"Sailing" by Christopher Cross - March 6th 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

At the outset of the 1980's Christopher Cross was wildly popular. He released a number of soft-hits that were all over the radio stations. I was especially fond of today’s 80’s Quest song, "Sailing" I really thought it was quite beautiful and captured the feeling of being on a boat gliding over the waves with the wind blowing.  I owned his first album and listened to it often.   I don’t know what happened with him. He had hit after hit, and won award after award, and wrote the theme song for a popular Dudley Moore film and then just dropped off the radio. I don’t know if it was because the record company didn’t know what to do with his image (he was a bit chubby…and you know how horrible record companies are about people who look less than camera-ready). But it’s a shame his run of luck didn’t continue so we could have heard more pretty songs from him.
　
Christopher Cross was born in San Antonio, Texas to an army family. His real name is Christopher Geppert.
　
He began fronting one of Austin, Texas’ leading cover bands, all the while writing his own original songs. In 1978 Warner Brothers records signed him.
　
His self-titled debut album was released in 1980 and became a blockbuster spawning the hits "Sailing" which went to #1 on the charts, "Ride Like the Wind" which went to #2 and featured Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers on backing vocals, "Never Be the Same" which went to #15, and "Say You’ll Be Mine" which went to #20. Nicolette Larson also provided backing vocals on the album.
　
In 1981 the album won five Grammy Awards. He is the only solo artist to win all four General Field Grammy Awards in the same year: Best Record, Best Album, Best Song and Best New Artist.
　
In the Fall of 1981 Cross released the theme song to the movie "Arthur" starring Dudley Moore called "Arthur’s Theme (The Best That You Can Do)" which was co-written by Cross along with Peter Allen, Burt Bacharach, and Carole Bayer Sager. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
　
In 1983 he released his second album, Another Page, which included the hit songs "All Right", "No Time for Talk" and "Think of Laura". This song sprung up the charts when it was featured on the smash U.S. soap opera, "General Hospital" in support of an immensely popular storyline about wildly popular characters Luke Spencer and Laura Webber. It was played a lot on the show during the time when Laura had disappeared off a pier and was presumed dead.

Check out this photo I found of Anthony Geary and Genie Francis, the actors who played Luke and Laura, and get ready to feel old: 

　
For a guy so on top of the world, his fame soon faded suddenly. His 1985 album, Every Turn of the World sold poorly and spawned only one minor hit song "Charm the Snake" which got to #68 on the charts. His next album 1998’s, Back of My Mind did not produce any Top 40 Hits.
　
In 1992 he recorded an album that was released only in Europe called Rendezvous. It is considered by many to be Cross’ finest work. In 1995 he released another album, Window, which he had hoped would be his American comeback. In 1998 he released a double-CD, Walking in Avalon. One disc contains studio recordings, while the other contains live greatest hits. The original songs were later issued separately on a 1999 release called Red Room.
　
He has continued touring and opening for various acts. In 2007 he recorded a Christmas album, A Christopher Cross Christmas and released a new studio album in 2011 called Dr. Faith. The next Cross-family member we may soon hear from his daughter, Madison. She is interested in singing and has traveled and been on stage with her dad. She is studying acting at New York University in Manhattan.

Lyrics:

Well, it's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me

And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

It's not far to never-never land, no reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

[Chorus]
Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Fantasy, it gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me?

[Chorus]

Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.

[Chorus]



"Someday Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw - March 5th 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

I first learned of Marshall Crenshaw after the 1980's, actually.  He received tons of airplay on Adult Alternative Radiostation WXRV The River 92.5 FM out of Massachusetts and I just loved him!

