Top 10 Alert!
Rated 10 Alert!
Song#: 2300 Date: 04/27/1985
Debut: 62
Peak: 5
Weeks: 19
Genre: Rock, R&B
Pop Bits: Following a pit stop into soundtrack land with their work for the film 1984, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart went back to the studio to prepare their fifth album. This time around, the duo decided to cut back on their synth-driven electro-pop and record their new material with an actual band. The new album, titled Be Yourself Tonight, would be a more rock-oriented effort enhanced by shades of R&B. There was no better example of their new direction than this first revved up, horn-driven single. The song blasted its way to #2 on the Rock chart while hitting #5 at Dance and becoming their third Pop Top 10. Although the duo would have several more charting songs over the next few years, this one would be their last to reach the Top 10.
ReduxReview: I remember hearing this for the first time back in the day. As a big Eurythmics fan, I was excited to hear new material. When the song opened up with a guitar lick and the bouncy bass line, I wasn't sure where it all was going. Then in came this massive rock/Stax-R&B sound punctuated by screaming horn lines and I was like..whaaaa??!! The backing vocals were the cat's ass and Annie Lennox strutted through this thing like she was gonna rip someone's gonads off. It was freakin' brilliant. Oh - and then a motorcycle revving up? C'mon. I remember seeing them in concert (I think it was summer '86) and Annie Lennox came out in this leather cop-style outfit and just slayed this song. Although it does battle with a couple of other songs in their catalog, in general I'd have to say that this is my favorite Eurythmics recording. When you are playing this song, it has to be cranked to eleven...that's not a suggestion - it's a requirement. I wouldn't lie to you, honey.
ReduxRating: 10/10
Trivia: Many vocalists encounter in their career painful nodules that develop on the vocal chords. It usually stems from the overuse of the vocal chords or trauma to the chords. Symptoms can vary from hoarseness to complete vocal loss. Treatment is either months of vocal rest or surgery to remove the nodules. Famous singers who have had the nodules include Adele, Freddie Mercury, Rod Stewart, Frank Sinatra, and famously Julie Andrews, who basically lost her singing voice after a botched surgery to remove nodules. Also part of the nodules club is Annie Lennox. Following the recording of Be Yourself Tonight, Lennox got the diagnosis of having nodules on her vocal chords. She opted not to have surgery. She used other non-evasive methods to shrink the nodules including not using her voice at all. Recovery would take months and therefore Eurythmics were not able to tour to support the new album. Luckily, the nodules disappeared and Lennox returned to touring and recording in '86.
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