Back in the Day...

My BIGGEST 80's Influence

A music consultant once told a friend of mine that music is the most powerful pneumonic device there is...a tune or even part of a tune can instantly transport you to the place/time where you heard that music...good or bad...AND that the music you are most likely to like or prefer is the music you grew up with between ages 17 and 22...Whaddya think?
Oh heavens…there are way too many songs to even begin to make a list…
Terence Trent D’arby – Wishing Well and Sign Your name – I hear this and I am instantly transported to Munich. Dancing in a disco with a bunch of people from Viterbo, walking through Marienplatz,
Schloß Nymphenburg (my summer residence) and going record shopping in WOM and the playing of that CD all of May in Germany.
Talking Heads – And She Was: Hanging at DJ’s…listening to Jimmy Zons’ band THE URGE and scroggin with the keyboard player. Then taking the song and playing it EVERY Saturday from January till May of 1987 as the official theme song for the DHS Forensics Team. I NEVER GET TIRED OF THIS SONG
INXS – I Send A Message – Sitting in the Dorms at St Olaf during music camp…and showing up all in black for the first day of class my senior year…new short spiky wedge haircut and a rat tail to the middle of my back. Sitting in the back row of study hall jammin with my walkman on, to this mix from "New Wave Mike" from camp
Violent Femmes – Blister in the Sun – Road trippin…State Street in Madison…Putting out the hat andJoe Kaiser playing it on his cello for money…
Style Council – You’re the Best Thing or Welcome to Milton Keynes. Sitting in Annie Pipal’s dorm room making mixes, road trip to Chicago with Mattchew and oogling Sweet Willie in the hot tub in the burbs.
Bananarama – Cruel Summer – Watching Live Aid with a major hangover.
Van Halen – Jump – Jammin upstairs with the Youth Encounter Group at a Church lock in and getting into trouble for being too loud. Make a Joyful noise…
Elvis Costello – Everyday I Write the Book – Babysitting and watching MTV and calling up a boy…
Marshall Crenshaw – Someday Someway – Learning that there were new wave rockabilly boys from the US too…and loving jangely guitar tunes. Still do
HouseMartins, Eurythmics Police, the Pretenders Cure, Echo… – Realizing that Brit Pop is where it’s at and I was the strangest creature in DHS. Black peg legs…jazz shoes, blazers scrunched to the elbows, sunglasses all the time, bandannas, moussed hair…and then changing into Molly Ringwald, wearing v neck sweaters backwards, pearls with everything, and shopping at Ragstock.
Tears for Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Ridin the Amtrak to Milwaukee and meeting my HS sweetheart on the train.
Modern English – Melt With You – Freshman year PUNK/New Wave day for Homecoming week…BRIGHT orange bouffant hair and ripped T-shirt and a jumper made out of black trash bags…it had ruffles and a bow. I was SOOO cool. Freshman year in college…. house parties at the campus apartments and dancing till dawn.
I’ve got tons of songs. This is just the tip of the iceberg…. We haven’t got to the 90’s yet!!!