Today (March 30, 2010) is the 46^th birthday of singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. She burst onto the music scene back in June 1988 when she performed at the Nelson Mandela 70^th Birthday Tribute concert. She had just released her self-titled debut album and her first single "Fast Car" began its rise on the U.S. charts. The song would eventually reach #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and go on to win the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1989 (along with being nominated for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year, too). Chapman would also win the Grammy for Best New Artist beating out the likes of Rick Astley and Vanessa Williams.

The song sounded like nothing that was being played on pop radio at the time. Rolling Stone actually ranked the song #165 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (which impressively is the highest ranking song both written and performed by a female performer). This week's Flashback Video is "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman...

The fact that this song was successful and became popular astounds me. Not so much musically because it has a beautiful melody, but more because of the subject matter and that its haunting folk sound was so different from what dominated late-80s pop music. It actually impresses me that the listening public was so open minded and accepting of "Fast Car." I have read several interpretations of the song's meaning and here is the best summary:
The song is a narrative tale of generational poverty. The song's narrator tells the story of her hard life, which begins when her mother divorces her jobless, alcoholic father, forcing the narrator to quit school in order to care for him. Eventually, she leaves her hometown with her boyfriend in hopes of making a better life. Despite her employment at a grocery store, she falls victim to the cycle of poverty, as her life begins to mirror her mother's: her boyfriend remains largely unemployed and becomes an alcoholic. She is left alone with her children while her boyfriend spends time drinking with his friends. Finally, after getting a job that will support her family, she has an epiphany. Despite wishing for a better life, she must make the best of her situation, and tells her boyfriend to take his "fast car and keep on driving."

The lyrics are not too hard to follow when listening to the song, but sometimes you can get lost in the melody and not even realize what the song is about. Here are the lyrics to "Fast Car":
You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us out of here
I've been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

See my old man's got a problem
He lives with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say his body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

I remember when we were driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in the market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So I remember when we were driving in your car
speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me'd find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

So I remember when we were driving in your car
speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

Tracy Chapman would end up a multi-platinum recording artist releasing a total of eight solo albums. Her latest was 2008's Our Bright Future, but her best success was 1995's New Beginning which included the single "Give Me One Reason" which would surpass "Fast Car" making it to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I would not be surprised to see Chapman make a comeback with another hit single because the time may be right for that. Either way, I will always remember when she started back in my favorite decade.

That'll do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you want to see the past issues of Flashback Videos, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use that Google Search Box to find any past issues or topics you may have missed. If you are a fan of 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 "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

When it comes to Easter candy, some people think of jelly beans, some think of Peeps, but I always think of Cadbury Eggs first. It is not necessarily because I like to eat them, but more because of the commercials from when I was a kid. This candy only comes around during the Easter season. They are made to look like real eggs with a milk chocolate shell and a white filling with a little yellow to look like a yolk. They originate from and are more popular in the UK, but are also made by Hershey in the United States under license from Cadbury. While filled eggs were first manufactured by the Cadbury Brothers in 1923, the Creme Egg in its current form was introduced back in 1971.

There are two commercials from the 80s that I particularly remember. The first features a bunny that's sitting on a nest clucking like a chicken...

The second features different rabbits auditioning to become the Cadbury bunny...

Of all of my Easter memories from being a kid, those Cadbury Egg commercials always stand out for some reason. Interestingly, during an interview on the April 4^th, 2007 episode of Late Night with Conan O' Brien, actor B. J. Novak (from The Office) drew attention to the fact that American market Cadbury Creme Eggs have decreased in size from previous years, despite the claim on the Cadbury's website that the eggs were not getting smaller, but rather, "you've just grown up!" The site has since been updated to clarify that only American eggs have altered in size having gone from 39 grams down to 34 grams (while in the UK they remain at the original 40 grams). I guess I have not gotten any in a while, so I did not even notice myself.

Commercials are a big part of 80s pop culture and the Cadbury Eggs are no exception as far as I am concerned. Easter time probably wouldn't have been the same without them.

That'll do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 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 "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here's a little cartoon which loosely relates to the Cadbury Eggs. Though one of the rules I live by is to never pick up anything off the ground and put it in my mouth. These kids look to be learning that rule the hard way...

