AA.VV.
One Shot 1981

The Rubik's Cube was gearing up to boggle the minds of billions while "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "La Boum" hit the cinemas. Shortly before the New Year, John Lennon died, and during the year, Bob Marley also passed away. America was experiencing a true cultural revolution (which would reach its peak with Ronald Reagan), and the United Kingdom was going through a difficult period under Margaret Thatcher's leadership. It is precisely in this atmosphere that 1981 (if we consider it as a transitional year) unfolds. The rhythms that accompanied the evenings of the seventies are disappearing, making way for new trends.
After the invention of MTV (and the official debut of the music video), the eighties were about to become a "visual" decade, where often the image (and no longer the music) would be the real engine of success, appearance the true essence. With these developments, many things happen (although, musically, the eighties are on the horizon but not yet arrived): Disco music is in full decline (it's transforming into "groove/post disco" and "Hi-NRG"), the New Wave is fiercely climbing the global charts, England is about to become (again) the center of the musical world. Even the phenomenon of meteoric stars (singers or groups that achieve planetary success... and then disappear) and "ghost bands" (groups created by record producers who often kept a team of musicians playing and a team of models pretending to be the real band on album covers) begins to emerge.

Proof that change is in the air is the inexplicable (at the time) success of an album like "Dare" by The Human League or the single "Bette Davis Eyes" by the "synth-pop convert" former country singer Kim Carnes. And not only that. The collection of tracks I am about to review takes some of the year's biggest hits and mixes them with various rare tracks or real gems (also to avoid overlapping too much with the old "One Shot 80" series, also published by Universal). Now, as usual, I do a track-by-track:

Disc 1

1) KIM CARNES - BETTE DAVIS EYES: I said it was a special track, testifying to the rapid approach pop had towards electronics. This track was astronomically successful in Italy, more than anywhere else. Personally, I appreciate it, but after a while, it becomes tiring;
2) MEN AT WORK - WHO CAN IT BE NOW: from the album "Business as Usual" comes a single that seems the emblem of the eighties, its genuine representation. Sax, guitars reverberated to the limit in the background, synths in support, and a binary rhythm. But, despite the respect I have for the Australians "Men at Work," this track has a decidedly bare arrangement, and it's a bit repetitive;
3) DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - PRIVATE EYES: the gentlemen of white soul/rock return to the scene, not even a year after the album "Voices" with "Private Eyes" and its namesake single. A single I consider their most beautiful track. It's not exactly pop (but it gets quite close), but it's an intrinsic blend of post-disco/rock/soul. Beautiful;
4) THE CARS - SHAKE IT UP: one of the best songs in the collection, taken from the eponymous album by the rock band "The Cars". The sounds are very rocky with many synthetic hints and a perfectly catchy melody. A useful track in the kitchen for making smoothies and juices. And various shakes;
5) J. GEILS BAND - CENTERFOLD: a track that never goes out of fashion, well-arranged and well-played, engaging and danceable. A great example of eighties New Wave. From the album "Freeze Frame," with a cover that's quite open to interpretation (I haven't fully grasped it yet);
6) THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS - PRETTY IN PINK: here’s another track that seems fresh out of the oven, yet it's twenty-six years old. After a long learning curve, The Psychedelic Furs also have their moment of glory thanks to their very New Wave single from the album "Talk Talk Talk". Pretty in Pink was also used for a film six years later;
7) SQUEEZE - TEMPTED: and as usual, we couldn’t miss a classic of the AOR genre, which finds its best year in 1981. The quintet Squeeze hits the mark, even in Italy, with “Tempted” from the album “East Side Story,” which in my opinion is a very beautiful track and, for once, also relaxing;
8) IMAGINATION - BODY TALK: Imagination was one of the first bands I reviewed on DeBaser, and “Body Talk” received very positive feedback at the time. While everyone said Disco was dead, Imagination proved the opposite by proposing a great album like “Body Talk” to an audience still attached to “black” rhythms, keeping alive an army of "Discophiles" who didn’t care for Rock and New Wave (and later New Romantic, read my review of ABC's "The Lexicon of Love"). For more info, read my review of "The Best of Imagination";
