Huey Lewis and The News were the embodiment of the "party rock" sound that was so hugely popular in the 80's. You were never bored at a Huey Lewis show, it was always a big old party with those guys!
I'm kind of reminded of the Greg Kihn Band, similar and popular '80s type rock'n'roll, their biggest hit was probably the quite amazing Jeopardy" (1983) with its creepy music video this sort of spooky thing was all the rage in early '80s promo clips. Still as catchy a number today as it was back then. th-cam.com/video/43_GqFW7iYc/w-d-xo.html
Ah Huey! When “Sports” came out, we all bought it. This period (1981-1986) was such a fantastic time for music! So many huge groups! The big 60’s and 70’s groups were still doing new stuff and all these new groups were trying new sounds with every album. The 80’s was the decade of the sax! You guys gotta listen to Springsteen’s song “Jungleland.” Clarence Clemons’ sax solo is akin to Eddie Van Halen’s guitar. Another great sax solo is in “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel.
So ironic that Huey was IN Back to the Future, the guy at the beginning who told Marty that he and his band were "just too darn loud". Love this song so much. If you want uptempo for your next Huey outing, check out "Hip to Be Square", or if you want more laid back "If This Is It". Sadly, Huey, now 71, lost his hearing in 2018, but his legacy lives on. Thanks for doing this song!
"I want a new Drug" blasted out of my bedroom in High School because I had his albums. My Dad complained loudly to my mom about "no son of mine is going to listen to a song about drugs!" But Amber, you are SO RIGHT... and my mom got the message of the song. She had to patiently explain to my Dad that the song wasn't about drugs, it was about the feeling that the love of a woman gives you. Well done! :) More songs you would love from Huey and the boys... Hip to be Square, Jacobs ladder, Walking on a Thin Line.
Fun fact: Huey Lewis was in the movie back to the Future. When Marty and his band are playing rock and roll in the beginning Huey is the judge who tells him they are just too loud.
My younger brother was really into Huey Lewis back in the 80's. Amber is right, their appeal was the old school rock and roll sound. Sadly, I believe he suffers from hearing loss now. Gotta check out "Heart and Soul"
From the same album is the song, Bad Is Bad... guaranteed to make you smile and give uou a chuckle. It's funny, bluesy and the words, Bad Is Bad will be swirling in your head for days. Please give it a listen.
@@bkm2797 Groups have an image that they wish to be known by, and often, great measures are taken to uphold that image. Remember, this is Hollywood/ Celebrity stuff. Just because they weren't "known" as a party band, doesn't mean they were all sober all the time.
Growing up with season tickets to the 49ers through the 80's, Huey Lewis and The News would perform on the back of a flat bed truck during commercial breaks at the games. They would drive out, sing a song, then back out from the sidelines. It was great!
Huey Lewis was a character in Back to the Future if you didn't learn it already. He was the guy with the megaphone that told Micheal J Fox that his band was to loud. 😀
"I've been smiling the whole time I'm listenin' to this" - a perfect endorsement to the man and the band. They are my boys - seen them several times in concert - met Huey when he was on Broadway in CHICAGO on my birthday and got his autograph. A true gent and vastly underrated. Great choice - seek more of them!!
So did you guys notice the similarities between this song and Ghostbusters? Ray Parker Jr was sued by Huey Lewis for copying this song for his biggest hit.❤
Yeah, and Ray swore that he'd never heard it before writing the Ghostbusters Theme! Thing is, I don't think Ray was lying, he genuinely believed it! It was a real WTF moment for him, LOL ... Maybe he sleeps with the radio on, hahaha. Mad : ))))
@@jayfredrick3185 No... he didn't. He got paid an absolute fortune! Ray and Columbia Pictures settled out of court - they paid Huey an undisclosed sum and both parties signed non-disclosure agreements. So, Huey had won. Much later, Huey made the mistake of discussing the matter in an interview for VH1, thus breaching the non-disclosure ... and got successfully sued by Ray. But that's a completely separate matter. There was NEVER any chance that Huey would lose the copyright claim. That's why Ray and Columbia settled it out of court.
@@garychap8384 he was lying the song was released only 1 year before ghostbusters. Ivan retman originally approached Lewis to write for the film and showed him a pre release montarge of film clips with this song and asked for something similar. Lewis already had commitments with back to future. So retman asked 50 plus musicians to each try coming up with a song. He showed them (including Parker) the Lewis montarge and advised what kind of song he wanted . Too many coincidences, connections and timing to be accidental.
Back in the early 80's my friends band was the opening act for another band in a small city outside of San Jose and he told me I should go check them out. I did and the other band was Huey Lewis and the News. There couldn't have been more than 50 or 60 people in there but they just blew everyone away how good they were. They became really famous about 6 months later.
Just flashed back to seeing HLN live many times. At the end of the concert he would say "I'm Huey Lewis and once again you have just heard the News". PS... the horns back in the 80s was the Tower of Power horn section.
Love huey lewis!!! Back a few years, they didn't have the digital stuff they have now. Hence! The bigger bands, with the horns, keyboard etc. Great era to grow up in. 😁😘
Huey Lewis songs you should hear…1. Hip to be square 2. The Heart of Rock N Roll 3. Heart and Soul 4. Stuck with you 5. Doing it all for my Baby 6. Couple Days off (This song rocks ).
"I Want a New Drug" was HL&TN's 5th chart hit peaking @ #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 and #1 on the Dance chart. Between 1982 thru 1994, HL&TN charted 22 titles in the Hot 100, 12 hit the Top 10 including 3 @ #1.
