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I Wish It Was 1981 Again

W

WaGaGa

The 1980 post below inspired me...

I've been listening to a lot of '81 pop the last few months. So much of the stuff that was on "Top 40" back in '81 would fit in nicely on EZ stations nowadays.

Joey Scarbury, Marty Balin, Air Supply, Dottie West & Kenny Rogers (a personal fave), Lee Ritenour, Stanley Clarke.

1981 was a highly underrated year for music. A lot of people consider that kind of stuff to be sugary pap. To me, it's like comfort food for the ears.
 
> The 1980 post below inspired me...
>
> I've been listening to a lot of '81 pop the last few months.
> So much of the stuff that was on "Top 40" back in '81 would
> fit in nicely on EZ stations nowadays.
>
> Joey Scarbury, Marty Balin, Air Supply, Dottie West & Kenny
> Rogers (a personal fave), Lee Ritenour, Stanley Clarke.
>
> 1981 was a highly underrated year for music. A lot of people
> consider that kind of stuff to be sugary pap. To me, it's
> like comfort food for the ears.

How 'bout Gino Vannelli, and Living Inside Myself? That was a great song from 1981, huh? Anybody else?
 
> How 'bout Gino Vannelli, and Living Inside Myself? That was
> a great song from 1981, huh? Anybody else?

Hell, yeah. My Mom loved "I Just Wanna Stop" (from '78) by Gino.

Having grown up near the Canadian border, I heard a fair share of Gino from both sides of the border. Remember when he got all new wave-y and put out "Black Cars" in '85? The 12" mix was dope.

Of course, the quintessential soft-rock classic from '81...

(drum roll)

Climax Blues Band-I Love You
 
> 1981 was a highly underrated year for music. A lot of people
> consider that kind of stuff to be sugary pap. To me, it's
> like comfort food for the ears.

Two Top 10 hits from 1981 which you hardly ever hear anymore are "The Sweetest Thing" by Juice Newton (a pop/country crossover ballad) and "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA (a very touching break-up song). Also in the Top 20 was one of my favorite ballads of all time, the exceptionally well-done "Just Once" by Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram -- as well as Phil Collins' signature hit "In The Air Tonight", whose percussion sound ushered in the whole new era of synthesizer-heavy '80s pop music.

<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
> Two Top 10 hits from 1981 which you hardly ever hear anymore
> are "The Sweetest Thing" by Juice Newton (a pop/country
> crossover ballad) and "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA (a
> very touching break-up song). Also in the Top 20 was one of
> my favorite ballads of all time, the exceptionally well-done
> "Just Once" by Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram -- as
> well as Phil Collins' signature hit "In The Air Tonight",
> whose percussion sound ushered in the whole new era of
> synthesizer-heavy '80s pop music.

I have a copy of American Top 40 from July of 1981. The version of "In The Air Tonight" is a tad different than the LP or commercially available single version.
Very weird. The drum pattern is a bit different...more snare fills to round out the tom tom beat. Not to be confused with the remix which was a UK hit in the late 80's.

Has anyone else heard this version?

Another great lost soft rock classic from '81:
"Step By Step" by Eddie Rabbit. I hate 80s shows that ignore these (Juice Newton etc) types of songs.
 
> I have a copy of American Top 40 from July of 1981. The
> version of "In The Air Tonight" is a tad different than the
> LP or commercially available single version.
> Very weird. The drum pattern is a bit different...more snare
> fills to round out the tom tom beat. Not to be confused with
> the remix which was a UK hit in the late 80's.
>
> Has anyone else heard this version?


I have the song on a promo single...maybe that's what they played? I never cared for the song very much so I've never listened that closely. Surprised you still hear it so much today...wasn't really a very big hit (#19) back then.

>
> Another great lost soft rock classic from '81:
> "Step By Step" by Eddie Rabbit. I hate 80s shows that ignore
> these (Juice Newton etc) types of songs.

I think my favorite country crossover that year was "7 year Ache" by Rosanne Cash. You still hear it occasionally on country stations. "Touch Me When We're Dancing" by the Carpenters was also a good tune.

A good part of the reason 80s shows ignore these tunes is the same reason oldies radio never played Sinatra or Dean Martin. These shows are aimed at people who were teens/early 20s at the time and this was more your mother's music. Not to say that some people don't have fond memories of these songs but they're the exception not the rule.
 
Thank heavens for people like you guys! You remember "Living Inside Myself" ... one of my personal favorites! I LOVE that song. It's more than just the melody. It's the poignant lyrics. Gino ruled that era. Between that and "I Just Wanna Stop," we're talking auditory euphoria.

"Living inside myself ... living inside this shell ... living without your love."

