"Heartache All Over the World" by Elton John

Song#:  2898
Date:  10/18/1986
Debut:  80
Peak:  55
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  John's album Ice on Fire would be the lowest peaking studio album of his career to-date stopping at a minor #48. However, the LP's second single, "Nikita," turned into a surprise #7 hit and it helped the album sell well enough to go gold. Negative critical reaction didn't slow down John's pace and he got right back into the studio to record a follow-up, which would be his last contractual effort on the Geffen label. He used some tracks leftover from the Ice on Fire sessions and combined them with a few new ones for Leather Jackets, on which he was teamed once again with lyricist Bernie Taupin and producer Gus Dudgeon. This first single got issued out and despite John's popularity and track record, the song tanked. It couldn't even make it into the top half of the Pop chart. It failed to reach any other chart as well. The album was greeted with negative reviews and that along with the poor performing single made Geffen throw in the towel and no further singles were released in the US. The LP would peak at a career worst #91 and it would be John's first since 1970 to not produce a Top 40 hit. His career and personal life (his addiction to cocaine and alcohol was at its worst around this time) had pretty much hit rock bottom. He'd spend the balance of the decade cleaning himself up and trying to get back on track.

ReduxReview:  I have not listened to all of John's studio albums, but I have heard the majority of them and I can say that Leather Jackets is thus far the worst one. The songs were bad and the production was full of clunky 80s synths and effects, as heard on this single. I bought it when it was first released and I think maybe listened to it twice and put it away. What a disappointment. Decades later in interviews even John concurs. He has mentioned that this was the worst song he recorded and that the album is his least favorite in his catalog. While I wouldn't say this was his worst song, it certainly wasn't good. There are actually some chord progressions and melodies that I like in the tune, but overall it didn't come together. And the janky 80s product just makes it even worse. From the 80s forward, John's recording career was going to be up and down, but I'd have to say that this album was certainly his lowest point.

ReduxRating:  3/10

Trivia:  For one of the songs on the album, John had a different collaborator than Bernie Taupin. The track "Don't Trust That Woman" was co-written by John and the equally legendary Cher. Although Cher was known mostly as a singer and entertainer, she did dabble in lyric writing a few times in her career. One of those times was when she formed her own rock band called Black Rose with her boyfriend at the time Les Dudek. Black Rose tried to make it without using Cher's celebrity status to help them along. In other words, they wanted to be just Black Rose, not Cher's Black Rose or Cher's new project. They recorded an album that was released in 1980. Despite a small tour and high-profile TV appearances (The Tonight Show, The Midnight Special), no singles from the album reached the charts and the album failed to chart as well. Even though the results were not good, the band made plans for a second album. Cher and Dudek collaborated on a song titled "Don't Trust That Woman" that was intended for the LP. Unfortunately, Black Rose folded and it seemed like nothing would happen with the tune. However, outside of Black Rose, Dudek still had a contract with Columbia for whom he had already recorded three albums. He set out to record a fourth one in 1981 titled Gypsy Ride and he went ahead and recorded "Don't Trust That Woman."  Not much came from the album and the song basically disappeared. Yet somehow, the tune later ended up in the hands of John who then wrote new music to Cher's lyrics. There are some lyrical differences between the two versions, so it's not exactly known if Cher updated her lyrics or if John added to them. Unfortunately, the tune ended up on one of John's worst performing albums. (Note: Dudek's original bluesy rock take on the song was far superior to John's poppy, (synth) steel drum backed take.)

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"Nail It to the Wall" by Stacy Lattisaw

Song#:  2897
Date:  10/18/1986
Debut: 90
Peak:  49
Weeks:  13
Genre:  R&B, Dance-Pop



Pop Bits:  Lattisaw had a good career going. Between 1980 and 1984, she scored five R&B Top 10s with three of them reaching the Pop Top 40. Following a duet album, Perfect Combination with Johnny Gill, Lattisaw returned with a solo effort in 1985 titled I'm Not the Same Girl. Unfortunately, the album performed poorly and failed to reach either the R&B or Pop chart. She need to do something different to boost her career so she signed on with Motown for her next LP, Take Me All the Way. Being on Motown gave her a chance to update her image and allowed her to work with various hot-at-the-time producers like Narada Michael Walden, Kashif, and John "Jellybean" Benitez, who produced this first single. The song returned her to the Top 10 at R&B (#4) while getting to #2 at Dance. It crossed over to the Pop chart, but it stopped scaling chart after crossing over the halfway point. While it was a good return for the singer, it would end up being her final song to reach the Pop chart. She would do two more albums for Motown and score two more R&B Top 10's, including a #1 duet with Johnny Gill, "Where Do We Go from Here."

