While automobiles are likely the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of “Motor City” Detroit MI, the city plays an important role in the history of popular music as well. Long before becoming the birthplace of Techno it was home to musicians from John Lee Hooker to Suzi Quatro, from Bessie Smith to Madonna, from Marvin Gaye to The White Stripes. Not least of whom is Ray Parker Jr.

To call him a One-Hit-Wonder would not do his oeuvre justice, particularly not the many songs he wrote or played guitar on for other famous musicians. Nevertheless “Ghostbusters”, the title song for the 1984 movie of the same name, became his most famous piece of art by a similarly large margin. Quite an achievement considering he was only given a few days to come up with a theme song for the film and the fact that there aren’t exactly many words rhyming with the eponymous profession.

And so we’re going to cut him some slack that the bass-line borrowed heavily from Huey Lewis’ “I Want a New Drug”, which just so happened to be the temporary background music to many scenes in the pre-cut of the film that Parker had received as reference – after all that case was settled out of court.

The video might not be known quite as well as the film these days, but it features cameos by a great number of well-known actors and musicians of the time, none of whom were payed, but doing a favour to director Ivan Reitman, who also directed the movie proper.

Chevy Chase, having featured heavily in the video of a recent episode and popping up in a cameo here might quite possibly now be officially the most featured artist of the blog.