Freestyle music was a popular dance and club groove that crossed over to pop radio in the mid-1980’s. The super-fast Latin beat, often accentuated with drum machines and sequencers, blended nicely with beautiful and talented vocalists who sang about love and loneliness.
So on today’s K-Chuck Radio, I thought some nice bouncy tracks from the best of 1980’s freestyle music would warm everybody up. And let’s start with…
THE COVER GIRLS
Because of You
This New York City girl group had several hits in the late 1980’s, but this was their most bubbly and enjoyable track of the bunch. And these girls could rock. Don’t argue with me on this.
SHANNON
Let the Music Play
This song had an amazing freestyle groove – in which singer Shannon Greene just tore through it with a powerful voice and super-sweet lyrics.
MIDNIGHT STAR
Freak-A-Zoid
I remember hearing Midnight Star’s “Freak-A-Zoid” at a roller rink in a strip mall in Utica. And it was fun stuff. Everybody took to the rink when this song hit the speakers.
JENNY BURTON
Remember What You Like
Arranger John Robie’s signature beat style can be heard on this track from Jenny Burton – he used digital synthesizers and drum machines to create his hot freestyle high-beats-per-minute beat.
PRETTY POISONNighttime
If you blinked too hard, you missed Philadelphia freestyle group Pretty Poison, whose single “Nighttime” introduced the group … and their follow-up “Catch Me I’m Falling” got picked up by Virgin Records for national distribution.
EXPOSE
Point of No Return
Oh my God this song seemed to be on the radio ALL THE DAY AND NIGHT… and this video was on heavy rotation on MTV ALL THE DAY AND NIGHT … and those three girls were in my dreams ALL THE DAY AND NIGHT …
LISA LISA AND CULT JAM WITH FULL FORCE
I Wonder If I Take You Home
This song just exploded from the club scene onto pop and R&B radio, and made Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam big-time stars. And you have to say that Lisa Lisa was rocking that FIERCE stance…
CORINA
Temptation
This was a Top 10 hit near the end of the 1980’s; I also remember Corina as having performed during halftime of an Albany Patroons game. That must have been at the 16th minute of her 15 minutes of fame.
PLANET PATROL
Play At Your Own Risk
If you’re familiar with the big hit “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa and the SoulSonic Force, you might recognize this track as well – Planet Patrol worked with producers Arthur Baker and John Robie, who simply took the “Planet Rock” track and repurposed the beat for Planet Patrol. It’s okay… Baker and Robie also produced “Planet Rock” as well.
C-BANK
One More Shot
Remember when I mentioned John Robie before? This is also John Robie, recording as the studio group C-Bank. Lots of synth and stinger sound effects in this super dance track.
Great on the groove and get ready to move … right here on your home for the hits, K-Chuck Radio!
Show no shame!!
Chuck The Writer 