Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

'I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues' is a song by British singer Elton John (with lyrics by Bernie Taupin) featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica. 


The song appeared on the album 'Too Low For Zero' Released as a single in April 1983, the song reached number five in the UK chart and number four in the US chart six months later. The song was also featured on the film soundtrack to Peter's Friends in 1992.

The original music video tells the story of two 1950s-era young lovers who are separated when the man is forced to leave for military training, and then are finally reunited at the end of the song. It was filmed in the Rivoli Ballroom in London and is marked as one of the very few times John has been filmed or videotaped without wearing his trademark eyeglasses.

The song received largely favourable reviews, with Bill Janovitz of Allmusic declaring the song "likely to stand the test of time as a standard."

A fan favorite, John has also performed it live numerous times, occasionally playing it as part of a medley along with his hit "Blue Eyes" (from the 1982 album Jump Up!).

It has gone on to be one of John's most-played songs on radio selections from the 1980s portion of his career. It is also quite well known for being played at Chelsea F.C.'s home matches.


Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Lord Choc Ice - Choc Ice Goes Mental - B-Side
The Retreat - US B-Side


Download

Blue Zoo - Two By Two - Album

Four-man UK band Blue Zoo released just one album, Two By Two in 1983, produced by Talk Talk's Tim Friese-Greene.  


The album lead off with their sole single, 1982's 'Cry Boy Cry', which peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

Tracklisting:

01 - Cry Boy Cry
02 - John's Lost
03 - Far Cry
04 - (You Can) Count On Me
05 - Love Moves In Strange Ways
06 - (I Just Can't) Forgive and Forget
07 - I'm Your Man
08 - Open Up
09 - Can't Hold Me Down
10 - Something Familiar

Click the link below to download the album:

Download

Patrick Juvet - Getting To The Heart Of Me

Patrick Juvet released his single entitled 'Getting To The Heart Of Me' in 1983.

Produced by Jolley and Swain the single is a lot like other artists produced by the pair but this single failed to ignite the charts in Italy and France where it was released.

I have to say that I do not have a copy of the B-side 'Change Your Mind'. Anyone has this please let me know so I can add it here.

Thank you.

Click the link below to download the following:
Single Version

Download

Michael Des Barres And Holly Knight – Obsession

'Obsession” was originally written and recorded as a duet by songwriter Holly Knight and musician Michael Des Barres in 1983, although the recording did not perform well.

This version was prominently featured in the 1983 film A Night in Heaven, most notably in a scene in which Christopher Atkins bumps and grinds in Lesley Ann Warren’s face in sync with the rhythm of the song.

The song was featured on the film’s soundtrack, but did not receive enough attention to warrant much radio play or a place on any Billboard charts.

That version was also featured in the theatrical trailer to the 1986 film 9 1/2 Weeks, starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger.

The track was covered in 1984 by the Synthpop-New Wave group Animotion. The song hit number six in the United States, and number five in the United Kingdom in early 1985, helped by a distinctive video that received heavy rotation on MTV.

Click the link below todownload the following:
Single Version
Extended Version
A Woman's Weapon - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?czausaq5y3doy

Heaven 17 - Come Live With Me

Well here is the second posting on Heaven 17 and a great track that is well know.

'Come Live With Me" is a single from synthpop trio Heaven 17 which appeared on the album The Luxury Gap.

It was written by all three members. The single was released in mid-1983 and peaked at number 5 in the UK, spending 11 weeks on the chart. This would be the band's last top 10 hit in the UK singles chart until 1992 which saw the release of 'Temptation (Brothers In Rhythm Remix)'.

The track peaked at number 2 on the Readers charts for Number One magazine. Record Mirror's list for Top 12" singles featured the single at number number 9.

Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Extended Version
Let's All Make A Bomb (New Version) - B-Side
Song With No Name (New Version) - 12 inch Extra Track

http://www.mediafire.com/?267b4fcyatf6g

Front 242 - Endless Riddance - EP

Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. They are known for being the premier pioneer of electronic body music and as a major influence on the electronic and industrial music genres.

The group released their third single in 1983 entitled 'Endless Riddance'. An EP of 3 tracks released on the Wax Trax Records the single failed to make an impact on the UK Singles Charts.  I don't know if they charted in their home country of Belgium, anyone know this?

Click the link below to download the following:
Take One - EP Track 1
Controvery Between - EP Track 2
Sample D - EP Track 3

http://www.mediafire.com/?ybb67czpcsay3

The Kids From Fame - We Got The Power

As this is the 30th year since the TV series of The Kids From Fame aired in the UK I asked my partner Mark which track I should put up to celebrate this.

