Thursday, May 31, 2012

80s Soundtracks: Back to the Beach and Tapeheads

    A couple of months ago, Robbie Fulks decided to test his hypothesis that "80s Popular Music is the most godawful music of all popular musics in recorded history" by playing a bunch of 80s songs for his 14 year old son who, of course, confirmed Robbie's suspicions.  Now, I would never argue with Robbie about music (btw, Doc Watson fans should check out his tribute to Doc) and it's true that even the good stuff of that period was often plagued by certain unfortunate excesses.  And the two late 1980s soundtracks I've posted tonight are no exception to those tendencies.  But there's a bunch of interesting curios on both (no, I'm not putting Pee-Wee Herman's Surfin Bird in that category) and they're both long out of print. (Btw, the Swanky Modes are Sam Moore and Junior Walker.)


Back to the Beach

Catch A Ride Eddie Money
Pipeline Dick Dale, Stevie RayVaughan
Sign Of Love Aimee Mann
Absolute Perfection Private Domain
Surfin Bird Pee-Wee Herman
Sun, Sun, Sun, Sun, Sun Marti Jones
Jamaica Ska Annette Funicello & Fishbone
Wipe Out Herbie Hancock
California Sun Frankie Avalon
Wooly Bully Dave Edmunds


Tapeheads

Ordinary Man Swanky Modes
Roscoe's Rap King Cotton
Surfer's Love Chant Bo Diddley
You Hooked Me Baby Swanky Modes
Betcher Bottom Dollar Swanky Modes
Baby Doll (Sung In Swedish) Devo
Slow Bus A-Movin' (Howard's Beach Party) Fishbone
Audience For My Pain Swanky Modes
Language Of Love Swanky Modes
Ordinary Man (Can't Keep A Good Man Down Mix) Swanky Modes

15 comments:

Steve said...

Thanks for posting these, but one correction -- the Swanky Modes were Sam Moore and Junior Walker, not Sam & Dave. Sam Moore and Dave Prater stopped performing together in 1981.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Steve,

You're right. I think I knew that at some point, but I must have forgotten (maybe I just wanted Sam and Dave to have performed again before Prater's tragic death.)

Jerry Lee said...

Tapeheads was a great movie, a lot of fun. I had forgotten how overproduced the music was. Sam, Junior, Cusack, Robbins and Don Cornelius were all good. This one seems to be forgotten on most music movies lists. Hope my VHS copy again still works, thanks.

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Jerry Lee,

I think Tapeheads was pretty much forgotten the day after it was released. :) It's been a long, long time since I saw it, but I think it lacked, for want of a better term, a hook that would have gained it a cult audience (though the dvd does have 32 reviews on Amazon.com). If I recall correctly, it also got very little publicity when it came out.

Jerry Lee said...

I saw it when it was released, it didn't last very long. You're right, it needed a little something extra, maybe it was too sincere, and not enough off the wall. Damn!! VHS/DVD player just broke!

Ishkabibliophile said...

@Jerry Lee,

Sorry to hear about the vhs/dvd player. Hope it's just a temporary glitch (in part because I'd like to see what you think of Tapeheads now.

djc said...

please reup load

Ishkabibliophile said...

@cant nomo,
Just did it. Enjoy.

Ish

SoulTime59 said...

Any chance of another re-up? i'd be very grateful!!

Evan Cooper said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ishkabibliophile said...

SoulTime59,

Done and done.

Ish

SoulTime59 said...

Many thanks!

art58koen said...

Sorry, but any chance of another re-up? Thanks in advance!

Ishkabibliophile said...

@drfeelgoed,

Ask and ye shall receive...

Ish

art58koen said...

Much appreciated & Happy Chinese New Year!