ReduxReview:  Motown tried to turn Lattisaw into an R&B/Dance-Pop diva and for the most part it worked. This tune showed a more mature side of Lattisaw that brought her into Janet Jackson/Madonna territory. She scored with this tune at R&B and Dance, but for some reason it didn't catch on as well at Pop. It had a hooky chorus with a good verse and screechy 80s production, so I'm a little surprised it missed out on the Top 40. Lattisaw certainly grew into her voice and she sounds very confident on this track. It's certainly not the same teenager who had been crooning tunes like "Love on a Two Way Street."

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  As the 90s started, Lattisaw did what few successful performers would ever do. She walked away from the music business. After a decade of hits, touring, and navigating the industry, she had had enough. She was suffering from bouts of depression and she wanted to start a family. So Lattisaw decided to quit the music biz and start her life anew. She married Kevin Jackson and became involved in the ministry. She still sings, but now it is gospel music. She spends time speaking in churches or at conferences and has developed several community programs including one for abused women.

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"Gravity" by James Brown

Song#:  2896
Date:  10/18/1986
Debut:  93
Peak:  93
Weeks:  2
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  Earlier in '86, Brown scored his last major Pop hit with "Living in America" (#4 Pop, #10 R&B, #3 Dance), a song from the soundtrack to the hit film Rocky IV. The song also earned Brown a Grammy for Best Male Vocal R&B Performance. The tune was written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight and produced by Hartman. With the hit reviving Brown's career, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to record a new album. Hartman and Midnight were brought on board and the pair wrote all the songs for Brown's 53rd (!) album Gravity. Hartman would also serve as producer. Ideally, they would have had a song ready for summer release since "Living in America" had fallen off the chart by spring, but things didn't come together until the fall and this title track single was issued out. Despite a renewed interest in Brown, the song fell flat. It only got to #23 at R&B while brushing the bottom of the Pop chart for two short weeks. It did a bit better at Dance getting to #13, but the results were not encouraging. The album would follow suit by only getting to #156 at Pop and #39 R&B.This single would end up being Brown's last to reach the Pop chart.

ReduxReview:  After the success of "Living in America," it did seem like a natural thing to just do an album with Hartman and Midnight. The trio seemed like a good partnership and they did work to update Brown's sound for the 80s. This track was pretty good and it fit Brown well. However, it just wasn't as hooky as "Living in America" and since it had a similar feel I think people just preferred to keep listening to "Living." The balance of the album was fine, but it played more like a Hartman solo album with Brown singing than an actual James Brown album.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) While this song would not do well, his next single, "How Do You Stop," would do much better at R&B getting to #10. It was his 56th Top 10 on that chart. Unfortunately, it failed to reach the Pop chart. The song was remade by Joni Mitchell for her 1994 album Turbulent Indigo. Her take featured vocals by Seal. The song was issued out as the LP's first single and it did get to #56 in her home country of Canada. It didn't chart in the US, however, great critical reviews and a solid fan base would push the album to #47. It would go on to win the Grammy for Pop Album of the Year.  2) Brown's next album, 1988's I'm Real, would again attempt to keep his sound updated for the 80s. For the LP, Brown collaborated with the production team Full Force, who had recently had success with Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. This time around, the results were more favorable. The album generated two Top 10 hits at R&B and got to #15. Even though none of the singles reached the Pop chart, the LP still sold well enough to cross over and reach #96. It would be Brown's last studio album to reach those heights.

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"This Love" by Bad Company

Song#:  2895
Date:  10/18/1986
Debut:  94
Peak:  85
Weeks:  5
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Following the disappointing results of their 1982 album Rough Diamonds, the band needed a break. After much success and relentless touring, they were worn out. The band then split and decided to go their own ways. Later in '85, two members of the band, Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs, wanted to work on a new project together. They pitched the idea to their label, Atlantic, who were on board with it but demanded one thing. They had to revive and use the Bad Company name. Thinking a reunion might work out, the pair sought out their former lead vocalist Paul Rodgers. Unfortunately, Rodgers was already committed to his new band The Firm and couldn't jump ship. So Kirke and Ralphs still moved forward with the project and hired in Brian Howe as lead vocalist. Together they recorded a new LP, Fame and Fortune, with producer Keith Olsen. Olsen gave the band a more modern, 80s sheen adding slick synths to their sound and this first single showcased the new Bad Company. While the tune did fine at Rock getting to #12, it didn't catch on at Pop and it stalled low on the chart. Further singles failed to chart at Pop and that left the album peaking at a minor #106. The results certainly weren't what they wanted, but the band would end up rallying and doing well with their next three albums.

