Live chat: They really did hate jazz
For being in a band called Johnny Hates Jazz, these guys sure dress like jazz cats. Or possibly members of the Hitler Youth. I can't decide.
But no matter what look they were aiming for, their hit "Shattered Dreams" is one of the highlights of our latest podcast -- the one-hit wonders of 1988.
The podcast is ready and set to go. So that means it's time for another sneak preview. Click here to download the show! Remember it won't be on iTunes til later next week.
Meanwhile, I'll be here to answer your lingering questions. Like, why am I home on a Saturday night? (Hey, why are YOU home?)
Unleash the hounds!
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.
E-mail Steve Spears:
I LOVE the preview of the podcast. You know I listen to them podcasts more than once, twice, three times or maybe ... four.
PREVIEW LIVE CHAT! PREVIEW LIVE CHAT! PREVIEW LIVE CHAT!
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 05:55 PM
not 'them podcasts' I really need to check for errors before posting. I'm blaming watching "Spaceballs" while computing for all errors.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 05:56 PM
And one more thing, I'm like a heroin addict in need of a fix long before you officially release the 'cast to iTunes. C'mon, baby ... give me just a little something.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 05:59 PM
Stop scaring the talent!
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 06:16 PM
Ok. I'll go to my corner and behave.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 06:22 PM
Johnny Hates Jazz. Dress = Hitler youth. Too clean and pressed to be real jazz hep cats. They need more of a Chet Baker-heroin addict look for me to consider them seriously.
I dig live chats and the preview -- I'm just puttering around, being a domestic goddess making dinner (Italian Mac & Cheese... no, Miss Riss, it's not NS. But it's my one Real Meal of the Week) and doing laundry, drinking an agave margarita. Like Sheila E says -- we all need a glamourous life.
So bring it on.
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 06:30 PM
Jane, I had homemade chicken salad. Sure, it was healthy-- stuffed in half a whole wheat pita with spinach-- but it didn't come pre-packaged. I felt brazen!
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 06:36 PM
I say bring it on. I may or may not (kids are always the wild card) be able to live chat along the way tonight - but I still like these sneak previews and the banter that follows.
Posted by: David-b | March 15, 2008 at 06:36 PM
OK, now I feel guilty for my dinner choice. But consider that its main purpose is for buzz killer later tonight.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Riss -- SO brazen. I love chicken salad with a passion. However, I can assure you that the Italian Mac & Cheese is absolutely in no way healthy -- cheese and pasta and Italian sausage and garlic galore. It's gonna be all about portion control, baby.
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 06:43 PM
Do I have to observe portion control when I start pouring drinks later?
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 06:56 PM
Only if your drink glass is an UBER sized Slurpy cup from 7-11. Refills would not be advisable in that case.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:03 PM
Ha! And it just came to me who the fellas from Johnny Hates Jazz remind me of: Il Divo ::snort::
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Mr. Spears.
A) The concept of Portion Control does not apply to alcoholic beverages, only Real Meals for us NS chicas.
B) Start pouring later? Honey, what's wrong with now...
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 07:07 PM
Yes, time to kick the tires and light the fire.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 07:08 PM
Hmmmmm... Live chat with Steve, Jane, Riss, the gang and a sneak peak at the podcast to boot?? I'll be here... but I'll be a bit late. Got a date with the treadmill!! Be back soon!
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 07:21 PM
I'm sitting here, listening to the first cut of the podcast, and I'm cringing. It's under-produced. Not enough movie clips in there. And Sean is the only person in the world who will laugh at my lame jokes.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 07:21 PM
I'm sure it's better than you're thinking. And I promise to laugh -- although you'll have to take my word for it.
(If jane laughs at Spears' jokes and no one is around to hear it, did she make a sound...)
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 07:24 PM
How long till you think you'll have it up and running Steve?