Marshall Crenshaw was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1953. He grew up in a musical family who lived in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan. Crenshaw listened to a lot of 1960’s AM radio and rockabilly and began playing guitar at the age of six.
　
He was the lead singer of a band called Astigafa from 1968-1971. The name of the band is an acronym of the lyric, "a splendid time is guaranteed for all" from The Beatles song "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite". He graduated from Berkley High School in June 1971. After graduation he played in numerous cover bands before moving to Los Angeles. Once in L.A. he got the role of John Lennon in the off-Broadway touring company of the musical Beatlemania.
He performed in Beatlemania for two years and moved to New York in 1980. He began playing gigs around the city, and got some notice for his original music and solid musicianship.
　
In New York he recorded the single "Something’s Gonna Happen" for Shake Records and was later signed to Warner Brothers Records. He released his self-titled first album to much acclaim. It included his 1982 hit song "Someday, Someway. It went to #36 on the charts and was his only Billboard Top 40 Pop hit.
　
In 1983 he released his second album, Field Day, which included the hit "Whenever You’re on My Mind"
　
Crenshaw has written songs that have been recorded by numerous artists such as Bette Midler, Freedy Johnston, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and The Gin Blossoms.
　
He appeared in the 1986 movie "Peggy Sue Got Married". In 1987 he portrayed Buddy Holly in the biographical movie about singer Ritchie Valens "La Bamba" , which starred Lou Diamond Phillips.
　
In 1993 he played a guitar-playing meter reader in the cult TV show "The Adventures of Pete and Pete".
　
Crenshaw turned down the lead role in the London stage production of Buddy (about Buddy Holly). In 1994 he oversaw and wrote reviews for a book called, "Hollywood Rock: A Guide to Rock ‘n’ Roll in the Movies" along with other pop-culture buffs.
　
He continued recording into the 1990’s and 2000’s. In 1996 he produced his album, Miracle of Science, in his home studio. The album includes original songs as well as covers of songs by Ray Price, Billy Fury, Dobie Gray, and ex-Husker Du drummer Grant Hart. He also wrote the theme song to the 1996 U.S. sitcom, Men Behaving Badly, starring Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider.
　
In 2007 he wrote the title track for the movie "Walk Hard" starring John C. Reilly. The song was sung by Reilly and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.
　
In 2011 Crenshaw began hosting a radio on WFUV in New York called The Bottomless Pit, on which he features songs from his vast collection of recorded music.

Lyrics:

I can't stand to see you sad

I can't bear to hear you cry
If you can't tell me what you need
All I can do is wonder why

Someday, someway aww
Someday, someway, yeah now
Someday, someway
Maybe I'll understand you

After all you've done for me
All I really want to do
Is take the love you brought my way
And give it all right back to you

Someday, someway

Someday, someway yeah yeah
Someday, someway
Maybe you'll understand me

You've taken everything from me
I've taken everything from you
I'll love you for my whole life through
Now after all you've done for me
All I really want to do
Is take the love you brought my way
And give it all right back to you

Someday, someway aww
Someday, someway, yeah now
Someday, someway maybe you'll understand me
You've taken everything from me

I've taken everything from you
I'll love you for my whole life through
I can't stand to see you sad
I can't bear to hear you cry
If you can't tell me what you need
All I can do is wonder why

Someday, someway aww
Someday, someway, yeah yeah
Someday, someway
Maybe I'll understand you

Someday, someway aww
Someday, someway, yeah yeah
Someday, someway
Maybe you'll understand me

Someday, someway oh!

Someday, someway, yeah now
Someday, someway
Maybe I'll understand you


Invitation to Join the Site

Wow!  For the first time in 80's Quest history we had more readers in Russia than in the United States yesterday.  That's pretty cool.

If you are on the site from Russia, or our newest reader in South Africa, or any of the readers from countries who have been reading the blog so far:  The United States, United Kingdom, Latvia, Portugual, South Korea, Australia, Sweden, and India -  I invite you to join the site by clicking the blue "Join the Site" button. 

My goal is to gain at least 50 followers to the site, so that I can hopefully start having some cool contests with 80's music-related prizes and fun things.  Please join, join, join, and share your comments about the songs.  I'd love to hear them!  Thanks to you all for being my readers!  You rock!

"Johnny Are You Queer?" by Josie Cotton - March 4th 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

Josie Cotton's real name is Kathleen Josey. She was born in Dallas Texas (USA) in 1956 to a prominent family who made their fortune in cotton (!). She sang with numerous local Dallas bands in the artsy Deep Ellum neighborhood (just liked Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians did too). Cotton moved to Los Angeles in the late '70s to further her career. Once in Los Angeles, she and began dating a musician named Bobby Paine, who had written a tongue-in-cheek novelty song with his brother Larson called "Johnny, Are You Queer?". The Go-Go's began singing the song during their sets, but once signed to a label, their record company advised them against recording it. Cotton recorded a 12" single of "Johnny Are You Queer" with the song with "Let's Dance the Blackout" on b-side. Bomp Records released it in 1981. The song caused a stir. The Conservatives complained it promoted a gay lifestyle, and The Liberals disdained it as homophobic. Too bad they didn't have more of a sense of humor about things!  The lyrics mirror the experiences of many American teenage girls as evidenced by the new up and coming blog :  My Boyfriend was gay:  http://www.myhsboyfriendwasgay.com/

