Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever was broadcast by NBC on May 16, 1983 and the next morning everybody was talking about Michael Jackson's performance. The special was actually recorded before a live audience a couple months prior on March 25^th and featured many of the Motown greats like Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and many more, but Michael Jackson stole the show.

The Jackson 5 were a big part of the Motown story, so they were obviously invited to perform at the event. Michael originally was not going to perform with his brothers, but at Berry Gordy's request he agreed as long as he was also permitted to perform one of his solo singles. At that time, Michael had no longer been a Motown artist for several years and had moved to Sony's Epic Records which released his Off the Wall album in 1979 and Thriller in November of 1982. Michael decided to perform "Billie Jean" which was in the middle of a seven-week run at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 when the special was being recorded. This would be the only performance of a song that wasn't written under the Motown label and would ironically become the highlight of the show.

The Jacksons performed a medley of their Motown hits and then as the other members left the stage, Michael transitioned into a solo spotlight wearing the now iconic black sequin jacket, fedora and one white sequined glove on just his left hand. Once that distinctive bassline started, you could feel that we were in for something special. The entire number was energetic and well-choreographed. Then at about 3 minutes and 40 seconds into the song, he did IT. Michael Jackson did the moonwalk! It only lasted about 2 seconds, so if you blinked you could've missed it, but it seemingly changed everything. Here is Michael Jackson's entire Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean"...

They don't get much better than that! Michael Jackson certainly didn't invent the moonwalk, but he surely brought widespread notoriety to it and it became a signature dance move for him. The dance technique creates the illusion that the dancer is attempting to walk forward while being pulled backwards. It is reported that variations of this backslide dance date back to the 1930s and has been done by Cab Calloway, Marcel Marceau, Dick Van Dyke, David Bowie and James Brown among many others. Michael Jackson sought out dancers to teach him the "moonwalk" which he quickly perfected and then went on to show the world during this epic performance. I am sure there were countless kids like me trying to replicate this dance in front of their bedroom mirrors the next day.

In a similar way that Madonna's performance of "Like a Virgin" at the MTV Video Music Awards was about a year and a half later, Motown 25 was Michael Jackson's breakthrough performance as a solo artist and set him on his way to becoming the King of Pop. Michael Jackson went to a whole other level and the moonwalk came along with him forever connected from then on. And, yep, it's another awesome moment in pop culture history from the 80s.

That'll wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks so much for reading. There is a link to a summary of all of my 80s issues in the left hand column below the Archives and you can use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any topics you are looking for or other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture and Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. You can also hook up with us on Google+. Please leave comments so we know you're out there and let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: I absolutely love this picture which plays on Eddy Grant's 1982 hit song "Electric Avenue". We're going to rock down to Electric Avenue and then we'll take it higher... unless it's closed and then we'll take a detour.

Quote of the day: "Funny how the new things are the old things." -Rudyard Kipling

This time that awesomeness is Christy Marx. You might not recognize the name, but she is quite an accomplished writer who 80s fans might know best as the creator and head writer of the animated series Jem and the Holograms. Previous to that, she had written for both G.I. Joe and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends among other shows. Find out more about her, writing for those popular and memorable animated series and more as we get on to some selections from my interview with Christy Marx...

Q: When and why did you know you wanted to be a professional writer? When and how did you get your own start in that industry? What attracted you to comics and animation in particular?

Christy: I became obsessed with comics from the earliest possible age. I was madly in love with comics, loved reading comics, loved collecting comics and wanted to grow up to draw comics. Unfortunately, I didn't have the artistic ability to do that, but my passion for creating characters and telling stories through a visual medium was always there. I got my break when I was living in L.A. and Roy Thomas, who was the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics at the time, also moved to L.A. I met him when he was speaking to a small gathering of fans, showed him a Conan story I'd written, he bought it and that became my first published story. Roy bought other stories from me for What If... and Red Sonja.

As for animation, it never occurred to me that animation had writers, nor was I especially interested in animation. Up until that time, most animation was comedy and I don't write comedy. I had gotten to know a group of comics writers and artists and a friend from that group told me about a studio that was making a Fantastic Four animation series. They were looking for writers who had done FF stories and the What If... story I'd sold to Roy happened to be a FF story. On the basis of that, I got an interview and was hired to write an episode of the series.

Q: As a kid, I always loved when my favorite comic book characters were brought to life in the cartoons. Thus I fondly remember watching Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. How did you come to write episodes for that show? What can you tell us about the show in general and your experience helping create those five episodes?

Christy: That came about as a direct result of writing the FF episode. That FF series, a Spider-Man series and Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends were all produced by the DePatie-Freleng Studio. I was in the door via the first script. Animation writers were rare at the time and they obviously liked my work, so they hired me to write for the next two Spider-Man shows.

It was great fun and I learned a lot about my craft from working on those shows. I also had the pleasure and privilege of working with Stan Lee. We had a strong collaboration in creating the origin story for Firestar.

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends ran on NBC as a Saturday morning cartoon from 1981 to 1983 and then as repeats for three more years after that. The show featured Spider-Man, Iceman and, an original character, Firestar. The third superhero was originally intended to be the Human Torch, but licensing issues led to him being replaced by Firestar who had similar powers but was created specifically for the series. As she mentioned, Marx helped create the origin story for Firestar with none other than Stan Lee himself who also narrated episodes for seasons 2-3. It was definitely one of my favorite Saturday morning cartoons back then and I especially enjoyed when other Marvel superheroes (like Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and others) made guest appearances.

