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June 20, 2005

Everybody Wang Chung

Have you caught any of NBC's new battle-of-the-bands series Hit Me Baby? Dubious configurations of formerly popular groups play two-minute versions of their biggest hits, then cover a recent pop song. The audience votes one act on to the next round. They all play for charity, so it's not as pathetic as it sounds. Here's what was covered last week:

  • Wang Chung "Hot In Herre" (Nelly)
  • Sophie B. Hawkins "100 Years" (Five For Fighting)
  • Cameo "1985" (Bowling For Soup)
  • Howard Jones "White Flag" (Dido)
  • Irene Cara "I'm In Love" (Anastasia)
During the "then-and-now" portion of the episode Cara filled us in on life since Flashdance: "My life is filled with tons of paperwork." In the competition's thrilling finale, she won by pity vote. I preferred Wang Chung.

This Thursday:

  • Club Nouveau
  • Greg Kihn
  • Thelma Houston
  • Glass motherfucking Tiger!

Posted at 1:54 PM




27 Comments

aw i remember Glass Tiger, did they do 'don't forget me when i'm gone' ? loved that song!

Posted by: rachel at 06/20/05 1:58 PM  | Reply
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I really hope Bryan Adams sits in on Glass Tiger's performance. That song really isn't fully realized unless you get his raspy "My haaart would breeeeak!" added in the mix.

Posted by: Justin at 06/20/05 2:22 PM  | Reply
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"she won by pity vote"

No shit, mang. Me and the husband were floored. Wang Chung should have won based on the fact that it took big balls for two forty-five year old limeys to rock a Nelly song. What a sham! Recount!

Posted by: Patton at 06/20/05 2:32 PM  | Reply
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I collect "Greatest Hits" CDs from artists that only have one. New to the collection last week was, in fact Glass Tiger. And Martika. But I do love that song.

Posted by: BAM! at 06/20/05 2:34 PM  | Reply
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wang chung was robbed yo! singularly the greatest musical performance i have seen at least since the arcade fire on conan! and the audience seemed a lot more into than the bitch who won. i wonder if it's based more on the original hit than the cover...

Posted by: Dave at 06/20/05 2:52 PM  | Reply
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I remember when MTV held a contest to give away Glass Tiger's enormous drum set. It had, like, 20 pieces. My 10-year-old ass was blown out my face.

"Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone" has the dubious distinction of being one of those songs that seems like a terrible idea in theory, but is still awesome when you hear it. Synth horns? Bryan Adams guesting? Only two sections and a bridge? A never-ending chorus? But man, it still rocks!

Posted by: Jake at 06/20/05 2:57 PM  | Reply
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Ok, Wang Chung rocked that like it was nothing man - when the lead smacked his ass during, "Hey girl I think my butt's getting big"; I was on my bed cracking up. That was good tv.

But seeing Ice dance was it for me. I'm all about people who can dance and seeing him dance after hearing from him that he was going to - i was afraid he might not be up to it - rocked my world. I was 14 again and making up dance routines to songs in my room because I'm a geek like that.

and I got to talk to Rob - which made my 14 year old dreams come true as well (and I asked about Arsenio Hall and Madonna - things I had to know)

I love this show. I hope they never take it off.

Posted by: Mandy at 06/20/05 3:08 PM  | Reply
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Oh my god, Wang Chung RULED. I TIVO'd that and have shown it to so many people. They should have won!

Posted by: K.B. at 06/20/05 3:14 PM  | Reply
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I still refuse to watch this show ever since I tried to give it a chance only to be horrified at the sight of a very unappealing, reunited Loverboy. I was looking for the nearest needle to be used for immediate insertion into both of my eyeballs.

However, I did hear good things about both WC and Howard Jones.

Posted by: mandy* at 06/20/05 5:01 PM  | Reply
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Is there anyone besides me who thinks that "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is a great pop song? And I don't mean ironically. I would be a much happier man if there was still stuff like that on Top 40 radio.

Posted by: Justin at 06/20/05 5:53 PM  | Reply
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My pick to win was Howard Jones until his version of White Flag by Dido didn't cut the mustard for me. Irene Cara just sucked during her performance. One thing I have to say about the show is that the host Vernon Kay is even more annoying than Ryan Seacrest. He kept on mispronouncing (due to a horribly overexaggerated English accent) Irene Cara's last name. This was even after she said in her little video that she hates when people mispronounce her name.

