Children of the Eighties is filmed before a live studio audience.

We are coming to you live from the Loo and for the first time we're in front of a live studio audience.

We are on location touring around the nation.

Children of the Eighties always on vacation.

Okay, what are you doing?

Are you rappy?

Yes, I'm the Beastie boys.

You had so much enthusiasm coming in there.

I had to turn your mic down a.

Little bit because I'm back home.

I know you energized from it.

Unsha, the weather is nice and chilly.

It is cold, just like it should be around Thanksgiving.

Yep.

Del Griffith would agree.

So we got some feedback on last week's episode, which was about planes, trains and automobiles and iron Jawed Angel had a comment to follow up on what I had said about Dell being homeless right that I thought was pretty profound, and I think I agree.

And she said, I don't think Dell is homeless.

He has a house, but it's no longer a home because his wife isn't there.

Her clothes are probably still in the closet.

That's why he hasn't been back.

That just breaks my heart.

Ah, And then she actually got a reply from one of our other listeners, Chris the Scotian, Just Chris, and he said my thoughts exactly.

He can't bear to go back because he's not ready to accept it, even after eight years.

Yep, So do you agree with it?

I do those sentiments?

I do.

I do too.

I think they're probably right and that wasn't something that I had thought of.

So again, thanks to our listeners for always being there for us.

I know, and I'll love the feedback.

So anything else going on other than.

Just being in the loo?

Being in the loo?

I had some Emo's pizza for dinner.

I'm looking at getting some ted Drew's later on.

I have to go to ted Drew's when you're in town, so I can't have to get good Italian food ted Drew's, Emo's pizza, and you've checked most of the boxes.

Maybe some Lion's Choice roast beef.

Emmy wants to go to white Castle.

Yes, we will take her and for her first trip to white Castle another beach Beastie boys hang out.

Have I been to white Castle?

I don't believe that you have.

I don't think I have either.

So I have Crystal down South.

I was going to say, it's similar to Crystal.

Not as good.

Crystal is not as good.

Okay, so Crystal they only do mustard on their.

White castle, only does onions on theirs.

No ketchup or musk ketchup or mustards.

You will have to add that.

Do you add it?

I do not what I get others do.

Would I get laughed at if I added some ketchup?

No?

Well, I mean as long as we do it in the privacy of the hotel room and you're not out in public embarrassing me.

Actually, I like mayo on my burger.

Would that make things weird?

That's disgusting?

I know, I know, I know.

What are you European?

Maybe that might explain a lot.

Okay, you ready to jump on in?

Yeah, let's go get to it.

This is a podcast that looks back on the decade of the nineteen eighties.

We talk about things that were important to us as children and what we look back on with fond memories as adults.

Ultimately, this is a nostalgia podcast.

That's right.

And as I mentioned a few episodes ago, November is Thanksgiving obviously family time and we are here visiting my family and this episode today was given to me by my dad, and so we are going to hit that.

And so what we're talking about today are eighties hits that were covers of hit songs from the fifties and sixties.

So I thought you meant he was sponsoring the episode, and I thought for a minute I was actually going to get some money from ever.

Yeah, no, I don't think he's sponsoring the episode.

Did I say it was.

Brought to me by my dad or given to me?

I think you said given to me.

Still, I was thinking, this episode's brought to you by the Butler family, who will be sponsoring us for one thousand dollars a minute.

Oh, we better make this fast.

I think they're saying that too.

But there are so many cover songs in the eighties.

Did you realize that that we can't possibly cover them all in one episode.

I hadn't really stopped to think about that until we started talking about this topic, and then I started kind of making a mental list, and yeah, there are a lot, There are tons.

So we've picked eight of our favorites because we can't have a four and a half hour episode.

We don't want to put our live audience or our listening audience to sleep.

Yeah, start grumbling?

All right?

So any thoughts about cover songs?

You said that you saw a lot of them.

Are there any ones that aren't on this list that you just want to throw out there and mention?

All the ones that I know of are on this list?

All right?

So you're ready to get to it, I'm ready.

So here's our first song.

Let me know if you recognize it.

So did you recognize that song?

So?

Not only do I I recognized that song?

That's one of my all time favorite songs period.

So that is Crimson and Clover covered by Jon Jet and the Black Heart originally done.

By Tommy James and the Sean Dels.

That's right, So let me tell you about Jong Jet and the Black Hearts.

This song debuted in the top forty on May fifteenth, nineteen eighty two.

It was on the chart for ten weeks.

It peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot one hundred and was actually one step higher on the Mainstream Rock chart, where it peaked at number six.

It charted in the top one hundred for nineteen eighty two for a year end it actually hit number seventy eight.

I would not have guessed that it was on their debut album.

It was actually her second album, but this was her first album with the Black Hearts.