@@Shrykespeare Hey Patrick. Thanks for that info. I had no idea Joel died. Since I read your note, I've been reading some of his obits & tributes from music journalists. His various compilation books of Billboard chart hits were revered & respected by those who work in and write about the music industry. Mr. Whitburn, RIP indeed.
Man they hit that 80's pop rock nail on the head. And the songs are genuinely good, with just the right amount of cheese. Like a good pizza. Nothing fancy, but solid goodness.
@@Shrykespeare thanks for the info. I wasn't aware he died, either. I've followed the charts (albums, singles & rock tracks) since the early 80s, and I'm constantly using Whitburn's books as references! Joel has a remarkable story, and Billboard owes a great debt to him, for sharing his passion with them!
Their best song. This album was a HUGE best seller with several top 40 songs. Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr for lifting the main riff in this song for Parker's 'Ghostbusters' theme song.
I was going to write that the makers of the Ghostbusters movie asked him to do the song for the movie he said no. So they got Ray Parker Jr to do it, so he ripped off Huey Lewis.
That song just banged all the time when it came out on the dance floor and everybody like to join in the lyrics to that sound while they're singing to their girl acting like they're cool and sexy too... They wanted to be Huey. Then the horn comes out and we all pretend we were playing it on the dance floor. Well at least us guys who still wanted to act cool even though we weren't cool. Pretending to be a sax player was pretty awesome with this song. Thanks for doing it guys, we love you. 😎
Saw Huey Lewis & The News, Rick Springfield, and Night Ranger at our town’s local summer festival 4-5 years ago shortly before HL had to stop performing. Great show! Lots of memories from my high school days in the mid-80s!
Their 1986 music video for "Hip to Be Square" is a collection of extreme closeups of the band members and their instruments, which was a unique take for videos from that era. It's definitely worth a reaction.
All right my babies.... Huey Lewis and the News has always been that type of fun high energy band. And the Tower of Power horns just blows the roof off of any concert hall❗😎👍🏼
First time I heard Huey Newton and the News was in the early 1980s. After the mind-numbing sameness of the music during the disco era, Huey made me sit up and exclaim "The heart of rock and roll IS still beating! Thank GOD, real rock is back!!"
I was lucky enough to see Huey Lewis & The News and Heart together in Columbia S.C I think it was in 1978.Could be wrong by a year or so. Partied a lot back then. Best time ever. Thanks. Love you guys.
Yes Yes.... More Huey Lewis. Hip To Be Square If This is It Her love is Killing Me Stuck With You I found their music so refreshing when they popped unto the scene. Us old hippies were needing something new after the being treated to the greatest music in the 60's and 70's. Huey rocked it out for us. Just my opinion. Great reaction. Glad you love them. Buckets of Maple Syrup love from Canada ❤️❤️ 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
Saw him live in 1987. Great show, check out Jacob's Ladder and Walking on a thin line. What makes Huey Lewis so great is the fact that he is relatable to the average man, from his music to his style to his love of sports. Nothing over the top nothing too flashy, no special effects, just straight ahead Rock N Roll with lyrics you can understand and relate to.
I was a huge Huey Lewis fan back in the mid 80s when this came out. I remember being 15 years old and hanging out with my friends at the beach and you heard this everywhere. His style was a great mix of the older 50s rock N roll with the newer energy of early 80s rock.
When you reacted to the “We Are the World” video he was the one you didn’t initially recognize, but he was right before Cyndi Lauper, and also standing next to him.
Huey Lewis ruled the 80s. Sooo many great, fun, upbeat songs! This is one endless rabbit hole! Next? Workin' For a Livin or Heart and Soul or If This is It or Power of Love...etc.
Huey Lewis & The News were HUGE back when I was in high school. I remember buying "Sports" on cassette tape and wearing it out. The 80's were really Good times 🙂
Like many bands, Huey and the News didn't reach their peak until their 3rd album, "Sports," which is where this song comes from. Even if you have an early hit, a lot of times it takes a while to hit your stride.
When discussing the greatest rock albums of all time, the "Sports" album by Huey Lewis and the News should be at least an Honorable Mention. Almost everything on it was superb. I bought the album for "I Want A New Drug", then loved the whole thing. Damn I love this song! Next try "If This Is It" or "Bad Is Bad".
It was so great growing up in this era, I can remember being a teenager, riding home on the school bus, jamming to all of the great music from the 80's, Love, Love, Love!! Your also right that you don't hear this kind of music anymore.
Marty's joke in BTTF was that the 1950's audience wasn't ready for his 1980's Eddie Van Halen-like guitar soloing over Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." But, as some have already mentioned, that WAS Huey telling Marty his music was "too darn loud" (while The Pinheads were playing Huey's own song, "The Power of Love").
I love Huey Lewis and the news. All his music is awesome. Play some of his other songs like happy to be stuck with you. Heart of rock and roll that is awesome too. Thank you thank you thank you❤️
You could do "Back in Time", "Bad is Bad", "Doing it all for my Baby", "Hip to be Square", "If This is it", "Stuck with You", "Walking on a Thin Line" and "Working for a Living". You could also now do Weird Al's parody of this song, "I Want a New Duck".
When this song first came out. My mother would not let me listen to it or buy the album. She thought it was about drugs. I had to make her sit down and listen to the lyrics and explain to her that it was not about drugs it was about the feeling he felt when he was with his girl.
