The Toy Box: Retro Spins

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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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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.

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: Simply Red - A New Flame

With their first two albums peaking at number two in the UK, where was Simply Red to go from there? Well, number one of course, and that's exactly what happened with their 1989 released A New Flame.

Led by the number one single, If You Don't Know Me By Now, a remake of the 1972 Philadelphia soul classic by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and the minor hit, It's Only Love, which peaked at number fifty-seven, the world was opening wide for the band. This was highly contributed to by the band purposefully aiming for a more mainstream versus critical successful sound, a gamble which paid off.

Once again, it takes a bit for the album to gain momentum for me. I will also say, if this is considered mainstream, especially in 1989, I'd like to know where. There was no music like this over the airwaves in my neighborhood that year. Rather, the radio was blaring the likes of Roxette, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Madonna, Bonnie Ratt, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe.

Despite the addition of saxophone player, Ian Kirkham, it still manages to reduce the jazz and soul sound, again, probably from the conscious decision to become mainstream. Basically, his inclusion, and use, feels a bit wasted. They lose something in what created their charm in the process.

Still, there were some decent tracks to be found, which for me, included A New Flame, the song, More, She'll Have To Go, and Turn It Up. The latter, I don't know why, but I feel like I've heard before. Yet, I can't place where or when. I appreciate the cover tune, If You Don't Know Me By Now for what it is, but I can't say it's among my favorites.

By this time, lead singer Mick Hucknall was a major international superstar, often resulting in him being photographed with other celebrities and super models. Whether it was from an inflated ego, or truly how things were going, he would declare in a 1991 interview that Simply Red was basically a solo project for him. Whether it was coincidental timing, or the declaration itself, Chris Joyce and Tony Bowers quit the band around this time.

This would be the start of a heavy rotation of members coming and going to the point that Hucknall would eventually become the only remaining original member when Tim Kellett, and Fritz McIntyre left in 1993 and 1996, respectively.

1991 would also be the biggest year for Simply Red with the release of their album, Stars. Surprisingly for an 80's band entering the grunge era, it would become their biggest selling record of their career, certifying at a whopping 12X platinum in the UK, along with peaking at number one. Further, it would reach the top ten in seven additional countries. However, with it would also come their final Billboard Hot 100 hits, Something Got Me Started (peaking at twenty-three), and Stars, the song, peaking at forty-four.

Despite that being the last for the USA, the band remained a massive success around the world. As I've noted a couple times at this point across previous posts, all thirteen of their studio albums have peaked in the top ten in the UK, spanning a career of 1985 to 2023. Even then, while the band isn't releasing studio albums these days, they, or I suppose more correctly stated, Hucknall as Simply Red, remains very much so active.

Overall, this was a pretty good series of listening sessions. I definitely didn't expect to like Simply Red as much as I ultimately did. Ultimately, what started as a band I added to my collection for appreciation of their contributions to the decade, turned into an appreciation for the music directly. Though I wouldn't call myself a mega fan by any means, I'm definitely down with them at this point.

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Retro Spins: Simply Red - Men And Women

Did you know that Holding Back The Years wasn't initially performed by Simply Red? Rather, while written by lead singer, Mick Hucknall, it was added to the catalog of his first band, The Frantic Elevators. However, it would be the success of that song which would lead to them breaking up in 1984, and Hucknall forming Simply Red, though first as World Service, Red and then Dancing Dead before settling on the band's name.

The initial lineup consisted of Hucknall on vocals, David Fryman on guitar, Tony Bowers on bass, Fritz McIntyre on keyboards and additional vocals, drummer Chris Joyce, and multi-instrumentalist Tim Kellett on brass and live backing vocals. They quickly garnered the attention of Elektra Records, but after recording just one track for them, Fryman quit, replaced by Sylvan Richardson. With their core in place, their debut, Picture Book was released in 1985.

It would be a massive success, charting in multiple countries, receiving multiple sales certifications, ranging from gold to 5X platinum, becoming their first of non-stop consecutive top ten album in the UK. It would also spawn two Billboard Hot 100 hits, the number one chart topper, Holding Back The Years, and Moneys Too Tight (To Mention), which would peak at twenty-eight. Simply Red is probably the only band I've come across to date that has had every single album they released chart in the top ten in that country. That's thirteen albums between 1985 and 2023.

