Archive for the ‘Cyndi Lauper’ Category

Shilling and Cyndi

Sunday, December 5th, 2021

I’m not dead, I feel happy!

Well, I’m not dead at least.

Figures that right when I said I would do my best to update this blog on a monthly basis I go and flake out for a whole month. I guess I’m subconsciously putting this blog on the backburner while I work on other projects, like my podcast, my YouTube channel, and my other podcast. All of which I’m very proud of right now!

I’m continuing to post new episodes of Cinema Oblivia every other week. Since my last post here, I’ve uploaded episodes on Trick or Treat (with my friend/schlock connoisseur Matt Kucick), Manhunter (with Kotaku’s Brain Ashcraft), and The Visitor (with Joe Odber/aka @FrootoftheLoom1 on Twitter). I’m really happy with how all of them have turned out, not to toot my own horn. And I got some more episodes lined up. This week, Anthony Abatte joins me to talk about the crazy 70s horror/car chase flick Ride With The Devil! That episode was a lot of fun to record, so I hope you check it out.

Also, I’ve really started to kick my YouTube channel into high gear recently. Since my last post here I’ve uploaded FIVE videos, and in two of which you can see my face and everything (it’s terrifying). Check them out too if you can.

And finally, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, the podcast I’m on about prog rock, is getting updated more often as well. We put up an episode last month about The Mars Volta, and this week they’ll be another new episode, this one about post-Jon Anderson Yes (it’s a bumpy ride). So yeah, check that out too.

Sorry for all the shilling. It’s been a rough year, and all these projects are pretty much the only thing that’s keeping me remotely sane at the moment. I know a lot of you would rather me just continue this blog as is for infinity and beyond, but try to give these a shot too.

Now, here are some remixes to popular songs from the 80s. I used to post those a lot, y’know.

Cyndi Lauper
Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Extended Version)
Change of Heart (Extended Version)
What’s Going On (Club Version)
Money Changes Everything (Extended Live Version)
These tracks are from The Best Remixes, a Japan only EP that came out in…1996? Weird.

I found this CD at a Hard-Off, which are Japanese second-hand stores that I like to visit (and make videos about). The EP actually has six tracks, but I’m not including the ones that are on streaming services and other re-issues. So sorry, no Goonies or “She Bop” remixes here!

I know you’re gonna come for the “Girls” remix, but definitely stay for the “Change of Heart” remix and the live version of “Money Changes Everything.” “Change of Heart” ain’t exactly a Cyndi classic, but this remix slaps, with a fantastic extended outro. And the live version of “Money Changes Everything” is just fantastic, of course, that song is rad as hell, so I guess that’s not that surprising.

Probably the only less than perfect 10+ track on this EP is the remix of “What’s Going On” because, let’s be real, Cyndi’s cover of that wasn’t all that hot to begin with, still not a bad tune though.

I’ll try to have a Christmas-themed post later this month, but I’ve learned that I shouldn’t make promises about posts anymore. So, if I don’t post again until 2022, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Posted in Cyndi Lauper, remixes | 6 Comments »

Janet Lauper

Wednesday, July 16th, 2014

So, quick question for yinz (that’s Pittsburgh for “y’all).

I’ve been posting a lot of Japanese and/or game music lately. Are any of yinz interested in that stuff at all? I’m always surprised when those posts seem to bring me in less traffic/comments than my silly 80s and dance remixes. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pet Shop Boys, Cyndi Lauper and Prince just as much (okay, way more) than the next guy, but I kind of like posting the Japanese stuff more, mostly because no one is doing it, but also because I feel there are a billion amazing great Japanese artists from the 80s that no one outside of Japan know about.

So, when you come here do you just skim the artist names and then close the tab if you don’t recognize them? Or do you download stuff you’ve never heard before just see check it out?

Of course, this is my blog and your answers to those questions might be entirely meaningless, but it’s nice to get input.

Now silly remixes of 80s dance music.