He said the single 'We Got The Power'.

This was not released officially but was released as a 7 inch and 12 inch Promo in 1983.

Mark had made a video for the 12 inch mix of the track which is for download - Link below.

Please click the links below to download the various tracks.

Also don't forget to go on over to my partners blog which is packed full of all Kids from Fame and Fame news, music and other tit bits.

http://kidsfromfamemedia.blogspot.com

We Got The Power

12 inch Mix - Video
http://www.mediafire.com/?kwtl5d7w57hzsvv


MP3 of the above mix
http://www.mediafire.com/?hwyiyt1zkyg

JayB No Electric Mix
http://www.mediafire.com/?9s00vg6wr9a8w7w

Episode MP3 Version
http://www.mediafire.com/?hqxqfol32esfw8x

Album Version
http://www.mediafire.com/?lgtmikz4k3u

Video Version
http://www.mediafire.com/?y6w210plrmzpccl

The Pretenders - 2000 Miles

'2000 Miles' is a song by The Pretenders released in 1983 as the preceding single to their 1984 album, 'Learning to Crawl'.

In the US, it was released as both 7 inch 45 as the B-side of the single 'Middle of the Road' and a 12 inch remix.

It was most popular in the UK, where it charted at number 15.

Considered a Christmas song, it has also been released on various compilation albums. While most people believe 2,000 miles is the distance between two long distance lovers who miss each other over the holidays, it is actually meant to be for James Honeyman-Scott, the group's original guitar player.

Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Fast Or Slow (The Laws The Law) - B-Side
Money (Live) - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?wqra7ybrkcota

Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday' is a popular Christmas song, first released in 1973 by the English glam rock band Wizzard.

It reached number four in the UK singles chart. The song was famously beaten to Christmas number one by Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' which remained there for nine consecutive weeks, from December 1973 to February 1974. As with most Wizzard songs it was written and produced by Roy Wood.

The song features the lead vocals of frontman Roy Wood but also contains backing vocals by "The Suedettes" as well as the choir of The Stockland Green Bilateral School First Year (arranged by pianist Bill Hunt, who was the brother-in-law of the school Maths teacher), with additional noises being produced by "Miss Snob and Class 3C", as credited on the sleeve.

The single was actually recorded in the August so to create a wintry feeling, engineer Steve Brown decorated the studio with Christmas decorations and turned the air conditioning down to its coldest setting. Singer Roy Wood wore a woollen hat found in Lost Property.

The first issue of the single was on Warner Brothers, as they had signed with them at the end of 1973, but this single proved to be the last EMI single, so the single was immediately issued on Harvest with the same picture sleeve.

Although Wood had arranged for the members of the Stockland Green school choir to sing at the Top Of The Pops television recording, their place was taken by children provided by a local London stage school.

With the failure of its first release to reach number 1 in 1973 - it was kept from number one by Slade's 'Merry Christmas Everybody' - it was re-released in 1981 (only reaching number 41) and then again in 1984, this time with an additional extended 12" version and getting as far as number 23.

As downloads as well as physical sales became eligible for the weekly Top 75 as from January 2007, and with the help of additional exposure thanks to an Argos television advertisement later in the year using an excerpt of the song for a soundtrack, it was one of several Christmas oldies to chart again in November and December 2007. This time it reached number 16, despite the absence of a physical release in the shops. In December 2008 it reappeared in the chart at number 31. In December 2009, the song had returned to the chart, at number 45. In December 2010 the song charted again at number 46 in the UK charts

Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Rob Roys Nightmare - B-Side
http://www.mediafire.com/?65oo2jpo1youa

Dead Or Alive - Misty Circles

'Misty Circles' is a song written and recorded by English New Wave/Dance band Dead or Alive. It was co-produced by the band and Zeus B. Held and released as the first single from Dead or Alive's album Sophisticated Boom Boom.

'Misty Circles' was the first song to be released by Dead or Alive after being signed to a major label, Epic Records. The band's prior single releases were issued independently.

Upon its release, 'Misty Circles' was not a success, peaking at number 100 on the UK Singles Chart.

In 1984, the song was placed on the B-side of 'You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)'. As both sides earned significant play in American nightclubs, they charted together as a double-sided hit on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at number four.

The band performed it before a live audience on Razzmatazz, which features Pete Burns wearing a wardrobe similar to Boy George's, and thus created some temporary friction between the two singers in later years.

The single became the groups first entry on the UK Singles Chart, as well as their lowest peaking single.

