The Toy Box

Retro Spins: Bruce Willis - The Return Of Bruno

Continuing my tour of duty through actors and acresses who released studio albums, I landed on Bruce Willis...Or Bruno...Or whatever he wants to be called.

You've been starring in the hit television series, Moonlighting, since 1985, which will run for another four years. You just came off of a major film succcess, starring side by side with Kim Bassinger in Blind Date. Your biggest film, Die Hard, is still a year away. What do you do in the interim?

Well, in Bruce Willis's case, you form a band, and release your debut album, The Return of Bruno.

As it takes off with its opening track, I immediately pick up on a Minneapolis sound, reminiscent of Prince's latter years. Funk, soul, rhythm and blues. It resonates well.

Though I wouldn't have expected Bruce Willis and the Billboard charts to go hand in hand, turn out, he fared pretty well. Three tracks from the album actually charted, with Respect Yourself peaking the highest at number five. His cover of Under The Boardwalk would only manage to make it to number fifty-nine, and Young Blood fared the worst at sixty-eight. Admittedly, of the three, its my least favorite. However, there are also several others which I enjoyed quite a bit. In fact, I ended up adding eight of the ten tracks to my shuffle list. If nothing else, it psyches me up to hear Willis's follow-up, If It Don't Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger (1989).

I would have never exepected to call myself a blues fan, but I dare say, I'm heading that way. It reminds me of my listening session of Buster Poindexter's self titled album. That one too took me by surprise, and I'm seeing a pattern here. Maybe I need to dig a bit more into the genre.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 12, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 12, 1986

Retro Spins: Scott Baio - Scott Baio

Oh my...

I got on this kick where I started thinking to myself, "Self, what actors and actresses have albums?" The answer was many. Being from the dawn of the CD age, many of these weren't released on a digital physical media. However, there was still a fair selection to chose from.

One such gem I tracked down and picked up was Scott Baio's self titled debut from 1982. Of course, many will remember him for loving Joanie, while others for his era of being in charge. While he may have made for a good actor, let's just cut to the chase. A singer, he is not.

Listening to this album was painful. Baio couldn't carry a tune if he had a ten gallon bucket. His vopice strains for high notes, and drastically goes off key everywhere else. The tracks themselves are generic in every sense. Basic love pop songs, cobbled together for the sole purpose of young teenage girls giggling with glee as they sit in a day dream while listening to it. Further, the album has a very out dated 70's sound, despite being released in the heart of the new wave era.

For being only thirty six minutes, it felt like an eternity By track seven, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to shut it down. There was no way I was making it through the last three songs without jumping off a building.

About the only standout aspect to the record is the cover, which is practically a mirror image for the forthcoming Thriller by Michael Jackson. Beyond that, I've got nothing really positive to say about this one. I didn't expect it to be good, and well, it delivered in the aspect in spades. Ufortunately, I also picked up Baio's follow up album, The Boy Are Out Tonight (1983). I'm feeling nautious just thinking about having to listen to it (eventually).

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 11, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 11, 1987

Retro Spins: Aerosmith - Pump

By 1979, Aeorsmith was waning in popularity, and dying off in a sea of more popular acts. By the time the 1980's rolled around, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thought the group could make a comeback. So frustrated with each other, Joe Perry had left in 79', while Brad Whitford would depart in 1981. However, their departure also served to be a blessing in disguise for Steven Tyler who was heavily into hard drugs by this point. With the help of new member, Rick Dufay, and Producer Jack Douglas, Tyler was able to kick his habits, getting back on his feet.

Clean, and reinvigorated, Perry and Whitford would rejoin Aerosmith in 1984, and with all the original members back in place, release 1985's Done With Mirrors. Despite it being considered a fan favorite, Aerosmith themselves have stated their dislike for the record. Overall its release didn't push the band back into the spotlight either. But, something was on the horizon. Something which would usher in a comeback like never before seen, and it wouldn't even be Aerosmith themselves who would lead the charge,

Go ahead and push play. You know you want to.

Enter three young men from Hollis, New York, Joseph "Run" Simmons, Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, better known as Run-D.M.C. Infusing Aerosmith's 1975 classic, Walk This Way with their style of rock and roll rap, not only propelled the young rappers into mainstream fame, but revived the classic rock group on the brink of death, introducing them to a whole new generation of fans. In truth, this was mine and my brother's introduction to Aerosmith, with my sibling getting so hooked that he would soon give me a decade more of schooling by way of playing all their albums over and over and over daily.

