Friday Nite Video (New Edition)

How many boy bands were there during the 80's and 90's? Several. Tonight's group was the first. New Edition. AND they were probably the most talented of all of them. Their sound was a funk/R &B mix. The boys met up and joined together all the way back in 1978. Wow, Can you believe that? The boys played at various talent shows and events around the Boston area which was where they all were from. The boys soon caught the eye of a Boston area manager who quickly signed on with the guys and it was that manager that suggested the name New Edition, meaning these boys were a new edition of The Jackson Five. With their new manager getting them more and more exposure, soon the group entered a talent show that was going to award a recording contract to the lucky winner. New Edition came in second and missed out on the prize but another recording agent was there and offered the boys a recording contract and the very next day New Edition was in the studio working on their soon to be released debut album. Candy Girl was recorded in 1982 and released in 1983 and the boys were riding high. Candy Girl did very well and saw several songs on there do very well also. After that followed the usual bickering and fighting that comes with success and money. Soon New Edition had a brand new management team and had signed another recording contract. 1984 would see the release of their next album, New Edition. New Edition did even better in sales then Candy Girl did. Their third album, All For Love, came out the following year in 1985. Later on in 85 New Edition had had enough of trouble maker Bobby Brown and forced him out of the band. Bobby went on to launch a solo career and whup up on Whitney Houston. Soon after that the boy's hired Johnny Gill and started to work on their fifth album while releasing a song here and there for various TV shows and even appeared in the movie Krush Groove. Finally in 1988, the boys released Heart Break and it was by far the bands most success album. The songs were more adult in sound and style and produced five hit singles. Tonight's video is one of those songs. Soooo, before there was New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync, there was New Edition. THEY had talent. From 1988, its Can You Stand The Rain by a more mature and grown up New Edition. Enjoy!