I had the same fight and was really dismissive of her concerns, saying she should try listening to it before bashing it. I was a real smart-ass... she was a saint to put up with teenage me.
I attended an Oracle conference in Las Vegas Oracle reserved the house of blues for all the attendees of the conference and Huey Lewis the artist playing that night, he performed all his greatest hits and was amazing live.
As the B-52s, Huey Lewis And The News is a group that wasn't intended to become a signed group with a label. They played bars for fun and one thing led to another... and BANG!!
We saw them on the 80s Cruise! You had to line up before the concert. I went really early, I think like 2 1/2 hours before the concert. We got second row! I put my hand out to Huey (I was hoping he would give me a high five). He grabbed my hand! I was in total shock! Lol It was the highlight of the cruise for me! It was the first one in 2016. I saw him in concert way back in the day. They were awesome, then and now.
You're right when you say, "Huey's a fun guy!" He peaked when music videos were also at the peak. The most "fun" music video in the world is "Doing it all for my baby." Just fun from beginning to end.
Huey's ability to ham it up in front of the camera and the advent of MTV in the early 80s was the perfect storm for this band. Music videos were their main way of grabbing fans because Huey was so likeable and "cool" for the times.
Nuthin but LOVE for Huey Lewis and The News!! I was able to see them LIVE once back in the late 80's!! They were GREAT!!! It's a shame that Huey has to deal with such a horrible health issue and his hearing! Seems like every band from the Bay area is incredible!! 🙂 @RobSquadReactions
Trivia the theme for Ghostbusters was to be written by Huey Lewis but he bailed and they stole the track and made the Ghostbusters theme using this song as the basis of the ray Parker song. Huey Lewis sued and won so he got a settlement from the Ghostbusters theme which sounds just like I want a new drug.
Wrong - Ivan retman originally approached Lewis to write for the film and showed him a pre release montarge of film clips with this song and asked for something similar. Lewis already had commitments with back to future. So retman asked 50 plus musicians to each try coming up with a song. He showed them (including Parker) the Lewis montarge and advised what kind of song he wanted . Too many coincidences, connections and timing (1year apart)to be accidental.
Love you guys. You are so positive and open. Huey is now a rancher in Montana last I heard. I used to see them in the clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. That was from Sports Album. There were 5 hits from that album. They were fun even then.
This may be their funnest song of all. Gotta love it! A brief anecdote - Huey and the band got in a little trouble with parents and other uptight types with the title of this song. I remember the backlash in the news that the band was "promoting drugs" to young people. Totally misinterpreted - what a laugh! I suggest trying "Jacob's Ladder," "Walking on a Thin Line," and "I Know What I Like" next - all fantastic songs.
One of the most overlooked yet massively influential to the culture & to rock n roll. He blended so much sound from rock n roll, jazz, blues, & pop that we hadnt heard before. Plus his voice is iconic & one of a kind. You know who it is without even seeing him.
Always love the horns in a band and the News are great. Saw them live in the mid 80s at the height of their popularity. Crazy good show...Huey plays the harmonica too.
When we were kids I remember seeing Back To The Future in theaters, it was a massive movie hit. I was 13…and Huey Lewis was pretty huge….even when I got into high school my friends and I still jammed to all their stuff and I hung out with the rockers and metal heads, but back in the day most kids were open to a lot more genres, at least where i grew up. We used to crank Huey up in the car when I went out with my gf. Good times!
Guys, a lot of these older bands are still touring. My daughter was just I. Philly this past weekend to see Joan Jett, Poison, Motley Crew and Def Leopard....7 hrs. of 80's music. They were exhausted from having such a great time. You've gotta catch them touring before they retire.
This song was played all the time in Canada on the radio and on Much Music. I have never heard about the "Called Love" bit...unless the DJ's just ignored it.
The only group I’ve seen 3 times. They are that good! If I’d had the opportunity to see them more I would have. Just a really fun group, and Huey was always in complete command of the stage.
Do you believe in love is a fantastic song as well. Love these guys. Listening takes me back to my childhood and the beach. Tanning and listening to them. Thank you for bringing back many great memories.
I was in college when this album came out, and there was this very attractive young lady who was a pastor’s daughter and attended (?) classes at our college and lived nearby. She drove a white Camaro Berlinetta, and more than a couple times stopped at the bus stop and gave me a ride to class or back to my dorm. I know the other guys were impressed, but what I remember most was this specific song (“I Want A New Drug”) coming on her radio 3 times in a row when she picked me up. I took it as a sign and bought the album and played it to death-and I have the memory of Gail the pastor’s daughter in her white Camaro every time I hear it.
Amber seems to have this innate ability to almost instantly understand the underlying context of a song. It took me years to master that art and she makes it seem effortless. Very impressive.
I recently heard that Huey Lewis was having trouble on stage at concerts. We are starting to lose great singers like Lewis. It’s looking like Phil Collins may have to call it a career for some of the difficulties he’s been challenged with. But if Lewis is able to champion through his challenges and get back on stage then if you’re able - do go check them out. Otherwise, you might be stuck finding live performances on TH-cam or wherever they can be found.
