IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE MADE AWARE WHEN FUTURE PROJECTS BECOME AVAILABLE,
THEN PLEASE
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS
NOT A MONEY MAKING EXERCISE
IT HAS BEEN DONE PURELY FOR
THE LOVE OF MUSIC
AND WE ARE HAVING AN ABSOLUTE BLAST
BELOW YOU WILL FIND LINKS TO THE FEATURED ARTISTS ALONG WITH BASIC NOTES EXPLAINING MUSICAL CHOICES AND INSPIRATIONS
WE FIGHT FOR LOVE - THE POWER STATION
I know it plays out at the very end of this Arnie cruncher, but I really wanted to use it at the beginning to signal to the listener exactly what they were getting into... Commando was one of those films that I was lucky enough to have a copy of on v.h.s. and I found myself giving this feature many, many repeated viewings.
Another film that I used to watch over and over again. If I needed to send a time capsule into space in the hope of contacting an 80's based civilisation, this would be the perfect film to include? I even watched it again last year, and listening to The Pointer Sisters over the truck chase opening scene inspired me to make a start on this project. I was keen to capture the key music that I associate with films from this decade, but have avoided using any music scores or songs from music based films (Krush Groove being the anomaly). Oh, and no John Hughes, or 50's nostalgia, which seemed to be all the rage at the time?
Unfortunately, through some kind of cosmic entanglement, in the very same week my co-compiler had also selected the exact song (Neutron Dance) for use on a similar themed mix (MOONS_RUNES_AND_RACOONS: A SCI-FI ODYSSEY). Luckily, this track holds nearly the same level of connection to the film for me. Whenever I walk past someone in the street wearing a red leather jacket, I always have to stop dead and pull off a very basic impression of an Axel Foley laugh (this happens very rarely).
BURNIN' IN THE THIRD DEGREE - TRYANGLZ
Another symbiotic occurrence with my old pal HEAVY PC, completely understandable when you have known each other since the start of our teenage years, and share very similar tastes in music & film.
This feature was very influential, and prompted us to make our very own fan film.
I did manage to successfully transfer it to mp4, but sadly, it only exists now on a completely unusable laptop. As a result, it has not been permanently transferred to the internet as yet...
PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT - PAUL ENGEMANN
I absolutely hate this song!
Because of this, I may not love this film as much as I should?
In fact, I've only included it so that I can get it off my chest, and let anyone who cares to read this know just how much I dislike 'Push It To The Limit'.
On paper at least, Brian DePalma's Scarface has all the makings of a film I should watch time and time again (Miami, Cocaine, Chainsaws, Al Pacino, Robert Loggia and a young Michelle Pfieffer). What's not to like? This song for a start. It accompanies the typical montage that was compulsory to use during the cinema of this time.
Because of this I've never been able to include it in any of my lists of favourite films.
This film could also have been responsible for kick-starting Mr Pacino into becoming known (probably only by me) for being rather good at impersonating Hong Kong Phoey?
I really should like this film more than I do, so I'll try and remedy this inconsistency by watching it again tonight!
I may skip over this song though, but having listened to it several times here, and without the crappy montage, my dislike is beginning to soften.
Kenny Loggins must have thought he was on top of the world when his input was required for a run of hit movies, leading to the title 'King OF The Movie Soundtrack'. I couldn't really include anything from the films about Kevin Bacon dancing or Tom Cruise in a fighter jet.
So decided to go with the one about golf, and use it to signal the beginning of my Chevy Chase section.
It looks to me as if Universal were trying to replicate the magic created by Simpson/Bruckheimer over at Paramount on Beverley Hills Cop.
Mostly the same basic set-up, (resourceful detective work using fast talking/disguise mastery) and even utilising an almost identical Harold Faltemyer score.
If I was in charge of programming at an independent cinema, I would be extremely pleased with myself for putting these two features on a double bill.
I may just try and watch them back to back at home anyway, that's looking like a very good idea now that cinemas are currently dead in the water.
My overriding memory from this film is of the title character in another of his trademark disguises, dressed as a new age hippie-type roller skating along Santa Monica Boulevard.
HOLIDAY ROAD - LYNDSAY BUCKINGHAM
(NATIONAL LAMPOONS VACATION '83)
Rounding out my dedicated Chevy Chase section with the theme music from another run of films that I've seen and enjoyed far too many times over the years.
SAVIN' THE DAY - THE ALLESI BROTHERS
How can you not love Ghostbusters?
I remember this film, and the main song were huge at the time. No way was I going to use the theme by Ray Parker Jnr. though on this project.
This manages to take me right back to the film, much more than the chart busting title song.
LIVING IN AMERICA - JAMES BROWN
The first film from this list that I went to the cinema to watch, but I have seen it on v.h.s. quite a few times subsequently.
Beverley Hills Cop would have been the first film on this list had I not been thwarted in my attempt to watch a rated 15 film with one of our Terminator co-stars, Dion Smith. I remember queuing up in a fairly busy ticket office, and not being able to buy tickets without the required proof of age. To avoid the embarrassment of walking out of the cinema past the ever growing crowd of people, we quickly thought on our feet, and ended up buying tickets to see the romantic comedy, Mannequin?
Later that same week, we thought it would be a good idea to try one more time to go and see the originally intended film, but ended up watching Mannequin...again??
Not a chance in hell that I was going to be able to watch this at the cinema.
I think Roxanne Shante may be the first female rapper to make an appearance on any of my shows?
