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Sunday, July 17, 2016

Whatever Happened to Corey Hart?

Over the last couple of weeks, I decided to do a feature for the Sunday Jukebox where I took a look at some artists who were huge in the 1980s, but seemed to have dropped out of sight in recent years.  I was interested in finding out whatever became of some of these artists, and in my research I have found some interesting information.  Who knew that Kim Wilde found a passion for gardening, or that the music group Expose reformed twenty years after they originally broke up?  It's all quite fascinating.

Well, it's fascinating to me, anyway.

This time around, I thought that I would switch things up a smidgen.  The first two artists I focused on were female, so this week, I'll put a male artist in the spotlight.  And this time around, I think I will pick a guy who is Canadian.

And certainly in Canada, he made a huge impact on the charts.  Sure, in the United States, he had a couple of hits - but in Canada, he really knew how to come onto the music scene with a "BANG".  Three of his thirty-five singles in Canada reached the top spot on the Canadian charts (in comparison, his highest ranking single only reached #3 in the USA).  And he is one of those rare artists that was big in the 1980s, went away for a while, and had a career renaissance during a time in which the Macarena was the top song in North America.

However, right around the time of the new millennium, the hits stopped coming, and many of us were left in the dark as to what happened to him.  In fact, we were so in the dark that it felt as though we were all wearing sunglasses at night.

Funny...that just happens to be the title of his very first hit.



ARTIST:  Corey Hart
SONG:  Sunglasses at Night
ALBUM:  First Offense
DATE RELEASED:  January 21, 1984
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #7



In the 1980s, it was definitely good to be a Corey.  Corey Haim and Corey Feldman had the movie scene covered...and as far as music went, you had Montreal-born singer Corey Hart taking the stage.  Interestingly enough, "Sunglasses at Night" is one of the only songs that actually did better in the United States than it did here in Canada.  The song was a Top 40 hit, but stalled at #24.

But as I mentioned before, Corey Hart had a LOT more hits here in Canada.  And, while "Sunglasses at Night" was his legitimate first offense from "First Offense", a total of three singles were released - the slow jam "It Ain't Enough" and "She's Got The Radio".  It was definitely a great way to start, but his sophomore album "Boy in the Box" would become an even bigger smash.



After all, the song "Never Surrender" exploded in popularity in the year 1985, and gave Corey his first #1 hit in Canada.  That single alone reached Platinum Status in Canada, and was instrumental in earning Corey his first Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards) in the summer of 1985 for Single of the Year.  Ironically enough, this song did not make Corey Hart surrender...if anything, it gave him the strength and the power to make a mark on the Canadian music industry.



I mentioned before that "Never Surrender" was his first #1 hit.  His other two were "Everything in My Heart", released the same year as "Never Surrender", as well as a cover of an Elvis Presley tune "Can't Help Falling in Love" released in 1986. 

And between 1984 and 1992, Corey Hart released a total of six albums.  Some albums were immediate successes such as 1986's "Fields of Fire", while others were largely forgettable, such as 1992's "Attitude & Virtue".  But one thing you could say about Corey Hart was the fact that he didn't really seem afraid to sing any type of song.  He was just as skilled with heavy rock songs like 1985's "Never Surrender" and 1990's "A Little Love", as he was with powerful ballads such as "Everything in My Heart" and "I Am By Your Side" from 1986.  He was definite a versatile artist, but by the time the 1990s rolled around, rock music was fading out of popularity to make way for grunge, Hi-NRG, and dance music, and for a few years, Corey faded into obscurity.



At least, that was the case until 1996 when he came back onto the music scene with a self-titled album that I would readily call his most mature work that he has ever released.  I actually owned this album once upon a time, and can honestly say that I love every single song from it.  You had the catchy single "Tell Me", which got your toes tapping the minute it came on the radio, as well as the powerful love song "Third of June", which was a Top 20 hit here in Canada.

But my favourite track off that album?  It has to be this one.



When "Black Cloud Rain" was first released in 1996, I initially didn't believe that it was Corey Hart singing it until I saw the music video for the single.  This is definitely one awesome song - one that might make my list for one of my most favourite songs ever.  This song also sparked a renewed interest in Corey Hart, as the single just missed becoming Corey's fourth #1 single, peaking at #2. 

Unfortunately, that renewed interest was short-lived.  Despite releasing one more album entitled "Jade" in 1998, Canadians moved on to other artists, and Corey's final single, "La-Bas" (a duet that he recorded with the woman who would become his future wife, Julie Masse) did not chart.

