Song Of The Day 8/22/2013: Stevie Wonder, Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock & Howard Jones - Synthesizer Medley from the 1985 Grammy Awards

I've seen lots of strange things on the Grammy Awards. Some guy named Soy Bomb crashing a Bob Dylan performance. P!nk spinning from a rope on the ceiling shooting water down onto the audience. J-Lo wearing a dress that concealed everything. C. Michael Greene. But none of them quite exceeded this off-the-wall collaboration from 1985.

The idea was to celebrate the arrival of the synthesizer in pop music. Which really happened in 1967. (You'll never believe who was first.) But I understand. They were busy. It's reassuring to know they were getting around to it. Perhaps they were just waiting for the proper moment, making sure they got it right. They didn't want to do something that failed to convey the awesome power of the synthesizer. The last thing they'd want is to end up trivializing the instrument's potential, right?

However that plan was accidentally thrown away with a just-finished club sandwich and what we got was this coalition of Stevie Wonder, Thomas Dolby, Herbie Hancock and Howard Jones, doing a medley featuring paint chips from Hancock's "Rockit," Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science," Jones' "What Is Love?" and Stevie's "Go Home." Oh, and "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and "America the Beautiful," just to remind locals that they were still in the greatest nation in the world even though they were playing all German equipment.

So much about this one. The check-ins at the beginning. Dolby getting puffed up and funky playing what appears to be a ladies' handbag. Dolby just being silly in an inflated Amadeus wig. Jones looking almost giddy but still trying to keep cool, man, when they get to his song, which is over quickly. The weird robot voice telling "units 2 and 4" that their "performance leaves a little to be desired... get it together guys."

It's the thought that counts. But they should've invited Skinny Puppy.