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David Bowie “1984″ b/w “Queen Bitch” 1974. “1984″ appears on Bowie’s Diamond Dogs LP. It was released only in the US, New Zealand and Japan (where the b-side was “Lady Grinning Soul” – honestly a better stylistic match for the A-side than “Queen Bitch”) and it failed to chart in all three countries. Highly reminiscent of “Theme from Shaft,” the track is super-funky, operatic and a vision of Disco future. Bowie intended the track to be included into the soundtrack for a stage musical of George Orwell’s famous book but Orwell’s estate refused to release the rights. Side B has my top Bowie song ever, “Queen Bitch.” It originally appeared on his 1971 album Hunky Dory as a tribute to Velvet Underground and as the b-side to “Rebel Rebel.”

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Van Halen released four singles from 1984. The first was “Jump” which hit #1 and remains their most successful single ever. MTV had it on super-heavy rotation and I still love it. David Lee Roth’s gymnastics are impressive and hysterical and Eddie Van Halen looks high as hell while noodling away during his keyboard and guitar solos. The video was nominated for three MTV VMAs and it won the “Best Stage Performance” category. “I’ll Wait” was the next single and it went to #13. I don’t remember this one as well as “Jump” but that’s probably because Van Halen didn’t make a video for it. It’s so 80′s over-the-top with big keyboards and even bigger production. The third single was “Panama,” which is my favorite track on 1984. I suggest putting it on really really really loud and dusting off your head-banging moves while cruising the avenue (a popular pastime in the 80′s). “Panama” went to #13 on the US charts. The last single from 1984 was “Hot For Teacher,” which only went to #56 which I find hard to believe as it also got extremely heavy airplay on MTV. The newly formed PMRC protested the song and video for content (probably making it even more popular when in 1985 Senator Paula Hawkins used the video as an example in Senate testimony saying “Much has changed since Elvis’ seemingly innocent times. Subtleties, suggestions, and innuendo have given way to overt expressions and descriptions of often violent sexual acts, drug taking, and flirtations with the occult”) but I thought it was hilarious; my favorite line is “I don’t feel tardy.”

Allmusic says about 1984,  “It’s the best showcase of Van Halen’s instrumental prowess as a band, the best showcase for Diamond Dave’s glorious shtick, the best showcase for their songwriting, just their flat-out best album overall.”

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Into the Gap was the fourth LP by Thompson Twins and was their most successful, hitting #10 in the US and #3 in the US. The first single released, “Hold Me Now” (released in late ‘83), was my favorite and it charted at #3 in the US and #4 in the UK. It was the height of the MTV era and its video got super-heavy rotation. I also really liked the second single, “Doctor! Doctor!” (#11 US, #3 UK). I’m not sure I remember hearing their third single “You Take Me Up” (#44 US, #2 UK – same goes for the fourth, “Sister of Mercy” which I think was only released in the UK, hitting #11 there) but this is one of my favorite songs from the album. The last release from Into the Gap was “The Gap” which Thompson Twins did not release in the UK but it did hit #69 in the US even without a video to accompany it.

Into the Gap had uneven reception among music critics at its release. Smash Hits wrote that it had “several songs with empty words and plodding tunes sung in a whiney voice and slung together with fake sentiment. The success of the terrible Twins represents the usual triumph of naked ambition over talent” and NME called it “1984’s most instantly kitsch mass program of monosodium glutamation of the brain.” However, through the lens of history critics have softened considerably, viewing Into the Gap as a great snapshot example of popular culture and musical trends of its time. Allmusic says Into the Gap “remains a classic as far as ‘80s new wave pop is concerned. Nearly every song on this set differed from the others, with each track taking the listener on a different musical journey…Thompson Twins were quiet visionaries, blending intelligent lyrics, Eastern sensibilities, and new wave pop to create a wholly unique and unforgettable listening experience and an album that ranks as one of the ’80s’ most unique.”

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About a week ago I finally got to see a show at First Avenue in Minneapolis and the whole time I was picturing the videos for “Jungle Love” and “The Bird” which feature concert footage at First Avenue from Purple Rain. I wasn’t a huge Time fan in ‘84 but I really liked both songs, which hit #20 and #36 on the pop charts, respectively, in ‘84. The album’s title track, “Ice Cream Castles,” was also released as a single, and though it failed to crack the Top 100 it did hit #11 on the R&B chart. These three tracks are really the only great ones on the LP; Allmusic calls the remaining three songs (“My Drawers,” “Chili Sauce” and “If The Kid Can’t Make You Come”) “filler” and I totally agree.

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