"Every Home Should Have One" by Patti Austin

Song#:  1380
Date:  03/19/1983
Debut:  85
Peak:  69
Weeks:  7
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  Thanks to its appearance on the ABC soap "General Hospital," Austin's duet with James Ingram, "Baby, Come to Me," got a second lease on life and made it to #1 for a couple of weeks. Since the reissued single was highly successful, then why not try it again? Initially, this was the second single from her album of the same name. Released in late 1981, the song only managed to reach #62 at pop (#55 R&B, #24 AC). After "Baby, Come to Me" topped the charts, a new single needed to be pushed out. The label chose to remix this song and issue it as the follow-up. It fared just slightly worse than it did when first released. The reissue lightning did not strike twice.

ReduxReview:  I really don't know why the label chose to reissue this single. I guess they were thinking that this song should have done better when first released and thanks to "Baby," this was a second chance to make a hit out of it - ala "Baby." I don't think it was a smart move. They should have either rushed her into the studio for a new song (and follow-up album) or at least try another song from the album. Since the LP had already spawned three singles, which included the #1 dance hit (#24 R&B) "Do You Love Me," I probably would have rush recorded a new song to keep up momentum. Instead, we got this reissue and it didn't help her career at all. Regardless, it's still a good song that should have done better the first time around.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Austin's first three albums leaned toward jazz as well as R&B. Two of them reached the jazz chart. With that genre's audience paying attention, her fourth album, "Every Home Should Have One" became her first Top 10 jazz album reaching #9. She turned towards more commercial pop/R&B fare for her next two albums, but her 1988 album "The Real Me" marked her return to jazz and it hit #7 on the jazz chart. She would go on to place seven more LP's on the jazz chart including her best effort, the #4 "Love Is Gonna Getcha" in 1990.

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