Song#: 0804
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 82
Peak: 60
Weeks: 8
Genre: R&B
Pop Bits: As a solo artist, Jackson finally hit it big with his album and single "Let's Get Serious" (#9 single, #6 LP). But his follow-up LP didn't generate any major hits and the success he build quickly waned. The slide continued with his next album "I Like Your Style" as this first single couldn't crack the top half of the chart. It even stalled out at #29 at R&B.
ReduxReview: This is a subtle groove that may just be slightly too subdued to really make an impact on radio. It's a lovely tune and probably one of Jackson's better solo outings, however I don't think it was strong enough to stick out among all the funk, new wave, and soft rock that was all over the airwaves at the time.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although his website still calls him Jermaine Jackson, he had his name officially changed to Jacksun in 2013. The only reason stated for the changes was due to "artistic reasons," but no one knows what that means.
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Saturday, April 19, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
"The Jam Was Moving" by Debbie Harry
Song#: 0803
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 82
Peak: 82
Weeks: 3
Genre: Rock, New Wave
Pop Bits: Harry's first solo single "Backfired" certainly did just that. The song from her debut solo album "KooKoo" tanked only reaching #43. This second single couldn't even get out of the basement as it debuted and peaked at the same #82 position. Although the album did reach gold status in the US, it was considered a major disappointment since it came out soon after Blondie's back-to-back #1's "Rapture" and "The Tide Is High."
ReduxReview: "KooKoo" was a pretty awful album but even amidst garbage you can sometimes find a treasure. Although I wouldn't call this song a true buried treasure, it is about the only tune on the album worth salvaging. It probably should have been the lead single instead of coming out after the bomb "Backfired."
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: When Harry first began her music career she became a back-up vocalist for the group The Wind in the Willows. They were a folk-rock outfit who got signed to Capitol Records and issued a debut album in 1968. The album barely made the chart peaking at a lowly #195. A second album was in the works, but was never released and the group disintegrated.
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Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 82
Peak: 82
Weeks: 3
Genre: Rock, New Wave
Pop Bits: Harry's first solo single "Backfired" certainly did just that. The song from her debut solo album "KooKoo" tanked only reaching #43. This second single couldn't even get out of the basement as it debuted and peaked at the same #82 position. Although the album did reach gold status in the US, it was considered a major disappointment since it came out soon after Blondie's back-to-back #1's "Rapture" and "The Tide Is High."
ReduxReview: "KooKoo" was a pretty awful album but even amidst garbage you can sometimes find a treasure. Although I wouldn't call this song a true buried treasure, it is about the only tune on the album worth salvaging. It probably should have been the lead single instead of coming out after the bomb "Backfired."
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: When Harry first began her music career she became a back-up vocalist for the group The Wind in the Willows. They were a folk-rock outfit who got signed to Capitol Records and issued a debut album in 1968. The album barely made the chart peaking at a lowly #195. A second album was in the works, but was never released and the group disintegrated.
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Thursday, April 17, 2014
"The Cowboy and the Lady" by John Denver
Song#: 0802
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 85
Peak: 66
Weeks: 7
Genre: Country Crossover
Pop Bits: Denver scored his first pop Top 40 song and Top 10 country hit in years with the title track from his album "Some Days Are Diamonds." The LP returned him to gold status after missing the mark with his previous album "Autograph." This second single found its way on both the pop and country charts, but couldn't get much support and faded after a few weeks.
ReduxReview: Bobby Goldsboro can be a terrific songwriter ("Summer (The First Time)") or a painfully sappy one ("Butterfly for Bucky"). This particular song that he wrote (see below) kind of falls in between. Goldsboro will usually tell a story and this one fits Denver well. It definitely works for him, but around its time of release this type of song was not in fashion, so it may not have been the best choice for a single. But for late-era John Denver, it's not too bad. (Although my 12-year-old boy humor has to chuckle at the line "there's a little bit of cowboy in the lady.")
