Music – 'I Wanna Be A Teen Again: American Power Pop 1980–1989'

Flip that channel to MTV and dial in FM rock radio. We're going back in time.

It’s a lovely sentiment to have chart names and little-recognized acts come together in a compilation package, something that Cherry Red Records does so well. In this edition, we welcome I Wanna Be A Teen Again – American Power Pop 1980–1989 into the fold. Granted, the term power pop can run the gamut, scaling peaks of Cheap Trick to lows of The Knack (and by The Knack, I don’t mean “My Sharona.”). In any case, this cross-section of music embraces those who made a splash on MTV (wait, we’ll get to that) and those who were hinting at great things to come, i.e. no splash on MTV. A crucial moment in music, you ask. Dare I venture to answer with a few bon mots here.

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Better known from the 1978 Blondie album Plastic Letters, Gary Valentine wrote this tune during his stint as the band’s bassist, but departed before the group recorded their version. Hanging about the NYC scene, most notably with members of Television, you can hear the dark, jangly guitar in this early run recorded in that time period.

Gary Valentine – “(I’m Always Touched By) Your Presence, Dear/℗© Jiri Music/Monster Island Music/You Tube

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One of the signature bands of power pop, Shoes released this gem on 1981’s Tongue Twister, co-produced with Richard Dashut, best remembered for his work on a fleet of Fleetwood Mac albums. While this track hits all the right notes musically, if you’re of a certain generation when MTV premiered on August 1, 1981, you may recall Shoes had no less than four videos premiere that day.

Shoes – She Satisfies/℗© Bug Music Group/Elektra Records/YouTube

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Paul Collins’ Beat already had stellar pedigree with Collins, Peter Case, and Jack Lee laying down roots with The Nerves and Lee’s “Hanging On The Telephone” later covered by Blondie on 1978’s Parallel Lines. After that group’s demise, and with solid connections through Eddie Money and promoter Bill Graham, Paul Collins’ Beat were signed to CBS/Columbia. Their debut had them showcasing on American Bandstand and earning a song on the soundtrack for Caddyshack. Their sophomore outing with this song was not so fortunate. Case eventually left and formed his power pop combo The Plimsouls, who earned immortality with “A Million Miles.”

Paul Collins Beat – The Kids Are The Same/℗© CBS Music/Grajonca Music/YouTube

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Detroit rockers Nikki and the Corvettes were naturally influenced by The MC5, because… reasons. From that, it was a short leap to their 1980 self-titled debut, a hypersonic cross of ‘60s girl group meets The Ramones. While short-lived, Nikki’s influence has spanned the decades, as proof of her being name-checked in “Gimme My Radio” by The Donnas.

Nikki and the Corvettes – Just What I Need/℗© BOMP Records/YouTube

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Having achieved modest success in their native Canada, The Pursuit of Happiness were a near non-entity in the U.S. until the category ‘alternative’ rolled out and embraced the group in one big hug. Their 1988 debut album Love Junk, produced by Todd Rundgren, gave them the satirically serious reading “I’m An Adult Now.” But this song allowed lead vocalist Moe Berg to show off a melodic, sweet cadence.

The Pursuit of Happiness – She’s So Young/℗© Chysalis Records/SBK April Music/YouTube

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If the 1981 vocals sound vaguely familiar with an air of commercialism, you’re not far off. Great Buildings members Danny Wilde and Phil Solem, after releasing exactly one album, bounced back in 1989 to form The Rembrandts with 1995’s “I’ll Be There For You” christened as the theme song for Friends. ‘Nuff said.

Great Buildings – Hold On To Something/℗© 1981 Sony Music Entertainment/YouTube

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I Wanna Be A Teen Again – American Power Pop 1980–1989 is available to pre-order from Cherry Red Records and releases July 18 as a 78-track set, 3CD box set, which includes a 32-page booklet with photos and sleevenotes from Dave Laing.