Throwback Tracks--October 13, 2016
Shaun Cordingley
I (Shaun) am back this week, which means that not only is there no theme for the songs that are going up, but they actually have practically no connection to each other at all...although I do get a little heavy into the 1980s, but that was not so much planned, as needing all of you to get some amazing new wave & synthpop stuck in your head.
You're welcome.
The Guys From do not hold the rights to any of these songs, it is more our hope to expose our readers to new (*cough*) and different retro music, or re-expose them to things they may have forgotten about.
At the top of each section, will be the song name, followed by the artists' name linked to their website (if possible...which is totally hit and miss with oldies), so you can fall down the rabbit hole, finding and supporting what you dig.
Come and Get It - Badfinger
Starting us off this week is Badfinger with "Come and Get It" a track written and produced by Paul McCartney that released in December of 1969. While you may also know the track from when McCartney released it as a solo single, the Badfinger version technically came out first, and there's just something about this original that I quite like. The story of Badfinger itself is quite fascinating, as it involves The Iveys and the often chaotic nature of the Beatles' Apple Records, and really does deserve a look in if you don't know much about it.
Badfinger had several worldwide hits in the early 1970s, but "Come and Get It", even though it does tend to sound a lot like a Beatles track, is still one of those songs that I listen to every once in a while on repeat--one of those songs that you know, don't need to hear all the time, but every once in a while just get an itch. It's a very simple song, lyrics are easy to remember, and let's be fair, you probably have heard cover versions (like Hollywood Vampires), or in some sort of ad. "Come and Get It" is just one of those songs...
Close to Me - The Cure
The Cure returns this week with another of their songs that I actually really enjoy in "Close To Me", the second single off of the band's sixth album The Head on the Door (1985). It's such a simple track, largely reliant on Robert Smith's vocals, hand claps, and a super relaxed keyboard section...it's weirdly like a 1980s song deconstructing other 1980s songs to what makes them tick, and then hitting you up with some horns.
Honestly, it's The Cure: you're either really going to dig "Close To Me" or you will turn it off right away--they just seem to be one of those bands.
Tarzan Boy - Baltimora
Every once in a while, I come across a song that I totally forgot about, but was a part of movies that I absolutely loved when I was a kid...and that happened this past week when I heard "Tarzan Boy" by the Italian disco/new wave band Baltimora. I don't know how I forgot this track..but as soon as I heard it, I got flashes of memories about Ninja Turtles 3: Turtles in Time as well as Beverly Hills Ninja....because the refrain of...well..dance-style Tarzan yells is apparently perfect for "ninja" movies aimed at wee lads like myself at the time.
Essentially a one-hit wonder over here (though having some more success in Italy), the band were only really active from 1985-1987, as despite "Tarzan Boy" being a relative hit, their debut album Living in the Background did not sell particularly well, and their second album Survivor in Love failed to chart at all, and the band called it quits.
However they gave us this amazingly 80s, totally in my head because of movies I watched as a kid, new wave track that you need to get stuck in your head now too...
Take On Me - a-ha
Once Baltimora was on this list, I pretty much had to rectify the fact that one of the greatest 80s synthpop songs of all time had not yet graced Throwback Tracks: "Take On Me" by Norwegian 80s pop group a-ha.
You know the song.
You know the video (one of the greatest music videos ever made).
You probably know all the words as well--I feel I would be hard pressed to find someone who has not at least sung the chorus along with this track once...possibly while drinking. I know I have.
At the end of the day, a-ha is a band that continues to make fun pop music (they are currently touring), they are in the Top 40-50 (depending on where you look) grossing bands of all-time, and are honestly a helluva lot of fun. I remember sitting and playing Sleeping Dogs on PS3 (a game I am sure will be in consideration for my Top 100--coming "soon") which had a karaoke mini-game in it that I, obviously, had to get Dave to play with me for an hour or so, because it was amazing...and then I unlocked "Take One Me" and literally spent the next 2 hours perfecting my run....because that had to happen.
This song is awesome.
Spaceship Superstar - Prism
Prism is one of those Canadian pop-rock bands from the 1970s-1980s that never really made it big (their biggest hit being "Young and Restless"(1980) in Canada, and "Don't Let Him Know" (1981) in the US), but had a dedicated fanbase who really dug what they did.
Honestly, I probably didn't even remember Prism until I went to visit my parents, and they wanted to show me the new turntable they got, which gave me an excuse to go through their own vinyl, and my mom played me "Spaceship Superstar", the first track off of their self-titled first album (released in 1977). I wish the band had stuck with more of this higher concept, heavier arena style rock, because lead Singer Ron Tabak has a perfect arena rock voice, that was really wasted on a lot of the bands' later, more pop heavy work. I have to imagine that more folks would remember Prism if they had....
Regardless, "Spaceship Superstar" is a very fun track, which was actually used as the final wakeup song on the space shuttle Discovery in 2011 (which is awesome)...and if the Producers of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 aren't at least considering using this...then...I just...I don't know what to think about this world anymore.
Here is the September Apple Music Playlist. Nothing says "here's a headache for Shaun" like trying to figure out how to fit old school hip hop in with Styx and The Cult....but it's a pretty great list.
In case you missed our previous Throwback Track playlists, here they are:
Remember, as I use Apple Music, that is where the playlists live, but if you want me to look into other services, just hit me up on Twitter and we'll chat about it.
See you again next Thursday with some new....oldies...*cough*
-S (@Shauncord)