I could be a member of the Black Hearts since I also have a black heart.

You just made your sister laugh.

She knows it's the truth.

This is a follow up to their it I Love rock and Roll, which ironically is also a cover.

Is that all Joan Jet can do?

All she did was covers?

Did she ever do anything original?

She did, Yeah, she did some original, but she did a lot of covers, a lot of her popular stuff for covers.

So you mentioned Tommy James and the Chonde.

Yeah, so this is let me hear it, their version.

Not holling, No Crimson and Clue.

I'm gonna say something.

Controversial, say something controversial.

There's no comparison between the two.

No, No, the original is better.

I mean, and I don't say that a lot.

I know, and I don't want to slam Joon Jet.

I think she's fantastic, but in this situation, you just can't even compare it.

Well, you can't.

I mean, you can cover it, but you can't outdo an original.

That's fantastic.

So let me give you their debut debut in top forty on December twenty first, nineteen sixty eight.

It was on the chart for fifteen weeks.

It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred for two weeks.

But get this, it was also number one in Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and Switzerland.

Half the country now in the world.

Half the world knew what a great song that was.

It was the number ten song of the year for nineteen sixty nine.

I would maybe they were nine better songs, but I would find it hard pressed.

I know what number one was, though, and I would probably agree it's probably a better song.

It was Sugar Sugar by the Archie.

Oh that's a good one too.

So which version did you hear first?

Okay, So I feel a little bad up to show my ignorance, I did not know Jon Jet did this as a cover.

I thought that the only version of this song was the Tommy James and the Shondell version.

So I actually did know that Jone Jett did this.

It was one of the first songs I remember hearing as a kid on maybe MTV or just on the radio.

I hadn't heard the Tommy James version yet, so I actually discovered Jone Jet first and I liked it, and somebody told me it was a cover of Tommy James and the Shondell's.

That didn't mean anything to me other than it was Tommy James and the Shondells, and so I hadn't heard that version.

I did not hear that version until I was probably a teenager.

So I have a really embarrassing story.

Can I give it to you?

Well, we always love to embarrass ourselves.

This is I mean, this is right on up there.

So I was in sixth grade summer go well was the summer going from fifth into sixth grade, So that would have been the summer of nineteen ninety, yes, I think if I'm doing my math correctly.

Yeah, And I wanted to go to summer camp and my parents said no, I wasn't old enough.

It was going to be a week.

And they said I wasn't old enough to be gone from home a state away for a solid week without them.

So they packed their bags and they went to Whoa.

But what does that have to do with Crimson and Clover.

I'm so confused.

I'm getting there.

So my parents went with me to a week of summer camp and there were some older teenagers at this summer camp who I just looked up to.

They had such like a cool style, and I thought their clothes were different.

They were coming from somewhere else in the country.

I don't remember now where.

I thought their clothes were different and everything.

They went around singing this song all.

Week at camp in nineteen ninety.

In nineteen ninety, so both.

Those songs were old by nineteen ninety.

Yeah, I know were they Yankees?

Because I know that you Southerners, you don't like the Yankees.

What does that have to do with any of this?

Well, because you said that they were kids and they were from a different part of the world and they were cool.

So I just wondered if you like went against the grain and you actually liked the Yankees.

I think they were from Florida, but anyways, might as well be a different part of the world.

So they went around singing this song all week long.

I had heard it before because in my house we listened to a lot of oldies, right, and so I knew the song, but then to hear them singing it, it just added like an extra cool factor, and that's when I fell in love with the song.

So I feel like, as a kid, my dad always played oldies, and I had not ever heard him play this song.

Played a lot of Beatles and a lot of Aerosmith and Eagles and stuff like that, but no Tommy James and the Chandell So I had not heard this.

Like I said, I heard Jones Jet first.

I liked it.

I heard Tommy James when I was older, and usually I liked the version that I heard first.

But the Tommy James and version is just so cool that I'm gonna take that one.

And how do they do this?

How do they do that?

They're my people, They're Indians like that.

But yeah, that was cool.

Imagine how innovative that was back in the day.

I mean, if you ask me as a kid, like everything in the sixties, it was like living in black and white?

All right, You ready to get to the next one?

Bring it on.

I think this artist might be a little bit familiar.

Did she just say trying to be a yes or I'm trying to be a skinny one.

I'm like a skinny one.

That voice sounded familiar.

That was Joe Jet and the Black Hearts.

You asked if all they did was covers, Well, here's another one, and that was Everyday People, which was originally.

Done by sling the Family Stone.

That is correct.

So this one debut in the top forty on October fifteenth, nineteen eighty three.

It was only on the chart for two weeks, so.

Listen, she should have stayed home that day.

That was embarrassing.

