Talking Heads, Aztec Camera, The Bangles, The Damned, Stray Cats, Man 2 Man, Pet Shop Boys, Michael Jackson, Pop Will Eat Itself, Madness, Blancmange, Spear Of Destiny
They are the performers of twelve vintage amusing, puzzling and sometimes shocking videos of songs that were ranked in various charts, this week (07/52) BUT … in the Eighties 80s.
Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!
For TWELVE more ‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ – Vintage 80s Music Videos – week 07/52 – click here
Tracklist
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1 . Talking Heads – And She Was“And She Was,” a track from Talking Heads’ 1985 album “Little Creatures,” occupies a peculiar intersection of surreal storytelling and buoyant pop sensibility. David Byrne, credited as the song’s sole writer, spins a tale of a girl dissolving into an LSD-induced dreamscape, her backyard becoming an ephemeral playground of altered states. Set to an infectious rhythm laced with the band’s signature new wave charm, the song manages to extract whimsy from its odd premise, bolstered by the offbeat detail of a Yoo-Hoo drink factory nearby. The narrative’s peculiar detachment—lines like “The world was moving, she was right there with it and she was”—mirrors the disorientation of its central character, merging Byrne’s penchant for artful absurdity with the era’s predilection for melodic accessibility. Chart performance reflects its moderate appeal: reaching #54 on the Billboard 100 while resonating more strongly with international audiences (#10 in Australia, #9 in New Zealand, and #16 in the Netherlands). Musically, its upbeat composition pairs incongruously with its hallucinatory themes, offering the kind of tonal contrast Talking Heads have built a career on—a marriage of levity and intellect rarely found on the era’s mainstream playlists. “And She Was” frequently reemerges in live performances, illustrating its staying power within the band’s catalog. Notably, Byrne revisited the song during a 2014 collaboration with Jherek Bischoff at New York’s St. Ann’s Warehouse, a setting that underscores the malleability of its surreal charm. A commercial pivot for Talking Heads, “Little Creatures” marked a shift from the experimental textures of previous works to a more radio-friendly palette, propelling the album to #20 on the Billboard Album Charts. Yet, while the song charms with its playful absurdity, it doesn’t quite match the layered depth of their earlier hits. In this context, “And She Was” feels less like a bold leap forward and more like a cheerful detour—one where the euphoria of escapism briefly overshadows the meticulous ambition that defines their best work. Featured on the 1985 album “Little Creatures“.
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2 . Aztec Camera – Oblivious“Oblivious” by Aztec Camera arrives like a splash of pristine water from the fountain of ’80s indie pop, a sound framed by Roddy Frame’s striking maturity at just 18 years old. The track percolates with a crisp guitar line that weaves between funky bass and airy, ethereal female backing vocals. From its opening notes, a bright-pop polish renders it both approachable and slyly intricate, its acoustic guitar interlude offering a moment of finesse that elevates the song above its peers on the UK indie chart, where it ascended to a #1 position upon release in 1983. Its lyrical foundation, penned when Frame was merely 15, radiates a sophistication that’s sharp without pretension. The verses, buoyed by polished production, reflect a youthful yet self-assured perspective that sidesteps cliché—a rarity for someone of Frame’s age. The track’s charm propelled it beyond indie acclaim, resonating just enough with mainstream audiences to peak at #18 in the UK singles chart upon re-release, an interesting second wind for a song born so fully-formed. Despite its popularity on US college radio and alternative stations such as CFNY Toronto, which embraced the accompanying album “High Land, Hard Rain” enough to position it at #17 in its year-end list, “Oblivious” feels less like an outright anthem and more a hidden gem glinting in the sun. Its upbeat exterior cloaks significant artistry, but in refraining from widescreen ambition, it leaves the listener satisfied yet slightly wanting. Featured on the 1983 album “High Land, Hard Rain”.
