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1985! The Year in Music, Or was it?
10 Plays1 month ago
It was Tyler's pick for the topic this week and he really, really wanted to talk about music in 1985. Turns out it was opposite week and he really, really hates 1985. So we dug into it and laughed and cried through a bumpy year in music. It had some gems and it had some dirt. You tell us. Was there a song or a band in 85 that really did it for you? And what colour was your hair?
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Yabba Zonker Zoinks'
00:00:00
Speaker
Oh my God. I thought it was your favorite year ever. No, I'm springing on you now. I hate 1985.
00:00:09
Speaker
ah Welcome to Yabba Zonker Zoinks, the Saturday morning podcast where your host, Josh Downing, that's me, will yap with guests about their awesome Gen X childhood. You know, in front of the TV, in pajamas, eating bowls of crunchy sugar.
00:00:23
Speaker
I'm a Gen Xer, toy collector, theater creator, well, and now I'm a podcast host with a series on pop culture stuff from the 70s and 80s, like cartoons and toys and TV shows. So if you remember the Jetsons or ah H.R. Puffin stuff or even...
00:00:37
Speaker
the groovy ghoulies while you're on the right channel. So put on your fluffy slippers and your cowboy pajamas and join us on a Saturday morning ride through our childhood. Or are you lying and keeping the money? Billy Bragg.
00:00:50
Speaker
Yes, keeping it all. It is all mine. yeah welcome listeners. Welcome back Yabazon
From Cartoons to Music: A Nostalgic Transition
00:00:56
Speaker
Kazoinks. We're going to take a bit of a detour here today. We're going to talk a little bit beyond the Saturday morning experience and move us into, i guess, like the Saturday night experience as we got a little
Was 1985 a Weak Year for Music?
00:01:08
Speaker
bit older. So we want to talk a little bit about some of the awesome music that we got into.
00:01:14
Speaker
And the year that Tyler picked was 1985. So my name is Josh. I'm your host today. And I'm here with my best bud, Tyler. hi everybody. And we are going to talk about music in 1985. The year I music. Oh, my God.
00:01:33
Speaker
I thought it was your favorite year ever. No, no. I'm springing on you now. I hate 1985.
00:01:41
Speaker
It's so funny because <unk>re going through the list and I'm like, this sucks. Where is Tyler in this list? I don't see anything. Okay, that's awesome.
00:01:53
Speaker
So just a quick note. I said to Josh, let's do 1995. Did I say 1995? 1985. Because it's 2025. Yeah. It's 100 years ago. It have been more fun to 1984. It's much stronger year. 1986 is much better year for me. it's kind funny that like 1985...
00:02:04
Speaker
it would have been more fun do nineteen eighty four it's a much stronger year and nineteen eighty six is a much better year for me but it's just kind of funny that like nineteen and eighty five to me is a turkey but we'll we'll get into that that's awesome i'm just i love this that's really cool this is uh this is going to go into season two for sure classic episode okay so first of all i'm gonna i'm gonna ask a question because we were probably in slightly different parts of our lives in 1985 so where were 1985
00:02:36
Speaker
so where were you in nineteen eighty five 1985, I'm 16. um And the Twilight Zone is the club, you know. um And so I'm grade 10, guess. Yeah, that's about right.
00:02:52
Speaker
You know, so it's all about, you know, dancing Saturday nights, you know, underage and licensed venues. You know, like the 80s really were a blast for a whole lot of reasons, you know.
00:03:05
Speaker
um But i'm still I'm still in the middle of high school at that point. So life's a gas. It's wonderful. 1984 and emotion obsession. And I'm like,
00:03:17
Speaker
and nineteen eighty five launches with anim emotion obsession and i'm like
00:03:27
Speaker
That's the end. yeah Exactly. Let's skip to the next year. How about you, Josh? Where are you in 85?
Josh's 1985: Theater School and Musical Shifts
00:03:34
Speaker
So being three years older than you, I'm already done the high school thing.
00:03:38
Speaker
Lucky you. I know. 85, I am in my first year of theater school. Cool. loving it. It's where I needed to be. It's where I wanted to be.
00:03:49
Speaker
ah and the funny thing is music kind of just fell out of my life in 85, probably because there was not a lot to to to hang on to. I was like, yeah nothing's really getting me.
00:04:02
Speaker
You know, artists were putting out albums. of was kind of like, yeah, it's not it's not the album I'd like you to have put out right now. So I kind of lost lost touch with a lot of my music. I was still going out. I was still, you know, nightclubbing. I was 19.
