21 years old, Michael Sembello had America bopping with "Maniac" from the _Flashdance_ soundtrack

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (13 of them)
Just today, watching Stunt Rock, talking about Times Square, someone told me "Maniac" was written in a creative spree after Sembello saw MANIAC, the Joseph Spinelle tour de force with the rad Korg synth soundtrack. And now look! Bullets richocheting everywhere after seeing this thread...

Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 04:46 (nineteen years ago) link

Holy cow. He was only 21? He sounded - and still does sound - like a 40-year-old trying to write synthpop.

mike a, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Haha, I only just now noticed my mistake in the thread title! "21 years AGO..."

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Okay. It's official. I now feel old.

Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Let's drop this. Every time the name is spoke, Flashdance appears on TV.

Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Re 'Joe Spinell tour de force' - where can I get a copy of "Goin' to a Showdown"?

dave q, Wednesday, 12 May 2004 01:51 (nineteen years ago) link

Haha, I only just now noticed my mistake in the thread title! "21 years AGO..."

Thanks for clearing that up! I was 10 seconds away from posting something like "No fucking way! You mean he played on Songs In The Key Of Life when he was only 13?!"

(hmmm...a onetime 12-year old genius hiring a 13-year old genius...)

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 12 May 2004 08:34 (nineteen years ago) link

six years pass...

heard this for the first time in ages today. funny thing is this song was originally inspired by the horror movie Maniac and was written about a serial killer. story has it that Sembello wrote the song half-seriously, recorded it, forgot about it, and submitted a demo tape to record execs, which apparently still had that recording on it. instead of buying the song he intended for them to use, they wanted Maniac...so they rewrote the lyrics to be about someone with a passion for dancing.

THE SOMEWHAT COMPETENT RANDY (San Te), Monday, 11 October 2010 00:45 (thirteen years ago) link

eleven years pass...

📹

What the FUCK is this choreographY?

I lost it when I saw the middle aged mustachioed bald dancer.

Are U down with the BVM (Boring, Maryland), Sunday, 31 July 2022 03:50 (one year ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.