Nancy Wheeler's No More Mr. Nice Girl - Vol. 2: Separate Ways (Upside Down and Worlds Apart)

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BOOTH ANNOUNCER GARY OWENS:

...and the cow was returned to its rightful owner.

And that's the latest from S-P-M-M news...
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for

 NANCY WHEELER'S 

 NO MORE MR. NICE GIRL! 

on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!

COLD OPEN:

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"Heaven's On Fire" - Kiss

(Dec. 1984, highest chart pos. #49 Hot 100,

#11 Mainstream Rock, live perf. on Swedish TV) 

Kicking off the show, that was the greatest and loudest band in the land, Kiss,

appearing on Swedish TV and performing a song that brushed the top 10 on

the U.S. Rock chart at the end of 1984, the fan favorite "Heaven's On Fire."

 

Hi again! I'm Nancy Wheeler, a 1980s teenager

on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things.

 As you recall, I started out as a sweet, innocent, wholesome girl.

Image by LadyMonstter @ DeviantArt

That lasted five minutes.

I began to change when I slept

with my boyfriend, the big man

on campus. (Film at 11.)

Things got ugly when I started

to ghost my bf and hang out

with Jonathan, the school's

social outcast.

I found myself at the center of a messy love triangle.

Stranger things started to happen when our town was threatened by
creatures from an alternate dimension called "the Upside Down."

That's when I cried "foul" and started breaking bad
and gearing up for the battle ahead.

Pistols, rifles, bear traps - I learned how to use all kinds of weapons.

Image by  JCLF88 @ DeviantArt

That supernatural monster picked on the wrong school girl!

Image by MangolSel @ DeviantArt

I'm taking a much needed break from fighting giant creepy-crawlies

to work as a Shady Bunch DJ here on S-P-M-M Retro Radio.

My mission here is to search high and low for the great songs

of the 80s and original music videos from those glory years of

MTV that you can watch on my YouTube simulcast.

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Goody two-shoes turned badass... I'm calling my radio show

No More Mr. Nice Girl.

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Okay, let's get back to the music. You met this talented songstress

from the land down under on other S-P-M-M shows. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

She's Kat Jade, a contestant on Season 3 of The Voice Australia and frontwoman

of the world renowned South Australian cover band HSCC... The Hindley Street

Country Club. Here's Kat accompanied by Jake Milic covering one of Journey's

biggest hits of the 80s-- "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)." 

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" - Journey

cover by Kat Jade (Oct. 2021) 

That was the popular Aussie singer Kat Jade along with Jake Milic with their

humor-laced cover of "Separate Ways," a 1983 single by Steve Perry and

Journey that topped the Rock chart and went top 10 pop. 

Image by Meg Wooten @megwootenart

Nancy Wheeler with you on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio and simulcasting

on YouTube. On Stranger Things I'm going through my terrible teens.

Image by LadyMonstter @ DeviantArt

 

Here at Shady's Place, I'm turning back the clock and playing the kind

of music that invites you to get back in touch with your inner teenager. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

With that in mind, here's Black 'n Blue, a great but underrated glam metal

band from the Pacific Northwest. Check out this cool vid as the guys

do their top 50 rock hit-- "Hold On to 18!" 

"Hold On To 18" - Black 'N Blue

(Aug./Sept. 1984, highest chart pos. #50 Top Rock Tracks) 

From Portland, Oregon, that was Black 'n Blue with the rock anthem "Hold On to 18,"

the second single from the band's self-titled 1984 debut album.

Image by LadyMonstter @ DeviantArt

 

Little known, seldom heard nationally and underappreciated, Black 'n Blue

formed in 1981 and is still together in the 2020s performing in

Monsters of Rock Cruise shows and other live gigs. 

Nancy Wheeler manhandling monsters, blasting beasts and rocking

your world with great sounds of the past here on S-P-M-M Retro Radio. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Now here's Manhattan recording artist Matthew Wilder with the lead single

from his debut album I Don't Speak the Language, released in the fall of

 1983. It's Matthew's biggest hit, a record that cracked the top 5 on

Billboard and top 3 Cash Box. Nobody's gonna "Break My Stride!"

 

"Break My Stride" - Matthew Wilder

(Dec. 1983/Jan. & Feb. 1984, highest chart pos.

#2 Cash Box/#5 Hot 100, from July 1983

album I Don't Speak the Language)  

From late 1983 and early 1984, that was Matthew Wilder and his signature song

"Break My Stride," a record that spent more than half a year riding the chart!

