Today (June 30, 2010) is the 44th birthday of former heavy-weight boxing champion Mike Tyson. He would later hit rock bottom in the 90s, but in the 80s he was the baddest man on the planet. He was intimidating and ferocious and if his uppercut connected with your chin it was shear devastation. He hailed from Brooklyn, NY and was not even 6 feet tall. He began his professional career at 18 years old (1985) and would remain undefeated for the remainder of the decade. Tyson took the boxing world by storm winning his first 37 fights with 33 of them coming by knock out or TKO. He won his first title in 1986 at just 20 years of age and at that point was beginning to get some serious hype.
The fight I will never forget took place on June 27, 1988 against Michael Spinks. The bout was, at the time, the richest fight in history and expectations were very high. Boxing pundits were predicting a titanic battle of styles, with Tyson's aggressive infighting conflicting with Spinks' skillful outfighting and footwork. It was an impressive display, but not for the reasons expected. Incredibly, the fight ended after just 91 seconds when Tyson knocked Spinks out in the first round. I just remember Tyson connecting with a punch and Spinks hitting the mat with his eyes rolled back in his head. He tries to get up, but falls over the bottom rope almost comically as Tyson is declared the winner. I remember being in awe. Here's a video so you can watch the short fight here...
Another related item from the 80s that I will likely never forget is one of my favorite Nintendo video games of all time, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Based off the arcade game Punch-Out!!, it was released in 1987 and it was a Christmas gift for my brother and I in December of that year. We were obsessed with it for the coming months. I can still remember the line-up: Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, Piston Honda, Don Flamenco, King Hippo, Great Tiger, Bald Bull, Soda Popinski, Mr. Sandman, Super Macho Man and then the champ himself. This was before the internet and easily finding cheat codes, so we put hours and hours into learning the tricks to defeat each opponent. Here's the commercial for the game featuring Iron Mike himself...
As many of you know, the good times would not keep on rolling for Tyson as the 90s began. His short marriage to actress Robin Givens had ended in divorce on Valentine's Day of 1989 and then on February 11, 1990 he lost his first fight ever in what is considered one of the greatest upsets of all time to Buster Douglas. He would never be the same since. In 1991, Tyson was arrested for rape and ended up serving three years of six year prison sentence. In 1997, Tyson would be disqualified in his rematch against Evander Holyfield for bizarrely biting his ears. His boxing career was basically over at that point and then in 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson would file for bankruptcy as well as divorce his second wife. In 2006, he would be arrested again for felony drug possession of cocaine and driving under the influence. How the mighty had fallen! Just 18 years after being on top of the world after that Spinks knock-out, Mike Tyson could not get much lower.
More recently, Tyson would apparently get treatment for drug addiction and begin turning his life around. In 2009, he was married for a third time and had a hilarious cameo in the outstanding comedy film The Hangover. Here is Tyson's first scene from the movie...
Tyson claims the film (which he had to be convinced to do after initially having no interest) helped turn his life around, the job offer and fun he had on set convinced him to clean up his act. Now he will never regain the status he had in the late 80s, but at least it appears there might be a happier ending to the Mike Tyson story.
That's all 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 the "Like" button. 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: I thought this sign was an interesting and pointed way of reminding people to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel...
Quote of the day: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
This is the 28th official issue of my 80s Movie Trailer of the Week feature I call "Preview Review." As usual, these issues (like the Flashback Videos) will not include the customary "Check this out" or "Quote of the day" sections at the end like normal issues of Kickin' it Old School usually do.
Summer is here and I am itching to go on a vacation. Whenever I think of summer vacations, there are three 80s movies that always come to mind. Coincidentally, or maybe not, they all happen to have one actor that ties them together and that is the late, great John Candy.
The first one he only played a minor role in and that is 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation written by the incomparable John Hughes and directed by Harold Ramis. This is the tale of the Griswold family on a cross-country trek in the Family Truckster station wagon to visit Wally World. It stars Chevy Chase as the one and only "Clark W. Griswold." This is the original that would spawn several sequels including Christmas Vacation which is one of my very favorite 80s movies. Earlier this year, they even did a short reprise to promote HomeAway.com which I found entertaining. Here's the original trailer for National Lampoon's Vacation...
