Journey with me, if you will, back a few decades. Back to the time of Pac-Man, Pee-Wee Herman and parachute pants. The decade of rubber bracelets, Rubik’s cube, and Reaganomics. Now go ahead, fire up the ole iPod and reflect on the music that provided the soundtrack for all of that. One problem though... You can use your iPod to listen to your 80's music, but it can't provide the experience of picking up your old 45s and enjoying the original sleeve artwork while you listen.
That problem has been solved (somewhat) by Matthew Chojnacki's Put the Needle on the Record, a 272 page book celebrating the artwork of 45 and 12-inch singles from the 1980's. In addition to the original art, the book provides the visions and stories behind the images and offers plenty of first-hand commentary and other information about the individual recording artists, graphic designers and art directors involved.
And they're all here. Retrospectives on the cover art for singles by the Clash, Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran, Madonna, Pat Benatar, B-52's, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and of course, The Smiths (remember all their retro black and white covers?)
The book left me with an uncontrollable urge to go into my closet, dig out my old singles and reminisce. So I did. Still waiting on my copy of Put the Needle on the Record from Amazon, so to whet my appetite, I recently spent time studying the cover art of my personal collection of 45s from The Pop Culture Fiend Archives. Here are a few faves:
Quintessential 80s chick Patti Smyth was pouty on the cover of Scandal's "Beat of a Heart".
The artwork for ABC's "Be Near Me" was as stylish as the band itself.
The "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" cover superimposed the Pet Shop Boys with an old photograph of blue-eyed soul legend Dusty Springfield.
It was a huge collaboration that created a smash hit single, but the cover shot of Paul and MJ looks pretty amateurish and informal -- like it was hastily taken just outside the recording studio.
Madonna plays peek-a-boo on this original pressing of "True Blue", which was a limited edition single issued on blue vinyl.
Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" from 1984's Streets of Fire used the same graphic art as the movie poster.
Starting a new series today called "Signature Songs". In it, I'm going to be talking about the songs that are the best examples of the work of individual recording artists. For example, the signature song for Madonna would be "Like a Virgin". Why?... Because in addition to being a major hit, it includes many of the musical elements Madonna is best known for.
Making a determination like this requires a lot of generalization, because over the course of her career, Madonna recorded songs in many different styles. For example, consider "Hung Up", which features an ABBA "Voulez-Vous" sample and is very "techno-ey"; "Take a Bow" is a sad ballad replete with violins and other classical instruments; and "Physical Attraction" is classic, "synth-ey" 80's dance-pop.
But the reason "Like a Virgin" is Madonna's signature song is because it's the best representation of "classic" Madonna. In other words, if you were forced to time capsule, that is, choose one song to save for future generations to understand what type of artist Madonna was and what type of music she made, the best choice would be "Like a Virgin". This has less to do with how big a hit "Like a Virgin" was than it does the fact that "Like a Virgin" includes a large combination of ingredients from classic Madonna's musical style. "Like a Virgin", for example, includes a lot of synthesizers -- as did most of Madonna's early hits ("Everybody", "Borderline", "Lucky Star", "Angel", "Dress You Up", "Into the Groove".) Additionally, like many Madonna songs, "Like a Virgin" is danceable, and to top it off, it's also overtly sexual, both in title and lyrics -- and we know that Madonna certainly put her sexuality at the forefront of much of her music and her life.
Again, I'm generalizing somewhat and I understand that whether it's a solo act, a group or a band, an artist's music typically evolves over time. Almost invariably, they begin to explore different genres and musical styles, draw inspiration from new sources, collaborate with other artists, and otherwise begin to make music that's entirely (sometimes radically) different from what they're most well known for and/or created earlier in their careers.
Notice I said, "almost invariably." There are in fact some music artists who don't evolve very much and continue to churn out the same type of music. Their sound never (or barely) changes and they remain pretty much the same from the start of their careers to the finish.
Punk-oriented bands like The Ramones and Green Day come to mind. Certain "heartland" rockers like Springsteen and John Mellencamp also seem to be making pretty much the same type of music they did when they were first starting out. For example, recent Springsteen tunes like "Radio Nowhere" off 2007's Magic and "The Last Carnival"from 2009's Working On a Dream, would fit in perfectly next to cuts like "Badlands" and "Prove it All Night" from Bruce's 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. (And judging by the two photos above, it looks like Bruce's wardrobe hasn't changed much either!)
The presumption is that heartland rock and punk rock are extremely well-defined sub-genres that are closely married to very specific attributes, attitudes and ideals. When the music an artist produces is so "rooted" this way, it's understandable how their output might only minimally change, even over a long haul.
Punk rock is also deeply rooted in very strong and specific ideals. It's stripped-down, fast-paced, angry, and anti-establishment. So as soon as a punk rocker begins making music that moves away from these core themes and attributes, that artist immediately loses their "punk identity" and starts to become something completely different. (They also run the risk of completely alienating their fan base and the core audience they worked so hard to gain.) This may help explain why the sound of bands like The Ramones and Social Distortion barely changed over their 20+ year careers.
