Do I? Do I blind you with science?! Vocal ANALYSIS of Thomas Dolby and NOW I know what the quote is!

[@rangerrecon]

Hearing the story that Thomas Dolby tells of hiring Dr. Magnus Pyke to the exclamations like "science!" is a riot. He appears in the video as well and hear is what Dolby had to say about that: "I bumped into Dr. Pyke many years later, in Edinburgh at a conference. He’d just returned from a lecture tour of the USA. I asked him how it had gone. “Badly, Dolby,” he spat back. “Every time I walked down the sidewalk someone would sneak up behind me and yell ‘SCIENCE!’ at the top of their lungs! It seems that bloody MTV video of yours is more widely recognized than my body of scientific work.”"

[@rcrawford42]

His cousin, Geoffrey Pyke, was the mad scientist who indirectly created American special forces AND nearly convinced Churchill to create an aircraft carrier out of ice.

[@rangerrecon]

@@rcrawford42 Cool - I had heard the story of the iceberge aircraft carrier, but never knew the relation. Small world...

[@grendel1960a]

@@rcrawford42 ice and sawdust- AKA Pykrete

[@skilletpan5674]

​@@grendel1960asurprisingly good stuff. Could be a good spaceship material.

[@TrashWerewolf]

That quote is the most Britishly British statement I think has ever been uttered! LOL!

[@thcdad3632]

"One Night in Bangkok", from the movie "CHESS", by Murray Head

[@TeflonBilly73]

Excellent choice, with a fun video to boot.

[@francisseidel8014]

Written by Benny and Bjorn from ABBA.

[@BaccarWozat]

Problem with that song. Most reactions of it start with the album version, which sounds awful to my ears. The single version has all the bass beats before the first chorus and verse and is just sublime. It would be very difficult to select the right one, if one did not hear it before.

[@excrono]

⁠@@BaccarWozatI prefer that 12” 5:41 mix with a long break using a “King and I” sample. That mix is definitive for me compositionally and feels complete. As if that was the version originally created before having to be abridged or changed for the album. Pet Shop Boys “West End Girls” is another track with many mixes where I only prefer one (the 10” 7:03 version ending / outro is transcendental).

[@BaccarWozat]

@@excrono That's exactly the right mix. Agree completely.

[@blakerbnsn]

Well if you are doing Thomas Dolby, you have to check out Gary Numan's Cars.

[@daviddeath6029]

Not cars everyone does it and nothing else from the genius Numan. Try are friends electric? Or down in the park or complex fir starters.

[@metalmark1214]

Maybe, but I'm Preying to the Aliens

[@greynoise1409]

@@daviddeath6029 Second "Are Friends Electric?"

[@graemeclifford6358]

It would be great to have an analysis of "Down in the park"

[@starchitin]

I'd prefer "Down in the Park" if she does Gary Numan

[@awgn70]

I was a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1988 when Thomas Dolby came to deliver a guest lecture for the budding experimental electronic music department at RPI. To me it suggested that he valued partnerships with engineers, developers, and wanted to help nurture the next generation of artists. Added to his authenticity in my eyes - I was impressed.

[@Cadinho93]

This song is more than 40 years old and it still sounds fresher than 99% of today's music. Also, there's no band. It's just Thomas Dolby and his machines!

[@Hawkenwhacker]

The music you hear on the radio does not account for the vast majority of today's music. Let's keep it real. 🤪

[@johnare3617]

Worst take ever, congratulations

[@keithosmond5730]

@@Hawkenwhacker It never did account for the majority. Yet we still used to get much better.

[@Bobbias]

​@@keithosmond5730you're either not looking in the right places, or simply too close minded to appreciate all the great music being created.

[@keithosmond5730]

@@Bobbias We are talking about what gets airplay, not the whole realm of music. (Though yes, even back in the 80s there was plenty of crap getting played among the good stuff.) The problem isn't necessarily the musicians, but rather the increased corporatization of radio and their playlists. Once, DJs actually had some say in what got played and so it was easier for someone to get regional airplay and build on success that way. That's pretty much gone.

[@opencarry3860]

Pure New Wave of the early 80s. So miss that period in time.

[@michaeldoolan7595]

The old mad professor was Magnus Pyke 1904 to 1992 He was a genuine scientific genius in nutrition and worked for the British government.

[@somthingbrutal]

he also popped up on TV a fair amount

[@AetherKnight]

Magnus was one of my idols as a kid that led me to study science at school. Brilliant as a diamond.

[@billrosmus6734]

@@AetherKnight Me too.

[@markiangooley]

Pyke did suggest using expired blood from blood banks to make black pudding. Human blood, yes. There was a war on, yes, but…

[@nicholasmartin297]

Dr Magnus Pyke had a real talent for TV presentation and used his exaggerated gestures and eccentricity to captivate audiences - similar to Hans Rosling who could even make statistical analysis fun.

[@DJspuppet]

So a lot of people have commented on Magnus Pyke but when he was recording the lines for the song, he did the "She blinded me with science" line then he recorded it again, putting an emphasis on the 'Me' which is used at the end of the song. He did this second recording to emphasise the bewilderment that someone could actually blind HIM, a legit scientist, with science.

