Category: Digital Songs & Albums

SUMMARY:                               RUNNING TIME: 3:32 Min.

Intended for 1984’s Romancing the Stone co-starring Kathleen Turner & Michael Douglas, the title song is performed by Eddy Grant.  Originally including film clips, Grant’s MTV music video was filmed in some unidentified tropical jungle.  The song was subsequently demoted to a few seconds of background noise in Romancing the Stone’s theatrical release, though Grant at least received a closing credit. 

Hence, it’s not coincidental that Grant’s song is also omitted from the film’s soundtrack in favor of composer Alan Silvestri’s instrumental score.  The song instead would appear exclusively on Grant’s 1984 Going for Broke album.

The song has since resurfaced on Grant’s greatest-hits compilations.  As for the music video, both its original incarnation and subsequent versions (disassociating itself from the film) still exist.    

REVIEW:

With Grant in vintage form, the song’s upbeat reggae/funk fusion sound is undeniably catchy.  Interspersed with Romancing the Stone film clips, the original music video helps distinguish the Turner/Douglas romantic adventure away from its reputation as a Raiders of the Lost Ark imitator. 

Considering how hard it is to find this rollicking tune (without purchasing a complete album to obtain it), Grant’s music video is a terrific alternative.  Recommended!        

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                 7½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                        RUNNING TIME: 4:12 Min.

Performed concert-style by Billy Ocean, the song’s MTV music video was meant to promote its appearance in the 1985 film, Jewel of the Nile, co-starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, & Danny DeVito.  Clad in matching white tuxedos, the three stars good-naturedly lip-synch as Ocean’s back-up singers.  Briefly donning shades, DeVito even throws in a mock sax solo for good measure. 

REVIEW:

Overcoming the song’s clunky title, an exuberant Billy Ocean is in vintage pop form.  The presence of Turner, Douglas, & DeVito is a welcome plus.  For a catchy, mid-80’s soundtrack hit, When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going’s music video is a nostalgic treat to come across.  In that sense, it’s a smile waiting to happen.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:              6½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                     RUNNING TIME: 3:44 Min.

Released in mid-1987, the big-screen buddy cop comedy/spoof, Dragnet, stars Dan Aykroyd (as LAPD Sgt. Joe Friday) & Tom Hanks (as LAPD Detective “Pep” Streebek).   Heard over the closing credits is Aykroyd/Hanks’ rap parody duet entitled “City of Crime” that embellishes the movie’s plot.  The song was included in the film’s official soundtrack. 

To promote the film and soundtrack sales, Aykroyd & Hanks performed the song in a music video directed by Marty Callner — complete with Paula Abdul’s dance choreography.  

REVIEW:

Being a huge fan of 1987’s Dragnet, not to mention this song, this reviewer eagerly spied City of Crime’s obligatory MTV music video online.  Regrettably, there isn’t an internet return policy to try getting those precious few minutes back. 

Wildly misguided, this campy eyesore gives the word ‘obligatory’ a bad name.  Not only is the acting cringe-worthy, but the rudimentary dance choreography (including female back-up dancers predictably dressed as sexy squad room cops) never escapes a sense of clueless amateurism. 

This assessment defines a foolish-looking Aykroyd & Hanks, as somebody conned them into simultaneously singing (most likely, lip-synching) and dancing.  Instantly qualifying for their career-low lists, the actors and Paula Abdul (considering her high-profile choreography gigs of that era) should be mortified that this insipid music video actually still exists.     

One might shrug off this mistake as the players merely goofing off with the wacky song.  That defense, in a stretch, could even suggest “City of Crime” is a parody of mid-80’s rap videos.  Even if such a claim were proven true, quality control still took the day off when this dreck was actually filmed. 

Had the “City of Crime” video instead been a conventional Dragnet movie clip-fest (with Aykroyd & Hanks appearing in character for ‘live’ cameos), there shouldn’t have been a problem.  Unfortunately, the misguided end result is one of the worst movie soundtrack videos ever concocted.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  1½ Stars