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: As with his previous title-track single "Some Days Are Diamonds", this song is a remake. Written by Bobby Goldsboro, it appeared on his 1977 album "Goldsboro." It was issued as a single and reached #85 on the country chart. Denver's version made it to #50. (Side note: I got to meet Goldsboro. I was attending the Jim Stafford show in Branson sometime in the late '90s and had house seats as did Goldsboro. He was probably surprised that a youngster like me (well, late 20's at the time) knew who he was, but I had a couple of his singles when I was a kid and saw him on TV. So I easily recognized him.)
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Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 85
Peak: 66
Weeks: 7
Genre: Country Crossover
Pop Bits: Denver scored his first pop Top 40 song and Top 10 country hit in years with the title track from his album "Some Days Are Diamonds." The LP returned him to gold status after missing the mark with his previous album "Autograph." This second single found its way on both the pop and country charts, but couldn't get much support and faded after a few weeks.
ReduxReview: Bobby Goldsboro can be a terrific songwriter ("Summer (The First Time)") or a painfully sappy one ("Butterfly for Bucky"). This particular song that he wrote (see below) kind of falls in between. Goldsboro will usually tell a story and this one fits Denver well. It definitely works for him, but around its time of release this type of song was not in fashion, so it may not have been the best choice for a single. But for late-era John Denver, it's not too bad. (Although my 12-year-old boy humor has to chuckle at the line "there's a little bit of cowboy in the lady.")
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: As with his previous title-track single "Some Days Are Diamonds", this song is a remake. Written by Bobby Goldsboro, it appeared on his 1977 album "Goldsboro." It was issued as a single and reached #85 on the country chart. Denver's version made it to #50. (Side note: I got to meet Goldsboro. I was attending the Jim Stafford show in Branson sometime in the late '90s and had house seats as did Goldsboro. He was probably surprised that a youngster like me (well, late 20's at the time) knew who he was, but I had a couple of his singles when I was a kid and saw him on TV. So I easily recognized him.)
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"Castles in the Air" by Don McLean
Song#: 0801
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 88
Peak: 36
Weeks: 14
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: McLean had a mini-revival of his career thanks to the late blossoming single "Crying," which reached #5 earlier in 1981 (though initially recorded in 1978). A follow-up album assembled and McLean released "Believers" later in the year. This first single from the album climbed into the Top 40, but it couldn't match the Top 10 performance of his previous hit. As a result, it marked the end of McLean's revival period and the song became his last to reach the pop chart, as did the album.
ReduxReview: Most times, the original version of a song remains the best. But this one (see below) for me is better than the original. McLean takes his time with the tune and the updated arrangement is better than the original folk version. The song itself is good and the new version better, but it's still nothing that I'd revisit again.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: This song was originally recorded and included on McLean's debut album "Tapestry" in 1971. It was released as a single, but could only manage a #40 peak on the AC chart. Later the following year, this song was released again as the b-side to his #12 hit "Vincent." Radio began playing both songs and it was listed as a double-sided hit a month after "Vincent" first appeared on the chart. McLean re-recorded the song and the new version was included on "Believers" and cracked the Top 40, marking it's second appearance on the pop chart.
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Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 88
Peak: 36
Weeks: 14
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: McLean had a mini-revival of his career thanks to the late blossoming single "Crying," which reached #5 earlier in 1981 (though initially recorded in 1978). A follow-up album assembled and McLean released "Believers" later in the year. This first single from the album climbed into the Top 40, but it couldn't match the Top 10 performance of his previous hit. As a result, it marked the end of McLean's revival period and the song became his last to reach the pop chart, as did the album.
ReduxReview: Most times, the original version of a song remains the best. But this one (see below) for me is better than the original. McLean takes his time with the tune and the updated arrangement is better than the original folk version. The song itself is good and the new version better, but it's still nothing that I'd revisit again.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: This song was originally recorded and included on McLean's debut album "Tapestry" in 1971. It was released as a single, but could only manage a #40 peak on the AC chart. Later the following year, this song was released again as the b-side to his #12 hit "Vincent." Radio began playing both songs and it was listed as a double-sided hit a month after "Vincent" first appeared on the chart. McLean re-recorded the song and the new version was included on "Believers" and cracked the Top 40, marking it's second appearance on the pop chart.
