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October 2,1997
The Banner
Page 5
Features
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Music video breathes new life into '80s radio stars
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The 1980s was once frowned upon
musically as an embarrassing decade
rock'n’ roll history that most people
wanted to forget. Now, the music that
was defined by the New Wave and
hair metal movements is experiencing
strong resurgence in popularity,
tnostly due to its music videos.
In a time when video was still rela
tively new, artists of the ‘80s were
allowed to experiment with different
creative concepts in order to give their
fans an image of themselves they could
never achieve through music alone.
The introduction of MTV in 1981
allowed greater exposure for artists,
making image more important than
:ver. Everyone who wanted to get
loticed released a video. If MTV did
!0t play it, it did’not exist.
IS
The music of the ‘80s reeked of
jreasy cosmetics, hair spray, peroxide,
and nail polish, and the men were
usually the ones using all that junk,
ulture Club with Boy George be-
ime popular with an upbeat style
and outrageous costumes. The music
lad a fixn beat, and felt carefree.
Glamour rock bands owned more
Spandex and fake jewelry than an
entire trailer park. They looked like
Tammy Faye clones. The strangest
aspect of the glamour bands was that
they used their feminine images to
attract girls, and it worked. The ma
jority of these bands’ songs amounted
to an open invitation to women to
have sex with them.
Bands like Poison and Bon Jovi
had nothing on their minds but sex.
They threw in an occasional track
about social problems, but their so
lutions seemed to be party more, get
laid, and everything will get better.
Judas Priest, a heavy metal band,
stuck their toes in the mainstream
with “Turbo.” Their fans cried foul,
and said they ‘sold out.’ The band
responded with “Pain Killer” (imag
ine cats having an orgy in the pale
moonlight). Judas Priest redeemed
their image as a serious metal band.
AC/DC, another metal act, released
“Back in Black” after replacing their
lead singer. Bon Scott, who died
after getting drunk, passing out, and
choking to death on his own vomit.
Motley Crue became popular by
maintaining a reputation as the crud
est, rudest, and usually nudest, rock
‘n’ roll band around. Theyhaditall-
women, fame, and money. In the
‘80s, rock ‘n’ roll was one big party.
Duran Duran became a huge suc
cess in the decade, using a techno
rock sound. “Wild Boys,” one of
their post-apocalyptic videos, com
bined the nuclear survivors theme
with a torture chamber and a water
monster.
One of the more popular video
rock, used this format in her video “Kiss
Me Deadly.”
During the ‘80s, more women than
previous decades entered the music busi
ness. Lita Ford played hard rock, but the
majority of her contemporaries went for
a bouncier sound. Cyndi Lauper hit pay
dirt with “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,”
and Katrina and the Waves were “Walk
ing on Sunshine.” The Bangles had
several hits, including “Manic Mon
day,” written by Prince (who was still
Prince then).
Def Leppard, one of the most popular
British groups of the ‘80s, reached super
star status after a tragedy that would
have ended most careers. Their drum
mer lost one ofhis arms in a car accident.
The band put their new album on hold
until the drummer could recover from
the amputation and learn how to play
drums without the arm. The resulting
album, “Hysteria,” became one of their
PHOTO COURTESY OF BARRY DRAKE
lyiusic video in tlie 1980s gave artists new opportunities
to create an image of themselves that was not possible to
convey through music alone.
formats was the live performance.
Take one rock group, two yards of
Spandex, spray paint colored leather,
a case of hair spray, two gallons of
grease paint, six tubes of mascara,
mix with 5,000 screaming girls and
blinding explosions, and the recipe
for an 80s live performance video is
complete. Poison’s “Nothin’ but a
Good Time” gives a good example
of how the live performance video
should be.
If there was a common theme for
the decade, it could have been ‘the
bomb will blow everything to hell
but rock ‘n’ roll.’ Videos thrived on
burning cars and trash barrels, and
clothing looked like it was salvaged
from a bombed-out mall. Lita Ford,
one of the first women to try hard
The ‘80s saw the religious right gain
power, and one of their favorite targets
for criticism was popular music. The
Rev. Jimmy Swaggart attacked Ozzy
Osbourne, calling him a devil worship
per. Ozzy got revenge after Swaggart
confessed to hanging out with hookers.
