The Brains - "Money Changes Everything" (the song remains the same)

Last night Danette and I went to see Cyndi Lauper at the excellent Portsmouth Pavilion.  Neither of us were huge fans of hers but being children of the 80s, when our neighbor Steve offered us free tickets we couldn't say no.  Cyndi Lauper put on a good show and with "Kinky Boots" she's enjoying a second wind.  But last night's show was about revisiting track-by-track "She's So Unusual", her 1983 breakthrough LP.

The LP (and thus the concert) opened with "Money Changes Everything", which if I had a favorite Cyndi Lauper song, it would probably be this.  But last night I discovered this was actually a cover, and the song was originally done by a little-known Atlanta-based new wave group called The Brains.  "Money Changes Everything" was their initial 7" single released in 1978, and then appearing again on their 1980 debut eponymous LP.   Releasing two LPs and an EP, The Brains never enjoyed much success as a band, and aside from Cyndi Lauper covering their song, their next biggest footnote was upon breaking up one of their members joined The Georgia Satellites. 

Random thoughts:

1. While I love the late 70s garage sound on original version, Cyndi's version might actually be better.
2. I'm certain that I'll have immediate recall of the fact that "The Brains are the original artist for `Money Changes Everything'".  This piece of trivia has surely overwritten something important in my memory, like my work phone number, the names of long-term colleagues, places I've lived, etc.  But surely I'll hold on to this fact like my life depended on it...
3. Does that opening keyboard riff sound familiar?  It reminds me of the guitar riff in "Pretty in Pink" by The Psychedelic Furs; the original 1981 version, not the more polished 1986 soundtrack version.  Our friend Joy asked for more "Pretty in Pink" references, so there you go.

The Brains: "Money Changes Everything"

Cyndi Lauper: "Money Changes Everything"

Psychedelic Furs: "Pretty in Pink" (1981), "Pretty in Pink" (1986)

The Rave Ups - "Positively Lost Me" (forgotten song)

I've previously mentioned the juggernaut that was the 1986 Pretty in Pink Soundtrack, but did you know that one of the arguably better songs from the movie did not even make the cut for the soundtrack?  "Positively Lost Me" was from the 1985 LP "Town + Country" by The Rave Ups.  The band was featured in the movie, in the bar scene where the four main characters meet up, and "Positively Lost Me" was one of the two songs they played in the background.

A perfect 80s pop break-up song, I love how the song builds a line at a time:

You lost a lot when you lost me

You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree

You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree
A looking glass and a diamond ring, yeah

You lost a lot when you lost me
Six paperback books and a dying tree
A looking glass and a diamond ring
You lost me and you lost some dreams

How did this song get left off the soundtrack?  How did this song not become a huge hit?

"Positively Lost Me": studio version with movie footage, 2011 live version (they still have it, all that is missing are Duckie & Iona in the foreground -- you didn't identify with Andie or Blane, did you?).

Honorable mention: the brief snippet of "Rave Up, Shut Up" that also appeared in the movie.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "So In Love" (forgotten song)

Before their 1986 smash hit "If You Leave", Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) had a minor hit in the US with "So In Love" from their LP "Crush". Although I did not realize it at the time, OMD had 5 critically acclaimed LPs prior to the more commercially oriented "Crush". I recall this song receiving minor airplay on MTV, but then all trace of it was removed when the Pretty in Pink soundtrack juggernaut rolled through. It has a nice hook and Andy McCluskey certainly has a distinctive voice, but what does it for me is the mid-80s synth pop meets Wall of Sound production quality. What's not to love?

Links: YouTube.