"Lost in Emotion" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3213

Date:  08/01/1987
Debut:  76
Peak:  1 (1 week)
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Pop, R&B



Pop Bits:  The group grabbed their second gold record with "Head to Toe," the lead single from their second album Spanish Fly. The song would hit a major trifecta by getting to #1 at Pop, R&B, and Dance. For their follow-up single, they decided to push out this track which had an even more retro feel. It would be another big winner at R&B and Pop topping both charts. It also made it to #7 at Dance and became their first and only song to get on the AC chart (#27). The single would be their third to reach gold level sales. Oddly, both "Head to Toe" and this song had the same overall run on the Pop chart. Both spent one week at #1, remained on the chart for 20 weeks, and went gold.

ReduxReview:  I don't think they could have come up with a more perfect follow-up tune. While it still sported a retro-Motown feel, it was different from the more urgent "Head to Toe" and the pair of songs married well together. In fact, this song had even more mainstream appeal drawing in the AC audience. And once again, the song was just right for Lisa Lisa's girlish voice. It was a terrific one-two punch from the band and writers/producers Full Force.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Apparently, this song was inspired by two old Motown hits. Co-writer and Full Force member Bow-Legged Lou (aka Lucian George) was listening to Motown legend Mary Wells' Greatest Hits album when he took notice of two songs that played back-to-back. First was "You Beat Me to the Punch," which was Wells' second major hit reaching #1 R&B and #9 Pop in 1962. Then that single's follow-up "Two Lovers" played next, which was another hit for Wells getting to #1 R&B/#7 Pop. Lou heard something in the two tunes that gave him the inspiration to start on "Lost in Emotion." In the end, all members of Full Force, who produced Spanish Fly, were credited as writers on the track. Wells of course would go on to record the classic #1 "My Guy" in 1964. She would garner 14 R&B Top 10s in her career. Wells would only earn one Grammy nomination and it was for "You Beat Me to the Punch," which was nominated for Best Rock & Roll Recording.

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