[@MatthewGraham-pu5di]

Someone needs to tag or send this to Thomas Dolby. I’m sure he’d love to see this. He’s on KZbin. Great review of a great song.

[@thecatsmeowfromny]

@thomasdolby Check out this wonderful analyzation of your song "She blinded me with science"!

[@kdisley]

I don't want to be "that guy" who jumps in as a know-it-all, but I think there's a lot of context which elevates this video from fun to genius... I'm from the UK and lived through the Eighties (although I was only 3 years old in 1980, I picked up a lot of the ambient culture by osmosis) and there are some great things about this song and video which probably don't come across immediately if you weren't there. First of all, the guy delivering the spoken title line was a total legend named Magnus Pyke (they even put his real name on the door to his office - a mark of respect, when any other wacky '80s video would've made up a bad pun name instead). He held a similar place in British TV culture to Bill Nye for US viewers, someone who was often a guest on other shows to explain big science in an entertaining way. But unlike Bill Nye who started out as a comedian, Magnus Pyke was just a really enthusiastic academic... which is why he's hamming it up and chewing the scenery throughout the video. He is definitely _not_ an actor, and I think that makes his performance all the more endearing. The whole ambience of the video as well as the lyrics are basically a riff on the "mad scientist" trope from the early 20th century, so it's deliberately wacky and infeasible and steampunk-y. This is why Dolby is wearing an off-white suit and riding an antique motorcycle with goggles - he's the stereotype of some rich 1920's playboy trying some sort of new fad treatment. This is basically trying to do for science what the 1994 Anthony Hopkins movie _"The Road To Wellville"_ does for medicine, and when you've seen all these old tropes in the black-and-white movies we used to get on Sunday afternoons back then being portrayed as "real" scientific establishments (although obviously not _quite_ so out-there and crazy), it just makes the whole premise seem even more entertaining. The great thing about this is that Thomas Dolby was actually an extremely smart guy - all this wrong science isn't someone viewing mad science from the outside and poking fun so much as it is inside-baseball jokes... it's funny in the same way as those Facebook musician memes like Beethoven saying, "I used the '#' in front of everything before Twitter". With regards to the very '80s synths (especially that pitch-bend mimicking the violin), Thomas Dolby was a pioneer of that very stylised sound - this was back in the days when you couldn't buy synthesisers as ready-made instruments, so Dolby (like many others) built his equipment himself and was constantly experimenting - he didn't just go to the store and buy one, he had to construct it and solder it himself like some sort of crystal-radio project in his home as a very nerdy hobby. What Dolby did that many of his peers hadn't really done before was to not only put strange wibbly synth sounds in his music but actually make it _melodious_ - if you listen to other synth gods like Kraftwerk or Devo they were focusing on what strange noises they could make, while Dolby was incorporating them into actual musical arrangements which didn't sound like abrasive sound experiments. I think that's what the whole "mad scientist/inventor" schtick is knowlingly referencing - the fact that these seemingly crazy hobbyists were fiddling with circuit boards and switches in search of a new sound, like some crackpot Georgian inventor trying to make rocket skates a thing. What I'm trying to say is, this song isn't an '80s cliché, it's almost what _started_ the '80s synth-pop genre... people were making weird synth music before this, but it definitely wouldn't be thought of as "pop", while this definitely has the sensibilities and construction of a modern pop song which is something his peers weren't really doing this early on. Without this fusion of bleeps and musical creativity we'd still have Landscape's _"Einstein A-Go-Go"_ but we probably wouldn't have Big Audio Dynamite's _"E=mc²"._

[@Sarigar]

I love this anecdote from Thomas Dolby in his book. Poor Dr. Pyke! 😄 "I bumped into Dr. Pyke many years later, in Edinburgh at a conference. He’d just returned from a lecture tour of the USA. I asked him how it had gone. “Badly, Dolby,” he spat back. “Every time I walked down the sidewalk someone would sneak up behind me and yell ‘SCIENCE!’ at the top of their lungs! It seems that bloody MTV video of yours is more widely recognized than my body of scientific work.”"

[@blankbruno70]

So glad to see you checking out Thomas Dolby--I've been a fan of him and his music since The Golden Age of Wireless was released in the US. As some of the others in the comments have mentioned, another of his great but under appreciated songs (in my opinion) is Europa And The Pirate Twins. I believe you would enjoy that one, along with many of the other great recommendations. Thanks for all you do!

[@mjbull5156]

I always liked the "She's tidied up, I can't find anything!" Very relatable.

[@donnajocatlady3839]

I quote that to my roomie CONSTANTLY! 🤣

[@0okamino]

“All of my filth is arranged in alphabetical order. This, for instance, is under H, for ‘toy’.”

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@0okamino Thanks for the bout of uncontrollable snorting laughter!

[@momogs1]

For years this has been my cry of frustration

[@68404]

@@momogs1 Me too. It quickly comes to mind after the wife has been meddling with my mess.

