Chapter 79: The Power of Love (February - July 1985)

18 February 1985

Phil Collins - No Jacket Required

Released: 18 February 1985

Recorded: May - December 1984

Producer: Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham

Track listing[1]

Side A

Sussudio

The Man with the Horn

Long Long Way to Go

I Like the Way

One More Night

Side B

Don't Lose My Number

Who Said I Would

It's Alright

Inside Out

Take Me Home

Bonus track on CD releases

We Said Hello Goodbye

Phil Collins' third post-Genesis album featured several guest vocalists including Helen Terry of Culture Club, Sting of the recently-disbanded Police and fellow ex-Genesis member Peter Gabriel, as well as current Genesis frontman Kim Beacon. "I did some backing vocals on 'Take Me Home' while we were recording for Prospect Road," Beacon explained years later. "I felt like I owed Phil a favor for helping to produce that album."

Much of No Jacket Required was improvised with a drum machine, particularly "Sussudio", and it still managed to reach #1 in several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States. Critical reception was mostly positive. The four singles off of the album - "One More Night" (30 November 1984 - #4 UK, #1 US), "Sussudio" (14 January 1985 - #12 UK, #1 US), "Don't Lose My Number" (15 April 1985 #7 UK, #4 US) and "Take Me Home" (15 July 1985 - #19 UK, #7 US) - were all Top 20 hits. To date, No Jacket Required remains Collins' highest-selling album, being certified diamond status in 2001 in the United States.

May 1, 1985

Christopher Lee, 1980s. Famous for his role as Count Dracula, he portrayed Steppenwolf in Justice League.

After a few years' worth of teasing, Justice League was finally released in theaters to mark the May Day celebrations. The tenth entry to the DC Appleverse was directed by Ivan Reitman and brought together Christopher Reeve, John Travolta, Elizabeth Peña, Thomas F. Wilson and Jeff Goldblum in their respective roles (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern) on the big screen as a group for the first time fighting against the big bad Steppenwolf, portrayed by legendary actor Christopher Lee. Also starring in the film were Supergirl (Helen Slater) and Robin (Tom Cruise), as well as the introduction of Aquaman (a.k.a. Arthur Curry) and Martian Manhunter (a.k.a. J'onn J'onzz), respectively portrayed by Rutgar Haur and Carel Struycken.

For the past few years, Diana Prince has been travelling the United States, trying to learn more about the superheroes that currently reside in man's world. At the same time, Clark Kent is left wondering about the cryptic warning concerning a greater evil coming to Earth, and Bruce Wayne is trying to learn more about the mysterious flying man in the blue suit. By sheer coincidence, Clark and Bruce meet up at a party being hosted at Wayne Manor, and both encounter Diana there as well, who gets the two men in a private room where she reveals herself to be Wonder Woman and explains about her quest to find other superheroes in the United States. Both Clark and Bruce agree to aid Diana in forming a superhero league.

Meanwhile, at Coast City, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan respectively encounter a half-human, half-Atlantean man by the name of Arthur Curry and a Martian known as J'onn J'onzz. Barry and Hal both talk about their findings and invite Arthur and J'onn to partner up and form a team themselves. Unknown to the heroes, however, Steppenwolf, a New God from Apokolips, is leading a horde of Parademons to Earth to find Superman and destroy him, under the command on his nephew Darkseid.

Christopher Reeve as Superman in Justice League, 1985.

Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman battle the Parademons when they invade Metropolis, but they are quickly outnumbered. Just as Steppenwolf is about to finish off Superman, he is stopped by the sudden arrival of the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter, along with the assistance of Supergirl and Robin. Instead of finishing off Steppenwolf, the villain returns to Apokolips to face his punishment at his failure to accomplish his goal. The Flash then explains that they heard about the impending invasion at Metropolis through Robin, which was how they were able to get there quickly. With Earth's heroes together for the first time, they form the Justice League and begin a new quest to not only protect the Earth, but find new superheroes to help them do so.

In the post-credits scene, Steppenwolf faces the wrath of Darkseid, portrayed by Liam Neeson, who announces that when the time comes, he will be coming to Earth.

The reception towards Justice League was universally positive, even competing with Back to the Future in the box office for most successful film of 1985. Aerosmith's version of the Beatles' "Come Together", featured in the film's end credits, was released as a single in conjunction in the film, giving Aerosmith a creative revival after spinning their wheels in the early 1980s.[3]

10 May 1985

Fleetwood Mac - The Challenge

Released: 10 May 1985

Recorded: 1984-1985

Producer: Fleetwood Mac, Richard Dashut and Jimmy Iovine

Track listing[4]

Side A

The Challenge

Can't Go Back

Message to My Girl

I Sing for Things

Slow Dancing

Got a Hold on Me

Side B

One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star

Hold Me

The Devil You Know

Time Bomb Town

The Smile I Live For

No Spoken Word

Lindsey Buckingham's re-entry into Fleetwood Mac had been met with great acclaim; having taken a few years away from the band following the aborted Tusk sessions, along with the death of Ozzy Osbourne that made him rethink life choices, Buckingham and the rest of the group looked towards a more optimistic future, as per the lyrics to 1977's "Don't Stop". But now that the band had become a sextet, and four of the members contributed vocals, it became a matter as to how much each member could contribute.