Back when this came out, Huey and the guys are at Red Rocks. This song was super popular. So the band is bumpin the vamp of this song and Huey is talking to the audience Quote during the vamp “Oh okay I know you heard this song on your alarm this morning…I know you heard it driving in to work. You probably heard this song at work or walking down the street…You might’ve heard this song driving up to the concert. Look I bet you might be kind of sick of this song. We understand. We play this song at every show. We rehearsed it nursed it recorded it, practiced it. We understand that you might have heard this song one too many times……imagine how WE feel about this song. So if you don’t mind we’re gonna try to play it…one…more …..time.We are gonna try to muster up some energy”. You get the point. AND THEN. They ROAR-into it like it was the first time they played it! Like it was the first time we ever heard it! They tore up RED ROCKS with this song. WOW! That’s when I realized what it means to be a real musician that you can get up there and knock it out of the park even though you played it hundreds of times and it’s gonna sound fresh like you never heard it before that’s what a real musician is and that’s what Huey Lewis and the News is all about! BRINGING IT!!!!!
Check out the Retrowave movement in music if you really do want a modern take on this fun 80's music! The Midnight is the perfect gateway into this music, check out songs like "Jason", "Sunset" and their newest song released about 15 days ago called "Heartbeat" It's a very good modern take on the old 80's synths and guitars. I think you both would find things you like in this new Genre. ALSO... Fun Fact: Huey Lewis was approached by the makers of "Ghostbusters" to create a theme for the movie. He turned them down as he was working on a song for Back to the Future (The Power of Love). the Ghostbusters crew then hired someone else to create the theme and they wanted it in the style of Huey Lewis & The News. We got the famous "If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" Sing it to the intro of this song and you'll quickly find out why Huey Lewis won a lawsuit against the film's production company LOL.
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J & Amber, you will LOVE their "Heart And Soul", "If This Is It" and "Working For A Living" !!! So glad you're into this band!!!
(Hip to be square) is a fun one too.
Jacob's Ladder too 😀
Yes to all of these tracks!!!!!
Bad is Bad.
ALL great suggestions.
Huey Lewis and The News were the embodiment of the "party rock" sound that was so hugely popular in the 80's. You were never bored at a Huey Lewis show, it was always a big old party with those guys!
I'm kind of reminded of the Greg Kihn Band, similar and popular '80s type rock'n'roll, their biggest hit was probably the quite amazing Jeopardy" (1983) with its creepy music video this sort of spooky thing was all the rage in early '80s promo clips. Still as catchy a number today as it was back then. th-cam.com/video/43_GqFW7iYc/w-d-xo.html
Loved Huey Lewis. This entire album just killed. Pick a track, it's a winner.
FACTS.
My favorite 80s band!
@@Shrykespeare NO QUESTION.
Yeap!
Every one. No skips.
Ah Huey! When “Sports” came out, we all bought it. This period (1981-1986) was such a fantastic time for music! So many huge groups! The big 60’s and 70’s groups were still doing new stuff and all these new groups were trying new sounds with every album. The 80’s was the decade of the sax! You guys gotta listen to Springsteen’s song “Jungleland.” Clarence Clemons’ sax solo is akin to Eddie Van Halen’s guitar. Another great sax solo is in “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel.
The synthesizer was also a staple in 80’s music.
Yes, we bought the CASSETTE!
@@chrisriley8749 with the right system we would buy the vinyl and make our own cassette. 👍
So ironic that Huey was IN Back to the Future, the guy at the beginning who told Marty that he and his band were "just too darn loud". Love this song so much. If you want uptempo for your next Huey outing, check out "Hip to Be Square", or if you want more laid back "If This Is It". Sadly, Huey, now 71, lost his hearing in 2018, but his legacy lives on. Thanks for doing this song!
Friendly reminder: IF you do check out "Hip to be Square", do it BEFORE watching "American Psycho" or you'll never see it the same way again.
Yeah. And Back to the Future.
Is he totally Deaf? Been total in Right/60% loss in Left since I was 7. He can adapt and learn to Feel the music. Look at Beethoven.
@@scottbaron121 well the order is. Hip To Be Square, American Psycho, then the Hewey Luis/Weird Al American Psycho parody on Funny or Die.
@@mindofmadness5593 he didn't lose all of it - some of it and sound is distorted.
"I want a new Drug" blasted out of my bedroom in High School because I had his albums. My Dad complained loudly to my mom about "no son of mine is going to listen to a song about drugs!" But Amber, you are SO RIGHT... and my mom got the message of the song. She had to patiently explain to my Dad that the song wasn't about drugs, it was about the feeling that the love of a woman gives you. Well done! :)
More songs you would love from Huey and the boys... Hip to be Square, Jacobs ladder, Walking on a Thin Line.
Imagine if you'd had Weird Al's parody, instead: "no son of mine is going to listen to a song about ducks!"
I mean it's right there "one that makes me feel like I feel when I'm with you".
It's an anti-drug song, although it doesn't hit you over the head with it's message.
Fun fact: Huey Lewis was in the movie back to the Future. When Marty and his band are playing rock and roll in the beginning Huey is the judge who tells him they are just too loud.
Oh yea, I especially love "If This Is It". Such a great song.
I was just going to say this but @Michael Lynch you beat me to it!
@@BarredCoast0 lol, sorry bud
I came here to say the same thing lol. Beat me to it too.
please to while where young heuy lewis
I saw Huey in concert when his Sports album came out. Good times. This was a big hit. 1984.
My younger brother was really into Huey Lewis back in the 80's. Amber is right, their appeal was the old school rock and roll sound.
Sadly, I believe he suffers from hearing loss now.
Gotta check out "Heart and Soul"
So it was just too darn loud?