9) JOEY SCARBURY - THEME FROM "THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (BELIEVE IT OR NOT): this track is one of the gems. It was a TV theme for an American television program, and the accompanying album ("America's Greatest Hero") is the only one in Joey Scarbury's career. It was also used by Michael Moore for the documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11". Other than that, it's a pleasant (and hard to find) track of undeniable charm, in the AOR style;
10) QUARTERFLASH - HARDEN MY HEART: a band that lasted the span of one or more successes, Quarterflash emerged to the public with a self-titled debut album and a well-defined single, the romantic and always AOR-tinged "Harden My Heart". The LP cover is nice;
11) SOFT CELL - TAINTED LOVE: in the mood to get freaky? The Soft Cell surely more than you. This remake, entirely electronic of a funk classic attached to the historic album "Non Stop Erotic Cabaret" was (and is) a bomb. Listened to and danced to, the track of the official inventors of Ecstasy alone was enough to turn them into meteors (actually, Ecstasy was only named by them, as the prostitute supplying the group with the stuff (MDMA) was named Lucy Ecstasy. So the legend goes). They were one of the first groups to record an entire album with the aid of Ecstasy;
12) KIM WILDE - CAMBODIA: she never really caught my fancy. However, "Cambodia" is quite enjoyable. Electronics reign supreme;
13) LENE LOVICH - NEW TOY: Lene Lovich was one of the most influential female New Wave icons, although the track in question doesn't quite thrill me. A positive note: it was written by a great of electronics, a disciple of Brian Eno: Thomas Dolby (the one from "Hyperactive");
14) ANEKA - JAPANESE BOY: a classic example of a flash-in-the-pan singer, who scores a huge hit with “Japanese Boy”, number one in ten countries. Nice and catchy: could it be any more eighties. Curiosity: the rhythm and timbre of the background drum machine are the same used in "How Long" by "Lipps Inc." the previous year;
15) SISTER SLEDGE - ALL AMERICAN GIRLS: now we move to a group that marked an era, no longer accompanied, however, by the magical duo Bernard Edwards/Nile Rodgers as in “We Are a Family” (still heard on TV today). This is another track that confirms that Disco, although in decline, is still alive and well (perhaps it will be precisely its decline that in the early eighties will bring Travolta's musical genre to the highest quality levels). It’s a pleasure to the ears. Still;
16) EARTH, WIND & FIRE - LET'S GROOVE: continuing with Disco music, "Let's Groove" is the most successful track by the legendary "Earth, Wind & Fire", already at the end of their career with the album "Raise!” (and as always, an interesting and Egyptian-style cover). Needless to say, "Let's Groove" is one of the best examples of Disco music and at the same time gives the name to the genre that would effectively be the continuation of Disco in the eighties (made of more "smooth" sounds and more keyboards): the "Groove" (others simply call it "Post/Disco");
17) QUINCY JONES - AI NO CORRIDA: coming off the success of Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" (which sees Jones as producer), Quincy releases "The Dude", one of his best works, obviously containing "Ai No Corrida", one of his great classics, smooth and subtle, almost whispered and obviously Disco music (although the classification "Groove" wouldn’t be bad either). Obviously, the album is a great success (although "Ai No Corrida" wasn’t written by Jones). The following year, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" will be released (also produced by Quincy Jones), and music will never be the same again;
18) LUTHER VANDROSS - NEVER TOO MUCH: after the fantastic adventure with Change, where he demonstrated his numerous vocal talents (in this regard, read my review of the "The Glow of Love" album by "Change"), Luther Vandross ventures on his own and releases his first solo album, "Never Too Much", which largely follows the rhythmic/melodic lines of his previous work with the Italo-American band, enjoying success. As always, a beautiful voice. In 2005 he passed away prematurely, to the sorrow of his fans (and I'm among them);
19) NIKKA COSTA - (OUT HERE) ON MY OWN: here's the child prodigy. Or not? Honestly, I’ve never admired this little girl with braids and too strong an ego, much less this sappy little song. But you know, if you have a father who's a rather famous orchestra conductor (Don Costa) you can do anything, even if you're 9 years old and you barely know what divisions are. He died shortly after. Today she makes pretty tough rock.