Ahhh.
 
> Joey Scarbury

The Greatest American Hero! Love it!

> Marty Balin

Hearts!! Even better!

> Dottie West & Kenny Rogers (a personal fave)

I assume you're referring to "What Are We Doing in Love," one of my all time, lost and forgotten soft AC/country crossovers. Thank you for recognizing that song!
 
> > version of "In The Air Tonight" is a tad different than
> the
> > LP or commercially available single version.

I've heard that version on an old aircheck or two. What's interesting about "In The Air Tonight" was that the audience for this song in 1981 was AOR and CHR. It didn't even hit the AC chart, yet today it's one of the highest testing AC songs.

> A good part of the reason 80s shows ignore these tunes is
> the same reason oldies radio never played Sinatra or Dean
> Martin. These shows are aimed at people who were
> teens/early 20s at the time and this was more your mother's
> music. Not to say that some people don't have fond memories
> of these songs but they're the exception not the rule.

The thing is, that music from 1980 & 1981 would have fit well with the "all '70s" stations (or even traditional oldies stations which had a '70s lean). But they wanted to be called "all '70s" so unfortunately '80 & '81 got the shaft. When "all '80s" stations popped up, they were going for MTV era music.

By the way, I agree with the original post. 1981 is my favorite year for music, followed closely by 1980.
 
> I've heard that version on an old aircheck or two. What's
> interesting about "In The Air Tonight" was that the audience
> for this song in 1981 was AOR and CHR. It didn't even hit
> the AC chart, yet today it's one of the highest testing AC
> songs.

I never liked "In The Air Tonight" nearly as much as "I Missed Again".
I remember spending my allowance on the 45 for that song and a packet of Big League Chew at Fays Drugs in June '81. I was six. That was the spring/summer I really got into music.
 
> I never liked "In The Air Tonight" nearly as much as "I
> Missed Again".
> I remember spending my allowance on the 45 for that song and
> a packet of Big League Chew at Fays Drugs in June '81. I was
> six. That was the spring/summer I really got into music.

I bought the 45 too, although it was about a year or so after the fact and it was a reissued 45, and it had BOTH of those songs you mentioned. "In The Air Tonight" was b/w "I Missed Again"

And this is a coincidence, like you I also turned 6 in June of '81 and that's when I got into music too.

Also speaking of bubble gum, Big League Chew wasn't for me. I prefered "Chu' Bops" little miniature album covers that had a round piece of gum that looked like a pink record. Anyone remember these? I still have some of the old Chu Bops covers, some of which are from '81.
 
> Thank heavens for people like you guys! You remember "Living
> Inside Myself" ... one of my personal favorites! I LOVE that
> song. It's more than just the melody. It's the poignant
> lyrics. Gino ruled that era. Between that and "I Just Wanna
> Stop," we're talking auditory euphoria.
>
> "Living inside myself ... living inside this shell ...
> living without your love."
>
> Ahhh.
>


You are forgetting Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Karnes. And also Here I Am The One That You Love by Air Supply.
 
> You are forgetting Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Karnes.
> And also Here I Am The One That You Love by Air Supply.
>
I love Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes. This one might be from 1980 but I loved Xanadu by Olivia Newton John. I remember hearing this song alot when I was 5 years old in 1981 and falling in love with it.
 
> I never liked "In The Air Tonight" nearly as much as "I
> Missed Again".
> I remember spending my allowance on the 45 for that song and
> a packet of Big League Chew at Fays Drugs in June '81. I was
> six. That was the spring/summer I really got into music.

At age 7, I was taping songs off the radio. Most of those cassettes were recorded-over, lost, or destroyed over the years, but I have a few that managed to survive intact since then, and the airchecks are quite interesting to listen to.

And actually, it was my older sister who introduced me to it... when she had a favorite song, she would tape it every time it came on the radio, resulting in a cassette filled with multiple recordings of the same song.
<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
> Also speaking of bubble gum, Big League Chew wasn't for me.
> I prefered "Chu' Bops" little miniature album covers that
> had a round piece of gum that looked like a pink record.
> Anyone remember these? I still have some of the old Chu
> Bops covers, some of which are from '81.

Chu-Bops! Christmas of 1981, I got an ELO "Time" Chu-Bop as a stocking stuffer.
My sister got a Journey one, I think. That was the same Christmas I got Neil Diamond's "Jazz Singer" LP and a Mr. Microphone! They still sell Chu-Bops on Ebay with the gum intact! :0

Favorite 80's gum? Has to be Blueberry Hubba Bubba, though. Brings me right back to the winter of '84.
 