Riding this new wave of success, Aerosmtih returned to the studio to release the highly successful Permanent Vacation (1987). However, the band would quickly return to the studio in 1988 to begin their final album from the decade, 1989's Pump.

Let's just cut to the chase. If you haven't heard it, you're missing out. In a period of relatively new hard rockers hitting the scene, Bon Jovi, Poison, Mötley Crüe, Guns 'N Roses, and all the others, Aerosmtih stepped forward and showed all those kids how it was done. How the classic lineups are classics for a reason. They're seasoned. They've been through the ringer, the ups and downs, and they're back bigger than ever.

Pump remains Aerosmith's second biggest and best selling album to date, and there's good reason for that. It's solid from front to back. An album worthy of being played on vinyl because there's frankly no songs that should be skipped. Bottom line, you need this album in your music collection. Even if you don't have a music collection. It's as important to the 80's as Michael Jackson's Thriller, Def Leppard's Hysteria, Prince's Purple Rain, and all those other iconic albums you can think of. In fact, buy all those too!

Hot on the heals of its September release, the band embarked on a major world tour, which ran from October 18, 1989 to October 15, 1990. In total, the show encompassed nine legs, and featured one hundred sixty four shows. This tour also gave birth to the band's private Citation II airline which they named Aeroforce One.

The band would take a four year break before releasing their biggest album to date, Get A Grip (1993), and from their, only continued to boom in popularity, poised to take over yet another decade. However, from there, things seemed to slow down a bit. Not necessarily in hits, but the group's desire to release albums. The 90's saw one final release, 1997's Nine Lives, and between 2001 and 2012, they've only released three new studio albums.

Sadly, there appears to be no new music on the horizon. Joe Perry has stated many times that his focal point is on touring. That he's happier playing live for the fans. He also stated that as a whole, Aerosmith has so much music that they aren't able to play it all, so it doesn't make sense to record new material. I guess that makes sense.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 10, 1982

Retro Spins: The Belle Stars - The Belle Stars

When the all girl group, The Bodysnatchers, broke up in 1981, five of the eight members formed The Belle Stars with new member Leslie Shone, Jennie Matthias and Gerald Woodroffe. The band worked hard to become well known around London, and were soon signed by Stiff Records. However, despite their popularity live, their initial singles failed to garner much attention.

Needing new direction, the group switched to releasing a series of covers, which included The Dixie Cups Iko Iko, and Shirley Ellis's The Clapping Song. However, it would be their following single, Sign Of The Times, which would finally give them the breakthrough they were looking for. The song would reach number three in Europe, and the video would see heavy rotation on MTV.

Leading up to this period, the girls would also gain and lose members, with the classic line up ultimately consisting of Jennie McKeown, Sarah-Jane Owen, Stella Barker, Clare Hirst, Miranda Joyce, Lesley Shone, and Judy Parsons. It would be this lineup that would go to work on releasing their debut self titled album, featuring many of the singles above, as well as additional covers and new material. While the album would reach number fifteen in the UK, it would stall on the US Billboard charts at one hundred ninety-one. Their success was brief.

Finding their debut album on CD isn't impossible. However, you won't find it under the self titled name. Instead, turn your attention to Belle-issima! Sweet Memories . . . Though it looks like a compilation album at first glance, it's actually far more. This two disc set is broken up into three sections. The first being the singles. The second being their debut album. The third being the twelve inch singles.

Though on the surface it may seem like a comprehensive release of everything the band ever did, it's not. It doesn't include any of the tracks from the group's shelved follow-up album, nor any of the singles from it which were released. More on this below.

Focusing in on just the twelve tracks which encompass the girls debut album, there's good stuff to be found here. Personal standouts for me were Sign Of The Times, Ci Ya Ya, The Clapping Song, and Iko Iko. However, with that said, the album isn't bad. It just has stronger tracks than others. It has a strong new wave / synth pop sound, and that hits right on my sweet spot of the 80's. If anything, it's kind of a shame that this was all there was from the band.