The single attracted the attention of major label Elektra Records. They re-released the "Johnny Are You Queer" single, as well as a full Josie Cotton album , Convertible Music, which contained Farfisa organs, surf guitars and spawned the hit "He Could Be the One".

In 1983 she sang the song during the prom scene in the movie "Valley Girl" starring Deborah Foreman and Nicholas Cage. During the prom scenes she was also seen singing "He Could Be the One" and a cover of the Gary U.S. Bonds oldie "School Is In". In 2006 the song reappeared in another movie "Jackass: Number Two" during the anaconda ballpit stunt.
　
Josie released her second album, From the Hip, in 1984. The Paine brothers produced it. On it she covered Looking Glass' song "Jimmy Loves Maryann" with Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac playing guitar on the single. It became a minor hit, but Elektra Records soon dropped her from the label anyway.

In 1986 she appeared in the horror movie "Nomads" with Adam Ant and Pierce Brosnan. She played the character Silver Ring.
　
In 1997 she suddenly re-appeared with a collection of songs by songwriter/violinist Bill Rhea on an album called Frightened by Nightingales which was produced by her husband, Geza X, a legendary Los Angeles punk music producer. It was released on a French record label called Silences.

She took her skills to the business end of the music business and co-founded B-Girl Records. They recorded some bands such as Goldenboy and Alaska!, as well as a new Josey Cotton album (she reverted to the original spelling of her first name on this album), The Influence of Fear on Salesmen. It was supposed to be released in 2002 on B-Girl records, but was not released until 2006 under the name Movie Disaster. Following that release Josey released an album of covers of B-movie theme songs called Invasion of the B-Girls, and Pussycat Babylon in late 2010.
　
Her Facebook page lists her influences as The 60s, Wanda Jackson, Edith Piaff, Ima Sumak, Tammy Wynette, and John Waters. She is still in Los Angeles released a new single in June 2011 called, "See The new Hong Kong" which has rose to #15 on The Billboard Dance/Club charts.



Lyrics:

Johnny what's the deal boy

Is your love for real boy
when the lights are low
You never hold me close

Now I saw you today boy

Walking with them gay boys
Now you hurt me so, now I gotta know Johnny are you queer?

'Cause when I see you dancing with your friends
I can't help wondering where I stand
I'm so afraid I'll lose you
If I can't seduce you
Is there something wrong?
Johnny come on strong.


Why are you so weird, boy?
Johny are you queer boy?
When I make a play
You're pushing me away


'Cause when I see you dancing with your friends
I can't help wondering where I stand
Johnny you've forsaken
A love you could be takin'
I want to give it to you,
But you never come through
Oh, why are you so weird, boy?
Johnny are you queer boy? When you asked for a date
I thought that you were straight.
But Johnny are you queer?
Johnny are you queer boy?
Johnny are you queer boy?
Johnny are you queer boy?

Hey Johnny.. Johnny are you.. you know...

"Everyday I Write the Book" by Elvis Costello - March 3rd 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

Lyrics:

Don't tell me you don't know what love is

When you're old enough to know better

When you find strange hairs in your seater

When your dreamboat turns out to be a footnote
I'm a man with a mission in two or three editions

(Chorus):

And I'm giving you a longing look

Everyday, everyday, everyday I write the book

Chapter One we didn't really get along
Chapter Two I think I fell in love with you
You said you'd stand by me in the middle of Chapter Three
But you were up to your old tricks in Chapters Four, Five and Six

CHORUS

The way you walk
The way you talk, and try to kiss me, and laugh
In four or five paragraphs
All your compliments and your cutting remarks
Are captured here in my quotation marks

Don't tell me you don't know the difference
Between a lover and a fighter
With my pen and my electric typewriter
Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel

 

"God Is a Bullet" by Concrete Blonde - March 2nd 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

In 1989 I began DJ-ing on a college radio station at The University of New Hampshire - 91.3 FM W.U.N.H.  I did this for many years, into the 1990's.  It was during my radio station days that I became acquainted with Concrete Blonde.  I used to play them often on my shows.  Although they were from California, their sound was not light and airy, and bright.  They were a dark-sounding band, and a band that totally rocked!  I liked them a lot, especially this song.  It was always very disheartening to me that their biggest and most-known hit became "Joey" (their hit song about alcoholism) because it was so mellow.  I think many people got to know them as a mellow band, and really they had a lot more power under their belt.

