“Don’t Stop Believin'” Steve Perry and Journey fans. The rumor mill is starting up once again. According to Pollstar, London’s Daily Star an a short piece saying Perry had asked to rejoin the band after seeing “Don’t Stop Believing” performed by cast members on the hit TV show “Glee.” Or maybe he got re-energized after this performance at a Giants playoff game in San Francisco a few weeks ago:
But Journey founder/guitarist Neal Schon said, “He seems to be enjoying the spotlight a little too much. The fact is he’s no longer the lead singer. He walked out.”
Also, Journey already has a new singer, Arnel Pineda, and the band has an album scheduled to be released in 2011, and they plan on a world tour.
Most schools are going back in session this week, with some even starting today. In that spirit, here is another entry to the Back to School series. We will talk about the greatest school movie of the ’80s, and maybe of all time – The Breakfast Club:
In 8 hours and 54 minutes, students from different high school social groups, struggled then bonded with each other, as they spent a Saturday in detention together. Did schools really have detentions on Saturdays?
Anyway, the five students at fictional Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois were to spend their detention in the school library and ordered not to speak or move from their seats by the antagonistic principal, Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason). He assigns a 1,000 word essay in which each student must write about who he or she thinks he or she is.
The students were:
John Bender (Judd Nelson) – The Rebel
Claire Standish (Molly Ringwald) – The Snob
Andrew Clark (Emilio Estevez) – The Jock
Brian Johnson (Anthony Michael Hall) – The Geek
Allison Reynolds (Ally Sheedy) – The Outcast
Bender stirred up trouble with the other students, but managed to get them to open up about themselves. Brian and Andrew had a lot of pressure on them to be a great student and athlete, respectively. And Bender was abused by his father, with a cigar burn to prove it.
They were in detention for the following reasons:
Andrew taped a students buttocks together
Claire ditched class to go to the mall
Brian brought a flare gun to school and it went off in his locker
Bender pulled the fire alarm
and the best one:
Allison had nothing better to do
John Hughes wrote this great movie in just 2 days. He also had a cameo as he played Brian’s father.
And who could forget the great song for the movie – “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds? You can’t think of this song without thinking of the movie and vice versa.
Here are some other facts about the movie:
Emilio Estevez was originally going to play Bender, but Hughes couldn’t find someone to play Andrew Clark so Emilio agreed to play Clark.
Molly Ringwald really wanted to play Allison but Ally Sheedy had already been promised the part.
Nicolas Cage was originally considered for the role of John Bender but the production couldn’t afford his salary at the time. John Cusack was originally cast as John Bender, but John Hughes decided to replace him with Judd Nelson before shooting began.
The scene in which all characters sit in a circle on the floor in the library and tell stories about why they were in detention was not scripted. John Hughes told them all to ad-lib.
Other proposed titles were “The Lunch Bunch” and “Library Revolution”.
The switchblade used in the movie actually belonged to Judd Nelson. He explained that he had it for protection purposes.
At the time of shooting, Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were the only Breakfast Club members of high school age, both being 17. Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy both were 23, and Judd Nelson was 26.
Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy played high school students in this film, the same year that they would portray college graduates in St. Elmo’s Fire (1985).
And here are some quotes from the movie:
[Claire is doing Allison’s make-up.]
Claire: You know, you look a lot better without all that black shit under your eyes.
Allison: Hey, I like all that black shit… Why are you being so nice to me?
Claire: Because you’re letting me.
Allison Reynolds: Your middle name is Ralph, as in puke, your birthdate’s March 12th, you’re 5’9 and a half, you weigh 130 pounds and your social security number is 049380913.
Andrew Clark: Wow! Are you psychic?
Allison Reynolds: No.
Brian Johnson: Well, would you mind telling me how you know all this about me?
Allison Reynolds: I stole your wallet.
John Bender (to the principal): Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?
Bender: I just wanna know how one becomes a janitor because Andrew here is very interested in pursuing a career in the custodial arts.
John Bender: Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch. All the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mr. Rogers?
Brian Johnson: Uh, no. Mr. Johnson.
Andrew Clark: You don’t have any goals.
John Bender: Oh but I do.
Andrew Clark: Yeah?
John Bender: I wanna be just like you. I figure all I need, is a lobotomy and some tights.
Brian Johnson: You wear tights?
Andrew Clark: No I don’t wear tights. I wear the required uniform.
Brian Johnson: Tights.