The follow-up, 1987's Men And Women, their second number two album in the UK, and with it came the Billboard single, The Right Thing, which peaked at number twenty-seven. A fun fact of the album would be that a handful of tracks were co-written by Hucknall, and legendary Motown veteran, Lamont Dozier. When putting the credits in the album jacket, it was noted as Hucknall/Dozier/Hucknall, a nod to the Motown writing team of Holland–Dozier–Holland.

Admittedly, it took me a bit longer to get into their sophomore album. It starts off with the aforementioned hit, which didn't really resonate with me. I got a little worried, as this continued through the first 1/3 of the album.

However, once I Won't Feel Bad came around, I started to get some material I was digging. While this didn't stay consistent for the remainder of the album, there were other standouts, which included Love Fire, Move On Out, and Shine.

Men And Women definitely wasn't better than its predecessor, but it did (eventually) offer some good stuff up. It also continues that mixture of pop and soul, with a hint of jazz. This makes it a very unique offering from the 80's, and I am happy to see that there was indeed something I was missing out on back in the day, not that I would have appreciated it back then. Not with all the hair and metal bands I was into at the time.

Upon its release new guitarist Richardson would leave, citing disillusionment with the industry. He'd be replaced by Heitor TP. Additionally, Ian Kirkham, who provided saxophone to Men And Women, would be officially added to the fold.

The band would venture into the studio between 1988 and 1989 to release their final album of the decade, A New Flame. However, following its release, the foundation of Simply Red would be shaken, eventually leading to a non-stop rotation of members, and Hucknall being the only remaining original member. That unfolds and wraps up tomorrow.

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Retro Spins: Simply Red - Picture Book

If you were to have told me prior to starting my latest Retro Spin series that Simply Red was a band who have charted in the top ten in the UK with every single album they've released from their 1985 debut through their latest 2023 release, I'd have told you that's not possible. The Holding Back The years guy? That's not even that good of a song. But it's true. Thirteen albums in a row have all gone top ten, with the lowest being number eight, and the highest, and multiple, being number one.

As I kind of hinted at, one of the band's most noteworthy hits is a song I didn't even think was all that good. In fact, when I started putting together my 80's collection, they really only got included as an honorable mention of sorts. An, "I'll buy it because they had hits" scenario. So, the question I hope to answer starting today is, "What have I been missing?"

Though I knew they had a unique pop sound from the hits I knew, what I didn't expect was the smooth soul sound that they implemented into a lot of their work. For example, Sad Old Red could easily be played in a local jazz club, I dare say even to this day. It has a slick bass line, and is filled in with a selection of horns, and a slick swing feel in the drums. The vocals of Mick Hucknall really shine through. So much so that when the upbeat pop tune, Look At You Now follows, the latter feels out of place. I found myself actually wanting more jazz versus pop.

Yeah, sure you'll get their big hits from the record, the aforementioned Holding Back The Years, and Money's Too Tight (Too Mention), but in between that you get a solid record that really caught me personally off guard. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one. I think I've grown a new appreciation for the two mentioned hits, but also came away with Sad Old Red, Heaven, Jericho, and No Direction.

All and all, it was a pretty solid start, and I'm down with hearing some more from Simply Red. Who knows, I may indeed find out what I was missing.

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Retro Spins: T'Pau - Rage

Man, I can't believe that it was all the way back in 2019 that I first, and last, talked about T'Pau. Granted, they only had two albums in the 80's, but seven years ago feels like a lifetime ago at this point.

After releasing their unique hit, Heart And Soul, T'Pau was a band that you would have thought the world would keep their eyes on. Sadly, this wasn't the case.

The group was formed in 1986 as Talking America before taking their name, T'Pau. It would come from a Vulcan leader of the same name who appeared in the season two opener episode, Amok Time from Star Trek's original series.

Heart And Soul would initially only chart in the USA. It had previously been a flop in the UK, but success would follow after the tune was featured in a Pepe Jeans commercial. The end result was a massively successful debut, Bridge Of Spies (1987), which peaked at number one in multiple countries, and in the top twenty in several others. The album would also go 4X platinum in the UK, and gold in both Canada and Germany.