So, whatever happened to Corey Hart?

Well, after marrying Masse in 2000, he would become the father of four children, and the family would end up leaving Canada to start a new life in the Bahamas.  And for the most part, Corey has put music on the backburner as he decided to focus most of his time to raising his family.



But that's not to say that he has given up on music entirely. 

Thanks to the advent of social media websites like Facebook, Corey is frequently updating his fans on what he is working on, and is probably one of the few artists out there who openly answers questions from fans right on his website and Facebook page (which you can find HERE).



Corey also collaborated on a single in 2012 with DJ 1Love entitled "Truth Will Set You Free", which became a sort of anthem for the LGBTQ community, and in 2014 released an album "Ten Thousand Horses" exclusively through iTunes.

And if you're interested in reading more about the life and times of Corey Hart, his autobiography, "Chasing the Sun: My Life in Music" was released in 2014 - thirty years after "Sunglasses at Night" first hit the charts.

So now you know the story of Corey Hart - a man who lived the dream of being a singer, and continues to dabble in the craft even now.  A guy who never once surrendered.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Jem Reviewed: Episode 17 - In Search of the Stolen Album

Previously on Jem Reviewed, the girls auditioned for and won roles in a Broadway musical because this show hasn't suspended reality enough!

What adventures will the girls get into this week?  Let's find out.



This is Episode 17: In Search of the Stolen Album.



We're at a recording studio that presumably is owned by Starlight Records, as the building has the same logo.  Inside, Jem and the Holograms are putting the finishing touches on a new track, and are rehearsing their latest hit.  Aja is so into the recording of the song that she continues to sing fifteen seconds after Jem stops production due to the track not sounding right.  Jem proceeds to blame Aja for the mess up, and Aja defends herself by saying that she has nice shoes.  I'm not lying either.  It's...so...strange.

Even stranger still is the fact that the girls mention that this is their debut album.  Okay, wait a minute.  You mean to tell me that they filmed a full length motion picture, performed at a benefit concert for Haven House, won a fashion contest, shot a fashion book, and performed in a Broadway musical BEFORE releasing an album?  Sigh...let's continue to distort reality some more, shall we?



It seems as though the fortunes of Eric Raymond and the Misfits have taken a turn for the worse as well.  The Misfits open up the front door of a building that probably should have been condemned years earlier and are greeted by a gigantic rat scurrying out the door! 

And, no...it's not Eric.  It's a genuine rat.



Eric's been holed up inside the building and he is looking rough.  He explains that ever since he was thrown out of Misfits Music, he's had it bad.  What I'm wondering is...WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?  Misfits Music was established in Episode 13.  Four episodes ago.  And in four episodes, he screwed up so badly that he was thrown out?  Again, this makes NO SENSE.

The only thing I can come up with for an explanation is that this episode aired out of order.  It should have aired after the Battle of the Bands, but before the girls started filming Starbright.  After all, there was a six month window in between those two episodes.  It's plenty of time to cut an album.  And maybe instead of Misfits Music, Eric could have been talking about Starlight Music.  See, THAT would have made much more sense.

But whatever.  The Misfits still have a recording studio that is part owned by Pizzazz's father, so their plan is to make an album themselves.  Sounds simple enough.



We're treated to a boring set of clips featuring Jerrica, Kimber, Aja, and Shana doing actual work at Starlight Music.  I won't bother recapping it as it seems like a filler scene.  The only highlight to mention is that Kimber spends the whole time snoozing on the couch while the other three are working, and then complains that her life is so hard.  Having worked with people who have the same work ethic as Kimber, I admit to wondering how the other three can put up with her!  But, I guess when you're related to the lead singer of the group, anything can be possible.



The next day, the Holograms are back at work recording more songs for the album.  And, I want to you pay very special attention to this song, as well as the song the Misfits will release in this episode.



First, the song "There's a Melody Playing".  It's a song that personifies Jem and the Holograms best...it's a danceable love song filled with happiness, rainbows, and pixie dust that would almost be forgettable if not for the fact that Britta Phillips hits not one but two high notes flawlessly.  I think those notes save the song from being completely forgettable.

But my opinion means nothing.  The Holograms think it's the best thing they've ever recorded and are looking forward to putting the finishing touches on the album the next day.



