Electric Avenue

As clearances were in flux, Bananarama, The Clash, Culture Club, and The Jam would be credited for songs that aren't in the movie, credits that were never corrected in the film or advertisements.

Electric Avenue by Eddie Grant, Who Can It Be Now by Men at Work, and Love My Way by Psychedelic Furs, all new wave hits, are in the film.

Coolidge was listening to K-Rock when she heard a song she felt captured Julie and Randy's romance.

She recalled, When I heard this song, I just said, That's it.

Our next block of tracks includes a Rocktober pick, so listen out for that.

We start off with Electric Avenue.

Now in the street there is violence.

And, and, a lots of work to be done.

No place to hang our washing.

And, and, I can't blame it all on the sun.

Oh no. We're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue.

And then we'll take it higher.

Eddie Grant, I Don't Wanna Dance.

Great reggae track, and alongside Electric Avenue, which we'll hear in 83, a memorable period in the charts, whether you loved music as an adult or loved his voice as a kid.

Fun Boy 3 and Bananarama, it ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it.

Ridiculously catchy, introduces Bananarama to the world, and is the kind of thing your auntie is singing under her breath while driving her Ford Fiesta.

But there's also a sizable list of 80s acts who managed to score more than a hit or two, but their one definitive hit is their number two hit.

For example, in the summer of 1983, Guyanese-born British singer Eddie Grant got all the way to number two in America with his electro-funk Electric Avenue.

It got stuck behind the number one hits Flashdance, What a Feeling, and Every Breath You Take.

Or, at the end of 1985, comedian Eddie Murphy tried his hand at a singing career and got all the way to number two with the Rick James-produced Party All the Time.

It turns out that was just my mind.

Your mind is writing a better episode than what they actually came up with because then they open another book and inside is a music video for Electric Avenue.

And we just have to watch that for a few minutes.

Goes on for a while.

It's just a blue man fucking breakdancing.

And Glitter says, that's it.

Electric Avenue.

That's the clue.

I'm leaving today.

I'm going Electric Avenue.

There's no time to stay.

'Cause this ain't the sixties, and there's nothing to lose.

And oh, by the way, yes, this is how we're closing out an '80s Friday, by linking it to our Reggae Friday.

'Cause of course, one of the great iconic songs of the '80s, Eddy Grant, Electric Avenue.

And, uh, we did Reggae Fridays all summer, and then of course we closed it out... 'Cause you know we always close it out with the Toys, Smoke Two Joints, in honor of our K-Fog legacy.

So sounding good to me.

And I don't know if Slipknot's gonna cover Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant, but they're gonna have a chance to on August 15th, 2027, which is a Sunday.

You knew that, JD.

Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park.