Andrew Clark: Shut up.
John Bender: Sporto.
Andrew Clark: What?
John Bender: You get along with your parents?
Andrew Clark: Well, if I say yes I’m an idiot, right?
John Bender: You’re an idiot anyway. But if you say you get along with your parents, well, you’re a liar too.
Brian Johnson: Dear Mr. Vernon: We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you’re crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.
So, what social group were you in. This is anonymous, so don’t be shy!
You can even be in more than one.
Did you have any favorite parts of the movie that you would like to bring up? Let us know.
According to the L.A. Times, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has signed a deal to join American Idol for Season 10. A source close to the negotiations has confirmed reports that Tyler has signed on to fill one of the vacancies left by Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres. Fox has not commented yet.
In an interview with the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton said that Tyler was definitely heading to “Idol.” Here is the specific question and answer from that interview:
Q. But isn’t Steven going to be a judge on a certain TV talent show?
A. Yeah, Steven is doing “American Idol.” The ink is dry on that. So, we’ll have to work around his schedule. I hope it doesn’t hurt the new momentum we’ve built up as a band on this tour, because that’s been so important. But I wouldn’t want to be the one standing in the way of this for him. Steven is someone who absolutely lives to be in front of an audience, and the people closest to him know how witty and entertaining he can be. I don’t know if “American Idol” will be rock ’n’ roll enough for him, but it is an opportunity for millions of people to see another side of Steven Tyler.
“I know him really well, and he’ll f—ing kill it,” said Lee, who was himself a judge on the 2006 reality show Rock Star: Supernova. “Look, you’re judging karaoke—you don’t need to be a really super experienced judge for that. But it’s nice to have an actual musician in there. He’s fun, and he’ll keep the show exciting too. He’s a good guy for that, I think.”
So, what is your opinion on Steven Tyler joining the show as a judge?
I think he will probably be more like Paula or Ellen, and not really be as tough on the contestants as Simon had been. I’m personally not a huge fan of the show. Before this past season, I had not watched the show in a few years. It seems like the contestants sing all the same songs every year, and not many of the songs (or singers for that matter) are that great. I may check out an episode or 2 next season just to see how Tyler is. My expectations are not very high.
On August 6, 2009, ’80s movies fans, especially those of us who grew up in the ’80s, had our hearts ripped out with the passing of writer/producer/director John Hughes (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009).
Hughes died of a heart attack while walking in Manhattan, where he was visiting his family. On that morning, Hughes was on West 55th Street in Manhattan when he was stricken with chest pains. At 8:55 a.m., 911 operators summoned paramedics to assist. Hughes was unconscious when they arrived several minutes later. Hughes was raced to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Not only was his death at a relatively young age tragic, but it was tragic that it happened in New York, and not his beloved Chicago.
Hughes got his start writing for the National Lampoon Magazine. His first credited screenplay was Class Reunion, which wasn’t too successful. But he skyrocketed when he wrote the screenplay for National Lampoon’s Vacation.
The first movie he directed was the classic Sixteen Candles. This began a string of very successful movies set around high school – The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Weird Science and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Then to avoid being known solely known for teen comedies, he branched out in 1987, directing Planes, Trains & Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy, and Uncle Buck, also starring John Candy.
Then his biggest success came with the movie Home Alone, which is still the most successful live-action comedy of all time. Then his last film as a director was 1991’s Curly Sue, which I have never seen.
Hughes stepped away from Hollywood in 1994. This was the same year John Candy died. If Candy did not die, who knows if Hughes may have come back or not.
Hughes made stars out of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Jon Cryer, Macaulay Culkin, and Alec Baldwin.
His teen movies were incredible. Teens in the ’80s could totally relate to at least some of the characters in his movies. Most of the characters were were awkward and uncomfortable in their own skin. But, his movies managed to have happy endings.
Something that Hughes did, that is greatly missed today, is the way he integrated music in his movies. Who can forget Ducky dancing and singing to “Try a Little Tenderness” in the record store, or Ferris in the parade performing “Twist and Shout”. And you can’t help but think of the song “Don’t You Forget About Me” when mentioning John Hughes.
Here is my top 5 John Hughes movies:
5. Sixteen Candles
4. Uncle Buck
3. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
2. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
1. The Breakfast Club
What are some of your favorite John Hughes movies, moments or memories?
