"Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)" by Air Supply

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  0761
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  54
Peak:  5
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Air Supply was riding high after getting their first (and only) #1 hit with the title track to their LP "The One That You Love." It was their fourth consecutive Top 10 and this second single from the album continued the streak. The song title on the album is just "Here I Am," but since that phrase is prominent in the chorus of "The One That You Love," to avoid any confusion the subtitle was added on single release.

ReduxReview:  So how do you follow up a big-ass hit ballad? With another big-ass hit ballad, of course! It is Air Supply after all. Although this one is not as good as that the title-track song, it was definitely another winner. Whether you like this type of pop-easy listening-schmaltz or not, the one thing that can't be disputed is that Air Supply were experts at crafting this style of music.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This song's writer, Norman Saleet, had some prior success with his songs being recorded by Johnny Mathis, Art Garfunkel, Barry White, and others. He submitted this song to Arista label head Clive Davis specifically for Barry Manilow. However, Davis decided to give the song over to Air Supply. Saleet's songwriting success lead to his own recording deal with RCA and he released the album "Here I Am" (which included his version of the hit) in 1982. Unfortunately, it didn't sell and there was no follow-up.

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"He's a Liar" by Bee Gees

Song#:  0760
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  63
Peak:  30
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Many artists had their career derailed when the disco backlash hit near the tail end of the 70s, but arguably it was the Bee Gees who lost the most. From 1977 to 1979, the trio had a string of six consecutive #1 hits and they were worldwide superstars. Unfortunately, they got tagged as the poster children for disco and despite having numerous pre-disco hits (which people seemed to have forgotten), the group was shunned by radio and record buyers. By the time they were ready to issue their first album of the 80s, it was still amidst a hostile anti-Bee Gees environment. Their LP "Living Eyes" was a conscious effort to move away from disco, yet it was one made under pressure from their financially floundering label, RSO. This first single hopped on the chart fairly high up, but stalled quickly and barely made Top 30. It was the thud heard 'round the world and one which the Bee Gees would never really overcome in the US.

ReduxReview:  This is a strange song and single choice. The disco is gone in favor of a rock-ish shuffle and they limit their trademark falsetto vocals, but their staccato melody/delivery remain intact. The spitefully spat chorus line is not really attractive and seems out of character as they are not necessarily known for their bitterness. There are also a few instrumental passages where not much happens. Added up, it just makes a very strange offering from the trio. I think they were just trying too hard to reestablish themselves post disco backlash. I don't think this single was the remedy (and obviously, it wasn't).

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) How bad did this LP do? Their previous album, "Spirits Have Flown," sold over 30 million copies worldwide. "Living Eyes" sold a mere 750,000.  2)  Despite the LP's poor reception, it has a place in music history. It was chosen as the very first CD to be manufactured for demonstration purposes. This was shown on BBC through the show "Tomorrow's World," which aired in 1981. When CDs were commercially available, it was among the first to be sold. However, there were very few pressed and it was not reissued in later years even though the bulk of their catalog had been. CD copies of the album are rare.

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"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  0759
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  66
Peak:  3
Weeks:  19
Genre:  Rock, New Wave



Pop Bits:  After a pair of #10 hits, The Police issued this first single from their fourth album, "Ghost in the Machine." The song became their biggest chart hit at the time and it pushed the album to #2, which was also their best showing to date. Members of the group were never fully harmonious in their work and the fissures really began to show with the LP. Sting was becoming a star on his own and his musical direction was beginning to not be in sync with Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. Regardless of how it panned out behind the scenes, the album put them one step closer to worldwide superstardom.

ReduxReview:  This song follows a similar pattern to their previous hit "Don't Stand So Close to Me" where the moody, dark verse is contrasted by the brighter chorus. I think Sting perfected that formula with this song. It was really the tune that tipped me into their corner. I actually bought this single twice because the first 45 I played so much it developed a skip. It remains a favorite.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  The album's title comes from the same-titled 1968 non-fiction book by Arthur Koestler. The philosophical psychology work was one of many that Sting had read by the author and ideas from the book provided inspiration for the album's songs.