The 'Dance Mix' and the b-side 'Selfish Side' were released on the 2007 remastered CD version of the Dead Or Alive album 'Sophisticated Boom Boom' the 'Dub Mix' has not been released on CD.

Click the link below to download the following:
Extended Version
Dance Mix
Dub Mix
Selfish side - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?682mw0g2wav8o

New Order - Blue Monday

'Blue Monday' is a single released in 1983 by British band New Order, and later remixed in 1988 and 1995. The song has been widely remixed and covered since its original release, and became a popular anthem in the dance club scene.

At nearly seven-and-a-half minutes, 'Blue Monday' is one of the longest tracks ever to chart in the UK, and is the biggest-selling 12 inch single of all time. Despite selling well it was not eligible for an official gold disc because Factory Records was not a member of the British Phonographic Industry association. However, the Official UK Chart Company (UK Singles Chart) has estimated its total UK sales at over one million. In the all-time UK best-selling singles chart, published in 2002, 'Blue Monday' came 76th.

'Blue Monday' is often seen as one of the most important crossover tracks of the 1980s pop music scene. Synthpop had been a major force in British popular music for several years, but 'Blue Monday' was arguably the first British dance record to exhibit an obvious influence from the New York club scene, particularly the work of producers like Arthur Baker (who collaborated on New Order's follow-up single 'Confusion').

According to Bernard Sumner, 'Blue Monday' was influenced by four songs: the arrangement came from 'Dirty Talk', by Klein + M.B.O.; the signature bassline with octaves came from Sylvester's disco classic, 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)'; the house beat came from 'Our Love', by Donna Summer; and the long keyboard pad on the intro and outro was sampled from the Kraftwerk song 'Uranium', from the Radio-Activity album.

In an interview for Channel 4's countdown of the biggest selling UK singles, the band claimed to have written the song in response to crowd disappointment at the fact that they never played encores. This song, they say, allowed them to return to the stage, press play on a synthesiser and leave the stage again. An example of this happening appears on New Order's concert video Pumped Full of Drugs.

A popular misconception about 'Blue Monday' holds that the single's die-cut sleeve, created by Factory designer Peter Saville, cost so much to produce that Factory Records actually lost money on each copy sold. It is unlikely that Factory Records could have sustained the losses implied, and the sleeve was soon changed to a similar non-die-cut design that would cost no more than a regular sleeve. It is, however, probably true that New Order saw little profit from the single's success, since an investment in the Haçienda nightclub swallowed much of the money they made from their hit.

Another notable feature of the sleeve is that it does not display either the group name nor song title in plain English anywhere. Instead the legend "FAC 73 BLUE MONDAY AND THE BEACH NEW ORDER" is represented in code by a series of coloured blocks. The key enabling this to be deciphered was printed on the back sleeve of the album, Power, Corruption & Lies. 'Blue Monday' is one of three New Order releases from this time period to employ the colour code. The sleeve's spine simply reads "FAC SEVENTY THREE".

A music video for a shortened version of the original song was created in 1983, featuring military clips with false colour, simple computer-generated graphics such as colour blocks and geometric lines, digitised video of band members at very low resolution and framerate, and a short appearance of the game Zaxxon (reportedly the Apple II port). The colour blocks were created using Peter Saville's colour coded alphabet.

The music video for 'Blue Monday '88' (the Quincy Jones re-recording and mix of the song), shortened by several minutes and featuring added vocal effects, appears on the Substance video collection released as a companion to the album of the same name. It features sketches by photographer William Wegman and his Weimaraner dog named Fay Ray doing balancing acts intercut with hand-drawn animation by Robert Breer. The band members are shown standing around doing various tasks, such as walking a wooden plank over a floor that is painted blue, holding wire-mesh constructed art and milk crates over their faces, being hit by tennis balls, and standing still while they flip through various flip books (tying into the hand-drawn animation sequences).

On the Australian show Rage, a video was shown containing footage taken from their Top of the Pops performance with the studio track dubbed over it. At other times, the aforementioned videos also get airings.

'Blue Monday' has been a hit several times in the UK. In 1983, it charted twice, initially reaching number 12, then re-entering the chart later in the year and climbing to number 9, helped by the fact that neither side of the single (the B-side 'The Beach' was an instrumental re-working of 'Blue Monday') was featured on the UK version of the group's subsequent album, Power, Corruption & Lies.

New Order appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops, on 31 March 1983, to promote the song. It had long been the show's policy that artists would mime to a backing track, but New Order insisted on performing 'Blue Monday' live. The performance was dogged by technical problems, and was unrepresentative of the recording. In the words of drummer Stephen Morris, "Blue Monday was never the easiest song to perform, anyway, and everything went wrong. The synthesisers went awry. It sounded awful".