Poised for greatness, they released their follow-up, Rage in 1988, and that's where it all ended. The record would fare best in the UK, landing at number four, and charting between fourteen and forty-four in four other countries. It would not chart at all in the USA and further produced no Billboard Hot 100 Hits. T'Pau had come and gone overnight.

Carol Decker's strong vocals kick things off a cappella followed by drums slapping, and the rest of the band coming in. Arms Of Love is a solid opener and sets a solid tone for what's to be expected.

Unfortunately, that's where things kind of end. While her voice stays formidable, the songwriting itself is lacking. It all feels like generic throw away material. Filler, at best. There are definitely no hits worth raving about. Though I will give a subtle nod to Between The Lines, and Road To Our Dreams.

Island feels like a lackluster attempt at recapturing what Heart And Soul delivered. It's a decent attempt, but simply can't hold a candle to its predacessor.

The CD version also contains an additional track, This Girl, but it's by no means anything that needed to be included. Rather, it feels like it's just there to extend the runtime and take advantage of the CD era. More is not necessarily better.

Side note: the above makes me laugh because it reminds me of the food reviews you'll see sometimes. "Food was terrible, and portions small." Why would you want more if it's terrible? Anyway...

As a whole, the album isn't terrible. It's just not as good as it could be, and the sad part is that Decker really does have a powerful and unique voice. With the right material, she could have become a powerhouse of the late 80's. I dare say that if they embraced it, T'Pau could have also transitioned formidably into the grunge scene, standing right next to the likes of Hole and Garbage.

The band kept things going through 1991, releasing their third album, The Promise. However, a continued lack of commercial success, and the relationship between Decker and guitarist Ronnie Rogers led to them disbanding.

Carol would reform the band in 1998, and release Red. However, she'd be the only original member from the band until Rogers returned. They'd release two more albums, 2015's Pleasure And Pain, and 2026's Be Wonderful. However, no albums since 1991 have charted, and the years of success appear to have been long left in the past.

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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: Wang Chung - The Warmer Side Of Cool

Today I'm wrapping up Wang Chung's 80's years with a listen to their final album of the decade, The Warmer Side Of Cool (released in 1989). To keep up with the changing musical landscape, the band, which still only consisted of Jack Hues and Nick Feldman, would transition from new wave to a more traditional rock sound. Unfortunately, this pivot wouldn't work in their favor.

Critically, and sales wise, it would not perform well. The album as a whole would chart on the Billboard 200, reaching one hundred twenty-three, and produce only one minor hit, Praying To A New God, which peaked at number sixty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. This would be their last album and single to date to chart.

And on that sour note, let's dive right in!

The sudden shift in musical style is the first thing that stands out, and I have to agree with the critics, that it doesn't work. But, in Wang Chung's defense, it didn't work for many new wave and pop artists who shifted in the late 90's. I mean, look how quickly Duran Duran fell off the map back then.

While it's definitely not the best I've heard from them, there were a handful of standout tracks, which included What's So Bad About Feeling Good?, When Love Looks Back On You, and Tall Trees In A Blue Sky. However, with that said, I would still chalk it up to generic 80's rock. Basically, it's listenable, but nothing to write home about.

With the album being considered a flop, Hues and Feldman would decide to take a break and pursue other interests. For Hues, this consisted mainly of soundtrack work. He would eventually sign a solo deal with Sony. However, his debut, The Anatomy Lesson, would ultimately be shelved, and remains unreleased.

Both would go on to form new bands, with Feldman joining former Culture Club drummer, Jon Moss, to form Promise Land. Hues would create Strictly Inc. with Genesis alum, Tony Banks. Both bands would release a one and done self-titled debut, with Promised Land's coming out in 1992, and Strictly Inc.'s in 1995.

The two would come back together as Wang Chung in 1997 and set out on tour in support of their newly released compilation album, Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits. This was followed in 2000 by a series of nostalgia tours alongside A Flock Of Seagulls, Missing Persons, and Gene Loves Jezebel with Michael Aston. However, right before the event was scheduled to kick off, Feldman would bow out due to a previous commitment, leaving Hues to complete the shows himself.

