Songoftheday 8/26/12 - You're givin' me the chills baby please baby don't, every night you still leave me all alone...

Toni Basil - "Mickey"
from the album Word Of Mouth (1982)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week)
Weeks in the top-40: 18

Today's Song of the Day is by the choreographer and singer Toni Basil, who was born Antonia Basilotta in Philadelphia, and the daughter of performing parents. She got her start dancing and acting as choreographer on TV shows like the T.A.M.I. Show, as well as movies throughout the 60s and 70s, even appearing in the Monkees' psychedelic flick Head.

Even though she had started recording music since the 60s (check out the obscure throwback "Breakaway"), it was after she choreographed the Saturday Night Live skit "Swan Lake" that she got the momentum to record an album of both music and videos, Word Of Mouth. The first single from the set, "Mickey" was recorded back in 1980, and is a gender-changing remake of a song by the British band Racey called "Kitty"...

The co-writer of that song, Mike Chapman, was hot from producing acts such as Blondie and the Knack, and going from "Kitty" to "Mickey" but adding Basil's punkier delivery and iconic cheerleading chants, first turned Britain then American into fans of the song.

The single topped the American charts in December of 1982, as well as in Canada and Australia. It also reached #2 in the UK (where it was originally released), and #3 on the US dance club play chart.  The Word Of Mouth album also sold enough to make the top-40 albums list in America, and won a special Grammy for its video album concept.

Basil went on to chart a couple more minor hits in the US, and even had a couple more top-10 dance hits as well, including the #4 "Over My Head" in 1983, but in the eyes of most people, Toni's seen as the quintessential "one-hit wonder". I think she deserves a bit more than that, most of her music is deliciously D-list Blondie.

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In 1983, "Mickey" got the highest form of music flattery as "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song as "Ricky", as in I Love Lucy, having one of his minor hits with it...

Also in 1983, Swedish singer Carola Häggkvist recorded the song for her #1 album in her homeland...

in 1999, British singer Lolly brought the song back into the UK top-10 with a much cheesier production..

..and speaking of cheesy, Japanese comedian Gori had a huge single there with his native-language comic rendering..though I've got to give him props for the flawless and reverential dance routine for this...I admit I love this. I'm scared.

Of course, fulfilling the edict that rap must sample all music, the tune was cribbed for a song called "Hey Bitty" by Nitty in 2005 (don't ask, I dunno)...

..and further down the memory hole, none other than Limp Bizkit incorporated the song for a version of "Nookie" from their remix album New Old Songs in 2001.

Scottish electronica duo Board Of Canada cribbed the track for the rarity "Nine-Rubber Wisdom" in 1995..

And on the other end of the spectrum, Orange County, California punkers Zebrahead revved it up in 2009 for their female-singer-covering Panty Raid album...

and to close this up, a couple of fierce versions for my peeps: first, Olivia Newton-John did a thumping and crazy auto-tuned-to infinity club version for the movie A Few Best Men earlier in 2012..

...and finally, my queen Kylie Minogue incorporated the song in her KYLIEX2008 tour on "Heartbeat Rock/Wow"...

OK, I think that's enough "Mickey" for now.

Up tomorrow: Dr. Noah Drake is turned on....