Q: Then it appears you went on to write for the very popular G.I. Joe cartoon series which help feed the success of the action-figures toy line. What can you tell us about the show in general and your experience helping create those three episodes (including two 2-parters)?

Christy: I moved from writing for DePatie-Frelengto writing for Sunbow Productions, who made G.I. Joe. It was one of the best times of my career for a number of reasons. Sunbow treated writers extremely well, even to the point of buying me an expensive computer. I gained Steve Gerber as my mentor and then dear friend and got to know many wonderful writers that I still call friends after all these years. Steve was ahead of his time and made every writer create their scripts on a computer, send them via a modem and communicate on a BBS... all of which was nearly unknown outside a small circle of technophiles, so he was responsible for putting me ahead of the curve in using computers.
Joe was a challenging show to write for. The bible of characters and vehicles filled a massive three-ring binder. For each episode, you were told to use a certain set of characters and certain vehicles and you had to come up with an exciting story built around them. Steve Gerber loved my first episode so much that he happily assigned me the following two-parters to do. And I loved doing them because I could really stretch and tell an epic story focusing on more characters.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero ran in syndication from 1985 to 1986. It was based off of two 5-part mini-series that ran in 1983 and 1984 and, of course, the very successful Hasbro toyline. Like most cartoons back then, the primary purpose was to promote the toyline and this one did that especially well. Each episode ended with a PSA to impart safety tips and/or ethical behavior to children.

Q: Looking back now, I appreciate the "Now you know and knowing is half the battle" PSA messages that each show included. Jem also provided girls with a strong successful female role model to see. What are your feelings at including positive messages in the cartoons especially aimed at children? Was that something you consciously considered when writing those shows?

Christy: I wasn't even aware that Joe had PSAs at the time. They played no part in writing the scripts, they just added them in at the end. I only became aware of their existence when Sunbow asked me to write the PSAs for Jem. I didn't mind writing the PSAs, but I viewed it mainly as an extra bit of paid work.

But with the Jem series itself, I was following my natural inclinations to tell strong, positive stories. It's simply a part of who I am. I felt a responsibility never to write down to kids and to give it my best quality, no matter what subject I tackled. I wanted the show to say worthwhile things without preaching. Kids know when you're preaching to them.

Q: Speaking of Jem, how did you get involved with Jem and the Holograms? What role did you play in the development of the characters and the series? Did your role change over the course of the series?

Christy: Jem was produced by Sunbow Productions who loved my work on Joe. We had a great working relationship and I was their top female action writer, so they turned to me when they needed someone to develop the Jem series. It was a tremendous opportunity for me and my break into doing development work. I'd done a bit of development work at DePatie-Freleng, but it had never gone anywhere.

Hasbro had prototypes of the dolls. They had product names (which kept changing almost day to day!) such as Jem, Rio and Pizzazz, etc. So the two girl groups existed as dolls and they wanted the Jem/Jerrica secret identity, the holographic earring and computer, the sister named Kimber and the boyfriend named Rio. That was their set-up and everything else came from me. I developed the full characters and relationships, the Starlight Foundation, Starlight Music, the Starlight girls, Eric Raymond and all other secondary characters.

It was basically a soap opera for kids. We knew we would be doing 65 half-hours, so I had to make sure there was plenty of character richness to carry that many episode stories. I wrote 22 of the 65 episodes and was too busy developing and writing to do much else until we were near the end of the series. For the last batch of shows, I also acted as co-story editor with Roger Slifer, who was the over-all story editor. It was also my first credit as a story editor.

Jem ran in first-run syndication for 3 seasons and 65 episodes from 1985 to 1988. Marx was crucial to the development of the series by creating most of the characters and writing many of the episodes. The show follows Jerrica Benton, manager of the Starlight Music company, and her alter-ego Jem, the front-woman of the rock band Jem and the Holograms. Jerrica turns into Jem through special micro-projectors in her earrings. The Holograms have two rival bands, The Misfits and The Stingers. Many people remember the theme song which features the lyrics "Jem is truly outrageous. Truly, truly, truly outrageous." Here is the opening theme to the Jem television series...

Q: Did you have any feeling at the beginning that this show would become a hit and go on to last 3 seasons like it did? At what point, did you recognize that the show might become something special?

Christy: At the time, it was a standard practice to do 65 half-hours because the shows were being sold in syndication, which is a different thing than a network show. Syndicators wanted that number of shows because they could later "strip" them, meaning show them five days a week as a strip of shows for a long run. So this wasn't a matter of the show becoming a hit; it was a matter of how the economics of syndication production worked at the time. If the toys had sold better, we might have had a pick-up for additional episodes beyond the 65, but the dolls didn't do well enough.

The first time I knew the show had special impact was when we aired the two-parter dealing with runaway kids and we ran a hotline number at the end of each part. The hotline was inundated with kids calling for help. It was astounding and gratifying. The second time was when I found myself remaining in contact with a group of dedicated fans for a decade, and then two decades after the show aired, and even still to this day. And most recently, I have heard numerous stories of parents introducing their kids to Jem all over again via the DVDs or the reruns on the Hub, and having those kids respond as strongly as their parents had before them. That told me that Jem had a reach that transcended its time.

