"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" by Sting

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2359
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  44
Peak:  3
Weeks:  18
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Following the tour that supported their mega-hit album Synchronicity, The Police decided to take a break with the three band mates heading out to do their own project. Lead singer/songwriter Sting decided he wanted to launch a solo career. Instead of trotting out the same style of rock that The Police had done, Sting brought in a set of jazz-oriented musicians to help create various sounds, styles, and textures for The Dream of the Blue Turtles. This first single got things started and it was an immediate hit at Rock getting to #1. It got near that peak at Pop hitting the Top 3 while also getting to #10 Dance, #17 R&B, and #39 AC. The hit would help the album get to #2 and it would eventually be a triple-platinum seller.

ReduxReview:  Even though I had read ahead of time that Sting's solo album was going to incorporate different styles of music including jazz, I was still a bit jarred when I first heard this single. I just wasn't sure what to make of it. The song seemed to lean more towards R&B than jazz, yet it still had a bit of a pop/rock edge. It certainly wasn't the new wave rock of The Police (although the bridge certainly had a Police-ish feel). It took me a while to warm up to the song but it eventually won me over. The album was a mish-mash of ideas and styles and while it was interesting with some terrific stand-along songs, I didn't think it was a real cohesive work. He would release better albums later.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Not only was the album a hit with record buyers, it was also quite popular with the Grammy folks. It would generate four nominations including ones for Album of the Year, Best Pop Male Vocal, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, and Best Engineered Recording. Although he would not win any of those awards, in the coming years he would end up winning nine Grammys for his post-Police work.

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"Get It On (Bang a Gong)" by The Power Station

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2358
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  58
Peak:  9
Weeks:  15
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  This "supergroup" featuring Robert Palmer on lead vocals scored a hit out of the gate with the original track "Some Like It Hot" (#6 Pop). For a follow-up, this cover tune (see below) was issued. It became the band's second Top 10 single while getting to #19 at Rock. By this point the album had already visited the Top 10 and was well on its way to platinum status.

ReduxReview:  I remember reading critical reviews of this song back in the day and there was a lot of poop thrown at Power Station's version. It was one of those "how dare they mess with a classic" type of things. On one hand I can see their point as there was no one who was going to replicate or improve upon the original's soulful grooviness. On the other hand, I think critics were too harsh on this remake. Power Station's loud, brash take was an appropriate update for the mid-80s. As with "Some Like It Hot," the production was terrific and Palmer's vocal dug in and took a stand. Yes, it wasn't nearly as cool as T. Rex's glam original, but I thought it was a solid remake that worked for the time period. Plus, it hopefully led young listeners to discovering the joys of T. Rex.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song originally recorded by the glam rock band T. Rex. Written by the band's leader Marc Bolan, their 1971 version would be T. Rex's only Top 10 hit in the US (#10). The actual title of the song was "Get It On," but was changed to "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" when released in the US. The update was to help avoid any confusion with a single of the same name that was released the same year by a US jazz-rock band called Chase. Chase's original instrumental reached #24 on the Pop chart. T. Rex would only have the one Top 10 hit in the US, but in the UK they fared far better. They scored eleven Top 10 hits with four of those hitting #1.

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"Never Surrender" by Corey Hart

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2357
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  68
Peak:  3
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Pop, Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  This Canadian singer/songwriter scored an indelible and enduring classic 80s hit with 1984's "Sunglasses at Night" (#7). After a second Top 20 entry from his debut LP, Hart returned to the studio to work on a follow-up. As with his first album, Hart wrote all the songs (save for one co-write he did with bassist Russell Boswell), but this time around he dabbled in a new role as co-producer. This single would be issued to introduce the new LP titled Boy in the Box.  In Canada, the song would rocket to the top of the chart and remain there for four weeks. When it crossed the border, it also did well on the US Pop chart reaching #3. It also got to # 8 at both AC and Rock. It would end up being Hart's biggest charting hit in the US. Back in Canada, the song would win the Juno for Single of the Year.

