"If Ever You're in My Arms Again" by Peabo Bryson

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1896
Date:  05/12/1984
Debut:  90
Peak:  10
Weeks:  25
Genre:  Adult Contemporary, R&B



Pop Bits:  Bryson had been doing quite well since his debut LP in 1976. He collected four gold albums (two in duet form with Natalie Cole and Roberta Flack), five R&B Top 10 singles, and two AC Top 10's. What was missing in all this was a significant solo hit at Pop. Nearly a decade after his very first charting single, Bryson finally broke through on the Pop chart with this lead single from his eighth solo album Straight from the Heart. Although it took a little time for the ballad to catch on, it eventually did well enough to just make the Top 10. The song also did well at R&B reaching #6, however it was at AC where the song found its stride. It would end up spending four weeks at #1 on that chart. Surprisingly, the crossover hit didn't translate to big sales for the album. It missed the R&B Top 10 at #12 and only managed a #44 showing at Pop. It also failed to reach gold-level sales.

ReduxReview:  There is very little you can fault with this is a terrific Pop/AC tune. Co-written by one of the kings of big AC 80s ballads, Michael Masser, each section of this song stands on its own with Bryson delivering another solid performance. He may not have had quite the pipes as someone like James Ingram, but Bryson could easily sell a good song and he certainly did here. The decade would be full of schmaltzy, AC power ballads, but this one stands out from the pack as being one of the best.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  This song got a boost during its chart run thanks to its appearance on a TV show. In June of '84, NBC debuted its brand new daytime drama Santa Barbara. On that first episode, the power couple of of Eden Capwell and Cruz Castillo (Marcy Walker and A Martinez) were introduced. This song was used on that show and it became the couple's love theme. The soap initially opened to negative reviews and low ratings, but it picked up speed and by the end of the decade it reached its peak popularity winning three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series. Walker and Martinez also won Emmys for their roles. Unfortunately, the drama quickly lost its footing in the early 90s and slid in the ratings. It ended up getting cancelled in 1993.

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