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 07:32 PM
Oh, that's a loaded question, Carla.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:33 PM
How long will you be on the treadmill? I can wait til your finished.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 07:34 PM
::wink wink::
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 07:35 PM
Aww that's so sweet, Steve. Willing to wait for a woman.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:39 PM
I should be 1/2 hour on the treadmill. That's 2 miles.
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 07:42 PM
So, I'm reading up on my trivia. Did you know that Elizabeth Daily aka E.G. Daily is the voice of Tommy Pickles of Rugrats & Buttercup of The Power Puff Girls?
Yeah.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:42 PM
Yep Riss... Saw a 'behind the scenes' of the Rugrats once. Can't ever really look at Tommy Pickles the same way! lol
Steve... I don't want everyone to have to wait for me... but tell me how long till you have it ready to roll, and I can adjust my work out accordingly.
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 07:44 PM
I think we mentioned that factoid during the Valley Girl or the Better Off Dead podcast.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 07:45 PM
Figure on 8:15pm Eastern time.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 07:45 PM
Alrighty... I'm off to the treadmill!! (Don't let the false enthusiam fool you.. I'm not lovin' it!!)
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 07:47 PM
Ah, if it was mentioned it didn't stick in the caverns of my failing memory.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:47 PM
I think I was one of the few people in the world to buy and E.G. Daily album. I still have it too...along with my Better Off Dead Soundtrack.
Posted by: Manchester Mike | March 15, 2008 at 07:48 PM
I wouldn't mind having an EG Daily album. I'll have to look around for a copy somewhere.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 07:49 PM
Steve, I doubt this is the one you'll be buying. Check out that price tag.
http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Child-E-G-Daily/dp/B0012N0E0A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205625403&sr=1-2
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 07:57 PM
I'll let Frito-Lay buy it for me as a signing bonus when Funyuns becomes our official sponsor.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:03 PM
They do have that on digital download for the low, low price of 9.99. The song from The Breakfast Club is on it, "Waiting."
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:08 PM
Ok.. I'm back, all hot, sweaty and out of breath! And believe me, I didn't have as much fun as it sounds like I did!!!
Ready for the podcast, if you guys haven't already started.
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 08:14 PM
I don't have the album Steve, but I do have the single from it "Say it, Say it"... both in radio length and extra long version! (lol)
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 08:16 PM
On our weekly visit to either Target or Wal-mart, I bought more DVDs. Today's selections were: Spaceballs, Meatballs, Diner, and The Mask ($5.00 and the kid loves it).
A N D, "The Last American Virgin" arrived in my P.O. Box. I'm diggin' it.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:22 PM
OK, check the blog post for the download link.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:22 PM
WHAT! Miss Riss! No Spinal Tap -- and I was all excited for you to watch it so I could use that as an excuse to whip out my beloved quotes. And the armadillo in my trousers.
Sigh.
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 08:23 PM
Just so you know, Last American Virgin takes time to appreciate. Just revel in Gary's misery.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:25 PM
....and just because I have to keep the drumbeat going...Who did the theme for Rugrats, Steve-o?? Why yes, it was Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame. De-evolution is real and it is everywhere.
Duty Now,
the General
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | March 15, 2008 at 08:27 PM
Not necessarily Steve... I completely got Gary's misery from the first time I watched the movie!
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 08:27 PM
Jane, I didn't see that or "So I married an axe murderer."
I do have "Spinal Tap" On Demand for a few more days.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Hey Riss... If you're looking for "Spinal Tap" on DVD ... I think that Target has it for $6.50!!
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 08:29 PM
I have a co-worker who bought the soundtrack to "Cocktail" JUST to play that futher muckin song when things are stressful.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:31 PM
I still can't believe that was Anthony LaPaglia in that movie
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | March 15, 2008 at 08:31 PM
Mine is the less valuable "lace around the world" from 1989.
