The 80's: Now & Then

22/12/2024

Here's an awesome playlist with three Christmas Specials I've done over the years. They're totally jam packed with 80s artists! Happy Holidays!!
https://www.mixcloud.com/Brians_World/playlists/80s-now-then-christmas/

10/12/2024

New Song From Simple Minds...
Today, Simple Minds release their new single ‘Your Name in Lights’, taken from the soundtrack to their documentary ‘Everything Is Possible’.

Written in collaboration with writer and producer Paul Statham, Simple Minds set out to match the film’s ambience whilst recapturing the innocent spirit of their early days; "when we were ‘wee boys’ playing around with our synthesisers,” says the band’s Jim Kerr, “proudly wearing our Kraftwerk and Brian Eno influences on our sleeve."

The resultant track mirrors a style that Simple Minds previously produced on their 1979 Reel To Real Cacophony album, with an accompanying lyric which, as Kerr puts it, “conjures up a ‘Dreamer’s conversation with a distant Muse’ – that Muse being Aretha Franklin as sung by Sarah Brown.”

Official Site: https://www.simpleminds.com/Latest Tour Dates: https://www.simpleminds.com/tour/Latest Releases: https://www.simpleminds.com/category/news/rel...

30/10/2024

Happy Birthday to Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome, first released on October 29, 1984 by ZTT Records.
It featured the singles "Relax", "Two Tribes", "The Power Of Love", and "Welcome To The Pleasuredome"). It was produced by Trevor Horn and the production team included Steve Lipton and also members of The Art Of Noise.
It reached the Top 10 in 12 countries, but only #33 in the US. In 1984, Frankie Goes to Hollywood were the only act apart from the Beatles and John Lennon to concurrently occupy the top two positions on the chart with "Relax" and "Two Tribes".

17/06/2024

ALBUM ANNIVERSARY: The Police - SYNCHRONICITY
Synchronicity is the fifth and final studio album by the British rock band The Police, released June 17, 1983 by A&M Records. The band's most successful release, the album includes the hit singles "Every Breath You Take", "King of Pain", "Wrapped Around Your Finger", and "Synchronicity II".
In 2009, Synchronicity was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2023, the album was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Synchronicity reached number one on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200.
Fun Fact #1: The album was available in 36 variations, with different arrangements of the color stripes and showing different photographs of the band members.
Fun Fact #2: The original vinyl release was pressed on audiophile vinyl which appears black like most records, but is actually purple when held up to the light.
On July 26, 2024 a deluxe 6-CD box set (plus a 4-LP box set, picture disc LP, 2-CD and 2-LP colour vinyl) will be released to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Synchronicity. It features up to 55 previously unreleased tracks including all original 7” / 12” b-sides plus 11 exclusive non-album bonus tracks, 36 demos/early mixes plus a live show from the accompanying tour.

ORDER Super Deluxe 6-Disc CD : https://amzn.to/4c5IWS1

ORDER Super Deluxe 4 LP : https://amzn.to/4cqyynA

10/06/2024

Scritti Politti's second studio album, Cupid & Psyche 85, was released in the UK on June 10, 1985 by Virgin Records. It was produced by the great Arif Mardin along with the band. It's a really great album all the way through that sounds fantastic thanks to some big names (Jason Corsaro, Howard Gray, Gary Langan) at the controls.

Cupid & Psyche 85 peaked at #5 on the UK Albums chart, #50 on the US Billboard 200, #55 in Canada, and #59 in Australia.
Singles included:
"Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" ( #10 UK, #4 US Hot Dance Club Play)
"Absolute" ( #17 UK, #10 Netherlands)
"Hypnotize"
"The Word Girl" ( #6 UK)
"Perfect Way" ( #11 Billboard Hot 100)

Cupid & Psyche 85 (LP): https://amzn.to/3RJvqeX
Cupid & Psyche 85 (CD): https://amzn.to/3KCpkZF

10/06/2024

What in the world is going on here?

David Lee RothInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidleerothFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/DavidLeeRothTwitter - https://twitter.com/DavidLeeRothWeb...

19/05/2024

Happy Birthday Grace Jones!
Born: May 19, 1948 (76)
Grace Jones is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress.

19/05/2024

Album Anniversary: May 19, 1986
Peter Gabriel: SO
“So” featured singles "Sledgehammer" "Don't Give Up" "In Your Eyes" "Big Time" and "Red Rain".
So was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year but lost to Paul Simon's Graceland. Rolling Stone included the album in their 2004 and 2020 editions of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
At the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards Gabriel was honored with the Video Vanguard Award and "Sledgehammer" won an additional nine awards including Video of the Year, a record that has not been challenged. Its video is the most played music video in the history of MTV.
So topped the charts in eight countries, but only reached #2 in the US.

