it might also go a little something like that

THE MONEY PIT (1986)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:03:29 +0000

THE MONEY PIT (1986)

#019 STEPHEN BISHOP - THE HEART IS SO WILLING (FROM “THE...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:54:39 +0000

#019 STEPHEN BISHOP - THE HEART IS SO WILLING (FROM “THE MONEY PIT”) (1986) Another Bishop tune, another flop, but this one thoroughly undeserved. Another update, this time of Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House, this sees Tom Hanks at the peak of his powers and Shelley Long in her post-Cheers glow pitted against a house from hell, unscrupulous contractors and the late Alexander Godunov. It’s a real treat, full of the kind of non-sequiturs you don’t find mainstream comedy fare anymore, amazing slapstick set-pieces and of course, Hanks’ rendition of The Name Game while trapped in a Persian rug. “Fe-fi mo-Malter, Walter”. Indeed.

THE MONEY PIT (1986)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:47:15 +0000

THE MONEY PIT (1986)

Video

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:41:11 +0000

#018 STEPHEN BISHOP - ONE LOVE (THEME FROM “UNFAITHFULLY...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:46:40 +0000

#018 STEPHEN BISHOP - ONE LOVE (THEME FROM “UNFAITHFULLY YOURS”) (1984) Bishop delivers another cracker for a Dudley Moore vehicle, only this time sadly, a flop remake of the Preston Sturges/Rex Harrison 1948 original. The tagline for the 1984 take? “A beautiful woman is like a symphony. It can drive you crazy if you think someone else is scoring.” They don’t write ‘em like that any more.

UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1984)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:41:05 +0000

UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1984)

ARTHUR (1981)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:08:13 +0000

ARTHUR (1981)

#017 STEPHEN BISHOP - ONLY LOVE (FROM “ARTHUR”)...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:04:00 +0000

#017 STEPHEN BISHOP - ONLY LOVE (FROM “ARTHUR”) (1981) For most people, when they think of Dudley Moore’s Arthur, they think of Christopher Cross’ definitive Arthur’s Theme and what can happen when you get caught between the moon and New York City (something which is never explained, but defined as crazy but true). That’s the one you know, that’s safe. But if you dig around on Arthur: The Album, as it was ambitiously titled, you’ll find this little treat from our man Bish, as well as a handful of lovely instrumental pieces from Burt Bacharach. Tomorrow: Another Dudley/Bish rendezvous.

STEPHEN BISHOP - ONLY LOVE (FROM “ARTHUR”) (1981)

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:56:34 +0000

STEPHEN BISHOP - ONLY LOVE (FROM “ARTHUR”) (1981)

THE CHINA SYNDROME (1979)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:28:43 +0000

THE CHINA SYNDROME (1979)

#016 STEPHEN BISHOP - SOMEWHERE INBETWEEN (THEME FROM THE CHINA...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:24:00 +0000

#016 STEPHEN BISHOP - SOMEWHERE INBETWEEN (THEME FROM THE CHINA SYNDROME) (1979) Chaka Khan also provided some top-drawer backing vocals throughout the late 70s, including MOR smash Save It For A Rainy Day, by the subject of the rest of this week’s posts: Stephen Bishop. Bishop very quickly became the go-to guy for melodic West-Coast breezy theme tunes, even if they were for bleaker films like this: about a cover-up at a nuclear power plant. We’ll be looking at Bishop’s movie work all week, with most of the material unavailable on his albums. So: lights, cameras, Michael Douglas’ beard.

STEPHEN BISHOP - SOMEWHERE INBETWEEN (1979)

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:16:40 +0000

STEPHEN BISHOP - SOMEWHERE INBETWEEN (1979)

CHAKA KHAN - WHAT CHA’ GONNA DO FOR ME? (1981)

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:01:01 +0000

CHAKA KHAN - WHAT CHA’ GONNA DO FOR ME? (1981)

#015 CHAKA KHAN - NIGHT MOODS (1981) From her star-packed hit...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:56:39 +0000

#015 CHAKA KHAN - NIGHT MOODS (1981) From her star-packed hit version of I Feel For You to years of collaborating and appearing live with Prince, Chaka Khan, along with Larry Graham, is one of the few previously established superstars to be brought into the Purple fold. I’ve always felt that Chaka doesn’t get the credit she deserves, for me she is the most talented and expressive of any R&B legend, eschewing the tiresome pyrotechnics of Houston, Franklin, Beyonce et al. Give me the subtleties and songwriting chops of Khan, Warwick, Crawford or Brenda Russell any day. Here’s a lovely cut from 1981’s What Cha’ Gonna Do For Me?, as varied in texture and a great example of Arif Mardin at the top of his game.

CHAKA KHAN - NIGHT MOODS (1981)

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:48:03 +0000

CHAKA KHAN - NIGHT MOODS (1981)

MIAMI HORROR - DON’T BE ON WITH HER (2008)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:07:17 +0000

MIAMI HORROR - DON’T BE ON WITH HER (2008)

#014 MIAMI HORROR - DON’T BE ON WITH HER (2008) I hate to...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:36:21 +0000

#014 MIAMI HORROR - DON’T BE ON WITH HER (2008) I hate to cause trouble, but his notoriously litigious Purple Majesty has definitely missed a trick here. Maybe his elite crack squad of super lawyers don’t venture Down Under, but if they did, they’d spot this “When Doves Cry” lift in a heartbeat. In fairness, this is superior tune shoplifting, giving the best bit of that song a central role, the musical equivalent of putting Dabney Coleman above the credits on every film he’s done. And I have no problem with that. And if nothing else it proves yet again the screamingly obvious fact that Prince is very much alive and well and pumping through new ‘uns’ veins like the funky vampire he is. I daresay this is probably not the last “Prince week” we’ll see here. Where next?

MIAMI HORROR - DON’T BE ON WITH HER (2008)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:25:54 +0000

MIAMI HORROR - DON’T BE ON WITH HER (2008)

TAJA SEVELLE - LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS (1987)

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:40:46 +0000

TAJA SEVELLE - LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS (1987)

#013 TAJA SEVELLE - LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS (1987) Put simply, one of...

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:19:00 +0000

#013 TAJA SEVELLE - LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS (1987) Put simply, one of those songs that came and went, and which people either love or hate. Would it help to know that Taja (Nancy Richardson to her family) went on to invent a mystery kitchen appliance with Larry King’s wife? Or that she’s the founder of an NGO called Urban Farming? Probably not. Still: enjoy. I wonder if it’s the Magic Bullet…