Peaked at number thirty seven on the Billboard Hot one hundred, but peaked at number six on the Mainstream Rock chart.

This was on their second album from nineteen eighty three.

So I get the feeling that you don't like this version.

No, I don't let me play it lacks depth, it does.

So let me play this version for me.

Man Stone, different strokes for different faults, trying to be a skinny one.

Yeah.

Jon Jet's voice felt very immature in her version of Everyday People, so I got to go with Slane the family one sly.

Had a better voice than jone Jut.

Yeah, but listen, I'm not hating on jone Jet.

I actually I'm a jone Jet fan.

I'm sorry.

This is just not it for me.

So let me give you the deats on Sliing the Family Stone.

It debuted in the top forty on January fourth, nineteen sixty nine, was on the chart for fourteen weeks.

It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred for four weeks.

For those of you that are mathematically impaired, that's a month.

That's me.

That's this was the number five song of the year in nineteen sixty nine.

So this was actually rated higher than Tommy James and the Shondell's Crimson and Clover.

And it is number two hundred and ninety nine on the all time chart.

You know those all time charts.

They make me chuckle.

I don't know how you can ever just rank every song that's ever been in all of existence.

Well, and this is two ninety nine.

So I don't think I need to ask you which version you like better.

I think you made that pretty clear.

Which version did you hear first?

It's Fly in the Family st so me too.

I actually heard the older version first, and then I discovered the Jones Jet version just by listening to some kind of mix on YouTube or something that came out and I was like, oh, it's pretty cool.

Like I didn't realize that anybody had ever covered this, and I thought that she did a good job, but it's not nearly what the original was.

So I did do some research on this song, though you want to hear what I found.

Absolutely so this is one of.

Sly Stones pleas for peace and equality among differing races and social groups, a major theme and focus for the band Sly.

Sister Roastone sings bridging sections using the cadence of Nana Nana Boo boo, the children's taunt.

I had never thought about it like that, right, and so.

The chap mox the futility of people hating each other for being tall, short, rich, poor, fat, skinny, white, black, or anything else.

The bridge of the song contains the line which I said earlier, Different strokes for different folks, and this kind of led to the theme song for the television show Different Strokes.

Really, are you just making that I'm not baking that up?

All right?

You ready for the next one?

Or you got anything else to say about U?

Sly and the family Stone and everyday people.

I hope that I'm everyday people.

Uh, well you are.

I hope I'm tomorrow people.

You're you're the what is it the man of the people, the man?

Yes, that's what I am.

I'm the man of the people.

I'm gonna run for mayor of pod cast.

Lean, all right, you're ready for the next one.

So why don't you tell the folks what that is?

So that is Lubumba by Los Lobos.

Yes, when it's a cover of.

Richie Vallen song, right, which really.

We know is a is an old Mexican folk song that Richievallens just did and made popular unpopular radio.

Right, but Richie Villins did not write it.

But do you think the people listening to just mainstream radio when Richie Vallens did it, do you think they knew that that was just like a Mexican folk song.

I bet the Mexican people did, I'm sure, but just the average white guy.

Okay.

So the Low's Lobos version of La Bamba debuted in the Top forty on July eighteenth, nineteen eighty seven, where it's set on the chart for fourteen weeks.

It peaked at number one on Billboard Hot one hundred, where it stayed for three weeks.

It landed number eleven on the Mainstream Rock chart, number four on the AC chart, and number one on the US Latin Songs Chart.

I didn't know that there was a US Latin song no.

Idea, No Idea, also number one in thirteen other countries and top five and six more pretty big hit.

It was the number eleven song of the Year in nineteen eighty seven.

That's I mean, that's pretty high.

Now, No number eleven.

That surprises me a little bit.

It does me too, But I mean I remember it being somewhat popular, and I remember the movie being popular, obviously, but with Lou Diamond Phillips.

Yeah, Lou Diamond Phillips, who's not Hispanic, No, he's not, and he's.

Got he's got a lot of mixture in him.

We've we've looked at that in the past because he's in a lot of our favorite Native American shows.

Yeah.

So was the fourth holy non English language song to reach the top spawn on Billboard's Hot one hundred.

All right, so that was Los Lobos version.

Let's listen to Richie Vallens.

Okay, So I feel like Richie Vallens spoke better Spanish than Los Lobos.

Yes, I feel like you did too.

Why don't you give this information on the Richie Vollens version and then I'll talk a little bit about that.

So it debuted in the top forty on January nineteenth, nineteen fifty nine.

It was on the chart for eight weeks, so for us mathematically challenged.

People, it's about two months.

So.

It peaked at number twenty two on the Billboard Hot one hundred and is best known for Richie Vallen's adaptation.

This was a follow up to his biggest hit, Donna, which was a number two song for two weeks.

Yes you know, oh Donna, yesh.

