Whoda thunk it?

[Randall Roq]

I saw an episode of Taxi recently and it got me thinking. Out of the entire cast of that show whoda thunk the most successful would've been Danny Devito?!

Then that got me thinking about 80's bands...

I never for a moment would've thought Oingo Boingo would be as successful as they were- let alone Danny Elfman (he was too quirky I thought).

On the other hand I was sure The Plimsols were gonna be around for a long time.

How about you? When you look back what surprised you as far as who lasted and who tanked?

[bpdp3]

When Echo and the Bunnymen and the Teardrop Explodes first came out, it was considered a new 'Liverpool psychelic' movement. Also lumped into that were U2, because of the timing I imagine (I recall both Trouser PRess and Creem lumping all 3 bands together). U2 was always mentioned as kind of second-stringers back then.

[Randall Roq]

Yes in the long term U2 was a shock. It seemed the more annoying Bono got the most successful the band became.

I remember an interview I heard one night on KROQ...I forget the singer so I won't mention any names. He was asked what his biggest regret in life was. He responded, "that I saw Bono walking in Westood and didn't punch his lights out".

[WolverineSyr]

Remember back around 83 - people either liked Cyndi Lauper or Madonna? Who would have thought Madonna would have gotton so giant? In no way do I think Cyndi tanked, but I would have bet on her to become the mega-star and sell billions of records over 20 years, and Madonna to fade off into disco obsurity.

I'm suprised that Kim Wilde never got big in the U.S. - she put out consistently good music - all in the vein of Kid's in America. I wonder what happened? Mtv certainly was beginning to give her a big push.

[Randall Roq]

Yeah Madonna is a serious surprise!! If you had told me back then she would still be making hit albums 20 years on I wouldn't have been able to stop laughing.

I mean do you think Britany Spears is going to be relevant 20 years hence? That question seemed just as ridiculous for the Material Girl.

And I also thought Ms Lauper would have had more of a presence.

[SomebodySomewhere]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Randall Roq[/i]
I saw an episode of Taxi recently and it got me thinking. Out of the entire cast of that show whoda thunk the most successful would've been Danny Devito?!

Then that got me thinking about 80's bands...

I never for a moment would've thought Oingo Boingo would be as successful as they were- let alone Danny Elfman (he was too quirky I thought).

On the other hand I was sure The Plimsols were gonna be around for a long time.

How about you? When you look back what surprised you as far as who lasted and who tanked?[/quote]

Well, Oingo Boingo certainly lasted, but they never really got the sales figures they deserved. A lot of that was A&M's (and later MCA's) fault. And some of that was their own. They kind of shot themselves in the foot with that name.

In the same vein, I don't think The Payola$ and Mi-Sex -- two bands who crafted some of the finest songs no one ever heard in the States -- did themselves any favors in the name department. Neither of them ever sold a spec in the U.S. (Mi-Sex never made the charts at all), and yet "Hammer on a Drum" and "Where Do They Go?" are, I think, two of the greatest records of the '80s. The Payola$ at least got their due in Canada, where "Hammer" had 4 successful singles, but even Mi-Sex's native country was tiring of them by the time that album came out. I mean, what, it had 6 singles, and I think one of them was a hit. Minor, at that.

I remember through the years hearing a song on MTV or the radio and thinking to myself, "That's a hit. There's no way that won't make the Top 40." And then it stiffed altogether. To name but a few...

In Vitro - "I Choose You"
The Breaks - "She Wants You"
Space Monkey - "Come with Me"
Saga - "What Do I Know"
Fashion - "Love Shadow"
Stabilizers - "Tyranny"
The Parachute Club - "Love Is Fire"
The Rubinoos - "If I Had You Back"
Gary O' - "Shades of '45"
Bone Symphony - "It's a Jungle Out There"
Private Lives - "Living in a World (Turned Upside Down)"
Intimate Strangers - "Let Go"
Endgames - "Waiting for Another Chance"
The Truth - "Exception of Love"
Gary Myrick and the Figures - "She Talks in Stereo"
Marshall Crenshaw - "Whenever You're on My Mind"
Cats Can Fly - "Flippin' to the A Side"
Smash Palace - "Living on the Borderline"
George Thorogood and the Destroyers - "Bad to the Bone" (which found a new lease on life, but was still dead on arrival)

The songs were certainly commercial enough, and they were put out by major labels (except for The Truth and Intimate Strangers tracks), so who can you blame if not the label? I certainly expected a lot more success -- and much longer lives -- out of the artists listed above.

