Sometimes, major record labels make things better.

[vostoklake]

One of my guilty, cheesy pleasures is American 80's electropop/New Wave band Berlin. Here is their big hit theme tune:

And now, here's the original, indie-label version of the song. Same band, more or less, although you might be amazed to hear it.

DEAR GOD WHAT IS THAT?!? Did someone see a clip of Depeche Mode in 1981 and decide that Dave Gahan's dance moves weren't QUITE awkward enough and Andy Fletcher's keyboard miming wasn't QUITE dorky enough?!?

Comments

[trixtah]

It must be said that Terri Nunn was hot, and actually a better singer (I'm not going anywhere that "dancing" OMGWTFBBQ), but I prefer the original cut of that way more. Excellent find!

Pleasure Victim was an awesome album - Sex made my brain fall out of my head when I was an impressionable 15-year-old. And yes, some nice awkward miming in this version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luMoGdwixTM

The Metro is one of my fave ever songs of the 80s, which is why it was such a shame (for me) when Berlin massively jumped the shark with Take My Breath Away (and the album they released with it on). Giorgio Moroder was da man in the late 70s, but my god he was responsible for some tripe in the 80s.

[vostoklake]

Of course "Take My Breath Away" is pure sap, and isn't even a Berlin song - it's a Moroder song with Terri on lead vox which the rest of the band always hated and was foisted on them by the record company. But the rest of album, despite its by-the-numbers late 80's production, has some brilliant songs - especially "Like Flames", one of my favourite songs of all time (and one that fills the floor at lesbian dances round these parts).

Have you heard "Under the Gun" (Sisters of Mercy ft. Terry Nunn)? The goths just about crapped themselves when that came out.

[vostoklake]

Oh, and you might be interested in this concert from 1983. The version of "Dancing in Berlin" is pre-Moroder, so it's pretty much the same as the indie version above with Terri Nunn and John Crawford sharing vocals.