Blokhuis Extra: De Jaren 80
Season 1
In special episodes of the music program Blokhuis Extra, Leo Blokhuis dives deep into the pop music of the 1980s six weeks in a row. There are reports, vintage clips and short documentaries, as only he can tell them. Blokhuis also has access to the rich image archives of the Top 2000 a gogo and the Night of Pop Music.
Where to Watch Blokhuis Extra: De Jaren 80 • Season 1
6 Episodes
- Episode 1
E1Episode 1Classics from the early 80s. We're in singer Kim Wilde's garden where she tells the story behind her synthpop anthem Kids in America. We are at the home of master bassist Mark King to talk about his band Level 42's first hit: Love Games. In the process, King shows that he is not considered a virtuoso for nothing. Kevin Rowland of Dexy's Midnight Runners tells how he wrote his world hit Come on Eileen. Guitar hero Ad Vandenberg shows at the piano how he composed the Nederrock classic Burning Heart. - Episode 2
E2Episode 2The album of the 80s: Thriller by Michael Jackson. At the end of last year, Bruce Swedien, Quincy Jones' regular sound engineer and responsible for the sound of Thriller, passed away. Earlier, we visited his home where he revealed the necessary secrets and we gazed at his tape archive, among other things. We talked to keyboardist David Paich and guitarist Steve Lukather of Toto about their contributions to Thriller and about their own hit 'Rosanna'. We also talk about 'State of Independence' by Donna Summer and the origin of the Mama Appelsap phenomenon. - Episode 3
E3Episode 3The members of Tears for Fears talk about the big hit Shout, their fist-in-the-air protest song. Harrie Jekkers of Klein Orkest looks back on his most famous song Over de Muur. It is Gay Pride, so it is also about the music of the ultimate gay icon Madonna and you will see reports about Smalltown Boy by the synthpop trio Bronski Beat, whose members did not hide their gayness, and the Pride-favourite song It's raining men by The Weather Girls. - Episode 4E4
Episode 4Hip-hop and percussion. The beginnings of hip-hop are covered with the Sugar Hill Gang and their Rappers Delight (number 1 in our country in 1980) and Rap O Clap O by Joe Bataan. There is also a moving report on Baby Love, who rapped the 1983 world hit (Hey you) The Rock Steady Crew when she was fifteen. Leo also takes a look at the Roland TR-808, one of the first programmable drum computers of the early 80s that would become so important for the hip hop of the 80s. - Episode 5E5
Episode 5In the 1980s, it was quite common to increase the success of a feature film with a hit song. And sometimes the song became much more famous than the film. We spoke to Candy Dulfer about the instrumental hit 'Lily was here' that she recorded with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics for the film De Kassière. And what is the story behind the monster hit 'Ghostbusters' again (a new Ghostbusters film is expected in cinemas at the end of this year). You will also see reports on hits from the 80s blockbusters such as The Blues Brothers, Dirty Dancing (I've had the time of my life), Rocky III (Eye of the tiger) and Flashdance (Maniac). - Episode 6E6
Episode 6It is, among other things, about stadium rock. Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill of the Simple Minds tell how they made their hit Waterfront, which has sounded in many a stadium or arena. Phil Collins talks about how he got over his divorce in his world hit In the Air Tonight. Sheila E. talks about her collaboration with Prince. And Leo meets singer Fish of Marillion in his own garden to ask who Kayleigh was whom he sings about so beautifully in the 1985 hit of the same name.