Yeah, I sure do.

I didn't realize that was Richie Vallen.

It is Richie Valens.

And so I'm looking here at a picture of Richie Valens and he looks like Sammy Sosa.

Now not Sammy Sosa.

When he played, I was going to say, Sammy sam out.

Yeah, Sammy Sosa bleached out with the cowboy hat.

I Richie isn't wearing the cowboy hat.

He knowes he's He's a little more handsome than a bleached out, bloated at Sammy so.

And Lou Diamond Phillips was a little bit more handsome.

Than Richey Valence.

Well that's always how those things work going downhill.

So which version did you hear first?

I heard?

I think I heard Richie Ballins first.

I'm not sure.

I think I did.

Ten.

It was right there, we did.

I know we did a fifties unit in like eighth grade, and so nineteen eighty seven July eighteenth, nineteen eighty seven would have been the year that I was heading the summer between seventh and eighth grade, so I may have heard the Los Lobos version first.

I don't know.

It's possible that I heard the Richie ballins.

It's not something that really sticks out in my head.

Why do I feel like Los Lobos did something like on into the nineties.

Did they possibly?

I don't know.

I don't research into the nineties.

I only research into nineteen eighty ten.

I feel like they did.

But anyways, I think that I probably heard the Richie Vallens version first, and honestly, I like his version better.

I can't choose between the two to be they're the same.

You know what, I've got another version that I like better, and I'll play it right.

Here, Lasagna, You and Lasagna, maybe.

Bughetti, what do you think about that, Mama Mia Banbino.

That's hysterical.

We listened to weird out like the whole way here, the whole way here.

It was only until you fell asleep felt like the whole way here.

So you're sticking with Richie Valen's version being better.

I'm going with Lasagna being better than Lobamba.

I don't even think that it's on the table.

I don't think you can do that.

I can do whatever I want.

This is my show.

If you don't like it, get your own show.

Oh all right, let's move on to the next song.

A Little.

Will to Me.

Oh.

I love that song.

So that's Lean on Me by Club Nouveau, originally done by Bill Withers, debut in the top forty on February twenty first, nineteen eighty seven.

I think you're gonna see nineteen eighty seven as a theme.

Apparently what was going on that year?

I guess they ran out of music to do on their own on the chart for twelve weeks, only twelve weeks, which is shocking.

But it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred for two weeks, and it was number one on airplay also for two weeks, and for sales for a week.

It also hit number one in New Zealand and Canada.

It was the number twenty nine song of the Year in nineteen eighty.

But here is what shocked me.

It actually won a Grammy Award for Bill Withers as the Writer for Best R and B Song, fifteen years after he wrote the song rings number ninety four on VH one's one hundred Greatest one Hit Wonders of the Eighties.

Okay, so that summer camp that I went to with my parents.

Uh huh, did you also sing.

Lean on Me?

We did?

We did.

We'd have a little like after dinner at night, we would all come back together and they would have like a little like message.

It was a church camp thing, so they would do like a little message and then we would all sing and stuff.

And this is one of the songs.

We would sing, sit around the fire and play the guitar and sound rounds.

But there are there are hand motions to this song.

There are hand motions to lean on me.

Yes, I don't remember them, but there are.

You have to have a partner though, because you have to lean on them.

You have to lean on their back.

Yeah, you have to sing.

You have to lean back to back.

Uh huh.

Okay.

Takes a lot of faith to lean back to back on somebody that you don't know.

I hope they max you up by height too, because if you were going you know, you were like five foot seven in the fifth grade.

Yeah, and if you.

Were going with like a little four foot one boy who ended puberty.

Yet, like I was traveling with my Persham or something.

So I had my built in best friend and my.

Mom's Oh okay, okay, let me.

Tell you a little bit about Bill Withers version.

Okay, you ready?

Yep it?

Do you want to play it?

If we know that, always.

Lean on me when you're not start.

And I'll me you break ow that you can.

Bet it.

So I have never thought this before about this song, but when you put it up next to Club DeVoe's version, I feel like old Bill is too bored to really get this song out.

I mean I just listened to that.

I fell asleep for a few minutes.

I never thought that before though, But he definitely takes it much slower.

Yes, it was like I had narcolepsie or something.

That song put me to sleep.

Okay, So Bill Withers version caused me to wither away.

Yes.

It debuted in the top forty on May twenty seventh, nineteen seventy two, not long before you came along correct, We're set on the chart for fourteen weeks.

It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred for three weeks.

It was the number seven Song of the Year for nineteen seventy two.

So I have to ask you which version did you hear first?

I don't know.

I can't.

I'm having a hard time knowing.

I'm pretty sure I heard the Club Neuvaue version first.

Yeah, I just don't think I could say.

Now, which one do I like better?