00:04:17
Speaker
still out dancing. There was still a lot of really good music in the clubs. Oh yeah. so I, you know, and all that stuff that was still kind of being played from 1984 was still around, but I was, you know, I had sort of streaks and tips of my hair. My hair was growing out because I was thinking more, well, I got to be an actor now. So I got to look more, less new wave and more normal is what I call it.
00:04:42
Speaker
So yeah, my, my whole look was changing. I had to be a little bit more generic. But I didn't want to lose my my you know artsy, fartsy look. Sure, sure So i was still wearing my la my leg wait, it's Have you already been in Greatest American Hero?
00:05:00
Speaker
No, I hadn't yet. No, that doesn't doesn't come to later. I think that's 87. Oh, really? Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. So, because I was working at Fog and Suds. Yeah. All right.
00:05:11
Speaker
all right Well, we'll save that story, right? Yeah. That's that's a future story. But yeah, so 1985 for me was, I was focused on something different. And I think that, like I said, music kind of fell out of my life a little bit.
1984-1985: New Wave and Electronic Music Mainstreaming
00:05:24
Speaker
It's no wonder. Yeah. So to talk about 1985, we got to kind of talk a little bit about 1984 because it, it was also a sort of a transitional time period for music because all of those,
00:05:39
Speaker
new wave electronic and, you know, sort of off the beaten path bands that had sort of come out of the post punk thing, we're now becoming more, more relaxed and more, you know, ah how do I say it more mainstream sound.
00:05:57
Speaker
Yeah, but the talent was still there. like Absolutely. Everybody had hits all of a sudden, but the quality was there. Yeah, but because they had learned so much. i mean Some of these artists had been around for a few years, yeah learned a lot, were still producing great music, but their music was... They wanted that that you know American ah airplay.
00:06:18
Speaker
and Well, that's where the money is, right? yeah America takes you into your heart, or takes you into their heart, rather. you know Your gold. Right. so Solid gold. Oh, no. Oh, no. That's platinum.
00:06:33
Speaker
Yeah, they would wind up on that show if they were doing well. So 1984 was the year of Frankie Goes to Hollywood because they had three hits that year.
00:06:44
Speaker
And that's huge, right? When you're an act and you get into the chart three times, like you're now household name for life. Right. Yeah. Even if your song is controversial. And that's part of it. You know, people wanted controversy, you know, politics were big in music.
00:07:02
Speaker
Yeah. and And everything was acceptable too. Like, you know, no matter how risque it might've seemed, everything was accepted, you know, in music. And it's funny how we've come so far from that.
00:07:14
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's very different. mean, think about it too. Small Town Boy came out in 84. yeah And we we were we were surprised by that because we were like, who what are you allowed to do this?
00:07:28
Speaker
it was almost It was almost scary. like It was like, well, this is too good to be true that we've got a song like this that's being played on you know video stations and you know radio stations.
00:07:39
Speaker
Yeah, even that video, like that's a pretty daring video for its time. But at the same time, it wasn't because it just seemed like everything was acceptable. But when you live in big cities like you and I did everything was accepted.
00:07:53
Speaker
you know but But yeah, as as taboo as you could say, Small Town Boy was. Still charted. Still was a success. And nobody lost sleep and nobody was burning records. No.
00:08:06
Speaker
You know, Culture Club. Absolutely. Everybody loved culture. club Yeah. and George was safe. Yeah. right It wasn't until Frankie where they were more in your face. Yeah. Whereas as George was hiding behind every grandmother loving him. Yeah.
00:08:21
Speaker
And they did. Right. And they, they bought his record until he blew it, but we won't talk about that. Yeah. That's a whole other story. But like Frankie goes to Hollywood, like those, those hits, they had relaxed two tribes in the power of love.
00:08:33
Speaker
Didn't care for power of love. was not into big noisy ballads. Nope. But Relax and Two Drives were amazing club songs. like i I loved dancing to those songs. They just they pounded the dance floor.
00:08:48
Speaker
That was the whole ZTT thing too. you know like That label, when they launched Frankie, like that was the start of something. It was kind of like you know when when the factory, New Order, ZTT was like, look out because this label is going to produce nothing.
00:09:06
Speaker
But mega artists and they did for quite a while. Yeah. Yeah, they did for sure. And I think that time too, having that sort of MTV and much music support behind video really, really gave us a, another whole layer of, of music in that, that time
The Role of MTV and Music Videos in the 80s
00:09:26
Speaker
period.
00:09:26
Speaker
Yeah. Well, yeah, because now you literally had had radio, you had the clubs, and now you have TV. It's like, wow. you know And people are tuned in you know yeah and i at the clubs that I used to go to in Vancouver, lot of them had big, giant screens, and they were playing the videos while you were dancing.
