Loverboy

"Touch that dial - turn me on
Start me like a motor, make me run
Lovin every minute of it
Lovin every minute of it
Turn that dial all the way
Shoot me like a rocket into space
Lovin every minute of it"




Not many Canadian bands from the early 80s cracked the American market, but Loverboy did. The first album was my favorite, simply called Loverboy. I'm not sure if it's because my music collection was limited or listening to full albums was the norm, but back then I listened to that first compilation a lot and i still like every song on it.

1. The Kid Is Hot Tonight
2. Turn Me Loose
3. Always On My Mind
4. Lady Of The '80's
5. Little Girl
6. Prissy Prissy
7. Teenage Overdose
8. D.O.A.
9. It Don't Matter

As with a lot of Canadian music back then, the second album was actually the breakout release in the USA. Get Lucky contained the huge hit Working For The Weekend and When It's Over. Other good songs were Jump, Lucky Ones and Take Me To The Top.



If you bought the self titled debut Loverboy album and Loverboy Classics shown above you would probably have all you need for your listening pleasure. To be honest, i would say some of the next recordings were pretty sparse for hits. Keep It Up had Hot Girls In Love and Lovin' Every Minute had that song and This Could Be The Night. Singles like Heaven In Your Eyes is best known for being on the Top Gun soundtrack and Almost Paradise with Mike Reno and Ann Wilson as the love theme song for the movie Footloose.

Streetheart

Around 1982 Streetheart wore out a few of my tape decks. My tapes were also hard to read as all the lettering had come off from frequent use. I went to a very loud Streetheart concert with an abscessed tooth one time. I felt every kick of the bass bins right in my face with each beat but it was worth every minute.



The self titled album called Streetheart will always be my favorite because it’s good from beginning to end with hits like What Kind Of Love Is This, and One More Time. Other Hits are Snow White, Look In Your Eyes and Without Your Love. The album is quite good to listen throughout due to songs like Miss Plaza Suite and others.



I had previously been hooked on Streetheart after listening to the album Under Heaven Over Hell. The songs I liked were Hollywood, Main Street, Under My Thumb, and Here Comes The Night. Other Songs of note are Action and Just For You from Meanwhile Back in Paris, Comin’ True from Dancing With Danger and Tin Soldier from Drugstore Dancer.



Streetheart originally was from Regina Saskatchewan with lead singer Kenny Shields, Daryl Gutheil, Spider Sinnaeve and later Paul Dean and Matt Frenette who left to form Loverboy



“You gotta have a dream,
But you gotta make it real.
Or nobody could ever know,
The way that you feel.”

Headpins

"Psssssssst, come on, turn it up
Ho, turn it up
Come on, turn it LOUD!"

In 1982 and 1983 the Headpins ruled the Canadian music charts for awhile. The amazing vocals of Darby Mills streaked through the airwaves like nothing anyone had ever heard before. The album Turn It Loud says it all. Great classic songs include, Don't It Make You Feel, Don't You Ever Leave Me, People, You Can't Have Me, Winnin', Mine All Mine, Feel It (Feel My Body), Celebration, Keep Walkin' Away, and of course Turn It Loud. Headpins still tour and are on my list of bands i still must see live.

Update: I went to my first Headpins concert last night and i wasn't disappointed. Not everyone can do what Darby Mills does. I don't know how she can still hit those high extended notes after all these years. The distinctive guitar riffs that we remember from the albums sounded great too, just as expected.

















"Don't wanna hear the back bar sound
Just wanna hear the bass thump loud
Here come the band right across the stage
Oh just one thing gonna start to play
I wanna hear the guitar sound
Just wanna hear the band play loud"