Somewhat surprising, there is a scene which ranks on my Most Inspirational Speeches from 80s Movies list. The success of the film really helped to advance the screenwriting career of John Hughes. The original story is (reportedly) a fictionalized account of his own ill-fated family trip to Disneyland (changed to Wally World for the film) when Hughes was a boy. As an interesting note, Wally World in the film is really Santa Anita Park for the parking lot and exterior scenes and Six Flags Magic Mountain for the interior and ride scenes. That is where John Candy makes his appearance as "Officer Russ Lasky".
In 1985, Candy would star in another of my favorite summer vacation movies though it is not one of his more well-known films. This is Summer Rental directed by Carl Reiner. Candy plays "Jack Chester" who takes his family down to the fictitious Citrus Cove, Florida for some rest and relaxation. While there, amongst other humorous moments, he ends up challenging a local pompous sailing champion in the big Citrus Cove Regatta. Here is the original trailer for Summer Rental...
The trailer does not do this film justice and I highly recommend you check it out if you never have. It is not fine cinema, but I have always found it entertaining. A scene from Summer Rental ranks on my Best Montage Scenes from 80s Movie list. Joey Lawrence and Kerri Green star as the Chester children and the film also features roles by Rip Torn, John Laroquette and Richard Crenna.
Then in 1988, John Candy is reunited with John Hughes for The Great Outdoors. This film was written and produced by Hughes, directed by Howard Deutch and co-stars Dan Aykroyd. This is one of eight films that have featured both Candy and Aykroyd. Candy plays "Chet Ripley" who is taking his family up to northern Wisconsin on vacation to a lake resort when they are uninvitedly joined by his wife's sister's family. Here is the original trailer for The Great Outdoors...
There are some hilarious scenes including John Candy waterskiing as well as tackling the "Ole 96er" steak. Even though this film is supposed to take place in the fictitious Claire County of northern Wisconsin, it was actually shot on location in Bass Lake, California which is near Yosemite National Park. Both The Great Outdoors and National Lampoon's Vacation rank on my Top John Hughes 80s Movies list.
When I think of summer vacations, I of course first remember some of my personal favorites growing up as a kid or later on as a grown up, but then memories of these three films above are usually not far behind. If you get the chance this summer, I suggest watching any of these three movies again for some summer vacation 80s style hilarity.
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 the "Like" button. 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.
This is the 41st official issue of my 80s Video of the Week which I call "Flashback Videos." As a reminder, these issues will not include the usual "Check this out" or "Quote of the day" sections at the end like normal issues of Kickin' it Old School usually do.
Today (June 22, 2010) is the 55th birthday of Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside. He is best known as the frontman of the band Scritti Politti. The band formed in 1977 and would find success in the UK during the mid-80s. Gartside was the founding member of Scritti Politti (which translates to "Political Writing" in Italian) and the only member to have remained throughout the group's history. In June 1985, Scritti Politti released their second album, Cupid and Psyche '85 which would be their most successful reaching #5 on the UK album charts and #50 on the U.S. chart. The album included the band's only U.S. hit song, "Perfect Way," which would reach #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was included on the soundtrack of the 2010 movie Hot Tub Time Machine along with several other 80s classics. This is just one of the many outstanding songs from 1985 and it always takes me back when I hear it, so this week's Flashback Video is "Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti...
An instrumental version was later recorded by legendary Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis for his 1986 album Tutu. George Cole, author of The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991, explains: "When Miles was recording the Tutu album, producer Tommy LiPuma thought the album needed a cover version, so he gave Miles lots of pop albums to listen to - Miles selected Scritti Politti's 'Perfect Way.' In fact, Miles liked the tune so much, that he originally planned to make it the title track. Miles later became friends with singer Green Gartside and played on the Scritti Politti track 'Oh Patti.' He even appeared in the music video. I have to admit that the album version of 'Perfect Way' is not one of my most favorite of Miles's tunes and the rather mechanical rhythm track restricts what Miles can do with it. However, the live version was more fluid and included a nice call-and-response section featuring Miles and the bass player." Here is a live performance by Miles Davis of his version of "Perfect Way"...
Gartside continues to make music as Scritti Politti with a studio album released as recently as 2006. Though certainly not in other parts of the world, but in the U.S. Scritti Politti is considered a "one-hit wonder." As I have said before, at least they gave us one classic 80s song and that's one more than most musicians ever get.
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 the "Like" button. 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.
