I keep getting Emails from people asking me to re-upload the links and music etc. I think people are just getting to those particular pages so are not reading the reason for the dead links.
So I am putting this in place so hopefully people will read it and stop Emailing me about it.
The reason the links are dead is that my account with Media Fire has been closed with all 11,000 files lost. That is why you can not download the things and No I can not re-upload them.
Eventually I will start doing that again when I have found something suitable. In the meantime this blog will be information only blog.
Thank you all
Michaael
New Blog Forum
The 80s Music and Fame Media Forum is now open for users to chat, make new friends, leave messages for each other and leave comments on the blog sites. To access it click the link below or use the link in the side bar.
'Don't Stand So Close to Me' is a 1980 song and hit single by the British rock band The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher and the teacher's nervousness about the situation.
The Police won the 1982 "Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" for this song. A re-recorded version of the song was released in 1986 as 'Don't Stand So Close to Me '86'.
The song deals with the mixed feelings of the teacher (lust/guilt/fear), and inappropriateness leading to confrontation.
The music and lyrics of the song were written by the lead singer of The Police, Sting, who had previously worked as an English teacher. In a 2001 interview for the concert DVD ...All This Time, Sting denied that the song is autobiographical.
The line "Just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" alludes to Vladimir Nabokov's famous novel Lolita which covers somewhat similar issues.
Sting was asked to perform on Mark Knopfler's 'Money for Nothing' as he was in Montserrat at the time, and reused the melody from the chorus of 'Don't Stand So Close to Me' in the counterpoint lyric 'I want my MTV'. It was only after this story was related to reporters during promotions for the Brothers in Arms album that lawyers for Sting became involved, and later copies of the album co-credit the song to Sting. The initial pressings list only Mark Knopfler. It is one of only two shared songwriting credits on any Dire Straits album.
'Don't Stand So Close to Me' appeared on The Police's album Zenyatta Mondatta (A&M), and became a hit 'No.1' UK single along with a corresponding music video. It was the single that 'broke' The Police in the USA, as it reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, peaking at number 10. In the U.K, the track was confirmed by the end of 1980 to have been the biggest selling single of that year.
The B side, 'Friends', was written and sung by Andy Summers and is inspired by Stranger in a Strange Land, a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein.
Click the link below to download the following: Original Video 1986 Video Original Single Version 1986 Single Version 1986 Dance Mix Friends - Original B-Side Live Version - 1986 B-Side
Peter Gabriel is Peter Gabriel's third album. The album contains two of Gabriel's most famous songs, the U.K. Top 10 hit 'Games Without Frontiers' and the political song 'Biko', about the late anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. The album was remastered, along with most of Gabriel's catalog, in 2002.
This album is often referred to as Melt due to its cover photograph by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis. The photo was taken with a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera, and subsequently modified by Thorgerson or Gabriel. (Thorgerson does not recall whether he or Gabriel manipulated the image.)
The album was Gabriel's first and only release for Mercury Records in the U.S., after being rejected by Atlantic Records, who handled U.S. distribution for Gabriel's first two solo albums and his last two albums with Genesis. Upon hearing mixes of the album's session tapes in early 1980, Atlantic A&R executive John Kalodner deemed the album not commercial enough for release, and recommended that Atlantic drop Gabriel from their artist roster. By the time the album was released by Mercury several months later, Kalodner, now working for the newly-formed Geffen Records label and having realized his mistake, arranged for Geffen to pursue Gabriel as one of their first artist signings. Geffen re-issued the album in 1983 after Mercury's distribution rights to the album lapsed, and has marketed it in the U.S. since.
Gabriel's ex-Genesis bandmate Phil Collins, who succeeded Gabriel as Genesis' lead vocalist, plays drums and provides backing vocals on several of the album's tracks. In particular, Collins played drums on 'Intruder', which has been cited as the first use of Collins' "gated drum" sound. This effect, as created by Collins and Hugh Padgham, was featured on Collins' recordings throughout the 1980s. The distinctive sound was identified via experiments by Collins and Padgham, in reponse to Gabriel's request that Collins and Jerry Marotta not use cymbals on the album's sessions. The drum sound on this album has been noted by Public Image Ltd as influencing the sound on their album Flowers of Romance, whose engineer, Nick Launay, was in turn employed by Collins to assist him with his first solo album, Face Value.
Tracklisting: 01 - Intruder 02 - No Self Control 03 - Start 04 - I Don't Remember 05 - Family Snapshot 06 - And Through the Wire 07 - Games Without Frontiers 08 - Not One of Us 09 - Lead a Normal Life 10 - Biko
'Geno' is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners which reached number 1 on the UK singles chart for two weeks in May 1980.
