The Big Throwdown

Bette Midler's probably not the first name that comes to mind when you think power pop, but stick around and all will be made clear.

And while you wait, enjoy this priceless 1984 video pas de deux with Mick Jagger, set to the haunting strains of the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden." Directed by Allan Arkush, of "Rock n Roll High School" fame. And filmed, if memory serves, at the then terribly trendy Danceteria, a low dive where I killed many a brain cell back in the day.




The Stones cover, BTW, was featured on Bette's "No Frills" album, a commercially unsuccessful attempt to repackage the singer as a New Wave diva a la Cyndi Lauper. It wasn't a terribly good record, although as you can see she sang the pants off "BOB."

But more to the point, the CD (recently remastered) features Bette's absolute finest recorded moment -- a version of "You're My Favorite Waste of Time," by power pop god Marshall Crenshaw, that takes the soaring melodicism of the original and ups its ear candy quotient by a factor of ten.
I'm assuming it's on iTunes, so do yourself a favor and get thee hence immediately.