Song#: 2210
Date: 02/09/1985
Debut: 85
Peak: 76
Weeks: 6
Genre: Pop
Pop Bits: This British band began to catch on thanks to their fun swing and rockabilly tunes. Their second single, "Don't Try to Stop It," became a #14 hit in the UK and was able to reach the US Pop chart at #68. Coupled with their first single, "Stand By," that got to #54 in the US, they seemed on the brink of breaking through in a bigger way. However, for their second album, the band decided to break away from the retro sounds that got them noticed and went in a more modern pop direction. Things got started with this first single that appeared on both the soundtrack to the film Teachers and their second LP Fire Me Up. The change wasn't greeted well and the song couldn't make its way out of the bottom quarter of the chart. It would end up being the band's final Pop chart single. The results didn't impress their label (Jive/Arista) and their contract ended. The band split soon after.
ReduxReview: The abrupt change in sound was quite jarring and it turned an interesting band into a run-o-tha-mill pop group. I can only speculate as to why they made the change, but I'm guessing their label thought the retro shtick had limited appeal and pushed the band to become more in-line with current pop sounds. It just didn't work. It's like the soul was cut out of the group. When the thing that made you popular is gone, you better have something even better to retain/gain an audience. Unfortunately, they didn't and the results were not good. It's too bad, but at least they had a couple of years in the spotlight. This song just doesn't fit them. Even if it was another group I wouldn't be all that impressed. It's almost like it wants to be arena rock, yet it's trapped in a synthpop bubble. I'm sure that had to do with its writer/producer (see below). In the end it just sounds like an artist trying too hard to be something they are not.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: So, does a certain portion of this song remind you of another tune that ended up hitting #1? Listen to the pre-chorus of "One Foot." It's the section where the vocalist sings "non-stop miracle I'm your man." Sound familiar? It should if you know Billy Ocean's hit "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car." That pre-chorus section in "One Foot" was reused for the Billy Ocean song right before the chorus as well. So how is this not a plagiarism issue? It's because the songs share a writer. Popular producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange (Def Leppard, Shania Twain) wrote and produced "One Foot" for Roman Holliday. Then three years later, he recycled a snippet of the song when co-writing and producing "Get Outta My Car" with Billy Ocean. Both songs have a similar feel as well. I guess if it didn't work the first time, then try it somewhere else! In this case it worked out well.
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