Since this was recorded before Pete Burns passed away consider this a footnote for the curious - Boy George paid all of the costs for Burns' funeral out of pocket. True class.
I’m going to guess, like many show business adversaries, they were probably good friends in real life. News is entertainment, so a good public feud helps draw attention to sell magazines, records, and concert tickets. It’s all part of the fantasy.
Some of us remembered. Not only did I know Pete died last year, I also thought "Brand New Lover" did better. Looked it up. #15 on Billboard hot 100.. Dead or Alive was at least a 2 hit wonder. ;-)
I think this comment has been misattributed. I'm working from memory here, but I think that yet another 80 pop one-hitter, a guy using the name Marilyn, was the target of the 'its who did it best' comment, not Pete Burns. I could be mistaken. All those guys from the '80s... we need a name for them which isn't offensive but is descriptive. I think 'gender-bender' will just upset people. But whatever words we use to describe these lovely, 'feminine', flamboyant, and usually gay pop stars, a word is needed. Otherwise, people just say 'Gay 80's pop star', and some of them were not gay. At the time. That Marilyn guy I mentioned... He was the boyfriend of 90's rock also ran Gavin Rossdale from Bush. I don't know why I find that worthy to bring to your attention, it just seems like something you may like to know. Marilyn had a singular hit too. Don't know if it chated outside of the UK, but there is an episode there if you want it :-)
@@leehawkins616I think genderqueer would be an acceptable term. Certainly much better than calling them all gay when as you said, some were not. It's extremely reductive and I found that a little offensive in this video. Could have done with some more research and I daresay more respect for people's sexuality. Just because someone is a bit out there with their personal expression doesn't mean they deserve mockery. And erasing people's bisexuality when we get so little representation is not kool.
That was cool that they managed that in the end. After all, Pete had accused George of copying his persona/style in the 80s, and George had said “its not who did it first, it’s who did it better”
I honestly love dead or alive, I love how their sound was ''turn everything to 10 and have the freak sing very loud over it'' and have a fair few of their albums, though I think their first is their best. Plus Pete Burns was just a character and always interesting to listen to. And yes they were big in japan. Some of my favorite tracks: I would do anything Sit on it My heart goes bang Something in my house Come home with me I cannot carry on
Though it fizzled in England, "Brand New Lover" hit #15 here (it was #1 on the dance charts) and was huge -- nearly as big as "You Spin Me Round" -- on MTV. The video got a ton of airplay. So I'd call them a two hit wonder. But I'm still glad to have gotten this video.
Pete Burns turned himself into something frightening. I remember Charlie Brooker talking about how he had a reality show years back where (much like the Apprentice) people were competing to be his personal assistant, and one of the things he made them do (to test their devotion and loyalty to him) was he threw a tube of his lipstick in a dumpster and the first one to find it won that round. These people literally threw themselves in the trash for him. ARGH!
Might I just add that Charlie Brooker is my favorite person working in British television? I love the way he satirizes the UK media and Black Mirror is nothing short of brilliant.
But man, when the picture of him on reality TV first came up, I was like DAMMIT I'M EATING HERE!!! RIP guy but man is that a gross look to take. I'm fine with drag and I respect the androgynous look a lot of 'em were taking, but why couldn't you go the David Bowie route instead? "Grotesque" was right in every sense of the word. Meh, so it goes.
DOA was extremely big in Japan in the late 80's / early 90's - probably bigger there than anywhere else. They had at least one album that was only released there (I had to get it via import).
Hot Take: "Brand New Lover" is a way better song than "You Spin Me Right Round" and you also could have at least mentioned that NUKLEOPATRA (the "1996 album" you mentioned) was released on legendary goth label Cleopatra Records in the US and featured a much more dramatic shift in tone than you implied.
Yeah he massively underplayed how versatile Dead or Alive were, Post-Punk, New-Wave, Goth, Techno, New Jack Swing, Chicago House and Nu-Disco, seems Pretty Evolved too me
RIP Pete Burns. He and Billy Paul were the first to go AFTER Todd covered them. A few subjects were long dead already but these two died after Todd gave them exposure.
"Doofy simps like Rick Astley" Wow, not only did Todd use the word "simp" before it was cool in basically the exact same way it's used now, but he also said something that I entirely agree with while also being very mad at.
I don’t need more songs by them. You Spin Me Round is perfect. It’s fun, it’s provocative, it’e a banger. It’s a perfect freeze-frame of a specific feeling. For me the song and video are just the funniest and I love them.
There is something in my house, my house. It's just the ghost of a long-lost dead affair oh, there is something in my house, my house. I just keep hearing you running up and down my stairs but you're not there.......
