I think this song is so beautiful. I want to cry every time I hear it.
Love, risin’ from the mists
Promise me this and only this
Holy breath touchin’ me
Like a wind song
Sweet communion of a kiss
Sun, siftin’ thru the grey
Enter in, reach me with a ray
Silently swoopin’ down
Just to show me
How to give my heart away
And once a crystal choir
Appeared while I was sleepin’ and called my name
And when they came down nearer
Sayin’, “Dyin’ is done”
Then a new song was sung
Until somewhere we breathed as one
Stars, burstin’ in the sky
Hear the sad nova’s dyin’ cry
Shimmerin’ memory
Come and hold me
While you show me how to fly
Sun, siftin’ thru the grey
Enter in, reach me with a ray
Silently swoopin’ down
Just to show me
How to give my heart away
And lately sparklin’ hosts
Come fill my dreams descendin’ on fiery beams
I’ve seen ’em come clear downWhere our poor bodies lay
Soothe us gently and say
“Gonna wipe all your tears away”
Love risin’ from the mists
Promise me this and only this
Holy breath touchin’ me
Like a wind song
Sweet communion of a kiss
When I was about 14, my whole family got together to celebrate my grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary. Music was playing while we decorated the hall, and somehow my cousin and I got to naming the songs as they came on the radio. I guess she’s about 10 years older than me, and she knew a lot of them. But it’s one of those silly memories that has stuck with me, that she was so impressed because I knew every. single. one. Title, artist, album…and most of the words too.
It was only because I stayed up half the nights most weekends watching music videos. First it was Friday Night Videos – remember that? – and then it was all MTV, when it finally came to my neck of the woods.
I was the MTV Generation.
MTV ain’t what it used to be, but then neither am I for that matter. Of course, I don’t guess either one of us would have benefited from staying the same all these years. But I can still keep a place in my heart for those late nights, sitting in the good chair, one leg kicked over the arm, watching 3-minute movies set to music.
Here are some of the videos I remember most, and you might remember too:
The Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star, 1981 This is the first video played on MTV when it debuted at 12:01 am, August 1st 1981.
Duran Duran, Hungry Like the Wolf, 1983 Duran Duran probably owes their US success to MTV, which put this video on heavy rotation at a time when the band was not getting radio air play. They became known for their highly stylized music videos and exotic locals, and in 1984 this video won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video.
Wham!, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, 1984 “You put the boom-boom into my heart.” If this song doesn’t take you back to the 80’s I don’t know what will. It’s still catchy – you know you remember most of the words. And neon everywhere!! Love those fingerless gloves there, Michael.
The Cars, You Might Think, 1984 This was one of the first music videos to use computer graphics, and maybe that’s why it made an impression on my brain. Even though it seems pretty simple and rudimentary now. It won Video of the Year at the first ever MTV Video Music Awards, and five awards at Billboard’s 1984 Video Music Awards.
Twisted Sister, We’re Not Gonna Take It, 1984 “WHAT is that? A Twisted Sister pin! On your uniform!”
A-ha, Take On Me, 1985 I always liked this awesome video, and I’ll probably never forget it exists. Well, maybe some day I’ll forget. Anyway, it was cutting edge at the time, and made this song A-ha’s most successful recording in the US.
Dire Straits, Money for Nothing, 1985 Considered ground-breaking at the time, this video was one of the first uses of computer-animated human characters. Ironically, Dire Straits founder/lead singer Mark Knopfler was anti-video and thought that videos “would destroy the purity of songwriters and performers”. But MTV loved the song and wanted a concept video or they wouldn’t play it. Knopfler eventually gave in, and the video went on to win Video of the Year at the third annual MTV Video Music Awards.
Robert Palmer, Addicted to Love, 1986 Remember these girls? This video was ranked number 3 on VH1’s Top 20 Videos of the 1980s; pretty memorable video for such a simple concept. Palmer went on to copy the idea in three subsequent music videos as well. I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Michael Jackson, Thriller, 1983 I’m out of order, but sometimes you’ve got to save the best for last. Directed by John Landis, this 13 minute video was MTV’s first “world premier video”. It’s hard to exagerate its influence on the music video industry, not to mention how many times the Thriller dance shows up in movies and television. In 2006, Guinness World Records listed Thriller as the “most successful music video”, with over nine million copies sold. And in 2009, it was the first music video to ever be inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Pretty impressive.
So that’s just a few of the videos that stick out in my memory.
When I think of early 80’s music, New Wave is what first comes to mind. Wikipedia says that “New Wave music is an umbrella term for several late-1970s to mid-1980s pop/rock musical styles…broadly analogous to punk rock before branching as a distinctly identified genre, incorporating electronic/experimental music, mod, disco and pop.”
