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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Hide Your Heart (AKA Notes From America)

Today wraps up my listening sessions of Bonnie Tyler's 80's discography. What constitutes as an icon and / or legacy artist? The industry would have you believe that Tyler qualifies for these titles, yet when you stand back and look at her career as a whole, she only had one number one Billboard Hot 100 hit, Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Her remaining singles from the 80's peaked between thirty-three and seventy-seven. I don't know. I hate to be so mean, especially on the heels of her unfortunate passing, but that just doesn't scream iconic to me.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Ace Of Base popularized the song, Don't Turn Around in the 90's, but it was originally recorded as a B-side by Tina Turner for her single, Typical Male in 1986. Bonnie Tyler would then record her own version of the song in 1988 for her studio album, Hide Your Heart. That album would be retitled to Notes From America when released in the USA. It turns out that Tina would in turn borrow from Bonnie, as this album would include Tyler's original recording of The Best, which Turner would then use for her 1989 record, Foreign Affair.

In addition to this, Bonnie would also record the Paul Stanley / Holly Knight written, Hide Your Heart, which Kiss would later use on their Hot In The Shade album the following year. Lastly, she would also record a cover of the Bee-Gee's 1967 second single, To Love Somebody.

Things start off with the roar of a live audience, giving the impression that you've been bamboozled into listening to a concert album, versus studio. However, as the song picks up, the crowd fades out, and the crisp studio recording takes over. Opening track, Notes From America is decent, but definitely nothing worth jumping up and down for.

Her version of Hide Your Heart was decent, but in retrospect, I dig Kiss's version more. This isn't surprising since it's not only the version I heard first, but it would make sense that the artist who wrote it would be able to produce the better rendition. This is my same impression of her cover of the Bee-Gee's tune, To Love Somebody, which honestly just feels unnecessary. Bonnie adds her own flourish to it, but frankly, it's just not good. She's literally just yelling through it.

Having heard it first is also the problem I have with tracks Don't Turn Around, and The Best. I'm sorry to say that Ace Of Bass does the first better, and Tina Turner owns The Best at this point. One I've yet to mention yet is her cover of Big Brother And The Holding Company's Turtle Blues. Tyler can definitely match the vocals of Janis Joplin, but does she achieve a better song in the long run? No, not really. Janis nails the rhythm and blues sound of the original, and it just fist more, time period wise with its 1968 roots.

USA album cover and title

Michael Bolton and Desmond Child contribute the song, Take Another Look At Your Heart, and you can definitely tell in listening to it that it's a Bolton song. It has his signature style to the lyrics. The unfortunate part for Bonnie, is that it prompted me to look if he ever recorded his own version of it, and sadly, he did not. I'd much prefer to hear him sing it.

Okay, so let me try and say something positive. I suppose the opening track was decent, and Shy With You is a poppy treat. They're about the only two tracks that really stood out in a good way among the rest. But, overall, the album just feels like a series of throw away tracks.

Columbia Records ended up dropping Bonnie from their roster when her contract expired, and while she would go on to release eleven more albums through 2021, it would be for a series of varying labels. She would also experience an uptick in sales in the 90's, with her three albums released between 1991 and 1993 going platinum on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Specifically, the Norwegian branch. However, her days on the Billboard Hot 100, and charting in the USA in general, were long over by this point.

Still, Bonnie Tyler remained highly popular around the world, and anyone who tells you otherwise is flat out lying or trying to fool themselves. She remained incredibly active through 2026, performing her last live show on March 19, 2026, in London. Had it not been for a tear in her bowel, which put her in the hospital, she would have been back on the road in May. Unfortunately, her health took an unexpected turn, leading to her sadly passing away on July 8, 2026, just one month to the day after her birthday.

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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire

Leaping over 1983's Faster Than The Speed Of Night, which I've already done a Retro Spin on, today, I come to 1986's Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. While it's Bonnie Tyler's sixth studio album to date, it was only her second with Columbia, having left RCA after releasing 1981's Goodbye To The Island.

Many tracks that would encompass the album would come from Tyler continuing to work with Jim Steinman between 1983 and 1986. It's during these sessions that the song, Holding Out For A Hero would be recorded, and contributed to the 1984 Kevin Bacon film, Footloose. As such, it's a bit odd that it would get dusted off and added to her studio album two years later. At that point, it was more than readily available on that soundtrack and had candidly run its course.

Steinman in turn recruited Desmond Child to assist with writing tracks, and in doing so, made a very specific request for one song. He wanted a song about androgyny. The verses have to sound like Tina Turner, the B Section has to sound like The Police, U2, or Hall & Oates, and the chorus has to sound like Bruce Springsteen. The directive spawned the song, If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man). The album would also include the track, Ravishing, which Steinman originally wrote and contributed as Hulk Hogan's theme for the World Wrestling Federation compilation album released in 1985, appropriately titled, The Wrestling Album.

Upon its release, it received very mixed reviews, with most negativity being directed towards Jim Steinman. Some critics were just flat out rude about it, such as Steven Wine, who stated, "Only Bonnie Tyler's parents would want to listen to her sing the same song for six minutes, but three of the eight tunes on [the album] exceed that span." He'd go on to say the album was a, "bombastic bore."

Things didn't settle down from there. Tom Ford stated that "although Tyler proves able to do some interesting things, she is outdistanced by the tiresome ponderousness of the material," concluding that "the prissy, self-indulgence here is just too much to stand." Meanwhile, Paul Speelman opined that Tyler and Steinman were "deeply entrenched in a rut," and found the music to be excessive. He would say, "There are banks of synthesizers, layers of percussion, dramatic electronic gimmickry and huge production: no wonder poor old Bonnie had to yell to be heard above that lot."

