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Vinyl Junkies Making Mixtape – Guilty Pleasures Side B

OUTLINE NOTES 

1. Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up, Whenever You Need Somebody (1987)

Time to get Rick Rolled. The internet craze originated in 2007 when various websites, including an online anti-Scientology group and a Radiohead site, posted links that resembled normal click throughs offering more of a news story, but instead took users to the 1987 video of Rick Astley singing this song on YouTube. Astley was aware of this internet prank, which became known as Rick Rolling and resulted in millions of hits for this song on YouTube. Astley himself was Rick Rolled a few times before realizing it was an internet trend and not just a buddy messing with him. He spoke to the LA Times about the phenomenon.

2.  Kenny Loggins – Footloose, Footloose Soundtrack (1984)

This single was released a few weeks ahead of the movie and the video, which used scenes from the film, got a lot of airplay on MTV, ultimately building anticipation for the release. By the time the film hit theaters, the song was already in the Top 40, and it went to #1 on March 31, 1984, where it remained for 3 weeks. MTV played a key role in marketing the film and movie studios tried to follow this template, enlisting major acts to record a song for their movies and producing slick videos with scenes from the movie, essentially creating a preview. It is Kenny Loggins only #1 hit.

3. B-52’s – Love Shack, Cosmic Thing (1989) 

Rupaul, the famous drag queen who was relatively unknown at the time, makes an appearance in the video. It was B-52’s first mainstream US hit. For Kate Pierson, the actual Love Shack is where she lived in the ’70s: a five-room cabin with a tin roof in Athens, Georgia. 

4. Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer, Slippery When Wet (1986)

This particular song almost didn’t make it on the album because jon bon jovi didn’t think it was good enough, a group of teenagers changed his mind. On VH1’s The Greatest Songs of the ’80s special, this was voted the best song of the decade.

5. Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Relax, Welcome to The Pleasuredome (1984)

Written by the group’s lead singer Holly Johnson, bassist Mark O’Toole and drummer Peter Gill, “Relax” was the first Frankie Goes to Hollywood single and by far their biggest American hit. Banned on BBC because of its sexual innuendo, “Relax,” was in the hot seat. The release of “Relax” was promoted by a variety of widely distributed T-shirts bearing the legendary “Frankie Say…” quotes, such as “Frankie Say RELAX Don’t Do It.” This shirt gets a cameo in a season 3 episode of the TV series Friends during a scene where Ross (David Schwimmer) is taking back his stuff from Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) after their breakup. Knowing she likes to sleep in the shirt, he asks for it back, even though it hasn’t fit him since he was 15. He puts on the way-too-tight T-shirt and declares, “I’m going to take the rest of my stuff and relax in my favorite shirt.” He later returns the shirt in a sign of reconciliation.

6. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of The Heart, Faster than the speed of Night (1983) 

This was written by Jim Steinman, who wrote all of Meat Loaf’s hits, including “Paradise By The Dashboard Light,” “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “I’ll Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).” Like these Meat Loaf songs, this one also uses elaborate production and is very long, running for 6:51. This song played a particularly major role in the 2001 movie Bandits. Cate Blanchett’s character loves the song, describing it as “The ultimate haiku to the complexity of love.” She soon finds out that Bruce Willis’ character also loves the song, and their relationship blossoms.

7. DeBarge – Rhythm of the Night, Released on Rhythm of the Night (1985) 

The song makes an appearance in the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge, where it is used in a dance sequence. Peaked at #3 on the US charts in1985.

8. Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl, Working Class Dog (1981)

Rick Springfield was on the Soap Opera General Hospital as Dr. Noah Drake, when his girlfriend Linda Blair of the exorcist suggested he try singing.

9. Rupert Holmes – Escape, The Pina Colada Song, Partners In Crime (1979)

For those of you that didn’t know, the original lyrics to the songs chorus were:
If you like Humphrey Bogart
And getting caught in the rain 

10. Dead or Alive – You Spin Me Round, Youthquake (1984)

Topped the charts at #11 in US and #1 in the UK. Adam Sandler also sang this in the 1998 movie, The Wedding Singer to open the film. We thought it was an appropriate way to end since this is an all vinyl mixtape.