De La Soul

If you dig 1980s and early 90s hip hop, then you probably already know these guys. If not, sharing is caring...



• Say No Go
• Me, Myself and I
• The Magic Number
• Buddy
• Eye Know

Eclectic sampling at its best:

• Five Feet High and Rising, Johnny Cash (1959)
• You Showed Me, The Turtles (1968)
• Peg, Steely Dan (1977)
• Schoolhouse Rock (1973)
• I Can't Go for That, Hall and Oates (1981)

Devo

While decluttering recently, I came upon my Devo ticket stub (click to enlarge). Apparently, my mom let me see them on a school night.
Things became a little weird in the early 1980s and I loved it.

If something was quirky and made me laugh from its absurdity and wackiness, the better. Enter: Devo. If you like to dance or want a giggle, these will make you, at least, bob your head:

• Whip It
• Girl U Want
• That's Good
• Through Being Cool
• Beautiful World
• (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
• Peek-a-boo
• Freedom of Choice 

At the concert I bought a red flowerpot hat. I also bought a concert t-shirt. The concert was during their strange, plastic-shoulder, potato-body phase. When the t-shirt became too small to wear, I gave it to a friend with the stipulation to give it back when she no longer wore it.

A very Devo Christmas in 1982. The above photo is THIS.

I still have the 3 Christmas gifts I'm holding in the photo above. I used to enjoy wearing "loud" shirts and would often get flak for it – especially in the hallways at school. Gotta let your freak flag fly.

Devo appeared on the totally tubular Square Pegs tv show.

The English Beat

On a recent vacation to California, a friend and I happened upon a free, outdoor concert. Lo and behold, the highlight of the show was The English Beat, one of my favorite groups from the 1980s. Thanks universe! What a fantastic show. No wonder why I loved them so much.
Their music is a fusion of soul, pop, reggae and ska.

• Save It For Later
• Save It For Later, live on tv
• I Confess
• Mirror in the Bathroom
• Too Nice To Talk To
• Best Friend
• Tears of a Clown
The 1967 version by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

Solid Gold tv show

As a teenager in the early 1980s, Solid Gold was my Shindig! unfortunately. On Saturday nights from 7 'til 8, I grooved with, sang with, boogied a little, and laughed at the hooker outfits on the Solid Gold Dancers. The hosts over the years were Dionne Warwick, Andy Gibb, Marilyn McCoo, Rex Smith and Rick Dees. The show aired from 1980-88.
How did I come out of this cheesiness unscathed?
Or did I? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Help!

• Blondie     • Toni Basil     • Josie Cotton     • Bill Cosby
• Rick James     • The Go-Gos     • Olivia Newton-John
• Peaches and Herb     • Joe Jackson     • 70s countdown

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

A friend and I recently journeyed to Cleveland, Ohio to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As a rock and roll history junkie, I was in heaven. It felt like my life was flashing before my eyes, especially while viewing 1980s music videos at the MTV exhibit. Yahooooooooo!

Why is it in Cleveland you ask? Because Alan Freed, who coined the term "rock and roll" was a deejay there in the early 1950s.

Above, a mid-60s British Invasion exhibit featuring clothing, concert posters, instruments, video and drum covers. Groooooooooovy!

 Above, Ringo's drum set used during their 1964 world tour.

An hour from Cleveland in Sandusky, Ohio is Cedar Point. Being a roller coaster freak, we had to visit. Amusement parks sure have changed since I was a kid. Yikes. My voice is still hoarse from screaming with joy.