Tonight’s Revenge of the 80s Radio Show will feature some 80s Halloween-themed music and an rebroadcast of our interview with Annabella Lwin from earlier this year. October 31st is Annabella’s birthday. br>
Part of the discussion with Ms. Lwin is dedicated to her work to help relief efforts in Myanmar, Burma, which was devastated by the effects of Cyclone Nargis on May 2nd, 2008. Lwin is currently working on a benefit CD and concert with some friends in the music business. There is a page on our website where people can donate to Cyclone Nargis relief organizations working in Burma.
Revenge of the 80s Radio airs live every Friday night 7-9pm on Q99.1FM in the Hudson Valley, NY and on www.revengeofthe80sradio.com; Wednesdays 12noon Melbourne, Australia time on 87.6FM “Radio 80s” in Korumburra, AUS and our podcast will be available on Saturday.
Yep Roc Records announced that X founder John Doe has released a 5-song CD with each track being a version of his song “The Golden State.” Included in this collection is a live track and one recorded by 90s artist Eddie Vedder.
At the time of this post, the CD is only available in independent record stores, but it can soon be had via Yep Rock Records’ website.
John Doe and the rest of X had recently completed their 31 year anniversary U.S. tour. Each of the original members have had interesting solo careers. Doe, most notably, had seen success as an actor, landing roles in such films as Roadhouse, Great Balls of Fire and Brokedown Palace. According to the Internet Movie Database, Doe wil appear in the upcoming documentaries Don’t Forget This Song and The Heart Is a Drum Machine.
This week’s Revenge of the 80s Radio show features a few deeper cuts from some of your favorite artists of the 80s, including Rose McDowall’s solo acoustic version of her Strawberry Switchblade mega-hit “Since Yesterday.” McDowall celebrated her birthday on October 21st.
Other artists featured in this week’s show include the Time Bandits, Joy Division, Madness and Aztec Camera.
Revenge of the 80s Radio airs live every Friday night 7-9pm on Q99.1FM in the Hudson Valley, NY and on www.revengeofthe80sradio.com; Wednesdays 12noon Melbourne, Australia time on 87.6FM “Radio 80s” in Korumburra, AUS and our podcast will be available on Saturday.
One of the world’s most original and creative musical couples recently introduced their newest album, and it is aimed at listeners who think Wall of Voodoo is something that Hecate’s Angels once used to decorate a Drywall Project. While one never knows what to expect from longtime musical partners Stan Ridgway and Peitra Wexstun, Silly Songs For Kids: Volume 1 may not have come from the proverbial “left field” as one might suppose; it was relatively recently that the vocalist/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire released a musically superb standards album: The Way I Feel Today (Crooning the Classics). Should children be deprived of what other generations are enjoying?
Established artists who sing tunes aimed at the younger set tend to mellow down their music, losing the very elements that endeared them to fans in the first place. The results of such works are inevitably hollow and offer the impression that the performer(s) in question are being sung down to. This kind of music is invariably accompanied by what it known as the “Disney keyboard sound” — the mellow safe electronic piano backup that we children of the 1980s had become all too familiar with thanks to songs like “Somewhere Out There” from the movie An American Tail, the vast majority of “boy-band ballads” and loads of Celine Dion songs. That kind of sound is not found on Silly Songs For Kids, Volume 1.
Ridgway and Wexstun take the approach that music directed to children can also be enjoyed and sung along to by adults while still charming the young ones. The duo lead off the CD with the impressively bluegrass/jug band reminiscent “Bring It On In the House.” Ridgway plucks away at the banjo as he sings the happy tune about taking a car ride to someone’s house. He and the rest of the band seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves even though they might have dropped their cake twice according to the lyrics. Ridgway, Wexstun and the rest of the band, which includes Drywall partner Rick King (slide guitar, bass), Ralph Carney (drums) and the zany “Teak” Lazar (credited: sandpaper, complaints), treat youngsters to high quality but kid-friendly music that takes a cue from recent trends in family movies that purposely appeal to both adults and children alike.