This is the 40th official issue of my 80s Video of the Week which I call "Flashback Videos." As a reminder, these issues will not include the usual "Check this out" or "Quote of the day" sections at the end like normal issues of Kickin' it Old School usually do.
Today (June 15, 2010) is the 46th birthday of actress Courtney Cox (now Cox-Arquette). When most people think of her, "Monica" from Friends is what comes to mind first. For me, I obviously remember Friends too, but probably first think about her short appearance in a music video from the summer of 1984. The video was for the first single released from BruceSpringsteen's best-selling album Born in the U.S.A. The album would stay at #1 on the Billboard album chart for 7 weeks (the entire month of July in 1984 and then again in January 1985) and produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles.
"Dancing in the Dark" was the first of those singles reaching #2 for four weeks (which is surprisingly Springsteen's highest charting song to date). The song won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance in 1985 and has since gone on to earn further recognition like being listed as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll in a permanent exhibit at the museum. With Clarence Clemons in the E Street Band, it is probably no surprise that this song ranks on my Top 80s Songs with Saxophone Solos list. The video, directed by Brian DePalma, was filmed at the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, before and during the initial show of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour. The completed video was first aired on MTV on July 10, 1984 and would go on to win the MTV VMA for Best Stage Performance. It received heavy airplay on MTV, helping introduce Springsteen's music to a new, younger, and wider audience. This week's Flashback Video is "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen...
Dancing like that would definitely be better done in the dark so nobody else could see it! At about the 2:25 mark of the video we see Courtney Cox in the audience for the first time, then at about the 3:25 mark, the Boss invites her on stage to dance with him. Her hair is short like a boy's, but you recognize her face right away. Although Cox had previously appeared in television commercials and had other roles, it is thought that her part in the "Dancing in the Dark" video played a large role in launching her career. She would go on to a starring role in the short-lived television series Misfits of Science (1985) and later a recurring role (1987-89) on the TV series Family Ties as "Lauren Miller", the girlfriend of "Alex P. Keaton" (Michael J. Fox).
She would appear in the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and as Jerry's girlfriend in an episode of Seinfeld before getting her big break of "Monica Geller" in Friends starting in 1994 and running until 2004. Cox is also known for her role in the Scream movies including the 1996 original and two sequels. She married actor David Arquette in 1999 and they have a daughter named Coco. Cox now stars on the ABC sitcom Cougar Town and is rumored to be attached to Scream 4. All of that success owed to a short dance with Springsteen back in 1984!
That's all 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 the "Like" button. 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.
This is the thirty-ninth official issue of my 80s Video of the Week which I call "Flashback Videos." As a reminder, these issues will not include the usual "Check this out" or "Quote of the day" sections at the end like normal issues of Kickin' it Old School usually do.
Today (June 9, 2010) is the 56th birthday of one of my favorite voices of 80s pop, Pete Byrne. He was the lead singer for the pop duo Naked Eyes (not to be confused with Pete Burns who was the androgynous lead singer of Dead or Alive). Naked Eyes was responsible for two of my favorites from the decade. Both songs come from the 1983 album Burning Bridges which surprisingly would only make it to #32 on the U.S. album charts. Unfortunately, the duo would break up shortly after their disappointing second album, Fuel for the Fire, was released in 1984.
The first song is actually a cover originally written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in the early 60s. "Always Something There to Remind Me" became a minor hit in the U.S. for Lou Johnson in 1964, Sandie Shaw in 1964 (major hit in the UK staying at #1 for 3 weeks), then Dionne Warwick in 1967 and then R.B. Greaves in 1970. But it is the 1983 version by Naked Eyes that is by far my favorite. It would peak at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. This week's first Flashback Video is "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes...
The second song is "Promises, Promises" which would reach #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October of 1983. It is coincidentally the same name of another song originally written in 1968 by Bacharach and David. Though Naked Eyes' first hit song was written by that duo, their second was not. Other than the title, the two songs are not related. This week's second Flashback Video is "Promises, Promises" by Naked Eyes...
I have always been a big fan of Pete Byrne's voice and both of those songs easily rank in my top 100 of the decade.
Byrne's partner, Rob Fisher, passed away in 1999. In 2007, Byrne reformed Naked Eyes and released Fumbling With The Covers, an album of acoustic hits including reworkings of "Promises, Promises", "When The Lights Go Out" and "Always Something There To Remind Me." Additionally in 2008, Naked Eyes completed a U.S. Summer Tour along with other 80s pop stars Belinda Carlisle, ABC and Human League. Last year, I found an acoustic version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Byrne and included it on our Christmas mix CD that I put together annually to give selected friends and family. Currently, Byrne is working on Piccadilly, the new Naked Eyes album, due out this summer (2010).
