Another sleeper is The Breakup Song by the Greg Khin Band from around the same time... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VLFfSDEA26o.html
Jamel can you look at Old and Wise by Alan Parsons Project? One of the most beautiful songs ever written and sung by Colin Blunstone of the Zombies ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kW8zmVt0VGM.html
He just turned 80, sang just as well at an 80th birthday concert earlier this year. He looks maybe 60, moves like he’s 45 at most, got on his knees and back up again on stage. I’m almost 30 years younger and can’t- two knee replacements. He seems like a sweetheart in interviews. He’s an impressive vocalist but also a walking fountain of youth.
Donnie is in his 70s now and STILL sings this good. He did all of the tracks on this except the drums. His voice, several times over, recorded in analog. He did all the guitars, the bass and all of the vocals... incredible.
Yes he can!!!!!! The dude has always had it and always will!!!!!!!!! Sells houses and jams!! Can't beat that!!!! The song "The Rapper" is a good tune by him also!!!!!! Giddeeup!!!!
I saw him live, where I played in the house band. I went to high school with the engineer of that song, Rex Burke. This was recorded in New Brighton at Jerees Studio.
I was stationed at Parris Island when this song came out. One of my best memories was when our entire squad bay rocked out to this altogether singing it in unison! Donnie will ALWAYS be The King of Cool.
Love this song. In high school, I had a friend with a little sister named Leah. Of course, being a mature teenager, I used to sing this to her repeatedly until she started punching me.
Dude!! Donnie is from my city (Pittsburgh, PA)! Great guy! I’m currently working on a mini-doc about Donnie, this song, & it’s impact here. He recorded this song in nearby New Brighton at a little studio called Jereez. My dad was recording a gospel album there at that same time. I have very vivid memories of the studio & the recording console. Studio owner Jerry Reed was incredibly kind.
Back in the 90's some friends and I were planning to see him at I.C. Light Amphitheatre but then we got really stoned and ended up seeing Weird Al at Station Square instead.
I'm a drummer. Few years ago, Donnie came to our show in Pittsburgh. Him and I sat at a table, drinking a beer and shooting the breeze. He is a great dude.
@@jimmycranier3668 I can see why you might get that. Maybe (Buddy Holly) x (Eugene Levy)? But for an '80s-era Buddy Holly don't forget about Marshall Crenshaw... who, along with Curtis Armstrong, went to my high school. In fact, Marshall played Buddy Holly in 1987's "La Bamba".
I always imagined that Leah was the kind of gal who is all fun. But in reality, she was all trouble. The kind of trouble that a guy just didn't want to avoid.
Contrary to belief actually Don and Iris had more than one hit he also had *Love Is Like A Rock.* This is a hometown favorite yes brother Jamal were talking about Pittsburgh PA. Even he grew up in Ellwood City. Donnie was also a guitar in the band *Wild Cherry* yes the same band that bought you the hit song *Play That Funky Music.* He also another top 40 hit *Do you Compute* along with another hometown hero of *B. E. Taylor* the song *Vitamin L* were big songs in the 80s. I never thought I could push a like button that fast lol. But I guess you can say we had a couple of icons ( in my opinion) from Pittsburgh. Love Peace and Happiness Y'all!!
Donnie Iris (born Dominic Ierace, February 28, 1943)[1][2][3] is an American rock musician known for his work with the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo career beginning in the 1980s with his band, the Cruisers. He wrote the #2 Billboard hit, "The Rapper", with the Jaggerz in 1970 and was a member of Wild Cherry after the group had a #1 hit with "Play That Funky Music." He also achieved fame as a solo artist in the early 1980s with the #29 hit "Ah! Leah!" and the #37 hit "Love Is Like a Rock."
Native Pittsburgher here, Donnie Iris is a treasure here in the Burgh!! Seen him many times over the years, so many good songs; he's criminally underrated, great band!! Other great songs, Agnes, King Cool, Sweet Merilee, Love is like a rock, That's the way love ought to be, Color me blue, Do you compute...and so many more.
Please react to "Never Say Never" by Romeo Void. The story behind both the song and the lead singer is really amazing and even wholesome. She was a very unconventional lead singer for the time, and the band was promoted by Ric Ocasek of Cars fame.
One of the things I liked about Donnie Iris is he looks like the guy next door but can rock like nobody's business! The whole "Back On The Streets" album, his first solo album, is great! "I Can't Hear You" and "Shock Treatment" are also a kick to listen to. His later hit "Love Is Like A Rock" is a cranker, and a deeper later track "Do You Compute" is also excellent. He was in the Jaggerz in the early 70s, and with them he had the hit "The Rapper".
