Cyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper was the unsung Madonna of the 80s. She had it all: the look, the quirkiness, the voice and she was born to be adored by teenage girls. And for a while, she was. Cyndi was more thoughtful than Madonna, there was never the naked ambition with her, she really did just want to have fun.

For me, Cyndi's masterpiece is Time After Time and I can't believe I've not mentioned it before. It's such a beautiful song. It was a huge hit in the summer of 1984 and I can clearly remember walking along the beach at Frinton-on-sea hearing it all summer long. I love it and she sings it beautifully.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. This is such a feel-good song with a top video that I never tire of. She is adorable in this and I love everything she wears.

I really like this version too.

I also love True Colors. She really did have a unique voice and much as I love Madonna, Cyndi emoted much better.

   

Let's make it a Cyndi weekend!

Brat Packers on Twitter

I love Twitter and the reason I love it is I can follow stars I loved in the 80s and pretend they are actually my friends. One day Rob Lowe might actually tweet directly to me (@pinky71) and I will actually explode with excitement.

Here is my guide to Brat Packers on Twitter. First up has to be Demi Moore (@justdemi). She was @mrskutcher which was desperately needy and unworthy of the mighty Demi. I am glad she's moved to justdemi. She doesn't need Gorilla Face in her life. Of course her and Bruce were the perfect couple but no, they had to ruin that. *sigh* Demi radiates insecurity. Her picture is her as a kid, designed to make you think awww sweet, she wasn't that pretty as a child. However, click on her page and you get a full on sexy picture of her in over the knee leather boots and not much else. Demi, love, we know you are hot so please, stop trying so hard. Demi tweets in a limited way: a) she tweets to her famous mates to show us she is not a civilian and is actually Hollywood royalty (recent tweets are to Melanie Griffith and Miley Cyrus so she really needs to step up her famous mates for this to work effectively) b) she tweets about charitable stuff to show she is deep and has a heart c) she tweets about nature and hippy dippy shit (recent tweets about the supermoon). She is tedious and I stopped following her for a while but since she is going through a bad patch and she changed her name I figured I'd give her a chance. You're welcome Dem.

Andrew McCarthy (@AndrewTMcCarthy). I never was a big McCarthy fan but he was absolutely a brat packer so we'll include him. His profile pic is a standard shot of him taken recently I'd guess. It's a bit dull. His main photo on his page is weird, it's a painting of what looks like a mountain, I wonder if he painted it? Andrew is yawnsome. This doesn't surprise me as he was a dull actor and never seemed to have much of a personality. There is no wit to his tweets, he tweets to a lot to people so I guess if he was a crush of yours, you'd be in with a chance of a tweet if you tweet him. I've just glanced down his recent tweets and there is nothing worthy of note. Must try harder Andrew, you really should have plenty to say about the 80s for example. It's ok to relive that, we don't mind.

Molly Ringwald (@MollyRingwald). Ahhh Molly, it's good to see you love! Where have you been? She's been having children, I know this because she mentions them in about 80% of her tweets. However, I like Molly. She is a liberal which instantly makes her likeable. She has a nice pic of herself up (sadly not from The Breakfast Club but hey ho) and when you click on her page you see a book shelf. She wants us to think she is an intellectual. Never going to work, she's the high school princess for now and forever. However, she seems well balanced and she is good for an occasional flash of humour.

Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer). I find it hard to forgive Jon for Two And A Half Men. He tweets a lot about it too. I know it's his job but they don't need more audience and it's a terrible show. Shut up Jon. However, here's the thing, Jon retweets amusing comments very well. He doesn't say much funny himself but he does show good taste in his retweets. So he's worth following. Plus, he's Ducky. Now and forever.

Emilio Estevez (@EMILIOTHEWAY). A recent tweet by Emilio: "the answer is bacon, bacon is the answer to everything" This moves him to the top of my list so far. Yes Emilio, bacon is the answer to everything. Well done sporto.