Ridgway and Wexstum switch vocal parts in the quirky “Sing Along Song,” which could also be titled: ‘Fun With the Voice Synth and Ducky Impersonations,” “Mountain Top” and the strange-but-whimsical “Jenny’s Pixie Garden.” The latter two might inadvertently be interesting endorsements for breathing helium, but truly are geared to appeal to a child’s sense of wonder and fantasy. For the third track, “Spider’s Web,” Ridgway employs an eerie tone over a prominent bass, piano and muted trumpet arrangement reminiscent to 1920s jazz. After five tracks of fun on the six-song EP, Ridgway closes with the calming lullaby “Mr. Moon Man,” an ode to the Earth’s natural satellite on a cloudy evening The songs may be silly, but not campy and patronizing as much of today’s music for kids womds up becoming. Silly Songs For Kids, Volume 1 is ripe with the classic Ridgway sound and storytelling that his fans have coem to know as well as splendid musicianhip all around from him, Wextun and the band.
One should not be put off from listening to this album by its title. Though the CD is really aimed at children, this well-performed EP should ideally be considered more a masterpiece built for the next generation of Stan Ridgway fans. While parents would do well to have Silly Songs in their library, those without small children around will also enjoy this enchantful offering from Ridgway and Wexstum.
MP3 Downloads of Silly Songs For Kids, Volume 1 can be purchased directly from Amazon.com.
Former Blasters co-founder Dave Alvin‘s new 2-CD set will be released soon.
The Best of the Hightone Years is a “best-of” compilation put out by Shout! Factory Records that will also feature one previously unreleased track and three remastered ones.
The release date is scheduled for October 28th.
Alvin and his brother, Phil, formed The Blasters in 1979. They had an alt-rock/rockabilly/punk hybrid style, unique as compared to the more mainstream Stray Cats. Allen had been their primary songwriter before leaving the band. He played guitar for a brief period of time with X as well. Over the past twenty years, he recorded solo projects, collaborated with several other musicians on projects and toured on-and-off with The Blasters.
According to his website, Alvin will embark on a solo acoustic tour in the Southwestern region of the U.S. in November.
This week’s show features an interview with 80s movie icon Eddie Deezen, who is best known to many as “Menlo Schwartzer” in Surf II, “Wesley” from Midnight Madness, “Eugene” from Grease (1 & 2). “Eddie Lipschitz” from The Whoopie Boys and several other characters. Our discussion kicks off the second half of the show; we also feature tracks from some of his movies.
Deezen started out as a stand-up comedian and soon switched to acting, mainly because he did not like to memorize lines. That, apparently, was an excellent career decision. He is credited with creating the archetype “geeky” character that was very popular in 80s movies; his portrayal is (as Deezen puts it) a successor of the similarly-played type originated by Charles Martin Smith, who played “Toad” in the movie American Graffiti. Despite where the idea originated, Deezen’s persona was copied by many actors but never matched.
After the 80s, Deezen became much more prominently known for his voice, which was prominent in several commercials, television cartoons and animated movies. His most famous roles of that variation to date are “Mandark” from Dexter’s Laboratory and “Know-It-All” from Polar Express.
During the interview, Eddie and I talk about:
His early years as a comedian
How he got his first role of “Eugene” in Grease
What he took from working with several comedy greats over the years
Eddie’s thoughts and insights on some of his characters
Interesting behind-the-scenes discussion while starring in the movie Mob Boss opposite Morgan Fairchild.
His transition from movie icon to one of the most in-demand voices in Hollywood.
While he is a star to many fans of all ages, Deezen is extremely humble and grateful for his success. He is very positive and complimentary toward his co-workers, as evidenced in our discussion, and a genuinely good fellow. >br>
Eddie also has an interesting website, eddiedeezen.com, where he posts his thoughts on various subjects, offers some challenging trivia and has information on his movies.
While most of Eddie’s movies and features can be purchased on DVD, one of his best performances, that of Surf II‘s Menlo, his first great villain character, is not. Fortunately for us, it is posted on Youtube, here is the first part of the movie (there will be links to other parts at the end):
Tonight on Revenge of the 80s Radio, we talk with 80s movie icon Eddie Deezen, known to many as “Menlo Schwartzer” from Surf II, “Wesley” from Midnight Madness, “Eugene” from both Grease movies and several other characters. He is also a well-recognized voice talent.
