"Jimmy Loves Maryann" by Josie Cotton

Song#:  1850
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  95
Peak:  82
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Pop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  Cotton got some attention when "He Could Be the One," from her debut LP Convertible Music, made it to #74 on the Pop chart. A small part in the movie Valley Girl singing her controversial tune "Johnny Are You Queer?" also helped get her into the spotlight. It set her up well for her follow-up album From the Hip. This first single got things started, but the song didn't catch on and it disappeared quickly after a month on the Pop chart. The lack of a hit doomed the album and soon after Cotton was left off the Elektra roster. Although her Pop chart days were over, she would continue to perform and record over the years. Her song "Johnny Are You Queer?" creeps up every now and then in films and TV shows (it was used in a second season episode of Glee).

ReduxReview:  I loved the original version of this song (see below) when I was a kid, so I really wanted to hear Cotton's take. I lucked out and the local used record store had a cut-out of the album for sale and I bought it. I thought the new wave-ish update of the groovy soft rock original was pretty great and I thought it had a good chance to be a hit. Sadly, for whatever reason it stalled early and vanished. It deserved a better fate, as did Cotton. I really liked her retro-girl look and sound. She was a good songwriter as well.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This is a cover of a song originally done by the band Looking Glass. Their 1973 original version was the first single lifted from the group's second (and last) album Subway Serenade. The song, with a slightly different title of "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne," peaked at #33 on the Pop chart and #16 AC. It was their second and final Pop chart entry. Looking Glass were more known for their big #1 hit, 1972's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)." A year or so later, Barry Manilow was recording a cover version of Scott English's tune "Brandy." Not wanting to get his song confused with the recdent Looking Glass hit, Manilow then change the title of the song to "Mandy." That single would also get to #1 in 1974.

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