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3 . The Bangles – Manic Monday“Manic Monday” lands somewhere between a wistful sigh and a chaotic whirlwind, perfectly capturing the universally dreaded start of the workweek. Written by Prince under the pseudonym “Christopher,” this 3:03 pop rock track emerges as an almost sly offering, a gift passed from his pen to the Bangles at the height of his 1980s creative streak. The song’s premise, centered on an overworked protagonist longing for the ease of a lazy Sunday while wrestling with Monday’s cruel demands, feels sharply relatable without stretching into melodrama. David Kahne’s production, recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, wraps the song in a crystalline pop sheen, buoying the Bangles’ trademark harmonies while staying rooted in the accessible yet polished aesthetic of mid-’80s radio hits. The lyrics, plainspoken yet evocative, navigate workplace drudgery with a charm that avoids preachiness, although their simplicity occasionally teeters into banality. Sonically, the interplay of jangly guitars with a soft rhythmic drive echoes shades of classic pop, drawing inevitable comparisons to the Mamas & the Papas’ “Monday, Monday” without fully challenging its lyrical poignancy or vocal complexity. Chartwise, “Manic Monday” made a mark, settling frustratingly at No. 2 across multiple territories—blocked in the US by Prince’s own “Kiss,” an irony as biting as the song’s morning alarm clock. Visually, Leslie Libman’s music video presented an amiable, if somewhat uninspired, complement to the track’s themes, finding steady rotation but lacking an indelible identity. Ultimately, the song’s charm lies in its unpretentious execution, serving as an emblem of the Bangles’ ascent and the era’s shiny yet earnest pop sensibility. Featured on the 1986 album “Different Light”.
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4 . The Damned – Gigolo“Gigolo” emerges as a curious blend of homage and subversion, its DNA stitched together from Syd Barrett’s “Gigolo Aunt” and the theatrical flair typical of The Damned circa 1987. Trimmed down for its single release to a brisk 3:59, the edit sacrifices much of the original introduction, leaving a more immediate—even abrupt—impression compared to the languid buildup of the album version featured on “Anything,” their seventh studio album. Dave Vanian’s vocal delivery balances between playful crooning and a detachment reminiscent of Barrett’s eccentricity, while Roman Jugg’s guitars and keyboards oscillate between atmospheric and biting, filling the space with deliberate contrasts. Rat Scabies ensures that the rhythm section maintains its muscle, though the arrangement occasionally risks falling into predictability. The inclusion of Kurt Holmes’ trumpet adds a curious but somewhat fleeting layer, a jazzy wisp that vanishes before it can make a sustained impact. The colored vinyl pressings—green, blue, red, and yellow—alongside a promotional clip directed by Gerard de Thame, suggest more effort was put into marketing than experimentation. Though the single peaked respectably at No. 29 on the UK charts, it doesn’t quite shake free from the shadow of its inspirations, with the lyrical nods to Barrett feeling more referential than transformative. The B-side instrumental, “The Portrait,” intrigues particularly in its extended 12″ form, where a Bernard Herrmann sample from “Portrait of Jennie” introduces a cinematic sensibility absent from “Gigolo.” Its appearance in “A Womb with a View,” an episode of Moonlighting, hints at a wider cultural resonance, though even this feels more like a happy accident than a deliberate artistic statement. What lingers is a song defined as much by its contextual curiosities as by its sonic ambitions. Featured on the 1986 album “Anything”.
