The 80’s – the decade of big hair. Isn’t that how we remember it? For me, the 80’s is a pretty expansive decade. Being a decade baby (born on the actual decade – yes I made that term up) the decades seem pretty huge to me. Especially the 80’s. It started in my early adolescence, then there was middle school, high school, and my first year of college, that’s a lot of music to cover. So excuse me if I cheat. Because I’m going to. So, for The 80’s part 1 I am going to start in the middle.
In 1985 I started high school; I was always a floater. Never one of the popular kids, never one of the Geeks, always in between – somewhere in the nether regions of the social strata. I was an artist, a musician, a good student, athletic (although I hated being in the sports I was coerced to participate in by my “convinced I needed it for college” parents) but I still had that desire to push the limits. The popular group of kids pushed too, so I hung with them all through middle school. I was still on the outside – they did not “get” me.
I hadn’t seen my friends all summer when I walked into the high school to buy my books for freshman year. When my friends from middle school spied the beginnings of a mohawk and blue stripes dyed in the shaven sides of my head, I was immediately ostracized. Welcome to my high school experience. FYI – all of your fave John Hughes movies were filmed in my neck of the woods, I wasn’t quite Ally Sheedy to Molly Ringwald, but it was pretty darn close.
That’s me on the left.
There was one place I was always accepted absolutely. No strings attached. It didn’t matter who I was at home, actually my unique blend of personality traits was quite acceptable there. Summer camp, not just any summer camp, a camp I went to for 8 weeks every summer for 10 years. At 7 years old, my parents stuck me on a bus in June, visited once in July and didn’t see me again until August. Yup, as a mom it seems unfathomable for me, but back in the 70’s – if you could afford it – it was pretty common place in my neighborhood to rid yourself of your kids for the summer. Lucky for me they picked the best place in the world. Harand Camp – Theater in the Sun. (I’m in good company, among other famous alum – because you know I’m famous – are Billy Zane, Virginia Madsen and Jeremy Piven) At Harand it didn’t matter if you were a geek, an artist, popular, athletic or just weird. Because at Harand; “No Man is an Island.” (this is an actual video from the camp) Every time the whole camp would gather for some event, we would sing that song, with our arms over each others shoulders. And you know what? We really meant it.
When you get a group of kids together who love to sing and perform, you’re bound to get a pretty good mix of musical tastes. It was here that I first started listening to New Wave Music, and later got in to what the new Punk Rock was called “Hard Core.” Of course it was also here that my love of show tunes was fostered, and beautiful harmonies sung to the classics were created. For now, we’ll go with what got the most play on our old cassette players in our cabin.
There’s going to be two parts to this list, I can’t figure out how to name them… how about Happy List and The Ally Sheedy List
The Happy List
Club Tropicana – Wham
I Want Candy – Bow Wow Wow
Rich Girl – Hall & Oates
Apache – Sugar Hill Gang (this is back when rap was something)
The Ally Sheedy List
Mad World – Tears For Fears
Wouldn’t it be Good – Nik Kershaw
Only You – Yaz
Close to Me – The Cure
New Order – True Faith (As I entered my senior year in high school my gift for theater mixed with my love of music and art found a new expression. I became the lighting director for all of the school productions. If only I knew that you were “allowed” to make this a career. This song was the last one I directed, I still hear the lighting cues in my head when I listen.)
This picture was taken at camp it is half costume – half reality. We did a costume ball, I didn’t really need to dress up, that was the real me; my boyfriend was Ziggy Stardust – the only part that was a costume for him was the lightning; the hair, the eye makeup – all him. This one is for Lance from My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog. I promised him this picture a while back, here it is.
Now it’s your turn. I want to hear what you’ve got! This week’s them is The 80’s Part 1, so – if you’re doing the math – Part 2 will be next week.
The rules of Twisted MixTape are as such: Try and create a 5 song mix based on this week’s theme. As we move through the decades the assumption is you know about the music in the past, but not what is to come. Create your own post and link it up, or put your mix in the comments. If you’re going to link-up there must be a song – relating to the theme – in your post. Share this all over the place, the more the merrier. And Go visit my lovely, mostly Co-Host – Kristi at Finding Ninee. She’s always got a song, a funny story and some silly Drawrings. Mostly, just have fun, there’ s no pressure here.
http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=199000
If you must own these songs, and I know you must, click these links to go to iTunes:
Club Tropicana – Fantastic
I Want Candy – The Best of Bow Wow Wow
Rich Girl – The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates (Remastered)
Apache – The Sugar Hill Records Story
Mad World – The Hurting (Remastered)
Wouldn’t It Be Good – Pretty In Pink (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Only You – Upstairs At Eric’s
Close to Me – The Head On the Door
True Faith – Total
Jen Kehl 
Great picture, great hair, and great story. So you knew those actors? Like, you all did camp stuff together? You can do stanislaski or meisnner techniques?
wow
I’ll dig up my 1987/1988 pictures for next week. great post
I’ll be waiting for those pictures Lance!
