Spotlight Alert!
Song#: 3932
Date: 06/17/1989
Debut: 96
Peak: 75
Weeks: 7
Genre: Synthpop
Pop Bits: Q-Feel was a British synthpop outfit headed up by Martin Page and Brian Fairweather. They caught the ear of Jive Records who signed on the band. An initial single titled "Doctor on the Radio" was issued out in 1981, but it didn't make an impression. Still, this second single with its unusual subtitle would be pushed out in '82. It would end up becoming a major hit around L.A., which helped it get to #18 on the Club Airplay chart. Unfortunately, the song couldn't catch on elsewhere and that left it peaking outside of the Pop Chart at a very minor #110. The band would issued a self-titled album in '82, but it and two more singles failed to chart. Page and Fairweather then put Q-Feel on hiatus and went on to work behind the scenes writing and producing. Still, folks around L.A. remembered the tune and when it came time to assemble songs for the 1985 rom-com Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, the track was revived for the movie and the soundtrack album. It would not be released as a single. The charting song from the soundtrack was "(Come On) Shout" by Alex Brown (#76). Then came the old songs revival period of the late 80s where past singles would find a new audience usually thanks to a DJ who would put the tune back in rotation. It seems like this Q-Feel tune may have gotten caught up in that revival hype and as summer arrived in '89, the track started to get enough attention that the single got reissued. This time it made the Pop chart, but it wouldn't get very far. While Page and Fairweather probably appreciated the additional attention the song got, they were already on their next career paths.
ReduxReview: This definitely has that early 80s Euro synthpop feel along the lines of Ultravox, Thomas Dolby, etc. The urgent track was hooky and fun and it seemed to catch on out in L.A., but for some reason it just didn't click elsewhere. That was kind of too bad as I probably would have bought this single back in the day. This '89 revival hooked in a few more people and I think its popularity has actually continued to grow over the years. Still, it is more of an 80s cult song. The album was a fun listen as well. Definitely deserving of a Spotlight and hopefully some folks will finally discover this quirky gem.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Thanks to the success of "Dancing in Heaven" in the L.A. area, Martin Page and Brian Fairweather moved to the city and began working with other artists. They had a minor hit right out the gate writing "Invisible Hands" for Kim Carnes (#40, 1983). They would write a few other charting songs for Carnes along with ones by Earth, Wind & Fire. Page would then go off on his own and co-write two major hits with Bernie Taupin, Heart's "These Dreams" and Starship's "We Built This City," both of which reached #1. Page would set out on a solo career in 1994 and score the #14 Pop/#1 AC hit "The House of Stone and Light." 2) Q-Feel got its name via a suggestion from Page's father, who had worked in the aerospace industry. It seems that the force a pilot feels when using the joystick on a jet plane was known as the q-feel. Page's dad seemed to think that would be a cool name for the band and they apparently agreed.
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