ReduxReview:  "Sunglasses" may be his legacy song, but this big empowerment track is pretty darn great as well. It's a well-written and produced track with Hart providing an impassioned vocal. Even the synths sound like they are chugging with purpose. With the addition of a melodic sax solo, there was no way this wasn't going to be a hit. Although "Sunglasses" is a pure classic 80s, I'd have to say that this one is actually the better overall song.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  This song's title along with its message were partially inspired by one of Britain's greatest leaders. Apparently, Hart is an avid admirer of Sir Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister who ushered England through the second world war. In one of Churchill's major addresses to the House of Parliament, known as the "we shall fight on the beaches" speech, he states emphatically that "we shall never surrender" in regards to a potential invasion by the Nazis. That speech was recreated in the 2017 film about Churchill titled Darkest Hour. Gary Oldman's portrayal of Churchill won him the Oscar for Best Actor.

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"State of the Heart" by Rick Springfield

Song#:  2356
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  82
Peak:  22
Weeks:  15
Genre:  Pop, Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  Springfield's album Tao was his first regular studio album since 1981's Working Class Dog to not have its first single reach the Pop Top 10. "Celebrate Youth" would stall at a low #26, which didn't set the album up to match the platinum sales of his previous four albums. To try and help revive the LP, this second single was issued. While it did a little better than "Celebrate Youth," the song still couldn't manage to get inside the Top 20. It also failed to appear on any other chart. With no other singles being released, the album faltered at #21 and sales were kept at gold-level. It was a sign that perhaps his peak charting days were over.

ReduxReview:  Not necessarily known for his ballads, Springfield tossed this mid-tempo one out and it did fairly well. AC was never a big supporter of his tunes, but I'm a little surprised the format didn't pick up on this one. I liked the track and thought it was a good candidate for a single. Unfortunately, a detour into a bad film didn't help Springfield and his new, dense, Euro synth-rock sound wasn't winning new fans. I think the album might have done better if the label had taken a chance and released this ballad first. It may not have been a major Top 10 contender, but it had the chance to do better as a lead single rather than the follow-up to a weaker one.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song originally done by the Australian band Mondo Rock. The song's writer, Eric McCusker, had become a member of Mondo Rock prior to the recording of their second album, 1981's Chemistry. He offered up the song to the band and they decided to include it on the record. It would be the band's breakthrough album in Australia thanks in large part to McCusker's song, which reached #6 on the chart. Aussie Springfield was most likely familiar with the song and decided to cover the tune. However, Springfield wasn't completely satisfied with the song as-written. In Mondo Rock's original, the bridge section was a short instrumental passage with a little improvised falsetto vocal over the top. Springfield wanted something a bit more, so he and guitarist Tim Pierce wrote a different bridge that included new lyrics and a guitar solo. Mondo Rock would remain popular in Australia throughout the 80s. They attempted to break in the States, but it just didn't work. The best they could do was one lone chart entry in 1986 titled "Primitive Love Rites," which got to #31 Rock and #71 Pop.

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"Make It Better (Forget About Me)" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Song#:  2355
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  85
Peak:  54
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Petty's collaboration with Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, "Don't Come Around Here No More," was an odd hit reaching #13 Pop and #2 Rock. It was helped along by an Alice in Wonderland-themed video that won an MTV Video Music Award. The song was taken from the album Southern Accents as was this second single, which was the LP's second Petty/Stewart collaboration. This effort didn't fare quite as well peaking at #12 at Rock while missing the top half of the Pop chart. However, it kept sales of the album going and eventually it would be Petty's third platinum seller.

ReduxReview:  This horn-driven tune is nothing like the psychedelic rock of "Don't Come Around Here No More." It's also a bit different from Petty's typical output. It sounds more like something that the J. Geils Band would record. While it all worked fine, it just wasn't the right choice for a single. Actually, there weren't many single contenders on the album to begin with, so it probably didn't matter what was selected. Petty had always been more of an album artist anyway, so just getting "Don't" high up the chart was a solid win.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  In 1970, Petty formed a band called Mudcrutch and for a long while they were the house band at a local Gainsville, Florida, bar. Later in '74, the band got signed to the L.A.-based label Shelter Records and was able to issue one single. Nothing came from it and the band broke up late in '75. The following year, Petty and a couple of his Mudcrutch band mates would form Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Flash forward to 2007 when a wave of nostalgia found Petty reforming Mudcrutch with several of its original members. An album was recorded and released the following year. It reached #8 on the Album chart. In 2016, the band got back in the studio once again to record a follow-up. Simply titled Mudcrutch 2, the album would contain a re-recording of a song Petty originally wrote for inclusion on the Southern Accents LP titled "Trailer." The album replicated the success of the first one and reach #10. Unfortunately, it would be the last full album project to be released by Petty prior to his unexpected death in the fall of 2017.