[@phillp4421]

I was raised by my grandparents after my parents split up when I was 2. My grandfather was a lecturer in food science at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and often brought home students and even teachers from other countries for me to meet and talk to. Due to their shared interest in nutrition he met Magnus Pyke and brought him home for dinner once. I had seen him on TV and along with people like Patrick Moore he was one of my early heroes who made science fun and interesting. To actually meet and have dinner with Magnus in our home as a starstruck 5 year old is something I have never forgotten, and I am 60 now.

[@DerekScottBland]

Watching Dolby, Howard Jones, Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder do the "Synthesizer Showdown" at the 1985 Grammy Awards was a thing of beauty. Dolby and Hancock especially, were masters of the synthesizer at that time.

[@dreichert1438]

Yes! Herbie Hancock was the man

[@Cherokeelion]

I have to find a recording of that somewhere! I remember being a fan of all of them.

[@vinsgraphics]

And by that time, Vangelis has probably worn out two or three CS-80s, especially on “Blade Runner.” He was in London about the same time Dolby found his groove, gotta wonder if they ever met.

[@stevepowell6503]

Great memory for me as well.

[@aliwantizu]

Welp, I'm gonna hafta have the unpopular opinion and be the voice of dissent. When it was announced that this was gonna happen, I was SO excited that it was palpable. Then on Grammy night, and they kept pushing it and pumping it up and everything, I was nearly vibrating. Then they had their segment...and I dunno what I was expecting, or hoping for, or wanting exactly...but it certainly wasn't what we got. The Grammy's has had "mashups" many times and sometimes they have been incredible. This probably looked amazing on paper. But in execution...it was just...lackluster...boring...undefined...nonsensical...meandering...and ultimately I think it short changed ALL of them and just...were not the droids I was looking for to borrow a phrase. 😢

[@billrosmus6734]

The 'old guy' is actually Dr. Magnus Pyke, and he was part of an incredibly popular and important science TV program in the UK called "Don't Ask Me." He was one of the most popular and eccentric presenters, and his fame from this is certainly why he was added to this song and video. We used to get the show in Ontario Canada, and was one of the forerunners of popular science shows found anywhere now. And that is his absolutely real voice. Very little exaggeration.

[@voiceofraisin3778]

Mad as a badger but probably smarter than the other ten people in the room combined.

[@DaveF.]

@@voiceofraisin3778 Yup - had a cracking idea to turn the over supply of donated blood during ww2 into black pudding to be provided to pregnant women as a food supplement Ministry of Food declined to implement the idea.

[@JamesRedekop]

I grew up on Magnus Pyke and Don't Ask Me -- along with Professor Julius Sumner Miller on The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. Long before Bill Nye showed up on the scene.

[@CorwinPatrick]

"One of our Submarines" is hauntingly beautiful. I recommend it.

[@stfrodric]

I second this recommendation as the song really illustrates his sort of darker tones.

[@arthurwohlwill3837]

@@stfrodric I also recommend "I Love You Goodbye"

[@MattIon]

The entire album is a masterpiece.

[@MattIon]

Also, "Aliens Ate My Buick" is one of the greatest album titles ever (as well as a fantastic recording front-to-back)

[@mightyV444]

That's my favourite song of his 😍 I'd heard it for the first time only about a year ago via a great live version from 2012 (I think) a friend of mine had posted on fb, and I fell in love with it straight away 😍 And then I got the massive surprise of another friend telling me the original studio recording was already 40 years old!! 😳 🤯 😅 Anyway, I then subsequently checked out some more of his repertoire and heard several more great songs 😊 I admit the only two songs I'd known since 1984 (This one and 'Hyperactive') had never really been my cuppa 😅

[@moto814]

The brilliance of Thomas Dolby on full display. Howard Jones was another brilliant artist from the same time period. I think you'd like his music.

[@user-scott-pearce]

Since you reviewed this song I'm going to suggest Oingo Boingo - Weird Science

[@blakerbnsn]

Toss in Dead Man's Party and you have a deal!

[@rangerrecon]

You can't go wrong with Danny Elfman - his composer work post-Oingo Boingo is very impressive.

[@stevenward9992]

Nothing Bad Ever Happens to Me… Elfman is a genius and has scored more movies than anyone in the last 40 years.

[@geetha92533]

@@blakerbnsnyes! That is an amazing song.

[@tomslick986]

Big fan of Grey Matter myself, but all the above choices are great

[@CrustyRetiredMarine]

You know you’re one of the cool kids when someone just points their finger in the air and yells out “science!” and you get it.

[@blakerbnsn]

By far the most significant session relationship for Thomas in the early days was when he contributed the signature synthesizer sound on the track "Urgent" on Foreigner's 1981 album 4. On the same album he played the atmospheric synthesizer intro to the mega-hit "Waiting for a Girl Like You." The fees from this work, including tour dates, bankrolled the studio time for the recording of the 1980s benchmark album The Golden Age of Wireless from which his solo career began.

[@caupain66]

Cool!!!! That’s awesome thanks for sharing that!

