Tag: 1984
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John Prine, Aimless Love, 1984 on Oh Boy
Prine’s eighth album and his first on Oh Boy, which Prine formed with manager Al Bunetta and friend Dan Einstein. Some classic Prine songs here: “Unwed Fathers,” “The Oldest Baby In the World,” and “People Puttin’ People Down” among them. Co-writers here include Spooner Oldham, Shel Silverstein, Bobby and Linda Whitlock, and Bobby Braddock –…
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Peter Wolf, Lights Out, 1984 on EMI America
Debut solo album from Boston’s own Peter Wolf, after parting ways with the J. Geils Band. Wolf put out a memoir in 2025: Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses. It’s a great read and emphasizes all the unlikely connections and Forrest Gump-like moments where Wolf touched some key artist or milestone.…
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Chaka Khan, I Feel For You, 1984 on Warner Bros.
I suspect this is where I first heard Chaka Khan and knew I was hearing Chaka Khan. The title track was a massive hit, with Grandmaster Melle Mel (of the Furious Five) rapping “Ch-ch-ch-chaka-chaka-chaka Khan” on the intro. Of course Khan also had made many albums with Rufus (some styled as Rufus featuring Chaka Khan)…
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The Smiths, How Soon is Now? (Maxi-Single), 1984 on Sire
This is a US pressing of the 12″ single, with a “Long Version” on the A-side and an edited shorter version on the B-Side, both of which are different than (or “different to” as they say in the UK) the UK 7″ single version. One of my favorite Smiths songs of all time – that…
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The Parachute Club, At the Feet of the Moon, 1984, RCA / Current
Great early 80s pop – look at the outfits on that back sleeve. The Parachute Club were a Toronto band and this was their second full length following a self-titled debut. Reminiscent a bit of Level 42 (strong baselines) but with a more mainstream pop sensibility. “At the Feet of the Moon” was a hit…
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The Cure, Hang On a Second, 2023 on Mind Control
Another bootleg claiming to be from an FM broadcast, this one features The Cure at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle Washington, from October 21, 1984. (It’s actually from October 23rd, 1984 as the night of the 21st was cancelled). As is common with these, it has been widely released and said to be an FM…
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U2, Pride (In the Name of Love) (single), 1984 on Island
One of my favorite U2 singles from the early 80s, released as the lead single just ahead of The Unforgettable Fire. Also has one of my favorite mistakes, when they sing “Early Morning, April 4.” I always figured the lads were not used to the American habit of not using 24 hr time. (They fixed…
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Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA, 1984 on Columbia
Having recently seen Deliver Me From Nowhere, which covers the period where Springsteen wrote and recorded Nebraska, it was interesting to come back to this album, which included some of the songs that came out of that era but did not fit that record. It was so unavoidable, and so associated (so much for any…
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Depeche Mode, People Are People, 1984 on Sire / Mute
Compilation album for North America put out by Sire in 1984, pulling the title track single and a combination of album cuts, and b-sides. This song was such a key to the soundtrack of my life in the early 80s: “People are people so why should it be / you and I should get along…
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The Smiths, Hatful of Hollow, 1984 on Rough Trade
Another (like The World Won’t Listen) compilation album from The Smiths, including some BBC sessions plus other singles and B-sides. Came out in 1984 in the UK but was not released until 1993 in the US (instead Sire released Louder than Bombs for the US market). This LP includes “How Soon is Now?” as the…
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David Bowie, Lodger, 1979 on RCA Victor
Third album in the so-called Berlin trilogy (after Low and “Heroes”) in collaboration with Brian Eno and Tony Visconti. Recorded in Switzerland and New York city, and the first Bowie album to feature Adrian Belew alongside Carlos Alomar. A remastered Lodger came out in 2017 as part of the box set A New Career In…
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The Smiths, The Smiths, 1984 on Rough Trade
Masterful debut album by Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce aka The Smiths. Produced by John Porter and recorded at multiple studios in Manchester and London in 1983. Yes, I still listen to The Smiths even if Morrissey is problematic. This is a fantastic debut – not necessarily my favorite single Smiths record,…
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The Special AKA, Nelson Mandela, 1984 on Two Tone
Extended version 12″ single from The Specials (Special AKA), produced by Elvis Costello. One of my favorite early 80s ska protest songs. Now dated in its reference but hey – never forget: Mandela was in prison for 27 years but would go on to be the president of South Africa. It’s an amazing story in…
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The Replacements, Let It Be, 1984 on Twin/Tone
Third full length album for The Replacements, following Hootenanny. Recorded at Blackberry Way after using a warehouse in Brooklyn Center for that record. Produced by Steve Fjelstad, Peter Jesperson, and Paul Westerberg. Definitely one of my favorites – with the sublime (“Androgynous,” “Unsatisfied”) and the ridiculous (“Gary’s Got a Boner”) and a cover of Kiss’…
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The Honeydrippers, Volume One, 1984 on Es Paranza
Robert Plant’s early 80s group dedicated to reproducing the sound of R&B, which had a big hit with a cover of “Sea of Love.” The title, Volume One, turned out to be aspirational as it was their only LP. The lineup, however, includes (in addition to Plant): Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Paul Shaffer, Nile Rodgers,…
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Blancmange, Mange Tout, 1984 on London Records
Second studio album from British synth-pop duo Blancmange (Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe), following Happy Families. This was their best selling album, with “Blind Vision” and “Don’t Tell Me” as successful singles. I always loved “The Day Before You Came” but did not realize it’s an ABBA cover! My copy is a UK pressing via…
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Run D.M.C., Run D.M.C., 1984 on Profile
Run D.M.C.‘s debut album on Profile, a NY area hip-hop label that was distributed by Arista, who would later reissue it. It was produced by Russell SImmons and Larry Smith, and recorded at Greene St. Recording in Soho. Note the credit on the rear jacket to “Music by Orange Krush” – that’s Larry Smith and…
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Wham!, Make it Big, 1984 on Columbia
This was the second studio album from the duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley – the first, Fantastic!, didn’t make much of an impression in the US, but this album was unavoidable in the mid-80s. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” seemed to come on MTV every hour for a year. “Careless Whisper” maybe…