Back to the 1980s

  March 20, 1982 - 39 Years Ago Today: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts began a seven-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with their single, "I Love Rock 'N Roll." The Jake Hooker/Alan Merrill-penned song was the group's chart debut and it became the first of 10 Hot 100 singles which included nine Top 40's, three Top Tens and one No. 1. "I Love Rock 'N Roll" also enjoyed a five-week run on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and ranks at No. 491 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was certified Platinum selling two million copies in the U.S. alone. Joan Jett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

March 18, 1989 - 32 Years Ago Today: Jody Watley debuted at No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with her single, "Real Love." This was Watley's 6th entry on the chart as a solo performer after spending 6 years as the female singer for the R&B/dance trio, Shalamar. "Real Love" became her 4th Top Ten peaking at No. 2 for 2 weeks and was prevented from the top spot which was occupied by Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl." "Real Love" also spent one week at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B Chart and was certified Gold. It was written by Watley and Andre Cymone. Between 1987-98, Watley charted 12 solo singles on the Hot 100 which included 7 Top 20's and 6 Top Tens. She won the Best New Artist Grammy for 1987.

  “On this day March 18, 1980” Take Your Time (Do It Right)" is a song released in 1980 by The S.O.S. Band, Recorded in 1979. It was released as the lead single from S.O.S. on March 18, 1980, through Tabu Records, three months before the album's release. In the United States, it reached the number-one spot on the Billboard R&B singles chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1980.[1] On the Billboard dance chart, it went to number one for four non-consecutive weeks.[2] The single was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million copies.[3] It spent five months (21 weeks) on the US charts. "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" was a worldwide hit; [4] The single peaked at one US Cash Box 100. Songwriter(s) Harold Clayton , Sigidi Producer(s) Sigidi

  An album produced at Trident Studios, London, which I shared at the time with Elton John, Genesis and Peter Gabriel. The album was recorded in 48 tracks (2 24 synchronized tracks), it was revolutionary for the time. Jimmy Page (Deep Purple) played a fabulous solo on the track Rocket In The Pocket (in a memorable recording session!), which also earned me my first sample with the Rap band, Run DMC. And later, one of my most sampled albums by new generations of producers and artists The video ‘Je Suis Music’, was directed by David Nile, who would later direct other videos, including The Collector, in 1985.

Track listing 1. Elisa Fiorillo - "Little Too Good to Me"4:20 Arranged By – Fred Zarr , Jellybean * Vocal Arrangement – Toni C. Backing Vocals – Connie Harvey , Darryl Phinnessee , Jocelyn Brown ,  John Benitez , Maxine Waters , Siedah Garrett Bass Guitar – Neil Stubenhaus Drum Programming – Jellybean * Guitar – David Williams (4) , Eddie Martinez Lead Vocals – Elisa Fiorillo Percussion – Bashiri Johnson Synthesizer – Fred Zarr Written-By – Allan Rich , Jeffrey Prescetto * 2. Elisa Fiorillo - "Who Found Who" 4:47 Vocal Arrangement – Elisa Fiorillo , Jellybean * Arranged By, Synthesizer – Fred Zarr , Jellybean * Backing Vocals – Audrey Wheeler , Cindy Mizelle , Jocelyn Brown Drum Programming – Jellybean * Guitar – Felicia Collins Lead Vocals – Elisa Fiorillo Percussion – Bashiri Johnson , Jellybean * Saxophone – Dave "Rev" Boruff * Written-By – Paul Gurvitz 3. Adele Bertei - "Just a Mirage"4:44 Vocal Arrangement – Adele Bertei , Toni C. Arranged...