00:09:45
Speaker
Yeah. We never had that. oh see, we did. Never had that. And it's funny, because you know one of the things that Josh first told me was how there was that pixel board. Was it Love Affair?
00:09:57
Speaker
Yes. That like would show you, you know, what was playing and, you know, you could argue, oh, that's so uncool. But at the same time, I'm like, it's probably because the DJ was a music fan and wanted you to know what you were playing.
00:10:10
Speaker
You know, you couldn't Shazam it, you know, so it's like just squint and read what's being played. know So speaking of love affair, that was one of, that was the first actual real nightclub I went to when I was just a wee kid and I'm dancing on the speaker. And one of the first times I saw that, that sort of red led d light word scroller,
00:10:35
Speaker
It said Kraftwerk. And I'm like, this is the best sound ever. Oh, yeah. All those electronic records like were always crystal clear back in the day, yeah even on vinyl. you know It was just an incredible sound that just took to that format so well.
00:10:58
Speaker
Well, and Love Affair had one of the most advanced sound systems in North America. Sweet. It was so freaking incredible.
00:11:09
Speaker
Cool, cool. Yeah, like I feel for these kids today who never been to a club or don't really care about music. or I'm like, you missed out on so much. But anyway.
00:11:21
Speaker
Yeah. So back to 1984, really quick. Wham had a, I think they had a couple, yeah, they had a couple of hits. um They had Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go and then Freedom.
00:11:35
Speaker
And then George had a solo hit with Careless Whisper. Yeah, that certainly, you know, pocketed him some cash. That was major single. the The crowning glory of the year, though, was Do They Know It's Christmas from Band-Aid. Yeah, yeah like that's that is such a special record and such a special moment and such a rare event. All those people coming together and so many of them traveled so far.
00:12:04
Speaker
and And the fact that they could actually do that globally in just a few days and get that record out worldwide, like for sure you could do it today, but it's amazing how they did it back then.
00:12:16
Speaker
Yeah. know Yeah, that was that was an event for sure. Yeah, yeah, that was major. And i you know I know they've had many versions since, and I get that it's not my generation, but I still think the original is the best. you know And poor Bono, like forgive me for this comment, but have you heard all the versions? Because he comes back with every version.
00:12:39
Speaker
And they make him sing the same line and his poor voice just can't do it. And I'm like, why are you making him do this? You should probably edit that out, Josh. Sorry. I don't think he's listening, but we can. Yeah, right. on that's That's a joke worth leaving. it He's probably like, what?
00:12:56
Speaker
What? Exactly. I'll sue you. Exactly. I'll give you my records for free on your iTunes. No. No. ah So some of the some of the other notable albums, and I don't know if this was this was also still 1984, Michael Jackson had Thriller, The Eurythmics had Touch, Simple Minds had Sparkle in the Rain. And it's so funny because I don't think of that album as being a really good Simple Minds album because for me that was kind of when they were kind of going mainstream and I was like, yeah, I'm not crazy.
00:13:27
Speaker
But I was looking at the song list today and I'm like, wait, I do love fo four of these songs. Is that up on the catwalk? is it that Is that that album? You put me on the spot. Sorry. of detect No, that's that's okay. I don't remember if that's on there. yeah um It's also Thompson Twins' Into the Gap.
00:13:45
Speaker
Yeah, do I comment on that? Yeah, absolutely. What's your comment on that? ah So they were my favorite band at the time, and out came that monster of a record.
00:13:56
Speaker
And that is actually... A wonderful memory for me because, you know, of course, I bought the single and the 12-inch for the first two singles, and then out came the album.
00:14:09
Speaker
And that was the first time I put on headphones and literally went somewhere. You know, i i had a beanbag chair in my room, and I threw that record on for the first time, put on the headphones, and I'd never been transported somewhere like that.
00:14:26
Speaker
album did so not only were they my favorite band with a new album the production and that sort of um don't even know what you want to call it I wish I had better words to describe it if you know the album you know exactly what I'm talking about but just sort of that that surreal um third world I don't know I need better words it just it literally took me somewhere like all those soft percussions all that mood there's so much mood on that record and
00:15:03
Speaker
You know, I'm done side one and I'm like, oh my God, well, you can't possibly top that. And then side two is just as strong, you know, and it's only nine tracks. And even though i'm not a fan of the singles, i that album is so strong and so well done. And it was really good live. You know, they pulled it off and they came here in March and canceled.