CHRISTINE McVIE: "Stevie, Lindsey, Neil and I each put out solo projects during 1983 and 1984 [Nicks' The Wild Heart, Buckingham's Go Insane, Finn's Conflicting Emotions[5], McVie's eponymous album], but each of us held back a few tracks for our follow up to Mirage. One of the tracks ["Hold Me"] was actually a leftover from those sessions, but when Lindsey came back, we used it for what became The Challenge." (2003)

Crowded House, 1986.

To keep things democratic within the group, it was decided that there would be an even split among the songwriting credits - Buckingham and Stevie Nicks each had three songs, Christine McVie had four ("Hold Me" was a duet with Buckingham) and Neil Finn just two. This averaged out to three songs per songwriter. Nicks found herself working on both The Challenge and her own solo album, Rock a Little, so she didn't contribute much to the sessions on the former aside from backing vocals if needed. Meanwhile, having made few contributions to the album himself, Finn had some other irons in the fire when he formed the Mullanes, which later evolved into Crowded House. By the end of the sessions, he would leave Fleetwood Mac in favor of Crowded House, but they would not release their debut album until 1986.

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM: "It was a shame when Neil left, but we respected his decision. He did bring some fresh blood to the band in my... er, absence, and I would've liked to see that formation continue." (1990)

The Challenge was finally released in May 1985 and quickly went to #1 in the United States and peaked at #3 in the United Kingdom. It was Fleetwood Mac's only album as a sextet, and it received acclaim upon release. "Hold Me"/"One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star" (#4 US) was the biggest hit from the album, and "Slow Dancing"/"The Challenge" (#14 US), "Got a Hold on Me"/"The Devil You Know" (#7 US) and "Message to My Girl"/"Time Bomb Town" (#22 US) were also Top 40 hits. The B-side "Time Bomb Town" would make a brief appearance on the radio in Back to the Future when Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) was awoken from his sleep by Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) on the phone.

20 May 1985

The Yardbirds - Shaken 'n' Stirred

Released: 20 May 1985

Recorded: 1984

Producer: The Yardbirds, Benji Le Fevre and Tim Palmer

Track listing[6]

Side A

Hip to Hoo

The Only One

Too Loud

Trouble Your Money

I Get a Thrill

Side B

Little by Little

Doo Doo a Do Do

Crackback

Sixes and Sevens

JIMMY PAGE: "I told Robert and John [Paul Jones] that they were driving the Yardbirds into the ground by using more synthesizers and less guitar, and Shaken 'n' Stirred was proof of that. I liked maybe a few of songs on there, but the rest I could've done without. The critics weren't a fan of it, and neither were I and Bonzo." (2010)

The Yardbirds' sixteenth album was a flop by their standards - it didn't broach the Top 10 in either the United Kingdom or the United States (#11 UK, #15 US), and its sole single, "Little by Little"/"Pink and Black" (#83 UK, #36 US) didn't fare any better either. Reception towards Shaken 'n' Stirred was harsh, being cited as one of the Yardbirds' lower efforts, with critics wondering if the band had outstayed their welcome as a group. It would be a few years before the Yardbirds regained some lost ground.

July 1985

John Lennon and his aunt Mimi Smith, circa mid-1960s.

…we came in? The following is excerpted from John Lennon's autobiography, Nowhere Man, originally published under Apple Books, July 1990:

"Bob Geldof and the concert organizers for Live Aid wanted the Beatles to take part in the concert as they believed having a group of 'elder statesmen' of British music would give it greater legitimacy in the eyes of those politicians whose opinions we had to shape up. At first, we didn't want to do this, but we ended up agreeing to perform as it was our kids who persuaded us to take part.

Maddy, Freddie, Alice and I flew out to England like Paul, Ringo and their families did (George, Livvy and Dhani were already there), but while they went to Liverpool to reflect, I wanted to head towards Poole, Dorset first. Aunt Mimi had been living at that bungalow I'd bought for her for the last twenty years, and was still living there at the age of eighty-two. Up until that point, she'd never set eye on Maddy, Freddie and Alice, but she had met Julian and Cynthia before. Even though Mimi was less than half my age, she still wanted to ensure that I was keeping myself out of trouble.

'The guitar's all right, John, but you'll never make a living out of it' was what she'd often tell me in my teenage years, but who'd have thought that thirty years on, she'd still be around to see how much success I'd achieved? I still remind her about that, but Mimi would admit to me that she'd been wrong.

Mimi and I spoke for a long time, and eventually, I asked her, 'Will have the telly on this coming Saturday?'

'Whatever for?' she asked me. I told her about Live Aid and that the Beatles were taking part; this was basically twenty-eight years in the making for us, beginning with meeting Paul after a Quarrymen show in 1957, and although the Beatles have since then had their ups and downs - our reputation was at a low point by then in America, despite having regained some lost ground in England with Thomas the Tank Engine - Live Aid would make or break our good name. I was nervous, and I thought Mimi was the only other person outside of Maddy and the other guys that I could openly express my worries to.

Neither of us said anything for what seemed like an eternity. It was Mimi who broke the silence.

'Well, John,' she said, 'I'll be first to admit that I'd been wrong in saying you'd never make a living out of playing the guitar, but by doing so, from what I've read and heard, you and the rest of the Beatles changed the world and influenced God knows many people. I don't think it should matter to you that much whether or not the performance is good or bad, so long as you're doing what you do the best. Playing music on the stage and entertaining the crowds.'

Again, there was silence. I didn't say anything, but I pulled aunt Mimi in for a hug. She was supporting me right to the end, and I couldn't have been more grateful to have her in my life. I don't recall how much longer we stayed at Mimi's, but I knew we had to head to Liverpool and meet up with the boys.

When we finally arrived there, Paul asked me how the detour went, and I said, 'Just had to see someone from childhood.' I didn't say anymore, but Paul knew exactly who I was referring to.

The thirteenth of July came sooner than we expected, but it was time for the Beatles to head on down to London and play at Wembley Stadium. I was the last one to get down there with Paul, George, Ringo and their families.

'Ah, good morning, John,' Paul said upon noticing my arrival. 'You ready for Wembley?' My response was a nod and a smile. No matter what, it was going to be a hell of performance."

Mimi Smith ended up seeing John Lennon play with the rest of the Beatles at Live Aid on television. She and John continued to remain in contact until her death on 6 December 1991, at the age of 88. Isn't this where…

Footnotes

1. Most tracks are sourced from OTL's No Jacket Required; "The Man with the Horn" and "I Like the Way" are sourced from Other Sides, and "It's Alright" is a live track from the deluxe edition of Hello, I Must Be Going!. In OTL, it was performed live during the No Jacket Required World Tour, which concluded with Live Aid.
2. The story takes loose inspiration from the ultimate edition of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder's Justice League, but with Superman's death being removed altogether.
3. In OTL, Aerosmith recorded "Come Together" for the Sgt. Pepper film in 1978, and was generally regarded as one of the highlights to the soundtrack. This is also an homage to Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL's version of "Come Together" being featured in OTL's Justice League from 2017.
4. All of Christine McVie's solo tracks are sourced from her eponymous 1984 album. "Slow Dancing" is sourced from Lindsey Buckingham's Go Insane, and "Time Bomb Town" is from the Back to the Future soundtrack. "I Sing for Things" and "No Spoken Word" are from Stevie Nicks' Rock a Little, with "One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star" found on the compilation album Enchanted. Both of Neil Finn's tracks come from Split Enz's Conflicting Emotions. "Can't Go Back" and "Hold Me" are both from Mirage, the only actual Fleetwood Mac songs on The Challenge.
5. Conflicting Emotions consists of Neil Finn-penned material form Split Enz's album of the same name (excluding "Message to My Girl" and "The Devil You Know") and See Ya 'Round.
6. Most tracks are sourced from Robert Plants' Shaken 'n' Stirred. "The Only One" (featuring Robert Plant) is from Jimmy Page's Outrider, "I Get a Thrill" (featuring Jimmy Page) from The Honeydrippers: Volume One and "Crackback" (again, featuring Jimmy Page) from John Paul Jones' Scream for Help.

Author's Comments

So here we are with the penultimate chapter of the first draft, and boy, was it a bit of a pain to write up! But I figure it was worth it as we're finally heading towards the endgame.

Not much to say in regards to No Jacket Required, although picking out material for The Challenge wasn't that hard; it was simply a matter of determining the order of the track listing, and how much I wanted to leave the solo projects intact so they could coexist with the new Fleetwood Mac album. Not much to comment on with Shaken 'n' Stirred either, but thankfully, this is the last time I'll have to make a new Yardbirds album as picking out the material was not easy.

As you can tell, we've come back to where we started with the prologue, first published way back in January 2019 (jeez, has it been that long?), and so here we are, two years and seven-and-a-half months later. It's been a long, bumpy road, and I've learned quite a lot when it came to this project. Still, just one more chapter to go.