Graduating Class of 1985
The Times
1985 students returned to campus with a rude awakening. On July 17, 1984, just one month before, Ronald Reagan signed into law the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, moving up the drinking age from 19 to 21 in New York State (in 1982 the drinking age in New York went from 18 to 19). Except for seniors, the rest of the student body could no longer drink legally. Well that must have distressed the owners of the Dark Horse!!
On November 6, 1984, incumbent Ronald Reagan and his Vice President, George H. W. Bush were elected in a landslide victory carrying 49 of 50 states winning a second term and beating Walter Mondale and his running-mate, Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run for Vice President.
With African famine concerns reaching a tipping point, Boomtown Rats front man, Bob Geldof needed to do something, so he put together a supergroup called “Band Aid” made up of 40 UK musicians to combat famine in Ethiopia. Recording “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” the future hit single featured Sting, Phil Collins, Duran Duran, George Michael, U2, and Boy George (who caught a Concorde from the USA to get to London.) The recording studio donated their time but gave the group only 24 hours to record and mix the song. Geldof intended for every penny to go to the cause and had to publicly stand up to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who refused to waive the VAT tax. In the end the British government waved the tax and because of that, the single, released on December 3rd, 1984, shot up to Number 1, selling over 3 million copies in just 5 weeks!
Following the success of Band Aid, Harry Belafonte – inspired by the late Harry Chapin’s legacy of battling world hunger – had a similar idea and put together a charity called USA for Africa. Produced by Quincy Jones, the song was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. “We Are The World” was recorded overnight at A&M Studios in Los Angeles on January 28th, 1985, and timed perfectly to shuttle the 46 superstars to the recording studio following the American Music Awards. How do you get Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Daryl Hall, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and many other major artists in one room to play and sing quickly together? Leave it to Quincy Jones who put a sign at the entrance: “Leave Your Egos At The Door!” In less than one month, “We Are The World” sold more than 7 million copies and raised $63 million for USA For Africa.
The music in 1985 continued as a tale of two music genres. With the launch of VH1 as the “older” sister of MTV, videos were mostly classic rock from Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, Phil Collins, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner. MTV focused more on the videos of flashier artists like Wham! Madonna and Prince along with British synth-pop imports like Duran Duran, Eurythmics and Tears for Fears who dominated MTV with a more highly stylized glamourous image.
Notable Events
- “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” (right click on the link) – Band Aid – Recorded November 25th, 1984 and Released December 3rd, 1984 – Sarm West Studios, Notting Hill, London
- “We Are The World” – USA For Africa – Recorded January 28th, 1985, Released March 7th, 1985 – A&M Studios, Los Angeles
CONCERTS THAT CAME TO CORTLAND 1984-1985
JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND
The Beaver Brown Band got their start in the early 1970s in Narragansett, Rhode Island which at the time, had a similar vibe to Asbury Park. In fact, the interesting thing about that connection is that John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band sounded alarmingly similar to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band! Just in time for their performance at Cortland’s 1985 Spring Weekend, the band was coming off of their first major hit the year before with “On The Dark Side” from the HBO hit movie “Eddie & the Cruisers.” The band is still on the road and over their career, has written and recorded 35 songs for major motion pictures like “Rocky IV.”
Songs played in concert in 1985
“On The Dark Side”
“Wild Summer Nights”
“Tender Years”
“Tough All Over”
GARY U.S. BONDS
Known for both rhythm and blues and rock ‘n roll, Gary U. S. Bonds transcended the decades with his hits. Beginning in the early 1960s he actually headlined in Europe above the Beatles. Fast forward almost 20 years and a chance meeting with Bruce Springsteen and Little Stevie Van Zandt that would rekindle Bond’s career. The collaboration produced the album Dedication in 1981 calling it one of the most successful comeback albums in rock and roll history. Gary U.S. Bond’s party song “Quarter To Three” is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll!
Songs played in concert in 1985
“Quarter To Three”
“New Orleans”
“This Little Girl”
ATLAS LINEN COMPANY
Coming out of Syracuse University in 1981, Atlas Linen Company (now Atlas) is a 9-piece, horn-driven dance band specializing in Funk, Soul and R&B.
MARGARET LANG TAN
Margaret Lang Tan is a classical pianist born in Singapore. An unconventional classical artist, she is known for playing her toy piano and other unique instruments like toy drums, soy sauce dishes and cat food cans. In 1971, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate in Music Arts from Julliard.
FU HSING CHINESE OPERA TROUPE – LYCEUM
This troupe of 30 players and mostly graduates from the Traditional Chinese Opera, had to go through a minimum of 6 years of training from the Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts Academy in Taiwan. They brought their unique cultural performances to Cortland with vocal music, dancing, acting and acrobatics wearing masklike makeup and opulent costumes. Their schooling was compared to the TV Show “Fame” and the High School of Performing Arts.
BETSY ROSE
California community activist Betsy Rose is a singer/songwriter who writes and performs folk songs that often deal with social action and protest.