But while the girls are celebrating their success, Eric is planning a very nasty scheme.  Naturally, Zipper is there for the ride because when you really want to count on someone screwing up your plans, Zipper is the guy to call.



In this case, Zipper actually comes through for Eric.  He successfully breaks into the Starlight Recording Studio, and snatches the master tape of Jem's album.  Of course, when you label the tape case "JEM'S MASTER TAPE", well...they kind of made his job even easier.

Jem and the Holograms are absolutely crestfallen that their master tape has been stolen right out from under them and they immediately try to come up with a way to fix the situation.  If their album was stolen, it's not like they could re-record it.  Zipper stole all of their songbooks as well.



Meanwhile, presumably miles from Los Angeles, Eric Raymond and the rest of the Misfits are relaxing at a poolside resort.  I'm thinking that Eric arranged the vacation so that they would have plenty of time to hide Jem's master tape and work on their own album without having the police come and arrest them for theft.  But while they are talking, Pizzazz comes up with an idea to have a little bit of fun with Jem and the Holograms.  The idea?  Take the girls on a scavenger hunt with a surprise at the end.  Do I even want to know what the surprise is?  Knowing Pizzazz, she'll have a sniper ready to gun them all down!

That will be a project that will have to wait.  It's time to hear what the Misfits have to sing.



So, do you notice anything about "There Ain't Nobody Better" in comparison to "There's a Melody Playing?"  Well, the backing music is exactly the same, which means that the Misfits plan on recording an album via plagiarism.  But even more noticeable is the fact that both groups ended up releasing almost an identical music video concept!  To me, this is unfortunate because I don't even think the Misfits needed to even resort to plagiarizing Jem and the Holograms.  They can come up with decent songs on their own.  Although, I do admit...I kind of like their version better.

Jerrica, Kimber, Aja, and Shana arrive home to see a note pinned to the front door of Starlight Mansion.  It's arranged in the form of a ransom note and it reads that they have kidnapped Ashley, Deirdre, and Krissie, and that they need to give them a trillion dollars if they want to see them again.



Just kidding.  Here's the real message.  When the Holograms read the message, they say the word TUNES instead of TIMES.  So, apparently, the girls can't read.  Nice.



They do figure out that the note offers subtle clues about where they need to go.  Kimber seems to think that they need to go to an underground club in the seedy part of town - which kind of makes me wonder how Kimber would even know about the club in the first place.  Somebody's been sneaking out past curfew!  Whatever the case, the girls decide that this club is worth checking out - after all, the clue does elude to the fact that the person who wrote the note also has the master tape.



After driving around for what seems like hours, the girls find the place they're looking for.  It's a club on the top floor of an abandoned building, and judging from the crowd that is inside, I am guessing that it is a place filled with drugs, sex, and really bad dye jobs.  In fact, I would probably hazard a guess that we may very well see the biological parents of a couple of the Starlight Girls in this very club!  But that's merely speculation.



To nobody's surprise, the crowd inside isn't very helpful.  When the girls keep asking random strangers who the "Chubette" is in the note, they tell them to go away or threaten them with random acts of violence.  Kimber actually seems upset when one of the guys in the club tell her she isn't his type!  Who knew this crowd had standards?



Eventually, one man - who has one scary laugh - introduces the girls to Chubette...the Coca-Cola machine in the middle of the club.  Aja is so upset that she kicks the machine hard!  There go Aja's new shoes.

The kick dislodges a can of Coke from the machine, and Jerrica is happy that they at least got a free soda.  But given how dirty the place is, I'd reckon that soda's best before date is 1981. 



It's all good though.  They aren't here to drink.  They're here for their next clue which is taped to the outside of the can.  It says something about mirages and garages as well as a dented fender, but it's too late for them to think about what it means now.  They decide to head home and disinfect themselves.



But as they arrive at the Rockin' Roadster, they notice that someone has smashed their fender in.  Guess the note they received was accurate.  But when they turn to leave, they realize that an angry mob from the club have come to put dents in all of them before robbing them of all their stuff.  What a warm and fuzzy neighbourhood this is turning out to be!  The girls are all trapped, and Shana remarks that not even Synergy can help them out.



To which Jerrica responds with "Bitch, please", and uses Synergy to create an illusion of them burning to death the moment one of them throws a rock at their car.  That's...a little harsh!  But it works, as the men all scurry back to their run-down homes.  Even Shana has to admit that she underestimated Synergy's importance and Jerrica actually tells Shana that she'll forgive her even though Synergy is a computer and shouldn't feel any emotion whatsoever.



