"Right on Track" by Breakfast Club - February 10th 80's Quest Song/Band of the day

This song came out when I was in college, and it was a really fun song to dance to.  In the song, when he sings “I could move out to the left for a while”….you’d sashay left on the dance floor.  When he said, “Or I could sliiiide to the right for awhile”….you’d do a big sliiiiide to the right.  .  I remember putting this song on quite a few party tapes back in 1987.   I liked it when he sang, “But I’m doing my very best dancing, yeah…every time you’re looking the other way!”

The video is actually not that bad, I like the chaotic pink set and the fat fluffy rooster backup singers with an attitude.  I always thought this song was pretty good and was fun at parties; and wondered why this was the only song we ever heard from this band. 

Breakfast Club formed in 1979 in New York.  There were many different line-ups of the band, and during one iteration, Madonna was their drummer.   Madonna had moved to New York in 1977 and was studying dance with Alvin Ailey.  In 1979 while she was on tour as a dancer with French disco singer Patrick Hernandez, Madonna met musician Dan Gilroy.  When they got back to New York they dated briefly and started Breakfast Club along with Dan’s brother Ed and Angie Smit on bass.   

Madonna left Breakfast Club shortly afterwards in 1980.  She called an old friend from her days at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Stephen Bray, asking him to move to New York and become the drummer of a new band she was forming called Emmy.    The two of them dated for awhile.  While in Emmy she and Bray worked on a side-project that was more dance/club oriented.  That led to Madonna being signed as a solo artist with Sire Records.  In 1982 her debut single, “Everybody” was released.  Madonna and Bray went on write and produce many of her hit songs together including “Angel”, “Into the Groove”, “True Blue”, “Causing a Commotion”, “Express Yourself” and “Keep it Together”.

By the mid-80’s Stephen Bray (drums) and his fellow Emmy band mate Gary Burke (bass) joined Breakfast Club which consisted of brothers Dan Gilroy (vocals) and Ed Gilroy (guitars), and Paul Kauk (keyboards).  They got a record deal with ZE Records and released their self-titled album in 1987. A single from that album, “Right on Track” became their biggest hit and went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Randy Jackson (of American Idol Fame) later joined the band on bass.  They recorded a second album, but it was never released.  They did have a cover song of The Beatles “Drive My Car” which appeared in the movie License to Drive, but shortly thereafter the band broke-up.  I’m still not sure of the reason.

Lyrics:

Gonna make a move that knocks you over
Watch this turn one's gonna put you away
But I'm doing my very best dancing
Every time you're looking the other way
I could move out to the left for a while
I could slide to the right for a while
I could get up and back
Right on track
But is right on track
Is that gonna get you back

I've been trying to get your attention
And I'm very, very close to thinking of a way
I could be big and tough and other funny stuff
But you just keep looking the other way

How far away can you go
And still be dancing with me
Would you mind staying in the vicinity
I've not been faring badly
But I would gladly take you back

There must be some kind of bad connection
'Cause this music does not sound the way it did
I got to get up and back 'cause I've been off track
And that may be just why you disappeared
But now I've got you in the corner

And I've got one more move I can try of my eye
And I've got one more move I can try