Our journey forward continues, but before it does, let's quickly go back to September 15, 1979.
The Knack were at #1 with "My Sharona." Also in the Top Ten were "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "Don't Bring Me Down," "Good Times," and "Sail On"...The first newcomer is at #18, in the form of "Driver's Seat," the only hit for the British band Sniff n' the Tears. A darkly compelling rocker that remains instantly recognizable...At #23 is Maureen "The Morning After" McGovern with her only other hit, "Different Worlds." It was a disco theme song to a short-lived sitcom, in this case, Angie. Well, it's better than "Makin' It," I'll give it that...Diana Ross had her last hit of the 70s with an okay disco record, "The Boss," this week's #25...Stephanie Mills is at #27 with her first pop hit, the lushly soulful "What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin'"...Cheap Trick were at #38 with their second hit from their At Budokan live album, a hard-rock cover of the Fats Domino classic "Ain't That a Shame." It's good to hear a remake that brings something interesting to the table for a change...And at #40 is "Oh Well," a cover of the most famous song by the blues-rock incarnation of Fleetwood Mac by The Rockets, a band formed by two ex-members of Mitch Ryder's Detroit Wheels. It's okay. But this week, the spotlight falls upon...
35 - "Saturday Night," Herman Brood and His Wild Romance
Dutchman Brood was the epitome of the "sex, drugs and rock n' roll" lifestyle up until his suicide in 2001. He became somewhat of a legendary figure in his homeland, but in America, the only major impact he made was with this minor hit. It's a bluesy strut about seamy goings-on in the late evenings, delivered in a croaking rasp reminiscent of a more alert-sounding Tom Waits. I don't remember this at all, but I'm very glad I discovered it. A grimy gem.
Okay, now to the regular business. This week we're in 1991. The first of two palindrome years in my lifetime, and also the year the Soviet Union broke up. If those fifteen crazy republics couldn't make it work, who can? Anyway, as that summer came to a close, these were the hits in the country that won the Cold War.
40 - "Don't Want to Be a Fool," Luther Vandross
39 - "Real Real Real," Jesus Jones
38 - "The Real Love," Bob Seger
37 - "The One and Only," Chesney Hawkes
36 - "Pop Goes the Weasel," 3rd Bass
35 - "Temptation," Corina
34 - "The Truth," Tami Show
33 - "The Sound of Your Voice," .38 Special
32 - "Love...Thy Will Be Done," Martika
31 - "I'll Be There," The Escape Club
We'll start out with American male solo singers. Soul superstar Luther Vandross picked up his third pop Top Ten with this ballad about learning love's harsh lessons. His usual dependable effort. And Bob Seger had his final pop hit with this midtempo pop-rocker about finding true romance. Not his best work, but this is preferable to the overblown-ness of stuff like "Like a Rock."
Three British acts in this section. Jesus Jones were part of a wave of U.K. acts at the time that combined techno dance beats with rock, but they were the most successful in America, scoring two Top Five singles. This one, about honesty and authenticity, isn't as well-known these days as their first, the would-be anthem "Right Here, Right Now," but that lends it a freshness that makes it an easier listen. But still, not very far above average. Chesney Hawkes had his only major hit with this singalong rocker about asserting your individuality. Nothing groundbreaking, but hooky as hell, and a one-hit wonder I remember well. And after their hitting three years earlier with the fun dance-eockers "Wild Wild West" and "Shake for the Sheik," The Escape Club had their final American hit with this earnest ballad that's only made somewhat interesting by the possibility that it's being sung by the point of view of a ghost, implied by the line 'I may have died, but I've gone nowhere." A year later, that Patrick Swayze movie was still making its influence felt.
Then there are three American bands. Rap group 3rd Bass had their biggest pop hit with, ironically, a song that criticizes other rappers for having pop hits by rapping over previously popular songs. And of course, they perform their critique over a beat that heavily samples Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer." Hypocrisy, or clever meta-commentary? You be the judge. Tami Show were a Chicago group named after the Teen Age Music International Show, a 1964 concert film that featured performances by James Brown, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Berry, and many other stars of the day. I have seen that film, and I must say that it's waaaay more interesting than this band's only hit. Acutually, it's not a bad little slice of female-fronted pop-rock, but still, not nearly as life-enriching as one second of James Brown's performance in that movie. See it if you can. And .38 Special had their last Top 40 hit with this meh soft-rocker about missing someone. They were just a commercial machine by this point, and this song was made to be disposable and easily forgotten. And it was.
