Happy Birthday TERRI NUNN (video)

#terrinunn #berlin #rockfile

Terri Kathleen Nunn (born June 26, 1961), is an American singer and actress. She is best known as the lead vocalist of the new wave/synthpop band Berlin.

Nunn was born in Los Angeles, California. She joined Berlin in 1978 and temporarily left the group the following year to pursue an acting career. In 1981, she rejoined the group as the lead vocalist and soon forged her recording career in the band. Her greatest success in Berlin was the top-selling 1986 single "Take My Breath Away", the love theme in the film Top Gun. It reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. She sang other popular songs, including "Sex (I'm A...)", "The Metro", "You Don't Know", "No More Words" and "Masquerade".

Nunn acted in numerous television shows in the 1970s and '80s, including T.J. Hooker, Lou Grant and James at 15. She also unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. She appeared in the 1978 film Thank God It's Friday. In 1979, she played a part in the short-lived CBS TV series, Time Express.

In 1985, Nunn left Berlin and recorded the song "Dancing in Isolation" for the film Better Off Dead. It was produced by Rupert Hine. In 1989, she performed a duet with Paul Carrack called "Romance", which was included on the soundtrack to the film Sing. In the early 1990s, she sang backup for The Sisters of Mercy. In 1991, she recorded and released a solo album entitled Moment of Truth, in association with Prince's Paisley Park producer, David Z.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday CHRIS ISAAK (video)

#chrisisaak #rockfile

Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American rock musician and occasional actor.  

Isaak signed a contract to Warner Bros. Records in 1984 for his first album, Silvertone. One track from the album "Dancin" was Isaak's first music video featured on MTV and two tracks from this album, "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover" featured in David Lynch's cult classic Blue Velvet. Isaak's second self-titled album, Chris Isaak, was photographed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber. Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner Bros. moved him to their Reprise Records label. "Suspicion of Love" appears in the 1988 hit movie Married to the Mob starring Matthew Modine, Michele Pfeifer and Dean Stockwell.

Isaak's best known song is "Wicked Game". Though released on the 1989 album Heart Shaped World, an instrumental version of the song was later featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart. Lee Chesnut, an Atlanta radio station music director who was obsessed with Lynch films, played the vocal version and it became the station's most-requested song. Chesnut spread the word to other radio stations and the single became a national Top 10 hit in February 1991. It also reached No. 10 in the UK Singles Chart. The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and was a MTV and VH1 hit; shot in black and white, it featured Isaak and supermodel Helena Christensen in a sensual encounter on the beach, caressing each other and whispering erotically in each other's ears. Another less-seen version of "Wicked Game" is directed by David Lynch and comprises scenes from the film Wild at Heart. "Wicked Game" featured as the backing music in the 2001 TV advertisement for the Jaguar X-Type in the UK. In 1995, Isaak split with longtime guitarist James Calvin Wilsey. That year's Forever Blue album and the accompanying tour featured Hershel Yatovitz on guitar.

In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film, Eyes Wide Shut. The song is on his 1995 Forever Blue album. The music video for the song is directed by Herb Ritts, it was shot in color and featured Isaak and French supermodel Laetitia Casta in a motel room. This was Isaak's second collaboration with Ritts.

Isaak composed a theme song for U.S. late-night television variety/talk show, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. In 2001, Isaak starred in his own television show, The Chris Isaak Show. It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Isaak and his band playing themselves and the episode plots were based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Isaak—the rock star next door. His track "Two Hearts" was featured in the closing credits of the 1993 film True Romance, directed by Tony Scott, written by Quentin Tarantino, and starring Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday TODD RUNDGREN (video)

#toddrundgren #rockfile

Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer, and the most under rated musician in history. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a pop wunderkind for both his own material and for his production of other artists, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, his career has produced a diverse and eclectic range of recordings often both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. Rundgren has often been at the forefront as a promoter of cutting edge recording technologies.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Rundgren prolifically engineered and/or produced many notable albums for other acts, including Straight Up by Badfinger, Stage Fright by the Band, We're an American Band by Grand Funk Railroad, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf, New York Dolls by the New York Dolls, War Babies by Hall & Oates, and Skylarking by XTC. In the 1980s and 1990s his interest in video and computers led to his "Time Heals" being the eighth video played on MTV, and "Change Myself" was animated by Rundgren on commercially available Amiga computers.

