Throw on your Red Leather Jacket, and dance with some zombies as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Michael Jackson Song: Thriller Album: Thriller (1982) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #4 Bonus Fun Fact: Vincent Price was brought in for the "rap" portion of the song when it was decided that a horror icon needed to recite the lines. Luckily, Quincy Jones' wife, Peggy Lipton was a friend of Vincent Price.
A few weeks ago I met up with a friend as we went on the hunt for retro treasure at one of our local antique malls. I enjoy going to these kinds of stores, because you'll never know what you're going to find. Most of the time the cool stuff that I like is way over priced, but it's cool to know it's out there if I really want it. There were a ton of booths to go through. Some of them did have some great stuff, but nothing that I really collected. Below are some of the items we found this time around...AGAIN!
Marvel Comics Wolverine #75: $2
This issue was a big one back in 1993! Wolverine's Adamantium was ripped out of his body by Magneto and the X-Men were trying to save him. Things turned out well for the Canadian mutant and he had "Bone" claws for a while, but in true comic book fashion, he got his Adamantium back a few issues later and all was right in the world. This book written by G.I. Joe legend, Larry Hama and drawn by Adam Kubert sported an amazing cover that was made all the more better by the inclusion of a freakin' hologram! Take a closer look at this one and you'll notice the hologram is upside down! You better believe this came home with me! At $2 how could it not?
Matchbox Pee-Wee Herman Talking Doll: $25
This doll was released by Matchbox in 1987 and I have some pretty vivid memories of it. I had a friend named George who owned this doll and after the whole "Adult Theater" event happened in 1991, he came to despise the character. One day while at his house, he decided to give the doll a burial at sea and launched Pee-Wee directly into the retention pond behind his housing complex. I never owned this doll or any Pee-Wee merchandise, but I must say that I did enjoy the Pee-Wee's Playhouse show from time to time on Saturday mornings.
Spuds MacKenzie Plush Toy: $20
Everybody loved Spuds MacKenzie back in the 80's (1987-1989)! He was the lovable "Original Party Animal" who promoted beer. That's where things went wrong. When people started to realize that kids were loving this character as much as the alcohol drinking adults, Budweiser pulled the plug on Spuds after a ton of pushback by parent groups and senators. I can't go to any antique mall without spotting at least one Spuds item. From old beer signs, to plush stuffed animals to t-shirts, Spuds was everywhere. His life as a marketing icon was short, but damn was it successful!
Playmates TMNT Leatherhead Action Figure: $75
This figure was released in 1989 as part of the extremely successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line of toys by Playmates. My brother got this toy when it came out and it was one of our favorites. Who wouldn't love an evil mutant alligator? Leatherhead has been a part of the TMNT universe since his first comic book appearance in the Mirage published "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6". Although his appearance and origins have varied from series to series, Leatherhead has always been a staple in TMNT lore.
Kellog's Corn Flakes Batman Box: $20
Who doesn't love gimmicky cereal boxes? This one has it all. The lenticular photo of Batman transitioning to Bruce Wayne is worth the price alone. This box that was found still includes the original Corn Flakes! I honestly don't remember seeing this on the cereal isle shelves back in 1997, but I wish I had!
Pepsi Jacksons World Tour '84 Can: $10
I love this can! I should have picked it up. I was all of 4 years old back in 1984, but I already knew what a big deal Michael Jackson was. My sister's played Michael's "Thriller" album non-stop on their record players during that time and every track was a classic. This tour brought Michael back into the mix with his brothers after his massive solo success. Many believe Michael did this to help his brothers out financially. The tour itself was a smash success, but tensions between the brothers led the cancellation of the European and Australian parts of the tour in 1985. This was the only time all 6 Jackson brothers performed together and it was also the last. The hype for the tour was big and the names connected to it were as impressive, featuring Paula Abdul as choreographer and Don King as the promoter. This can symbolizes that brief moment in time where the entire Jackson family was back on top of the world. Like I said, it was brief, but it gave us this kick-ass Pepsi commercial that shows off the dancing skills of a young Alfonso Ribeiro! ENJOY!!!
Throw on your Red Leather Jacket, and dance with some zombies as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Thriller
Album: Thriller (1983)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #4
Bonus Fun Fact: This was the 7th single released off the Thriller album. This song won a 1984 Grammy Award for "Best Pop Vocal Performance-Male".
Throw on your White Beard and creep downstairs to take a peek as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Jackson 5
Song: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Album: Jackson 5 Christmas Album (1970)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Bonus Fun Fact: This Christmas album has sold almost 4 million copies and was the #1 Christmas album on the Billboard charts for 4 weeks in 1970.