That's all 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 the "Like" button. 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.
Today (June 5, 2010) is 21 years since an iconic moment in our world's history. On June 4, 1989 a horrific massacre took place in Beijing's Tiananmen Square when the Chinese government violently cracked down on protests that had taken place there since mid-April. The actual number of dead and wounded from this massacre will probably never be known with estimations anywhere from 180 to 10,000. An intelligence report received by the Soviet politburo estimated that 3,000 protesters were killed. Currently, due to strong Chinese government censorship including Internet censorship, the news media are forbidden to report anything related to the protests. Websites related to the protest are blocked on the mainland. A search for Tiananmen Square protest information on the Internet in Mainland China largely returns no results, apart from the government-mandated version of the events and the official view. The iconic moment I referred to at the beginning took place the next morning as tanks rolled in to the area to continue suppression of the protests.
This moment was photographed and video taped allowing it to live on forever in infamy. A column of army tanks was stopped single-handedly by a lone man in a white shirt who stood his ground in the middle of the road blocking them from proceeding. As the driver of the lead tank tried to go around him, the "Tank Man" (which he has become known as) continued to keep himself in front of it blocking its way. After repeatedly attempting to go around rather than crush the man, the lead tank stopped its engines, and the armored vehicles behind it seemed to follow suit. Here is video of that moment...
At the obvious risk of death, this man made the ultimate demonstration of nonviolent action. Time Magazine dubbed him "The Unknown Rebel" and, in April 1988, later named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. This quote from the following video summarized this moment appropriately: "Images of that extraordinary confrontation became icons of freedom. They have been re-produced on t-shirts and posters ever since. President (George H.W.) Bush commended his courage and leaders the world over hailed him. He became an inspiration to millions and changed lives forever."
The identity of "Tank Man" and what happened to him following this historic demonstration is still debated. Some claim he was executed by the Chinese government and some claim the man is still alive and hiding. One thing is certain, even though he has never been officially identified or seen again, "Tank Man" made an impressive statement at a critical time which has had a lasting impact. Here is one last video of a report from last year on the 20th anniversary regarding the mystery of the man responsible for this iconic moment...
Though it occurred as the 80s were coming to an end, the "Tank Man" moment from 1989 is one of the great moments not just of the decade, but of all time.
That's all 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 the "Like" button. 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: I commend this woman on getting some exercise on her bicycle, but I can't help but notice the unfortunate situation for the small child in the back seat. Can a parent really be that oblivious? I hope this was recognized and stopped before any harm came to the poor child...
Quote of the day: "Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die." -Dwight D. Eisenhower + a bonus quote: "History does not teach fatalism. There are moments when the will of a handful of free men breaks through determinism and opens up new roads." -Charles de Gaulle
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Kickin' it Old School - 80s Pop Culture
heavy-weight boxing champion Mike Tyson. He would later hit rock bottom in the 90s, but in the 80s he was the baddest man on the planet. 
He was intimidating and ferocious and if his uppercut connected with your chin it was shear devastation. He hailed from Brooklyn, NY and was not even 6 feet tall. He began his professional career at 18 years old (1985) and would remain undefeated for the remainder of the decade. Tyson took the boxing world by storm winning his first 37 fights with 33 of them coming by knock out or TKO. He won his first title in 1986 at just 20 years of age and at that point was beginning to get some serious hype. 
fight I will never forget took place on June 27, 1988 against Michael Spinks. The bout was, at the time, the richest fight in history and expectations were very high. Boxing pundits were predicting a titanic battle of styles, with Tyson's aggressive infighting conflicting with Spinks' skillful outfighting and footwork. It was an impressive display, but not for the reasons expected. Incredibly, the fight ended after just 91 seconds when Tyson knocked Spinks out in the first round. I just remember Tyson connecting with a punch and Spinks hitting the mat with his eyes rolled back in his head. He tries to get up, but falls over the bottom rope almost comically as Tyson is declared the winner. I remember being in awe. Here's a video so you can watch the short fight here...
