I Completed 80s Music

A modern day podcaster, mean mean stride, today's podcaster, mean, mean pride. Lets not Rush (geddit?) through this episode, as we explore the back half of playlist 31. Yes folks, we enter November 1981 with an eclectic mix of funk, synthpop wizardry and more 80s flavours. Kool and the Gang kick off our show continuing their stretch of great 80s tunes with Steppin Out. We then pivot into introducing Saxon to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal picture with their steam powered song Princess of the Night. We then complete the Sheffield synth-triumvirate as we add the glamorous ABC to the mix alongside the Human League and Heaven 17, with their debut Tears are Not Enough. Rush then drop the iconic cultural behemoth Tom Sawyer - we really delve into that one, before we meet Pigbag with their funky sounds and Sunny Day. And we end today's show examining Japan's swansong, the album Tin Drum and the single, Visions of China. Links to Playlist 31: Spotify Apple Music In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are: 8. Kool And The Gang - Steppin Out 9. Saxon - Princess Of The Night 10. ABC - Tears Are Not Enough 11. Rush - Tom Sawyer 12. Pigbag - Sunny Day 13. Japan - Visions Of China

It may be Autumn 1981 but you won't need your duffle coat where we're going! Hot holidays, hot driving in the california hills, hot reggae and hot funk all feature in the first half of playlist 31. We start with perhaps one of the most polarising tracks of the decade, an art installation in its own right, O Superman by Laurie Anderson, raising questions about the purpose of the state and the superficial image of protection. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band then rev up the convertible and take us on a joy ride with Hollywood Nights. We then fly over to Spain, forget the sun block and look like a lobster in a british bar while listening to Begin the Beguine by Julio Iglesias as we remember the era of the package holiday. Trevor Walters then entertains with some delicious lovers rock and the beautiful song Love Me Tonight. We then introduce those funky youngsters Haircut 100 to the mix for their flirty foray into the charts with Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl). OMD take us on a history lesson with the almost choral Joan of Arc and The Police end the episode with a song very special to the 80s Mixtaper, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. It's a biggie! Links to Playlist 31: Spotify Apple Music In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are: 1. Laurie Anderson - O Superman 2. Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band - Hollywood Nights 3. Julio Iglesias - Begin The Beguine 4. Trevor Walters - Love Me Tonight 5. Hair Cut 100 - Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl) 6. OMD - Joan Of Arc 7. The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic  

We're back with the back half of playlist 31 and stories of rock glory from the best decade in pop. In this episode we introduce arena rock giants Foreigner to the picture with their apocryphal tale of the fan who sees a concert and becomes a rock star in their single Jukebox Hero. We don our best spandex, head and wrist warmers and get Physical with Olivia Newton-John and send the 80 work out revolution into overdrive (who's mum went to a Jazz and Tap class?). We get one of the most under-appreciated singles from the Human League's Dare album in Open Your Heart. Lovers and fans of Dudley More will appreciate our next track, the epically beautiful Arthurs Theme by Christopher Cross. The Cure take up time skipping with Charlotte Sometimes and we end the episode with the Four Tops big comeback with When She Was My Girl. Links to Playlist 30 Spotify Apple Music In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are: 8. Foreigner - Juke Box Hero 9. Olivia Newton-John - Physical 10. Human League - Open Your Heart 11. Christopher Cross - Arthurs Theme 12. The Cure - Charlotte Sometimes 13. Four Tops - When She Was My Girl  

Eclectic Much? Yup playlist 30 continues to demonstrate that even towards the end of 1981, the new decade is still embryonic in it's flavours. We kick off with The Police pivoting away from the reggae punk style as they focus on their next album Ghost in the Machine and break out the single Invisible Sun. Next we don our stripper heels and swing on the pole to Billy Squier's Stroke Me, which actually is a song more aligned with greasy politicians and magnates! Elvis Costello goes country with Good Year For The Roses and pops up again in Squeeze's production of Labelled With Love at the end of the episode. And inbetween we get the Siouxie and Budgie side project The Creatures, more Toyah and more Tom Tom Club. It's gonna be an extravaganza! (Johnny Briggs quote).  Links to Playlist 30 Spotify Apple Music In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are: 1. The Police - Invisible Sun 2. Billy Squier - The Stroke 3. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Good Year For The Roses 4. Toyah - Thunder In The Mountains 5. The Creatures - Mad Eyed Screamer 6. Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love 7. Squeeze - Labelled With Love  

It's my podcast and I'll cough if I want to! Actually, I manage to hold it together for this entire episode despite the Autumn sniffles as we dive into Autumn 1981. We kick things off with Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin's synthy rework of "It's My Party" before questioning whether Japan's "Quiet Life" may have been the inspiration for a lot of the new romantic sounds. "Just Can't Get Enough" is both the next song and an apt description of how the single kicked off Depeche Mode's meteoric rise. To cool off, we go "Walking In The Sunshine" with Bad Manners (one of my faves) before ripping into "Happy Birthday" by Altered Images. And we end the pod with yet more Madness and "Shut Up" proving that the ska revival wasn't quite over yet.    Links to Playlist 29 Spotify Apple Music In case the playlist hyperlinks don't work on your podcast platform of choice, the songs are: 8. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin - It's My Party 9. Japan - Quiet Life 10. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough 11. Bad Manners - Walking In The Sunshine 12. Altered Images - Happy Birthday 13. Madness - Shut Up