Written by Kevin 'Al' Archer and Kevin Rowland, Geno was the second single from Dexys Midnight Runners and their first number one. A tribute to soul singer Geno Washington, and performed in approximately the style of Geno Washington's Ram Jam Band, the song's classic soul stylings were at variance with the popular new wave and post punk sounds of the time.
The song was the first of two UK number one hit singles achieved by Dexys Midnight Runners. The second, two years later, was Come On Eileen.
The song featured in the first series of 2008 BBC Drama Ashes to Ashes, and was included in the subsequent soundtrack album.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache - B-Side
'Fade to Grey' is the second single by the British pop group Visage, released on Polydor Records in November 1980.
The song was the band's most successful single. It became a huge dance floor hit and entered the singles charts in early 1981, peaking at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart and reaching number 1 in both Germany and Switzerland.
The song's structure was primarily composed by Billy Currie and Christopher Payne. While setting the track listing of the Visage album, Midge Ure composed the song's lyrics after Billy Currie suggested the use of the melody for the album. Steve Strange had singing lessons with Ure in order to maintain himself in tune and be recorded. Gary Numan commented in interview for the Numan Digest: "As far as I'm concerned Chris and Billy were the driving force behind writing 'Fade to Grey'. They used to work on it during the sound checks on my '79 tour. Cedric [Sharpley, who was the drummer of the Gary Numan's backing band] was also heavily involved. In those days it was called 'Toot City'".
On the UK Channel 4 show "Top Ten New Romantics" in 1999, Steve Strange claimed to have been the one who came up with the idea for the French vocal in the track (a statement disputed by Midge Ure who claims this idea was his). The French vocal was performed by Brigitte Arendt, a young student from Luxembourg who was Rusty Egan's girlfriend at the time.
A remix by Bassheads/Andy Stevenson was released in 1993 to promote the compilation album with the same title, becoming a modest Top 40 hit. Several other artists have made their own versions of this song.
In 2008, Strange appeared on the BBC series Ashes to Ashes performing the song in the Blitz nightclub.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Original 7 inch Mix Brassheads 7 inch Edit 7 inch Remix 12 inch Extended Version Special Maxi Version Wilde Cat Mix 1986 Extended Version 1993 Original Mix 2008 Remix Steps - B-Side
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is the self-titled debut album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, released in 1980. The album peaked at number 27 in the UK Albums Chart.
'Electricity' and 'Red Frame/White Light' were low charting singles taken from the album. A re-recorded version of 'Messages' provided OMD with their first hit in the UK, reaching number 13.
The album was remastered and re-released in 2003, with six bonus tracks.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark is also the title of a 1981 compilation album of tracks from this album and Organisation, released only in the United States.
Have to say thank you to Scott Wheeler for providing me with this as I seem to had lost my copy of this Album. Once again thank you Scott.
Tracklisting: 01 - Bunker Soldiers 02 - Almost 03 - Mystereality 04 - Electricity 05 - The Messerschmitt Twins 06 - Messages 07 - Julia's Song 08 - Red Frame/White Light 09 - Dancing 10 - Pretending To See The Future
'Crying' is a rock and roll ballad written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson and originally sung by Orbison.
Don McLean also recorded a version of 'Crying' in 1978. By 1980, it was an international number one hit in the UK and abroad, and a number five hit in the U.S.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Genesis - B-Side
'Breathing' is a single by Kate Bush, the first cut from her 1980 album Never For Ever, with backing vocals by Roy Harper.
The single was issued on April 14, 1980, four months before the album was released, and reached number 16 in the UK charts. It was the first single by Bush to feature a non-LP track on its B-side, 'The Empty Bullring'.
'Breathing' is about a foetus, very much aware of what is going on outside the womb and frightened by nuclear fallout, which implies that the song is set either during a nuclear war scare or a post-apocalyptic birth. The lyrics also refer to the foetus absorbing nicotine from the mother's smoking. In an interview that year Bush described the song as her 'little symphony', adding that she considered it her best work to date.
The music video features Bush in a womb portraying a foetus.
Click the lik below to download the following: Video Single Version The Empty Bullring - B-Side
'Funkytown' is a 1980 song made by the disco band Lipps Inc. The song expresses the pinings for a metaphorical place that keeps "me movin', keeps me groovin' with some energy". It became number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the U.S. Dance and R&B charts, as well as on almost every international chart. In the UK, it became number 2 in the singles chart. It has been called the song that saved Disco and hinted towards Nu-disco.
In 1986, it was covered by Australian band Pseudo Echo, who gave the song a different sound, less of early eighties' electronica and more of later eighties' rock, including a guitar solo in the middle. Pseudo Echo's version spent seven weeks at number one in Australia, (Lipps Inc's was number 1 for only two weeks in Australia), and was also a number-six US hit in July of the following year.
