This STRANGE 1982 Classic is SHROUDED in Mystery…So What the Hell Does it Mean? | Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 29 жов 2023
- Coming up, it’s a musical genius who was in the room for some of the biggest chapters in rock history: Alan Parsons. He was with Pink Floyd on their landmark album The Dark Side of the Moon and the Beatles on several of their masterworks including Abby Road. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. But you know what? This prodigy wrote a mind-blowing chapter of his own. Masterminding an unprecedented rock experiment, he not only gave us some of the most thought-provoking albums of the 70s and 80s but also one of the era’s most iconic tracks… Eye in the Sky a song that has provoked a lot of speculation about its meaning. Is it about Big Brother? A dystopian future? Gambling? Or maybe it’s a break-up song… Plus, get the story of the copycat song that has been called a nothing more than “lazy rip-off” of this epic track we get the story straight form the genius himself NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. if you remember shrinky dinks and colorforms from your favorite movies and tv shows you’ll love this channel of musical nostalgia… make sure to subscribe below right now. I promise that you are going to love this channel. We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. There you’ll find an additional catalog of exclusive content and you can even become an honorary producer to help us curate this music history.
So, it’s time for another edition of #1 in Our Hearts. This show honors songs that were so unbelievably great, they absolutely should've been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. But for whatever reason, be it radio play, lack of marketing, label support, or just sheer stupidity, the song came up short. Today we’re giving the much-earned #1 spot to The Alan Parsons Project and their 1982 hit Eye in the Sky.
By the late 60s, a teenage Alan Parsons had already tried his hand as a folk-blues acoustic player and as a lead guitarist with a blues band called ‘The Earth’. Alan would later describe himself as “just another guitar player trying to sound like Eric Clapton,” but the London-born musician's career path would take a turn into an entirely new direction in 1967. At just 18 years old Parsons landed a job in the tape duplication department at EMI Records. While there he heard the master tape of the Beatles’ 1967 album, ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.’ It was as if lightning had struck. Hearing Sgt. Pepper’s made him realize how desperately he needed to talk his way into a job at EMI Recording Studios on Abbey Road.
The road to Abbey Road proved to be more important than trying to push through as a struggling musician. And Parson’s determination paid off when he landed a job at the iconic studio that same year. Working as an assistant recording engineer, and under George Martin’s guidance, Parsons was present for the Beatles' final two historic albums: Abbey Road and Let It Be. Alan was also on-site for the Fab Four’s final rooftop concert… there to make sure nothing broke. If you look closely, you can catch him in Peter Jackson’s documentary, The Beatles: Get Back. Said Parsons of his early experiences at Abbey Road, “I was just an assistant who made tea and pushed buttons. But I did get to watch - Розваги
Poll: What is your pick for the MOST AMAZING album cover of the rock era?
Boston, Journey and Asia have great album covers..... Evolution, Don't Look Back and any of the Asia albums really.
Eloy - Colours is a cool one. Many of the ones by YES too
4 Out of 5 Doctors - self-titled debut. lol
I'll be bias and nominate that of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
I'll also nominate that of Rush's 2112.
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Eye In the Sky was my sister's favorite song. She asked for it to be played at her memorial service and of course we did. I think of her everyday still, 21 years later. Thanks for posting this about Alan Parsons Project! Their music was fairly deep.
Thanks for sharing that. Peace to you!
Condolences...........😢😢
It’s my wife’s favourite, considering she doesn’t like rock music
I get the idea that she wanted to convey that she'll always be watching over you and for you to find comfort in that....
Sorry for your loss.
I am Argentinean. In 1982 Argentina was at war with England, and music that was in English was banned from the radio. However, I had this album on tape. I was already a big fan of The Alan Parsons Project. I will never forget I took this tape on a camping trip organized by my Catholic school, and some kid stole it. I was devastated!. I hope that big eye in the sky is still haunting that bad boy's dreams
I love that you are still holding a grudge 40 years later.
@@stevewhite7084I didn’t get that impression!
If you get to read this, only our government's hated each other.
I was 10years old in 82, the UK population had no issues with Argentina.
If government went to war to fight out their differences, there would be no war .........👍
In 82 we still ate your beef 🙂
Least you could have had Julio Iglesias. Best voice in tbe world mmm
@@sheronasims6783 haha a 12 year old listening to Julio Iglesias? I don't think so. I remember, the year prior the whole class was split between The Police and Queen while I listened to Stars on 45.
"Eye in the Sky" is still one of my favorite songs from the 80's. Their hits "Time" and "Don't Answer Me" are just as good. "Time" is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs of all time.
"Games people play" is also shorted as an AWESOME HIT!!! So many people underestimate Alan Parsons' Project! It is really sad they don't get the recognition they deserve!
I agree with you about "Time" - I sometimes sat in my dorm late at night and played it over and over.
I like those APP tunes, but, for some reason, my favorite is funky- I Wouldn't Want to be Like You.
Turn of a friendly card.
@@larryclemens1850
Awesome album and song! I think my favorite is "Eve" though.
