"Dangerous" by Natalie Cole

Song#:  2311
Date:  05/04/1985
Debut:  77
Peak:  57
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Dance-Pop, R&B



Pop Bits:  After a streak of six gold and platinum albums, Cole's career started to go cold. She hadn't had a Pop Top 10 hit since 1977 and her last R&B Top 10 was in 1979. In addition to recording lackluster albums, Cole's personal life, which included a drug addiction, was in shambles. She finally stepped away from everything to seek treatment and by '85 she was ready to return to music with a new outlook. She signed with Modern Records and recorded her tenth studio LP Dangerous. This first title-track single showed that she was keeping up with music trends of the day. While the dance-pop tune wasn't a runaway hit, it did get Cole into the R&B Top 20 (#16) and back on the Pop chart. It was her best effort on either chart since 1980 and signaled that Cole was on her way back.

ReduxReview:  Neither this song nor the album were outstanding in any way, but what they did was make Cole relevant again. Those that hooked into this song were ready to see what else she had in store. I always thought this song under performed a bit. Yes, it sounds a bit familiar (see below), but it's a boppy fun synth pop tune with some fun effects. It should have at least made the Top 40 at Pop. Still, the song got her back on the chart and gave her career a much needed boost. I have fond memories of this album because I ended up doing a singing telegram for Cole (in a pink elephant costume) at a record store where she was doing a promotional appearance in support of Dangerous. She and her mom loved my little "act" and there was a lot of laughing and pictures being taken. They were such lovely folks. I bought an album and Cole autographed it for me. I still have it.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Does this song bring to mind the Pointer Sisters? That may be due to the writing team behind the tune. Marti Sharron, Stephen Mitchell, and Gary Skardina were the same composers that wrote the Pointer Sisters' big #3 hit "Jump (For My Love)."

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