garr in the 1964 concert movie The T.A.M.I. Show. 

Toni was the choreographer on The Monkees 1968 movie "Head" (where she also makes a guest appearance as a dancer during the song "Daddy's Song" with Davy Jones), and was assistant choreographer on the 1964 movie "Pajama Party",  and choreographed 1973's "American Graffiti.  In 1974 she choreographed David Bowie's Diamond Dogs tour.

She also acted in movies such as "Easy Rider", "Five Easy Pieces", "The Last Movie", "Greaser's Palace", "Village of the Giants", "Sweet Charity" and "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" to name some.  She even appeared in episodes of "Laverne and Shirley", so keep your eyes open next time you watch any of these.  Maybe you will recognize her.

She began a singing career around 1966 and cut a song that was the title song for the movie "Breakaway".  She was a guest on the first season of "Saturday Night Live" as one of the members of The Lockers (a street dance troupe who you may remember from performing an urban Swan Lake).  In 1982 she decided to cover the 1979 song "Kitty" released by Racey in the U.K., but she changed the name to Mickey and added in the chant, "Oh, Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey...Hey Mickey!".

The song "Mickey" was recorded in 1980, and Toni directed and choreographed the video for "Mickey" in 1981 (one year before MTV began).  In the video she wears her cheerleading uniform from Las Vegas High School.  Chrysalis Records released the song in 1982 and went to #1 on the charts, knocking off Lionel Richie.  She only made 2 albums.  "Mickey" was the release that was most popular.

Back around that time, she was a big supporter of the band Devo, and was dating Devo band member, Gerald V. Casale.  That led her to record some songs they had written, and Devo performed back-up on. 

After the success of "Mickey" Toni choreographed The Talking Heads' memorable video for "Once in a Lifetime"  (same as it ever was, same as it ever was...).  She choreographed another David Bowie tour, the Glass Spiders tour in 1987, and worked choreographing shows with Tina Turner and Bette Midler.  Most recently you may have seen her as a judge on the Fox t.v. show "So You Think You Can Dance?"

Lyrics:

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey, hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey, hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey, hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey

Hey, Mickey
You've been around all night and that's a little long
You think you got the right but I think you got it wrong
Oh, can't you say goodnight so you can take me home, Mickey?

'Cause when you say you will, it always means you won't
You're givin' me the chills, baby, please, baby, don't
Every night you still leave me all alone, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, what a pity you don't understand
You take me by the heart and you take me by the hand
Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand?
It's guys like you, Mickey

And what you do, Mickey, do, Mickey
Don't break my heart, Mickey

Hey, Mickey
Now if you take me by the, who's ever gonna know?
Every time you move, I let a little more show
There's something you can use so don't say no, Mickey

So come on and give it to me anyway you can
Anyway you wanna do it, I'll take it like a man
Oh, please, baby, please, don't leave me in the damn, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, what a pity you don't understand
You take me by the heart and you take me by the hand
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/toni-basil-lyrics/mickey-lyrics.html ]
Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand?
It's guys like you, Mickey

And what you do, Mickey, do, Mickey
Don't break my heart, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, what a pity you don't understand
You take me by the heart and you take me by the hand
Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand?
It's guys like you, Mickey

And what you do, Mickey, do, Mickey
Don't break my heart, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey, hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey, hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, what a pity you don't understand
You take me by the heart and you take me by the hand
Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand?
It's guys like you, Mickey

And what you do, Mickey, do, Mickey
Don't break my heart, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, what a pity you don't understand
You take me by the heart and you take me by the hand
Oh, Mickey, you're so pretty, can't you understand?
It's guys like you, Mickey

And what you do, Mickey, do, Mickey
Don't break my heart, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey, hey, Mickey

Oh, Mickey, you're so fine
You're so fine, you blow my mind
Hey, Mickey

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