Despite continuing to struggle, the girls pressed on, touring throughout 1984. However, and unfortunately, this continued disappointment took its toll, leading to Matthis quitting. She was followed by several other members, leaving just three of the members in place, Owen, Joyce, and Shone. Though the group was poised to continue as a trio, financial woes at Stiff Records led to the label being sold to Island Records, and then liquidated through Trevor Horn's ZZT.

Under Horn's supervision, the three remaining members recorded a follow up album. However, when the first single, which featured three new tracks, failed to make any impact, the record was shelved, and the band broke up. Fast forward to 1989, where The Belle Star's cover of Iko Iko would appear on the soundtrack to Rain Main, putting it on the charts where it reached number 14 on the Billboard 100. While Matthis would tour to promote the song, the remaining members wouldn't join her, nor would The Belle Stars ever reunite.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 9, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 9, 1988

Retro Spins: Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Red Hot Chili Peppers

I get on this kick every now and then to pursue albums from artists I know, but not necessarily like, or need. That's how I end up with vast discographies from the 80's that sit for a long time before I get any sort of inkling to listen to them. Such as the case with today's Retro Spin.

If you were to ask me if I liked the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I would have immediately answered, "No." To me, they were one of those 90's staples who helped usher in the new, while stomping on the only. I didn't see the appeal to the band, as a whole, nor their hit, Under The Bridge, among others, which saw frequent rotation on MTV.

Additionally, if you would have asked me, "You know they started in the early 80's," equally, I would have said, "No.". While this knowledge would eventually hit my radar, I still avoided the group like the plague. I didn't see any way that their albums would possibly be any good. So, it was odd that one day I finally turned my sites towards them, and said, "Okay, let's see what they've done."

Their 1989 album, Mother's Milk had already hit my collection via a one dollar purchase from the 2018 Timonium Toy Show. From there, it sat in a box for several years. Additionally, I also picked up their second album, Freaky Style, at some point in 2022. It was during the latter part of 2023 that I randomly decided I needed to finish my collection, and picked up, The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984), and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). All four of these albums continued to sit around until today.

Dusting off their debut, and popping it on, I was immediately greeted by True Men Don't Kill Coyotes. What surprised me was how I was instantly hooked. then Baby Appeal came on, and I remembered why I didn't like the band. As I settled back and thought to myself, "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted," Buckle Up tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Hold on a minute." This was followed by Get Up And Jump, which equally appealed to me.

Though the remainder of the album was up and down, I did find one more in the mix, Out In L.A., which I added to my playlist. Of the thirty-three minutes of music, I walked away with roughly twelve to thirteen minutes worth of tunes, which isn't bad. Four out of eleven tracks, I'll take that win.

Now, am I a converted Red Hot Chili Peppers fan? Well, I'm on the fence. I'm intrigued enough to dive into their second album, but still not convinced that they'll have any long lasting impact on me.

Still, it was refreshing to dig out an album that I could walk away from happy. Red Hot Chili Peppers, you win this round.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 8, 1989

Marvel UK Posters By Rafael López Espí

Marvel UK Posters by Rafael López Espí
Marvel Comics
1974

If you had 90 pence back in 1974, and read Marvel UK magazines, then you could have been among the lucky comic book fans to get your hands on a fantastic set of posters created by Spanish artist, Rafael López Espí.

López Espi is not among the most well known artist from the Marvel era, and this is perhaps because the majority of his work was confined to reprints of issues while working for Ediciones Vértice, the group responsible for Spanish versions of popular Marvel Comics.

Born and native to Barcelona, López Espí began his career in 1953, which has included covers for titles such as DC Thomson’s Commando and the Fleetway titles Air Ace, Battle, Roxy, Marilyn and Valentine.

He also produced strip work for western stories such as Rex Raven, Billy McGregor and Riffle, as well as several war and romance stories, and Mytek the Mighty. His talents could easily rival some of the greatest of the era. I daresay if given the chance, he could have taken on books of his own, ushering in a new age of Marvel prior to the 90's boom where it was more about the art(ist), and less about the story.

It's indicated that he eventually tired of comics work because of issues over creator rights. However, he did return to them in 2009 to create Extra-Humans and Rayser, published by Panini, the latter which inspired a musical soundtrack by Zíclope and Scud Hero. For Marvel alone, he's credited for working on close to 600 covers during his career, and that's just the work he did for Marvel.