In 2007, it was covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks as their version appeared in the live-action/CGI film adaptation. Their version peaked at number 86. It was also used in the video game Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 by Ubisoft for the music rhythm games.
In 2009, the Swedish group Alcazar released a cover of 'Funkytown', included on their album Disco Defenders.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version 12 inch Version 12 inch Mix All Night Dancing - B-Side
'Babooshka' is a song by British singer Kate Bush, taken from her album Never for Ever. Released as a single in June 1980, it spent 10 weeks in the UK chart, peaking at number five. It was an even bigger hit in Australia, where it was the 20th best-selling single of the year.
The song chronicles a wife's desire to test her husband's loyalty. To do so, she takes on the nom de plume of Babooshka and sends notes to her husband in the guise of a younger woman -- something which she fears is the opposite of how her husband currently sees her (Hence the barbed lines: "Just like his wife before she "freezed" on him/Just like his wife when she was beautiful...").
The trap is set when, in her bitterness and paranoia, Babooshka arranges to meet her husband, who is attracted to the character that reminds him of his wife in earlier times. She thereby ruins the relationship due to her paranoia, according to Kate Bush's 1980 interview with the Australian TV series Countdown.
The music video depicts Bush beside a double bass (contrabass) which symbolises the husband, wearing a black bodysuit and a veil in her role as the embittered wife. This changes into an extravagant, mythlike and rather sparse 'Russian' costume as her alter-ego, Babooshka.
The track features John Giblin on bass and marks the significance of fretless bass sounds as instrumental "male" partners through Kate's music in the early eighties.
Kate Bush said that's "something I didn't realise at the time," when she learnt that Babushka is the Russian word for "grandmother" (although the stress in Russian falls on the first syllable, not the second).
'Babooshka' became Bush's second top five hit in the UK and was certified silver for sales of over 250,000 by the BPI.
The B-Side contains her song 'Ran Tan Waltz', her second non-album B-Side. This song is performed as a tragicomedy, where Bush portrays a man bemoaning his bad luck in life being married to a wayward mother. This song also signifies Bush's first use of an expletive in one of her recordings (the word "dick" as cacophemism for penis).
Click the link below to download the following: Video French TV Performance Countdown Interview Single Version Early Demo on the Piano Ran Tan Waltz - B-Side
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) is an album by David Bowie, released in September 1980 by RCA Records. It was Bowie's final studio album for the label and his first following the 'Berlin Trilogy' of Low, Heroes and Lodger (1977-1979). Though considered significant in artistic terms, the trilogy had proved less successful commercially. With Scary Monsters, however, Bowie achieved what biographer David Buckley called "the perfect balance" and the album peaked at number 1 in its second week of release.
According to co-producer Tony Visconti, Bowie's method on Scary Monsters was somewhat less experimental and more concerned with achieving a commercially-viable sound than had been the case with his recent releases; to that end the composer spent more time on his own developing lyrics and melodies before recording, rather than improvising music in the studio and making up words at the last minute. Aside from one cover, Tom Verlaine's 'Kingdom Come', all tracks would be credited to Bowie alone, unlike the 'Berlin Trilogy' where he had increasingly relied on input from his collaborators.
Among those collaborators, Brian Eno was no longer present on Scary Monsters, but Chuck Hammer added multiple textural layers deploying guitar synth and, following his absence from Lodger, Robert Fripp returned with the distinctive guitar sound he had earlier lent to 'Heroes'. Bruce Springsteen's pianist Roy Bittan was back for his first Bowie album since Station to Station (1976), while The Who's Pete Townshend guested on 'Because You’re Young'.
The cover of Scary Monsters featured Bowie in the Pierrot costume he wore in the 'Ashes to Ashes' video, rendered in a combination of Brian Duffy's photographs and a painting by Edward Bell. The original vinyl album's rear sleeve referred to four earlier albums, namely the immediately preceding 'Berlin Trilogy' and 1973's Aladdin Sane, the last-mentioned also having been designed and photographed by Duffy. The cover images from Low, Heroes, and Lodger — the last showing Bowie's torso superimposed on the figure from Aladdin Sane's inside gatefold picture — were portrayed in small frames to the left of the track listing. Their whitewashed look was reportedly designed "to symbolise the discarding of Bowie's old personae." These images were not reproduced on the Rykodisc reissue in 1992, but were restored for EMI/Virgin's 1999 remastered edition.
Following the release of 'Ashes to Ashes' in August 1980, prior to the album, and 'Fashion' in October, the title track was issued as a single in January 1981 in both vinyl record and compact cassette form. The album's final single, 'Up the Hill Backwards', was released in March of that year. Other songs from this period, released on CD by Rykodisc, included both sides of the single 'Alabama Song' b/w 'Space Oddity', the latter a stark remake that debuted New Year’s Eve 1979 on The Kenny Everett Video Show and served as a "ritualistic purification" of Bowie’s most famous number prior to its demolition with 'Ashes to Ashes'; 'Crystal Japan', B-side of 'Up the Hill Backwards' in the UK and an A-side b/w 'Alabama Song' in Japan, where it was also used for a Sake commercial; and a new version of Aladdin Sane’s 'Panic in Detroit'.
