Fame Looks At Music '83
Encyclopedia
Fame Looks At Music '83 was a special concert episode for the third season of the hit TV series Fame
. The concert took place on December 27, 1983 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica
, California
before a live capacity audience. The broadcast was aired on January 28, 1984. This special features the cast of "Fame," billed as "The Kids from Fame," along with the season three regular dancers. The concert is the second of the season, their first concert in the U.S., and their third overall. The concert featured performances of popular music by the cast taking a look back at popular music in the year 1983 (See 1983 in music
). (Guest starring is Irene Cara
, who sang "Fame
" - the song an Academy Award winner - originally for the film of the same title in which she also starred as the original Coco).
and
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
. The concert took place on December 27, 1983 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
before a live capacity audience. The broadcast was aired on January 28, 1984. This special features the cast of "Fame," billed as "The Kids from Fame," along with the season three regular dancers. The concert is the second of the season, their first concert in the U.S., and their third overall. The concert featured performances of popular music by the cast taking a look back at popular music in the year 1983 (See 1983 in music
1983 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...
). (Guest starring is Irene Cara
Irene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
, who sang "Fame
Fame (Irene Cara song)
"Fame" is a pop song, written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford that was released in 1980, and achieved chart success as the theme song to the Fame film and TV series. The song was performed by Irene Cara, who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie...
" - the song an Academy Award winner - originally for the film of the same title in which she also starred as the original Coco).
Set list
- "19991999 (song)"1999" is a song by Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. The song is one of Prince's best-known, and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status....
" – Performed by the Band (Originally by PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
) - "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (song)Marilyn Manson released a cover version of "Sweet Dreams " as the first single from the EP, Smells Like Children. This version became an MTV staple and helped to establish the band in the mainstream. It also appears on the band's greatest hits album, Lest We Forget: The Best Of...
" – Performed by Debbie Allen (Originally by The EurythmicsEurythmicsEurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
) - "Electric AvenueElectric Avenue (song)"Electric Avenue" is a song by Eddy Grant, from his 1982 album Killer on the Rampage. It was released as a single in 1982, and went on to be very popular, reaching #2 on both United States and United Kingdom singles charts...
" – Performed by Gene Anthony Ray (Originally by Eddy GrantEddy GrantEdmond Montague "Eddy" Grant is a musician, born in Plaisance, Guyana.- Life and career :When he was still a young boy, his parents emigrated to London, UK, where he settled. He lived in Kentish Town and went to school at the Acland Burghley Secondary Modern at Tufnell Park...
) - "GloriaGloria (Laura Branigan song)"Gloria" is a pop song originally written and composed in Italian by Umberto Tozzi and Giancarlo Bigazzi, which -with English lyrics written by Trevor Veitch- became an international hit for Laura Branigan in 1982-83, selling more than two million singles in the US alone.-Origins:Umberto Tozzi...
" – Performed by Valarie Landsburg (Originally by Laura BraniganLaura BraniganLaura Ann Branigan was an American singer-songwriter and actress of Italian and Irish ancestry. She is best known in the United States for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the number-one single "Self Control"...
) - "Little Red CorvetteLittle Red Corvette"Little Red Corvette" is a song by the American musician Prince. Released as a single from the album 1999 in 1983, the song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
" – Performed by Cynthia Gibb and Carlo Imperato (Originally by PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
) - "Puttin' on the RitzPuttin' on the Ritz"Puttin' on the Ritz" is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz . The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the...
" – Performed by Billy Hufsey (Originally by Taco) - "All Night Long (All Night)All Night Long (All Night)"All Night Long " is a hit single for Lionel Richie from 1983. Taken from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, it combined Richie's soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard charts...
" – Performed by the Band (Originally by Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
) - "Total Eclipse of the HeartTotal Eclipse of the Heart"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
" – Performed by Valarie Landsburg (Originally by Bonnie TylerBonnie TylerBonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
) - "Love Is a BattlefieldLove Is a Battlefield"Love Is a Battlefield" is a song written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman, after Pat Benatar asked Chapman to write her a hit song. It was released as a single from Benatar's album Live from Earth. The single has been certified gold and is her highest charting single in the United States...
" – Performed by Valarie Landsburg (Originally by Pat BenatarPat BenatarPat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
) - "Tell Her About ItTell Her About It"Tell Her About It" is a hit 1983 song performed by Billy Joel, from the hit album An Innocent Man. An apparent homage to the Motown Sound, the song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for one week on September 24, 1983, replacing the Phil Ramone-produced song, "Maniac" by Michael Sembello. The...
" – Performed by Carlo Imperato (Originally by Billy JoelBilly JoelWilliam Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
) - "Why Me?" – Performed by Irene CaraIrene CaraIrene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
- "ManiacManiac (song)"Maniac" is a synthpop song performed by Michael Sembello. The song was used in the 1983 film Flashdance and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac.The film Maniac was about a serial killer who stalks his victims in New York City...
" – Performed by Billy Hufsey (by Michael SembelloMichael SembelloMichael Sembello is an American musician and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:Sembello was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied with jazz great Pat Martino and began his career as a professional musician by becoming a session musician, working increasingly with...