@@ckobo84, he actually has a disease that caused the hearing loss.
Great reaction! Chris Hayes was tearing it up on lead guitar almost the whole song! He’s as good as they get, and an integral to the band’s success.
I never realized until recently the whole song is one big guitar solo 🔥
Heartbreaker that Huey now has lost most of his hearing and suffers through shrill pain on a daily basis. He gave us so many good times.
From the same album is the song, Bad Is Bad... guaranteed to make you smile and give uou a chuckle. It's funny, bluesy and the words, Bad Is Bad will be swirling in your head for days. Please give it a listen.
Btw guys. The teacher who told Marty that he was too loud in the beginning at the audition…. That was Huey Lewis
I saw Huey Lewis & The News in concert back in 1986. It was a great concert.... Great performer...
Huey Lewis and the News is what I would call a clean band (drugs weren't part of their group), just lots of upbeat music. Thanks Amber and Jay
How do we know this?
Are you friends with Huey?
Malone, Several documentaries maybe you should check them out, like Behind The Music.
Nah, not personally just watched a few documentaries on the group. Cheers
@@bkm2797 Groups have an image that they wish to be known by, and often, great measures are taken to uphold that image.
Remember, this is Hollywood/ Celebrity stuff.
Just because they weren't "known" as a party band, doesn't mean they were all sober all the time.
Growing up with season tickets to the 49ers through the 80's, Huey Lewis and The News would perform on the back of a flat bed truck during commercial breaks at the games. They would drive out, sing a song, then back out from the sidelines. It was great!
Huey Lewis was a character in Back to the Future if you didn't learn it already. He was the guy with the megaphone that told Micheal J Fox that his band was to loud. 😀
Power Of Love, If This Is It are two great ones by ole Huey Lewis and the News. Great band...I was in high school when this came out.
These guys just did a ton of catchy tunes in the 80s. I hope you do more of them.
But they must listen to Weird Al’s I Want A New Duck too!!! LOL
"I've been smiling the whole time I'm listenin' to this" - a perfect endorsement to the man and the band. They are my boys - seen them several times in concert - met Huey when he was on Broadway in CHICAGO on my birthday and got his autograph. A true gent and vastly underrated. Great choice - seek more of them!!
So did you guys notice the similarities between this song and Ghostbusters? Ray Parker Jr was sued by Huey Lewis for copying this song for his biggest hit.❤
Yeah, and Ray swore that he'd never heard it before writing the Ghostbusters Theme! Thing is, I don't think Ray was lying, he genuinely believed it! It was a real WTF moment for him, LOL ... Maybe he sleeps with the radio on, hahaha. Mad : ))))
Huey lost the law suit
@@jayfredrick3185 No... he didn't. He got paid an absolute fortune!
Ray and Columbia Pictures settled out of court - they paid Huey an undisclosed sum and both parties signed non-disclosure agreements.
So, Huey had won.
Much later, Huey made the mistake of discussing the matter in an interview for VH1, thus breaching the non-disclosure ... and got successfully sued by Ray. But that's a completely separate matter.
There was NEVER any chance that Huey would lose the copyright claim. That's why Ray and Columbia settled it out of court.
@@garychap8384 he was lying the song was released only 1 year before ghostbusters. Ivan retman originally approached Lewis to write for the film and showed him a pre release montarge of film clips with this song and asked for something similar. Lewis already had commitments with back to future. So retman asked 50 plus musicians to each try coming up with a song. He showed them (including Parker) the Lewis montarge and advised what kind of song he wanted . Too many coincidences, connections and timing to be accidental.
First time hearing it? But we can see you mouthing the words....hmmmm 🤔
Back in the early 80's my friends band was the opening act for another band in a small city outside of San Jose and he told me I should go check them out. I did and the other band was Huey Lewis and the News. There couldn't have been more than 50 or 60 people in there but they just blew everyone away how good they were. They became really famous about 6 months later.
Just flashed back to seeing HLN live many times. At the end of the concert he would say "I'm Huey Lewis and once again you have just heard the News".
PS... the horns back in the 80s was the Tower of Power horn section.
Huey Lewis was my first concert way back in 84. Hip to be Square, Stuck With You, Doing It All For My Baby, all excellent songs.
You can't get through the 80's without loving Huey Lewis and the News! One of my fav bands!
Such good lyrics 😂
“…. one that makes me
feel like I feel when I’m with you.”
Love huey lewis!!! Back a few years, they didn't have the digital stuff they have now. Hence! The bigger bands, with the horns, keyboard etc. Great era to grow up in. 😁😘
Huey Lewis songs you should hear…1. Hip to be square 2. The Heart of Rock N Roll 3. Heart and Soul 4. Stuck with you 5. Doing it all for my Baby 6. Couple Days off (This song rocks ).
This was one of my favorite albums in college. Every song was a hit.
Heart of Rock and Roll - you need to hear it. Great Huey Lewis & the News tune!!! ☮️🖤🤘
"I Want a New Drug" was HL&TN's 5th chart hit peaking @ #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 and #1 on the Dance chart. Between 1982 thru 1994, HL&TN charted 22 titles in the Hot 100, 12 hit the Top 10 including 3 @ #1.
The late (yes, he, sadly, died earlier this month), great Joel Whitburn lives on in you, my friend.
@@Shrykespeare Hey Patrick. Thanks for that info. I had no idea Joel died. Since I read your note, I've been reading some of his obits & tributes from music journalists. His various compilation books of Billboard chart hits were revered & respected by those who work in and write about the music industry. Mr. Whitburn, RIP indeed.
