Wrapping up a long weekend.
20 - "Respect Yourself," The Staple Singers
19 - "A Natural Man," Lou Rawls
18 - "Cherish," David Cassidy
17 - "Easy Loving," Freddie Hart
16 - "Two Divided by Love," The Grass Roots
The second half kicks off with the first Top 40 single for family gospel act The Staple Singers. It's a basic message: treat yourself and others with proper reverence, or else "ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot." It's wonderful. Especially since this was the first time I heard the original, and not Bruce Willis' 1987 cover version. Which, to be fair, is much better than Don Johnson's hit.
Next is sweet Lou Rawls, a smooth soul groover about wanting to live free and unfettered. Such a great voice. And as long as TV re-runs the Garfield Christmas special every year, it will be heard annually by millions. Maybe not the ideal legacy, but it brings joy, and what's wrong with that?
Then it's David Cassidy's first solo single away from his TV "family," a cover of The Association's 1966 Number One. No, it's not the strongest performance, but yes, I like it better than the original. As I may have told you, I despise The Association. They're just awful.
Alabama country singer Freddie Hart had his biggest pop hit with this country song about a romance that makes every day Thanksgiving. Is it a coincidence that it hit its peak chart position around actual American Thanksgiving? I imagine so.
This section closes with The Grass Roots and their poppy math problem, whose solution "can only be sad." Again, this was after Creed Bratton left, so I don't really care.
15 - "Yo-Yo," The Osmonds
14 - "An Old-Fashioned Love Song," Three Dog Night
13 - "Everybody's Everything," Santana
12 - "All I Ever Need is You," Sonny and Cher
11 - "Maggie May," Rod Stewart
This group is led off by the Osmond brothers, doing surprisingly well in their attempt to get funky. I especially like that "springy" sound during some of the verses. This is probably their best hit.
Then it's my old friends 3DN with their hit version of a song written by tiny tunesmith Paul Williams. This is better than I thought it was. Catchy, fun, and it even rocks a lil' bit. You're growing on me, boys.
Next is Carlos Santana's eponymous band with a Latin-and-soul-flavored jam that encourages people to "let your spirit dance" and "turn the wisdom key." Definitely of its time lyrically, but still funky fun. And the guitar solo delivers.
Sonny and Cher were just beginning their career revival as TV variety stars when they released this duet that pretty much expresses the same sentiment as "I Got You Babe." Not as well, of course, but still very good. Their voices just go together.
This section finishes with Rod Stewart, back from our previous visits with his tale of a May-December dalliance. Between this and Summer of '42, older woman/younger man romance was hot in the year of my birth. I never realized that.
Here's your Top Ten, kids.
10 - "Desiderata," Les Crane
This was originally a "prose poem" written by writer and lawyer Max Ehrmann. It achieved a small measure of notoriety in the intervening ears, but then it gained more attention in 1965 when it was found at the deathbed of American politician Adlai Stevenson. Then in 1971, its popularity exploded when it appeared on motivational posters and was recorded by broadcaster Les Crane as a spoken-word record backed by gentle music and backing singing. The poem itself, whose title is Latin for "desired things," is just a list of pieces of advice about making decisions, dealing with people, and other aspects of life, while assuring the listener that he or she has value and "the universe is unfolding as it should." It's no surprise that this sort of thing caught on in the bridge years between the 60s and 70s, but still, it's this chart's Uneasy Rider.
9 - "Rock Steady," Aretha Franklin
The Queen wants you to dance. "Step and move your hips with a feelin' from side to side." And she provides more-than-adequate funk accompaniment. What it is, indeed.
8 - "Peace Train," Cat Stevens
The Cat comes back with his song about tranquil transportation. Appropriately mellow, and always nice to hear.
7 - "Got to be There," Michael Jackson
Michael's first solo hit was this perhaps too-mature-for-his-age ballad that seems to be about not leaving a woman alone the morning after a sexual encounter. But no one seemed worried about that at the time, and the performance is of course an upper-deck home run, so I'm just going to enjoy.
6 - "Imagine," John Lennon
Yes, there was a time when this, one of the most iconic songs of all time, was just another record climbing the pop charts. It's still somewhat amazing that people who deep down don't agree with the song's anti-material, anti-nationalist, anti-religion message somehow accept it as this almost hymnlike anthem. I think that makes John chuckle with pride, wherever he is.
5 - "Family Affair," Sly and the Family Stone
The third and final #1 for Sylvester Stewart and company. A slow burning funk-pop classic about the complicated relationships that develop among blood relations. Unquestionably their best hit, which is saying a lot, because they had a lot of good ones.
4 - "Have You Seen Her," The Chi-Lites
The first Top Ten for this Chicago vocal group, a ballad with a loneliness-weary spoken-word opening and a heartbreaking harmony chorus asking the title question. Achingly beautiful. The MC Hammer cover sucks though.
3 - "Baby I'm-a Want You," Bread
The MOR superstars express desire for a woman in their usual mild and inoffensive way. The whole "-a-" thing annoys me, though.
2 - "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," Cher
And here's Mrs. Bono on her own with her smash tale of a girl born into a family of travellers who gets impregnated by a drifter. Ultimately a sad tale, but still fun to sing along with.
And as I learned to walk, the song at the top of American pop was...
1 - "Theme from Shaft," Isaac Hayes
The immortat theme from the groundbreaking "blaxploitation" film starring Richard Roundtree provided Isaac Hayes with not only his only #1 hit, but also an Oscar for Best Original Song. We all know about its funktastic glory as it tells of "the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks." What you may not know is that one of the women who tells Isaac Hayes to shut his mouth before he says something dirty was none other than Dawn's Telma Hopkins. Isaac Hayes is no Tony Orlando. And thank God for that.
The NotCaseys were The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" and the Hillside Singers' "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing." Casey himself played Elvis' "Love Me Tender" (to that point the highest-debuting song in Top 40 history) and The Supremes "You Keep Me Hanging On" (the Number One song five years ago that week).
And at last, my "work" is done.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
November 27, 1971 Part One
My first full-on 70s coverage in a few months goes to this chart from the fall of 1971. I was nine months old. All around me, these sounds filled the air.
40 - "I'd Love to Change the World," Ten Years After
39 - "She's All I Got," Freddie North
38 - "(I Know) I'm Losing You," Rod Stewart
37 - "Tired of Being Alone," Al Green
36 - "One Fine Morning," Lighthouse
35 - "You are Everything," The Stylistics
34 - "I've Found Someone of My Own," The Free Movement
33 - "Brand New Key," Melanie
32 - "Absolutely Right," The Five Man Electrical Band
31 - "Never My Love," The Fifth Dimension
We begin this section with British rock. Nottingham, England blues rockers Ten Years After had their biggest hit with this song about wanting to make the world better, but unltimately not doing so because "I don't know what to do." It's just a list of problems, and as far as the solutions go, "I leave it up to you." And the songs uncensored reference to "dykes and fairies" confuses me, because it's unclear how they feel about them. Can't say I like it. And Rod the Mod had his second American hit with this cover of a Temptations hit that Rare Earth had covered just one year earlier. Rod's version has much more soul and personality.
Four soul tracks in this bunch. Singer and DJ Freddie North had his only hit with this plea to a "friend" not to steal the woman he needs. "She's my water when I need a drink." He sings. I was more familiar with Johnny Paycheck's hit country version of this song, but I like this one better. Al Green is back from previous charts I've covered with this soulful plea for company. Al, I'm still working on getting to know you better, but suffice it to say, you're fantastic. The Stylistics had their first pop Top Ten with this song about missing a woman who literally means the world. These guys just might be my favorite Philly soul balladeers. They bring it every time. And The Free Movement return with their tale of a woman who's leaving her man to do some "free movement" of her own. You like that? Huh? Sorry, I tried.
Two Canadian bands are here. Lighthouse return from the past with their solid Blood Sweat and Tears knockoff. And The Five Man Electrical Band, of "Signs" fame, had their only other American hit with this rocker about coming crawling back to a lover, just like she said you would. It reminds me of the state Homer Simpson was in after Marge kicked him out for telling too many of her personal secrets to the marriage class he was teaching. He really was as dirty as a Frenchman, and if he'd had to go without her for a few more hours, I'm sure he would have been dead.
What's left is female-fronted pop. Melanie Safka is here, providing the world with the "key = penis, roller skates = vagina" metaphor no one was asking for. Not that it isn't silly fun, but I just don't think there was a particular clamor for it. And the Fifth Dimension return with an Association cover that was an improvement over the original simply by not being by The Association. In introducing this, Casey said he hoped this group would never break up. Well, technically they haven't, but there's only one original member left, and main stars Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. are long gone. And they haven't had a hit since 1973. So you've sort of gotten your wish, Case.
30 - "Wild Night," Van Morrison
29 - "Theme from Summer of '42," Peter Nero
28 - "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)," The Temptations
27 - "Where Did Our Love Go," Donnie Elbert
26 - "One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)," Coven
25 - "Scorpio," Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band
24 - "Questions 67 & 68," Chicago
23 - "Stones," Neil Diamond
22 - "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," Marvin Gaye
21 - "Superstar," The Carpenters
We'll start with the male solo singers. Van Morrison had his last American hit with this spirited R&B raveup about getting dressed up and going out on the town. John Mellencamp had a much bigger hit with this in the 90s, but musically, he did not come close to topping Van the Man. New Orleans-born, Buffalo-raised Donnie Elbert hit the Hot 100 for the first time in 1957, but he didn't make the Top 40 until fourteen years later with this professional but unnecessary cover of a Supremes classic. He'd go back to the Motown well the next year for his only other American pop hit "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." Neil Diamond kept his hit machine rolling with this stange-lyricked (is that a word?) acoustic tune about stones that make a woman's bed and how he and her are wildflowers. Not bad, but I prefer the B-side of this single, "Crunchy Granola Suite." And I'm not joking. And Marvin Gaye scored a third Top 40 hit from What's Going On with this smooth-yet-effective cry against America's social and economic inequalities. The man was serving up some harsh medicine, but he was definitely sweetening enough to make it go down easy.
There are two instrumentals here. Pianist Peter Nero had his only major pop hit with his version of the theme from a film about a teenage boy who loses his virginity to a woman whose husband is killed in World War II. It's not particularly memorable on its own, but I guess the desire for people to relive the movie was strong enough to make it a million-selling single. And Dennis Coffey and band return from past excursions to this time period with this oft-sampled funk instrumental. Sounds like a theme to the best cop show never made.
We'll close the first half with the four remaining groups. The Temptations had another of their early-70s hits with this funky reminder to someone who's achieved success not to forget the people who helped get them there, because "beneath the glitter and gleam, like everyday people, you're just a human being." Good advice, catchily delivered. Coven, a band previously infamous for weaving Satanic themes into their music, had their one mainstream moment with this cover of a 1969 hit for Canadian group The Original Caste. I'm sure you know this song about warlike "valley people" who slaughter the peaceful "mountain people" to acquire a "treasure" that they assume is of great matreial value but is in fact simply a message: "Peace on Earth." Oh, the irony. This version was recorded by Coven singer Jinx Dawson backed by an orcherstra for the soundtrack of the asskicker-defending-hippies movie Billy Jack, but Dawson insisted that her whole band get credit for it. Bottom line, The Original Caste version is much better. But I would like to hear more actual Coven, just out of curiosity. Chicago are here with another of their early hits, a jazzy ballad about the wonder of love that doesn't suck in that "If You Leave Me Now" way. I haven't been able to find the story behind that title, though. And Karen and Richard are back with their classic about falling in love with a guitar player. It's great. That's all
Tomorrow: Another Association cover, a prose poem written in 1927, and the funkiest Oscar-winning song ever.
40 - "I'd Love to Change the World," Ten Years After
39 - "She's All I Got," Freddie North
38 - "(I Know) I'm Losing You," Rod Stewart
37 - "Tired of Being Alone," Al Green
36 - "One Fine Morning," Lighthouse
35 - "You are Everything," The Stylistics
34 - "I've Found Someone of My Own," The Free Movement
33 - "Brand New Key," Melanie
32 - "Absolutely Right," The Five Man Electrical Band
31 - "Never My Love," The Fifth Dimension
We begin this section with British rock. Nottingham, England blues rockers Ten Years After had their biggest hit with this song about wanting to make the world better, but unltimately not doing so because "I don't know what to do." It's just a list of problems, and as far as the solutions go, "I leave it up to you." And the songs uncensored reference to "dykes and fairies" confuses me, because it's unclear how they feel about them. Can't say I like it. And Rod the Mod had his second American hit with this cover of a Temptations hit that Rare Earth had covered just one year earlier. Rod's version has much more soul and personality.
Four soul tracks in this bunch. Singer and DJ Freddie North had his only hit with this plea to a "friend" not to steal the woman he needs. "She's my water when I need a drink." He sings. I was more familiar with Johnny Paycheck's hit country version of this song, but I like this one better. Al Green is back from previous charts I've covered with this soulful plea for company. Al, I'm still working on getting to know you better, but suffice it to say, you're fantastic. The Stylistics had their first pop Top Ten with this song about missing a woman who literally means the world. These guys just might be my favorite Philly soul balladeers. They bring it every time. And The Free Movement return with their tale of a woman who's leaving her man to do some "free movement" of her own. You like that? Huh? Sorry, I tried.
Two Canadian bands are here. Lighthouse return from the past with their solid Blood Sweat and Tears knockoff. And The Five Man Electrical Band, of "Signs" fame, had their only other American hit with this rocker about coming crawling back to a lover, just like she said you would. It reminds me of the state Homer Simpson was in after Marge kicked him out for telling too many of her personal secrets to the marriage class he was teaching. He really was as dirty as a Frenchman, and if he'd had to go without her for a few more hours, I'm sure he would have been dead.
What's left is female-fronted pop. Melanie Safka is here, providing the world with the "key = penis, roller skates = vagina" metaphor no one was asking for. Not that it isn't silly fun, but I just don't think there was a particular clamor for it. And the Fifth Dimension return with an Association cover that was an improvement over the original simply by not being by The Association. In introducing this, Casey said he hoped this group would never break up. Well, technically they haven't, but there's only one original member left, and main stars Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. are long gone. And they haven't had a hit since 1973. So you've sort of gotten your wish, Case.
30 - "Wild Night," Van Morrison
29 - "Theme from Summer of '42," Peter Nero
28 - "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)," The Temptations
27 - "Where Did Our Love Go," Donnie Elbert
26 - "One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)," Coven
25 - "Scorpio," Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band
24 - "Questions 67 & 68," Chicago
23 - "Stones," Neil Diamond
22 - "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," Marvin Gaye
21 - "Superstar," The Carpenters
We'll start with the male solo singers. Van Morrison had his last American hit with this spirited R&B raveup about getting dressed up and going out on the town. John Mellencamp had a much bigger hit with this in the 90s, but musically, he did not come close to topping Van the Man. New Orleans-born, Buffalo-raised Donnie Elbert hit the Hot 100 for the first time in 1957, but he didn't make the Top 40 until fourteen years later with this professional but unnecessary cover of a Supremes classic. He'd go back to the Motown well the next year for his only other American pop hit "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)." Neil Diamond kept his hit machine rolling with this stange-lyricked (is that a word?) acoustic tune about stones that make a woman's bed and how he and her are wildflowers. Not bad, but I prefer the B-side of this single, "Crunchy Granola Suite." And I'm not joking. And Marvin Gaye scored a third Top 40 hit from What's Going On with this smooth-yet-effective cry against America's social and economic inequalities. The man was serving up some harsh medicine, but he was definitely sweetening enough to make it go down easy.
There are two instrumentals here. Pianist Peter Nero had his only major pop hit with his version of the theme from a film about a teenage boy who loses his virginity to a woman whose husband is killed in World War II. It's not particularly memorable on its own, but I guess the desire for people to relive the movie was strong enough to make it a million-selling single. And Dennis Coffey and band return from past excursions to this time period with this oft-sampled funk instrumental. Sounds like a theme to the best cop show never made.