RCA released Scary Monsters in September 1980 with the promo line "Often Copied, Never Equalled", seen as a direct reference to the New Wave acts Bowie had inspired over the years.
It was highly praised by critics, Record Mirror giving it a rating of seven stars out of five, while Melody Maker called it "an eerily impressive stride into the '80s" and Billboard reported that it "should be the most accessible and commercially successful Bowie LP in years". The album's number 1 placing in the UK charts was Bowie's first since Diamond Dogs in 1974, while its U.S. peak of number 12 was his highest stateside showing since Low almost four years earlier.
Despite the worldwide megastardom and commercial success that Bowie would achieve in coming years, most notably with his next studio album Let's Dance in 1983, many commentators consider Scary Monsters to be "his last great album", the "benchmark" for each new release. Later efforts, such as Heathen or Reality, were often cited as "the best album since Scary Monsters." In the latest edition of his musical biography of the singer, Strange Fascination, David Buckley suggested that "Bowie should pre-emptively sticker up his next album 'Best Since Scary Monsters' and have done with it".
In 2000 Q magazine ranked Scary Monsters at number 30 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2002 Pitchfork Media placed it number 93 in its Top 100 Albums of the 1980s.
Tracklisting: 01 - It's No Game (Part 1) 02 - Up the Hill Backwards 03 - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) 04 - Ashes to Ashes 05 - Fashion 06 - Teenage Wildlife 07 - Scream Like a Baby 08 - Kingdom Come 09 - Because You're Young 10 - It's No Game (Part 2)
'Magic' is a hit 1980 song performed by Olivia Newton-John, from the soundtrack to the film Xanadu. The song was Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for four weeks, from August 2 through August 29, 1980. It also reached a high of Number 2 on the Australian charts and Number 32 in the UK.
'Magic' became Newton-John's biggest Adult Contemporary hit to date. It also became Newton-John's biggest pop hit until 'Physical' ruled the Hot 100 for ten weeks beginning in November 1981.
Two B-sides exist depending on what label and continent the song was released. 'Fool Country' is the B-side of the MCA label release, which also features in the film "Xanadu" but was never released on The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. 'Whenever You're Away From Me' with Gene Kelly is the B-side of the Jet label release.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Whenever You're Away From Me - duet with Gene Kelly - B-Side
'So Lonely' is a song by The Police, appearing on the 1978 studio album Outlandos d'Amour and released as a single in November 1978 and again in February 1980 as a re-release. The single didn't chart on the first occasion but reached number six after the second release. The other singles from Outlandos D'Amour, 'Roxanne' and 'Can't Stand Losing You', followed a similar pattern of not charting very high in 1978, but doing very well on a re-release.
Sting has admitted that he used Bob Marley's 'No Woman, No Cry' as the basis for this song:
"People thrashing out three chords didn't really interest us musically. Reggae was accepted in punk circles and musically more sophisticated, and we could play it, so we veered off in that direction. I mean let's be honest here, 'So Lonely' was unabashedly culled from 'No Woman No Cry' by Bob Marley. Same chorus. What we invented was this thing of going back and forth between thrash punk and reggae. That was the little niche we created for ourselves."
Sting recycled the lyrics in the song's verses from his earlier Last Exit song 'Fool in Love'.
The video for the song depicts the band walking around the streets of Tokyo, including the subway trains.
The song has been covered many times, including a version by Limbeck on the album ¡Policia! - A Tribute to the Police (2005) put out by The Militia Group.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version No Time This Time - B-Side
'We Are the World' is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and co-produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World.
Following Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' project in the UK, an idea for the creation of an American benefit single for African famine relief came from activist Harry Belafonte, who, along with fundraiser Ken Kragen, was instrumental in bringing the vision to reality. Several musicians were contacted by the pair, before Jackson and Richie were assigned the task of writing the song. The duo completed the writing of 'We Are the World' one night before the song's first recording session, in early 1985. The last recording session for the song was held on February 28, 1985. The historic event brought together some of the most famous artists in the music industry at the time.
The song was released on March 7, 1985, as the only single from the album. A worldwide commercial success, it topped music charts throughout the world and became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The first ever single to be certified multi-platinum, 'We Are the World' received a 4× certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. However, the song garnered mixed reviews from journalists, music critics and the public. Fans enjoyed hearing racially and musically diverse recording artists singing together on one track, and felt satisfied in buying 'We Are the World', knowing that the money was going to charity. Other individuals, including many commentators in the rock press, were disappointed that the song did not challenge listeners as to why famines occur in the first place, and felt that the lyrics were self-aggrandizing.
