Dance Hits From 1986

Clockwise: Grace Jones; Gwen Guthrie; Dead Or Alive; and E. G. Daily.

There was some interesting music coming out in 1986, including in the clubs. With names like Dionne Warwick, Lionel Richie, Klymaxx, Patti Labelle, Michael McDonald, Mr. Mister, Whitney Houston, Eddie Murphy, Survivor, and Robert Palmer making the Pop Top 10, you know the dance floor was delivering some great stuff as well. A prime example is the song that was #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for the week of February 1, 1986. It was the incredible Grace Jones singing her brilliant song, "Slave To Rhythm". Jones was a model-turned-celebrity-turned-icon, and had some great music and amazing visual imagery to go along with them.



Some might recognize our next entry. Last season, she appeared on NBC's 'The Voice', and managed to stick around for a few weeks. But back 30 years or so, actress E.G. Daily set her sights on more than just dialogue. The pretty blond wanted to pursue a career in music, and after several years of working, including a role in the cult classic 'Valley Girl' featuring a young Nicholas Cage, E.G. was signed to A&M Records. She was soon working with Jellybean Benitez and Stephen Bray. The pair were already working with another young talent who was a breakout star by this point. Yes, I am talking about Madonna. And on May 17, E.G. had the #1 song on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Say It, Say It".



Our next entry is a dance anthem that sat on top of the Club charts for two weeks at the end of August. It was probably the best known song by R&B Diva Gwen Guthrie, and it caused quite a stir, and not just because it was a hit. "Ain't Nothing Goin' On But The Rent" took the attitude that the man must be a Sugar Daddy, ready to pay for the privilege of dating Gwen. Some men got hurt feelings, others in the Village bars like myself just loved to dance to the song. Guthrie also had a songwriting career, co-writing songs for acts like Ben E. King, Sister Sledge, and Roberta Flack.



The band Dead Or Alive was one I loved the very first time I heard/saw them in a video. Late in 1984, I fell for the New Wave band and their frenetic hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)". I was enchanted by the voice of singer Pete Burns, whose androgynous look was perfect for the time. He had such charisma, he was almost hypnotic to watch. For two weeks early in December of 1986, Dead Or Alive topped the Dance chart with "Brand New Lover".



In recent years, Burns become a controversial figure in the British media, with his extravagant cross-dressing and unusual relationships. Although androgynous in appearance, and known to date men, he also married a woman for 28 years. He said he was bisexual, but also went public with a relationship and subsequent civil union to a man, only to see it come apart. He later said in an interview that gay marriages could not work, and it was easier for him to be married to a woman. But he since reunited with his partner, Michael Simpson. He also had issues with plastic surgery, including botched treatments on his lips that he has said cost him his life's savings to fix. Controversies like this have fueled his career in the last decade or so, including a season of the UK's 'Celebrity Big Brother', and some time as a . But in the 1980s and 90s, he made some amazing music.

Dead Or Alive Revisited

There are few bands that could raise the roof quite like Dead Or Alive, in every sense of the words. First, there was no bigger drag queen on the scene in the 80s than lead singer Pete Burns. At that time, the music industry called it gender-bending, but we all knew what they meant. Some of the glam rockers like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and other might have experimented a bit, but some of the New Wave kids took it to a new level. Like Boy George, Pete was riding the "New Wave" of music, only Burns took it to an edgier extreme, while George went more on the Pop route. Burns certainly enjoyed the Gothic side of music, and it came out in the songs.



Their journey began in 1981, when Dead Or Alive released some non-album songs that didn't really have an impact in the States. In 1984, Pete Burns, Mike Percy, Tim Lever, Steve Coy, and Wayne Hussey were the lineup for the band. That same year, they released the first album, Sophisticated Boom Boom. The first single, "Misty Circles", went to #4 on the US Billboard Dance Charts. As you can see in this video, Boy George and Pete Burns shared that club kid look, although they would soon be taking different stylistic directions.



In 1985, Dead Or Alive released their second album, Youthquake. Well, it certainly had as great an impact as many quakes, for the first single the went to #! on the US Dance chart, and #11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Soon, everyone was singing "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" everywhere, and loving every minute of it. Check out the video for the song.



That was followed up by "Lover Come Back To Me". The song, when made it to #13 on the US Dance chart, certainly wasn't as big a winner as the first, but I loved the song, and adored the video. Burns had this deadpan deliver that was too fantastic.



One of my personal favorites was also on the album, "Brand New Love". The song rocketed to the top of the US Dance chart, and soared to #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Pete continued to deliver a video performance that seemed like a tired Supreme, so totally over the whole thing, one eye-roll away from yawning. This was so contrasting the feeling of the song, you just had to smile.



I remember hearing them in the clubs and dancing up a storm! There was so much energy and life in their music, you wanted to be on the dance floor with them. n 1989, they were once again riding on top of the US Dance chart with the song "Come Home With Me Baby". It did not do as well in the Pop arena, for many thought the cavalier attitude toward sex at a time when AIDS was widely discussed by many citizens (although no one in the Republican Party). But check out the video for "Come Home With Me Baby".