Last Call

I thought of this story the other morning as I was showering for work. The moral of it? I don't know but I thought it would make a neat story.
"Last call," Joe, the big, thick shouldered bartender said to the last patrons still gathered at the Starlight bar and lounge. Merely saying it was enough. No need to shout, everyone could hear him just fine. It was a Wednesday night. Not crowded like it could get on the weekends. Tonight at closing time it was only the people who needed to be here. Needed the comfort of being with other people. Needed the comfort that the alcohol could bring. Needing to forget things that troubled them. Larry Martin was spending more and more time here at the Starlight. He sought comfort in the gin and tonics he downed on the nights he was here. Only the alcohol could numb him to the guilt and the pain he felt everyday. "One more Joe," Larry told his friend. "Come on Larry, don't you think you've had enough?" "Yes, I have and one more won't hurt" replied Larry. "Okay then, you got it" answered Joe. Larry WAS spending more and more time here at the bar across the street from where he lived. He had moved into a small apartment after the divorce and the Starlight was a short five, six minute walk tops. No driving involved. Walk over, stagger back. It was a routine Larry was getting familiar with. Every day, every night going over the same thoughts in his head. The guilt, the shame and the pain. The mistake that had cost him everything. Larry had it all at one time. A beautiful wife, a nice home with a two car garage and a swimming pool. Now, it was all gone. His wife had left after finding him with another woman. Her and her lawyer had taken everything from him. How could he have been so weak and stupid? He didn't even have any feelings for the other woman. She was just a new neighbor who had moved in across the street and she had paid a lot of attention to Larry from the beginning and Larry noticed. He also noticed her. She stared at him whenever he was outside washing the car or mowing the lawn. She was beautiful, no doubt but Larry was happily married. He should have known better when she knocked on the door that one day when his wife had left to go run errands in town and she introduced herself as Gina and then how she had moved closer to him and suddenly Larry felt that rush of desire start to stir inside of him. And why o why didn't he push her away when she reached out to embrace him and instead he took her in his arms and soon they were kissing and exploring each other with their hands as their kisses became more intense and passionate. "Do you want me Larry," Gina asked. "Oh yes, I want you," Larry answered in between kisses. Larry knew what he was doing was wrong but he couldn't stop. Somehow they ended up upstairs in his bedroom. On the bed he shared with his wife. Completely caught up in the moment, oblivious to their surroundings. So much so that Larry never even heard Carol come in the house and walk up the stairs and into the bedroom. Only when Carol started screaming for him to get out did Larry come to his senses and with horror realize what he was doing but by then it was to late. Carol filed for divorce soon after that and now this was the new Larry Martin. Living in a tiny apartment, having lost all that was dear to him, spending more and more time here in this place, getting comfort from his pain and guilt. So yes, he would have one more. Last call was also when the other patrons sized up the remaining customers at the bar and decided who they would hit up before Joe started chasing them all out for the night. Most of the people here knew each other but there were always a few new faces in the mix. Others here hurting, trying to forget about mistakes from their past, seeking comfort anyway they could find it. In a glass or a bottle or with someone. No one wanted to go home alone and last call also meant last chance. But Larry had no interest in going home with anyone. His hurt was to fresh, to painful. The gin was his friend, nothing else mattered to him. As the last drinks were being served and the people started coupling up, Larry noticed her sitting across the bar all alone, by herself. She had striking features and she caught Larry completely off guard. And she was looking at Larry. "Where did that woman come from?" wondered Larry to himself. He had been here since 9, sitting in the same spot, the same seat all night since he arrived. Had not seen her until now. Something about the woman seemed to capture Larry. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. And she was smiling at him! "Hey Joe," whispered Larry to his buddy Joe. "How long has that woman been here?" "She came in about a half hour ago," answered Joe. "I asked her what she wanted and she ordered a glass of chardonnay and said she was supposed to be meeting someone here. I wondered who that could be a 1:20 in the morning but hey, who am I to question her. Besides, shes a good looking dame, don't you think?" " Yes, she sure is" replied Larry. He had a heck of a buzz going from the gin but Larry could feel the woman's eyes going beyond just looking at him. They were piercing into him. Looking and seeing into his very being. Reading him almost. And there was something strangely familiar about the women. Larry couldn't help feeling like he knew this woman but he was quite sure he had never seen this person before. She had such striking features that Larry most certainly would have remembered her. "Hey Joe, wish me luck. I'm going to go introduce myself to her" Larry said to Joe. "Yeah, okay. Good luck but be careful, you've had a lot to drink my friend." "I'm fine" whispered back Larry. Slowly and steadily Larry stood up. Joe was right, he HAD had a lot to drink. "Don't mess this up Larry" he thought to himself. As Larry approached the woman she watched him intently as he made his way to her from the other end of the bar. "Hi there, my names Larry Martin. Mind if I sit here?" "Hi Larry, no I don't mind, please do. I've been watching you since I arrived here tonight. Your very handsome and you remind me of someone I once knew. My name is Sabina. Its a pleasure to meet you." And then Sabina offered her hand to Larry. Not so he could shake it but instead she offered it in a way that relayed that Larry was to take it, embrace it, feel it. Larry did and strangely enough, he raised it up to his mouth where he then kissed it. And when he did Larry felt a stirring inside of him that he had not felt in sometime. As Larry stared at the woman he felt carried away from the bar where they sat. They people and the noises around him faded out to where it was just him and Sabina. Was it the alcohol? Maybe. He certainly had consumed enough of it. But it wasn't. Larry felt very small, very insignificant next to this woman. Her presence overpowered him. Larry tried to clear his throat. "Uhh, my place is right across the street. Would you like to see it? We can have another drink there if you would like but I'm afraid I don't have any wine. Only the strong stuff." "I'd like that Larry," said Sabina in a very raspy, seductive voice. "But you never did get your last gin and tonic Larry. I saw you order it after the bartender announced it was last call but you made your way over here before he could serve you. Don't you still want it?" she asked Larry. "That's weird, how did she know what I was drinking, thought Larry to himself. "Maybe she asked Joe. Maybe she was going to buy me one" Larry thought to himself. "No, I'm quite fine without it" he answered her. Larry quickly paid his bill and escorted Sabina out the door and across the road. Normally, this was a very busy highway but at 2 in the morning there was not a car in sight. Four minutes later Larry was fumbling in his pockets for his keys to his apartment. Fumbling because Sabina was all over him, kissing him and pulling his face into her own. Finally, Larry got his hands on his keys and was able to unlock the door to his apartment. Going inside and shutting the door behind him only caused Sabina to kiss him with more abandonment. As they kissed and groped at each other they made there way into Larry's bedroom. Falling on the bed, Larry and Sabina ripped at each others clothes. Soon Sabina had Larry's shirt off. Larry returned the favor to Sabina only tearing it off instead of taking it off. Other articles followed and soon they were completely lost in the moment. Larry felt that familiar feeling of passion and desire return. At that moment he was out of control, no longer in control but powerless to the desires of this woman. And this woman seemed to desire a lot. She kissed Larry all over his body, starting with his lips and going down along his neck and then his chest. Larry was powerless to stop her as she climbed on top of him and took him. It had been so long since Larry had been with anyone like this. It had been Gina, the old neighbor to be exact. The moment when Larry had lost everything that had mattered to him. As Sabina continued to be on top of Larry she flattened herself across his chest and began licking and kissing his left ear. "Do you want me Larry?" whispered Sabina in Larry's ear. Larry's heart seemed to stop. Was it possible? And Larry suddenly knew that it was. This was her. He just knew it. That's why she seemed so familiar sitting in the Starlight. She didn't look like Gina the old neighbor but it was her, he was sure of it. He grabbed the back of her hair and tried to pull her head away from him but she fought him. He tried to push her away from him, off of him but he couldn't. Then terror started to rise in him as Sabina started to laugh, only it was a laugh like he had never heard before. Not a laugh like you would hear that would be a response to something funny but a laugh that said I WON! A scream started to form in Larry's throat but he couldn't release it. Fear had closed off his throat, making it difficult to breath. Plus his heart was about to explode out of his chest. Finally, the thing on top of him pulled away from the side of his head and raised up and looked at him. Then Larry knew true terror, true horror. This thing on him wasn't Sabina or Gina or any other woman for that matter. It's face was old, wrinkled, ancient. It's eyes burned like two red coals. The smooth skin was gone, replaced by what could only be described as a hard, dark shell. And then Larry understood. This was death. Death had taken him inside of her/it. Death had come to the Starlight looking for him, waiting to meet him there. And he had invited it to come home with him. "Last Call Larry" the thing said to him as it opened it's mouth to reveal teeth that resembled razors and bore down on him. And Larry Martin was no more.

