This was truly one of my favorite songs of the 80’s, but the video never lived up to the song. Still not sure why the stalker chick is carrying a picture frame or why the egg has an eyeball in it. But, somebody had an artistic vision and this is the tragic result. The Church deserved better.

Under the Milky Way was from the album Starfish, released in 1988. The song was once voted Best Australian Song of the past 2 decades by readers of a Melbourne newspaper. Considering rock icons ACDC and INXS were in the running, that’s a pretty strong statement.

WATN? The Church have continued to tour and release albums throughout the 90’s and this decade. American chart success has eluded them, but they still have a significant following worldwide.

Trivia: Since the release of Starfish, the Church have refused to issue lyrics with their albums. They believe lyrics should be heard and not read.

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This is probably my favorite INXS song, but it’s a lousy video. About 2 minutes into the video, I can’t tell who seems more intoxicated -the cameraman or Michael Hutchence. The band would go on to make a lot of great videos in the 80’s. This wasn’t one of them. Great song, though. So give it a look.

Trivia: The drummer is wearing hot pink socks. Why? The keyboard is suspended from a wire so it’s being played above the head of Andrew Farriss. Again, why?

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Some days, you just need to get your weird on. Nobody helps you do that better than the Johns.  TMBG released Purple Toupee as a single from 1988’s Lincoln album. It looks like it was partly filmed at a flea market I drove by last week.  You can tell their getting warmed up for Birdhouse In Your Soul a few years later (One of my all time favorite videos!).

WATN? Still making great music and touring, they’ve also released several children’s albums. Here Comes Science will be released in 2009.

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Yes, that Michael Bolton. Believe it or not, the Adult Contemperary punchline of the 90’s was actually a headbanger in his early days. His first band even opened for Ozzy Ozborne! Try to wrap your brain around that little nugget.

Trivia: The song was featured in the movie Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield.  Guitarist Bruce Kulic went on to play in KISS for 12 years.

WATN? Playing some lousy lounge act in Vegas I suppose. I really didn’t have the stomach to find out.

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This video gets a 5 guitar rating if for no other reason than inspiring our logo:

Watching this video and watching Westerberg thrash his guitar makes you feel like you’re at a real Replacements show.  No frills. Just good music.

WATN? Paul Westerberg is still doing the solo thing, but the Replacements have been broken up since 1991. Deluxe editions of the early albums were released this year.

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This video has everything -Marylin Monroe, a catchy tune, chicks in a cage, and even the drummer has both arms.  Photograph was the breakthrough single for Def Leppard, reaching #1 on the rock charts in 1983.

An odd spotlight seems to be circling the stage in the performance scenes and is a little distracting. I’m thinking the roadie might have burned a fatty before the shoot and was fascinated by the pattern it made on the floor. Also, out of nowhere, some chicks in a cage appear to the right of the stage. They really don’t add anything to the video, but it’s nice to know that the lads were giving NOW something to bitch about all those years ago.

WATN? Def Leppard continues to tour and make music. They released Songs from the Sparkle Lounge earlier this year.

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It was the first, but it certainly wasn’t the best. Midnight, August 1st 1981, MTV launched and this was the first video they aired.  Ironically, video didn’t kill the radio star, rather turning the artists who grasped the power of MTV into mega radio stars.  This one gets in on a technicality, though. It was originally recorded and released in 1979. It hit #1 in the U.K., but the band didn’t have enough material for a full album. It was included in the 1980 release, The Age of Plastic.

As for the video, it’s the classic low budget fair that dominated the early videos. I have to say the back up singers creeped me out. They look like the kids from Village of the Damned.

WATN? Who cares. People were asking that about 6 months after MTV launched.

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Welcome to the birth of our new website: WriteItOnAPoundNote.com.  This site is dedicated to 80’s music and the videos that have since disappeared from MTV’s and VH1’s programming.  We will try to post a new video daily with some commentary and “where are they now” type info.  If you love 80’s music, please suggest a video or tell your friends.

Our first video is dedicated to the man that inspired the name of the site. In 1982, Adam Ant’s Goody Two Shoes hit #1 in the U.K. and #12 in the United States. It was from the Friend or Foe album, his first solo effort after the breakup of Adam and the Ants.

Long before Johnny Depp or the “Puffy Shirt” from Seinfeld, Adam Ant perfected the Pirate Chic look.  The video is a bit self indulgent, but we give it 3 guitars.

“If the words unspoken, get stuck in your throat. Send a treasure token, token. Write it on a pound note, pound note.”

Trivia: The song is featured in the movie Hot Fuzz. The butler in the video, Graham Stark, appeared in three different Pink Panther movies.

WATN? - Ant turned to acting in he late eighties/early nineties. A couple of forgettable albums later, he released Wonderful in 1995. It was his last studio album.  A live recording entitled Live at the Bloomsbury is scheduled for release later this year.

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