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014
"More Than Just the Two of Us" by Sneaker
Song#: 0800
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 89
Peak: 34
Weeks: 15
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: This West Coast band had been around for a few years before finally signing to Handshake Records and issuing their self-titled debut in 1981. This first single from the album made it into the Top 40 and has since become kind of a popular "lost" track from the 80s.
ReduxReview: The song starts out like an Air Supply song but it doesn't get as epic as some of their hits. I like the song and it's been on a couple 80s comps I've bought. It's a nice piece of West Coast pop and probably should have done a bit better on the chart.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: In addition to other artists, the group cites Steely Dan as being an influence. The group's name is a reflection of that influence as it was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Bad Sneakers." That track appears on their 1975 LP "Katy Lied." It was issued as a single, but failed to reach the chart.
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Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 89
Peak: 34
Weeks: 15
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: This West Coast band had been around for a few years before finally signing to Handshake Records and issuing their self-titled debut in 1981. This first single from the album made it into the Top 40 and has since become kind of a popular "lost" track from the 80s.
ReduxReview: The song starts out like an Air Supply song but it doesn't get as epic as some of their hits. I like the song and it's been on a couple 80s comps I've bought. It's a nice piece of West Coast pop and probably should have done a bit better on the chart.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: In addition to other artists, the group cites Steely Dan as being an influence. The group's name is a reflection of that influence as it was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Bad Sneakers." That track appears on their 1975 LP "Katy Lied." It was issued as a single, but failed to reach the chart.
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"Hooked on Classics" by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Top 10 Alert!
One-Hit Wonder Alert!
Song#: 0799 Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 90
Peak: 10
Weeks: 20
Genre: Pop, Dance, Classical Crossover
Pop Bits: The success of the "Stars on 45" single spawned a lot of imitators, but usually the projects consisted of pop music from different decades or artists. And then this came along. Musician/arranger Louis Clark thought that a similar "Stars on" formula could work with classical pieces. He stitched together famous themes from classical works into one song, conducted the Royal Philharmonic's performance of the piece, and then set it all to the beat of an electronic Linn drum machine. The result was this single that unexpectedly found its way into the Top 10. A full album was issued with different themed songs in the same concept and the single's success propelled the LP to #4. Although classical purists abhorred the whole project, the one thing it did accomplish was to introduce classical music to a younger audience, which is not a bad thing. Although there were follow-up albums in the series that sold well, this would be the only single from the "Classics" series to reach the chart; making Louis Clark and the Orchestra one-hit wonders. The series would also bleed into other genres as "Hooked on Swing" and others would be released.
ReduxReview: Okay, I will admit it. I bought this record. I was a band geek (but not a classical aficionado) and the blending of the two genres was a lot of fun. And it does remain fun. When I hear it now though it is through nostalgic ears that bring back memories of that time. I don't consider this a great song in anyway, but it does bring a smile to my face even though it really does butcher great classical pieces. It leaves me a bit torn on a rating. My nostalgic side wants to rate it a 7, but my sensible side says to give it a 3. I guess I'll just split the difference...
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) This was not Louis Clark's first venture into pop music. Beginning with "Eldorado," Clark was the orchestra/choir conductor for the Electric Light Orchestra and would also assist in the arrangements. He eventually toured with the group on keyboards. 2) This single was not the first to combine pop/dance with classical. Walter Murphy scored a #1 hit in 1976 with "A Fifth of Beethoven," a disco version of Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony." Murphy's disco version of "Flight of the Bumblebee" called "Flight '76" also hit the chart reaching #44 the same year. Murphy went on to write music and themes for TV shows including "Family Guy" and "American Dad."
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Tuesday, April 15, 2014
"Sweet Merilee" by Donnie Iris
Song#: 0798
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 91
Peak: 80
Weeks: 6
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Iris' first album with his group The Cruisers featured the #29 single "Ah! Leah!" His follow-up disc "King Cool" started off a bit rocky with this first single not able to dig out of the bottom quarter of the chart. A second single would do far better, but the album still couldn't quite match the success of his first.