I really like, and find it zany that in the middle of this video the band members start showcasing their other talents like karate and sign language.  For a dark video, that really made me laugh!  I used to take sign language class in high school, so I always love a video with sign language in it - ha-ha!!! Just wasn't expecting it to be in this video!

In 1982 singer Johnette Napolitano formed a band in Los Angeles, California (U.S.) called The Dreamers with James Mankey (guitar). They had met while working together at Leon Russell’s recording studio in L.A..   Mankey’s brother Earle was a founding member of the band Sparks, and the duo also did some recording in his studio, as well.  Harry Rushakoff joined the band on drums, and Napolitano took up playing bass. They changed their name to Dream 6 and released a self-titled EP that was released on an independent record label in France.

The band was a part of the Los Angeles music scene and played all over the club circuit there.
In 1986 the band’s music appeared in the movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. When the character L.G. drives into the radio station, he is listening to Concrete Blonde on the radio and when walking to the stairs he sings their song ""Haunted Head". Their music was also in the 1987 movie, The Hidden. The character Lt. John Masterson is listening to them after he is taken over by an alien.

In 1987 they signed to independent record label I.R.S.  Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M, was also on I.R.S. Records. It was him who suggested they change their name to Concrete Blonde because he felt it described the intersection of their hard rock style and introspective song lyrics. In 1986 they released a self-titled album under their new name, Concrete Blonde. Their second album was released in 1989, and was called Free. It contained today’s 80’s Quest song; "God is a Bullet". Roxy Music’s drummer, Paul Thompson, replaced Rushakoff at this time because Rushakoff was getting treatment for drug addiction.

Their most successful album was 1990’s Bloodletting which featured the above-mentioned U.S. Top 20 hit song "Joey". In 1991 their song "I Want You" (which was the b-side to "Joey") was featured in the surfing bankrobber film "Point Break" when Lori Petty’s character changes out of her bikini at the beginning of the film. Rushakoff rejoined the band for 1991’s Walking in London album, and both he and Thompson drummed on 1993’s Mexican Moon.

By 1994 Napolitano decided to leave Concrete Blonde and the band announced their official retirement.

In 1995 she teamed up with punk singer Holly Vincent to record an album called Vowel Movement. Both women played all of the instruments and did all of the vocals on this album. In 1995 Napolitano also formed a new band called Pretty & Twisted with former members of the band Wall of Voodoo, Marc Moreland (guitar) and Danny Montgomery (drums). She produced their self-titled album. In 1996 she provided vocals for the 3 remaining members of the band Talking Heads album Heads and toured with them. She sang the parts that David Byrne formerly sang on their older songs.
In 1997 Napolitano and Mankey got together and worked on an album with and East L.A. band called Los Illegals. That same year Napolitano produced an album for an L.A. Chicano band called Maria Fatal. The band opened up for her on some of her various solo club dates. In 1998 she recorded a solo album called The Sound of a Woman on Island Records, but she was dropped from the label when the label founder departed, and the album was never released. In 1999 she turned her focus to the study of Mexican art and began showing her own artwork at galleries and performing itinerant live shows.

In the 2000’s Concrete Blonde regrouped to put out another couple of albums: Group Therapy (2002) and Mojave (2004). Rushakoff rejoined the band to record Group Therapy, but unfortunately had to be kicked out of the band for not showing up for shows. Gabriel Ramirez replaced him.

In 2007 Napolitano sang on the soundtrack for an Australian film called West that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. She sang on the soundtracks for other Australian films and did a solo album called Scarred, which includes some acoustic versions of old Concrete Blonde songs.

Lyrics:

There's a green plaid jacket on the back of the chair
It's like a moment frozen forever there

Mom and dad had a lot of big plans for their little man
So proud!
Mama's gone crazy 'cause her baby's shot down
By some teenage car chase war out of bounds
It was the wrong place wrong time wrong end of a gun.
Sad!