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"I Wonder If I Take You Home" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  2354
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  86
Peak:  34
Weeks:  21
Genre:  R&B, Dance, Freestyle



Pop Bits:  The three brothers and three cousins that formed Full Force began as musicians and songwriters and came to prominence when they co-wrote, produced, and performed on UTFO's Top 10 R&B hit "Roxanne, Roxanne." They began to branch out into artist development when teenager Lisa Velez auditioned for them and from there Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam was formed. With Full Force writing, producing, and performing, Lisa and her two band mates recorded this song that ended up getting them signed to Columbia Records. The song first caught on in the clubs and it went to #1 on the Dance chart. It would then do well at R&B getting to #8 while crossing over to the Pop chart and getting into the Top 40. It took a while for the song to fully catch on, but the slow roll, consistent sales, and MTV exposure turned it into a gold record. By the time fall came around, the group's self titled debut album would be on shelves.

ReduxReview:  This song was quite influential back in the day and continues to be so with artists like The Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, Kylie Minogue, and others sampling it on their own tracks. It's unfortunate that it ended up getting overshadowed by the more pop-candy coated hits the group would grab later as this is the superior song and their best moment. That early freestyle sound is spot on and it is matched well with the background harmonies and Lisa's innocent vocals pondering a not-so-innocent question. It should have been a much bigger hit in its day. If all you know of Lisa Lisa is "Head to Toe," reach back and grab this one. You'll be glad you did.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  This song took an usual route on the road to becoming a hit. It seems that it got recorded in '84 with support from a small label called Personal Records. Apparently, a producer discovered the track and wanted it for a compilation album he was assembling that would be titled Break Dancing. The LP would be issued via CBS in Europe and this song started to gain a lot of attention. Soon the song would make it back Stateside in the form of an import and US clubs began spinning the tune. That was when Columbia came calling to sign the band and officially release the single.

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"(Closest Thing To) Perfect" by Jermaine Jackson

Song#:  2353
Date:  06/08/1985
Debut:  90
Peak:  67
Weeks:  7
Genre:  R&B, Dance, Soundtrack



Pop Bits:  Jackson's previous single was "When the Rain Begins to Fall," a #54 duet with Pia Zadora that came from the soundtrack to the film Voyage of the Rock Aliens. Next up for Jackson was another film soundtrack song. This time it was the title track to the John Travolta/Jamie Lee Curtis romantic drama Perfect. The soundtrack included songs by artists like Nona Hendryx, Berlin, Thompson Twins, the Pointer Sisters, Lou Reed, and others, but it was this Jackson track that would be first issued as a single. Like the film, the song didn't do very well and peaked early at Pop and R&B (#63). It would be the only official single released from the soundtrack except for a 12" version of Nona Hendryx's "I Sweat (Going Through the Motions)," which was a tune Hendryx had previously released and charted with in 1984 (#40 Dance, #28 R&B).

ReduxReview:  This song was co-written by Jackson with Bruce Sudano and Michael Omartian (both of Donna Summer fame). It is highly overproduced (by Omartian) in a synthetic 80s fashion and the song itself it not all that memorable. The tune is jittery and hyperactive with enough swirling synths to make you dizzy. Yet somehow I still like this song. It's not great, nor is it the best work Jackson has done, but it's fun and an interesting listen. I'd certainly bop around in my spandex and leg warmers if this came around on a playlist.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The movie Perfect used the workout/aerobics craze of the 80s as its backdrop and the fact that some fitness clubs in larger cities were frequented by singles looking to get picked up. Travolta was coming off of two poorly reviewed movies and this one extended the streak. It was a critical and commercial flop that got nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards including one for Travolta for Worst Actor (his second nomination at that point). Travolta would take a five year break before returning in the hit 1989 film Look Who's Talking. But it wouldn't be until 1994's Pulp Fiction that Travolta truly returned. His performance in the film earned him a Best Actor Oscar nod.  2) The soundtrack to the film featured a duet between Jermaine Jackson and new star-on-the-rise Whitney Houston. Both singers were Arista artists and since the soundtrack would also be on the label, the pairing made sense. The upbeat track was quickly forgotten about after the film and soundtrack tanked. However, it was revived in 1987 when the song served as the b-side to Houston's #1 hit "Didn't We Almost Have It All."

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