Okay, that was quite a digression. I was talking about "signature songs" and the artist I'm going to begin with is the Bangles. Their signature song is "If She Knew What She Wants".
No, not "Manic Monday", the Bangles first major hit and their most enduring song. And not "Eternal Flame", the band's only #1 record. "If She Knew What She Wants" gets the nod because the Bangles were formed largely based on founding members Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbie Peterson's shared love of the Beatles, the Byrds, and sixties psychedelia. "If She Knew What She Wants" represents the perfect blend of these three influences. Not only does it borrow the "jangly" Rickenbacker guitars exemplified in the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" and the Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn! and "Mr. Tambourine Man", but it also adds a ton of terrific harmonies, reminiscent of not only the Beatles, but the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas as well. Also, if you listen closely, you'll find "If She Knew What She Wants" is structurally similar to the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" (which also features Rickenbacker guitars by the way.)
I dug through the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and found this clip of the Bangles performing "If She Knew What She Wants" on Late Nite with David Letterman (circa 1987, I believe.)
I've heard the group sing this song many times (including live) and this is arguably their best performance. From Susanna's distinct croon, to their clothes (check out Vicki's 60s-style go-go boots and hairdo) to their impromptu dance moves, this was the Bangles at their peak. The only question is, as an all-girl band that almost certainly had to go through a lot to be taken seriously, why are they not playing their own instruments?...
Was flipping through an in-flight travel magazine (Departures) and came across this cool ad for Louis Vuitton, featuring five-time Academy Award winner Francis Ford Coppola and his daughter Sophia.
I met Francis Coppola in the early 90s. I was at a really nice movie theater (at least it was back then) –- Loews Ridgefield Park, which is in northern NJ, very close to Manhattan. This theater had ten screens, which back in those days was a lot. It was an odd night because all of the auditoriums were open to the public except one that was hosting a non-publicized special screening of Frankenstein, starring Kenneth Branagh and Robert DeNiro. I look over and there, by the concession stand, is the film’s producer, Francis Ford Coppola himself. He was doing nothing in particular, so I walked over and told him what a fan I was of his films (the three Godfather movies, The Outsiders, and The Cotton Club, in particular.) The greatest living American director (sorry Spielberg, Allen, Tarantino, and Scorsese) was then nice enough to autograph my popcorn bucket.
As for Sophia, back in 1990 she was bashed quite a bit for "ruining" The Godfather Part III. The criticism isn't really fair but I will say that when you watch the film, it’s painfully clear that Sophia's part was too much for her. Her father and others should have recognized this and recast the role.
Few realize that the pivotal role in question, that of Mary Corleone, was supposed to be played by Winona Ryder. But Ryder was suffering from exhaustion -- she had just shot Welcome Home Roxy Carmichael, Edward Scissorhandsand Mermaids back-to-back-to-back. What's more, the actress had experienced some very long work days shooting the last of these films because the production had fallen behind schedule after the original director (Lasse Hallstrom) was fired. When Mermaids did finally wrap, Ryder began shooting G III in Rome, but her then boyfriend, Johnny Depp, reportedly wanted her back with him in the US. Ryder claimed exhaustion and dropped out a month into the shoot. Sophia, who had almost no acting experience, was cast by her father (who had creative control of the picture) as a replacement. The part was rewritten to better suit Sophia and the sexuality of the character was toned down. And again, all of this took place after principal photography had already begun. So all of this considered, it's amazing Godfather Part III turned out as good as it did. After being skewered by the critics, Sophia pretty much gave up acting but did go on to write and direct the critically acclaimed The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Despite Sophia’s poor performance, Godfather III is still a must-see that’s better than 99% of the movies out there. It has an intricate, compelling plot; maintains continuity with the two preceding films; features great performances by Andy Garcia, Joe Mantegna and others; and was Oscar-nominated for Best Picture of 1990. Here’s the extended trailer:
Lastly, if you’re a hardcore fan of The Godfather films, I recommend the The Godfather Companion by Peter Biskind, which has the complete story of the production of the trilogy and lots of interesting details about Part III in particular. For instance:
Diane Keaton wanted too much money to reprise her role as Kay, so Coppola was forced to cut her part down significantly.
Mario Puzo wrote the first outline for G III way back in 1978. In it, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is a Howard Hughes-like recluse; the Mafia and the CIA are at war; and the film's climax tales place during a Bicentennial parade. (All of this is drastically different from how the final screenplay turned out.)
During casting, Julia Roberts was the first choice to play Mary. Madonna was also considered but at 31, it was decided she was too old for the part.
Later, Madonna was seriously considered for the role of Grace Hamilton, the reporter who sleeps with Vincent (Andy Garcia.) At the time, Madonna was coming off the hugely successful Like a Prayeralbum and was arguably the biggest name in music. Perhaps partially because of this, she demanded a salary of more than half a million dollars (for what amounted to about 15 minutes of screen time) and the producers passed, eventually giving the part to Bridget Fonda.
