🍌Riding the 'rama of the nanas' train. And, yep still have that vinyl. The 80s-estness of Cruel Summer is the synth pop summer sound that you could not get out of your head. The original group lineup didn't make it out of the 80s (Fahey married Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics), nor had any other big hits. Voices Carry, also a great pick, checks the synth, has a talented Aimee Mann, but I would argue the moodier sound is less the upbeat 80s synth, get-up-and-dance, feel quintessential of the time and my interpretation of your bracket.
OK - "'rama of the 'nanas" is what I will forevermore be calling them. Brilliant, JB!! I too voted for the 'rama of the 'nanas because that shitpiece of a song sounds so much more 80s to me than the hauntingly beautiful Voices Carry. To me, Voices Carry is pretty timeless. Plus, I don't know if anyone knows this, but the 'rama of the 'nanas were on cocaine during that video. COCAINE!! 😱🤣 There's something they maybe should have hush hushed about.
I love when you can read something someone wrote and hear their voice saying it in your head. That's what I'm doing right now, Marcia, and I'm here for this comment. 🤣
Voted for Bananarama, although I prefer Aimee Mann. My association of "Cruel Summer" with "Karate Kid" - a top contender for a movie edition of "The 80s-Est" - is incredibly strong, and it shares so many of the 80s elements of a song the two of you LOVE - "Crush On You" - that I was a little stunned at the disdain for the 'rama of the 'nanas. Also, here's a useless tangle of connections made because you introduced me to the sheer oddity of "Cruel Summer '89" : Thirty years later, in the summer of 2019, another album would feature a (far superior) song also titled "Cruel Summer." That album was Lover, by Taylor Swift - an artist famously born in? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? 1989.
First, Bananarama is pretty damn 80s, and I completely understand voting for it! But to my ear, almost NOTHING is as 80s as "Crush," in sound and tone and production and tempo...but we can disagree on this! I think "Venus" or "I Heard a Rumor" are more upbeat and more 80s (possible Side B material!) I think this song is just kinda plain and monotonous to me on a re-listen. But I did know and note its connection to the film, but the dare I say, "ICONIC" Voices Carry video put it over the top, despite the COCAINE-FUELED Bananarama vid.
Hey Keith and Joe! No need to hush hush my vote... I'll go with "Voices Carry". Keith, I sent you a voice note on FB with the spanish pronnuncation of "banana"!
Alejandro!😂 You crack me up! I have not received the FB note YET, but maybe it is having trouble getting through the very narrow isthmus of Panama?😆 Thanks for playing along!
Ironically, I was introduced to Bananarama when they had their hit "Venus" in 86. I wasn't even aware of this song until then. However, I remember being excited when Voices Carry was played on the radio. I still actually have it on a few playlists.
BTW I'm jealous of those of you who had MTV back then. We didn't get it at my mom's house until after I graduated college!
I respect the vote, but John, Bananarama did the video ON COCAINE! How 80s is THAT? hahahaha! It wasn't enough for me to vote for them, either. Chad didn't know how lucky he was to have MTV!
Yeah, but half the music from the mid-80s was fueled by cocaine, so I would call Bananarama mediocre at best :). Thinking back, I wonder how many people were high when they appeared on "this is your brain on drugs" commercials hahahaha...
I think Voices Carry was not necessarily like a lot of other 80s stuff. I think the longevity of Aimee Mann's career has also changed how I view the song. Having seen her a few times over the years in intimate clubs, watching a middle-aged Aimee Mann do a stripped down acoustic arrangement really shows the beauty of the songwriting.
Bananarama, a group (not a band) that I loathed, is really much more representative of popular 80s sound. 'Til Tuesday made a hit accidentally, they were always a New Wave band. As much as it pained me, I voted for Cruel Summer.
Aimee Mann's post-band work is obviously fantastic and worthy of the accolades she gets, even if not matched by sales.
Post-Bananarama also had some really good and much more interesting music as well. Siobhan Fahey went to an all goth look and formed Shakespears Sister, which is a great group. They are as awesome as Bananarama was shitty.
Oddly, measured by charts at least, Siobhan Fahey has had a more successful post-Bananrama career than Aimee Mann has had a post-'Til Tuesday one. Shakespears Sister has had several songs on the charts, including "Stay" hitting #1 in UK and Ireland and #4 in the U.S. as well as several other songs that charted high all over Europe, with a couple of their albums reaching Gold status in a couple of countries.
Excellent first point, these ladies SHOULD have been put in the Singers bracket.
I did not know ANY of the Shakespears Sister stuff. Just put a couple of their songs on to try them out, thanks for the tip!
Finally, I really look forward to your hilarious comments. You do not mince words, and as the kids would say, "I am HERE for it," even when I mildly disagree!
🍌Riding the 'rama of the nanas' train. And, yep still have that vinyl. The 80s-estness of Cruel Summer is the synth pop summer sound that you could not get out of your head. The original group lineup didn't make it out of the 80s (Fahey married Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics), nor had any other big hits. Voices Carry, also a great pick, checks the synth, has a talented Aimee Mann, but I would argue the moodier sound is less the upbeat 80s synth, get-up-and-dance, feel quintessential of the time and my interpretation of your bracket.
Can't find much at fault with this opinion, did NOT know she married a Eurythmic! Bananarama has a legit chance at the upset right now!
