"I'll Be There" by Kenny Loggins

Song#:  2493
Date:  10/12/1985
Debut:  88
Peak:  88
Weeks:  2
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Loggin's fifth solo album, Vox Humana, just wasn't meeting expectations. With the title-track first single halting at a low #29 and a follow-up single barely making the Top 40, the album stalled early at #41, which made it his lowest peaking album to-date. Luckily, his popularity at the time carried the album to gold-level sales, but coming on the heels of his biggest hit (the #1 "Footloose"), it was a disappointment. This third single from the album didn't do much to turn things around. It peaked where it debuted on the Pop chart and fell off after two short weeks. It was also a non-starter at AC getting to #33.

ReduxReview:  Nope - this is not a remake of the famous 1970 #1 song by The Jackson 5. However, that would have been much better. This song evokes the feel of Loggins' 70s tunes, but that is about all it does. It actually sounds more like an outtake from an old Doobie Brothers session. The song was not a bad one; it just wasn't good enough to be a single. In fact, it's pretty forgettable. I'm not sure if Loggins was rushed to get the album out or not, but it features a lot of weak songs like this. Luckily, movie songs would keep him afloat for a few more years, but he was just never able to capitalize on them with his own solo albums.

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  Sometimes songs not intended as Christmas fare end up being associated with the holiday years later, such as Joni Mitchell's classic tune "River." Loggins has a song in his catalog that has gained favor on radio stations during the holiday season. The title track to his 1977 debut album Celebrate Me Home has slowly crept into the Christmas standards territory mostly due to the song's first line, "home for the holidays." The remainder of the lyrics have nothing to do with Christmas, the holidays, or even winter, but that first line along with thoughts of being home have made it catch on during the season. Other artists such as LeAnn Rimes (with Gavin DeGraw) and Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles have now covered the track and included it on their Christmas albums. Despite never being released as a single, the song has become a popular moneymaker in Loggins' catalog.

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