  The Go-Go's began a six-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart with their album, "Beauty And The Beat." This would be the first of five albums the group would chart and their only No. 1. It spawned the hit singles, "Our Lips Are Sealed," which peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100 and "We Got The Beat," which made its way to No. 2 for three weeks stalled behind Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, and their smash single, "I Love Rock 'N Roll." "Beauty and The Beat" was certified double Platinum. The Go-Go's sophomore album, "Vacation," was also a Top Ten hit peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 Chart and was certified Gold. Their final Top 40 album, "Talk Show," peaked at No. 18. A greatest hits collection, aptly titled, "Greatest," peaked at No. 127 and following their third brief reunion, they scored their final charted album, 2001's "God Bless The Go-Go's." Lead singer, Belin...

Tracklist A1 Mama Africa 7:58 A2 Glasshouse 5:52 A3 Not Gonna Give It Up 5:48 A4 Stop That Train 3:59 B1 Johnny B. Goode 4:03 Mixed By – John Benitez Written-By – Chuck Berry B2 Where You Gonna Run 4:07 Written By – D. Kinsey, R. Kinsey B3 Peace Treaty 4:19 B4 Feel No Way 3:27 B5 Maga Dog 4:24 Companies, etc. Produced For – Wonderknob Ltd. Produced For – Intel Diplo Enterprises, Inc. Phonographic Copyright ℗ – EMI Records Ltd. Copyright © – EMI Records Ltd. Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc. Published By – Arc Music Corp. Published By – Mabrak Music Published By – Kenites Publishing Published By – Cayman Music Ltd. Recorded At – Dynamic Sounds Studios Mastered At – EMI America/Liberty Recording Studio Mastered At – Masterdisk Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Winchester Credits Backing Vocals – Audrey Hall, Betty Wright, Chris Kimsey,  Donald Kinsey, Dorriett Myers*, Pam Hall, Peter Tosh,  Raymond Hall, The Tamlins Bass – Leebert "Gibby" Morrison Clavinet – P...

  March 5, 1983 - 38 Years Ago Today: Michael Jackson began a 7-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart with his single, "Billie Jean." This was Jackson's second single release from his album, "Thriller," which was in its second week of a 37-week non-consecutive run at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. This was one of four singles Jackson solely composed and is arguably his most remarkable recording. The song was performed three weeks later on March 25, 1983, at a celebration to commemorate Motown's 25th Anniversary. The program was taped before a live studio audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983. Jackson's performance brought down the house with his first recorded Moonwalk that he was preparing for his worldwide tour. The song also made history as it broke down MTV's racial barrier as the first video by an African-American artist to be aired in heavy rotation. When MTV resisted the video, Columbia Records,...

  FEATURE: SECOND SPIN LISA STANSFIELD – AFFECTION ___________ IN this feature… I either include an album that is underrated or received undue criticism upon its release, or it was positively reviewed but one does not hear that album mentioned too much now. The latter is definitely true when considering Lisa Stansfield’s debut album, Affection . Stansfield has turned in terrific albums right through her career and her eighth studio album, Deeper, of 2018 was another great release! Looking back to her debut, and it would have been quite a revelation hearing the Manchester-born Stansfield break through! In 1989, there were some great British female solo artists around, but I don’t think any had the soulfulness and power of Stansfield. Her music was defined by a definite sense of class and depth, whereas a lot of her peers’ sounds would have been fairly commercial and ordinary. Lisa Stansfield co-wrote all songs on Affection with Ian Devaney and Andy Morris – it means the songs are mo...

 posted on November 17, 2019 by  Matthew Hocter Happy 30th Anniversary to Lisa Stansfield’s debut album Affection , originally released November 20, 1989. The late ‘80s and early ‘90s were a playground for the burgeoning new music style known simply as “house.” A mixture of thumping bass, synth, piano and many times coupled with soulful vocals, House Music not only went on to dominate a part of musical history, but it also formed a massive part of the post-disco, pre-techno landscape that will forever be ingrained in our hearts, not to mention our playlists.    Lisa Stansfield , the northern lass with a voice that belied her appearance, was one such integral singer-songwriter that was storming the charts at the time with her debut album Affection (1989). I remember exactly how I felt the first time I heard Stansfield’s soulful voice belting out “Been around the world and I, I, I / I can't find my baby.” I was all of fourteen years old at the time and craving somethi...