Redartz: Hello,fellow temporal travelers! Time again for another excursion back , back, back aboard the Retro Metro. Today we revisit the illustrious 80's, specifically Feb. 17, 1982. As always, there is tumult in the world, especially in Poland, where turmoil reigns under the imposition of martial law. Sadly, we read of the death of Jazz genius Thelonius Monk. On the positive note, gas prices seem to be coming down...
While fuel may be dropping, the J. Geils Band is rising to the top of the US Billboard Pop Chart with this week's number one, "Centerfold"
And rounding out the top five:
2. Daryl Hall and John Oates, "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)"
3. Quarterflash, "Harden My Heart"
4. Journey, "Open Arms"
5. The Cars, "Shake it Up"
Enjoying a lot of the current music these days, Hall and Oates are great, as are the Cars. But as is usually the case, many of the most interesting songs lie further down the chart. Among them,the Rolling Stones, "Waiting on a Friend"- a nice song off their latest album "Tattoo You". The Police, "Spirits in the Material World", Go-Go's, "We Got the Beat": love both these songs and both of these groups. So much so, in fact, that a bunch of us from art school just got back from a trip to Cleveland Ohio to see them both in concert . A great time was had, except for the ice storm on the road home, but that's another story. Oh, and another fun tune: Buckner and Garcia, "Pac Man Fever". A tribute to the immense popularity of video games and arcades these days. I admittedly have spent more than a few quarters on that little yellow guy and his ever-pursuing ghosts...
Tops in the UK: The Jam, "Town Called Malice"
Man, those Go-Go's are dynamite (and although Belinda Carlisle gets a lot of the attention, I rather admire Jane Weidlin). But enough musical musings, what about the action on the small screen today? Let's see...
US Television Schedule:
ABC: The Greatest American Hero, The Fall Guy, Dynasty
I still catch "G A H" from time to time, and occasionally catch Lee Majors as the Fall Guy. Playing a stunt man/bounty hunter, Majors gives us another action-packed show (perhaps he's helped out by the cybernetics from his previous role as the Six Million Dollar Man).
CBS: Herbie the Love Bug, WKRP in Cincinnati, Baker's Dozen, Shannon
Another show I'm still enjoying is WKRP. Great cast, and how can you not like a comedy about a rock radio station? On the other hand, I'm surprised to find a show featuring "Herbie the Love Bug" on prime time.
NBC: Real People, The Facts of Life, Love Sidney, Quincy M.E.
Real People is one of those shows I'll watch if the mood hits, and Quincy is cool- Jack Klugman is always enjoyable. But "Facts of Life" has sort of hooked me. Another show with a pretty good cast, led by the engaging Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Garrett.
BBC1: Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, The Wednesday Film: The Last Hunt, Sportsnight, Parkinson
BBC2: The Water Margin, The Making of Mankind, The Master Game, Chronicle, M*A*S*H, Nancy Astor, Out of Court
Rolf Harris Cartoon Time? Is that the Rolf Harris of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" fame? I'd watch that every time...
Oh, hey; it's Wednesday, which means new comic day! While we're here, let's check out the neighborhood spinner rack (or the fine display at the local comic shop, as is becoming more frequently the case:
That Silver Surfer book is a definite must. John Byrne and Tom Palmer on the Surfer? Take my money now. And while you're at it, pass me that Teen Titans issue, Wolfman and Perez are still rocking it. I'm getting that Spectacular Spider-man issue just for the cover, but the book is really solid these days anyway. And speaking of solid, how about Byrne's fantastic Fantastic Fours? The book hasn't been this good in years. And this week we have a double treat, "Fantastic Four Roast" by Fred Hembeck- a truly comical comic. Can't wait to read that one. Oh, and check out that Hulk issue; whats's with the raccoon? Kind of an oddly obscure character, bet he'll fade into obscurity...
Although we aren't fading into obscurity, we do have to fade back to the present. Hope we've triggered a few memories for you, and that you'll share your tales of '82. Until next time, be well and save me a token for the arcade...
10 comments:
I remember well J. Geils Band "Centerfold" and still fond of it today. Also like Journey, "Open Arms" and The Cars, "Shake it Up".
Watched The Greatest American Hero, The Fall Guy, Dynasty, WKRP in Cincinnati, The Facts of Life, and Quincy M.E. Had a crush on Blaire Warner on Facts of Life.
Bought Fantastic Four Roast, Fantastic Four, Uncanny X-Men and that issue of Marvel Team Up. I confess that I am not that much of a fan of Hembeck, but I was willing to buy anything Fantastic Four related at that time.
Red, today is my birthday and the date you've chosen was my 16th birthday!!
Unfortunately I don't remember anything about it! Couldn't have been very momentous.
Yes, you are thinking of the correct Rolf Harris. Perhaps you are unaware that he is currently in prison after being convicted of paedophilia ?
'The Water Margin' on BBC Two was a Japanese TV series set in medieval China and dubbed into English. I never watched it but my father did.
