Intro
Welcome to New Wave Beat. I'm your host, Jason D'Orazio. We're going to flash back to the year 1983 with some great new wave songs. 1983 was the year where the US Billboard year-end charts were really peppered with some great new wave hits. There's also more of a departure of sound from new wave's punk roots in 1983, and the synthesizer, much to my liking, was king.
“Given straightforward lyrics and Kajagoogoo's bubblegum image, Too Shy's video is surprisingly a bit trippy.
Culture Club - Karma Chameleon
Let's start our 1983 retrospective with Culture Club's Karma Chameleon, which was released as a single late that year. Fronted by the androgynous Boy George, Culture Club had a strong debut in 1982 with a couple of hits, and their sophomore album Colour By Numbers the following year made 'em even more popular. This album included Karma Chameleon.
“Karma-Karma-Karma Chameleon… you come and go… you come and go…”
A harmonica is featured prominently in Karma Chameleon. It's arguably what identifies it to the casual listener.
Boy George's vocals are smooth and has the right inflections in his songs. Indeed, he knows how to hit the right notes in the right places. Also, the rhythm section and keyboard are underrated in my opinion. Based on what I read, I think the song is about a relationship that Boy George was having with the band's drummer.
I sense some tension in the relationship, with strained lines like, "You're my lover, not my rival," and a slightly sardonic, "You come and go." Because of this, I believe the term Karma Chameleon is meant as a pejorative. In my opinion, the narrator is not happy with himself because of the relationship, calling himself a man without conviction.
Despite not following the theme of the song, the video is one of the most memorable of the '80s. It's a re-imagining of Mississippi shortly after the Civil War. There is a diverse cast of people in sharp attire having fun by the river. Halfway through, they board a riverboat where they are partying some more. And towards the end, they, as playful as possible, make an onboard thief walk the plank.
Karma Chameleon was Culture Club's biggest hit. Though, Do You Want To Hurt Me? beforehand was almost as big. A few years later, Boy George embarked on a solo career and still tours to this day.
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
Next up is Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics. This band was a duo consisting of singer Annie Lennox and instrumentalist Dave Stewart. They were dating each other and were together in a band called the Strangers. Soon the band broke up and their romantic relationship ended, and then interestingly, they formed the duo dubbed Eurythmics. Their debut album in 1981 did not fair so well, but in '83 they broke through with the album Sweet Dreams, with the title track becoming a massive hit.
“Sweet dreams are made of this. Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas…”
The song starts off with a sleek violin-sounding synth melody that's instantly recognizable. It repeats throughout most of the song. Annie Lennox's voice is soulful and captivating. In Sweet Dreams, she usually sings in a lower register than some of Eurythmics' other work. And when she goes higher, it makes for great emphasis.
“Keep your head up. Keep your head up, movin' on.”
I would say the song is a short blueprint for life, at the risk of making the song seem grandiose. Lennox is warning the listener that some people out there will use and abuse you in your quest for the good life. But ultimately, she says, "You should keep your head up, moving on." I'm assuming in response to the use and abuse.
The video is pretty surreal, which makes sense given the song title. It has the duo meditating inside what looks like a record company's boardroom, playing cellos in Renaissance wear, and some cows are featured as well. Lennox is more prominent in the video than Stewart, thanks in part to a, for the time, androgynous look and bright orange hair. Overall, the imagery is distinctive and is memorable, even 35 years later.
Eurythmics went on to record quite a few albums and score more than a few hits in the '80s. They recently got nominated to the Rock Hall of Fame, a testament to their fame and influence in the new wave world.
Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Third on my list is Men Without Hats's Safety Dance. Men Without Hats was a Canadian-based synthpop band spearheaded by two brothers, Ivan and Stefan Doroschuk. Their debut album in 1982 contained Safety Dance, which did quite well in the charts the following year. There are two versions to Safety Dance that are neck-and-neck in popularity on Spotify (as of 2017). I'm going to talk about the shorter single version as opposed to the longer album version. The single version was also used in the video.
Ivan Doroschuk has quite the quirky voice. I would describe it as a commanding, aloof baritone.
“We can dance if we want to. We can leave your friends behind.”
The song kind of has a carnival sound to it, without delving into caricature. It's quite danceable, but considering the title, it better be. Towards the end of the song, Ivan's vocals become increasingly more high-pitched and over the top, ending the song with a bang.