00:15:28
Speaker
And that was devastating for, you know, a little me. And but about all a lot of records that night with the money that I got back. And then they came back in the summer with Berlin. So I was happy about that.
00:15:43
Speaker
um So that was a great tour. Yeah. And it's funny, you know, all the things that we did on our own as kids with no adults. I remember going to the corner of Young and St. Clair and meeting an adult to buy scalper tickets, you know, on the streets.
00:16:03
Speaker
And I'm 15, right? Like, you know, you wouldn't let kids do that today, you know. But that's what we did back then. We always got scalper tickets because you'd get better seats, you know.
00:16:15
Speaker
yeah. Yeah, and and sorry to make that a long story. No, that's a great story. That was their big year and well-deserved and a very, very strong record. And I think you know if if that's your sound, then that's your album that year.
00:16:34
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's an amazing story. that That album too for me in 1984, because that was the end of and that was the end of high school for me. That was the end of um this teen teen club that I used to dance at.
00:16:48
Speaker
Because after that, they carded me and said, you're too old, get out. Perv. But we'll we'll get back to that. That's an episode want I want to talk about. But that that that part of my life and the people that were in my life were so...
00:17:05
Speaker
so, um, ingrained in with that particular album as well. I had such specific memories. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, it's a moment, you know? Yeah.
00:17:17
Speaker
Yeah. And it w it was great because they, they, their first album was for me, some amazing singles off that, that first album, but this album, just like you said, the production was so beautiful and crisp and so well produced. hmm. Mm
00:17:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Like, they should all be very proud, everybody involved with that one, you know? Yeah, that was that was a great piece of art. I just got the Blu-ray album of Into the Gap. It was like because of our Postal Strike. Yeah, I just got it, so I haven't listened to it yet.
00:17:51
Speaker
But there's all kinds of mixes on that. There's, like, endless mixes of that album, including even an instrumental album. ah where all the tracks are instrumental. and There's even one version where it's just vocal. like there's just There's all these versions, which is, I guess, pretty exhaustive. but Yeah, that's amazing. Number one fan here, haven't even opened it.
00:18:10
Speaker
Well, you've got to keep it mint in package. Yeah, that's right. It is valuable anyway. Yes, absolutely. So just to kind of wrap up the 1984 experience, there some of the top-selling singles were also Nina with 99 Red Balloon's,
00:18:26
Speaker
Duran Duran had the reflex.
Top Singles of 1984: A Musical Recap
00:18:29
Speaker
Madonna had like a virgin. Tina Turner had what's love got to do with it. Cindy Lauper time after time. Prince when doves cry.
00:18:38
Speaker
the war song by culture club and small town boy by Brian Skibi. So there was some really good, good hits in 1984. Yeah, the charts certainly seemed huge. Like everybody's battling for number one, like all year.
00:18:55
Speaker
Absolutely. ah So let's let's flip over to your your least favorite year, 1985, which started with You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive.
'You Spin Me Round': A Second Chance in 1985
00:19:09
Speaker
All right. So I got to step in right away. That was the re-release. I was going to say, I didn't think it was that late. Yeah, yeah. It's been me bombed in 1984. It got reissued in 85 and like went straight to number one all around the world.
00:19:24
Speaker
It's an incredible success story for the band and for Stock, Aiken, Waterman. It was like, OK, we know what we're doing now. And this is a classic record. you know And everybody wants them producing them. And everybody wants that sound.
00:19:44
Speaker
And, you know, they work with Dead or Alive for a couple more go rounds. um And they're all strong tracks. Like, Dead or Alive had a ton of singles.
00:19:56
Speaker
And I'm a fan. And to me, every single could have been top 10. I don't know why. A lot of them never charted. But that 85 gave us um
00:20:07
Speaker
My Heart Goes Bang by Dead or Alive, which was a killer 12-inch, the remix 12-inch, not the standard 12-inch. And like Stock Aiken, Waterman were just just starting, and like boom, what a way to launch.
00:20:20
Speaker
Yeah, no kidding. Yeah.
00:20:24
Speaker
So not so bad yet.
Was 1985 Overproduced and Commercial?
00:20:26
Speaker
No, if we're talking if we're talking about me in 1985, I literally remember sitting on my bed, the side of my bed, And thinking, this is the worst year for music. I hate it and I hate everything.
00:20:42
Speaker
And the thing of it was, it was all that overproduced, thick, rich production that was going on where it was just like, oh my gosh, like either either the groups are phoning it in or it's so radio-friendly, it's so commercial.
00:21:02
Speaker
And I just thought, oh my gosh, this is it. This is the end of music. 1985 is the end of music. And there were very few bright spots for me.