In 1985, 'Blue Monday' and 'Thieves Like Us' were officially released in Poland as a 7 inch single in different sleeve by Tonpress under license from Factory Records and sold over 50 000 copies and reached number 5 on end of year single chart.

In 1988, 'Blue Monday' was officially remixed by Quincy Jones and John Potoker under the title 'Blue Monday 88' (with the instrumental flip being titled 'Beach Buggy'). The single reached number 3 in the British charts, number 4 in the Australian charts, and topped the dance charts in the United States. A further official remix/reissue in 1995, with a mix by Hardfloor as the lead track, also made the British Top 20.

Click the link below to download the following:

Video

Original Version

1983 Extended Edit

Version Instrumental

Version Vocal

Extended Hardfloor Mix

1988 7 inch Version

1988 12 inch Mix

1988 Dub Version

1988 Single Mix

The Beach - B-Side

Beach Buggy - 1988 B-Side

Beach Buggy - 12 inch B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?gegwdqti8a8tj

Men At Work - Down Under

'Down Under' (also known as 'Land Down Under') is a pop song recorded by Men at Work for their debut album Business as Usual. The song went to number 1 on American, British, Canadian and Australian charts.

It was reissued in 1982, and is the only Men at Work song to go to number 1 in the United Kingdom, and their only single to make the UK top 20. It has become a popular and patriotic song in Australia.
The lyrics are about an Australian traveller circling the globe, proud of his nationality, and about his interactions with people he meets on his travels who are interested in his home country.

One of the verses refers to Vegemite sandwiches, among other things; the particular lyric "He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich" has become a well-known phrase.

Colin Hay told Songfacts: "The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the over-development of the country. It was a song about the loss of spirit in that country. It's really about the plundering of the country by greedy people. It is ultimately about celebrating the country, but not in a nationalistic way and not in a flag-waving sense. It's really more than that."

Slang and drug terms are used in the lyrics:

Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippy trail, head full of zombie.
Here 'fried-out' means overheated, Kombi refers to the Volkswagen Type 2 combination van, and having 'a head full of zombie' refers to the use of a type of marijuana. Cultural slang is also used: after the second verse the refrain is "where the beer does flow and men chunder"; 'chunder' means vomit.

The music video was filmed in a number of places, including Lake Mackenzie on Fraser Island. The video also features several litre-size cans of what appear to be Foster's Lager (although the brand is removed), a beer drunk mainly outside Australia while being marketed as Australian.

The song is a perennial favourite on Australian radio and television, and topped the charts in the U.S. and UK simultaneously in early 1983. It was later used as a theme song by the crew of Australia II in their successful bid to win the America's Cup in 1983. Men at Work played this song in the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, alongside other Australian artists. It was also often played after Australian athletes had received medals during competition, as they walked around the venue on a parade lap after the medal ceremony.

Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Helpless Automaton - B-Side
Crazy - Australian B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?r5vddhs55p9gf

Toni Basil - Shoppin From A To Z

'Shoppin' From A to Z' is the fourth single by Toni Basil, and the third from her debut album, Word of Mouth. It was released in the US only.

After the poor performance of 'Nobody' in the UK, there was a lot of dependence on 'Shoppin' From A to Z' for its performance in the US. It peaked at number 77.

The song features a shopping list consisting of various grocery items, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. On the album version, it is shouted out by a chorus. However, in the single version this is replaced by comical voices saying the name of each item.

the track was also used in the TV series Fame. the episode was called 'Wishes' and was was from the 4th series.

Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Special Club Mix
Time After time - B-side

http://www.mediafire.com/?mp0plkvkbbav9

Fashion - Eye Talk

Fashion released their 10th single in 1983 entitled 'Eye Talk'.

Released ofter the moderate success of their previous single 'Love Shadow', 'Eye Talk' managed to make it to number 69 in the UK Singles Chart.

Click the link below to download the following:
Single Version
Mutant Version
Eye Talk - Talk Version
Slow Down - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?5it9s6dja6i85

Kate Bush - Ne t'enfuis Pas

'Ne t'enfuis pas' is a song written and recorded by Kate Bush. It was released in July 1983 in France and Canada. The song was previously issued as a B-side in the UK to the single 'There Goes a Tenner'.

'Ne t'enfuis pas' tells the story of a woman, worried that her lover is about to leave, wrestling with her conscience over her plans to make him stay.

