Two Great Pop Stars Who Seemed to "Fade Away"
Some pop stars come like a whirlwind and just seem to fade away. In the 80’s, one of the few to survive Michael Jackson’s dominance was Prince who carved out his own niche. But I want to remember two more talents who also made a promising splash back then. One of them is all but forgotten, and the other has evolved into a genre away from the popular limelight.
Thapson
In order to better appreciate this post, you need to board a “time machine” and transport yourselves back to the early 80s. The very beginnings of MJ*’s onslaught on the music world. A time when there were others too who were coming out with cool charting stuff. As I’ve always rooted for the underdog, I want to talk about them here. Keeping with my tradition, I’ll try keeping things brief and to the point.
The first of them is:
Kennedy William Gordy
“Kennedy William Gordy?” You ask. Yes indeed, also popularly known as “Rockwell.” Now Rockwell, did have some connections as his father was the founder and CEO of Motown. But Rockwell did not use them, and distanced himself from these connections by launching himself “secretly”. But this is not the “Biography” channel, and you can read more on his life elsewhere by others better qualified. So, I’ll avoid further details and go straight to his music which was outstanding at the time. In fact, I think, it has aged pretty well too. What better way to remember his stuff than by hearing it.
“In order to better appreciate this post, you need to board a “time machine” and transport yourselves back to the early 80s.”
“Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984)
If you are a music buff, you’ll have heard this song. A song dedicated to paranoia and with a video that seems to acknowledge scary movies like “Night of the Living Dead.” This was a very well-made production and immediately made Rockwell a household name. While Rockwell’s unique vocal style is unmistakable, he’s accompanied by MJ himself here, along with Jermain Jackson backing up things. I first heard this on a friends’ “Billboard” Hits of 1984 music cassette. Rockwell had definitely arrived and I was expecting big things to come from him. The video itself is a true classic. I always thought the Japanese (or is it Chinese?) language newspaper being brought to Rockwell’s house at the start hilarious!
RockwellVEVO / YouTube.com
“Obscene Phone Caller” (1984)
Off the same album, was this lesser known song. Sort of on the same lines as above song, this one also touches on the paranoia theme, but on a different level. One can dismiss it off due to the similarity, but I like this song for its quicker beat and Rockwell’s “snobbish” accent. I feel this song should have been a bigger hit than it actually was.
Aussiebattlervideos2 / YouTube.com
“Knife” (1984)
Another truly underrated song from his debut album. I think “Knife” is wonderfully sung by Rockwell and showcases a different side of Rockwell. You can feel some raw emotions coming out in this. It shows how he was not just a lightweight pop phenomenon, but capable of soulful ballads as well.
YouTube / Rockwell – Topic
And Then He Disappeared
Well not exactly, but that’s what it seemed. Rockwell released other albums too, but to me, his debut album was the best. As the 80s rolled on, and MJ solidified his place, Rockwell likely had to bow away. But not without leaving these classic gems which sound as good today as back in the day.
My second artist is:
Sananda Maitreya
This is the name he goes by nowadays. But in the mid-80s, as Terence Trent D’Arby, he came out with some fantastic stuff that I felt was also a challenge to MJ’s dominance. Terence was in the army and went AWOL for which he was dishonorably discharged. But it doesn’t matter as he went on to pursue his real passion which was music.
In 1987 he came out with an interestingly named album: “Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby”.
And it’s on this album, he came out with his best work, which includes:
“If You Let Me Stay” (1987)
Hearing this song, I knew a fantastic new talent has arrived. His voice, style, and the music were pure classic. Still sounds just as good today. I was convinced we had challenger to MJ’s crown in him – especially as he suddenly came out of nowhere. Awesome stuff.
Sananda Maitreya / YouTube.com
“Wishing Well” (1987)
Another big one from Terence. Cool song, music, and that smooth voice. Wonderfully made video too. Looks like it was made in the UK. This was the height of music videos for sure. When everything clicks, what more do you need?
Sananda Maitreya / YouTube.com
“Sign Your Name” (1987)
And then, there’s this wistful piece. Wonderfully arranged soundtrack, sung so unbelievably well. I should just shut up and listen to the song. Some things cannot be described in words as they have to be experienced. Such is the case with this music as it is better heard than talked about. What talent! Can’t believe this came out over thirty years ago. Feels like yesterday.
Sananda Maitreya / YouTube.com
A “Self-Declared” Exile?
And this was a sampling of Terence Trent D’Arby’s biggest hits from of his debut album. For some reason, things didn’t continue on from there. He seemed to deliberately retreat from the limelight. While he continued to come out with new albums, we did not get those monster hits to propel him to further heights. He was definitely respected and appreciated, but in the 80s you needed to span that taste across the wider genre of listeners to make it big. Again, MJ seemed to have the right touch and just kept sucking away the limelight from all these artists.
Still Active Under a Different Name
But, make no mistake, Terence Trent D’Arby has left us music lovers a wonderful repertoire of work to carve out his name among the greats. Although out of the limelight, he continues producing music including soundtracks, and doing some acting roles. Terence has since retired his old name to the history books and adopted a new persona along with his new music. You can refer to him as Sananda Maitreya – a name he’s likely adopted for his spiritual rebirth.
And so was my quick look at some artists who came up pretty big and were big contenders to crown of the king of pop back in the day. But coming up against MJ, they likely fell just short of his versatility. Of course, this is my personal take. I’m no expert or music intellect, but a connoisseur of good music and speak from that viewpoint. You are welcome to correct me and add your input here by using the “feedback” form at bottom of the post. I’ll be happy to hear from you.
With this I end my tribute to two somewhat similar, yet very different artists who made a splash back in the day: Rockwell and Terence Trent D’Arby. I’ll be back with more music stuff from past.
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