"Mystery Lady" by Billy Ocean

Song#:  2380
Date:  07/06/1985
Debut:  66
Peak:  24
Weeks:  15
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  Ocean's fifth album, Suddenly, was suddenly his big breakthrough thanks to three consecutive Top 10 Pop hits. After being a recording artist for nearly a decade, Ocean finally had a double-platinum seller. He tried to continue the streak of hits with this fourth single from the album, but the song just didn't have the same allure as the others and it stopped shy of the Pop Top 20. However, it was able to get inside the Top 10 at both R&B (#10) and AC (#5). It would be the last charting single from the album.

ReduxReview:  This has a faint Luther Vandross feel to it. It's a nice tune, but it definitely wasn't as hooky or memorable as his previous hit singles. Frankly, I doubt Ocean or his label could have predicted that the album would need a fourth single, so they pretty much were stretching it here. However, it didn't do too bad overall with good showings at R&B and AC. In reality, they could have just stopped with the three main hits and skipped releasing this one.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  While Ocean was struggling to get his solo career off the ground, a few songs he co-wrote wound up being recorded by other artists. In 1980, Ocean released two singles from his album City Limit - "Are You Ready" and "Stay the Night." Neither one would reach the US charts, but both songs were picked up and recorded by LaToya Jackson. In 1981, Jackson would release "Stay the Night" as a single and it would get to #31 on the R&B chart. Another track from City Limit, "Who's Gonna Rock You," would get picked up by the Irish girl group The Nolans. They would issue it as a single in 1982 and get to #12 on the UK chart. It would not chart in the US.

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