You’ve probably seen the headlines or stumbled across the 17-second clip of a catchy, 80s pop song that sounds like it belongs in a neon-drenched shopping mall. For years, the internet was obsessed with finding the origin of a track known as "Ulterior Motives" or "Everyone Knows That." Nobody expected the search to end in the credits of a low-budget adult film from 1986.
Angels of Passion isn't your typical cinematic masterpiece. Honestly, it’s a bit of a chaotic mess, but its sudden catapult into mainstream internet lore is a fascinating case study in how "lost media" works in the 2020s.
The Mystery of the Missing Song
For three years, thousands of people on Reddit and TikTok were convinced this song was a forgotten hit from a Japanese commercial or a lost MTV pilot. It had that quintessential synth-pop gloss. It was clean. It was catchy.
Then came April 28, 2024.
A user named south_pole_ball finally cracked the case. The song wasn't from a Saturday morning cartoon. It was part of the soundtrack for Angels of Passion, a film directed by Jerome Bronson. The "studio" quality people heard was actually the work of Christopher Saint Booth and Philip Adrian Booth, two brothers who were basically doing any gig they could get in the mid-80s to keep their music careers alive.
They weren't even aware people were looking for it. Imagine waking up to find out a song you wrote forty years ago for a "pay-the-bills" adult flick is now the biggest mystery on the web.
What Is Angels of Passion Actually About?
Strip away the internet fame, and what do you have? Basically, a supernatural comedy-romance with a heavy dose of 80s cheese.
The plot—if we're being generous—revolves around two angels, played by Jessica Wylde and Tracey Adams, who are sent back to Earth. Their mission? To help mortal humans find "sexual satisfaction" and fix their failing relationships. It’s got all the hallmarks of the era: big hair, questionable acting, and a script that feels like it was written on a lunch break.
The Cast and Crew
- Director: Jerome Bronson
- Starring: Tracey Adams, Jessica Wylde, Steve Drake, and Randy West
- Music: Christopher Saint Booth & Philip Adrian Booth (performing as Who's Who)
The film features a bizarre subplot involving a man named Larry and a "file card" system for humans whose fate is up in the air. There's even a SFW cameo from Christopher Saint Booth himself, playing a character in a weird assassin subplot involving a bomb. It's the kind of movie that shouldn't be memorable, yet here we are talking about it decades later.
Why This Movie Still Matters Today
It’s not because of the cinematography. Let’s be real.
Angels of Passion matters because it proves that culture is never truly lost; it’s just waiting to be rediscovered in the weirdest corners of the basement. The film represents a specific "Golden Age" of adult cinema where producers actually cared about having a plot and a full, original soundtrack. Most modern productions wouldn't dream of hiring professional synth-pop duos to write original hooks like "Ulterior Motives."
The Booth brothers eventually leaned into the fame. They re-recorded the song and released Ulterior Motives (The Lost Album) in June 2024 because the original master tapes were long gone. That transition—from a forgotten VHS tape to a chart-topping digital album—is wild.
The Lessons of the Search
What can we actually learn from this? For one, the "Lostwave" community is terrifyingly efficient once they get a lead.
But also, it highlights a shift in how we view media. In the past, a movie like this would have stayed in the "bargain bin" of history. Now, thanks to digital preservationists and a bit of curiosity, even the most obscure 86-minute flick can become a cultural touchstone.
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If you're looking to dive into the history of this film or the song, the best next step is to check out the Booth brothers' official YouTube channel. They’ve shared a lot of behind-the-scenes context about the recording sessions in Encino back in 1985 that you won't find on a standard IMDb page. It’s worth a look just to see how much work went into a song that was "supposed" to be forgotten.
Actionable Insights for Media Sleuths:
- Check the Credits: Always look for production music credits; many "lost" songs are actually licensed library tracks or work-for-hire gigs.
- Verify the Era: The use of the LinnDrum and Yamaha DX7 in the soundtrack was the biggest clue for researchers to pin the movie to the mid-80s.
- Support Original Creators: The Booth brothers are active on social media—following them is the best way to get the facts straight from the source.