Posted by: Manchester Mike | March 15, 2008 at 08:31 PM
See, I went to Wal-Mart today because this is a brand spankin' new store.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:31 PM
lol "Another Lover" 12 inch remix
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:33 PM
I know Bobby McFerrin is an award-winner and all that, but I LOATHE "Don't Worry, Be Happy." It buggeth.
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 08:33 PM
I'm addicted to "So I Married An Axe Murderer." I can pretty much quote it start to finish.
"How can you hate the Colonel?"
"Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly, smartass!"
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:33 PM
LOL I knew Sean would love "Supersonic"
Tell me he cabbage patched when it came on!
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Love Axe Murder - have that soundtrack too.
Posted by: Manchester Mike | March 15, 2008 at 08:36 PM
The soundtrack is great, Mike.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:37 PM
Hey Rick Springfield does a cover of "Under the Milkyway" ~ delish!
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:38 PM
whoa! as I typed that you said it on the podcast. cue twilight zone theme.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:39 PM
Spears -- name the members of the pentaverate...GO!
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 08:40 PM
The Promise was used in Napoleon Dynamite.... damn it.! Everytime I go to type, You or Sean says what I'm thinking. DAMN IT!
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:42 PM
Okay, I'm annoyed. I got last week's song as well (and movie) I sent in my email on March 12th. I wonder what happened?
Posted by: Manchester Mike | March 15, 2008 at 08:45 PM
The Vatican, the Gettys, the Rothchilds, the Queen, AND the Colonel before he went teets up!
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:45 PM
"Tina, come get some ham!"
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:45 PM
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I can't comment on what I just heard. I'll go type to myself.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Mike -- did you get a reply from me? I don't think I remember seeing one from you.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:46 PM
I figured out what happened. For some reason I emailed it directly to Mr. Spears, not the stuck in the 80s email address. Darn.
Posted by: Manchester Mike | March 15, 2008 at 08:47 PM
lol,buddy
Posted by: chad | March 15, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Booyah! Who's a right sexy b*astard. You are, Mr. Spears. Come, let us go dance (even though you don't like to dance) like children of the night.
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 08:48 PM
i think ive actually danced to that song, wayyy enibriated
Posted by: chad | March 15, 2008 at 08:50 PM
Ah, my guiltiest of pleasure songs is playing this very moment. I'm ashamed, but I've admitted to much worse. LOL
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 08:50 PM
thats actually a 70s tune that became a hit in the 80s
Posted by: chad | March 15, 2008 at 08:52 PM
great tune btw
Posted by: chad | March 15, 2008 at 08:52 PM
Just so everyone knows, the show originally was about an hour long. It literally took Sean 10 minutes to record the whole bit about Climie Fisher and the MP3 of Best Man in the World. I have the whole outtake saved on my work computer. Though you'll hear a bit of it at the very end as our outtake.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 08:57 PM
Oh god help me -- Grease 2 just came on Bravo. I'm helpless. I want to turn it off, but I can't bring myself to do it.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 09:02 PM
Can honestly say I've never watched Grease 2! I passed that up on Bravo and moved onto "The River Wild".
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 09:07 PM
I think I've seen Grease 2 a half dozen times. It's like a curse.
Posted by: Spears | March 15, 2008 at 09:10 PM
There was a Cutting Edge 3-way on this weekend (thinking of sequels).
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Why... Why make another Cutting Edge?? I liked the first one.. but not enough to see a second and third.
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 09:13 PM
Steve, I love the use of the Oscar Meyer commercial. I saw that you'd listened to it on IMEEM and wondered. YEs, IMEEM allows you to see what your friends are listening to. Nothing like adding fuel to potential stalker fire.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 09:14 PM
Nice job, gentlemen, considering the quality of the material you had to work with.
And yes, I did laugh at the lame jokes. Wasn't just the tequila talking, either.
Posted by: jane | March 15, 2008 at 09:16 PM
I laughed hard enough to snort. And there's no tequila pulsing through my veins tonight. I ran out.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 09:21 PM
Alas Riss... I'm out of Tequila too... gots me plenty of Gin though!!
