New Wave Outpost Forum

I understand that there was a big star named Dr.John that was very successful and did a lot of music over the years. Seeing how this is the new wave outpost and I am a new waver and interested in obscurities like the rest of everyone here, My "Dr.John" is someone different.

The title is "New Look"
The artist is "Dr.John"
I found nothing in the gemm listings. The artist and title are DEFINITE, as this is from a soundtrack. I forget the movie (I made note of it in the credits). It was an unpopular and fairly cheezy movie from the 80s. (In case someone knows of this movie: the song was played while the movie characters are shopping for clothes)

Here are some lyrics:

"Mainstream has hit the rocks" (very beginning)
...
"The girls are waving fancy feathers"

CHORUS:
"New looks"....."every corner"
...
"Yesterday move over"
...
"It if don't get a second glance"...

(I forget the rest)
There was only a little of the song played in the movie.
It was a keyboard intensive newwave/synthpop song with male and female vocals and alot of keybaords.

I know someones going to come along and say "Search Google!, www.gemm.com, ebay, and/or www.allmusic.com"
I just got done searching all of these, and if I found something: It would be posted.

ME: kajafan86@playful.com
AIM: RaiyoKun (Im online almost all the time)

I know which movie you're talking about: National Lampoon's European Vacation. I've tried searching for that song myself, the whole soundtrack in fact, and I have yet to see anything come up. I don't even think a soundtrack was released, unfortunately.

OK....I doubt you ever check this site anymore (I stumbled across it trying to buy a copy of New Looks as a gag gift for someone!), but when I was in Paris with my fiance in May, he randomly said, "What was that song they played in European Vacation when they tried on all the crazy outfits?" Shockingly, I remembered a frightening amount of the lyrics...here's what I remember to add to your recollection....

"Mainstream has hit the rocks.....Outrage has finally come of age....
(something) and fancy lace, high flying fashion from the page....

The girls are waving fancy feathers (feathers!) under a head of rainbow colors (colors!)....the guys are looking fine in leather (leather!)....what didn't match now goes together...


CHORUS
NEW LOOKS (something like creeping out from new directions) screaming out for your attention....if it don't get a second glance, or make you feel good when you dance then it's NO and it's OH and the world could use new looks!

Laughter is part of what we're after (after!) as we steal looks at one another (another!)....fashion is roaring in the rafters (rafters!) blah blah blah.....


random lines about yesterday move over....

That's all I can remember and probably shouldn't publicly admit to knowing that much of the song....

Dr. John also had another early 80's tune called "Jet Set" (not Alphaville!) which capitalized on the early breakdance/electrofunk sound. Very cool to see the man who brought us the funky "Right Place, Wrong Time" back in the 70's trying out new styles during that time.

What album was that from? This song was kinda synthy/funky.

Could New Looks be a B-Side from it or something?

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ME: kajafan86@playful.com
AIM: RaiyoKun (Im online almost all the time)

The weird thing about "Jet Set" is that I don't think it was ever on an album and doesn't appear to be on any of Dr. John's 'best of' CDs. You can find the 12" single on Gemm or MusicStack. In fact, I need to score a copy ... would make a good Song of the Week. Not sure about the source of "New Looks".

A friend of mine lifted it from the movie (the background noise is present) It sounds great, but again its short.

I checked out The Jet Set... Rumor had it that New Looks was put on a B-side to a certain version of the 12" version of Jet Set that had like 3 mixes of Jet Set and New Looks.

The source is questionable...I dont know.

But Im still searching furiously for this song.

I have the soundtrack on a bootleg CD and hereby make an .mp3 of Dr.John's "New Looks" available to all denizens of this dungeon. Ask in an email and thou shall receive.
My version of "New Looks" is as it sounds in the movie (with background noise) 2 mins.:20 secs. Hope to be proven wrong, but a true original probably does not exist.

A little late to the game, but just in case anyone's still looking for this. Dr. John New Looks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHMj1qvcwsY