Pete Burns is my spirit animal and this song is fucking incredible. I have 16 covers of it on my phone and it was all I listened to back in 2009-2010 while I played RuneScape. It brings back so many amazing memories. It’ll always be a special song to me. RIP Pete.
its really sad that doa's music didn't really get more attention outside of this song. Most of they're music that was produced from boom boom and after was soooooo good. Dead or Alive is definitely one of my favorites.
Another difference between Pete Burns and Boy George is the fact that Boy George is gay, and Pete is Bisexual. Pete has been married twice; once to a woman and once to a man. I feel like bisexuals are often overlooked because we have a tendency to want to pigeon hole people into neat, specific, single categories.
I honestly thought “Brand New Lover” should have been the song they are remembered for. Nothing wrong with “You Spin Me…”, but I can listen to “Brand New Lover” every day. And the guitar work on the album version is 🔥🔥🔥
I feel like this is what it would be like if Loki had a music career. Like inside of trying to kill his brother he channeled all that energy into forming a band
I never realized how many Dead or Alive songs I hear regularly, and I'm not even counting their big hit. My job plays all their songs that Todd featured in the review..except for You Spin Me Round. Weird.
This is a really old comment but if you see this I have to know: where do you work (or were working) where they’re playing dead or alive deep cuts??? lol
My favorite thing about the video is the other three band members looking like they'd rather be anywhere else while Pete Burns is clearly having the time of his life.
I think you are wrong saying You Spin Me was the only good record the had. they sure did have other great songs that many people found even better. You Spin Me became a classic disco song also because of the right opportunity on a right time to become THAT big. songs like "Lover come back to me" ,"Brand New Lover" "Something In My House" and many more got great responses ....Pete was extremely talented and it troubled him, he had many issues. despite that, he was a brilliant singer with a great voice and the song "Sex Drive" in the 90's was and still is an awesome song, he wanted to create bouncy energy songs. what he did turned out great and amazing, but he wasn't about the music all the time, and people change and go through different things...as a person he's extremely interesting and as a singer very talented and it's a pity he didn't release much material in the 00'. but again, we can't be what people expected us to be, and Pete loved being different. so, you're wrong to say they didn't do well after Spin Me, they were fa mouse more in certain countries like Japan, Pete liked it better than that huge fame he had with Spin Me.
I remember watching that series of CBB (look, we had literally 5 TV channels, there wasn't much else on) and liking Pete a lot. Also he was probably my first exposure to someone who didn't conform to "traditional gender roles" (said with the biggest air-quotes ever) in his appearance. So, wild plastic surgery or not he certainly played a role in opening up my mind to the existence of the LGBTQIA+ community I'd find myself reaching out for just a couple of years later.
I am unironically kind of a fan of them and have been for some time. And I will say, I may have more of an ear for this music (I love me some punchy synth) and found an actually interesting progression in their sound. They *did* evolve, but more in the sense that the formula stayed the same but with different instruments, sometimes more refined and complex, sometimes more laid-back. Their absolute peak was in _Mad, Bad And Dangerous To Know_ (1986), which at least to me is a Hi-NRG masterpiece with every track being a sound landscape of both synths and drums, with a more mature and harmonic sound than the almost annoying, glittery synths in You Spin Me Round. Then after MBADTK, half the band split and only Pete Burns and Steve Coy remained in. The later albums from DOA are much less rich in sound and strangely are generally lower in energy, with some actually melancholic songs and even some ballads, but I can't say I enjoyed this era as much, as the songs were quite samey (even more so than before, as at least pre-split the drums were actually quite varied). Still, my recommendations from DOA are: - I'll Save You All My Kisses - Brand New Lover - Son Of A Gun - Hooked On Love - Special Star - Turn Around And Count 2 Ten - Your Sweetness Is Your Weakness - Hit N Run Lover - Rebel Rebel
I thought they only had 1 ballad which was Blue Christmas, also it would be interesting if they did ever change their formula in an alternate universe.
I always come back to this video for your masterful setup and description of Stock-Aitken-Waterman, and you calling Pete Burns “a gay Tom Jones.” Also I always liked Brand New Lover, your 1986 example of their most representative output
Probably because it's a relic of internet's past, and there isn't much to say about it other than "y'all ever hear of meatspin?" "What's meatspin?" "here, check this out". It existed, but it doesn't really have a lot of staying power because it's not like you can just display an image of it anywhere you want, but I guess that goes without saying. Not like Rickrolling at least. The lack of a modern day equivalent is also a good reason why it's so irrelevant to folks.