Some of the best advice I ever received from a lyrical genius.....
"Don't say words you're gonna regret. Don't let the fire rush to your head." -- Eric Woolfson
Prophetic words that will always stand
Great! I also have a good advice " FORGET ABOUT YOUR LOSES BUT EXAGGERATE YOUR WINS" - Jackson Browne from the road song
The first album I have heard from AP was "I Robot". Bought every album he came out with, up to today. Funny story, I belonged to an Alan Parsons Fan Club. Back then you could write to get back stage passes for one of his concerts through this fan club. Myself and two others went to his concert, but purchased lawn tickets. It was raining so two other friends did not show up. We were getting wet. After a while these two people who had extra tickets to the covered seats came up to us and offered them to us for a nominal amount. I whispered to one friend that we should give them the extra backstage passes. They were shocked, especially thinking if we had these passes we were probably VIPs. So what were we doing in the cheap seats? Alan was so nice and signed the CDs we brought. I am sure that couple tells that story until today. :)
Good karma on them!!!
I was a member of an on line fan club called The Avenue run by a Canadian. Was that the same one? A member from Portugal sent me CD copies of the Woolfson musicals post APP.
Was the fan club open to everyone?
I wouldn't want to be like you.
(I know, but I couldn't resist).
As a sci-fi fan, I was attracted to that album as well as Tales of Mystery and Imagination. When I was a kid, my dad had them and I would listen to them any chance I got.
The song means a lot for me. I lost my dad when I was 3 years old and this song was played on his funeral cause he was a big Alan Parsons fan.
After more than 20 years this song means something like he’s watching me from above, looking at me, reading my mind. And I love those thoughts.
Wonderful song!
To me, Old And Wise is probably the most melancholy, heartbreaking song I’ve ever heard. Especially as I have gotten older.
The saxophone segment of the song just kills me.
I well remember listening to that song over and over when I was 16. So haunting. I would always think to myself "geez, one day many years from now I'm going to listen to this and remember being 16". As things go and musical tastes evolve I rarely listened to Alan Parsons over the next 40 years. Raised two children, had both of my parents pass away. Life. And then one night during the pandemic I randomly decided to throw on the album. As soon as Old And Wise came on it sent shivers down my spine. Hit me like seeing a ghost, or talking to an old friend you hadn't seen for decades. Took me back instantly to those days lying in my bedroom as a kid listening to that album with my first pair of headphones. Probably sounds stupid but the tears started streaming down my face out of nowhere. Just such a gorgeous, deeply meaningful piece of music.
Played this for my best friend right after I got it. Said he had never heard of Alan Parsons. In a few weeks he knew all about him. That was a long time ago. Wish he was here
@@WildBarfManYeah, there are thoughts that come to mind listening to this song all these years later, about the importance that lifelong best friends have held in your life, right? At 57, I've already lost a few, including my step-Dad who was the best friend I ever had. The song is a heartfelt shout-out to those important people, and also reminder to treasure what you have while you still have it, and never take anything for granted.
My favorite concert moment was 1996 in Chicago at the Vic Theater. Alan stated that we Chicagoans might recognize the next tune, which was "Sirius". The place exploded with joy as our Bulls anthem rang in the air and in our hearts. The cherry on top was shaking Mr. Parsons' hand during the encore. Still listen to the many APP albums I have cherished since the 1970s. Thanks Professor!
So many similarities between APP and Steely Dan. Two musical geniuses with a studio band approach, blending the right ingredients into a magic sauce. They pushed us out beyond the boundaries of what we knew as rock.
Couldn't agree more!
They knew how to find the most seasoned pros of them all!
Boston
I wonder if anyone but me sees the coincidence of his name combining the surnames of the first three Tonight Show hosts:
Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. It's a stretch but interesting. I may be in a cult of one, I kid you not. All seriousness aside, I did not know that. Maybe Letterman was the aye in the sky. I still dig this song. God sees everything. The devil is a good mind reader but he has limits.
I never got to see APP in concert but I did have the privilege of seeing Steely Dan many years ago. It was quite a concert because they sounded so much like the recordings without changing musicians.
In 1976, he produced Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" album which is a delight to the ears. My favorite all-time Pop album which I play every year. I purchased "Eve" when it was a hit in the late 70's. I like the way that album sounds, too. The art and design is fantastic, too, especially "I, Robot".
Peter white did an interview where he talks about playing spanish guitar for “On The Border”. Alan parsons taught him a very important lesson. The interview is well worth seeing.
Year Of the Cat is a masterpiece. I listen to it regularly. Loving Bedsitter Images lately.
One of my favorites...
YOTC is a beautifully crafted record. The sound is like velvet.
@@chrismorgan7494The subway station is closed again.....
Musical geniuses truly write some of the most melodic yet mind boggling music to come forth, especially in meaning. That's what makes the anecdotes here so invaluable! Rock history at its finest
The most impactful music seems to have multiple meanings.
"I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" and "Games People Play" are favorites (both with Lenny Zakatek on lead vocals).