This week I’m buying tickets for Wickedon Broadway (an anniversary gift for my parents.) These will be "e-tickets" that you print at home, similar to the way you print boarding passes for airline flights. Moving forward, this looks to be the way all forms of ticketing will take place, which is sad in a way because the old box office machine generated paper tickets were nice souvenirs. Just for old times sake, I went into the Pop Culture Fiend Archives and dug out a few of my old stubs. (Click for enlarged view.)
USC vs Colorado at the LA Coliseum
Sept 2000
Muhammad Ali vs Larry Holmes
Oct 1980
The Bangles at the Beacon Theater, NYC
March 1989
Sting at Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
Feb 1994
Belinda Carlisle (her first solo tour) at the Beacon Theater
May 1988
The Go-Go’s at 4th and B’s (San Diego)
July 2004 Billy Joel (River of Dreams Tour) at Madison Square Garden, NYC Oct 1993
Jacksons (Victory Tour) at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ July 1984
Madonna (Who’s That Girl Tour) at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ August 1987
President-elect Obama gets sworn in in just a few hours and the country is all excited. But not as excited as Madonna I'll bet. Caught her concert at Petco Park in San Diego back on election night and was able to snap the cell phone shot below. (Coincidentally, I took that pic in the moments captured in this video shared on YouTube by Madonna herself.)
After opening the show proclaiming, “I am so fucking happy right now!” Madonna went on to repeatedly express her unbridled joy after Barack won (the word came in about an hour before she took the stage.) She even incorporated an Obama video tribute/political commercial into the production for this tour. Though most in the audience were just as pumped about Obama, the show itself was a curiosity.
After opening 90 minutes late (maybe she was watching the early returns) Madonna came on and proceeded to do a two-hour (on the nose) show that largely ignored the entirety of her early career. Here’s the recap: To begin, I have to mention that Madonna is a physical stud. Absolutely buff. She sported multiple sleeveless outfits and you could see all the muscles in her very cut and vascular arms. I guess it shouldn't be that much of a surprise because for the whole two hours she sang (sometimes with the assistance of a lead backing track, but mostly live) while dancing her butt off.
As you’d expect, the set list included nearly all of the new album, Hard Candy, including nice performances of “4 Minutes”, “Miles Away”, and “Beat Goes On”. The only songs from the album she didn’t do were “Heartbeat”, “Dance 2Night” and “Incredible”. There was some very good production for “She’s Not Me” (where Madonna confronted a series of look-alike Madonna clones from the “Material Girl”, “Vogue”, and “Open Your Heart” videos) and also during her costume changes when there were some cool video montages that incorporated portions of “Die Another Day”, “Jump” and “Rain”.
But the disappointment began to grow as the show progressed and Madonna failed to perform any of her biggest hits from the eighties. Yes, she did “Borderline” and “Into the Groove” early on, and "La Isla Bonita" about halfway through, but those were the only cuts from her first FOUR albums (counting Who’s That Girl) that she performed. No “Holiday” (even though the lyrics would’ve made it perfect for celebrating the Obama win) no “Lucky Star”, no “Everybody” (another perfect song to perform live.) Also conspicuously absent were “Like a Virgin”, “Material Girl”, and “Dress You Up”.
There’s more… No “Crazy For You”, “Papa Don’t Preach”, “Open Your Heart” or “Live to Tell”.
I know this tour is to promote the new album, and I also know a lot of artists don’t feel like their early stuff is on par with their later material. Madonna herself has gone on record saying she doesn’t like some of her early records. But come on… how could she not do “Like a Virgin”?
And what about the stuff from the “middle-years”? There was no “Take a Bow” or “This Used To Be My Playground” (songs that could’ve served the dual purpose of slowing things down and letting her catch her breath while also showing off her voice.)
Throw in the more forgivable omissions of “Cherish”, “Who’s That Girl”, “Justify My Love”, and “I Love New York” and you see how Madonna could’ve easily done another hour of just hits.
So what songs were covered and what stood out? “Music”, of course, and there was a kind of Spanish production that began with “La Isla Bonita”, and led into some sort of odd fusion of Mexican and Eastern European fiddling/folk music/folk dancing that just didn’t quite work. “Express Yourself” was turned into an a cappella audience sing-along (and effectively ruined) but there was a very heartfelt and enjoyable rendition of “You Must Love Me”. Surprisingly, she also did “Human Nature”, off the Erotica album, and that was a highlight. But “Like a Prayer” was merely average and she forgot the words (twice) to “Ray of Light”. On that number, and a few other songs, Madonna also played (or more accurately, she strummed along on) guitar, including a pretty sweet Gibson SG. Unfortunately, she wasn’t amped up enough to really hear her, so what was the point? I guess I have bad luck at Madonna shows. Last time I saw her, years ago at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, there was an effing monsoon. (Seriously, animals were lining up two by two.) While dancing, Madonna slipped and fell at least twice then ultimately cut the show short -- and really, you couldn't even blame her.
But as for her November show, at least I’ll have a cool story about where I was when Obama got elected.
