So I am going to play every 45 in my collection.......(Part 3!!)

Lol....unfortunately for my bank account I also collect CD's and LP's too!

 

Okay, so you have options.

 

I know. I was simply saying that rather than finding it on a 45 (which I never have), it can be found in pristine sound on CD. That is for the benifit of anyone why may be looking for it.

I'm sure Juggs also collects CDs and LPs.

BTW, in reference to your avatar, "Skate Now" is a fine song, isn't it? I have the 45. I had to clean it up with software to get it in digital form, but it sounds nice. I'd like to hear the stereo mix one day.

 

Yes, in fact the entire album is pretty great. My copy is mono though, so I haven't heard the stereo mix.

 

I was four years old when my sister bought the 45. It was always a treat to hear. I'm just glad I found the 45 again.

 

I'm still hoping to run across a copy of his "Hot Butter 'n All".

 

Billy Idol-Dancing With Myself/Love Calling
No chart success, even in this remixed form, but it remains a Billy classic. Is it about masturbation or just being lonely? Who knows! A simple yet effective riff forms the basis of the track. Steve New, not Steve Stevens, plays guitar here. I love the drum intro and how the rest of the band then falls in.

 

Billy Idol-Hot in the City/Hole in the Wall
This track topped out at #23 in the USA and #58 in the UK in 1982. Not one of my favorite Billy tracks, I must admit it does have a decent bridge. A bit too keyboard driven.....especially when the guitar figure is much better ear candy.

 

Billy Idol- White Wedding/Dead on Arrival
Various releases had it topping #36 in 1983 in the USA, and #6 in the UK in 1985. I remember seeing this video a ton when it came out. Nails being hammered into coffins to the best....genius move. I love the bass part. Simple yet fun and propulsive. Billy turned a corner here vocally, going for a more rock screamer vibe than straight punk crooner. Keith Forsey's production is on point. A great sounding record.

 

Billy Idol-Rebel Yell/Crank Call
This awesome tune reached #46 in the USA and #62 in the UK in 1984. Idol had found his musical soulmate in Steve Stevens at this point. Great guitar player and songwriter. The intro alone is priceless....just guitar, no keyboards. Doesn't sound like it but thats what makes it great. Whenever I played in bands, this was always the cover I sang. Fun to play too!! Great groove due to the rhythm section being locked in. Stevens adds just enough guitar histrionics to make this a balls out rocker. His patented "Ray Gun" guitar effects were born here and work to great effect.

 

Billy Idol-Eyes Without a Face/Blue Highway
This hit #4 in the USA and #18 in the UK in 1984. I was Pretty shocked at the time how well this song went over with pop audiences. I love the middle "Reading murder books to try and stay hip" bit. Great bass line once again. This deserves kudos for being an unconventional pop record. Lyrics sung in French, slow tempo, etc...

 

Some of the best rock songs of the 80s. Oddly enough the Rebel Yell LP is almost audiophile with deep soundstage and clear sonics.

 

I know I heard these songs endlessly back then so it is surprising how poorly some of them did on the singles chart. Rebel Yell and Dancing With Myself in particular. Maybe it was MTV pimping him.

 

I like the song. But, didn't this song see a re-release, or a rise in popularity sometime in the late 80s? I remember hearing it more around 1987.

Billy Idol is one of my favorites! And, he worked with Keith Forsey, Donna Summer's drummer in the 70s.

 

And, the song has great imagery! I always envision it being from the POV of a crazed violent stalker or rapist in prison contemplating about what he's going to do to his victim when he gets out.

This song is the one that made me buy the "Rebel Yell" album and become a Billy Idol Fan. Seeing his videos endlessly on MTV helped.

 

If you have the AF CD or original vinyl pressing. The regular Chrysalis CD, and the 45 RPM singles were EQ'ed bright, which killed most of that depth and deep bass.

 

He certainly has a great team here with Stevens and Dorsey. Great ears for attaching pop melodies to rock riffs. The LP does sound great! Fantastic bass and the atmospheric keys floating all around you. And the guitars hit you in the gut, just like they should! I've thought of picking up the AF Gold CD but never pulled the trigger.

 

He was MTV's darling for sure! Great image, great songs....what was there not to love!

 

You are correct! I believe it had several re-releases and remixes.

 

Your take on the lyricscis a good one!! Disturbing and probably pretty accurate! As you day, great videos. I still laugh that Billy's hardcore punk image usually does not match his recorded output. Much more pop than rock or punk. Sheer genius that could appeal to everybody. My Mom liked him, I liked him, and the girl next door liked him.....all for different reasons.

 

I have the original vinyl LP Grant. Is it worth the $40 to grab the AF CD? I play This album fairly often and love it.

 

Yes, the second version of the single Juggs posted is the 1987 re-release. After the success of the live version of "Mony Mony," Chrysalis re-released "Hot In The City" as the second single from the Vital Idol compilation, although all the songs on that comp were extended versions/remixes, while this single was the "standard" version.

There are versions of the song where the part near the end where he shouts "New York" was replaced with other city names for promotional purposes. I'm pretty sure I heard a "Cleveland!" version on my hometown stations back then. They did the same thing for "My Town" by hometown heroes The Michael Stanley Band.

Of course you know Keith Forsey wrote "Don't You (Forget About Me)." When Simple Minds played here in LA back in 2013, Keith showed up. Jim pointed him out to the crowd and noted he wrote the song.

 

That's exactly what it was. If MTV airplay was figured into the chart methodology back then, Billy's performance on the charts would have been much different. His "iconic" standing of the '80s was built on MTV success - it's shocking how few actual "hit singles" he had (although he did well on the album rock charts):

"Mony Mony" . - #107 Pop, 1981
"Hot In The City" - #23 Pop/#31 Rock 1982
"White Wedding" - #36 Pop/#4 Rock, 1982
"Dancing With Myself" - #102, 1983 (also released in 1981 before "Mony Mony" but didn't chart)
"Rebel Yell" - #46 Pop/#9 Rock, 1984
"Eyes Without A Face" - #4 Pop/#9 Rock, 1984
"Flesh For Fantasy" - #29 Pop, #8 Rock, 1984
"Catch My Fall" - #50 Pop, #24 Rock, 1984
"To Be A Lover" - #6 Pop, #2 Rock, 1986
"Don't Need A Gun" - #37 Pop, #10 Rock, 1987
"Sweet Sixteen" - #20 Pop, #26 Rock, 1987
"Mony Mony (live)" - #1 Pop, #27 Rock, 1987
"Hot In The City" (re-release) - #48 Pop, 1987
"Cradle Of Love" - #2 Pop, #1 Rock, 1990
"L.A. Woman" - #52 Pop, #18 Rock, 1990
"Shock To The System" - #105 Pop, #7 Rock, 1993

 

I think it is. Mr. Hoffman did a fine job on it. Somewhere, he talks about how his CD is the way Billy Idol and the producers wanted it to sound. But, as you know, the commercial versions, at least on CD or the 45s in the 80s, are often EQ'ed bright.

I'd say that if you can find a copy, grab it now. I think i'll play it now.

 

I remember being quite shocked that he did a cover of this William Bell 60s Stax soul hit, written by Booker T. Jones.