We'll close the first half with the four remaining groups. The Temptations had another of their early-70s hits with this funky reminder to someone who's achieved success not to forget the people who helped get them there, because "beneath the glitter and gleam, like everyday people, you're just a human being." Good advice, catchily delivered. Coven, a band previously infamous for weaving Satanic themes into their music, had their one mainstream moment with this cover of a 1969 hit for Canadian group The Original Caste. I'm sure you know this song about warlike "valley people" who slaughter the peaceful "mountain people" to acquire a "treasure" that they assume is of great matreial value but is in fact simply a message: "Peace on Earth." Oh, the irony. This version was recorded by Coven singer Jinx Dawson backed by an orcherstra for the soundtrack of the asskicker-defending-hippies movie Billy Jack, but Dawson insisted that her whole band get credit for it. Bottom line, The Original Caste version is much better. But I would like to hear more actual Coven, just out of curiosity. Chicago are here with another of their early hits, a jazzy ballad about the wonder of love that doesn't suck in that "If You Leave Me Now" way. I haven't been able to find the story behind that title, though. And Karen and Richard are back with their classic about falling in love with a guitar player. It's great. That's all
Tomorrow: Another Association cover, a prose poem written in 1927, and the funkiest Oscar-winning song ever.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
November 28, 1981 Part Two
Carrying on, as we must.
20 - "Don't Stop Believin'," Journey
19 - "Yesterday's Songs," Neil Diamond
18 - "Leather and Lace," Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
17 - "Harden My Heart," Quarterflash
16 - "Trouble," Lindsey Buckingham
The second half begins with what has become Journey's best-loved song, an anthemic, keyboard-driven number about two strangers who "took the midnight train going anywhere." It's become a theme song for multiple professional sports teams, and was memorably used in the final scene of The Sopranos. I'm not sure I like it as much as I did when I bought its parent cassette at age 10, but it still gets me.
Next is Neil Diamond with a sparkly bit of MOR about how pop songs can be fleeting, but love is timeless. I think. Anyway, the female backup singer on this annoys me. She seems out of place.
Then it's Stevie and Don with a sweet country ballad about two lovers: a woman who appears fragile on the outside but is "stronger than you know;" and a man who seems strong but is "sometimes cold and scared." I'm genuinely glad they found each other and exchanged materials.
Portland, Oregon's Quarterflash are here with their biggest hit, a sultry rock semi-ballad about a woman who decides to thicken her skin agains heartbreak after one too many disappointments. Love the sax on this, as well as the way Rindy Ross sings "I'm gonna turn...and...lee-heeve yoo-hoo heeeeeeeeere."
This section ends with a second solo Fleetwood Macker, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, with a smooth soft-rocker about sleeping with someone he knows he shouldn't. I'd imagine being in Fleetwood Mac, he was singing from experience. Good, but I like "Go Insane" way better.
15 - "The Old Songs," Barry Manilow
14 - "Theme from Hill Street Blues," Mike Post
13 - "The Night Owls," The Little River Band
12 - "Young Turks," Rod Stewart
11 - "Let's Groove," Earth, Wind and Fire
This group is led off by Barry M. It has a similar theme to "Yesterday's Songs, but in this case, Barry is attempting to use the music of the past to rekindle a flickering romance. Meh, he can do better.
Next is TV-theme maestro Mike Post's sombre-yet-catchy theme tune to a grounbreaking NBC cop show. I didn't watch it much, but I do have fond memories of the guy who used to say "Let's be careful out there."
The Little River Band are back with the song they had on here last time.
Then it's Rod Stewart with a propulsive pop-rock tale of Billy and Patti, two teenage lovers who run away from home because their parents don't understand them. In most songs, this would have a tragic, or at least downbeat, ending, but this one ends on a happy note, with Billy telling Patti's parents in a letter that the two of them are doing fine and now have "a ten-pound baby boy." Okay song, but it always reminds me of Catherine O'Hara portraying Brooke Shields and singing it for Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol Hurok. And then blowing up good. Blowing up real good.
This bunch is rounded out by Earth, Wind and Fire's last Top Ten, a solid funk workout that encourages you to "glide like a 747." This groove will "set in your shoes." And it's all right.
Top Tenify yourself.
10 - "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," Diana Ross
Diana scored another Top Ten with this unnecessary cover of the Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers doo-wop classic. Just find the original, love it, and don't even bother with this version. There are so many other better options in Miss Ross' catalogue.
9 - "Arthur's Theme (Best that You Can Do)," Christopher Cross
Chris Cross returns with his smash from the Dudley Moore comedy that Russell Brand unsuccessfully remade this year. Oh well, at least he still has Katy Perry.
8 - "Tryin' to Live My Life Without You," Bob Seger
The Styx of Detroit opens this live cover of a 1972 Otis Clay R&B hit by asking "You guys feel funky tonight?" And he and the Silver Bullet Brand actually do bring respectable levels of funk to this song about a woman who's a harder habit to break than cigarettes and alcohol. This might be Seger's best single.
7 - "Start Me Up," The Rolling Stones
Mick and Keef, back again with this biggie. You really do need to clear your head of its overplayedness to appreciate how good it is.
6 - "Oh No," The Commodores
The Tuskegee soulmen with another ballad, this one about wishing for someone else's lover. This was their last hit with Lionel Richie. Kind of an underwhelming finale.
5 - "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)," Air Supply
The Aussie mild boys had yet another Top Five in this time period with this typically bombastic ballad about still pining for a lost love. Probably on the low end of my ranking of their hits, if I ever took the time to do that. Which I most assuredly won't.
4 - "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," The Police
Sting and co.'s first American Top Five, a sweet soft-rock gem of appreciation for the charms of a lady. Although it's probably best that he was too scared to call her a thousand times a day with marriage proposals. There's a fine line between flattery and stalking.
3 - "Private Eyes," Daryl Hall and John Oates
And speaking of stalking, here's Daryl and John's second entry this week. It follows the template of their 80s sound pretty closely, but it works.
2 - "Waiting for a Girl Like You," Foreigner
This tender ballad never made it to the top spot, but it hung on at #2 for a whopping ten weeks. But they'd make it three years later with a better ballad, "I Want to Know What Love Is," so shed no tears for these guys.
And the song that was primarily responsible for keeping Foreigner out of pop's pole position was...
1- "Physical," Olivia Newton-John
The gradual transformation of ONJ from wholesome girl next door to sultry sex siren culminated with this dance-pop megasmash in which she declares that, after taking her date to a nice bistro and an R-rated film, "there's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally." Whoa. I was over my ONJ crush by then, but I'm not sure if there was a cause-effect relationship re her turn to the "dark side." Anyway, this worked for her like a libidinous charm, as it stayed at #1 for 10 weeks, longer than any other song in the 80s. I will say that the gym-themed video is good fun, though.
The NotCaseys this week were "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel, "Come Go With Me" by The Beach Boys, "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, and "Shake it Up" by the Cars. Casey himself played the last two #1 hits of the 1960s, which were "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary, and "Someday We'll be Together" by Diana Ross and the Supremes. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. A man with a visual impairment dedicated Kenny Rogers' "Lady" to a bus driver named Kitty, on whom he depends for transportation (and on whom he also has a bit of a crush, even though she's married). And a woman dedicated "Sweet Life" by Paul Davis to the husband she literally prayed to God for.
We're not done for this week. Try to restrain yourselves. This week's 70s show is from 1971, and there's enough unmined material in it that I'm giving it the full two-part treatment. So it'll be there in the next couple days, if you're interested.
20 - "Don't Stop Believin'," Journey
19 - "Yesterday's Songs," Neil Diamond
18 - "Leather and Lace," Stevie Nicks with Don Henley
17 - "Harden My Heart," Quarterflash
16 - "Trouble," Lindsey Buckingham
The second half begins with what has become Journey's best-loved song, an anthemic, keyboard-driven number about two strangers who "took the midnight train going anywhere." It's become a theme song for multiple professional sports teams, and was memorably used in the final scene of The Sopranos. I'm not sure I like it as much as I did when I bought its parent cassette at age 10, but it still gets me.
Next is Neil Diamond with a sparkly bit of MOR about how pop songs can be fleeting, but love is timeless. I think. Anyway, the female backup singer on this annoys me. She seems out of place.
Then it's Stevie and Don with a sweet country ballad about two lovers: a woman who appears fragile on the outside but is "stronger than you know;" and a man who seems strong but is "sometimes cold and scared." I'm genuinely glad they found each other and exchanged materials.
Portland, Oregon's Quarterflash are here with their biggest hit, a sultry rock semi-ballad about a woman who decides to thicken her skin agains heartbreak after one too many disappointments. Love the sax on this, as well as the way Rindy Ross sings "I'm gonna turn...and...lee-heeve yoo-hoo heeeeeeeeere."
This section ends with a second solo Fleetwood Macker, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, with a smooth soft-rocker about sleeping with someone he knows he shouldn't. I'd imagine being in Fleetwood Mac, he was singing from experience. Good, but I like "Go Insane" way better.
15 - "The Old Songs," Barry Manilow
14 - "Theme from Hill Street Blues," Mike Post
13 - "The Night Owls," The Little River Band
12 - "Young Turks," Rod Stewart
11 - "Let's Groove," Earth, Wind and Fire
This group is led off by Barry M. It has a similar theme to "Yesterday's Songs, but in this case, Barry is attempting to use the music of the past to rekindle a flickering romance. Meh, he can do better.
Next is TV-theme maestro Mike Post's sombre-yet-catchy theme tune to a grounbreaking NBC cop show. I didn't watch it much, but I do have fond memories of the guy who used to say "Let's be careful out there."
The Little River Band are back with the song they had on here last time.
Then it's Rod Stewart with a propulsive pop-rock tale of Billy and Patti, two teenage lovers who run away from home because their parents don't understand them. In most songs, this would have a tragic, or at least downbeat, ending, but this one ends on a happy note, with Billy telling Patti's parents in a letter that the two of them are doing fine and now have "a ten-pound baby boy." Okay song, but it always reminds me of Catherine O'Hara portraying Brooke Shields and singing it for Big Jim McBob and Billy Sol Hurok. And then blowing up good. Blowing up real good.
This bunch is rounded out by Earth, Wind and Fire's last Top Ten, a solid funk workout that encourages you to "glide like a 747." This groove will "set in your shoes." And it's all right.
Top Tenify yourself.
10 - "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," Diana Ross
Diana scored another Top Ten with this unnecessary cover of the Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers doo-wop classic. Just find the original, love it, and don't even bother with this version. There are so many other better options in Miss Ross' catalogue.
9 - "Arthur's Theme (Best that You Can Do)," Christopher Cross
Chris Cross returns with his smash from the Dudley Moore comedy that Russell Brand unsuccessfully remade this year. Oh well, at least he still has Katy Perry.
8 - "Tryin' to Live My Life Without You," Bob Seger
The Styx of Detroit opens this live cover of a 1972 Otis Clay R&B hit by asking "You guys feel funky tonight?" And he and the Silver Bullet Brand actually do bring respectable levels of funk to this song about a woman who's a harder habit to break than cigarettes and alcohol. This might be Seger's best single.
7 - "Start Me Up," The Rolling Stones
Mick and Keef, back again with this biggie. You really do need to clear your head of its overplayedness to appreciate how good it is.
6 - "Oh No," The Commodores
The Tuskegee soulmen with another ballad, this one about wishing for someone else's lover. This was their last hit with Lionel Richie. Kind of an underwhelming finale.
5 - "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)," Air Supply
The Aussie mild boys had yet another Top Five in this time period with this typically bombastic ballad about still pining for a lost love. Probably on the low end of my ranking of their hits, if I ever took the time to do that. Which I most assuredly won't.
4 - "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," The Police
Sting and co.'s first American Top Five, a sweet soft-rock gem of appreciation for the charms of a lady. Although it's probably best that he was too scared to call her a thousand times a day with marriage proposals. There's a fine line between flattery and stalking.
3 - "Private Eyes," Daryl Hall and John Oates
And speaking of stalking, here's Daryl and John's second entry this week. It follows the template of their 80s sound pretty closely, but it works.
2 - "Waiting for a Girl Like You," Foreigner
This tender ballad never made it to the top spot, but it hung on at #2 for a whopping ten weeks. But they'd make it three years later with a better ballad, "I Want to Know What Love Is," so shed no tears for these guys.
And the song that was primarily responsible for keeping Foreigner out of pop's pole position was...
1- "Physical," Olivia Newton-John
The gradual transformation of ONJ from wholesome girl next door to sultry sex siren culminated with this dance-pop megasmash in which she declares that, after taking her date to a nice bistro and an R-rated film, "there's nothing left to talk about unless it's horizontally." Whoa. I was over my ONJ crush by then, but I'm not sure if there was a cause-effect relationship re her turn to the "dark side." Anyway, this worked for her like a libidinous charm, as it stayed at #1 for 10 weeks, longer than any other song in the 80s. I will say that the gym-themed video is good fun, though.
The NotCaseys this week were "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel, "Come Go With Me" by The Beach Boys, "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, and "Shake it Up" by the Cars. Casey himself played the last two #1 hits of the 1960s, which were "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul and Mary, and "Someday We'll be Together" by Diana Ross and the Supremes. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. A man with a visual impairment dedicated Kenny Rogers' "Lady" to a bus driver named Kitty, on whom he depends for transportation (and on whom he also has a bit of a crush, even though she's married). And a woman dedicated "Sweet Life" by Paul Davis to the husband she literally prayed to God for.
We're not done for this week. Try to restrain yourselves. This week's 70s show is from 1971, and there's enough unmined material in it that I'm giving it the full two-part treatment. So it'll be there in the next couple days, if you're interested.
Friday, November 25, 2011
November 28, 1981 Part One
This week it's back to November 1981. On TV, General Hospital's Luke and Laura had just gotten married. Meanwhile, on the radio...
40 - "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World," Ronnie Milsap
39 - "When She was My Girl," The Four Tops
38 - "Twilight," The Electric Light Orchestra
37 - "I Want You, I Need You," Chris Christian
36 - "Poor Man's Son," Survivor
35 - "Centerfold," The J. Geils Band
34 - "Cool Night," Paul Davis
33 - "Never Too Much," Luther Vandross
32 - "Hooked on Classics," The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
31 - "Steal the Night," Stevie Woods
We start in the middle...of the road, that is. Ronnie Milsap returns with a gentle country ballad about not regretting a past relationship and its good memories in spite of it ending. A nice sentiment, delivered solidly. Nothing more. Producer and songwriter Chris Christian had his only pop hit with some bland easy listening about wanting his lady back. Cheryl Ladd sings backup on it, so there's that. And Paul "I Go Crazy" Davis is here with a bland little offering about wanting an old lover to come over just for the night. This guy actually hit the Top 40 eight times. I don't get it. Nothing special about him at all.
A couple bits o' soul in this pack. The Four Tops return from last time with a song that isn't much but a Levi Stubbs delivery system, which is all right by me. Luther Vandross had his first major hit with this slick bit of romantic disco funk in which he reveals that his capacity for receiving affection is big enough that there is room for "a thousand kisses" and "a million days in your arms" with still space to spare. Right from the beginning, the voice was special. And Stevie Woods had his only hit with this jazzy little tune about wanting to go off into the evening with someone special. He sounds kind of like a cross between Al Jarreau and Johnny Mathis. I like the voice better than the song. He wouldn't have much more Stateside success, but then he went overseas and became a star in Germany. Good for him.
