Today in… 1986

A follow-up on yesterday’s post. From my 8th Grade English Class Journal, November 18, 1986:

I just got out of gym. I hate volleyball with a passion. After school today. We’re going to my Aunt L’s house for spaghetti with my grandparents. What fun. I’m going to miss Dance Party. Oh well. The Lip Sync wasn’t by Jason and Bob, it was by Pisces. It was stupid. F is absolutely going to kill me. I almost died. Last night Amy came over after we went downtown. I got Superteen’s October issue, and the record “Walk Like An Egyptian” By the Bangles. It was the last one. Amy got “Human” by the Human League, and something else. Gotta go, Bye.

Ah… a little bit more info! My copy of “Walk…” was the last one in stock. This goes along nicely with yesterday’s post indicating that when I purchased it, the song was climbing its way to number 1! Nice! And now we have the added info that Amy bought “Human” by Human League. Let’s see… according to Wiki ”Human” was the band’s first single off their album Crash (which was released in September of 1986) and became Human League’s second number one single in America. And Amy helped!

Hmmph… Dance Party! I had to go and mention it, didn’t I? Yes, 8th grade saw me obsessed with this Philly-based dance show on the USA Network. And this means I subjected Amy to it, and as I recall, Amy HATED Dance Party. My friend “F” and I *loved* it , though! While my friend “F” frothed over the show’s most popular regular, Bob – I spent my evenings staring at his best friend, Jason. I think Lip Syncs were about one of the worst things to come out of the 80s. I think we only cared so much about them because whomever did a lip sync had more “face time” for us to stare at them on tv. Nothing to kill me or die over. I wish I had a quarter for everytime the phrase, “I almost died” shows up in my journals and diaries. I’d be wealthy! Everything is so dramatic when you’re 13!

Incidently, I don’t remember how the spaghetti was, but it makes me wonder… I was absent the next day!

Today In… 1986 AND a note from my 45 collection

From my 8th grade English class journal:

I just got out of health. That class is getting pretty BORING. Oh well. I’m going downtown after school with Amy. I’m going to get a magazine and a record. Grandma & Grandpa got here Saturday from Florida. Yesterday we ordered a 32 slice pizza and watched slides. Karie came too. I’m going to get the record “Walk Like An Egyptian” by the Bangles. Well, gotta stop. Bye.

I guess this is as good a time as any to do another entry in the My 45 Collection category! Not often do I figure out the exact date I purchased one of my records, but there you have it: November 17, 1986 I purchased “Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles! There is more information about this shopping excursion in the next day’s entry, but I’ll save that for tomorrow (hopefully I’ll remember!).

“Walk Like An Egyptian” was released, according to it’s Wiki page, as the third single from The Bangles’ hit album Different Light, in September of 1986, when it also debuted in the Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number one on the same chart in the U.S. on December 20th (so I was on board early, then.. I helped!). It stayed at number one for four weeks, carrying it through to January 1987.

What I cannot believe is that according to the Wiki entry, this song is one that was deemed inappropriate by those nerds at Clear Channel after the 9/11 attacks. I guess they didn’t want the terrorists thinking we were making fun of the way they walk?

I bought no less than three 45s from the album Different Light. It dawned on me later that I should have just bought the album. But that’s how it was back then. Not often did you find an entire album to your liking or want to take a chance on it, especially as an 8th grader with no money. You bought what you liked and could afford. Only rarely did it turn out that the album would have been the bargain!

If you’re my age (35) you’ll probably remember everyone and their grandmother walking around imitating ancient hieroglyphs of King Tut during the winter of 1986/1987. Such a clever song! The country couldn’t get enough!

Before I go, I want to give a shout out to the Pudgies 32 slice sheet pizza mentioned in the English class entry. Pudgies is still in my hometown and the pizza and wings still rule. Yes!