Before we wrap up 1985, let's go back to October of 1979.
Herb Alpert's "Rise" was on top. And below...a lot of familiarity. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "Pop Musik," and "My Sharona" are my personal highlights of the Top Ten...At 17 we find The Atlanta Rhythm Section's cover of "Spooky," which was originally done by Classics IV, a group that featured future ARS members. Kinda redundant...Gerry "Baker Street" Rafferty had his last American Top 40 with "Get it Right Next Time," a peppy song about learning from your mistakes found this week at 21...Hey, look, it's Lobo at 23, squeezing out one last hit by going disco on "Where Were You When I was Falling in Love."...Michael "Bluer Than Blue" Johnson had his last pop hit with "This Night Won't Last Forever," found here at 25. He'd later, to no one's surprise, go counrty and score a couple #1s...The pop-machine era Doobie Brothers decided not to let Michael McDonald sing on this week's #31, "Dependin' on You." But it sounds like they should have. It's not exactly a return to their rockier roots. But this week, I cast my metaphorical spotlight on...
28 - "Midnight Wind," John Stewart
The man who gave us "Gold" followed up that terrific hit with a midtempo ballad in which he tries to convince a woman named Miranda to come on out and join him in a search for whatever the night may bring. The Fleetwood Mac influence is felt even stronger than on "Gold," with Stevie Nicks' vocals even more prominent on this chorus. One I don't remember, but I'm definitely glad to have heard it now.
Okay, now back to '85.
20 - "The Way You Do the Things You Do," Daryl Hall and John Oates featuring David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks
19 - "Four in the Morning (I Can't Take Anymore)," Night Ranger
18 - "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," Paul Young
17 - "Cry," Godley and Creme
16 - "Don't Lose My Number," Phil Collins
The second half begins with Daryl and John performing live at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theatre, covering two Temptations classics with help from two members of the group's most famous lineup. Without question, the older guys outshine their younger counterparts. Probably not a great comparison to invite, Hall and Oates.
Next are San Francisco's Night Ranger with a bland "can't live with you, can't live without you" pop-rocker. Really, the only song of theirs a person needs to know is "Sister Christian."
Then it's Britain's Paul Young, following up his #1 "Every Time You Go Away" with a cover of an Ann Peebles R&B hit about threatening to shut down someone's pattern of romantic manipulation. It's kind of Prince-ish, and Young, generally known for milder numbers, does surprisingly well with it. An underrated gem.
Kevin and Lol of 10cc and video directing fame return from last time with their spacey ballad in which they claim "you don't know how to ease my pain." No, I don't, but I'll try. The things we do for love...
Rounding out this bunch is Phil Collins, once againg asking Billy to keep his phone number handy. Okay, but well behind a certain Steely Dan hit on the list of "Best Songs About Not Losing Numbers."
15 - "Lovin' Every Minute of It," Loverboy
14 - "Freedom," Wham!
13 - "Head Over Heels," Tears for Fears
12 - "I'm Goin' Down," Bruce Springsteen
11 - "Fortress Around Your Heart," Sting
This section begins with the biggest hit for Canada's amorous arena rockers. Apparently it was written by Def Leppard/Billy Ocean/Shania Twain collaborator Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Listening to it, I realize that should have been obvious, what with the song's stuttery cadence, big chorus, and lyrics about driving, motors and rockets. The man definitely has a signature style. This isn't one of his best, but maybe it would have come off better if he'd produced it as well.
Wham! return with their hit about not wanting to have an open relationship. Because of this, George Michael had to call his solo hit five years later "Freedom '90." And to be honest, that's a much better song. But this one isn't bad by any stretch.
Next are Tears for Fears with the third hit from their American breakthrough, Songs from the Big Chair. It's a midtempo ballad about how strange love makes you feel. I think. For 26 years, I thought there was a line in the song that went "It's hard to be a man when there's a note in your lunch." Today, I found out that it's actually "It's hard to be a man when there's a gun in your hand." I guess that makes more sense, but I still like what I thought I heard better.
Then it's The Boss with the sixth of the whopping seven Top Ten singles from Born in the U.S.A.. It's a song about a man trying to figure out where his relationship stands. Maybe not one of his best, but it definitely shows what a pale imitation the likes of John Cafferty is.
Closing this group is Sting, back singing about battlements and land mines as some kind of metaphor for love. He does this sort of thing well, I suppose. And it worked on the radio probably because it was something different. So different, in fact, that in a weak field, it wins this week's Uneasy Rider.
Johnny's in the basement, mixin' up the Top Ten:
10 - "Dress You Up," Madonna
This isn't one of my favorites of Madge's, but it is notable for being one of the "Filthy Fifteen;" a list of pop and rock songs that Tipper Gore and the Parents' Music Resource Centre found especially objectionable. Ah, the PMRC senate hearings. The place where Dee Snider came off as more mature and intelligent than most elected officials, and where the defenders of decency found out that their clean-cut hero John Denver actually sided with the grotty likes of Snider and Frank Zappa on the side of freedom of expression. But Tipper did get the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker out of it. And kids everywhere had a new way of easily determining the coolest albums. Good times.
9 - "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer
Czech keyboardist Hammer had been a prolific sideman for more than a decade, working with Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger, and many others, when he was given the job of composing and performing the musical score to an NBC series about South Florida police detectives. One year later, the show was such a phenomenon that the theme tune went all the way to the top of the charts. Never liked it that much, but it's still an essential relic of the decade.
8 - "Cherish," Kool and the Gang
This sapfest was used as a Long Distance Dedication. A woman sent it out on behalf of her recently-deceased mother to her father. Well, I guess if it meant something to someone in a situation like that, its existence is justified.
7 - "Dancing in the Street," Mick Jagger and David Bowie
The two British rock legends return, still dancing all over the world. For some reason, Bowie sounds constipated on his vocals here. But maybe that's just me.
6 - "Lonely 'Ol Night," John Cougar Mellencamp
The smalltown Indiana boy looks for one evening of a particular form of comfort on this one. He references the song "Standing in the Shadows of Love," which gives it extra points, because Levi Stubbs!
5 - "Part-Time Lover," Stevie Wonder
Stevie's last Number One is more interesting than the crushingly awful "I Just Called to Say I Love You," but still, for a song about adultery, it's much too bouncy and fluffy. But with all the awesomeness that came before, I can forgive the man. He is what the phrase "lifetime pass" was invented for.
4 - "Saving All My Love For You," Whitney Houston
Whitney's back with what would be her first #1. Too bad she spent whatever love she had left after this on a certain ex-member of New Edition.
3 - "Take on Me," A-ha
Norwegian new wave + sketchy animation = stone cold classic.
2 - "Money for Nothing," Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler and Sting as blue-collar appliance deliverymen. Can you imagine? Me neither.
And trumping all other single records 26 years ago this week was...
1 - "Oh Sheila," Ready for the World
I just love the everloving crap out of this song. Yes, it's very much a Prince imitation, but a damn good one. You can dance to it, you can laugh at the hilariously bad Aussie accent the singer puts on, and you can also do...other things. Like baking, or cleaning your bathroom. Whatever you're doing, it'll be more fun with this in the background.
The NotCaseys this week were "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister, "I Miss You" by Klymaxx, "Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti, and "Party All The Time" by Eddie Murphy. And there was one more Long Distance Dedication: An 11-year-old girl from Oklahoma dedicated Phil Collins' "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)," to her boyfriend (!) who had apparently started going out with four other girls (!!) after her mom made her transfer to another school. Most people don't have that kind of romantic drama in their lives until...well, ever.
If you liked this, come back for more around this time next week.
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