Cyndi Lauper
Time After Time (Special Remix 1)
Time After Time (Special Remix 2)
So a few months ago Epic re-released Cyndi’s seminal 1983 debut album She’s So Unusual. I reviewed it and basically called it a travesty of a release, with shit bonus tracks that focused too much on “EDM” modern-day remixes instead of the vintage mixes that fans have been clamoring over for years.

Someday I’m going to record high-quality vinyl rips of all the mixes they excluded (including the various “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” mixes). Until then, here are some weird DJ-only mixes of another great Lauper classic.

Posted in Cyndi Lauper, Janet Jackson, remixes | 19 Comments »

Life is too short to be with someone who doesn’t like Gremlins.

Sunday, March 9th, 2014

See headline.

Cyndi Lauper
The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Dance Re-Mix)
The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough (Dub Version)
If you’re reading this blog today, it’s probably because of this song. When I first started this blog eons ago I was just one in a long line of countless MP3 blogs, fighting for attention and not getting any. Turned out the world wasn’t ready for subpar vinyl rips of orchestral renditions of obscure David Bowie tracks.

But that began to change in 2007 when I posted this track, as a fan of it was apparently a contributor to the once-relevant now wh0-the-fuck-cares Best Week Ever blog at VH1. They posted a short thing about it (long since deleted) and my hits more than quadrupled. It was pretty rad. That got the ball rolling on this site, making it…one of many in a sea of Mp3 blogs fighting for attention.

Eh.

Eddy Grant
Electric Avenue (12” Version)
Oy!

This is  straight-up repost and not a re-recording. I couldn’t get to it in time before I moved. Sorry! It was either this or a Breakin’ soundtrack, okay? And we all know I made the right choice. But someone requested this, so here you go.

Human League
Don’t You Want Me (Snap 12″ Extended Remix)
Don’t You Want Me (Red Jerry 12″ Remix)
These were requests as well. I think these are re-recordings. To be honest I really can’t tell. My ability to judge audio quality is still a bit compromised. I’m still working with my laptop and its crappy laptop speakers, so I just can’t pick up any decent fidelity at the moment. However, these mixes were pretty recent additions to my collection, so I’m sure they sound acceptable regardless.

 

And yes, it’s that Snap.

 

Posted in Cyndi Lauper, remixes, The Human League | 2 Comments »

Covers by Toyah and Cyndi

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

Some  new stuff over at Mostly-Retro!

In case you missed it, I did a small post on this crazy poster that came with the first edition of Kraftwerk’s Ralf Und Florian album. I don’t think that thing has ever been scanned and shared on the Internet before, so if you know any Kraftwerk fans make sure to send them that article!

Next up, and on a much more serious note, there’s this post on Game Theory’s Scott Miller, who left us all too suddenly last week. He meant a lot to me and I hope that someday he’ll be recognized as the songwriting genius he was. You can find all of Game Theory’s music at his official site now, and I wrote up a quick thing about him.

Finally, and on another sad note, Storm Thorgerson died last week too (man, last week was SHIT.) While  he was most well-known for his Pink Floyd covers, he did a lot of other great work too. I put together a quick little gallery featuring some of my favorites.

Mostly-Retro is going along better than I thought it would, and I hope you all enjoy it and share it with your friends. I have some cool stuff planned for that site in the coming weeks and I hope it all comes together.

Got cool stuff planned here too! So don’t worry about that. Check it! Cool stuff! Right here!

It’s really cool.

Toyah
Echo Beach (Surf Mix)
Echo Beach (7″ MIx)
Plenty
This is a cover. The original was by a Canadian new wave band called Martha and the Muffins. There were actually two Marthas in that band at one point, so they really should have been called Marthas and the Muffins, but I guess that doesn’t really roll off the tongue. What are the odds of having two Marthas in a band anyways? Is that like some crazy common name in Canada or something?

I’m getting off topic. This version is by perennial UK oddball Toyah, and I prefer it to the original. It has less horns and more synthesizers. If you ask  me, just about any song can be improved using that formula, except maybe “Careless Whisper.” And possibly “Baker Street.” Although, I don’t know, that melody in “Baker Street” is so great that I think it could work on anything. You could play that shit on a marimba and it would sound great.