Honored numerous times — including three Grammy Awards, one American Music Award and a People's Choice Award — the song was promoted with a critically well-received music video, a home video, a special edition magazine, a simulcast, and several books, posters and shirts. The promotion and merchandise aided the success of 'We Are the World', which was eventually named the biggest-selling single of all time. As of 2009, it has sold more than 20 million units and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US. 'We Are the World' has demonstrated that diverse musicians can productively work together, and has further influenced the movement within pop music to create songs that address humane concerns.
'We Are the World' is sung from a first person viewpoint, allowing the audience to "internalize" the message by singing the word we together. It has been described as "an appeal to human compassion". The first lines in the song's repetitive chorus, proclaim, "We Are the World, we are the children, we are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving". 'We Are the World' opens with Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner and Billy Joel singing the first verse. Michael Jackson and Diana Ross follow, completing the first chorus together. Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson and Al Jarreau sing the second verse, before Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry and Daryl Hall go through the second chorus. Co-writer Jackson, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper and Kim Carnes follow with the third verse. This structuring of the song is said to "create a sense of continuous surprise and emotional buildup". 'We Are the World' concludes with Bob Dylan and Ray Charles singing a full chorus, Wonder and Springsteen duetting, and ad libs from Charles and Ingram
Artist on the record include:
Conductor Quincy Jones
Soloists (in order of appearance) Lionel Richie - Stevie Wonder - Paul Simon - Kenny Rogers - James Ingram Tina Turner - Billy Joel - Michael Jackson - Diana Ross - Dionne Warwick Willie Nelson - Al Jarreau - Bruce Springsteen - Kenny Loggins - Steve Perry Daryl Hall - Huey Lewis - Cyndi Lauper - Kim Carnes - Bob Dylan - Ray Charles
Extras Dan Aykroyd - Harry Belafonte - Lindsey Buckingham - Mario Cipollina Johnny Colla - Sheila E. - Bob Geldof - Bill Gibson - Chris Hayes - Sean Hopper Jackie Jackson - La Toya Jackson - Marlon Jackson - Randy Jackson Tito Jackson - Waylon Jennings - Bette Midler - John Oates - Jeffrey Osborne Anita Pointer - Ruth Pointer - Smokey Robinson
On March 7, 1985, "We Are the World" was released as a single, in both 7 inch and 12 inch format. The song was the only one released from the We Are the World album and became a chart success around the world. In the US, it was a number one hit on the R&B singles chart, the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for a month. The single had initially debuted at number 21 on the Hot 100, the highest entry since Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' entered the charts at number 21 the year before. It took four weeks for the song to claim the number one spot—half the time a single would normally have taken to reach its charting peak. 'We Are the World' might have reached the top of the Hot 100 chart sooner, if it were not for the success of Phil Collins' 'One More Night', which received a significant level of support from both pop and rock listeners. 'We Are the World' also entered Billboard's Top Rock Tracks and Hot Country Singles charts, where it peaked at numbers 27 and 76 respectively. The song became the first single since The Beatles' 'Let It Be' to enter Billboard's Top 5 within two weeks of release.
Outside of the US, the single reached number one in France, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The song peaked at number 2 in Austria, number 12 in Italy and number 18 in Denmark.
We Are the World: 25 for Haiti
On January 12, 2010, at 21:53 UTC, (4:53 pm local time) Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The epicenter of the quake was just outside the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. It has been estimated that the death toll could reach 200,000. Widespread damage resulted from the quake. The capital city was devastated.
Earthquake damage in Port-au-PrincePrior to the earthquake, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie had planned to organize a re-recording of 'We Are the World' on January 28, 2010 — the 25th anniversary of the original recording of the song. However, due to the devastation caused in Haiti, these plans were postponed. The new version of the song was recorded on February 1, 2010. Over 75 musicians were involved in the recording, which was held in the same place as the original. Also similar to the 1985 process, some of the participating musicians were already in Los Angeles to attend an awards ceremony: the 52nd Grammy Awards. The new version will feature updated lyrics and music, as well as a rap segment pertaining to Haiti. According to Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson's younger sister Janet will take her late brother's part in the song. The production team for the song include RedOne and musical director Ricky Minor. Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean will also serve as a producer.
At the time of the recording, numerous artists commented on the process, the 1985 version of the song and co-writer Michael Jackson. R&B singer Jordin Sparks revealed that despite being born after the release of the original, the song had a "huge impact" on her. Canadian songstress Celine Dion express that the release of the song would not only benefit the Haitian people, but also serve as a remembrance of "the passion [Michael] Jackson had for helping those in need". Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones echoed Dion's sentiments and further stated that if the singer were alive, he would have wanted to be just as involved as he had been a quarter of a century ago.
