Wham and the 80's

[mum23]

I was just wondering if Wham were as big in America as they were in the UK. The reason I ask is because I want to use the line; T-shirts inviting folk to choose life. Obviously to me that instantly means Wham and the 80's but I don't know about everyone else.

 

[Mandy-Jane]

Well I'm from Australia, and I know instantly what that means.

But maybe you don't mean Australia when you say everyone else?

 

[mum23]

Well I'm from Australia, and I know instantly what that means.

But maybe you don't mean Australia when you say everyone else?

That's a massive help. By everyopne else I mean women around the world. (And men if your that way inclined )

 

[A.M. Wildman]

Thinking hard as some of the 80's are still blurry...

Although Wham was fairly big here the t-shirt "Choose Life" didn't make me think of them right away. Possibly because their release here was 1984 and for me thats' right smack in the middle of Motley Crue and the beginnings of the late 80's hard rock- heavy metal /glam metal phase.

Which means I was too busy Living After Midnight, and Smokin In the Boy's Room to notice.

 

[mum23]

Although Wham was fairly big here the t-shirt "Choose Life" didn't make me think of them right away. Possibly because their release here was 1984 and for me thats' right smack in the middle of Motley Crue and the beginnings of the late 80's hard rock- heavy metal /glam metal phase.

Which means I was too busy Living After Midnight, and Smokin In the Boy's Room to notice.

So did you get Big Country, Simple Minds? Not hard rock but great stuff.
And I wonder how many, across the pond, actually wore tartan and waved scarves? Bit before the 80's but nowadays there doesn't seem to be the fashion following like there was then. Boys wearing lip gloss, was that inspired by Adam Ant?

 

[A.M. Wildman]

So did you get Big Country, Simple Minds? Not hard rock but great stuff.
And I wonder how many, across the pond, actually wore tartan and waved scarves? Bit before the 80's but nowadays there doesn't seem to be the fashion following like there was then. Boys wearing lip gloss, was that inspired by Adam Ant?

Oh yeah... Big Country and Simple minds... The bands the preppie kids listened to. Couldn't miss them really as MTV was going full bore then.

No clue on the tartan and scarves.

I think it was more than one though on the lip gloss. Adam Ant did it. Kiss wore make up and the New York Dolls arecredited with the inspiration for Motley Crue and other metal bands going in for the hair/makeup schtick.

 

[mum23]

Oh yeah... Big Country and Simple minds... The bands the preppie kids listened to. Couldn't miss them really as MTV was going full bore then.

No clue on the tartan and scarves.

I think it was more than one though on the lip gloss. Adam Ant did it. Kiss wore make up and the New York Dolls is credited with the inspiration for Motley Crue and other metal bands going in for the hair/makeup schtick.

The Tartan was...... The bay city rollers. God I was about 10 lol. Eventhough Kiss wore the make up, couldn't really see that style of application catching on. new romantics like Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran with big shirts and wide belts, eventhough Spandau were more slik suits.

So what about Teletubbies? Heard of them?

 

[scarletpeaches]

I have Wham's Greatest Hits and it's my "Getting ready to go out at the weekend," CD.

 

[A.M. Wildman]

Sweet Dreams are made of this...

Yep, avoid teletubbies like the plague.

Oh yeah Bay City Rollers. They were big here in the 70's.. Let's see I was 8 when Star Wars was originally released. I remember doing some disco skating to them (roller skating at the rink) OMG am I dating myself here or what.

I'm probably not the best person to ask about the 80's. My friends and I were the stoners, the loners, the headbanging rock 'n rollers,who were back in black and gonna ride on. The east end boys sought out by the west end girls. Heh, In high school I was voted most likely to go to jail....

The girls went for Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Boy George. They just weren't tough enough for the crowd I hung out with. And no self respecting man would have been caught dead listening to them intentionally.

Consequently, we spent a lot of our weekends cruisin' and boozin' or bent over our rusty hot rods with a wrench in one hand, a beer in the other and a cig dangling from our lips... talking motors, women, and sports. Ahh yes, good times good times....

 

[mum23]

I have Wham's Greatest Hits and it's my "Getting ready to go out at the weekend," CD.

I remember getting ready to Gerry Rafferty Baker Street.

I was a bit of a biker babe. Did like Rainbow, they were my fav. A bit partial to guns and roses Sweet child o' mine even now. I put it on when I need to let out some agression. Drive car fast.

