Tune Tag #13 with MK Piatkowski of "Song of the Day": The Fixx, Pat Benatar, Tina Turner, Simple Minds, Holly Knight
A talented songstress relents to playing our game of finding similarities across eras & genres in a variety of songs & artists! Join us in an Aqua-Net-infused '80s-scented Tune Tag! Turntables up!
Hey, MK…Tag! You’re It!
About our guest: MK Piatkowski doesn’t know a time without music, thanks to her Perry Como-loving parents. An AOR (Album Oriented Rock) station was always on the car radio, leaving her with a love of the genre and a curiosity to discover more.
Sneaking a radio to listen to John Majhor on Toronto’s CHUM 1050 opened her up to a new world that she is still exploring. A singer all her life, she's now sharing the songs she loves on her blog, Song of the Day, which started its life on her Facebook page, but has found its full expression, now, on Substack.
She also writes a weekly personal development blog, “Catalysts of Change,” and enjoys doing oracle card readings.
MK’s Song #1 sent to Brad: The Fixx, “Can’t Finish,” 1986
MK’s rationale: As for why this song, I’ve been a fan of the band since I saw them play at the Kingswood Music Theatre at Canada’s Wonderland in 1984. Many years later, I danced on stage with lead singer, Cy Curnin. There’s a picture, but it’s not seeing the light of day as I hate how I look in it. If I had known, I would have dressed better!
Cy’s performance style, like Peter Gabriel’s, is dramatic, and I gravitate towards that. He’s been one of my performance inspirations. Walkabout (where “Can’t Finish” can be found) is probably my favourite The Fixx album but it’s really hard to pick one because almost all of them are outstanding.
I’m not even sure I can define why I like “Can’t Finish” so much, but it’s a song that always gets me going. The sound of silence seems so deafening is a lyric I absolutely love. It feels incredibly empowering to me, and even more so when I was a young woman in her 20s trying to find her way.
Jamie West-Oram just does some amazing things on the guitar here, and the sputtering feel leading into some of the verses just gives it a very distinct sound. It’s a little wild and I like that.
Brad’s Song #1 sent to MK: Rupert Hine, “Innocents in Paradise,” 1982
MK’s response: As soon as I saw it was Rupert Hine, I knew the connection: He’s the reason The Fixx succeeded. He produced their first four albums, including the career-making Reach The Beach. This track certainly has his distinctive sound that you hear on The Fixx recordings.
He also produced my two favourite Rush albums (Presto and Roll the Bones) and my two favourite Saga albums (World’s Apart and Heads Or Tales). I owe him more than I can express. Sadly, I didn’t know he had died (June 4, 2020, at 72). Brilliant artist.
Brad’s rationale: The Fixx’s “Can’t Finish” was produced by Rupert Hine (who also provided backing vocals). “Innocents in Paradise” is from Hine’s Waving Not Drowning album, 1982….the song features Phil Collins on marimba, timbales, and tom toms, on an album released on A&M Records worldwide, except in the U.S.!
MK’s Song #2: Tina Turner, “Better Be Good to Me,” 1984
Brad’s response: “Better Be Good To Me” was produced by Rupert Hine—who also sang backing vocals, played bass and keyboards on the single. It was written by Mike Chapman, Holly Knight, and Nicky Chinn.
The song even has a couple of Fixx-ers joining: Curnin on backing vocals, joining a double-tracked Tina, with Jamie West-Oram adding guitar.
Here’s what the mighty Wiki allows: “Better Be Good to Me” was originally recorded and released in 1981 by Spider, a band from New York City that featured co-writer Holly Knight as a member:
MK’s rationale: I knew it would be way too easy to make the connection, but how could I not loop in the divine Ms. Turner? How could I not give everyone the glory that is Cy Curnin and the late Tina Turner performing together? Hine, of course, was the one who brought Curnin in to do backing vocals on the track.
Turner’s version was successful in the U.S., and peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 6 on the then-named Hot Black Singles charts. At the 27th Annual Grammy Awards in 1985, it won Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female, one of four Grammys awarded to Turner’s Private Dancer album at that ceremony.
More from Wiki: In the video, Turner is seen performing the song on stage, wearing a black leather jacket and black skin-tight, knee-length leather pants, with leopard print high heels and spikey blonde hair.
Towards the end, Cy Curnin appears on stage and grabs Turner’s arms. She looks him in the eyes and sings the words, “Why can’t you be good to me?”, then pushes him away. At the end of the video, Turner disappears under the stage in a puff of smoke:
Brad’s Song #2: John Waite, “Change,” 1982, from Ignition
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