Q: Were you involved with creating the songs or music at all? What can you tell us about how the music was created and integrated into each episode?

Christy: The writers would include the idea and placement for a song in each of the three acts of an episode. The producers would indicate how to balance out the number of Jem songs vs. Misfits or Stingers songs. When I was doing it, I would weave the song into the storyline, indicate what the theme of the song was, possibly give a title idea and some lyric guidance, and I would give a one-paragraph description of what the visuals should be. The writers had no further involvement in the creation of the music beyond that one paragraph in the script.

The music was a big contributor to the show's appeal. Over the course of the 65 episodes, the show included 187 music videos with 151 unique songs! No official Jem "soundtrack" was ever released; however, many of the songs from the first season were released on cassette with dolls or play-sets. Jem was the #1 Nielsen rated syndicated cartoon show in November 1986 and in 1987 it was the third most watched children's program in syndication with 2.5 million viewers weekly. Despite the success of the show, the dolls didn't seem to retail well enough and, as mentioned before, the main purpose for most cartoons in the 80s was to sell a toyline. Hasbro discontinued the Jem toyline at the end of 1987 after it failed to meet sales expectations, but despite this, the show continued production and aired until 1988.

Q: Any other interesting stories or facts about making Jem that you can share with us? What are some of your best memories from making Jem?

Christy: While we were making Jem, I was living way up in the mountains north of L.A. at 5,000 feet near a ski resort town. My contact with the Sunbow people in New York was mainly by phone or snail mail. In spite of that distance, I have warm memories of working with them. They were wonderful people and they treated me like a queen. They flew me to New York a couple of times, put me up in great hotels, took me out to excellent meals and really looked after me. It was a vibrant creative process. I had little contact with Hasbro, oddly enough, and never received so much as a single doll from them. They took three of the Starlight Girls I had created and turned them into dolls and I never even saw them. The only Jem doll I ever had was one that my very proud mother bought for me!

Q: What are your feelings about Jem now almost 25 years after the last episode was created? You touched earlier on the positive reaction you've gotten since the HUB network began airing the show more recently and it was released on DVD. How does it feel that the show seems to still inspire and connect with young girls all these years later?

Christy: I feel that Jem is some of the best work I ever did, and much of that is due to the creative freedom that Sunbow and Hasbro gave me. It was one of those rare combinations of multiple talents in the art design, storyboards, writing, music, singing, and acting that all came together and meshed beautifully.

And I feel that the way we approached the stories gave them a quality that makes them work today even though the look and sound dates to the 80s. The themes of love, friendship, trust, heartbreak and personal struggle are timeless. It gives me a feeling of the deepest satisfaction to know that the heart and soul of the show continues to reach new viewers.

Q: What do you remember best about the decade of 80s animated television (or pop culture in general)?

Christy: I don't especially relate to the culture of the decade. I think we are all shaped most strongly by the decades during which we're in our childhood and teens and I pre-date the 80s. But the decade of the 80s was significant in my growth as a writer and creator. I was working on terrific animation series and lots of them. It was the decade in which I published my creator-owned comic book series, The Sisterhood of Steel, and began designing adventure games for Sierra On-Line. I had the opportunity to write for the live-action TV series, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. It was a decade that saw many "firsts" in my career.

Q: Please tell us a little about where your career has taken you since the 80s. How have your priorities or goals changed over the years? What are some of your proudest professional accomplishments?

Christy: Starting in 1988, I concentrated on designing adventure games for Sierra and spent several years doing that. In the 90s, I did quite a bit more work in live-action television writing for Babylon 5 and doing development and writing on Hypernauts for ABC. While working on a Babylon 5 videogame, I met my husband, Randy Littlejohn, and we became a creative team, working on animation and games together. As a freelance writer, it helps to have a variety of skills to fall back on. The reality for freelancers is that it's about survival. You're always looking for the next job and seeking ways to advance yourself. That's pretty much a constant.

My goals have been to keep working and make a living at it, while working on projects that I enjoy and can believe in, whatever the medium happens to be. I was delighted to create an Elfquest Graphic Novel, working in close collaboration with Wendy Pini, a friend I greatly treasure and a tremendous talent.

One of my proudest career moments was receiving the WGA Animation Writing Award [in 2000]. It's means a lot because it's awarded by my peers for both achievement in animation writing and for working to advance the profession of animation writers. I was involved in helping to organize animation writers, which led to establishing the Animation Writers Caucus within the WGA.

Q: What else is Christy Marx up to nowadays? Writing and otherwise? What can we expect in the future?

Christy: The biggest change is that I gave up the freelance life and went to work full-time in the videogames business. In 2007, Randy and I moved to the Bay area and worked on an MMO (massively multiplayer online game). I developed what was intended to be a transmedia IP for that project. Sadly, like many such projects, it was cancelled. For the past two plus years, I've been working as a Senior Game Designer/Narrative Designer at Zynga, which has given me the opportunity to learn the exploding area of social and mobile game design. I love being on the cutting edge of game development.