Here is a poll to select your favorite John Hughes movie that he actually directed:
In closing, as the great Ferris Bueller said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Congratulations to Lee DeWyze for winning American Idol last night. This is the first season that I followed the show since the year that Taylor Hicks won. It was good to see that the two best singers actually made it to the finals this year. I favored Lee, but would not have been disappointed if Crystal Bowersox won.
Lee’s victory song was “Beautiful Day by U2. Here is his performance from the night before:
It was a fun night if you are an ’80s fan, as we Returned to the ’80s.
They did not perform too much by the time the ’80s arrived, but it was great to see Barry and Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, perform with contestants Siobhan Magnus and Aaron Kelly:
And there were a couple of artists that had ’80s hits, but performed their hits from previous decades.
For example, the show started with Alice Cooper (along with the contestants) performing “School’s Out”:
Michael McDonald performed his Doobie Brothers hit “Takin’ It to the Streets” with fourth place Michael Lynche:
And Joe Cocker performed “With a Little Help From My Friends” with Lee and Crystal:
And for the ’80s fans, there were some pretty cool surprises. Janet Jackson performed the last songs leading up to the results: “Again”, “Nothing”, and “Nasty”:
Chicago performed a medley of their hits with Lee DeWyze (whose hometown is Chicago:
Hall and Oates performed “You Make My Dreams”. That is one of my favorite Hall & Oates songs, so that was pretty cool to see:
And the biggest surprise to me, was Bret Michaels!!! He looked and sounded great. Especially all that he’s been through physically lately.
Apparently, the viewers weren’t the only ones surprised. So were his doctors.
“The doctors, I didn’t tell them I was going to do this,” he told UsMagazine.com. “I never told them I was coming here. They’re going to find out in a few minutes!” As for his family, “I may not have told them, either,” he added.
Here is his performance with third place finisher Casey James:
Even though Saturday Night Live is not as good as it used to be, I still have it on my TiVo’s Season Pass. This was the first episode in a very long time that I did not fast forward by a single skit. The “music”, on the other hand, was a different story. Here are the clips:
1. The opening skit: The Lawrence Welk Show.
It’s not too often that the host appears in the opening skit, but Betty White appears here. I’m not a big fan of Kristen Wiig. I like her Target lady, and her Kathie Lee. This is also a great character she plays.
2. Opening Monologue. Her opening monologue was better than most:
3. MacGruber skits. I can’t believe they are actually making a full length movie of this sketch. But these are really funny. These were played throughout the episode:
4. “The Delicious Dish”. This is an instant classic. Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon returned this week, and were just awesome in this skit. This sketch goes into great details about Betty White’s “muffin”.
5. The Manuel Ortiz Show. This would normally be a skit I would go by, but even this was pretty good. Check out Betty’s moves! Sorry for the bad video quality:
6. Gingey. All the ladies of Saturday Night Live were in this skit, where Betty White was trying to open everybody’s eyes and let them know that Amy Poelher is a lesbian. Amy Poelher is awesome in this sketch. I love that old fasioned voice she does:
7. Weekend Update. There are way too many skits during Weekend Update these days, and I end up scanning through most of them. But Molly Shannon and Betty White are hilarious here:
8. Scared Straight. This and “What Up With That” are two of my favorite Kenan Thompson sketches.
9. Digital Short – Thank You for being a Friend. Awww, this starts off so sweet! Then your mind gets blown away!! If you thought the rapping granny in The Wedding Singer was cool, check out Betty White’s Death Metal!!
10. Census. The last sketch of the night is usually the worst sketch of the night, and the show is pretty much over by the time you get to this point. But this sketch could be one of the first sketches in any other SNL episode. Betty White is wacky and awesome with poor census taker Tina Fey.
Gary Coleman got into a heated argument with attorney Lisa Bloom which caused him to storm off the set. Bloom was a guest panelist on the show. Gary Coleman had been arrested in January on a domestic assault warrant, which stemmed from a missed court date. He pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was ordered to complete a domestic violence course and pay a $595 fine.
So, Bloom confronted Coleman about whether he was in an abusive relationship with his wife or not.