Despite this, the end was nowhere in sight for the two working as Wang Chung. They'd perform together occasionally for a series of one-off events and embark on the Regeneration '80s tour along with ABC, Berlin, Cutting Crew, and Missing Persons in 2009. The two would remain active, and digitally release the studio album, Tazer Up! in 2012. However, by 2016, Hues would once again take a hiatus. He gave his blessings to Feldman to continue touring while he focused on jazz and instrumental music.

This would be a short break, as in 2017 the two once again reunited, and continued on, releasing another digital download album, 2019's Orchesography. Though there have been no new albums since, they remain active, continuing to tour. At present, they're on the road as part of Howard Jones' Things Can Only Get Better tour, which wraps up at the end of this month.

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Retro Spins: Wang Chung - Mosaic

Today, I'm continuing on with the 80's studio discography of Wang Chung. However, the key word in that sentence was "studio". As such, while the guys would record the soundtrack, To Live And Die In L.A. (as well as contribute to other soundtracks) between 1984's Points Of The Curve, and 1986's Mosaic, I'll be skipping that one, for now.

By the end of 1984, the band had been reduced to the two core and founding members, Jack Hues, and Nick Feldman. The two would opt to continue on, not replacing the most recently departed, Darren Costin. It's honestly not surprising, considering that when Dave Burnand left prior to him that he too wasn't replaced. Instead, they just moved on with reduced numbers. They would, however, select producer Peter Wolf to work on their new record, and he would fill in on various instruments, among other studio musicians.

Mosaic would go on to be Wang Chung's biggest selling album, being certified gold in the USA. Ironically, though it remains their biggest seller in their career, it actually charted lower than their previous two releases. With it would come three top forty singles, two of which would crack the top ten, only leading to more confusion as to how the overall album failed to chart better.

Among the singles was their most notable, Everybody Have Fun Tonight. It would peak at number two and carve out the band's name as its own verb, urging everybody to Wang Chung. This was followed by Let's Go, which peaked at number nine. The last, Hypnotize Me, would later be contributed to the Steven Spielberg film, Innerspace, and chart at number thirty-nine.

For me, I bought the album for Everybody Have Fun and was pleasantly surprised when it dawned on me I not only knew Let's Go, but that it was a forgotten favorite from my childhood. As for the final single, it really wasn't my thing, and this kind of mirrored the remainder of the album.

It didn't help that I consistently got pulled away from it, and as a result was listening to tracks in batches of two or three. This perhaps contributed to me not really getting into it all because I couldn't listen to it consecutively, making it feel a bit disjointed. With that said, I doubt I'll go back and play through it again. It didn't have that much potential.

Wang Chung would head out on the road in support of the album, partly as the opening act for Tina Turner's Break Every Rule world tour for their US portion. From there, it would be three years before they returned to the studio for what would become not only their final album of the 80's, but their last for quite some time.

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Retro Spins: Wang Chung - Points On The Curve

With their debut a flop, Huang Chung returned to the studio, intent on recording and releasing their second studio album. Things started out with a new single Dance Hall Days. However, this too would fail to chart, prompting the band's manager, David Massey, to asked Arista to release them from their contract. He felt that the potential was there, and moved the band to Geffen Records, where they became the second UK act to be signed to the label (the first being the band Asia).

It was around this time that two things would happen. First, saxophonist, Dave Burnand would opt to quit the group around this time, citing creative differences as the reason. Second, Huang Chung would become Wang Chung. The latter would be at the request of Geffen Records, who felt it needed to be easier for people to pronounce. As for Burnand, he would go on to become a music teacher at University of London and the Royal College of Music.

Upon its release, Points On The Curve would spawn three top forty Billboard hits, which included the re-recorded Dance Hall Days (peaking at number sixteen), Don't Let Go (peaking at number thirty-eight), and Don't Be My Enemy (peaking at number eighty-six). The success of their first single would garner them the ability to tour the US alongside The Romantics and Berlin. As a whole, the album would also chart across six countries. Despite this, it would not reach any sales certifications.

Things kick off with the single, Dance Hall Days. However, depending on which pressing you have will dictate this. While the original UK release contains the same tracks as what would be repackaged and shipped worldwide, the initial UK order of songs is quite different from the rest. As for the song, there's not much to say about it. It's the tune I bought the album for.

