music friday: 1981

Kim Carnes, "Bette Davis Eyes". This song was so huge that it almost seems like Carnes was a one-hit wonder, since nothing else she did came close. But she's recorded more than a dozen albums, and has not one but two Grammies. Ironically for this songwriter, "Bette Davis Eyes" was written by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss.

Soft Cell, 'Tainted Love". It feels so much of its time (as do all of this week's songs, to be honest), that it's amazing to realize it was originally the B-side of a flop mid-60s single. I also love this bit of trivia: the man who wrote "Tainted Love" also wrote "Dirty Water" ("I love that dirty water, Ooh, oh, Boston, you're my home").

Prince, "Controversy". Looking back, I think the pre-Purple Rain Prince is a bit misremembered. He was already Prince, but he wasn't Biggest Act in the World Prince. This is the title song from his fourth album.

What was I doing in 1981? Attending my first Prince concert. This was recorded a week before we saw him:

Comments

[Tomás]

What a cool selection of songs, that fit together in more than just their year of release. Btw, I didn't know "Tainted Love" was a cover until last summer. Now I'm quite fond of Gloria Jones' version.

[Steven Rubio]

I didn't notice until I put the songs together, how much they sounded alike. I'm guessing it's because synthesizers are prominent.