00:21:15
Speaker
um The Color Field and Propaganda, um that kind of kept my faith going.
00:21:26
Speaker
And Propaganda toured, which was great. um That's another ZTT act. um Those two albums were super important, but everybody was just, it was too, it for me, it was the sound. The production was too much. There was too much money, I guess.
00:21:45
Speaker
poured onto everything. There was a lot of US artists that you couldn't get away from, you know. um But for me, like, you know, so like Stephen Duffy, Scritti Politti were coming down off of, you know, some hits at that point.
00:22:02
Speaker
But the Style Council, The cult certainly came back in a wonderful way. But Fun Young Cannibals and some Simply Red, they gave me hope too. there's some gems, you know but a lot of a lot of it was just it was just too...
00:22:22
Speaker
I guess overproduced and boring. Like we look at acts like Eurythmics. It's like, just keep them away from me because I don't want to listen to this stuff, you know, or, or culture club or, you know, Duran Duran. It's just like, Oh my gosh, you guys are just, it's so unappealing, you know? And I, I literally was worried, you know, that, that music was done.
00:22:46
Speaker
um, When I look at the year, there wasn't a lot of singles that I was crazy about. um Leireta Mitsuko and Blowmonkeys, I was happy that they were they were around. um
00:23:02
Speaker
But even even the soundtrack for Pee-Wee's Big Adventure wasn't released, which was strange that year. But I'm dragging this out.
00:23:13
Speaker
ah point oh it i just I was really disappointed in what was popular music that year. And I thought, uh-oh, change needs to come. you know And even though Prince God Bless Him was back with something more appealing for me, it's still, he was getting lost in all of that Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper machine that it's just like, I just don't want to hear it. you know But Susie came back.
00:23:42
Speaker
Bananarama had one single. um Divinals came back. ABC were back.
00:23:51
Speaker
Now that's a way overproduced album. It's much better here than in the UK. um So yeah, oh, Thompson Twins put out like the worst album ever. Sorry.
00:24:04
Speaker
So it it's it was an adjustment year and then it got better and better for me. from 86 on because the guitar came back. I think the cult had a little bit to do with that.
00:24:15
Speaker
Maybe the Smiths, maybe REM. It's like, can we please, we need to go back to real music and not just this rich, rich animotion obsession stuff.
00:24:28
Speaker
Well, it was, it was dance club music. Oh, absolutely. Right. But, you know, for me, I was literally like in the fetal position, you know, I'm like, like music has died for me.
00:24:41
Speaker
Yeah. I, I, I, when I was going through and I was putting together some notes about the charts, wheels had a 19 by Paul Hardcastle. Yep. As you mentioned, the rhythmics, their single that year was, there must be an angel.
00:24:55
Speaker
See, that's that to me, that's your 1985 and that single. Yeah. You know, no offense, but it's just like, ooh, you know, that's. And I, I have that 12 inch, but I don't think I've ever played it.
00:25:08
Speaker
Is it literally, is it literally extended or is it just. No, I think it's just a 12 inch. Okay. All right. Well, God bless. Right. Into the group by Madonna. Not Madonna's best stuff.
00:25:20
Speaker
Yeah. Major, who and was already um far away from Ultravox, had a single that charted that was If I Was. See, like but like that was that was a very safe single. And I think you know he' probably got a very new audience out of that.
00:25:40
Speaker
Yeah, he probably did. And probably people were like, oh, who is this? yeah Not knowing, you know, because he was always behind behind somebody else or behind the scenes or writing or producing.
00:25:51
Speaker
He's wonderful. And I think he is severely underappreciated and just charming and mega talented. And, you know, i just, i I wish maybe he had had more success. I don't know. Maybe he doesn't need it.
00:26:09
Speaker
But I just think he needs, you know, the same sort of crowning attention that Bob Geldof got. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he he's he's he's so amazing. I finally, finally got to see him live. he's great live. At the Elma Combo yeah last year. Great venue. And it was such an amazing show. he was just such a sweetheart up on the stage.
00:26:32
Speaker
And he just, he belted out everything like it was brand new. And i almost cried when he did Visage's Fade to Gray. Yeah, like, isn't that wonderful he did that? i don't know if he did that when I saw him.
00:26:46
Speaker
he i I don't think so, but I could be wrong. Yeah, it's it and such an amazing song, and I'm just so glad that, you know, he was he was part of that. Yeah, like, that's just it. know, he's had his hands in so many things, so many important things. Like, Visage so important.