Unlike their debut, which really impressed me, Points On The Curve doesn't quite stand up. It's not a bad album, and there are definitely standout tracks, but they're just fewer and further between. I also noticed a significant change in musical style, and this is probably based on the departure of Burnand. Whereas with his inclusion, the debut came off as a smoother jazz and pop fused release, this album goes straight for synth pop.

When Look At Me Now came on, my mind immediately told me, "This sounds like Hall And Oates." That wasn't necessarily a bad thing and served to make it quite an enjoyable tune. As for the remaining singles, Don't Let Go, and Don't Be My Enemy, I didn't find them all that impressive. In fact, with exception of Even If You Dream, and Talk It Out, the rest of the album was pretty bland.

Following the subsequent tour for Points On The Curve, drummer Darren Costin would depart, stating he wanted to pursue a solo career. This not only left Wang Chung without a drummer but reduced down to just two core founding members. Rather than call it quits or hire new members, Jack Hues and Nick Feldman opted to continue on as a duo.

However, the two found themselves dissatisfied with their latest album, and as a result, they asked their manager about the possibility of working on soundtracks. Timing seemed to line up, as someone who wasn't disappointed with it was director, William Friedkin. He invited the guys to write and record the music for his upcoming film, To Live And Die In L.A., which would be released in 1985 alongside Wang Chung's soundtrack. While I own that one, I'll be skipping over it, for now, instead focusing strictly on their studio releases. As such, tomorrow, I jump into 1986's Mosaic.

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Retro Spins: Huang Chung (AKA Wang Chung) - Huang Chung

For as many smash hits as there were in the 80's, there's not many bands I think of when the word, "anthem" comes to mind. However, that's exactly what comes to mind when I look back on the band, Wang Chung, or Huang Chung, as they were initially called. They'd take their name, and turn it into one of the most catchiest songs of 1986, with it creating an iconic slang verb that would remain predominant in the decades to come.

While they wouldn't initially last past the 80's, during their time, they'd churn out four albums, and with them, eight Billboard Hot 100 hits. Of those eight, to this day, I only know two, the first being the aforementioned hinted at Everybody Have Fun Tonight, and Dance Hall Days. Ironically, I was never really a big fan of either, but of course needed them in my collection of 80's music.

Further, I was unaware of the band initially going by the name Huang Chung until I started looking into their discography for this series of Retro Spins. It was in looking further into this that I found that wasn't even their initial choice. Rather, the band started as Intellektuals in 1977, when guitarist and lead vocalist Jack Hues (AKA Jeremy Ryder), and guitarist Nick Feldman met through Feldman's ad for musicians. They would add Bud Merrick on bass and Paul Hammond on drums to round out the group.

Less than a year would pass, and the band would break up, leading to Feldman and Hues joining drummer Darren Costin, bassist Leigh Gorman, keyboardist Simon Campbell and vocalist Glenn Gregory to form 57 Men. This band too would break up.

Hues, Feldman and Costin would go on to form Huang Chung. As a three piece, they would sign with 101 Records, and release one single, and three live tracks across two compilation albums from the label between 1980 and 1981. Rewind Records would also sign them to a two single deal in 1980, and upon releasing these, got the attention of Arista Records, who signed them to a two album deal in 1981. It was around this time that the band would also expand to a quartet, adding saxophonist Dave Burnand.

Rather than use their real names, the band adopted nicknames, with Ryder becoming Jack Hues, Nick Feldman becoming Nick de Spig, Darin Costin becoming Darwin, and Dave Burnand becoming Hogg. Of them, Hues would be the only one to adopt the name long term, still using it to this day.

The self-titled Huang Chung was released in 1982, but failed to garner much attention. This should have been no surprise to the label, as it comprised of multiple singles and b-sides released prior to its debut, and many of these were included on the album. As a result, in retrospect, it's no surprise that this particular album would fly under the radar of your casual Wang Chung listener.

As for me, I actually really liked it. I didn't see that coming, and perhaps this worked to its benefit, as I didn't go into it with any sort of expectation. Of the ten tracks, five were easily shuffle worthy. These included Ti Na Na, Straight From My Heart, Dancing, Why Do You Laugh, and I Can't Sleep.

