Dancing Up A Storm

Clockwise: Weather Girls; Panic At The Disco; Eurythmics; and Boyzone.

Well, I had to think about Irene when coming up with the posts, didn't I? I'll start with the obvious, to be sure. I couldn't possibly even consider doing this post without the amazing Weather Girls, Martha Wash and Izora Armstead. Twenty-nine years ago, they had the #1 Dance song in the country when they sang It's Raining Men.



Just two years later, in 1984, the Eurythmics released the third single off the album Touch, Here Comes The Rain Again. The song made it to #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #4 on the Dance/Club Play chart. Here is Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart with Here Comes The Rain Again.



In 2010, Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, and Shane Lynch were still recovering from the surprising death of Stephen Gately. They had released a new album, and the first included Gately's vocal track. So when Boyzone released Love Is A Hurricane, it was the first song without Gately. While I still miss Stephen, I have to say Ronan, Keith, Mikey and Shane are looking damn good in the video.



Certainly much has been written, theorized, and categorized about the final group in the post tonight. Original members Spencer Smith and Brendon Urie still make up the nucleus of Panic At The Disco, a few years ago having lost three other members. But the Pop/Punk/Emo band from Las Vegas was not prepared to call it a day, and put out Vices & Virtues earlier this year, and excellent album. Here is their song, Hurricane.



So, having listened to all those songs, I now feel ready to face Irene! Two about rain, and the other two with hurricane in their title... Hope you enjoyed!

Then And Now - Boyzone

L to R: Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham.

After an exhaustive audition process in 1993, manager Louis Walsh assembled Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately to form Boyzone. The group was Louis' Irish answer to Take That, the UK boyband featuring Robbie Williams that was tearing up the charts. They didn't release their first album until 1995 One of the songs from that first album was Father And Son, a song written and recorded in 1970 by Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. It was the fourth single from their debut, all of which went #1 in Ireland, and were in the Top 3 on the UK Pop chart.



Where We Belong was the third album release for Boyzone in 1998. The fourth single off the album, No Matter What, was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman for the musical Whistle Down The Wind. It topped the Pop charts in both Ireland and the UK.



As with many groups, even the overwhelming success did not manage to keep them together. In 1999, Gately announced he was gay and had a boyfriend, Keating recorded a solo album and a song featured in the movie Notting Hill, and other tensions were mounting behind the scenes of a big tour. In January of 2000, they announced they were breaking up the group.


L to R: Ronan, Keith, Stephen, Mikey and Shane.

In 2007, they announced they were reforming the group, and working together again. They started appearing in public together, and in 2008, they toured together and started working on a new album. They released the videos and singles Love You Anyway and Better. The later included the first depiction of Stephen with a same sex partner. They were recording in 2009, but on October 10, 2008, Stephen Gately was found dead by his lover in a vacation home. The other boys came together, all deeply saddened by his passing. The decided to remain together and complete the album they started, using the vocals Gately had laid down. In March of 2010, they released Brother, dedicated to 'Steo'. The first single, Gave It All Away, was written by Mika and included his vocals, and the video featured the remaining boys penning final goodbyes to him. The second single, Love Is A Hurricane, features the remaining boys in varying degrees of undress. It also happens to be a good song.



For more on Boyzone, check out their official website here.