Back...back...back into time, as I pilot "The Time Machine" to Thursday, March 3, 1983 with the local hit music survey. You'll hear the songs starting just after midnight late Friday night on New Jersey 101.5.

  • 10

    "Stray Cat Strut" by the Stray Cats

    (#6 last week) When you think of the Stray Cats, you think "Rock This Town", right? But many forget this toe-tapper, which was actually a bigger hit when first out, but has since almost been forgotten. Funny how things work out.

  • 9

    "Back On The Chain Gang" by The Pretenders

    (#12 last week) Totally forgot this was movie music, & a great movie: Martin Scorcese's "The King Of Comedy", as prophetic a film as has ever been made, in terms of our society's cult of celebrity, & boy, did it foreshadow "reality TV". the song was originally written, though, about Chrissie Hynde's relationship with Ray Davies of the Kinks. It then took on ANOTHER meaning when Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died suddenly.

  • 8

    "Baby, Come To Me" by Patti Austin & James Ingram

    (#9 last week) A song written by former Heatwave member Rod Temperton & produced by the great Quincy Jones, it came & went quickly in the spring of 1982 but was revived when featured on "General Hospital".

  • 7

    "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" by Culture Club

    (#10 last week) New wave trivia: Boy George briefly sang with Bow Wow Wow ("I Want Candy"). Culture Club was a prime example of the U.K.'s "New Romantic" movement, which was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion & new wave music.

  • 6

    "Africa" by Toto

    (#2 last week) The members of Toto were studio musicians prior to coming together, working with many major artists. Jeff Porcaro drummed for Sonny And Cher & Steely Dan.

  • 5

    "You Are" by Lionel Richie

    (#8 last Week) The followup to "Truly", this uptempo number was written by Lionel with his then-wife Brenda. Singing backup vocals, a then-unknown Richard Marx.

  • 4

    "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran

    (#5 last week) The video for this, evoking "Raiders Of The Lost ark", won the first Grammy for Best Short-Form Video. That's Nick Rhodes's girlfriend laughing at the beginning.

  • 3

    "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson

    (#4 last week) This is already the #1 song nationally, but locally, we're slightly slower to embrace this soon-to-be classic, surprisingly.

  • 2

    "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth

    (#3 last week) I can't wait to hear this one again! A true lost hit, much bigger around here than nationwide, where it peaked at #10. I knew what "dutchie" meant, but, boy, those kids were young. Actually a remake of a song called "Pass The Kouchie".

  • 1

    "Down Under" by Men At Work

    (#1 last week; 5th week at #1) Do you really want to know what a vegemite sandwich is? A brewer's yeast bread spread, hugely popular in Australia, but vile to most everyone else. :-)

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