I recently heard a love song / power ballad (I'm pretty sure it was
from an 80's CD compilation) that I recognized and I think was famous
in the 80's and had something like 'Northern Lights' or 'Northern
Star' in the chorus - it was great and I'm dying to find out the
artist and name of the song.  Thanks!

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Request for Question Clarification by answerfinder-ga on 06 Feb 2004 05:08 PST

Dear cy_mistry-ga
Does this sound like it? This will take you to a .mid file. The chorus
contains the words "northern lights"
http://tinyurl.com/24wyd

answerfinder-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by answerfinder-ga on 06 Feb 2004 12:03 PST

I have now found  short 30 second vocal sample.
http://tinyurl.com/396ao
answerfinder-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by rainbow-ga on 06 Feb 2004 14:29 PST

Hi cy_mistry,

I haven't heard this song so I'm not sure if it's the one. Take a look
at these lyrics please and let me know if they seem familiar:

"And I pray begging to the northern star
I'm afraid it won't lead you anywhere
He's so cold he will rule the world tonight
All the angels kneeling to the northern lights
Kneeling to the frozen lights
Feel their hearts, they're cold as ice."

Regards,
rainbow~

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Request for Question Clarification by leep-ga on 06 Feb 2004 16:26 PST

Are you thinking of this chorus?:

Hey oh, ma ma ma.... 
Hey oh, ma ma ma, hey oh
Life in a northern town
All of the work shut down
Hey oh, ma ma ma

This is a song that made the charts in '85 and appears on various '80 compilations.

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 07 Feb 2004 12:29 PST

cy-mistry --

An 80s "power pop" group called Danny & the Doorknobs released a song
called "Northern Lights" in 1985.  It has appeared in re-mixed form in
some compilations.   I have not found lyrics or an audio clip after
some effort, but it would be helpful to know if this rings a bell with
you.

markj-ga

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Clarification of Question by cy_mistry-ga on 07 Feb 2004 14:46 PST

Wow!  Everyone is way helpful!  It was definitely a male group singing
it (so the female versions below don't sound familiar).  Life in a
northern town - great song, but I don't think that was it either (I
would have recognized it).  The Danny/Doorknobs Northern Lights is a
great lead - that might be it, but the amazon album of theirs
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000008LQP/qid%3D1076193854/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-9467626-2639268)
doesn't have an audio sample.  I can't even take the risk and buy it
because it doesn't look like the CD is in circulation!  Maybe I'm out
of luck.

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 07 Feb 2004 15:30 PST

cy-mistry --

I'm glad you think that "Northern Lights" by Danny & The Doorknobs is
a good lead.  As I said, I haven't been able to find lyrics or an
audio sample.  I have found a source where you can purchase the
"Poison Summer" album (which contains the track in question) on LP or
CD, if you want to take a chance on this lead.  Here it is:

Gemm: Poison Summer
http://db3.gemm.com/ddc/search.pl?sid=367088312&key=80172&referred_by=HITSQUICK&disp_ad_format_mode=0&artist=DANNY+AND+THE+DOORKNOBS&title=POISON+SUMMER


If you decide to do that, let me know the results, and I will post an
answer and close the question if it pans out.

markj-ga

Not a power ballad, but there is "Southern Nights" as recorded by
Glenn Campbell in 1977.

cy-mistry-ga

Are you thinking of the great "Northern Sky" by Nick Drake - 

"..never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea
I never held emotion in the palm of my hand
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky."

Should be able to hear a snippet here:

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/drake_nick/37551/album.jhtml

Only other song I can think of is "Knockbacks in Halifax" by
Australian band  - Weddings, Parties, Anything. Not really a
power/love ballad. Lyrics may ring a bell though -

"Its Saturday night in Halifax,
The kids are out there dancing,
to the same old beat that's all over the world.
And in her eyes, I could have swore I saw the NORTHERN LIGHTS,
but it was the lights dancing from the disco silver ball"

cy_mistry --

Here is a link to the All Music Guide page that describes the Danny &
the Doorknobs album that contains Northern Lights:

All Music Guide: Poison Summer
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDMISS70401052156582526&sql=A2wsqoawauijr

If you haven't seen it, this information may help you decide whether
you want to follow up this lead by purchasing the album from the
sources I provided in my clarification request.


markj-ga

Here is your answer.  The group is T.N.T. which apparently stands for
Tell No Tales.  The link at Rhapsody is this.

http://rhaplinks.listen.com/rhaplink?playlist=&cobrand=40132&tracks=4377327

You can sign up for the service for a 14 day trial w/ a credit card
and check it out.

Here is a link to where you can see a review of the album/band (I
think this might have been their only album)

http://www.epinions.com/musc-review-19E-430D11D-385A0409-prod2

And finally here is a link to where you can buy the album for like 5 bucks.

http://half.ebay.com/cat/buy/prod.cgi?cpid=1772590&domain_id=1876&ad=&AID=167874&PID=954353

Note that the group Tell No Tales (TNT) referenced above is a
Norwegian heavy metal group.

Towards the end of the seventies an english group Renaissance had a
hit with a song called Northern lights. the chorus was as follows


The northern lights are in my mind
They guide me back to you
Horizons seem to beckon me
Learned how to cry too young, so now I live to sing

This was quite a poweful ballad

The song you're looking for is called "Life In A Northern Town" and
it's by "The Dream Academy". It's one of my favorites! :-)