J-Unit -

Sadly, Darren "The Human Beat Box" Robinson passed away 10 years ago from, well, being too fat (cardiac arrest). This would severly hamper a Fat Boys reunion.

It is with a bowed head that I say, "Brrrr Stick 'em, ha ha ha stick 'em."

the fat boys may be out of the question, but chubb rock or biz markie might be nice.

I read they're getting Glass Tiger and that they tried to get Night Ranger, but NR couldn't get legal clearance to do one of the songs they had chosen.

I'd like to see Little Richard, or Survivor. I would laugh out loud if they got Micheal Jackson but I doubt that is a risk tv is willing to take.

My husband and I must be crazy or have hearing problems. We loved Cameo and Howard Jones and expected one of them to win.
We both thought Irene was really off-key and not sounding nearly as good as she did back in the day (although the two other chicks from Hot Caramel sounded great). We were shocked she won.
And Sophie B. Hawkins scared me. She has the crazy-eyes like the runaway bride.

Yes, I know that Darren Robinson died, but since when has the death of one member of a group stopped the others from performing?

Also, I forgot to mention in my post that Irene Cara basically looks like Maya Rudolph went tanning and ate a lot of fried chicken.

damn you, I must now download all these lame 80's songs.

Every time I hear "Word Up!" now, I always think of the SNL skit where they did the Napster hearings. Cameo (played by Tracey Morgan) testified and all he could say was "Word up!"

BTW, poster "Pap" was me, earlier. Me no type good today.

I have to agree with "is my hearing impaired", at least half way. Howard Jones was lovely and his performance of "White Flag" was moving. I thought Cameo was awful, Wang Chung suprisingly not bad, and Irene Cara a shadow (vocally, not physically) of her former self. I was shocked she won, especially with her shameless plug for her group (the other two singers sang more in the final number than she did!) BTW, I'm not sure what Flashdance routine you are referring to, but it certainly wasn't from the film as Irene Cara wasn't in it, she merely sang the title track. And her final number was by big-in-Europe singer Anastacia, not an original number.

All of you people who think that Howard Jones or Wang Chung should have won are obviously confusing this show with some other show where people are actually judged on talent. The audience votes, and if you can't get them excited, you aren't going to win. Musically, Howard Jones should have beat them all, but he was such a snoozefest to listen to (and watch).

I thought Irene Cara was in the video for the song, but maybe my memory is hazy since I was 4 years old and stuck in a rain forest at the time.

This post was hilarious.

I absolutely love this show! It is great! And the line about the performers not being fat and pissing you off really cracked me up! I always watch with eager anticitpation to see who has gotten fat!! The last two episodes have actually been decent compared to the first - talk about BAD! And I thought everyone on this episode sounded pretty damn good - I loved Wang Chung's cover of "Hot in Here" - I thought it was great, as long as you didn't watch them! And I thought HoJo sounded great, but looked a fright! I can't wait for the next episode!!

Europe? Staci Quatrro? Quaterflash? Falco? Golden Earring? Let's get the ball rolling, people! You know there are tons of has beens out there yearing to suck the sweet teat of success (?) yet again.

BTW, just discovered the site and delight to everything you have posted thus far. Keep up the fine snarky work!

Good call on the Mya/Irene resemblence.

I''d like to see Stacey Q, Black Box or C&C Music Factory (really Marth Wash) or Salt & Pepa.

Stacy Q? Corey Hart? Winger?

While watching last night, I too, saw the similarities between Irene Cara & Maya Rudolph.

Like you imagine Rutger Hauer looked like in 1987? Are you kidding me? He was making movies then. See "The Hitcher" with C. Tommy Howell. Anne Rice always imagined Hauer as the Vampire Lestat.

Irene Cara wasn't in "Flashdance." That was Jennifer Beals, currently of "The L Word" on Showtime. Cara sang the movie's theme song "What A Feelin'" which put me to bed every night of the fourth grade.

I grew up in the '80s and that decade rocked. Now I go to my office and watch junior employees walk around in '80s retro clothing. Like they could possibly get it right.

You think Irene Cara is a tub of lard now? You should have seen her on the PBS 80's music pledge-break special about a year ago...she was at least twice the size she is now.

Irene obviously slimmed down and layed off the CARAmel to prepare for this big night.

I would LOVE to see the band a-ha sing "Take on me." I must have watched their video a thousand times back in the day.

I loved Howard Jones last night. He clearly has the most talent out of all of them. Everyone else was off key and just sad, really. I will give props to Wang Chung for their Nelly song, though.

This show is like a bad car wreck. I know I shouldn't look at it, but yet I can't turn my eyes away.

