M - POP MUZIK

Llançament: 16 de març de 1979

Llistes d’èxits: EUA: #1 (1 setmana)  Regne Unit: #2

“Pop Muzik”, un èxit de 1979 del projecte M (liderat pel músic anglès Robin Scott), va aparèixer a l’àlbum “New York • London • Paris • Munich”. La cançó va guanyar notorietat gràcies al seu innovador videoclip, dirigit per Brian Grant, on Scott apareix com a DJ amb una configuració futurista de plats, acompanyat per ballarines robòtiques i cors de la seva parella, Brigit Novik. El tema va arribar al número 1 del Billboard Hot 100 dels EUA i al capdamunt de les llistes australianes, mentre que al Regne Unit va aconseguir el número 2, convertint-se en un èxit global.

Robin Scott, el músic britànic darrere del projecte M, va escriure, produir i interpretar la cançó. Graduat a Croydon College of Art i amic de Malcolm McLaren, Scott va iniciar la seva carrera amb un àlbum folk titulat “Woman From The Warm Grass” abans de girar cap a la música electrònica. L’any 1978, va adoptar el personatge de “M,” debutant amb la cançó “Moderne Man” sota el seu propi segell discogràfic, Do It Records. Aquest alter ego representava una reflexió cínica sobre la política contemporània i jugava amb temes com la identitat, la curiositat i les tendències, amb la “M” simbolitzant conceptes com “Mirror” (mirall) i la reflexió social. El viatge artístic de Scott incloïa estades a Nova York, Londres i París, on va col·laborar amb bandes punk com The Slits abans de trobar fama global amb “Pop Muzik”.

“Pop Muzik” es canta des de la perspectiva d’un DJ en un club de ball, reflectint l’escena vibrant de la música pop i disco de 1979. Tot i que celebra l’alegria de ballar i perdre les inhibicions, Robin Scott veia un missatge més profund: el disco com una força unificadora, amb el DJ com a veu autoritària que dirigia. Scott comparava la pista de ball amb un exèrcit massiu de gent que buscava guia i alliberament de les seves ansietats. La frase final, “Do you read me Loud And Clear” (Em llegiu fort i clar), reforça aquest paper autoritari, tot i que Scott va admetre tenir sentiments contradictoris sobre aquesta imatge.

“Pop Muzik” barreja diverses influències musicals, combinant el so disco europeu inspirat pel productor Giorgio Moroder amb el disco americà d’artistes com Earth, Wind & Fire. Sovint classificada com a New Wave, la cançó es considera un dels primers senzills d’aquest gènere a liderar el Billboard Hot 100. A més, va ser una de les primeres peces basades en sintetitzadors a assolir aquest èxit a les llistes.

El videoclip va tenir un paper crucial en el seu èxit, especialment al Regne Unit, on es va emetre al programa The Kenny Everett Video Show. Dirigit pel productor britànic de televisió Brian Grant amb un pressupost de només 2.000 lliures, el vídeo combinava imatges de la interpretació amb efectes innovadors de transició, creant un estil d’alt concepte similar als primers videoclips de David Bowie i Queen. Aquest treball va impulsar la carrera de Grant, que posteriorment va col·laborar amb artistes com The Human League i Duran Duran. Quan MTV es va llançar el 1981, “Pop Muzik” es va convertir en un dels seus vídeos més populars, ja que la cançó ja havia triomfat a les llistes i era familiar per al públic americà.

El maxisingle europeu incloïa un disseny innovador amb un doble solc a la cara A, permetent que dues pistes, “Pop Muzik” i “M Factor”, comencessin des de la vora del disc i acabessin al centre. Aquest disseny feia que el tema que sonava depengués d’on es col·locava l’agulla. Com que “M Factor” era més curta, incloïa un llarg silenci al final per igualar la durada del solc de “Pop Muzik”.

M - POP MUZIK

Released: March 16, 1979

Charts:  US: #1 (1 week)    UK: #2 

“Pop Muzik,” a 1979 hit by M (a project by English musician Robin Scott), was featured on the album “New York • London • Paris • Munich”. The track gained significant attention due to its innovative music video, directed by Brian Grant, which showcased Scott as a DJ with a futuristic turntable setup, accompanied by robotic female dancers and backup vocals from his partner, Brigit Novik. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Australian Singles Chart and reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming a global hit.

Robin Scott, the British musician behind the project M, wrote, produced, and sang on the song. A graduate of Croydon College of Art and a friend of Malcolm McLaren, Scott’s early career included a folk album “Woman From The Warm Grass” before pivoting to electronic music. In 1978, he adopted the persona “M,” launching with the song “Moderne Man” under his own label, Do It Records. The alter ego symbolized a cynical reflection of contemporary politics and played with themes of identity, curiosity, and trends, with “M” representing ideas like “Mirror” and societal reflection. Scott’s journey included stints in New York, London, and Paris, where he worked with punk acts like The Slits before finding global fame with “Pop Muzik”.

“Pop Muzik” is sung from the perspective of a DJ at a dance club, reflecting the disco era’s vibrant pop music scene of 1979. While it celebrates the joy of dancing and losing inhibitions, Robin Scott (M) saw a deeper message: disco as a unifying force, with the DJ as a commanding voice providing direction. Scott likened the dance floor to an enormous army of people seeking guidance and release from their anxieties. The song’s closing line, “Do you read me Loud And Clear,” emphasizes the DJ’s authoritative role, though Scott himself admitted mixed feelings about such assertiveness.

“Pop Muzik” blended various musical influences, combining a European disco sound inspired by producer Giorgio Moroder and American disco from acts like Earth, Wind & Fire. The song is often classified as New Wave and is regarded as one of the first singles in that genre to top the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, it was one of the earliest synthesizer-driven tracks to achieve such success on the chart.

The music video played a significant role in its success, especially in the UK, where it aired on The Kenny Everett Video Show. Directed by British TV producer Brian Grant with a £2000 budget, the video blended performance footage with innovative switcher effects, creating a high-concept style similar to early videos by David Bowie and Queen. The video elevated Grant’s career, leading him to work with artists like The Human League and Duran Duran. When MTV launched in 1981, Pop Muzik became one of their most popular videos, as the song had already achieved chart-topping success and was familiar to American audiences.

The UK 12-inch single featured an innovative double groove on the A-side, allowing two tracks “Pop Muzik” and “M Factor” to start at the outer edge of the record and finish in the middle. This design created a random selection of which track would play, depending on where the needle landed. Since “M Factor” was shorter, it included a long silence at the end to match the groove length of “Pop Muzik”. 

MEAT LOAF - MODERN GIRL

Released: September 28, 1984

Charts:  UK: #17 

“Modern Girl” is a song by Meat Loaf, written by Paul Jacobs and Sarah Durkee. Released as the first single from his 1984 Bad Attitude album, it became one of Meat Loaf’s rare hits during the 1980s. The song reached number 16 on the Irish charts and number 17 in the UK, marking a modest commercial success.

“Modern Girl” is a powerful anthem about rejecting outdated societal norms and embracing progress and change. The song tells a story of longing for a better future and a search for identity amidst a world shaped by past mistakes. Using imagery like a “stormy night” and metaphors like a “modern girl,” the lyrics symbolize hope, innovation, and breaking free from tradition.

It critiques historical failures, comparing the world to a “broken-down machine,” while emphasizing innocence and the potential for a fresh start. The recurring chorus highlights the pursuit of a brighter future, where the “modern girl” represents a new era of freedom and individuality. The song concludes with a call for generational change, celebrating the courage to break from the past and create a better, independent path forward.

The music video directed by Brian Grant, features Meat Loaf in a leather jacket as he moves through a series of vignettes portraying “modern” women in different contexts. It opens with a depiction of a “Miss America” character alongside “Mr. Right,” now living as new parents. The narrative shifts to a biker-themed sequence before culminating in a grand, gospel-inspired chorus. The video ends with a fade-out, differing from the continuous audio track on the album. 

MEAT LOAF & MARION RAVEN - IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW

Released: October 16, 2006

Charts:  UK: #6 

“It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” is a power ballad written by Jim Steinman, inspired by “Wuthering Heights” and intended to be the most passionate, romantic song Steinman could create. Steinman considered it a woman’s song and refused to let Meat Loaf record it, despite their history of collaboration. After winning a court case to block Meat Loaf’s recording, Steinman allowed the girl group Pandora’s Box to record the song first. Later, Celine Dion’s iconic cover made the song a massive hit, frustrating Meat Loaf, who had planned to include it on his new album.

Meat Loaf claimed that “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” was originally intended for “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell” and was given to him in 1986, but he and Steinman decided to use “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” for the album instead and save this song for “Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose”. Steinman also considered Bonnie Tyler for the song during the production of her “Hide Your Heart” album. Despite Tyler’s confidence that it would be a hit, her record label declined, citing the high cost of having Steinman produce it.

The song was a point of contention between Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman. While Steinman was pleased with its success as performed by Celine Dion, Meat Loaf was upset, believing it was originally intended for “Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell” and promised for a future “Bat Out of Hell III” project. Steinman maintained that the song was written for a female vocalist, whereas Meat Loaf always envisioned it as a duet.

In 2006, Meat Loaf recorded the song with Marion Raven for “Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose”, produced by Desmond Child. Raven was selected because her voice contrasted sharply with Meat Loaf’s, creating a dynamic duet. Meat Loaf described their rendition as the definitive version and admitted he was moved to tears the first time he heard the song. He also joked about the emotional intensity of the song, quipping that while he loves Steinman, he wouldn’t go as far as to “French kiss” him.

The music video for Meat Loaf’s version directed by P. R. Brown, premiered on VH1 Classic on August 8, 2006. The video shares thematic similarities with Celine Dion’s version, featuring a protagonist haunted by memories of a lost lover. It employs a different narrative structure, using flashbacks to contrast moments before and after Marion Raven’s character’s death. Scenes depicting Raven alive are tinted yellow, while those after her death use a darker, blue tint. Unlike Dion’s video, where the motorcyclist dies before the first verse, Raven’s fatal crash is revealed only during the final chorus. A pivotal moment occurs at a masquerade ball, where the ghost of Raven’s former lover appears, angering Meat Loaf’s character. Some reviewers likened this scene to the film Eyes Wide Shut by Stanley Kubrick.

KOOL & THE GANG - GET DOWN ON IT 

Llançament: 24 de novembre de 1981

Llistes d’èxits: EUA: #10  Regne Unit: #3

“Get Down on It”, llançada el 1981 com a part de l’àlbum “Something Special”, es va convertir en un gran èxit per a Kool & The Gang, arribant al número 10 als Estats Units i al número 3 al Regne Unit. La cançó és un himne clàssic de la pista de ball que anima a l’autoexpressió i a participar activament en la vida. Amb una fusió d’elements de funk i disco, la lletra transcendeix el club i transmet un missatge inspirador: prendre riscos, buscar el ritme propi i viure plenament. Aquest estil d’optimisme ballable s’alinea amb bandes com Earth, Wind & Fire, Shalamar o Chic.

Kool & The Gang, liderats pels germans Ronald i Robert “Kool” Bell, escrivien les seves cançons col·laborativament. Ronald, com a director musical, era clau en el procés creatiu. Per a “Get Down on It”, es va inspirar en la música reggae per crear la línia de baix i estructurar el tema. Durant un assaig, la cançó va captar l’atenció del vocalista principal J.T. Taylor, que va contribuir al seu desenvolupament. Ronald sovint utilitzava argot popular per als títols, i així va néixer la frase “get down on it,” que es va convertir en el nucli d’aquest gran èxit.

Kool & The Gang va començar com un grup de jazz abans de fer la transició al funk amb el seu primer senzill, “Kool & The Gang”, el 1969. A principis dels anys 70, van assolir l’èxit durant el punt àlgid del funk, confiant més en els seus ritmes i grooves que en un vocalista principal. Tanmateix, a finals dels anys 70, durant un període de declivi, van decidir incorporar un frontman, i van fitxar J.T. Taylor. La seva primera aparició va ser a l’èxit “Ladies Night” de 1979, que va revitalitzar la seva carrera. “Get Down on It” va seguir consolidant aquest ressorgiment, abans d’una transició cap a un so més suau amb temes com “Fresh” i “Cherish”. Taylor va deixar la banda el 1988 per emprendre una carrera en solitari.

KOOL & THE GANG - GET DOWN ON IT 

Released: November 24, 1981

Charts:  US: #10  UK: #3 

“Get Down on It,” released in 1981 from the “Something Special” album, became a substantial hit for Kool & The Gang, reaching #10 in the US and #3 in the UK. The track is a classic dance anthem encouraging self-expression on the dance floor, but it also carries an inspirational message beyond the club scene. The lyrics urge listeners to actively engage in life, take chances, and find their groove. This blend of uplifting themes with infectious dance rhythms aligns with the style of other bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, Shalamar or Chic.

Kool & the Gang, led by brothers Ronald and Robert “Kool” Bell, collaborated as a group to write songs, with Ronald acting as the musical director and often leading the process. For “Get Down on It,” Ronald drew inspiration from reggae music, creating the bass groove and assembling the track. During a rehearsal, the song caught the attention of lead singer J.T. Taylor, leading to its further development. Ronald frequently used popular slang for titles and hooks, which is how the phrase “get down on it” became the foundation for this hit.

Kool & the Gang began as a jazz group but transitioned into a funk band by the time of their debut single, “Kool & the Gang,” in 1969. They thrived in the early ‘70s during funk’s peak popularity, relying on their grooves rather than a lead singer. During a downturn in the late ’70s, they decided they needed a frontman and brought in J.T. Taylor. His debut on the 1979 hit “Ladies Night” reignited their success. “Get Down On It” followed, marking another high point, after which they shifted to a softer sound with hits like “Fresh” and “Cherish.” Taylor left the band in 1988 to pursue a solo career.

 

MEAT LOAF - OBJECTS IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR MAY APPEAR CLOSER THAN THEY ARE

Released: April 25, 1994

Charts:  US: #38   UK: #26 

“Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” is a song by Meat Loaf, composed by Jim Steinman. Released in 1994, it reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and #26 on the UK Top 40. The title holds the record for the longest un-bracketed song title (52 characters) as of 2007. The title, derived from a car mirror warning, also serves as a metaphor for how vivid memories can distort the perception of time, making the past feel closer than it is and harder to let go.

“Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” was one of the standout tracks from Meat Loaf’s 1993 album “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell”, a sequel to the 1977 classic “Bat Out of Hell”. Both albums feature songs written by Jim Steinman, known for his grandiose and emotionally charged compositions. The song, written last for the album, was described by Steinman as gruesomely hard to write but also deeply passionate. He highlighted its use of religious imagery, themes of resurrection, fertility, rebirth, and sexual and automotive metaphors, making it one of the most evocative tracks on the record.

The song is a deeply personal and reflective track where Meat Loaf sings about themes of loss, memory, and time distortion. One poignant moment is his reference to the death of his “best friend Kenny,” likely a tribute to Kenney Robb, memorialized in the liner notes of the 1981 album “Dead Ringer”.

The original album version spans 10:15, making it an epic piece, while the single version was edited to 5:54 to fit radio play. The music video version was 7:42, bridging the gap between the two and retaining much of its emotional and narrative impact. It was the longest Top 40 hit of 1994, even in its shortened form.

The music video was directed by Michael Bay and portrays themes of loss, trauma, and nostalgia. Cinematographer Allen Daviau helped create a haunting visual narrative. The video follows three key stories: 

Kenny’s death: A young boy crashes a plane, devastating his father (played by Robert Patrick) and leaving the protagonist haunted by his friend’s memory. 

Abuse at home: The protagonist’s father appears as a family man but is an abusive alcoholic, driving the protagonist to run away and claim his independence. 

A transformative love: The protagonist finds solace with an older woman who teaches him about love and intimacy, depicted through a sensual car scene.

Throughout the video, Meat Loaf sings the line “Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are” as images of the ghostly plane, the woman, and his younger self remind the protagonist of how vivid and inescapable his past remains.