Y'know, this song is one of my faves to listen to... on the radio. The fuzz and compression surprisingly make it better. I love dead or alive, but I never listen to them on anything but cassette or on the stations. I respect the fuck out of Pete burns. He was intensely fascinated by being able to modify himself, never compromised what he liked, and was a fucking drama queen. I'm here for it, if only through avenues that destroy the sound quality. I feel like there's worth in that, even if it's only personality driven.
The song itself went to #11 on the charts, pretty good. However, despite this song being one of those songs, their song "Brand New Lover" went to #15 on the charts in 1986. Not to mention, that one get played fairly well on 80s channels & others as well. False one hit wonder quite possibly, maybe a band that gets known for one or the other depending on the area hahaha, but definitely not even close to one hit wonder status.
One hit-wonder doesn't mean it in a literal sense. Dead or Alive definitely were only famous and remembered for one song sure some of their other songs may have charted in the distant past but people only know them for one song. One-hit wonder is a phrase that definitely applies to Dead or Alive.
The version of You Spin Me Round I have, the one from the "Rip It Up" compilation, has a slow build up as an intro, well as slow as Dead or Alive could probably get. I think it works if that's something you thought was missing.
I just learned about this channel today and I've been watching your videos for about 2 hours straight now. They're all very well made and incredibly interesting, I didn't even know I was interested in music history before today lol. You rock that piano too, these are just wonderful videos. Thanks for making them!
I LOVE music history! and that's why I love Todd's channel, especially the One Hit Wonderland stuff. I suddenly got bitten by the bug for pop-music-learning in late high school and kinda never stopped. Don't regret it. :D
1985 Pete Burns is the male equivalent of 2015 Ruby Rose. They were the pinnacles of "question your sexuality" hawt. Well, them and like 90% of anime characters.
I struggle to think of a more embarrassing track to be listening to. There almost certainly are, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. Butchering is too kind a description.
And this is one of the few times I have to disagree with Todd. DoA deserved a lot better. You Spin Me Round. Brand New Lover. Lover Come Back to Me. My Heart Goes Bang. All of them bangin' dance floor stompers. Sufficiently dissimilar to be considered different songs, but similar enough to fall into the "if you liked that, you'll like this" category. But then, I suspect my tastes run more toward the "danceable" end of the popular music spectrum than Todd's do. The young whippersnapper... 😉
I remember in high school, the Sirius 80's channel used to play Brand New Lover *all the time.* It surprised me when I found out that song wasn't a hit here.
I want to take a trip to an alternate timeline where someone heard Pete Burns' voice in this hit single and made a point of putting him on vox for some better songs. The force of that "I need your looooooooooove" bit alone shows the dude had pipes and presence to spare.
Would be an interesting alternate universe for sure. I agree Pete def had pipes and while Dead Or Alive had some great songs Pete should have done more vocal focused music to show off his vocals more.
5:51 The members of Dead or Alive, minus Pete Burns, would write and produce "Bring it all Back" for S Club 7, who would also be featured on OHW a few years after this.
great video .in regard to the host comment . if pete was alive im sure he would agree with you on the lack of evolution . he constantly complained about how the record company wants the same thing over and over and over.the title evolution is actually the chemical that was used in his lips at one time , during his surgeries. most being actually reconstructive and not for vanity.
9:36-9:44 That song is Brand New Lover which was technically Dead or Alive's second (and final) top 40 hit in the US peaking at #15 (for the record, You Spin Me Right Round peaked at #11.)
Dead Or Alive however made excellent timing in Japan, as the Para Para culture would kick off in Japanese nightclubs in the mid 80s. It's a little weird they didn't evolve into Eurobeat like the Italian Hi NRG artists/groups did, but their choice.
Dead or Alive is technically a two-hit wonder (they had another hit, "Brand New Lover") but "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is the more popular hit. Also, I've heard of Julian Cope - he's the lead singer of The Teardrop Explodes.
I played a sped up, guitar-driven version of this song in an 80s cover band with a girl lead singer. It was unrelenting and powerful and that lead singer is now my wife.
sad they couldn't go further, since pete had the voice.. there used to be a filtered acapella of just his vocals for 'spin' on yt and he actually had an arresting sound.. it seems deceptively like just a stupid pop/dance song, but stripped down his vocals actually have a decidedly dark/gothic/sexxy vibe.. ironically, i'm guessing the bouncy arrangements, camp image, and fluttering around in their videos prompted ppl (and the label) to not take them seriously.. they may not have deserved better based on their subsequent output, but pete was definitely capable of better.. r.i.p.
"I'm not sure what there is to say about it" It's very simple. You stand in a canyon and scream "YAMAHA SYNTHESIZERS" until such time as you have reached yamaha synthesizer nirvana or pass out from exhaustion. That's the only appropriate thing to say about it.