The next day, the girls discover what the clue means.  There's a place in the middle of nowhere called the "Mirage Garage".  It's a gas station that happens to boast one of the tallest tire piles in all of Southern California.  I don't know whether that's something to be proud of or ashamed of. 



Now, here is the exact moment where Jem and the Holograms really annoy the hell out of me.  There aren't many, so believe me, I will point them out whenever I see it.  They introduce themselves to the owner of the Mirage Garage - the charming Southerner named Bubba.  And while Jerrica shows the dented fender to Bubba - who exclaims that he can fix it - the other girls go searching through his things to find the next clue to the hunt.  Wow, way to go through his stuff without asking permission, ladies!



To make matters worse, in the haste to find the clue, Kimber, Aja, and Shana disturb the giant pile of tires which come crashing through the roof of the garage!  Oh, great, so now they're adding vandalism to the mix.

And even more disgusting...when the girls find the next note underneath the tire pile, Jerrica exclaims that they can get the fender fixed in town, and so they speed off leaving Bubba alone to fix his tire pile and roof.  I feel like Jerrica has somehow switched bodies with Pizzazz.  That's the only way I can even justify the Holograms' horrible behaviour.  You know, I almost hope they DON'T find their master tape.



But since every episode of Jem has to reward Jem in some way, we can only assume that the next clue will lead them closer to where the tape is hidden.  And it looks as though the next clue takes them to the beach where a place called the Blue Wave surf shop is located. 



Once again, Jerrica and the girls barge into someone's place of business and ransack the place trying to find what they are looking for.  What is this?  "The Amazing Race"?  I bet they won't give our extremely laid-back sales employee an apology either for tossing wetsuits and surfboard wax all over the floor either.  Those jerks.



Thankfully for the Holograms - and every business owner in Southern California, the girls get their final clue - which points them towards a net where a group of people are playing volleyball.  So help me, if those girls upset that volleyball game in any way, I would reckon that they deserve to be bumped, set, and spiked out of there.



Fortunately, the girls decide that they do want to showcase their manners, and they safely dig up a tape case without interfering with the game.  So, it's fine to destroy a person's business, but heaven forbid they interrupt a group of people playing sports.  Talk about priorities.

To nobody's surprise, the Misfits have left them with a blank tape.  While I would consider it karma for the way the Holograms behaved, I know that this ending would not really cut it, so Jerrica comes up with the idea to have Synergy analyze the notes so that they can figure out what the next step is.  My question...why didn't they just come up with that idea before going all around town destroying things?  This episode makes my brain hurt.

Synergy does provide them with information that confirms that the Misfits were behind the theft.  The club was a place where the Misfits performed.  The gas station is on property owned by Pizzazz's dad.  Pizzazz made a purchase at the surf shop using her credit card.  Again, this is nice information, but it doesn't tell them where the tape is.



Until Synergy points out that the Misfits made one fatal error in one of their clues when they talked about flashy music.  Turns out that the recording studio where the Misfits record their music is named Flash Recording Studios, which is partly owned by Pizzazz's father.  Connecting the dots like Pee-Wee Herman, the girls deduce that their tape is being held at Flash Studios.  But they will never be allowed inside. 



Never fear, for Synergy is here!  As Aja drives away in the Roadster, Jerrica, Shana, and Kimber use Synergy to transform into holograms of Pizzazz, Roxy, and Stormer.  Synergy does such a good job in disguising them that they even sound like the characters! 



Once inside the recording studio, they split up to try and find the tape.  It seems as though the Misfits are just as stupid as the Holograms, as they make no effort to disguise the tape at all.  If I were them, I'd have put a fake label over top of the original one, claiming that the tape holds Polka's Greatest Hits or something like that.  Now that the tape is safely in the hands of the Holograms, they leave - but not before they leave the Misfits with one final surprise.

At a press conference announcing the Misfits new album, Eric Raymond is schmoozing over the guests while the Misfits are standing around looking pretty.  In short, it's a typical Friday.



So imagine their surprise when Eric plays the tape and it turns out to be a Rosetta Stone tape of French lessons!  Quel dommage!  It appears as though la presse is quite ennui about the tape, and they vamoose out of there faster than you can say "Vive les Misfits!".  As for pauvre Pizzazz, she burns hot with anger faster than Joan of Arc is burned at the stake, and she takes the tape and destroys it with her bare hands right in the middle of the room.  Yeah, that's mature, Pizzazz.  At least Roxy and Stormer are showing some restraint!



