OBSCURITY - 5/10/04

[Triple J]

Another seven... [glow=green,7,300] OBSCURE[/glow]songs from the 80's to today. If you know them, please share your thoughts. If not, see if you can find them.

1. "The Bad Touch" The Bloodhound Gang (2000 album "Hooray For Boobies") - Band from King of Prussia, PA. Described as "funk metal." I like the chorus of this:
You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals, so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel!

2. "Black Cars" Gino Vanelli ('85 album "Black Cars") - Better known for his top 10 hit "I Just Wanna Stop." This video got a lot of airplay on MTV. Tune has a catchy organ riff.
Black cars, black cars, look better in the shade

3. "Mutual Surrender (What A Wonderful World)" Bourgeois Tagg ('86 self-titled album) - American quintet, fronted by Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg. Had a top 40 hit the following year with "I Don't Mind At All."
I'd fall to my knees for you, and if you fall to your knees for me, what a wonderful world this could be

4. "Calling You" Holly Cole Trio ('91 album "Blame It On My Youth") - Canadian, jazzy, cabaret act. It's an old tune, done by several other artists. You might have heard this song on an AT&T commercial.
A desert road from Vegas to nowhere... someplace better than where you've been... A coffee machine that needs some fixing... In a little cafe just around the bend... I... am calling you... I... am calling you

5. "Mexican Radio" Wall of Voodoo ('82 album "Call of the West") - Los Angeles alternative/new wave band. Lead singer Stan Ridgway left the group the following year.
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder, I dial it in from south of the border, I hear the talking of the DJ, can't understand, just what does he say? I'm on a Mexican radio... I'm on a Mexican, whoa-oh... radio

6. "Something To Live For" Barney Bentall & The Legendary Hearts ('88 self-titled album) - Canadian rock.
Bobby drives a pickup for the local store... four bucks an hour and he's hoping for more... he's 28 years old, he still lives at home... but Bobby's got ideas, and he ain't alone... there's a million Bobbys across this land, everybody's got to live with that... he's got something to live for, something so real... he's got something to live for, that one big deal

7. "Let It Roll" Little Feat ('88 album "Let It Roll") - Southern rock group, formed in '69. This is a really catchy "boogie" tune. You've probably heard it on several commercials for movies.
Ooh, she's like a smooth stretch of highway... ooh, she's like a cool summer breeze... if my motor's runnin' right, we might lose control tonight, got the shape I love to squeeze, looks that bring me to my knees, oh please, let it roll tonight

[SAT-I need more room!!]

TripleJ said:

2. "Black Cars" Gino Vanelli ('85 album "Black Cars") - Better known for his top 10 hit "I Just Wanna Stop." This video got a lot of airplay on MTV. Tune has a catchy organ riff.
Black cars, black cars, look better in the shade

5. "Mexican Radio" Wall of Voodoo ('82 album "Call of the West") - Los Angeles alternative/new wave band. Lead singer Stan Ridgway left the group the following year.
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder, I dial it in from south of the border, I hear the talking of the DJ, can't understand, just what does he say? I'm on a Mexican radio... I'm on a Mexican, whoa-oh... radio

7. "Let It Roll" Little Feat ('88 album "Let It Roll") - Southern rock group, formed in '69. This is a really catchy "boogie" tune. You've probably heard it on several commercials for movies.
Ooh, she's like a smooth stretch of highway... ooh, she's like a cool summer breeze... if my motor's runnin' right, we might lose control tonight, got the shape I love to squeeze, looks that bring me to my knees, oh please, let it roll tonight

I actually know 3! Well, sort of...

I definitely know Black Cars. I remember it coming out and getting some MTV play actually. And I remember how quickly it died off. I think the lyrics were in some music magazine at the time.

Mexican Radio was pretty big, at least on MTV. I liked it a lot and have it on the K-Tel album, Hot Tracks. The lead singer and Stewart Copeland from the Police did a song called Don't Box Me in for the Rumble Fish soundtrack.

Let it Roll I sorta know. Actually my dad liked it-much like XTC's King For a Day, my dad was hipper than me in knowing them!

[djdave]

1. "The Bad Touch" The Bloodhound Gang
Man, I LOVE this tune. One of THE best in the last 5 years; I got the CD, plus their 2 earlier ones. Too bad they couldn't put out anything since. Heavy Depeche Mode-synth influence on it. Expect this to be WAY up in my 2005 CRAZY list; maybe top 300.

2. "Black Cars" Gino Vanelli
Ken did a post on this song a while back. Great pop-rocker I seriously should find on CD real soon.

3. "Mutual Surrender (What A Wonderful World)" Bourgeois Tagg
Better than "Mind", but I like Brent's solo album from 1990 most of all.

4. "Calling You" Holly Cole Trio
This was during my college years, and I DON'T recall it! Sorry...

5. "Mexican Radio" Wall of Voodoo
Wonderful tune that was SOOOO 80's!

6. "Something To Live For" Barney Bentall & The Legendary Hearts
Maybe Ken knows this...

7. "Let It Roll" Little Feat
Great one from a band that had no singles. Texas Twister and the classic Dixie Chicken are fine as well.

[lora]

I only know one of these songs today. Unfortunately, it's the one from the Bloodhound Gang. When this was out, I was a little too preoccupied with the unusual lyrics to pay any attention to the music. The video to this was especially annoying, and I never really cared for it at all.

[KittyKat - RIP Luciano]

1. "The Bad Touch" The Bloodhound Gang
I definitely remember this, but I grew tired of it quickly.

2. "Black Cars" Gino Vanelli ('85 album "Black Cars") -
I only vaguely recall this one

3. "Mutual Surrender (What A Wonderful World)" Bourgeois Tagg ('86 self-titled album) -
I love this song and this whole album. One of my faves even today.

5. "Mexican Radio" Wall of Voodoo ('82 album "Call of the West") -
Reminds me of junior highschool in the best ways.

7. "Let It Roll" Little Feat ('88 album "Let It Roll") -
A song that I've only heard a few times.

[Dawn]

I'm surprised Black Cars didn't make more of a chart impression than it did. Gino Vannelli recorded some great songs.

I don't remember hearing Mexican Radio on the radio at all when it was current, but I have it on the Hot Tracks compilation that Adam mentioned. Good song!