I've also been able to return to my great love - writing for comics. It so happens that the ABC development exec I worked with on Hypernauts became the VP of DC Comics. He offered me the opportunity to write the Amethyst reboot comic (under the anthology title Sword of Sorcery). Sadly, the Amethyst book ends with issue #8. Meanwhile, I've begun writing the Birds of Prey series. It's tough trying to write a monthly comic while working full-time, but at least I'm earning a living doing things that I love. How many people can say that?

I am so pleased that Christy was able to take some time to answer some questions so I could share them with you here. You can keep up with her on her website at www.christymarx.com/ I want to take this occasion to again thank Christy Marx for her contributions to 80s pop culture especially through Jem and, even more, for going back to the 80s with us here for a little while as well. She is truly outrageous in our book, too!

That is all for another special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading and hope you are enjoying the interviews as much as I am. If you want a summary of all of my Back to the 80s Interviews posted thus far, please click on that link. Be sure you haven't missed any of them. There is a link to a summary of all of my 80s issues in the left hand column below the Archives and you can use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any topics you are looking for or other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture and Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. You can also hook up with us on Google+. Please leave comments so we know you're out there and let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Quote of the day: "Animation can explain whatever the mind can conceive. This facility makes it the most versatile and explicit means of communication yet devised for quick mass appreciation." -Walt Disney

Imagine (or remember) a time before even the VCR, and certainly well before the DVD or DVR, when you couldn't just watch a movie or show whenever you wanted and as often as you wanted. A kid who was obsessed with Star Wars took whatever exposure to the film he could get whether that was books, magazines, records, trading cards and, best of all, action figures. We used our imagination and those little action figures to recreate scenes or play out new ones. I am so glad that George Lucas made that brilliant decision to sell action figures as part of his merchandising strategy (and I bet he is, too) because they provided hours and hours of enjoyment during my childhood.

Of all of my prized Star Wars action figures, I think my favorite has to be Boba Fett. The Boba Fett action figure was first made available only through a mail-away offer in 1979. The offer was presented before we would even see him in The Empire Strikes Back for the first time, though the character was technically first introduced in the infamous 1978 Star Wars Christmas Special. Many don't remember that the bounty hunter actually made an appearance in a cartoon segment where he pretends to befriend Han, Chewie, Luke and Leia while secretly plotting with Darth Vader to trap the Rebel Alliance. [He would later be inserted into a scene in the Special Edition version of A New Hope, but that doesn't count since it was released in 1997.] Based on the Christmas Special cartoon and his upcoming larger role in 1980's The Empire Strikes Back, Kenner made Boba Fett available by mail if you sent in four proof-of-purchase seals from other Star Wars action figures. Here is a TV commercial promoting this special mail-away offer...

The Boba Fett action figure was originally intended and advertised to have a spring-launched rocket-firing back pack, but it was removed for safety reasons prior to shipping any of them out to customers. He still had his back pack, but the rocket was firmly attached to it and did not launch preventing it from shooting into someone's eye or being swallowed by a small child. It is reported that some prototypes with the rocket-firing back pack have made it out into the market and have become quite valuable and highly sought-after due to rarity. I was more than happy with my Boba Fett just the way I received him back then.

My brother and I both sent in our proof-of-purchase seals and eagerly anticipated the arrival of our action figures. Boba Fett was extra special because you could not buy him in stores; you could only get him though this special mail-in offer. I think that is partly why Boba Fett always remained one of my favorites. We couldn't wait to see what role the bounty hunter would play in The Empire Strikes Back since we received the action figure about a year before the film was released. He didn't let us down. Boba Fett was pretty badass in the movies (until he later screamed like a girl, slammed into the side of Jabba's barge and was swallowed by the sarlacc). Another plus is that, since he wore a mask, his action figure looked more exactly like the character on screen in the movie. This is an advantage that the action figures for Darth Vader and the droids had over those with human faces like Luke, Han and Leia. I still have my original well-played-with Boba Fett action figure over 30 years later (see picture). He sits on my desk next to my computer and is another reminder of how much I still love Star Wars and the 80s.

That'll wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. There is a link to a summary of all of my 80s issues in the left hand column below the Archives and you can use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any topics you are looking for or other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture and Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. You can also hook up with us on Google+. Please leave comments so we know you're out there and let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: I think I may have posted this here before, but I thought it was particularly appropriate based on the subject of this issue. Who knew that Boba had these kinds of moves? (Though admittedly he's not quite as badass as usual.) Two 80s pop culture forces collide when everybody's favorite bounty hunter and Flashdance come together in an unexpected way...

Mandalorian Dance by PatrickBoivin

Quote of the day: "Never mistake motion for action" -Ernest Hemingway

Back in the early-80s, satellite dish owners were responsible for owning and servicing their own equipment but had access to any satellite broadcasted programming including that of cable providers. In the mid-80s, cable channels began scrambling their programming and charging fees to home satellite dish owners who accessed the signals requiring many satellite dish owners were forced to purchase expensive descrambling equipment in addition to paying monthly or annual subscription fees to cable programming providers. When HBO scrambled its signal, it offered subscriptions to home dish owners for $12.95 per month, which was either equal to or slightly higher than what cable subscribers paid. Dish owners were not happy and it triggered a national movement among dish owners to more strongly regulate the cable industry and force them to stop anti-competitive pricing. One individual decided to send his own message directly to HBO letting them know his feelings.