Back at Starlight Records, Jem and the Holograms are celebrating the fact that because they acted like the Misfits, their album is number one in the country.  Oh, yeah...great moral to teach kids there, ladies.  If something doesn't go your way, get revenge on them.  That may work in some cases, but in most others, it just makes the situation worse. 

And so ends what I believe to be one of the more frustrating episodes of Jem so far.  I mean, the idea of the Misfits stealing Jem's album probably looked great on paper.  But the execution of it was horrendous...and so was the way that Jem and the others treated people during their quest.  I sure hope this is a side we don't see too often, because it's really ugly.

Before I close this off, I'll post some
Jem Trivia.  It's right around this episode that Jem decided to add some PSA's to the end of each show, telling people that if they do the right thing, they'll end up being a superstar - despite the fact that the girls didn't do any superstar behaviour in this episode.  I believe a total of nine PSA's aired...and if you click on the video below, you can watch them all.  They're like "One To Grow On"...but cheesier!



Next week, both bands compete in a Battle of the Music Stars event...in Hawaii!  And Kimber falls in love.  Again.

But before I end this piece off, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the people of Nice, France, whose Bastille Day celebrations ended in tragedy.  I wish I could do more for you, but know that the entire world is feeling your pain at this time.  

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

July 12, 1979

Welcome to another summer edition of the Tuesday Timeline entry.  Today is the 12th of July, and today's subject is very musical, to say the least. 

I'll get to what I mean in a moment.  But first, we have a little bit of other things to take care of first.  Let's have a look at what happened throughout history on this date.

1493 - Hartmann Schedel's "Nuremberg Chronicle" is published

1561 - St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is consecrated

1690 - The Battle of the Boyne takes place

1776 - Captain James Cook embarks on his third voyage

1789 - Journalist Camille Desmoulins gives a speech in response to the dismissal of French finance minister Jacques Necker - that speech would be the catalyst for the storming of the Bastille just two days later

1804 - Alexander Hamilton succumbs to a gunshot wound one day after being shot in a duel

1862 - The Medal of Honor is authorized by U.S. Congress

1908 - Actor/comedian Milton Berle (d. 2002) is born in New York City

1918 - Over six hundred are killed when an Imperial Japanese naval battleship, "Kawachi", explodes near western Honshu

1920 - The Soviet-Lithuanian peace treaty is signed

1950 - Kiss drummer Eric Carr (d. 1991) is born in Brooklyn, New York

1962 - The Rolling Stones perform their very first concert at London's Marquee Club

1963 - 16-year-old Pauline Reade disappears on her way to a dance in Gorton, England; she becomes the first of many victims of serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley

1967 - Riots begin place in Newark, New Jersey over civil rights and liberties - the riots would last a period of six days and would leave 26 dead

1970 - The home of composer Geirr Tveitt is destroyed by fire - along with 90% of his output and works

1973 - At least one-third of all American military personnel files are wiped out when a fire guts the entire sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center

1979 - Singer Minnie Riperton dies of cancer, aged just 31

1986 - Simply Red scores their first #1 hit single with the song "Holding Back The Years"

1996 - Smashing Pumpkins keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin dies of a drug overdose at the age of 34

2003 - Beyonce scores her first #1 solo hit with "Crazy in Love"

2007 - Airstrikes are performed in Baghdad, Iraq by American army Apache helicopters

2011 - Sherwood Schwartz - the creator of "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island", dies at the age of 94

And for celebrity birthdays, the following faces are blowing out candles on their cakes today; Frank Windsor, Irene Sutcliffe, Roy Barraclough, Bill Cosby, Christine McVie, Delia Ephron, Walter Egan, Richard Simmons, Gilles Meloche, Brian Grazer, Cheryl Ladd, Jamey Sheridan, Mel Harris, Dave Semenko, Tonya Lee Williams, Dan Murphy, Robin Wilson, Annabel Croft, Richard Herring, Lady Saw, Lisa Nicole Carson, Loni Love, Kristi Yamaguchi, Dan Boyle, Anna Friel, Tracie Spencer, Steve Howey, Claire Chitham, Topher Grace, Michelle Rodriguez, Tara Kirk, Natalie Martinez, Phoebe Tonkin, Dexter Roberts, and Eoghan Quigg.

Okay, so what's the date that we will be looking at this week?



