"Loverboy" by Billy Ocean

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2146
Date:  12/01/1984
Debut:  56
Peak:  2
Weeks:  21
Genre:  R&B, Dance



Pop Bits:  After years of trying to get a big breakout hit, Ocean finally did it with "Caribbean Queen," the first single from his fifth album Suddenly. The song was a smash hitting #1 Pop, R&B, and Dance. He followed it up with this next single, which would become his second to top the Dance chart. He nearly did the same at Pop, but got blocked at the #2 position. The tune was less successful at R&B where it could only get to #20.

ReduxReview:  I didn't care for this song when it came out. Although I enjoyed the mysterious opening and verse, I wasn't a fan of the chorus. It was actually a good one that folks remembered, but I just didn't like it. I chose to ignore the tune because of it. The song sounds better these days and it is hard to deny the hook. It's not a favorite of mine, but I don't mind it so much these days.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Ocean's given name is Lester Sebastian Charles. He was born in Trinidad and later moved with his family to England. When he started his music career, he used the name Les Charles. He recorded a couple of singles early in the 70s, but neither panned out. He then fronted a band called Scorched Earth. They also recorded a single that resulted in very little attention. After a couple of years with them, he decided to attempt another solo career. This time around he chose to go by the name Billy Ocean. The initial story for how he got his new last name was that it came from the place where he had been living at the time in the UK, Ocean Estate, however in an interview Ocean said that wasn't correct. He apparently took it from a football team called Oceans 11 from his home country Trinidad and Tobago. He recorded his debut self-titled album in 1976 and grabbed a minor Pop chart entry with "Love Really Hurts Without You" (#22). It would take another eight years before he would take the charts by storm.

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