Song#: 2287
Date: 04/20/1985
Debut: 91
Peak: 91
Weeks: 2
Genre: Rock, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: It had been nearly two years since Edmunds was on the Pop chart. His 1983 album Information, produced by ELO's Jeff Lynne, yielded the #39 entry "Slipping Away." The pair collaborated again for Edmunds' next LP Riff Raff, but the only song to make any impact was "Something About You," which made it to #16 at Rock. It didn't do much for his relationship with Columbia Records, but before he left the label, he worked on one more project. He would produce a soundtrack album for the upcoming sequel film Porky's Revenge. In addition to recording four tracks himself for the movie, Edumnds culled tracks by artists like Jeff Beck, George Harrison, Clarence Clemons, Carl Perkins, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. To kick things off this first single was released to promote the album and film. Unfortunately, it missed the Rock chart while only spending two weeks at Pop, becoming his last to reach that chart. While the film was a bust, the soundtrack received solid critical notices, but it wasn't enough to make it a solid seller and it disappeared quickly. Edmunds wouldn't record another album until 1990.
ReduxReview: The more I listen to Edmunds, the more I like his music. I thoroughly enjoyed "Slipping Away" along with his side band Rockpile. This tune follows right in the footsteps of those projects and I dig it. Based on the sound of this one, it seemed Edmunds learned a few tricks from Jeff Lynne, as there are some of Lynne's production sounds heard on the track. It's too bad this song didn't do better. Sadly, Porky's Revenge was tagged to a real crap pile of a movie so that certainly didn't help the LP. Regardless, this song and the associated soundtrack headed up Edmunds is worth seeking out.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: In 1981, a small teen sex comedy called Porky's was released. While critics were not all that thrilled with the movie, audiences love it and it ended up being the fifth best grossing film of the year. A soundtrack made up of oldies that were heard in the film was issued, but it didn't sell all that well. Two years later, the sequel Porky's II: The Next Day, got released, but it didn't do as well as the original and there was no soundtrack issued. Both films were written and directed by Bob Clark and after the second one, he hung up his Porky's hat. However, some other folks thought there was life left in the franchise and Porky's Revenge was created. In the time following the original Porky's, movie song soundtracks had exploded into a big business. Therefore, it was only natural that the new sequel should have a promotable soundtrack. With the film being set in the late 50s, songs that reflected the new rock scene were needed and with Edmund's sound soaked in that era, choosing him to head the soundtrack was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, with the film bombing, the critically successful soundtrack barely made a dent in the chart. The Porky's saga would get a momentary reboot in 2009 when a sort-of remake of the original film was made. Titled Porky's Pimpin' Pee Wee, the movie was barely a blip when it was released as an on-demand video. For many years, radio personality Howard Stern has expressed interest in making his own version of Porky's.
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