His best-known songs include "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light", which have heavy rotation on classic rock radio stations, and "Bang the Drum All Day", which is featured in many sports arenas, commercials, and movie trailers. Although lesser known, "Couldn't I Just Tell You" has had a major influence on artists in the power pop musical genre.

source: wikipedia

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Remembering PRINCE on his birthday (video)

#prince #rockfile

Prince Roger Nelson (June 7, 1958 - April 21, 2016), known by his mononym Prince, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor. A major figure in popular music for over three decades, Prince is renowned as an innovator and is widely-known for his eclectic work, flamboyant stage presence and wide vocal range. Widely regarded as the pioneer of Minneapolis sound, Prince's music combines rock, R&B, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, psychedelia, jazz, and pop.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince developed an interest in music at an early age, writing his first song at age seven. After recording songs with his cousin's band 94 East, 19-year-old Prince recorded several unsuccessful demo tapes before releasing his debut album, For You, in 1978 under the guidance of Manager Owen Husney. His 1979 album, Prince, went platinum due to the success of the singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover". His next three records, Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1982), continued his success, showcasing Prince's trademark of prominently sexual lyrics and incorporation of elements of funk, dance and rock music. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as the Revolution and released Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name.

After releasing the albums Around the World in a Day (1985) and Parade (1986), The Revolution disbanded and Prince released the critically acclaimed double album Sign "O" the Times (1987) as a solo artist. He released three more solo albums before debuting The New Power Generation band in 1991. After changing his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol, also known as the "Love Symbol", in 1993, he began releasing new albums at a faster pace to remove himself from contractual obligations to Warner Bros; he released five records between 1994 and 1996 before signing with Arista Records in 1998. In 2000, he began referring to himself as "Prince" once again. He has released fourteen albums since then, including his latest, Art Official Age, released on September 30, 2014.

Prince has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has won seven Grammy Awards a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year of his eligibility. Rolling Stone has ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Prince died from a fentanyl overdose at his Paisley Park recording studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57.

I would love to post more/better videos but it seems all the classics have been pulled.

source: wikipedia

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Happy Birthday MIKE JOYCE (video)

#mikejoyce #thesmiths #rockfile

Mike Joyce (born Michael Adrian Paul Joyce, 1 June 1963) is an English drummer. He is best known as the drummer for The Smiths, an English Rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Joyce.

Michael Adrian Paul Joyce was born in Manchester to Irish parents, and attended St Gregory's Grammar School in the city.

While The Smiths provided Joyce with his first taste of success, he had previously drummed for Manchester band The Hoax and Irish punks Victim. Joyce was a member of The Smiths throughout the band's existence (1982–1987).

Immediately after the break-up of the band, Joyce and Smiths bassist Andy Rourke played with Sinéad O'Connor. They, along with Craig Gannon, also provided the rhythm section for two singles by Smiths' singer Morrissey – "Interesting Drug" and "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and their b-sides. Work with Suede, Buzzcocks, Public Image Limited, Julian Cope, P. P. Arnold and Pete Wylie followed throughout the 1990s.

Joyce, Rourke, and Gannon reunited to work on a project with fellow Manchester musician Aziz Ibrahim (formerly of The Stone Roses and Simply Red), ex-Oasis guitarist Bonehead (as Moondog One), and Vinny Peculiar.

In 1996, Joyce sued former Smiths' colleagues Johnny Marr and Morrissey for an equal share of performance and recording royalties. Joyce won the case and was awarded damages of around one million pounds from Morrissey and Marr. He was not invited to the Manchester v Cancer benefit concert organised by Andy Rourke in January 2006 because of Johnny Marr's involvement in the event.

In July 2007, Joyce along with former bandmate Andy Rourke released Inside The Smiths, a DVD which chronicled their experiences of being in the band.

In October 2007, Joyce toured the UK playing drums for Vinny Peculiar with Bonehead on bass guitar, and in 2008 ran a successful night at The Brickhouse in Manchester called 'Alternative Therapy'.

In parallel to his music career, Joyce also works as a DJ and broadcaster, including occasional appearances on BBC 6 Music.

source: wikipedia

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