00:27:03
Speaker
you know And what a lovely tribute to Steve, you know who's no longer with us. So yeah that must have been an incredible moment. No wonder you were so moved. So amazing. yeah so amazing ah So amazing. So 1985 gave us an album from Alice and Moyet, which I didn't really care for.
00:27:24
Speaker
el Right? Is that love, resurrection and all that? Yes. Yeah. Okay. But that's of the time, right Yeah. No, exactly. It's rich and it's such a, you know, anyway, sorry No, it's okay.
00:27:39
Speaker
But then we also got Meet is Murdered by the Smiths. Yeah, that's why I say that a change was coming. yeah you know Madonna had Like a Virgin.
Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love': A 1985 Gem
00:27:48
Speaker
Kate Bush came around. yeah yeah that was Yeah, that was Madonna's Like a Virgin year. Hounds of Love from Kate Bush.
00:27:55
Speaker
Amazing album, and I'm a fan. Yeah, so I'm not, but I certainly get how massive that album was and a real crossover for her too.
00:28:06
Speaker
But once again, it was that yeah this album was so lushly produced. Like every song was a movie and it was beautiful and full and rich and and the stories were incredible.
00:28:23
Speaker
So it was a very good album, but it also was an album of the of its time. it was an album of 1985. Yeah, but it's not one that I cringe You know what I mean? Like, I don't roll my eyes and think like, 1985 Kate Bush.
00:28:38
Speaker
Yeah. Cause, cause truly she can't, you know, she can do no wrong. Right. You know? And I, I, I give her that that was her year. And that was that huge album.
00:28:48
Speaker
was you already had a ton of hits, you know, and then along comes that one, you know? Yeah, absolutely. Simple Minds had Once sp Upon a Time was, it's not, it's not, it's not a standout album for me.
00:29:00
Speaker
Tears for Fears came along with Everybody Wants to Rule the World. That is very 1985 right there. Yeah. yeah Yeah. Because it was big. It was a big, loud, you know, anthem.
00:29:11
Speaker
Yes. And it it was not the Tears for Fears that I had loved. No. So I was like, okay, they're going away. Yeah. They're doing their thing. They're doing what they want to do. Yeah. Yeah. You know, great for them.
00:29:24
Speaker
they They needed that exposure. They wanted that sort of American audience. And that was the way to do it. But like The Hurting is such an important album. And then you go and you release songs from the big chair.
00:29:36
Speaker
And it's like, not no. Like that Shout single, I didn't understand why it did so well. You know, i kind of thought, ooh, this is a single? That's weird. Because I didn't mind Mother's Talk. I thought that was a good single.
00:29:48
Speaker
yeah then And then along comes Shout. And I'm like, what? That's like a weird... B side for some other yeah act and then look at the success. Right. So how you argue? Right.
00:29:59
Speaker
Yeah. they So they had two top singles. They had Everybody Wants Real World and Shout. But everybody, the single, I swear I hear it once a day. Wherever I am, I hear it I'm like, what other song do you still hear every day?
00:30:13
Speaker
You know, that is one of them. So what you're saying is you're in Kmart every day? Yeah, exactly. yeah Now that our music is the elevator music of the shopping center? hu And why isn't that changing? like Why isn't it and already the ninety s Or why isn't it already past the 90s? It's stuck.
00:30:31
Speaker
Because you you can't play you can't play Nirvana in the mall. Yeah, maybe, maybe. So you just got to play flipping everybody wants to rule the world. You got to play the 1985 playlist. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Prince had 1999, Little Red Corvette.
00:30:49
Speaker
Not in that year. that's what That's what I got on my list here as a single for Britain. It must have been some weird reissue. Probably. that's like 83, So that re-release...
00:31:00
Speaker
i think but it so that rerelease was a top selling single that year. Well, no doubt. It's brilliant, but that he was already in his raspberry beret. And that's what I would have thought. Yeah. Pop life and America.
00:31:16
Speaker
And it's, it's that 12 inch for raspberry beret is stunning. You know, um, it was one of the best 12 inches that year.
00:31:29
Speaker
Um, and actually Thompson twins don't mess with Dr. Dream is my favorite 12 inch of all time. And it's not the extended, it's the second issue, the re the remix. That's my favorite 12-inch of all time.
00:31:42
Speaker
Nice. And the cult's Rain, Here Comes the Rain 12-inch, is probably my second favorite. And it's from that year. you know So like there are some gems. it's just Definitely.
00:31:54
Speaker
It's not like 84 where every week something came out. couldn't live without well that's because they knew that uh you know we were getting older and getting on with life and had to move out out of our parents basement ah so to wrap up the year view to a kill durand duran once ah also a very big produced soundtracky theme song it's It's okay. It's okay.