--Keith
OK - "'rama of the 'nanas" is what I will forevermore be calling them. Brilliant, JB!! I too voted for the 'rama of the 'nanas because that shitpiece of a song sounds so much more 80s to me than the hauntingly beautiful Voices Carry. To me, Voices Carry is pretty timeless. Plus, I don't know if anyone knows this, but the 'rama of the 'nanas were on cocaine during that video. COCAINE!! 😱🤣 There's something they maybe should have hush hushed about.
You're hilarious.Thanks for weighing in. The only problem I have with Cruel Summer winning is that Joe and I will have to listen to it again!
--Keith
I love when you can read something someone wrote and hear their voice saying it in your head. That's what I'm doing right now, Marcia, and I'm here for this comment. 🤣
Also: I screamed out loud in the car at you, Joe. The Karate Kid is a goddamn treasure, and as a writer, I will never stop extolling the genius of Robert Mark Kamen and the movie's opening: https://johnbooth.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/the-all-valley-karate-tournament-eternal-champion/
How the F-ing EFF did he never see "Karate Kid," right?🤣
(Full disclosure, probably the same way that I never saw "E.T."!)
I encourage ANYONE reading this to go up and read your bit on the movie!
Thanks, John!
--Keith
I absorbed Karate Kid by osmosis. Popular culture delivered to me all the salient points of the movie without me needing to actually watch it.
Voted for Bananarama, although I prefer Aimee Mann. My association of "Cruel Summer" with "Karate Kid" - a top contender for a movie edition of "The 80s-Est" - is incredibly strong, and it shares so many of the 80s elements of a song the two of you LOVE - "Crush On You" - that I was a little stunned at the disdain for the 'rama of the 'nanas. Also, here's a useless tangle of connections made because you introduced me to the sheer oddity of "Cruel Summer '89" : Thirty years later, in the summer of 2019, another album would feature a (far superior) song also titled "Cruel Summer." That album was Lover, by Taylor Swift - an artist famously born in? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? 1989.
First, Bananarama is pretty damn 80s, and I completely understand voting for it! But to my ear, almost NOTHING is as 80s as "Crush," in sound and tone and production and tempo...but we can disagree on this! I think "Venus" or "I Heard a Rumor" are more upbeat and more 80s (possible Side B material!) I think this song is just kinda plain and monotonous to me on a re-listen. But I did know and note its connection to the film, but the dare I say, "ICONIC" Voices Carry video put it over the top, despite the COCAINE-FUELED Bananarama vid.
I love the connection tangle ! Thanks!
--Keith
Hey Keith and Joe! No need to hush hush my vote... I'll go with "Voices Carry". Keith, I sent you a voice note on FB with the spanish pronnuncation of "banana"!
Alejandro!😂 You crack me up! I have not received the FB note YET, but maybe it is having trouble getting through the very narrow isthmus of Panama?😆 Thanks for playing along!
--Keith
Ironically, I was introduced to Bananarama when they had their hit "Venus" in 86. I wasn't even aware of this song until then. However, I remember being excited when Voices Carry was played on the radio. I still actually have it on a few playlists.
BTW I'm jealous of those of you who had MTV back then. We didn't get it at my mom's house until after I graduated college!
I respect the vote, but John, Bananarama did the video ON COCAINE! How 80s is THAT? hahahaha! It wasn't enough for me to vote for them, either. Chad didn't know how lucky he was to have MTV!
--Keith
Yeah, but half the music from the mid-80s was fueled by cocaine, so I would call Bananarama mediocre at best :). Thinking back, I wonder how many people were high when they appeared on "this is your brain on drugs" commercials hahahaha...
I think Voices Carry was not necessarily like a lot of other 80s stuff. I think the longevity of Aimee Mann's career has also changed how I view the song. Having seen her a few times over the years in intimate clubs, watching a middle-aged Aimee Mann do a stripped down acoustic arrangement really shows the beauty of the songwriting.
Bananarama, a group (not a band) that I loathed, is really much more representative of popular 80s sound. 'Til Tuesday made a hit accidentally, they were always a New Wave band. As much as it pained me, I voted for Cruel Summer.
Aimee Mann's post-band work is obviously fantastic and worthy of the accolades she gets, even if not matched by sales.
Post-Bananarama also had some really good and much more interesting music as well. Siobhan Fahey went to an all goth look and formed Shakespears Sister, which is a great group. They are as awesome as Bananarama was shitty.
Oddly, measured by charts at least, Siobhan Fahey has had a more successful post-Bananrama career than Aimee Mann has had a post-'Til Tuesday one. Shakespears Sister has had several songs on the charts, including "Stay" hitting #1 in UK and Ireland and #4 in the U.S. as well as several other songs that charted high all over Europe, with a couple of their albums reaching Gold status in a couple of countries.
Excellent first point, these ladies SHOULD have been put in the Singers bracket.
I did not know ANY of the Shakespears Sister stuff. Just put a couple of their songs on to try them out, thanks for the tip!
Finally, I really look forward to your hilarious comments. You do not mince words, and as the kids would say, "I am HERE for it," even when I mildly disagree!
--Keith
The kids do not say "I am HERE for it." Middle-aged people like us do.
You're right! They would never say it out loud, only type it on social media.
But the kids do say, "I feel seen."