ReduxReview:  This was a definite stab at a commercial, mainstream hit. It was certainly not the Bad Company of the 70s who turned out rock-bluesy tunes like "Feel Like Makin' Love" (#10 Pop, 1975). This nearly sounds like when Jefferson Airplane/Starship evolved into just Starship, minus the strong hit contenders. Mick Jones from Foreigner served as executive producer and that's probably why this track also sounds like a weaker effort from that band. It's not a bad tune, but it just wasn't strong enough to break through on pop radio. And for long time fans of the band, this wasn't what they were looking for. It all kind of fell flat, but their next effort would bring fans back in.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  British-born Brian Howe got his first major gig via an American artist. In the early 80s, Howe was struggling to get noticed and had sent demos to several labels including Atlantic. It seemed the label showed some interest in the aspiring artist, but not enough to fully sign him on. However, Howe's voice did spark interest from someone who was walking the halls at Atlantic and happened to hear his voice. Producer Ashley Howe (unrelated) was looking for a lead vocalist to front the latest album by rocker Ted Nugent. Howe's voice seemed to fit the bill and he was hired to sing on Nugent's 1984 LP Penetrator. The album did fairly well getting to #56 while it's lead single "Tied Up in Love" got to #41 at Rock. However, Howe's deal with Nugent wasn't all that it was cracked up to be so Howe decided to go back out on his own. Not long after, the boys from Bad Company came calling.

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"More Than Physical" by Bananarama

Song#:  2894
Date:  10/18/1986
Debut:  98
Peak:  73
Weeks:  5
Genre:  Dance-Pop



Pop Bits:  Bananarama scored their first and only #1 hit with "Venus," the first single from their third album True Confessions. The remake was also their first collaboration with the Stock Aitken Waterman production team. They would also work together on this second single, which Bananarama and SAW co-wrote. Unfortunately, the song didn't capture the same audience that flocked to "Venus" and it peaked low on the Pop chart. The news was much better over on the Dance chart where the song made it to #5. The female vocal trio seemed to like what the SAW team had to offer and would hire them to fully produce their next album.

ReduxReview:  The merging of Bananarama and the SAW team was a terrific idea. SAW's trademark chugging synthpop was a perfect backdrop to Bananarama's girl group vocals. It worked to great effect on "Venus." This single followed suit and it sounded pretty jammin' as well. The chorus was good and the production was like a well-oiled 80s machine. Yet for some reason the tune didn't catch on. It filled dance floors but that didn't translate to sales or airplay at pop radio. Maybe it was a little too much like "Venus" production-wise and folks just preferred hearing the cover tune instead of an original. Not sure what the deal was but I thought this would easily make the Pop Top 40.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Bananarama's first single, a cover of "Aie a Mwana" released in 1981, was a blip on the UK chart at #92. However, the song and an article about the trio in the British music/fashion magazine The Face got the attention of Terry Hall. Hall had been a member of the popular UK ska band The Specials, but after tensions in the group arose, he and two other members left and formed Fun Boy Three. After seeing The Face article, Hall wanted to get Bananarama to sing on one of Fun Boy Three's tracks. They all got together and recorded "It Ain't What You Do It's the Way That You Do It." It was issued out as a single in 1982 and it reached #4 on the UK chart (#49 US Dance). That song was a cover of an old standard, originally titled "Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)", written in 1939 by Sy Oliver and Trummy Young. Several artists recorded the song, but it seems that Ella Fitzgerald's take proved to be the most popular. Fun Boy Three's hit version raised Bananarama's profile and they signed on with London Records and recorded their debut album Deep Sea Skiving. To return the favor, Bananarama enlisted the help of Fun Boy Three on a song titled "Really Saying Something." It was the first single issued out ahead of their debut album and it reached #5 in the UK (#16 US Dance).

