"Only If" - Enya (1997)

Enya (born Eithne Patricia Ní Bhraonáin) AKA 'The Invisible Star' is Ireland's best-selling solo artist and is officially the country's second biggest musical export (second only to U2) Some may be more familiar with her 1988 song titled "Orinoco Flow" (Sail Away) , but it's this powerful arrangement of strings and percussion that really grabbed my attention.

In 1997, Enya released her greatest hits collection, "Paint The Sky With Stars: The Best of Enya", which featured two new songs: "Paint the Sky With Stars" and "Only If..."; "Only If..." later became a single and it's video is featured here today.

Also try Orinoco Flow - http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a88-Tyl1gkI

"Mandolay" - La Flavour (1979)

There's a Spanish disco in a town not far from France...Known throughout the continent where people love to dance... There's a dark-skinned lady there ...whose legs have brought her fame...She dances in the center ring,... and the people call her name...

MANDOLAY, disco music made from actual musical instruments...how refreshing; it gives it more credibility. Only small remark ...I hear a tambourine in the song yet fail to see one being played in the feature; I suspect lip-syncing.

How many times have we all heard this disco classic from this Massillon, Ohio band La Flavour ? Whether it be at a wedding or a nightclub, Mandolay is a standard still used today by many a DJ's repertoire.

It's too bad that those shinny headbands went out of style, what an underrated look. :-)

BTW - I'm curious, what did the MC say @ 1:54 ?

"Juke Box Baby" - Perry Como (1958)

A superb Juke Box Jiver! Perry Como could sing anything and make it sound first class! Perry was so versatile. He recognized this trend in the market and happily fulfilled requests by recording and performing Rock 'n' Roll styled numbers like this gem.

Performed on the CBS television program "The Perry Como Show" in 1958, "Juke Box Baby" had a reprise in the late John Candy's 1989 film "Uncle Buck" where Candy and his pals bowled while dancing to this selection.

RCA Victor at the time was trying to cater to a more youthful audience and this Como effort was a direct response to Eddie Fishers hit "Dungaree Doll". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6f6I4XaSCw

Also notice that Perry refers to two other hits of his in the lyrics (from the same era) - 'Ko-Ko-Mo (I Love You So)' and 'Tina Marie'!

"Read My Mind" - The Killers (2006)

"Read My Mind" is a song by Las Vegas-based rock band The Killers, charted No. 1 for three weeks on Billboards U.S Hot Dance Club Play list. It's my opinion that this song has 80's New Wave influences all over it. After repeated times listening to "Read My Mind"t, it grew on me.... GOOD SONG.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe (of Pet Shop Boys) saw The Killers in concert at Brixton Academy at the end of 2006, where the idea of a remix for "Read My Mind" was discussed between the two parties. The resulting remix, "Pet Shop Boys Stars Are Blazing Mix"

The song is featured on the original soundtrack of the NBC television series "Friday Night Lights" and TV show ER used the song in a recent episode as a dance song playing in the background at a party.

The video was shot in Tokyo and features a cute green looking I-don't-know something @0:41 seconds and a Japanese Elvis ....OH BOY!

Only negative ... I'm really not down with the lead singers bow tie, I don't think the world is quite ready for the reintroduction of the bow tie just yet.

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" - Elton John & Kiki Dee (1976)

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee; topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for four weeks in 1976. It was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte Blanche" (a pun on the expression "carte blanche"). DGBMH was also John's first No.1 single in the UK, topping the chart for six weeks in summer of 76. He would not enjoy a solo British chart-topper until 1990.

The song’s promotional film has been cited among the cheapest music videos ever produced. The video’s director was found in the midst of filming a Rod Stewart television special. He was pulled aside, located an unused soundstage, hastily dressed it to give the appearance of a recording studio, setup three cameras and had the two singers pretend to record their vocals. Shot in a single take while being told to ‘improvise’, Elton John and Kiki Dee often missed their cues and John’s attempt to lead Dee in a very haphazard dance sequence often caught his companion off guard.

In 1985, John and Dee performed the track to the crowd at Wembley Stadium during John's set at Live Aid, afterward Dee stayed on for the rest of John's segment singing backup.

"The Wild Boys" - Duran Duran (1984)

When this Duran Duran song was first released in 1984, it was the opening drum beat that infectiously caught my ear. Recognized as a "boy band", the five members of Duran Duran thought otherwise on the premise that they played and wrote their own music. Produced by Nile Rodgers, the song was the only studio track on the live album Arena.

Singer Simon Le Bon, strapped to the spinning windmill which dunked his head beneath the water with each revolution (@ 0:27 sec), supposedly found himself in real difficulty when the windmill stopped with his head underwater. He was given a tube to breathe through and the issue was promptly fixed, but the British tabloids had a field day exaggerating Le Bon's "near death experience".