Posted by: Carla | March 15, 2008 at 09:22 PM
I had one Smirnoff something or other left in the fridge from NYE.
Posted by: Marissa | March 15, 2008 at 09:26 PM
Stayed up until 4AM last week watching Grease 2 - total guilty pleasure. I've had "Cool Rider" and "Do It For Our Country" rolling around in my head since.
Posted by: Tonianne | March 15, 2008 at 10:26 PM
Dang! I missed all the fun. I was DJ-ing a friend's wedding, and didn't get home til after midnight. I'll have to listen tomorrow.
Posted by: Bassnote | March 16, 2008 at 02:00 AM
Ditto that. Not the DJ- a wedding part, just the missed and listening tomorrow (today) part.
The bar was set pretty high with the last podcast though. I'm excited to hear this week's.
Posted by: David-b | March 16, 2008 at 07:58 AM
Steve,
Cracked up about your break-up with Julie (especially since I knew her)...good story. Didn't know you shopped at Spencers.
Posted by: Darren... | March 16, 2008 at 08:46 AM
"I gave her my heart, and she took the lasagna"
Posted by: Marissa | March 16, 2008 at 09:19 AM
Holy Crap! It's Darren, my fraternity brother from college. (Only a matter of time until we do a special podcast on the movie "Hot Pursuit" -- remember that flick, big guy?)
Yes, gang, Darren knew Julie.
And of course, he actually married the girl he was dating the same time I was dating Julie. So if that's not proof of my extremely back luck with women, nothing is.
Posted by: Spears | March 16, 2008 at 10:25 AM
And let me clarify -- Julie's mom made a mighty fine lasagna. I remember that day very clearly. I think I may have even tried to lie about still having it in the freezer.
Posted by: Spears | March 16, 2008 at 10:30 AM
LOL!! Must have been a pretty d**n decent Lasagna for you to try to lie about it!!
Posted by: Carla | March 16, 2008 at 11:00 AM
And to set the record straight: I wasn't making up the part about the peach-colored lingerie from JCPenneys. That's a pretty vivid image to me.
Posted by: Spears | March 16, 2008 at 11:08 AM
We believe you, Steve. And I do trust that you would do whatever you could to keep the lasagna.
Victoria's Secret wasn't a household name back in the 80s. So, it's not surprising you bought her something from JCP. The only way to get hot lingerie was to buy it from Fredrick's of Hollywood mail order.
Posted by: Marissa | March 16, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Yes, I remember "Hot Pursuit" and I think "Sid and Nancy." I believe that I may have gone to that with Paige (the two picture woman), Julie and you ...what was the name of that bar on University we went to before???
Posted by: Darren... | March 16, 2008 at 12:41 PM
Darren -- I remember you and I going to Farah's quite often. It's still there. I think you even wrote your phone number on a 10-dollar bill once and gave it to the waitress, hoping she'd see it and call you.
Uh, pre-girlfriend, of course.
Posted by: Spears | March 16, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Ah - Farah's...how could I forget. And unfortunately the waitress never called...
Posted by: Darren... | March 16, 2008 at 01:33 PM
A 10 dollar note in the 80's, she probably investsed in Apple and is now a millionaire. Jeez for 10 bucks you obviously wanted the world.
Posted by: Ian from Down Under | March 17, 2008 at 01:10 AM
Maybe it was a $20 bill, but seeing as a tab at Farah's rarely rose about $20 (and we were in college), a 10-er was pretty good.
Posted by: Spears | March 17, 2008 at 07:44 AM
We always used a beer stained coaster. Maybe that reflected in the standard of women that had anything to do with us.
Posted by: Ian from Down Under | March 17, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Steve, nice use of "I Wish I Had a Girl"!
Posted by: David P | March 17, 2008 at 06:08 PM