Say what you will, the music video for If You Were A Woman, And I Was A Man is an absolute 80's banger! I mean, come on. There's a guy in full shoulder pads, and head gear playing a violin that eventually starts smoking. It makes absolutely no sense, but at the same time, it makes complete sense. It's the 80's, baby!

On that note, let's dive right in!

First and foremost, what you listen to depends on which version you buy. The original vinyl featured eight tracks, which were also included on the CD and cassette releases. However, the CD includes one additional track, Before This Night Is Through. The cassette version includes all nine of these songs, plus Under Suspicion.

Right here is where I'm going to get potentially controversial for Bonnie Tyler fans.

Yes, the CD and vinyl formats had the most restriction back then, in terms of runtime. It's because of this that there are not only omitted track, as noted above, but many of the songs vary in run times from version to version. The best example of this is Loving You Is A Dirty Job (But Somebody's Got To Do It). On the vinyl, this track is seven minutes twenty-eight seconds. On CD, it's seven minutes forty-seven seconds, and on cassette, it's seven minutes forty-nine seconds. I would argue that finding a standard runtime for songs, probably the shorter versions, and omitting the 1984 track, Holding Out For A Hero, would have allowed for the remaining nine tracks to fit on all three formats. It just doesn't make sense to have this varying degree of alternate versions.

Further, I will echo what the critics said, the runtime of a lot of songs is way bloated. You just don't need a seven-minute Bonnie Tyler song. Her tunes should be to the point, and radio edit friendly. I daresay this is what led to them including Holding Out For A Hero on the album. Without it, there's nothing really to put out there for airwaves to promote the record. But again, its inclusion is unnecessary from being readily available for the prior two years at this point, and let's face it, everyone owned the Footloose soundtrack. Candidly, it's also just lazy to include it.

For me, If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man), and Rebel Without A Clue are the only two standout tracks. I wanted to like Ravishing, mainly because it did take me back to the 80's of watching WWF on cable. But ultimately, I prefer my version to be from Hulk Hogan's Rockin' Wrestling.

The version on Tyler's album is hindered by two thing. First, the lyrics are dumb. Second, at six minutes twenty to twenty-four seconds (depending on the format you're on) it's too freaking long. That's actually ironic for me to say, since Rebel Without A Clue has a runtime over eight minutes.

Of course, since we're on the subject, if you're down with the Hulkster, and a true Hulkamaniac, then you can't top his true theme, Real American!

Better watch out, Bonnie Tyler, Hulk Hogan is high jacking your post. But actually, that's not a bad thing, as I honestly don't really have anything else to say about Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. It's just not that good, and I can understand where the critics came from with this one. Sure, they didn't have to be so mean about the way they put it, but the bottom line is it's bloated, and kind of boring.

Bonnie released one final album in the 80's, 1988's Hide Your Heart, or Notes From America, as it was called when released in the USA. That's where I'll pick up, and subsequently end my journey through her discography.

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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Goodbye To The Island

Prior to listening to her album, Faster Than The Speed Of Night, I think I could count the number of Bonnie Tyler songs I knew on one hand of a Ninja Turtle; Total Eclipse Of The Heart, and I Need A Hero. An interesting tidbit about the latter was that while it came out in 1984 on the Footloose soundtrack, was that it would be dusted off for her 1986 studio release, Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire.

But I'm getting way too far ahead.

Born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, she was discovered by Roger Bell at the age of twenty-four (1975) performing with her band, Imagination under the name, Sherene Davis. It was the name she'd switched to in 1969 to avoid confusion with Welsh folk singer, Mary Hopkins. However, when RCA Records began negotiating her contract shortly thereafter, she was once again prompted to change it, selecting Bonnie Tyler.

RCA would choose a unique strategy to promote their new artist, inviting thirty journalists to meet her over a four-course meal. This was followed by the single, Lost In France, which would climb the local charts to number nine, prompting an appearance on Top Of The Pops. The release of her next single, More Than A Lover would not be as favorable, and actually be banned by the British children's TV series, Get It Together. Tyler would actually be grateful for the offhanded exposure and publicity.

Folling this, her 1977 debut, The World Starts Tonight would hit store shelves. While it would fail to chart in the UK, it would peak at number two in Sweden. However, persistent singing would lead her to visit a doctor for a chronic sore throat. It was here that she learned that nodules had grown on her vocal cords, necessitating surgery. Though the procedure was successful, she was instructed to rest her voice for six weeks. During this recovery period, frustration would lead her to screaming out, creating her permanent raspy tone.

1978's Natural Force, issued in the USA as It's A Heartache would be the first to feature her new, and signature vocals. The album would go gold in the USA, and platinum in Canada. While this prompted her first US tour, RCA also wanted another album straight away, leading to 1979's Diamond Cut. By this time, Tyler was growing frustrated with the label, feeling they were pushing her to record country-oriented music, something she didn't want to do. Though she'd finish her contract with them with 1981's Goodbye To The Island, upon being invited to renew for an additional five albums, she'd instead walk away.

It's interesting that Tyler felt this way, because as I was playing through the album, my mind kept trying to decipher what it sounded like. It was upon reading about the reference to country music that it clicked, and felt very much so prevalent with the current track I was on, At first, Wild Side Of Life, and the one that followed, Whiter Shade Of Pale.

That aside, what it definitely sounds is dated. Mind you, I'm not saying it's bad. It just doesn't hold up well, quality wise. You know how some old albums have that flat sound to them?