As for surprising artists who were successful, nothing surprises me there. People bought whatever was shoved down their throat by radio and the majors. That was the real payola$. Same with TV -- that's why terrible shows like "Commander in Chief" and "Grey's Anatomy" are in the Top 10.

[Randall Roq]

I think probably for every band there is a different story about why it didn't work.

I have a friend of a friend who was in a band that started to get some positive attention (they had a minor hit)...then the band imploded into a mass of zeroes. It was their own fault and no matter how hard they tried they could never get the momentum back again.

Another story-a very talented friend was a singer in a band. I was in the bathroom in a club and overheard two record execs who wanted to sign him. One month later he was driving home from a gig and was killed by a drunk driver.

[WolverineSyr]

It's funny how regional some acts are - somebodysomewhere mentioned George Thorogood - I couldn't escape him during the late 70's/early 80's. He was huge at least in my town - much to my dismay. I assumed he was that big everywhere.

[Dave]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Randall Roq[/i]
<br>Yes in the long term U2 was a shock. It seemed the more annoying Bono got the most successful the band became.

I remember an interview I heard one night on KROQ...I forget the singer so I won't mention any names. He was asked what his biggest regret in life was. He responded, "that I saw Bono walking in Westood and didn't punch his lights out".
[/quote]

While I usually let occassional the Bono bashing go, every once in a while I feel compelled to respond. At the risk of starting a Bono bashing thread, what is it that you don't like about him?

Is it that he is a showman? Successful rock and roll bands are often fronted by a showman... Rolling Stones, Queen, The Who, Black Sabbath. How about the NW examples... Talking Heads, Smiths, Sex Pistols, Police, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran... the list is endless. I thought people went to concerts to see a show.

Is it that his singing voice is not smooth as silk? See response above. Anybody like the Psychedlic Furs?

Is it that he gets involved in world politics? Can you name another rock star - no, make that star of any kind - that does more for the world's most underpriveleged and desparate people? Maybe Bob Geldof? Could be an Irish thing. A star that shows compassion... yes, that sucks. Ok, I guess I *can* see Republicans having a problem [;)]

Is it that he thinks he's too cool? During the 2002 Grammy awards, the bluegrass soundtrack to "Brother Where Art Thou" surprisingly won the award for Best Album. The audience, which was filled with self-absorbed rappers and record execs, decided not to applaud. I thought it was a disgrace. Not only did Bono begin clapping, but when he saw no one else clapping, he stood and applauded loudly (along with Edge, Larry & Adam)... yes, while the rest of the m-fers just sat there. I was never more proud of any rock band. BTW, U2 was up for the same award.

Is it that U2's music is spiritual with frequent Christian references? I guess it is politically correct to despise all references to Christianity these days. But maybe it's the rebel in me that absolutely loves it.

Here's AMG's perspective on Bono:

"Singer, poet, activist, and believer: few icons in the history of rock & roll have created and performed their art with the consciousness and passion of Bono and only a handful have done it as successfully. Whether preaching three chords and the truth or donning ironic personas, the first and only frontman for seminal Irish rock band U2 has always stood unequivocally for hope, faith, and love — and in so doing has touched millions of people worldwide."


Sounds right to me. Ok, so he's not a shoe-gazer like a lot of new wavers but for my money - and apparently a few others - they are the best rock and roll band of our era and one of the best of all time.

Somebody help me down from this soap box. Now, what was this thread about again? [;)]

[Randall Roq]

Oh please... you picked some of the silliest reasons you possible could for me to dislike the guy.

Maybe I'll send you an email and tell you why specifically I feel the way I do. But let me put it this way. Many celebrities act in a way that's much much different than their public image. It's called an image for a reason.

I think Bono is a hypocrite. If you like the guy fine. I personnaly don't think the measure of a man is if he applauds for someone at an awards show. Anything that's done in public is self serving in the long run.

I don't like him, you do. You buy into his image, I don't. Let's agree to disagree. I'm sorry if I upset you I will never refer to him again.

[KYYX4ever]

I didn't think the Cure would last as long as they did and remain so beloved (they're "popular" to many of US!). When I first heard them, I LOVED "Play For Today", "Lovecats" and "Let's Go to Bed". But I thought their sound was too quirky for them to be loved by many others, and always thought that only a very few of us would ever hear them.

And as quirky-looking as Culture CLub were, they were HUGE for a while. People really went ga-ga over them. I thought they were going to stick around for a long, long time. Maybe change a bit, but still be making music.

[Dave]

<img src="http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/TV2/archive/00185/bono_u2_reuters_185738g.jpg">