Friday Nite Video (Grand Master Flash)

Almost all rappers today owe something to Joseph Saddler. Who's that? He's the guy otherwise known as Grandmaster Flash. G.F is the innovator of much of rap musics techniques and sounds. He started out DJ'ing in the 70's and hit it big in 1977 when he formed the group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Grandmaster was responsible for developing the scratching technique and other record spinning tricks. They coined the word 'hip hop'. They started freestyle battles where they made other rappers look silly. They released their first single in 1979 called Superrappin. Their next release was a 7 minute soundtrack of Grandmaster tearing up a turntable called The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel. After that the group added and contributed to several other artists songs. But their biggest hit came in 1982 when they released The Message. The Message showed off their strong rapping skills and sealed their legacy as rap pioneers. They went on to release a few more songs after that and even appeared in a movie but like most groups who find success they were soon fighting and bickering about which direction to go and the group parted ways. They all went separate ways and found success in other ventures and they all even did a reunion tour ( isn't that something that is required of aging broken up bands?) In 2007 the group was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the first hip hop band to earn that distinction. So see, it's not just my opinion that they were great. A whole lot of others thought so too. From 1982, its G.F and the Furious Five and The Message. Enjoy!

Friday Nite Video (Van Halen)

Alrighty folks. Time to talk about one of my favorite bands of the 80's. Van Halen. One of the greatest hard rock bands EVER if you ask me. I loved V.H back in the day. They had a sound that was all their own. They rocked out. Eddie Van Halen could absolutely shred a guitar to pieces. I loved them. I drew their logo on everything. I knew all the words to their songs. Hard, cutting edge music. V.H started all the way back in 1972 by brothers Alex and Eddie Van Halen. Two years later they added Michael Anthony for the bass and David Lee Roth as their lead singer. They released their first album in 1978 simply titled Van Halen and it was a big success, containing several now classic V.H songs. Then came Van Halen II and several more album releases after that. But with success comes troubles. Tensions started growing between Roth and Eddie as Roth's in your face antics started frustrating Eddie and the other band members. Each one of them had different ideas for which direction the band should go. Their album 1984 would be their last release before either David Lee left or was fired from the band, depending on who you asked. 1984 also was a album that featured a change of sound for the group as more synthesizers and keyboards were used. Several songs on that album hit the top ten also. I remember I didn't care for the new sound at first but it did grow on you after awhile. After Roth left V.H soon hired on vocalist Sammy Hager and the big debate began. Were you a Roth led V.H fan or were you a Sammy "Van Hager" fan. Me? I was and am Roth all the way. I loved his onstage antics and early V. H music. I personally couldn't stand what the band became with Hager singing and I never had any interest in their music that they made with him. For me, V.H sucked after Diamond Dave left. Recently, the band reunited with Roth and Eddies son replaced Anthony on bass and did a tour. I didn't see them but it was a success and they supposedly have a new album that is soon to be released. We will see I guess. The video I'm showing tonight is from their album 1984 and it became the anthem song from that album. Yes, it features Roth as the lead singer, no Sammy Hager on here from me! It has keyboards AND a great Eddie guitar solo. It's a great song from a great band. From 1984, here's Jump from Van Halen. Enjoy!