Disc 2

1) PLASTIC BERTRAND - HULA HOOP: here's the famous Hula Hoop, a very famous Disco song, sung by Plastic Bertrand, a French singer and homosexual, from his album "Plastiquez Vos Baffles". Nice, unforgettable, silly;
2) RICHARD SANDERSON - REALITY: sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar... the way one fell in love in Europe twenty-six years ago: with Reality, the soundtrack of the film "La Boum" which, for better or worse, marked an era. The song is pleasant and doesn’t fall into ridicule, it always succeeds in its intent: to make Cupid’s arrows fly;
3) ABBA - THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL: another beautiful track from a historic band which, however, does not fit, despite its charm, into the sonic order of the eighties. It comes from “Super Trouper”, the penultimate album of the Swedish band (who the following year will release “The Visitors”, the first album on CD in history);
4) VILLAGE PEOPLE - 5 O' CLOCK IN THE MORNING: the pseudo-gay-disco-band (there’s only one gay member in the group) of the "Ritchie Family" producer, Jacques Morali, who contracted AIDS (which would lead to his death in December 1991), is at its end. "5 O' Clock in the Morning" is not the band's best work (album "Renaissance") but stands out for greater seriousness. This song doesn’t sound entirely eighties either, but it’s a rarity, so we let it slide;
5) GROVER WASHINGTON (feat. BILL WITHERS) - JUST THE TWO OF US: here's a classic of groove/post disco from the eighties, a great track with jazz influences that is still often heard on the radio. “Just the Two of Us” is perhaps one of the most beautiful tracks in the collection, undeniably one of the best of its year. Whether you're on a beach at sunset or in a rainy, gloomy city, I assure you that the track conveys emotions in abundance. Sung by Bill Withers, who had already shown his talents by singing the famous "Lovely Day" in 1976 (I've lost count of the modern remixes of that song);
6) CHRISTOPHER CROSS - ARTHUR’S THEME (BEST YOU CAN DO): an early Christopher Cross sang Arthur’s Theme for the self-titled movie and became a star. And there’s no question about it: just listen and don’t speak. Typically AOR style, great performance, this is one of those tracks you never forget;
7) JOURNEY - WHO’S CRYING NOW: the "cousins" of Styx and Foreigner, Journey were undoubtedly the masters of the AOR (Adult Oriented Rock) genre of the late seventies. They, with their colorful and strange covers. This single, from the album "Escape" is perhaps the least rock-oriented of the album and blends well with electronics. Eighties, but in moderation;
8) FOREIGNER - URGENT: after Journey, only they could come next. Perhaps better known for the hit "Waiting for a Girl Like You" (part of the same album, "4"), they demonstrate undeniable qualities in this other single as well, certainly more angular and rocky. They still perform today. The track is nice and fun, the cover is awful;
9) BILLY IDOL & GENERATION X - DANCING WITH MYSELF: here, a character of crucial importance for pop in the eighties and early nineties is introduced, who will invent a winning and danceable musical formula. “Dancing with Myself” still sees him tied to his Generation X and Punk, but it also reveals new New Wave talents. From the album "Don't Stop";
10) ADAM & THE ANTS - STAND AND DELIVER: more New Wave, though less flashy than Idol's formula, surely, and more tied to Punk. A slightly unusual track to include in a One Shot, but perhaps it serves to make it appear less Pop-oriented (which might be the collection’s only flaw). From the album "Charming Prince" (translated "Charming Prince" as well);
11) THE HUMAN LEAGUE - LOVE ACTION (I BELIEVE IN LOVE): I was talking about New Wave, and see what emerges. The toy of electronics, the indispensable confetti of an "80s party”, a worldwide success, a fantastic album ("Dare", which I will soon review), this is "Love Action" and you must all bow down. The multifaceted Philip Oakey and his Human League create an electronic carousel of great charm, one of the products that most distinguish the eighties, entirely electronically made. The electronic drum used is a "Linn LM-1 Drum Computer", the first ever to use digital samples (therefore with much more realistic sounds): it cost 4000 dollars and only 500 were produced. The lucky buyers, among many, were also Prince, Visage, Gary Numan, and other greats. It's good that they didn’t include the usual "Don’t You Want Me" from The Human League;
12) SHAKATAK - EASIER SAID THAN DONE: Shakatak did not achieve the success they deserved, and it’s a shame because "Easier Said Than Done" is a track that possesses high quality. It’s not pop; I have classified it as Groove/post Disco. Undeniably charming, classy, and atmospheric, this track manages to capture people like I've never seen. "Shakatak" is still active, but this is THE track for them: a rare and refined true gem;
13) FRANCE JOLI - GONNA GET OVER YOU: is Disco dead? No! Maybe just in decline. "Gonna Get Over You" is yet another track in the collection that confirms this thesis. Nothing special, but it has a good rhythm, and France Joli sings very well;
14) VOGGUE - DANCIN' THE NIGHT AWAY: following in the footsteps of “Gonna Get Over You,” another classic of early eighties Disco music could not be missed. It has very little (sonically speaking) to do with the eighties, but we are pleased to hear how close it still is to the sparkling previous decade;
15) CENTRAL LINE - WALKING INTO SUNSHINE: finding info on this group was an odyssey. Contrary to appearances, this group is not American, but London-based. They released one or two albums imitating to the letter the new Groove sound that was emerging in America from Disco. The result is worthy of great applause. "Walking into Sunshine" (although almost UNOBTAINABLE) has had decent success and has become a classic of the genre and period. True R&B purists must not miss this tasty morsel, mark my words;
16) RICK JAMES - SUPER FREAK: one of the certainties "Made in Motown" like Rick James spent all the seventies composing and playing until something triggered a "tic!" in him and he launched the hyperactive, funky, exuberant, highly sampled, and (after a while) tiresome "Super Freak". Certainly not the best work of this living legend, but undeniably the most successful. A bit too repetitive though...;
17) RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO - A WOMAN NEEDS LOVE: the echoes of neoromanticism are also heard from the "black" side of pop. There’s no need to talk about Ray Parker Jr. (superfluous for someone like him), nor about Raydio (the legendary group overseen by him). I can only say that "A Woman Needs Love" is known by everyone and everyone knows how beautiful it is and how it can positively change people’s moods. The rest is history;
18) TEENA MARIE - PORTUGUESE LOVE: considered by unanimity the masterpiece of the great Teena Marie, “Portuguese Love” is a seven-minute ultrasensory journey, romantic and sentimental, a continuous evolution of increasingly complex rhythms and increasingly marked sounds. In my opinion, an undeniable pearl of R&B, detached from classic pop (and the choice pleases us) and giving us the pleasure of owning such a gem. From the album "It Must Be Magic".

And so, "One Shot 1981,” after two and a half hours of listening, comes to an end. The only flaw I highlight is perhaps the excessive presence of Pop tracks (mainly covered in the numbered “One Shot 80” series). Nonetheless, many choices are appreciated, including the massive presence of historical and cult "black" tracks. See you in a month, with "One Shot 1982".