I will be making amends shortly though with WALL OF MEECH 4 that features Roxanne Shante herself, and EASTERN (HIP HOP) PHILOSOPHY, featuring MC Lyte.
I never thought I'd ever get the opportunity to link two films that both feature Grand L Bush, just a shame I couldn't get License To Kill to follow as well, then I'd have a run of music to match my Chevy Chase section.🤣
It's probably a very close tie between this and Christmas Vacation for being my absolute favourite Christmas Film. Although this is set at Christmas, it can only really technically fall into that genre, and can be enjoyed right the way through the year, as can this song.
DO YOU WANNA FUNK? (FEAT. SYLVESTER) - PATRICK COWLEY
Much like Die Hard, can be enjoyed at any time of year, not necessarily Christmas.
Although, I think I did select this to watch 'at random' again over the Christmas just gone, and ended up adding this to the playlist.
PLEASURE LITTLE TREASURE - DEPECHE MODE
(THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS '87)
Michael J Fox seemed to be one of the big draws for me whenever deciding what to watch around this time. I remember going to see Teen Wolf on the strength of Back To The Future. I was drawn to this though by owning the soundtrack LP, that contained an as yet unreleased Prince track that I had to own.
A nice bonus as well to have included this and Pump Up The Volume!
STRONG AS I AM - THE PRIME MOVERS
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, life moves pretty fast..... no, sorry, wrong film.
I'm sure that I have said it before, that the Michael Mann version of Manhunter is my very favourite Thomas Harris adaptation. True, Silence Of The Lambs does rightly deserve the awards, but any of the other films are not worthy of even a mention.
The similarities with the look and feel of Miami Vice are probably the reason for my continued appreciation for this film.
My first thought was to include Magic Dance from Labyrinth '86, but after listening to it again, opted to switch it for this.
Phew! That was a lucky escape I think?
From one of the key scenes of this film, and adding to the significance by it being from Prince's very first female protégé project. Needless to say that it was in my collection even before I'd seen the actual film.
LICENSE TO KILL - GLADYS NIGHT
I'm really pleased with the way the previous track seems to just melt into the beginning of this.
License to Kill was not the first Bond film I saw at the cinema, but Timothy Dalton was the first actor that I saw play Bond on the big screen.
That may have been responsible for me considering Dalton to be the best of the bunch. Being a confirmed Bond enthusiast, gives me quite a bit of scope to add to these notes, but I think I'll save that for my dedicated Bond project.
I hope to coincide BOND NEVER DIES? with the release of the next Bond film, whenever the world manages to sort itself out?
I really like this theme song, but it stands apart from the rest as sounding particularly fitting of the era.
I love this film, and still have firm memories of watching this on many repeated viewings with Mr Karl Hansford, even adopting the use of the gang signs and lingo when entering 'hostile turf'.
KRUSH GROOVIN' - KRUSH GROOVE ALL-STARS
(See above).
Karl is known by all for his love of Hip Hop, and I used to be the 'Go To' person when it came to the Minneapolis Sound (Prince etc.). This film proved to be the uniting force, featuring Sheila E in what is basically an extended Def Jam promotion piece.
Incidentally the All-Stars included Run D.M.C., Kutis Blow, The Fat Boys & Sheila E. The actual soundtrack includes tracks by Chaka Khan, Debbie Harry, L.L. Cool J, The Beastie Boys, Gap Band and Force M.D.'s. So quite a bit to choose from for a project of this nature.
THE GOONIES 'R' GOOD ENOUGH - CYNDI LAUPER
A junior equivalent for fans of the Indiana Jones formula.
I'd hoped to use this to usher in a slightly more alternative run of songs, but was in danger of sliding into John Hughes territory.
A junior equivalent for fans of the Rocky formula.
Now I was in very real danger of sliding into John Hughes territory.
Whenever I hear this now, my first thought is always of Karate Kid, so I think I may just about get away with featuring the world's biggest girl group from the 80's.
TRUE LOVIN' WOMAN - JACK MACK & THE HEART ATTACK
Not really known for it's musical numbers, and this is probably only used in the film for a few seconds. But every time I watch Police Academy, the opening few moments of this song always stick in the mind. I've not been able to identify it until very recently, and I'm not even sure that I like the whole song, or just the opening few seconds.🤔
But as I've gone to the trouble of looking through all my DVD's to find Police Academy. Then opened the case, switched the player on, changed the channel, flicked through the various options and pages..........Then skipped through the content to the desired scene, taking my phone out to use the music identification app, going back because I'd missed the start of the very short piece of music. Because of all this time and effort, it has to remain as part of the project now.
I'm sure I'll be able to look back on this technology with fondness, when all of our film libraries are stored on a chip just behind our retina?
IT'S A LONG ROAD - JERRY GOLDSMITH
Easily the best film to feature John Rambo!
It would have been cool to have opened and closed with two heavyweight icons of the 80's muscle based cinema, but the first in the Rambo series does stand apart from the rest, so wouldn't really work as intended.
No other song can really close out better than this for me.
It has all the cheesy hallmarks of a typical middle of the road/safe/white rocker that you'd expect. That can all be forgiven though, because of one word........Manhunter!
*I'd like to apologise for the lengthy notes, I have tried to keep them brief, but I suppose the marriage of music and film is my idea of heaven. Especially when the films in question have been viewed literally hundreds of times, when I should really have been doing my school homework.
ALTERNATIVELY, FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW FOR THE 60 MINUTE
APPLE MUSIC 'SOFT EDIT'