Back to the 80s: The Karate Kid & 'Sweep the Leg' video By: Kickin’ It Old School

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As you all know by now, I love almost everything about the ‘80s, but especially the music and movies. One of my very favorite guilty pleasures is the movie The Karate Kid (the original from 1984).

I am not sure exactly why, but I have always loved this movie.

Maybe it is because it is about the underdog who overcomes tremendous obstacles to achieve his goals in the end. Maybe it is because it is a story about the power of friendship, trust and honor. Maybe it is the thrill of victory and that all of the hard work and training really does pay off. Maybe it is battle of good versus evil with the good guy losing some battles, but ultimately winning the war? Maybe it is because of Elisabeth Shue? Maybe it is a combination of all of those reasons, but I love this story about Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi and whenever it is on I cannot help but sit and watch it.

Here is a link to an article written by Bill Simmons for ESPN which discusses his love for The Karate Kid movies, which made me feel a little better about my sentimentality toward this movie. Also, here is a link to a YouTube video that I thought gave a great summary of the movie in less than five minutes, set to the song Blurry by Puddle of Mudd. The video only glosses over some of the enjoyable training scenes, but I feel it does a good job of hitting the highlights. Despite supplying you with this link, the clip is not the real purpose of this entry.

There is a video that I find amusing called Sweep the Leg by the band No More Kings. The video was released in 2007 and was written and directed by William Zabka who played Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid.

The premise of the video is to see what old Johnny is up to nowadays. He is haunted by the band (No More Kings) and ends up chasing front man Pete Mitchell and a battle ensues. He then wakes up to realize he was only dreaming, only to get hit by a car driven by none other than Ralph Macchio himself. Strange, but funny stuff especially for an ‘80s junkie like me.

The video not only features Zabka and Macchio, but also other members of the movie cast including all of the other Cobra Kai cronies. Macchio looks good considering he is now 46 years old, but the same can't be said for some of those Cobra Kais. The beginning of the video stars Dennis Haskins (better known as "Mr. Belding" from the Saved By The Bell (television series). Sweep the Leg also references some other ‘80s movies like Back To School (which also starred Zabka as a bad guy bully) and Raising Arizona as well as the music video for The Cars song, You Might Think.

Enough talking about it, you should just watch it for yourself. It is about 7 minutes long, but it is entertaining.

Sweep the Leg video by No More Kings

So, what did you think…? If you are not a big fan of The Karate Kid, you might not find it as amusing as I do. It is good to see that Zabka does not take himself as seriously as many of his 80s characters did. Hope you enjoyed this little piece of pop culture gold.

Peace and much love.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read some more 80s-related articles, If you click here. As well, check out the Archives in the upper left hand column to see all past issues of Kickin' it Old School organized by month. If you enjoy anything here, please consider subscribing or at least bookmarking it.

Check this out: I have mentioned a couple times how much I dislike Amy Winehouse as a person and that I also do not really appreciate her music much either. Here is a link to a story about how she recently punched an audience member at one of her performances. What a loser. I also came across this picture of her, which features her out-of-control beehive hair do. I can't believe someone would leave the house with her hair looking so ridiculous...

Quote of the day: The fruits of life fall into the hands of those who climb the tree and pick them. -Earl Tupper (American entrepreneur and Tupperware inventor)

Download this: What's Been Going On? by Amos Lee - I have recommended a couple Amos Lee songs in the past and he just released a new album titled Last Days At the Lodge with this song being one of my favorites.

tblogger - Old School's Grammy recap

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As promised, here is Old School's Grammy recap. There were a couple highlights, but not a whole lot to write home about. I assume that if you are reading this, you read my Grammy preview from Saturday. If not, I suggest you click on February Archive and read that one first. If so, we are ready to move on.

First, I have to say that Alicia Keys really was the highlight of the show.

She kicked the show off performing a slick duet with Frank Sinatra. Check it out here.

Keys is a tremendous artist and really got the show off on the right foot. She was then presented with the award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance by none other than Prince himself (who won for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the non-televised portion of the ceremonies). She won this award for her song No One and I cannot understand how this was not also nominated for Record of the Year?

Much later in the show, Keys returned to perform the song No One in one of the best performances of the night as she was joined by another one of my favorites, John Mayer, on guitar.

I feel that all of these Alicia Keys moments were really some of the best this show, which dragged on for over 3+ hours, had to offer.