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"Oh No" by Commodores

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  0758
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  71

Peak:  4

Weeks:  20
Genre:  R&B, Pop



Pop Bits:  After the upbeat "Lady (You Bring Me Up)" (#8) from their album "In the Pocket," the group trotted out another Lionel Richie-penned ballad for the follow-up. Richie was starting to make a name for himself as a solo artist and his "Endless Love" duet (with Diana Ross) was occupying the #1 slot when this single was issued. The duet's success probably helped push this Richie-lead song up the chart.

ReduxReview:  I do admit that I fell for this song when it came out. It was a great vehicle for Richie and setup the sound for many of his future solo hits. It has a slight country feel, which is not totally surprising since Richie was working with Kenny Rogers at the time. I was always a little surprised a major country artist didn't cover this tune. I still enjoy the song and would put it on a list of Richie's best compositions.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  The Commodores met while attending college at Tuskeegee University. Members came together from two other groups in 1968. By 1972 they were signed to Motown and two years later issued their debut LP "Machine Gun," which featured the #22 title track (#7 R&B).

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"More Stars On 45" by Stars on 45

Song#:  0757
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  76
Peak:  55
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Pop, Dance



Pop Bits:  With the #1 success of "Medley" by Stars on 45 and the associated album, there of course had to be a follow-up. The main section of the first LP was based on Beatles songs. For the second Stars on 45 album, "Stars on Long Play II," a chunk of the medleys were based on 60s and 70s hits, which helped to make up this single. There were also medleys of ABBA songs and the Supremes. The album was another hit in their home of the Netherlands (#4) and in the UK (#18), but it seemed like the US had had enough for the moment with the album not charting and this single not getting into the Top 50.

ReduxReview:  Ugh - all I could find was the 12" version of the single, so you will have to suffer through that to hear the tune. Again, once was enough. It was fun and interesting the first time around. Now it is just annoying. I mean, who wouldn't want a disco version of "The Sounds of Silence?"

ReduxRating:  3/10

Trivia:  ABBA was far more popular in Europe than the US, so the first single issued overseas from the LP was called "More Stars" and it consisted of a medley of ABBA tunes. It was another bit hit reaching #2 in the UK and #4 in the Netherlands.

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"My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)" by Chilliwack

Song#:  0756
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  81
Peak:  22
Weeks:  19
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  In the US, this group kind of has a one-hit-wonder vibe thanks to this single, which was their best showing on the US chart. However, prior to this song they did have four others that reached the lower end of the chart beginning with 1972's "Lonesome Mary" (#75). In their homeland of Canada they were established stars who had six Top 10 hits and numerous other chart entries. They might have been even more successful but they seemed to be plagued with label issues and had to switch several times. By the time this single from their ninth album "Wanna Be a Star" came out, the group was pared down to a trio. The album would be their most successful and this single became their first (and only) Canadian #1.

ReduxReview:  This is another one of those almost-forgotten 80s tunes until it started appearing on several compilations. Thanks to those the song had lived on quite a ways past its heyday. I liked it back in the day, but didn't really love it. I enjoy it a lot more now and with the "gone, gone, gone" part, I've always been a little surprised it didn't do better on the chart.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  The group began as The Classics in 1964 and then changed their name to The Collectors a couple of years later. They issued two psychedelic pop albums in the late 60s that got them a couple of minor chart singles. After a personnel change, the group became Chilliwack in 1970 and issued their self-titled debut album. Their last album came out in 1984.

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"Take Me Now" by David Gates

Song#:  0755
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  82
Peak:  62
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  This title-track single from Gates' fifth solo album (and third after the demise of his group Bread) didn't do much to light up the chart. It ended up being his lowest peaking solo chart single and his last to reach the chart.

