A couple of nights ago, while sitting in rented accommodation in Slovenia, I was messing around on YouTube and watching old clips of the old British kids' show that included the Pink Windmill Kids, with Rod Hull and Emu. Toward the end of the show's run, it was starting to resemble an American show called Kids Incorporated. But whoever was choosing the songs for the Pink Windmill Kids' show, must have loved disco and dance music, even in the 80s.
Having grown up during that time, I am well familiar with the big hit, "Funkytown". I used to hear it all the time at the skating rink.
This was a big hit... Probably Lipps Inc.'s biggest...
So there I was, sitting there watching the Pink Windmill Kids doing covers of songs like "Funkytown", although I don't think they ever actually did "Funkytown". And they did a song called "Power", which was originally a Lipps Inc. song. But "Power" also rips off "Venus" by The Shocking Blue and Bananarama... and the horn section also sounds suspiciously similar to James Brown.
Pretty impressive...
"Power" definitely sounds like a song by the people who brought us "Funkytown", But what really struck me was the unusual chord harmonies on the chorus. And what struck me even harder is how well these girls from The Pink Windmill Kids do it... especially given that it's a "deep cut".
Impressive stuff. But by the end of the 80s, the Pink Windmill Kids were definitely channeling Kids Incorporated.
I'm surprised none of these kids turned out to be famous. Or, at least none that I know of today...
Moving on...
Yesterday, I learned that Ronnie Wilson, one of the founding members of The Gap Band, died at age 73. May he rest in peace.
This song never gets old... it always reminds me of my childhood.
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