Rob Lowe (@RobLowe). I've saved the best for last. My love for Rob knows no bounds and I already know he's funny from reading his autobiography. Rob posts pictures! Rob makes jokes! Rob has a very nice picture of himself up and just a blue background (no cover of his book, he's a modest chap). Rob rules. Well, he is Billy The Kid.

I am gutted that I can't seem to find Judd Nelson or Mare Winningham. Anyone know if they tweet?

90s songs: Duran Duran, Come Undone

I've already explained my love of Duran Duran but I focused on their hey day that is the 80s. However, this album and the song Come Undone is wonderful. I really do still love it and listen to it fairly regularly. It's so different to their 80s output but so lovely. I like Ordinary World too but this is better.

Enjoy. I would do a summer song but summer shows no sign of appearing, I've just put the heating on.

 

Prince, Part 1

I have loved Prince for most of my life. I think he is a genius and if I don't know what to listen to, I listen to the Purple Rain album and life always improves as a result.

I've mentioned him on and off on this blog but it's time to do a full retrospective. I can't possibly talk about all his songs so here are some of my favourites. I am going to have to do this in stages as he has so many.

First up, 1999. The introduction to this is one of the best intros in pop. It just makes you want to jump about. One of the things I love about Prince is his funkiness, he's just so cool.

Little Red Corvette. Another great introduction. This is a very sexy song.

I remember his big break through hit was When Doves Cry from Purple Rain (one of the best albums ever made by the way). This isn't available on YouTube. It won't surprise you to learn that Prince isn't wild about his music being on YouTube so his bigger hits are harder to find. I am sure you own this song because why wouldn't you? Yet another wonderful introduction. This is a perfect song.

Let's Go Crazy. Just listening to this makes me feel 14 again. His lyrics are brilliant: 'this life, you're on your own!'

I've covered Purple Rain before. 

Long before text speak, Prince was there with I Would Die 4 U. I've not listened to this properly for ages, it's perfect of course.

Raspberry Beret. Great video and it's a song about a raspberry beret. Fashiontastic! This is one of my favourite Prince songs, it's very sweet.

My desert island Prince song is probably Kiss. It's so clever, very sparse yet totally danceable. And some of the best lyrics ever written: 'no particular sign I'm more compatible with!' 'Act your age, not your shoe size.' Genius.

Part 2 soon...

Ryan Gosling - I am crushing and crushing madly

Ryan Gosling has crept up on me and into my heart to become my crush of 2012. I first noticed him in The Notebook, a film we all love. Then last month I watched Crazy Stupid Love and went from "mmmm, he's nice" to "oh my god, what else has he made, I must watch it immediately!" A full blown crush was born.

If you've not seen Crazy Stupid Love, may I recommend it? It's funny, it's got Emma Stone in it and it's got Ryan in it without a shirt (see above) making reference to Dirty Dancing. I can't think of a more perfect combination. There is a kiss in a bar that is swoonsome because of Ryan. The man is divine. I may have watched it again on a plane this week.

I also watched The Ides of March which is possibly the most boring film I've ever sat through and someone should tell George Clooney he cannot direct. However, Ryan was in it and yet again, yum.

Next on my list is Blue Valentine and I need to get over my squeamish nature and watch Drive because he is brooding in that. Brooding I say.

You are never too old to have a crush. It's Teen Law. Who is your current crush? Tell me all about it.

Cameo - Word Up

I've had something of a bad day; busy, stressful and I upset someone accidentally and have felt guilty about it all day. Apart from wine, one thing always cheers me up on such a day and that is listening to an 80s pop classic.

I am not sure they come any more classic than this. I still love this song, if it came on in a club, I would be the first on the dance floor (assuming I'd be in a club which is highly unlikely in this day and age but you never know). I'd be waving my hands in the air like I just don't care. W.O.R.D UP!

I feel better already.

Rainy days and Mondays - songs about rain

It's a bank holiday Monday so naturally it is raining. I know we need the rain but couldn't it have waited until we were back at work?