If Alicia Keys was the highlight, I have to say Amy Winehouse has to be the lowlight. She was not able to obtain a visa to attend the show, so she performed via satellite from London.

This performance was what you would expect from her and if you are a fan then you probably enjoyed it. I am just not a fan of Winehouse in any way, shape or form. I applaud her uniqueness, but just don't think her music is all that special. That's what it all comes down to, right? The lowlight was not necessarily this horrible performance, but the fact that Amy Winehouse took home Grammy's for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Performance. This was very disappointing to me. She also won Best New Artist which I can understand because the competition in this category was negligible. I just wish with such little quality music being produced that they would not waste recognition on the garbage that Amy Winehouse is putting out there.

Her acceptance speech for Record of the Year, also via satellite, was even a lower lowlight with her fake look of surprise and then incoherent mumbling. I think you can all tell where I stand on this issue, so we will move on to some better things.

As a pleasant surprise to the ‘80s fiend that I am, Morris Day and The Time performed their hit Jungle Love.

This was pretty cool until Rihanna joined them to perform her mega hit Umbrella.

She looked fantastic, but the song still does not do it for me. It was great to see The Time perform together again. One of the funny, but true, lines that I heard was What is the best thing about the 2008 Grammy Awards being over? You might never have to hear the song, Umbrella again. We can only hope.

Carrie Underwood performed her country smash Before He Cheats. Again, I am not a fan of country music, but Ms. Underwood looked beautiful as always. She was nominated for Song of the Year (which she lost to Winehouse), but won the Best Country Song award.

There was a performance by Kanye West. I am not a fan of Kanye, but he did have some cool glow in the dark sunglasses as you can see in the picture. Other than that, he also performed a second song dedicated to his mother who recently passed away.

Tom Hanks introduced a Beatles tribute which featured a performance from the show Love (which later won the award for Best Soundtrack) and the movie Across the Universe. The first was a strange interpretive dance from the Cirque du Soleil show that really was rather horrible to watch even though I am a huge Beatles fan. The second was a fantastic performance of Let it Be featuring a young boy by the name of Timothy Mitchum.

In one of the other highlights of the evening, Fergie performed a song accompanied by John Legend

on the piano. I have a link to this stunning performance here: Fergie and Legend duet.

If her singing on Big Girls Don't Cry does not already prove it, this performance really shows off what an amazing voice Fergie possesses. I also need to say that Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry definitely deserved to win Best Female Pop Performance which was unfortunately won by Winehouse's Rehab

Also noteworthy was a tremendous performance of Proud Mary by Tina Turner joined by the amazing Beyoncé.

Turner is well renown for her high energy performances and the gorgeous Beyoncé complemented her extremely well. It was great to see how the show wove the stars of today with legends of the industry throughout the evening. However, this could have been effectively edited and trimmed down to at least thee hours.

If my biggest disappointment of the night was all of the awards given to Amy Winehouse, the biggest surprise had to be that Herbie Hancock actually stole the Album of the Year award. I don't think anyone was expecting this and, even if it may or may not been warranted, yet it was nice to see them honor diversity.

I was happy to see that Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around...Comes Aroundat least won for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. I was also pleased to see Maroon 5 win for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, though neither award was presented live during the televised portion of the show.

That puts a wrap on my Grammy recap. There were a couple fantastic performances, but even those were not all that truly memorable in the big scheme of things. At least - to my ears - I think we are in the midst of a music slump or recession, if you will. There are still some tremendous artists and songs, but unfortunately they are not always the ones getting all of the awards and airplay.

Thanks for reading Kickin' it Old School.

Please be sure to click on my tblog Archives to read any previous issues you may have missed.

If you like what you read, please subscribe and/or tell a friend or two. Peace and much love.

Quote of the day: Great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty. Magical music never leaves the memory.-Sir Thomas Beecham

Download this:

No One by Alicia Keys - As mentioned above, this song from her recent album As I Am won for Best Female R&B Performance, but probably deserved to at least be nominated for more.

The Cliks: Online Interview with Singer/Songwriter, Lucas Silveira By: Christine Albrecht

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The Cliks were kind enough to respond to an online interview with Swanktrendz. I have to say, this interview is definitely up there amongst my ‘favourites’, despite not getting a chance to meet them and my naivety showing in some of my questions. I think Lucas’ personality shines through in his answers. As well, we’d like to remind our readers that The Cliks’ debut CD, Snakehouse is on sale now!