Image by sprigsart @ DeviantArt 

If you're just tuning in, I'm Nancy Wheeler, good girl breaking bad on

Stranger Things and moonlighting as a member of the Shady Bunch

DJ squad here on S-P-M-M... your home for solid gold rock & roll. 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Up next, the English synth-pop/new wave band that was on the forefront

of the MTV-driven Second British Invasion that swept the U.S. in the 80s.

They're Duran Duran, and here they are with one of their biggest hits,

a record that topped the Cash Box chart and finished in the top 3

on Billboard-- "Union Of The Snake!" 

"Union Of The Snake" - Duran Duran

(Nov./Dec. 1983, highest chart pos. #1 Cash Box,

#3 Hot 100, perf. on Peter's Pop Show - Germany) 

From the Christmas season of 1983 that was one of Duran Duran's most popular

songs, big on both sides of the pond, their ninth single "Union Of The Snake"

 

Nancy Wheeler

behind the mic

in the DJ booth

of Shady Towers

and S-P-M-M...

where we go

hunting for the

great songs of

the past and

bring 'em

back alive.

CLICK TO

START THE

VIDEO NOW!

 

In 1973, rock singer/songwriter and guitarist Joe Walsh, former member of

the James Gang and future member of the Eagles, wrote and recorded with

his band Barnstorm a song that became a top 20 hit and has stood the test

of time as a gem of the genre. In 1997, Mark Slaughter and his Las Vegas

based glam metal band Slaughter released a cool cover of the song on

their fourth studio album Revolution. Here now is Slaughter with

their version of Walsh's rock classic-- "Rocky Mountain Way!"

"Rocky Mountain Way" - Joe Walsh cover

by Slaughter (from May 1997 album Revolution) 

That was Slaughter with their worthy late 90s cover of the

early 70s Joe Walsh nugget "Rocky Mountain Way." 

Shoot! Time's up, the show's over and it's time

for me to run. Thanks a lot for being here.

Stay tuned. Coming up on the flip side of Gary Owens' news, 

my friend Debbie the Dellette convenes another meeting of the

Top Hit Club of America

right here on S-P-M-M... the station with personality. 

And I'll be back soon with more killer classics on

 NO MORE MR. NICE GIRL! 

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Earlier in the show, you heard Australian singing star Kat Jade do a cover of the

Journey hit "Separate Ways."  To play us off, here's the Journey original plus a drum

cover by South Korean rock and heavy metal drum sensation Ami Kim. Now this

is Nancy Wheeler reminding you to keep your game face on and don't be afraid

to stand up and fight for what's right. So long and see you next time!

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" Journey

drum cover by Ami Kim (May 2021)

When Girls Attack: These Vinyl Vixens, Garage a Go-Goers and Viral You-Tubers Will Shirley Make You Cry Uncle!

There are two

kinds of girls,

Beaver. There

are good girls

like your mother...

     Yeah, and then

     there are the

     FUN kind,

    right dad?

 THE BITTERSWEET 

The Buckeye state has spawned more than

its share of great yet little known girl groups.

One of Ohio's best was The Bittersweet, a

band from Dayton. The act also came to be

known as The Bittersweets (plural) when

the record company mistakenly added an

S to their name on the label of their single,

"Hurtin' Kind." Recorded in Cleveland

in 1967, "Hurtin' Kind" is a cover of a
song originally waxed by a Cleveland
boy band called The Tulu Babies.

This groovy tune might remind you
of the Kinks' hit "Tired of Waiting
For You." Listen and enjoy the
cool, minty fresh sound of
The Bittersweet!

"Hurtin' Kind"
The Bittersweet 

(1967 uncharted)

 LORI BURTON 

 WHYTE BOOTS 

The songwriting team of Lori Burton
and Pam Sawyer gave us the pop-rock composition "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out
My Heart Anymore," the first hit for
The Young Rascals. The record was
covered by the garage girl group
The Puppets. Burton and Sawyer
also penned songs for various
Motown artists and wrote
"All or Nothing," a minor
pop hit for Patty LaBelle
And The Blue Belles.

In 1967 Lori Burton released Break Out!, an album of songs co-written by her
and Pam Sawyer. The standout track on the album was "Nightmare," a dark,
dangerous, dramatic ditty inspired by the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack."

No boy's worth the
trouble that I'm in!