Pertaining to this work specifically, though there wee only six posters made available during this 74' promotion. However, you can see more work done in this style directly at his website, "HERE". While his site is in Spanish, I think the artwork speaks for itself.

I'm particularly a fan of this Spider-Man image, if that's a surprise to any of you readers of The Toy Box. I like how Espi has incorporated into the mask his facial features. These are details which would clearly be visible through his mask, but was something no artists I've seen prior, or since, have bothered to hone in on.

I would have loved to have these posters on my wall as a child, and young comic collector. Granted, by the time I was into comics, 1974 was long past. Heck, I wasn't even around when they first came out.

For a deeper dive into his work, you can also track down a copy of his book, El poder de López Espí: El arte de los superhéroes (translated The power of López Espí: The art of superheroes), published by Dolmen Editorial. It's still available on their main website, "HERE". However, much like his blog, the book is also in Spanish.

This post is not sponsored by Rafael López Espí, or Dolmen Editorial.

These days, books with Rafael López Espí covers are found few and far between, and when they are, they average $100.00 to $200.00 each. However, if you were interested in putting together a comic collection based on the art alone, this would certainly be one I recommend.

Credit is also given to, downthetubes, an additional source for this post.

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Retro Spins: Noel - Noel

Noel Pagn, or Noel, as he was known, found success to be minimal. Though he managed to have two songs hit the Billboard 100, his overall impact wasn't strong enough to remain memorable. As such, he is one of those forgotten from the 80's.

Beyond being from the Bronx, New York, not much is really known about the singer's private life. So, we shift forward right into his 1987 debut, and self titled album. His single, Silent Morning, would become his most successful, reaching number forty-seven on the Billboard 100. It would fare much better on dance charts, reaching the top ten.

His second single, Like A Child, would reach number sixty-seven, and became his first number one hit on the dance charts. He'd again top the dance charts with his third single, Out Of Time. Overall, his album would peak at one hundred twenty-six on the Billboard 200.

As I fired it up, I was greeted by a synth pop dance beat, that honestly felt out of place for being an album from 1988. It's not that it was bad. Rather, it just felt dated when compared to other music of that year.

Noel's ended up on my radar while combing through a playlist of 10,000 songs from 1980's that I found online. At the time, his singles piqued my interest, and ultimately drove how this album ended up on my want list. However, as I played through it from start to finish, I quickly started to have a little buyer's remorse.

In general, it's not a very common album to find on CD, so this in turn makes it a little more expensive than your average disc. Mind you, not bank breaking, but still, up there in the lower double digits. I think its overall scarcity is what led me to grab it the moment I saw it. Sometimes, you just have to do that when only one pops up occasionally.

Overall though, I'd be lying if I told you I walked away from my listening session saying it was worth the price. While I won't call it bad, I also wouldn't call it good. Further, I don't see myself ever pulling it back off the shelf to hear it again. Probably the worst part about it was that when I played the two songs I bought it for, these too didn't resonate. In fact, I found myself questioning how this one even got on my want list. Again, I think it all goes back to that rarity aspect. I think I got sucked in as a collector.

His 1987 debut would be the only album Noel would release in the 80's. It wouldn't be until 1993 that his follow up, Heart's On Fire hit record stores. However, it would fail to make any impact in the US. To date, the singer hasn't released any further full length studio albums, but continues to work in the industry, releasing two singles, 2001's Will I Find True Love, and 2007's I Feel Alive. Neither of these impacted hard enough to provide a resurgence for Noel.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 7, 1984

Retro Spins: Foreigner - Agent Provoceteur

Touted as one of the world's best selling bands. Makers of hit after hit. Icons in the world of rock. What more needs to be said about Foreigner?

The group was formed in 1976 by guitarist Mick Jones, vocalist Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, bassist Ed Gagliardi and multi-instrumentalist, and original King Crimson member, Ian McDonald. Their self titled 1977 debut would also serve as the bands breakthrough, and would be the starting point for mainstream success across two decades. Foreigner, the album, would reach number four in the USA, and hit the top ten in both Australia and Canada, led by the singles, Feels Like The First Time, and Cold As Ice.

They would immediately set to work on their follow up, and more successful second album, 1978's Double Vision. This sophomore release would reach number three in the USA, with Hot Blooded reaching number three, and title track reaching number two.