The B-side, 'Un baiser d'enfant', is a French-language version of 'The Infant Kiss', from Bush's album Never for Ever. Based on the movie The Innocents, it is the story of a governess who is frightened by the adult feelings she has for her young male charge (who is possessed by the spirit of a grown man).

In English 'Ne t'enfuis pas' means 'Don't run away'.

Click the link below to download the following:
Single Version
Un Baiser D'enfant - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?p36kbbek3svya

Imagination - Looking At Midnight

Imagination released their ninth single entitled 'Looking At Midnight' in 1983.

Following on from the successful 'Changes' single in the previous year, 'Looking at Midnight' did better by getting to number 29 on the UK Singles Charts.

Click the link below to download the following:
Video
Single Version
Extended Version
Follow Me - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?ccogixvnldcl7

David Bowie - Modern Love

'Modern Love' is a song written and recorded by David Bowie, and the first track on his album Let's Dance. It was issued as the third single from the album in 1983.

Bowie has claimed the song is inspired by Little Richard, and it maintains the album's theme of a struggle between God and man. Some commentators noted the similarities between the track and Elton John's near-simultaneous hit "I'm Still Standing", although both parties admitted the songs were recorded at roughly the same time with no knowledge of the other.

By the time 'Modern Love' was issued and edited as a single, Bowie's Serious Moonlight Tour was underway. The track had become a popular encore on the tour, and Jim Yukich's video for the song used footage of Bowie and his band performing the song from the July 20, 1983 concert in Philadelphia. A live version, recorded in Montreal on July 13, was on the B-side.

The single reached number 2 in the UK, and number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. As well as being a staple of the tour, it featured in Bowie's set at Live Aid in 1985, and in his subsequent Glass Spider and Sound+Vision tours of 1987 and 1990. A re-recording with Tina Turner was also featured on a Pepsi commercial in 1987.

Click the link below to downalod the following:
Video
Single Version
Live Version - B-Side

http://www.mediafire.com/?3rz8ci89x5xz0

Kids From Fame - Friday Night - Live

Well it has been a while since I plugged my partner's blog so I thought I would get in a post on one of the songs from the blog.

As some of you are awaire my partner has a blog dedicated to the Film and TV Series 'Kids From Fame'. Check the site out by clicking here:

http://kidsfromfamemedia.blogspot.com/

So to the single:

In 1982-3 the Kids From Fame cast undertook a tour which included the UK. From that tour a single was released featuring Carlo Imperato singing a song from the show entitled 'Friday Night'. The single version was taken from the UK leg of the tour, which was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall.

The single was also taken from the Live Album also released in 1983.

Later in 1983 the cast undertook a second tour which took in the rest of Europe and Isreal. It was in Isreal that the song was performed slightly different from the single version.

The single made it to number 13 in the UK Singles Chart, saying in the chart a total number of 14 weeks. This was also the last single to chart from the cast.

Follow the links to download the following:

Video Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?nnmyzjwtdtd

Single Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?gmwyzz1yw42

Isreal Concert Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?uibjynvtmnh

Rehersal Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?rdzlymmjnjq

Episode Video Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?oa1m1vqzukapmon

Episode MP3 Version:
http://www.mediafire.com/?0044xitf1qg

Could It Be Magic - Lee Curreri - B-Side
http://www.mediafire.com/?iwamzm3tdzt

Culture Club - Concert - Capital Theatre - 1983

I thought I would start posting some of the Live performances that I have collected over the years.

First up is by Culture Club.

They performed Live At The Capitol Theatre Passaic New Jersey USA on the 3rd September 1983.

The set list of the show is as follows:
01 - Intro
02 - Take Control
03 - Mr. Men
04 - I'll tumble For Ya
05 - It's A Miracle
06 - Karma Chameleon
07 - Black Money
08 - Love Twist
09 - Do You Really Want To hurt Me
10 - I'm Afraid Of Me
11 - Stormkeeper
12 - Miss Me Blind
13 - Church Of The Poison Mind
14 - Victims
15 - Time (Clock Of The Heart)
16 - White Boy
17 - That's The Way (I'm Only Trying To Help)
18 - Melting Pot

Click the link below to download the concert:

http://www.mediafire.com/?nfk36mt7c6uas

Leisure Process - Anxiety

Leisure Process released their fourth and final single in 1983 entitled 'Anxiety'.

Like their previous releases this one also did not trouble the charts.

Click the link below to download the following:
Single Version
Neurotica Version
The Company - B-Side
The Company - Extended Mix

http://www.mediafire.com/?90naxqq7xhttz