Just after midnight on the morning of April 27, 1986, "Captain Midnight" jammed the HBO signal and broadcasted his own protest message to the channel. John R. MacDougall, a satellite TV dealer in Ocala, Florida, was working at Central Florida Teleport, a company that uplinks services to satellites. He was overseeing the uplink of the movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure as part of the evening's programming for the now-defunct pay-per-view network People's Choice. At the end of his shift, he swung the dish back into its storage position, which aimed it at the location of the satellite that carried HBO. As a protest against the introduction of those high fees and scrambling equipment, he transmitted a signal onto the satellite which overrode HBO's airing of The Falcon and the Snowman. The simple message which appeared on the sets of HBO subscribers for about 4 and a half minutes across the eastern half of the country read:
GOODEVENING HBO
FROM CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT
$12.95/MONTH ?
NO WAY !
[SHOWTIME/MOVIE CHANNEL BEWARE!]

Not sure how many of those subscribers were tuned in at that hour, but I am sure they were a little pissed off that their movie was interrupted in such a fashion. Other than that, MacDougall's message was fairly innocent and did not do any harm. He chose the name "Captain Midnight" from a movie he had recently seen, On the Air Live with Captain Midnight (not the 40s radio show). After media pressure forced the FCC to take some action, MacDougall was charged and plea bargained a $5,000 fine and was placed on just one year's probation. To this day, MacDougall still owns and operates MacDougall Electronics, a satellite dish dealership, in Ocala, Florida.

The following year, another TV broadcast intrusion occurred on an even-bigger scale. The intruder, wearing a Max Headroom mask, was able to interrupt two television stations in Chicago, Illinois within three hours on the evening of November 22, 1987. These acts were more disturbing and seemed to lack any specific purpose or message. The first incident took place on WGN during its primetime 9:00 newscast when a person wearing a Max Headroom mask appeared. There was no audio, only a buzzing noise, and it was stopped after only about 30 seconds when engineers switched over to an alternate transmitter when they figured out what was going on. When sportscaster Dan Roan returned to air after the incident, he said "Well, if you're wondering what happened, so am I." I am sure anybody tuned in to that broadcast was momentarily confused, but not as much as those watching another channel later that same night.

Later that night, around 11:15 p.m., during a broadcast of the Doctor Who serial Horror of Fang Rock, PBS station WTTW's signal was hijacked using the same video that was broadcast during the WGN incident, but this time with distorted audio and running its full duration of about 90 seconds. I would describe this video as a little disturbing and it even creeps me out a bit watching it now. He says a lot of random things and it ends with his bare bottom being spanked by a flyswatter. The audio was difficult to make out, but the following video allows you to see the entire incident while including helpful subtitles...

Creepy! It is so manic and disjointed, yet these guys must have been pretty smart in order to hijack the signal. Unlike the "Captain Midnight" occurrence, WTTW was not able to stop the intrusion and neither the hijacker nor the accomplices have ever been found or identified. That's a long time to keep a secret! I am surprised they never tried it again, but I guess they were smart enough not to press their luck. The Max Headroom incident made national headlines and to me, is a fascinating moment in 80s pop culture history.

That'll do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks so much for reading. There is a link to a summary of all of my 80s issues in the left hand column below the Archives and you can use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any topics you are looking for or other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture and Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. You can also hook up with us on Google+. Please leave comments so we know you're out there and let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Speaking of pranks, I thought this April Fool's prank posted on www.themetapicture.com was pretty humorous and creative (plus bonus points for using Star Wars). I can just imagine this guy's wife answering her phone with people attempting to do impressions of Chewie's iconic Wookiee wailing, grunting, etc. The first few times would be especially funny when it seems random and unexplainable. I hope she is just as creative in her efforts to get revenge.

Quote of the day: "There's something about being naive. Really interesting things come because you don't know what the rules are, what you can and can't do." -Steve Buscemi

I have done many issues on 80s commercials already including Nike "Revolution", McDonald's 80s introductions, Seagram Wine Coolers with Bruce Willis, Pepsi with Michael Jackson, Folgers Coffee at Christmas, Cadbury Creme Eggs at Easter, kids Cereal and Hershey Kisses among others. Interviews have sort of dominated my content lately and hopefully you have been enjoying those as much as I have. Can you believe it has been 25 years since Teddy Grahams were introduced? Yes, I am talking about those little bear-shaped graham cracker snacks which have become a favorite for many children (and possibly some adults as well) since they were introduced back in 1988.

In a snack market that was full of countless varieties of cookies and crackers, Nabisco's Teddy Grahams exploded onto the scene in 1988. They were originally available in your choice of cinnamon, chocolate or honey flavors. Teddy Grahams only became the biggest new-product success in that industry in more than 25 years! They went on to sell over $150 million in the first year and ranked as the third best-selling cookie only after Oreo and Chips Ahoy (which were both also from Nabisco).