@@bobwowk8440 Unfortunately many never heard of this band. Hell, when someone like Joe Walsh collaborates and plays guitar or Clarence Clemens plays the sax on one of your songs, you have a good band and people in the industry know it. I actually prefer Michael Stanley's version of "Rosewood Bitters" better than Joe Walsh's copy of that song....even though both are great.
Columbus represent - Holy smokes! I can't remember the last time I thought about the Michael Stanley Band! OK - Off to find him now. And McGuffey Lane?
If you look on the comments for the video there's one from a girl named Ayliah named after this song because her father thought that was the name of the song
I also named my daughter Leah because of this song, but it wasn't until 1989. I would have this song queued up to play every day when I picked her up from school so her friends could hear it when she got in the car. She's 32 now and I still have this song queued up if I ever pick her up to go anywhere.
I'm from Pittsburgh and Donnie hails from a little ways north of the city, I and all Pittsburghers will always regard him as our #1 Rock and Roll treasure. ❤️❤️❤️
Donnie Iris - talented and entertaining guy. I love this whole album.(Back in the Streets) and the one that followed (King Cool) which contained the hit "Love is Like a Rock" along with numerous other great songs. Iris fronted a band in the 1970s called the Jaggerz which had a cool hit "The Rapper." You should check them out.
Jamal, I went to High School with Donny, Lincoln High School, Ellwood City PA. He started out in western PA with a band call the Jaggerz. The hit song they had then was called “The Wrapper”. Hi was also in the band Wild Cherry... Play that funky thing. Check out Wild Cherry if you haven’t heard it yet✌🏼.
YES, you did this song!!! 😊 This is one of the greatest Rock songs ever recorded. I love how you were fixin' to pause it for a while and then held-back. 😊 Fun facts: Donnie Iris was already 37 years old when he wrote/recorded his debut album in 1980, on which this song appeared. He celebrated his 78th birthday this past February. Although thought of as a 1-hit wonder, Donnie Iris actually had a few hits to his credit, with "Ah! Leah!" hitting #29 on the Billboard charts, and "Love Is Like A Rock" from his 1981 sophomore album going #37. I'm not a big fan of the latter song, but you might like it. One other song I love by him is "Injured In The Game Of Love" which was a minor hit in 1983 as was the decent, New Wave-y "Do You Compute?" Donnie was a huge, pleasant surprise to all of us back in the day. He was this short, skinny, nerdy-looking guy with black curly hair and looked like an accountant, not a Rock star, but he could play every instrument - he literally recorded his entire debut album by himself - and could scream like Joe Elliott of Def Leppard. Truly talented and unique.
Went to the Rock and from Erie, PA. DI was a favorite in Northwestern PA. Always played and heard his music on the beaches of Presque Isle! Brings back great memories!
Man, this takes me back. I grew up in Pittsburgh, and this song was in heavy rotation on WDVE when I was driving back and forth to school. Great review, I'm now subscribed.
One of my favorite '80s tunes. Great singing (especially at the end, as you noted), pumping bass, and that guitar solo has such incredible, dirty tone. Love it!
one of my favorites of the era, i think its head and shoulders above most others from the 80s. the melody is sophisticated and hook laden. i love the big finale.
That hypnotic two-note section, like a 1000-yard stare in the middle of a rumble, then the high Deep Purple/Ian Gillan-esque scream vocals just send it skyward, over the top.
This guy , Donnie Iris, is still rocking today. He loves the music. Very underrated. Fantastic song. I’ve always thought it was about two people who just had a magnetic pull to each other, and they truly love each other, however whatever the circumstances the relationship just doesn’t work. But the feeling just won’t go away. Thanks for doing this great song. His song Agnes is pretty good too. Although I think Ah Leah was by far his best.
I have met Donnie a few times. I used to sit next to his first cousin at work in Ellwood City PA. which is his hometown. Great Guy and well loved legend in Western PA and Eastern Ohio!
I actually had the chance to see Donny Iris' band. They opened for Rush and I was pleasantly surprised how good the band was. I recognized a lot of songs that I had heard on the radio, and many more that were very good, too. I remember the drummer taking a solo, and he was very impressive !! Cant remember if it was Hartford or New Haven, but I wish that I saved my ticket stub. 😂
Do you know what.made that deep bass synth sound at the end that hovers below everything? I want to say moog but I have no idea. Coincidentally this song has been coming on my Sammy Hagar radio on Spotify and I have to listen to this at least twice cuz I love that bass synth at the end lol
I remember as a 19 year old when this song came out thinking ""oh my goodness this song rocks !! A no-name artist comes out with a song like this that I believe people will be listening to 50 years from now..And other new artist from 1981 were ,Aldo Nova -"Fantasy" , Red Ryder --Lunatic Fringe ... and one other comes to mind... Loverboy..""Turn me loose" ..All these must be reacted to.!!! Thanks Jamal for reacting to Donnie Iris.Never do I get tired of that song..