Cyndi Lauper
What’s Going On (Club Version)
What’s Going On (Instrumental)
What’s Going On (Long Version)
Okay, so maybe you all can help me out here. If you go to Cyndi Lauper’s official VEVO channel on YouTube to watch this video (which is awesome by the way), it says “ft. Chuck D” after the song title. But, yo, where the hell is Chuck? He is not in this video, he is not rapping, and I highly doubt that’s him playing the bongos. Pardon the obvious joke, but what’s going on with that?

That being said, I really think that a Cyndi Lauper/Chuck D collaboration would be dope and they should really get on that already.

These mixes are by Shep Pettibone, because he remixed everyone in the 80s.

Posted in B-sides, covers, Cyndi Lauper, remixes, Toyah | 2 Comments »

Amazing Women and a Numan

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

My April curse is in full effect already. Sure, I haven’t been robbed at gunpoint; broken a leg; gotten a strep infection; been fired; broken a rib; had my parents split up; or have my car break down (all things that have happened to me in past Aprils), but shit ain’t getting off to a good start.Hopefully I can use the power of 80s pop music to scare away the bad vibes.

Cyndi Lauper
Money Changes Everything (This Version)
Money Changes Everything (That Version)
Oh Cyndi, my first crush. I will not rest until I have all of her amazing singles on vinyl. I got one step closer with this release, a really odd promo single that I found in a bargain bin a few months back. Both versions of the track are live, in fact, both are the same performance. However, the “That” cut is about 30 seconds longer, keeping in a bit near the end that’s cut out of the “This” version. Do I need to feature both versions here? Not really, but that’s never stopped me before has it?

Gary Numan
White Boys  And Heroes (Extended Version)
We Take Mystery To Bed (Extended Version)
These untiled extended mixes are taken from a 12″ promo single.

Okay, now that I got that out the way, I can get to the important part…what the FUCK does “We Take Mystery To Bed” mean? I mean, who the hell would want to hear that from a prospective boyfriend/girlfriend/random one-night-stand? “Hey baby, lets hook up, I take mystery to bed.” That would be the worst pick-up line in the history of the world. I don’t know about you, but the bed is one place where I definitely don’t want mystery. I like to know what I’m getting myself into, thank you very much.

And now that I think about it, “White Boys And Heroes” is a pretty damn weird name for a song too. WTF Gary Numan?

Waitresses
Everything’s Wrong If My Hair Is Wrong
Luxury
Open City
Pleasure
Spin
The Waitresses are remembered as a one-hit wonder thanks to “I Know What Boys Like” and that’s a damn shame. What they should be remembered for is being one of the most interesting and unique bands to come out of the new wave era.

So why are they relegated to second-class status in the annals of New Wave History? While it would be easy to say that it’s because they had a female singer and people are sexist pricks, I think the real reason is because they were a New Wave act from Ohio that wasn’t Devo.

Ohio always gets screwed. Ohio musicians are the Ohio sports teams of the music world, destined to runner-up status at best and forgotten has-been status at worst. People always site New York and LA as the birthplaces of punk in America, they forget about Pere Ubu, The Dead Boys, The Electric Eels, The Styrenes and Rocket From the Tombs, many of which predated the punk scenes in NYC and LA by years. Show Ohio some respect people. It doesn’t earn it that often.

But anyways, I’m straying from the topic at hand, which is the Waitresses. Despite the staying power of “I Know What Boys Like,” neither of their albums have been re-issued on CD, instead highlights from the two records have been repeatedly culled for “greatest hits” releases. But who decides what a highlight is? In the case of the Waitresses, its someone who really doesn’t think much of their second album, Bruiseology. All of the above tracks are from that great record, and none of them have ever been re-issued on any of the band’s greatest hits. They’re among some of the best songs on the record, and are well worth hearing, especially “Everything’s Wrong If My Hair Is Wrong.” That song is spectacularly weird in a way that few songs are.