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"Where Did Your Heart Go?" by Wham!

Song#:  2893
Date:  10/11/1986
Debut:  75
Peak:  50
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  This duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley was wrapping up their career together with one final album. In the UK and other territories it would be a compilation LP titled The Final that mixed hits with a few new tracks. In the US it would be a single disc of the new tracks called Music from the Edge of Heaven. The LP spawned two Pop Top 10 hits including "The Edge of Heaven" (#10), which would be their last Top 10. Their label tried for one more by releasing this third single, but it wasn't meant to be. It spent a short couple months on the chart topping out at the halfway point while getting to #33 at AC. The album would be a platinum seller that peaked at #10. With all obligations tidied up and completed, the duo amicably split and went their own ways. By 1988, Michael would be one of the hottest stars in music.

ReduxReview:  This song was a good fit for Wham! (well George Michael, really). It's not too far off from the original version (see below), but Michael gave the song a smoother groove and turned it toward ballad territory. It wasn't out of line from other Wham! songs and it was a nice track, but it wasn't necessarily a great choice for a single. The song did hit #1 in the UK, but that was because it was a double-sided single with "The Edge of Heaven." Since both songs were released individually in the US, they had to stand on their own and this one just didn't catch on. On an odd note, this could be the only pop single to chart that references a "rusty can of corn..."

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song originally recorded by the quirky US dance-rock band Was (Not Was). It appeared on their 1981 self-titled debut album. It was issued out as a single, but it failed to chart. The song was written by the band's founders Don Was and David Was. Despite the last name, the two are not brothers. Don Fagenson and David Weiss were childhood friends who got involved in music and decided to form their own band. They decided to be music brothers and adopted the same last name of Was. The band would have success in 1987 with the #7 Pop hit "Walk the Dinosaur." Don Was would also branch out to producing albums for other artists. He has been a very successful sought-after producer for years and has worked with a myriad of A-listers including The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The B-52's, Carly Simon, Garth Brooks, Bob Seger, and Willie Nelson. He also produced Bonnie Raitt's Grammy-winning 1989 comeback album Nick of Time and its two studio follow-ups. He has won five Grammys including Producer of the Year in 1994.

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"Lady Soul" by The Temptations

Song#:  2892
Date:  10/11/1986
Debut:  80
Peak:  47
Weeks:  11
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  The 80s were a shaky time for The Temptations. There were numerous personnel changes, a label change, and a lack of hits. While they would score two R&B Top 10's in '82 and '84, they were unable to get inside the Pop Top 40. In fact, their last Pop Top 40 entry was over a decade ago in 1975 with the #37 "Glasshouse." Despite the lack of crossover hits, the group soldiered on and continued to record albums. Their 1986 effort, To Be Continued..., would end up being their third best charting of the decade at R&B getting to #4. That result came about due to the strength of this first single, which made it to #4. The song was able to cross over to the Pop chart, but like two other of their 80s singles, it got into the top half of the chart but stalled before it could crack the Top 40. It would end up being their final single on their own to reach the Pop chart. The Temps stayed active throughout the remainder of the 80s and were able to get three more R&B Top 10s. Their output in the 90s was sporadic and by 2000, their run of singles on the R&B chart came to an end. The group has continued to record and tour over the years with various line-ups. As of 2019, Otis Williams was the only surviving member of the original Temptations. He was still performing with the group.

ReduxReview:  This mid-tempo track is an easy listen. It's not too far off from some of the songs Lionel Richie was doing at the time. I could even hear Ray Parker, Jr. doing this tune. Of course the Temps and lead singer Ali-Ollie Woodson do a lovely job with the vocals. However, the record is just good, not great. It is certainly pleasant to hear, but there's nothing special that makes the song stand out. It's one of those songs that I'll listen to a few times today, but come tomorrow I won't remember it.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  In 1991, The Temptations would find themselves in the Pop Top 10 one last time. It came courtesy of Rod Stewart who enlisted them to sing on "The Motown Song," a track from his album Vagabond Heart. It would be the second single released from the LP in the US and it went to #10 at Pop while getting to #3 at AC. Oddly, even with the presence of the Motown theme along with The Temptations, the song failed to chart at R&B. Stewart's version was a remake of Larry John McNally's original that he wrote and recorded in 1986. McNally's track was included on the soundtrack to the Kevin Bacon film Quicksilver.

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