We've got three rock bands here. ELO are here with one of their minor hits, applying their typical sound to a song about dreams and other flights of fancy. Not one of their more memorable ones. Before "Eye of the Tiger," Survivor made their first dent on the charts with this dramatic hard-rocker about a romance between a man of little means and a rich woman. Basically, "Uptown Girl," but taken much more seriously. And it's anthemic enough that it's clear how they got the Rocky gig. And The J. Geils band had their only #1 with this classic tale of a man one day discovering that the girl he lusted after in high school is being featured in what we will euphemisticall call a "men's magazine." This is just irresistible, from the organ to the "na na na na na na"s to the whistling at the end. Not a super favorite of mine, but undoubtedly an 80s essential.
We close out this block with this week's clear Uneasy Rider, a mix of familiar classical melodies performed by London's Royal Philharmonic orchestra backed by the dance beat of a drum machine. This odd idea was commissioned by as-seen-on-TV giant K-Tel Records, and it was a major success. This single, which included among other popular favorites as Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," Rossini's "William Tell Overture," and the "March of the Toreadors" from Bizet's Carmen, went to Number 10, an the album, which featured other similar mixes (and which my parents bought on cassette), went platinum and spawned multiple sequels. As a kid, I must admit, I dug it, though probably not as much as Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven."
30 - "Comin' in and Out of Your Life," Barbra Streisand
29 - "No Reply at All," Genesis
28 - "Heart Like a Wheel," The Steve Miller Band
27 - "Turn Your Love Around," George Benson
26 - "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)," Chilliwack
25 - "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)," Juice Newton
24 - "Take My Heart (You Can Have It if You Want It)," Kool and the Gang
23 - "Our Lips are Sealed," The Go-Go's
22 - "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," Daryl Hall and John Oates
21 - "I've Done Everything for You," Rick Springfield
We kick off this section with two solo ladies. La Streisand just missed the Top Ten with this typically dramatic ballad about an on again-off again love affair. She does her usual solid job, but the material just doesn't measure up to her 70s biggies. And Juice Newton scored her third straight pop Top Ten with the most country-sounding of her hits to that point, a ballad about being in a relationship that feels like "the one." She originally recorded it in 1975 with her former band Silver Spur, but it didn't click until she went off on her own. Take from that what you will.
Rock accounts for half of this group. Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford picked up another minor pop hit with this peppy, horn-laden record about a failure to communicate. It was just background music to me. Steve Miller and his combo had their first hit in four years with this rumbly little number that seems to be about his desire to commit to one woman. That's not where I thought he was going with that title, but whatever, decent song that hasn't been worn out by overplay. Chilliwack, a band of American-born Canadians who named themselves after a town in British Columbia, had their biggest U.S. hit with this bouncy earworm about a quest to find a departed paramour no matter what it takes. Sing it with me: "Gone gone gone she been gone so long she been gone gone gone so long." The Go-Go's, an all-female quintet that emerged out of the L.A. punk scene, had their first hit with this aural contagion about ignoring rumors and retaining privacy. I love all their hits, but my favorite is 1984's "Head Over Heels." So good. And Rick Springfield is back and whining. He's finally got a girl of his own after lusting after Jessie's for all that time, but he's still not satisfied. I have no sympathy for him whatsoever.
We'll finish with degrees of soul. George Benson had another of his peppy jazz-pop hits with this attempt to persuade a woman to stop shopping around and settle with him. Don't know if it worked. Doesn't quite seem strong enough. Kool and the Gang are here with a midtempo ballad offering a vital organ. Nothing spectacular, but at least it has a funky pulse to it in the midst of their bland period. And from the genre's "blue-eyed" division, Hall and Oates attend these proceedings with another of their huge smashes, a billowy little dance tune about setting limits on how much of oneself one is willing to offer a lover. I'm not sure that's a successful romantic strategy.
Tomorrow: an anthem of faith, teenage runaways, and the biggest hit of the entire decade.
40 - "I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World," Ronnie Milsap
39 - "When She was My Girl," The Four Tops
38 - "Twilight," The Electric Light Orchestra
37 - "I Want You, I Need You," Chris Christian
36 - "Poor Man's Son," Survivor
35 - "Centerfold," The J. Geils Band
34 - "Cool Night," Paul Davis
33 - "Never Too Much," Luther Vandross
32 - "Hooked on Classics," The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
31 - "Steal the Night," Stevie Woods
We start in the middle...of the road, that is. Ronnie Milsap returns with a gentle country ballad about not regretting a past relationship and its good memories in spite of it ending. A nice sentiment, delivered solidly. Nothing more. Producer and songwriter Chris Christian had his only pop hit with some bland easy listening about wanting his lady back. Cheryl Ladd sings backup on it, so there's that. And Paul "I Go Crazy" Davis is here with a bland little offering about wanting an old lover to come over just for the night. This guy actually hit the Top 40 eight times. I don't get it. Nothing special about him at all.
A couple bits o' soul in this pack. The Four Tops return from last time with a song that isn't much but a Levi Stubbs delivery system, which is all right by me. Luther Vandross had his first major hit with this slick bit of romantic disco funk in which he reveals that his capacity for receiving affection is big enough that there is room for "a thousand kisses" and "a million days in your arms" with still space to spare. Right from the beginning, the voice was special. And Stevie Woods had his only hit with this jazzy little tune about wanting to go off into the evening with someone special. He sounds kind of like a cross between Al Jarreau and Johnny Mathis. I like the voice better than the song. He wouldn't have much more Stateside success, but then he went overseas and became a star in Germany. Good for him.
We've got three rock bands here. ELO are here with one of their minor hits, applying their typical sound to a song about dreams and other flights of fancy. Not one of their more memorable ones. Before "Eye of the Tiger," Survivor made their first dent on the charts with this dramatic hard-rocker about a romance between a man of little means and a rich woman. Basically, "Uptown Girl," but taken much more seriously. And it's anthemic enough that it's clear how they got the Rocky gig. And The J. Geils band had their only #1 with this classic tale of a man one day discovering that the girl he lusted after in high school is being featured in what we will euphemisticall call a "men's magazine." This is just irresistible, from the organ to the "na na na na na na"s to the whistling at the end. Not a super favorite of mine, but undoubtedly an 80s essential.
We close out this block with this week's clear Uneasy Rider, a mix of familiar classical melodies performed by London's Royal Philharmonic orchestra backed by the dance beat of a drum machine. This odd idea was commissioned by as-seen-on-TV giant K-Tel Records, and it was a major success. This single, which included among other popular favorites as Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee," Rossini's "William Tell Overture," and the "March of the Toreadors" from Bizet's Carmen, went to Number 10, an the album, which featured other similar mixes (and which my parents bought on cassette), went platinum and spawned multiple sequels. As a kid, I must admit, I dug it, though probably not as much as Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven."
30 - "Comin' in and Out of Your Life," Barbra Streisand
29 - "No Reply at All," Genesis
28 - "Heart Like a Wheel," The Steve Miller Band
27 - "Turn Your Love Around," George Benson
26 - "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)," Chilliwack
25 - "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)," Juice Newton
24 - "Take My Heart (You Can Have It if You Want It)," Kool and the Gang
23 - "Our Lips are Sealed," The Go-Go's
22 - "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)," Daryl Hall and John Oates
21 - "I've Done Everything for You," Rick Springfield
We kick off this section with two solo ladies. La Streisand just missed the Top Ten with this typically dramatic ballad about an on again-off again love affair. She does her usual solid job, but the material just doesn't measure up to her 70s biggies. And Juice Newton scored her third straight pop Top Ten with the most country-sounding of her hits to that point, a ballad about being in a relationship that feels like "the one." She originally recorded it in 1975 with her former band Silver Spur, but it didn't click until she went off on her own. Take from that what you will.
Rock accounts for half of this group. Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford picked up another minor pop hit with this peppy, horn-laden record about a failure to communicate. It was just background music to me. Steve Miller and his combo had their first hit in four years with this rumbly little number that seems to be about his desire to commit to one woman. That's not where I thought he was going with that title, but whatever, decent song that hasn't been worn out by overplay. Chilliwack, a band of American-born Canadians who named themselves after a town in British Columbia, had their biggest U.S. hit with this bouncy earworm about a quest to find a departed paramour no matter what it takes. Sing it with me: "Gone gone gone she been gone so long she been gone gone gone so long." The Go-Go's, an all-female quintet that emerged out of the L.A. punk scene, had their first hit with this aural contagion about ignoring rumors and retaining privacy. I love all their hits, but my favorite is 1984's "Head Over Heels." So good. And Rick Springfield is back and whining. He's finally got a girl of his own after lusting after Jessie's for all that time, but he's still not satisfied. I have no sympathy for him whatsoever.
We'll finish with degrees of soul. George Benson had another of his peppy jazz-pop hits with this attempt to persuade a woman to stop shopping around and settle with him. Don't know if it worked. Doesn't quite seem strong enough. Kool and the Gang are here with a midtempo ballad offering a vital organ. Nothing spectacular, but at least it has a funky pulse to it in the midst of their bland period. And from the genre's "blue-eyed" division, Hall and Oates attend these proceedings with another of their huge smashes, a billowy little dance tune about setting limits on how much of oneself one is willing to offer a lover. I'm not sure that's a successful romantic strategy.
Tomorrow: an anthem of faith, teenage runaways, and the biggest hit of the entire decade.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
November 21, 1987 Part Two
Before we return to '87, let's take a detour to November 18, 1978. The show had expanded to four hours, so this week's broadcast started at 30. Here are the highlights
Donna Summer's cover of "MacArthur Park" was at #1...The rest of the Top Ten includes such smashes as "Double Vision," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "Hot Child in the City," and "Kiss You All Over"...The first new to BGC song is at #18, and it's none other than the Rolling Stones classic "Beast of Burden." I'm ashamed to say that the first version of this I remember hearing was Bette Midler's...The Bob Seger of Chicago, Styx, are at #21 with their song of working-class struggle "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" Reportedly, the main riff of this song was inspired by the sound guitarist Tommy Shaw's motorboat made when it had trouble starting. The strange provenances of some of these songs never cease to amaze me...And George Clinton's other funk-rock collective, Funkadelic, are at 28 with their biggest hit, in which they imagine "One Nation Under a Groove," where people are "gettin' down just for the funk of it." I'd live there...But this week, I've decided to spotlight...
20 - "Dance (Disco Heat)," Sylvester
Sylvester James got his first taste of musical adulation as a child singing gospel at various churches in his native Los Angeles. But as he grew, his awareness of his homosexuality caused problems at home, and he would move to San Francisco in 1967. While there, he performed in bands, as well as with a drag troupe called The Cockettes. Then in 1977, he signed a solo record deal, and his music went in the direction of disco. This, his highest-charting hit, is your basic uptempo boogie celebration, but you don't really hear Sylvester over his backup singers, Two Tons o' Fun (who would later achiever greater notoriety as The Weather Girls of "It's Raining Men" fame). He would score two more pop hits, including his best known song "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," and several more dance club smashes before he died of AIDS in December 1988.
And now, let's wrap up 1987.
20 - "Causing a Commotion," Madonna
19 - "So Emotional," Whitney Houston
18 - "Hourglass," Squeeze
17 - "Don't You Want Me," Jody Watley
16 - "Is This Love," Whitesnake
The second half begins with Madonna, back from last time with a hit from Who's That Girl? Again, I find it one of her more forgettable hits. It doesn't even come close to causing any kind of kerfuffle or brouhaha.
Whitney Houston is here with what would be her sixth straight #1, a fluffy bit of dance-pop that asks the question "Ain't it shocking what love can do?" She doesn't do this type of thing quite as well as she does big ballads, but she still does more than all right.
Next are British New Wavers Squeeze, who had scored several hits at home since 1979 but hadn't gotten higher than #49 in the USA (with 1981's "Tempted) until they released this bouncy pop gem that's about the march of time, and also about something involving a ship (at least in the rapid-fire chorus). Whatever, it's fantastically catchy. While I admit I like earlier songs of theirs like "Up the Junction" and "Pulling Mussels (From a Shell) better, this is still a worthy calling card.
Then it's Chicago's Jody Watley, a former member of Shalamar, with her second solo pop hit. I never found her stuff to be more than forgettable dance tracks, but she had six Top Ten hits between '87 and '89, so what do I know?
Closing out this section are Whitesnake with their ballad follow-up to breakthrough hit "Here I Go Again." A boring little rock ballad, but it went to #2. And Tawny Kitaen was in this video too, so there's that.
15 - "It's a Sin," Pet Shop Boys
14 - "Shake Your Love," Debbie Gibson
13 - "I Won't Forget You," Poison
12 - "The One I Love," R.E.M.
11 - "We'll Be Together," Sting
This quintet is led off by the Pet Shop Boys, returning with their gothy epic about the inner struggle between right and wrong. It's just so damn good.
Debbie Gibson is here with her second hit, an exuberant bit of pop about not being able to get over someone. It might be her best single. She's wholesomely appealing on this, but not to the point of annoyance.
Next is the second Top 40 hit by Poison, the hair metallers who emerged from the Sunset Strip by way of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. This is just a standard power ballad, nothing special. Nothing like the over-the-top sap of "Every Rose Has its Thorn" or the stab at social consciousness "Something to Believe In."
Then it's Athens, Georgia's R.E.M., who finally cracked the pop charts after five years as college and "alternative" radio superstars with this catchy jangle-rocker that isn't nearly as romantic as its title would indicate, as the one Michael Stipe claims to love is merely "a simple prop to occupy my time." A great song, and in a thin field, this week's Uneasy Rider.
Rounding out this bunch is Sting with the first single from his second solo album. Lyrically and musically, it's arguably his most straightforward hit, a simple, soul-inflected declaration of love and desire. And that becomes him, I must say.
If you want Top Ten you've got it.
10 - "Faith," George Michael
Here he is, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, with arguably his most memorable solo smash. We all remember the song, with its catchy acoustic guitar riffs and George's breathy delivery. We all remember the video, with George's beard and shades and jeans and the jukebox. And we all remember Limp Bizkit's cover version ten years later. Wait, we all don't remember that? Well, good for those who don't. I wish I was one of you.
9 - "I've Been in Love Before," Cutting Crew
The second and last Top Ten for these nondescript Brits, best remembered for their #1 "(I Just) Died in Your Arms." That was terrible, but at least spectacularly so. This is just a boring-ass ballad that I'm sure 99% of the population forgot immediately after radio stopped playing it regularly. It's a nothing song by a nothing band.
8 - "Little Lies," Fleetwood Mac
The Mac are back with this slick request for dishonesty. Don't really have anything to add from last time.
7 - "Should've Known Better," Richard Marx
The Chicago boy followed up "Don't Mean Nothing" with this unexciting pop-rocker about falling in love with the wrong woman. It was much more fun listening to him rip off the Eagles.
6 - "Breakout," Swing Out Sister
The biggest American hit by these U.K. soul-poppers returns. Classy, positive, soothing. Like a three-minute trip to the spa.
5 - "Brilliant Disguise," Bruce Springsteen
The Boss's first studio single since Born in the U.S.A.'s "My Hometown" is an understated affair about a man having doubts about his relationship, mostly "what a woman like you is doing with me." It probably wasn't what people expected, but to me, it's probably second only to "Dancing in the Dark" among his 80s hits.
4 - "I Think We're Alone Now," Tiffany
The mall princess returns, limply covering Tommy James. I'm still not sure how this hit #1.
3 - "Heaven is a Place on Earth," Belinda Carlisle
The ex-Go-Go's only solo charttopper was this lush celebration of lasting romance. It's just so big and pretty, I can't help but like it. Belinda's was a voice the 80s would have been much poorer without.
2 - "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Ex-Righteous Brother Medley and proven soundtrack-duet voice Warnes ("Up Where We Belong") were tapped to sing the climactic song from a little movie about dancing and forbidden love at a Catskills resort in 1963. The movie became a surprise hit, and this song, an overwrought hunk of cheese-pop that doesn't sound like 1963 in any way at all, went all the way to #1 and helped the soundtrack sell over 40 million copies around the world. Later, the song would be adapted to accompany a halftime parade at a Springfield University-Springfield A&M football game.
