Popdose - Latest Comments in Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Danny Dance — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:10:16 -0000

I sampled a Bobby Caldwell tune in a batch of songs I just made. I'll email Ken :)

Danny Dance
danceisafeeling.com

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Ken — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 08:34:45 -0000

Still, it’s hard to argue with 45 million records sold and a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame.(Glen Campbell)

And now the fact that his new Record "Meet Glen Campbell" kicks ass,..I love this record.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

rwcass — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:05:44 -0000

"Coming Down From Love" is terrifically smooth '80s pop-soul. I thought the opening piano part sounded familiar -- Murs and 9th Wonder sampled it for their song "Barbershop" in '06.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Ray — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:55:23 -0000

I remember The Great Commandment getting quite a bit of airplay on MTV in early 1989 (mostly on 120 Minutes and Post Modern); still have the CD somewhere.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Elaine — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:10:53 -0000

I'm currently giving those Glen Campbell tracks a listen. Wow, is that Truck song a POS. Thing is, I'm sort of surprised some country beta male with a huge hat that shades all ability to see his eyes hasn't remade it by now. On the other hand, Glen sure was in fine voice in the late 70's. With the second one, though, was he trying to resurrect the Bakersfield sound or something? He sounds like he was trying to be Buck Owens.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Hooks and Harmony — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:38:31 -0000

Wait - there was an "Eddie and the Cruisers II"? That title sounds like a Nightmare on Elm Street Sequel. I'd much prefer "Eddie and the Cruisers II - Electric Boogaloo."

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

steed — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:30:52 -0000

No spoilers now here sir!!! :)

I looked and I can tell you it does not top out there. There are three artists with 9 and one with 10. But I'm not revealing who!

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

steed — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:26:03 -0000

Yeah, I have him lumped under "V" for Vera in my list, so we're going to save him/them for that - though you're right, he probably deserved to be the B's since what you said above is spot on.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

the masked collector — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:32:03 -0000

Come to think of it, this Freddy Cannon/Belmonts record doesn't sound all that different from John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, who had a definite retro sound...what goes around comes around & all that.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

the masked collector — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:18:20 -0000

"Freddy Cannon & the Belmonts
“Let’s Put the Fun Back in Rock ‘n Roll”
Here’s a classic example of a song that just doesn’t belong in the ‘80s. The Belmonts have made music since the late ‘50s and this track still sounds like it belongs in 1963. "

I think that was the POINT, actually

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

the masked collector — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:11:46 -0000

Say, you just left the "B"'s - why no Billy & the Beaters?

Or are you saving them for the "V"'s?

"At This Moment" was #1 for Billy VERA & the Beaters in '87, but I think charted lower for "Billy & the Beaters" in '81. Same recording, same band, slightly different name.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

MatthewBolin — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:17:07 -0000

I've been doing some checking on that very subject, and the highest I've gotten so far is also eight: Both Queen and Kenny Rogers had that many among the "big" acts of that era. That might be where it tops out, but I'll keep checking, now that my curiosity is sparked.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

battery — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:57:01 -0000

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Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Matt — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:53:45 -0000

AFI spinoff Blaqk Audio had a semi-hit last year with a song called "Stiff Kittens" that was basically a straight lift of "The Great Commandment". And how was "Let the Day Begin" never co-opted by Budweiser?

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

scrumble — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:52:38 -0000

Good call on Candi, she was actually the future of rock 'n' roll according to Miles Copeland of I.R.S. Records, who was smarting from the loss of R.E.M.

A girl who looked like her would also never last three seconds in the age of bitchy gossip blogs.

"Under Your Spell" was a good follow-up single, although they fumbled on the second album. The "& the Backbeat" thing kinda killed it, not to mention a Madonna knock-off sound that was five years out of date by then.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=...

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

DwDunphy — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:39:02 -0000

John Cafferty, John Eddie, John Edwards. All the same but only one knows where you lost your keys.

Oooooooo, spooky.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

Elaine — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:42:32 -0000

"The Walls Came Down" vocal makes Michael sounds like a little like David Byrne's older brother.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

jefito — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:31:12 -0000

John Cafferty the most blatant Springsteen soundalike? John Eddie takes umbrage -- extreme umbrage! -- at that statement, sir.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

steed — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:07:45 -0000

Whoops, actually it's a couple weeks down the road for the 8 - but I swear it's coming!

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

steed — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:04:57 -0000

No, those were the only 2 Hot 100 songs from The Call - both the songs you mentioned were on the rock charts - but they didn't even do that great there - as "I Still Believe" only barely cracked the Top 20 I think.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

steed — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:02:42 -0000

C.I.T.Y. peaked at #18.
Just last night, TBS aired the Family Guy episode where Brian trains like he's Rocky and "Heart's On Fire" plays as the montage. It's used so much now that it's been burned in my head - and yours I suppose too.

As for who had the most - nope, just going alphabetical and honestly, I don't know myself - though I think I might check in a minute. Right now it stands at 8 Bottom Feeders with Bananarama, though I'll tell you that next week I have another artist with 8. That's the most we've seen so far.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

JohnHughes — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:40:59 -0000

While "You Make Me Work" is horrid, yes, "She's Strange" continues to be the jam, two decades after it took over my high school my sophomore year.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

JonCummings — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:32:26 -0000

Huh?

As I recall it, every American band that came down the pike with crunchy guitar chords and "the truth" was considered a follower of Springsteen from the mid-'70s through the '80s. Mellencamp himself was widely considered a Springsteen wannabe until Lisa Germano brought a fiddle into his life on "Scarecrow." Even today, bands like the Hold Steady are thought to be massively influenced by him.

Cafferty was perhaps just the most blatant soundalike. The fortunes of those soundtrack songs mirrored the movie's own fortunes. The film flopped in the theaters, and the few spins that "On the Dark Side" received at the time got a dismissive, jokey response. But then, nine months or so later, the movie debuted on HBO and got enormous ratings--and the soundtrack leaped up the charts. It was considered a very big deal at the time--the first time that pay-cable exposure had launched a soundtrack or a batch of chart hits. Hollywood thought such second-chance hits would become a big trend. They were wrong.

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

The Flyin Hawaiian UK — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:02:44 -0000

Yes! Great list!

"Great Commandment", yes, very Mode-y, but they developed from there, doing synthpop with a bit more...pop. They're still around and worth hearing.

The John Cafferty list makes me wonder: who had the MOST bottom-feeding songs in the 80s? Are you saving that for the end of the list? I was a bit surprised here--I knew "On the Dark Side" made Top 10 when reissued, but I would have bet a million bucks that "Voice of America's Sons" and "Hearts on Fire" made Top 40. And I thought "C.I.T.Y." missed Top 40, but I guess it made it? I guess that was the year I lived in LandBackwardsCrazy.

Never knew Candi=Candi and the Backbeat--I may be the only one in the world who cares, but I have a cool Candi/Backbeat song from an old IRS comp, now I know a bit more about them...

Thanks again! I always look forward to this column...

Re: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 13

DavidMedsker — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:20:51 -0000

You're right that there is no real difference between Depeche Mode and "The Great Commandment," but I love that song anyway. And that Candi song is the most freestyle-less freestyle song I've ever heard. Very 1988, though.

I'm surprised that nothing from the Call's Reconciled album charted. No "I Still Believe"? No "Everywhere I Go"? Those songs were awesome.