Thea Queen of Clubs - Vol. 1: Wild Girls Like Billie Jean!

(COLD OPEN)
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

"That's Where The Happy People Go" - The Trammps

(Apr./May 1976, highest chart pos. #1 Disco/#12 R&B,

#27 Hot 100, perf. on Dutch TV show TopPop)

Disco... "That's Where The Happy People Go," and you just saw and heard

The Trammps of Philadelphia, one of the pioneering disco bands of the 70s,

doing their crossover hit that topped the dance chart in the spring of 1976. 

Live from Club Verdant, where the

happy people go in Star City... it's

Thea Queen of Clubs!

Hi there! I'm your

Hostess with the Mostest

Thea Queen

 welcoming you into the club

 and inviting you to dance

till dawn or till you drop,

whichever comes first.

As you recall from my previous

appearances on Shady's blogs,

I'm Oliver Queen's kid sister

on Arrow, the superhero TV

series based on the DC

comics character

Green Arrow. 

Using the code name Speedy, I am a member of Team Arrow,

the gang of crime fighting vigilantes on a mission to save our city. 

When I'm not suited up for combat,

I'm gussied up for hosting duties

as owner of Verdant, a nightclub

founded by Oliver and used as a

cover for his vigilante operation.

His Arrowcave headquarters

is located in the basement. 

That's Ollie (above) at the grand opening of Verdant

proposing a toast and thanking the party people for coming.

Our mother was also there that night to show her support.

In previous appearances on Shady's blogs, I have been your host for rave parties.

This is my first official radio show as a new member of The Shady Bunch.

Thea Queen of Clubs

is unique because it is the only S-P-M-M show that comes to you

live from a nightclub with simulcasts on radio and YouTube. 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

My mission is to keep you out on the

floor and begging for more as I play

the best of 70s disco and 80s dance

club sounds, and here now is another

great one. It's LA-based R&B thrush

Carrie Lucas performing the hit single

from her most successful album,

Carrie Lucas in Danceland.

The 1979 disco song brushed

the top 5 on the U.S. Dance

chart and went top 40 in the

UK. Here's Carrie Lucas

making it clear she wants

to-- "Dance With You!"  

"Dance With You" - Carrie Lucas

(Apr./May 1979, highest chart pos. #6 U.S. Dance,

#27 R&B/#40 UK/#70 Hot 100)

From 1979, the last big year for disco,

that was a sizzling sound on both sides

of the pond... California dance diva

Carrie Lucas and her best known

song "Dance With You." 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

We're still deep in the heart of disco

as I play this seldom heard relic from

early 1979... another record that was

a hit in both the U.S. and the UK.

Here's child actor and singer

Leif Garrett doing his signature

song "I Was Made For Dancin'." 

"I Was Made For Dancin'" - Leif Garrett

(Jan./Feb. 1979, highest chart pos. #10 Hot 100,

#15 Cash Box/#2 Australia/#3 New Zealand/#4 UK) 

That was teen idol Leif Garrett performing "I Was Made For Dancin'"

... the biggest hit of his career as a recording artist. You first saw

Leif as an actor in 1969 when he played the son of Elliott Gould

and Dyan Cannon in the movie Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.

Just now tuning in? Hi, I'm...

Thea Queen of Clubs

from the TV series Arrow, and this is my first official radio show on

S-P-M-M... where we make old school new again and cool again.

I'm bringing you the best

of 1970s disco, freestyle

faves and 80s dance club

sounds. We're right in the

middle of a 7-in-a-row

seamless jam, so keep

that body movin'. 

During the Thanksgiving

and Christmas holidays

of 1966, Diana Ross

and The Supremes

topped the charts

with "You Keep

Me Hangin' On."

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's the Hi-NRG

remake by English pop

star Kim Wilde, a single

that also reached #1 in

the states.  Go Wilde

on the dance floor as

Kim sings her cover

of "You Keep Me

Hangin' On!"

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" - Kim Wilde

(May/June 1987, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100,

#2 Cash Box/#2 UK/#1 Australia)

That was the official music video for UK popper Kim Wilde's

chart-topping 1987 cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On." 

CLICK TO START

THE VIDEO NOW!

Now here's the King of Pop,

Michael Jackson, with a song

everyone in the civilized world

knows. This single spent nine

weeks at #1 and helped Thriller

become the fastest selling album

of all time and top that chart for

37 weeks. The song is ranked

high on Rolling Stone's list of

Greatest Songs of All Time and

was named the greatest dance

record of all time in a poll of

BBC Radio 2  listeners. Here's

Michael with his monster

hit-- "Billie Jean!" 

"Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson

(Jan. thru Apr. 1983, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box

& R&B & UK & France & Switzerland & Belgium)

Number one in America and

a smash heard round the world

beginning in the early months

of 1983, that was "Billie Jean"

by The King of Pop...

Michael Jackson. 

Thea Queen

of Clubs

keeping your feet busy

and giving up the funk

with another early 80s

dance club classic.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW! 

Here's one of the baddest sounds around. It's by the LA-based,

all-female R&B band Klymaxx. Time to party with "Wild Girls!"

"Wild Girls" (12 inch remix) - Klymaxx

(Nov./Dec. 1982, highest chart pos. #78 R&B)

From the ace record producing team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis,

that was "Wild Girls," the best song on the 1982 Klymaxx album

Girls Will Be Girls. At the time of its release, the single didn't

have much impact, but has since grown into a fan favorite.   

Dawn's breaking and the dance party's over. Hope you had fun dancing

the night away at Star City's hottest night spot, Verdant, and being

part of this special live blogcast on S-P-M-M Retro Radio.

 

Stick around. Coming up on the flip side of Gary Owens' news,

Dell Rat Tom returns to Shady's Place with Part 7 of his series

 SAVED BY THE BELL  DELL  

And I'll be back before you know it to bring you more

of the great sounds from the disco 70s and clubbin' 80s.

To play us off, one of the hottest disco hits of the 70s,

"Born To Be Alive" by Patrick Hernandez...

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

 

 And look-- the awesome sight of a flash mob grooving to the song. Now

this is your Rockin' Royalty of Retro Radio, your #1 Dance Diva DJ

Thea Queen of Clubs aka "Speedy" urging you to shed the

blues and put on your boogie shoes. See you next time! 

"Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez

(Aug./Sept. 1979, highest chart pos. #1 Disco/#16 Hot 100,

#17 Cash Box, Flashmob Dance, Feb. 2023)

Best of Bandstands in Foreign Lands - Vol. 10: Born To Be Alive... Out on Thunder Island!

Welcome to vol. 10 of

my globetrotting series

BANDSTANDS IN

FOREIGN LANDS!

I'm Shady Seaweed, here to bring you more great
music performances that originated from TV studios,
big halls and nightclubs in Europe and other parts
of the world from the 1960s through early 2000s.

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of music,
the thrill of Vic Tory (the little known "Fifth Beatle")... and
the agony of the feet (from so much dancing)... this is:

Bandstands in

Foreign Lands!

 FOREIGNER 

DISCO - ZDF

MAINZ, GERMANY

Our globetrotting tour begins in Germany and the bandstand of the music TV show

DISCO carried on the German public-service television broadcaster ZDF based

in Mainz. That's where we find Foreigner, a rock band containing British and

American members. In this appearance on DISCO, the band performed

one of their hits, the lead single from their chart topping 1981 album

Foreigner 4. Here's Foreigner making it sound-- "Urgent!"

"Urgent" - Foreigner

(Aug/Sept. 1981, highest chart pos. #4 Hot 100,

#1 U.S. Mainstream Rock, perf. on DISCO)

 WINGS 

 (RUBY FLIPPER) 

TOP OF THE POPS

LONDON, ENGLAND

Many times over the years I have used the words "Silly Love Songs" in conversations

about the 60s music revolution from sweet and tender to brash and sassy.  I borrowed

the expression from Paul & Linda McCartney. "Silly Love Songs," a chart-topper in

America, was released from the fifth studio album recorded by McCartney's

post-Beatles band Wings. Our next stop is a bandstand in a foreign land
called England where one of the talented dance companies on the
London based music series Top Of The Pops is set to perform
to the song. Try 'em on for size-- Ruby Flipper!

"Silly Love Songs" - Wings

(May/June 1976, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100/#2 UK,

dance perf. by Ruby Flipper on Top of the Pops)

 KOOL AND THE GANG 

P.I.T. - ZDF

MAINZ, GERMANY

Our next Biffle stop takes us back to Germany where a wildly popular New Jersey
funk band is set to perform on P.I.T. (Peter-Illmann-Treff), a German music
TV series on ZDF moderated by television and radio actor and pop music
expert Peter Illmann. ("Treff," FYI, translates to "haunt, rendezvous
or meeting place"). Here they are, Kool And The Gang,
with one of their top 10 hits of the 80s-- "Fresh!"

"Fresh" - Kool and the Gang

(May/June 1985, highest chart pos. #9 Hot 100/#1 R&B,

perf. on German TV series P.I.T.)

 PATRICK HERNANDEZ 

ZDF-KULTNACHT

MAINZ, GERMANY

Penned and recorded by French singer Patrick Hernandez, our next featured
recording is one of the greatest hits of the Disco 70s, a single that reached
#1 in France and a dozen other countries including Germany. We now
switch to a club somewhere in Europe - might be France, might be
Italy, might be Belgium - I don't know. What I do know is that
this is a great song and an exciting performance. It aired on
Kultnacht - "cult night," - a music program carried by the
German PBS broadcaster ZDF. Here now is Patrick
Hernandez doing his worldwide hit and signature
song-- "Born To Be Alive!"

"Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez

 (Aug. 1979, highest chart pos. #16 Hot 100, #1 U.S. Disco,

#1 in 13 other countries, perf. on German TV show ZDF-Kultnacht)

 JAY FERGUSON 

TOPPOP

THE NETHERLANDS

Now let's hear from soft rock maestro Jay Ferguson. Jay was an original member

of the late 60s jazz and Beatles-influenced psych band Spirit known for their hit

single "I Got A Line On You." In the early 70s Jay formed Jo Jo Gunne, an

LA rock band that took their name from a Chuck Berry hit. In the mid 70s

Jay began a solo career, and in early '78 scored a top ten hit with this

one, "Thunder Island," the title song from his second studio album.

"Thunder Island" is a soft rock record that has more meat than

Manilow, a slightly harder rock edge, thanks to the featured

guitar playing of James Gang and Eagles vet Joe Walsh.

Our Biffle tour now takes us to The Netherlands where

Jay performed on the Dutch music show TopPop.

"Thunder Island" - Jay Ferguson

(Feb./Mar. 1978, highest chart pos.

#6 Cash Box,/#9 Hot 100, perf. on TopPop)

 BARBARELLA 

RTL 4 TV CHANNEL

LUXEMBOURG, HOLLAND, THE NETHERLANDS

For the grand finale of our show, I'd like to stay right here in Holland... wooden shoe?

Gotta love 'em (or not)... they're Barbarella, a female Dutch trio that released two

synth-pop, dance-pop, Euro disco style albums in 1990, Sucker For Your Love

and Don't Stop The Dance. I'm a sucker for girl groups and cool covers and

here's one now. From Don't Stop The Dance here's Barbarella on the

Dutch TV channel RTL 4, headquartered in Luxembourg, doing

their version of the Beatles biggie-- "Please, Please Me!"

"Please, Please Me" - Barbarella

(1991 single from 1990 album Don't Stop The Dance,

perf. on Dutch TV channel RTL 4, Luxembourg, Holland)

I hope you enjoyed volume 10 of

BANDSTANDS IN

FOREIGN LANDS!

Stay tuned for the next edition coming soon.

Have a Shady day!