I was a little old for Teddy Grahams when they were introduced, but I couldn't avoid seeing the catchy commercials. It's the commercials that I remember best and, if you watched a lot of children's programming in the late-80s, I bet you just might, too. The one I remember best featured a take on the Elvis Presley song "Teddy Bear". Singing bears and yummy graham cracker treats, what more could a kid want? Here is that 1988 commercial for Teddy Grahams...

I know this jingle is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day now. I guess that means it's doing its job. I apologize in advance if it gets stuck in yours, too. In case you want to sing along in your best Elvis impersonation, the lyrics go:
We just want to eat, tasty Teddy Grahams.
Scrumptious bunch of bite sized bears, full of golden graham.
Oh let them be, your Teddy Grahams.
Just want to eat... those Teddy Grahams!

Teddy Grahams have gone on to remain a very popular children's snack to this day. And yep, it's another little gift from the great decade of the 80s. [And in my best Elvis impression] Thank you, thank you very much.

That'll wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. There is a link to a summary of all of my 80s issues in the left hand column below the Archives and you can use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any topics you are looking for or other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture and Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. You can also hook up with us on Google+. Please leave comments so we know you're out there and let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Whenever I think of snack foods, I always remember the great PSAs featuring "Time for Timer" that showed during Saturday morning cartoons as well as during after-school specials. These actually started back in 1973, but I fondly recall them especially during the early-80s. I don't know what Timer was supposed to be. He was kind of a yellow ball that wore a top hat and bow tie, carried a pocket watch and that could talk and sing. Probably his most memorable spot is the "I Hanker for a Hunk of Cheese" which promotes nutritious snacks. Here is that video which takes me right back to sitting in front of the TV watching cartoons on Saturday morning...

Quote of the day: "Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap." - Robert Fulghum from All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

I do get to share a little more awesomeness with you.

This time that awesomeness is Franne Golde. She is a musician and an award-winning prolific songwriter. She co-wrote the amazing Commodores' hit "Nightshift" as well as Jody Watley's "Don't You Want Me" among many others. You will find out a little about her, those hit songs from the 80s and more as we get on to some selections from my interview with Franne Golde...

Q: When and how did you get your own start in the music industry? Then when and how did you end up moving into a career of writing songs for other artists to perform?

Franne: I started out in my home town of Chicago in the early 70s, first by going to any and all open mics, piano bars, and hanging out at music clubs, absorbing everything and anything. Chicago was a melting pot of jazz, blues, R&B, folk and rock and roll and had great FM radio stations that became the soundtrack to my young life.

While working at a piano bar on Rush Street, I met another young aspiring singer-songwriter, Tony Zito. We formed a band aptly named Frannie and Zoey. Tony and I both wrote songs for the band, but also mixed it up with outside material. I liked learning other people's songs and being inspired by their chords, melodies and lyrics. We spent two years working together and built a huge following that brought us to the attention of many record companies and several high profile producers. Unfortunately the band split up, but it was a great training ground - we played six shows a night, five nights a week, the highlight, performing Tony's rock opera with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dieter Kober.

After we split, I would start another band, but first I worked as an assistant to my then manager who was working with Albert Grossman and road managing Todd Rundgren on his "A Wizard, a True Star" tour. I loved being on the road, but wanted to be the one touring. It was hard going from lines around the block to being asked to go get sandwiches. When I returned to Chicago I continued performing with Artie Feldman, an R&B wunderkind. During this time, I spent a year at the famed Chess Studios. What I learned from studio manager and producer extraordinaire, Ralph Bass, was invaluable. I finally found the nerve to perform on my own nestled in the arms of my devoted friends and fans at "Man's Country", a gay bathhouse, similar to the Continental Baths in New York City where Bette Midler started her career. I felt safe and was able to experiment and try out my songwriting.

Soon I had a 4-piece band with three back-up singers and began to play away from the nest. First stop was New York City where we played for several months at everywhere, from Max's Kansas City to the Continental Baths. We finally got a lucky break opening for The Manhattan Transfer on their first national tour, and were in front of Atlantic Records nightly. By the end of the tour, we were signed by Ahmet Ertegun. Andrew Sager happened to be in someone's office at Atlantic when they were playing my demos and asked for a copy to play for his wife, Carole Bayer Sager. I was soon flying from Chicago to New York City to write with Carole, who already had several hits under her belt. She was so encouraging and welcomed me into her world, which was filled with extraordinary songwriters, artists, publishers and producers.

Q: Do you use a certain process every time when writing songs? Does the melody come first or the lyrics? Do you start with a song title or end with a song title? Where does inspiration usually come from?

Franne: Wow, I don't know if there is any set process. I like to start with a chord progression or even just one or two chords, so melody comes first. The only time I've written to a lyric is when I had the opportunity to write with Bernie Taupin, who gives you a lyric to write music to. That's how he and Elton have always written. As far as the title, it can come at any time. It's fortunate if you have a title to start with, but usually you just stumble on it. Inspiration? Hmmmm. Inspiration can come from anywhere, anytime, you just never know. I think it's really a combination of inspiration commingling with all of the cumulative emotions from your life's experiences that makes for great songs.

Q: You co-wrote the amazing 1985 hit single "Nightshift" for the Commodores with Clyde Orange and Dennis Lambert. How did you end up working on this particular song with those gentlemen? What is the back-story about how that song was conceived and written?

