"Sign of the Times" by The Belle Stars

Song#:  1441
Date:  05/07/1983
Debut:  81
Peak:  75
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  With The Go-Go's finally breaking through, it was the right time for other all-female bands to make their marks. The British septet The Belle Stars formed in 1980 and quickly gained a solid fan base. They signed to Stiff Records and began to issue singles. Unfortunately, none of their original tunes were catching on. The label thought it might be better for the band to release a couple of cover songs to generate interest. They release "Iko Iko," a #20 US hit in 1965 for The Dixie Cups, and it broke them through to the UK chart at #35. Two more charting covers followed that included their UK #11 version of "The Clapping Song" (US #8, 1965, Shirley Ellis). Now that they had some chart clout, the time was right to issue an original. This song, written by the band, would be their biggest hit reaching #3 on the UK chart. It also served as the first single from their self-titled debut album. In the US, the song didn't get much support and fell off the chart after a month. Unfortunately, successive singles didn't chart very well and by 1984 they were reduced to a trio. Two years later, the remaining members called it quits.

ReduxReview:  I have heard of The Belle Stars and vaguely remember their "Iko Iko," but I didn't realize they were a band that wrote their own songs. I thought they were more like a Bananarama vocal group. It's a shame they didn't hit bigger and stay together as they were pretty good. They created some quality originals like this song. It was their biggest hit in the UK, but in the States all anyone might know of them is the quirky "Iko Iko" remake (a song I really don't like). If you like this song, check out some of their other originals like "Ci Ya Ya" and "Sweet Memory" (#22 UK).

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Five members of The Belle Stars were previously in another all-female band called The Bodysnatchers. Formed in 1979, the seven-person ska band had a brush with success when their single "Let's Do Rock Steady" reached #18 on the UK chart in 1980. It led to them supporting The Go-Go's on their UK tour. But the following year, disagreements arose about the musical direction of the band and two of the members quit. The remaining five decided to stay together and start another band. They hired two other women, including lead singer Jennie Matthias, and The Belle Stars were born.

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"The Walls Came Down" by The Call

Song#:  1440
Date:  05/07/1983
Debut:  87
Peak:  74
Weeks:  5
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  This band formed in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980 and two years later they were signed to Mercury and releasing their self-titled debut album. It didn't get much attention, but the label seemed to believe enough in the band to flip the bill for a second album. "Modern Romans" did much better reaching #84 on the Album chart thanks to this first single that hit #17 at Mainstream Rock. The track's popularity on rock radio and its MTV video allowed it to crossover onto the pop chart for a few weeks. Their next three album's wouldn't produce much in the way of hits, but the band remained popular and they would end up having their biggest hit near the end of the decade.

ReduxReview:  What I remember about The Call is that they were being touted as the US version of U2. Their "Modern Romans" album was a bit political in nature and that along with their sound invited the comparison. The U2-ish connection had me interested in the band, but I must have heard a track on the radio or somewhere and decided they weren't for me. I can't say that hearing this song changes my mind in anyway. It's a rousing track that starts off with a great riff, but then it just settles into a basic 12-bar blues-ish jam. I was expecting an anthematic chorus of some kind to really kick the song up. It didn't happen and I kind of got lost in a sea of "ya-ya's." Meh.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Robert Levon Been is the son of The Call's lead vocalist Michael Been. The younger Been stayed in the family business and became a founding member of the band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (named after the motorcycle gang that Marlon Brando belonged to in the 1953 film "The Wild One."). A popular indie band, they would be highly successful in the UK scoring four Top 25 albums there including 2003's #3 "Take Them On, On Your Own." In the States, their best showing thus far has been 2013's "Specter at the Feast," which reached #35. Michael Been was highly involved with his son's band and would serve as their sound engineer on tours. Unfortunately, at a 2010 BMRC tour stop in Belgium, Been suffered a fatal heart attack. The Call would reunite later to pay tribute to Been. Robert would join them as lead vocalist, assuming his father's role.

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"Candy Girl" by New Edition

Song#:  1439
Date:  05/07/1983
Debut:  88
Peak:  46
Weeks:  11
Genre:  R&B, Teen Pop



Pop Bits:  This vocal group of young teens was formed by childhood friends from the Boston suburb of Roxbury. After settling on a line-up that included Bobby Brown, Michael Bivens, Ricky Bell, Ralph Tresvant, and Ronnie DeVoe, the group took part in a Boston talent show put on producer/R&B artist Maurice Starr. The quintet placed second, but Starr though the group had potential and signed them to his label. With Starr co-writing/producing, the group recorded their debut album "Candy Girl." This title-track first single hit it big at R&B where the song reached #1. Pop was a bit reluctant to accept the teens and the song peaked short of the Top 40.

