The B-52's - Big Bird - Rock in Rio, janeiro de 1985

The B-52's - BIG BIRD Live Rock in Rio 1985
Their first single, "Rock Lobster", recorded for DB Records in 1978 (see 1978 in music), was an underground success that led to the B-52's performing at CBGB's and Max's Kansas City in New York City. "52 Girls" was the B-side. Two versions of the single were released in the UK that featured the B-side "Running Around".

Their debut album, The B-52's, contained re-recorded versions of "Rock Lobster" and "52 Girls", along with six more originals and a remake of Petula Clark's classic "Downtown." It was eventually certified platinum.

The album had greater success overseas, especially in Australia, where it hit #7 on the back of three hit singles: "Planet Claire" (#43), "Rock Lobster" (#3) and "Private Idaho" (#11). "Rock Lobster" gave the band its first entry on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The follow-up, Wild Planet, reached the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 in 1980 and was certified gold. "Private Idaho" became their second Hot 100 entry; around this time the B-52's performed a breakout set on Saturday Night Live and were featured at the Heatwave festival in August 1980.

Party Mix! was released next, a remix album that took tracks from the first two LPs and presented them in extended forms.


[edit] Mid-point
Although recording sessions with David Byrne (of Talking Heads) failed, the recordings were released as the Mesopotamia EP in 1982 (Party Mix! and Mesopotamia would later be combined and released together on a single CD).

The Whammy! album in 1983 brought the band into electronic and drum machine experimentation, much to the chagrin of some of their early fans. "Legal Tender" became their third chart single. After the initial pressings of Whammy! were released, copyright issues with Yoko Ono led to the song "Don't Worry" being pulled and replaced on future copies of the album with a new track called "Moon 83", a variation on "There's A Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" from their debut album.

1984 brought about an eponymous solo album from Fred Schneider (Fred Schneider & the Shake Society) with contributions from bandmates Kate Pierson and Ricky Wilson. Tina Weymouth from the Talking Heads, Keith Haring and RuPaul appeared on the video clip for "Monster", a song about the "monster" in Fred's pants.

That year, the B-52's reformed to record Bouncing Off the Satellites. On October 12, 1985 Ricky Wilson died at age 32 of what was originally reported as cancer but was later revealed to be AIDS-related. Devastated, the band went into immediate seclusion and the album sank without any tour or promotion behind it.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• The
• B-52's
• BIG
• BIRD
• Live
• Rock
• in
• Rio
• 1985
• cindy
• wilson
• kate
• pierson
• fred
• schneider
• keith
• B52
• ricky
• strickland

[Zekitcha2]

Listen how heavy are the bass sounds in this song! Great to be listened LIVE!

[yxb1353]

Are those U's or N's (or another letter altogether) at the end of the Portuguese rendering of "quack-quack"?

[Zekitcha2]

Typical Portuguese nasal sounds...

[riotribunal]

I can't believe I watched this show in 1985 and I don't remember this music. It's the first time I hear that and I'm flabbergasted. Very good !

[Zekitcha2]

Flabber o quê?  Tu é chique hein?

[gayzertube]

Bang those fucking bongos, girl!

[MommieDearest67]

I love Fred's "Flash Dance" tribute when his shoulder strap falls down over his arm!  Sexy! Hahahahaha!

[mcmlxvi]

This was the last live performance of Ricky.

[charlotte955]

can't have words! Brilliant! Great! Fantastic!

[1kundo]

seja lá quem vier nesse Rock inRio que nada vai se comparar ao rock in rio de 85 foi fantástico não perdi nem um dia hoje tenho 50 anos e posso dizer que sou um previlegiado. só quem foi sabe o que estou dizendo. parecia que todo mundo estava numa nave espacial viajando num universo de musicalidade. essa nave foi e não volta mais . pena

[hevertonfonseca2]

yeeeeeeeeah, i love this song, and rock in rioooooo

[kudiepie]

Cindy's hair is sooo big you can't even see her sweet face. Also, I wish they had a fake big bird come flyin' out on stage...would have taken it to a whole nother level. ~Good vid post.

[damianelrey]

la mejor cancion sin duda alguna

[MORGANIADELACUEVA]

q fuerteeee jjaajjjajaja

[harias37]

de esta forma recuerdo esos hermosos años 80s

[DianneCarter]

I was working at Rock in Rio Festival '85 with a photo pass from the Go-Go's and Nina Hagen. I photographed this concert with many images of The Go-Go's, Nina Hagen, and The B-52's. I was 17 years old in heaven! If anyone has any questions -- be my guest. It was a wild 10 days in Rio. I LOVED "Blitz" - Fernanda rocked. I want to find "Blitz" circa 85 on CD if they were ever released on CD. I brought home a piranna head keychain, a "Blitz" cassette along with the hundreds of photos I shot.

[MommieDearest67]

How bout an Angel Cake!