“Miracle Man,” from Osborne’s “No
Rest for the Wicked” album, directly
taunted Swaggart for his extramarital
activities.
Ronald Reagan ruled the White House
for most of the decade. Several musi
cians openly criticized Reagan and Brit
ish Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
through their music and videos. Genesis
released “Land of Confusion,” calling
attention to the destructive policies of
the two governments. The video used
puppets created by a British com
pany named “Spitting Image” to por
tray the leaders of the world as self-
centered tyrants. The video ended
with Reagan hitting the wrong but
ton and nuking the world.
Another British band, the Blow
Monkeys released an anti-Thatcher
song titled “Celebrate the Day After
You,” which British radio was not
allowed to play until the elections
were over. The Blow Monkeys, along
with the Style Council, formed an
anti-Thatcher organization called
Red Wedge to protest Thatcher’s
policies through music. The Blow
Monkeys also had one of the first
songs that addressed the AIDS issue,
called “Digging Your Scene.”
Punk rockers also had their hits.
Billy Idol wrote his smash “White
Wedding” for his sister, to object to
her engagement. Adam Ant became
popular with “Goody Two Shoes.”
The ‘80s had its share of one-hit
wonders. Dexy’s Midnight Runners
made the charts with “Come on
Eileen.” “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
had a chart record for the era, staying
in Billboard’s Top 100 for 79 weeks.
Rap and hip-hop hit mainstream
in the‘80s. Run DMC surprised fans
when they appeared with Aerosmith
in the video “Walk This Way.”
To find out more about '80s music
and the video age, see multimedia
lecturer Barry Drake sperformance,
“The 80s: Rock Music in a Video
Age, ” on Oct. 6 at 8:30p. m. in the
Highsmith Center Lounge. Admis
sion is fi'ee for students.
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FYI
academic notices
• Term I ends *10/10
• UNCA Journal submission (Intent to submit forms)/Research Scholar
nominations for Dec. grads • deadline,10/10
leadership opportunities
• “Student Leadership at UNCA: “A Laboratory of Service” a discussion
with Kevan Frazier and UNCA student leaders, 3pm, LF • 10/6
• Leadership Resource Center-helpful information, outside HO 37
athletics
• Women’s Soccer vs. Middle Tenn. State, 2pm, GF •
• Volleyball vs. Liberty, 2pm, JC • 10/4
• Men’s Soccer vs. Coastal Carolina, 4pm, GF • 10/4
• Volleyball vs. Coastal Carolina, 2pm, JC • 10/5
10/4
4E
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,m,
a.m.
.mi
lent!
For Your Information
october
2
thru
october I
9
career opportunities/jobs
Internet access to UNCA job listings now available through Jobtrack. From on-
campus, http://www.jobtrack.com. From off-campus access, call Career
Center, 251-6515
Call for Performers to participate in UNCA “After Hours” series-poets, singers,
bands, soloists (x6675)
concerts/live entertainment
The Cmplt Wrks of Wm Shkspr (Abridged), a spoof on Shakespeare, 8pm &
2pm, CBT (232-2291) *10/1-10/5
North Carolina Dance Theatre, tickets on sale now, HC 27 (x6584) • 10/7-10/8
Hillcrest Highsteppers, 10:30am, DH Plaza (x6244) • 10/4
Live Jazz Music, llam-lpm, DH Plaza/DH • 10/4
"The 80's: Rock Music in a Video Age” by Barry Drake, 8:30pm, HC Lounge
(spon. by UP) (x6244) FREE to Students • 10/6
UNCA
FYI is a service of
the Student
Activities and
Student Affairs
offices.
FYt is published each Thursday. Deadline to
submit information is Friday at noon, for the
following week's publication Next deadline:
Oct 3 for the Oct 9 issue October 9th issue
covers evenls thru October 23. Send a copy
with basic information to The Banner, do Ad
manager, CH208A or SMcDonald, HC 27
Family Weekend-complete schedule of events available at HC Information Desk
(x6584) • 10/3-10/5
• Hawaiian Luau Dinner, 5-6:30pm, DH • 10/3
• Founders Day, UNCA’s 70th Anniversary-pick up a brochure of events • 10/6
• Chancellor’s Portrait Gallery inaugurated with new portrait of William E.