Loved many of your selections and still think Yaz’s Only You is still one of my all time favorites. I love how you split this list and another great decade list once again, but then again I wouldn’t expect anything less!!
Thank you Janine, you must have some 80’s faves. Lay them on me!
Nice list. I”m pretty sure Bow wow wow is going to be on my list next week. I already started the list. 😉 And nice pic!
Thanks Kate! IT WAS SO HARD!
I don’t even remember that Club Tropicana song…nor the Sugar HIll Gang song. Where the heck was I?
Kate, I think I learned those from the hip city kids 🙂
Great list! I cannot lie…I love Bow Wow Wow…my daughter and I sing that song in the car all the time! Now she knows the HOP version better than the original…but she does LOVE the song so I guess that’s all that matters right?! OK…so now I have that song playing in my head! Thanks for that too! 😉
I haven’t unrolled Bow Wow Wow for my boy yet, I am afraid once I start I won’t be able to shut it off.
Dude… that is one rockin list you got there. The 80s was such an interesting decade for music, though the fashion did leave some to be desired! I’ll be lacing up my neon high tops and sharing my list tomorrow! 🙂
Sarah my friend, it was hard to narrow it down. And the pictures, do I have pictures!
Big hair and big fun was had by all in the ’80s. You had a really cute hairstyle. I was kind of an in-betweener too; hanging out with the band geeks (I was one) and the burnouts. Good choices!
Thanks Linda! Yeah…the burnouts (we called them pitsters) is next week!
Oh man, I only remember about half those songs! Love the picture!
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I love this!!! Thanks for a nostalgic trip back to the 80s! I also had way too big hair – the bangs? How did we get them to stick up so high?
I must have been an Ally Sheedy type – definitely liked all of those songs. My dad was HUGE into New Order in the 80s and played them all the time, I always joke that New Order was the soundtrack to my childhood. Great post 🙂
Wow Sarah, I can’t imagine having a parent that listened to New Order. Amazing. I had a picture that illustrated super-high bangs, but it was too dark and didn’t show up. Boo.
What would we clarks do without Mr. Smith LOL I was lucky to see them, albeit in the mid 90’s, at GMU in Virginia. I so luv, luv the Cure:)
Great post Jen! Always heard about the camp thing but never went to one myself. If ever I would have been sent….I would’ve liked it to have been Harand Camp. Excellent endorsement.
This has become one of my favorate places to go every Tuesday. Have been to Kristi’s and the Doctrine. On to….let’s try Lance. This is fun. Thanks:)
Thanks Girlie! I know about Robert Smith 🙂 I almost went completely down that path, but figured variety was good! I am so glad you came by, maybe play sometime?
Love this. Even better I was there with ya.xoxo
Love you Al!
Those photos are CLASSIC. How sad the textile industry must have been when the 80s and the gigantic sweaters and car coats drew to a close. Aqua Net: also sad.
Great mix today – Bow Wow Wow was my first show and I was the same age as Annabelle Lwin (14) – something that BLEW MY MIND.
Thanks for the memories, Not-Ally-Sheedy
Thanks Nancy! I just saw Kenny Loggins doing the video for Heart to Heart. Oh the sweater…
Love your list and that you were daring enough to post pictures 🙂 Oh and you totally inspired my blog post today. 🙂
Wow… Great list. Chuckled at the videos: They are all soooooo 80’s!!! Crazy… Loved your story & pics, Slu
Thanks Slu!
Sorry for the late reply, hope you come back today 🙂
“I was still on the outside – they did not “get” me.”
yeah, I think I might identify with that… you know, there is/was and odd thing about (many) of our people in high school, or maybe it was just me, but I could hang with virtually any of the cliques… I was fairly fluent in VocEd, ChessClub…Honor Society, even the jocks… I just was never invited to join. lol
I suspect that is a factor in the eclecticism in the lists found on these pages…
I am enjoying this 80s tour even more than the 70s in an odd way.
Hey Clark
Can’t wait for your next list, I totally agree with your take on our Clarkishness in high school!
Those first two on the Ally Sheedy list are AWESOME!!
I would have hung out with you (no one but the band geeks were hanging with me back then).
Lori~ Love it. I would’ve hung out with you too!
I think after every breakup I spent a dark two hours locked in my bedroom listening to nothing but The Cure over and over and over again.
Tracy – That’s why I can’t listen to The Cure now… too too dark. But worth the mention!
I love your 80s tapes!! I literally feel like I just dug out my favorite old tapes that I used to listen to during happy and tormented times!
I graduated in 85 and these songs remind me of so much. Thank you!! Love it!
I’m so glad you listen, now it’s time to add a little input too!
