#1 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Grammy Alert!
Rated 10 Alert!
Song#: 2617 Rated 10 Alert!
Date: 02/08/1986
Debut: 83
Peak: 1 (1 week)
Weeks: 22
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: After his stint with The Power Station rejuvenated his career, Palmer went back to being a solo act and issued out the album Riptide. The LP's first single, "Discipline of Love," should have benefited from his Power Station association, but it fizzled quickly at a low #82. That easily could have sank the album, but then this second single was quickly issued out. It debuted one spot below where his previous single peaked and slowly began to gain traction. The song started to take over the airwaves and thanks in part to an iconic MTV music video, the single made it to the top of both the Pop and Rock charts. It also got to #36 at Dance. It was Palmer's first major solo hit since 1979's "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" reached #14 and it would be the biggest of his career. The song would also earn Palmer his first Grammy Award in the Male Rock Vocal Performance category. The single would go gold and it would help the album reach #8. Eventually the LP would sell over two million copies.
ReduxReview: It still mystifies me why this was the second single. The beat, the buzzy guitar, the keyboard, and the hooky chorus added up to something that just could not miss. Bernard Edwards' production was spot-on as well. This had "hit" written all over it, but what certainly sent it to the top of the chart was the associated video. It wasn't a technical marvel or anything fancy, but it had a simple concept that worked far better than anyone expected. It is still mesmerizing to watch. Although the song easily stands on its own, it is nearly impossible to hear now without thinking about those clone-ish models. Both are classics from the decade.
ReduxRating: 10/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Palmer, who wrote this song, initially intended for it to be a duet between him and Chaka Khan. Apparently it was recorded as such, but Khan's label would not allow her voice to be used on the song. Palmer had to edit out Khan's vocal and adjust the recording to be a solo effort. 2) The famous video for the song was directed by British fashion photographer Terence Donovan. Featuring a "band" of women who all wore the same clothes, makeup, and hair, the video became iconic from the decade and has been imitated many times over the years in various ways. The "band" would also make appearances in two more Robert Palmer videos, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" and "Simply Irresistible," both of which hit #2.
_________________________________________________________________________________
9/10 for me, I was never aware that this was the second single off of the album, this is also one song I like better as a single version over the album version (usually it's the other way around), this song never seems to get old for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's a classic as is the video.
Delete