“I think in every era of music you can find stuff like this — and sometimes you’ll find that it’s superior to the music that really was making it big commercially.” –Michael Carmody
In this episode of Deviate Rolf delves into a musical mystery — tracing the fate of ten rock and pop albums (found in a thrift store record bin) that evoke the quintessential look and sound of 1980s music, even though — for whatever reason — they never made it big back in the day.
Joining Rolf in this musical investigation is Jedd Beaudoin (@JeddBeaudoin), who hosts the syndicated music show “Strange Currency,” and Michael Carmody (@Carmody68), a musician, record collector, and donut shop entrepreneur.
Album art and show notes for each 1980s mystery album are listed below, in chronological order, by time-code.
Sue Saad and the Next (Planet/Elektra), 1980
[4:05 – 10:56]
Featured song: “I I, Me Me”
Links:
- 1980 Grammy Awards winners
- 1980 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Sue Saad on The Hustle with Jon Lamoreaux
- Joan Jett (musician)
- John Cougar (musician)
- Sue Saad and the Next, “Young Girl“
- Sue Saad and the Next, “Gimme Love Gimme Pain“
- Rush, “Spirit of the Radio“
- Led Zeppelin, “D’Yer Maker“
S·P·Y·S (EMI America), 1982
[10:56 – 20:25]
Featured song: “She Can’t Wait”
Links:
- 1982 Grammy Awards winners
- 1982 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Al Greenwood (Foreigner and S·P·Y·S keyboardist)
- Mick Jones (Foreigner guitarist)
- Spooky Tooth (band)
- SAGA, “On the Loose“
- Rainbow (band)
- The Clocks, “Nobody’s Fool“
- The Human League (synth-pop band)
- Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons guitarist)
- Cinemax (pay-cable TV network)
The Breaks (RCA), 1983
[20:25 – 27:55]
Featured song: “She Wants You”
Links:
- 1983 Grammy Awards winners
- 1983 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Vini Poncia (record producer)
- Scandal (band)
- Patty Smyth (singer-songwriter)
- Harry Nilsson (singer-songwriter)
- Stevie Nicks (singer-songwriter)
- The Pretenders (band)
- Blue Angel (band)
- Village Sound, “Hey Jack (Don’t Hijack My Plane)“
Fury (New York Music Company), 1985
[27:55 – 34:15]
Featured song: “In Her Arms”
Links:
- 1985 Grammy Awards winners
- 1985 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Felix Cavaliere (producer)
- Young Rascals (band)
- Kenny Loggins (singer-songwriter)
- Yamaha DX7 (synthesizer)
- Former Fury fan club, current location on West 57th Street
- La Blanc Brothers (post-Fury wedding band)
Surgin’, “When Midnight Comes” (EMI), 1985
[34:15 – 46:00]
Featured song: “Shot Through the Heart”
Links:
- Jack Ponti (musician)
- Jon Bon Jovi (singer-songwriter)
- Bon Jovi, “Runaway“
- Kevin DuBrow (heavy metal singer)
- Blizzard of Ozz (Ozzy Osbourne album)
- Master of Puppets (Metallica album)
- Reign in Blood (Slayer album)
- Cinderella (glam metal band)
- Stryper (Christian metal band)
- Judas Priest (metal band)
- Iron Maiden (metal band)
Rough Cutt (Warner), 1985
[46:00 – 55:25]
Featured song: “Piece of My Heart”
Links:
- Mickey Ratt (rock band)
- Chris Hager (guitarist)
- Jake E. Lee (guitarist)
- Ronnie James Dio (musician)
- Ted Templeman (Van Halen producer)
- Paul Shortino (musician)
- Shortino as Duke Fame, in This is Spinal Tap
- MetalShop (radio show)
- Rough Cutt, “Never Gonna Die“
- The Choirboys (band)
- Y&T (band)
- Rough Cutt (current band website)
Stone Fury, “Let Them Talk” (MCA), 1986
[55:25 – 1:06:00]
Featured song: “Too Late”
Links:
- 1986 Grammy Awards winners
- 1986 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Rutger Hauer (Dutch actor)
- Limhal (singer for Kajagoogoo)
- Lenny Wolf (vocalist)
- Kingdom Come (band)
- Bruce Gowdy (guitarist)
- World Trade (prog rock band)
- Elf (band)
- Stone Fury, “Stay“
- Glass Tiger (band)
Le Mans (Columbia), 1986
[1:06:00 – 1:14:10]
Featured song: “Chain Around Your Heart”
Links:
- Derek Frigo (guitarist)
- Peter Marrino (singer)
- Mike Varney (founder of Shrapnel Records)
- Yngwie Malmsteen (guitarist)
- Guitar Player (magazine)
- Paul Gilbert (guitarist)
- Charles Bradley (singer)
- Journey (band)
- Arnel Pineda (singer)
- Steve Perry (singer)
Envy, “Ain’t It a Sin” (ATCO/Atlantic), 1987
[1:14:10 – 1:25:36]
Featured song: “Ain’t It a Sin”
Links:
- 1987 Grammy Awards winners
- 1987 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Dee Snyder (singer-songwriter)
- Gina Stile (musician)
- Vixen (band)
- Heart (band)
- Lita Ford (guitarist)
- Fiona (singer)
- When in Rome, “The Promise“
- Headbangers Ball (MTV program)
- Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit“
- Hüsker Dü (band)
Leatherwolf, “Street Ready” (Island), 1989
[1:25:36 – 1:30:45]
Featured song: “Street Ready”
Links:
- 1989 Grammy Awards winners
- 1989 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
- Leatherwolf (current band website)
- Armored Saint (band)
Final comments
[1:30:45 – 1:45:20]
Links:
- Sammy Hagar (musician)
- Matthew Wilder, “Break My Stride“
- Soundscan (sales tracking system)
- Captain Beyond (album)
- Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, by Bob Mehr
- Lester Bangs (rock critic)
- Rodney Bingenheimer (radio personality)
- John Peel (radio presenter)
- Circus (rock magazine)
- Hit Parader (rock magazine)
- Creem (rock magazine)
- The Archies, “Sugar Sugar“
- Sammy Johns, “Chevy Van“
- Computer World (Kraftwerk album)
- Nothing’s Shocking (Jane’s Addiction album)
- The Joshua Tree (U2 album)
- Anton Corbijn (photographer)
This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.
Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.