Swanktrendz: Your debut cd, Snakehouse has been a huge hit with the media. You also have various celebrities praising your sound, including a quote of appreciation from Cyndi Lauper. ("...new and exciting acts. A band like The Cliks are all that and more. They are a force to be reckoned with and I am really excited to be sharing the stage with them." ) What was your reaction to Cyndi's endorsement (and were you familiar with Lauper's prior popularity)?

The Cliks: We’re just beyond flattered. I mean, it’s Cyndi Lauper. I used to listen to her music when I was a kid and dance around my basement singing, ‘Girls just wanna have fun’; so yeah, I’d say I’m pretty familiar with her prior popularity. She was a very impactful artist of my youth.

Swanktrendz: I want to thank you giving Canada yet another thing to be proud of - The Cliks' musical talent.' Complicated' and 'Back in Style' are my (Christine's) personal favourites that I repeatedly play while driving. While listening to the entire cd, I've notice a continuous theme of alienation, betrayal and pain throughout the songs. What was the impetus behind the lyrics to Snakehouse? Were these songs written over a short period of time or is this years in the making?

The Cliks: You hit it on the nose. Yes, this album is very much about all of those things. I started writing the material for this album after the end of a 6 1/2 year relationship. And the end was ugly. Along through a whirlwind of bad luck, having both original band members quit, my father had a stroke, my best friend rediagnosed with cancer... it was just insane. And through all of this, I finally realize that I’ve been in years of denial and that I was transgendered. It was a tough time but I did the only thing I knew I could do to get me out of it. I wrote songs. The material took me about 10 - 12 months to write, so no, not years in the making.

Swanktrendz: What made you choose to cover Justin Timberlake's 'Cry me a River' song? Have you received any feedback from Justin in response to your cover?

The Cliks: I connected to the lyrics because I had my own ‘Britney’. I just loved the song as well and really, more than anything, used it as a therapeutic way of lashing out my anger. It’s cheaper than therapy (ha ha).

Swanktrendz: What was your and Clint McLean's (photographer) thinking, conceptual approach, behind the album's photo shoot? What is the 'story' behind the photos?

The Cliks: The album cover concept was Morgan’s. We all really loved it because it left a sense of mystery. With Clint, the rest of the photos are just him and his madness and his love for funny expressions. He likes the look of ‘surprise’. I think he did a great job and I’m not just saying that because we’ve become good friends.

Swanktrendz: How did you come across (or did he come across you) Moe Berg?

The Cliks: He came to one of our shows, bought the first CD and contacted me right away. He expressed interest right from the get go, but we had just recorded an indie release and I had no funding to go forward at that point. We kept in touch and when I was ready, I contacted him and next thing you know, we had a great record on our hands.

Swanktrendz: What exposure did you previously have to The Pursuit of Happiness band?

The Cliks: When I was a kid, they were a pretty big band in Canada so I knew all bout the music and him.

Swanktrendz: How much trust does a singer/songwriter have to offer up to a producer while making a cd.? Was it an equal collaboration, or did you completely trust his prior experience, and therefore his decisions, for the direction of the band's/cd's sound?

The Cliks: It was extremely difficult for me to give up the so-called ‘control’ of my songs, but after one session with Moe, I was so impressed that it actually became extremely liberating to have someone do the work and have an outside perspective. I wrote all of the songs so I guess you could say it was partially collaborative in production, but really, Moe is the one who made the songs come together the best they could. He has an amazing knack for taking something good and making it better. I loved working with him and I look forward to working with him again.

Swanktrendz: I've noticed you have four members listed on the Snakehouse CD that make up The Cliks. The CD’s pictures and notes show Jordan B. Wright as The Cliks' bassist, yet the band's myspace.com site makes no mention of her as a member. Could you please provide us with The Cliks 'official' lineup?.

The Cliks: This is the confusing part. The original line up for the band in 2004 was Ezri Kaysen and Heidi Chan. They both left for different reasons - actually, when I was in the middle of my entire life crumbling. I then met Jordan, the bassist on the album, and Morgan Doctor who is in The Cliks now. When we started to plan to tour, we added Nina Martinez to fill out our live sound, and then loved her so much that she is now an official member of the band. Soon after the album release, Jordan decided to leave the band to pursue her own projects. That is when Jen Benton came on board as our newly beloved bassist.

Swanktrendz: How does it feel to be playing to your old stomping grounds (Toronto) in light of your new popularity? Has Toronto's media been responsive to your CD's positive reviews? Was the media supportive of your music prior to the release of Snakehouse?

