“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!
Earlier this week, I featured the classic 1981 debut album from The Producers on a “Lost Boys” entry. I also promised that I would post the band’s 1982 follow-up later this week, and here it is! Based on the number of views that Monday’s blog received, I am about to make many of my readers very happy. You all have tremendous taste, by the way!
Overall, I think The Producers is a better record than You Make The Heat– but only by a smidge. However, there’s no denying the fact that “She Sheila” may just be THE ultimate ’80s song. It’s perfect in every single solitary way, and the video even manages to feature both a keytar AND pink pants! It’s been 32 years since “She Sheila” was released, and it still gives me a huge adrenaline rush every time I hear it…
Sadly, The Producers were dropped by Portrait Records after the release of You Make The Heat. They did make another independent album in 1985 entitled Run For Your Life, and I own that one only on vinyl. I’ll get to work on a new 320 kbps rip of that one for you, and I promise to feature it on another “Lost Boys” post in the very near future!
The Producers: You Make The Heat
Portrait Records, 1982
1. “Back To Basics” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson)
2. “She Sheila” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
3. “Operation” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
4. “Dear John” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
5. “Breakaway” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
6. “You Make The Heat” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
7. “Merry Go Round” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
8. “Chinatown” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous)
9. “Domino” (Van Temple/Kyle Henderson/Wayne Famous/Bryan Holmes)
The Analog Kid 
Hard to argue that ‘She Sheila’ isn’t the canonical 80s song. I’ve always loved that song. The Producers played one year at the annual downtown musical festival in the Tennessee town where I grew up. They were great, and the crowd loved them. The audience ERUPTED when the first few Keytar notes were played.