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I had a book signing at Borders in Virginia
Beach this past February 19th. I arrived a whole
hour and a half early. I don't know why, but yeah
I was pretty early. I decided to spend sometime
browsing the magazine section and came across the
NME Originals publication 80's A-Z of The New
Romantics. When I saw Adam Ant in all of his
make-up on the cover of the magazine my heart swooned.
Not for Adam Ant, but for the chance to walk down
memory lane. New Romantic music is considered to
be the music that formed in the UK. New Romantics
were the opposite of the punk movement of the late
70's. Some punk acts walked the New Romantic line
in the beginning. The New Romantics had the look
and the style. Some groups that started out rock
or punk turned New Romantic. Some New Romantic groups
were also considered to be pop or rock. Some New
Romantic groups were also considered New Wave. Heck,
it got me to thinking once again--who
is pop, who is new romantic, who is punk and who
is just new wave.
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are the kings of the New Romantic
movement. Their slick videos directed by Russell
Mulcahy changed the face of MTV forever. They aren't
the only artist who had videos that were like mini
movies, but one has to admit they were the first
group to have not only the mini movie style videos,
but they had the big budgets and the exotic locations
leaving behind the studio and filming in such exotic
locations as Sri Lanka (Hungry Like The Wolf, Save
a Prayer) and Antigua (Rio). The New Romantic movement
was also about style. The flashy suits and high
fashion appearance. The boys wore a little makeup
hear and there and kept their hair just right.
A true Duranie knows how Duran Duran got their start
and they remember their debut self titled album.
Duran's debut included the songs "Planet Earth"
and "Girls on Film." Musically at this
time, Duran Duran sounded more New Wave than New
Romantic. Their second album Rio had a much more
pop top 40 feel to it. Combine that with the fashion
and the big budget videos and Duran Duran became
the first internationally huge New Romantic group.
Classification-New
Romantic
Classic
New Romantic Video Moment-Simon sitting on the stern
of the boat at the end of the "Rio" video.
Where are they now? Duran Duran's latest album Astronaut
is in stores and they are touring. Visit them on
the web at http://www.duranduran.com.
The Go Go's
Sure they hit it big with "We Got The Beat"
and "Our Lips Are Sealed" but when the
Go Go's first hit the LA and UK music scene they
were much more of a rock/punk band than they were
sugary sweet top 40 darlings. Take a trip down memory
lane and listen to songs like "Surfing and
Spying," "Johnny Are Your Queer,"
and "London Boys" and you will hear that
The Go Go's had the rock/punk thing down. Well,
somewhere along the line the girls found out what
it took to get played on the radio. Beauty and
the Beat was a huge success. Their debut album
was followed by Vacation and then 1984's
Talk Show. By this time The Go Go's were
all pop and that rock/punk edge was a distant memory.
I love the Go Go's no matter what.
Classification-Pop
Classic
Pop video moment-The cute color coded band member
segment at the beginning of the "head over
heals" video.
Honorable mention-the water skiing scene in the
"Vacation" video.
Where are they now? Guitarist Jane recently appeared
on the VH-1 series Surreal Life 3. The group will
be doing a few shows this spring/summer. Visit them
online at http://www.gogos.com.
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Adam Ant
I love (loved) Adam Ant. Heck in the 80's I loved
them all but Adam held (holds) a special place in
my heart for a very unique reason. To me, Adam Ant
represented this "Do what the F&?#K you want
to do" attitude. He wore make-up and his videos
were completely outrageous. Remember the dancing cow
in the "Friend or Foe" video? Or how about
the whole pirate thing with "Stand and Deliver?"
Remember there was a time when the video for "Strip"
was considered controversial? He dared to be different
with songs like, "Picasso Visita el Planeta de
los Simios," which translates "Picasso visits
the Planet of the Apes." Adam was wearing make-up
before Boy George was a big hit and taking big fashion
risks before all of the others.
Adam Ant was punk. His early songs like "Car
Trouble," "Beat My Guest," and "Whip
in my Valise" are classic. Adam's big U.S. hit
came with "Goody Two Shoes." After the success
of his album Strip, Adam left behind the make-up
and the pirate, 18th century fashion themed clothes.
Enter-Viva Le Rock. No make-up and wearing
jeans a new Adam Ant was born. The singles released
from Viva Le Rock, "Apollo 9," and
"Viva Le Rock," had a much different sound.
It seemed like Adam without the make-up had lost a
little bit of the magic. Vive Le Rock was not
a huge hit and Adam didn't release another album until
Manners & Physique. In my opinion, Adam
became 100% New Romantic with the release of Manners
and Physique. He wore the suit. The live band
was gone. The music was pure pop. Adam crooned, women
swooned. "If You Keep On," was classic pop.
Adam still dared to be different on songs like "Bright
Lights, Black Leather," but for the most part
he was all the way pop. Manners & Physique
was followed up by 1995's Wonderful. Powered
by the title single, "Wonderful" found a
home on adult top 40 radio. Wonderful is easily
one of the best and most underrated pop albums of
the 90's. Wonderful is currently the last album
of new material Adam has released.