I'm shocked Irene Cara won as well. Not that I wasn't a huge fan back in the day, but her band sounded like crap last night. I thought they were all shaky and off key. I'm sure Anastacia was not pleased that they butchered one of her songs. (Though seeing as how she's got an album coming out in August and she needs the publicity maybe she wasn't.)

The only thing cheesier than Irene's band's matching outfits and jaunty hats was Mike Reno's turkey waddle/chin in episode 1. *shudder*

Irene Cara had her big break as Coco in Fame (the movie not TV show). I'm surprised none of the guys got that since you got to see her topless...

WHA?! Irene Cara sucked! I usually see eye to eye with you, but I think you had last nights show all wrong.

I thought Howard Jones sounded like the only one who had talent?! Sure, it wasn't the most action packed song, but it was surely the cleanest vocals flowing that night.

Wang Chung was just flat out amusing. It's was like watchign your parents try and be hip. They didn't sound too bad singing a Nelly song either.

Ok, Sophie B. Onmeth just needed a good old fashioned Ike Turner beating! I'm sure this is the only performance she's done in a long time where the front row wasn't chomping on corn dogs, but DAMN! I WISH I WAS DEAF! I think I hate her...no, I pretty sure I do.

Irene Cara? I don't Care-a! It's also a jip that her cover song was done by a group I watch teenagers hook up to when the stage rises out of the floor at tommorrow land at Disneyland?! There is no way she should have won when she only sang a couple of bars and let the other girls rant one with some sort of soulful singing? I think her and Sophie B. were sharing the same rolled up dollar in the dressing room too!

Where the hell do they get those folks to get their lip synching grooves on in the front row too? Weird?

AND SCENE!

Discuss amongst yourselves. Thank you.

Was I the only one that thought Howard Jones looked like an albino sleestack?

Please, please . . . Rick Springfield and Corey Hart! I saw them together in concert in 1985 and I have never been the same since. I would love to hear Corey belt out "I wear my sunglasses at night." In the concert I was at, he threw a pair of sunglasses into the crowd, and I actually touched them!

I know, I know--I am lame. But now the biggest concert thrill I get is taking the kids to see The Wiggles and Dora Live, so forgive me if I live in the past at times.

I thought that Wang Chung was the most amusing of the night, personally. Irene Cara was ok but not great, Howard Jones was pretty good talent wise but boring as h.e. double hockeysticks, Cameo was ridiculous, Sophie was defintely hippie-ish but sang ok. Too bad Debbie (oops, Deborah) Gibson wouldn't come on. Also, I'd like to see Cindy Lauper, Pet Shop Boys, Survivor, Ratt, David Lee Roth would kick ass too!

My dream lineup for this show would be:

Dexy's Midnight Runner's
MC Hammer
Thomas Dolby
Musical Youth
Carl Douglas

That would be a show!

Assuming that they're all still alive, that is!!!

Howard Jones' voice has held up the best--by far. And Irene Cara couldn't hit any of the high notes she used to.

But it should be noted that I don't know if many of these performers were ever good "live." The 80s was a time of great artifice...........

Falco can't come on this, he is dead.

Next episode? Easy. One word: Asia. It was the heeeeat of the moment...

i also thought howard jones was surprisingly good (always liked him, along with his american counterpart, joe 'steppin' out' jackson), though he clearly wasn't playing to win with those pretty ballads for pussies and whiners (coldplay, anyone?). wang chung tanked, but they actually did some respectable work back in the 80s, most memorably scoring the soundtrack for william friedkin's 'to live and die in LA', one of the best and most underappreciated crime thrillers of the decade. it's creepy and stylish (michael mann actually unsuccessfully sued friedkin for ripping off 'miami vice'), featuring great performances by the young william l. petersen (now there's a guy who's packed on some pounds since the 80's) as a reckless secret serviceman, willem dafoe as the creepy-androgynous-psycho counterfeiter villain, a cameo by future 'frasier' star jane leeves (daphne) as willem dafoe's bisexual girlfriend's girlfriend, a killer surprise ending, and an ambitious chase scene including a trip up the l.a. freeway in the wrong direction . . .

. . . all set to the surprisingly excellent and otherwise unknown tunes of wang chung.

irene cara also got a huge plug on entertainment tonight, meaning she is probably the only performer on the show with an agent who doesn't work out of a booth in the back of an old nightclub, which may have influenced the irene-centric audience. literally millions of ripped sweatshirts and leg-warmers have been sitting amongst moth balls in old trunks and dresser drawers across america, waiting for the second coming of irene cara.

oh yeah . . . wouldn't mind seeing whitesnake, white lion, the guys that sang 'white pony' or any other groups of the albino animal persuasion . . .