Friday Nite Video (Whodini)

I really loved me some Whodini back in the day. When I had my car and I was in high school you can best believe the rap pounding out of the speakers was from a select few rappers and one of them was the group Whodini. These guys were smooth, funky and COOL!! Whodini was made up of three rappers named Jalil, Ecstasy and turntable mixer Grandmaster Dee. Like their lyrics said they were Born and raised in the streets of Brooklyn, there's three of us and we're all good looking. Well, I don't know about the good looking part but they could throw it down. They had a hit list a mile long that included the two big hits of their first self titled album Haunted House of Rock and Magic's Wand. Their second album, Escape was released in 1984 and it kicked butt! Hits from it included Friends, Five Minutes of Funk and Freaks Come Out at Night. If I was riding around town there was a pretty good chance a Whodini song was blasting out of my pioneer stereo system, rattling the windows with the booming bass. But for me, their best album was their third one titled Back in Black. I remember the day I went to the mall to buy that cassette (remember, this is old skool video) and I opened it up and put it in to listen to on the way home. Wow! I had three friends with me and we were all blown away. Every song on that tape was good! No filler songs on that album. It started off with the song Funky Beat which was killer and just built up from there. When that tape ended we were all speechless. We had just heard one of the best rap albums up to that point and to this day I remember all the words to all those songs. Whodini put a couple more albums out after that and they were good but nothing like Escape and Back in Black. Those two albums remain high on my list as best rap albums ever. So what song to feature tonight. I wanted to do about six different ones but I finally chose the calmer, more laid back song One Love from Back in Black. Why? I think its as reverent today as it was back then. We're all looking for that "One Love" and some of us have found it and some of us are still looking. The three guys are all rapping about one's they thought were their One Loves but for one reason or another they weren't. Then they all share some advice on finding yours and how to keep them. Its light hearted, its got a great beat and its Whodini! Also notice in the beginning of the video when the three of them are on the balcony and the New York skyline is behind them. Look beyond the guys and you'll see the twin towers looming in the background. From 1986 and from the group that always kicked butt its One Love from Whodini. Yeah, now that Whodini's inside the joint! Enjoy!

Innocence

When do we cross that threshold where we are innocent and trusting and we believe everything anyone tells us? That time when we're young and everything is right in the world and there is no such thing as a bad person who wants to hurt anyone. The time when we are invincible and nothing can hurt or harm us. Life is just starting and we can do anything we want and have a lifetime to decide People don't lie and everyone is someone who can be trusted? Everyone is a friend whether we have meet them or not. That time when we are young growing up and all we know is that world where we live and everything outside of that world is so different then what we know. Our parents are our guardians, always there to protect us. If we have a bad dream in the middle of the night we can always go get in bed with them and we are safe from anything or any monster. Our dad's are the hardest workers in the world and our moms can do anything. When we don't feel good she can make it better just by sitting by our bed and caressing us. The way she wraps us up and puts that pillow under our head is medicine in its self. There is a Santa Claus and magic is real and we will always be a kid and never get older and turn into a grownup. All the people in our grade at school are people we have known forever and will always know and we will be friends forever. Even growing up won't change that. We can go outside and play and we can become that imaginary hero who steps in to save the day. Aunts and Uncles will be there forever and never change. They do things different then our family does things but that's okay. We love them and they love us. All is well with the world and we are full of innocence and nothing will ever change that.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to my nephew Spencer Hill and Shelia Mason. Spencer proposed to Shelia on the 4th of July after watching the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom on the beach at Disney's Polynesian Resort. Best of luck to the two of them!