Music Lesson: Old albums often sound flat because they lack dynamic range and deep bass. Vinyl physical limitations required cutting low-end frequencies so the needle wouldn't skip. Early recording equipment (like primitive tape machines), mono mixing, and mastering meant for AM radio also restricted the overall depth.
There were physical and historical limitations. These included:
Vinyl Mastering: To keep the needle from jumping out of the groove, engineers rolled off low-end frequencies and compressed the audio.
Frequency Roll-Off: Early microphones, analog tape, and cutting lathes simply couldn't capture the ultra-low or ultra-high frequencies we are used to today.
Dynamic Range: Unlike modern music created during the "loudness wars" which pushes overall volume to the max, older records have a lower average volume.

So, yeah, basically the vinyl mastering is what this one has. But with all that aside, there's still good songs to be found. For me, these were I'm Just A Woman, Wild Love, and Sitting On The Edge Of The Ocean. No, it's not the best I've heard from Bonnie Tyler, but it's serviceable.

After her contract expired, Tyler obtained a record deal with Columbia, who prompted her to begin the search for a producer that she wanted to work with. Though her first choice was Meat Loaf alum, Jim Steinman, she also considered Phil Collins, Jeff Lynne and Alan Tarney. With Steinman flat out declining, she may have indeed had to go with a backup plan. However, after sending him some rock demos she was working on, and meeting with him, he would ultimately agree, leading to her biggest album at the time, the aforementioned 1983's Faster Than The Speed Of Night.

As I noted above, I've already played through that one, so my next stop is her 1986 released, Secret Dreams And Forbidden Fire. But before I head there, fun fact. Did you know that after the second verse of the song, Getting So Excited from Faster Than The Speed Of Night, that Jim Steinman speaks the words, "I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that"? Foreshadowing to Meat Loaf's comeback song? You decide.

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Retro Spins: 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe

With the departure of co-founding member, John Lombardo, remaining members Natalie Merchant, Robert Buck, Dennis Drew, Steve Gustafson, and Jerome Augustyniak would continue on as a five piece, seemingly undeterred. While one would expect the absence of Merchant's co-writer on the majority of their material to be a potential problem, instead, 1987's In My Tribe would serve to be the band's biggest album of all time.

Having said that, it's not like the singles from the album were burning up the charts. Rather, Like The Weather, and What's The Matter Here? would only turn out to be moderate hits, peaking at sixty-eight and eighty, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100. Mainly, the group continued to find a strong foothold amongst the college radio scenes.

The overall sound continues the hipster trend which started with 1985's The Wishing Chair. It's a style I would definitely say I'm not the biggest fan of, but that it's okay in moderation. What I will say is that I found myself flipflopping back and forth. Either I would like a song for its solid instrumentation or Merchant's unique vocals, but usually never at the same time. This was incredibly prevalent for In My Tribe.

What I was definitely surprised about was the number of songs I did enjoy. There were quite a few; What's The Matter Here?, Hey Jack Kerouac, Like The Weather, The Painted Desert, Don't Talk, My Sister Rose, and A Campfire Song. The latter, I immediately picked up on the co-vocals of R.E.M.'s Michal Stipe, making it all the more enjoyable.

Look, I'm not going to call myself a fan of the band, but I will say that of the four albums, this was certainly the most enjoyable for me. Does it make me want to hear more from them? No, not necessarily. However, I will give them a nod of 80's approval.

Merchant, Buck, Drew, Gustafson, and Augustyniak would remain the 10,00 Maniacs until 1993 when Merchant would quit in a vain push for a solo career, to work with other musicians, and have full creative control. While part of this discography includes the 1989 album, Blind Man's Zoo, as noted in my post about their debut album, I've already played through that one for a Retro Spin.

The aftermath of Merchant leaving the band was Elektra unceremoniously dropping them from their label in lieu of signing directly with Natalie. The remaining members, Robert Buck, Dennis Drew, Steven Gustafson, and Jerry Augustyniak would reach out to previous member John Lombardo and his new bandmate, Mary Ramsey to join the band. Initially, they didn't have the rights to use the band's name, and as a result, started out as the long winded, John & Mary, Rob, Steve, Dennis, & Jerry. However, once they reobtained the name, they released two albums between 1997 and 1999.

Buck would take a short break in 1998 but return to the band the following year. Unfortunately, shortly after, he would pass away from liver failure, prompting the remaining members to take a break. Gustafson, Drew, and Augustyniak would regroup in 2002, and decide to carry on. However, upon learning that they'd hired a new guitarist, and singer, Jeff Erickson, and Oskar Saville, respectively, Lombardo quit the band again. This iteration would tour through 2004.

In 2006, Saville left, leaving room for Mary Ramsey to rejoin. This lineup released two more studio albums, with 2015's Twice Told Tales being their last. This would also feature Lombardo, who returned to the band. Since then, lineup changes continued to occur, with both Ramsey and Erickson departing, replaced briefly by Leigh Nash, and Matt Slocum. As of 2024, the band has consisted of founding members Dennis Drew, Steven Gustafson, as well as long standing members, Jerry Augustyniak, John Lombardo, and Mary Ramsey. Since her initial departure, Natalie Merchant has enjoyed a solo career and appears to have no intensions of ever reuniting with her former bandmates.

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Retro Spins: 10,000 Maniacs - The Wishing Chair

After self-funding and releasing their 1982 debut EP and studio album, Human Conflict Number Five and Secrets Of The I Ching, respectively, 10,000 Maniacs not only found themselves with a manager, Peter Leak, but through his efforts, a recording contract with Elektra Records.

1985's The Wishing Chair would receive moderately favorable reviews, reaching a silver sales certification. Despite this, the Maniacs would yet to achieve any Billboard Hot 100 singles, instead staying primarily popular among college radio stations.