My husband votes for: Air Supply. Sing with me, "I'm all outta love, what am I without you..." He also likes the Bangles. *sigh*

How about the lady who sang, "I've been to paradise, but I've never been to meeeeeee...." That was playing at Safeway the other night. Now there is a cheesy and song waiting to be snarked upon!

How about some real has-beens, like:

Johnny Hates Jazz
The Outfield
T'Pau
Living in a Box
Scritti Politti
Nik Kershaw

Gidget - Falco died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic about 8 or 9 years ago.

I'm all for having Taco on though.

Lady J got it right. Cara wasn't in Flashdance, just sang the song. However, wasn't she Coco in Fame? I'm pretty damn sure.

p.s. I owned the Wang Chung tape :o)

Oscar, I think you and I are the only 2 people who still remember Nik Kershaw.

I also recommend Donnie Iris. No one could ever vote against "Al, Leah."

Oscar, I think you and I are the only 2 people who still remember Nik Kershaw.

I also recommend Donnie Iris. No one could ever vote against "Ah, Leah."

No no no, a thousand times no on Donnie Iris. I loved that western PA man (saw him in concert at the Erie County Fieldhouse in 1983 - eeek!) but there is no way in hell he could hit those notes these days. Sometimes, its better to hold on to those memories than to see them battered on the rocks.

I like to see Van Halen with David Lee Roth. Dave's hair plugs would make my day.

Ali,
Thanks for the heads up. Actually I do remember reading of his demise. Sigh.

Shout out to Asia. I hate to mention they had another hit. "Only timmmeeeee will teeeelllll...". Remember that girl in the leotard doing bad gymmatics in the video?

God, I am such a geek.

How about the Divinyls " When I think about you, I touch myself?"

ahh, 1990....

Um...dumbass!

Howard Jones was amazing!! It was great seeing him play a favoritesong of mine from the 80's! He did Dido's "White Flag" better than Dido herself!

Three simple words

Sieg Sieg Sputnik

... Actually that's just two words

What is up with the host on this show? His teeth are way too white and he never moves the microphone from his chin! He makes me feel funny.

Love this site!

What's the Runaway Bride doing singing on this show?

Sharla: count me among the Nik Kershaw fans. I have all his albums (yes, albums!) and would love to see him up on stage again.

June 24, 2005

Contact: Jeff Albright/The Albright Entertainment Group
(E-mail: RockStarPR@aol.com)

NIGHT RANGER SAYS "HIT ME BABY ONE LESS TIME" TO NBC SHOW PRODUCER:

NIGHT RANGER - the multi-platinum rock outfit best known for such hits as "Sister Christian," "(You Can Still) Rock In America," "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and "Rumors In The Air" among others - is firing back at "Hit Me Baby One More Time" producer Paul Jackson for comments made in this week's US Weekly (June 27, 2005 issue) regarding the band's withdrawal from the show. According to Night Ranger front man Jack Blades, "We were absolutely stunned and appalled when we read that we supposedly pulled out after a bad rehearsal and that Paul Jackson would have the audacity to make the comment to US Weekly in regards to Night Ranger that 'You have to be good and prepared to do the show.'" As any Night Ranger fan or follower of the band over the years would attest, they're always good and always prepared. "That statement is an absolute lie about the reasons for us not doing the show," continues Blades, who still does an average of a hundred dates a year with Night Ranger band mates Kelly Keagy, Jeff Watson and Brad Gillis. Time to set the story straight… "What precluded us from being able to do the show at the time was that, as you know, the bands need to pick a second recent hit song by someone else to perform and we were without a second song," comments Night Ranger's Jeff Watson. "We chose and re-chose, submitted and re-submitted almost ten songs to perform -- from a list and guideline of songs provided us - that NBC couldn't get cleared for use… Less than 48 hours before we were supposed to fly to Hollywood to film, the network still hadn't cleared a song and it would've been physically impossible for us to learn, rearrange, re-record and then perform someone else's song live to any degree of our standard or professionalism and talent within that space of time. That's why we didn't do the show." "We were hesitant about doing the show to begin with," adds Blades, who, admittedly, wanted to see the first episode before making a commitment. "But now that we've seen it, frankly we're glad that NBC couldn't get a second song cleared and it turned out this way… however, someone should've gotten their facts straight and not misled our fans and readers of US Weekly. It's downright pathetic." Needless to say, you won't be seeing "Sister Christian" performed any time soon on the NBC Thursday night show.

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www.nightranger.com