Song#: 2127
Date: 11/17/1984
Debut: 83
Peak: 59
Weeks: 10
Genre: Pop, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: Springfield's third single from the soundtrack album to his film Hard to Hold was "Bop 'Til You Drop." It just made the Pop Top 20 at #20. The flip side to that single was this track from the album. The duet with jazz/R&B singer Randy Crawford (see below) was serviced to AC radio and it caught on. The tune would end up getting to #16 on that chart. Due to that action, the song gained some airplay at Pop as well and soon the b-side appeared on the chart. It could only manage a #59 showing, but the spins over at AC helped sell a few more singles and albums.
ReduxReview: Springfield was never known for his ballads, but he writes a lovely one here. It's one of the more subtle tunes he's ever done and the addition of Crawford is quite nice. It doesn't really stand out as a single, but it's a different side of Springfield and it suited him just fine. The arrangement is nice as well and different for him. Springfield had been using a lot of new technology on his rock tunes, but this one is more basic and low-key. It showed that he didn't have to rely on sounds and gadgets to make a song work.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Vocalist Randy Crawford spent time on the club circuit and backing other artists until she secured her own solo contract with Columbia in 1972. After a couple of singles failed to generate interest, she was back on her own until Warner Bros. picked her up a few years later. Although she failed to score any major chart hits, her albums sold well with many of them hitting the Top 10 of the Jazz chart. Over the years, Crawford was able to get some songs on the R&B chart, but her solo works were ignored at Pop. Her only two appearances on the Pop chart were alongside other artists. In 1976, she reached #36 with The Crusaders on "Street Life." Her second and last entry came with this Springfield duet. However, the story was a bit different in the UK where she got four Top 20 hits including two Top 10's. For her 1976 debut LP, Crawford recorded the song "I've Never Been to Me." Her version was the first one released. It was not issued as a single. Not long after, singer Charlene released her version as a single and it got to #97. Of course, years later, the song would be revived and Charlene found herself with an unexpected #3 hit in 1982.
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