And at the highest peak of pop 24 years ago, we find...
1 - "Mony Mony (Live)," Billy Idol
Billy's only #1 immediately followed "I Think We're Alone Now" at the top, making it back-to-back Tommy James and the Shondells covers at the pinnacle. This is by far the better one, but I imagine Tommy found that the royalty checks from both spent the same.
The NotCaseys were "The Power of Love" by Laura Branigan, "Don't Shed a Tear" by Paul Carrack, "I Want to be Your Man" by Roger, and "I Found Someone" by Cher. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. A teenage girl dedicated Elton John's "Daniel" to her brother (not named Daniel), whom she didn't become close with until recently and was now in the Navy. And a woman dedicated "Somewhere Out There" by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram on behalf of her whole family to the now 18-year-old boy she gave birth to and gave up for adoption when she was 14 and her future husband was 18. No comment.
Donna Summer's cover of "MacArthur Park" was at #1...The rest of the Top Ten includes such smashes as "Double Vision," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "Hot Child in the City," and "Kiss You All Over"...The first new to BGC song is at #18, and it's none other than the Rolling Stones classic "Beast of Burden." I'm ashamed to say that the first version of this I remember hearing was Bette Midler's...The Bob Seger of Chicago, Styx, are at #21 with their song of working-class struggle "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" Reportedly, the main riff of this song was inspired by the sound guitarist Tommy Shaw's motorboat made when it had trouble starting. The strange provenances of some of these songs never cease to amaze me...And George Clinton's other funk-rock collective, Funkadelic, are at 28 with their biggest hit, in which they imagine "One Nation Under a Groove," where people are "gettin' down just for the funk of it." I'd live there...But this week, I've decided to spotlight...
20 - "Dance (Disco Heat)," Sylvester
Sylvester James got his first taste of musical adulation as a child singing gospel at various churches in his native Los Angeles. But as he grew, his awareness of his homosexuality caused problems at home, and he would move to San Francisco in 1967. While there, he performed in bands, as well as with a drag troupe called The Cockettes. Then in 1977, he signed a solo record deal, and his music went in the direction of disco. This, his highest-charting hit, is your basic uptempo boogie celebration, but you don't really hear Sylvester over his backup singers, Two Tons o' Fun (who would later achiever greater notoriety as The Weather Girls of "It's Raining Men" fame). He would score two more pop hits, including his best known song "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," and several more dance club smashes before he died of AIDS in December 1988.
And now, let's wrap up 1987.
20 - "Causing a Commotion," Madonna
19 - "So Emotional," Whitney Houston
18 - "Hourglass," Squeeze
17 - "Don't You Want Me," Jody Watley
16 - "Is This Love," Whitesnake
The second half begins with Madonna, back from last time with a hit from Who's That Girl? Again, I find it one of her more forgettable hits. It doesn't even come close to causing any kind of kerfuffle or brouhaha.
Whitney Houston is here with what would be her sixth straight #1, a fluffy bit of dance-pop that asks the question "Ain't it shocking what love can do?" She doesn't do this type of thing quite as well as she does big ballads, but she still does more than all right.
Next are British New Wavers Squeeze, who had scored several hits at home since 1979 but hadn't gotten higher than #49 in the USA (with 1981's "Tempted) until they released this bouncy pop gem that's about the march of time, and also about something involving a ship (at least in the rapid-fire chorus). Whatever, it's fantastically catchy. While I admit I like earlier songs of theirs like "Up the Junction" and "Pulling Mussels (From a Shell) better, this is still a worthy calling card.
Then it's Chicago's Jody Watley, a former member of Shalamar, with her second solo pop hit. I never found her stuff to be more than forgettable dance tracks, but she had six Top Ten hits between '87 and '89, so what do I know?
Closing out this section are Whitesnake with their ballad follow-up to breakthrough hit "Here I Go Again." A boring little rock ballad, but it went to #2. And Tawny Kitaen was in this video too, so there's that.
15 - "It's a Sin," Pet Shop Boys
14 - "Shake Your Love," Debbie Gibson
13 - "I Won't Forget You," Poison
12 - "The One I Love," R.E.M.
11 - "We'll Be Together," Sting
This quintet is led off by the Pet Shop Boys, returning with their gothy epic about the inner struggle between right and wrong. It's just so damn good.
Debbie Gibson is here with her second hit, an exuberant bit of pop about not being able to get over someone. It might be her best single. She's wholesomely appealing on this, but not to the point of annoyance.
Next is the second Top 40 hit by Poison, the hair metallers who emerged from the Sunset Strip by way of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. This is just a standard power ballad, nothing special. Nothing like the over-the-top sap of "Every Rose Has its Thorn" or the stab at social consciousness "Something to Believe In."
Then it's Athens, Georgia's R.E.M., who finally cracked the pop charts after five years as college and "alternative" radio superstars with this catchy jangle-rocker that isn't nearly as romantic as its title would indicate, as the one Michael Stipe claims to love is merely "a simple prop to occupy my time." A great song, and in a thin field, this week's Uneasy Rider.
Rounding out this bunch is Sting with the first single from his second solo album. Lyrically and musically, it's arguably his most straightforward hit, a simple, soul-inflected declaration of love and desire. And that becomes him, I must say.
If you want Top Ten you've got it.
10 - "Faith," George Michael
Here he is, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, with arguably his most memorable solo smash. We all remember the song, with its catchy acoustic guitar riffs and George's breathy delivery. We all remember the video, with George's beard and shades and jeans and the jukebox. And we all remember Limp Bizkit's cover version ten years later. Wait, we all don't remember that? Well, good for those who don't. I wish I was one of you.
9 - "I've Been in Love Before," Cutting Crew
The second and last Top Ten for these nondescript Brits, best remembered for their #1 "(I Just) Died in Your Arms." That was terrible, but at least spectacularly so. This is just a boring-ass ballad that I'm sure 99% of the population forgot immediately after radio stopped playing it regularly. It's a nothing song by a nothing band.
8 - "Little Lies," Fleetwood Mac
The Mac are back with this slick request for dishonesty. Don't really have anything to add from last time.
7 - "Should've Known Better," Richard Marx
The Chicago boy followed up "Don't Mean Nothing" with this unexciting pop-rocker about falling in love with the wrong woman. It was much more fun listening to him rip off the Eagles.
6 - "Breakout," Swing Out Sister
The biggest American hit by these U.K. soul-poppers returns. Classy, positive, soothing. Like a three-minute trip to the spa.
5 - "Brilliant Disguise," Bruce Springsteen
The Boss's first studio single since Born in the U.S.A.'s "My Hometown" is an understated affair about a man having doubts about his relationship, mostly "what a woman like you is doing with me." It probably wasn't what people expected, but to me, it's probably second only to "Dancing in the Dark" among his 80s hits.
4 - "I Think We're Alone Now," Tiffany
The mall princess returns, limply covering Tommy James. I'm still not sure how this hit #1.
3 - "Heaven is a Place on Earth," Belinda Carlisle
The ex-Go-Go's only solo charttopper was this lush celebration of lasting romance. It's just so big and pretty, I can't help but like it. Belinda's was a voice the 80s would have been much poorer without.
2 - "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Ex-Righteous Brother Medley and proven soundtrack-duet voice Warnes ("Up Where We Belong") were tapped to sing the climactic song from a little movie about dancing and forbidden love at a Catskills resort in 1963. The movie became a surprise hit, and this song, an overwrought hunk of cheese-pop that doesn't sound like 1963 in any way at all, went all the way to #1 and helped the soundtrack sell over 40 million copies around the world. Later, the song would be adapted to accompany a halftime parade at a Springfield University-Springfield A&M football game.
And at the highest peak of pop 24 years ago, we find...
1 - "Mony Mony (Live)," Billy Idol
Billy's only #1 immediately followed "I Think We're Alone Now" at the top, making it back-to-back Tommy James and the Shondells covers at the pinnacle. This is by far the better one, but I imagine Tommy found that the royalty checks from both spent the same.
The NotCaseys were "The Power of Love" by Laura Branigan, "Don't Shed a Tear" by Paul Carrack, "I Want to be Your Man" by Roger, and "I Found Someone" by Cher. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. A teenage girl dedicated Elton John's "Daniel" to her brother (not named Daniel), whom she didn't become close with until recently and was now in the Navy. And a woman dedicated "Somewhere Out There" by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram on behalf of her whole family to the now 18-year-old boy she gave birth to and gave up for adoption when she was 14 and her future husband was 18. No comment.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
November 21, 1987 Part One
This week we go back to late fall '87. I believe this is the high school semester when I took Physics for some reason. I was never a science guy. I believe I just passed the class with a 54. And every one of those marks was a struggle. While I battled my academic shortcomings, this was the popular music of the day:
40 - "Casanova," Levert
39 - "U Got the Look," Prince
38 - "Need You Tonight," INXS
37 - "Don't Make Me Wait for Love," Kenny G and Lenny Williams
36 - "Animal," Def Leppard
35 - "Boys' Night Out," Timothy B. Schmit
34 - "Cherry Bomb," John Cougar Mellencamp
33 - "Tell it to My Heart," Taylor Dayne
32 - "Let Me Be the One," Expose
31 - "Love Will Find a Way," Yes
We start with three repeaters. Levert return insisting that they're not smooth, but they're still worthy of love. Prince is back contemplating amorous sport with Sheena Easton. And the dynamic duo of Kenny and Lenny are still making the listening easy.
Three rock bands in this section. After only managing two American hits during the first seven years of the decade, Australia's INXS broke into superstardom with this slinky funk-rock declaration of sexual desire. It would go on to be their first and only U.S. #1. Honestly, as huge as the Kick album was, most of my favorite songs of theirs are from other records. I do really like "Never Tear Us Apart" though. Def Leppard made their comeback after the car crash in which drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm with this slow burner about primal lust. The Hysteria album produced several bigger hits than this, but to me, it's the best of the lot. And Yes continued in their mid-80s pop vein with this song about...well, it's pretty self-explanatory. Although I'm not sure what the line "I eat at chez nous" is doing in there. Anyway, another failed attempt to replicate the success of "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
There are also a pair of solo rockers. Timothy B. Schmit, a former bassist for both Poco and the Eagles, had his only hit on his own with this mild, synth-laden bit of business about guys gone wild. The only remarkable thing about it is how much it sounds like a lot of Glenn Frey and Don Henley's solo stuff, only not as well-sung. And John Cougar Mellencamp is here with a lazy little jam about reminiscences of youthful escapades. This is the kind of thing the Coug could do in his sleep, but the violin and accordion add spice.
We close with female-fronted dance-pop. Leslie Wunderman, who changed her name to the much more catchy Taylor Dayne, had the first of her seven Top Ten hits with this song that asks "Is this really love, or just a game?" Well, on my end, Taylor, it's neither. It's just bland 80s radio fodder. And Expose's song from last time is back. Good for them.
30 - "That's What Love is All About," Michael Bolton
29 - "I Do You," The Jets
28 - "Where the Streets Have No Name," U2
27 - "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," Aerosmith
26 - "Got My Mind Set on You," George Harrison
25 - "Come On, Let's Go," Los Lobos
24 - "Bad," Michael Jackson
23 - "Valerie," Steve Winwood
22 - "Skeletons," Stevie Wonder
21 - "Catch Me (I'm Falling)," Pretty Poison
Half this section is occupied by male solo artists. After establishing himself as a writer and producer, Michael Bolton made his first impact as a singer by applying his big, bombastic voice to a ballad about making romance work. Can't say I like it exactly, but his later hits were much worse. Especially his desecrations of soul classics. Those were unforgivable. George Harrison is here with his slick remake of an obscure 1962 soul song by James Ray. Jeff Lynne's production style would start to grate by the 90s, but in this setting, it worked fine, and it got George his thrid and final U.S. #1. Catchy and exuberant. Michael Jackson is back from last time with the title track from his Thriller follow-up. I must say, I like it more now than I did then, but I think that goes for most of Michael's 80s stuff. Steve Winwood continued his late-80s hot streak with this remix of a 1982 single, a lite-rock piece about a woman who reminds him of "jazz on a summer's day." Not much to it, but enough people liked having it on in the background of their various daily activities to propel it to the Top Ten. And Stevie Wonder had what would be his last Top 40 hit to date with this funky jam about lies and their consequences. I didn't get to hear this much at the time, but upon this listen, I have to say it was a much better way for him to go out than some of the goopier stuff from the middle of the decade. He sounds more like the great artist he is at his best.
Two pop groups are here. The eight eldest Wolfgramm siblings from Minneapolis had another of their hits with this dance trifle that pledges their love. Nothing much here. They were like the 80s version of The Sylvers, only not nearly as good. And Philadelphia's Pretty Poison had their biggest of two Top 40 hits with this boilerplate uptempo popper about love and stuff. I hated this song before, and learning that one of the band's members went by the name "Whey Cooler" makes me hate it even more. Not good at all.
We finish with the rock bands. The most famous Irish band named after an American spy plane had their third hit from their monster The Joshua Tree album with this epic rocker that seems to be about some sort of utopian place "high on a desert plain." And there's something about that guitar riff that just gets into your bones. After nine years of breakups, make-ups, and rehab, Aerosmith made their return to the pop charts with this rave-up about a man with a, shall we say, deceptive appearance. From my research, I've determined that, in one way or another, this song was inspired by Motley Crue. Take from that what you will. Anyway, dumb fun, and probably the best song of their comeback. And Los Lobos are here with their second hit Richie Valens cover from the La Bamba soundtrack. A cool little retro number that makes me want to slick back my hair and bust some moves with a girl in a poodle skirt. It is kind of a shame that Los Lobos never had a hit with a song of their own, though.
Tomorrow: The Human League, Bob Marley, and the Foo Fighters...all have songs that share titles with ones that were in this week's Top Twenty.
40 - "Casanova," Levert
39 - "U Got the Look," Prince
38 - "Need You Tonight," INXS
37 - "Don't Make Me Wait for Love," Kenny G and Lenny Williams
36 - "Animal," Def Leppard
35 - "Boys' Night Out," Timothy B. Schmit
34 - "Cherry Bomb," John Cougar Mellencamp
33 - "Tell it to My Heart," Taylor Dayne
32 - "Let Me Be the One," Expose
31 - "Love Will Find a Way," Yes
We start with three repeaters. Levert return insisting that they're not smooth, but they're still worthy of love. Prince is back contemplating amorous sport with Sheena Easton. And the dynamic duo of Kenny and Lenny are still making the listening easy.
Three rock bands in this section. After only managing two American hits during the first seven years of the decade, Australia's INXS broke into superstardom with this slinky funk-rock declaration of sexual desire. It would go on to be their first and only U.S. #1. Honestly, as huge as the Kick album was, most of my favorite songs of theirs are from other records. I do really like "Never Tear Us Apart" though. Def Leppard made their comeback after the car crash in which drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm with this slow burner about primal lust. The Hysteria album produced several bigger hits than this, but to me, it's the best of the lot. And Yes continued in their mid-80s pop vein with this song about...well, it's pretty self-explanatory. Although I'm not sure what the line "I eat at chez nous" is doing in there. Anyway, another failed attempt to replicate the success of "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
There are also a pair of solo rockers. Timothy B. Schmit, a former bassist for both Poco and the Eagles, had his only hit on his own with this mild, synth-laden bit of business about guys gone wild. The only remarkable thing about it is how much it sounds like a lot of Glenn Frey and Don Henley's solo stuff, only not as well-sung. And John Cougar Mellencamp is here with a lazy little jam about reminiscences of youthful escapades. This is the kind of thing the Coug could do in his sleep, but the violin and accordion add spice.
We close with female-fronted dance-pop. Leslie Wunderman, who changed her name to the much more catchy Taylor Dayne, had the first of her seven Top Ten hits with this song that asks "Is this really love, or just a game?" Well, on my end, Taylor, it's neither. It's just bland 80s radio fodder. And Expose's song from last time is back. Good for them.