Quote of the day: "Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there." -Clarence W. Hall

Today (March 22, 2010) is the 51^st birthday of actor Matthew Modine. He has had several memorable performances over the years including as "Private Joker" in 1987's Full Metal Jacket, with Michelle Pfeiffer in 1988's Married to the Mob, versus Michael Keaton in 1990's Pacific Heights and in one of my personal favorites 1995's Bye Bye Love. But his breakout role was that of high school wrestler "Louden Swain" in 1985's Vision Quest.

No it's not a science fiction movie, it's a sports movie combined with a coming of age romantic drama. The film, directed by Harold Becker, is based on the novel of the same title by author Terry Davis. Modine's character is a high school wrestler who, against the wishes of those around him, makes the decision to drop two weight classes in order to challenge the undefeated 3-time state champion from the nearby rival high school. As he says in the movie, "Last week I turned 18. I wasn't ready for it. I haven't done anything yet. So I made this deal with myself. This is the year I make my mark." As part of making his mark he attempts dropping from 190 to 168 pounds creating health problems for himself and ends up disrupting the entire team in the process. During this same time, "Louden" also ends up falling in love with an older 21-year-old woman (played by Linda Fiorentino in her first role) who happens to be a boarder staying at his house. His whole world is swirling out of control leading up to the big match in a moment reminiscent of Rocky, Breaking Away or The Karate Kid. Here is the original trailer for Vision Quest...

That trailer is pretty awful. You don't even get the wrestling angle at all. Here is a different video which does not include any announcer speaking, but does include many more scenes from the film. You might recognize the person singing the song it is set to...

That video is set to the song "Gambler" by Madonna and the Vision Quest Soundtrack is the only place you can find that song. The movie includes an appearance by Madonna, her first in a major motion picture, playing a singer at a local bar/restaurant where she sings the song "Crazy For You." This song ranks highly on my very popular Top Songs from 80s Movies list (which is definitely worth checking out if you haven't before). In fact, in some countries (like Australia and the UK) the film was released as Crazy For You to market on Madonna's emerging fame and the popularity of the song. The entire soundtrack is surprisingly good including songs by Journey, John Waite, Don Henley, Sammy Hagar and Foreigner in addition to Madonna. The film also includes songs by REO Speedwagon, Berlin and Quarterflash that do not appear on the soundtrack.

Another interesting note is that Michael Schoeffling appears in this film. Yes, he is better known as "Jake Ryan" from 1984's Sixteen Candles, but he was actually an accomplished college wrestler and even won a gold medal for the United States in freestyle wrestling, as a member of the National Junior Wrestling Team in the European Championships held in Munich, Germany in 1978. Schoeffling plays Modine's friend and teammate "Kuch." You can see him and his crazy hair cut in this video link.

Frank Jasper, who played "Shute" the bad-guy undefeated wrestler, later appeared as the hobo in the 1992 Van Halen video for "Right Now" holding the sign reading "I will wrestle you for food." It's not an 80s song, but it's an 80s band and I always love a nod to my favorite decade.

You know that I am not a fan of the current emerging trend of remaking classic 80s movies. A remake of Vision Quest is in development at Warner Bros. and back in December there were rumors out there that Taylor Lautner (of Twilight & New Moon fame) might play the main role. Please, no! We can only hope that this does not come to fruition.

I have always enjoyed Vision Quest, but have to admit it probably is not one of my all-time favorites though it would rank on my list of Best Sports Movies from the 80s. This is a Preview Review issue and does not include my usual quote of the day, but there is a quote from Modine's character in this film that I have always liked and want to share anyways. He says, "All I ever settled for is that we're born to live and then to die, and... we got to do it alone, each in his own way. And I guess that's why we got to love those people who deserve it like there's no tomorrow. ‘Cause when you get right down to it - there isn't." Pretty heavy stuff, but I have always felt a connection with the "Louden" character in some way. The film is a solid early-80s effort and, along with Full Metal Jacket, will always link Matthew Modine back to my favorite decade.