Well, I think we'll go back in time thirty-seven years ago today - which makes our Tuesday Timeline date July 12, 1979.

Now, as mentioned earlier, singer Minnie Riperton passed away on this date, and while she isn't the main subject of today's blog, I do want to acknowledge the contributions she made to the music industry - in particular with this single from 1975.



ARTIST:  Minnie Riperton
SONG:  Lovin' You
ALBUM:  Perfect Angel
DATE RELEASED:  January 13, 1975
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 1 week

The two things that I can definitively say about this single is that first, it is a beautifully written love song.  And secondly, Minnie Riperton sure knew how to hit a high note!  Interestingly enough, the song provided a smidgen of controversy when some disc jockeys would purposely fade the song out because they felt she was singing a Mayan chant at the end.  But she was actually repeating the name "Maya" - the name of her then two and a half year old daughter.

The Maya in question by the way?  Actress and comedienne Maya Rudolph.

Sadly, in 1976, Riperton was diagnosed with breast cancer, and while she fought the disease for three and a half years, it ended up taking her life thirty-seven years ago today.

May she forever rest in peace.

But, July 12, 1979 also marked a day in which a demonstration changed the face of the music industry forever. 

But before we talk about that incident, here's a little background information to get us into the mood.

Now, as I mentioned before, in 1975, Minnie Riperton had a #1 hit with "Lovin' You" - and 1975 was a year in which singer-songwriters dominated the charts.  By the following year however, a new style of music was slowly making its way onto the scene.



Disco.



Likely catapulted by the movie "Saturday Night Fever", disco became dominant during the late 1970s.  Disco clubs with flashing lights and mirror balls sprung up in every major city from Los Angeles to New York, Studio 54 was the hot spot for everything disco, and artists such as The Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and KC and the Sunshine Band soared in popularity.  The disco scene was definitely the place to slip on your platform shoes, feather your hair like Farrah Fawcett-Majors, and do the Hustle without anybody judging you.

In the early part of 1979, it seemed as though disco was set to become the style of music that everyone would have to become accustomed to.  Have a look at the #1 hits on the Billboard Chart of the year 1979 prior to July 12, 1979...

12/31/78 to 01/19/79 - Too Much Heaven/THE BEE GEES
01/20/79 to 02/09/79 - Le Freak/CHIC
02/10/79 to 03/09/79 - Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?/ROD STEWART
03/10/79 to 03/23/79 - I Will Survive/GLORIA GAYNOR
03/24/79 to 04/06/79 - Tragedy/THE BEE GEES
04/07/79 to 04/13/79 - I Will Survive/GLORIA GAYNOR
04/14/79 to 04/20/79 - What a Fool Believes/THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
04/21/79 to 04/27/79 - Knock on Wood/AMII STEWART
04/28/79 to 05/04/79 - Heart of Glass/BLONDIE
05/05/79 to 06/01/79 - Reunited/PEACHES & HERB
06/02/79 to 06/08/79 - Hot Stuff/DONNA SUMMER
06/09/79 to 06/15/79 - Love You Inside Out/THE BEE GEES
06/16/79 to 06/29/79 - Hot Stuff/DONNA SUMMER
06/30/79 to 07/13/79 - Ring My Bell/ANITA WARD

Notice a pattern here?  Aside from the slow jam "Reunited", every single one of these songs was recorded by a disco artist, or was a single that had some disco flavour (such as the case with the Rod Stewart and Blondie singles).  That's a lot of disco.

Some might have said that it was too much disco. 



And this brings us to July 12, 1979.  The location was Chicago's Comiskey Park.  And the event was something that came to be known as "DISCO DEMOLITION NIGHT".

The event was put together by disc jockey and anti-disco activist Steve Dahl, who I have to admit had a good reason for disliking the genre.  You would too if you were fired from the rock station you were working at on Christmas Eve, 1978 because the station decided that they would switch formats from rock to disco.

Fortunately, Dahl was quickly hired by a competing radio station, but he never forgot just how terrible he was treated at his former station, and how disco caused him to be unemployed, so throughout the first part of 1979, he and his broadcast partner launched an all out war against disco music, and it is rumoured that it was they who coined the "Disco Sucks" phrase that was heard throughout the last part of the year and early 1980s.

