"Wake Up (Next to You)" by Graham Parker and the Shot

Song#:  2310
Date:  05/04/1985
Debut:  82
Peak:  39
Weeks:  12
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  After four respectable selling albums with Arista that produced one very minor Pop chart entry ("Life Gets Better"), Parker and the label parted ways. He then moved over to Elektra, formed a new band called The Shot, and recorded his next effort, Steady Nerves. This first single would introduce the LP and it would end up being the best charting single of his career. In addition to making the Pop Top 40, the song also got to #19 Rock and #26 AC. Even though the single did pretty well, it didn't translate to better album sales and the LP ended up peaking just two notches higher (#57) than his previous one. It would end up being his only one for the label. Parker has consistently issued new albums for various labels over the years, but none of them have had the commercial impact of his '79-'88 output.

ReduxReview:  I hate to constantly make the comparison, but each time I hear a Graham Parker song, I keep hearing shades of Elvis Costello. Not everything he does is Costello-ish, but singles like this one sure are. In fact, I'd probably say this is a weird combo of Costello with a little Springsteen tossed in. It's a nice tune and I like the little organ riff after the chorus. It takes a few listens to hook into the tune and I'm glad Pop listeners gave the song a chance. I need to explore Parker's catalog more as I've enjoy the few tunes that I've heard.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Graham's next album would be for the RCA label.  Titled The Mona Lisa's Sister, it received some good notices especially from Rolling Stone magazine. The album even made their list of the Best 100 Albums of the 80s. It placed #97 on the list. It was not a big seller and peaked at #77 on the Album chart. It would be Graham's last to get into the Top 100 of that chart.  2) Filmmaker Judd Apatow must have been a fan of Parker's. Following a 2011 reunion of Graham Parker and his band the Rumour, Apatow put the band in his 2012 film This Is 40. One of the lead characters, played by Paul Rudd, owns a struggling record label which is promoting the band's reunion.

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