The Cliks: We haven’t really been playing Toronto lately as we are touring outside of home, but I’m really looking forward to it. We have a show at Lee’s Palace in May. The media, overall, has been very positive and has been really supportive, outside of a bizarre review we received in Xtra! magazine which insinuated we were sell outs because we worked with Moe Berg and Jake Gold, but then went on to say that the album was still good. Huh? It’s kind of funny that the dude’s perception was so completely off as Jake Gold only started to manage us after the album was completed and had nothing to do with the process. But I guess that’s what happens when you don’t do your research and it was a great lesson to learn that everyone’s perception is different based on personal bias.

Swanktrendz: Will you continue signing your name as Lucas or will you eventually return to Lilia? Or is Lucas the 'real' you, as opposed to your given birth name? (I love both names - perhaps a marriage of the two ie: Lucas Lilia? )

The Cliks: I’m transgendered and this isn’t a name game I’m playing. I changed my name as I identify as a transgendered male and I loved the name Lucas as it was my uncle’s name who has passed on. There will be no marriages of names. The real me... is who I am.(Editor’s note - it was a stupid question I asked in that I phrased it totally wrong - email questions are hard to phrase as the intent can become muddied. I did not mean to imply that being transgendered is a passing phase - I meant that Lucas’ original name sounded good with Lucas and did he intend to ever use it again. I assumed an ‘attachment’ to the first name which was unrealistic on my part. Again, my question is stemmed in ignorance, As for the: ‘the real you?’ statement ... duh, is there any other way to be.? (Rap on the knuckles for yours truly.) Hopefully, Lucas won’t hold the inane questions against me. I almost didn’t include the questions in my final copy because of my embarrassment, but that would have been misleading. So now the world can view my ignorance.)

Swanktrendz: Do you see your band progressing to an arena-style rock feature, or would you prefer a smaller, solid and loyal group of fans?

The Cliks: Never really though about it, but really, if want to marry anything - it would be a solid,loyal group of fans that fill arenas.

Swanktrendz: Fame is notorious for bringing/attracting fairweather friends or hangers-on. Since your entrance into the fame arena, have you found your circle of friends changing/evolving, or have you found yourself questioning the motives behind some friendships?

The Cliks: Darlin’, I’m not that famous and really, I have good friends and am glad to say that I haven’t encountered any negativity, thus far.

Swanktrendz: There appears to be a lot of interest in the band's, especially Lucas' sexuality. Does the media's interest in the band's sexuality hamper the band's progress, or does it provide a platform (or segueway) for personal and political beliefs?

The Cliks: It hasn’t, so far, (hampered our progress) and as far as it being a platform, well the media will take any story to create a platform and we really have no control over that. I think the fact that I’m transgendered and out is something people are interested in because it’s unusual, but really, I think after all the talking is done and people hear the music, they will come to the conclusion that these songs have a universal theme about them and we have no boundaries or boxes in the studio.

Swanktrendz: Could you please provide a brief musical experience background for each of the band members.

The Cliks: Everyone is a trained musician with the exception of me, I’m self taught.

Swanktrendz I've noticed that Morgan Doctor is also with Aporta Records. Does this present any problems when touring or recording? How does Morgan attempt to appease all those involved in her recording career?

The Cliks: It’s Aporia Records, BTW, and no, no problems whatsoever. We have a really well oiled machine here and we all work together in everyone's’ best interests.

Swanktrendz: Swanktrendz has a tradition of asking interviewees to give publicity to some lesser known musical acts whom they appreciate. Could you please name some bands whom you feel deserve more public (and media) acknowledgement. Swanktrendz will provide links to their websites.

The Cliks: : Great bands... Well... I don’t think she is that well unknown, but I have been tripping out to (Amy Winehouse) and can’t stop listening to it.

We also played with this amazing band at SXSW called, ‘The Breastfeeders’ or (Les Breastfeeders) as they are known in Montreal. There are also some amazing bands in Toronto... (Scandalnavia), (Dance Yourself to Death) ... Uhm... (The Smears) from Vancouver. I think that’s it for now.

Swanktrendz: We at Swanktrendz wish you great success with the release of Snakehouse, as well as an endless supply of material for your next chart-topping album. And thank you, in advance, for taking the time to answer these questions.

The Cliks: Thank you as well!

image 1: ladyfestottawa.com

image 2: uniter.ca

image 3: tmarkiewicz.com

image 4: Xtra archives