Did get pulled for speeding recently while listening to Thin Lizzy's Whiskey in the Jar. Can't drive slow when thumping out classics like that.

 

[mum23]

I have Wham's Greatest Hits and it's my "Getting ready to go out at the weekend," CD.

Last christmas (wham in there somewhere lol) I got Take That greatest hits for my daughter 10. She's just at the age now where posters are going on the wall. Zac Effron??? So reminded me of my David Cassidy days.

 

[Marlys]

For me, "Choose Life" brings to mind Trainspotting, not Wham.

 

[mum23]

For me, "Choose Life" brings to mind Trainspotting, not Wham.

Was there a choose life t-shirt in that then?

 

[Stacia Kane]

The Choose Life t-shirt immediately made me think of Wham, and I grew up in the midwest and was...11, I believe, when Wham made the scene on MTV.

Had it been a few years later I might have missed it--although they show that vid all the time on VH1 Classic in the States (at least they did before I left). But as it was I was still in my Top 40 stage for another year or two.

 

[JimmyB27]

Was there a choose life t-shirt in that then?

No, but there was this (very) famous monologue:

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f***ing big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of f***ing fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the f**k you are on Sunday night. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing f***ing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, f***ed up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?

That was what I first thought of too, but I'm a little young for Wham, I guess.

 

[MelodyO]

I still remember the Choose Life t-shirts in the stores, and on everyone's backs! Ah, those were the days. ::loves poor messed up George Michael still::

So yes, this Canadian would know exactly what you mean.

 

[Marlys]

No, but there was this (very) famous monologue:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Renton in Trainspotting
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f***ing big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of f***ing fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the f**k you are on Sunday night. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing f***ing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, f***ed up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?

That was what I first thought of too, but I'm a little young for Wham, I guess.

It also became a t-shirt after the movie came out--somewhere I have a t-shirt with TRAINSPOTTING on the front and CHOOSE LIFE followed by a couple of more lines from the monologue on the back.

Come to think of it, the monologue probably was a riff on the Wham CHOOSE LIFE t-shirt in the first place.

 

[Skyraven]

Hi all,

I remembered that the video "Wake me up before you Go-go" showed Wham wearing "Choose Life" t-shirts and in fact when I think further, everyone had the shirts on the video.

 

[Perks]

yeah, 'Choose Life' would not bring to mind Wham for me. Even though they were very popular when I was just becoming aware of pop music. (Grew up in Washington, DC, by the way.)

 

[Salem]

When I hear "Choose Life" I immediately think of Wham. I clearly remember those white T-shirts with the black letters. Ahh, the 80's...good times...

 

[Leva]

"Choose Life" in the US can also be taken to mean a reference to anti-abortion activists, i.e., "pro life" -- who have a subset of activists who are out and out terrorists who bomb women's clinics and harass anyone entering them, regardless of the reason for entering, and curiously also seem to be anti-birth-control. Just FYI.

I've seen bumper stickers on cars in my area that say "choose life" and have a picture of a baby on them.

 

[TrainofThought]

"Choose Life" in the US can also be taken to mean a reference to anti-abortion activists, i.e., "pro life"

I think of anti-abortion when I see Choose Life. I can't recall Wham being affiliated with that phrase.

 

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

In the USA, "choose life" would be an anti-abortion bumpersticker.

 

[benbradley]

I don't recall ever seeing the video (I did manage to avoid a lot of MTV, VH1, etc. except when I had a gym membership), but I knew the '80's had started and the music of the decade was no longer the old-time rock-and-roll I liked when I first heard Duran Duran.

 

[benbradley]

"Choose Life" in the US can also be taken to mean a reference to anti-abortion activists, i.e., "pro life" -- who have a subset of activists who are out and out terrorists who bomb women's clinics and harass anyone entering them, regardless of the reason for entering, and curiously also seem to be anti-birth-control. Just FYI.

I've seen bumper stickers on cars in my area that say "choose life" and have a picture of a baby on them.

I think of anti-abortion when I see Choose Life. I can't recall Wham being affiliated with that phrase.

In the USA, "choose life" would be an anti-abortion bumpersticker.

So the "Choose Life" t-shirts in the Wham video did NOT have anything to do with abortion? Being in the USA, I assumeed it did. A "Pro-Life" (anti-abortion) person was the first and only thing I thought of when I read the phrase in the OP.