ReduxReview:  This is one of those songs that I thought for sure was a pop hit. I didn't realize that it totally missed the Top 40. I'm not sure why either. The video was popular and its Jackson 5-meets-bubblegum pop sound seemed like a sure bet to conquer pop radio. Perhaps the rap kept it off of pop radio? Not sure, but I remember hearing this song quite a bit. I didn't bite into it back then, but now I realize that it is a sweet teenybopper confection, even though it totally rips off the Jackson 5 (but not as good...)

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The group got its name from their first manager, Brooke Payne. Payne saw the boys as a new edition of the Jackson 5 and therefore titled them New Edition. The comparison with the Jackson 5 led to Starr writing this song in the style of the Jackson's hit "ABC" (#1, 1970). Starr also chose Tresvant to lead the song due to his strong vocal resemblance to Michael Jackson.  2) This song was a major hit in the UK where it reached #1. In doing so, it became the first song that featured a rap section to hit #1 in the UK.

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"The Closer You Get" by Alabama

Song#:  1438
Date:  05/07/1983
Debut:  89
Peak:  38
Weeks:  11
Genre:  Country Crossover



Pop Bits:  Alabama were really at the peak of their popularity with their 5x platinum third album "Mountain Music." Their follow-up "The Closer You Get..." did nearly as well reaching #1 at country and eventually selling four million copies. The LP's first single, "Dixieland Delight," was another Country #1, but it failed to hit the pop chart. That would change when this title-track single would be issued. Not surprisingly, it reached #1 at Country while getting into the Pop Top 40 and reaching #9 at AC. It helped the album become their first and only Top 10 Pop album (#10).

ReduxReview:  Well, other than that annoying "pcheeew" synth sound, this is a pretty good song. It was a solid candidate for getting them back on the Pop and AC charts. But around this time, their crossover style was starting to wane at Pop and this would end up being their last Top 40 entry on their own. It didn't really matter though as they issued #1 singles and #1 platinum albums at Country for the rest of the decade and into the next. In the meantime, they were riding the crest of a multi-platinum wave that would continue for a couple more albums and establish them as country superstars.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This song was originally recorded by the band Exile. Written by band members J.P. Pennington and Mark Gray, the song appeared on their 1980 album "Don't Leave Me This Way." It was the second song from that album that Alabama copped. They also remade Exile's "Take Me Down" (#1 Country/#18 Pop). Country singer Don King recorded a version the following year that reached #27 on the Country chart. That same year, Rita Coolidge covered the tune for her "Heartbreak Radio" album. It was issued as a single, but did not chart.

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"Come Dancing" by The Kinks

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1437
Date:  05/07/1983
Debut:  90
Peak:  6
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  The Kinks had not scored a major hit in the US since they reached #9 in 1970 with "Lola." Despite the lack of a significant hit, the band's albums were steady sellers over the years with their last three hitting the Top 20. By this time, The Kinks were rocking fairly hard. Leader Ray Davies wanted to bring back a bit of their earlier sound for fans and wrote this tune. From their album "State of Confusion," the song was issued in the UK first, yet it failed to chart. In the US, Arista label head Clive Davis wanted a different song as the lead single. He was convinced this was too slight of a song to be a hit. However, Davies was convinced it was the one and after the video (directed by Julian Temple) started to rev up on MTV, Davis relented and issued the single. It would end up becoming their highest peaking US chart single (#16 AC, #17 Rock), tying with their 1965 #6 hit "Tired of Waiting for You." The US success of the song sparked a reissue of it in the UK where it went on to reach #12. The song would be the last major hit for the band in either territory.

