"Under the Covers" by Janis Ian

Song#:  0667
Date:  07/11/1981
Debut:  81
Peak:  71
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Singer/Songwriter



Pop Bits:  The last time Ian was on the pop chart was when she had her big hit "At Seventeen" in 1975. That song reached #3 while it's album "Between the Lines" went all the way to #1. After that major success (which included a Grammy for Pop Vocals), Ian remained popular but her albums saw diminishing returns with each release. Five albums later, she issued the LP "Restless Eyes" and this first single marked her return to the pop chart, albeit briefly. It would also be her last to do so. Although still under contract with CBS Records, Ian decided to stop recording in 1982. Over the next decade, she continued writing songs for other artists and then finally returned to recording in 1993 with her independent release "Breaking Silence."

ReduxReview:  It kind of sounds like a lost Linda Ronstadt track. I don't think it has enough umph to make it a really great single, however Ian can write and it's probably one of her better efforts for chart consideration. It seems a little stuck in the 70s and doesn't quite mesh with the new 80s sounds, but it is worthy of a listen.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Although Ian only had three pop charting singles in her career, they stretched into three different decades. Her first hit was the controversial "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking), which hit #14 in 1967. Then came her big hit "At Seventeen" in 1975. Then this single in 1981.  2)  Along with Billy Preston, Ian was the musical guest on the very first episode of "Saturday Night Live" on October 11, 1975. She performed "At Seventeen" and "In the Winter."

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