The countdown continues for the top 80’s solo artists who had been in successful 80’s bands:
6. David Lee Roth – Van Halen
We are on a roll with 70’s groups with continuing success in the 80’s. Women and Children First was released in 1980, and had the hits “And the Cradle Will Rock…” and “Everybody Wants Some!!“. The latter song was also featured in the movie Better Off Dead. Fair Warning was released in 1981. At that time, tensions were beginning to rise between Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth. Eddie wanted to produce more serious and complex songs, and David had more of a poppy fun style. The only song of note from that album was “Unchained“. The following year, Diver Down was released and performed better. There were a couple of pop remakes that were on the album that contributed to the success – “(Oh) Pretty Woman” and “Dancing in the Street“. “Where Have All the Good Times Gone!” also went to #17 on the mainstream rock charts. Then the band peaked in 1984 with their mega-successful album 1984. “Jump” was the bands first and only #1 pop hit. You couldn’t watch MTV for more than a half hour without seeing it. The first song on the album was a short keyboard instrumental called “1984“, and it led into “Jump”. We referred to “1984” as the song to get you psyched for “Jump”. “I’ll Wait” reached #7 on the mainstream rock charts. “Panama” was another huge success, and another song that got a lot of airplay on MTV. This was followed by the hit “Hot For Teacher” (“Sit down, Waldo”!).
On April 1, 1985, Van Halen and David Lee Roth had a bitter break-up.
Just before the break-up, Roth released 2 big hit singles – “California Girls” and “Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody“. In 1986, Roth released his first full solo album Eat ‘Em and Smile. The first single from that album was his most popular – “Yankee Rose“, which featured great guitar work by Steve Vai. “Goin’ Crazy” also had some success.
Then in 1988, Roth released the album Skyscraper which featured the hit “Just Like Paradise” which reached to #6. “Stand Up” was also a moderate hit.
[Note: I chose David Lee Roth over Sammy Hagar because Hagar was already a successful solo artist before he joined Van Halen (or as some people call it – Van Hagar). Sammy definitely had a more successful solo career than David]
The countdown continues for the top 80’s solo artists who had been in successful 80’s bands:
9. Dennis DeYoung – Styx
Styx started releasing albums in the 70’s, and achieved moderate success. When guitarist Tommy Shaw joined the band in 1976, Styx became more well known. But, with the release of Paradise Theater in 1981, Styx shot to super stardom. It went to number one on the Billboard pop albums chart and contained five hit singles, including “The Best of Times” (#3) and “Too Much Time on My Hands“(#9). This was followed by the album Kilroy Was Here , which contained the hits “Mr. Roboto” (#3) and power ballad “Don’t Let It End” (#6).
Even though Kilroy Was Here was successful, it caused creative tension in the group. Tommy Shaw went on to a solo career, and the band went on hiatus until 1990. In the meantime, Dennis DeYoung also started a solo career.
Dennis DeYoung had a huge hit with the album and single Desert Moon. It reached to #10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and was on heavy rotation on MTV. He then followed that with the song “Don’t Wait for Heroes“, which did not get much radio play, but was played heavily on MTV. DeYoung also released the single “This Is the Time” for The Karate Kid, Part II soundtrack.
Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” hit #1 this week in 1981.
The song came from the album Celebrate!, which was released in 1980. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981, and stayed there until February 20, 1981.
Even today, “Celebration” is played at most wedding receptions. My father-in-law says that the wedding is not official until that song is played.
Kool and the Gang formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964. They started as a jazz band, then moved on to R&B and funk.
In 1979, James “J.T.” Taylor joined the band as the new lead singer, and the group’s popularity skyrocketed. They started with “Ladies Night“, then hit big with “Celebration”.
They also had big hits in the ’80s with “Get Down On It” and “Joanna“.
Then Kool & the Gang released their album Emergency, which contained four top-20 pop hits – the title track “Emergency“, “Misled“, “Fresh“, and “Cherish“.
In 1986, Kool & the Gang released their last significant album Forever. This album had 2 hits – “Victory” and “Stone Love“.
“Don’t Stop Believin'” Steve Perry and Journey fans. The rumor mill is starting up once again. According to Pollstar, London’s Daily Star an a short piece saying Perry had asked to rejoin the band after seeing “Don’t Stop Believing” performed by cast members on the hit TV show “Glee.” Or maybe he got re-energized after this performance at a Giants playoff game in San Francisco a few weeks ago:
On August 6, 2009, ’80s movies fans, especially those of us who grew up in the ’80s, had our hearts ripped out with the passing of writer/producer/director John Hughes (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009). 
Even though Saturday Night Live is not as good as it used to be, I still have it on my TiVo’s Season Pass. This was the first episode in a very long time that I did not fast forward by a single skit. The “music”, on the other hand, was a different story. Here are the clips:
Return to the 80s 