Artists involved The following artists involved were made public by the 2010 'We Are the World' organizers:
Akon - Lady Gaga - India.Arie - Patti Austin - Tony Bennett - Justin Bieber Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Ethan Bortnick - Brandy - Jeff Bridges - Toni Braxton - Zac Brown Kristian Bush - Natalie Cole - Harry Connick Jr. - Kid Cudi - Miley Cyrus - Celine Dion Snoop Dogg - Drake - Earth Wind & Fire - Faith Evans - Melanie Fiona - Jamie Foxx Sean Garrett - Tyrese Gibson - Josh Groban - Anthony Hamilton - Keri Hilson Julianne Hough - Jennifer Hudson - Enrique Iglesias - LL Cool J - Janet Jackson Randy Jackson - Taj Jackson - Taryll Jackson - TJ Jackson - Al Jardine - Joe Jonas Kevin Jonas - Nick Jonas - Rashida Jones - Gladys Knight - Adam Levine - Jimmy Jean-Louis Benji Madden - Joel Madden - Mary Mary - Katharine McPhee - Jason Mraz - Mýa Jennifer Nettles - Orianthi - Freda Payne - P!nk - A. R. Rahman - Nicole Richie Raphael Saadiq - Carlos Santana - Nicole Scherzinger - Isaac Slade - Trey Songz Musiq Soulchild - Jordin Sparks - Barbra Streisand - T-Pain - Robin Thicke - Rob Thomas Usher - Vince Vaughn - Lil Wayne - Kanye West - Will.i.am - Ann Wilson - Brian Wilson Nancy Wilson - BeBe Winans - Britney Spears
Click the link below to download the following: Original Video Single Version Michael Jackson's Demo Version Quincy Jones - Grace - B-Side
The Special AKA Live! was a live EP by The Specials, released in 1980.
Renowned for their live shows, The Specials released a 5-track live EP in January 1980 as the third single by the band. The EP featured 'Too Much Too Young' (originally recorded on the album Specials) with 'Guns of Navarone' recorded live in London; and 'Skinhead Symphony' - a medley of 'Long Shot Kick De Bucket', 'The Liquidator' and 'Skinhead Moonstomp' - which was recorded at Tiffany's in Coventry.
Lead track 'Too Much Too Young' is based on the 1969 song 'Birth Control' by Lloyd Charmers. It is sometimes wrongly stated that the song was banned by the BBC due to mentions of contraception in the lyrics. This is not true - however, when the song's promotional video was featured on Top of the Pops, it was cut off just before reaching the final line, "try wearing a cap".
The song topped the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1980. It became only the second EP to top the chart after 'The Demis Roussos Phenomenon EP' in 1976, and was also the first live recording to top the chart since Chuck Berry's 'My Ding-a-Ling' in 1972. It was the shortest song to reach number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in the 1980s at 2:04.
Rico Rodriguez played trombone on 'Guns of Navarone' and 'Long Shot Kicked De Bucket', and Dick Cuthell played flugelhorn on 'Guns of Navarone'.
Click the link below to download the following: The Old Grey Whistle Test - Performance Single Version Skinhead Symphony - B-Side
Link removed due to DMCA notice
The Specials - The Old Grey Whistle Test - Performance
Julia Fordham's second album stepped ahead of her smoky, and wonderful debut album.
Released in1989 Fordham reached for some universal themes in her songwriting and came up with ten great songs that spanned the range from lonely desire, 'Did I Happen to Mention', to the humorous Brazilian inflections of 'Genius'.
All these songs are tied together by the strength of her voice, which mirrors both Sade and Annie Lennox.
Tracklisting: 01 - Lock And Key 02 - Porcelain 03 - Girlfriend 04 - For You Only For You 05 - Genius 06 - Manhattan Skyline 07 - Did I Happen To Mention 08 - Towerblock 09 - Island 10 - Your Lovely Face
The Jam were an English Punk Rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes and incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock influences rather than rejecting them, placing The Jam at the forefront of the mod revival movement.
'Going Underground' is the first British number-one chart single by The Jam, released in March 1980. It went straight in at number one, a rare feat at the time, and spent three weeks at the top. It was the first of three instant chart-toppers for the group.
'Going Underground' was not released on any of the band's six studio albums initially, although it has appeared on many compilation/re-releases since then. The single's B-side was 'Dreams of Children', which had originally been intended to be the A-side; following a mix-up at the pressing plant, the single became a double-A-side, and DJs tended to choose the more melodic 'Going Underground' to play on the radio.