ReduxReview:  I didn't care much for this nostalgic tune when it came out, but I did like the video. I definitely connect more with the song now, especially when learning of its inspiration (see below). I should have liked this tune a lot more back in the day due to its themes. My mom and dad loved big band music and I grew up hearing a lot of standards from the 40s and 50s that played on a radio station they would listen to while playing cards. I know they often went dancing as well, but that was well before my time. They became homebodies during my childhood. All those memories and music should have led me to really diggin' this, however I wasn't into it. Of course now I appreciate it a lot more.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This song was inspired by Ray Davies' sister, Irene (aka Rene). She loved to dance and would frequent dance halls in the 50s that featured big bands. Due to a bout of rheumatic fever that she contracted as a child, Rene's heart was weak. On the night of Ray's thirteenth birthday in 1957, Rene went to a dance hall and ended up having a fatal heart attack. Earlier in the evening, she had given Ray one of the most influential gifts he ever received for his birthday - his first guitar.  2) Davies used this song as inspiration for a stage musical. He began toying with the idea soon after the song became a hit, but it took him until 1997 to fully write the play. Then it took another decade to make it to the stage. The musical "Come Dancing" debuted in 2008. Davies wrote the music and co-wrote the book. He also appeared in the show as the narrator. The show ran for a six-week period. It was not Davies first stage show. In 1981 he co-wrote a musical called "Chorus Girls," which had a short run in the UK. Then in 1988, he wrote the music for "80 Days," a musical based on the Jules Verne book "Around the World in 80 Days." It had a 5-week run in San Diego. Most recently, Davies wrote a musical about his earlier life with The Kinks called "Sunny Afternoon." It premiered in the West End in 2014 and is still currently running. Nominated for five Olivier awards (the UK equivalent of the Tony awards), the show won four including Best Musical and one for Davies for Outstanding Musical Achievement.

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"Don't Let It End" by Styx

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1436
Date:  04/30/1983
Debut:  35
Peak:  6
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Styx's rock opera-ish album "Kilroy Was Here" got off to a solid start when the theatrical track "Mr. Roboto" reached #3 and went gold. This second single also did well getting into the Top 10 while also hitting #13 at AC. The dual Top 10's matched the same feat accomplished by their previous album "Paradise Theater."

ReduxReview:  I've always found it kind of odd and funny that the final Top 10 single from the prime era of Styx (with all members intact) was called "Don't Let It End." Unfortunately, it did. Dennis DeYoung certainly could write a good ballad and this one is no exception. He often bordered on the saccharine, but pulled back before crossing the line (at least with this main era of Styx). I wouldn't consider this among his very best, but it was a good single.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The band's roots come from a group formed in Chicago by Dennis DeYoung and the Panozzo twins (Chuck and John). They became The Tradewinds in 1961. Later around 1965 the band had to revise their name due to another band called The Trade Winds hitting the Top 40 with "New York's a Lonely Town" (#32). They then became TW4 and stayed with that name until they signed with Wooden Nickel Records. At that point, they decided to get a new name. Apparently, hundreds were tossed about to the band and they didn't like any of them. At one point, Styx (the Greek mythological river) was suggested. It was the only name that all band members didn't hate, so they adopted the new moniker and issued a self-titled debut in 1972.

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"Family Man" by Daryl Hall & John Oates

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1435
Date:  04/30/1983
Debut:  43
Peak:  6
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Pop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  Hall & Oates' album "Private Eyes" yielded three Top 10 hits and their follow-up album, "H20," matched that feat when this third single found it's way to #6 (#36 AC/#81 R&B). It followed their fifth #1, "Maneater," and the ballad "One on One" (#7). The album would be a double-platinum success that would reach #3.

ReduxReview:  This was another highlight from "H20." It was one of my favorites off the album. I loved the new wave sound and arrangement. It was something a bit more aggressive from the duo and it worked well for them. Their base was always in blue-eyed soul, but hearing tunes like this made me wish they would have branched out and done more straight-ahead rock.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Although Hall & Oates wrote the vast majority of songs that appeared on their albums, they would occasionally toss in a cover a tune. For "H20," they wrote/co-wrote all of the songs except for this single. British artist Mike Oldfield co-wrote this tune with five other people. He recorded it for his 1982 album "Five Miles Out." The song was issued as a single and it reached #45 in the UK. It was sung by one of Oldfield's collaborators Maggie Reilly. It was at a point in Oldfield's career where he began to dabble in more mainstream music. Many folks may remember Oldfield's most famous composition, the 1973 instrumental "Tubular Bells." A theme from that work ended up being used in the film "The Exorcist" and its popularity led to a highly edited single getting released in the US (without Oldfield's knowledge or approval). The single reached #7 in 1974. The "Tubular Bells" album would go on become Oldfield's biggest worldwide success selling millions and reaching #3 US/#1 UK.

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