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| 1985 Typography by Jan Avendano |
[When I Was 17 / 17 Years of Love] -- So, it's @Dangrdafne and @brainwise day today -- 17 years ago, my wife and I had our first date together. And four years later, we were married, but that's a story for another time. Today, however, I decided to use the number 17 in my latest Flashback post. Now, 17 years ago, we were in the 1990s, which are out of scope for this aspect of my blog. However, I could simply go back to the year in which I turned 17 years of age -- that would be 1985. There was a lot of great music in '85. If you're wondering what three tracks I selected to mark my own 17th year as well as celebrate 17 years with my love, you can read and hear more after the break. (Note: @Dangrdafne turned 17 in 1986, but I already did a series of posts about music that year and you can check it out if you want).
Flashback #1: "I got my first real six-string | Bought it at the five-and-dime."
The first Flashback of the day is "Summer of '69" and it comes from Bryan Adams, one of Canada's greatest exports (musical or otherwise). The fourth single from Adams' fourth studio album, Reckless (1984), "Summer of '69" was released in June of 1985 and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, it was an international success, ruling the charts in the UK, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Austria, Sweden, and several other countries. Now, this song makes the today's cut for two reasons: (1) It was one of the songs I played with a few friends during summer jam sessions, only we sang it as "Summer of '85;" and (2) Bryan Adams has long been one of my wife's favorite artists.
Flashback #2: "Can't stop now, I've traveled so far | To change this lonely life."
The 80s were rife with power ballads, and 1985 was no exception. And a power ballad is oh so appropriate in an anniversary kind of post, right? Our second Flashback of the day is a tune that was Foreigner's biggest hit at the time, hitting #1 hit in both the US and the UK: "I Want to Know What Love Is." It was the first single off their 1984 album, Agent Provocateur, entering the charts in November 1984. It climbed to the #1 spot of the Billboard Hot 100 on February 2, 1985, thanks to the dual punch of Lou Graham's smokey lead vocals and backing vocals from the New Jersey Mass Choir (who were also featured in the music video). It ended up ranked as #4 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart for 1985 and it continues to be ranked favorably all these years later. "I Want to Know What Love Is" makes today's playlist because @Dangrdafne continues to show me what love is.
Flashback #3: "Stronger than diamonds | Rich like cream."
Our final Flashback of the day comes from Huey Lewis and the News. To wrap up today's post, we're going with one of the News' songs from Back to the Future (1985), the first installment of one of the truly great trilogies of 80s cinema. You know the story: Marty McFly (as played by Michael J. Fox) finds himself in 1955 and looking for a means to move ahead 30 years to return to his own time. Of course, before he could even consider leaving 1955, he had to set things right between his parents-to-be so his own future would be preserved. Hooray for paradox and the power of love (more on that second one later)! Back to the Future ended up as the highest grossing film of 1985, as well as a critically acclaimed flick -- it won both the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film. Huey Lewis and the News wrote and recorded two tunes for the film's soundtrack. One of those songs, "The Power of Love," turned out to be the band's first number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, as well as their second number-one hit on the U.S. Top Rock Tracks chart. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 58th Academy Awards (unfortunately, it lost to Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me" from White Nights). Disregarding that Oscar snub, ending this post with a tune that extolls the power of love is quite appropriate given what I'm celebrating, right?
There is a six minute version of the music video featuring a joy-riding couple that steals Dr. Emmett Brown's time-traveling DeLorean while the good doctor (played by Christopher Lloyd, course) enjoys the band's performance in a nightclub. If you prefer a collection of movie scenes, the video below will suit you just fine.
Once again, I remind you that the rule of three applies when doing Flashbacks. As I've made my three offerings, that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the archives. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
And if you are on Twitter, and feel so inclined, please +K my influence in Music on @klout.
I'll see you in seven!
1 comment:
Awwww happy 17 years!
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