ReduxReview: There are some "ah's" in the chorus and another female name, but it doesn't equate to another "Ah! Leah!" It is still a good tune with a solid chorus that seems like it would have sounded great on the radio. Not sure why this one stalled out so early.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: The album "King Cool" got its name from a review in a Toronto paper. A music writer had seen Donnie Iris and the Cruisers when they were doing a gig in Toronto. The show was well-reviewed and it went on to say that Iris was the "new king of cool." That line provided the inspiration for the album title.
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Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 91
Peak: 80
Weeks: 6
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Iris' first album with his group The Cruisers featured the #29 single "Ah! Leah!" His follow-up disc "King Cool" started off a bit rocky with this first single not able to dig out of the bottom quarter of the chart. A second single would do far better, but the album still couldn't quite match the success of his first.
ReduxReview: There are some "ah's" in the chorus and another female name, but it doesn't equate to another "Ah! Leah!" It is still a good tune with a solid chorus that seems like it would have sounded great on the radio. Not sure why this one stalled out so early.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: The album "King Cool" got its name from a review in a Toronto paper. A music writer had seen Donnie Iris and the Cruisers when they were doing a gig in Toronto. The show was well-reviewed and it went on to say that Iris was the "new king of cool." That line provided the inspiration for the album title.
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"Destroyer" by The Kinks
Song#: 0797
Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 92
Peak: 85
Weeks: 4
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Although The Kinks were never really a pop singles band (up to this point they only had four Top 10 songs since 1964), their songs did well on rock radio, which would push their albums up the chart. Their previous studio album, "Low Budget," reached #11 and their live double-LP "One for the Road" got to #14. Their first studio album of the 80s, "Give the People What They Want," followed suit and reached #15 thanks in part to this single that hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It didn't do so well at pop just hanging around at the bottom of the chart for a month.
ReduxReview: You know the misheard lyrics thing - where what you are singing is not the actual lyrics? One famous example is Jimi Hendrix singing "'scuse me while I kiss the sky," yet some people though it was "'scuse me while I kiss this guy." Here is another one, just not as humorous. We always thought it was "paranoia will destroy ya." But the lyrics really are "paranoia the destroyer." I like our version better. This mash-up of their hits (see below) was pretty big on rock radio but I haven't heard it in mega years. It's quite a rock-out for the group and it works well, although it may have been a little rough for pop radio
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song references two previous Kinks hits. The guitar riff and some of the melody from their 1964 hit "All Day and All of the Night" (#7) was used and the lyrics refer back to the title character of 1970's "Lola" (#9).
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Date: 10/31/1981
Debut: 92
Peak: 85
Weeks: 4
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Although The Kinks were never really a pop singles band (up to this point they only had four Top 10 songs since 1964), their songs did well on rock radio, which would push their albums up the chart. Their previous studio album, "Low Budget," reached #11 and their live double-LP "One for the Road" got to #14. Their first studio album of the 80s, "Give the People What They Want," followed suit and reached #15 thanks in part to this single that hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It didn't do so well at pop just hanging around at the bottom of the chart for a month.
ReduxReview: You know the misheard lyrics thing - where what you are singing is not the actual lyrics? One famous example is Jimi Hendrix singing "'scuse me while I kiss the sky," yet some people though it was "'scuse me while I kiss this guy." Here is another one, just not as humorous. We always thought it was "paranoia will destroy ya." But the lyrics really are "paranoia the destroyer." I like our version better. This mash-up of their hits (see below) was pretty big on rock radio but I haven't heard it in mega years. It's quite a rock-out for the group and it works well, although it may have been a little rough for pop radio
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song references two previous Kinks hits. The guitar riff and some of the melody from their 1964 hit "All Day and All of the Night" (#7) was used and the lyrics refer back to the title character of 1970's "Lola" (#9).
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Monday, April 14, 2014
"Leather and Lace" by Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 0796 Date: 10/24/1981
Debut: 73
Peak: 6
Weeks: 19
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: Debuting one notch higher than her Fleetwood Mac bandmate's solo debut single, Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble," Nicks' second single from her #1 LP "Bella Donna" became her second Top 10 hit from the album. It followed her #3 smash "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" that featured Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. For this follow-up she got an assist from Eagles member Don Henley.