30 - "That's What Love is All About," Michael Bolton
29 - "I Do You," The Jets
28 - "Where the Streets Have No Name," U2
27 - "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," Aerosmith
26 - "Got My Mind Set on You," George Harrison
25 - "Come On, Let's Go," Los Lobos
24 - "Bad," Michael Jackson
23 - "Valerie," Steve Winwood
22 - "Skeletons," Stevie Wonder
21 - "Catch Me (I'm Falling)," Pretty Poison
Half this section is occupied by male solo artists. After establishing himself as a writer and producer, Michael Bolton made his first impact as a singer by applying his big, bombastic voice to a ballad about making romance work. Can't say I like it exactly, but his later hits were much worse. Especially his desecrations of soul classics. Those were unforgivable. George Harrison is here with his slick remake of an obscure 1962 soul song by James Ray. Jeff Lynne's production style would start to grate by the 90s, but in this setting, it worked fine, and it got George his thrid and final U.S. #1. Catchy and exuberant. Michael Jackson is back from last time with the title track from his Thriller follow-up. I must say, I like it more now than I did then, but I think that goes for most of Michael's 80s stuff. Steve Winwood continued his late-80s hot streak with this remix of a 1982 single, a lite-rock piece about a woman who reminds him of "jazz on a summer's day." Not much to it, but enough people liked having it on in the background of their various daily activities to propel it to the Top Ten. And Stevie Wonder had what would be his last Top 40 hit to date with this funky jam about lies and their consequences. I didn't get to hear this much at the time, but upon this listen, I have to say it was a much better way for him to go out than some of the goopier stuff from the middle of the decade. He sounds more like the great artist he is at his best.
Two pop groups are here. The eight eldest Wolfgramm siblings from Minneapolis had another of their hits with this dance trifle that pledges their love. Nothing much here. They were like the 80s version of The Sylvers, only not nearly as good. And Philadelphia's Pretty Poison had their biggest of two Top 40 hits with this boilerplate uptempo popper about love and stuff. I hated this song before, and learning that one of the band's members went by the name "Whey Cooler" makes me hate it even more. Not good at all.
We finish with the rock bands. The most famous Irish band named after an American spy plane had their third hit from their monster The Joshua Tree album with this epic rocker that seems to be about some sort of utopian place "high on a desert plain." And there's something about that guitar riff that just gets into your bones. After nine years of breakups, make-ups, and rehab, Aerosmith made their return to the pop charts with this rave-up about a man with a, shall we say, deceptive appearance. From my research, I've determined that, in one way or another, this song was inspired by Motley Crue. Take from that what you will. Anyway, dumb fun, and probably the best song of their comeback. And Los Lobos are here with their second hit Richie Valens cover from the La Bamba soundtrack. A cool little retro number that makes me want to slick back my hair and bust some moves with a girl in a poodle skirt. It is kind of a shame that Los Lobos never had a hit with a song of their own, though.
Tomorrow: The Human League, Bob Marley, and the Foo Fighters...all have songs that share titles with ones that were in this week's Top Twenty.
Monday, November 14, 2011
November 11, 1972
Okay, so I've decided to do a whole post on this week's 70s show. I'll start it by listing songs 40-11, with the singles I haven't covered in past entries in bold, then breaking down the newbies.
40 - "Use Me," Bill Withers
39 - "Why," Donny Osmond
38 - "Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu," Johnny Rivers
37 - "All the Young Dudes," Mott the Hoople
36 - "Clair," Gilbert O'Sullivan
35 - "Rock n' Roll Soul," Grand Funk Railroad
34 - "Don't Do It," The Band
33 - "Something's Wrong with Me," Austin Roberts
32 - "Crazy Horses," The Osmonds
31 - "Funny Face," Donna Fargo
30 - "Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels)," Jim Croce
29 - "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind," Sam Neely
28 - "American City Suite," Cashman and West
27 - "It Never Rains in Southern California," Albert Hammond, Jr.
26 - "Elected," Alice Cooper
25 - "I'm Stone in Love with You," The Stylistics
24 - "Ventura Highway," America
23 - "Spaceman," Nilsson
22 - "I Believe in Music," Gallery
21 - "You Ought to Be with Me," Al Green
20 - "If You Don't Know Me by Now," Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes
19 - "Starting All Over Again," Mel and Tim
18 - "Thunder and Lightning," Chi Coltrane
17 - "Ben," Michael Jackson
16 - "Summer Breeze," Seals and Crofts
15 - "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues," Danny O'Keefe
14 - "Burning Love," Elvis Presley
13 - "Papa was a Rollin' Stone," The Temptations
12 - "If I Could Reach You," The Fifth Dimension
11 - "Listen to the Music," The Doobie Brothers
We've got twelve noobs in this bunch. I'll start with the rockers. Brits Mott the Hoople had their only American pop hit with this David Bowie-penned glam anthem about stealing clothes from deprartment stores, drinking wine, and spreading news of the coming apocalypse. That's what I've been able to piece together. But it really doesn't matter. It's just a classic singalong. Grand Funk Railroad do their Grand Funk-y thing on yet another mediocre blues rocker about partying. Ex-Bob Dylan backup group The Band had their second and final American pop hit with this cover of a 1964 Marvin Gaye hit about not wanting one's woman to leave. Blues rock as well, but unlike GFR, this has substance and soul. And Alice Cooper had a timely hit with this big glossy production in which Alice himself offers himself as an alternative candidate, presumably for the presidency, representing "The Wild Party." Although admitting that he doesn't care about the nation's problems doesn't seem like the greatest strategy. And it wasn't the only election-themed entry on this week's chart, as we'll see later.
Next we have pop groups. The Osmonds are here with their stab at hard rock, a song that's supposedly about what pollution is doing to nature. Surprisingly, it's pretty convincing for the most part, except maybe for when the horns come in at the end. But the vocals and the guitar squeals that sound like a whinnying stallion are pretty awesome. Terry Cashman and Tommy West had their only hit together with a three-songs-in-one number that combines a gentle folk-rocker, a more urgent rock tune, and a piano ballad. The first part is about the joys of city life. The second is about urban struggle and danger. And the third is a more personal ode to a dying friend. It's all quite strange to these ears. Later, Terry Cashman would gain more fame for his popular sports song "Talkin' Baseball," which he later redid as "Talkin' Softball" in tribute to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant team's championship season. America are here with the one big hit of theirs I haven't covered yet, a soft-rock jam about leaving for greener pastures. Possibly their best hit, and their use of the phrase "purple rain" may have inspired a certain Minnesotans film/album project twelve years later. And speaking of big hits I haven't covered yet, here's Seals and Crofts. We all know this one, it's gooey and cheesy, and I don't like it. That's all I have to say.
Then we have a couple male solo singers. Jim Croce had his second hit with this acoustic ballad about trying to place a long-distance phone call to an old lover. The emotion is genuine and heartfelt. Good song. It certainly appeared that this guy had a long and fruitful career ahead of him. But that's not the way it went. And Harry Nilsson is here that's basically a "be careful what you wish for" warning. But a fun, catchy, awesome one. This is another guy I should get more into. But I'm still not nearly done with Al Green.
We finish with two Philly soul groups. The Stylistics are so dedicated to the happiness of their beloved that even though only have average lives, they dream of stardom, business success, and even owning "the first house on the moon" to give her all that she desires. Love makes fools of us all, but the good kind of fool. And I still love the lead singer's falsetto. And finally, we encounter Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes biggest hit. The original is much better than Simply Red's version. It's also better than the one Ricky Gervais did as David Brent, but that one at least has it's own sweaty charm.
Top Ten, baby!
10 - "Witchy Woman," The Eagles
The SoCal record-selling machine's first Top Ten, a song about a crazy hot lady. The Egos had landed.
9 - "Convention '72," The Delegates
Here's another new one. This is a "break-in" record, a la Dickie Goodman's "Mr. Jaws," in which people ask questions that are answered by snippets from pop hits of the day. The premise is that the Republican and Democratic political parties are having a joint convention, and the media is there to cover it in the form of parody newscasters such as "Walter Klondike" and "David Stinkley." These "journalists" interview prominent figures in the 1972 presidential campaign. President Nixon is conspicuously absent, but Vice-President Spiro Agnew and Nixon campaign manager John Mitchell do appear. The Democrats are represented by, among others, presidential candidate George McGovern, his original running mate Thomas Eagleton (who was quickly let go after his mental health issues became public), and his eventual running mate Sargent Shriver. Among the songs used are Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," America's "A Horse with No Name, and The Bee Gees "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. But no song is used more than "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" by the Jimmy Castor Bunch, lines from which are used in several responses, most notably on the three occasions when then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger answers questions with "Gotta find a woman, gotta find a woman!" There's also a bad impression of Marlon Brando from The Godfather mixed in there. All in all, a dated bit of cheesy comedy, and this chart's clear Uneasy Rider.
8 - "I am Woman," Helen Reddy
The feminist anthem that spawned all others, and still the best for my money. Not that my opinion on this particularly matters. But it's a great song, that's for sure.
7 - "My Ding-a-Ling," Chuck Berry
Once again, I present you with this fact: This dick-joke-laden novelty was Chuck's only American #1. Elvis may be the King of Rock n' Roll, but make no mistake, Chuck Berry founded the kingdom and built the throne.
6 - "Garden Party," Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band
Who knew the ex-teen hearthrob/TV star had something this smart and cool in him? Just a fantastic song.
5 - "I'll be Around," The Spinners
This group's first post-Motown hit. This is great, and it would get even better from their. These guys are among the decade's unsung musical heroes.
4 - "Freddie's Dead," Curtis Mayfield
A gritty funk masterpiece from a true legend. Proves that you don't necessarily need hard talk and obscenity to portray the desperation and despair of street life. Not that there isn't a place for that, but doing it with sweet soul singing is pretty good too.
3 - "I'd Love You to Want Me," Lobo
What's this? A Lobo song I haven't covered yet? Yeah. I know this one, and it's just a lump of crap. I won't waste my time saying more.
2 - "Nights in White Satin," The Moody Blues
Big ballad from these sometimes-pretentious Brits. Good romantic mood music though, I suppose.
1 - "I Can See Clearly Now," Johnny Nash
A guy from Houston backed by Bob Marley's Wailers on a gently grooving ode to optimism. Belongs on any "get yourself out of a crappy mood" playlist.
The NotCaseys were "Corner of the Sky" by the Jackson 5, "Living in the Past" by Jethro Tull, and "Sweet Surrender" by Bread.
Well, there's my extra-credit work. See you next week for what I believe will just be a normal week.
40 - "Use Me," Bill Withers
39 - "Why," Donny Osmond
38 - "Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu," Johnny Rivers
37 - "All the Young Dudes," Mott the Hoople
36 - "Clair," Gilbert O'Sullivan
35 - "Rock n' Roll Soul," Grand Funk Railroad
34 - "Don't Do It," The Band
33 - "Something's Wrong with Me," Austin Roberts
32 - "Crazy Horses," The Osmonds
31 - "Funny Face," Donna Fargo
30 - "Operator (That's Not the Way it Feels)," Jim Croce
29 - "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind," Sam Neely
28 - "American City Suite," Cashman and West
27 - "It Never Rains in Southern California," Albert Hammond, Jr.
26 - "Elected," Alice Cooper
25 - "I'm Stone in Love with You," The Stylistics
24 - "Ventura Highway," America
23 - "Spaceman," Nilsson
22 - "I Believe in Music," Gallery
21 - "You Ought to Be with Me," Al Green
20 - "If You Don't Know Me by Now," Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes
19 - "Starting All Over Again," Mel and Tim
18 - "Thunder and Lightning," Chi Coltrane
17 - "Ben," Michael Jackson
16 - "Summer Breeze," Seals and Crofts
15 - "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues," Danny O'Keefe
14 - "Burning Love," Elvis Presley
13 - "Papa was a Rollin' Stone," The Temptations
12 - "If I Could Reach You," The Fifth Dimension
11 - "Listen to the Music," The Doobie Brothers
We've got twelve noobs in this bunch. I'll start with the rockers. Brits Mott the Hoople had their only American pop hit with this David Bowie-penned glam anthem about stealing clothes from deprartment stores, drinking wine, and spreading news of the coming apocalypse. That's what I've been able to piece together. But it really doesn't matter. It's just a classic singalong. Grand Funk Railroad do their Grand Funk-y thing on yet another mediocre blues rocker about partying. Ex-Bob Dylan backup group The Band had their second and final American pop hit with this cover of a 1964 Marvin Gaye hit about not wanting one's woman to leave. Blues rock as well, but unlike GFR, this has substance and soul. And Alice Cooper had a timely hit with this big glossy production in which Alice himself offers himself as an alternative candidate, presumably for the presidency, representing "The Wild Party." Although admitting that he doesn't care about the nation's problems doesn't seem like the greatest strategy. And it wasn't the only election-themed entry on this week's chart, as we'll see later.
Next we have pop groups. The Osmonds are here with their stab at hard rock, a song that's supposedly about what pollution is doing to nature. Surprisingly, it's pretty convincing for the most part, except maybe for when the horns come in at the end. But the vocals and the guitar squeals that sound like a whinnying stallion are pretty awesome. Terry Cashman and Tommy West had their only hit together with a three-songs-in-one number that combines a gentle folk-rocker, a more urgent rock tune, and a piano ballad. The first part is about the joys of city life. The second is about urban struggle and danger. And the third is a more personal ode to a dying friend. It's all quite strange to these ears. Later, Terry Cashman would gain more fame for his popular sports song "Talkin' Baseball," which he later redid as "Talkin' Softball" in tribute to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant team's championship season. America are here with the one big hit of theirs I haven't covered yet, a soft-rock jam about leaving for greener pastures. Possibly their best hit, and their use of the phrase "purple rain" may have inspired a certain Minnesotans film/album project twelve years later. And speaking of big hits I haven't covered yet, here's Seals and Crofts. We all know this one, it's gooey and cheesy, and I don't like it. That's all I have to say.
Then we have a couple male solo singers. Jim Croce had his second hit with this acoustic ballad about trying to place a long-distance phone call to an old lover. The emotion is genuine and heartfelt. Good song. It certainly appeared that this guy had a long and fruitful career ahead of him. But that's not the way it went. And Harry Nilsson is here that's basically a "be careful what you wish for" warning. But a fun, catchy, awesome one. This is another guy I should get more into. But I'm still not nearly done with Al Green.
We finish with two Philly soul groups. The Stylistics are so dedicated to the happiness of their beloved that even though only have average lives, they dream of stardom, business success, and even owning "the first house on the moon" to give her all that she desires. Love makes fools of us all, but the good kind of fool. And I still love the lead singer's falsetto. And finally, we encounter Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes biggest hit. The original is much better than Simply Red's version. It's also better than the one Ricky Gervais did as David Brent, but that one at least has it's own sweaty charm.
Top Ten, baby!
10 - "Witchy Woman," The Eagles
The SoCal record-selling machine's first Top Ten, a song about a crazy hot lady. The Egos had landed.
9 - "Convention '72," The Delegates
Here's another new one. This is a "break-in" record, a la Dickie Goodman's "Mr. Jaws," in which people ask questions that are answered by snippets from pop hits of the day. The premise is that the Republican and Democratic political parties are having a joint convention, and the media is there to cover it in the form of parody newscasters such as "Walter Klondike" and "David Stinkley." These "journalists" interview prominent figures in the 1972 presidential campaign. President Nixon is conspicuously absent, but Vice-President Spiro Agnew and Nixon campaign manager John Mitchell do appear. The Democrats are represented by, among others, presidential candidate George McGovern, his original running mate Thomas Eagleton (who was quickly let go after his mental health issues became public), and his eventual running mate Sargent Shriver. Among the songs used are Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," America's "A Horse with No Name, and The Bee Gees "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. But no song is used more than "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" by the Jimmy Castor Bunch, lines from which are used in several responses, most notably on the three occasions when then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger answers questions with "Gotta find a woman, gotta find a woman!" There's also a bad impression of Marlon Brando from The Godfather mixed in there. All in all, a dated bit of cheesy comedy, and this chart's clear Uneasy Rider.