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5 . Stray Cats – Rock This Town“Rock This Town” by the Stray Cats occupies an interesting space within the rockabilly resurgence of the early 1980s, balancing retro nostalgia with deliberate modern edge. First released in the UK on January 30, 1981, via Arista Records, it peaked at an impressive No. 9 on the Singles Chart, a feat matched on the Billboard Hot 100 after its US release on August 31, 1982. As a centerpiece of the band’s 1981 self-titled debut album and the later US compilation, *Built for Speed* (June 1982), the song reflects Brian Setzer’s songwriting prowess, paired with Dave Edmunds’ deft production—Edmunds’ meticulous touch lends the track both authenticity and sheen, like a meticulously polished vintage car roaring back to life. One might argue the song’s inclusion in entertainment like *Guitar Hero II*, *Elite Beat Agents*, and the *Cars* video game further embedded it as cultural shorthand for rockabilly energy, though whether these platforms elevate the song or dilute its grit is open to debate. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listing it among the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” signals its significance, yet its charm stems less from innovation than from a well-rehearsed pastiche of the 1950s soundscape. Is this homage or clever repackaging? Perhaps both. Performances at venues like CBGB and the Montreux Jazz Festival painted the Stray Cats as a band equally at home in the iconic legacy of cool and the frenzied present-tense demands of their era. Still, “Rock This Town” toes a fine line between authentic revivalism and genre cosplay, leaving one pondering if its energetic shimmer masks a calculated formula. Essential listening or not, it undeniably echoes a moment when rockabilly swagger briefly reclaimed the jukebox spotlight. Featured on the 1981 album “Stray Cats”.
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6 . Man 2 Man – Male Stripper“Male Stripper” by Man 2 Man, with production by the influential Man Parrish, is a high-octane artifact of the 1980s hi-NRG movement, emerging from the vibrant club scene of its era. Released in August 1986 under the Bolts Records label, the track initially scraped into the UK Singles Chart at No. 64 the following month, a modest debut that belied its later cultural impact. Its 1987 re-release marked a dramatic turn, climbing to No. 4 in the UK and claiming a Top 3 slot in Australia, cementing its place in the global club circuit. The song thrives on its relentless energy, propelled by Parrish’s knack for crafting infectious electronic rhythms that felt as tailored for strobe-lit dancefloors as they were for acts like this one to thrive. Performances in legendary venues such as The Funhouse and Heaven amplified its reach, situating it firmly within the milieu where music mingled with subcultures exploring identity and expression. The song’s brief but bright stint on “Top of the Pops” in March 1987 brought iconoclastic nighttime escapades to broader audiences, though its campy theme—a celebration of risqué showmanship—may alienate listeners detached from its flamboyant context. Man 2 Man’s partnership was cut short by the tragic loss of co-founder Miki Zone to AIDS-related complications in late 1986, a shadow poignantly cast just as their most iconic work gained momentum. Despite its formulaic structure, “Male Stripper’s” raw, unapologetic exuberance encapsulates the electronic aesthetic of its time while serving as a bittersweet chronicle of art, loss, and performance intersecting under neon lights. Featured on the 1986 album “Malenergy”.
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7 . Pet Shop Boys – Always on My MindThe Pet Shop Boys’ interpretation of “Always on My Mind” takes a song deeply rooted in sentimental introspection and reinvents it as a high-octane synth-and-drum-machine anthem. Originally performed on the ITV special “Love Me Tender” in 1987 as a tribute to Elvis Presley, this rendition swaps the ballad’s tender melancholy for relentless hi-NRG and disco rhythms, a move both audacious and oddly effective. Released as a single under the Parlophone label on November 30, 1987, it came with the B-side “Do I Have To?” and quickly dominated UK charts, securing the coveted Christmas number-one slot while outpacing the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York.” In the US, the track reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the Pet Shop Boys’ last top-10 entry there—a bittersweet milestone for a band that often leaned toward irony over sentimentality. Various formats, including a UK 12″ single and CD5, gave the release a competitive edge on the charts, while a remix by Phil Harding added both polish and playfulness for the club-oriented crowd. By 1988, it found a home on their album “Introspective,” expanded into a sprawling nine-minute medley featuring Neil Tennant rapping over house beats. Given that it remains the Pet Shop Boys’ second-most streamed track in the UK with 53 million plays as of May 2024, it’s clear the public has embraced this transformation. Still, turning a heart-on-sleeve ballad into glitter-covered catharsis carries its risks. Purists may balk at the loss of the original’s emotional intimacy, but the brazen rejection of subtlety feels intentional and wholly Pet Shop Boys, with Tennant and Lowe effectively asking: Must pop always whisper when it can shout? Featured on the 1988 album “Introspective”.
