Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 3339
Date: 11/21/1987
Debut: 79
Peak: 10
Weeks: 26
Genre: Pop, Rock
Pop Bits: Cher's first album of the 80s, 1982's new wave-leaning I Paralyze, was a major flop. It failed to produce any charting singles and didn't even make the album chart. After the LP, Cher decided to concentrate on the acting side of her career, which would reach its peak in 1987 with her starring in three films and included Suspect and the major hits, The Witches of Eastwick and Moonstruck, the latter of which would earn her an Oscar for Best Actress. With her acting goals basically being fulfilled, Cher decided it was the right time to return to music. She signed on with Geffen Records and a comeback album was quickly assembled. Cher wanted to take a more rock-oriented approach and she tapped songwriter/producer Desmond Child to mainly head up the project. Cher was familiar with Child as he had worked with on a couple of I Paralyze tracks, yet since then Child had become an in-demand producer thanks to his success with Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet. Also on board for a couple of tracks was Michael Bolton, whose solo career was taking off at the time. He would produce this track that would end up being the LP's first single. It was a slow-burning single that would finally crack the Pop Top 10 in its sixteenth week. It would stay on the chart for an addition ten weeks. It was Cher's first Pop Top 10 hit since her 1979 disco single "Take Me Home" (#8). The song would also get to #33 at AC. In turn, the associated self-titled album would peak at #32 and become her fourth solo LP to go gold. Eventually it would turn platinum.
ReduxReview: I liked this song when Laura Branigan recorded it, but the issue with her version was the weak production. It really let the tune (and Branigan) down. I'm not sure whose idea it was for Cher to take a crack at the tune, but it was an inspired choice. It gave Bolton the chance to spruce up his song and Cher the opportunity to prove she had the chops to sing rock. I love how the song started with a memorable keyboard line, went quiet for the first verse, and then built to an explosive chorus. Cher matches Bolton's production with each step and she sells it well. I don't think there could have been a better song to reignite Cher's music career.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: This is a remake of a song originally recorded by Laura Branigan for her 1986 album Hold Me. It was written by Michael Bolton and Mark Mangold. Branigan's long time collaborator Jack White produced the track with Harold Faltermeyer. It was issued out as a single, but it failed to make an impression topping out at a low #90. When Bolton got a chance to work with Cher, it seems he thought this song had more potential and got her to record it. Bolton also produced the track. It ended up being just the right mainstream rock song to reintroduce Cher to the charts and over the next few years she would score six more Top 20 hits including three Top 10s. Bolton would later record his own version of "I Found Someone" for his 1995 Greatest Hits (1985-1995) collection.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Date: 11/21/1987
Debut: 79
Peak: 10
Weeks: 26
Genre: Pop, Rock
Pop Bits: Cher's first album of the 80s, 1982's new wave-leaning I Paralyze, was a major flop. It failed to produce any charting singles and didn't even make the album chart. After the LP, Cher decided to concentrate on the acting side of her career, which would reach its peak in 1987 with her starring in three films and included Suspect and the major hits, The Witches of Eastwick and Moonstruck, the latter of which would earn her an Oscar for Best Actress. With her acting goals basically being fulfilled, Cher decided it was the right time to return to music. She signed on with Geffen Records and a comeback album was quickly assembled. Cher wanted to take a more rock-oriented approach and she tapped songwriter/producer Desmond Child to mainly head up the project. Cher was familiar with Child as he had worked with on a couple of I Paralyze tracks, yet since then Child had become an in-demand producer thanks to his success with Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet. Also on board for a couple of tracks was Michael Bolton, whose solo career was taking off at the time. He would produce this track that would end up being the LP's first single. It was a slow-burning single that would finally crack the Pop Top 10 in its sixteenth week. It would stay on the chart for an addition ten weeks. It was Cher's first Pop Top 10 hit since her 1979 disco single "Take Me Home" (#8). The song would also get to #33 at AC. In turn, the associated self-titled album would peak at #32 and become her fourth solo LP to go gold. Eventually it would turn platinum.
ReduxReview: I liked this song when Laura Branigan recorded it, but the issue with her version was the weak production. It really let the tune (and Branigan) down. I'm not sure whose idea it was for Cher to take a crack at the tune, but it was an inspired choice. It gave Bolton the chance to spruce up his song and Cher the opportunity to prove she had the chops to sing rock. I love how the song started with a memorable keyboard line, went quiet for the first verse, and then built to an explosive chorus. Cher matches Bolton's production with each step and she sells it well. I don't think there could have been a better song to reignite Cher's music career.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: This is a remake of a song originally recorded by Laura Branigan for her 1986 album Hold Me. It was written by Michael Bolton and Mark Mangold. Branigan's long time collaborator Jack White produced the track with Harold Faltermeyer. It was issued out as a single, but it failed to make an impression topping out at a low #90. When Bolton got a chance to work with Cher, it seems he thought this song had more potential and got her to record it. Bolton also produced the track. It ended up being just the right mainstream rock song to reintroduce Cher to the charts and over the next few years she would score six more Top 20 hits including three Top 10s. Bolton would later record his own version of "I Found Someone" for his 1995 Greatest Hits (1985-1995) collection.
_________________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment