“I think in every era of music you can find stuff like this — and sometimes you’ll find that it’s superior to the music that really was making it big commercially.” –Michael Carmody
In this episode of Deviate Rolf delves into a musical mystery — tracing the fate of ten rock and pop albums (found in a thrift store record bin) that evoke the quintessential look and sound of 1980s music, even though — for whatever reason — they never made it big back in the day.
Joining Rolf in this musical investigation is Jedd Beaudoin (@JeddBeaudoin), who hosts the syndicated music show “Strange Currency,” and Michael Carmody (@Carmody68), a musician, record collector, and donut shop entrepreneur.
Album art and show notes for each 1980s mystery album are listed below, in chronological order, by time-code.


Sue Saad and the Next (Planet/Elektra), 1980
[4:05 – 10:56]
Featured song: “I I, Me Me”
Links:

1980 Grammy Awards winners
1980 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Sue Saad on The Hustle with Jon Lamoreaux
Joan Jett (musician)
John Cougar (musician)
Sue Saad and the Next, “Young Girl“
Sue Saad and the Next, “Gimme Love Gimme Pain“
Rush, “Spirit of the Radio“
Led Zeppelin, “D’Yer Maker“



S·P·Y·S (EMI America), 1982
[10:56 – 20:25]
Featured song: “She Can’t Wait”
Links:

1982 Grammy Awards winners
1982 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Al Greenwood (Foreigner and S·P·Y·S keyboardist)
Mick Jones (Foreigner guitarist)
Spooky Tooth (band)
SAGA, “On the Loose“
Rainbow (band)
The Clocks, “Nobody’s Fool“
The Human League (synth-pop band)
Warren Cuccurullo (Missing Persons guitarist)
Cinemax (pay-cable TV network)



The Breaks (RCA), 1983
[20:25 – 27:55]
Featured song: “She Wants You”
Links:

1983 Grammy Awards winners
1983 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Vini Poncia (record producer)
Scandal (band)
Patty Smyth (singer-songwriter)
Harry Nilsson (singer-songwriter)
Stevie Nicks (singer-songwriter)
The Pretenders (band)
Blue Angel (band)
Village Sound, “Hey Jack (Don’t Hijack My Plane)“



Fury (New York Music Company), 1985
[27:55 – 34:15]
Featured song: “In Her Arms”
Links:

1985 Grammy Awards winners
1985 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Felix Cavaliere (producer)
Young Rascals (band)
Kenny Loggins (singer-songwriter)
Yamaha DX7 (synthesizer)
Former Fury fan club, current location on West 57th Street
La Blanc Brothers (post-Fury wedding band)



Surgin’, “When Midnight Comes” (EMI), 1985
[34:15 – 46:00]
Featured song: “Shot Through the Heart”
Links:

Jack Ponti (musician)
Jon Bon Jovi (singer-songwriter)
Bon Jovi, “Runaway“
Kevin DuBrow (heavy metal singer)
Blizzard of Ozz (Ozzy Osbourne album)
Master of Puppets (Metallica album)
Reign in Blood (Slayer album)
Cinderella (glam metal band)
Stryper (Christian metal band)
Judas Priest (metal band)
Iron Maiden (metal band)



Rough Cutt (Warner), 1985
[46:00 – 55:25]
Featured song: “Piece of My Heart”
Links:

Mickey Ratt (rock band)
Chris Hager (guitarist)
Jake E. Lee (guitarist)
Ronnie James Dio (musician)
Ted Templeman (Van Halen producer)
Paul Shortino (musician)
Shortino as Duke Fame, in This is Spinal Tap
MetalShop (radio show)
Rough Cutt, “Never Gonna Die“
The Choirboys (band)
Y&T (band)
Rough Cutt (current band website)



Stone Fury, “Let Them Talk” (MCA), 1986
[55:25 – 1:06:00]
Featured song: “Too Late”
Links:

1986 Grammy Awards winners
1986 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Rutger Hauer (Dutch actor)
Limhal (singer for Kajagoogoo)
Lenny Wolf (vocalist)
Kingdom Come (band)
Bruce Gowdy (guitarist)
World Trade (prog rock band)
Elf (band)
Stone Fury, “Stay“
Glass Tiger (band)



Le Mans (Columbia), 1986
[1:06:00 – 1:14:10]
Featured song: “Chain Around Your Heart”
Links:

Derek Frigo (guitarist)
Peter Marrino (singer)
Mike Varney (founder of Shrapnel Records)
Yngwie Malmsteen (guitarist)
Guitar Player (magazine)
Paul Gilbert (guitarist)
Charles Bradley (singer)
Journey (band)
Arnel Pineda (singer)
Steve Perry (singer)



Envy, “Ain’t It a Sin” (ATCO/Atlantic), 1987
[1:14:10 – 1:25:36]
Featured song: “Ain’t It a Sin”
Links:

1987 Grammy Awards winners
1987 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Dee Snyder (singer-songwriter)
Gina Stile (musician)
Vixen (band)
Heart (band)
Lita Ford (guitarist)
Fiona (singer)
When in Rome, “The Promise“
Headbangers Ball (MTV program)
Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit“
Hüsker Dü (band)



Leatherwolf, “Street Ready” (Island), 1989
[1:25:36 – 1:30:45]
Featured song: “Street Ready”
Links:

1989 Grammy Awards winners
1989 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
Leatherwolf (current band website)
Armored Saint (band)


Final comments
[1:30:45 – 1:45:20]
Links:

Sammy Hagar (musician)
Matthew Wilder, “Break My Stride“
Soundscan (sales tracking system)
Captain Beyond (album)
Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements, by Bob Mehr
Lester Bangs (rock critic)
Rodney Bingenheimer (radio personality)
John Peel (radio presenter)
Circus (rock magazine)
Hit Parader (rock magazine)
Creem (rock magazine)
The Archies, “Sugar Sugar“
Sammy Johns, “Chevy Van“
Computer World (Kraftwerk album)
Nothing’s Shocking (Jane’s Addiction album)
The Joshua Tree (U2 album)
Anton Corbijn (photographer)



This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe.
Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at [email protected].

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