Posted in Cyndi Lauper, Gary Numan, live, remixes, Waitresses | 6 Comments »

The Best Stuff

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

I was planning on posting one more Star Wars LP, an audio story called Rebel Mission To Ord Mantell. However, it turns out you can get that right here. Why don’t you just do that instead if you’re interested in Star Wars? I’m more interested in posting some bloody music tonight.

Winter. It sucks doesn’t it? If you live in the Midwest (which is reason enough to be depressed), tonight you’re probably bracing for your first big winter storm. That’s never fun.

And I don’t know about you, but I’ve been reading a lot of super-depressive news stories as of late. Probably has something to do with the fact that the Republicans are in the news. They usually take away the fun for everyone.

But fuck that weak shit! Let’s get back into happy fun times! If you download all the music in tonight’s post and don’t smile at least once, call a crisis center, you probably need serious medical help. Or maybe drink some whiskey. That usually helps me.

The B-52s
Good Stuff (12″ Remix)
Good Stuff (Remix Edit)
I listen to a lot of remixes. Seriously. A lot.  As of right now, I have exactly 53,361 songs in my iTunes library. Of them, 2,357 are remixes. That means that nearly one out of every 20 songs in my library is a remix of some sort.

Now, with that in mind, the 12″ remix of Good Stuff might be my favorite remix of all time. And if it’s not the best, it’s certainly the most fun.

It’s amazing what a few layers of synthesizers and a pumped up beat can do. While the original version of “Good Stuff” is beyond great, I think it’s held back as a dance song because it’s still trying to be a bit of a rock song. This version says fuck that, and rips out nearly all the guitars and replaces them with synthesizers, horns and synthesizers that sound like horns. Then it takes the beat and bass and makes them about twice as loud. It may not seem like much, but the end result is a brilliant explosion of feel good vibes and happy times for all. It’s so upbeat and full of energy that scientists should take samples of it and study it for use as a possible fuel source.

You need this song in your life. Today.

Oh, and the edited version is good too, if you need a concentrated blast of awesome instead of an extended mix version.

Cyndi Lauper
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Extended Version)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Instrumental Version)
I’m shocked that this extended version isn’t in print somewhere. Doesn’t everyone in the world love this song? Who wouldn’t want more of it? I’ll tell you who! Republicans! They don’t want anyone to have fun, especially women. Let’s dance party them to death. I’ll bring this song. You bring the Red Bull. It’ll be a long dance party, I think we’ll need the energy drinks until those scientists figure out a way to turn “Good Stuff” into a snortable drug that’ll make cocaine seem like rock candy.

Haysi Fantayzee
John Wayne Is Big Leggy (Groovy Long Version) 
I never heard of Haysi Fantayzee or this song until I bought this 12″ single. I don’t even know what motivated me to make the purchase, probably the song title, because what the fuck does that even mean?

I don’t purport this song to be…well…good, but I bet you’ve never heard anything remotely like it. And its certainly energetic and fun, and sometimes those are more important qualities for a song to have than being well-constructed or full of artistic merit. I’ll certainly listen to this song more than I will the latest Bon Iver album, that’s for sure.

As for what the song is actually about? Well, on YouTube, there’s a video of Haysi Fantaysee performing poorly lip-syncing on Top of The Pops. At one point a trivia track scrolls across the bottom of the screen and simply says “Don’t Ask. It’s bound to upset the John Wayne Estate.”

I’m going to defer to that. It’s probably best if we don’t know.

Posted in B-52s, Cyndi Lauper, Haysi Fantayzee, remixes | 15 Comments »

The Big Gay Post

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

So how has everyone been. I’ve been trying to update more often but life keeps getting in the way. Damn getting paid to write.

Which reminds me, hey I wrote this, you should go read it and say how awesome it is.