Shoot straight from the hip, yeah.
Gone forever in a trigger slip
Well, it could have been
It could have been your brother.
Shoot straight shoot to kill, yeah.
Blame each other, well, blame yourselves, you know
God is a bullet have mercy on us everyone

They're gonna call me sir they'll all stop picking on me
Well I'm a high school grad I'm over 5 foot 3
I'll get a badge and a gun and I'll join the P.D.
They'll see
He didn't have to use the gun they put in his hand
But when the guy came at him, well he panicked and ran
And it's a thirty long years 'fore they're givin' him another chance
And it's sad, sad, it's sad

Shoot straight from the hip, yeah.
Gone forever in a trigger slip
Well, it could have been
It could have been your mother.
Shoot straight shoot to kill, yeah.
Blame each other, well, blame yourselves, you know
God is a bullet have mercy on us everyone

Shoot straight from the hip, yeah.
Gone forever in a trigger slip
Well, it could have been
It could have been your mother.
John Lennon, Doctor King, Harvey Milk
all for goddamn nothing

God is a bullet have mercy on us everyone
God is a bullet have mercy on us everyone

:

"Fascinated" by Company B - March 1st 80's Quest Song/Band of the Day

This song reminds me so much of my college years around 1986-1988 when I was in this dance music phase.  Back then I used to go out, and I swear, I would dance at least 3 times a week or more....frat parties, basement parties, clubs.  This was one of the songs we really got into on the dance floor - it was so fun!   They used to play this song a lot on the dance music station KISS 108 FM - Boston.  I used to make party cassettes full of good songs to dance to for various frat house parties, and this song was heavy in the mix.  I owned the album (and they had the white wigs on the cover), but I don't really remember the video being played often, so I didn't realize till I began researching 80's Quest that the white wigs were supposed to be their trademark look ....dreadful idea, eh?!  And don't get me started on the dancing in this video!  Perhaps they didn't have much time to rehearse and had to get this filmed before their studio time ran out!

Back in the 80’s a big trend in the dance music scene was to get some girl singers together, get them in the studio to cut a record, dress them in some hot clothes and send ‘em out on tour. That’s how Company B came to be. They were a trio of latina singers formed in 1986 by a Cuban-American producer named Ish "Angel" Ledesma. The original 3 members were Lori L. (Ledesma), Charlotte McKinnon, and Susan (Gonzalez) Johnson. They got their name from the oldie "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" (a song they later covered in 1989).

The band went through a major rotating cast of characters as women left and were replaced by new members, and then returned again. On and on. I guess the band never really developed strong personalities to the public, so they could just replace them with another girl. They did try to set themselves from other singing groups by wearing platinum white wigs.

Company B’s very first single "Fascinated" was released on an independent record label, The Summer, in 1986. DJ’s began playing the song in clubs all around Miami, and it hit a chord with people. Atlantic Records took notice, signed Company B recorded a full-length self-titled album with them in 1987. With Atlantic’s ability to give the music wider distribution, "Fascinated" was picked up by the radio stations and clubs in other major U.S. cities. Other singles released off the album did not receive play on radio stations, although they were played in clubs.

"Fascinated" hit #1 on the U.S. dance charts and then crossed over to mainstream pop radio, eventually reaching #21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1989 Company B released their second album, "Gotta Dance" and ditched the white platinum wigs. They released more singles that never realized the success of "Fascinated" Same story with their third album "3" released in 1996.

As of 2006 Company B (in some line-up version or another) was still performing and doing shows.

Lyrics:

I want to play with you tonight

Hold me, that's all that's on my mind
Baby, something feels so right
Maybe we could play tonight

I want to be so in love with you
I want to do just what you want to do
I want to be all that to you
I got a dream, and you can make it true

(Chorus):

'Cuz I, I'm fascinated by your love boy
And I'm fascinated by your love toy
I'm fascinated by the way you make me feel
(Repeat two times)

Love me until the morning light
Please me, make me feel alright
Kiss me, let me make you mine
I love it, loving you some times
Come on, come on, I want to be with you
Come on, come on, I won't get over you
I want to do just what you want me to
I got a dream and you can make it good

(Chorus - Repeat three times)