I think, now that we've put them side by side, I mean, I think I might pick Club Novidue.

That's what I'm going with too.

It's just a little more upbeat and a little more you know, dancy.

I guess not that I dance.

But it's a bop.

It's a bop.

I love it.

It's a I love me a good bop.

Bill Withers is not a bop.

It's a it's a slow dance.

It's a slow dance, just too slow and boring for me.

Although he does have a fantastic voice, and I do love Bill Withers, but not digging that song, or at least that version of that song well written, though all.

Right, you ready for the next one.

I am.

I think you're going to see a pattern here, at least with something, some kind of a pattern.

She come nothing, she was out, turn around coome on moon.

All right, now, you gotta.

All right.

I have so many questions.

Why don't you go ahead and give the people the name of the song?

And okay, I'm sorry, I was jumping right into my questions.

Okay, it's money money, yes by Billy Idol.

Why are you looking at me?

Why were you like money money?

And then you looked at me as if did I say that correctly?

Like it was super color fragulent text?

Me?

I know, because what's a mony?

That's don't worry.

About you think too deeply on these things.

That's my question.

It's like he puts that into the song as a as an action verb.

I'll tell you what.

Tommy James still does a song on sixties on six, although I don't think it's on six anymore.

Why don't we call him up and ask him what's a mony?

What's a mony?

Money?

So?

Yes, this was Billy Idol, originally done by Tommy James and the Chandell.

Since you're shirking your responsibilities, I'll go ahead.

I got no no no, what they want no no no.

So the song's title was inspired by Tommy James view of the m O n Y sign atop the Mutual of New York building in New York City.

Well, you could see that from his Manhattan apartment.

That's where it comes from.

I doubt Billy Idol could sing it see it from England unless you had a very strong telescope.

Yes, correct.

So this is Money Money by Billy Idol debut in the Top forty on September twenty sixth, nineteen eighty seven.

It was on the chart for twelve weeks, and it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred.

It was also number one in sales and two in airplay.

It was the number nineteen song of the Year in nineteen eighty seven.

It was Billy's eighth Top forty hit and his only number one.

That is, Billy Idol's only number one song, Number one.

Oh, I had no idea.

Apparently it wasn't always a nice day for a white one.

Wait yeah, oh gosh, okay, let me hear the other one, all right?

Basic Come thousand voted a soon count on a alcomvoted.

Fading love all that.

Okay, that was the Tommy James and the Shondell's version.

What do you think he gets into that, Dunny.

Here's the thing, Tommy James has the passion in this song that Billy Idol doesn't have because Billy Idol is like me, he doesn't understand what mony mony is either.

I'm gonna say this, Billy Idol rocked out more than Tommy James.

And I feel like Tommy James wanted to be forefront here because it sounds like the Shondells are in a bathroom down the street.

Yes, yes, okay, So Tommy James version.

It debuted in the top forty on May fourth, nineteen sixty eight.

It was on the chart for thirteen weeks.

It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot one hundred.

It was number one in the UK.

Now that's ironic.

The American had a number one hit in the UK and the guy from the UK had a number one hit in America.

That's sideways, isn't it.

It's just it's a flip flop.

So which version did you hear first?

I think I heard the Tommy James version first.

I think I heard the Billy Idyl version first.

Which version do you like best, Tommy James.

I'm sorry, but that's the an incorrect answer.

No, correct answer is Billy Idol.

No, no, because listen, put your little weird hand thing down.

Listen.

Billy Idol he just kind of phones it in.

He didn't phone it in.

Yeah, to number one, number one and Tommy James.

You know what, Tommy James didn't get somebody to come in and say here she comes now once her alimony like Billy Idol did when weird I'll covered it the same year.

Okay, if you say so.

I still think Tommy James has a passion in his voice that Billy Idol is like I would agree with that.

I agree with that one.

But the backing band was better.

The Schondelle's let me down on this one, and so did all the people who play the instruments.

Okay, so that's why I'm going with Billy and his band.

So who do you like better?

Again, Tommy James, you don't talk.

About Billy Idol that way?

All right?

Moving on.

Time?

The line.

As that one's kind of a bop too, isn't it a little bit?

Yeah, it gives me a little will pick me up.

So tell me what that is.

Okay.

The tide is high, and that one is is the Blondie version?

Yes, originally done by the Paragons?

All right?

Have you ever heard of the Paragons?

Not I've heard of a paradox.

I've heard of a pair of dice, A pair of dice.

Okay.

I don't think I've ever heard of the paragons.

I've heard of a pair of shoes.

I've heard of a parachute.

All right, I think you got me beat there.

Okay, So the Blondie version.

It debuted in the top forty on November twenty, nineteen eighty.

This just came in right at the beginning of the decade, where it was on the chart for seventeen weeks, that.

