"Right Before Your Eyes" by America

Song#:  1262
Date:  11/27/1982
Debut:  78
Peak:  45
Weeks:  13
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  After a seven-year dry spell, the duo found their way back to the pop Top 10 with the single "You Can Do Magic" (#8). This second single almost got them another Top 40 entry but it stalled just short. It did better at AC where it reached #16. Although the album that housed the two singles, "View from the Ground," was not a huge seller (peaking at #41), it was a solid rebound for them in the new decade.

ReduxReview:  "You Can Do Magic" was a terrific song that updated America's sound quite well. Unfortunately, this song drags them back to the 70s. But it sounds about right for the band that came up with "Muskrat Love." The song is good in a Rupert Holmes kind of way, but it just sounds a bit dated for this time period. I do like the chorus of this song. The whole silent film star reference is nice and memorable. I can see how some folks latched onto this. However, I would never consider this a real chart contender.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  This song was written by Canadian Ian Thomas (the brother of SCTV's Dave Thomas). Thomas originally recorded this song for his 1976 album "Calabash." It was issued as a single and it reached #57 on the Canadian chart. Earlier in 1982, Santana had a hit with "Hold On," a cover version of another Thomas song that he had recorded in 1981.

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