Man they hit that 80's pop rock nail on the head. And the songs are genuinely good, with just the right amount of cheese. Like a good pizza. Nothing fancy, but solid goodness.
@@Shrykespeare thanks for the info. I wasn't aware he died, either. I've followed the charts (albums, singles & rock tracks) since the early 80s, and I'm constantly using Whitburn's books as references! Joel has a remarkable story, and Billboard owes a great debt to him, for sharing his passion with them!
One of the best concerts I've ever been to was Huey Lewis and the News. So energetic and fun.
Their best song. This album was a HUGE best seller with several top 40 songs.
Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr for lifting the main riff in this song for Parker's 'Ghostbusters' theme song.
I remember that. I would start singing I want a new drug before segueing into ghostbusters. Same with the Superman theme song and Star Wars.
I was going to write that the makers of the Ghostbusters movie asked him to do the song for the movie he said no. So they got Ray Parker Jr to do it, so he ripped off Huey Lewis.
The producers obviously gave Ray this song and said, write something like this.
More than the main riff! The bassline, vocal melody, crescendo and chorus. And even the intro.
This is probably my favorite song of theirs. Never gets old, and the lyrics are just clever. "Heart & Soul" is another banger!
Heart and soul is your next song... Huey Lewis was a big time regular on MTV plus I got to see him in concert three times ...He puts on a great show
That song just banged all the time when it came out on the dance floor and everybody like to join in the lyrics to that sound while they're singing to their girl acting like they're cool and sexy too... They wanted to be Huey. Then the horn comes out and we all pretend we were playing it on the dance floor. Well at least us guys who still wanted to act cool even though we weren't cool. Pretending to be a sax player was pretty awesome with this song. Thanks for doing it guys, we love you. 😎
I would also recommend the underrated "Perfect World" as well as "Heart And Soul", "Jacob's Ladder" and "The Power Of Love"
Saw Huey Lewis & The News, Rick Springfield, and Night Ranger at our town’s local summer festival 4-5 years ago shortly before HL had to stop performing. Great show! Lots of memories from my high school days in the mid-80s!
I am so jealous
Their 1986 music video for "Hip to Be Square" is a collection of extreme closeups of the band members and their instruments, which was a unique take for videos from that era. It's definitely worth a reaction.
Huey Lewis..blend of Rock n Funk..was unique & is missed
Gr8 reaction peace & love
The Heart of Rock and Roll if you want more horns and sax!! I looove Huey and glad J is into him too. So fun! Killer bangers!!
They've done it already. I believe it was their first reaction to them :)
It's still beating.
All right my babies.... Huey Lewis and the News has always been that type of fun high energy band. And the Tower of Power horns just blows the roof off of any concert hall❗😎👍🏼
First time I heard Huey Newton and the News was in the early 1980s. After the mind-numbing sameness of the music during the disco era, Huey made me sit up and exclaim "The heart of rock and roll IS still beating! Thank GOD, real rock is back!!"
I was lucky enough to see Huey Lewis & The News and Heart together in Columbia S.C I think it was in 1978.Could be wrong by a year or so. Partied a lot back then. Best time ever. Thanks. Love you guys.
These guys are one one of the best live performances I've ever experienced. Last time I saw them Providence RI outdoors.
One of my favorites is "Bad is Bad." Real blues sound.
Yes Yes.... More Huey Lewis.
Hip To Be Square
If This is It
Her love is Killing Me
Stuck With You
I found their music so refreshing when they popped unto the scene. Us old hippies were needing something new after the being treated to the greatest music in the 60's and 70's. Huey rocked it out for us. Just my opinion. Great reaction. Glad you love them.
Buckets of Maple Syrup love from Canada ❤️❤️ 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
Bad is Bad also
Saw him live in 1987. Great show, check out Jacob's Ladder and Walking on a thin line. What makes Huey Lewis so great is the fact that he is relatable to the average man, from his music to his style to his love of sports. Nothing over the top nothing too flashy, no special effects, just straight ahead Rock N Roll with lyrics you can understand and relate to.
I was a huge Huey Lewis fan back in the mid 80s when this came out. I remember being 15 years old and hanging out with my friends at the beach and you heard this everywhere.
His style was a great mix of the older 50s rock N roll with the newer energy of early 80s rock.
I'd say more 1960s rock than 50s.
Seeing these guys live in Toronto was crazy - great horn section.
When you reacted to the “We Are the World” video he was the one you didn’t initially recognize, but he was right before Cyndi Lauper, and also standing next to him.
YES! Such a powerful part in that song.
Huey Lewis ruled the 80s. Sooo many great, fun, upbeat songs! This is one endless rabbit hole! Next? Workin' For a Livin or Heart and Soul or If This is It or Power of Love...etc.
Huey Lewis & The News were HUGE back when I was in high school. I remember buying "Sports" on cassette tape and wearing it out. The 80's were really Good times 🙂
The cover of Sports was shot in my hometown bar 2am club- in the little sleepy town of Mill Valley Ca. This was a big deal.
One of my Huey Lewis faves is "Heart and Soul."
I agree with the sentiments from others- the whole sports album is amazing. I saw them in the early 90s and he was still killing it.
very cool handmade music...... they had soo many big hits
nice memories 😊
Like many bands, Huey and the News didn't reach their peak until their 3rd album, "Sports," which is where this song comes from. Even if you have an early hit, a lot of times it takes a while to hit your stride.
