Sunday, July 9, 2023

Flopcast 583: Never Tell an Angel That It's 1983

This week we're back in 1983! Kornflake shares a goofy 1983 commercial for Dial soap, while Kevin takes an absurdly quick look at the pop music of 1983. It was the year new wave conquered the Top 40, and we approved. (For more complete coverage of 1983 music, we refer you to recent episodes of White Rocket Entertainment and Modern Musicology. While the Flopcast covers Kajagoogoo, they take care of everything else.) We also stopped by Northeast Comic Con (aka Music Con) and saw members of the Monkees (Micky), the Runaways (Cherie), the Ramones (Richie), and the Stompers (Sal)! A Monkees cover band called Zilch was there too, as well as old friend of The Flopcast (and, as Flash Gordon, savior of the universe) Sam J. Jones! Plus: A concert report on Elvis Costello and the Imposters (along with Charlie Sexton) and Nick Lowe (along with his Mexican wrestling-masked backup band Los Straitjackets). And best of all, Happy Birthday to America's 1980s sweetheart, Phoebe Cates! Celebrate by watching Private School. It's not Phoebe's best movie, but it is Phoebe's 1983 movie.

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Show Notes

Kornflake's featured Dial ad pops up in a compilation of commercials from 1983.

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For more on the music of 1983, check out White Rocket Episode 201 and Modern Musicology Episodes 73 and 74.

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And for good measure, the podcast Hit Parade recently featured the artists Kevin and Felicity saw at Tanglewood: Nick Lowe (top, with Los Straitjackets) and Elvis Costello (bottom, with Charlie Sexton).