It's a little hard to believe it's taken us THIS LONG to post The Bee Gees, arguably the most underrated group in history. Because of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that they put together, and largely because of this song, the group is remembered for their dated disco work. However, they were producers and hitmakers long BEFORE and long AFTER this song.
Unfortunately, they also did that ill-advised Sgt. Pepper movie, which probably hasn't helped with their reputation.
Back to this song, though. It set the mood for the whole movie and, really, the entire disco era. It's now remembered fondly, although Barry Gibb's extreme falsetto was frequently ridiculed in the years immediately following the death of disco. Now, I wish I had his voice.
The song is so awesome, they did a 2nd video for it, in a pre-MTV era where a video wasn't a foregone conclusion.
14 June 2018
13 June 2018
13 June 2018 - B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
If you've seen Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, you know this song comes as a jarring and unexpected but pleasant surprise in that movie. If you haven't, you might be surprised to learn that this song was written for a movie, by the famed songwriting team Burt Bacharach and Hal David. It would be the first of many Number 1 hits for B.J. Thomas as well.
It's justifiably considered one of the greatest movie songs of all time, even winning the Academy Award for Best Song in 1970.
It's justifiably considered one of the greatest movie songs of all time, even winning the Academy Award for Best Song in 1970.
12 June 2018
12 June 2018 - Dolly Parton - 9 To 5
This song (and movie) was the first that a lot of people outside of country music fans had heard of the well-established Dolly Parton. The movie itself was the brainchild of co-star Jane Fonda, but Dolly's song (and acting) propelled the working-class movie to another level. It was a huge crossover hit - one of the biggest of 1980 - and remains a pop-country classic to this day.
11 June 2018
11 June 2018 - Olivia Newton John - Twist Of Fate
This was ONJ's last US Top 10 hit, and it was a doozy.....
A synth-pop classic to accompany a movie she did with the-fading-star John Travolta, in kind of a Grease reunion. Two of a Kind was a terrible film - and everyone knows it - but this soundtrack, which was a bigger hit than the film, saved it.
A synth-pop classic to accompany a movie she did with the-fading-star John Travolta, in kind of a Grease reunion. Two of a Kind was a terrible film - and everyone knows it - but this soundtrack, which was a bigger hit than the film, saved it.
08 June 2018
8 June 2018 - Lea Thompson and Cherry Bomb ｰ Howard The Duck
Yes.
That is REALLY Lea Thompson singing this song. The "band" is mostly Thomas Dolby in a studio.
And it was nominated for a Razzie. Which is pretty much the exact opposite of the Oscars. The movie itself was a critical and commercial flop. The movie itself did win the Razzie for Worst Picture - its abysmal reception led Thompson to accept a role in the movie Some Kind of Wonderful, which she had initially rejected, just to get the stink of Howard the Duck off her career. (I like both movies. I liked Howard the Duck more). The movie has gained a greater cult following now, but not off the evenness of story or quality of Tim Robbins' acting.
Is it a great song? Hell, no. But it's fun, and you can just look at the title bar on this blog to see that we don't really care about greatness here.
That is REALLY Lea Thompson singing this song. The "band" is mostly Thomas Dolby in a studio.
And it was nominated for a Razzie. Which is pretty much the exact opposite of the Oscars. The movie itself was a critical and commercial flop. The movie itself did win the Razzie for Worst Picture - its abysmal reception led Thompson to accept a role in the movie Some Kind of Wonderful, which she had initially rejected, just to get the stink of Howard the Duck off her career. (I like both movies. I liked Howard the Duck more). The movie has gained a greater cult following now, but not off the evenness of story or quality of Tim Robbins' acting.
Is it a great song? Hell, no. But it's fun, and you can just look at the title bar on this blog to see that we don't really care about greatness here.
07 June 2018
7 June 2018 - Irene Cara - Fame & Flashdance (What A Feeling)
Fame was a 1980 movie about a high school for the performing arts in New York City. While this song - Irene Cara's first hit - won an Academy Award for Best Song, that's a songwriter's award, so Irene Cara didn't win this one.
She DID win one for this song, which she performed and wrote for the movie Flashdance. Cara, however, did not ACT in this movie, despite a rumor that she was the lead actress. Jennifer Beals (the actual lead actress in that movie) was not thrilled with that rumor. No matter - the movie, while critically panned, was a huge hit. And so was this song.
She DID win one for this song, which she performed and wrote for the movie Flashdance. Cara, however, did not ACT in this movie, despite a rumor that she was the lead actress. Jennifer Beals (the actual lead actress in that movie) was not thrilled with that rumor. No matter - the movie, while critically panned, was a huge hit. And so was this song.
06 June 2018
6 June 2018 - Joe Esposito - You're The Best
Most people think this song is called "You're The Best AROUND", but it isn't. It was originally written for Rocky III (which you learned yesterday) and was also rejected for the movie Flashdance, in favor of Michael Sembello's "Maniac".
That's OK. It suits Daniel-san better anyway. It makes for the perfect fight montage theme song (even if it doesn't completely work in this case lyrically. Just don't listen too closely).
Magically, it also works in this It's Always Sunny In Philadephia montage, where the gang takes a LOT of steroids.
That's OK. It suits Daniel-san better anyway. It makes for the perfect fight montage theme song (even if it doesn't completely work in this case lyrically. Just don't listen too closely).
Magically, it also works in this It's Always Sunny In Philadephia montage, where the gang takes a LOT of steroids.
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