They had more charting songs in the US, then their home UK. Excellent band, should have had more success.
Agreed. So interesting!
All their hits still sound great to this day.
Yes, I thought Lenny might’ve gone on to bigger and better things. Great vocalist. Also love that David and Ian from Pilot were an integral part of the APP sound.
Those are my favorite two APP songs also. Lenny's vocals are superb and I recall we thought he was "so hot" back in the day.
In 1977, I became a freshman at Wayne Valley High School in Wayne, NJ. I was in the Record Department at Bradlees/Stop&Shop retail center, just outside the Packanack Lake Community where I lived. I would spend hours looking at albums that just came out (Draw The Line, Rumors, Going For The One, Animals, etc.) and older offerings I had yet to acquire. And then I saw the Album Cover...who the HELL IS THIS?!?! People on Escalators in Tubes going to WHERE?! And GAWKING at a Robotic Machine Head also ascending a nearby escalator! All had Wonder and Surprise on their Faces! And I thought, "I don't care who Alan Parsons is! I gotta take this home and listen to it, even if it sounds like Lawrence Welk!!!" Well THAT was done of my Greatest Decisions made on the fly that I ever executed! And I learned all about Alan Parsons Project, his intrinsic link to Pink Floyd (one of my top 5) and DSOTM, and bought everything they/he produced! Thank you, Mr. Alan Parsons for your Unparalleled Project and ALL that has come of it!
Alan Parsons Project is absolutely amazing. "Games People Play" is probably my favorite of theirs--I listen to that song literally almost every day. (I added it as part of my personalized soundtrack to the snowboarding video game SSX.)
Their music was a HUGE impact on some of my own music that I wrote and recorded.
Phychobabble is one of my favorites.
I wouldn't Want to Be Like You is another awesome song, actualy have this one on my phone. I need to add Games People Play now.@@vinezero
I love Time
Games people play is definitely an epic song
My face was don’t answer me I remember the video clearly
The APP was one of the most underrated bands of the 70s and 80s! There was a local radio station where I live that used to play Sirius right before playing Eye in the Sky. They just went together so well!
You nailed it with that last comment about the song sounding sinister and almost scary. I'm your age and vividly remember hearing this on the radio when it came out and it gave me chills. It was so melodic yet eerie, I was scared of it, yet couldn't stop listening. To this day, it has that same feel, but it's one of my favorite songs. Your videos are phenomenal, please keep up the amazing work!
What was scary was "Cask of Amontillado" on the Tales of mystery and imagination by Edger Allan Poe Album.
"By the last breath of the 4 winds that blow, I'll have revenge upon Fortunato. Smile in his face Ill say "come let us go, I've a cask of Amontillado" (A very rare and sought after wine) He then lures Fortunato (The fortunate one, A very rich man who took financial advantage of others) into the catacombs (they still store wine there because of the low even year round temperature) where he gets him drunk sampling various wines and eventually chains and walls him up where he will slowly go crazy in the darkness and die of starvation ... The lyrics continue... "Part of you dies, each brick I lay" EA Poe was really twisted... The song has such a beautiful melody and is so soothing... until you listen to the words!
The Alan Parsons project had a string of fantastic albums from 1977 to 1987 combining so many genres and using multiple vocalists this band had such a unique sound with every album they released
Amen!
They made classics across a variety of genres!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 yes they most certainly did and in a way they were almost like a British version of Toto as in having multiple lead vocalists and studio players and app had some awesome talent David Paton on bass, the late ian bairnson on guitars Kate Bush's drummer Stuart Elliott and the late Eric woolfson on keyboards and vocals and for the vocalists we have Lenny zakatek, Chris rainbow, John miles and many many more so my top 5 app albums are pyramid, I robot, turn of a friendly card, stereotomy and eve also special mention to try anything once a fantastic solo album by Alan Parsons
@@georgemathie8123 The best vocalist of the band was definitely Eric Woolfson. Lenny Zakatek was also a standout vocalist too.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 yes Eric woolfson definitely had that very unique voice and suited the more slower moments in songs such as time, silence and I, old and wise and don't answer me while Lenny zakatek's voice suited the more upbeat performances and the funkier numbers on such memorable tracks such as wouldn't want to be like you, games people play, I don't want to go home, one more river and you don't believe to name a few
Alan Parsons is great in concert. Nice guy too. They did the whole album Tales of Mystery and Imagination for a encore at The Florida Theatre a few years ago. I was in concert bliss. Thank you Mr. Parsons
That album was when I first.heard of APP!
You made a great pull by bringing this song back to a wide audience’s focus. Parsons was one of the great anti disco bands in the late 70s. A real gem.
Thanks for watching Daniel! I agree. What's your favorite album by the band?
I love his approach to music.
The song Games People Play is definitely the Alan Parsons Project's memorable contribution to the disco genre...not exactly being anyi-disco there😀
I was in Spain in the summer of 1982 and Alan Parsons was one of the defining songs of that time. It's really not a commercial song for the early eighties, particularly for the new wave-obsessed British market, but I loved it and it was obviously a huge hit everywere else. Lyrically it does seem.to be about a relationship break-up but why an eye in the sky is mentioned remains, I suppose, a mystery.