Feeling a lot of his ideas weren't compatible with the overall vision of the group, Foreigner parted ways with Gagliardi after the album's release, and brought in new bassist, Rick Wills. This revised lineup would set to work on 1979's Head Games. Though it reached number five in the USA, led by its title tracks single, Head Games was not as successful as it predecessors.

Another lineup change would occur in 1980, when both Ian McDonald, and Al Greenwood were fired. The driving force behind the decision was that ultimately the band wanted to go in a direction that the majority members felt the two wouldn't fit into, musically. Of course, if you ask McDonald or Greenwood, they would tell you it was all a control thing for Gramm and Jones, who wanted to emphasize that Foreigner was their band, and they were the focus.

Reduced to a quartet, the aptly titled, 4, would be released in 1981. It would become their first and only album to reach number one, led by the smash hits, Jukebox Hero, Urgent, Waiting For A Girl Like You, and Break It Up. The band would then embark on a world tour, taking three years to return to the studio.

1984's Agent Provocateur would produce the band's first and only number one hit, I Want To Know What Love Is, and would also feature the hit, That Was Yesterday, my personal favorite from Foreigner. Oddly though, I hadn't heard the entire album until today, when I popped it in for my Retro Spin write up.

Agent Provocateur delivers another solid listening experience from the band. One of the things I've always been treated with from the group is great songs that weren't necessarily hits, and this album continues to provide this. Tooth And Nail, and A Love In Vain stood out as equally wonderful next to the two singles. Though these were the stand out tracks, the rest of the album was far from terrible.

Overall, it's a great album, and only adds more and more of their music to my ever growing shuffle. Sadly, for the group, things started to crash fast. Prior to beginning work on what would become 1987's Inside Information, both Gramm and Jones would dabble in solo efforts. This would lead to the question of whether Gramm would even return to the group, which fortunately, he did. It would not only be their last entry in the 80's, but also their last platinum album.

Gramm would return to a solo career, and by 1990 opted to leave Foreigner. Jones, Wills and Elliot would hire new singer, Johnny Edwards for 1991's Unusual Heat. Its reception was cold, and quickly forgotten.

In 1994, Gramm and Jones would reunite with new band members, and release their attempted comeback album, Mr. Moonlight. Despite their reunion, this album too failed to garner much attention. Over a decade would pass before Jones would once again put together the band, this time with Kelly Hansen on vocals. With this new lineup, they released their final album to date, 2009's Can't Slow Down.

The heydays are of course far gone at this point for Foreigner, and had been since 1987. It's sad really. Between 1977 and 1987 the band seemed unstoppable, but in retrospect, seem to have derailed themselves as a result of their own egos.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 6, 1985

Retro Spins: Go West - Go West

Go West were formed in 1982 by singer Peter Cox and guitarist Richard Drummie, but it would be three years before they would release their breakthrough self titled debut. Though they had a publishing deal, they lacked a backing band and recording label. As a result, they opted instead to release two tracks, We Close Our Eyes, and Call Me. This turned out to be the best move, as it landed them a deal with Chrysalis Records.

We Close Our Eyes went to number five on the UK singles charts, as well as on the US dance club charts. It would also reach number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100. Aided by a unique video, which was favored on MTV, the song would become the band's biggest throughout the remainder of their career. Awesome to peak so high from the starting gate, but also a downer to have reached said peak only to gradually head down from there.

After listening to the album, I can understand that. It starts off with We Close Our Eyes, and really gets you in the mood for some hard hitting pop hits. Sadly, it just doesn't deliver. Much like their career, you get the shotgun blast at the beginning, only to putter the rest of the way to the finish line.

Really, there's not much more to say about it. The hit is the hit, the rest is a miss. As songs continued, I lost more and more interest, giving each one a few seconds, and then skipping them.

Go West would follow their debut up with the 1986 remix and B-side album, Bangs & Crashes, which would feature the tune, One Way Street, later used on the Rocky IV soundtrack. However, it wouldn't be until 1987's Dancing On The Couch that fans would get a proper studio follow up. It was not met with the critical or sales success as their debut.

The 1990 soundtrack for Pretty Woman would deliver the groups second biggest hit, King Of Wishful Thinking, and apparently they would ride this coattail, including it on their 1992 studio album, Indian Summer. Wow, that's really lame. Two years later, and they still need to rely on that song to sell records? I mean, it worked. Indian Summer would end up going gold.