It all came to a head at Comiskey Park.  Dahl planned for the Disco Demolition Night to take place there as part of a radio promotion.  That night a doubleheader was scheduled between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers, and Comiskey Park was already having a promotion that night where any teenager who purchased a ticket to see the game would get in for half price.  Well, Dahl sweetened the deal (with assistance from White Sox owner Bill Veeck and Veeck's son Mike) offering tickets to the game for 98 cents - provided that they enter the game with a disco record of their choice.  Because Dahl promised that after the conclusion of the first game but before the second game was set to begin, he would blow up a whole crate of disco records outside of the baseball diamond!  Bill Veeck went along with the cross-promotion as he felt as though it would be a great excuse to bring fans back to the stands. 

At 8:40pm, Dahl, dressed in army fatigues, engaged the crowd in a rousing chorus of "DISCO SUCKS" before pressing the button that would cause the explosives inside the crate to explode.  The explosion was so huge that not only did it destroy every record inside of the crate, but it left a huge hole right in the middle of the outfield.

And that's when things really started to disintegrate into an uncontrollable mess.



While security outside of the stadium was tight...the security INSIDE the stadium was nonexistent.  Players of both teams hid as a crowd of approximately 5,000-7,000 people stormed the infield to cause some more demolition that wasn't limited to disco records.  The infield was completely destroyed as people were setting records on fire and ripping out grass.  The batting cage was transformed into a twisted piece of metal.  Even the bases on the field were stolen.  And I don't mean by players...I mean they were physically stolen!

By 9:08pm, the police - dressed in full riot gear - descended onto the field, and the crowd dispersed.  In the end, thirty-nine people were arrested, and Comiskey Park was so destroyed that the second game could not be played at all.  It was a forfeit in favour of the Detroit Tigers, as the White Sox failed to maintain safety conditions, and as of now, the July 12, 1979 game remains the last one to end in a forfeit.

But here's the interesting footnote at the end of this failed promotion.  Ultimately, the Disco Demolition Night ended in complete failure, it damaged the credibility of the Chicago White Sox, it made Bill and Mike Veeck laughing stocks, and it even caused some people to believe that the demonstration was one that seemed to promote discrimination against people of colour, or people that were a part of the LGBTQ community.  However, despite all the negativity associated with that promotion...the crazy part was that it actually WORKED!  Have a look at the #1 songs of 1979 AFTER July 12, 1979 to notice the huge shift in music styles...

07/14/79 to 08/17/79 - Bad Girls/DONNA SUMMER
08/18/79 to 08/24/79 - Good Times/CHIC
08/25/79 to 10/05/79 - My Sharona/THE KNACK
10/06/79 to 10/12/79 - Sad Eyes/ROBERT JOHN
10/13/79 to 10/19/79 - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough/MICHAEL JACKSON
10/20/79 to 11/02/79 - Rise/HERB ALPERT
11/03/79 to 11/09/79 - Pop Musik/M
11/10/79 to 11/16/79 - Heartache Tonight/THE EAGLES
11/17/79 to 11/23/79 - Still/THE COMMODORES
11/24/79 to 12/07/79 - No More Tears/BARBRA STREISAND & DONNA SUMMER
12/08/79 to 12/21/79 - Babe/STYX
12/22/79 to 01/04/80 - Escape (The Pina Colada Song)/RUPERT HOLMES

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Whatever Happened to Exposé?

Okay, so by the time I finish this Sunday Jukebox entry, Sunday will pretty much be almost over.  However, I still want to write one because I had such a good response with the Kim Wilde one I wrote last week.  So, I came to the decision that I would do the same thing for every Sunday in July.  Take a look at a singer or band who hasn't released new music in a while, and find out what they're doing now.

This time around, we're going to take a look at a band that went through many different looks and phases.  When this freestyle girl group first appeared on the scene in 1984, they were just starting out and had recorded a couple of singles.  By 1986, the three original members had all been replaced by three new female singers and they dominated the charts during the late 1980s.  And when the 1990s came, one of those members was sidelined due to an illness and was replaced with yet another member!  You almost needed a score card to keep up with the changes!



Such is the story of the group known as Exposé.

Now, back in 1984, freestyle music was just starting to be played in music clubs.  And in case you don't know what freestyle music is, it is essentially group that relies heavily on keyboard riffs, catchy lyrics, and drum machines.  It was quite popular in the 1980s, and was the genre that included such groups as The Cover Girls, Lisa Lisa & The Cult Jam, Sweet Sensation, and Seduction.