ReduxReview: This one has grown on me over the years. I didn't really latch on to it back in the day. I thought it was kind of pretty, but that was about it. I guess you hear things differently as you get older and now the song makes more sense to me and I can connect with it. That is a strange thing about some music. You may not be able to appreciate it fully until you gain more maturity and life experience.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: This song was supposed to be recorded by Waylon Jennings and his wife Jessi Colter who were assembling a duets album that would be released in 1981. Jennings had asked Nicks to write a song based on the album's title "Leather and Lace." She did, but it never got recorded and was not included on the album. Nicks then recorded it herself with Henley for "Bella Donna" and ended up with the hit.
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"Trouble" by Lindsey Buckingham
Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 0795 Date: 10/24/1981
Debut: 74
Peak: 9
Weeks: 19
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: After the success/failure of Fleetwood Mac's epic "Tusk" album and subsequent world tour, the group took a little break which allowed a couple members to issue solo discs. Stevie Nicks was already high on the charts with her solo #1 debut "Bella Donna" when Buckingham's debut "Law and Order" was released. Buckingham's album was not nearly as successful as Nicks', but it did well thanks to this first single, which became his one and only Top 10 solo hit.
ReduxReview: I've always liked this song and compared to a lot of his other work, this one is very restrained. It has a nice lite groove that wouldn't seem out of place on any latter day Mac album. He would go on to write better songs, but this one is easily his most accessible and hit-worthy solo record.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Buckingham's brother Greg was a competitive swimmer who participated in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley, an event where the US swept the podium. Unfortunately, Greg died of a heart attack in 1990. He was only 45.
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Sunday, April 13, 2014
"Twilight" by ELO
Song#: 0794
Date: 10/24/1981
Debut: 79
Peak: 38
Weeks: 11
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: ELO got their last pop Top 10 hit with the #10 "Hold on Tight" from their concept LP "Time." This second single briefly popped into the Top 40, which didn't bolster the sales of the album. It was the group's first studio album to miss the Top 10 since 1974. However, it did reach gold status becoming their last to do so. Across the pond the album was a much bigger hit reaching #1 in several countries including the UK.
ReduxReview: I love this song and paired with the "Prologue" (see below) it is one of my favorite ELO tracks. I really couldn't understand back then why it was not a bigger hit. It's a rockin' pop jam that has a terrific verse pared with a reflective chorus. However, I will say that it is pretty bombastic. There is a lot going on here and now it makes me wonder if it just didn't sound great on the radio. It is so awesome when cranked on a big stereo, but I think it probably sounded muddy and tinny on many radios. I still think it was a single worthy of a lot more attention.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: The "Time" LP opens with "Prologue" which then segues directly into "Twilight." "Prologue" was not part of the single, but sounds from it assisted another #1 song. Cher's 1998 hit "Believe" features a synth sound at the beginning which is a sample from the bookends of ELO's LP, "Prologue" and "Epilogue."
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Date: 10/24/1981
Debut: 79
Peak: 38
Weeks: 11
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: ELO got their last pop Top 10 hit with the #10 "Hold on Tight" from their concept LP "Time." This second single briefly popped into the Top 40, which didn't bolster the sales of the album. It was the group's first studio album to miss the Top 10 since 1974. However, it did reach gold status becoming their last to do so. Across the pond the album was a much bigger hit reaching #1 in several countries including the UK.
ReduxReview: I love this song and paired with the "Prologue" (see below) it is one of my favorite ELO tracks. I really couldn't understand back then why it was not a bigger hit. It's a rockin' pop jam that has a terrific verse pared with a reflective chorus. However, I will say that it is pretty bombastic. There is a lot going on here and now it makes me wonder if it just didn't sound great on the radio. It is so awesome when cranked on a big stereo, but I think it probably sounded muddy and tinny on many radios. I still think it was a single worthy of a lot more attention.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: The "Time" LP opens with "Prologue" which then segues directly into "Twilight." "Prologue" was not part of the single, but sounds from it assisted another #1 song. Cher's 1998 hit "Believe" features a synth sound at the beginning which is a sample from the bookends of ELO's LP, "Prologue" and "Epilogue."
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