"Nightmare" was released on a 45
and credited to The Whyte Boots,
a fictitious group that consisted
of lead singer Lori along with
Brill Building session singers.
With her tough Whyte Boots
single, Lori tried to match the
success of the Shangs, but the
record didn't chart. Sometimes
dreams come true, and today
"Nightmare" is hailed as a
classic of the genre - a groovy
example of girl power run amok
in the Psychedelic Sixties!

"Nightmare" - The Whyte Boots 

Lori Burton aka Lorie Burton aka Laurie Burton

(January 1967, uncharted)

 THE 

 PLEASURE 

 SEEKERS 

From rock mecca Detroit, Michigan,
they came. The Pleasure Seekers was
their name - an all girl garage band
made up of Suzi Quatro & her sisters.

Playing the kind of rough, raw, raunchy
rock usually reserved for boy bands,
The Pleasure Seekers developed a

loyal following in the Motor City in
the 60s while still in their teens.
Listen to this 1966 release and
you'll know why the Quatro
sisters rocked Rock City.

"What a Way to Die"
The Pleasure Seekers 

(1966, uncharted)

Check out this cool piece of trivia:

The oldest of the Quatro sisters dropped out of the

Pleasure Seekers, started a family and gave birth

to Sherilyn Fenn, the actress best known for her

role as "Audrey Horne" on Twin Peaks!

 SUZI  

 QUATRO 

When The Pleasure Seekers disbanded
in the early 70s, Suzi Quatro emerged
as a solo artist and established herself
in the glam rock arena. Suzi was the
first female bass player to become a

major rock star. Ironically, for several
years she was more popular in the UK
& Australia than she was in the states.

In the late 70s Suzi Quatro finally broke
through and became popular in America
when she appeared on the hit television
series Happy Days in the recurring
role of Leather Tuscadero.

In 1980 Suzi's cool cover of the
Dave Clark Five hit "Glad All Over"
was issued on her album Rock Hard.

"Glad All Over" was released as a
single and charted in Germany and
Scandinavia but not in England,
Australia or the U.S. Go figure!

"Glad All Over"
Suzi Quatro 

(1981 single from
1980 album Rock Hard)

   Patience is a

  virtue, Beaver.

    

       I know, dad.

       We gotta wait

       30 whole seconds

       to hear more cool

       girl tunes!

    Sugar and spice and

  all things nice, Beaver.

  That's what little girls

       are made of.

      Yeah, and the

      big girls in this

     post are made of
     Tabasco sauce

      and jet fuel.

 THE 5.6.7.8'S 

When director Quentin Tarantino discovered

this next act he hired them to perform in his

movie Kill Bill. It's an all girl Japanese band

called, are you ready? ..... The 5.6.7.8's!

These Fugiyama mamas play a bitchin'

blend of garage, surf-rock and

frenzied psychobilly.

To sum it up, the 5.6.7.8's
are a perfect 10.

Check out this red hot number

as the girls shoot the curl on

"Pinball Party," a high velocity

retro surf rock instrumental

from their 1993 album

 Can't Help It. Shady sez

these Kamikaze cuties
put down the most

dangerous sound

since Link Wray!

"Pinball Party"
The 5.6.7.8's 

(from 1993 album
Can't Help It)

 ALICE IN CHAINS 

 MEYTAL COHEN 

To wind up this musical journey though

the history of girl power zingers and

zongs, I am proud to present a pair of

viral YouTubers. You might remember

Chris Griffin's 2017 hosting stint on the

old blog, SDMM, in which he introduced

German drummer girl Sina. Now meet

Meytal Cohen, an Israeli-American

heavy metal drummer and founding

member of the band Meytal. Watch

and listen as Meytal tickles the skins

to "Man In The Box," the 1991 hit by

Seattle alt-rock grungers Alice in Chains!

"Man In The Box" - Alice In Chains

drum cover by Meytal Cohen

 KISS 

 AMI KIM 

Last, but not least, check out the tricky sticks of South Korean drum sensation Ami Kim. I can picture Gene Simmons' bloody tongue wagging as Ami beats her kit into submission doing the Kiss Klassik "War Machine." The woman's got Seoul! (Sorry about that, Chief!)

"War Machine" - Kiss

drum cover by Ami Kim

Well Beaver, I hope

you learned something

today about girls.

    Wull, yeah...

    I learned that I like

    girls a lot more

    than I thought!

Winning Hand - Vol 3: The Deck Is Stacked. Card Shark Shady's Got Three of a Kind + Two Pairs Up His Sleeve!

Welcome to Winning Hand:

THREE OF A KIND + TWO PAIRS!

In this edition of the series, I have posted a combination
of original recordings, covers and sound-alikes. Please
tell me which version or versions you prefer.

