A 1985 synth-pop hit that helped define the sound of the decade has just been named one of the best one-hit wonders of the 1980s, giving fans another reason to revisit a song that is far more unusual than it sounds. “I Can’t Wait” by Portland husband-and-wife duo Nu Shooz became a Top 5 hit and an unmistakable ’80s classic, but one of its most memorable sounds came from an unlikely source: wine bottles used as percussion. Nearly 40 years later, that quirky bit of studio ingenuity is part of what makes the song so fascinating—and why it still stands out among the decade’s most recognizable hits.
In a new ranking of 17 distinctly ’80s songs, “I Can’t Wait” makes the cut as a song that is, in many ways, “unmistakably 1985.” That description fits the track’s combination of breezy vocals, electronic production, funky rhythm and primitive synthesizer sounds, all of which helped make it unlike anything else on the radio at the time.
The song was the breakthrough hit for Nu Shooz, the Portland group formed by married couple John Smith and Valerie Day. The two had been performing together for years before Smith began working on what would become “I Can’t Wait” in the winter of 1983.
The Unusual Story Behind “I Can’t Wait”
@the_warm_jets “I Can’t Wait” is a song by American group Nu Shooz, included on the band’s second album, Tha’s Right (1985). The song was remixed by Dutch DJ and producer Peter Slaghuis: this remixed version is the one that appears on the group’s 1986 album, Poolside. In the United States, the remixed version of the song reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Disco Club Play chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100. #80s #dance #music #genx #pop
♬ original sound – GarbageEve🎸
Smith initially wrote the song on a rented four-track machine and brought it to the band while they were still performing regularly around Portland. The group eventually recorded five songs for the independently released 1985 EP Tha’s Right!, which included “I Can’t Wait.”
The song had already been part of the band’s live set, but Smith says they originally played it much faster. When they recorded it, he slowed the song down to 104 beats per minute. The band initially thought he was crazy, but the slower groove ultimately became one of the things that gave the recording its distinctive feel.
Then came one of the song’s strangest ingredients.
Smith was listening to The Time’s “Jungle Love” and heard bottles being used as percussion. He decided to try something similar on “I Can’t Wait,” adding a stereo bottle part that became part of the finished recording.
The wine bottles may sound like a quirky footnote, but they were actually part of the song’s carefully constructed rhythm. The recording also used a Linn drum machine and other studio techniques that helped create the layered sound that made the track stand out.
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How Nu Shooz Turned a Portland Hit Into a National Sensation
“I Can’t Wait” initially became a regional hit in Portland after a local radio station began playing the song. Listener response was immediate, but major record labels weren’t initially interested.
That changed when Dutch DJ and producer Peter Slaghuis discovered the song and created a remix. His version became a popular import in the United States, helping introduce Nu Shooz to a much larger audience. Atlantic Records signed the band in January 1986.
The song was then released nationally and climbed the charts, eventually reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became a major dance and R&B hit, turning Nu Shooz into one of the most recognizable new acts of the mid-1980s.
The success also led to the release of Poolside in 1986, the band’s major-label debut. “I Can’t Wait” appeared on that album alongside another successful single, “Point of No Return.” Poolside went gold, and Nu Shooz earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
What Happened to Nu Shooz After “I Can’t Wait”?
@vintagevines80s #nushooz #80s #80smusic
♬ original sound – VintageVines80s
Nu Shooz didn’t disappear immediately after its breakthrough. The group recorded another Atlantic album, Told U So, in 1988, but it didn’t match the success of Poolside. A third Atlantic album, Eat & Run, was recorded but ultimately unreleased. By 1992, Smith and Day had moved on from the group.
The husband-and-wife team eventually returned to Nu Shooz, however. They released new music, including the 2006 Nu Shooz Orchestra remake of “I Can’t Wait,” followed by the chamber-jazz album Pandora’s Box in 2010 and the archival collection Kung Pao Kitchen in 2012.
In 2016, they released Bagtown, a studio album that returned to the funk, R&B, jazz and soul influences that had always been part of their musical identity. They also spent several years performing on ’80s revival tours before announcing their retirement from performing in 2019.
Why “I Can’t Wait” Still Sounds Like 1985
There is something almost impossible to separate from the era about “I Can’t Wait.” The production captures a very specific moment when analog recording techniques and emerging electronic technology were beginning to collide.
The Linn drum machine, synthesizer sounds, rhythmic vocals and unusual percussion all contribute to a track that feels instantly transported from the middle of the 1980s. But the song doesn’t sound dated in the way some early electronic pop can. Its groove remains catchy, and Valerie Day’s vocals give it a warmth that keeps the production from becoming cold or overly mechanical.
That’s part of what makes the song’s latest recognition so fitting. Nearly four decades after it was recorded, “I Can’t Wait” remains instantly identifiable within seconds.
The wine bottles are just one small piece of the story, but they also represent what makes the song so memorable. Nu Shooz took new technology, traditional musicianship and an unconventional studio idea and turned them into a sound that became one of the defining pop records of its era.
And now, as “I Can’t Wait” is once again being recognized among the best one-hit wonders of the 1980s, its strange little production history is a reminder that some of the songs that most perfectly capture an era are the ones that took the biggest creative chances.
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