Is four months.

That's impressive.

So it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred, It peaked at number three on the Adult Contemporary chart, and it was the number seventeen song of the year in nineteen eighty one.

Listen to This.

It was also number one in Canada, the UK, and New Zealand, and it was a top five song in six other countries.

So people liked it.

People liked it I was not one of those people.

What I was not an everyday people with this one.

Oh really?

I hated this song up until about two months ago.

What it came on a list that I was listening to and I just kind of started bopping to it, and I'm like, Eh, maybe I wasn't fair to this song.

I actually kind of like it.

It's not a bad song.

I hated it for the longest time.

Can you play the Paragon's version?

Let's do that.

Just like that?

Are they?

It's not gonna be my number one?

I can tell you that much.

That was rough.

That was rough.

So let me give you a little bit of information for it.

Maybe it'll give you some background on it, maybe help you understand it a little bit more so.

This was written by John Holt, who was a member of the Paragons, which was a group in Jamaica.

It was released in nineteen sixty seven.

It never charted here in the US, and I think we can understand why because that was pretty dreadful.

But the genre is rock steady.

Do you recognize rock steady other than being a song by the Whispers?

Yeah, that's all I know about rockstee So.

This was a successor to ska music and a precursor to reggae.

That's what rock span genre was.

Okay, so I don't even think I need to ask you which version did you hear first?

And I don't think I need to ask you which version do you like better?

Yeah, no, you do not.

The Paragon's version is a little rough.

Now.

I did not realize that Blondie that that was a cover until.

I saw that Paragons that version never charted in the US.

Well there's a reason for that, yeah, I know, right, Yeah.

So, but I like the song.

I mean, I don't like the Paragons version, but you like the Blondie version.

I do.

So.

Blondie did not want to do any covers at all, but she heard that song and just liked it so much and was like, we've got to do it.

I do, missus blonde Debbie.

Harry, Oh, missus Blondie.

No, mister Blondie, after this, can we go get a blondie because I'm kind of hungry?

Yeah, all right.

I don't have a whole lot more to say other than I hated this song and now I like the Blondie version.

But I still get to live in my hate because I heard the Paragon's version.

Oh, I don't hate this next one.

I can tell you that.

All right, let's move on to the next one.

Okay, don't at me, don't at you, don't at me, but I hate that version.

Well, then I guess we don't have to wait till the end of the end of the show where you say which version you like better.

I know we have a lot of people who love van Halen.

That's fine, that was atrocious.

You're gonna get added or I'm gonna get added because I handed to Winter.

The opinions of Lindsay Butler do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the children of the eighties podcast that is pretty Woman or oh, in parentheses, pretty Woman by Van Halen, which.

Was a cover of Roy Orbison.

So this debut in the top forty on June twenty six, nineteen eighty two.

It was on the chart for nine weeks.

It peaked at number twelve on the Billboard Hot one hundred.

But hey, you are about the only person that hated this, because this was number one on the Mainstream Rock chart for two weeks, and it was the number eighty eight song of the Year in nineteen eighty two and I've got a little bit of nugget for you.

So this was to be released as a non album single before they had planned a hiatus, but because it was so successful by listeners other than Lindsey Butler, the record company pressured them into releasing an album, and therefore that's why we have diver Down.

Oh and I think a lot of Van Halen fans may not be super happy about diver Down.

But why did they just kind of have to throw it together?

I mean, it's definitely not nineteen eighty four or any of their earlier stuff.

So this is their third top forty hit, after Danced the Night Away and then another cover of the Kinks You Really Got Me.

And I was really hoping that that had been in the eighties because I was going to include that, But that's actually nineteen seventy eight.

So but that was a good cover.

I think you probably would have liked that version.

I got a feeling that you like this version better.

Pretty woman walking down the street, Pretty Alma, I'm.

Kind of like you me, Pretty Alma.

I don't leave you no one good old as good as you.

Mercy.

Do you think that's where Uncle Jesse had got half Mercy?

From with Roy Orbison, I do, so.

What should give us?

And I know you like that version better, so I'll save my final judgment until we get to the end of what we're going to talk about.

But why don't you go ahead and give the royal information?

So it debuted in the Top forty on September the fifth, nineteen sixty four.

It was on the chart for fourteen weeks.

It peinked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred, where it set for three weeks.

It was also number one in eleven other countries.

It was the number four song of the Year for nineteen sixty four.

It was number seven in the UK.

This was his second and final number one hit.

It was his seventeenth top forty hit.

I feel like like, in my mind, Roy Orbison is a lot more talented, a lot more popular than someone who only had two number one hits.

Who only had two number one hits Orbison, Oh okay, I thought you were comparing him to somebody.

I'm just saying, in my mind.