Of those comics the only one I recognize is Fantastic Four. I loved John Byrne but I wasn't so keen on him bringing back the FF's wide collars and the flying bathtub version of the Fantasti-car.
Too much great stuff here to mention!
I fondly remember that X-Men, Marvel Team-Up, Legion of Superheroes and gotta love Fantastic Four Roast!
I believe Daredevil was hugging a certain assassin's tombstone on the cover of this month's issue as well.
Thanks for these delightful blasts from the past. 1982 was great.
-david p.
Happy Birthday Colin! Cheers!
1982 was a perfect year on all fronts. It seems to have hit all of my favorites and been in alignment for TV watching, comic book reading, and music listening. I wonder what was at the movies?
You mention comic shops and that literally was right around the time I started going. I remember because my friend had to make a special trip to get that Silver Surfer.
WKRP was classic. In music I had many favorites, but the Jam still gets listened to occasionally.
I couldn’t miss Byrne’s FF at this time, but the weird proportions of Wolverine on that Marvel Team-Up have always bothered me. I was starting to get bored with X-Men as some of the tales were dragging on and though I liked Cockrum his art seemed a little stiff this time around.
Lots of memories here...
The Water Margin was definitely the TV highlight of the day for me. My weekly dose of martial arts mayhem and strangeness, featuring the voice of Burt Kwouk who played every single Chinese, Japanese and Korean character in British TV and cinema all through the 1960s and 70s, including Cato from the Pink Panther movies.
When it came to the US shows, Quincy was an absolute legend.
As for the UK singles chart, someone had clearly turned the quality control up to 11 because there were a whole bunch of things on the chart that week that I liked. Among them were:
1. "A Town Called Malice" - The Jam.
2. "Golden Brown" - The Stranglers.
3. "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" - Soft Cell.
19. "The Land of Make Believe" - Bucks Fizz.
23. "Being Boiled" - Human League.
37. "I Could Be Happy" - Altered Images.
41. "Head Over Heels" - ABBA.
42. "Here is the News/Ticket to the Moon" - ELO.
63. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell.
73. "It Must Be Love" - Madness.
Sadly, I didn't have any of the pictured comics. My hiatus from buying American comics basically ran from 1982 to 1991, so these were just outside my time frame.
Colin- Happy birthday! Hope you have a great one.
Ouch, no, I was unaware of Rolf Harris' current status. Now that cartoon show just sounds creepy.
David p.- you're right about that Daredevil issue. Another great book from a stellar month. And yes,1982 had a lot to offer!
Marti- that was the year "E.T." came out, but that probably debuted in the summer. And I agree about that Team-Up cover; it looked off then and still does.
Steve D.C.- you provide another impressive list of music! Also, thanks for the background on Burt Kwouk . He must have kept quite busy...
Wow... Red - I dare say this is my favorite feature of your share of the blog! Just gives me a tingling feeling up one side and down the other!
I do not know a single one of the comics, as it was my junior year in college and I was no longer in touch. But they do look intriguing.
Steve DC - thanks for bringing up the New Wave! It has just started rolling... the anticipation is killing me as Red and Marti move forward slowly in time! Duran Duran's Rio must be lurking in the near future? Human League's Boiled. Wow! That's pre Heaven 17! Love it! Amazing it's 23 on the UK charts as I can't say it even charted in the USA. Very impressive! Those UK charts, as compared to the US Charts, always leave me scratching my head (in a good way, lol)!
Ah, I remember this year very well! Most of the music you mentioned is familiar; I also seem to recall having albums by Styx, Men At Work, and the Police around that time.
I watched WKRP (and thought Bailey was much more attractive than Jennifer), Fall Guy, Greatest American Hero, and Facts of Life. My parents watched Dynasty and Quincy.
Of the comics shown, I was reading New Teen Titans, Legion, Spidey, MTU (I missed that Wolverine issue, but I still have the follow-up with Professor X), and (occasionally) Brave & Bold and MOKF.
Charlie- Glad you're enjoying the Metro! There are more trips ahead, never fear. And "Rio" will doubtlessly show up on one; that's one of my favorite albums ever...
Mike W.- yes, a great year musically. Men at Work broke out that year; seems you heard them all over. Oh, and I too preferred Bailey over Jennifer...
Oh, man, can't believe I didn't comment on this post.
That ABC line-up brings back memories: I was a very dedicated viewer of both GAH and Fall Guy, which means that I'd stopped watching WKRP and Facts of Life - both earlier favorites (I think I caught some of the WKRPs during the summer reruns, though).
As for comics, 1982 was during my peak years of comics reading: I had the Silver Surfer book, and Teen Titans and X-men, and I vividly recall that issue of Legion of Super-heroes, as it was the first drawn by Keith Giffen, and it's when Levitz's stories really started cooking. Iron Man, however, was a book I dropped a few issues earlier because it lost its magic for me at that point (Bethany Cabe was written out of the book, which I thought was a stupid idea, and by that point, both Layton and then Michelinie had left the title).
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