Hey join us each morning at 7:10 for all the fun and frivolity that is I KNOW THAT SONG!
Today's song went to number 1 in 1986 by a girl group that was discovered by Prince, who gave them another one of their biggest hits.
The songwriter for today's song got the idea when he was on a ferry boat and saw people struggling to keep their balance. The way they held out their arms and jerked around made it look like they were doing Egyptian movements, and if the boat moved suddenly, they would all topple over.The biggest hit for this band, the song gave them a new level of notoriety, but not the kind they wanted. The band didn't think it would get released as a single because it was "too weird." It shot to #1 and became a sensation, but the group's rock pedigree took a hit. Suddenly they were known for this quasi-novelty song instead of their own more serious rock compositions.
The band didn't have a problem with the song itself, but when it made them famous it also made them miserable - they were burned out and their friendships fractured. The hits kept coming ("Eternal Flame," "In Your Room") until they couldn't do it anymore; they broke up in 1989 at the peak of their powers. They have since reunited.
We're off to Walk Like an Egyptian now. Peace!
K103 Mornings With Stacey & Mike