ReduxReview:  I'm thinking if Bread had a baby song with the Carpenters and named it after Christopher Cross, it might sound like this. It still sounds a bit rooted in 70s Bread-ery and baked with a little too much saccharine. I can enjoy some sickly sweet pastry every once in a while, but this one just tastes a little bland to me.

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  His "Take Me Now" album would be Gates' last solo album released until 1994. During his hiatus, Gates focused his attention on his cattle ranch in Northern California. His comeback album "Love is Always Seventeen" didn't grab any attention and it currently remains his last full album of new recordings.

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"No Reply At All" by Genesis

Song#:  0754
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  85
Peak:  29
Weeks:  18
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Following on the heels of Phil Collins' successful debut solo disc "Face Value," Genesis reconvened and issued the LP "Abacab." The group initially wrote several tracks for the new album but those songs were scrapped as they thought they were repeating their past works and they really wanted to do something new. So with "Abacab" the group began to shift their sound from prog-rock to more radio-friendly pop/rock fare. This first single barely popped into the Top 30, but it was enough to push the album into the US Top 10 (their first) where it peaked at #7 and eventually sold double-platinum.

ReduxReview:  I really loved this song when it came out. And still do. It gets close to topping my list of favorite Genesis/Phil Collins songs. I remember back then just waiting for the single to go Top 10 - and then it petered out at #29! I'm not really sure why. It's an solid song with a great arrangement and one of their most accessible tunes during this time. Crazy.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  The horns on this song were supplied by Earth, Wind & Fire's Phenix Horns (aka EWF Horns), who also backed Collins on his solo album; specifically on his #19 hit "I Missed Again."

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"It's All I Can Do" by Anne Murray

Song#:  0753
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  86
Peak:  53
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Country Crossover



Pop Bits:  Murray's previous single, "Blessed Are the Believers," would be her last pop Top 40 entry. The follow-up single "We Don't Have to Hold Out" failed to reach the pop chart, but reached #16 at country. This third single from her LP "Where Do You Go When We Dream" got her back on the pop chart, but couldn't get into the upper half. It also got her back into the country Top 10 peaking at #9.

ReduxReview:  This is a nice ballad co-written by Richard Leigh who wrote Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" (#2, 1977). I like this better than "Blessed Are the Believers," but I don't think it was a strong enough song to really hit at pop. It is a pleasant listen that is a good vehicle for Murray's great voice.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  An avid golfer, Murray hosts and annual golf tournament in support of colon cancer. She is known as an excellent player and was once named the best female celebrity golfer by a popular golf magazine.

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"Let's Put the Fun Back in Rock n Roll" by Freddy Cannon & the Belmonts

Song#:  0752
Date:  09/26/1981
Debut:  89
Peak:  81
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Cannon had been a popular Boston musician in the mid-50s when he signed with Swan Records via that label's co-owner Dick Clark. His first song for the label, "Tallahassee Lassie," became a national hit and reached #6 in 1959. He would go on to have several more chart entries with his biggest hit being the #3 "Palisades Park" in 1962. But the hits slowed after that single and his last chart entry came in 1966. Fifteen years later, Cannon found himself on the chart again with this song recorded with The Belmonts, who reached #5 in 1959 with "A Teenager in Love" as Dion and the Belmonts. It was a brief appearance, but it got these early rockers back on the chart one last time.

ReduxReview:  There were several nostalgia-ish tunes going on around this time so why not drag out some early rockers to bring back the old sound? So here we have Cannon and the Belmonts reminiscing about the innocent times and sounds of the late 50s. Sure the lyrics are little corny with the boy-meets-girl-gets-married-relives old days schtick, but I have a distinct feeling that it is kind of a swipe at the new decade of rock, new wave, and synthpop. I was really expecting this to be horrible, but it is actually not too bad and they do a nice job with the tune. I'm not gonna rush out and buy it, but a little blast o' tha past can be fun on occasion if done well.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Cannon became known by the nickname Boom Boom. This was due to the heavy thumping sounds featured on his recordings.  2) Cannon's hit "Palisades Park" was written by future "The Gong Show" host, Chuck Barris.

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