> At age 7, I was taping songs off the radio. Most of those
> cassettes were recorded-over, lost, or destroyed over the
> years, but I have a few that managed to survive intact since
> then, and the airchecks are quite interesting to listen to.
>
> And actually, it was my older sister who introduced me to
> it... when she had a favorite song, she would tape it every
> time it came on the radio, resulting in a cassette filled
> with multiple recordings of the same song.

I DID THE SAME THING!! LOL And some of those tapes are still in tact. With dozens of pieces of songs that I grabbed off the radio.

I'll never forget the day when I broke my toe running to the radio to tape the Paul Mauriat B/EZ version of "After the Love is Gone." Amazingly, despite the pain, I stumbled to the radio and got the recorder going, before falling to the ground. LOL True story.
 
Taping off the radio

I hesitate to reply to this, since I'm probably getting off-topic from the original thread but I guess I'll do it anyway...

When I was 5-6 years old I loved just about every single song on the radio and I would BUG and BUG my parents to buy me every album I'd see in the store. I remember one specific time when I was 6 years old in K-Mart...

Me: "Mommy who is that guy on that album?"
Mom: "That's Smokey Robinson"
Me: "What does he sing?"
Mom" "He sings 'Being With You'"
Me: "Ooooh I want that album"

Finally my parents got tired of me asking for every album in existance and they introduced me to a tape recorder and cheap blank tapes. They not only started a hobby for me, but saved a lot of money for themselves!

I still have that very first tape that I recorded.
 
'81 hits already on EZ

I agree! Those are great artists and songs, which have COMPLETELY lost the attention of anything A/Cish. I noticed, while in Myrtle Beach, WEZV's format (Jones' Easy Mix) is playing that type of music. I specifically remember, 'What Are We Doing In Love', 'Greatest American Hero', and 'Hearts' by Marty Balin. (Ironically enough, 'Hearts' was playing as I was leaving my vacation...I could identify with that song at that moment). I also remember hearing, 'I Love You' by The Climax Blues Band. I am also playing most of those on WZRU, including 'Is It You' by Lee Ritenour and 'Lady Love Me' by George Benson on 'ZRU in NC. I have also noticed many of those on WDUV's playlist.

Joey Scarbury
>
> The Greatest American Hero! Love it!
>
> > Marty Balin
>
> Hearts!! Even better!
>
> > Dottie West & Kenny Rogers (a personal fave)
>
> I assume you're referring to "What Are We Doing in Love,"
> one of my all time, lost and forgotten soft AC/country
> crossovers. Thank you for recognizing that song!
>
 
Sorry for the self-pat on the back...but, I am playing both of those, as well! :)
1981 was a highly underrated year for music. A lot of
> people
> > consider that kind of stuff to be sugary pap. To me, it's
> > like comfort food for the ears.
>
> Two Top 10 hits from 1981 which you hardly ever hear anymore
> are "The Sweetest Thing" by Juice Newton (a pop/country
> crossover ballad) and "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA (a
> very touching break-up song). Also in the Top 20 was one of
> my favorite ballads of all time, the exceptionally well-done
> "Just Once" by Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram -- as
> well as Phil Collins' signature hit "In The Air Tonight",
> whose percussion sound ushered in the whole new era of
> synthesizer-heavy '80s pop music.
>
 
True, the local 70's/80's (more 80's than 70's) station, here, plays 80's CHR music...from Huey and the News, to Madonna, to Def Leppard, to the Clash and Guns and Roses.



I have a copy of American Top 40 from July of 1981. The
> > version of "In The Air Tonight" is a tad different than
> the
> > LP or commercially available single version.
> > Very weird. The drum pattern is a bit different...more
> snare
> > fills to round out the tom tom beat. Not to be confused
> with
> > the remix which was a UK hit in the late 80's.
> >
> > Has anyone else heard this version?
>
>
> I have the song on a promo single...maybe that's what they
> played? I never cared for the song very much so I've never
> listened that closely. Surprised you still hear it so much
> today...wasn't really a very big hit (#19) back then.
>
> >
> > Another great lost soft rock classic from '81:
> > "Step By Step" by Eddie Rabbit. I hate 80s shows that
> ignore
> > these (Juice Newton etc) types of songs.
>
> I think my favorite country crossover that year was "7 year
> Ache" by Rosanne Cash. You still hear it occasionally on
> country stations. "Touch Me When We're Dancing" by the
> Carpenters was also a good tune.
>
> A good part of the reason 80s shows ignore these tunes is
> the same reason oldies radio never played Sinatra or Dean
> Martin. These shows are aimed at people who were
> teens/early 20s at the time and this was more your mother's
> music. Not to say that some people don't have fond memories
> of these songs but they're the exception not the rule.
>
 
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