That'll wrap up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you want to see the past issues of Preview Review, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of 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 "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Today (March 21, 2010) is the 61^st birthday of American rock singer and guitarist Eddie Money. Despite reports that his birthday is on March 2^nd, the man himself confirmed that it is in fact on March 21^st. In the mid-70s, Money hooked up with legendary promoter Bill Graham and exploded onto the music scene. In 1977, Money released his self-titled debut record and struck Double Platinum with hits such as "Baby Hold On" and "Two Tickets To Paradise." But it is his 80s success that I will always remember best.

After great momentum heading into the decade, Money's career began to fail him after several unsuccessful releases in the mid-1980s accompanied by his struggles with drug addiction. In 1986, he would make a huge comeback with the platinum album Can't Hold Back. The album would contain two memorable singles that would both reach the top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100 with one climbing all the way to #4. Those two songs will be our first two featured videos. This week's first Flashback Video is "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money with Ronnie Spector...

That song would reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts. It features the interesting combination of Money's raspy voice with that of Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes singing the chorus of that groups hit "Be My Baby." I have always like that song a lot.

Another song from that album that I liked a lot was "I Wanna Go Back" which was actually a cover of a 1984 song by the band Billy Satellite. The original peaked at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Money's version would go all the way to #14. This week's second Flashback Video is "I Wanna Go Back" by Eddie Money...

Then in 1988, Money released the album Nothing to Lose which would not be as successful as his last. It did however include at least one great single, "Walk On Water" which would reach up to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Mainstream Rock charts. This week's last Flashback Video is "Walk On Water" by Eddie Money...

In June 2009, Eddie Money's musical autobiography, Two Tickets To Paradise-The Musical debuted in New York and received rave reviews. Money is currently working on taking his play to Broadway. This is a show I would like to see if I get the chance. If you want to find out more about Eddie Money or his musical, you can visit his official website.

With over 28 million records sold worldwide, Money has had a tremendous career even though my favorite parts are from the 80s. Happy Birthday Eddie Money and thank you for your contribution to 80s music and all music for that matter. Your song "I Wanna Go Back" reflects my general sentiment about my favorite decade... I wanna to go back to the 80s.

That'll do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you want to see the past issues of Flashback Videos, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use that Google Search Box to find any past issues or topics you may have missed. If you are a fan of 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 "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

More recently, I published a Preview Review issue on their 1987 film The Lost Boys. Click on that link to see that entire issue. Here is the scene with Corey Haim in the bath tub that I always remember him from in that movie...

In 2008, there was a sequel called Lost Boys: The Tribe which included a short scene at the end with Haim reprising his role. There was also an alternate ending filmed which also included Haim which sets up the possibility of another sequel. This might be one of the last scenes featuring him on film (albeit cheesy) and you can watch it here...

It was painful to watch Haim deal with his demons on the A&E reality show The Two Coreys which aired from 2007-08. With his connection to the 80s, I genuinely was pulling for him to put his life back together finding happiness and success. It was not meant to be and this is heartbreaking to me. Another piece of the 80s leaves us far too soon. Rest in peace, Corey Haim.

That's all for this sad issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Today is the 70^th birthday of Chuck Norris. With his movie reputation as a bad ass, there are lots of jokes out there about him. Here are a few of my favorites...
* Chuck Norris' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd because no one fools Chuck Norris
* Chuck Norris was originally cast as the main character in 24, but was replaced by the producers when he managed to kill every terrorist and save the day in 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
* If you spell Chuck Norris' name wrong on Google it doesn't say "Did you mean Chuck Norris?" It simply replies, "Run while you still have the chance."
* Chuck Norris dies ten years ago, but the Grim Reaper can't get up the courage to tell him.
* Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.
* Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.
* If it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken and feels like chicken but Chuck Norris says its beef, then it f**king beef.
* Chuck Norris' dog picks up its own poop because Chuck Norris don't take shit from anyone.
* Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
* The saddest moment for a child is not when he learns Santa Claus isn't real, it's when he learns Chuck Norris is.
* Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Chuck Norris killed everything else.
* Before Chuck Norris was born, the martial arts weapons with two pieces of wood connected by a chain were called NunBarrys. No one ever did find out what happened to Barry.