What I equally found surprising was how the slower tempo tracks really stood out. In general, Wang Chung, or Huang Chung, aren't know for thrashing on their instruments, but they do keep a steady rock pace. As such, when they shifted to the milder ballad tempo, which I'm not usually a fan of, I was shocked to see I favored these more.

This was definitely a solid start for my listening sessions, and I'm totally psyched up to jump into their 1983 name change and follow-up album, Points On The Curve. That's subsequently their first album that delivered a top forty hit, Dance Hall Days, and paved the way for future success. However, that would be without Arista. That all unfolds tomorrow.

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Retro Spins: M + M (Martha And The Muffins) - The World Is a Ball

I am so relieved that today is my last day of Martha And The Muffins, AKA M + M. In terms of Retro Spins, this has been among the most fatiguing and unenjoyable experiences. After six very expensive albums, I am not a fan. In fact, I'm kind of ticked off because of how much their CD's cost. Kids, this is a perfect reason why you don't just buy albums without hearing or knowing something about them.

Ugh...okay...let's go.

Martha Johnson and Mark Gane took a few years to record what would become 1986's The World Is A Ball. However, upon its release, while it would chart slightly higher in Canada than its predecessor, 1985's Mystery Walk, it would only yield one minor hit, Song In My Head. Following its lackluster reception, the two would decide to take a hiatus.

Thank God!

The World Is A Ball, the opening track, is kind of okay. It's got a peppy beat that makes it easy to get into. But top ten material it is not. Further, I'm not about to let my guard down with it. I've fallen for that before in previous albums, only to be met by mediocrity, and boredom.

I swear track two and three, I Watch I Wait, and Watching The Boys Fall Down are set to the exact same music. It was at this point that I started skipping through tracks, listening for a few second. However, by track five of ten, I did something I haven't done in a long while. I gave up, and turned it off.

Seriously, I'm done with Martha And The Muffins, M + M, or whatever you want to call them. While my normal layout of these posts would have be going into the future of them past 1989, frankly, I don't care. They could have created time travel, and colonized mars, I couldn't care less. All I want is to distance myself from them as much as possible at this point.

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Retro Spins: M + M (Martha And The Muffins) - Mystery Walk

After wrapping up their 1983 tour in support of their album Danseparc, founding members Martha Johnson and Mark Gane, decided they'd grown tired of the efforts needed to coordinate a band, and disbanded Martha And The Muffins. However, it was never the two's intensions to actually stop recording albums and performing. Instead, parting ways with members Jocelyne Lanois and Nick Kent was simply a way to take full creative control.

By this point, they were actively trying to change their group name to M + M and had even used both names on their previous album cover. Taking full authority allowed them to adopt this new moniker without pushback from any remaining members. Ironically, when they returned to the studio to lay down tracks for 1984's Mystery Walk, they would continue to utilize the services of producer, and brother to Jocelyne, Daniel Lanoise.

Further paradoxical was that in no longer having a band, they would have to bring in multiple instrumentalists to fill these now vacated rolls. In total, fifteen additional musicians were called in to record tracks alongside Johnson and Ganes. In their desire to not have to manage a band, they ended up coordinating an orchestra.

The album would garner them their biggest hit in years, Black Stations / White Stations, which would serve as a protest song against radio stations who refused to play certain music. Whether it helped or not, I don't know. What I am sure of is that it went to number two on the US dance charts and was also a hit in Canada. So too was their second single, Cooling The Medium.

Based on what I previously read, I was promised an album that shifted from new wave dance to electronic dance. So, where is that? Because opening track Black Stations / White Stations certainly isn't it. In general, I wasn't catching that vibe from any of the tracks which encompassed the album.

Black Stations / White Stations was followed by the second single, and the question of the day I asked myself. Is the song Cooling On Medium actually okay, or was it just the best of the worst? I'd like to think it was good, but regardless of that answer, I have no clue at all what's happening in the music video. But I suppose, that's the 80's for you. Quirky, and nonsensical at its best.

Overall, Mystery Walk was another mediocre listening session that only serves to make me want to get away from Martha And The Muffins. I'm so glad tomorrow is the last one. I have zero hopes that it's going to be any good, and frankly, I just want to listen to something else at this point. Anything other than M + M will do.

