Here’s another volume in the Women & Songs CD series. I’m guessing you’re familiar with many of the songs included on this compilation disc. What ever happened to Bananarama? And Martha & The Muffins? I’m always perplexed by Kim Carnes’s enigmatic “Bette Davis Eyes.” And Irene Cara’s “Flashdance What A Feeling” always causes me to trip the light fandango! Do you remember these songs? And favorites? GRADE: B+
Tracklist
| 1 | –Irene Cara | Flashdance What A Feeling | 3:58 |
| 2 | –Laura Branigan | Gloria | 4:51 |
| 3 | –Eurythmics | Who’s That Girl | 4:46 |
| 4 | –Kim Carnes | Bette Davis Eyes | 3:45 |
| 5 | –Parachute Club* | Rise Up | 3:44 |
| 6 | –Bananarama | Cruel Summer | 3:30 |
| 7 | –Pat Benatar | We Belong | 3:39 |
| 8 | –Martha & The Muffins* | Echo Beach | 3:33 |
| 9 | –Yaz* | Situation | 5:46 |
| 10 | –Sheila E* | The Glamorous Life | 3:43 |
| 11 | –Chaka Khan | I Feel For You | 5:47 |
| 12 | –Debbie Gibson | Only In My Dreams | 3:56 |
Not a very good selection this time. I only like a couple here. And I have never liked Pat Benetar, Debbie Gibson, Laura Branigan or Irene Cara. Much weaker than the previous one. C-.
Steve, some of the women singers from the 80s are missing like Kate Bush and Madonna.
And The Pretenders.
Steve, yes…The Pretenders! I’ll have to dig out one of their CDs and listen to it today. Thanks for that nudge!
Nothing to get enthused about here. I liked “Bette Davis Eyes” but couldn’t have told you who did it to save my life. Except for the Eurythmics I don’t care for the artists or I’m unfamiliar with them. So I’ll give you some good news–I discovered this week that Sirius/XM now has a Rolling Stones Channel.
Re Bette Davis Eyes – same here.
Of course I like the Eurythmics but my favourite is Chaka Khan who also cooperated with Steve Winwood, my all time favourite. he’s English of course but has been living and working in Nashville for a long time.
The others I haven’t even heard of.
Wolf, I have many Chaka Khan CDs. And Steve Winwood CDs, too!
Michael, The Rolling Stones would have been in the Buffalo, NY area for a concert in early June 2020…but then the coronavirus hit. The Stones concert is “postponed” but I’m guessing it’s gone forever.
George, what a disappointment!
I never saw them live but I’m sure you would have had a fantastic time – probably singing along with all those unforgettable songs …
Wolf, one of my minor regrets is that I didn’t go to more concerts in the 1970s and 1980s. Now, with the coronavirus, mass gatherings will be a thing of the Past.
Martha & the Muffins was a real thing? Did not know that. No, I don’t know most of these and don’t care much for the ones I do know. One exception: “Gloria.” Laura Brannigan had an amazing voice and we just listened to her Greatest Hits a couple of weeks ago. The rest can go in the recycle bin, as far as I’m concerned.
Jeff, Martha and the Muffins is a Canadian group.
George, are you sure this album wasn’t titled WHEN POPULAR MUSIC WENT TO THE DARK SIDE?
Jerry, I suspect the assemblers of WOMEN & SONGS: THE 80s may have cut some corners when they made their choices for the “hits” on this CD.
Overall, not bad. Love the songs by the Eurythmics, Chaka Khan, and Sheila E. Never heard of the Parachutes or Martha & the Muffins. I don’t know what happened to Bananarama as a group, but one of the members married Dave Stewart, formerly Annie Lennox’s partner in the Eurythmics.
Deb, you always know facts like a Bananarama member married David Stewart of the Euythmics. Well done!
Their budget must have been limited. I do like Gloria and Bette Davis Eyes though. I can’t remember if they used Gloria for the movie with Gena Rowlands. Have to check.
It is not listed on Wikipedia, Patti, though it was used in FLASHDANCE and I, TONYA, as well as a number of television shows.
Patti, the lack of “Big Name” singers suggests a limited budget for buying songs for this CD.
I can only recognize by name 3, all of which I like Flashdance, Bette Davis Eyes, and Gloria. The parachute one might be familiar if I heard it, as might some others.
The 80’s wasn’t my fav decade for music.
On a sad note, I’m on my last audio book from the library, a Wodehouse one that I’m feeling I listened to not long ago (I got excited seeing a wodehouse at the library and just took it without reading the info). Sadly, the ones I have in my own collection all seem too familiar. Wish Scott Shannon’s radio station was on the air here.
Me too, Maggie. I listen to it (True Oldies Channel) on the computer. (trueoldieschannel.com/).
Currently playing: ABBA, Take a Chance on Me.
Jeff, Bill Crider loved ABBA. Every time I hear an ABBA song, I think of Bill
Maggie, our Library offers downloads of audiobooks. There’s over a 1000 available.
I need cds for the car
Maggie, let me know what CDs you’re interested in and I’ll send you some.
This had a lot of outliers for me.
The only two I like are Gloria and Bette Davis Eyes.
And, as an aside, while in Norway in February, it seemed like I constantly heard ABBA songs. Where was A-Ha’s Take on Me? While shopping in Narvik, I made a comment to the proprietor of a watch shop we were in about this and he told me that one of the women from ABBA grew up a couple of blocks away – their local claim to fame.
Beth, great story! Bill Crider kept hoping ABBA would get back together.
Meh.
Rick, I would have guessed you were a Martha and the Muffins fan.
By the eighties I’d stopped listening to pop music, although a couple of these made it past my defenses anyway!
Bob, I have an June post that I think you’ll like since you’re a 1970s music guy.