"Stacy" by Fortune

Song#:  2572
Date:  12/21/1985
Debut:  88
Peak:  80
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  This L.A. band was started by brothers Richard and Mick Fortune in the late 70s. With Richard's wife Colleen and Mauren Thornton on vocals, the band got signed to Warner Bros. and issued a self-titled debut album in 1978. Working with soul producer Mark Davis, the band's sound at the time was a mix of rock, blues and soul. After two failed singles, the band was back on their own again and they decided to change direction and head towards a more commercial pop/rock sound. It paid off a little bit for them when a song they recorded, "Airwaves," got picked up by Columbia Records and placed on the soundtrack to the teen sex comedy The Last American Virgin. At that time they were listed as The Fortune Band. Despite some attention and opening slots for major artists, the band couldn't secure a second deal and basically disbanded sometime in '84. But then MCA came calling and was willing to give the band a chance. By this time, Colleen and Mauren had left the band and new lead singer Larry Greene was in place. They recorded a second self-titled LP that featured this first single. It was able to reach the Pop chart for a few weeks, but the rock ballad just couldn't break any wider. The band was then once again without a label and for a second time they split up.

ReduxReview:  This soft rock ballad is pretty nice. It seems a bit on the 70s side, but the production keeps it up-to-date. There are parts of it that remind me of Starship's "Sara," which was probably recorded about the same time and would hit the chart the week after "Stacy" debuted. It's a good track, but the style of the song wasn't in tune with the Pop chart at the time. The band had a few good Foreigner-esqe tracks on their album, but again, that was more appropriate for the late 70s/early 80s. This effort came a few years too late.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The second single from Fortune's 1978 debut album was "Squeeze Me, Please Me." Written by famous songwriter/producer Norman Whitfield, it was originally recorded by the psychedelic soul group The Undisputed Truth. It was included on their 1975 album Cosmic Truth. It was not issued out as a single. The song most likely was brought to Fortune via their producer Mark Davis. Davis had played keyboards on the Cosmic Truth LP. The Undisputed Truth had a few Pop chart entries and several middling R&B singles with their biggest hit being 1971's "Smiling Faces Sometimes," which got to #3 Pop/#2 R&B. Norman Whitefield wrote that song as well and recorded it with The Temptations first for their 1971 album Sky's the Limit. Their 12+ minute version was not issued as a single. Whitfield then took it over to The Undisputed Truth the same year and cut a 3-minute version for their debut album. It ended up being a hit.

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