Kissing With Confidence
by Chris Hardwick on December 1, 2009
The brain is weird. When I popped out of bed this morning it spit up this song into my mind that I forgot ever existed.
“Kissing With Confidence” was a decently sized hit for Will Powers back in 1983 and I remember MTV playing the crap out of it. Lovers of adult contemporary rock might also recognize Carly Simon’s handsome voice crooning away in it.
Upon further wiki-inspection, I discovered a fascinating story: “Will Powers” was actually a super-famous rock photographer named Lynn Goldsmith. In the early 80s she decided to make a comedy self-help album to satirize the Regan-era positive-thinking program boom (which I believe is still booming). The album was called “Dancing For Mental Health” and her voice was vocorded for the tracks, which were all in the same style as “Kissing.”
If you happen to be a self-helper, make sure to check out her video for “Adventures In Success” to enjoy how little affirmation has changed. It is also notable to point out that this was the first music video to use 3-D CGI. THE FIRST!!! These videos don’t just capture the zeitgeist of the 80s, the ARE the 80s. So much so that you’d almost think they were made today in an attempt to be “hipster ironic.”
I salute Ms. Goldsmith for being a pioneer in the fields of technology, photography and 80s satire.
Acquire “Dancing For Mental Health” on iTunes.
Wow. I feel like a kid again. Thanks for bringing back my childhood with these craptastically-amazing videos. And, what has happened to Carly Simon? Last I heard of her, she almost didn’t let Trent Reznor use some of her lyrics on “Starfuckers Inc.” 10 years ago. Ahhh…I hope her smile is just as gigantic as it used to be.
Holy god. We have this (AND Adventures In Success) on an old Al TV tape somewhere.
Why is Will Powers on the internet but I can’t find the old Very Merry Christmas Parade at Disneyland commercial ANYWHERE?
nice one! I love Powers’ “Adventures In Success” ESPECIALLY the dub version…killer 80′s grooves!
here’s the dub version, sans vocals:
How is it I completely missed this song way back then?