Two dollars.

“Best Adventures (Remix)” – Thinkman 
Long time between updates, I know. Rupert Hine tried to pull a Milli Vanilli back in 1986. Thinkman was a “virtual band” with hired actors as band members on live performances. Hine was mostly known as a successful music producer, having worked with the likes of Jon Pertwee (the 3rd Doctor Who, track that song down for a snicker), Tina Turner, Howard Jones and The Fixx. The critics were very negative to his solo recording efforts so he decided to have a laugh at them by forming this faux group. Best Adventures is probably the best Fixx song they never recorded and is from the Thinkman‘s debut album, The Formula. Miami Vice plug #999: Featured in the 3rd season episode Red Tape, guest-starring Lou-Diamond Philips and Viggo Mortensen.  Hine also happened to write and produce most of the soundtrack to the 80′s movie classic Better Off Dead, starring John Cusack. 8:58 @ 320 kbs.
Download

Aboriginally.

“Beds Are Burning (Kintore East)” – Midnight Oil

Australian super group.1987. The song was taken from the tribute LP to the plight of the Aborigines and the environment, Diesel And Dust. This version has also been released as the Kintoris Mix and the  Tamarama Mix. It was covered by a female 80′s group and called the BananaTamaRama Mix. Somebody’s lyyyyying. The Yuendemu Percapella Mix I’m throwing in with this has been also been released as the Percapella Kangaroo Mix The transition is odd though. Yeah, no stereotypes here. Ga’day Wendy. That’s not a skip at the 1:22 mark on the Kintore Mix either. The transition is odd though. 

Download Kintore East Mix

Yuendemu Percapella Mix

Burning white heat.

“Rain In The Summertime (Through The Haze Mix)” – The Alarm

Flashback to 1987 for The Alarm‘s 3rd studio album and dig today’s meager offering to you and yours. Also available: The Lightning Mix. Both of these mixes were done by Steve Thompson for those keeping score, running 8:05 and 7:14 @ 320 kbs. The band is from North Wales and formed in the 70′s. Less yapping = more downloading.

Through The Haze Mix Download

Lightning Mix Download

More beans, Mr. Taggart?

The Black Hole #1-4 & Annual #1
At the time it was the most expensive film Disney ever produced and it was blasted by critics. The Black Hole movie was released in Decmber of 1979 but the Whitman comics here came out in 1980 – so yes, they belong on an 80′s blog. Now (at the risk of unleashing a major spoiler on a 30 year old flick) the crew of the Palomino were sucked into the film’s namesake at the end. Our friends at Whitman decided to show you a little taste of what happened on the other side. Regrettably, there were only two issues that show the “Beyond” aftermath with the promise of more at the end of #4…that still has yet to be published. The Annual is mostly reprints of the series with better scans so I included it anyway for that reason and because there is a nifty little “Making Of” article. The film is a guilty pleasure for me and was chock full-a iconic stars: Mr. Taggart aka Slim Pickens, Norman Bates aka Anthony Perkins, Max Cherry aka Robert Forster and Cornelius aka Roddy McDowell. Disney has plans to remake the film and I don’t think I’ll care for it or the new Tron, but they didn’t ask me so what do I care? Whattaya gon’ do?
Download

Eyes of the world.

“Biko (Video Mix)” – Peter Gabriel
This version of Gabriel’s tribute to South Africa’s Steve Biko came out  in 1987 as part of the movie Cry Freedom – about Biko’s struggle against Apartheid. Some new guy named Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for that movie too. Biko, the song, was originally released in 1980 and featured (you guessed it) on the 1st season Miami Vice episode Evan. There are probably a million live versions of this song out there but I think this is probably the best. I’ve also included the original b-side’s single edit and No More Apartheid by Gabriel in this download.

Download

By the power of…

DC Comics Presents #47 & Masters Of The Universe #1-3 (DC Comics-1982)

I must have read these comics 500 times when I was 10. First, in DC Comics Presents #47, Skeletor tries to enter Castle Grayskull with his half of the Power Sword and opens a rift between 2 worlds. Superman is pulled from Earth to Eternia and Kal-El teams up with He-Man and discussed who had the coolest hyphenated name. Written by Paul Kupperberg and penciled by legendary Silver-Age Supes artist Curt Swan. Then in Masters Of The Universe #1-3: Skeletor has kidnapped The Goddess of Eternia and forces He-Man and friends to seek out the 3 Talismans that will lead whoever holds them to the other half of the Power Sword. Single-minded Skeletor. This series is also written by Kupperberg with art by George Tuska. Again, if you don’t have it you need Comical to open and read these files.