Quote of the day: "We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears. We must not demean life by standing in awe of death." -David Sarnoff

This year, I quite enjoyed Oscar contending films like Inglorious Basterds, Up, The Hurt Locker and Up In the Air. I also really enjoyed a non-Oscar consideration with the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It. That is all beside the point, because I am going back to the 80s to give you my 3rd Annual Old School Movie Awards (Also known as the OldSchooly's).

As I stated last year, the OldSchooly's are my own special awards to honor the great films from my younger formative years and will surely not be your traditional awards. Instead they feature unique categories (all new for each year) that address the ‘80s genre. So without further ado let's get on to the 3rd ANNUAL OLD SCHOOL MOVIE AWARDS 80s STYLE:

• Special Achievement Award for Most Times Struck By Lightning- And the OldSchooly goes to... "Reg" played by Britt Leach in the 1988 comedy The Great Outdoors. He has been struck not 6, but 66 times in the head yet. Here is a link to watch the scene where he explains it to Dan Aykroyd and John Candy's characters in this very funny John Hughes classic.

• Special Achievement Award for Fake Orgasm - And the OldSchooly goes to... Meg Ryan as "Sally" in 1989's When Harry Met Sally. Here is a link to watch the scene. "I'll have what she's having."

• Special Achievement Award for Use of a Laser for a Prank - And the OldSchooly goes to... Real Genius (1985) where a laser target is changed in order to fill Professor Hathaway's house with popcorn. Here is a link to watch the ending scene of one of my favorite comedies.

• Special Achievement Award for Turning from a Complete Dork in the 80s to a Hot Stud Today - And the OldSchooly goes to... Patrick Dempsey who played "Ronald Miller" in the 1987 under-rated comedy Can't Buy Me Love. Here is a link to watch a particularly dorky scene from that film. Now, Dempsey is better known and drooled over as McDreamy Dr. Derek Shepherd on television series Grey's Anatomy.

• Worst idea for a remake of an 80s film - The OldSchooly goes to... ALL OF THEM. Dear Hollywood, please stop remaking our 80s classics! Sequels are not so bad, but remakes are so unnecessary.

• Best Use of Winter and Snow - The nominees include Spies Like Us (1985), training in Russia during Rocky IV (1985), sledding scene in Christmas Vacation (1989), skiing scenes in Better Off Dead (1985), but the OldSchooly goes to... the ice planet of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). [link to short scene showing Hoth]

• Best Performance by a "One Hit Wonder" (similar to in music, an actor who never really had another major role again) - The nominees include Ilan Mitchell-Smith as "Wyatt" in Weird Science (1985), Jeff Cohen as "Chunk" in The Goonies (1985), Maris Valainis as "Jimmy Chitwood" in Hoosiers (1986), Ione Skye as "Diane Court" in Say Anything, Apollonia Kotero as "Apollonia" in Purple Rain (1984), Amanda Peterson as "Cindy Mancini" in Can't Buy Me Love (1987), but the OldSchooly goes to... Taimak as "Bruce Leroy" in The Last Dragon (1985). [link to my issue on The Last Dragon]

• Best Jilted Woman Plots Her Revenge - It is a tie and the OldSchooly goes to both... Carrie Fisher as the Mystery Woman who was jilted by John Belushi's "Jake" in 1980's The Blues Brothers AND Glenn Close as "Alex Forrest" who is obsessed with Michael Douglas' character in 1987's Fatal Attraction

• Best Jennifer Warnes Song from a Movie - The nominees include "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" with Bill Medley from Dirty Dancing (1987), "Nights Are Forever" from Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), "One More Hour" from Ragtime (1981), but the OldSchooly goes to... "Up Where We Belong" with Joe Cocker from An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) [link to my issue on Best Duet Songs of the 80s]

• Best Use of a Boombox by a Character - The nominees include "Johnny Lawrence" played by William Zabka breaking one on the beach in The Karate Kid (1984), "Radio Raheem" played by Bill Nunn blasting the Public Enemy song "Fight the Power" in Do The Right Thing (1989), but the OldSchooly goes to... without a doubt "Lloyd Dobler" played by John Cusack holding it over his head blasting "In Your Eyes" in Say Anything.

