It's impossible for me to exaggerate how much I loved The Kids From Fame. The TV series started in 1982. I was 11 and very impressionable. And already obsessive over what I loved. I'd obsessed over Adam Ant and Abba but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer joy that is TKFF.
I bought all the cassettes, even TKFF Live (from the Royal Albert Hall if I recall). I bought the monthly fanzine, I watched it religiously every week and my best friend and I used to high kick round our respective bedrooms pretending we were Coco. I mean, she was called Coco - such an exotic name!
I never cared much for the film that inspired the TV show. It's a bit dark and depressing to be honest. The show was just sheer joy and innocence and I much preferred Valerie Landsberg to the film's Doris. The first series of this show still stands up to a viewing. I mean, now we're used to the layered irony of Glee and the slickness and budgets that today's television gives us but TKFF, season one, is truly a fun watch. And I still listen to the first album (I draw the line at TKFF Live these days) and consider Starmaker to be a mini masterpiece. But every song on that album is great except for 'It's Gonna Be A Long Night'; I always loathed Lori Singer and she pretty much ruins Footloose for me.
My favourite characters: Doris, Coco, Leroy (RIP Gene Anthony Ray), Sh Sh Sh Shorosky, Bruno (oh my god, have you seen how he looks now?)
Least favourite: Julie, Montgomery, Danny and Lydia. Controversial to not like Lydia but I still maintain that Debbie Allen monopolised too many songs.
A lovely friend bought me the fanzines as a birthday present years ago as I had made a huge mistake of chucking them out. They are totally hilarious. Printed pictures of readers' sketches of Leroy for example. Wonderful. I will treasure them on my deathbed.
And so we come to probably my favourite song - High Fidelity. I have such fond memories of dancing to this at a friend's birthday party with curled hair (my mum did it for me and it involved sitting under a hooded hairdryer for ages) and leg warmers. God, I was so cool.
Enjoy!
Ah Bruno! Mama Disco had a picture of him stuck to her dressing table mirror!
ReplyDeleteNo way! LOL. I don't recall that.
ReplyDeleteYou don't?! We used to tease her about ALL the time!
ReplyDeleteI reckon I was 7 for TKFF album and I completely obsessed over it. Starmaker used to make me very emotional, even at that young age. Then I saw some 'Fame' programme in the last few years and they said that they actor they sang it to (who was playing the teacher that was leaving the school) was actually dying. That made it even worse. I have to confess that I was a fan of It's Going To Be A Long Night!!
ReplyDeleteOh and the song Fame remains me of being stuck in hospital for two weeks after a massive haemorrhage after a tonsillectomy!
BUT NOTHING BEATS HIGH FIDELITY. I wanted to be Valerie Lansburg (?sp)!