Wondering how we might sound at the Newton Highlands Congregational Church? Well, we sang there once before, in 2011. I think we sounded pretty good then and we've only gotten better (The laughing about a minute in is the audience reacting to the super cute baby in the Baby Bjorn.):
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We're going to have a great show this Sunday, November 17, 2013. The band is tight with a new drummer and loads of enthusiasm. The singers are harmonizing beautifully and a few of them are even stepping up to dance a bit. The arrangements and song selections are beautiful -- surprisingly beautiful for anyone who remembers the 1980s as synth drums and droning keyboards (only one keyboard part in our set). More information about the concert and a link to tickets are here. Meanwhile, here's a look back at a hot Boston band from 1980. Shane Champagne was the shizzle back in the early 80s. Their big single was "Shadow World": Nice video. I love that reggae beat anchoring power pop. Makes me think of Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives" or The Police's "Walking on the Moon." Or "Watching the Moon/Walking on the Detectives" (from Elvis Costello's Spectacle): Anyway, back in the summer of 1980, Shane Champagne was a guest on local Boston television station WCVB (channel 5) . The station was one of the first to broadcast 24 hours, and "5 All Night" showed old movies through the pre-dawn hours. They also had band promotions! Shane Champagne was releasing a 10" EP and appeared on 5 All Night on November 1, 1980. They were interviewed by Matty Siegel a DJ from WCOZ (which used to occupy 94 1/2 on the FM dial, now JAM'N 94.5). Here's the intro with a performance of "Dying to Stay Alive": love the multiple vocals on the songs, although overall, the tempos seem slower than would be expected in the hyper sped up world of today.Why am I spending so much time on Shane Champagne on this website? Well aside from local Boston rock history, they have a direct connection to the Newton Family Singers. I'll give you a hint: the bass player looks like he could rock a guitar. One more Shane Champagne performance video from Channel 68's "Boston Live" from summer 1980. This is, as of this moment, my favorite of their songs, "Rockaway": |
AuthorJack Cheng directs the Clemente Course in Dorchester, excavates in the Middle East, and writes in Waban, MA. Archives
October 2019
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