Intro
Welcome to New Wave Beat - I'm your host, Jason D'Orazio. We're going to flash back to 1983 with some classic new wave songs. Indeed, it was a year where the US Billboard year-end charts were peppered with eclectic new wave entries. There's also an increasing departure of sound from new wave's punk roots. For example, the synthesizer was king (much to my liking).
“Given straightforward lyrics and Kajagoogoo's bubblegum image, Too Shy's video is surprisingly a bit trippy."
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon
Our 1983 retrospective with Culture Club's smash single Karma Chameleon. Fronted by the androgynous Boy George, Culture Club had a strong 1982 debut with a couple of hits, and their sophomore album Colour By Numbers the following year one-upped on popularity. Case in point: Karma Chameleon.
“Karma-Karma-Karma Chameleon… you come and go… you come and go…”
A harmonica is featured prominently in Karma. It's what identifies it to casual listeners.
Boy George's vocals are smooth and has expert timing on inflections. The right notes in the right places. Also, the rhythm section and keyboard are underrated. The lyrics and interviews about Karma point to it being about a relationship that Boy George was having with bandmate Jon Moss.
I sense some tension in the relationship, with lyrically and vocally strained lines like, "You're my lover, not my rival," and a slightly sardonic, "You come and go." Because of this, the term Karma Chameleon is meant as a pejorative. The narrator isn't happy with himself because of the relationship, branding himself a man without conviction.
Despite departing from the theme of the song, the video for Karma is one of the most memorable of the '80s. It's a re-imagining of Mississippi shortly after the Civil War. There's a diverse cast of people in sharp attire having fun by the river. Halfway through, they board a riverboat to keep the party going. And towards the end they, in a somewhow playful way, make an onboard thief walk the plank.
Karma Chameleon was Culture Club's biggest hit in the Staets, though the previous Do You Want To Hurt Me? came close. A few years later, Boy George embarked on a solo career and still tours to this day.
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Next up is Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics. This band was a duo consisting of singer Annie Lennox and instrumentalist Dave Stewart. They were dating each other and were together in a band called the Strangers. Soon the band broke up and their romantic relationship ended, and then interestingly, they formed the duo dubbed Eurythmics. Their debut album in 1981 did not fair so well, but in '83 they broke through with the album Sweet Dreams, with the title track becoming a massive hit.
“Sweet dreams are made of this. Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas…”
Sweet Dreams starts off with a sleek violin-sounding synth melody that's instantly recognizable and is the backbone throughout. Annie Lennox's voice is soulful and captivating. In Sweet Dreams, she mostly sings in a lower register than usual. But when she goes higher, it's great emphasis.
“Keep your head up. Keep your head up, movin' on.”
At the risk of stretching, Sweet Dreams discusses a golden rule of life. Lennox warns listeners that some people out there will exploit you during your quest for the good life. But ultimately, she says, "You should keep your head up, moving on.". More literary than "shake it off".
Sweet Dreams' video is surreal for sure, which makes sense given the dreamy title. It has the duo meditating inside what looks like a record company's boardroom, playing cellos in Renaissance wear, and cows are trotted out as well. Lennox is more prominent in the video than Stewart, thanks in part to an androgynous look and bright orange hair rivaling Ronald McDonald. Even 35 years later, the imagery is distinctive and is memorable.
Eurythmics went on to record prolifically and score a bevy hits in the '80s. They recently got nominated to the Rock Hall of Fame as one of the first new wave entries, a testament to their fame and influence in the new wave world.
⇩ Song Commentaries Available in the Vault
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Third on the best-of list is Men Without Hats's Safety Dance. Men Without Hats was a Canadian-based synthpop band spearheaded by two brothers, Ivan and Stefan Doroschuk. Their 1982 debut album contained Safety Dance, which the follower year did quite well in the charts. There are two versions to Safety Dance that are neck-and-neck in popularity on Spotify (as of 2017). I'm going to talk about the shorter single version (used in the video) as opposed to the longer album remix version.
Ivan Doroschuk's vocals have quite the quirk. Think a commanding, aloof baritone.
“We can dance if we want to. We can leave your friends behind.”
