Claudi Fritsch-Mentrop aka Desireless

 A classic Euro Dance track from 1986 was the first of a string of singles by a French fashion designer turned chanteuse.

Voyage, Voyage is the most well known and the first.  I don't post much French stuff since this is mostly an italo Disco blog but if a song works in the mix why not?

NOT ONLY VOYAGE, VOYAGE

Caroline Catharina Müller is C.C. Catch

To me C.C. Catch is not an Italo Disco artist.  It's what the genre sounds like when it's interpreted by German and Dutch artists like Modern Talking, Jessica, Bad Boys Blue and many others.

She was also late to the game with her first release being in 1986.  By then several years of great Italo Disco records had already come out in Italy.  When I have a specific frame of reference from time I spent in Italy I'm a bit more lenient in my labelling but to my knowledge C.C. Catch is not a known artist in Italy.

C.C. Catch

She does have quite an extensive catalog so here you have an opportunity to sample a few of her more successful singles in my zip.

She looks great right now too.  Finally a great looking mid 50's woman who looks like she has injected any botox and had any face lifting and she looks radiant and healthy. 

What a looker

AND NOW FOR ONE OF MY CHOICES FOR BEST HI NRG RECORD EVER....DON'T STOP by MOTION

Don't Stop by Motion is the perfect hi NRG record.  Another gem from 1983 it could only be a little better if it were an italo disco record.  But it's not so it holds back a little.  It doesn't give us all the drama that a space disco italo disco would give us.  But it sure makes a good case for a Hi Nrg record.

ORIGINAL AND A RECENT EDIT of DON'T STOP

Johnny Dorazio and Tony Bentivegna of Motion were also behind Nightlife Unlimited.  In their first line-up in 1979 as a Canadian disco group.  They were also in a couple other groups.

HOLLAND'S MORNING MUSIC, SYNTH POP LEGENDS TIME BANDITS

Here's another one I'm bringing back.  I originally wrote it in 2010.  I've refreshed the zip.  Enjoy!

Dutch men with Big hair, melancholy lyrics, falsetto's, 80's style, on paper it seems like the makings for schlock.  But to me it's morning music sublime.  The Time Bandits had several releases which tugged at my heart strings and warmed the cockles of my very soul.  

From 1981's "Live it Up" to 1986's "I won't steal away" they rode the U.S. dance charts and European pop charts with varying degrees of success. With their two biggest being 1982's Live it Up making it up to #6 and 1985's I'm only Shooting Love making it all the way up to #2. And was a #1 pop hit in New Zealand.

Australia was one of their biggest markets.  Endless Road made it to #5 there in 1984 and became a morning music staple at The Saint and on Fire Island.  It remains my very favorite Time Bandits song.  I'm not embarrassed to say that the yearning in Alides Hidding's voice has brought me to tears. My friend Paul Goodyear did a tasty edit which you can find in the zip.

ZIPPITY DO DA

But when they hit it right they hit home-runs.  Perfect synth-pop that summed up an era and a feeling and will always hold a special place in my heart.

The Bandits remind me that it can feel so right to love a chirpy, poppy, light song.  To love it and to want to hear it again and again and again.

if you can read Dutch this talks about the chart action in their homeland

In the states we had the fortune of never being allowed to feel sick of them.  They never had a U.S. pop hit.  But punters in clubs like The Saint and Danceteria knew them well.

Alides Hidding the main songwriter in the band moved to L.A. in 1989 and had his songs covered by many artists including Jennifer Rush and The Nylons.

Endless Road 


Time can only whisper truth for both of us


All the answers I can find, I put my trust

In a never ending road that leads to my door



I don't want you to go, my love

That's all you have to know

And I want you to help my soul

Somebody show me the way



And I want you to know, my love

It's an endless road till love finally comes our way

My love, uuhhh

My love

It's an endless road till love finally comes our way

My love, uuhhh



Now, we fought against the wall where love was back before

We tried to make it flow but love wouldn't let us go

Crazy us, for all those wasted words



I don't want you to go my love

That's all you have to know

And I want you to heal my soul

Somebody show me the way



And I want you to know, my love

It's an endless road till love finally comes our way

My love, uuhhh

My love

It's an endless road till love finally comes our way

My love, uuhhh