@@ProfessorofRock take the entire body of work. It is impressive. His music held tension and surprise. Always challenging, always deserving a close listen. How many artists created lasting work that in its time, played everywhere one went. APP songs were always playing on radios in the car, in the shops, restaurants, at beaches, -everywhere. Not like Muzak, but as the preferred alternate choice over background fill. Pick any song APP released and it had musical heft and surprise.
Alan Parsons may be a studio genius who has a great legacy for sure, but the real mastermind and heart and soul of the APP was Eric Woolfson. He wrote the large majority of the songs and was an amazing and gifted songwriter. I love Eye in the Sky-it’s my favorite APP album and have great memories of hearing the cool title song on the radio as a kid in ’82. The killer tracks are Silence and I and Old and Wise. Silence and I is a masterpiece that is like the continuation of ‘Til I Die’ by the Beach Boys, and Old and Wise is just such a great meditation on what we remember and leave behind, with a fantastic sax solo by Mel Collins. All hail the late great Eric Woolfson.
I think they were a great duo!
Those two songs, old and wise and silence, and I I have said for years I want played at my memorial service wherever that may be
They were 2 sides of the same coin. Neither would have the success they did w/o the other. Like Elton John/Bernie Taupin. one needed the other to get anywhere. Not a condemnation of anyone by any means, just a simple fact of how it all worked out. I personally LOVE APP and later works, too. But I have to be honest. None of it would have happened w/o THAT pairing.
@@nicj99 "Closer To Heaven" from Gaudi is another one.
@@sirkat344 There are so many great partnerships in rock.
Was in the military most of the 1980s. Worked with some cutting edge technology that is old news now but was introduced to Alan Parsons one night out looking for satellites for this new ground breaking GPS technology.I remember "Eye in the Sky" was the song I recall most. Talk about fitting the scene. Thanks for the info on this song and group.
❤
Alan Parsons Project was a fave of mine in the 70s. Alan is mega talented....... both as a songwriter and producer.
Eye In The Sky is a great tune. It's predecessor..... Sirius is a sports arena staple. Who could have seen that?
Thanks Professor. Another awesome start to a week.
Thanks Roger!
If I’m not mistaken, I believe Sirius was also used in an episode of Miami Vice.
I’ve known Sirius my whole life…it’s soundtracked god knows how many montages.
I am just happy to add a comment about how much i loved The Alan Parsons Project over the years. The music is just on another level.
APP did have a multitude of excellent tracks. But I’ve always had a flair for “ Dr. Tar and Professor Feather. “ It’s one of a long list of those catchy, forgotten songs from the 70’s. And that entire debut album is such a treasure.
I remember hearing that song back in 1976 on our local radio station but never being told the name of the song or who it was by... so frustrating! All I could remember was Dr Tar and Professor Feather. Fast forward to 1996-97 and I am in a music store. I spotted a CD by Alan Parsons Project that was a compilation of some of their best known songs (the fish tank on the beach cover). I bought it for all my favorite songs like Damned If I Do, Higher Ground, I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You, Eye In The Sky, Days Are Numbers (The Traveler), etc. While I was reading the track list I spotted a song called...(The System of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Feather! After all those years of trying to find that song only to discover that it was an APP song all along! 😮 I don't think I have ever come across any of their songs that I didn't ❤❤❤!
Your exactly right.
@gloriawalters1988
Yes, that song did receive a decent amount of airplay in '76. And I also recall hearing " The Raven " earlier that year and was really taken by it. But I wasn't familiar with APP by name until the next year when they released " I Robut. " Those two albums easily converted me into a fan.
YES!! 👍👍👍
Oh yeah.
That one rocks.
Eerie good stuff.
One of my favorite groups of all time. I had the chance to see them perform in Houston. In between songs the various members would come sit in the seats next to us (in a closed off section) and would happily talk to us about the show. It made that concert a unique and wonderful experience. I've always felt that Mr. Holland's Opus was written using Alan Parsons as a musical guide. Thank you for covering this album!
The APP was the dark secret of many progressive rock fans. Very few liked to admit that they even had an APP album and would usually hide it at the back of their collection. Many saw it as refined pop music and the idea of using different session musicians did not suit many progressive rock fans' idea of what a band should be. However, as you say Alan Parson had an amazing pedigree and anyone who had anything to do with the sound of DSOTM could not be all bad. Therefore the average Prog fan dabled and was soon addicted to just how professional it all was in all respects. Great songs, melodies, rhythms, playing, arrangement, production, sound, IMO some of the most meaningful and profound lyrics ever written, and all sung by top-quality vocalists.
APP had top-class musical talent all over every track, which could not fail to win one's deepest respect, even though the poppy nature of much of it lost the band that street credibility which many music fans at the time often put before most other considerations. People may have asked themselves. "I can hear that it is great, indeed often sublime, but what exactly is it, where does it come from, where does it fit in, who are these people, and why is it even here?