The song provided the inspiration for the Nemesis the Warlock character in the weekly comic book 2000 AD. The song was parodied in 2004 by the Amateur Transplants as 'London Underground', a humorous song full of abuse at the London Underground Strike. It was also turned into "Go England" by Virgin Radio for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In March 2005, Q magazine placed 'Going Underground' at number 73 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks, and in October 2006 placed it at number 98 in their list of the 100 Greatest Songs Ever.
Click the link below to download the following: Video - Going Underground Single - Going Underground Video - Dreams Of Children Single - Dreams Of Children
'A Broken Frame' is the second studio album by the British synthpop band Depeche Mode, released in 1982. The album was written entirely by Martin Gore and recorded after the departure of Vince Clarke, who had left the band to form Yazoo with singer Alison Moyet. Alan Wilder was part of a second tour in the United Kingdom occurring prior to the release of this album, but he had not officially joined the band, and thus, does not appear on the album.
In the documentary that appears on the DVD that came with the 2006 reissue, Gore describes the record as "our worst album". None of the singles had long-term success compared to most of Depeche Mode's other albums' singles. 'A Broken Frame' was the only album not represented on 101 and Remixes 81 - 04. Prior to 2006, the last song from the album to be performed live was 'Leave In Silence' in 1986. 'Leave in Silence' finally made its return (as an acoustic rendition) in a 2006 concert in Paris.
The song 'Monument' was covered by GusGus for the Depeche Mode tribute album For the Masses.
A special limited edition live album based on 'A Broken Frame' recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on the 25th October 1982 was also released early in 1983 which also included a special 12" version of 'Get The Balance Right' on the B-Side.
Traclisting: 01 - Leave in Silence 02 - My Secret Garden 03 - Monument 04 - Nothing to Fear 05 - See You 06 - Satellite 07 - The Meaning of Love 08 - A Photograph of You 09 - Shouldn't Have Done That 10 - The Sun and the Rainfall
'Xanadu' is the title song from the album Xanadu, the soundtrack to the 1980 film of the same name.
The song is performed by the Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton-John. Newton-John sings the primary vocals, with ELO adding "parenthetic" vocals in the style of their other songs on the 'Xanadu' soundtrack, along with providing the instrumentation.
A rare collaboration for ELO, the single reached number 1 in several countries and was the band's only UK number 1 single when it peaked there for two weeks in July 1980. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Fool Cuntry - B-Side
Melancholic and introspective, 'Ashes to Ashes' released in 1980, featured Bowie's reinterpretation of "a guy that's been in such an early song", namely Major Tom from his first hit in 1969, 'Space Oddity'. Described as "containing more messages per second" than any single released in 1980, the song also included plaintive reflections on the singer's moral and artistic journey:
Instead of a hippie astronaut who casually slips the bonds of a crass and material world to journey beyond the stars, the song describes Major Tom as a "junkie, strung out in heaven's high, hitting an all-time low". This lyric was interpreted as a play on the title of Bowie's 1977 album Low, which charted his withdrawal inwards following his drug excesses in America a short time before, another reversal of Major Tom's original withdrawal 'outwards' or towards space.
The final lines, "My mother said, to get things done, you better not mess with Major Tom", have been compared to the verse from a nursery rhyme.
Bowie himself said in an interview with NME shortly after the single's release, "It really is an ode to childhood, if you like, a popular nursery rhyme. It's about space men becoming junkies (laughs)."
Musically 'Ashes to Ashes' was notable for its delicate synthetic string sound, counterpointed by hard-edged funk bass, and its complex vocal layering. Perhaps Bowie's most sophisticated sonic work to date, its choir-like textures were created by Chuck Hammer with four multi-tracked guitar synthesizers, each playing opposing chord inversions; this was underpinned by Bowie's dead-pan, chanted background voices.
The video clip for 'Ashes to Ashes' was one of the most iconic of the 1980s. Costing £250,000, it was at the time the most expensive music video ever made. It incorporated scenes both in solarised colour (helped by an innovative Quantel Paintbox technique) and in stark black-and-white, featuring Bowie in the gaudy Pierrot costume that became the dominant visual representation of his Scary Monsters phase. Also appearing were Steve Strange and other members of the London Blitz scene, including Judith Franklin and Darla Jane Gilroy, forerunners of (later participants in) the New Romantic movement that was heavily influenced by Bowie's music and image.
Bowie described the shot of himself and the Blitz Kids marching towards the camera in front of a bulldozer as symbolising "oncoming violence". Although it appears that two of the Blitz Kids bow at intervals, they were actually trying to pull their gowns away from the bulldozer in an effort to avoid them getting caught. Scenes of the singer in a space suit - that suggested a hospital life-support system - and others showing him locked in what appeared to be a padded room, made reference to both Major Tom and to Bowie's new, rueful interpretation of him. Contrary to received opinion, the elderly woman lecturing Bowie at the end of the clip was not his real mother, but Wyn Mac, the wife of comedian Jimmy Mac.