[@bradarmstrong3952]

I'm from Rochester, where Lou Gramm grew up, and I did not know this. I love both of these artists, but never knew the connection -- what a story!

[@jeffreymayes907]

And before that, he was with Bruce Woolley's band The Camera Club whom released the fist version of Video Killed the Radio Star.

[@EveryBodyHz]

It's stories like this that put me on to going back and catching up on a discography by an artist(s) I've missed or passed over along the way. Making a note to listen to more Dolby! If i'm not mistaken it was also his work that contributed to the famous "Dolby-Atmos" (as some may know it) sound engineering/surround sound systems in place in home and theaters the world over, for decades now!

[@wendypeacock]

Oooh that’s a juicy factoid! I did not know this, I absolutely love that song too, soundtrack to my teenage years

[@robertkerr9738]

Ever since this song came out in the 80s it has made me deeply happy every time I have heard it. No idea why, but deeply happy!

[@stevenporter8740]

I for one am liking this widening of musical styles that are being looked at. The consultant in the video is Dr. Magnus Pyke (as on the door to his office), a real scientist and very popular in the UK during the seventies and eighties for his ability to explain difficult science in simple terms. He was also a very engaging and affable chap, slightly eccentric in some ways, but very very clever. I was lucky enough to attend one of his lectures in the eighties!

[@laurieemme1534]

Interesting background info - thanks! 🙂

[@guycampbell733]

And the rest of his life after this song people would yell "SCIENCE" at him in public

[@andyturner3056]

Magnus is my childhood. I always totally loved his eccentric approach. As for Thomas Dolby he's a creative synth legend to me. Golden age of Wireless is a regular play to this day. My favourite still is Windpower

[@doegywhail728]

He was like a Bill Nye character, but qualified 😉

[@Raceathome]

He was a nutty professor for sure

[@alanjhargreaves]

Thomas Dolby also sang the part of "The Schoolmaster" at "The Wall" concert in Berlin.

[@LM-ek2hb]

I worked on a project with Thomas and even had a few beers with him. He has a unique sound - that's for sure. For even better sound effects, I would consider "One of Our Submarines", "Windpower" and especially "Mulu the Rain Forest". Thomas has cellphone technology patents, university professor status, sponsored a computer game specifically for his fans, and so much more. And yet, he is completely approachable! Oh! ..and don't forget "Gate to the Mind's Eye" with Dr. Fiorella Terenzi.

[@auntiegravity7713]

I love One of Our Submarines! Also Hyperactive, NEO, and "I Scare Myself."

[@LM-ek2hb]

@@auntiegravity7713 I have to say though.. Astronauts and Heretics is probably my favorite. I think it's pretty underrated in his catalog 🙂 Thanks

[@treetopjones737]

He created some ringtones.

[@Daniel_Colavecchio]

I absolutely loved the album 'Aliens ate my Buick'. It was a great album to listen to and also useful to test audio systems.

[@LM-ek2hb]

@@treetopjones737 Beatnik, Inc. and Headspace, Inc. Were *far* more than ringtones.

[@jtabq6847]

I love your reaction and analysis of this. Your enthusiasm and joy over the songs you analyze can make my day. Anybody here want to see an analysis of Alan Parsons?

[@66falcon99]

Thomas Dolby is so under-celebrated. Great creator! A masterfully clever chap!

[@Robert_Herring]

You wonderful, beautiful nerd. This song will never leave your head now.

[@esteschris]

In addition to his music career, he's done movies and video games soundtracks. He developed the first polyphonic ringtone technology and holds a number of patents. He's also on the faculty at the Peabody Instiutute at Johns Hopkins.

[@flatebo1]

Dolby did the soundtrack for Howard the Duck and has a cameo as the bartender in the club Lea Thompson is playing at.

[@LadyIarConnacht]

Yeah, everybody was obsessed with Dolby Sound at that time, including, I guess, the artist that wrote this song. :)

[@GGSRailways]

I love your Channel so much , thank you for making everything so awesome , your presentation and perspective often make my whole day !

[@KarlRKaiser]

Dolby is one of the most underrated "pop" song writers. This was a very popular song when it came out but it type-cast Dolby as a writer of catchy songs when he has written many excellent more nuanced songs. He was a seminal figure in the rise of "techno-pop" in the early '80s and put together a diverse range of creative songs in various styles using interesting synthesized and found sounds, rich harmonies, and longer structures. Check out songs like the poignant "Budapest by Blimp", the melancholy "My Brain is Like a Sieve" and "One of our Submarines", the intense "Hyperactive", the funky "Hot Sauce", and the silly "Keys to Her Ferrari" and "Airhead". Dolby was also major figure in the launch of steam-punk. FYI, he is on tour NOW.

[@friki-tiki]

Thomas Dolby became a big steampunk artist. His office is awesome.

[@jerryward3311]

She's tidied up and I can't find anything. A lyric I still quote regularly.

[@metalmark1214]

As husbands, many of us fully understand this statement 😂

[@fordcottoniii8972]

HA - I always thought it was "she's tied me up and I can't find anything!" Doesn't make total sense, but it gives me a good laugh😂 One of my favorites from the 80s.

