Some very fine ladies started a discussion this week about starting a new feature on fridays, entitled Friday Flashback, with the the first topic being “How [insert band here] Changed My Life”. There was no need to twist my arm, as I was in like Flynn. (Of course, when Catherine and Tracey come a-callin’, you don’t ask questions.)
(Except, um, I did ask many questions of Catherine. MANY QUESTIONS. How? What? When? Why are we all here, Catherine? What in the hell is going on with Penny and Desmond?! TELL ME NOW.)
On first thought, I was sure this would be a breeze! So, I started thinking….
How The Cure Changed My Life.
I was a sullen mess who only wore black with ripped-up jeans. I liked boys with long hair on one side and short hair on the other. The End.
Hmm, not much more on that one.
Okay, okay. How Red Red Wine by UB40 Changed My Life.
Spring Break Padre Island 1989. I kissed a hottie Senior when I was a Freshman. My plane was also struck by lightning on the way back – I figured it was my punishment. The end.
Wait, but that doesn’t encompass me as a whole! How about Hold Me Now by the Thompson Twins? When I didn’t get picked to dance at my youth assemblies? The REJECTION.
Good Lord. At this rate, we could be here all day. (It’s so hard! SO HARD.)
So, without further ado, I give you my altered Friday Flashback topic of the week (because, obviously, I ask too many questions AND can’t follow the rules) :
Songs From My Childhood/Young Adulthood That Have Made Deep Imprints On My Tiny Brain. (With bonus YouTube videos!)
When I was a weee little one
Lido Shuffle – Boz Skaggs
Taking It To The Streets – The Doobie Brothers
Hey Nineteen-Steely Dan
Grade school rocks
Maneater – Daryl Hall & John Oates
Gloria – Laura Branigan
We Got The Beat – Go-Go’s
I Love Rock-n-Roll – Joan Jett
Love Is A Battlefield – Pat Benatar
Time – Culture Club
Middle school through high school
Glory of Love – Peter Cetera (HELL YEAH MR. MIYAGI)
Never Tear Us Apart – INXS
I Touch Roses – Book OF Love
Careless Whisper – Wham
Blue Monday – New Order
La La Love You – Pixies
Fascination Street – The Cure
Angel – Morrissey
Step On – Happy Mondays
Bring On The Dancing Horses – Echo & The Bunnymen
Come Back Down – Toad The Wet Sprocket
The Only One I Know – Charlatans UK
College Years
Things – Paul Westerberg
The Mango Song – Phish
Goodbye – The Sundays
Diner – Widepsread Panic
Crash – Dave Matthews Band
This has GOT to be the world record for linked YouTube videos.
Looking for more musical flashbacks? Check out these other kick ass participants:
Sweetney
Her Bad Mother
Oh The Joys
Mamalogues
Mrs. Flinger
IzzyMom
Girl’s Gone Child
Mom-101
What about you? What songs/artists have branded your brain for life?
Michelle
February 29, 2008 at 8:16 pmWhoorl – Thank you thank you thank you!!! I’ve wondered what the La La Love You song was! I was looking for a tutorial on your site to watch how to straighten my hair correctly….and the video of you showing how to do it, has that song playing during! I was like, I have to find the name of that song…I love it! Anyway…
I posted asking what the song’s name was, but didn’t hear back…no biggie, really :o) And now here it is! So, thanks…you’re the best!
La La Love Ya!
Michelle
sunny
March 1, 2008 at 4:39 amapparently I was a huge 80s anglophile!
melt with you -modern english
dont you want me baby -human league (awesome male/female karioke duet material!!)
love plus one – haircut 100
our house – madness
true – spandau ballet
turning japanese – the vapors
wouldn’t it be good- Nik Kershaw
Her Bad Mother
March 1, 2008 at 5:14 amYou and I were the same sullen girl, liking the same asymmetrically-haired boys.
(And? Penny and Desmond? LOVERS LOST IN TIME omg the poetry brotha. Which is to say, I dunno. I fear that something bad will happen to him before they are reunited. Or right at that moment. Love and physics, dangerous combo.)
the mad momma
March 1, 2008 at 8:19 amHere’s mine http://thebratthebeanandbedlam.wordpress.com/2008/03/01/blast-from-the-past-or-music-from-my-misspent-youth/
Lyndsay
March 1, 2008 at 6:41 pmBest post ever.
Maggie
March 2, 2008 at 10:40 amLove the post!! I could wrestle with this for hours, but in short review:
As a kid:
Blondie, The Tide is High
Billy Idol, White Wedding
Thompson Twins, If You Were Here
The Dream Academy, Life in a Northern Town
Erasure, A Little Respect
Duran Duran, Rio
High School:
Mazzy Star-Fade into you
Sade, No Ordinary Love
Rolling Stones, all of it but especially Gimme Shelter
ABBA (my first memories of music and I got back into it in HS)
Bob Marley- No Woman No Cry–always with an Okie Snow
Doesn’t everyone go through a Led Zepplin phase too?
U2- Running to Stand Still, One,
Portishead-Glorybox
College–
Tricky–Hell is Around the Corner
Nick Drake–Way to Blue
Still was obsessed with the Stones
Maggie
March 2, 2008 at 10:49 amhow can I forget Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah
or Cowboy Junkies, Sweet Jane, Blue Moon, or Misquided Angel
i could seriously go on forever…Whoorl you’ve sent me into a tailspin of sentimentality.
Maggie
March 2, 2008 at 11:21 amSeriously Whoorl, I can’t let it go!
Kate Bush: This Woman’s Work, Army Dreamers
Peter Gabriel: Blood of Eden (off live Secret World Album)
The Smiths: Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
Ok, I am done…no more updates…but it will drive me crazy.
Linda
March 2, 2008 at 4:38 pmMaggie – don’t forget about The Smiths: How Soon is Now , and anything by New Order!
Filtering Life
March 3, 2008 at 4:58 amWow, we are definitely close in age….that was a crazy ride through memory lane. I can not believe you linked all those..that is some serious time! So fun.
Sally
March 3, 2008 at 7:33 amI broke up with my first “college boyfriend” after seeing him dance to the song “Blue” by Eiffel 65.
Yes, the song is horrible.
Yes, he danced like he was seizing.
But the real deal breaker: his hair was dyed blue and when the song came on her turned to me, put his hand on my arm and said, in all seriousness, ” I have to dance now, they’re playing my song.” Then he closed his eyes.
At that moment, I died a little inside.
gina in sc
March 3, 2008 at 9:21 amOMG!! we have GOT to be the exact same age!!! are you 35? those were all my songs!!! LOL
Kathy
March 3, 2008 at 3:05 pmI’m so happy to see someone else mention Paul Westerberg. His solo stuff is so underrated. (And “Things” is one of my favorites.)
Aimee Greeblemonkey
March 3, 2008 at 5:48 pmoh jesus. we are similar ages too, huh? I turn 38 in April.
I need to do my own post like this but sleep on it first like a happy little dream.
Beth
March 4, 2008 at 1:46 pmwow.
I now need to run home after work and add the Sundays to my iPod. Saw them in concert in 1992, I believe it was the Blind tour. I’d forgotten how wonderful her voice is.