Highsmith, 11am, RL • 10/6
• Picnic-style lunch for UNCA community, 11:45-1:45pm, Quad. (Founders Day
Celebration) *10/6
• “Highrise” renamed “Founders Hall” Dedication, 1:45pm • 10/6
• Charlotte Hornets Pre-Season Home Games (10/16, 10/22), Regular Home
Game (10/31) Limited # of tickets available, HC 27 (x6584) • on sale 10/9
• Flu vaccine available, $7, Student Health Services, WHC (x6520) (call for
appointment) *10/6-11/14
• Study Break, 9pm, HC Lounge, FREE, all welcome (spon. by Residence Life) •
10/7
• Financial Aid Information Table, 11am-1:30pm, DH (x6535) • 10/7
exhibits
• Julie Peters Exhibition, Univ. Gallery, OH • 10/10-10/28
• Valentina DuBasky, prints, paintings, sculpture. University Gallery, OH • thru
lectures/workshops/seminars
Encountering Drama-Meet the director of Theatre UNCA play, 7pm, LF
(x6569) • 10/2
“Saving/Savoring The Pasf-an oral history session with some of UNCA’s
earliest pioneers, 9:30am, OCC • 10/6
“Environmental Issues in the Middle East Peace Process” by Lee
Pasarew (EPA), 7:30pm, OCC, FREE to students (x6140) • 10/6
Ovid Psyc INFO, research in Psychology, RL (x5094) • 11am-noon, 10/7;
3:15-4:15pm, 10/8
“People & Environment: Searching for Truth in a Maze of Contradictions”,
by Cal Beisner (Veritas Forum), 8pm, LH Aud. (x6195) • 10/6
“Prioritizing Environmental Concerns”, Noon Lunch by Cal Beisner
(Veritas Forum) • 10/7
“Truth & Philosophy: God, Scientific Naturalism and the Search for
Meaning” by J.P. Moreland, 8pm, LH (Veritas) • 10/7 »
“Modern Search for Historical Jesus” by J.P. Moreland, Noon Lunch,
OCC (Veritas) • 10/8
“Truth and Psychology: Two Views of Man” by Richard Ganz, 8pm, LH
Aud. (Veritas) • 10/8
“Alternatives to Modern Pyc” by Richard Ganz, Noon Lunch, OCC
(Vertas) • 10/9
“Truth and Abortion: From Pro-choice to Pro-Life” by Frederica Mathewes
Green, 8pm, LH Aud. (Vertas) • 10/9
“East to West: Journey from New Age to Historic Christianity” by Federica
Mathewes Green. Noon Lunch, OCC (Veritas) • 10/10
“Coping with the Commute”, 11am, LF (x6569) • 10/9
“Computing on Campus” 11am, KH036 (x6569) • 10/9
10/7
films
“The Harsher Face oflslamic Extremism”, 4:30-6pm, PDR/DH (discussion to
follow) (spon. by Africana Studies “Harambi”) (x6626) • 10/2
“Jumanji”, 8-10pm, HC Lounge (x6700) •10/3
organizations - special programs
Greek Week • thru 10/4
Desserts and drinks provided by The Greeks, 9-10pm, HC Lounge *10/2
Bonfire by The Greeks, 10:15-11:30pm, Division St. • 10/2
Sleep Out on the Quad-Awareness for the homeless, donations of food,
clothing, toiletries, 7pm-7am (spon. by The Greeks) • 10/3
Party-music, volleyball, frisbee, 12-5pm, behind Mills Hall (spon. by The
Greeks) • 10/4
outdoor activities/recreation
Campus Commission Hearings, 8-10:45am, • HC37, 10/6; HC018, 10/8
Rafting on the French Broad, 1:30-5pm, $5 • 10/5
Hiking/camping at fall break, equipment/food provided, reserve space in
Outdoor Education, HC (x6001) • 10/11-10/13
Mountain Bike Rides, meet 5pm at DH or 5:30pm at Bent Creek (bikes
available) (x6001) • every Wednesday
Mountain Bike Rides, (call Outdoor Ed. for details x6001) • every Monday
and Thrusday
volunteer opportunities
See Bulletin Board in HC Lobby or visit HC 48 (x6588)