[@blakerbnsn]

And Antiquated Notions

[@tymj]

I thought she "tied it up" -- your version makes more sense!!

[@ericolson326]

​@@metalmark1214 If you never put anything away, you never have to find it again. 😁

[@CCDzine]

The song is called Poetry in Motion. The record label started printing with a more recognizable lyric to boost sales, effectively changing its name.

[@everyonelovesmajima]

I absolutely yell “SCIENCE!” when this song comes on in the store, usually right before I’m asked to leave.

[@LadyIarConnacht]

Back in the 80's me and my friends would just randomly yell "Science!" at each other.

[@jamesmountforge7523]

​@@LadyIarConnacht I still do it with my brother

[@fusiliers]

@@jamesmountforge7523 Me too! Also, "Good heavens Miss Sakamoto!" as an exclamation of surprise.

[@beerye3]

I always felt the song was more about the science behind attraction, not just literally science.

[@Lokisdottir1964]

Agreed. He says "it's poetry in motion, when she turns her eyes to me"

[@walterevans5658]

Ton of respect for Dolby. Look beyond his novelty hit, and he has some excellent music. A very creative, visionary artist. I doubt he'll blow you away just as a singer, but musically and artistically he is brilliant. Check out his album 'The Flat Earth.'

[@rangerrecon]

His album "Aliens Ate My Buick" was awesome. Plus his contributions the technology of audio recording/reproduction.

[@ashebanow]

Definitely his best work, but not as successful commercially iirc.

[@rogerdaly6326]

I absolutely love his cover of the Dan Hicks song "I Scare Myself". Also his "I Love You Goodbye"

[@mattinsley1721]

My Dolby fovorite as well.

[@dlvnmedia]

His session work alone and production work is just an amazing list. (Check all the synths on Pyromania by Def Lepperd) and Prefab Sprouts best work - such a talented gentlemen

[@mr.mertman5711]

The Charismatic Voice blinded me with science. I could see that on a t shirt!!!

[@macfilms9904]

Another great Dolby song is "Europa and the Pirate Twins" - that & "One of our submarines" are worth a listen.

[@rangerrecon]

Clearing of the throat as a percusive element is... Science!

[@AwakeSince1963]

Somewhere out in KZbin Land there's a video of Thomas Dolby discussing how he put the track together, piece by piece. I think it was a Grammy special, where he's up on a pedestal with his keyboards, surrounded by people, and he breaks it down into the different sounds (instrument and vocal) before presenting the entire track. For the life of me I can't seem to find it again, but when I DID get to see it, it was very insightful.

[@fujoshigal7578]

Definitely one of those iconic, fun 80s songs we loved from the early MTV days! Roughly 4 decades later, it amazes me how well-known it still is, even to people who weren't born when it came out. "She's tidied up, and I can't find anything!" is one of my favorite lines to this day. 😆 Your analysis of it is a delight as always. 💜

[@Phlakaton88]

I was obsessed with Thomas Dolby my whole childhood. I would have my hand hovering over the record button on my boom box waiting for the radio to play this.

[@ChrisLegner-qp1yh]

This takes the edge off of Monday. I had forgotten how much fun this one is.

[@markjthomson]

Golden age of wireless, such a good album. So many great tracks. Still a regular on my playlist.

[@linnightl9277]

Thomas Dolby is touring at the moment alongside a host of other British 80s iconic acts

[@jyesucevitz]

with a brand new full head of hair! he looks great.

[@leslieholland7843]

That must be so much fun!❤❤

[@bradarmstrong3952]

Thanks for this comment --- now I have tickets for the Toronto show!

[@MichaelG5500]

This brings back a lot of memories. I was in high school when this came out and one of my best friends brought his boom box (remember those?) to chemistry class and proceeded to play it to the teacher. Every time they said SCIENCE! He stopped it and pointed at the teacher. I couldn't help but crack up. Needless to say he was sent to the principals office! Love this song!

[@kristvoiles484]

That's hilarious! And yes, I do remember (and also owned) a couple of boom boxes back in the day! 🙃

[@danielvandersall6756]

Fantastic album--"One of our Submarines" and "Windpower" are real standouts. Atmospheric and beautiful.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

Always had a soft spot for Thomas Dolby. His best stuff is on the albums BETWEEN the singles.

[@m.cigledy6769]

I Love You Goodbye from the Astronauts and Heretics album is one of the best equalized, produced, and mixed recordings I have ever heard. I love the song.

[@PittDaddy]

The song this brings to mind is Rock Me, Amadeus by Falco. I know Elizabeth would love that one. This needs to be the opening music to the Will Ramos videos when you get to Netflix.

[@michiel8600]

Rock me Amadeus, is excellent, but for me it is laboratory music. During the 80s and 90s that kind of music started bit by bit poisoning the art that music originally is: a transfer of human frequencies in front of a public.

[@PittDaddy]

@@michiel8600 I was thinking more about the spoof on Mozart and the tie-in to Elizabeth's opera background. We all know if Amadeus were alive today, he would be working with metal and electronic sounds.

