Tune Tag #110 with Steve Goldberg of Earworms & Song Loops, Pt. 4: Eddie Murphy, 10cc, Melissa Manchester, Nick Mason, Joe Piscopo, Jennifer Love Hewitt
With a league-leading 4 Tune Tags under his belt (or wherever he keeps them...I'm not one to pry), Steve is back to help us weave through some humor-infused music, or vice-versa! Toe-tappin' giggles!
Hang on, Steve…ushers are still showing folks to their balcony seats; once they’ve got ‘em all…….ah, there we go! OK, places everyone!
Welcome back to Tune Tag, of !
Steve paid his last visit to us the Halloween of ‘24, wearing this baseball uniform as his costume…he went as a Little Leaguer! Pretty convincing, I’d say!
Last week, we were pleased to host of Critical Hit Parader!
Tune in next week for the debut Tune Tag appearance of Bubble Puppy drummer, of ! From Texas, Bubble Puppy had a #14 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1969 with “Hot Smoke & Sassafras”!
Steve’s song #1 sent to Brad: Eddie Murphy, “Party All the Time,” 1985
Brad’s response: Written and produced by Rick James, he’d be the obvious next-song go-to! But, as much as Steve is well aware that the mid-to late-’80s is my pop cultural black hole (having returned to college as a 29-year-old sophomore in ‘84), I’m just as certain to not go in what might appear to be the obvious direction for a song in Tune Tag! So there!
Steve’s rationale: Why did I pick this smash hit #2 Billboard Hot 100 single from 1985 to start off this Tune Tag? Well, because it happened to be the earworm torturing me when Brad invited me to participate for the 4th time in this grand musical adventure.
I was a high school senior when “Party All the Time” came out, and I remember its ubiquity on the radio and MTV. The reaction to it was mixed, but I thought it was catchy as hell back then, and even more so now. It’s essentially a Rick James song, as he wrote it, produced it, and even sings backup on the track. I mention this not to slight Eddie, as his lead vocals are top-notch here, but it feels wholly like a Rick James song!
The chorus is the stickiest part, but what I can’t get enough of are the hand-claps. I equate hand-claps with cowbells. Songs are better with more of both. This earworm got me thinking about TV stars who’d recorded hit songs after they’d become famous on screen, so I was thrilled Brad kept this direction going for his first song.
Brad’s song #1 sent to Steve: Joe Piscopo, “New Jersey,” Live, 1986
Steve’s response: I vaguely remember Joe Piscopo’s Bruce Springsteen “Born To Run” homage/parody, but I’m not sure if he performed it on the show or just in concert. Joe was a fantastic impressionist. His Jerry Lewis is masterful. The SNL skit, when Jerry appears beside him, is still one of my favorites:
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