When discussing the greatest rock albums of all time, the "Sports" album by Huey Lewis and the News should be at least an Honorable Mention. Almost everything on it was superb. I bought the album for "I Want A New Drug", then loved the whole thing.
Damn I love this song! Next try "If This Is It" or "Bad Is Bad".
Seen them in concert couple years ago. Sounded just as good live.. amazing
It was so great growing up in this era, I can remember being a teenager, riding home on the school bus, jamming to all of the great music from the 80's, Love, Love, Love!! Your also right that you don't hear this kind of music anymore.
Marty's joke in BTTF was that the 1950's audience wasn't ready for his 1980's Eddie Van Halen-like guitar soloing over Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." But, as some have already mentioned, that WAS Huey telling Marty his music was "too darn loud" (while The Pinheads were playing Huey's own song, "The Power of Love").
I love Huey Lewis and the news. All his music is awesome. Play some of his other songs like happy to be stuck with you. Heart of rock and roll that is awesome too. Thank you thank you thank you❤️
You could do "Back in Time", "Bad is Bad", "Doing it all for my Baby", "Hip to be Square", "If This is it", "Stuck with You", "Walking on a Thin Line" and "Working for a Living". You could also now do Weird Al's parody of this song, "I Want a New Duck".
Yes! Bad is Bad
Can't wait to see Jay and Amber start watching Weird Al's versions of songs they've reacted to!!
Always fun time when Huey and the band came on the radio.
Saw them live at Hammersmith in ‘83.
It was like a party,very entertaining.
When this song first came out. My mother would not let me listen to it or buy the album. She thought it was about drugs. I had to make her sit down and listen to the lyrics and explain to her that it was not about drugs it was about the feeling he felt when he was with his girl.
I had the same fight and was really dismissive of her concerns, saying she should try listening to it before bashing it. I was a real smart-ass... she was a saint to put up with teenage me.
I attended an Oracle conference in Las Vegas Oracle reserved the house of blues for all the attendees of the conference and Huey Lewis the artist playing that night, he performed all his greatest hits and was amazing live.
As the B-52s, Huey Lewis And The News is a group that wasn't intended to become a signed group with a label. They played bars for fun and one thing led to another... and BANG!!
We saw them on the 80s Cruise! You had to line up before the concert. I went really early, I think like 2 1/2 hours before the concert. We got second row! I put my hand out to Huey (I was hoping he would give me a high five). He grabbed my hand! I was in total shock! Lol It was the highlight of the cruise for me! It was the first one in 2016. I saw him in concert way back in the day. They were awesome, then and now.
You're right when you say, "Huey's a fun guy!" He peaked when music videos were also at the peak. The most "fun" music video in the world is "Doing it all for my baby." Just fun from beginning to end.
Hey guys, the Great Bands of the 70's and 80's are making the rounds. You can catch that great music live.
Huey's ability to ham it up in front of the camera and the advent of MTV in the early 80s was the perfect storm for this band. Music videos were their main way of grabbing fans because Huey was so likeable and "cool" for the times.
On the album version, which runs about a minute longer with an instrumental outro, there’s a nod to Jimi Hendrix’ “Purple Haze” toward the end :)
Nuthin but LOVE for Huey Lewis and The News!! I was able to see them LIVE once back in the late 80's!! They were GREAT!!! It's a shame that Huey has to deal with such a horrible health issue and his hearing!
Seems like every band from the Bay area is incredible!! 🙂
@RobSquadReactions
Huey Lewis and The News is Simply Incredible !!!! Fabulous !!!😀🍻
Trivia the theme for Ghostbusters was to be written by Huey Lewis but he bailed and they stole the track and made the Ghostbusters theme using this song as the basis of the ray Parker song. Huey Lewis sued and won so he got a settlement from the Ghostbusters theme which sounds just like I want a new drug.
Wrong - Ivan retman originally approached Lewis to write for the film and showed him a pre release montarge of film clips with this song and asked for something similar. Lewis already had commitments with back to future. So retman asked 50 plus musicians to each try coming up with a song. He showed them (including Parker) the Lewis montarge and advised what kind of song he wanted .
Too many coincidences, connections and timing (1year apart)to be accidental.
Love you guys. You are so positive and open. Huey is now a rancher in Montana last I heard. I used to see them in the clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. That was from Sports Album. There were 5 hits from that album. They were fun even then.
This may be their funnest song of all. Gotta love it! A brief anecdote - Huey and the band got in a little trouble with parents and other uptight types with the title of this song. I remember the backlash in the news that the band was "promoting drugs" to young people. Totally misinterpreted - what a laugh!
I suggest trying "Jacob's Ladder," "Walking on a Thin Line," and "I Know What I Like" next - all fantastic songs.
Absolutely love Huey Lewis and this is my favorite song from him.
I know you will enjoy his songs in Back to the Future movies
One of the most overlooked yet massively influential to the culture & to rock n roll. He blended so much sound from rock n roll, jazz, blues, & pop that we hadnt heard before. Plus his voice is iconic & one of a kind. You know who it is without even seeing him.
Always love the horns in a band and the News are great. Saw them live in the mid 80s at the height of their popularity. Crazy good show...Huey plays the harmonica too.
When we were kids I remember seeing Back To The Future in theaters, it was a massive movie hit. I was 13…and Huey Lewis was pretty huge….even when I got into high school my friends and I still jammed to all their stuff and I hung out with the rockers and metal heads, but back in the day most kids were open to a lot more genres, at least where i grew up. We used to crank Huey up in the car when I went out with my gf. Good times!
