Single File

This week Neil stirs up controversy and cocktails as we talk about "Unbelievable", the 1991 hit by sideways-hat-wearing rave-rockers, EMF. Hailing from rural England, these young men rose to fame in the UK imitating the sounds of the "Madchester" dance-rock club scene of the late 80s. Scoring a number one in the USA was seemingly a stroke of pure luck, but in reality, one monumental entertainer's love for this song is the sole reason for their success. Why did a band of quirky kids from the English countryside have such a liking for American baseball hats? What is that guy yelling in the background? What the hell is purple prose? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File.

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

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This week Nate Heath of the NotNerd Podcast kicks it in the studio to speculate on the street cred of Vanilla Ice and discuss his 1990 number one hit "Ice Ice Baby." This song found its way into the mainstream, blazed up the charts to become the first hip hop song to reach number one, only to become disavowed by fans and artists, and mercilessly mocked for eternity. As the subject of an unprecedented copyright lawsuit, and being under the scrutiny of those who weren't buying the rappers bad boy image, the story of Vanilla Ice's career is a long, confusing and possibly completely made-up tale. Did Suge Knight really threaten to throw Vanilla Ice off a rooftop? What happened to Vanilla Ice's rat-tail? What does Amish woodworking have to do with hip hop music? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File.

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

Check out the NotNerd Podcast and PDXFastFoodie!

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This week the Doctor is in the house to raise his cup to the 1995 house-party standard "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan. The mid 90s were aplenty with gangsta rap and soul/r&b hits, so when this crossover track came out of nowhere, its success didn't raise too many eyebrows. A deeper look shows that Jordan's street cred and rise to fame may not have been as genuine as his image implied. Why did Montell leave the music business at the height of his career? Which prolific Hollywood director was instrumental in this song becoming a number one hit? Are you an OG mack or a wannabe player? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File.

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

Follow us on Twitter: @singlefilepod

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/singlefilepod

Email: [email protected]

This week Nicky J USA stops by to challenge the status quo on the much maligned "We Built This City", the 1985 hit by Starship. Despite being a number one with lyrics penned by one of the most successful lyricists in pop music, and a band comprised of certified rock legends, "We Built This City" garners nothing but hatred. On the surface, it's a catchy danceable song, but it's contradictory message, the ultra-repetitive refrain, and over-the-hill stars couldn't be overlooked by critics. Which members of Starship were also original members of Jefferson Airplane? How does the Lincoln Memorial springing to life help the struggle of 80s new wave street kids? What the heck is a Sausage Roll? All these questions and more will be answered in this week's episode of Single File.

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

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Email: [email protected]

This week hockey legend and all around good guy Tucker Dougherty stops by to funk you up with the 2015 number one hit, "UpTown Funk!" by Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars. Like all recent chart smashing hits, this song is no stranger to controversy and copyright scrutiny that comes with major success in pop music. But who exactly is Mark Ronson? Isn't this a Bruno Mars song? Allow us to smack you upside the head with some knowledge that will reveal who he is, but leave you wondering what role he actually played in the success of this song. How did this song become one of the top viewed videos on YouTube? Is Michelle Pfeiffer really as cold as we are lead to believe? Was this song really stolen from a children's nature program on the BBC? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File. 

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

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This week we hack the NOPR to bring you a very special holiday episode featuring the only Christmas song to ever reach number one: The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" the 1958 hit by David Seville and the Chipmunks. Kevin Palmer confesses his unhealthy adoration of holiday music, we pull back the curtain to reveal the mastermind behind the Chipmunks franchise, and we break down the ground-breaking technology used to create this holiday classic. Have the Chipmunks sold more records than Guns N Roses? What action film featured this song in a scene where Jason Statham kills a whole bunch of people? What is Chipmunk Sludge? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File 

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

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This week Kevin Palmer slips past the goalie for his hat-trick appearance covering Guns N Roses' sole number one hit, the 1988 chart topper "Sweet Child O' Mine." Riding the wave of the excess of the 80s LA hair metal scene, the bluesy rockers with metal chops and punk sensibility released Appetite For Destruction in 1987 with very little reaction from fans and critics. After a year of touring and supporting the record, they grew to become one of the world's biggest and most controversial bands. After a string of several singles, they finally topped the chart with the ballad that was nearly left off the album. How did the band initially come up with the now-iconic lead guitar riff? What Australian band recorded an eerily similar song almost 7 years before GNR did? What do Axl Rose and a mountain bike tire both have in common? All these questions and more will be answered in this week's episode of Single File.

 

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

Follow us on Twitter: @singlefilepod

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/singlefilepod

Email: [email protected]

This week Johnny Grundo dons his tightest, most see-through black turtleneck sweater to talk about the 1986 number one hit by Robert Palmer, "Addicted to Love." As one of the hardest working, best dressed men in pop music, Robert Palmer worked tirelessly for decades before teaming up with Duran Duran's Taylor brothers in supergroup The Power Station. The success of this project made way for a follow-up solo career that would leave the image of sexy mannequin-esque models barely playing their instruments burned into the brain of every adolescent boy's brain for the rest of his life. What is the hidden true meaning behind the lyrics to this song? Where does Robert Palmer buy his terrific looking suits? Why is it so hard to teach sexy models how to pretend to play a guitar? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File.

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

Follow us on Twitter: @singlefilepod

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/singlefilepod

Email: [email protected]

This week Lindsey Deacon returns to the studio to talk about the quirky nature of leather pants, and the number one hit from 1999, "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin. Crafted by a team of legendary music producers for a former member of the long running Puerto Rican boy-band franchise Menudo, this song stormed American pop culture and opened the door for a wave of latin flavored pop music by international artists. Why is the woman in the video so crazy? What were the subtle clues that Ricky Martin was actually gay the whole time? Why are there so many heavy metal cover versions of this song? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File. 

 

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

Follow us on Twitter: @singlefilepod

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/singlefilepod

Email: [email protected]

This week Aaron Rubio makes his way from distant lands to join us in covering The Bangles 1986 number one hit "Walk Like An Egyptian." A producer-written song shopped around until it finally landed on the Bangles, this ode to waving your arms in the most uncoordinated way possible was the group's first number one hit, yet was the least representative of their overall sound. The song's novelty quality and use of a drum machine created lasting tension within the band and probably angered Debbie the drummer more than anybody. What singer turned down the opportunity to record this number one hit? Are the lyrics really a cryptic message from the Illuminati? Why is it so difficult to get complete strangers on the streets of New York City to wave their arms in perfect alternating unison? All these questions and more will be answered on this week's episode of Single File.

 

Visit Neil's blog at A Single Breakdown

Your participation matters. Please don't forget to rate this song at singlefilepod.com!!!

Cabana Boy Studios Voicemail Hotline: 971-999-0270

Follow us on Twitter: @singlefilepod

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/singlefilepod

Email: [email protected]