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8 . Michael Jackson – Thriller“Thriller” by Michael Jackson, the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album of the same name, embodies a calculated fusion of pop precision and horror camp. Written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones, the track leans on a hypnotic, repetitive synthesizer bassline that anchors its uncanny vibe. The lyrics tread the line between kitsch and homage to classic horror films, heightened by a well-placed spoken-word sequence from Vincent Price, whose macabre tonality at 4:25 in the album version (and 6:33 in the iconic music video) injects theatrical weight into the song’s eerie atmosphere. The music video, directed by John Landis, may well eclipse the song itself in cultural significance. With a staggering budget of $500,000, largely underwritten by MTV and Showtime in exchange for “The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller,” the video transforms Jackson into a dancing zombie amidst a troupe of the undead. The narrative ambition and choreography led to its coronation as the greatest music video of all time by multiple outlets, and its resonance elevated “Thriller” from just a single to a multimedia event. Yet, the real triumph may be logistical: the song-video synergy propelled *Thriller* to unprecedented commercial heights, securing 37 weeks atop the US *Billboard* Top LPs & Tapes chart and solidifying its position as the best-selling album ever with over 70 million copies sold worldwide. Its byproduct? A spike in VCR sales, as consumers scrambled to access this new form of visual storytelling. Still, “Thriller” manages to avoid being just a historical artifact. Jackson’s vocals, while unremarkable in range, mesh well within Temperton’s tight composition and Jones’s glossy production. The track feels less like a haunting and more like a well-executed masquerade—a knowing nod to pop’s ability to appropriate and repackage cultural touchstones for mass consumption. Featured on the 1982 album “Thriller“.
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9 . Pop Will Eat Itself – Can U Dig It?“Can U Dig It?” stands as a quick-witted collage of pop culture references, embodying Pop Will Eat Itself’s shift into sample-heavy, industrial-tinged territory. Released on January 30, 1989, as part of their second album, “This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This,” the track showcases a confident leap toward a more electronic, punk-infused sound. Produced by Flood, whose pedigree includes Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode, the song is driven by its patchwork of allusions to movies, music, comics, and television. Anchored by a prominent sample ripped from the 1979 cult film “The Warriors,” including the unmistakable cry, “Can you dig it?” and a sly invitation of “Let’s get down to it, boppers…,” the song gleefully leans into its referential nature. Clint Mansell’s frenetic delivery perfectly sells the band’s hyperactive obsession with the cultural detritus of the era—a love letter turned inside out and graffitied with sarcasm. The accompanying music video is equally self-aware, layering Mansell and Graham Crabb’s performances against shifting backgrounds that riff on the song’s myriad lyrical nods. Stacked televisions flicker in the backdrop, a lo-fi nod to the late ’80s media overload and the yearning to synthesize it into something sharper and harder-edged. Charting modestly at number 38 on the UK Charts, “Can U Dig It?” demonstrates the band’s growing desire to break past their grebo origins and adopt a harsher, sample-driven aesthetic. This directional pivot benefits from the contributions of Adam Mole, Richard March, and “The Buzzard,” ensuring guitars remain snarling even against the pulsating electronics. While not revolutionary, it captures the chaotic energy of its time with sincerity and wit, offering a snapshot of a band evolving while still having fun dismantling the very medium they’re part of. Featured on the 1989 album “This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!”.