Franne: The band wanted to pay tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, who had recently passed. Dennis, who was producing the new Commodores album, played me this haunting progression Clyde (Walter Orange) had started along with the lyric "Marvin, he was a friend of mine". I remember being moved to tears. Inspired, Dennis and I sat at the piano and "Nightshift" practically wrote itself.

"Nightshift" was released as a single on January 31, 1985. It was a tribute to Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye who both died in 1984. It went on to reach #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the band's first and biggest hit after Lionel Richie left to go solo. It also went on to win the Grammy for Best Vocal R&B Performance by a Duo/Group. I feel it is simply a timeless classic. Here is the music video for "Nightshift" by the Commodores...

Q: How did the song evolve during the writing process? Whose idea was it to cleverly reference specific songs by Marvin and Jackie within "Nightshift" (like "Higher and Higher" and "What's Going On")?

Franne: Dennis thought it would be great to reference some of their songs within the lyric. I remember looking in the Billboard top singles 1955-1990 and writing a list of several of Marvin and Jackie's hit songs to have as inspiration as we were writing. If you look/listen through the lyrics to "Nightshift", you'll find those references from several of their songs. As far as the title, I had seen the movie Nightshift with Henry Winkler. Dennis and I were mulling over titles for an updated version of "Rock and Roll Heaven" (produced by Dennis with his then partner Brian Potter in1974 for the Righteous Brothers). I immediately thought of "Nightshift". Dennis started singing within minutes: "Gonna be some sweet sounds comin' down on the Nightshift." True Genius, my friend and collaborator! And the rest is history.

Q: Did you have any feeling that this song was going to be something special when you wrote it? What were your feelings when you heard the final recording of your song by the Commodores?

Franne: I think all writers feel something good will happen to whatever song they're working on, but there was something different about "Nightshift". I was in the studio as it was being recorded and there was definitely something special going on. All the overdubs were magical and the energy was palpable. Hearing the final mix on the huge overheads, brought tears and instant joy, it sounded amazing and everyone knew it.

I was really excited when the year-end Rolling Stone magazine came out and Billy Joel had named "Nightshift" as one of his top 5 favorites of the year!

Q: What are your feelings about "Nightshift" now 27 years later?

Franne: I think it speaks for itself! It's one of those songs you can't really take credit for. It comes through you. I just feel fortunate to have been present for the birth and continue to love it every time I hear it on the radio. Sometimes it still brings tears to my eyes.

Q: You co-wrote the song "Bit By Bit" with Harold Faltermeyer which was performed by Stephanie Mills as the theme song for the 1985 film Fletch. How did you end up working on this song? Were you writing a specific song to be used in Fletch right from the start?

Franne: I had worked with Harold on a few things and he specifically called me in to write for Fletch. He told me what he wanted the lyric to convey. He put me in a dimly lit studio with great speakers, put me in control of the playback, sent in unlimited sushi and I was off and running.

"Bit By Bit" is a song that I've always liked because it immediately reminds me of Fletch after even hearing just the first few bars. The song reached #15 on the Dance chart, but only peaked at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here is the music video for "Bit By Bit" by Stephanie Mills...

Q: What can you tell us about Harold Faltermeyer and your experience working with him? His distinctive sound became a standard in 80s movies.

Franne: Extremely talented, big, big heart and a perfectionist!

Q: Any other interesting memories or details about writing "Bit By Bit"? What are your feelings regarding how the song turned out and Mills' recording of it? Did you like the film Fletch?

Franne: We had a blast doing the demo. He embellished the track I wrote to which became the actual record. I loved how Harold made my voice sound in the studio. His track was so inspiring to sing to. Stephanie Mills did a fantastic job on the recording and, of course, I liked Fletch, I had a song in it! Ha, ha! I also loved going to the gym and being anonymous in an aerobics class with everyone exercising and grooving to my song.

Q: How did you end up teaming with Jody Watley to write "Don't You Want Me" which was a 1987 hit for her? What can you tell us about Jody Watley and your experiences working with her?

Franne: I don't remember exactly how we met, but we have remained friends to this day. She is one of the most talented, dedicated artists I've ever worked with. I love her natural instincts as a musician and lyricist and she performs with total confidence. She is simply elegant!

"Don't You Want Me" really helped establish Jody Watley as a solo artist. It was co-written by Golde, D.P. Bryant and Watley herself. It was released in August of 1987 as the third single from her debut album which had been released six months earlier. It went on to reach #1 on the Dance chart in October, peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December that year and helped her win the Grammy for Best New Artist the following year. Here is the music video for "Don't You Want Me" by Jody Watley...

Q: What is the back story about how that song was conceived and written? Any interesting stories or details about how "Don't You Want Me" came together?

Franne: We were at the infamous Summa Studios on Sunset and La Cienega, my home away from home. Jody, David Bryant and I were in the main studio, standing around my new Juno 106 [synthesizer] with all of us taking turns. I recall David playing a bass line and me playing some chords on top of it and Jody singing out a melody. After an afternoon of creating, laughing and having a general blast, we had the bones of "Don't You Want Me". By the next day, Jody finished the lyric and we began our demo. The minute she sang over the track it was magic.