[@chrisofnottingham]

Thomas Dolby is one of those guys who had several quirky mainstream hits that everyone remembers followed by a whole serious career that largely flew under the media radar

[@loriethayermorse162]

The 80's were totally rad!! I'm so excited you got to finally hear this song and see the original video! My GenX/MTV heart is bursting! ❤😊🤘🏻

[@matthewwisner2153]

This is one of my favorite songs as all time. 😆

[@ivorytowers3211]

This is a great Thomas Dolby song/ production. I'd have recommended Hyperactive! more however, as it has the additional vocal acrobatics of Adele Bertei, who didn't get the recognition she deserved.

[@eggy1962]

Her song with Jellybean was damn good….just a mirage….i think

[@craigroberts5965]

Yes! Hyperactive! is excellent. I'm surprised more commentors haven't recommended it.

[@gradypatterson1948]

So many good songs from Mr Dolby - ranging from the haunting ("One Of Our Submarines", "Budapest By Blimp"), to the nostalgic ("Europa and the Pirate Twins"), to the frenetic ("Hyperactive" - a fun duet), to social commentary ("Airhead", "Pulp Culture"), and even a cover of funkmeister George Clinton's "Hot Sauce"! ... And that's not even getting to the deep cuts!

[@martinlisk9913]

Dolby, Herbie Hancock and Howard Jones at the 80s Grammys doing a synth off was EPIC

[@optimoprimus4608]

I knew this was gonna be a fun reaction video. I still remember the first time hearing this song. Salud 🍻 🤘

[@KaaSerpent]

This is...very possibly my favorite music video of all time. I'm nearly giddy watching you enjoy it as much now I did 40 years ago. :)

[@sergioominetti8516]

Thomas Dolby... What a genius...

[@chrismaverick9828]

There's a video in which Dolby is performing before an awards ceremony for his being something of a pioneer in synth-pop music. He explains virtually all of how he arrived at the sounds he did, the samples, contacting Dr Pyke, the whole works. It's a fascinating look into how a virtual nobody snags a massive hit back in the day when that really was possible, and even almost common.

[@mikeegli4441]

That was from when he was put into the Roland synthesizer hall of fame

[@micheinnz]

How wonderful to see Dr Pyke bringing joy so many years after he went off to the next great mystery.

[@seamusburke639]

Watching Dolby perform this live nowadays is a trip. Everything's run through samplers and drum machines he triggers live onstage by himself.

[@iankeldin3249]

Wow! Your callback to Rock Lobster was spot on.

[@Berndaddie]

Thomas's first LP was mind blowing when it came out. You have to imagine that most of those sounds weren't being replicated by synths at that time. His whole production style was so innovative and fresh. Today it so"by the way ", not back then. Thx Elizabeth for bringing me back to the day, ha. Side note: I once sang on a bill with throat singers and asked where in the throat they made those sounds. He took my hand and put it on his neck to show where it came from and then he sang to show where it didn't come from. The neat thing is as they vibrate the skin flaps for the droning they harmonizing with whistles and resonant mouth harmonics. Producing triads. Amazing!

[@Tarkus_]

That was a lot of fun! This was one of the most iconic videos of the MTV era. Such a wonderful match of video and song. Absolutely brilliant.

[@danhurley2274]

Thanx for such a great reaction/analysis of She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby. Such a fun time. I still love to here this great track today. I got to see Thomas Dolby live a few years back and it was a very cool and incredible show.

[@zaraak323i]

I'm an absolute metal head, but I've loved Thomas Dolby ever since hearing The Golden Age of Wireless. One of my favorite songs of his is the cover he did of I Scare Myself on The Flat Earth. Absolutely intimate vocal performance, and for me, the trombone solo pushes over the edge.

[@white_wolf2112]

Thomas Dolby is a guilty pleasure to this metal head. My favourite song is probably the absolutely ethereal "Budapest by Blimp".

[@rennkafer13]

Miss Sakamoto (Akiko Yano) isn't dead yet...

[@white_wolf2112]

Yup, wrong Sakamoto. A quick search and I found the post Dolby made about his friend Ryuichi Sakamoto passing away... oops.

[@kellyhoward6941]

I absolutely love that song! Been one of my favorites since the album came out.

[@rdrrr]

Feel like there's an interesting crossover between atmospheric, doomy metal and coldwave/darkwave. Ulver started out as a black metal band and then evolved in a very interesting direction... love "The Assassination of Julius Caesar." Also a big fan of Primordial's "To the Nameless Dead". Scratches the same itch.

[@kellyhoward6941]

@@rdrrr time to do some YT research; sounds like some interesting music. Thanks in advance; I love to discover new music/artists.

[@reliantncc1864]

This may be my favorite reaction you've done. I love it! I know you've got plenty of intellectual analysis to give us, but the instant reactions are so fun.

