Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1985 Part Two – Tears for Fears, USA for Africa, Jennifer Rush, Katrina & The Waves

Happy New Year and delighted to being with you in 2022 with the second part of our chart hits from 1985.

 

Here is my first selection of top 1985 hits which I hope you will enjoy.

News Event: August 10th Michael Jackson buys ATV Music (including publishing rights to the Beatles song catalog) for $47.5 million

Tears for Fears  –  Everybody wants to rule the world

“Everybody wants to rule the world” was a song that expressed the desire humans have for control and power, centering on corruption. It became the group’s signature song. The song hit #1 in the US, Canada, and New Zealand while peaking at #2 in the UK, Ireland, and Australia and won “Best Single” at the Brit Awards. The song was banned for broadcast by the BBC for the duration of the first Gulf War due to its political themes.

News Event: September 22nd First Farm Aid concert held, organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp; performers included Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Hoyt Axton, Joni Mitchell, RIckie Lee Jones,and Emmylou Harris

USA for Africa  –  We are the world

“We are the world,” a charity single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was recorded by the supergroup “USA for Africa” and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the eighth bestselling single of all time. “We are the world” won three Grammy Awards, an American Music Award, a People’s Choice Award, and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid for Africa, (equivalent to $147 million today).

News Event:  October 8th Little Richard seriously injured in a car accident

Now time for my second picks from 1985 and two songs that hold a special place in my music archives.

Jennifer Rush – The Power of Love

“The Power of Love” is a song co-written and originally recorded by American singer Jennifer Rush in 1984. Recorded in Frankfurt, Germany (where Rush is based) and released in West Germany without much success in late 1984, Rush’s original version reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in October 1985 and subsequently became the biggest-selling single of the year in the UK as Rush became the first female artist ever to have a million-selling single in the UK—it became the ninth best-selling single of the decade. It also topped the charts in several other European countries, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Jennifer Rush

News Event:  December 4th “Les Miserables” opens at Palace Theatre, London

Katrina & The Waves – Walking on Sunshine

“Walking on Sunshine” is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves’ 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band’s 1985 self-titled album as the album’s second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States, and No. 8 in the United Kingdom. It was the Waves’ first US top 40 hit, and their biggest success in the United Kingdom until “Love Shine a Light” (1997).  KatrinaTheWavesVEVO

Additional sources: On This Day – Music – Hits of the 80s: Playback FM – Wikipedia

Your Hosts for The Breakfast Show

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Next week 1986 Part One. We hope you will tune in.. as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.