"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" by Cyndi Lauper

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2326
Date:  05/18/1985
Debut:  45
Peak:  10
Weeks:  15
Genre:  Pop, Soundtrack



Pop Bits:  As Lauper was riding high on the charts with songs from her debut LP She's So Unusual, she got a request from film director Steven Spielberg. He was serving as executive producer on a new film that was based off of a story he had written. Spielberg asked Lauper to server as the soundtrack coordinator for the upcoming film The Goonies. She would contribute a couple of songs as well. Lauper took the job and selected songs for the film and recorded this tune, which would be the lead single from the soundtrack album. It debuted close to the Top 40 and then made its way into the Top 10...just barely. It was Lauper's fifth single to reach the Top 10. While it was great to have another hit, it was actually the flip side "What a Thrill," which was the other song she did for the soundtrack, that got Lauper her sixth Grammy nomination. This one was for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female.

ReduxReview:  Although many of Lauper's fans love this song, I didn't think it was all that great. While I like some of the 80s production touches (which are suspiciously like the Thompson Twins "Doctor! Doctor!"), for me it just sounds like Lauper tried to hard. There is a lot going on in the arrangement and the marrying of 80s pop/new wave with 50s doo-wop was a bit of a stretch. I think her popularity at the time along with the associated videos (see below) helped get this into the Top 10. It's nearly forgotten now and it seemed Lauper was fine with that (see below). I think this may even be the first time I've heard the song since I bought the single way back when. It's an interesting artifact, but definitely a non-essential song in Lauper's catalog.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This song was accompanied by a two-part music video. Part one debuted on MTV prior to the movie's opening and then part two debuted after. The elaborate video had a storyline and included appearances by several wrestling stars, Goonies cast members, the Bangles (who had a song on the soundtrack prior to them hitting the big time), Steven Spielberg, and even Lauper's mother.  2) Three other singles were issued from the soundtrack. The Goon Squad's "Eight Arms to Hold You" became a #1 Dance hit, Teena Marie's "14K" got to #87 at R&B, and REO Speedwagon's "Wherever You're Goin' (It's Alright)" was released but didn't chart.  3) The original title Lauper gave this song was "Good Enough." However, folks at the movie studio wanted more of a tie-in with the film and renamed it. Lauper later admitted that she hated the song and after a couple of years she stopped playing it. The track was even left off of her first hits compilation because she didn't like it. However, in later years due to fan demand she has performed it once again in her shows. And thanks to her son being a fan of the animated TV show Bob's Burgers, Lauper re-wrote the song for an episode. The version used in the show was called "Taffy Butt."

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