Guys, a lot of these older bands are still touring. My daughter was just I. Philly this past weekend to see Joan Jett, Poison, Motley Crew and Def Leopard....7 hrs. of 80's music. They were exhausted from having such a great time. You've gotta catch them touring before they retire.
The song had to be renamed to 'I Want a New Drug (Called Love)' before it was allowed to be played in Canada (I think it was Canada).
🖤
This song was played all the time in Canada on the radio and on Much Music. I have never heard about the "Called Love" bit...unless the DJ's just ignored it.
Not just Canada but Australia, too. I have the 12" single.
In the movie "Duets" Huey played Gweneth Paltrow's estranged father and they sang "Cruising Together". It's my favorite song by him.
Their "It's Alright" is fabulous. The harmonies! Very doo wop sounding.
Live at 25!!! Yes!! Love this song! The harmonies are soooo great!!!
Can't forget "Naturally" from their 1986 album "Fore!" I'm sure you'll remember it.
They have a lot of great songs, "The Heart of Rock and Roll" and "Heart and Soul" are two that you will absolutely love!
I still have my Huey Lewis 45's lol! This song always cracked us stoners up lol!
Loved seeing Huey and the News in concert, great shows from a killer band
The only group I’ve seen 3 times. They are that good! If I’d had the opportunity to see them more I would have. Just a really fun group, and Huey was always in complete command of the stage.
Do you believe in love is a fantastic song as well. Love these guys. Listening takes me back to my childhood and the beach. Tanning and listening to them. Thank you for bringing back many great memories.
I was in college when this album came out, and there was this very attractive young lady who was a pastor’s daughter and attended (?) classes at our college and lived nearby. She drove a white Camaro Berlinetta, and more than a couple times stopped at the bus stop and gave me a ride to class or back to my dorm. I know the other guys were impressed, but what I remember most was this specific song (“I Want A New Drug”) coming on her radio 3 times in a row when she picked me up. I took it as a sign and bought the album and played it to death-and I have the memory of Gail the pastor’s daughter in her white Camaro every time I hear it.
Can’t go wrong with Huey and the News. Great guitarist in this band also!!
Amber seems to have this innate ability to almost instantly understand the underlying context of a song. It took me years to master that art and she makes it seem effortless. Very impressive.
I was fortunate to see Huey Lewis and the News in concert. One of their best and most underrated songs is Walking On A Thin Line.
I recently heard that Huey Lewis was having trouble on stage at concerts. We are starting to lose great singers like Lewis.
It’s looking like Phil Collins may have to call it a career for some of the difficulties he’s been challenged with.
But if Lewis is able to champion through his challenges and get back on stage then if you’re able - do go check them out. Otherwise, you might be stuck finding live performances on TH-cam or wherever they can be found.
Huey is having hearing problems. Hopefully he can work through it.
@@thegingergyrl455 hopefully they can. But, doubtful. He has Ménière’s disease..
Sad but true
Huey Lewis was great live and definitely charismatic.
Back when this came out, Huey and the guys are at Red Rocks. This song was super popular.
So the band is bumpin the vamp of this song and Huey is talking to the audience
Quote during the vamp
“Oh okay I know you heard this song on your alarm this morning…I know you heard it driving in to work. You probably heard this song at work or walking down the street…You might’ve heard this song driving up to the concert. Look I bet you might be kind of sick of this song. We understand. We play this song at every show. We rehearsed it nursed it recorded it, practiced it. We understand that you might have heard this song one too many times……imagine how WE feel about this song. So if you don’t mind we’re gonna try to play it…one…more …..time.We are gonna try to muster up some energy”. You get the point. AND THEN. They ROAR-into it like it was the first time they played it! Like it was the first time we ever heard it! They tore up RED ROCKS with this song. WOW!
That’s when I realized what it means to be a real musician that you can get up there and knock it out of the park even though you played it hundreds of times and it’s gonna sound fresh like you never heard it before that’s what a real musician is and that’s what Huey Lewis and the News is all about!
BRINGING IT!!!!!
Well said!
What wonderful music. Thank you for bringing it back to us. I could almost cry
Check out the Retrowave movement in music if you really do want a modern take on this fun 80's music! The Midnight is the perfect gateway into this music, check out songs like "Jason", "Sunset" and their newest song released about 15 days ago called "Heartbeat" It's a very good modern take on the old 80's synths and guitars. I think you both would find things you like in this new Genre.
ALSO...
Fun Fact: Huey Lewis was approached by the makers of "Ghostbusters" to create a theme for the movie. He turned them down as he was working on a song for Back to the Future (The Power of Love). the Ghostbusters crew then hired someone else to create the theme and they wanted it in the style of Huey Lewis & The News. We got the famous "If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" Sing it to the intro of this song and you'll quickly find out why Huey Lewis won a lawsuit against the film's production company LOL.
Ray Parker did the Ghostbusters song
@@robertsaul234 THANK YOU I couldn't remember his name and didn't want to get it wrong and look like an idiot lol.
funner fact: he shouldnt have won. Huey 'borrowed' this track from the song "pop music" by the group M, led by Robin Scott
@@BobbyCYeah just sought out a clip of this song, and I honestly can't disagree. Thanks, just learned something.
Huey and the News just slayed it in the day... always fun and happy to hear