Had to listen to Wouldn’t it be nice and only you- made me smile
🙂
Jen!! I LOVE how you did two lists!! You are totally awesome and now I cannot believe I forgot about Yaz. Or that Mad World song (the other version is really good too but I think it came later??). Ally Sheedy was kick@ss! And so were you – I’m totally digging your sultry half-smile expression on the lower photo. And the hair. Digging the hair. Also I Want Candy and Mad World are both looping through my brain right now. Does that mean I am Ally or Happy??
TTTx10
Kristi! Better late than never huh? That is a new new version of Mad World out there. Thank you for loving my list! TTTx10!
Still picking myself up from laughing so hard at that picture. In a good way.
The 80’s are a time that I wish I lived. I was ALIVE, but not old enough to enjoy this awesome genre of music! Five will be hard, but I’ll give it a whirl…
Dolly Parton- 9 to 5. Not what I typically think of as “80’s music” but this is my go-to karaoke song (Ohh that would be a good list!!) and I had to include it!
Madonna- Like a Virgin. Iconic.
Dire Straits- Money for Nothing. I remember watching this video on MTV even though I was like 2… weird.
Bon Jovi- I was GONNA list a song here but… I just can’t. They’re ALL too good.
Heart- Alone. Oh man does this bring back memories from every decade of my life!
Paula Abdul- Straight Up!
Oops, I went over. And I forgot there are two weeks of this! I should’ve thought of a theme!
Nanny awesomeness ~ Thank you for your list, it made it to my YouTube playlist!
Nik Kershaw, swoon. Another of my early life theme songs – perfect!
Troy ~ I know…there was something about that velvet voice!
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I had a smile the whole time reading this. I worked at a summer camp for 2 years and I have a whole bundle of memories from those 2 summers that make me happy just thinking about them.
Also, you were a total babe in the 80’s! I wish my 80’s pictures weren’t in storage right now!
Thanks Jean, summer camp was the best wasn’t it. And what pictures were you looking at?!
Oh, Wham! and Hall & Oates. Excellent picks. Those should be on mine! Maybe next week. I steal from you, lady. mwah hah haaaaa.
Once in a Lifetime — Talking Heads (1980)
Don’t Stop Believin’ — Journey (1981)
Come on Eileen — Dexys Midnight Runners (1982)
Blister in the Sun — Violent Femmes (1983)
Take On Me — A-ha (1985)
The only one I was really “sentient” for, musically speaking, that is, was Take On Me. Oh, that video on MTV! I’ll never forget it. First love is so sweet.
Can’t believe you are on #14 already!
Yea Deb! All songs added to the YouTube playlist!
The “happy” list is perfect for the 80’s! And the word “expansive” sums it up so well. I loved learning about you in this post, Jen. I was also an 80’s baby. I am TERRIBLE at writing off prompts. I don’t know why. But…maybe, I’ll see if I can do 80’s part two…
Thanks Rachel…it’s not really a prompt, it’s a go through your music collection and pick out some or one fave! You can do it!
Sorry to say, but I’m a 90’s gamer kid that fell in love with pokemon and anime music at an early age haha! Still, I wish that I lived in the 80’s sometimes to see Eurythmics, Wham, the beginnings of Bon Jovi, and even become a growing fan of Dream Theater when they came out.
Keith – I love to have some young blood interject. Next week is the 90’s, give us a shout out with your picks!
I love Sugar Hill Gang!! Awesome list as always.
Thanks Donetta!
I almost forgot to say I adore your photos too!!!! You had a cool boyfriend!!
God I love the 80’s and their music and fashion and really just everything about that decade. Excellent choices here! :)-Ashley
Thanks Ashely more to come!
I want to see mohawk and blue stripes!! In middle school I put little purple strips into my hair and got into big trouble for it. I was such a straightlaced kid that the principal couldn’t believe I had done it. The funnniest part was that I thought it would wash out, but apparently I had bought permanent dye and it grew out about 6 months later. Haha. Hey, I don’t know why my blog unsubscribed you…? Maybe try to subscribe again, and if that doesn’t work, add me to your “blogs I follow” list–that’s what I do when a blog is giving me trouble subscribing. And I always post on Fridays, so there’s that…but I know how hard it is to remember things like that when we’re all so busy! I know where you are–I’ll just keep bugging you on your blog so you don’t forget about me. 🙂
Shay I could never forget about you, and you are on my blogs I follow list!
I just left a long-ass comment and now I can’t find it. I guess that’s what I get for blathering on and on!! Haha
I so wish we had known each other in high school. I, too, had the shaved hair on the side of my head, which my friends thought was weird. Then I let it grow really long and sideswept so you couldn’t always see my face. And I wore black. A lot. Needless to say, my gang of friends composition from freshman year to senior year changed significantly.
The 80s…how about OMD, Huey Lewis (sometimes I’m mainstream), Erasure, Depeche, and of course, A-ha.
We would have been buds, I’m sure!