Forgotten Song Friday: Sad Edition

When Whitney Houston died this past Saturday, I was out of town and unplugged for a bit. I found out late Sunday afternoon in an annoyingly modern way. Yep, from some forgotten friend’s Facebook status update on my news feed. And so, another major pop star from my youth is gone.

And I know what you’re thinking…

But, no!  Bear with me!

As I thought about Whitney Houston that night, the song of hers that came into my head was one from my youth that I had forgotten.  It’s strange because I listen to 80s music on the regular.  I mean, have you ever read this blog? Exactly. And Whitney is a huge part of 80s music.  I listen to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Double S loves to sing the “I wanna feel the HEAT with somebody!” part) and “How Will I Know” pretty frequently.   How could I not?

To me, these songs are her classics, from a synthed out soundtrack to an 80s childhood. To hear just how good her voice was, listen to just her vocals from “How Will I Know.”

I know, right? Then listen to those vocals played over Robyn’s awesome “Dancing On My Own” from her 2010 Body Talk album.

Whitney and Robyn

Also, just listen to Robyn. She should be much more popular than she is. Watch her dance, and before you do, for the love of God remember that she’s Swedish.

That’s my jam!

Whitney’s ballads were never my cup of tea, but they were popular. How many times have you heard people ironically quoting “Greatest Love of All”?

Then there was the juggernaut that was “I Will Always Love You.” I was 17 when it came out and I kinda hated it. I was all REM this, They Might Be Giants that, Rock The Vote this, I’m gonna move to NYC and be a comedy writer that.  Not Double S! Double S’s first R rated movie (a big deal to a wholesome young Lutheran girl!  Or maybe not so wholesome.  She wasn’t 17!  She snuck in! ) was The Bodyguard and she loved “I Will Always Love You.” Yep, I’ve put it on a mixtape for her too.  Ironically?  I’ll leave that for you to guess.

This is from YM magazine. In 1992, YM was very popular amongst mainstream girls who liked to read mortifying anecdotes about girls whose feminine hygiene products just happened to make themselves visible just as that cute boy was here. This joke may only be funny to my high school friends. Guys? Is this thing on?

The Whitney Houston song that came into my head when I read the news, today’s sad forgotten song, and the one Whitney Houston ballad that I had a special relationship with, was “One Moment in Time.” But until seeing the sad news on Sunday, I had forgotten about it completely. It wasn’t even on my ipod. And lemme tell you, I’ve got a stocked music library when it comes to the 80s.  Friends, here is “One Moment in Time.”  Get your kleenex for this video, for real.

“One Moment in Time” will always be associated with sports, and specifically with the Olympics, to me.  It was the theme of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and Whitney performed it at the opening ceremonies.

As you may remember, I really like the Olympics. When I was a kid, I LOVED the Olympics.  The 1988 games especially stick out in my memory.  Carl Lewis!  Janet Evans!  Flo Jo!  Greg Louganis!  That US woman runner who fell down (Mary Decker, fyi)!  Volleyball!

When I hear “One Moment in Time” now and watch that video, I remember that moment in time.  It takes me right back to being 13 and unjaded in 1988.  I had grandiose and romantic notions about sports and life.  Didn’t we all?  I loved sports then.  Softball especially.   Yeah, I know.  My team almost went to the CYC (Bonus points if you know that abbreviation!) seventh and eighth grade Missouri girls state softball tournament!  Or at least I think we did.  Things get foggy in your late 30s.  But then there was a crushing surprise loss, ending our season,  and there were a lot of Richard Marx songs on the radio at the time to make one contemplate what could have been.   When Whitney Houston sang about that moment in time, and that moment was about excelling at sports, and you thought maybe you could be cool and excel because you hit the most home runs on the team (True story!  Virtual high five?) but still wore Converse All Stars in the team photo (up on the wall at the homestead!)?  I was in.  I watched the Olympic montages and thought about what could be.

I was getting to the tail end of the period in my life when sports were so important.  The next year I’d start high school, listen to a lot less Richard Marx (whilst still holding on to the nights, the endless summer nights), make what I thought were scathing critiques of the cronyism rampant in my high school sports programs, and lose some of those romantic notions for awhile.  Don’t worry.  They’re back, and not mainly about sports anymore.  But I’m still a sucker for the Olympics and underdog sports movies and nostalgia.

I liked being reminded of that moment.  RIP Whitney.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas…Forgotten Xmas Song Friday!

Hey guys, remember the late 90s? No, not this 90s!

This 90s!

Remember when clothes were baggy?  Remember when white dudes frosted and highlighted their hair?  Remember when young men hung out in groups wearing aforementioned baggy clothes and sporting the above referenced highlighted and frosted hair, touching each other a lot, but in like a totally hetero way?  Remember when boy bands and girl divas ruled pop culture?  Remember when a singular pop culture was a thing?

Oh, you don’t?  Well, I’m sure glad you are here!

Well, once upon a time there was a band called 98 Degrees.  Yes, 98 Degrees has a Wikipedia page, and yes, I’m serious.  Ok, I’ll wait until you’re finished laughing.  In 1999, 98 Degrees put out a Christmas album called This Christmas.  It spawned this hit, “The Gift.”  Maybe you’ve forgotten about it, or, maybe never knew about it in the first place.  Oh hell naw.  You’re not getting off that easily.  Listen!  And remember that 90s trend where bands broke it down to brass tacks by sitting down on stools while they sung.  Deep.

And that’s not all.  Now I’m sure you know the fine actor Justin Timberlake.  The dude that’s always rapping with Jimmy Fallon on your Facebook feed and who’s been in a series of bad movies or pure spectacle roles.  I’m looking at you Bad Teacher and The Social Network, respectively.  Well he used to sing in a “band” called *NSync.  Yep, it actually had that asterisk!  If you were alive and kicking (perhaps to a Gap swing dance commercial?) back in 1998 you could hit the record store and pick up a copy of their xmas album Home for Christmas.  That album contained the hit (and surprisingly catchy *shame*)  “Merry Christmas Happy Holidays.”  Those *NSync bastards were ahead of the curve on this whole everyone is jacked up that some people say holidays instead of Christmas thing.  You know, this:

And these ladies:

Oh, they stop smiling when Christianity isn't shoved in all of our faces constantly. Best believe.

Here is *Nsync’s now perhaps PC ditty, “Merry Christmas Happy Holidays.”

A few things.  One, Joey Fatone.  Heh heh.  (Butthead voice) Fat one.  Two, this guy.  Ugh.

I know we throw around the term “The Worst” a lot, but white people with dreads are kinda the worst.  Justin agrees.

Three, was casually wearing ski googles a trend in the 90s?  Musta missed that one.  Four, yep, I still think Lance Bass looked like a lesbian then.  Five, this is actually kind of a fun xmas song.  To the vault for next year’s xmas mix!

For all of the above memories of times perhaps forgotten, you’re welcome.  Oh and happy Friday!  I’m holiday partying and drinking martinis today.   Jealous much?