From there, Go West would go away, and not return until 2008's Futureshow, and then again for their 2013 album, 3D. However, sales and success were not kind to those albums.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 5, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 5, 1986

Retro Spins: Haircut One Hundred - Pelican West

So many unique bands hit the scene in the 80's, only to disappear just as quickly. But, don't count them out yet, there's good stuff to be found.

Nick Heyward and Les Nemes may have been in numerous bands since 1977, but they never reached a point where they would release any music for the longest time. It wouldn't be until their group, Moving England, that they would finally complete a single.

Heyward and Nemes would relocate to London in 1980, and recruit their friend and guitarist, Graham Jones. It was during this time they would settle on the name, Haircut One Hundred, for the simple fact that it made them all laugh. Drummer Patrick Hunt would also join, and with the guidance of their manager, Karl Adams, would record demos. During these sessions, they were joined by studio saxophonist Phil Smith, who would also join the band, followed by additional percussionist Marc Fox.

After performing a series of live shows, the band would land a deal with Arista Records, and release their first single, Favourite Shirt. The track would go to number four on the UK charts, and lead to the boys being invited to perform on Top of the Pops in 1981.

Patrick Hunt would exit the band leading up to their recording of their debut album, being replaced by Blair Cunningham. Prior to the release of Pelican West, the single Love Plus One hit radios and record stores, ushering in the bands second top ten hit. When released the following month, their debut would reach number two on the UK charts, and the top forties in the USA, leading to a world tour.

Haircut One Hundred wastes no time in delivering, with the opening track being their first single, Favourite Shirt (Boy Meets Girl), which leads right into Love Plus One. From there, the album settles in to its own style, one which I can only explain as a beach scene from an 80's music. Surfer music, if you will. It's enjoyable, but lacks any real sort of punch, in terms of hits.

Their third hit, Fantastic Day, is decent, but doesn't really stand out in comparison to the aforementioned hits. What's interesting, is that the band also had a fourth hit, Nobody's Fool, but that's not even on the album, well, the original pressing anyway. Instead, it was released as a single in August of 1982,

If you did want to add this one to your collection, there is an option in the form of the CD pressing of Pelican West, which is aptly titled, Pelican West Plus. This version contains five bonus tracks, but doesn't really explain where these additional songs came from. I.E. session leftovers, B sides, etc.

Overall, it's an enjoyable album. It's jamming, but not over the top noise, and not overly pop oriented. It's balanced in all regards, delivering an album which you could easily put on for background noise. However, with that said, it also didn't leave me necessarily wanting or needing anymore from the band.

This turned out to be an okay mindset, as in late 1982, Nick Heyward would leave the band. Tensions were growing leading up to the group recording their follow up album, and this wasn't helped by Heyward refusing to attend these sessions. While the remaining members didn't understand or realize at the time, Heyward was struggling with major depression and stress from constant work and pressure. Rather than take a break, and give him the time to recoup, Marc Fox would take over on vocals.

However, more changes would occur before their follow up, Paint And Paint would be released. First, drummer Blair Cunningham would also exit. As a whole, the band would also leave Arista, and sign with Polydor. Sadly, no further singles came from Haircut One Hundred, and they disbanded in 1984.

In 2004, VH1's Band Reunited brought all six members back together for a one night concert. Though they wouldn't release any new material, a 2011 live album featuring all of the members was released on CD. There are occasional rumbles that the band will reunite again, as late as 2022, but nothing has really come to fruition.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 4, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 4, 1987

Retro Spins: Pointed Sticks - Perfect Youth

Inspiration from the Monty Python skit, Self-Defense Against Fresh Fruit, would lead to the name of the band, but their label's financial issues would ultimately lead to a short lived career.

Nick Jones, Bill Napier-Hemy, Ian Tiles, and Tony Bardach, AKA, The Pointed Sticks, would be the first Canadian band signed to record label, Stiff Records. However, the label was in a financial crisis, and therefore, never released a full studio album from the group. Instead, they would produce four singles, as well as a three track seven inch.

The band would be joined by Gord Nicholl, and shift to Quintessence Records, where they would record and release their 1980 debut, Perfect Youth. Where Pointed Sticks stood out among the punk scene were their incorporation of pop friendly sounds, as well as all members harmonizing on vocals.

What actually drew me to the album was the cover. It brought back memories of standing in front of a record rack in stores, having no knowledge of the band, no internet to reference. Just the cover, which said, "I'm interesting enough to sell this album." You old folks like me can relate. Unless we knew the artist, the only thing we had to gauge about buying an album was if the cover was cool.

In playing it, most interesting to me was the similarities in style to Cyndi Lauper's work with Blue Angels. I couldn't help but feel like if she was singing that this album would have been a massive success. This particularly stood out on, When She's Alone. That's not to say that the band didn't do a great job on the track. It's probably my stand out favorite.

It's definitely a punk sounding record, and that's first and foremost what you'll get. With the added elements of pop, it definitely stands out in a genre jammed pack full of establishment and frustration laden lyrics. Will you find Billboard hits here? No, not really. There are certainly tracks that could have been contenders. The aforementioned When She's Alone, 1-2, and Real Thing stick out in this regard.

Overall, it was an enjoyable album, and I kind of wish there was a follow up to jump into.

While some of the member's would be featured in the 1980 Dennis Hopper film, Out Of The Blue, that was essentially the last heard from them until 2005. It would be this year that Sudden Death Records would re-issue their sole album on CD for the first time, including four bonus tracks. This was followed by a compilation of singles, outtakes, and other rarities, entitled Waiting for the Real Thing.

Pointed Sticks would reunite in 2006, albeit with a different lineup, and embark on a series of sporadic tours. They would also finally release their second studio album, 2009's Three Lefts Make A Right. This was followed in 2015 by a self titled album, and then 2022's Beautiful Future. Where they go from there is anyone's guess.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 3, 1982

Retro Spins: Dire Straits - Making Movies

Brother Mark and David Knopfler formed Dire Straits with friends John Illsley and Pick Withers in 1977. Despite early success, and Grammy nominations, feuding between the two siblings would ultimately lead to a departure, but greater success.

The group recorded a five-song demo tape which included their future hit single, Sultans Of Swing, as well as Water Of Love, and Down To The Waterline. However, when it was presented to MCA, the label passed on them.

Though they would go to DJ Charlie Gillett, presenter of Honky Tonk on BBC Radio London seeking advice, the host liked the music so much that he played Sultans of Swing on his show. Shortly thereafter, the Vertigo division of Phonogram Inc. would sign them.

Their self titled debut was released in 1978, and led by Sultan's Of Swing, got the attention of Karin Berg of Warner Bros. Records. She felt the music was perfect for a US audience. While many weren't in agreement with her, a tour that same year with Talking Heads, and the re-release of singles which went to number one in the UK convinced them otherwise. By 1978, Dire Straits had released their debut album worldwide.

The band released their 1979 follow up, Communiqué to great success. It went to number one in Germany, and number three in the UK. They would not only be nominated for a Grammy in for best new artist in 1980, but begin work on their third album, Making Movies. It would be during these sessions that tensions would mount between the brothers, and David would leave the band.

Despite the absence of David, the trio would press on with session musicians releasing the album in October 1980 to critical praise. Making Movies would stay in the UK charts for five years, peaking at number four.

So let's stop here, and fire it up!

Tunnel Of Love sets a nice tone with its organ style intro, which blasts into some of the finest guitar work from Knopfler. It elevates further with Rome And Juliet, and my personal favorite, Expresso Love. However, in between those, while it doesn't necessarily offer a poor experience, the remaining tracks just don't reach the heights of the aforementioned ones.

I actually had to take a break from typing for a while, because while I wanted to say more than the above about my listening experience, I honestly couldn't come up with anything.

While I may not have anything further to say, Dire Straits did. They went on to release 1982's Lover Over Gold, and then their biggest album to date, 1985's Brothers In Arms. The latter was heavily supported through music videos which were featured on MTV quite frequently. Ironic, as Knopfler was against the whole idea of videos. In fact, it would take MTV reaching out to Warner Bros. pleading with them to convince the artist to create a concept video for them to play.

Knopfler would take a break in 1987, but in 1988 would announce the group had disbanded. He would state in a later article, "A lot of press reports were saying we were the biggest band in the world. There's not an accent then on the music, there's an accent on popularity. I needed a rest."

Dire Straits would reunite in 1990, and release one final album, 1991's On Every Street. Perhaps it was because times had changed, or that their departure from the spotlight gave people time to forget, but the album received only moderate success, and mixed reviews. After a contractually obligated live album in 1995, Knopfler quietly disbanded the group again. Though they have reunited periodically for one off shows, the band has yet to release any further studio albums.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 2, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 2, 1988

Retro Spins: Falco - Einzelhaft

Johann "Hans" Hölzel knew as a kid that he wanted to be a pop star. He showed signs of being a musical prodigy incredibly early in his young life. As a toddler, he was able to keep drum beat time with music he heard, and by the age of four received a grand piano as a birthday gift. A year later he would receive his first record player, giving him the ability to play albums from The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Cliff Richard.

He would attend Vienna Conservatoire at the age of sixteen, but grow frustrated with the experience, and drop out. He would then take a job at the Austrian employee pension insurance institute. However, this too would be short lived.

In the late 70's, Hölzel would envelope himself in the Viennese nightlife. It would be here that he would play bass guitar for a number of bands. Though unlike his fellow band mates, would stand out for his clean cut appearance, and pressed suits. He would also adopt the stage name, Falco. After one particular performance of Ganz Wien in 1981, he would be approached by Markus Spiegel, who would sign him.

Falco would begin writing and composing his own music, presenting the single, Helden von heute as his first release. However, it would be the B-side, Der Kommissar, which his manager, Horst Bork, would be interested in. Rap was relatively rare in Western Europe at the time, and this made the singer hesitant. Despite this reluctance, the song would become a major hit in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan, reaching number one in each country, while charting high in several others.

Unfortunately, the track would fail to pique interest in the US and UK. That is until it was loosely covered and released in 1983 by band, After The Fire. That same year, Laura Branigan would change the lyrics, and release a none single cover entitled, Deep In The Dark.

While we won't be visiting the more popular cover version today, we will go back to where it all began. Of course, I'm talking about Falco's 1982 debut, Einzelhaft.

As I played through it, I found myself having mixed feelings. On one hand, it was nice to hear Falco's voice, and more so, something "new" from him. However, this didn't necessarily make for a good album. Overall, the tracks had a very slow pace, and dated sound to them. Early synthpop, which didn't necessarily stand the test of time.

Truthfully, while I like the Der Kommissar, I favor the remake from ATF. It's one of those rare occasions where the cover is better than the original.

The overall poor impact that Einzelhaft had on me was probably heavily due in part by it being strictly in German. Unlike future releases, where the singer had his breakout in English speaking territories, and thus incorporated that language, the fact that I couldn't understand anything deterred me from being able to get into it. I didn't understand anything, and since the music wasn't catchy, it all just kind of fell flat.

Hearing Helden von heute, I can understand why Bork favorder Der Kommissar as the lead single. However, this could be bias, as ATF kind of already cemented by love for that song. I can't say as it would have been as good if it were the first time I was hearing the tune in general.

It was a shame really. Falco 3 is one of my favorite albums from the 80's, and I really want to like the singer more than I do. Alas, that just doesn't seem to happen.

Falco returned to the studio in 1983 to record his follow up, 1984's Junge Roemer, but has stated very openly that the pressures were on from the label to deliver the same success of his debut. This unfortunately didn't happen with the release. Though it would reach number one in Austria, it failed everywhere else in the world.

Perhaps this was for the best, as this led to the singer parting ways with his original production team, and beginning to experiment with different musical styles, including the English language. Falco 3 was released in 1985, and led by Rock Me Amadeus gave him the success he was looking for across the globe. While this would have paved the way for further albums produced in the US, as well as collaborations with other artists, his personal additions to drugs and alcohol impeded this from occurring.

Instead, Falco released his 1986 follow up, Emotional. The album would fail to chart in the US, and start a steady decline of his worldwide popularity. Specifically in English speaking countries. Sales declined even further with his 1988 album, Wiener Blut.

Falco would release two additional albums in the 90's, 1990's Data de Groove, and 1992's Nachtflug, but continued his trend of declining popularity. It wouldn't be until 1995 that he would return to the studio to work on his comeback album, 1998's Out of the Dark (Into the Light). Sadly the album would be released posthumously, as Johann Hölzel would unfortunately die in a car crash on February 6, 1998, just thirteen days before his 41st birthday.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 1, 1989