Song#: 3438
Date: 03/05/1988
Debut: 82
Peak: 66
Weeks: 6
Genre: Dance-Pop, Europop
Pop Bits: Blue Mercedes was an English duo made up of David Titlow and Duncan Millar. The pair's brand of dance-pop attracted the attention of MCA Records who signed them in '87. In the fall of that year, they released this debut single in the UK. It would do fairly well reaching #23. The label requested a full album and the duo came up with Rich and Famous. This single was then released in the US. It would be a big hit in clubs and get to #1 on the Dance chart. The song would cross over to the Pop chart, but it would only stay for a few weeks. A second single, "See Want Must Have," would get to #18 Dance, but they would return to the Dance Top 10 with a third single "Love Is the Gun" (#5). The dance hits helped the album get on the chart, but it would only reach a minor #165. For Blue Mercedes, that would be the end of the road. In 1990, Titlow and Millar would again collaborate and release a single, but this time under the name Nixon. Released in the UK, it did not chart. Then they headed up a Euro-house outfit called Monica De Luxe and released a few singles in the early 90s. After that, it seems the pair went their own ways. Titlow join a rock band called Heave, but then later in the 90s switched careers and became a professional photographer. Millar stayed in music and in the late 90s shifted over to smooth jazz.
ReduxReview: To me, this song sounded as if ABC moved into freestyle/house music. It was like an amped up version of that band's sophisti-pop with a lead vocal that was reminiscent of ABC's Martin Fry. It was a fun song that charged along quite well and apparently kept the dance floor packed. I don't think I ever heard the song back in the day, but as with another recent entry, I totally remember the album cover. Don't know why as it wasn't special in any way. This is a fun dance tune that perhaps should have at least cracked the Top 40. If you really, really like this song, then you might like the album as pretty much every track on it sounds like this one. I got bored after about three tracks.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: When Blue Mercedes first recorded and released this song, they filmed a video for it as well. It was more like a performance video on a soundstage with various props and video effects. After the song began to perform well and see action in the US, a new video was created. In the chorus, there are lyrics that say "I want to live like Cyd Charisse." The line references the famous dancer/actress whose career really took off with her appearance in the 1952 classic movie musical Singin' in the Rain. Since the song mentioned Charisse, why not include her in the song's new video? Charisse was in her late-60s at the time and was still making appearances on TV shows, films, and on stage. She agreed to be in the video and even did a short dance routine. It was her first music video, but not her last. She would also make an appearance in the video for Janet Jackson's 1990 #4 hit "Alright."
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