• Best Baseball Movie - The nominees include Field of Dreams (1989), Bull Durham (1988) but the OldSchooly goes to... Major League (1989). The other two are better movies, but I just enjoy Major League the best, not to mention having a quick cameo in the ending scene when the fans storm the field after the big win. I am really looking forward to baseball season starting in less than a month!

• Most Racist (especially looking back now) Character Depiction - The nominees include "Pedro Cerrano" played by Dennis Haysbert in Major League (1989), "Mark Watson" played by C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man (1986), "Tony Montana" played by Al Pacino in Scarface (1983) but the OldSchooly goes to... "Long Duk Dong" played by Gedde Watanabe in the outstanding John Hughes classic Sixteen Candles (1984). [link to scene where he says "Wha's happenin' hot stuff?"]

• Special Tribute IN MEMORIUM to some actors who we lost this past year who had some 80s movie moments -

Michael Jackson (1958-2009) did star as "The Scarecrow" in the 1978 film adaptation of The Wiz. Many of his music videos were actually more like short films. Here is a link to my short R.I.P. issue which includes a back link to my Favorite Michael Jackson 80s Songs list.

Patrick Swayze (1952-2009) lost his brave battle with cancer last year. Here is a link to my issue which includes my Top Patrick Swayze 80s Movies list.

The one and only John Hughes (1950-2009) had not made a movie in many years, but his sudden death this past summer hit me like a ton of bricks. Here is a link to my first tribute issue which includes my Top John Hughes 80s Movies list and my second tribute issue which continues dealing with his loss. There is a special tribute to Hughes planned at tonight's Oscar ceremony and I am looking forward to that more than any of the individual awards. Sadly for many, Hughes is an example of not knowing what you had until it is gone, but at least he is getting the recognition he truly deserved from the very beginning.

That is all for tonight's awards, please drive home safely. Hope you enjoyed this year's incarnation. I may have missed some deserving nominees for these awards, so please leave comments if you can think of any obvious (or not so obvious) nominees you would have included. I look forward to watching the real Academy Awards tonight.

That wraps up another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Hate to think this would be such a big problem that it would require a sign unless it was located next to a urinal. Made me chuckle so decided to share it with you...

Quote of the day: "The cinema is not an art which films life: the cinema is something between art and life. Unlike painting and literature, the cinema both gives to life and takes from it." -Jean-Luc Godard

Today (March 1, 2010) is the 52^nd birthday of British singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. Despite significant success in the UK, Kershaw is best known in the U.S. for his breakout 1984 single "Wouldn't It Be Good" from his debut album Human Racing. The song reached #4 in the UK and was very popular in Europe and in Australia. It only reached #46 in the United States, but I remember it well and have always been a big fan.

In July 1985, Kershaw performed "Wouldn't It Be Good" at Live Aid in London's Wembley Stadium. It's a catchy tune, but there are probably two reasons why I remember it so well. First, though not Kershaw's version, the song was in the 1986 John Hughes film Pretty in Pink (covered by former Three Dog Night vocalist Danny Hutton's band Danny Hutton Hitters). The other reason would be the music video with Kershaw wearing a sweet chroma suit. So this week's Flashback Video is "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw...

The success of "Wouldn't It Be Good" would lead to stardom in Britain for Kershaw as his first single "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" was re-released in summer of 1984 and charted even higher at #2 in the UK, leading to a series of hit singles there. Unfortunately, Kershaw would not find similar success on the U.S. charts. In fact, in 2009, VH1 listed "Wouldn't It Be Good" as #88 among their 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ‘80s. But as I said in my Flashback Video issues on Peter Schilling and The Dream Academy, at least they gave us one classic 80s song and that's one more than most musicians ever get.

Kershaw is still song writing and making music. He actually just released a new album in February of this year titled No Frills. If you want to find out more about Nik Kershaw, you can visit his official website. Happy Birthday Nik Kershaw and thank you for your contribution to 80s music and pop culture.

That'll do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you want to see the past issues of Flashback Videos, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use that Google Search Box to find any past issues or topics you may have missed. If you are a fan of 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 "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.