IMO, The APP represents the very pinnacle of what the art of musical production can create. It will never be equaled, never mind surpassed.
This song is legendary! It's a timeless masterpiece that would be a hit if recorded today. It follows the theme of always being watched and manipuated in ways you're not aware of. What do people do? What do people want? The Eye in the sky always knows.
Early 80s music is my absolute favorite! It brings back so many memories! I graduated HS in 81, so this time in my life came with so many changes and experiences that affect my life today...including that song! Thanks for all of these videos that let us into "behind the songs."
Ian Bairnson and David Paton, the core of the Alan Parsons Project, were formerly in the band "Pilot", who had a hit with "Magic", produced by Alan Parsons.
This is the man who engineered and produced one of the biggest selling albums of all time being Dark Side of The Moon, let that sink in for a while. Aside from that I think the album “Turn of a Friendly Card” is an underrated gem of an album, and gets often overlooked by critics. Alan Parsons Project I was definitely a huge fan of, still am.
No kidding. the man's a genius.
I always let that sink in my head when listening to Time or Games People Play or Eye in the Sky, that this same guy produced Dark Side of the Moon.
I just posted about Friendly Card, and hadn't seen yours yet. It's a beautiful, cohesive work of art.
@@ProfessorofRock it's a shame that the cheap country ripoff artists didn't make good on giving APP credit & a little bit of royalties $$.
I can see where he didn't want to comment, he was the bigger man for it. First time I heard the mash up, I thought that is a no brainer, yet I never heard anything about it being settled.
Engineered only...the album was produced by the band.
A recent use of “Sirius” was on the pilot episode of “Cobra Kai” when the character played by William Zabka did a voice-over while the song was playing. He was telling a young man about how badass the Cobra Kai were and if he took this journey, there was no turning back. Definitely set the tone for the series!
It is so interesting to me that you released this episode about Alan Parsons today. Because yesterday, after a little hiatus, I played my vinyl copy of 'Pyramid'.
Of course, I have every LP from 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' through 'Gaudi'...
Such a fabulous catalog of music.
He’s such a genius!
This is one of my most favorite songs from the era, one of my most favorite songs EVER. Great composition, recording and performance. Very thought provoking and mood setting. Great coverage, Adam, thank you for what you do here on this channel.
I need to take this moment to tell you that your show is amazing. I am a student of the history of rock 'n' roll, and I've never found a podcast, UA-cam feature, (Whatever!) that has intrigued me as much as your show has. Thank you so much and keep them coming.
The Alan Parsons Project was an amazing group! Their variety of musical styles was very interesting. You never knew what to expect from them. They had classical influenced songs, mellow rock, and hard rock. They also had some amazing vocalists who sang with them through the years. They were very unique in the same way Pink Floyd was. Their music had many different moods and could invoke imagery in your imagination while you were listening to it.
Couldn't agree more!
You nailed it.
I"ve been a fan of the Project for a long time. I've been lucky enough to see them in concert a half dozen times, and they were always awesome. I am also a fan of his production work, which I discovered after looking at a number of albums and songs I liked, and finding out that Alan Parsons was the producer, with Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" being a great example of that. I've done a bit of studio engineering myself, and music production doing things like cleaning up recordings done on cassette to be released on CD, and I always aspired to being as good as Alan Parsons, and took inspiration from the innovative way he shaped the sound of songs.
As a Canadian, I absolutely loved this song when it came out (and still do) Way to go Canada for not just making it #1 in our hearts!! ❤
Yes!
Same! ❤️🇨🇦
Canada got it right!
It was everywhere! I was in university taking a degree in fine art and the radio was always on in the printmaking studio. I was there all hours. This song kept me company at night while I was workibg on my own projects.
Of course I had the album, and Pyramania, and I Robot...
I remember it was one of my mom's favourite songs. I bought the vinyl single and played it on her record player (We didn't live together). I'm Canadian too.
Tales of Mystery and Imagination is still my favorite album of all time... I listen to it every Halloween 🎃
Many People have talked highly of Mutt Lang for his recording productions, and deservingly so. But Alan Parson & Walter Becker for "Steely Dan" both had outstanding recording productions. They recorded their music on tape, but with the quality that stands toe to toe with the modern day digital recordings. Thanks, Adam. Great video..
Great insight!
Good point. Their music has superb production.
Wahoooooo Alan. Musical genius. Yes! Saw concert last year. Other than ELO Jeff Lynne, Alan is the GOAT of producing and engineering and putting together best musicians.
Along with Steely Dan.
No cover of Eye In The Sky can ever replace the silky vocals of Eric Woolfson. I miss him very much.
I kinda like that folk version a tad better.........
True, but I am lobbying for Broken Peach to make it their 2024 Halloween song.
Some songs just shouldn't be covered. This is one of them.
Love this song and the whole album, still prominent in my car's main playlist 40 years later. Turn of a Friendly Card is also a fantastic album and deserves more attention.