But one could say that Exposé was the band that kicked off the freestyle movement.  The early beginnings of the band started in 1984 when a Miami disc jockey named Lewis Martineé wanted to form a band made up of three girls that could sing.



After a lengthy talent search, the three girls that were hired to form the group that would come to be known as Exposé were Sandra Casañas, Alejandra Lorenzo, and Laurie Miller - though they weren't initially known as Exposé at first.  At the time the group was founded, they called themselves X-Posed.  And shortly after the group was founded, they released the single below.



That song was called "Point of No Return", and it did very well on the Billboard Hot Dance Play charts in 1985.  A second single, "Exposed to Love" was released later that year, and anticipation grew as the band was set to cut their first record.

But as the production of the record began to come together, something very odd happened.  All three original members of the group were cut from the band and replaced with three new members!  Reports vary on what really happened, but depending on who you believe, it was either that two girls were fired and one quit, all three were fired, or all three left on their own accord.  Add the fact that Arista Records - the record company that signed the group to a recording contract - felt that the three original members lacked charisma and star power.  Based on that information, I would say that something big must have happened for a band to change all of its members, yet keep the same band name!



At any rate, Sandra Casañas was replaced by California-born Jeanette Jurado.  Alejandra Lorenzo was replaced by Italian-born, Jersey raised Gioia Bruno, and Ann Curless took over Laurie Miller's spot. 



Amusingly, the group remade the single "Point of No Return" in 1987, and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Charts!

But as sad as it must have been for the original members of the band to be let go, it did seem like it was the right choice as the new Exposé dominated the charts throughout the rest of the 1980s.  Between 1987 and 1989, the group released a total of seven consecutive Top 10 hits on the Billboard Charts, ranging from the freestyle classic "Come Go With Me" to the sultry "Let Me Be The One" to the social commentary song "Tell Me Why".

And of course, the group's biggest hit, peaking at #1 in February 1988.



ARTIST:  Exposé
SONG:  Seasons Change
ALBUM:  Exposure
DATE RELEASED:  November 1987
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 1 week

Yeah, there's something about "Seasons Change" that I find very nice.  Maybe it has to do with the group's perfect singing voices.  Maybe it has to do with the bittersweet video.  Maybe it has to do with the killer saxophone solo played by Euge Groove.  Whatever the case, with songs like this, I can see how Exposé made it big - with the group landing a coveted performing spot on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve '90, airing on December 31, 1989.

PERSONAL TRIVIA:  Rockin' New Years Eve '90 was the first year I stayed up past midnight, so I likely watched that performance!

But little did the band know that just eight months after that performance, the band would change their line-up yet again, though not as drastically as they had years earlier.

Sadly, the reason why was almost a career ender for one of the girls.  During Exposé's summer tour, Gioia Bruno had developed throat problems which made her unable to reach any high notes, and as the summer progressed, her voice grew hoarser.  It was later determined that Gioia had developed a tumor inside of her throat, which prevented her from singing.  Luckily, the tumour was benign, but it left Gioia unable to sing a note, and it caused her to even have difficulty talking.  With Gioia's singing voice silenced, she was forced to leave the band.  To replace Gioia, singer Kelly Moneymaker was brought in to fill the void.  And in a way, it turned out to be a good thing because by 1992, the band was ready to embark in a new direction with their sound as well.



With singles such as "I Wish The Phone Would Ring" and "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)", the new Exposé embarked in a more adult direction, trying to compete with Wilson Phillips.  And for a while, the band did well on the adult contemporary charts.  However, by 1995, the group was let go from Arista Records after three albums, and the members all went their separate ways.

So, whatever happened to Exposé?

Well, as far as the original three members go, they embarked on solo careers - the most successful being that of Alejandra Lorenzo, who had a couple of dance hits.  Tragically, Sandra Casañas was found dead at her home in December 2008 at the age of 46, with the cause of death being linked to an epileptic seizure.

Jeanette Jurado, Ann Curless, and Kelly Moneymaker each recorded some solo singles - in the case of Moneymaker, she released two full length albums - and all three settled down and got married and had children.  In the case of Kelly Moneymaker, she fell in love with former "Days of our Lives" actor Peter Reckell.



And as of 2006, Jurado, Curless, and a fully healed Gioia Bruno reunited as Exposé and continue to sing at festivals and clubs all over the world.  And, just to show that there were no hard feelings, Moneymaker is still a part of the band, subbing for Gioia Bruno whenever she cannot perform.

So, that's the exposé on Exposé!