Cyndi Lauper
Come On Home (Techno Vox)
Come On Home (Techno Dub)
Come On Home (Jungle Vox)
Come On Home (Junior’s Sound Factory Mix)
Come On Home (Factory Dub) (Short Version)
Come On Home (Extended Club Mix)
I think I’m gay for Cyndi Lauper, does that make any sense? I mean, dudes who like chicks aren’t supposed to dance like a retard to house remixes of songs by gay icons are they? But who makes these rules? Why can’t a big guy from Pittsburgh who likes football and Motorhead also rock out to synthpop and fabulous house music? Fuck that. If I want to listen to Erasure and watch a marathon of RuPaul’s Drag Race one day and listen to 2 Live Crew and watch Charles Bronson movies the next (Bronson is the manliest man ever, that’s a fact) then that’s my business!

These remixes kick ass, if you haven’t picked up on that already. The 12” for this lists the tracks in a pretty interesting way actually. Side one is labeled as the “techno” side, while the b-side is called the “house” side. The descriptions are dead on, although I think dubbing one track “Jungle Vox” was pushing it.

One more note about this single. The tracklisting says that the “Junior Sound Factory Mix” is 11:43 long. Now, I recoded this sucker twice to be sure, and it’s coming out to about 11:07 for me. If it’s skipping over a 30 second bit of the song it’s doing a damn good job of hiding it.

Boy George
Don’t Take My Mind On A Trip (Main Club 12″)
Don’t Take My Mind On A Trip (12″ U.K. Acid Dub)
Don’t Take My Mind On A Trip (Boris & Chris 12″)
Don’t Take My Mind On A Trip (Main Club 12″)
I am NOT gay for Boy George. Sorry. These tracks are from a 12” single that bought mostly to see if the “acid” mix really was acid house. It sadly wasn’t . Not a bad track really, but not at all my style.

Posted in Boy George, Cyndi Lauper, remixes | 4 Comments »

Songs About Partying and Responsible Driving

Friday, March 26th, 2010

I am in an excellent mood! That’s right. Boo-yah! Bet you didn’t see that coming! Let’s celebrate with two of the happiest songs of all time.

Cyndi Lauper
Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) (Junior’s Sound Factory Mix)
Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) (Techno Main Mix)
Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) (Straight Up Pass)
Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) (Factory Dub)
Hey Now (Girls Just Want To Have Fun) (Techno Dub)
I love Cyndi. She was probably my first crush…which explains a lot. It’s not fair that she vanished into B-level oblivion, reduced to reality TV shows. Terri Nunn’s appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race got me hooked on that show, which is something I thought would never happen. But the same will never happen for Celebrity Apprentice, even thoughCyndi Lauper is a contestant at the moment. The only way I would ever watch that show is if I knew it would end with Cyndi not only winning the competition but celebrating by ripping off Donald’s fucking head and using it as a microphone whilst singing “Money Changes Everything.” Then she’d drop kick it into the audience and rock out with She-Bop. But that’s (probably) not going to happen huh?

These remixes are of the “Hey Now” version of the song, which first appeared on her greatest hits compilation Twelve Deadly Cyns…and Then Some. That version is entirely different than the original, and these remixes make it even more out there, changing the vibe of the album to a late-80s/early-90s house one. It’s pretty rad in my opinion. Although I’m sure my roommate is concerned by my consistent rocking out to it.

Geggy Tah
Whoever You Are (Hallucination’s Sunday Driver Mix)
Whoever You Are (The Vagabond Mix)
Whoever You Are (Hallucination’s Drive-By Dub)
Whoever You Are (Hallucination’s Sunday Driver Instrumental)
This is the song from that Mercedes commercial from a few years back. You know it. It’s the “All I wanna do is to thank you even though I don’t know who you are/you let me change lanes while I was driving in my car.” And with that typed lyric this song you have this song stuck in your head and I’ve ruined your weekend. You’re welcome.

Sidenote: As much as I love this little ditty I think the fact that there are four remixes of it serves as definitive proof that the 90s remix craze was a little excessive.

Sidenote to the sidenote: For those who care it’s worth noting that a couple of these mixes are by Rabbit In The Moon.

Posted in Cyndi Lauper, Geggy Tah, remixes | 8 Comments »