80’s cinema was rife with inspirational anthems of victory. Lyrics chronicled men and women with their backs against the wall - whose indomitable American spirit allowed them to triumph over the odds and defeat Communism, ninjas, high school bullies, power mad industrialists, narcoterrorists and guerilla insurgents.
Some of these rousing melodies still resonate with us today (“You’re the Best”, “Winner Takes All”, “The Touch”). Some are long forgotten (“Fight to Survive”, “Tales of Power”). And some are “Talons of the Eagle”.
Talons of the Eagle was a tepid effort from “The Lebanese Steven Seagal”, Jalal Merhi. It marked the first of his three collaborations with Tae Bo huckster, Billy Blanks. The movie is of little interest unless you’re curious about what ever happened to “that chick who replaced Suzanne Somers on Three’s Company”.
The theme song though, is something else entirely. To a chugging, mid-tempo backdrop of Toronto’s least-enthused studio musicians, Jonas J. Patricko implores that “you’ve got to learn to play the game, always stay cool” and that “you’ve got to stay strong to survive.” As it blares past the two-minute mark, one longs for the lyrical profundity of Stan Bush…the studio wizardry of Jan Hammer…and then with the last off-key wailing of the wedding band reject back-up singer it ends – and peace once again falls upon the land.
But how long before Patricko strikes again?
Keep your firearms at the ready, Actionettes.
Me with my adoptive Jopanyali family: (from left) Abbo, Kissa, Mangeni, Magomu, Namono, Nasiche, Madongo, Mulogo, Ogwambi.
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