As the years went on, controversy continued to surround the band. While their time in the spotlight was brief, Pete continues to maintain the attention of the public, and not always in positive ways. His issues with cosmetic surgeons hit the courts, with Burn winning settlements for bad work. Pete also made headlines when he divorced his wife of many years to marry his boyfriend. That didn't ever come to be, and Pete made more headlines distancing himself from gay marriage. Pete also appeared in the British version of the TV show Big Brother. You can purchase the album Evolution: The Hits, a collection of their hit songs, on iTunes and Amazon. To find out more about the band and Pete Burns, visit their official website.

Dance Party • 1986

Clockwise: Grace Jones; Gwen Guthrie; Dead Or Alive; and E. G. Daily.

There was some interesting music coming out in 1986, including in the clubs. With names like Dionne Warwick, Lionel Richie, Klymaxx, Patti Labelle, Michael McDonald, Mr. Mister, Whitney Houston, Eddie Murphy, Survivor, and Robert Palmer making the Pop Top 10, you know the dance floor was delivering some great stuff as well. A prime example is the song that was #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for the week of February 1, 1986. It was the incredible Grace Jones singing her brilliant song, "Slave To Rhythm". Jones was a model-turned social icon, and had some great music and amazing visual imagery to go along with them.



Actress E.G. Daily set her sights on more than just dialogue. The pretty blond also wanted to pursue a career in music, and after several years, including a role in the cult classic Valley Girl featuring a young Nicholas Cage. E.G. was signed to A&M Records, and was soon working with Jellybean Benitez and Stephen Bray. The pair were already working with another young talent who was a breakout star by this point. Yes, I am talking about Madonna. And on May 17, E.G. had the #1 song on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart with "Say It, Say It".



Our next entry is a dance anthem that sat on top of the Club charts for two weeks at the end of August. It was probably the best known song by R&B Diva Gwen Guthrie, and it caused quite a stir, and not just because it was a hit. "Ain't Nothing Goin' On But The Rent" took the attitude that the man must be a Sugar Daddy, ready to pay for the privilege of dating Gwen. Some men got hurt feelings, others in the Village bars like myself just loved to dance to the song. Guthrie also had a songwriting career, co-writing songs for acts like Ben E. King, Sister Sledge, and Roberta Flack.



The band Dead Or Alive was one I loved the very first time I heard/saw them in a video. Late in 1984, I fell for the New Wave band and their frenetic hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)". I was not only enchanted by the voice of singer Pete Burns, whose androgynous look was perfect for the time. For two weeks early in December of 1986, Dead Or Alive topped the Dance chart with "Brand New Lover".



In recent years, Burns become a controversial figure in the British media, with his extravagant cross-dressing and unusual relationships. Although androgynous in appearance, and known to date men, he also married a woman for 28 years. He said he was bisexual, but also went public with a relationship and subsequent civil union to a man, only to see it come apart. He later said in an interview that gay marriages could not work, and it was easier for him to be married to a woman. He also had issues with plastic surgery, including botched treatments on his lips that he has said cost him his life's savings to fix. Controversies like this have fueled his career in the last decade or so. But in the 1980s and 90s, he made some amazing music.

Friday Night Party Mix - Dressin' Up

Clockwise from Top Left: The Village People, Dead Or Alive, Oingo Boingo and Culture Club.

Back in the day, you couldn't imagine having a hit song without a really good frock. Yes, I am speaking back in the 70s and 80s, when some of the costumes were a source of campy humor, or a statement to a world that might have just been ready to think about what the performers had to say. Take, for instance, The Village People. The Cop. The Cowboy. The Indian. The Biker. The Construction Worker. The Marine. Given this information, you might guess them to be rough and tumble me, ready for a brawl. But that wasn't the case, as it was a powerhouse disco group of the 70s and 80s, The Village People. This is their hit, YMCA.



Frontman Pete Burns put it all out there when he was performing with Dead Or Alive. He took the gender-bender craze to a different level when the stunning and provocative singer announced he was not a drag queen, but transgender and was starting to transition from man to woman. But that came after they had their big hit, You Spin Me Round.



Boy George certainly didn't shy away from the gender-bending issue, with a high-style make-up and long dreads. He certainly made a statement from the first time Culture Club was noticed and has never looked back. Here they are performing a dance hit, War.



Danny Elfman put together a band that was high on theater, but every bit as high on musical freedom. Oingo Boingo might have had a big hit with Weird Science, but the perfect Halloween song was Dead Man's Party. This was a bunch of str8 men who could rock a costume!



There you have it, four different bands whose costumes were at home on the stage, but could be equally inspiring at any Halloween parade. Hope you enjoyed!

Worth Another Listen - Dead Or Alive

Well, there was no bigger drag queen on the scene in the 80s than Pete Burns, lead singer for Dead or Alive. At that time, the music industry called it gender-bending, but we all knew what they meant.

Anyway, Dead or Alive had a couple of hits, with this song and Lover Come Back To Me and Sex Drive. I remember hearing them in the clubs and dancing up a storm! Controversy seem to surround the band, and their time in the spotlight was brief, although Pete continues to try to extend it, going so far as to appear in the British version of the TV show Big Brother.

To find out more about the band and Pete Burns, click here for Wikipedia.