Songs in Cinema: 'The Last American Virgin'

In the early '80s, I hit puberty at the same time teen sex comedies were popping up like my, well, never mind. We had HBO. So, like all curious kids, I held the cable-box remote and listened for movement from my parents upstairs. I saw them all, too: 'Porky's,' 'Losin' It', 'Spring Break' and this unforgettable 1982 flick with Diane Franklin.

If you're drawing a blank, she was the cute foreign-exchange student living across the street from John Cusak in 'Better Off Dead' (see photo) and one of the princesses in 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.' Sorry, that's all I've got. Life lessons learned from 'Virgin' were that crabs aren't just on a seafood menu and f-ing a girl your best friend likes isn't very nice. In case it didn't sink in, 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' hammered it home that same year.

There were no Academy Awards here, but the soundtrack got accolades from... me. Much like 'Something Wild' from yesterday's post, it could have been even better if all of the songs that appeared in the film had made it on the release. Here is a brief list of the tunes that didn't make the cut:

Love Action (I Believe in Love) - Human League
In the Flesh - Blondie
Shake It Up - The Cars
Zero Hour - The Plimsouls

Now, I'm not going to kid you. Not all of the music was catered to my tastes. There was REO Speedwagon, Journey and the Commodores, but most of the music was exactly what I was into. This was the first time I ever heard U2, and the Waitresses' tune was perfect for a funny and failed makeout scene. Apparently the Gleaming Spires song was such a success it was used again two years later on the 'Revenge of the Nerds' soundtrack. Here are the songs that made the cut. Just a heads up you can see the entire film on YouTube.

Side A
Teen Angel Eyes - Tommy Tutone
De Do Do Do, De Da Da - The Police (mp3)
Whip It - Devo (mp3)
When I Find You - Phil Seymour
Better Luck Next Time - Oingo Boingo

Side B
Are You Ready For The Sex Girls? - Gleaming Spires (mp3)
Since You're Gone - The Cars (mp3)
I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses
Airwaves - The Fortune Band
I Will Follow - U2 (mp3)