"Do You Wanna Get Away" by Shannon

Song#:  2279
Date:  04/06/1985
Debut:  77
Peak:  49
Weeks:  15
Genre:  Dance, R&B, Synthpop



Pop Bits:  Shannon's "Let the Music Play" was an influential Top 10 hit that introduced many folks to the burgeoning freestyle genre of dance music. With a gold single and gold album to her credit, she then had the tough task of following them up. Working once again with producers Chris Barbosa and Mark Liggett, Shannon prepped her new disc titled Do You Wanna Get Away. This title track would be the first single issued from the LP. The song easily went to #1 at Dance becoming her third to top that chart. However, the song struggled elsewhere. It could only get to #13 R&B while missing out on the Pop Top 40. It would end up being Shannon's final single to reach the Pop chart. She would record one more album for Atlantic that failed to chart and that ended her major label days. She wouldn't record another album until 2000.

ReduxReview:  The fortunate/unfortunate situation for Shannon was that "Let the Music Play" was such a strong song she had to have, at minimum, another song that was just as good in order to keep her career going. Sadly, she just didn't have one. Her other material wasn't bad at all, it's just that none of it couldn't match the "wow" factor of her first hit. For example, this song has a nice urgent feeling and chorus, but it's nowhere as contagious as "Let the Music Play." Therefore, it failed to get her out from under the immense pressure dropped on her with that hit. She ended up a one-hit wonder, but what a great hit to be tagged with. As for this one, it was a valiant attempt to divert attention from her signature tune, but it just didn't work.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The album also included Shannon's synthpop version of Foreigner's 1981 #4 hit "Urgent." It was released as the LP's third single. Her take of the song didn't really catch on and it could only manage a #68 showing at R&B while missing the Dance and Pop charts completely. As with the original version, the center section featured a sax solo, which wasn't quite as memorable as the one that Junior Walker did for Foreigner's original.

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