00:32:22
Speaker
Josh and I recently saw um Blue Silver, the Duran Duran cover band, and they did View to a Kill. yeah I was a little surprised, and they they did fine. yeah you know it's it's so It's a weird track. you know I guess they did what they were asked to do, and there are some elements of it that I actually like. It's just a strange single.
00:32:43
Speaker
It is. It's a very strange one. it's an odd one. Yeah, yeah. Arcadia wasn't bad. Didn't care for Power Station. that's a lie. i like i love the percussion of Power Station. Yes.
00:32:55
Speaker
um So the production of Power Station and the first single from Arcadia. you know But even then, it's all still pretty... Anyway, you go on. was going to, the wrapping up 1985, I Feel Love, Bronsky Beat and Mark Almond.
00:33:15
Speaker
Yeah. Love that song. That was another video. Yes. Where was like, oh, it was a little risque for the times, you know. But it was it was great it was a great club song. Like, it was, you know, it was long and you could dance and it was just an amazing sound in the club.
00:33:32
Speaker
But that was another record where it's like, here's another mix, here's another mix, yeah here's another mix. Like, star sound. I think that's the only thing they sold. It's like, you know, there's 40 12-inch here and it's all the same single, you know.
00:33:43
Speaker
It just kept getting put out, you know. and But that's what that's what club music was, right? Yeah. you know And that's where we loved it. Oh, 100%. Yeah.
00:33:54
Speaker
OK. And 1985 was the first time I got to go to London, England. Oh, nice. That part's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But even then. that's everything else seemed so like flat.
00:34:06
Speaker
But I didn't come back with any records that were current. No. I only came back with stuff that had been out previous. But the funny thing about that trip was I came back with a ton of records from Japan.
00:34:19
Speaker
because the british shops were so good at st stocking all that japanese stuff so yeah not the band japan but yeah well they were good at stocking that too but they were already done at this point oh you know what that means time to turn to the page time to turn the page and play a game Oh, a game. Okay. Yes. 1995. Well, that's close. we're going to play a game. I'm going to make Tyler try to guess which artist won these particular Brit awards in 1985. Oh, that's tough because the Brits are usually pretty strict.
00:34:57
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. You'll know some of the artists. All right. But I don't know if you'll know the exact award they won. Okay. So we'll start with Best International Artist of 1985. Now, does international mean it's not homegrown? and Yeah, they're not it's not ah not a Brit.
00:35:12
Speaker
ah I'll just say REM because I don't know. a dear. No, it was Prince and the Revolution. Oh, really? Well, well-deserved. Yeah, right? It's probably because of that re-release.
00:35:24
Speaker
OK. Yeah. Yeah. that's I'm sure they're all like, yeah, yeah, but we have a new album out, you know? No, no. We like the old album. Yeah, exactly. We just want to keep, can you re-release it? we want My friend wants to buy one, too.
00:35:39
Speaker
OK. Best, oh, sorry, this would be best British album. Oh, well, that could be Kate Bush. and Okay, hold on. Let me, let me. It's not going to be the style council and it's not going to be simply red and it's not going to be stritty polity.
00:36:00
Speaker
The Smiths. um one in doubt No, no. Yeah. You'd like to give them some more words, but um that was sure day diamond life. Oh, okay. All right.
00:36:12
Speaker
That makes sense. Well, yeah, that's their second album, right? Yeah, good question. Did you say Diamond Life? Yeah, Diamond Life. But that's 1984. Okay. It won the Brit Award in 85. Well, good job, everybody. Okay. Right. Way to go. way to go to win last year's award this year.
00:36:32
Speaker
Okay. Best British female solo. Oh, well, okay. Let's say Kate Bush. a No. And I gave you the wrong buzz here.
00:36:44
Speaker
Oh, no. Is it Al? It's Alison. Okay. Alison Moyet. Yeah. I mean, that she sold a ton of singles that year, so... Well, yeah. Like, what's that love resurrection? Yeah.
00:36:55
Speaker
You know, like, not my taste, but they're they're decent. Yeah, no They just needed to be stripped down and, yeah you know, anyway. They needed to be 95. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That rawness of the 90s needed to kind of infiltrate.
00:37:13
Speaker
Yeah, exactly.
Quiz Time: 1985 Brit Awards
00:37:14
Speaker
Okay, next up is ah Best British Video. Oh, goodness. Well, that could be Small Town Boy. um is that your final answer?