Record Mirror readers voted 'Ashes to Ashes' and Bowie's next single, 'Fashion', the best music videos of 1980.
'Ashes to Ashes' hit number 4 in the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release, rising to number 1 a week later, making it Bowie's fastest-selling single to that point in time. It was issued in three different sleeves, the first 100,000 copies including one of four sets of stamps, all featuring Bowie in the Pierrot outfit he wore in the video. The B-side, 'Move On', was a track lifted from his previous album, Lodger (1979). The US release had 'It's No Game (No. 1)' as the B-side, while the flip side of the German release was 'Alabama Song'. The single bubbled under at number 101 in America.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Move On - B-Side
'See Yo'" is the fourth UK single by Depeche Mode and the first written by Martin Gore. The single was released on 29 January 1982 and was later included on the band's second album 'A Broken Frame'. The single launched a small world tour, with extra band member Alan Wilder, although he did not contribute to the song or to the album. There are two versions of 'See You', the single version, and an extended version with a longer intro. This became the album version.
The B-side to 'See You' is 'Now, This Is Fun'. The extended version has a bigger bridge in the middle and a longer ending, with David Gahan sometimes shouting "This is funny!" instead of "This is real fun!".
The video for 'See You' is directed by Julien Temple. It is also the first video with Alan Wilder. He can briefly be seen playing the musical keyboard and he also appears in several photo booth strips. At the beginning of the video there is a speakerphone much like the one on the cover of Music for the Masses, but it is just a coincidence (Music for the Masses didn't even come out till five years later). The video was not liked by the band, and did not show up on the 1985 video compilation Some Great Videos which included all of the band's videos up to 1985 except the A Broken Frame singles and "Get the Balance Right".
Click the link below to download the following: Video The Tube Performance Single Version Razormaid Remix Now This Is Fun - B-Side
I Love the '80s was a BBC Television programme. It was broadcast following the success of I Love the 70s. It featured British celebrities such as Peter Kay, Clare Grogan, Dee Hepburn and Kate Thornton. The series was broadcast in ten episodes, one dedicated to each year.
I Love 1980 was Presented by Larry Hagman. The episode featured Pac-Man, Different Strokes, Roald Dahls Tales of the Unexpected and the movie Fame. One of the biggest stories of the year was the shooting of John Lennon by Mark Chapman in New York. But who shot JR? in Dallas turned Britain into a nation of soap addicts.
News items of the year included Unemployment reaching 2 million, British Leyland launched the Mini Metro. Philips released the Compact Disc player and an ice hockey player developed Roller Blades. Sixpence pieces ceased to be legal tender after 30th June and three greats of the screen, Peter Sellers, Alfred Hitchcock and Steve McQueen died.
While 1980 had number one hits from the likes of Kelly Marie to Blonda and ABBA.
Click the link below to download the 9 parts of the episode:
'Just Can't Get Enough' is the third UK single by Depeche Mode. It was originally released in the UK in September 1981, and was also the band's first single to be released in the United States, on February 18, 1982.
The song, a riff-driven Synthpop piece, was the final single to be written by founder member Vince Clarke, who would leave the band in December 1981. The song was included on the band's first album, Speak and Spell, which was released a month after the single.
The single version of 'Just Can't Get Enough' is the same version that appears on the UK version of Speak and Spell. The 12" single featured a 'Schizo Mix', which is an extended version with a different intro and an ambient tune popping up after the choruses. This version appears on the US version of Speak and Spell, the UK rerelease of Speak and Spell, the rerelease of The Singles (81-85) and Remixes 81 - 04.
In addition, the single's B-side 'Any Second Now' was the first commercially available Depeche Mode instrumental. It shows up on the UK rerelease of Speak and Spell. A version including vocals (the first Depeche Mode vocals to be handled by Martin Gore) would appear on the album as 'Any Second Now (Voices)'. There is also an extended version, the 'Altered" Mix'. In the United States, the B-side is 'Tora! Tora! Tora!'. On the album, the song is crossfaded with the previous track, 'Photographic', but on the single, the introduction is clean.
The single reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and number 26 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, making it their highest-charting single at the time on both counts. It also became the band's first (and biggest) hit in Australia, reaching number 4.
'Just Can't Get Enough' was the first Depeche Mode song to get a music video. It is the only Depeche Mode video with Vince Clarke. The director was Clive Richardson.
Click the link below to download the following: Video Single Version Schizo Mix Mastermix Alexampler Xtended Version Electro Mix Electro REmix 2007 Any Second Now - B-Side Any Second Now - Voices
'Don't Stand So Close to Me' is a 1980 song and hit single by the British rock band The Police. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher and the teacher's nervousness about the situation.
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