"Jamie" by Ray Parker, Jr.

Song#:  2130
Date:  11/17/1984
Debut:  65
Peak:  14
Weeks:  17
Genre:  R&B, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Parker, Jr. just scored the biggest hit of his career with the #1 soundtrack song "Ghostbusters." He needed to follow that song up quickly in order to take advantage of the momentum provided by the hit. A full album was not nearly ready yet, so it was decided a compilation LP would be released to fill the gap. Titled Chartbusters, the album would included "Ghostbusters," two other solo hits, a hit from his Raydio days, two album tracks, and three new tunes including this first single. The song wasn't a major hit, but it did well at AC getting to #6 while making it into the Top 20 at both R&B (#12) and Pop. The album couldn't make it into the upper reaches of the charts, but over time the compilation sold well enough to go gold.

ReduxReview:  It is an advantage for an artist to try and capitalize on a hit and keep things going, but it has to be done the right way. This one nearly felt like a quick cash-in product. I mean, really....Chartbusters? In addition to the name, the cover was basically a rip-off of the Ghostbusters logo. The title is also misleading because in reality, only three of the songs included reached the Top 10 at Pop and R&B. Parker, Jr. had only released two solo LP's by this point, so a hits compilation was a tidge too early. They also padded it with album tracks instead of legit singles. It was just weird, hastily assembled, and not very good. However, the one decent thing from the project was this tune. It grooves along quite well even though it doesn't have a big catchy chorus.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  One of the new tracks on the LP was a bit of an oddity for a hits compilation. Just in time for the holidays, Parker, Jr. wrote the song "Christmas Time is Here" (not to be confused with the Vince Guaraldi classic from A Charlie Brown Christmas). The tune would also serve as the b-side to "Jamie." Unless they are major hits, holiday songs are rarely included on any hits compilation from an artist. It seems Parker, Jr. just wanted to cover all bases and was probably hoping for a little airplay action during the season to help boost album sales.

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