I will likely never forget is one of 
the good times would not keep on rolling for Tyson as the 90s began. His short marriage to actress Robin Givens had ended in divorce on Valentine's Day of 1989 and then on February 11, 1990 he lost his first fight ever in what is considered one of the greatest upsets of all time to Buster Douglas. 
He would never be the same since. In 1991, Tyson was arrested for rape and ended up serving three years of six year prison sentence. In 1997, Tyson would be disqualified in his rematch against Evander Holyfield for bizarrely biting his ears. His boxing career was basically over at that point and then in 2003, after years of financial struggles, Tyson would file for bankruptcy as well as divorce his second wife. In 2006, he would be arrested again for felony drug possession of cocaine and driving under the influence. How the mighty had fallen! Just 18 years after being on top of the world after that Spinks knock-out, Mike Tyson could not get much lower.
Whenever I think of summer vacations, there are three 80s movies that always come to mind. Coincidentally, or maybe not, they all happen to have one actor that ties them together and that is the late, great John Candy.
band Scritti Politti. The band formed in 1977 and would find success in the UK during the mid-80s. Gartside was the founding member of Scritti Politti (which translates to "Political Writing" in Italian) and the only member to have remained throughout the group's history. In June 1985, Scritti Politti released their second album, 
Cupid and Psyche '85 which would be their most successful reaching #5 on the UK album charts and #50 on the U.S. chart. The album included the band's only U.S. hit song, "Perfect Way," which would reach #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Miles Davis for his 1986 album Tutu. George Cole, author of The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991, explains: "When Miles was recording the Tutu album, producer Tommy LiPuma thought the album needed a cover version, so he gave Miles lots of pop albums to listen to - Miles selected Scritti Politti's 'Perfect Way.' In fact, Miles liked the tune so much, that he originally planned to make it the title track. Miles later became friends with singer Green Gartside and played on the Scritti Politti track 'Oh Patti.' He even appeared in the music video. I have to admit that the album version of 'Perfect Way' is not one of my most favorite of Miles's tunes and the rather mechanical rhythm track restricts what Miles can do with it. However, the live version was more fluid and included a nice call-and-response section featuring Miles and the bass player." Here is a live performance by Miles Davis of his version of "Perfect Way"...
46th birthday of actress Courtney Cox (now Cox-Arquette). When most people think of her, "Monica" from Friends is what comes to mind first. For me, I obviously remember Friends too, but probably first think about her short appearance in a music video from the summer of 1984. The video was for the first single released from 
Bruce Springsteen's best-selling album Born in the U.S.A. The album would stay at #1 on the Billboard album chart for 7 weeks (the entire month of July in 1984 and then again in January 1985) and produced a record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles.
With Clarence Clemons in the E Street Band, it is probably no surprise that this song ranks on 
At about the 2:25 mark of the video we see Courtney Cox in the audience for the first time, 
then at about the 3:25 mark, the Boss invites her on stage to dance with him. Her hair is short like a boy's, but you recognize her face right away. Although Cox had previously appeared in television commercials and had other roles, it is thought that her part in the "Dancing in the Dark" video played a large role in launching her career. She would go on to a starring role in the short-lived television series Misfits of Science (1985) and later a recurring role (1987-89) on the TV series Family Ties as "Lauren Miller", the girlfriend of "Alex P. Keaton" (Michael J. Fox).
He was the lead singer for the pop duo Naked Eyes (not to be confused with Pete Burns who was the androgynous lead singer of Dead or Alive). Naked Eyes was responsible for two of my favorites from the decade. Both songs come from the 1983 album Burning Bridges which surprisingly would only make it to #32 on the U.S. album charts. Unfortunately, the duo would break up shortly after their disappointing second album, Fuel for the Fire, was released in 1984.
On June 4, 1989 a horrific massacre took place in Beijing's Tiananmen Square when the Chinese government violently cracked down on protests that had taken place there since mid-April. The actual number of dead and wounded from this massacre will probably never be known with estimations anywhere from 180 to 10,000. An intelligence report received by the Soviet politburo estimated that 3,000 protesters were killed. Currently, due to strong Chinese government censorship including Internet censorship, the news media are forbidden to report anything related to the protests. Websites related to the protest are blocked on the mainland. A search for Tiananmen Square protest information on the Internet in Mainland China largely returns no results, apart from the government-mandated version of the events and the official view. 
The iconic moment I referred to at the beginning took place the next morning as tanks rolled in to the area to continue suppression of the protests. 
