I was driving home from work around midnight last night. I was checking out Amman’s various radio stations when I hit upon Ahlen FM who were playing a familiar tune that I haven’t heard in over 15 years or so. The song was familiar but it was not by the same performer. My radio LCD screen said “Zucchero, Wonderful Life”. It all came back to me: Wonderful Life by Black.
In ‘86/’87, Black had a string of hits. The singer behind the band then sort of disappeared. Black was not exactly a one hit wonder but simply did not stay in the spotlight as the 90’s opened.
For someone like me who grew up with a couple of close friends who largely were into electronic music/synthpop, Black was on the edge of our musical interest. There was saxophone in his songs for goodness sake! Maybe the name ‘Black’ appealed to us. Being in a slightly dark and depressed mood was our idea of ‘cool’ back then 
Thinking back to that time brings up images of a world that consisted of Shmeisani’s EMC music store (a tape shop tucked away inside a building near Kentucky Fried Chicken), being at a friend’s home playing with Sinclair, then Amiga computers or watching rented video tapes, very seriously trying to compose music with rather primitive music synthesizers, waiting for the bus in the morning to go to school in Jabal Al Hussein and the occasional outing at Chilli House.
I usually don’t look back much. But music is a potent reminder of a time long gone by.
At a time when work, family, life, media seem to flooded me and my friends with obligations, distractions and stresses, listening, by chance, to a song from the time my personality started taking shape has an interesting effect. It is not exactly nostalgia but maybe an brief moment of re-centering.
Here is the original Black song, followed by Zucchero’s new version.
Black
Zucchero
Comments
7 responses to “1980’s revisited: Wonderful Life”
I went through a very similar experience with the same song recently; I was listening to a cd I borrowed from a friend and the Zucchero version of ‘Wonderful Life’ started, it brought back a flood of memories and reminded me how much I loved the song.
Been listening to it a lot these past days too.
Thanks for a trip back to the 80s that put a huge smile on my face, and what a wonderful way to start the day. Haven’t heard it in ages, and now won’t get it out of my head – and that’s a good thing! I like the Zucchero version.
Have a wonderful day
you see the “MTV Classic” tag on the top-left, so i guess its just that; a classic
i actually have so many songs that has the same effect on me. its a universal thing i believe, you just never know which song or when that nostalgic feeling hits
i can totally relate to that feeling. i wish i could say something like ‘it takes me back to the 80s’ (because contrary to popular belief, i do NOT think that everything that came out of the 80s was THAT bad). but yeah, i’m a 90’s child (unfortunately), and the songs that take me back to that time are actually songs from wayyyy back… stuff like dust in the wind by kansas… the classics always have that effect and i guess that’s precisely why they become ‘classics’…music is a language that communicates in ways that even language itself wouldn’t be able to communicate.
No need to run
Here I go out to sea again
The sunshine fills my hair
And dreams hang in the air
Gulls in the sky and my blue eyes
You know it feels unfair
There’s magic everywhere
(CHORUS)
Look at me standing
Here on my own again
Up straight in the sunshine
No need to run and hide
It’s a wonderful, wonderful life
No need to laugh and cry
It’s a wonderful, wonderful life
Sun’s in your eyes
Heat is in you hear
They seem to hate you
Because you’re there
And I need a friend
Oh I need a friend to make me happy
I stand here on my own
CHORUS
It’s wonderful
To make me happy
Not so alone
CHORUS
🙂
RDS just rocks, aint it
I am making a documentary about memories of growing up in Amman in the 70’s and 80’s. I would like to meet with those of you who are interested in contributing some key moments of your lives during the latter years to try and capture those very interesting and unique years in Amman. Could be funny memories, nostalgic or anything that has some particular significance to Jordan during those years. Please be brave and come forward! I am a professional Documentary-Maker and would like to do this project in a professional way with a specific style that people who lived those years would feel good about. Anyone interested in coming forward? Even if just a chat? Your ideas and contribution are valuable no matter how small or dramatic your memories are.
Regards,
Majida Maggie Kabariti (Born 1972).