Right from the starting gate, this is definitely absent of the charm that made Secrets Of The I Ching unique. This is straight up folk rock, whereas its predecessor felt experimental, rooted in reggae. It somewhat kills the momentum high I was on with my previous Retro Spin and was a bit disappointing.

Truthfully, the album got lost for me in background noise, with only one track, Just As The Tide Was A Flowing, standing out as memorable. Mind you, I use the term "memorable" lightly, as at this point, after hearing the whole album, I don't honestly remember it.

It would turn out that I am not the only one who was disappointed with the change in musical stye. So too was co-founding member, Lombardo, who departed in 1986. He would join up with Mary Ramsey, forming the folk act, John And Mary.

Remaining members, Natalie Merchant, Robert Buck, Dennis Drew, Steve Gustafson, and Jerome Augustyniak would return to the studio to release 1987's In My Tribe, the Maniacs highest selling, and commercially successful album to date.

Overall, so far I'm getting about what I expected from 10,000 Maniacs, which is not much at all. They're not a bad group; they're just not hit singles good. For the most part, their tunes are forgettable, and that in and of itself is their biggest flaw.

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Retro Spins: 10,000 Maniacs - Secrets Of The I Ching

As I mentioned in my very first post on the band, 10,000 Maniacs, I don't know much about them. Sure, I've got the basics; Natalie Merchant is the singer, and they performed for MTV Unplugged in the 90's. In my write up of their 1989 album, Blind Man's Zoo, I was not too kind about my opinion on them.

The band was formed in 1981 as Still Life by keyboardist Dennis Drew, bassist Steven Gustafson, drummer Chet Cardinale, guitarist Robert Buck, and vocalist Terri Newhouse. Gustafson would extend an invitation to a young Natlie Merchant to provide some vocal work, as well as offer John Lombardo a full-time role in the band as an additional bassist and guitarist. Later that year, Newhouse and Cardinale and would quit, and Merchant would become their lead singer. This was followed by a temporary name change to Burn Victims, before settling on 10,000 Manicas, a name inspired by the horror film, Two Thousand Maniacs.

Several drummers would come and go, but it would be Tim Edborg who would debut with Merchant, Lombardo, Buck, Drew, and Gustafson on Labor Day, September 7, 1981. He'd depart soon thereafter, and Bob "Bob O Matic" Wachter would fill the role for the remainder of the year. He'd eventually be replaced by Jim Foti.

Tired of being a cover band, Merchant and Lombardo would take on the role of main song writers for the band, with Natlie focusing on lyrics, while John arranged music. Alongside Buck, Drew, Gustafson, and Foti, they'd record the 1982 EP, Human Conflict Number Five. The recording would be financed by Drew's mother, and a mere 1,000 copies would be pressed on vinyl by the label, Mark Records.

By 1983, Jerry Augustyniak had joined as their new drummer, and with this revised lineup in place, set to task on recording the tracks that would become their debut studio album, Secrets of the I Ching. Much like their EP, it was pressed in limited quantities of just 500 by Mark Records. The album would garner the attention of UK DJ John Peel, who began playing tracks from it, boosting their popularity around London.

One of the interesting aspects about their debut EP and studio album is that you won't actually find these on a standalone CD. Meaning, you're not going to find a CD titled Human Conflict Number Five or Secrets Of The I Ching. Instead, the band would remix all of these tracks, and compile them together on their 1990 compilation album, Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982–1983. It's a convenient, and cheap way to get them both, but at the same time, a bit disappointing that they're not the original versions.

Back in New York, Peter Leak would also take an interest in the band, and upon reaching out would become their manager. It was through his efforts that they'd get signed to Elektra Records, and release their mass distributed The Wishing Chair in 1985. However, for now, I'm getting too far ahead.

I don't know if the album was mixed poorly, or my ears weren't working. I could barely understand Merchant's vocals, to the point that it felt like she was singing either gibberish, or in a foreign language. Another odd aspect was it seemed to be heavy reggae influenced, with her trying to sound like she had a South African accent. The whole thing was just weird, which was also part of its charm. It wasn't bad.

While Grey Victory and Daktari were the standout tracks to me, I can honestly, and surprisingly say, there wasn't anything bad from the album. I actually quite enjoyed it. I imagine hearing it in 1982 would have potentially been system shock for how different it is in comparison to the standard radio fare of that year. It almost seems out of place in comparison.

Bottom line is I'm down with this one and intrigued to jump into their 1985 mainstream follow-up. Further, I'm curious if I was too critical of their 1989 album that I initially listened to last year. Depending on how things go, I may have to revisit that one. We'll see.

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Retro Spins: Janet Jackson - Dream Street

When we last left Janet, she had just come off of her critically lackluster 1982 self titled debut. While things wouldn't ultimately fair any better with 1984's Dream Street.

Dream Street is not only the lowest selling album of all time for Janet, but also her only album which never spawned any hits. This to me is odd, because frankly, the title track is a powerhouse. Further, the opening track, Don't Stand Another Chance, had the benefit of being produced by brother Marlon Jackson, and featured backing vocals by Michael. That to me seemed like a recipe for airplay, no questions asked.

As I played through it, I got out of the album what I fully expected. Strong vocals from Janet, all laid across relatively throw away tracks. It's not a terrible record, it just wasn't what it needed to be to produce major label success.

Overall, it has a heavy pop sheen to it, which is better in my book to its soul R&B predecessor. What I won't do, is agree with Ken Tucker with The Philadelphia Inquirer, who stated it was better than The Jackson's Victory. That's going too far.

Personally, I think a lot of times the charm with hearing older, or forgotten albums, from artists after they've hit their biggest success is the familiarity of it. Basically, it makes it easier to appreciate, and even like, an album when you're already into that artist. Again, familiarity. Even when it's not their best work, it still finds a way to resonate. I think that's a benefit for Dream Street.

Two years after its release, Janet would eat a bunch of cake, and with more girth to her loins, return to the studio to rock out the powerhouse, Control. With songs driven by pure emotions from her recent divorce from James DeBarge, and severing management with her father, the autobiographical themed album would go on to be a major success. The album was so popular, that it spawned a sequel, of sorts, in the form of 1987's Control: The Remixes. 1989's Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 would then blast the artist into orbit.

I've already talked about Control, check that post out "HERE". As such, we'll dive into the powerhouse which is Rhythm Nation next time!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 8, 1982

Retro Spins: Janet Jackson - Janet Jackson

She's the most successful Jackson after her brother Michael, and of the sibblings, the most financially successful. Janet not only masterfully managed her career, but also her money, having a net worth of over one hundred seventy-five million dollars. That's a lot of greenry in the garden.

Janet mad her debut at the MGM Grand in 1976, and from there went on to star, and provide supporting roles, in various television series. Her noeworthy appearances included those on Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame (the series). However, by 1982, she was following in the footsteps of her brothers, releasing her debut solo album, self titled, Janet Jackson. It was not very successful, and remains one of her lowest selling albums of all time. The question I raise, "Did A&M sign her because they saw talent, or because they saw a Jackson?"

Being only sixteen, you know her father, Joseph, was there to ~~exploit~~ guide her, among a series of writers and producers. Upon its release, it managed to make minor waves in New Zealand, but in general was considered a flop. Despite promotion on television shows such as American Bandstand, and Soul Train, the general consensus among critics were that the songs simply weren't that good.

Well, this I have to check out. I love a good train wreck.

It all kicks off with, Say You Do, which has a funky goove and beat to it, almost reminiscent of the sounds from brother Michael's Thriller, released that same year. It's not bad, though at nearly seven minutes, it is a tad bit long.

With track two, things seem to step backwards. Again, using her brother as the example, You'll Never Find (A Love Like Mine), seems familiar to the sounds of Off the Wall (the album). Very horn and strings driven. Again, it's not bad. However, considering it came in 1982, in retrospect, it feeels dated.

Where it starts to fall apart for me, is when the ballads come into play, starting with Love And My Best Friend. The overall feel, and Janet's voice on the song, seem to tread familiar ground of, again, brother Michael's Ben, but not in a resonating way.

Truthfully, the album started to settle into background noise for me at this point. I was kind of hoping it would just end so that I could go on to other things. I mean, it was okay overall, but it was no Rhythm Nation by any stretch of the imagination. I guess by the end of it, the whole thing was just lackluster. Okay, but nothing special. Janet certainly had the voice in 1982, but the songs just aren't strong enough to pack a lasting punch. I wouldn't have hedged any bets on superstardom based on this album.

As we all know, with its lack of success, Janet went on to be the forgotten sibling of the Jackson family, never to produce anything further. Oh, wait...that was Tito. No, Janet, after another lackluster release, 1984's Dream Street, would refocus, and punch hard with 1986's Control, and the even more successful, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989).

Fun fact, while the 80's were kept alive on the 90's Billboard charts through August 1990 by the likes of Paula Abdul, Michael Bolton, Technotronic, and Skid Row, it was Janet along with Phil Collin who would be the final two holdouts. They'd keep the era alive into early 1991 before finally exiting stage left. Of course, for the two of them, it would be far from the last time they charted.

While she fell off my radar in the 90's, and into the New Millenium and beyond, there's no denying that Janet has solidified herself as a pop and R&B icon in the world of music. She's earner her place as a legacy. Though she will probably never supercede her brother in popularity (Who honestly could?), she stands on her own merit.

In fact, let's do this right. Let's add Janet to the Retro Spins template. She deserves a spot on it.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 7, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 7, 1988

Retro Spins: Divinyls - Temperamental

The moment of truth was at had for Divinyl in 1988. After struggling to make international success with their prior two albums, their label, Chrysalis, pulled no punches with remaining, and founding, band members, Christina Amphlett and Mark McEntee. Either make it, or break it.

Recording of began in 1986, but immediately came with issues and snags. Guitarist Bjarne Ohlin left ,and upon the insistance of producer Mike Chapman, drummer JJ Harris was fired. Before knuckling down, the band focused on some local gigs in Australia, but upon completion, bassist, Rick Grossman, left the band, checking in to rehab for addiction to heroine.

The duo returned to Los Angelos in 1987 to formally begin recording. with keyboardist Kenny Lyon, and a new lineup featuring, guitaris Tom Lang, drummer Warren McLean, and bassist Tim Millikain, the album commenced at Rumbo Recorders...Then it was shut down due to noise complaints from Neil Diamond, who was working in the nextdoor studio. The band moved to Sunset Sound Records with Chapman to finish the album.

Drama, drama, drama!

When I fired it up, I was greeted by the title track, which led into the amazing Back To The Wall. At this point, I determined that either Chrysalis and / or the general public were deaf. This album was fantastic (so far). This momentum didn't let up, and by track five, I was still all in on Temperamental.

I have to agree with Amphlett. The album features some of the band's best material. This was a record produced with emotion, pain, and a fight to prove themselves. Sadly, that didn't seem to be the same sentiments of their label.

After its release, and in debt millions of dollars to Chrysalis for advances on prior albums, promotions, and tours, the writing was on the wall. Their label dropped them, and figuring they'd yet to make it big, simply opted to write the band off as a tax deductable bad debt.

Again, I didn't understand this. By track six, I was 100% all in, having not heard anything bad. At just over the halfway point, Temperamental was gearing up to be a perfect album. Ultimately, this didn't happen. There were some weaker tunes on the back half, but overall, still a very enjoyable listening experience.

Reagrdless of my opinion, as noted, the label dropped them, and it wouldn't be until 1991's hit single, I Touch Myself, that Divinyls would finally reach the US audience they had so long been looking for. However, this success was short lived, quickly lost in an era of grunge. While band would release 1996's Underground, it would be their last studio album.

On a side note, it was kind of enjoyable to write a continuation piece over the past three days, going through the history of the band. I'd kind of like to do that again, but I would need to first dig through my CD's and see what bands I haven't already poked holes in that would prevent that from happening. Stay tuned.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 6, 1989

Retro Spins: Divinyls - What A Life!

I had a good time listening, and you had a good time reading (presumably) yesterday's post. So today, I'm just going to jump headlong into the Divinyls 1985 follow-up, What A Life!

Plagued by issues, recording their second studio album was no easy task. After their tour, the group returend to Australia, and began work on the recordings. However, after laying down three tracks with prior producer, Mark Opitz, Amphlett and McEntee were unhappy with the final results. Out of frustration, they returned to the road, and while out, continued to write. During this time, they would also replace drummer Richard Harvey with J.J. Harris.

After a year, they would return to the studio, this time with founding member of Art of Noise, Gary Langan, as producer, to try again. While they would lay down further tracks, once again, a full album failed to be completed. Finally, after two years of recording, What Life! would be released.

The band would head to Los Angelos, where they would meet with producer Mike Chapman. Chapman would return with them to Australia, but in doing so, only record two additional songs with them.

What's interesting to me, is that the final two songs, recorded with Chapman, Sleeping Beauty, and Pleasure and Pain, are actually my two favorites from the album. In fact, they're what initially drew me to the 80's era of Divinyls. I'm also quite the fan of Dear Diary, the album's closing track.

As a whole, the songs don't flow as smoothly as their debut. In retrospect, or rather knowing the history of the recording, it sounds like too many different creative inputs. It could also just simply be a product of being forced to completion. There's a mixture of commercial friendly, sprinkled with punk, and dabbled with synthpop. The end result isn't unenjoyable, it's just all over the place.

While What A Life! was highly successful in Australia, reaching number four, it didn't bring with it the international success the band needed. Their label, Chrysalis, would deem it a failure. By 1986, the group had been reduced to just Amphlett and McEntee, and they were on their last legs. Their label had already made it clear that their next album, 1988's Temperamental would be a "make-or-break" record. With the presure on, would the band deliver? Well, if you read yesterday's post, you know the answer to that question. Either way, let's (re)find out tomorrow!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 5, 1984

Retro Spins: Divinyls - Desperate

Many peopel think the band Divinyls were a product of the 90's. It's understandable, considering most people hadn't heard of them until ther one hit wonder, I Touch Myself, from their 1991 self titled comeback album. However, to get to their roots, you'd have to go back over a decade to 1980, where the group was formed by vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee.

Ex-Air Supply member, Jeremy Paul, who was working with Amphlett at the time in the band Batonrouge, would introduce the two. Later in 1980, they would recruit keyboardist Bjarne Ohlin, and in 1981, drummer Richard Harvey. With the aid of Paul, who negotiated their first recording deal, they would sign with WEA Austraila, and complete their first work, the soundtrack for the 1982 film, Monkey Grip. Two singles, Boys In Town, and Only Lonely, would provide early chart success, and lead to them becoming the opening act for the 1983 US Festivel.

Paul would leave as their manager, leading to a revolving door of management through 1988. The group would also sign with Chrysalis Records, and release their debut studio album, Desparate. Here is where we pause for today's Retro Spin.

The international release of the album opens with the two singles above. This is both interesting and disappointing at the same time. The reason being, that since the international release pulls from the prior soundtrack, songs from the original pressing are omitted. In fact, five of the ten tracks on releases outside of Australia are different from the original, with four being pulled from Monkey Grip.

I'm torn on this because I want to hear the original version for comparison purposes, but at the same time, the international release is pretty darn solid. Not being a fan of owning multiple pressings of albums, I don't know if I'll track this down. Additionally, what shocked me, is how expensive Divinyls albums have gotten on CD. An Australian pressing will set you back over fifty bucks, while all others will set you back between twenty-five and thirty!

For me, Divinyls are a hidden gem from the 80's. Amphlett's voice is haunting, and draws you in, while deep music, often led by a groovy bass, such as that on Elsie, create an atmospher that keeps you hooked. On the opposite spectrum, you then get punk type sounds, which hit fast and hard. The latter has a Go-Gos type vibe, which makes it all the more odd that the band wasn't able to really find a foothold in the 80's. If you're looking for something "new" in your music collection, I would highly recommend checking them out.

Divinyls would return to the studio multiple times before releasing their follow up, 1985's What A Life! However, it too would garner little success. Their label would give them one final opportunity to produce a hit, and sadly, this too didn't come with their 1988 release, Temperamental. The band were dropped from their label, and would go on hiatus until reamerging in 1991 on Virgin Records with their above noted hit. It would be five more years before the returned to the studio, this time on BMG, to release their final studio album, Underworld (1996).

Two years later, the band would unformally disband when Amphlett and McEntee had a falling out. While they would reunite shortly after their 2006 ARIA Hall of Fame induction, in 2007 Amphlett would announce an ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis. Things got complicated, when in 2010 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but couldn't undergo readition because of her preexisting disease. She passed away in 2013.

McEntee announced in 2018 that he had plans to reform Divinyls with a new lead singer, and head out on a tour. This was met by outrage and backlash from fans and drummer, Charley Drayton (1990–1996, 2006–2009). Plans were scrapped, and the tour cancelled in February 2019. Frankly, I wish more people would speak out like this and put a stop to such silly efforts...Looking at you, Queen fans!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 4, 1985

Retro Spins: DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince - And In This Corner...

I figured today would be a good day to wrap up my listening session of 80's albums from DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, AKA Will Smith, and Jeff Townes.

It was my brother who introduced me to the duo. I don't know if he saw them on MTV, and from there decided to get the cassettes, or if he had heard about them before. Either way, the end result was he and I sitting on the floor, building Legos, and laughing to the tunes. I'm not gonna lie, back in the day, they were funny.

Playing through And In This Corner..., I was greeted by familiarity. Granted, it's been a while since my childhood, but I still remembered, Then She Bit Me, I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson, Who Stole My Car?, and Too Damn Hype. Mind you, that was just the tip of the iceberg for this fifty-seven minute rap fest.

I had to shake my head when track five, You Got It (Donut), came on. The tune is all about (hopefully), a fictional girl who Will is seeing who is treating him like a punk by getting with other guys. It's such the opposite spectrum of how his real life wife treats him that it makes the song laughable.

What I also noticed while listening to it was how these songs probably wouldn't be socially acceptable these days. Tracks like The Girlie Had A Mustache. In this overly sensative era, I just don't think some would see the humor. You know how everyone likes to complain about something these days.

While I favored the more comical tracks, there were definitely moments of (somewhat) seriousness that stood out, such as, The Reverand.Jazzy Jeff certainly knows his way around a turntable and mixing board. Admittedly, I'm not to in tune with rap, but he defintiely stands out among what I know as top tier.

So how does their final 80's entry fare to their others? Well...I suppose it's better than getting slapped in the face. I kid...but not really. I do imagine that getting slapped would be far worse than listening to this, or any album. Overall, it's good. Separate the art from the artist, and you can't deny there's quality and enjoyment there.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 3, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 3, 1986

Retro Spins: David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

When David Bowie hit it big in 1983 with his album, Let's Dance, my young self would have told you, that was his first outing. I'd never heard any of his music from the sixties and seventies. Heck, I hadn't even heard Under Pressure (Queen) at this point. As far as I knew, he was a new 80's act. That happened a lot to me as a kid.

As I started growing my CD collection, I found myself inadvertantly hunting down Bowie albums. Somehow, I've managed to amass all but three of his studio releases from his debut in 1967 through 1987's Never Let Me Down, the latter being his last entry into the 80's. However, I've never really taken the time to listen to many of them. To date, I've only heard his debut and Let's Dance. It's something I definitely need to rectify, and I guess today we'll tick off another.

Since it's so vast, and I really only know what Wiki would tell me, I'll skip the history lesson. I've been doing that as of late anyway. Instead, I'll just dive headlong into 1980's Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).

First and foremost, wow! Did David Bowie usher in the 80's, or what? This album feels way ahead of its time for what was the norm on the Billboard 100. If I had known Bowie could deliver like this, I would have checked in a lot sooner.

Personally, I favored the first half of Scary Monsters to the back half, or side B if referencing the vinyl. That's not to say that the second part was bad by any means, but perhaps the novely of it wore off by the twenty twenty-five minute mark. Whatever it was, I found myself less and less invested, and actually kind of wishing that it would just end.

Admittedly, part of this could have been an overall fatigue from music for the day. Including this one, I listened to five on a Saturday. It got to the point that I kind of just wanted to do something else, but yet at the same time was forcing myself through so I could be done with it.

At the end of it, I will still say the album was enjoyable. It had its better moments, but overall was good. It definietly makes me glad I have more Bowie at my disposal, and I'll defintiely be getting around to it sooner than later...I hope.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 2, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 2, 1987

Retro Spins: Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit

It was the band's second album. The final calm before the storm that was Slippery When Wet. It was an album even the band themselves try to forget...and I've never heard it.

7800° Fahrenheit has been in my collection as long as Slippery When Wet, and New Jersey, and yet it has never graced the CD player spindle. Lack of desire, uninterested, and not the biggest Bon Jovi fan to begin with, were probably the driving forces behind this decision. I knew none of the songs on it, so it really wasn't that big of a priority for me to get around to it. I mean, I knew I would eventually.

Well, eventually came today (that would make a great song title, by the way). As I turend it on, I braced myself for background noise. Something I would inneviatbly tune out, but at the same time be able to cross it off my list.

This is where it gets odd. I not only liked 7800° Fahrenheit, I liked every single song. On the same hand, I couldn't tell you at this point what any of them were - it's been several hours since listening to it. I just know they were enjoyable while hearing them.

I don't know, it just kind of felt like a rare gem. A part of music history that for the longest time had been overlooked, and as a result, forgotten. I really think more people, if they haven't already, give Bon Jovi's second entry a chance. It kind of has that b-side feeling. Good stuff, but not good enough to be a hit.

It apparently managed to have two Billboard 100 hits, granted, they didn't chart high. Only Lonely would reach fifty-four, and In & Out Of Love peaked at sxity-nine (rim shot). I want to say I vaguely remember the latter. If it was getting any type of airplay on the radio in 1985, I definitely would have come across it at some point.