Q: Were there any songs that you wrote during your career (and maybe more so in the 80s) that never became hits that you felt should have or could have? If so, which songs and why? Of all the songs you've written, is there one that is your personal favorite? If so, which ones and why?

Franne: As one of my writer friends said, "99% of the time the ones you love never get heard." One that I loved and thought should have been cut was a song I wrote with Allee Willis with hopes of a Tina Turner cut called "Learn to Love". A personal favorite is usually what I'm currently working on. That said, "Nightshift" is definitely up there.

Q: Is it difficult as a song-writer to relinquish your song to another artist who will undoubtedly take artistic liberties and/or put their own spin on you work?

Franne: When I was a recording artist, yes. Now, no. It's always fantastic when you love what the artist and producer have done with your song. I was lucky to work with Dennis Lambert and get my songs recorded shortly after we wrote them and they always sounded amazing!

Q: What do you remember best about the decade of 80s music? What lasting impact do you feel music from the 80s has made?

Franne: What I remember most is peeling off the plastic from a new album, laying on the floor of my office with the cover, holding it in my hands and staring at it, reading every last bit, pulling out the sleeve, sliding the LP out, putting it on the turntable, slipping on my headphones and reading every lyric as I listened and was transported to my own heaven. Michael Jackson was a favorite, but there are so many I loved, Steely Dan, Rickie Lee Jones, Michael McDonald, Hall & Oates, The Police, Prince, Kool & the Gang, Tears for Fears, Donald Fagen, Earth Wind & Fire, Whitney Houston, Culture Club, Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Jam & Lewis, Luther Vandross, Sade, Paul McCartney & Wings, Anita Baker, REM, Human League, Thomas Dolby, Eurythmics, U2 and a slew of great singles. Really, there are too many to count and way too many that I loved and still do. What lasts is all the great music that lives on forever.

Q: Please tell us a little about where your music career has taken you since the 80s. What are some of your proudest professional accomplishments?

Franne: The 90s brought me one of my biggest successes. I was fortunate to be on one of the biggest selling soundtracks of all time, The Bodyguard [1992], and another album by Kenny G, one his biggest, Breathless, with the same song, "Even If My Heart Would Break" written with Adrian Gurvitz. Originally on hold by Clive [Davis] for Jeff Healey, for two years, it ultimately landed in Kenny G's hands. Clive wanted Kenny on the soundtrack album and thought this would be a good song. It took a lot of maneuvering, as Kenny wanted just the right vocalist on the song and didn't want to record it until he found that magic voice. After lots of behind-the-scenes maneuvering it landed in the hands of Aaron Neville. I got a call to come down to the studio where David Foster and Walter Afanasieff were producing the track, which would then go to New York City where Aaron would record the vocals. The producers and Kenny were wonderful about letting me be present for all the recording and mixing. Who knew that, as of today, that one song would be on close to 60 million records sold!

Even though it is a 90s song, I have always really enjoyed the song "Even If My Heart Would Break". The Whitney Houston songs get most of the attention on The Bodyguard soundtrack, but this beautiful song by Aaron Neville and Kenny G deserves its share of consideration. That soundtrack has gone to become one of the best-selling albums of all time. When Kenny G also included it on his own Breathless album which was multi-platinum itself, it would become only the third time in Billboard chart history that the same song appeared on both the #1 and #2 album on the chart at the same time. As she mentioned, those two albums have gone to sell 60 million copies now!

Q: How have your priorities or goals changed over the years? Are you still writing songs today?

Franne: As far as priorities and goals, not much has changed. I've always and still want to write great songs that touch people and become part of their lives. Yes, I am still writing to this day. Music is like a drug and I admit I'm addicted!

Golde has co-written many other hit songs including "Don't Look Any Further" by former Temptations singer Dennis Edwards featuring Siedah Garrett, Selena's "Dreaming of You", Whitney Houston's "I Belong to You", the Kinleys' country hit "Somebody's Out There Watching" and Pussycat Dolls' "Stickwitu" (which was Grammy nominated) among many others.

Q: What else is Franne Golde up to nowadays? Musically and otherwise? What can we expect in the future?

Franne: I have many new projects that I'm working on and very excited about including a musical, a film project, a memoir and I've recently signed a deal with Carlin West Agency to represent my clothing line, SMAPs [Skinny Magic Amazing Pants]! I will be updating my website with news about everything I'm working on as it unfolds.

I am honored that Franne was able to take some time to answer some questions so I could share them with you here. You can keep up with her on her website at www.frannegolde.com/ I want to take this occasion to again thank Franne Gold for her contributions to 80s pop culture especially through her songwriting on such classics as "Nightshift" and, even more, for going back to the 80s with us here for a little while as well.

That is all for another special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading and hope you are enjoying the interviews as much as I am. If you want a summary of all of my Back to the 80s Interviews posted thus far, please click on that link. Be sure you haven't missed any of them. There is a link to a summary of all of my 80s issues in the left hand column below the Archives and you can use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any topics you are looking for or other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 80s pop culture and Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the Fan Page where I ask you to then click on the "Like" button. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. You can also hook up with us on Google+. Please leave comments so we know you're out there and let other 80s fans know about us as well! Peace and much love.

Quote of the day: "Songwriters write songs, but they really belong to the listener." -Jimmy Buffett from A Pirate Looks at Fifty