"Across the Miles" by Survivor

Song#:  3771

Date:  01/21/1989

Debut:  94

Peak:  74

Weeks:  6

Genre:  Soft Rock, Pop

Pop Bits:  The band's seventh album, Too Hot to Sleep, was not meeting expectations. Its first single, "Didn't Know It Was Love," faltered and could only reach #61 on the Pop chart. That result put the LP in trouble and the band needed a better performing single to help sales. This next track was selected for release, but it couldn't get the job done. Although it would do fairly well at AC getting to #16, the tune would stall near the bottom quarter of the Pop chart. In turn, the album would become a blip on the chart peaking at a very minor #187. This would be the band's final single to reach the charts.

ReduxReview:  This was a nice sentimental ballad from the band, but it wasn't something that was going to race up into the Top 40. It also didn't sound like a Survivor song. They had mostly made a name for themselves with energetic pop/rock tunes and this AC-leaning track seemed a bit out of place for them. However, around this same time other contemporaries of theirs like 38 Special were beginning to sling out pop ballads with chart potential to remain relevant. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't. In Survivor's case, it didn't. The song fumbled at Pop and brought an end to the band's charting era.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  After the disappointing results of Too Hot to Sleep, Survivor decided to go on hiatus. The break gave lead singer Jimi Jamison the opportunity to record a solo album. In 1991, he would release When Love Comes Down. Two singles would be released from the album, but neither would chart. That caused the LP to disappear quickly. He then formed a new band and went out on tour as Jimi Jamison's Survivor. Two other members of Survivor, Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan, would also later tour under the Survivor moniker and for a period of time original lead singer Dave Bicker would return to the fold. Lawsuits over the name ensued and through the years various lineups of the band would tour. At one point, Jamison would also find himself back as lead singer of the band. Over the years Survivor would only release one other album, 2006's Reach. At that point in time, Sullivan and Jamison were the only members from the heydays of the band that were participating. The LP did not chart.

_________________________________________________________________________________