00:37:27
Speaker
No, I'm just quickly thinking. It might be what I go with. I would have chosen Do Not Disturb by Bananarama. No, I would have chosen Forbidden Fruit by the Blowmonkeys. But anyway, let's say, what did I say? Small Town Boy? Yeah.
00:37:43
Speaker
I don't think that's 84. I don't know. That's 84. That is 84. We're talking about 85. Okay, let's get it together. I'm going to say Cities and Dust by Susie and the Banshees. I wish.
00:37:55
Speaker
That's a great video. Oh, totally. i should won all of the awards. Exactly. this Love Cats. Sorry. yeah Love Cats. Duran Duran and Wild Boys. Ugh.
00:38:09
Speaker
Right? d Like, yeah. like like Huge production. Gigantic. Pinwheels. Water. Yeah, yeah. No, no, no, no, no. Yeah. No, they'd lost. wouldn't it wouldn't have been my award.
00:38:22
Speaker
No. Okay, last one I got for you tonight. Because I'm so good at this. This morning. Best British single. Oh, well, I'll just say Running Up That Hill because,
00:38:35
Speaker
Okay, wait, can I have a hint? Yeah, your hint is the artist sold ton Okay. ah yeah your hint is ah the artist also sold a ton of singles Oh, what's that what's that word? I'm at the chorus.
00:38:53
Speaker
Invisible. a No? No. Frankie goes to Hollywood. Relax. but In 85? Yes.
00:39:05
Speaker
But it's it's already done at that point, no? Maybe it was just still selling. Where's my where's my singles list? were there Were there awards? No, they were top-selling single. It was from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. But is that for the previous year? Oh, sorry. It must be from the previous year. Okay.
00:39:23
Speaker
okay right Because that's when you would have sold it all, and then they get to tally it, and then they have the awards. in yeah you know Yeah. Okay, so whatever. That's fine. but yeah Okay, that's why that makes a little bit more sense.
00:39:35
Speaker
Yeah. so It was relaxed. Really? Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, if a song gets banned, it's bound to go to the words, right? Unless you get all the money. ah Oh, it's banned. Here's all my money.
00:39:47
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Awesome.
1985: A Transition Year in Josh's Musical Journey
00:39:50
Speaker
Well, thank you, Tyler. I'm so glad you got to get 1985 off your chest. Yes. That's, that's one for the the books. Let's never go back there again.
00:39:59
Speaker
but what was your favorite, favorite song that year? You know what? i I can't even say that I had anything that would have come out of that year that I was like, yeah, I love this song. Isn't that funny?
00:40:10
Speaker
Yeah. It was such a like yeah like I said, my in my transition of my life and what I was doing, Music was so bland to me that I was like, yeah, I don't i don't really need to spend my time and my money on it.
00:40:25
Speaker
So I didn't have anything. Nothing stuck out. I don't even think I have in my record collection. I don't think I've got very much that I purchased around that time period. Yeah, yeah. felt Like I say, the following year gets better, and then it just gets better forever. But yeah it was a real, I think it's a transition year.
Looking Ahead: The Call for Change in Music
00:40:42
Speaker
But when you when you look at the charts, it seems all very... normal but yeah me it was just like it was just the worst of everybody and let's rethink the future now and let's move on yeah yeah hurry well so having said that we're done with 1985 we we're definitely come back and talk about music again we love talking about music and uh hair that we both don't have right now but we both had pretty awesome hair when we were know tons of it in every color yeah totally that being said
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:41:19
Speaker
uh check us out go to instagram go to facebook um subscribe to this podcast we're gonna get better and better we just we need you to hang in there and listen to some episodes and just be loyal to us so we can get through these these learning times
00:41:36
Speaker
We promise we'll never discuss 1985 again. It'll never come up. It won't be an issue. So you don't have to worry about that. Unless we're talking about PeeBee Herman. Right. There are some exceptions. We're just not going to talk about 1985 music. Correct.
00:41:50
Speaker
We're done. Have a Yabba Zonker Zoinks day, and we will see you again next Saturday. Thanks all. You've been listening to Yabba Zonker Zoinks, a Gen X for Life podcast.
00:42:02
Speaker
Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any exciting episodes. You can reach out on Instagram at Gen X for Life podcast. That's Gen X number four life underscore podcast or send an email at Gen X for Life podcast, all one word, at gmail.com.
00:42:19
Speaker
I'd love to hear about your favorite Gen X Saturday morning memory. Maybe a favorite toy or the cereal you just couldn't wait to tear in into. Until then, have a Yabba Zonker Zoinks day, and I'll be back bright and early next Saturday morning.