I might be a wild card and

a joker... but I'm no poker.

Therefore, without further delay, I will introduce
the kings and queens of song in today's post.

Remember, ladies and gentlemen...

This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.

 ANI DiFRANCO 

Let's begin with "Wishin' And Hopin," a song composed by Hal David and Burt Bacharach
and most famously waxed by Dusty Springfield, a top 5 U.S. hit for the English songbird
in 1964. A version of the song was recorded in 1995 by Buffalo born singer/songwriter
Ani DiFranco and used for the opening credits of the 1997 Julia Roberts romantic
comedy film My Best Friend's Wedding. Along with the Austin Powers series,
My Best Friend's Wedding is responsible for renewing the popularity of the
Bacharach-David catalog in the 21st century. Watch the groovy opening
sequence to what has been called the quintessential ’90s flick--
My Best Friend's Wedding.

"Wishin' And Hopin'" - Ani DiFranco

(OST of June 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding)

Instead of posting Dusty Springfield's original recording of "Wishin' And Hopin',"
which I am sure you have heard many times, I want to entertain you with
cover videos - not one, but two amazing "homemade" custom remakes
of the opening credits from My Best Friend's Wedding. First here's a
video produced in 2013 for an actual wedding as a surprise for
the groom. I wish I'd been there to see the look on his face!

"Wishin' And Hopin'" - Ani DiFranco

(OST of June 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding,
Sept. 2013 homemade remake video)

Now here are fine performances by a group of younger ladies, members
of the Wollan family, doing their interpretation of the song in a video
produced in 2010 for a big brother's wedding. Imagine his surprise!

"Wishin' And Hopin'" - Ani DiFranco

(OST of June 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding,
June 2010 homemade remake video)

 MILLIE FOSTER 

In the early 60s, before she became a jazz and gospel vocalist, Wichita, Kansas,
zinger Millie Foster recorded excellent deep soul ballads and up tempo R&B sides
in New York. On some of her recordings Millie Foster reminds me of Tina Turner.

Check out the Tina Turner style on Millie's first single, "Love Wheel" released
in the fall of 1962, a record that was way ahead of its time. This gal smokes!

"Love Wheel" - Millie Foster

(Nov. 1962, uncharted)

 JOSIE AND 

 THE PUSSYCATS 

Millie Foster's "Love Wheel" missed the chart, but it reminds me of three other
hits - James Brown's "Night Train," Roy Head's "Treat her Right" and "Money
(That's What I Want)," the 1959 Barrett Strong single that became Motown's
first hit. I found this cool cover of "Money" by Josie and the Pussycats,
the fictional all-girl pop band that was featured in a comic book and
and starred in their own Saturday morning animated TV series.
Three singers were cast to record songs as Josie and the Pussycats:
Kathleen Dougherty as Josie, Cherie Moor (future Charlie's Angels
main cast member Cheryl Ladd) as Melody and Patrice Holloway,
younger sister of Motown vocalist Brenda Holloway, as Valerie.
In 2001 Josie and the Pussycats were recast for a feature film
that starred Rachael Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara
Reid. Kay Hanley of the band Letters to Cleo did the vocals

for Rachael Leigh Cook's Josie on the movie soundtrack and
the CD. Here is a hybrid video with the song "Money" from
the 2001 film edited to footage from the early 70s TV series.

"Money (That's What I Want)" Josie and the Pussycats

(from OST of Apr. 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats,

video from orig. 1970-71 animated TV series)

 KISS 

In 1979 Kiss proved that even a hard rock band could write a disco song

and achieve a hit with it. They recorded "I Was Made For Lovin' You"

and the rest is Kisstory. "I Was Made..." brushed the top 10,

making it their third most successful single. Two Kiss

ballads, "Beth" and "Forever," the latter co-written

by Michael Bolton, cracked the top 10.

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" - Kiss

(June/July '79, highest cht pos. #9 Cash Box/#11 Hot 100)

 SILENZIUM 

If you can believe your eyes and ears, check out Silenzium, an all female classical

string quartet based in Russia. Their cover of the Kiss klassic is one of the most

fascinating videos on YouTube. The song starts at the 1:15 mark but I urge

you to watch from the beginning before the ladies start Breaking Bad.

"I Was Made For Lovin' You"

Kiss cover by Silenzium (Oct. 2017)

SONG BEGINS AT 1:15 MARK!

I think these musical
kings and queens are aces!

Do you agree? 

Have a Shady day!