Within the new retrospective exhibit on Bruce Conner currently at the Museum of Modern Art, one can view a number of short films by the late experimental artist. One of these films is Breakaway from 1966, depicting a very young Toni Basil dancing happily around in her birthday suit to her own song as Conner’s camera moves quickly between zooms and viewpoints.
Though Basil is widely considered a one-hit-wonder for her 1982 song “Mickey,” for which she is most famous, she recorded “Breakaway” almost two full decades earlier for A&M Records. It’s a catchy, feel-good pop gem that deserves just as much attention as the former.
The song is pure ’60s pop goodness: upbeat piano and rolling drums serve as a perfect backdrop for Basil’s soulful vocals, which deliver freedom-yearning lines like “I got to break these chains before I go insane.”
Unfortunately, Basil did not release any other singles between “Breakaway” and “Mickey,” only performing live during the late ’60s and ’70s. (Though a B-side to “Breakaway,” called “I’m 28,” is also worth a listen.)
-KH
Something Vicious 