Download 

Download Comical 

Bullets on a hot tin roof.

“Wild Horses (Extended Remix)” – Gino Vannelli
You probably know him for his bigger hits like Living Inside Myself and I Just Wanna Stop as opposed to this #55 track from 1987. It did crack the Top 40 on the Adult Contemporary chart though and won Gino and his brother Joe a Juno award for recording engineer of the year. Joe+Gino=Juno. Oh, that was bad. It’s not a remake of a Stones track either. The way he talks about trucks, the wind whistlin’ and spittin’ you’d think it was a country song. Wild Horses was taken from the LP, Big Dreamers Never Sleep. Narcoleptics and readers of my blog don’t have this problem though. 2 updates in as many days? I know. Don’t get used to it. TT:6:11@320 kbs.
Download

A pig that don’t fly straight.

“Hanging On A Heart Attack (Dance Mix)” – Device
From 1987. Device keyboardist, bassist & co-vocalist Holly Knight was formerly a member of the band Spider in the early 80′s. Tina Turner covered one of their songs, Better Be Good To Me, and it was a bigger hit than this song. It’s still catchy and you can bug out to it. What? You can. You kids today. I’m shaking my fist at you! Knight also wrote about a million other songs you’ve probably heard from the likes of Pat Benatar to Ozzy Osbourne. The other 2 members of Device were singer Paul Engemann and Gene Black. Engemann was better known for his song, Push It To The Limit, that was featured in what I and the cock-a-roaches affectionately refer to as “The Ballad Of Tony Montana”, Scarface in 1983. Say hello to your leggings, friend. Remixed by Jellybean Benitez @320 kbs. TT-7:25

Download

Show Me The Way To Go Home.

Rom Spaceknight Annual #4 & #73-75
Rom Annual #4  -  Mantlo/Ditko. The Shi’Ar (an alien race brought to prominence during the Chris Claremont & John Byrne years of Uncanny X-Men) encounter one of Rom’s fellow Spaceknights, Pulsar, which leads one of their doctors to transform himself into a cyborg. Look for Gladiator and the rest of the Imperial Guard in this double-sized issue. Rom and his pal’s quest to return home ends here too.
Rom #73 – Mantlo/Ditko. The Beyonder makes good on his promise to send Brandy Clark to Galador to be reunited with Rom. Needless to say, it’s not as easy as all that. There’s a civil war going on and Rom’s dream to return to his human form is in serious jeopardy.
Rom #74 – Mantlo/Ditko with inks/finishes by John Byrne! The war on Galdor continues! The humans are dead! Finally, robotic beings rule the world! Now it’s Spaceknight vs. Spaceknight for the future of a planet! What’s with all the exclamation points!? Why did I rip off Flight Of The Conchords!? Robo-boogie!
Rom #75 (final issue) – Mantlo/Ditko. Legendary Spaceknight Dominor against Rom in a death-duel. Winner takes all. Dominor also wants Brandy to be his “mate” should he win. Rom’s all, “You can’t see me!”, and Dominor’s all, “Time to play the game!”. There’s no steel cages or lumberjacks in this match though.  After all that there’s the obligatory happy ending to wrap up this series and today’s update.
Download Annual #4 & #73
 Download #74 & 75

Yo Yippy.

“I Wanna Be A Cowboy (12 inch Saddle Mix)” – Boys Don’t Cry
Inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns that I love so much, here comes one-hit wonder Boys Don’t Cry with this campy #12 hit from 1985. The band was discovered by talent scout (now remixer) Paul Oakenfold in London. Their name came from a line used in 10cc’s “I’m Not In Love” (and later on the full-length version of “Cry” by 10cc’s Godley & Creme). It’s widely speculated by smart-asses like me that The Man With No Name’s name is, in fact, Ted. Don’t laugh at his mule either. TT: 6:02 @ 320 kbs.

 Download