Despite the group line up changes and changes in style,
Adam always dared to be different and his trademark
lyric from Prince Charming, "Ridicule is nothing
to be scared of" defines his music and a generation
of his fans who are not afraid to take risks.
Classification-Punk
turned Pop or the father of the New Romantic movement?
What's
next for Adam? Antbox remastered will be released
this April. Visit http://www.adam-ant.net
for more details.
Go West
"We Close Our Eyes" got them on the radio
but "Call Me" proved to stand the test
of time when it popped up on the soundtrack for
"Grand Thef Auto-Vice City." The duo of
Peter Cox and Richard Drummie hit pop gold with
their 1990 hit "The King of Wishful Thinking"
which was featured on the Pretty Woman Soundtrack.
Classification-Pure
pop
Cool fan site-http://www.gowestback2front.co.uk/
Tears For Fears
Tears for Fears hit it big with their sophomore
album Songs From The Big Chair but
in my opinion (and many TFF fans), The Hurting
is their best album and quite possibly one of the
best albums released during the 80's. The album
didn't have the commercial success as their latter
releases. How can I explain The Hurting.
It is quite possibly the most devastatingly painful
album I have ever heard in my entire life. Years
of pain and emotion wrapped into pop songs.
Although hard to listen to, songs like "Start
of the Breakdown," "Memories Fade,"
and "Pale Shelter" touch my soul. To this
day I always have my copy of The Hurting within
an arms reach. The group released the more radio
friendly songs "Change," "Pale Shelter"
and "Mad World." The album with the extended
versions is so much better. I enjoy "Songs
From The Big Chair" but that is such a different
album. It was so radio friendly and happy.The
Hurting touches my soul and I really enjoy that
album. Tears for Fears had to cheer up and smile
to hit it big in the states but I so loved the darker
more moody version of Tears for Fears. They didn't
have the style to be New Romantic and they had such
a different style on The Hurting than their
future releases.
Classification-New
wave turned pop
Classic video moment-Curt and Roland walking as
the leaves fall in the "Pale Shelter"
video.
Where
are they now? Tears for Fears current album Everybody
Loves a Happy Ending is in stores now. Visit them
on the web at http://www.tearsforfears.net/index.html
Missing Persons
Dale Bozzio and the boys are New Wave all day long.
Guitarist Warren Cuccurrolo went on to be a member
of Duran Duran for nearly 15 years. With songs like
"Words," "Walking in L.A.,"
"Windows," and "Here and Now"
Missing Persons were New Wave all day.
Classification-New
wave all day
Classic video
moment-Dale Bozzio in the "Right
Now" video.
Visit group member Warren Cuccurullo on the web
at http://www.cuccurullo.tv/
Haircut 100
Haircut 100 is the perfect example of a band
that could have been huge. Things went awry after
their huge debut Pelican West and Nick Heyward
launched a solo career. The band never really was
the same after the first album. "Love Plus
One" is classic and the band was recently featured
on VH-1's Bands Reunited.
Classification-Haircut
100-In a class all by themselves
Nick Heyward-New Romantic
Where
are they now? The group was recently featured on
VH-1's Bands Reunited. Visit them on the web at
http://www.haircut100.net/
Spandau Ballet
"True" made the ladies swoon and is one
of the most recognizable ballads from the 80's.
"True" made them huge but "Gold"
has always been my favorite Spandau song.
Classification-Look
at those suits and the hair! New Romantic all day!
Official website-www.spandauballet.com
Wham
To me you know
nothing about Wham until you have listened to Fantastic
from start to finish.
Many American Wham
fans think that the story of Wham started with "Wake
Me Up Before You Go Go." Not so. There is a
whole Wham story before the release of Make It Big.
The early Wham sound was very reminiscent of the
late disco music of the 70's and the early 80's.
Album tracks "Love Machine," "Come
On," and "Ray of Sunshine" were pure
disco. Wham experimented with rap on the song "Wham
Rap." The boys made it to radio with "Bad
Boys," "Young Guns," and "Club
Tropicana." The Club Tropicana video was the
first time Andrew and George showed off their sexy
side.
More artists....
Billy Idol- Billy
was more punk that
pop or rock when he came out with "Dancing
With Myself" but he transformed himself into
the quintessential rock/pop icon managing to maintain
the respect of the rock and punk fans and finding
a resting place on the top 40 charts for most of
the 80's. Billy recently released my favorite new
album of 2005 Devil's Playground.
Classification-Punk/Rock/Pop
http://www.billyidol.com
Talk Talk- Gosh.........."It's My Life."
Need I say more. Even No Doubt digs this group.
New Wave all day
The Clash-Kings of punk. London Calling is simply
classic but it took a "Rock The Casbah"
for them to get airplay in the states. Kings of
the Punk Movement
ABC -ABC were so new romantic.
The bottom
line is that twenty plus years later I still don't
know the difference between pop, punk, new wave
or new romantic, but it sure is awfully fun to remember
the old days and try to figure things out!
Article written by webmaster for imissthe80s.com
and thabiz.com
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler. www.dorrie.info
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