Talented, yeah, and too popular to have only had.

To have only had two number one hits.

Well, you know me.

I always loved the Traveling Wilbury's and yeah, Roy Orbison was one of them, and unfortunately the first one to pass.

I'm looking at his picture here in the nineteen sixties.

He's got the pompadour, yeah, the black pompadoor, but he might and he's got the Buddy Holly glasses, but he might be the first person with tents.

Well you got the tinted glasses.

Yeah, Well, you know he had an eye condition where his eyes were he was super sensitive to the lights.

Okay, then we're just gonna cut that part out of the podcast.

No, we're not.

We're gonna leave it because when little Lynz comes along and she sees Roy Orbison on TV.

In my house, country music was everything, so they had my parents had already had to explain Ronnie Millsap to me was blind and had to walk me through what that meant.

So when I see Roy Orbison on TV and he's got these dark sunglasses on, I say, oh, he's blind, like Ronnie Millsap, And then my Mom's like, no, he's not blind.

It just blew my mind's and I was like, no, he is, because he's wearing the sunglasses just like Charles.

Where's the sunglasses?

Ronnie Millsap where's the sunglasses?

Stevie wonder where's the sunglasses?

Even though especially when he drives, he wears the sunglasses.

Yes, but Roy.

Orbison were the sunglasses.

But he was not blind, Yeah, correct, but he had some kind of condition His eyes were super sensitive to light, so he always has on these dark sunglines.

Can I get the tents?

Like?

Or no?

And what did I tell you that I can?

That you cannot and that I would actually divor you?

Well, that's right, that's where I was going.

I can, but I will be single after that, so you better not make me madder.

I'm getting the tents all right?

So which version did you hear first?

I didn't even know until I was like an adult that Van Halen had done this song, had covered this.

So Roy Orbison's version is the only version that exists in my world.

So I heard the Roy Orbison version first two.

As I mentioned, my dad listened to a lot of oldies and this was one of them.

I like Roy's version better.

And you can't beat Roy.

No, you can't beat Roy.

I think heart Disease beat Roy.

Y.

I'm going with Roy.

And I also like it the fact that they play it in dumb and.

Dumber, Yes, yes, all right?

Are you ready for our final cover?

When this episode went by fast?

It did it's supposed to, though, I mean our live studio owners can't sit here forever being quiet, trying not to laugh.

All right, I think you're gonna see a pattern here too.

Okay, get away and then it's almost.

No, it doesn't seem to.

I think of us.

Do you recognize this song?

All right?

That is a song that Emmy actually wanted to include in her top ten a couple of weeks ago, and I told her to hold it off and keep it at eleven because we would be playing it as the number one cover here on this episode, and so I made her hold it back, but that probably would have been in her top ten.

That is I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany, originally done.

By Tommy James and the shan Dells.

I mean, is he worth like a billion dollars now?

Because apparently he was cranking out hit after hit after hit in the sixties, and then everybody wants to cover his songs in the eighties, except for I'm a little upset that nobody covered Crystal Blue Persuasion because that's I like that song is one of my favorites.

So this song by Tiffany debuted in the top forty on September twenty sixth, nineteen eighty seven.

It was on the chart for thirteen weeks.

It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot one hundred for two weeks, was also number one in sales and airplay for those two weeks.

Besides reaching the top spot in the United States, it also hit the top spot in six other countries and number two in five more.

It was the number eighteen song of the year in nineteen eighty seven in the US and the number five song of the year in the UK for nineteen eighty eight.

Now, in nineteen eighty seven, you could not have convinced me that this was the eighteenth best song of the year.

I would have said it was probably top five, if not top one.

Yeah, yeah, I would have agreed with you on that back then.

So what do you have to say about miss Tiffany?

So I have al queen, No, I have something to tell you about Tommy James.

Okay, So you're not going to talk anymore about the Redhead other than we know our friend Jason.

I know you, sir, well, I know you're in love with her.

I don't want to talk about it.

I'm not in love with Tiffany.

I was never in love with Tiffany.

I thought you were the Tiffany guy.

I chose Tiffany over Debbie Gibson.

But that doesn't.

You are all about the redhead.

I loved this song.

Yeah no, I love the song too, and I feel like in some way Tiffany got cheated somehow.

It was out of her career.

I don't know what happened, but she never really did much after this.

Well, maybe she was overshadowed by Robin Sparkles.

Probably.

I don't know what happened, but I feel like she deserves a do over.

I mean not now, she's old now, but.

I mean, we really have to wonder what could have been of Tiffany's career.

Yeah we do, all right, Let's listen to the Tommy James version.

That doesn't seem to be any one.

The beating of this is the.

Bus, all right.

So I know you have some thoughts about Tommy James.

Let me give the people the beats and then you just go into it.