[@Really-hx7rl]

What your hearing is a Fairlight Sampler (back then a house was cheaper to buy than Fairlight!) as Roger was one if not the first to really use samples and paved the the way for bands like The Art Of Noise etc. Roger was and is a pioneer of electronic music and he's still performing. Most of that if not all wasn't actually done in post it was done by the sampler and Roger playing it through its keyboard (with assigned keys) and with other synths like the Jupiter 8. For its time it really was a very special piece of kit.

[@francisseidel8014]

Geoff Downes used two Fairlights CMI (more later) on the first Asia tour among more than 20 other keyboards/organs/electric pianos on a scaffolding at the back of the stage. Later tours, he dropped most of the other keys and used mostly Fairlights. Can't imagine the money spent...

[@countzero1136]

Did you know that you can now have a Fairlight on your own computer in the form of QasarBeach - a free Fairlight Emulator, developed in part by the original designers of the Fairlight, for multiple platforms including Windows and Linux that has MIDI capability and authentically recreates the Fairlight system in software - right down to the classic UI... I've actually used this a couple of times in a live setting but just like the original Fairlight, it's best suited to studio work of course

[@robertgorney9408]

What a wonderful look at a great and quirky song! Thomas Dolby is touring for the first time I can remember since the late 90's. I so wish I was going to see him.

[@ajmell7]

This should be fun. And I'll take this opportunity to once again lobby for "Spellbound" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. A lot of singers from the post-punk era have idiosyncratic voices that aren't necessarily "good" in the technical sense, but Siouxsie had serious pipes. I think you'll find it a rewarding listen.

[@camannwordsmith]

If there has been lobbying once, there doesn't need to be lobbying again. She heard you. She'll do it or she won't. Harassing creators is not a way to make anything good happen. Please consider not doing that.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

@@camannwordsmith On the other hand, most reactors who don't exclusively do Patreon play-for-pay type content choose what they react to based on what gets the most mentions or traction in their comments and/or chats. So, if you want someone like Elizabeth to react to a song, you might need to bring it up multiple times over many videos bc maybe your comment disappeared deep into the comment pile before enough other people saw it, liked it, etc. for her to actually be aware it's there. I guarantee you she's not reading tens of thousands of comments on every video she puts out and making a list of every song ever mentioned in every comment with few-to-no likes. If you want to get heard, you need to keep trying until enough other people boost your comment that she (or whoever makes her lists) sees it. If you NEVER get enough traction to get your comment seen and your song listed, fair enough, but it doesn't hurt anyone to keep trying. Also, and probably more importantly: The KZbin algorithm rewards engagement. That means that the more comments Elizabeth's videos get, the more they get served to people as recommendations. If everybody followed your advice, she would have far less engagement with her videos, they'd be recommended less, she'd get fewer new viewers, etc. So, while I get that you're trying to white-knight for Elizabeth for some reason (not your job, btw), your advice is actually counterproductive and misunderstands how KZbin works. It would actually be better if every one of her viewers repeatedly requested their favorite songs because more comments = more engagement, which then leads to her channel being put in front of even more people, which leads to even more viewers for her channel. What you're suggesting would be like telling someone to stop writing and publishing reviews of their favorite dish from a local restaurant because you feel like it's enough that they told their one friend about it once and them repeatedly helping promote the restaurant publicly is overkill. I'll assume you're well-intentioned but this is a case where your instincts are wrong and maybe you're the person who should consider "not doing that." Also, Elizabeth is an adult and already has a husband so, y'know, you don't really need to be gatekeeping her comment section. She's not going to ride off with you into the sunset, regardless of how many of her viewers you tell to stop commenting on her videos.

[@joerosenman3480]

I also agree this is an interesting choice. Not the top of my personal list but I imagine we all have those. With Siouxsie, you’re kind of spoiled for choice. And material. After all, what other “pop group” writes a song about bed bugs-from the POV of the bug!

[@queenbat]

yes please!

[@johnqsmartypants]

I’m just catching up after a busy time at work. Thank you Elizabeth for taking me back to my childhood. Great stuff.

[@kevinflynn4519]

I first saw Thomas playing keys for Lena Lovich ,who he wrote songs like "New Toy" for, and solo, which was probably one of the best shows I have ever seen. He was a big influence on my buddy Anthony J. Resta, who produced people like Nuno Bettencort, Duran Duran, Collective Soul...and many more.

[@treetopjones737]

Early Duran was inspired by Japan.

[@madnessontheisland]

Had the honor of opening for Thomas Dolby a long time ago in LA. He performed alone with a stage full of keyboards and it was amazing. He's a hell of a nice guy too.

[@dust4magnet]

Electronic pop bubbled up into the mainstream at this time, and it became a big wave with bands like Depeche Mode. If you want to delve into an immediate antecedent of the genre, check out Gary Numan's "Cars." Numan's alienated vocals are brilliant and compelling,. He was an essential influence on NIN. In fact, Numan appeared in an NIN concert, and treated like a god.

[@daviddeath6029]

Numan is the most important but underrated artist of the last fifty years. He influenced everything including Africa bambatta and Depeche mode etc. But don't do cars everykne does it then they ignore his vast output. Try are friends electric? Or down in the park or maybe complex or metal for starters.