The moral of the story here is that 7800° Fahrenheit is one worth checking out.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
May 1, 1982

Retro Spins: Kiss - Creatures Of The Night

Let's go back to the days of BMG Music Club. The early to mid 90's. Somewhere between 1993 to 1995. I was a young lad, paying no attention to school. Interested in anything but learning. This is how I fonud myself in vo-tech. Faced with a decision that I was either going to flunk out of high school or take a vocational class, my parents opted for the latter. It was around this time that I found out that a jobless teenager could sign up for a CD club, receiving multiple CD's for a penny, and then ultiamtely never pay for them because...how could? I was broke!

What I also found out about this time was that one could also sign up friends and family members, and recieve even more CD's for a penny. This is where the bus ride to vo-tech got rather interesting. I must have signed up half the bus in one day. In doing so, I was able to select so many CD's that it encompassed the entire catalog of Kiss to date, as well as several other albums.

While albums trickled in at first, this didn't last long. Either BMG felt I was somehow scamming them with the multiple sign ups they recieved in the span of a few days, or they got tired of me paying. Regardless, the albums stopped coming before I was able to complete the collection of Kiss albums. What I do remember recieving, though there could have been more, were the four solo albums, as well as Alive III.

Knowing absolutely nothing about the band, other then they were four guys who favored really cool makeup, I opted to start with Alive III. My ears were immediately greeted by thundering drums and thrashing guitars, or as the song was known, Creatures Of The Night. Oh, wow! This was awesome! Then came the rest of the album, and I lost interest. However, that opening song stayed in my head, and I would frequently throw the disc in to hear it again and again.

Other than that, Kiss stayed relatively out of my mind until 1998's Psycho Circus. Again, it would be the open track of the album which would resonate in a big way, with the remainder of the album flopping for me. Again the band went on the back burner, with me only returning for one song here and there.

Fast forward with me now to 2017. I'm in the midst of building a vast CD collection, and I decide that I'm going to grab some of the hits from Kiss. This starts off reasonably. I grab their 1974 self titled debut, 1975's Dressed To Kill, 1976's Destroyer, 1977's Love Gun, 1982's Creatures Of The Night, and 1992's Revenge. Things are fine for the longest time. I have the hits I know, and I'm happy.

May of 2019 rolls around, and I'm at a local used CD shop. I'm doing some perusing, grabbing some titles, and I come to the Kiss section. I decide, why not. Let me grab a few more. I pick up 1975's Dressed To Kill, 1977's Love Gun, 1979's Dynasty, and 2009's Sonic Boom in May. This time, Love Gun is the original(ish) pressing, whereas all of the above original purchases were the remastered editions.

This is where things go South. Suddenly, I remember how much I despise remastered music. I don't want the remastered editions. Enter September 2019. I go on a massive buying spree. I not only repurchase the albums I initally bought, but then decide that I must have every Kiss album ever made. Within weeks, I own everything from 1974 through 2012.

And that, my friends, is how I ended up with the entire Kiss catalog. Now there's another problem. When the heck am I going to get time to listen to all of these? Well, I've hit a few on Retro Spins. After that long winded introduction above, today, it's time for one more.

Creatures Of The Night showcases Ace Frehley on the cover, and credits him in the liner notes. However, it would later be found that he wasn't actually invovled with the album. Rather, lead guitarist, and fellow track writer, Vinnie Vincent was the man thrashing on the strings. It's sad in a way, because the album deliver's a hard rock fest that I think was ultimately lacking to begin with, and led to Frehley originally leaving.

When it was released on CD in 1985, Kiss opted to change the original cover (above) to the much less interersting group photo (below).

In general, this sucks because the original "blue" cover is actually my favorite Kiss cover of all time.

Despite the loss of Frehley, Creatures delivers in a big way. Had this been the album that introudced me to Kiss, my history, or lack there of, may have been very different. It's a solid entry from start to finish, with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons alternating vocals from track to track...well, until the last two, which Simmons sings back to back.

I dig this album in a big way, and I wish this painted the full portrait of what Kiss was. Of coure, that would both be boring and unreasonable. Bands do ebb and flow, evolving over time and experimenting with sounds. I suppose, if using Queen as reference, that's how you go from A Night At The Opera to Hot Space, and bow out with Innuendo. It's innevitable that bands change over time.

Still, I'm happy to say that right there in 1982, we got an itteration of Kiss that was all about hard rock, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 30, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 30, 1988

Retro Spins: Madonna - True Blue

After her highly successful Like A Virgin album (1984), sold out world tours throughout 1985, a box office smash (Desparately Seeking Susan), and a shocking announcment and wedding to Sean Penn that same year, everyone waited on baited breath to see what Madonna would do next. The answer came in the form of 1986's True Blue.

With hits, True Blue, Papa Don't Preach, La Isla Bonita, Live To Tell, and Open Your Heart, the Material Girl proved to the world she was here to stay. Despite her marriage, she was also far from done with oozing sexuality at every oppoprtunity, and with the aid of MTV, delivered in spades.

Though I would consider True Blue an album worthy of listening to from start to finish, what I will also say is that the hits come off as feeling far supior to the others, which feel like fillers. Wheras the hits feel polished, and finely tuned, the remaining tracks feel rather dated in comparison. Very early synthpop style, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but stand out, and not in a good way, among the rest. They feel like they're there to fill space, and if I had one complaint with True Blue, that would be it.

Regardless, there's no denying the impact of the album, and it certinaly proved that Madonna was the queen of pop. In retrospect, I imagine it would be difficult to fathaom where she would go from there, or how she could possibly do better. Of course, that was shown very clearly by 1989's Like A Prayer, where a far more mature Madonna emerged.

But...We're not here to talk about that, and sadly, short of singing the praises of True Blue, there's not much more to say.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
April 29, 1989