I've decided to turn the negative into a positive and bring you some songs that mention rain! I know, I thought it was a great idea too! I've done a search in my iTunes library and guess what jumped out at me first? The great man himself, Bazza with I Made It Through The Rain. Here he is singing it in Vegas. Nobody emotes like Barry.

Next, Barbra with Don't Rain On My Parade. It needs no introduction, here she is looking fab-u-lous.

James Taylor, Fire and Rain. One of my all-time favourite songs.

I posted about November Rain last May where I mentioned it had 40 million views on YouTube - it's now at 87 million. I wonder if the extra 47 million came from me mentioning it?!

Songs mentioning rain are very emotional aren't they? Sing it Karen.

and Prince. He breaks my heart.

Let's lighten the mood with Five Star! Wooooooo. One of the happiest songs. Sing along and gasp at the costumes.

No list is complete without some Burt.

There is only one way to close this list. With the sublimely optimistic Gene Kelly.

I hope this has cheered up your rainy Monday a bit. If Kermit and Gene can make the most of the rain, so can we!

Crocodile Dundee

Crocodile Dundee is one of my favourite movies of the 80s. I've seen it many times, it's one of those films that when it is on the TV, I'll watch it. I love the innocence, the classic fish out of water storyline and the transition from the Australian outback to Manhattan. But most of all, I love Paul Hogan. What a guy! He's so perfect in this, I don't think there was any other actor who could have played Mick Dundee. He looked like he ambled in from playing with kangaroos and knocked out this film in his spare time. He is effortless and really rather yummy in it. Check out the biceps.

The funniest scene is when the punks try to mug them in New York and Mick says "call that a knife", pulls out his massive hunting knife and says "that's a knife!" Makes me laugh every time.

I also love the scene in the bar with the trannie and the amazing party scene purely for the 80s fashion on display and the fact they play one of the best songs of the 80s: Mental as Anything, Live it Up.

It has a lovely romantic ending that can't fail to fill you with the warm and fuzzies. In short, it's a text book romcom. You might like to know that Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski are still together which is rather sweet.

The trailer gives all the good scenes away which is one of my pet hates however I am pretty sure if you've not seen Crocodile Dundee by now, perhaps you never will. Your loss.

Prince - Sometimes It Snows In April

It snowed in Scotland today. And I read that statistically it's more likely to snow at Easter than at Christmas, I quoted this to a colleague who poo poo-ed my informational nugget to which I replied, "even Prince says sometimes it snows in April." They looked at me blankly. Honestly, my wit and popular culture knowledge is wasted on my work colleagues. Well, some of them. Another one sent me a message saying she wanted to spend a large potion of our meeting tomorrow discussing Betty Draper. That's the kind of colleague you want!

Anyway, we digress. Indeed, today proves that sometimes it does snow in April. It's a frequent event in Scotland I'll be bound. Maybe Prince wrote the song somewhere further south. Taken from one of his best albums, Parade, this is lovely ballad (although crucially not a power ballad) but it is terribly sad. It makes me feel pensive. Prince really is a genius, he's due a tribute post soon I think. In the meantime, let's get sad together. Inexplicably this is accompanied by strange fish.

En Vogue

En Vogue; a group that do not get enough attention these days. They were fabulous although I am not sure about the fashion, only in the 90s could the above outfits be considered stylish. Fashion be damned (and I don't say that often), let's concentrate on the music. I bet you've forgotten many of their treasures. That's what I am here for. Let's do it.

First up, Hold On.

This has a weird start and takes a while to kick in but when it does, it's great. These ladies could really sing.

My Lovin (You're Never Going To Get It)

One of their best, this is groove-tastic. They knocked all sorts of spots off The Spice Girls.

Free Your Mind.

One of the best introductions to a song ever. I still adore this twenty years later. Yes, twenty years. It's a kick-ass song. 

Just when I didn't think they could get any better, they teamed up with Salt n Pepa. Seriously, was there ever a better pairing? Whatta Man.

1:09 is one of my favourite moments in a pop song ever.

Of course En Vogue had other hits too but these are my pick of their pops. I am off to download these songs now.

Happy Sunday!