15/05/2024

Released May 15, 1981 -- Squeeze - East Side Story -
East Side Story is the fourth studio album from the band and peaked at #19 on the UK Albums Chart ( #44 Billboard Pop Albums).
The album was mostly produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, but a couple tracks were produced by Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe.
Singles:
"In Quintessence" #39 Billboard Mainstream Rock
"Tempted" #8 Billboard Mainstream Rock

15/05/2024

Released May 15, 1983 -- The Fixx: Reach The Beach -
It features the singles, "Saved By Zero" ( #20 Billboard Hot 100), "One Thing Leads To Another" ( #4 Billboard Hot 100), and "Sign Of Fire" ( #32 Billboard Hot 100).

The album was produced by Rupert Hine and peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 in the US.

14/05/2024

May 14, 1982 - The Fixx's debut album Shuttered Room was released in the UK. (It was later released in the US in August '82).
It was produced by Rupert Hine and featured the singles "Lost Planes", "Some People", "Stand or Fall", and "Red Skies".
It peaked at #133 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

13/05/2024

May 13, 1985 -- New Order released their third album Low-Life on Factory Records. It featured the singles The Perfect Kiss and Sub-Culture.
It peaked at #94 on the US Billboard 200 and #7 on the UK Albums chart.

11/05/2024

Released May 11, 1981 -- Grace Jones - Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by the Jamaican singer and songwriter on Island Records. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios with producers Alex Sadkin and Island Records' president Chris Blackwell, as well as a team of session musicians rooted by rhythm section Sly and Robbie.
There were six singles released from Nightclubbing: "Demolition Man", "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)", "Pull Up to the Bumper", "Use Me", "Feel Up", and "Walking in the Rain"

Chart & Album Peak Position:
Australia - 19
Dutch Albums - 2
Germany - 8
New Zealand - 3
Norway - 19
Spain - 20
Sweden - 4
UK - 35
US Billboard 200 - 32
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 9

Grace Jones - Nightclubbing (LP Vinyl)
https://amzn.to/4busUAs

Grace Jones - Nightclubbing (Remastered CD)
https://amzn.to/4af8eeI

11/05/2024

Released on May 11, 1981 -- Computer World (German: Computerwelt) is the eighth studio album by German electronic band Kraftwerk.
Computer World had five singles, "Pocket Calculator", "Computer Love", "Computerwelt", and "Numbers".

"Computer World" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1982.

Dozens of artists since have used samples from the album in their own songs including Beck, Coldplay, Fergie, and LCD Sound System.

Chart & Peak Position
------------------------
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 32
US Billboard 200 - 72
UK Albums - 15
Swedish Albums - 27
New Zealand - 28
Germany - 7
Austria - 14
Australia - 51

Computer World has been ranked:
• #2 - Best Albums of 1981 (NME)
• #25 - 100 Best Albums of the 80s (Slant Magazine)
• #18 - Best Albums of the 80s (Pitchfork)
• #53 - "Computer Love" Best Song of the 80s (Pitchfork)
• #10 - Greatest EDM Album of All Time (Rolling Stone)

10/05/2024

Happy Anniversary to one of my all-time favorite albums: Duran Duran RIO, released worldwide May 10, 1982.
So many great songs on this album! It peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 album chart in the US on 12 March 1983, and remained on the chart for 129 weeks.
• #1 CMJ Magazine "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1982"
• #98 Q magazine "100 Greatest British Albums"
• #24 HMV/Q Poll "Best British album of all time"
• #65 NME "100 Greatest Albums of All Time"
• #95 Pitchfork "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s"
• #3 BBC Radio 2's "Top 100 Favourite Albums of All Time"
• Pitchfork "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die"

10/05/2024

With Sympathy🌹-- Ministry's debut album on Arista was released May 10, 1983.
“Work for Love“ and “I Wanted to Tell Her” charted at 20 & 13 on Billboard US Dance chart in 1983. The album peaked at 94 on Billboard 200 in 1984.
“Revenge” was the lone video released (see the link below). Album has been reissued on cd and vinyl (see links below). “Effigy (I’m Not An)” was in HBO's Euphoria Season 2, Episode 3.
Great synth pop album! If you haven't heard it, check it out!

17/04/2024

35 years! Pixies DOOLITTLE was released April 17, 1989.
Doolittle is widely regarded as one of the best alternative rock albums of the 1980s.
The singles were "Monkey Gone to Heaven", "Here Comes Your Man", and "Debaser"

Doolittle 25 (Remastered/Expanded): DELUXE EDITION : 3CD set. Includes 35 BONUS tracks of B-sides, demo's, live Peel Sessions and rarities!
https://amzn.to/3vMq3nr

Doolittle (Remastered)
https://amzn.to/4456LpN

25/03/2024

Happy Birthday to The Power Station's debut album released March 25, 1985.
The Power Station was a supergroup comprised of Robert Palmer, John & Andy Taylor (Duran Duran), and Tony Thompson (Chic). It was produced by Bernard Edwards (Chic).

The album peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart.

It featured three singles "Some Like It Hot", "Get It On (Bang A Gong)", and "Communication".