Throw on your Leather Jacket and head to The Street as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Speed Demon Album: Bad (1989)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A Bonus Fun Fact: The video for this song was directed by legendary Claymation artist Will Vinton and features a cameo by The Noid. This song was never released as a commercial single which led to it receiving minor airplay.
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Kangol, cut your hair in the fresh Gumby style and grab some Hi-CEcto Cooler as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Jam Album: Dangerous(Released 1992) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 26
Bonus Fun Fact: The music video for this song prominently features Michael Jordan and also includes cameos by rap groups Kriss Kross and Naughty By Nature!
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Hockey Mask, cut your hair in the fresh Psycho style and slip on your knife fingered glove as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the Halloween Edition of the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Threatened
Album: Invincible(Released 2001) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Bonus Fun Fact: This song features Rod Serling's opening narration from the Twilight Zone episode "The Good Life"!
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Hockey Mask, cut your hair in the fresh Psycho style and slip on your knife fingered glove as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the Halloween Edition of the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Rockwell
Song: Somebody's Watching Me
Album: Somebody's Watching Me(Released 1984) Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 2
Bonus Fun Fact: Rockwell is the son of Motown Records legend Berry Gordy. Michael & Jermaine Jackson provide background vocals on this hit song!
It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Levis jeans, cut your hair in the fresh Baldie style and slip on your Tims as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...
Artist: Michael Jackson
Song: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Album: Off The Wall (Released 1979)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1
Bonus Fun Fact: This track won Michael Jackson his first solo Grammy Award!
A recent obsession of mine has been collecting old wax packs of trading cards from the 80s & 90s. Sure, I have a ton of these non-sport cards from when I was a kid, but the artwork and design of the packaging is something I missed. When you would buy one of these packs you would tear it open and throw away the wrapper. Never giving it a second thought. Seeing these again brings back memories of feeling the slick paper in your hands, seeing the simple artwork and the smell of bubble gum. Let's dive into a few of these packs that I have on display...AGAIN!
Michael Jackson (Topps, 1984)
"So tonight gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf, and just enjoy yourself" with these Michael Jackson trading cards! These Topps trading cards came out around the height of Michael Mania. There were dolls, fan clubs, t-shirts and Pepsi commercials. So why not a trading card set? This first series set contained 33 cards and 33 stickers that highlighted Jackson's career to this point in '84. What kid wouldn't want a sticker with Michael & a llama on it?
The Valiant Era (Upper Deck, 1993)
These came out during the much hyped comic book boom of the 90s. Independent comic companies were the flavor of the month and none other was hotter than Valiant. They had major success with titles like X-O Manowar, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Magnus: Robot Fighter and even a line of Nintendo comics. Why not create a card set based on these characters? It was like printing money back then. This 120 card set included randomly inserted Light F/X Technology chase cards. I never found one...yet!
Beanie Baby Trading Cards (West Highland Publishing, 1998)
Ah, Beanie Babies. I have a history with these cute stuffed critters. In the late 90s/early 2000s, I worked in a small toy store in NJ that specialized in rare and retired Beanie Babies. We would sell these things online for hundreds of dollars a piece! I spent so much time checking tags and putting clam shell protectors on these toys that I never wanted to see them again. Now my kids love them and they have a small collection of their own. But, nothing can match the craziness of the collector's market when Beanie Babies were at their peak. These "unofficial" trading cards come close to doing just that!
Mega Man: Collectible Card Game (Jasco Games, 2014)
I just recently picked up this pack of cards on clearance. Why wouldn't I pick up a pack of Mega Man cards at 60% off? I do not play collectible card games, but I have been known to enjoy a good Mega Man game from time to time. My favorite being Mega Man 2 for the NES.
Batman: The Movie Cards (Topps, 1989)
Oh man! I loved this movie! I still remember going to the Mall movie theater and seeing it in the summer of 1989. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing someone wearing a Batman shirt, backpack, pin or sticker on their body somewhere. Was I the only one who got asked way too many times if I "Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight"? Between myself and my brother, we were able to collect the entire 132 card set. I still have it today and it is one of my cherished childhood items.
Michael Jackson's "Thriller"! An amazing album featuring the hit songs "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" to name a few. Any of the songs on this album is a classic, but the one that everyone knows and remembers around this time of the year is "THRILLER"!
The song is amazing, but then you pair it with the legendary music video and you have something that has had staying power for generations. The mix of horror, dancing, great music, Vincent Price rapping and Michael Jackson at his peak are a recipe for something special, and we got that on December 2, 1983!
This song is a must play during the Halloween season, so sit back, put on your sequin glove and try to resist the evil of the Thriller!
