Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Things From the 80s That Hold Up Better Than You Might Have Expected

The Sorels -- four actor/dancers making like a New Wave version of The Temptations while lip-synching Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" -- in Streets of Fire (1984).



First of all, those dance moves are just fucking great. And those guys are the snazziest dressers in rock-and-roll history; I'd wear one of those suits today in a heartbeat. Of course, it helps that the song itself is ragingly beautiful; it also helps that you don't see Hartman and his band doing it (you can find a clip of that elsewhere on YouTube, and you'll hate me if you do).

I should also add that until this morning I had no idea that one of The Sorels was the wonderful Mykelti Williamson, most recently of TV's Justified.


That's him, second from the right.

9 comments:

steve simels said...

Hole E Shit-- somebody just alerted me that another of the Sorels is Robert Townsend.

Shriner said...

Streets of Fire is a guilty pleasure because of the overacting of Rick Moranis and Willem Defoe, the beauty of a young Diane Lane lip-syncing two fabulous Jim Steinman songs and the overall awesomeness of the soundtrack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNHZe9s75e4

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCIrPJ6SBl4

And Diane Lane was awesome in the Fabulous Stains, too (but I'm digressing now...)

steve simels said...

Diane Lane is one of the most underrated actresses of our time, IMHO.

Brooklyn Girl in Queens said...

Their moves are great --- and their style is a perfect blend of the Temps and Michael Jackson (cool suits, white socks, black shoes). And yes, the Dan Hartman video from "Soul Train" shows the 80's at their most hideous. Watch at your own risk.

Anonymous said...

I may not have always liked the music that Dan Hartman did, but I sure respected his craft in the studio. On stage, not so much. That said, the movie version features Winston Ford on lead vox, not Dan. Hard to argue with a great song like this. And the Eighties gloss isn't too severe.

Billy Payne from Little Feat on keys and session ace Richie Zito on guitar.

Diane Lane is a natural beauty of great ability who Sandy and I would love to land for an audition on our casting couch. Oh the fabulous stains, indeed.

Vickie Rock

Anonymous said...

Townsend is the only one I recognized.

DannyGuam

Anonymous said...

The B side of the single is Blue Shadows by The Blasters which is wonderful.

Capt. Al

Anonymous said...

The dance moves and clothes are what they are. Mostly stolen, but well done in a music video sort of way. Better than Milli Vanilli:-)

Given my lust-filled attraction to one of the most sensual creatures on the planet, Diane Lane, the best part of the video is the fleeting second when her luscious boobs bounce deliciously in her rain soaked blouse. She could SO be my Sapphic sister.

Vickie Rock

edward said...

I was a projectionist back then and ran this movie a whole bunch in 70mm. It looked and sounded soon great. A true guilty pleasure, I cannot even think of watching it on tv.