I had thought Safety Dance was a clarion call for people to be themselves on the contemporary dance floors. This fits well with the do-it-yourself ethos of punk and new wave, and the encouragement to do things differently musically. Wikipedia has a more detailed explanation from Ivan himself. He said that the song is about protesting the banning of dancing a certain way, otherwise known as pogoing, at clubs with new wave music. The video kind of has a Renaissance fair theme to it, what with the outfits of most of the individuals. In it, Ivan is rallying the village to dance with his dance moves, sort of like the Pied Piper with his flute. Towards the song's climax, dozens are dancing.
Men Without Hats had a more modest hit with Pop Goes the World in 1987, but only recorded sporadically after the '80s. Ivan still tours as Men Without Hats with a new backing band. I went to one of their shows a few years ago, and it was a blast.
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Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me
Next up is Always Something There to Remind Me, as covered by British synth-pop duo Naked Eyes. This song was originally written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in the '60s, and sung by both Lou Johnson and Sandie Shaw.
A top 10 hit in the United States, Always Something There to Remind Me came off of Naked Eyes' debut album. Pete Byrne, no, not the Dead or Alive frontman, manned the mic while Rob Fisher set up the synths.
The intro and right before the second verse have a jubilant synth that hooks you in right away. Fisher actually uses an, at the time, innovative synthesizer to craft his melodies, so credit is due there. The military-style drums, at times, interestingly have a triumphant effect, albeit more subtle. In my opinion, Byrne kind of sounds, and maybe even looks, like Morten Harket, if you're familiar with A-ha.
The song is about a guy who cannot stop thinking about his ex-girlfriend. Everywhere he goes, like cafes and city streets, he's reminded of her. In the choruses, he states that he will never be free of thinking about her. Perhaps because of the upbeat melody, and to some extent Byrne's vocal delivery, I think that the narrator doesn't seem bitter, lamentful or angry, but is just recalling the sweet memories he had with his girlfriend.
The well-done video largely follows the lyrics. In it, Fisher is marrying Byrne's ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, Byrne is running around in what appears to be London. He's watching her and Fisher being harassed by paparazzi, the feisty photographers adding an additional angle to the story. He also has visions of him still being with her. The band would have another hit with Promises, Promises, which still gets some radio play, and one more album to boot. However, they quickly dissolved.
Kajagoogoo - Too Shy
Okay, let's conclude our 1983 fest with Kajagoogoo's Too Shy. Kajagoogoo, fronted by Limahl, debuted in 1982 with the album White Feathers. The slice of bubblegum heaven dubbed Too Shy hit the charts big the following year, topping the UK charts while being number five in the States. Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran produced Too Shy. Yes, Duran Duran were very busy in the early '80s. But back to Too Shy...
“You're too shy, shy. Hush, hush. Eye to eye. Too shy, shy. Hush, hush. Eye to eye.”
The half-minute intro features a warm synth melody, and then Limahl enters the fray. Overall, Limahl's vocals are well-enunciated, catchy and full of hooks. The section right before the choruses with the high-pitched synth and where Limahl sings, "Hey, girl, move a little closer," is probably the main hook of the song.
The chorus uses rhyming and repetition to good measure, cementing its status as an ear worm. The bridge has the doo-wop-esque doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo's, which Duran Duran like to do too.
The lyrics don't need the assistance of Freud. I believe the song is about the singer wooing a woman who he feels is not being forward enough. The narrator is asking her to try a little harder. I'm assuming to be more assertive in their courtship. Considering the straightforward lyrics and Kajagoogoo's bubblegum image, the video is surprisingly a little trippy. In it, a waitress at a club has visions of Kajagoogoo performing at parties representing different time eras. For example, the end of World War II and the early '80s.
She's really checking out Limahl, but unfortunately, she's too shy to do anything about it. Unfortunately, Kajagoogoo sacked Limahl after only one album and got a singer that was a good deal less competent. As it stands, the band didn't have any more substantial hits, though Limahl as a solo artist had one with The Neverending Story theme.
Outro
Thank you for taking a spin with me through 1983. This is Jason D'Orazio wishing you a great week of New Wave Beat and so long. Like this article? The Vault has bonus writeups on four articles.
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Just Released: Best new wave songs of 1983Vault: Synthpop bonus writeup
Wednesday: a free song commentary on Safety Dance and Echo Beach Canadian new wave
Thursday: Update for Quick Random New Wave Truths