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Retro Spins: Martha And The Muffins (M + M) - Danseparc

Though I didn't want to continue on with my listening sessions of Martha And The Muffins, I worried that if I stopped that I would never go back to them. It's not been an enjoyable series of albums to get through, and I am definitely not a fan at this point.

Canada on the other hand was still all in on them. When Danseparc was released in February of 1983, it somehow managed to peak at number thirty-six, the exact same chart position of their previously released This Is The Ice Age (1981). It even garnered a little attention in the USA, where it peaked on the Billboard 200 at 184. Overall, it was only their second album to chart in the US, with the first being their 1980 debut, Metro Music.

The landscape of Martha And The Muffins shifted considerably between 1981 and 1982. This began with the departure Carl Finkle just prior to the recording sessions for their previous album and was followed after its release by Nick Gane calling it quits. Shortly after the tour for the album, Andy Haas would also say his farewells. To fill the void, the band would bring in Jocelyne Lanois, and Nick Kent.

Now reduced to a four piece, the lineup of Martha Johnson, Mark Gane, Lanoise, and Kent headed to the studio in the spring of 1982 to lay down the tracks that would become 1983's Danseparc. Though it would continue their new wave style of music, the album would also adopt a dance sound.

In addition to changing their overall sound, at the bequest of Gane, the band would start to adopt the new name, M + M. However, not wanting to do so right away, the album would sport both Martha And The Muffins, as well as M + M on the cover. While subsequent albums would simply use M + M, Johnson would state in later interviews that the new name never stuck because their legacy was Martha And The Muffins.

For as much as I was dreading getting into yet another release from them, I have to admit that Danseparc started out pretty solid with Obedience, World Without Borders, and Walking Into Walls. The added layer of dance music really helped to elevate these tracks, which in turn made it a bit disappointing when the songs that followed returned to form of their previous material.

I don't know why, but their new wave dance combination gave off an almost Prince vibe. It's probably what helped me to get into it. However, by the end of it, and with the shift back, I was once again finding myself tuning it out, kind of bored. That was kind of disappointing because the band showed potential.

As I shifted my attention to their next album, 1984's Mystery Walk, I was immediately taken aback. I'm not sure what happened, because there's not much information there to fill in the gaps, but somehow, we went from four members of a band to an album where seventeen people are credited. Meanwhile, members Jocelyne Lanois and Nick Kent are nowhere to be found on it.

It turns out that at the end of the Danseparc tour on August 15, 1983, founding members Martha Johnson and Mark Gane had grown exhausted of the efforts of keeping a band together, and decided they wanted full creative control over the music. This resulted in them disbanding the group. Immediately following this, they began working strictly as M + M. This would come with a pivot in sound to that of electronic and dance. So, hey, maybe there's hope for them after all. I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I jump into M + M's pseudo debut, 1984's Mystery Walk.

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Retro Spins: Martha And The Muffins - This Is The Ice Age

At $200.00, Martha And The Muffin's This Is The Ice Age, is their most expensive album in their discography to collect on CD. In general, none of them have been reasonably priced, and this is mainly because they didn't exist on anything other than vinyl and cassette for the longest time. They were slowly released by various labels between 2003 and 2017, a period when the world had seemingly shifted to digital formats. Meaning when CD's were produced, it was in by no means any form of volume. As such, funding pressed discs from that musical wasteland period does tend to get costly. So, to that regard, I understand what's driving the price, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Leading up to the recording sessions that would ultimately churn out their third record, bassist Carl Finkle would depart for undisclosed reasons and be replaced by Jocelyne Lanois. She'd introduce them to her brother, Daniel, who the band felt would be the best choice as producer for their next album. However, this would come with a caveat from Virgina Records, who informed the band that selecting an unknown producer would also mean they'd work with a lower budget.

The end result would be a more experimental album, one which would become a hit in their native Canada. It peaked at number thirty-six, and spawned two dance chart singles, Women Around The World At Work, and Swimming.

That's a perfect segue into today's Retro Spin, as the latter kicks the album off. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the vocals of Mark Gane on the track, he shines through with his fantastic guitar work, which makes the song quite enjoyable.

The second aforementioned single would follow but really didn't impress me all that much. In fact, that's pretty much the territory I once again find myself with Martha And The Muffins. Just not really impressive.