This song, like many others for me, was something I heard in my teens and it got lost in the shuffle of every other song I heard. I wasn't too terribly interested. Not until I reached adulthood did I really dig into Eye In The Sky (and many other songs) and learn to appreciate it. Now it is easily in my top 5 of all time. I can't hear it enough. I can't sing it enough. Love it love it love it.
I was born in 1974. The pop and top 40 music of the early 1980's still wakes me up. This song has the most "Early 1980's Sound" I have ever heard. I was only eight years old in 1982. At the time my father owned and controlled all the radios in the house, and he tuned them to the local AM talk station; he had little use for the popular music of the day. In 1984 my mother saved up some cash and bought a small boom box, AM/FM with a tape player/recorder; she tuned it to the local FM music station. She would record mix tapes from the radio. We were finding them hidden around the house for over ten years, after. Each one was wonderful trip down Music Memory Lane. I really enjoy the work you do, thank you. This is a great song.
Love this song which peaked at 22 in October 1982 here in Australia top 80s tune
Me too, Peter. It’s a classic.
I first heard this song in December 1982 upon sitting down on a bench upstairs of a nice home in a well-to-do neighborhood in Mexico City. We had just landed there from LAX at night and we were tired but excited. I think Robert, one of the sons who picked us up at the airport, turned on the radio that was there and it was the first song I heard. The ambience on that night made it so memorable. I can still remember that particular incident like it was yesterday. Everything was so exciting at that moment. Robert was an amateur race car driver, and the father was a 1940s big band music director who had his own band. That son, Robert, really liked that song and I think he told us about it and Alan Parsons.
I love Alan Parsons Project. I remember hearing them regularly on the radio in the 80's. These songs covered here are total icons of the 80's. Thank you.
I love that this song has a myriad of interpretations, not just a singular one.
That’s what makes the song hit.
While at work today i was listening to Alan Parsons and the guy next to me said "Who?" It's a shame that many people these days are sleeping on one of the best acts of the classic rock era. APP's sound is so iconic and stands with the best. Every album they put together is a musical journey that never fails to deliver very important messages (especially in today;s tmes) while providing great hits to make a dull day fly by!
Man, this is such an interesting, well-researched video! I feel like there haven’t been enough legitimately interesting deep dives into the Project’s little quirks and idiosyncrasies. Well done.
The mellow airyness and purity of in the vocals combined with the simplistic unclutter use of instrumentation, is a big part of what makes Eye InThe Sky a BEAUTIFUL track, and it is to me, part of this track's nostalgic appeal. I was 11 when it came out, and to me these were the words of a self-righteous but omniscient boyfriend who was warning his girlfriend against foolish actions lest she should assume he would never be the wiser. Back then, this was all the sense that I could make of it, since I knew nothing yet of the Iuminati, George Orwell's "Big Brother", nor Amway for that matter. Thank you Alan Parsons for authorizing the production and release of the title cut from "Eye Of The Sky". Music history especially the early 1980s wouldn't be the same without this masterpiece.
It’s amazing that music has such power and meaning to us. I’m sure there will always be a bit of pain when you hear this song and think about your sister, but with that I’m know there are also many wonderful memories. Some songs as soon as you hear them, It feels like you’re transported back to a specific time and place.
I've been a Parsons fan since their first album, and when Eye in the Sky came out, I just turned 21 and was rolling out the second version of a car stereo system. It was worth over two times the car that it was installed in ...I used to crank Eye in the Sky recorded off of vinyl onto metal tape with my eight speaker, separate tweeters, mids and woofers system. I've mentally enjoyed every single Alan Parsons release and I named my third and last son after the lead guitarist Ian Berenson .. saw the project live in Portland in October 1996. I'm as massive a person span is anyone could possibly be.... here's looking at you!!mm
Allan Parsons was overlooked in so many ways, but thankfully he and his band mates persevered.
Thank you guys for presenting us with such eloquent music ❤
Man, I love this channel, the algorithm worked out that I am in my fifties and threw you into my shorts. Your videos really entertain and inform me about music I have loved for my whole life.
I love how much content they you put out! And all the effort you put into each video! This is one of my favorite songs.
Thanks for watching!
It was an amazing episode! I just finished it. Very very wonderful!
This song brings back memories so vivid and precious, it's hard to put into words. Alan Parsons is a time capsule for me. 🎵🎵💗
Eye in the Sky is really only complete with the Sirius intro. Flawless flow-in as you say and once heard, makes EITS incomplete without it.
One of the most underrated lines...."The sun in your eyes makes some of the lies worth believing."
His album Try Anything Once is one of my all time favorites.
Love it!
Great!
Huge part of my younger years and one of the bands my father could equally love. We both got to see the Project at a small venue in Tucson a couple of years ago. Alan had put together a fine collection of musicians and the show was highly interactive (using the audience for choral parts). I will never forget the experience.
I love Alan Parsons, I don't think he is recognized enough for his genius. So many great songs and musical pieces. I used to listed to his albums back in the 70's and 80's then rediscovered him when Try Anything Once came out, the song Mr. Time is awesome. The whole album is great.