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10 . Madness – Sweetest Girl“Sweetest Girl” by Madness, clocking in at 4:20 for the single and an indulgent 5:46 on *Mad Not Mad*, feels like a calculated departure rather than a natural evolution. Originally penned by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, the song lacks the unhinged charm that defines Madness’s ska-infused pop sensibilities. Instead, it opts for a veneer of seriousness, a choice described by frontman Suggs as deliberate but perhaps too self-conscious. The production relies heavily on collaborations to flesh out its identity: horns by Gary Barnacle add a polished edge, while backing vocals from Afrodiziak aim to inject some soul into a track that otherwise struggles to break through its own detachment. Chart performance, peaking at No. 35 in the UK and No. 29 in Ireland, underscores its middling impact—a respectable showing but far from the band’s earlier dominance. The accompanying music video was given some cultural credence by featuring in the 1986 BBC *Omnibus* documentary *Video Jukebox*, yet even this endorsement failed to elevate the song beyond modest recognition. Extended and dub mixes stretch the material to 6:34 and 7:01, respectively, but the longer runtimes serve mainly to highlight the song’s polished but somewhat bloodless construction. Paired on its B-side with “Jennie (A Portrait Of)”, *Sweetest Girl* mirrors the album *Mad Not Mad* as a whole—technically refined yet lacking the urgency and wit that once set Madness apart. Featured on the 1985 album “Mad Not Mad”.
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11 . Blancmange – Waves“Waves” stands as a curious addition to Blancmange’s repertoire, released on January 21, 1983, as the final single from their debut album “Happy Families.” Written by Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, the song strayed from the sharper edges of earlier hits, opting for a grandiose arrangement courtesy of producer Mike Howlett and string maestro Linton Naiff. The result secured a modest peak at No. 19 on the UK Singles Chart and lingered there for nine weeks, while achieving varying degrees of success abroad, including No. 24 in Ireland and No. 33 in New Zealand. Heavy with themes of regret, the accompanying music video—centered on a fisherman bidding farewell to a lover—amplified the song’s melancholic tone, though with imagery verging on overwrought simplicity. Vocally, Arthur delivers his part with a restrained earnestness, bolstered by Madeline Bell and Stevie Lange’s rich backing contributions, yet the lyrics lack the bite of tracks like “Living on the Ceiling.” Though Luscombe’s melodic finesse softens its minimalistic origins—reportedly conceived by Arthur during a slow summer job—it doesn’t quite sustain the captivating presence of its contemporaries. *Smash Hits* dismissed its deviation from the duo’s earlier success, while outlets like *PopMatters* lauded its orchestrated ambition, reflecting the split reception. In hindsight, “Waves” seems more like a ripple in Blancmange’s early career than a crest, trading their usual synth-pop sparkle for a more subdued, though occasionally overwrought, grandeur. Featured on the 1982 album “Happy Families”. |
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12 . Spear Of Destiny – Strangers In Our Town“Strangers in Our Town,” a 1987 single from the British rock band Spear of Destiny, occupies a curious space in the group’s discography. Appearing on the album “Outland”—which peaked at a respectable number 16 on the UK Albums Chart—it seems destined to tread water, having reached only number 49 on the UK Singles Chart, where it lingered two brief weeks. For a band that once grazed higher chart territory with tracks like “Never Take Me Alive” (a UK number 14), this feels, if not an outright misstep, then an instance of modest ambition. The group’s leader, Kirk Brandon, remains a fervent and theatrical figure in the UK music scene, yet one can’t help but feel that “Strangers in Our Town” underwhelms when placed alongside their more impactful offerings. With Spear of Destiny’s 14 studio albums and numerous live and compilation records in tow, there’s no doubting their prolific output, but this single marks a moment where their production feels like it’s running on autopilot rather than breaking new ground. The song’s presence in the broader tapestry of live shows performed at venues like the Lyceum and the Hacienda reflects its role as a dutiful workhorse rather than a jewel in the crown. “Outland” may have contributed to the band’s arc on the 1980s UK charts, but “Strangers in Our Town” is more a side note than a headline in that narrative. Featured on the 1987 album “Outland”.
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