"Heaven in Your Eyes" by Loverboy

Song#:  2815
Date:  08/02/1986
Debut:  72
Peak:  12
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Pop, Rock, Soundtrack



Pop Bits:  The timing of this song was just about perfect for Loverboy. They had just exhausted singles from their double-platinum LP Lovin' Every Minute of It, which featured two Top 10 hits including "This Could Be the Night" (#10), so this tune from the soundtrack to the hit film Top Gun was a nice filler in between albums. Like "This Could Be the Night," the song was a pop-leaning power ballad that was a solid fit for radio. With the film being a box office smash and the soundtrack album already generating two hits, this third single from the LP seemed destined to do well. While it would end up just missing out on the Top 10, it was still a good effort from the Canadian band becoming their eighth Pop Top 40 entry.

ReduxReview:  Loverboy showed that they were making a bigger bid for the mainstream with "This Could Be the Night" and this single pushed that way even further. The tie-in to a commercial soundtrack to a hit film certainly didn't hurt either. However, I think a lot of their core fans were starting to call foul as this really wasn't the edgy rock band who tossed out stadium anthems like "Working for the Weekend." I think they sensed that and their next LP avoided the romantic pop ballads. Still, what they did here was really quite good. It's a nicely written tune (I especially like the bridge) that's not overly sentimental...well, maybe a little. The band performs it well and tries to keep some of their rock sound incorporated. They made the most of an opportunity and it work out well.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This song was originally written by Canadian songwriters Mae Moore and John Dexter. Loverboy's Mike Reno and Paul Dean made adjustments and got writing credits as well after the band picked up the tune. It would be Moore's first major hit as a songwriter and it would provide a launching board for her own career as a recording artist. She signed with Epic Records and in 1990 issued out a debut solo album titled Oceanview Motel. Three singles from the LP would make the Canadian Top 30. The following year she would receive a Juno nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year. Her next LP, Bohemia, would do better with two singles barely missing the Top 10. She finally got her first Top 10 hit with "Genuine" (#6) a track from her third album Dragonfly. Oddly, despite the hit and a good selling album, she was dropped from the label. Moore would continue to perform and record some indie albums after her days in the major label spotlight.

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