The song has a carnival sound to it, without teetering into caricature. It's quite danceable. But considering the title, it better be. Towards the end of the song, Ivan's vocals become increasingly more high-pitched and over the top, ending the song with a bang. When I was a kid I thought Safety Dance was a clarion call for people to be themselves at the dance floor. This would fit well with the DIY ethos of new wave, and the encouragement to change it up musically. Ivan himself said that the song is about protesting the banning the pogo dance at contemporary clubs. Wikipedia is your friend for a more detailed explanation from Ivan himself. The video for Safety Dance has a Renaissance faire air to it, what with the set design and costumes. In it, Ivan is rallying the village to dance with (what else?) his dance moves, like a benevolent Pied Piper. Spoiler alert: it works, as dozens are dancing by the song's climax.
Men Without Hats had a more modest hit with Pop Goes the World in 1987, but was sporadic after the '80s save a headscratchingly grungy turn in the '90s. Ivan still tours as Men Without Hats with a backing band. I went to one of their shows a few years ago, and it was a blast.
⇩ Song Commentaries Available in the Vault
Naked Eyes - Always Something There (to Remind Me
Next up is Always Something There (to Remind Me), as covered by British synthpop duo Naked Eyes. This song was originally written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in the '60s, and sung by both Lou Johnson and Sandie Shaw.
A top-10 hit in the United States, Naked Eyes' version of Always Something There came off their debut. Pete Byrne (no, not the Dead or Alive frontman) manned the mic while Rob Fisher set up the synths.
The intro and right before the second verse have a jubilant church-bell synth that hooks you right away. Fisher actually uses an at-the-time innovative synthesizer to craft his melodies, so kudos to him. The military-style drums have a triumphant effect, amplofying the bell synths. A-Ha fans take note: Byrne sounds and looks like Morten Harket.
Always Something There is about a guy who can't forget about his ex-girlfriend. Everywhere he goes, like cafes and city streets, he's reminded of her. In the choruses, he states that he'll never be free of thinking about her. But because of the upbeat melody and Byrne's vocal delivery, the narrator doesn't seem bitter or lamentful. He's focused on the sweet memories he had with his girlfriend.
The well-done video to Always Something There largely follows the lyrics. In it, bandmate Fisher is marrying Byrne's ex-girlfriend (awkward). Meanwhile, Byrne is running around London. He's watching his ex and Fisher being swarmed by paparazzi, those feisty photographers adding an angle to the story. Byrne also has visions of him still being with her. Naked Eyes would have another hit with Promises, Promises (which still earns some radio play), and one more album. However, they quickly dissolved.
Kajagoogoo - Too Shy
Let's conclude 1983 Fest with Kajagoogoo's Too Shy. Fronted by Limahl, Kajagoogoo debuted in 1982 with the album White Feathers. The slice of bubblegum heaven dubbed Too Shy hit the charts big the next year, topping the UK charts while breaching the top-5 in the States. Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran fame produced Too Shy. Yes, Duran Duran were very busy back then. But back to Too Shy...
“You're too shy, shy. Hush, hush. Eye to eye. Too shy, shy. Hush, hush. Eye to eye.”
The half-minute intro features a warm synth melody, then Limahl enters the fray. Limahl's vocals are a tour-de-force, being well-enunciated, catchy and full of hooks. The section right before the choruses with the high-pitched synth and where Limahl sings "Hey, girl, move a little closer" are the main hooks of Too Shy.
The chorus uses rhyming and repetition to good measure, cementing Too Shy's status as an ear worm. The bridge has the doo-wop-esque doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo's, which Duran Duran do too.
The lyrics don't need a Freud lifeline. I believe Too Shy is about the singer wooing a woman who he feels is not being forward enough. In a classic line, the narrator is asking her to try a little harder, to be more assertive in their courtship. Considering the straightforward lyrics and Kajagoogoo's bubblegum image, Too Shy's video is surprisingly a bit trippy. In it, a waitress at a nightclub has visions of Kajagoogoo performing at parties representing time eras decades apart. For example, the end of World War II and the early '80s. She's really checking out Limahl, but yes: she's too shy to do anything about it.
Unfortunately Kajagoogoo sacked their golden goose Limahl after just one album and got a singer that was much less competent. As a result, they didn't have any more substantial hits, though Limahl solo scored one with The Neverending Story theme.
Outro
Thank you for taking a spin with me through 1983. This is Jason D'Orazio from New Wave Beat wishing you a great week. So long!
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