Song#: 1880
Date: 04/28/1984
Debut: 86
Peak: 79
Weeks: 5
Genre: Country Crossover
Pop Bits: Rogers collaborated with songwriter/producer Barry Gibb for the LP Eyes That See in the Dark. It would be Rogers' last album to hit the Pop Top 10 (#6). It reached that position thanks mainly to the #1 duet with Dolly Parton "Islands in the Stream." After a solo outing with "This Woman" came up a bit short at Pop (#23), this third title-track single was issued. While it would be another Top 10 at AC (#4), it couldn't make much of a dent at Pop. It fared slightly better at Country where it got to #30.
ReduxReview: This tune is definitely a better fit vocal-wise for Rogers. "This Woman" was a bit too Bee Gee-ish and he sounded uncomfortable singing it. On this one he is more relaxed and it works well. It's a nice song with obligatory background vocals by the Gibbs (Barry and Maurice), but it is not a very strong single. I would have never picked it for release. It worked fine for AC, but it lacked the extra oomph needed to make an impression at Pop.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: In the UK, this song served as the album's lead single. Apparently the record label, RCA, thought that Dolly Parton's more country-leaning vocals would not play well in the UK. She was also not as well-received in the UK pop world with only three charting singles to her credit. So instead of issuing "Island in the Stream" as the first single, they went with this title-track. It basically tanked only getting to #61. However, once "Island" started catching fire in the US, the label then issued it as the second single. It became a hit reaching #7 on the UK chart.
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I'd say this song sounds more Bee Gee-ish with those wavering vocals that remind me of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. This Woman is a bit generic, but at least it gets up and moves a little. It's still sad that Kenny couldn't find more apt material. His fade was underway.
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