Boomer here. I grew up listening to 1960s rock on an AM station, then on FM in the 1970s. Despite the limitations of the formats, the music was amazing. A lot of music today seems so beige. Like meh. Maybe I’ve missed something. But younger people today are awesome and working to change the status quo that gives me hope for the world. Adam, thanks for bringing back memories and great music. This is THE hippest channel!!
Great work! Please cover the works of Al and Eric, more often!
Maybe an interview with the original band members? David Paton, Ian Bairnson, Stuart Elliott, Lenny Zakatek..
All I envision are the Solid Gold Dancers and the weekly countdown when I hear this song 😂
They could dance to anything!
I love The Alan Parson's Project. Like you, Prof, I heard their hits as a young kid. I bought some of their albums as a twenty-something, and now closing in on 50 I plan to buy more of them. Soulful, provocative, and resonant. Unique.
Love your channel, esp love that you covered AP. He is an amazing man and artist. I was so influenced by him as I grew up and became a musician, and in 2020 had the life-changing experience of spending 3 days in his Parsonics recording studio in Santa Barbara, learning about recording vocals, a live band and mixing an existing recording. I also saw the Alan Parsons Live Project perform in NYC in 2019 and that concert is in my top 5 live show experiences. Transcendent! Thanks again for this fabulous trip down memory lane...
Loved the Project's "On Air." Excellent concept album that varied its style while telling a coherent story with every track.
But "Eye in the Sky" (song & album) were where it all started for me. ^_^
I've been impressed with AP and APP since they started, but Tales of mystery and Imagination was the album that grabbed me. My brother is a rabid APP fan and knows all the drama and musicality of it, so I learnt everything from him. Interestingly, While Parsons and Woolfson were a great combination and without each other, I don't think either would have hit the heights they did, I really like AP's current work too. Its gone from that popular strain back to the experimental that he always loved. One Note Symphony is a stand out to me.
I could count on one hand the artists for whom I had even a desire to go back and collect every single one of their albums. Alan Parsons was the only one I actually did, and in my teens everyone close to me knew they were my favorite. In 1987, I was gifted the CD remaster of 'Tales' before I even knew it existed; what a thrill that was! APP is number one in my heart.
Huge fan! Finally going to see him and many others in The Blues Cruise in a few months, CAN’T WAIT!!!!
My favorite APP album is "Pyramid", with "The Eagle Will Rise Again", and "Can't Take It With You".
I saw Alan Parsons recently in PA, just before the release of their new album. It was wonderful. In fact, I think their live rendition of the songs came off even better than the studio versions.
Almost every morning I heard this song riding to school on the school bus. I get flashbacks every time I hear this song. 42 years later I still listen to it regularly because I have a copy in my jukebox and it's still played on the radio once in a while.
This song and Don't Answer Me are my two favorite Alan Parsons songs.
When I hear the instrumental intro I hear the words "And now the starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls...." in my head. Sometimes I say it out loud. "From North Carolina. at Guard 6'6 number 23........ Michael Jordan!"
I know what you mean!
I see what you mean!
Alan Parsons has had one heck of a career!!! My fav will always be Sirius - the prelude to Eye in the Sky because it got my heart pumping knowing that something cool was about to happen. And there it is on POR!
Thanks Jim!
That one's called _Sirius_ , and it's been played quite often when sports teams come out on the playing field. The Suns, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Chicago Bulls, and many others have used it.
@@toughenupfluffy7294I remember when I heard it for the Chiefs! Hair on my arms stood up!
I love the suspense feel of the song.
I have listed to Alan Parsons since I was a teenager in the late 70's. My Dad blew me away once ... I was taking a shower and when I came out and walked intht eliving room he asked what I was listening to at that time and I told him "Turn of a Friendly Card" by The Alan Parsons Project. He tilted his head and said "good music!". Blew me away. I have all of his albums and believe his concert in Columbia is one of his best live shows. PJ Ollson does a great job with lead volcals on some songs!!
This is my favorite video you have done so far! I have been an AP fan since i was 3 (im 45). My father had all of his albums on vinyl growing up (I know own them) and he played them often in our household. This was a HUGE hit (I was only 3 but remember it well) and recall countless times hearing it on the car radio. I have seen him 4 times live since 2008. I call APP "soft prog", it could cross over to FM radio yet be progressive enough to grab the attention to Yes and Genesis fans at the same time. AP is a true mastermind!
Such an underrated artist!
Amen to that! What's your favorite album by him?
@@ProfessorofRock dont know their names but 82' & 84' albums mainly because of the songs I adore which were on those albums: Eye In The Sky (82') & Don't Answer Me (84'). Also, shotout to Wouldn't Want To Be Like You. It's his earlier song but it's a banger!
Another great band and still are. Love their music. Time,Don't Answer Me, and of course Eye In The Sky are my favorites. PJ's vocals in Time is touching.
Oh, my. My all-time favorite recordings, even all these years later. Thank you.