@@roxannemoser .... Actually, make it three hits. And neither "Ah! Leah!" or "Love Is Like a Rock" is his biggest. His biggest hit is "My Girl", and that's a totally different song from The Temptations 1965 classic. Donnie's three top-40 hits are .... 1) "My Girl" (#25 in 1982) 2) "Ah! Leah!" (#29 in 1981) 3) "Love Is Like a Rock" ..... (#37 in 1982).
No, Tracy, Donnie Iris was not a one hit wonder ..... He had three top-40 hits, and "Ah! Leah!" isn't even his biggest hit. His three top-40 hits are ..... 1) "My Girl" (#25 in 1982) 2) "Ah! Leah!" (#29 in 1981) 3) "Love Is Like a Rock" ..... (#37 in 1982).
Such a great jam. I worked with a girl named Leah that HATED this song after the fiftieth person to sing this at her. She's the only person I know that did.
Wow, this was put out on my birthday! It's also one of my favorite songs I rediscovered. I can't remember it from back in the 80s at all. Even though this should have been all over the radio. Donnie had/has a great voice and the band... man... I dunno how they got so overlooked.
Love this song!! And donnie iris!! Saw a video from this past summer where a 78 year old Donnie iris rocked it live at a outdoor fair i believe!!! Sounded amazing. He really sounds so great 40 years later!!! Hats off to this very underrated singer, still rocking at age 78!!!!
I always imagined this was about a star-crossed couple (from his perspective of course), hopelessly attracted to each other but doomed for whatever reason...
Beg to differ with y'all. It certainly wouldn't be considered pop TODAY, it would be called rock, but at the TIME, it most certainly WAS pop, as it infiltrated and lived on the top 40 chart for quite some time. Huge airplay = POP.
@@magicbrownie1357 if airplay = pop, then then all songs change genres as soon as the hit the charts. Charting based on record sales does not define genre, imo.
I'm a long time Donnie Iris fan. Love this song, Love is Like a Rock, and the criminally underrated Sweet Merrilee. King Cool is another great song from the album of the same name.
I love this channel and the videos. Jamel's positive, upbeat energy is a welcome relief from the day-to-day. Keep up the good work and may your positive energy come back to you 10x over!
Yes! I’m from his hometown Ellwood City, PA and he’s a legend around here! He never got huge, but he actually has a ton of great songs. Last time I saw him a few years back he still had that voice!
Still own this album and cassette tape,,, one of the best nuggets in my “album time capsule” I’ve kept all these years,,,treasures!! Thanks for pulling this one out,,,,, it’s golden!! Recently watched a video of him performing this live in 2021,,,, ooooph he’s still got it!! Thoroughly enjoyed your reaction & critique ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
This guy is worshiped in Pittsburgh. It was such a privilege to see someone who appreciates music hear a classic like this for the first time. What a great way to spend 8 minutes. A great song about that. Special connection. You have with a person even though you both know. It's never going to work out, here's chemistry, there's energy, but there's always some disaster right around the corner And ultimately, you both know it's a toxic situation in spite of that attraction. You really captured it.
One of my favorite songs ever! (yeah I’m a kid of the 70s and 80s LOL) For what it’s worth, I think it’s a real relationship. Don’t know if you’ve ever done “Into the Night” by Benny Mardones?
@@roxannemoser lol yeah. I remember the first time I heard it, thinking "wow, this is a beautiful song." The, later when hearing it, I started paying attention to lyrics and was like "Uh, wait a second, what's going on here?" Then I saw the video...
I just watched your reaction,, and I have to say,,, Yes there are people, that have the chemistry!!! I know!!! I have it with my former Husband, we were married for 20yrs,, and we knew we were never gonna make it. But the chemistry,,, oh crap it was like nothing in the world. It's been 20 yrs. Since we split, and married others--- It still took 18 more years before we finally let go. My heart and soul still has the Love,, But ah Leah, takes me back to the chemistry... Love watching your show,, lmao, I look at you and I already know what you're going to say.. It's All Over your Face..
This has to be my favorite song of the 1980's! This song always reminds of Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield. Both have great guitar hooks and came out around the same time. 1981..Ah, Memories ❤️