) - "Take Me to Heart" – Performed by Cynthia Gibb (Originally by QuarterflashQuarterflashQuarterflash was an American rock group formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The band was made up of Rindy Ross , her husband Marv Ross , Jack Charles , Rick DiGiallonardo , Rich Gooch , and Brian David Willis...
) - "Heart Attack" – Performed by Cynthia Gibb (Originally by Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
)- Tribute to Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
(with the "Fame" dancers):
- Tribute to Michael Jackson
- "Beat ItBeat It"Beat It" is a song written and performed by American recording artist Michael Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones . It is the third single from the singer's sixth solo album, Thriller . Eddie Van Halen was hired to add the song's distinctive overdriven guitar solo, but was prevented by his...
" – Performed by Debbie Allen - "Baby Be Mine" – Performed by Debbie Allen
- "Billie JeanBillie Jean"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
" – Performed by Debbie Allen- ---End---
- "Cold Blooded" – Performed by Gene Anthony Ray (Originally by Rick JamesRick JamesJames Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
) - "We've Got Tonight" – Performed by Cynthia Gibb and Billy Hufsey (Originally by Kenny RogersKenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
and Sheena EastonSheena EastonSheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
) - "You AreYou Are (Lionel Richie song)"You Are" is the title of a popular song from 1983 by the R&B singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. "You Are" was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie. It appears on his self-titled debut solo album, which came out in 1982....
" – Performed by Debbie Allen and Gene Anthony Ray (Originally by Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
) - "Never Gonna Let You GoNever Gonna Let You Go (Sérgio Mendes song)"Never Gonna Let You Go" is a popular song from 1983 credited to Brazilian musician and bandleader Sérgio Mendes and sung by Joe Pizzulo and Leza Miller...
" – Performed by Carlo Imperato, Valarie Landsburg and Cast (Originally by Sérgio MendesSergio MendesSérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
) - "Flashdance... What a FeelingFlashdance... What a Feeling"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is a song from the 1983 film Flashdance, written by Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, and Irene Cara, and performed by Cara. Despite the title, the word "Flashdance" is never used in the lyrics; however, the line "In a flash, take a hold of my heart" refers to the...
" – Performed by Irene CaraIrene CaraIrene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman... - "Up Where We BelongUp Where We Belong"Up Where We Belong" is a song from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. Written by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, with lyrics by Will Jennings, it was performed by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.-Charts and awards:...
" – Performed by the Band (Originally by Joe CockerJoe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
and Jennifer WarnesJennifer WarnesJennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
) - "Far from Over" – Performed by the Band (Originally by Frank StalloneFrank StalloneFrank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
) - "FameFame (Irene Cara song)"Fame" is a pop song, written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford that was released in 1980, and achieved chart success as the theme song to the Fame film and TV series. The song was performed by Irene Cara, who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie...
" (Reprise) – Performed by Irene CaraIrene CaraIrene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
and Cast
Credits
- Producer: Ken Ehrlich
- Directed by: Walter C. Miller
- Written by: Ken Ehrlich
- Concert Staged and Choreographed by: Debbie AllenDebbie AllenDeborrah Kaye “Debbie” Allen is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities...
- Associate Producer: Greg Sills
- Music Arranged, Conducted, and Produced by: Gary Scott
- Art Director: Ira Diamond
- Costumes Designed by: Warden Neil
- Lighting Designed by: Bob Dickinson
- Producer’s Coordinator: Frank Fischer
- Set Dressing by: Leonard Mazzola
- Music Production Assistant: Lori Leiberman
- Assistant Choreographer: Otis Sallid
- Fame Dancers: Derrick Brice, Michael DeLorenzoMichael DeLorenzoMichael DeLorenzo is an American actor, director and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of NYPD Detective Eddie Torres on the Fox Thursday night television series New York Undercover which was aired from 1994-1998....
, Darryl DeWald, Cameron English, Leanne Gerrish, Kimberlee Layton, Joni Palmer, Marguerite Pomerhn, Eartha D. Robinson, Serge Rodnunsky, Allysia Sneed, Bronwyn Thomas, Darryl Tribble, Rocker Verastique, and Margaret Williams.
and
- The Waters: Julia, Luther, Maxine, and Oren.
- Production Associate: Terry McCoy
- Production Assistant: Tracy Long
- Production Associate: Debbie Milder
- Stage Managers: John Marsh, Vince Roxon, and Richard Schor
- Technical Director: Gene Crowe
- Audio: Don Worsham
- Video: Keith Winikoff
- Camera: Sam Dowlen, Tom Heren, Dean Hall, Dave Livisohn, Bill Philhin, and Hector Ramirez.
- Make Up: Jack Wilson
- Wardrobe Assistant: Phyllis Corcoran-Woods
- Post Production Supervisor: Frank Merwald
- ???: Morpheus
- Creative Consultant: David DeSilva
- Video Tape Facilities: Greene Crowe
- Executive in Charge of Production: Ted Zachar