Australian singer Marty Rhone and the Tony Bartuccio Dancers capture the loud expressionism ushered in by the 1980s.

In this clip, Rhone performs a cover of ‘What a Fool Believes’ during a 1982 appearance on The Don Lane Show. Rhone’s classic gesticulating moves are relatively laidback when contrasted with the athletic and perfectly synchronised feats of his back-up dancers. The renowned dance group were choreographed by Tony Bartuccio, the resident choreographer of the Nine Network, and the dancers get to show off their prowess in extended dance breaks.

By the 1980s, back-up dancers were a prominent staple of mainstream pop. Reflecting an era of increasingly elaborate spectacle, the performance can be read as a checklist of timely obsessions: big hair, metallic spandex, aerobics and candy-coloured lighting.

‘What a Fool Believes’ was written by Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald, and made famous by American rock band the Doobie Brothers. This excerpt is a typical example of a musical spot on The Don Lane show, which also featured comedy sketches and interviews with major visiting celebrities, like David Bowie. The American-born Lane was one of Australia’s most popular personalities in the 1970s and 1980s, and his show was a massive ratings draw.