After hearing your commentary, I'll never hear this song in the same way again. Very thought provoking. Aliens and casinos I hadn't thought of that.
Always loved this song! Yes it deserves to be #1 WAY above 'Jack And Diane' and even moreso over 'Who Can It Be Now.' It is a masterpiece! Also thank you Alan for 'Time'' which I think is the most beautiful song ever written.
Thanks for festuring Alan Parsons in this episode. He is a GENIUS, but the most underrated musician in the history. Everything he's done is absolutely the best of the best. His melodies, harmonies, arrangement, aesthetics and everything except for lyrics have deeply touched my soul. Maybe even lyrics would have if I had understood a single word back then. Anyways lyrics contribute exactly 0% to any music, even opera, for me. Ironically, the first cassette with Alan Parsons I had was named Pink Floyd, so I thought I was listening to Pink Floyd. All in the freakin' country I was born in was prohibited and thus pirated. I knew of the existence of Pink Floyd and the only fragment of truly their song I'd known was the instrumental part of Shine on you crazy diamond until the first appearance of the Syd Chord, which was frequently featured in popular science TV programs. In a few years I learned more about Pink Floyd, but who really was on that cassette remained a mystery to me. Only after some 25 years I was able to discover Alan Parsons and boy was that a real treasure waiting for me all those years! I'm also very happy he's such a humble man unlike some great musicians who appeared to be arrogant and some even supporters of bloody dictators still in existence.
Thanks for this great video. I was in high school when Eye came out, and I distinctly remember bringing this album home on the bus. I was a big APP fan for a few years.
I worked with a young guy who was obsessed with Alan Parsons project he got me hooked. We worked in the audio department of a store and he played the music all the time.
Have always loved this song. Remind me of my childhood and a girl I used to like at the time. :) love Eric and his voice and Ian bairnsons guitar. ❤️
It’s a beautiful song.
Have a great day everyone.
I love Alan Parsons, he's a brilliant artist. His song, "I wouldn't want to be Like You" is one of my favorites!
🎶I said I’m damned if I do & I’m damned I don’t, but I love you.🎶
Always loved this project. Shalom Eric. 🥀
I've always felt that Sirius and Eye in the sky went great together. One can't exist without the other
Parsons was indeed a great engineer, but Woolfson wrote nearly all songs and lyrics and they made a great duo.
A great duo indeed!
Just like PB&J!
Eye In The Sky has one of the coolest album covers and the sound quality is excellent. Very comfortable interview with Alan, who's a very likeable fellow. Interesting that there was no copyright lawsuit over the Lady Antebellum controversy. Thanks, Adam!
Or, perhaps there was some kind of legal action taken by Mr. Parsons, which explains why he refused to comment on the matter during the interview.
Parsons' albums always had killer engineering/recording quality, I remember Stereo Review calling one of their albums out for it.
The production on this song is absolutely incredible.
Adam just curious on what year the interview was conducted? My memory a little fuzzy, but the reason he dodged your ? was a very sore spot for him. He didn't find out till 4 years after the fact. He was being interviewed on Coast To Coast and a caller called in and asked him about it. He was totally dumbfounded. Had no clue about being ripped off. Top it off, they get 3 Grammy's and aren't asked to return them. No different than Milli Vanilli.
I was stationed in Germany, ‘79-‘82, and most of what we listened to was over AFN TV & Radio. It was a great time to put together some great “high end” audio systems, as the prices for us were very attractive. Trading LP albums and tapes was also common. If you lived too far from a base, there was only German TV, we used to get videos sent from friends & relatives from home. One of the things that we really missed seeing, were the normal TV commercials that we bitched about before shipping out. Thanks for this and all your videos.
Thanks for this great interview with Alan. No other music has had more effect/influence in my life. Had every album... saw them live in Atlanta when they began touring in the 90's. Disappointed we didn't get to talk about his band more, especially, Ian Bairnson, lead guitar, and Stuart Eliott, drums----those who made the albums in the 70's, 80's and 90's and then toured. Would also want to praise Eric Wolfson's multi-talented contributions, writing songs, at the same time, one of the best and least acknowledged lead vocalist in the history of rock. LOVE. PEACE. God Bless
If you haven't already, it would be cool to see some additional soundtrack histories. In particular, The Lost Boys (Cry Little Sister is one of my favorite creepy tunes) or even Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Had some great songs in there.
That would be great!
Good tune ⭐️ like Don’t Answer Me as well.
Yes! Love it.
Great song.
The best music video ever
Love this song
Reminded once again why I love this channel. Once again you named my top 3 favorite singers, in order #3 Freddie, #2 Robert, and #1 Steve. Great minds think alike!!
Edgar Allen Poe’s tales of Mystery and Imagination captured me completely. It was’t my kind of music but as a fan of EAP and ghost stories it just captured the spirit of those spooky tales. Recently watching the majestic Mike Flanagen’s ‘fall of the house of usher’ reminded me of the album and I couldn’t watch any episode without some of that music leaking into my mind. What an achievement. Thanks for this video.