Ivan loves the 鈥80s... so much that he鈥檚 paid tribute to the MTV Generation in the latest single by Men Without Hats.
Titled, appropriately enough, 鈥淚 Love the 鈥80s,鈥 the song marks the start of a busy summer for Men Without Hats, who will play several B.C. dates before heading to Europe in August for a tour.
鈥淚 wanted to write something that fit in with The Safety Dance and Pop Goes the World 鈥 songs that have become anthems,鈥 said Ivan, the band鈥檚 frontman, referring to their two biggest hits.
鈥淚 wanted to write another anthemic kind of song. It came to me naturally, it was organic, and it just seemed to fit. It brings back a lot of memories for people. We鈥檙e getting a lot of response to it 鈥 some even emotional 鈥 which is very nice.鈥
Tell you what I鈥檓 gonna do
Party like it鈥檚 鈥82
Dancing safely across the floor
Like we did in 鈥84
Brand-new record by The Fixx
Sounds like 1986
Get your Walkman, grab a tape
Mark it 1988
The Canadian pop band is headlining the Penticton Peach Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 6, and Rock the Kootenays in Cranbrook on Saturday, Aug. 9.
(The Penticton show, held at Okanagan Lake Park, is free. In Cranbrook, the lineup also includes Five Man Electrical Band, Colin James and Honeymoon Suite.)
Ivan (his stage name) said Men Without Hats tour more than ever. Much of their audiences grew up in the 1980s, but fans are now bringing their children and even grandchildren to the shows.
The band has also enjoyed renewed exposure with younger audiences through appearances on Family Guy, The Simpsons, and, most famously, Glee.
So, what made 鈥80s music great?
鈥淚t was new 鈥 a breath of fresh air with its technology and synthesizers. Music became more accessible. You didn鈥檛 have to be Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman. It was a burst of colours, styles, and a turning of the page on the 鈥70s, which ended in dinosaur classic rock and a fading disco scene. Music was finally in the people鈥檚 hands.鈥
But the 1980s also had challenges.
鈥淭hese were heavy times too 鈥 the Reagan years, the Thatcher years. There was a lot of opposition to the status quo, and music reflected that. There was real social commentary. The 鈥80s were a mix of progressive rock and disco鈥攕ynth-driven music you could dance to, but with depth, much deeper than bubblegum music.鈥
Back in their heyday, most fans discovered Men Without Hats through record stores and Top 40 radio. Today, music consumption is much different.
鈥淚t鈥檚 gone full circle,鈥 Ivan said. 鈥淵ou can put out a single 鈥 you don鈥檛 need a full album. The Beatles used to do that: release singles and then package them into a Christmas album.
鈥淔or guys of my generation, I feel the mystery is gone. When I discovered Genesis, I had only seen a little black-and-white photo of Peter Gabriel. I didn鈥檛 hear his music for another six months. Today, artists talk to their fans on social media. You can now know what your favourite artist ate for breakfast that morning.鈥
When asked about the highlight of his career, Ivan pointed to his recent induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Other highlights are a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (the Culture Club won), and The Safety Dance being mashed up with The Brady Bunch theme by 鈥淲eird Al鈥 Yankovic.
鈥淭hey say if you鈥檝e been covered by Al Yankovic, it鈥檚 better than winning a Grammy,鈥 he joked.
For readers of this newspaper, Men Without Hats will also be remembered for an epic set at the 2018 Rock the Lake festival in Kelowna.
The new single and video for 鈥淚 Love the 80s鈥 by Men Without Hats is now available on all major streaming platforms and YouTube.