Admit it -- you love "Tarzan Boy"
Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" is one of the hidden gems of the year 1986 -- and by that, I mean a one-hit wonder of 1986. But does that diminish your unabashed love for the tune? Of course not.
This week's Stuck in the 80s podcast features that long-lost tune as part of our salute to the "One Hit Wonders of '86." And before every gets upset when they hear one of their favorite bands in the show, please remember we used well-established experts to compile the list. (I'm not saying that Timbuk 3 or the Blow Monkeys are going to release box sets anytime soon, but you get my Tokyo drift.)
Sean and I continue to record without the benefit of a female counterbalance in Show #99, so please excuse the flatulence jokes and references to "Hogan's Heroes" -- the TV show, not the once- great deli in Gainesville, Fla. (Order the Burkhalter bratwurst.)
Click here to listen to the show, or click here to get all our shows for free on iTunes.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
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All of a sudden, while working out at lunch, "Shake You Down" was bouncing around my head over the sounds of Nirvana and Elvis Costello coming from my iPod. Thanks a lot.
I'm thinking about quoting Sean on my Facebook page. For some reason that line about "Wild Turkey and wild women" had me laughing harder than usual.
Posted by: Walter Cox | September 19, 2007 at 03:06 PM
Great....now I can't get that darned "Jungle Boy" melody out of my head. Now where did I put that theme music from "The A-Team"?
Posted by: Former Producer Dave | September 19, 2007 at 03:24 PM
The Lou Gramm song Sean Daly "lost it" to was called "Midnight Blue," not "Electric Blue." Not that I was *there* or anything (shudder), but still...
Posted by: David P | September 19, 2007 at 03:57 PM
"Electric Blue" was by Icehouse. Roughly the same time period, though.
Posted by: Walter Cox | September 19, 2007 at 04:58 PM
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the shout-out on the latest podcast episode.
For the record, you and Sean are always welcome up here in the Great White North. But not quite yet......school work is piling up.
Take off!
Posted by: Al | September 19, 2007 at 07:49 PM
Hey! I was just dancing around the living room to "Tarzan Boy" this morning! I must be psycho...err, psychic!
Posted by: Marissa | September 20, 2007 at 12:01 AM
You guys are killin me with this week's sound clip! I know the tune but can't remember the words! I was online for a couple hours last night searching for 1986 one hit wonders....argh!
Posted by: John Hays | September 20, 2007 at 12:58 AM
ACK! Sly Fox's "Let's go all the way" would play in the bars late at night as if it was a drunk chick's 'come and get me I'm too drunk to care' anthem. Needless to say, I sat on the sidelines holding back the projectile vomit. Ahhh 1986!
Posted by: Marissa | September 20, 2007 at 08:41 AM
What a coincidence, Marissa. I often sat at bars holding back vomit. But probably for very different reasons.
Posted by: Spears | September 20, 2007 at 08:54 AM
Guys...."Welcome to the Boomtown" by David and David IS available on iTunes Store -- just checked (Thur. AM, Sep20). Great song from Fall of 1986 -- reminds of Freshman year of college back home in Minnesota. I still have the cassette of that album as there are several other good songs but never released. "Tarzan Boy" -- great song and one that sticks in your head the rest of the day. "Midnight Blue" by Lou Gramm was Sean's song for his 'moment'. ;-)
Posted by: DD.. | September 20, 2007 at 09:06 AM
All I kept thinking about was "Electric Youth" by Deborah "don't call me Debbie" Gibson. I think that would have been funnier for Sean to "lose it" to. I went music free my first time, but early on there was a lot of Art of Noise and oddly, Depeche Mode (not my choices, mind you...but she wouldn't do it to Uncontrollable Urge)
I think this is a good topic for a podcast or at least worthy of its own Blog item..."what song did you "lose it" to in the 80's?
Always looking out for you Stev-o,
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | September 20, 2007 at 04:10 PM
I was so happy when you mentioned "welcome to the boomtown" It has always been one of my favorites. And no one I know had ever heard of it. Is it just me but does this song sound like it belonged in an episode of Miami Vice? One of those montages with Crockett driving alone at night. Keep up the good work guys!!
Posted by: Doogster34 | September 20, 2007 at 11:21 PM
Hey, what about "Something about you" by Level 42?
Posted by: Joe | September 21, 2007 at 12:35 AM
Didn't Level 42 have another pseudo hit with "Lessons in Love"?
Posted by: Marissa | September 21, 2007 at 08:32 AM
That's exactly what I was thinking while listening to it on the drive in this morning, Doogie!
Posted by: Walter Cox | September 21, 2007 at 08:46 AM
Awesome podcast! BUT, I couldn't get it on iTunes, which I MUST have on my iPod. I'll listen to it again. Only thing to improve it would be to have played SB's "True" all the way through, and then once again. (I hope Sean is hurling now.)
But, Sean, David & David, whatever that album was called, was really good but I couldn't tell you what genre of music that is. It's like every song was written for a movie soundtrack. Really liked it.
I agree with you, Steve, about everything else. I'm with you about the Southern Rock. Pee-freakin'-you. Georgia Satellites cheated us all in getting a one-hit notch since today it would BE country. People can claim releases from that genre occurred in the 80s, but they'd be wrong.
So, you do a "Country Music of the 80s" podcast and I will douse my iPod in lighter fluid and set it ablaze. Let gizmosapien listen to 8-tracks with their cousin.
Posted by: Rick | September 21, 2007 at 12:17 PM
Marrissa, I don't remember that. My wife does, however. But still, they played "Wang Chung Tonight" and Wang Chung had a hit a few years earlier called "Dance Hall Days."
Posted by: Joe | September 21, 2007 at 04:15 PM
Hmmm How could a band be a one hit wonder if there were other memorable hits? STEVE!!!!!
Posted by: Marissa | September 21, 2007 at 04:35 PM
RE: Bands named after Florida places...
I have one thing to say: Miami Sound Machine!
Great show, as always!
Posted by: David Akers | September 22, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Great Podcast....
Here are a few more, that I think should have been on the list... just my 2 cents...
Timex Social Club Rumors
Oran 'Juice' Jones The Rain
Boys Don't Cry I Wanna Be a Cowboy
Gavin Christopher One Step Closer to You
Posted by: Weldon Glenn | September 23, 2007 at 01:49 AM
"Riding on the chuck wagon,
Following my man.
His name is Ted,
Can you believe that?
Camping on the prairie
Plays havoc with my hair.
Makes me feel quite dirty,
Though we all do sometimes"
That was from 1986? Yup, you're right! According to Wikipedia the song peaked at #12. What a little gem!
Posted by: Marissa | September 23, 2007 at 09:50 AM
I think "I Wanna Be a Cowboy" was a song in one of our other podcasts -- maybe "Worst songs of the 80s..."
Posted by: Spears | September 23, 2007 at 11:48 AM
The Gavin Christopher song is a guilty pleasure of mine. Unfortunately, I got "One Step Closer" to a police ticket while not paying attention while driving. Damn you Gavin!
Posted by: Al | September 23, 2007 at 01:13 PM
I think that the heartwarming clip to Kathy from the New Zealand station is the work of Christopher Hewitt as Mr. Belvedere. It frightens me that I recognize this.
Also, props to Sean for making a segue from Sly Fox to Ray Bradbury actually work. What are the odds of Ray Bradbury being referenced in a "one hit wonders of 1986" podcast?
Sherrie
Posted by: Sherrie | September 25, 2007 at 10:43 PM