8 - "I am Woman," Helen Reddy
The feminist anthem that spawned all others, and still the best for my money. Not that my opinion on this particularly matters. But it's a great song, that's for sure.
7 - "My Ding-a-Ling," Chuck Berry
Once again, I present you with this fact: This dick-joke-laden novelty was Chuck's only American #1. Elvis may be the King of Rock n' Roll, but make no mistake, Chuck Berry founded the kingdom and built the throne.
6 - "Garden Party," Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band
Who knew the ex-teen hearthrob/TV star had something this smart and cool in him? Just a fantastic song.
5 - "I'll be Around," The Spinners
This group's first post-Motown hit. This is great, and it would get even better from their. These guys are among the decade's unsung musical heroes.
4 - "Freddie's Dead," Curtis Mayfield
A gritty funk masterpiece from a true legend. Proves that you don't necessarily need hard talk and obscenity to portray the desperation and despair of street life. Not that there isn't a place for that, but doing it with sweet soul singing is pretty good too.
3 - "I'd Love You to Want Me," Lobo
What's this? A Lobo song I haven't covered yet? Yeah. I know this one, and it's just a lump of crap. I won't waste my time saying more.
2 - "Nights in White Satin," The Moody Blues
Big ballad from these sometimes-pretentious Brits. Good romantic mood music though, I suppose.
1 - "I Can See Clearly Now," Johnny Nash
A guy from Houston backed by Bob Marley's Wailers on a gently grooving ode to optimism. Belongs on any "get yourself out of a crappy mood" playlist.
The NotCaseys were "Corner of the Sky" by the Jackson 5, "Living in the Past" by Jethro Tull, and "Sweet Surrender" by Bread.
Well, there's my extra-credit work. See you next week for what I believe will just be a normal week.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
November 16, 1985 Part Two
Concluding 1985.
20 - "Lovin' Every Minute of It," Loverboy
19 - "Sleeping Bag," ZZ Top
18 - "Election Day," Arcadia
17 - "One of the Living," Tina Turner
16 - "One Night Love Affair," Bryan Adams
The second half begins with Loverboy, still happy, still wanting to be shot like a rocket into space. They did big dumb rock better than this earlier in their career. Give me "Turn Me Loose," "The Kid is Hot Tonite," or even "Working for the Weekend" over this.
ZZ Top had just come off their biggest success ever when they added electronic elements to their blues-rock on the Eliminator LP. So naturally, they went even farther in that direction for their next record, and on this, the first single from Afterburner, they sound almost like sidemen to a computer. This song about cuddling up in the great outdoors is all right, but the balance between the traditional and the modern that they found on songs like "Sharp Dressed Man" is gone, and it's a bit jarring.
Next are Arcadia, otherwise known as "What Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor were doing while the other two Taylors in Duran Duran were doing the Power Station record." This song sounds more like their parent band than Power Station does, which works. The lyrics don't really refer to elections though, unless "I pull my shirt off and pray" is supposed to be a metaphor for putting oneself through the wringer of a campaign. But any song that includes a spoken-word interlude from Grace Jones is pretty cool in my book.
Tina Turner returns from last time, singing about survival in a desert hellscape. It's starting to grow on me even more than it did when it first came out.
This group closes with Mr. Adams singing about a brief encounter that leaves him cold. That's what this song does to me, Bryan.
15 - "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire," David Foster
14 - "Saving All My Love for You," Whitney Houston
13 - "Take on Me," A-ha
12 - "You are My Lady," Freddie Jackson
11 - "Who's Zoomin' Who," Aretha Franklin
This section begins with David Foster's elevator music for Brat Pack angst. Boredom on wax.
Whitney follows with her first number one about waiting on a married guy. Well, that's not as bad a decision as getting hitched to Bobby Brown.
A-ha are back, daring you to take them on, because they'll be gone in a day or two. In reality, it was more like a month or two. Although apparently they actually had a substantial career in Europe after they faded here. Good for them.
Then it's Freddie Jackson, crooning that the woman he's singing to is "everything I need and more." That's nice. And sometimes, nice is enough.
Aretha brings the curtain down on this bunch by asking a strange question. I kind of wish that expression had caught on. And I'm not zoomin'.
When the Top Ten get here, all the pigeons gonna run to them.
10 - "Lay Your Hands on Me," The Thompson Twins
This band got their name from two characters in the popular Belgian comic book series The Adventures of Tintin, about the travels of a young reporter. Steven Spielberg has turned it into a movie, which hasn't come out yet over here, but is already a pretty big hit in Europe. Oh, and this song's still pretty good.
9 - "Be Near Me," ABC
Decent, but no "The Look of Love." Or even "Poison Arrow." But I do like it better than "When Smokey Sings."
8 - "Never," Heart
"Never let them shoot us down," Ann Wilson sings. Well, I'm shooting you and your whole band down, Annie. This song sucks.
7 - "Broken Wings," Mr. Mister
This band's biggest hit was this anthemic pop-rocker about trying to convince someone who's been hurt to take another chance on romance so "the book of love will open up and let us in." It's become a cheese touchstone of the decade, but with that stripped away, it's a really good song. Seriously.
6 - "Separate Lives," Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
This song is just uninteresting mush. How the hell did it hit #1?
5 - "Part-Time Lover," Stevie Wonder
And this one isn't much better. It also hit #1, but I can excuse that, because, well, Stevie. And this is a better final charttopper for him than "I Just Called to Say I Love You."
4 - "Head Over Heels," Tears for Fears
Okay, I'm now convinced that Roland Orzabal isn't singing "It's hard to be a man when there's a note in your lunch." But I'm still disappointed.
3 - "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer
There's a weird sound in the middle of this that kind of sounds like an electronic simulation of ice being dropped into a glass. What was it supposed to sound like? Why was it put there? If I ever meet Jan Hammer, I will demand he answer these questions.
2 - "You Belong to the City," Glenn Frey
Ah, the peak of Glenn Frey's solo career, when he was associated songs about crime and drugs and gritty urban life. And yet I still didn't like him. I just find him grating on a deep level.
And the song that made people feel alive in '85 was...
1 - "We Built This City," Starship
This song is so wrong, and yet so right. I still don't know why I still like it. Maybe it's partly because Homer Simpson tried to get his family to sing it along with him when they were on the run as accused alligator murderers. But I don't think that's the entire reason.
The NotCaseys this week were "Sidewalk Talk" by Jellybean, "That's What Friends are For" by Dionne and Friends, "Burning Heart" by Survivor, and "Talk to Me" by Stevie Nicks. The Long Distance Dedications were "Never Surrender" by Corey Hart (from a musician to his ex-boarding school bandmates, telling them not to give up on their dreams) and "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Stephanie Mills (from a Japanese women to the people of Oregon who made her fell welcome when she visited that state).
Before I go, you might be wondering why I didn't do a 70s recap at the top of this post. Well, I've decided that this week's countdown from November 11, 1972 is worthy of an entire post. So tomorrow, you get a bonus. Join me then.
20 - "Lovin' Every Minute of It," Loverboy
19 - "Sleeping Bag," ZZ Top
18 - "Election Day," Arcadia
17 - "One of the Living," Tina Turner
16 - "One Night Love Affair," Bryan Adams
The second half begins with Loverboy, still happy, still wanting to be shot like a rocket into space. They did big dumb rock better than this earlier in their career. Give me "Turn Me Loose," "The Kid is Hot Tonite," or even "Working for the Weekend" over this.
ZZ Top had just come off their biggest success ever when they added electronic elements to their blues-rock on the Eliminator LP. So naturally, they went even farther in that direction for their next record, and on this, the first single from Afterburner, they sound almost like sidemen to a computer. This song about cuddling up in the great outdoors is all right, but the balance between the traditional and the modern that they found on songs like "Sharp Dressed Man" is gone, and it's a bit jarring.
Next are Arcadia, otherwise known as "What Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor were doing while the other two Taylors in Duran Duran were doing the Power Station record." This song sounds more like their parent band than Power Station does, which works. The lyrics don't really refer to elections though, unless "I pull my shirt off and pray" is supposed to be a metaphor for putting oneself through the wringer of a campaign. But any song that includes a spoken-word interlude from Grace Jones is pretty cool in my book.
Tina Turner returns from last time, singing about survival in a desert hellscape. It's starting to grow on me even more than it did when it first came out.
This group closes with Mr. Adams singing about a brief encounter that leaves him cold. That's what this song does to me, Bryan.
15 - "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire," David Foster
14 - "Saving All My Love for You," Whitney Houston
13 - "Take on Me," A-ha
12 - "You are My Lady," Freddie Jackson
11 - "Who's Zoomin' Who," Aretha Franklin
This section begins with David Foster's elevator music for Brat Pack angst. Boredom on wax.
Whitney follows with her first number one about waiting on a married guy. Well, that's not as bad a decision as getting hitched to Bobby Brown.
A-ha are back, daring you to take them on, because they'll be gone in a day or two. In reality, it was more like a month or two. Although apparently they actually had a substantial career in Europe after they faded here. Good for them.
Then it's Freddie Jackson, crooning that the woman he's singing to is "everything I need and more." That's nice. And sometimes, nice is enough.
Aretha brings the curtain down on this bunch by asking a strange question. I kind of wish that expression had caught on. And I'm not zoomin'.
When the Top Ten get here, all the pigeons gonna run to them.
10 - "Lay Your Hands on Me," The Thompson Twins
This band got their name from two characters in the popular Belgian comic book series The Adventures of Tintin, about the travels of a young reporter. Steven Spielberg has turned it into a movie, which hasn't come out yet over here, but is already a pretty big hit in Europe. Oh, and this song's still pretty good.
9 - "Be Near Me," ABC
Decent, but no "The Look of Love." Or even "Poison Arrow." But I do like it better than "When Smokey Sings."
8 - "Never," Heart
"Never let them shoot us down," Ann Wilson sings. Well, I'm shooting you and your whole band down, Annie. This song sucks.
7 - "Broken Wings," Mr. Mister
This band's biggest hit was this anthemic pop-rocker about trying to convince someone who's been hurt to take another chance on romance so "the book of love will open up and let us in." It's become a cheese touchstone of the decade, but with that stripped away, it's a really good song. Seriously.
6 - "Separate Lives," Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
This song is just uninteresting mush. How the hell did it hit #1?
5 - "Part-Time Lover," Stevie Wonder
And this one isn't much better. It also hit #1, but I can excuse that, because, well, Stevie. And this is a better final charttopper for him than "I Just Called to Say I Love You."
4 - "Head Over Heels," Tears for Fears
Okay, I'm now convinced that Roland Orzabal isn't singing "It's hard to be a man when there's a note in your lunch." But I'm still disappointed.
3 - "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer
There's a weird sound in the middle of this that kind of sounds like an electronic simulation of ice being dropped into a glass. What was it supposed to sound like? Why was it put there? If I ever meet Jan Hammer, I will demand he answer these questions.
2 - "You Belong to the City," Glenn Frey
Ah, the peak of Glenn Frey's solo career, when he was associated songs about crime and drugs and gritty urban life. And yet I still didn't like him. I just find him grating on a deep level.
And the song that made people feel alive in '85 was...
1 - "We Built This City," Starship
This song is so wrong, and yet so right. I still don't know why I still like it. Maybe it's partly because Homer Simpson tried to get his family to sing it along with him when they were on the run as accused alligator murderers. But I don't think that's the entire reason.
The NotCaseys this week were "Sidewalk Talk" by Jellybean, "That's What Friends are For" by Dionne and Friends, "Burning Heart" by Survivor, and "Talk to Me" by Stevie Nicks. The Long Distance Dedications were "Never Surrender" by Corey Hart (from a musician to his ex-boarding school bandmates, telling them not to give up on their dreams) and "Never Knew Love Like This Before" by Stephanie Mills (from a Japanese women to the people of Oregon who made her fell welcome when she visited that state).
Before I go, you might be wondering why I didn't do a 70s recap at the top of this post. Well, I've decided that this week's countdown from November 11, 1972 is worthy of an entire post. So tomorrow, you get a bonus. Join me then.
November 16, 1985 Part One
Another trip to '85. Hasn't been too long since our last visit, but there's been enough turnover that I feel I can give it the regular treatment. Here we go.
40 -"Walk of Life," Dire Straits
39 - "Lonely Ol' Night," John Cougar Mellencamp
38 - "Tonight She Comes," The Cars
37 - "Object of My Desire," Starpoint
36 - "Small Town," John Cougar Mellencamp
35 - "Running Up That Hill," Kate Bush
34 - "Girls are More Fun," Ray Parker Jr.
33 - "Wrap Her Up," Elton John
32 - "Say You, Say Me," Lionel Richie
31 - "Sisters are Doin' it for Themselves," Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
We begin with the rock contingent. Dire Straits followed up their #1 "Money for Nothing" with this chugging rocker about a subway busker who plays "oldies, goldies" such as "Be-Bop-a-Lula," "What'd I Say," and "the song about the knife" (presumably named Mack). It's just fun, a no-frown zone. Mr. Mellencamp appears twice in this section; first with the song we've encountered twice before, and then with his next hit, a song that celebrates growing up outside the hustle and bustle of the larger cities. Nice song, but probably best heard back-to-back with Simon and Garfunkel's "My Little Town" to get both sides of the story. And The Cars are here with their last Top Ten, a typically jittery song about a woman of whom Ric Ocasek sings "she jangles me up" and "gives me a reason for feeling all right." Oh, that Paulina Porizkova.
Then we have the R&B/soul contingent. Starpoint hailed from Annapolis, Maryland, the home of the U.S. Naval Academy. Their biggest pop hit was this okay funk number most notable for the way singer Renee Diggs sings "My body screams 'please make love to me.'" Ray Parker Jr. had his final solo Top 40 hit with this tune that makes the case agains "sausage fests" by asserting "The party ain't begun 'til all the girls come." Well, at least he wasn't biting Huey Lewis. And Lionel Richie picked up his fifth and last #1 with this ballad that seems to be about frienship and togetherness and this "awesome dream" he had about people dressing up in low light. Oh, and there's an uptempo part in the middle that mentions dancing, which I guess is how it ties in to the movie it came from, the ballet flick White Nights.
This section wraps up with the British. Ethereal British chanteuse Kate Bush has had many hits in the U.K., but her only encounter with the American Top 40 was with this rhythmic, atmospheric earworm about a woman who wants to make a deal with God that would allow her to swap places with her male lover so the two of them could understand each other better. It's pretty heady subject matter, and Kate's voice sounded like nothing else on American pop radio at the time, and for those reasons, this is your Uneasy Rider for the week. Sir Elton is here with a song in which he and backup vocalist George Michael sing about their lust for women. It's a fun song, for reasons both blatant and subtextual. And Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart are joined by the Queen of Soul for a celebration of female empowerment. The passion is certainly there, but it's not much of a song. Personally, I think "I Am Woman" has this beat all ends up.
30 - "And We Danced," The Hooters
29 - "Oh Sheila," Ready for the World
28 - "Fortress Around Your Heart," Sting
27 - "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," Paul Young
26 - "So in Love," Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
25 - "Perfect Way," Scritti Politti
24 - "Party All the Time," Eddie Murphy
23 - "I Miss You," Klymaxx
22 - "Alive and Kicking," Simple Minds
21 - "Soul Kiss," Olivia Newton-John
I'll start with the American groups. The Hooters return with their rootsy number about teenage romance. Two of these guys worked on Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual so they have that going for them, which is nice. Ready for the World make one more visit to this blog to once again prove that faux Prince + faux Australian accent = real awesome. And Klymaxx misses you. But I don't miss them.
