I am using birthdays again to choose this issue's videos. First up is Ric Ocasek who turned 60 today (March 23, 2009). He is best known as the former lead singer of The Cars who were very popular in the late 70s into the early 80s. The band is probably best known for the 1984 album Heartbeat City which included five singles which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. This album includes "Drive" which is included on my popular Top 80s Songs with One-Word Titles list as well as "You Might Think" which is included on my also popular Top 80s Music Videos list.

Ocasek always struck me as a strange looking dude, but he ended up marrying super-model Paulina Porizkova back in 1989 and the couple is still together. Ocasek released a solo album in 1986 which included a song "Emotion in Motion" which ended up getting all the way to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. So in celebration of his birthday one of this week's Flashback Videos is "Emotion in Motion" by Ric Ocasek...

Last up is Chaka Khan who turned 56 today (March 23, 2009). She began her career back in the 70s first with the band Rufus releasing such great songs as "Tell Me Something Good" in 1974 (when she was just 21 years old) and then later with one of my personal favorites "Ain't Nobody" in 1983. She also has had a very successful solo career including the very popular "I'm Every Woman" from 1978 which was featured on Oprah and covered by Whitney Houston. The song from the 80s where I was really introduced to Chaka Khan was "I Feel For You."

"I Feel For You" was actually written and originally recorded by Prince. It is one of the many songs he has given to other artists which turned out to be hit singles. Chaka Khan released her version in 1984 on an album titled the same. The song had a little bit of a hip hop feel to it with the repetition of Khan's name by rapper Melle Mel at the beginning of the song (which incidentally was a mistake that the producer wisely decided to leave in) and some rap lyrics by Melle Mel during the song itself. That is what caught my attention back then and drew me to the song. Her version of the song became a million-selling smash in the U.S. (peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100) and it helped to relaunch Khan's career. And in celebration of her birthday another one of this week's Flashback Videos is "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan...

Two very different 80s songs by two very different artists who just happen to share the same birthday. Based on the feedback so far, it seems many of you are enjoying this new feature. That will 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. 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. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.