EPISODE189 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

This week we catch up on an act we planned to talk about some time back... The Proclaimers. If there were ever a reason to focus on them, it would be to dispel any notion that they are one of those 90s bands that came out of nowhere and disappeared. (None of that is true.) Expect to hear a retrospective mix, "Throw The 'R' Away," "I'm On My Way" and a live version of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles.)" We also announce a live interview for next week's show.

If there is a regret here it is that there wasn't a better live version of "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" as the quality isn't great. The loud crowd also takes away from the feel but, if anything, you get an idea of how much their fans get into the show. Everything else went pretty well and it's amazing how a few subtle changes can fix annoying problems. We still need a fix for Eyebeam but it isn't hurting us to have Martin call back in every 15 minutes or so. (We don't think he works enough.)

EPISODE188 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

This week on Talking 80s Music, we will look at the career of California singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. The decade would be one of discovery for the artist as he continued to crank out memorable hits and strike a balance between artist and activist. Expect to hear a retrospective mix and live tracks ("That Girl Could Sing," "Lawyers In Love," "I Am A Patriot" and "In The Shape Of A Heart.")

Everything is going pretty well over here. It looks like, for the time being, we will keep the 15 minute rule for the live show (where we will be having a few gaps allowing us to clear the mic) until a more suitable work-around or patch fixes the issue. The show is even getting edited a bit quicker and, yes, you are getting a more natural show as we leave in some editable stammerings.

EPISODE187 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

This week on Talking 80s Music, we went a little more modern rock as we talked about Coventry, England's The Primitives. Don't know them? We'll we'll fix that... it's our job. They scored several U.K. hits that also received a lot of airplay at U.S. college radio stations. Expect to hear a retrospective mix as well as their singles "Crash," "Way Behind Me" and "Sick Of It."

So, we found a short-term fix for our audio software issue (we just take a momentary break and call back in every 15 minutes.) We'll keep hoping a better option surfaces in the future. We also replaced the USB audio adapter that came with our microphone with an iMic. Tremendous difference. So, we're actually pretty pleased with how things came out. Have a great week!

EPISODE186 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

We interviewed Asia/Buggles member Geoff Downes a little over a year ago. We had promised our listeners then we'd focus on a related band soon. This week on Talking 80s Music, we made good on that promise as we turned our attention on... Yes. Expect a retrospective mix, "Tempus Fugit," "I'm Running" and a live version of "Leave It." Sure, we could have played all the big singles but that'd be like showing only the tennis matches Andre Agassi won during a tennis retrospective... sometimes it's the fights, the losses, the exhibitions and the overlooked battles that mean much more.

Thankfully we had our listeners in the chat room this week as they caught some technical problems. Sure, we made a few attempts to fix some previous issues but as Mich said in the chat room, "Sometimes you just want to kill Murphy." We made it through and are only stronger for it.

EPISODE185 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

This week, we turned our focus on one of the most unavoidable voices of the decade... the late Laura Branigan. Expect to hear an extensive retrospective mix, her often overlooked first single ("Looking Out For Number One") and a single of hers that you may have forgotten ("I Found Someone.") With all her hits, it's a shame that we might hear "Gloria" once in a blue moon on an 80s radio station... her 'best of' belongs in your collection.

It looks like we figured out one of our call-in issues and we now only have some tinkering to do with the mic. Fun episode and it was great to see all the participants in the chat room. It's too bad we couldn't just play everything of hers for you but I think this is a great launch pad for those that need a starting point.

EPISODE184 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

Martin's birthday episodes can always have mixed results. This year we focused on one of his favorite acts, The Connells. It was hard to pick just a few songs this week but it may be his bias. Expect to hear a retrospective mix, "Darker Days," "Fun And Games" and "Maybe."

First off, thanks to all those that stopped by the chat room to celebrate Martin's birthday. We also want to send our best wishes to one of our listeners, Linda, who is undergoing back surgery shortly. We decided to try out some new technology (moved to Eyebeam -- which is the full version of X-Lite for calling in to the show) and found it's limitations. This meant that the live show had some audio drops but we made it through and it'll be a day or so with tech support to remedy the issue for next week. If you go on vacation and leave the house a mess, it'll probably be a mess when you get back. Hopefully our technological mess won't take as long to clean up. There is a slight microphone chirping that we want to correct as well. One chore at a time.

You're probably wondering where the latest episode of Talking 80s Music is. Martin mentioned during the show that he's be uploading shows while on vacation and doing one live from Oregon. Upon further reflection, he was spending most of the trip preparing for the shows instead of spending time with his family. This is his first lengthy vacation in years and we had to tell him that the show can wait. So, fear not, he should be recharged by the time he returns later this month to talk about the Proclaimers.

EPISODE183 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

This week we took a look at the short solo career of singer-songwriter (and later producer) Jon Astley. Expect to hear his singles ("Jane's Getting Serious" and "Put This Love To The Test") and "But Is It Commercial."

Yes, this is the first of a few pre-recorded shows as Martin is getting ready for a much needed family vacation. The news is still in there, so they aren't recorded that far ahead of time. But he did get to exchange a few quick emails with this week's artist. It says a lot about why this show does what it does when it can't find a good biography out there on an artist that had two hits on the U.S. charts. We fill in that gap... with the help of Mr. Astley himself.

EPISODE182 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

This week on Talking 80s Music, we decided to talk about our third Beatle so far... the late George Harrison. From Beatles lead guitarist to solo hit-maker to Wilbury, Harrison touched many mediums and has an enduring legacy. Expect to hear a retrospective mix, Martin's favorite Harrison single ("All Those Years Ago") and the often skipped 1988 single "This Is Love."

We decided to make this our last live episode for the next two weeks as we get ready for our West Coast tour. (Used record stores in the previously mentioned areas will be in trouble.) Our next live show will be on July 10th from Oregon's beautiful Coos Bay. We decided to make this show a bit more of a rough edit and for some reason there was a minute or so gap when talking about the Traveling Wilburys... meaning we will probably have to do an episode there to fix that. Happy Father's Day to all it pertains.

EPISODE181 - Talking 80s Music with Martin Hennessy

We know that you've been wondering what's been going on with Irene Cara. The knock-out voice that dominated the radio with songs like "Fame," "What A Feelin'," "Why Me?" and "Breakdance" has a new double-CD on the way with her new act Hot Caramel. We talked with her this week about the new single, "Kiss And Walk Away," as well as her earlier hits. Expect to hear the new song, a retrospective mix and "The Dream (Hold On To Your Dream)."

Got a late start due to a technical faux pas (thanks for catching it Steve) but once things got going, we were rocking. Wish we had better quality during the interview but something was wonky on both sides of our phone lines. It is about content, right? We're just happy that it came out as well as it did and we got to celebrate the works of a great performer.