RHEMA started in the late '70s as a Christian band, and quickly became a secular prog band, and as a six-piece produced an album called Voyage of the Rock Aliens that accompanied their appearance in the not-really-released-in-the-U.S. Pia Zadora–vehicle film of that name. The band then broke up, but songwriters Marc and Jeffrey continued to work together on various projects, Continue Reading …
NEM #40: Clive Farrington (When in Rome): One-Hit Wonderful
Clive is the guy who dreamt up the melodies and initial motifs for "The Promise" and other tunes for When in Rome in the late '80s, and after leaving the business for a while, the continued use of that one big song (most notably for the Napoleon Dynamite closing sequence) enabled his return to touring and recording. We discuss two songs from his solo album Independence Continue Reading …
NEM #37: Nik Kershaw: Follow the Melody
Nik had some huge hits in the '80s (e.g., "Wouldn't It Be Good" from 1984's Human Racing) and has been described by Elton John as "the best songwriter of a generation." We discuss "These Tears" from his most recent album EI8GT (2012), "Lost" from You've Got to Laugh (2006), and the acoustic re-recording of 1984's "The Riddle" for No Frills (2010). Closing song: "Men United," Continue Reading …
NEM#10. Nick Eede (Cutting Crew): Escape from the ’80s
In 1986, Nick van Eede released a song that will be played long after we are all dead. But he's got a lot more going on than that, and on his new album (still under the moniker "Cutting Crew") he's recorded his best songs from the last decade without regard for continuity with the sound that made him famous. We dip back near that time by talking about another of his ballads Continue Reading …