[@seeslee6303]

This is a great one, Red. This seems like an absolutely genuine reaction. Thomas Dolby is a very important musician. Thank you.

[@gunrunner35]

Such and incredibly fun song and your reactions are priceless!

[@joergojschaefer3521]

In my opinion, it doesn't get more 80s than this video 🥳 #letsgettoitwithelizabethandlotsofmusicscience 😁

[@Memu_]

I don't think that hashtag is going to catch on my guy

[@jeffclark4870]

My brother and I like science as well. We have been saying "SCIENCE" as a running joke for 40 plus years now. This song is fantastic!!! SCIENCE

[@samtheman1957]

I think Elizabeth's reaction to the pitch bend is pretty much Universal. Back in the day, Radio and MTV started playing a lot of "New Wave" pop synth bands: Thomas Dolby, Flock Of Seagulls, and Gary Numan, it sounded very alien then as well.

[@davidkaiser3105]

Lizzie, Lizzie! Please review Flock of Seagulls' "Space Age Love Song!!!" I'm far from the only Gen Xer for whom this song made us fall in LOVE with synth rock and epitomized New Wave music. Great vocals by Mike Score. A shimmering wall of sound. Growling synthesizers. This was the 80s.

[@Beachdudeca]

Loved Thomas Dolby and the varied ways he presented stories

[@fractaljack210]

His catalog is deep and worth a listen. I remember when this came out out: it was inescapable.

[@RobinFaichney]

Love how in this video Elizabeth is so enthusiastic her level of personal animation approaches that of Magnus Pyke... 😆

[@blakerbnsn]

I remember hearing this song on MTV back when it 1st came out! My brother's nickname is Dolby because of this artist. There was no better keyboardist in the early 80s than Thomas.

[@moranjackson7662]

I'm surprised and delighted to find this song here! It is so good to see how much you are having whatching this!

[@NanjiGaming]

Wonderful episode, love the analysis as well as the pure enjoyment you have for music. Great video to start the week on!

[@martianhalo]

The scene with the viola/cello painted on the woman's back is a reference to surrealist photographer Man Ray's piece "Le Violon D'Ingres".

[@doguecreek]

I was scrolling comments to see if anyone mentioned this!

[@stephentaylor9630]

Great reaction Elizabeth! I'm confident that you'll love another Thomas Dolby's song - "Europa and the Pirate Twins." Please give it a listen.

[@JeffCappelletti]

Thomas Dolby played keyboards on Def Lepard's Pyromania album. Thomas also played keyboards on Foreigner's four album . The highlight sound from the album was the opening sound from Waiting For A Girl Like You. Thomas played that sound. With the money he got from doing session work he bought some synthesizers and recorded his first studio album. Thomas just recently put out a novel book

[@jeffkemp6689]

Thomas Dolby started building synthesizers in his erarly years and used what he created... Nerdy in his youth, and cool.

[@cybervigilante]

I liked the part where the scientist was peering at the ground with a telescope. Great metaphor - this thing is sooooo clever.

[@larsfrosznielsen3536]

"My" scientific nerdy gurl, I have always loved this song and I'm so thrilled that you finally heard it. The vocoder voice is so simple but soooo effectful and the ~~~ is made with the modulation wheel on the vocoder (just that you know....science...) Thanks for a great reaction video

[@kavimontanaro7976]

Terrific analysis!!! I love Thomas Dolby and he is rightly given lots of credit for his technical innovations and all the Fairlight stuff, but he is also a powerful and soulful singer. The humanity he brings with his voice rounds out the synthpop sound and for me makes it timeless, despite being also so specifically important to the new wave era. I saw a concert which was himself, his laptop, and three horn players, which was a peak musical experience! He is currently on the faculty at the Peabody Conservatory, teaching new media stuff, which I find impressive because I doubt he needs the money.

[@primitiverock]

I was more delighted with your reactions to the song than anything else. 😊. Thomas Dolby is a Genius.

[@klewis2048]

Thomas Dolby is best known as a music producer, and he worked around this time with one of my favourite bands, Prefab Sprout, featuring the singing of the wonderful Paddy Macaloon, supported by the clarity and purity of Wendy Smith's voice. You'd probably know "King of Rock and Roll" in the US, but "When Love Breaks Down" and "Johnny Johnny (Goodbye Lucille #1)" are among my favourite pieces, all produced by Dolby.

[@classicrockbeagle]

Living in Buffalo, I got to watch Toronto TV growing up. There was a show on TV in the 1970s called Don't Ask Me. Magnus Pike was the science guy on the show. Think an old British version of Bill Nye wearing a tweed coat

[@joegillam1497]

Magnus Pyke presented various children's science programmes back in the 70s/80s. Absolute legend to Brits of a certain age!

[@MrElapid]

Dolby played with Bowie at Live Aid in '85. "Heroes" was fantastic.

[@aussiebloke609]

"She blinded me with science!" - a meme from before the term "meme" had been coined.

[@RyanEglitis]

Not to mention predating the "square hole" meme

[@tonyjolley832]

Not to be "that guy", but the term "meme" was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene"