March 22, 1986 Part One

This week we journey back to March of 1986. In a month's time, Geraldo Rivera would thrill us all by showing us all the amazing things Al Capone kept in his secret vault. If you're not old enough to remember that, look it up. It's exciting stuff. But before that happened, we had to settle for entertaining ourselves with the popular music of the day. And this was it:

40 - "Overjoyed," Stevie Wonder
39 - "What Have You Done for Me Lately," Janet Jackson
38 - "Russians," Sting
37 - "Your Love," The Outfield
36 - "Stages," ZZ Top
35 - "Live is Live," Opus
34 - "So Far Away," Dire Straits
33 - "I Think its Love," Jermaine Jackson
32 - "I'm Not the One," The Cars
31 - "Harlem Shuffle," The Rolling Stones

We begin with the solo singers. Stevie Wonder is here with a sweet ballad in which he tries to persuade someone to be as much in love with him as he is with her. The nature sounds in the background give it a cool extra bit of flavor. Janet Jackson debuted this week with the hit that began her road to superstardom, a swaggering stomp in which she takes her boyfriend to task for taking her for granted and not being as affectionate as he used to be. She provides the require attitude and sass, and proves that she's not just "the little sister." Sting is here with a dark, melodramatic ballad about fear of nuclear conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. The only thing preventing this disaster, he says, is "if the Russians love their children too." It had good intentions, but it takes itself far too seriously, and those ticking clock sound effects at the beginning and end just put it over the top. I don't know if it contributed to the end of the Cold War, but it does win this week's Uneasy Rider. And Janet's brother Jermaine had his last pop Top 40 with this midtempo R&B blob about true romance. Not much, but I guess I can give him a bonus point for using the word "vacillating" in the lyrics.

There are three British bands in this section. The Outfield, whose name was inspired by the decidedly non-British game of baseball (their original moniker, in fact, was The Baseball Boys), had their biggest hit with this catchy pop-rocker a guy who has a one-night stand with an old flame while his girlfriend Josie is "on a vacation far away." A good song, and also one of those songs that everybody knows when they hear it but 99% have no idea who did it. Dire Straits had their third hit from the massive Brothers in Arms LP with this nice midtempo lament about being apart from a lover. Mellow, but not boring. It holds up. And the Stones are here with a strutting cover of a 1963 R&B hit by Bob and Earl. It's a gritty little dance tune with a lot of animal references. Not great, but certainly fun.

We close this group with two American bands and an Austrian one. Texans ZZ Top had another hit from their synth-heavy period with this okay number about not knowing where one stands in a relationship. Not one of the more distinctive songs from this era of their career. It lacks the musical and/or lyrical hooks of their best. Opus, from Graz, Austria, had their lone U.S. hit with this beer-hall singalong recorded live in concert. The lyrics don't really make sense: something about how "when we all give the power, we all give the best." And with his accent, the singer sounds like he's singing "life is life." But it's strangely appealing, with its "na na na na na"s and "labadab bop bop"s, and I heard quite a bit of it back in the day, because it went to #1 here in Canada. And Boston's Cars are here with a remixed version of a track from 1981's Shake it Up, a ballad about not being interested in someone. This falls into the "he doth protest too much" category. Okay song, but not one of their essential hits.

30 - "West End Girls," The Pet Shop Boys
29 - "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going," Billy Ocean
28 - "Night Moves," Marilyn Martin
27 - "Life in a Northern Town," The Dream Academy
26 - "Living in America," James Brown
25 - "I Can't Wait," Stevie Nicks
24 - "Calling America," The Electric Light Orchestra
23 - "No Easy Way Out," Robert Tepper
22 - "Another Night," Aretha Franklin
21 - "The Sweetest Taboo," Sade

We begin this bunch by looking at the groups. The Pet Shop Boys had their first hit, and only American #1, with this synthpop classic on which Neil Tennant essentially raps the verses. Not sure what the lyrics are about, but they give off a general vibe of urban desperation. Anyway, great stuff, and I don't think they topped it. The Dream Academy return with their, um, dreamy hit about Salvation Army bands, lemonade, and reminiscing. And ELO had their last American hit with this song about being unable to reach a lover who's in America. Buddy, she's not coming back, and she doesn't even want to talk to you anymore. Take the hint. And as a song, it's an okay finale to their chart career.

Then we go to the solo men. Billy Ocean is back from last time with his movie hit about persistence. Also returning with a song from a movie is James Brown, gracing us again with his reminder that "you may not be looking for the promised land, but you might find it anyway." A nice thought. And also from Rocky IV, we have the one and only hit by New Jersey's Rober Tepper. It's a big, bold, state-of-the-art rock anthem about not giving up. Or maybe it is about giving up, because the chorus says "givin' in can't be wrong." Whatever. It's a blood-pumping, fist-pumping blast of audio adrenaline that can't help but get one in the mood to take on whatever challenges may present themselves. Ivan Drago may have needed fancy exercise equipment and steroids to get ready to fight, but all Rocky Balboa had to do was to listen to this while speeding in his Lamborghini and flashing back on his life and career for four minutes. And that's why he won. Anyway, I enjoy this song beyond all reason.

We wrap up the first half with women on their own. Marilyn Martin followed up her charttopping duet with Phil Collins, "Separate Lives," with her only solo hit. No, it's not a cover of a Bob Seger smash, but a sultry tale of romance and intrigue that asks "is it the love of the danger, or the danger of the love?" I'm not sure. All I know is, she comes off as a poor man's Pat Benatar. Stevie Nicks is here with a propulsive dance-rocker about a woman desparate to reunite with an old lover, even though it might not be the best thing for her. The way Stevie abruptly switches tense from first to third person and back is a little jarring, but still, solid song. The Queen of Soul attends this party with a nice little tune about being determined to go out and have fun in spite of missing her ex. Okay song, but it works as an Aretha delivery system. And Sade is back from last time singing of a love that's so wrong but so right. Yes, Sade, I will keep on, I will keep on loving you.

Tomorrow: a plea for financial advice, a dependency that seems to involve heavily made-up women, and a crazy start to the week.