I think of New Wave as punk-ish, pop-ish, stylized, individualistic, creative, synthetic, and highly electronic. And like Punk, New Wave was a style beyond the music, with its own distinct fashion sense – that maybe made no sense, haha. But it was creative, you have to give them that!
Here are some videos of what I think of as New Wave Music:
Culture Club, Karma Chameleon, 1982
.
Adam Ant, Goody Two Shoes, 1982
.
Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), 1983
.
Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, 1983
.
Thompson Twins, Hold Me Now, 1983
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Howard Jones, Things Can Only Get Better, 1985
.
I read once that the music you loved during your formative years will stick with you the rest of your life. That must be true, because I definitely still have a place in my heart for the synthetic sounds of New Wave.
~~~
How about you?
What kind of music did you listen to
when you were first starting to really get into music?
Population: 229,465,714 Life expectancy: 74.1 years New Home: $68,900 New Car: $7,500 Median Income: $13,773 Stamp: $ .18 Regular Gas: $1.13 Bread: $ .54 Gal of Milk: $1.69
And here are the Number One’s for 1981!
Movies
Oscars Best Picture: Chariots of Fire Best Director: Warren Beatty, Reds Best Actor: Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond Best Actress: Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond
Highest Grossing Films 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark ($212,222,025)
2. On Golden Pond ($119,285,432)
3. Superman II ($108,185,706)
4. Arthur ($95,461,682)
5. Stripes ($85,297,000)
Remember These Movies? Taps
The Cannonball Run
Continental Divide
Endless Love
The Fan
The Four Seasons
The Howling
Absence of Malice
Sharky’s Machine
Pennies from Heaven
Music
Grammy Awards: Album of the Year: Christopher Cross for Christopher Cross Record of the Year: Christopher Cross for Sailing Best New Artist: Christopher Cross
*The only Artist (so far) to sweep all categories in the same year
Pop Female Vocal: Bette Midler for The Rose Pop Male Vocal: Kenny Loggins for This Is It Pop Duo/Group: Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb for Guilty
Rock Female Vocal: Pat Benatar for Crimes of Passion Rock Male Vocal: Billy Joel for Glass Houses Rock Duo/Group: Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band for Against the Wind
Country Female Vocal: Anne Murray for Could I Have This Dance? Country Male Vocal: George Jones for He Stopped Loving Her Today Country Duo/Group: Emmylou Harris & Roy Orbison for That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again
Billboard Top Singles 1. Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes
2. Endless Love – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
3. Lady – Kenny Rogers
4. (Just Like) Starting Over – John Lennon
5. Jessie’s Girl – Rick Springfield
Remember These Songs? Morning Train (Nine to Five) by Sheena Easton Queen of Hearts by Juice Newton Elvira by The Oak Ridge Boys Passion by Rod Stewart Somebody’s Knockin by Terri Gibbs America by Neil Diamond Another One Bites the Dust by Queen Don’t Stand So Close to Me by The Police
Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen
Television
Emmy Awards Outstanding Drama: Hill Street Blues (NBC) Best Actor, Drama: Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo, Hill Street Blues (NBC) Best Actress, Drama: Barbara Babcock as Grace Gardner, Hill Street Blues (NBC)
Outstanding Comedy: Taxi, (ABC) Best Actor, Comedy: Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger, Taxi (ABC) Best Actress, Comedy: Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson, The Jeffersons (CBS)
Top Shows 1981 – 1982 (Households with TV: 81,500,000)
1. Dallas (CBS) 23,146,000
2. 60 Minutes (CBS) 22,575,500
3. The Jeffersons (CBS) 19,071,000
4. Three’s Company (ABC) 18,989,500
5. Alice (CBS) 18,500,500
6. The Dukes of Hazzard (CBS) 18,419,000
7. Too Close for Comfort (ABC) 18,419,000
8. ABC Monday Night Movie (ABC) 18,337,500
9. M*A*S*H (CBS) 18,174,500
10. One Day at a Time (CBS) 17,930,000
Remember These Shows? Lewis & Clark (81 – 82) The Two of Us (81 – 82) Father Murphy (81- 83) Bret Maverick (81 – 82) Flamingo Road (81 – 82)
Harper Valley P.T.A. (81 – 82)
Strike Force (81 – 82)
McClain’s Law (81 – 82)
Private Benjamin (81 – 83)
Walt Disney (81 – 83) Greatest American Hero (81 – 83)
Fall Guy (81 – 86) Gimme a Break (81- 87) Simon and Simon (81 – 95)
steadily skipping stones 