Friends For Us

Dionne Warwick, the Burt Bacharach diva from the 1960's had formed a wonderful bond with many artists from all over the world. We're talking Thelma Houston, Sergio Mendes, Irving Berlin, Quincy Jones and of course, Gladys knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. She's also the elder cousin of 1980's pop sensation, Whitney Houston.

In 1985 I remember watching a music video on Friday Night Videos called "That's What Friends Are For." It was one of the few late night shows I watched along with Saturday Night Live and Showtime at the Apollo.

I was excited to see these four top-notch artists coming together for such a moving song. Today it may sound cheesy and my 11 year old musical tastes hadn't been fully developed. I was embracing the past's music once I began to become disillusioned with the Van Halen lead singer turnstiles and tribulations as well as not knowing more about the real artists of the 1980's, since FNV only played the toppest of the toppermost hits, sometime, week after week, the same videos being played with few if any new introductions.

And so these four, rather slightly aging vocal artists(two of which are still virtuosos on the keyboards-Elton and Stevie, that is),had a video which showed them appearing as if they were recording the song at the point of filming. Unlike other "let's film as we record" artists, with broken takes and have hidden arguments behind closed doors and the like, Dionne, Gladys, Stevie and Elton act like two marriedcouples who have known each other forever. They are smiling and having a wonderful time recording this awesome song. All four areshowing their individual vocal characteristics, and yet, making a cohesive, and new sounding hit single for the ages.

While I may not have followed these artists' careers too closely over the years, credit should be given where it's due. "That's What friends Are For" was one of the great songs of the 1980's.