Then we'll go to the solo artists. Sting is still building walls and trying not to get blown up. Paul Young is still making threats. But there are a couple newcomers in this category. After conquering stand-up, late night TV, and the movies, Eddie Murphy decided that it was time for him to take a break from comedy and try music. He got funk star Rick James to agree that this was a good idea, and the result was this mildly catchy dance-popper about a woman who just doesn't want to stay home. As a singer, Eddie sounds like Luther Vandross compared to, say, Don Johnson, but that doesn't say much. And ONJ is here with what would be her last Top 40 hit, a sultry little midtempo jam about begging for sex. At this point, she was just trying too hard to be hot, when in her heyday, her sex appeal just naturally shone through her driven-snow pure image. When she felt the need to have to spell it out, it was the beginning of the end.
I'll close out the first half with the British bands. OMD are back, and they still can't believe they once had a thing for you, of all people. Scritti Politti are a group, but basically they're singer Green Gartside and whatever musicians he decides to surround himself with. Their only dent on the consciousness of listeners on this side of the Atlantic was this memorable bit of spastic synth-pop that uses a lot of big words to state that Mr. Gartside had an ideal method "to make the girls go crazy." Definitely a gem. And Scotland's Simple Minds, who were originally a punk band called Johnny and the Self-Abusers, had just broken America with the Breakfast Club smash "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in the summer of this year. But they didn't write that song, so it remained to be seen if they could keep up that momentum with their own material. So for the follow up, they released this anthemic rocker about hangin on to love, and it made it all the way to #3. But their next two singles brought diminishing returns, and changes in musical direction and intraband tensions combined to make sure the group would never scale such heights in the USA again.
Tomorrow: a place to rest, Duran Duran side project #2, and a lot of songs we've already covered.
40 -"Walk of Life," Dire Straits
39 - "Lonely Ol' Night," John Cougar Mellencamp
38 - "Tonight She Comes," The Cars
37 - "Object of My Desire," Starpoint
36 - "Small Town," John Cougar Mellencamp
35 - "Running Up That Hill," Kate Bush
34 - "Girls are More Fun," Ray Parker Jr.
33 - "Wrap Her Up," Elton John
32 - "Say You, Say Me," Lionel Richie
31 - "Sisters are Doin' it for Themselves," Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
We begin with the rock contingent. Dire Straits followed up their #1 "Money for Nothing" with this chugging rocker about a subway busker who plays "oldies, goldies" such as "Be-Bop-a-Lula," "What'd I Say," and "the song about the knife" (presumably named Mack). It's just fun, a no-frown zone. Mr. Mellencamp appears twice in this section; first with the song we've encountered twice before, and then with his next hit, a song that celebrates growing up outside the hustle and bustle of the larger cities. Nice song, but probably best heard back-to-back with Simon and Garfunkel's "My Little Town" to get both sides of the story. And The Cars are here with their last Top Ten, a typically jittery song about a woman of whom Ric Ocasek sings "she jangles me up" and "gives me a reason for feeling all right." Oh, that Paulina Porizkova.
Then we have the R&B/soul contingent. Starpoint hailed from Annapolis, Maryland, the home of the U.S. Naval Academy. Their biggest pop hit was this okay funk number most notable for the way singer Renee Diggs sings "My body screams 'please make love to me.'" Ray Parker Jr. had his final solo Top 40 hit with this tune that makes the case agains "sausage fests" by asserting "The party ain't begun 'til all the girls come." Well, at least he wasn't biting Huey Lewis. And Lionel Richie picked up his fifth and last #1 with this ballad that seems to be about frienship and togetherness and this "awesome dream" he had about people dressing up in low light. Oh, and there's an uptempo part in the middle that mentions dancing, which I guess is how it ties in to the movie it came from, the ballet flick White Nights.
This section wraps up with the British. Ethereal British chanteuse Kate Bush has had many hits in the U.K., but her only encounter with the American Top 40 was with this rhythmic, atmospheric earworm about a woman who wants to make a deal with God that would allow her to swap places with her male lover so the two of them could understand each other better. It's pretty heady subject matter, and Kate's voice sounded like nothing else on American pop radio at the time, and for those reasons, this is your Uneasy Rider for the week. Sir Elton is here with a song in which he and backup vocalist George Michael sing about their lust for women. It's a fun song, for reasons both blatant and subtextual. And Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart are joined by the Queen of Soul for a celebration of female empowerment. The passion is certainly there, but it's not much of a song. Personally, I think "I Am Woman" has this beat all ends up.
30 - "And We Danced," The Hooters
29 - "Oh Sheila," Ready for the World
28 - "Fortress Around Your Heart," Sting
27 - "I'm Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down," Paul Young
26 - "So in Love," Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
25 - "Perfect Way," Scritti Politti
24 - "Party All the Time," Eddie Murphy
23 - "I Miss You," Klymaxx
22 - "Alive and Kicking," Simple Minds
21 - "Soul Kiss," Olivia Newton-John
I'll start with the American groups. The Hooters return with their rootsy number about teenage romance. Two of these guys worked on Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual so they have that going for them, which is nice. Ready for the World make one more visit to this blog to once again prove that faux Prince + faux Australian accent = real awesome. And Klymaxx misses you. But I don't miss them.
Then we'll go to the solo artists. Sting is still building walls and trying not to get blown up. Paul Young is still making threats. But there are a couple newcomers in this category. After conquering stand-up, late night TV, and the movies, Eddie Murphy decided that it was time for him to take a break from comedy and try music. He got funk star Rick James to agree that this was a good idea, and the result was this mildly catchy dance-popper about a woman who just doesn't want to stay home. As a singer, Eddie sounds like Luther Vandross compared to, say, Don Johnson, but that doesn't say much. And ONJ is here with what would be her last Top 40 hit, a sultry little midtempo jam about begging for sex. At this point, she was just trying too hard to be hot, when in her heyday, her sex appeal just naturally shone through her driven-snow pure image. When she felt the need to have to spell it out, it was the beginning of the end.
I'll close out the first half with the British bands. OMD are back, and they still can't believe they once had a thing for you, of all people. Scritti Politti are a group, but basically they're singer Green Gartside and whatever musicians he decides to surround himself with. Their only dent on the consciousness of listeners on this side of the Atlantic was this memorable bit of spastic synth-pop that uses a lot of big words to state that Mr. Gartside had an ideal method "to make the girls go crazy." Definitely a gem. And Scotland's Simple Minds, who were originally a punk band called Johnny and the Self-Abusers, had just broken America with the Breakfast Club smash "Don't You (Forget About Me)" in the summer of this year. But they didn't write that song, so it remained to be seen if they could keep up that momentum with their own material. So for the follow up, they released this anthemic rocker about hangin on to love, and it made it all the way to #3. But their next two singles brought diminishing returns, and changes in musical direction and intraband tensions combined to make sure the group would never scale such heights in the USA again.
Tomorrow: a place to rest, Duran Duran side project #2, and a lot of songs we've already covered.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
November 5, 1983 Part Two
I'm not going to get into too much depth into this week's 70s countdown from November 5, 1977. Debby Boone was on top with "You Light Up My Life." At #40 was the fantastically odd Carpenters hit "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft. And the only song in between those two was Jimmy Buffett's "Changes in Lattitudes, Changes in Attitudes at 37, and I just don't find that song all that interesting. Sorry, Parrotheads. So let's just go straight back to 1983.
20 - "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," Michael Jackson
19 - "Say it Isn't So," Daryl Hall and John Oates
18 - "Heart and Soul," Huey Lewis and the News
17 - "Love is a Battlefield," Pat Benatar
16 - "Tonight I Celebrate My Love," Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson
The second half begins with the sixth of what would be seven Top Ten singles from the best-selling album of all-time. It was the least successful of Michael's Thriller singles, only peaking at #10. But it's a funky dance-rock workout that doesn't deserve to be lost in the shuffle. Say "Na na na na."
Next are Hall and Oates with more of their uptempo soul-pop on a song about hoping a relationship isn't ending. One of the blander efforts of their hot period. Maybe if it was about Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Black Sox scandal, I'd like it better.
Then it's Huey Lewis and the News with the first single from their multi-platinum breakthrough LP Sports It's their typical pop-rock sound, applied to a song about a woman who's "got it all," including "hot lovin' every night." What that has to do with heart and/or soul, I'm not sure. But this is one of Huey's better efforts, regardless.
Pat Benatar had her biggest hit to date with this slinky rocker about the ongoing altercation that is romance. Fantastic song, well-belted by Ms. Benatar. Plus, she leads a hooker uprising in the video. You can't not love that.
This section closes with a duet between the legendary Roberta Flack and then-little-known R&B up-and-comer Robert Peapo Bryson, who decided to change one letter in his middle name and make it his professional first name. It's an okay ballad about longtime friends finally deciding to get it on. uplifted greatly by the performances. It's funny, most of Peabo's hits were duets and collaborations. I don't get that. He's certainly a good enough singer to have had more pop success than he did.
15 - "Modern Love," David Bowie
14 - "If Anyone Falls," Stevie Nicks
13 - "King of Pain," The Police
12 - "Cum On Feel the Noize," Quiet Riot
11 - "Suddenly Last Summer," The Motels
This group is led off by David Bowie with a groovy soul-rocker about love and religion that Bowie said was inspired in part by the life of Little Richard. I really like everything about this song, from the drums to the sax to Bowie's cool vocals. Easily my favorite of his from this decade.
Next it's Stevie Nicks with her sixth Top 40 single, a bit of spacey midtempo pop about romance and stuff. Nothing too special. She could do this type of thing in her sleep, and in parts of this, it sounds like she's doing just that.
Then it's The Police with a song that describes heartbreak using metaphors involving sunspots, skeletons choking on bread, and lots of animals either dead or in peril. A bit literary for the pop charts, but this was still at the point when Sting could pull that sort of thing off without being tedious about it. Very good.
Quiet Riot were an L.A. metal band whose original lineup included future Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads. Ten years after they formed, they made their American chart breaktrhough with this cover of a U.K. hit by British rock institution Slade. Singer Kevin DuBrow does a good job belting out this call to party and encouraging girls to "rock" their boys, but once you hear the Slade version, you'll find this underwhelming. Still, this powered QR's Metal Health album to multiplatinum sales, so good on them. But they couldn't sustain, not even by covering Slade again on their next album's lead single, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now."
This quintet finishes with The Motels and their gentle, atmospheric reflection on the close of the warmest of all seasons. It was their second and last Top Ten. Not much more to say about it. It's a nice listen, but not something I need in my collection.
Hits...to the power of Ten:
10 - "True," Spandau Ballet
These Brits, who broke in as part of the "New Romantic" movement in the U.K., named themselves after some graffiti they saw in a Berlin nightclub bathroom that referenced Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess. Their first and biggest American hit was this now-standard ballad about trying to work out one's feelings and soothe jangled nerves by "listening to Marvin all night long." It holds up. Later, it was sampled on P.M. Dawn's 1991 #1 "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss."
9 - "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)," Sheena Easton
The Scottish songbird sings of the perils of trying to keep romance alive from afar on this jittery synth-popper. The video featured appearances from the Frankenstein monster, Dracula, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and King Kong. No wonder it became such a big hit around Halloween.
8 - "Delirious," Prince
Speaking of jittery, that's how Mr. Nelson sounds on this hit about being driven crazy by a hot lady. The only cure for this condition, apparently would be for her to "take me 4 a little ride up and down in and out around your lake." That's a sex metaphor, isn't it? And from Prince, no less. Shocking.
7 - "Making Love out of Nothing at All," Air Supply
Back from last time, the Australian mush duo's finest moment, thanks in large part to Jim Steinman. I really am a sucker for that man's mini-operas.
6 - "Say Say Say," Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
The second and biggest duet between these two superstars is a fun bit of dance pop about relationship misunderstandings. It was during the process of recording of this song that Paul mentioned to Michael that publishing rights are "where the big money is" in the music industry. Reportedly, this is what first inspired Michael to try and purchase the song catalogue that included the Beatles' biggest hits. Paul, you should have kept your mouth shut.
5 - "Uptown Girl," Billy Joel
Billy sounds a lot like Frankie Valli on this Four Seasons homage about a working-class guy pursuing a rich woman. In the video, Billy played a mechanic, and the "Uptown Girl" was played by none other than his future wife, Christie Brinkley. Homer Simpson would later use this song to blow the minds of his mother's old hippie comrades. Their minds remained unblown.
4 - "One Thing Leads to Another," The Fixx
Well, that makes sense. Not sure it was necessary to write a whole song about it, but these guys got a big hit out of it, so what do I know?
3 - "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Bonnie Tyler
More Steinman goodness from Her Royal Raspiness. She could do this bombastitude and the gentle, countryish sadness of "It's a Heartache" with equal aplomb. Bonnie is an underrated talent, in my humble opinion.
2 - "All Night Long (All Night)," Lionel Richie
For the first single from his Can't Slow Down LP, the ex-Commodore added a Carribean flavor to this call to "throw away the work to be done" and party throughout the evening. The result is just pure joy. Another hit that cannot be heard without a smile being cracked at some point.
And on top 28 years ago was...
1 - "Islands in the Stream," Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
Under the partial supervision of Barry Gibb, these two country superstars recorded this Bee Gees-penned midtempo ballad about lovers sailing away to another world. The combined talend wattage resulted in a hit that topped both the pop and country charts. Myself, I don't think much of it, but I can't deny that it sticks in the mind.
This week's NotCaseys were "Joanna" by Kool and the Gang, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John, and "Union of the Snake" by Duran Duran." In the third hour, Casey played Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" to commemorate the anniversary of that ship's sinking and to tell of other ships that also sank on that same date on Lake Superior. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. First, a woman wanted Casey to play Diana Ross' "It's My Turn" to let the world know that she was giving up her search for the father who abandoned her to straighetn out her own life. Then, a Swedish man dedicated "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes to his family for their love and support during his recovery from a brain tumor.
Thanks for reading.
20 - "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," Michael Jackson
19 - "Say it Isn't So," Daryl Hall and John Oates
18 - "Heart and Soul," Huey Lewis and the News
17 - "Love is a Battlefield," Pat Benatar
16 - "Tonight I Celebrate My Love," Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson
The second half begins with the sixth of what would be seven Top Ten singles from the best-selling album of all-time. It was the least successful of Michael's Thriller singles, only peaking at #10. But it's a funky dance-rock workout that doesn't deserve to be lost in the shuffle. Say "Na na na na."
Next are Hall and Oates with more of their uptempo soul-pop on a song about hoping a relationship isn't ending. One of the blander efforts of their hot period. Maybe if it was about Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Black Sox scandal, I'd like it better.
Then it's Huey Lewis and the News with the first single from their multi-platinum breakthrough LP Sports It's their typical pop-rock sound, applied to a song about a woman who's "got it all," including "hot lovin' every night." What that has to do with heart and/or soul, I'm not sure. But this is one of Huey's better efforts, regardless.
Pat Benatar had her biggest hit to date with this slinky rocker about the ongoing altercation that is romance. Fantastic song, well-belted by Ms. Benatar. Plus, she leads a hooker uprising in the video. You can't not love that.
This section closes with a duet between the legendary Roberta Flack and then-little-known R&B up-and-comer Robert Peapo Bryson, who decided to change one letter in his middle name and make it his professional first name. It's an okay ballad about longtime friends finally deciding to get it on. uplifted greatly by the performances. It's funny, most of Peabo's hits were duets and collaborations. I don't get that. He's certainly a good enough singer to have had more pop success than he did.
15 - "Modern Love," David Bowie
14 - "If Anyone Falls," Stevie Nicks
13 - "King of Pain," The Police
12 - "Cum On Feel the Noize," Quiet Riot
11 - "Suddenly Last Summer," The Motels
This group is led off by David Bowie with a groovy soul-rocker about love and religion that Bowie said was inspired in part by the life of Little Richard. I really like everything about this song, from the drums to the sax to Bowie's cool vocals. Easily my favorite of his from this decade.