Posted by: [hifidigitalboy] at 06/20/05 6:03 PM  | Reply
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Glass Tiger? Loverboy? Who'll be left for the inevitable Canadian version?

Posted by: chzplz at 06/20/05 6:41 PM  | Reply
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Chunky-chunk Irene's comment of "This is silly!" when Vernon and his insanely large, white teeth walked over to chat with her was embarrassingly funny.

So we may get:
Club Nouveau - Lean On Me
Greg Kihn - The Breakup Song, Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uhhh etc.
Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way
Glass M-F'ing Tiger - Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone

Posted by: Blu at 06/20/05 7:13 PM  | Reply
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good lord glass tiger.
when i was like 18 or 19 (old enough to have known better, but it was the 80s - what can i say?) when they came to the local cool record store to sign their album. it was weird, because this store usually only had truly cool bands do signings. i still don't know why, but my stupid ass actually went to the signing and not only got their autographs on the most insanely cheesy glossy you've ever seen, but i took pictures of them as well!

i ran into some friends there, so i wasn't alone in the humiliation. and i still have the signed glossy...

Posted by: me at 06/20/05 7:46 PM  | Reply
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Glass Motherfucking Tiger.

If that had been their name back then, I'd have bought the album.

Posted by: D. at 06/20/05 10:06 PM  | Reply
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This show is soo pathetic. Rock 'n Roll Music deserves better.

Posted by: Wang Chung at 06/20/05 10:16 PM  | Reply
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I actually thought the Tommy Tutone cover of that Blink182 song wasn't that bad.

Posted by: ChrisG at 06/20/05 10:28 PM  | Reply
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this is something i never thought id ever say: wang chung were the best band on that show. they wuz robbed.

my question is, why would tommy tutone cover a song that he couldnt sing?

Posted by: tony at 06/21/05 4:08 AM  | Reply
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So what's the deal with the presenter? I missed the start of the show and have NO IDEA where he is from, in part because I have NO IDEA what he is saying. Is he Scandanavian? He looks like he's sculpted from dough. Why? Why? His charisma appears to be based around an knowingly ironic lack of charisma and substitution of cheese. Which is quite funny. For thirty seconds.

Posted by: Yeah huh no at 06/21/05 8:26 AM  | Reply
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Greg Kihn - The Breakup Song, Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uhhh etc.

No way. If Kihn doesn't sing "(Our Love's In) Jeopardy," I am suing motherfuckin' NBC for all the money in the world.

Posted by: Phil at 06/21/05 12:28 PM  | Reply
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I agree, Kihn playing "The Breakup Song" over "(Our Love's in)Jeopardy" would be absolutely Kihn-troversial.

Posted by: Magnificent Bastard at 06/21/05 1:39 PM  | Reply
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The show primarily sucks because of an audience that doesn't know shit about good artists from the past. I'd be shocked as hell if anyone worthwhile actually wins anymore shows at this point. I thought there was hope when Arrested Development won the first episode, but apparently, that didn't mean shit.

Posted by: Nocturne at 06/21/05 7:45 PM  | Reply
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Just a note: Irene Cara was Fame, not Flashdance. Flashdance was the lovely Jennifer Beals, who now makes a great lesbian on The L Word. Hot.

I'm pretty sure they haven't changed a thing about the opening of Hit Me Baby since it came from the UK. The bad graphics/music/host screams of bad Top-Of-The-Pops-itis. I don't know if that works so well in the States.

Posted by: Rachel at 06/22/05 6:32 AM  | Reply
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Oh please! "Jeopardy" is a lame song. "Breakup Song" pwns!

Posted by: Paul at 06/22/05 2:51 PM  | Reply
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She may not have "starred" in Flashdance, but she did sing the Oscar Winning original song "What a Feeling" for the movie Flashdance. I think that's what stereogum was referring to

Posted by: tiffany at 06/27/05 11:19 PM  | Reply
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Even weeks later I'm still pissed that Wang Chung didn't win. They just rocked that song so hard.

Posted by: Ix at 06/30/05 10:08 PM  | Reply
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WANG CHUNG TONIGHT.

Posted by: Cherry at 07/07/05 1:09 AM  | Reply
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