We talk about his beginnings as a stand-up comedian, his first movie role in Grease, his long career and some behind-the-scenes action among other things. Our discussion kicks off the second hour of the show.
Music from other artists on the show include Kate Bush, Amazulu, Falco and The Divynyls.
Revenge of the 80s Radio airs live every Friday night 7-9pm on Q99.1FM in the Hudson Valley, NY and on www.revengeofthe80sradio.com; Wednesdays 12noon Melbourne, Australia time on 87.6FM “Radio 80s” in Korumburra, AUS and our podcast will be available on Saturday.
The CD, Legacy, is a special tribute to Johnson and will be out in Germany first on October 24th, then available in the UK October 27th and in the US November 4th.
The band was formed in 1978 with the original lineup of Johnson, Denise Dufort, Enid Williams and Kim McAuliffe (Williams and McAuliffe were together in Girlschool’s predecessor, Painted Lady) and they are in the midst of a 30 Year Anniversary World Tour stretching into 2009.
According to the Official Girlschool Website, here is the track listing for Legacy:
Many fans of fine cinema may have seen this man and said: “Hey, I know that guy!”
He is Eddie Deezen, best known to many as “Menlo Schwartzer” from Surf II, “Wesley” fromMidnight Madness, “Eddie Lipschitz” from The Whoopie Boys, “Eugene” from Grease, “Don Tony” from Mob Boss or that guy in the casino room on Zapped with the t-shirt that read “God’s Gift to Women.” Eddie Deezen will be my guest on this week’s Revenge of the 80s Radio Show.
Deezen had appeared in several movies and television shows since 1978 when he got his first role in the blockbuster movie Grease. After the 80s, he became more prominently known for his voice in a long list of commercials, cartoons and animated movies. Younger fans recognize him from the movie Polar Express and as “Mandark” in Dexter’s Laboratory.
During the interview, we will discuss several topics, including:
Deezen’s early days as a stand up comedian and why he left that line of work.
How he got the role of “Eugene” in Grease
Eddie’s thoughts on some of his classic characters
Some interesting behind-the-scenes stories about his first movie as a leading man: Mob Boss, where he played opposite Morgan Fairchild.
While Deezen is often credited with creating the archetype “nerd” character prominent throughout 80s movies and became a star that way, he actually gives that honor to Charles Martin Smith, who played “Toad” in American Graffiti. It was, however, Deezen’s portrayal of that persona that was copied (less successfully) by other actors over the following years.
The conversation with Deezen was both interesting and fun. He is an extremely humble and genuinely nice fellow who appreciates his success, showing great respect for his co-workers and mentors over the years.
The interview will lead off the second hour of the upcoming Revenge of the 80s Radio Show, which will air for the first time live 9-11pm Eastern Time on Friday; the podcast will be available on Saturday morning. Radio 80s in Korumburra, Australia will broadcast the show on Wednesday at noon Melbourne Time.
Our podcast for the week of 10/10 is up, featuring a re-broadcast of our interview with Nikki Corvette, former singer from Nikki and The Corvettes and current frontwoman for Nikki Corvette and The Stingrays. The discussion leads off the second hour of the show.
Nikki talks about how she got started in music after befriending some of the great Detroit bands of the late 70s and early 80s including Iggy and The Stooges and how tough it was to be an all-female group when some male counterparts would refuse to perform with them before the band became famous.
We also talk about the disaster that was the sped-up version of Nikki and The Corvettes’ first album and how the normal speed re-release by Bomp! Records was more in line with what the band was all about. Her importance in music history and influence on all-female bands including the Go-Gos and The Donnas, who publicly acknowledged Nikki in the song “Gimmie My Radio,” is evident up through today.
After the success of Bomp! Records 2000 digitally remastered CD release of “Nikki and The Corvettes,” interest in the band grew again both in the U.S. and Japan. Nikki formed a new backup group, The Stingrays, and has been putting out music since. We feature some of those new tracks with some classic Nikki and The Corvettes songs during the interview.
We also featured music from artists including The Clash, Altered Images, Icehouse and Wall of Voodoo.