What I did notice, was that in the absence of Martha Ladly as co-vocalist, Gane was stepping in more as more to sing tracks. The problem here is that his style is very monotone, and candidly, quite boring. It doesn't add anything to any of the songs he takes the lead on.

As if to decide things weren't monotonous enough, the band shove a two-and-a-half-minute instrumental track in the middle of the album. It's very drab, serves as more atmospheric than a display of solid musicianship, and feels like its only purpose is to fill space. It misses the mark of everything that makes an instrumental track good. If I had to choose any additional standout tracks, I suppose Casualties Of Glass was decent, but as a whole, the album is pretty unsatisfying.

Needless to say, the "investment" on the albums is not paying off at all. But at least I wasn't the only one at this point who wanted to quit. Not wanting to tour anymore, Nick Gane would leave the band after the release of This Is The Ice Age. He'd be replaced by Nick Kent. Following the supporting tour, Andy Haas would also depart, citing creative differences. However, the band would not replace him and instead carry on as a four piece.

Unfortunately for me, I'm only at the halfway point of the band's 80's discography. With three more to go, I'm not looking forward to any of it. I don't know if I'll jump into their next album tomorrow, or if I'll tap out for a while. I'm really not enjoying their music.

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Retro Spins: Martha And The Muffins - Trance And Dance

When one thinks of the countries associated with major musical acts, the USA and UK top the list. Not often does Canada get brought up, though they do have a fair share of noteworthy acts, such as Ruch, Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Men Without Hats, and Loverboy, to name ~~a few~~ most of them.

Among that crowd were guitarists David Millar and Mark Gane, who formed Martha And The Muffins in 1977. Of course, the name wouldn't come about until they brought lead singer and keyboardist Martha Johnson into the fold, who in turn invited her friend, bassist Carl Finkle. The lineup would be completed by Gane's brother, Tim, who took up the drums. Ironically, the name was only intended to be used temporarily until the band could come up with another that they all agreed on. They never expected to use it for their entire career.

By1978, Andy Haas joined the band as a saxophonist, but this was followed by Millar opting to step out of the spotlight, instead preferring to work on the band's sound engineer. He would be replaced by Martha Ladly, who stepped in as co-singer, and second keyboardist.

The band released the independent single, Insect Love, and a demo that same year, quickly garnering the attention of Dindisc, an offshoot of Virgin Records. The label would send them over to the UK in 1979, where they'd record the tracks for what would become their 1980 debut, Metro Music. The album would be met fairly well, peaking at number sixteen in their native Canada, as well as reaching the top fifty in Australia and the United Kingdom. Propelled by the lead single, Echo Beach, the album would also hit the Billboard 200 in the USA, with the album reaching gold certification. The single itself would perform well on multiple dance charts across the country.

Prior to the year ending, their second album, Trance And Dance would hit store shelves. Initial copies featured an additional four tracks of bonus live EP material. However, as a whole, it would perform poorly, spawning no hits, and failing to chart outside of Canada, where it also performed significantly worse than its predecessor.

For me, the only thing that Trance And Dance lacks over Metro Music is a single. Overall, it's more or less the same as the previous album, mediocre, but listenable punk / new wave. It's not awful by any means. It just doesn't have anything that stands out.

So far, the juice hasn't been worth the squeeze in my new endeavor of Martha and her Muffins. With an average buy in price of $70.00 per album, while I'm getting a unique listening experience, I'm not getting anything worth raving about. Meaning I'm also not getting any value out of my purchases. This is disappointing.

I will give credit to the instrumentation across it. There's no doubt that the members know how to play. Where they falter is with catchy choruses. Songs that stick in your head and have you humming along with them. Basically, they're talented musicians, but not hit makers. Maybe that's what makes them work for the fans that follow them, but for me, it's just not hitting the mark.

I'm not going to give up on them just yet, but I'm definitely reaching a point where boredom is setting in. We'll see how tomorrow goes when I jump into their most expensive album of them all, 1981's This Is The Ice Age.

Shortly after its release, Martha Ladly would depart, opting to follow an art scholarship. She would not be replaced by anyone, and instead, Martha And The Muffins would continue on with the reduced lineup. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be the last to depart, as leading up to the recording sessions for what would become This Is The Ice Age, Carl Finkle would also quit the band. That's where I pick up tomorrow.

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