So this song debut on the Top forty on March eleventh, nineteen sixty seven, it was on the chart for twelve weeks.

It only peaked at number.

Four on the Billboard Hot one hundred.

I said, only it's a top five hit, but Tiffany had number one, so as a top ten hit in three other countries.

It was the number twelve song of the year in nineteen sixty seven.

So in that way, you know, twenty years before it was higher than Tiffany's.

And so go ahead with your Tommy James.

Okay, So I did a quick Google search.

Tommy James, who sold one one hundred million records, estimated in a twenty twenty one interview that his royalty fortune was somewhere between thirty and forty million dollars.

I believe it.

He said it was difficult to get money from his record labels because Mars Levy was a mob associate.

I thought that was interesting.

It is interesting.

Thirty to forty million.

Emmy, if you're listening, you got to write us a big hit, okay, because Daddy wants to retire at some point and Mommy has a spending habit, and so if you're listening, write a hit song.

Because I want thirty to forty.

I mean, listen, if Mony Mony can be a hit.

Emmy can come up with something better than that.

Money money, That's what I'm thinking.

Yes, I want money, That's what i want, all right.

So which version did you hear first?

I'm not sure if I had to guess the Tommy James version, just because that's the type of music that my parents really listening to.

So I heard the Tiffany version first.

I know that for him, Yeah, because I know that.

When I heard the Tommy James version, I was like, this version sucks and the Tiffany version is better.

I am older now, I am more mature now, and up until two and a half minutes ago, I would have told you that I like the Tiffany version better.

Well what just changed?

I just listened to the Tommy James versions.

This is brilliant music, and so I'm going down.

Brilliant, brilliant.

I'm still going with Tiffany's version, Okay.

I mean it's close, it's not like it's a runaway.

It's probably a photo finish.

I mean, I hope the mom doesn't come out which one of them has the bigger nose, Tiffany or Tommy James, because that's my winner.

You know, you win by a nose and horse racing James, whoever has the bigger nose than is that because he's older and our noses never quit growing.

Yep, all right, so you like the Tiffany version better.

I think we disagreed on almost everything here.

Well, that sounds about right.

That'scept for pretty woman.

That's us in Crimson and Clover.

We didn't disagree on that.

That's agreed, And I guess I guess we also agreed on everyday people, yes, But other than that we were pretty far off.

So you know, I'm a nerd.

I've got stats.

Let me give the final stats fifteen half.

Here, we have five number ones in the nineteen eighties and five in the previous decades as well.

All of them spent a total of twenty eight weeks at the top spot on various US charts.

We also have number ones in forty five countries.

Now, if we're just talking the nineteen eighties, we had a song from nineteen eighty, We had two from eighty two, one from eighty three, and four from eighty seven.

Apparently eighty seven was the year of the covers.

You know what else was in eighty seven?

What George Harrison's Got My Mindset on You, which was also a cover.

Oh wow, you're right.

So apparently eighty seven was the year of the covers.

Jitals.

So there were six songs in the nineteen sixties, one in the fifties, and one in the seventies.

I know, we said we were going to stick to the fifties and sixties, but I just had to go lean on me because it's so popular in nineteen eighty seven.

Yeah, yeah too.

All right, So I guess that wraps us up here for another episode.

So hit the subscribe button so you're guaranteed not to miss a show.

We would appreciate it.

If you haven't already, or even if you have, go ahead and give us a five star rating and review.

It helps us out with the algorithm.

It makes us show up in.

What feeds, feeds, whatever, just need it.

Yeah, I'm ready for some feeds.

We have any pizza left and tell somebody, Yeah, definitely tell somebody.

That also helps the show grow.

Yeah, you know, we just want to get this show out to as many people as possible.

You can reach us on email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

There are you still on thread everywhere?

All right, So our social media handle is at Children of Underscore eighties on all those various products if you want to email us Children of the nineteen eighties at gmail dot com.

Well, until next time.

We want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

Oh absolutely, as this episode will be dropping the day before Thanksgiving, So if you're old like us, you're probably not going to go out partying on Wednesday nights like I did in my twenties and thirties, and then eat a nice, big fat hangover meal the next day, because if you did that, you probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

So sleep well, folks, and then eat a nice big Thanksgiving meal.

And then get ready for the Black Friday deals.

Yes, you can't go wrong with them.

Do people go to brick and mortar stores anymore?

They just do it all online.

I just do it all online.

But I think some people still that is fun.

It used to be fun to wake up at five am on Black Friday and go hit the door opener deals.

I know ruined it by opening up on Thanksgiving and all that stuff, making people open up on Thanksgiving.

So all right, I guess that concludes us now.

Okay, well until next time, and I'm Lindsay we are children of the eighties.

I like how you slowed it down there at the end.