Next it's Stevie Nicks with her sixth Top 40 single, a bit of spacey midtempo pop about romance and stuff. Nothing too special. She could do this type of thing in her sleep, and in parts of this, it sounds like she's doing just that.
Then it's The Police with a song that describes heartbreak using metaphors involving sunspots, skeletons choking on bread, and lots of animals either dead or in peril. A bit literary for the pop charts, but this was still at the point when Sting could pull that sort of thing off without being tedious about it. Very good.
Quiet Riot were an L.A. metal band whose original lineup included future Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads. Ten years after they formed, they made their American chart breaktrhough with this cover of a U.K. hit by British rock institution Slade. Singer Kevin DuBrow does a good job belting out this call to party and encouraging girls to "rock" their boys, but once you hear the Slade version, you'll find this underwhelming. Still, this powered QR's Metal Health album to multiplatinum sales, so good on them. But they couldn't sustain, not even by covering Slade again on their next album's lead single, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now."
This quintet finishes with The Motels and their gentle, atmospheric reflection on the close of the warmest of all seasons. It was their second and last Top Ten. Not much more to say about it. It's a nice listen, but not something I need in my collection.
Hits...to the power of Ten:
10 - "True," Spandau Ballet
These Brits, who broke in as part of the "New Romantic" movement in the U.K., named themselves after some graffiti they saw in a Berlin nightclub bathroom that referenced Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess. Their first and biggest American hit was this now-standard ballad about trying to work out one's feelings and soothe jangled nerves by "listening to Marvin all night long." It holds up. Later, it was sampled on P.M. Dawn's 1991 #1 "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss."
9 - "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)," Sheena Easton
The Scottish songbird sings of the perils of trying to keep romance alive from afar on this jittery synth-popper. The video featured appearances from the Frankenstein monster, Dracula, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and King Kong. No wonder it became such a big hit around Halloween.
8 - "Delirious," Prince
Speaking of jittery, that's how Mr. Nelson sounds on this hit about being driven crazy by a hot lady. The only cure for this condition, apparently would be for her to "take me 4 a little ride up and down in and out around your lake." That's a sex metaphor, isn't it? And from Prince, no less. Shocking.
7 - "Making Love out of Nothing at All," Air Supply
Back from last time, the Australian mush duo's finest moment, thanks in large part to Jim Steinman. I really am a sucker for that man's mini-operas.
6 - "Say Say Say," Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
The second and biggest duet between these two superstars is a fun bit of dance pop about relationship misunderstandings. It was during the process of recording of this song that Paul mentioned to Michael that publishing rights are "where the big money is" in the music industry. Reportedly, this is what first inspired Michael to try and purchase the song catalogue that included the Beatles' biggest hits. Paul, you should have kept your mouth shut.
5 - "Uptown Girl," Billy Joel
Billy sounds a lot like Frankie Valli on this Four Seasons homage about a working-class guy pursuing a rich woman. In the video, Billy played a mechanic, and the "Uptown Girl" was played by none other than his future wife, Christie Brinkley. Homer Simpson would later use this song to blow the minds of his mother's old hippie comrades. Their minds remained unblown.
4 - "One Thing Leads to Another," The Fixx
Well, that makes sense. Not sure it was necessary to write a whole song about it, but these guys got a big hit out of it, so what do I know?
3 - "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Bonnie Tyler
More Steinman goodness from Her Royal Raspiness. She could do this bombastitude and the gentle, countryish sadness of "It's a Heartache" with equal aplomb. Bonnie is an underrated talent, in my humble opinion.
2 - "All Night Long (All Night)," Lionel Richie
For the first single from his Can't Slow Down LP, the ex-Commodore added a Carribean flavor to this call to "throw away the work to be done" and party throughout the evening. The result is just pure joy. Another hit that cannot be heard without a smile being cracked at some point.
And on top 28 years ago was...
1 - "Islands in the Stream," Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
Under the partial supervision of Barry Gibb, these two country superstars recorded this Bee Gees-penned midtempo ballad about lovers sailing away to another world. The combined talend wattage resulted in a hit that topped both the pop and country charts. Myself, I don't think much of it, but I can't deny that it sticks in the mind.
This week's NotCaseys were "Joanna" by Kool and the Gang, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John, and "Union of the Snake" by Duran Duran." In the third hour, Casey played Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" to commemorate the anniversary of that ship's sinking and to tell of other ships that also sank on that same date on Lake Superior. And there were two Long Distance Dedications. First, a woman wanted Casey to play Diana Ross' "It's My Turn" to let the world know that she was giving up her search for the father who abandoned her to straighetn out her own life. Then, a Swedish man dedicated "Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes to his family for their love and support during his recovery from a brain tumor.
Thanks for reading.
November 5, 1983 Part One
Back to the fall of '83. The U.S. had just invaded Grenada, which is so far the only time in my lifetime that I can recall that little island being in the news. While that was going on, this was the popular music of the day:
40 - "Spice of Life," The Manhattan Transfer
39 - "Just Got Lucky," JoBoxers
38 - "Sexy + 17," The Stray Cats
37 - "Why Me," Irene Cara
36 - "Mirror Man," The Human League
35 - "Queen of the Broken Hearts," Loverboy
34 - "Automatic Man," Michael Sembello
33 - "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive," Men at Work
32 - "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye," Dionne Warwick and Luther Vandross
31 - "Tender is the Night," Jackson Browne
We start with some jazz and soul. Vocal group The Manhattan Transfer cracked the Top 40 for the final time with this poppy ode to evening pleasures and "let(ting) the lovin' flow." Okay, but forgettable. And veteran Dionne Warwick teamed up with future fellow legend Luther Vandross for this duet about a couple who just can't quit each other. Not a great song, but those two fantastic voices work well together, and that makes it well worth a listen.
Then we have a couple of British-based groups. JoBoxers were comprised of four former members of a punk band called Subway Sect and an American singer named Dig Wayne. Their only American hit was this bouncy bit of soul-pop about the giddiness of finding love at last. Solid song, but JoBoxers is still a stupid name. And The Human League are back again with this combination of synth-pop and Motownesque soul. The lyrics, about a guy losing touch with reality and becoming more of who he's pretending to be than who he really is, were written about fellow Brit pop star Adam Ant. Interesting to know, but it really has no effect on my impression of the song. It's above-average new wave with a kick.
Next there are a couple of American rock acts. The Stray Cats return from last time with their rockabilly number about teenage kicks. I like this Brian Setzer better than the one that came back on the heels of the swing revival. And Jackson Browne shows up with a midtempo ballad about searching for comfort in the long lonely evenings. He can do much better.
Two artists who had monster hits from the Flashdance soundtrack are here with their follow-up singles. Irene "What a Feeling" Cara had her first non-movie hit with this dance-rocker about being used by a man she was too good for. It has a similar beat to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," but honestly, it's not as good a song. And Michael "Maniac" Sembello had his second and last hit about an automaton with an "atomic heart" who "cries electric tears" and was "made to break your heart." Electro-cheese all the way.
This section closes with bands from Canada and Australia. Canucks Loverboy are here with some rock-by-numbers about a lady who toys with men. Much more interesting than the song is the fact that MTV held a contest where the winner would "star" in this video, but the girl who won ended up only appearing in one shot. Bastards. And Men at Work, from the land Down Under, had their last U.S. Top 40 with this bouncy track with a twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel about a scientist who drinks a potion that unleashes his darker impulses. This song is silly and throwaway, and that's good enough to take this week's Uneasy Rider.
30 - "Send Her My Love," Journey
29 - "Can't Shake Loose," Agnetha Faltskog
28 - "Foolin'," Def Leppard
27 - "Tell Her About It," Billy Joel
26 - "Church of the Poison Mind," Culture Club
25 - "This Time," Bryan Adams
24 - "Love is a Stranger," Eurythmics
23 - "The Safety Dance," Men Without Hats
22 - "Burning Down the House," Talking Heads
21 - "Crumblin' Down," John Cougar Mellencamp
We'll start with a couple of rock ballads. Journey continue to prove that they were more ubiquitous during this decade than I remember with this number about being too cowardly to check on an old lover one has abandoned. I always knew Steve Perry was a wuss, and this song is appropriately limp. And Def Leppard followed up the two rockers from their blockbuster LP Pyromania by slowing it down a bit. Still a damn fine showing from the Lep. Nice to hear a power ballad that doesn't skimp on the power.
We've got four solo artists in this section. Agnetha Faltskog was one of the "A"s in ABBA, and when they broke up, she naturally went solo. This, her only American hit, is a propulsive dance-rocker about not being able to get over an old lover because "these old shoes keep walking to your door." Maybe it's time for some new kicks, Aggie. Cool song, though, and I'm looking forward to hearing the other "A"'s hit "I Know There's Something Going On" somewhere down the line. Billy Joel is back from our last 1983 excursion with this retro tune encouraging communication. I do remember digging the phony Ed Sullivan video. Bryan Adams had his third American hit with this simple rocker about not giving up on the pursuit of a woman. Not a big fan of Mr. Adams myself. Basically, the only three songs of his that I'd ever consider paying to download would be "Cuts Like a Knife," "Run to You" and "Fits Ya Good." And John Cougar had his first hit after adding tacking his real last name onto his stage moniker with this grinding rocker about the deceptive hangers-on that come with success. I think that's it. Anyway, another strong effort from his early-80s period, which I would say was his artistic peak.
We wind up the first half with four bands that could fit into a box marked "new wave." Boy George and his cohorts continued their run of success this year with this almost gospelly number that I think equates bad relationships with negative religious experience. I'm not sure. But it's catchy and passionately performed, and that's what's important. Eurythmics followed up their introductory smash "Sweet Dreams" with this icy depiction of the dark side of romantic obsession. Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox were an absolutely genius combination. I don't think it's recognized nearly enough how awesome they were. Men Without Hats return with their song about dancing if one wants to and looking at one's hands. Another video that I remember fondly, with the minstrels and the little people. We Canadians are ca-RAAYYY-zeee! And Talking Heads had their only Top Ten with this now-familiar jam whose title was inspired by a chant drummer Chris Frantz heard at a Parliament/Funkadelic concert. The song itself is just a bunch of random phrases sung-shouted by David Byrne to a rubbery funk groove. But somehow, it all adds up to one of the decade's true classics.
Tomorrow: a war zone d'amour, royalty in agony, and ignorance of proper spelling.
40 - "Spice of Life," The Manhattan Transfer
39 - "Just Got Lucky," JoBoxers
38 - "Sexy + 17," The Stray Cats
37 - "Why Me," Irene Cara
36 - "Mirror Man," The Human League
35 - "Queen of the Broken Hearts," Loverboy
34 - "Automatic Man," Michael Sembello
33 - "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive," Men at Work
32 - "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye," Dionne Warwick and Luther Vandross
31 - "Tender is the Night," Jackson Browne
We start with some jazz and soul. Vocal group The Manhattan Transfer cracked the Top 40 for the final time with this poppy ode to evening pleasures and "let(ting) the lovin' flow." Okay, but forgettable. And veteran Dionne Warwick teamed up with future fellow legend Luther Vandross for this duet about a couple who just can't quit each other. Not a great song, but those two fantastic voices work well together, and that makes it well worth a listen.
Then we have a couple of British-based groups. JoBoxers were comprised of four former members of a punk band called Subway Sect and an American singer named Dig Wayne. Their only American hit was this bouncy bit of soul-pop about the giddiness of finding love at last. Solid song, but JoBoxers is still a stupid name. And The Human League are back again with this combination of synth-pop and Motownesque soul. The lyrics, about a guy losing touch with reality and becoming more of who he's pretending to be than who he really is, were written about fellow Brit pop star Adam Ant. Interesting to know, but it really has no effect on my impression of the song. It's above-average new wave with a kick.
Next there are a couple of American rock acts. The Stray Cats return from last time with their rockabilly number about teenage kicks. I like this Brian Setzer better than the one that came back on the heels of the swing revival. And Jackson Browne shows up with a midtempo ballad about searching for comfort in the long lonely evenings. He can do much better.
Two artists who had monster hits from the Flashdance soundtrack are here with their follow-up singles. Irene "What a Feeling" Cara had her first non-movie hit with this dance-rocker about being used by a man she was too good for. It has a similar beat to Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," but honestly, it's not as good a song. And Michael "Maniac" Sembello had his second and last hit about an automaton with an "atomic heart" who "cries electric tears" and was "made to break your heart." Electro-cheese all the way.
This section closes with bands from Canada and Australia. Canucks Loverboy are here with some rock-by-numbers about a lady who toys with men. Much more interesting than the song is the fact that MTV held a contest where the winner would "star" in this video, but the girl who won ended up only appearing in one shot. Bastards. And Men at Work, from the land Down Under, had their last U.S. Top 40 with this bouncy track with a twist on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel about a scientist who drinks a potion that unleashes his darker impulses. This song is silly and throwaway, and that's good enough to take this week's Uneasy Rider.
30 - "Send Her My Love," Journey
29 - "Can't Shake Loose," Agnetha Faltskog
28 - "Foolin'," Def Leppard
27 - "Tell Her About It," Billy Joel
26 - "Church of the Poison Mind," Culture Club
25 - "This Time," Bryan Adams
24 - "Love is a Stranger," Eurythmics
23 - "The Safety Dance," Men Without Hats
22 - "Burning Down the House," Talking Heads
21 - "Crumblin' Down," John Cougar Mellencamp
We'll start with a couple of rock ballads. Journey continue to prove that they were more ubiquitous during this decade than I remember with this number about being too cowardly to check on an old lover one has abandoned. I always knew Steve Perry was a wuss, and this song is appropriately limp. And Def Leppard followed up the two rockers from their blockbuster LP Pyromania by slowing it down a bit. Still a damn fine showing from the Lep. Nice to hear a power ballad that doesn't skimp on the power.
We've got four solo artists in this section. Agnetha Faltskog was one of the "A"s in ABBA, and when they broke up, she naturally went solo. This, her only American hit, is a propulsive dance-rocker about not being able to get over an old lover because "these old shoes keep walking to your door." Maybe it's time for some new kicks, Aggie. Cool song, though, and I'm looking forward to hearing the other "A"'s hit "I Know There's Something Going On" somewhere down the line. Billy Joel is back from our last 1983 excursion with this retro tune encouraging communication. I do remember digging the phony Ed Sullivan video. Bryan Adams had his third American hit with this simple rocker about not giving up on the pursuit of a woman. Not a big fan of Mr. Adams myself. Basically, the only three songs of his that I'd ever consider paying to download would be "Cuts Like a Knife," "Run to You" and "Fits Ya Good." And John Cougar had his first hit after adding tacking his real last name onto his stage moniker with this grinding rocker about the deceptive hangers-on that come with success. I think that's it. Anyway, another strong effort from his early-80s period, which I would say was his artistic peak.
We wind up the first half with four bands that could fit into a box marked "new wave." Boy George and his cohorts continued their run of success this year with this almost gospelly number that I think equates bad relationships with negative religious experience. I'm not sure. But it's catchy and passionately performed, and that's what's important. Eurythmics followed up their introductory smash "Sweet Dreams" with this icy depiction of the dark side of romantic obsession. Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox were an absolutely genius combination. I don't think it's recognized nearly enough how awesome they were. Men Without Hats return with their song about dancing if one wants to and looking at one's hands. Another video that I remember fondly, with the minstrels and the little people. We Canadians are ca-RAAYYY-zeee! And Talking Heads had their only Top Ten with this now-familiar jam whose title was inspired by a chant drummer Chris Frantz heard at a Parliament/Funkadelic concert. The song itself is just a bunch of random phrases sung-shouted by David Byrne to a rubbery funk groove. But somehow, it all adds up to one of the decade's true classics.
Tomorrow: a war zone d'amour, royalty in agony, and ignorance of proper spelling.
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