We close with a couple of female singers. Corina Ayala had her only pop hit with a dance track about finding new love. I've never been much for Latin freestyle, but this is one of the better tracks I've heard in that genre. And Martika had her last hit with this sultry slow-burner, produced and co-written by Prince. The lyrics combine Prince's usual twin obsessions of lust and spirituality, and Martika gives a suitably smoky performance, far removed from the earnest teen tone of "Toy Soldiers." By far her best single.
30 - "My Name is Not Susan," Whitney Houston
29 - "Enter Sandman," Metallica
28 - "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," Lenny Kravitz
27 - "Summertime," DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
26 - "Everybody Plays the Fool," Aaron Neville
25 - "Hole Hearted," Extreme
24 - "Fading Like a Flower (Every Time You Leave)," Roxette
23 - "Romantic," Karyn White
22 - "Do Anything," Natural Selection
21 - "It Hit Me Like a Hammer," Huey Lewis and the News
Two female solo singers open things for this section. Whitney Houston is here with her first solo single to miss the Top Ten, a dance-pop take on a similar theme to that of Jessi Colter's "I'm Not Lisa." I like the attitude she displays on this. And Karyn White had her biggest hit with this Jimmy Jam-Terry Lewis production about, well, getting amorous. Not my thing, but I appreciate the craftsmanship.
There are three rock bands in this bunch. Metallica's music, a sped-up, aggressive form of heavy metal known as "thrash," didn't invite mainstream acceptance, but they had still managed to reach multi-platinum status and even picked up a Top 40 hit in 1989 with "One." But in 1991, they hooked up with producer Bob Rock and released a self-titled LP also known as "The Black Album," and its somewhat more radio-friendly sound launched them into international superstardom. The first single, this dark examination of a child's nightmares, became their best-known song. The lyrics are awkward at points ("Liars" are equated in scariness to ferocious beasts and the horrors of war, and the only reason I can think of as to why this is is because they needed something to rhyme with "dragon's fire."), and singer James Hetfield's menacing growl sometimes crosses over into cartoonishness. But all in all, an effective blast of hard rock, made for head-banging. Boston's Extreme mixed hard rock and funk on many of their songs, but their two biggest hits were acoustic pop songs: the ballad "More Than Words" and this bouncy rave-up about a gap in one's life that only love can fill. A nice little song. But the less said about singer Gary Cherone's stint in Van Halen, the better. And Huey Lewis and company hit the 40 for the last time with this typical-for-them popper about a love that packs a wallop. Yeah, it was time for them to go.
Then we've got a couple of dudes. Lenny Kravitz was born into the entertainment industry, his parents being a television producer and the woman who played one half of the interracial neighbor couple on The Jeffersons. He, however, would turn to music, becoming known for putting his spin on genres from rock's past. Fittingly, his first hit is this lush recreation of 70s soul. I'm not sure about his falsetto on the choruses, but overall, a cool listen. Someone who does know a thing or two about falsettos is New Orleans soul veteran Aaron Neville, who returned to the 40 25 years after his 1966 classic "Tell it Like it Is," with this cover of a 1972 hit by The Main Ingredient. This version isn't distinct enough from the original to be at all necessary, but still, it was good having that voice back on the radio.
We'll finish off the first half with three duos. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince had their biggest hit with this evocatively laid-back ode to the warmest of the seasons. Will Smith raps about girls, basketball, cars, barbecues, and other features of a Philadelphia summer. Easily his best musical moment. Swedes Marie Frederiksson and Per Gessle were already established stars in their home country when they decided to team up, and that collaboration resulted in four U.S. #1s and two #2s, the last of the latter being this power ballad about not being able to get over someone. It's fine, but I liked their uptempo stuff best. Especially "Joyride." And Minneapolis' Natural Selection had their first and biggest hit with a lustful strut that comes off as a pale imitation of fellow Twin Citian Prince. But it's not without it's charms.
Tomorrow (probably): The living and the dead duet, a respected veteran finally gets her pop-chart payoff, and a group that literally burned through the money it made during its heyday.
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