Closing the door on '64.
20 - "Steal Away," Jimmy Hughes
One of the first major hits to come out of the future Southern soul hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama was this ballad asking his lover to sneak out of her parents' house and come away with him. All the grit and passion that would come to be associated with that town are present here. This song's success allowed Hughes to quit his day job at a rubber factory, but by 1970, he tired of the music industry and took a job making parts for nuclear power plants, only singing in church on Sundays. Some people would just rather live a "normal" life. Nothing wrong with that.
19 - "Farmer John," The Premiers
Formed by brothers Lawrence and John Perez and two of their San Gabriel, California neighbors, this "garage rock" band hit the charts with this cover of a song by 50s L.A. duo Don and Dewey. The song is an ode to the daughter of the title agriculturalist, but for some reason, the record opens with a request for the whereabouts of one "Kosher Pickle Harry." No idea what that's about. Oh, and though it was purported to have been recorded live in a club, it was actually laid down in a studio with girls from a local car club providing the crowd noise. Anyway, cool number, and it's available on the classic, recently reissued 1972 garage compilation Nuggets, which is well worth picking up, or downloading, or whatever you kids do these days.
18 - "Try It Baby," Marvin Gaye
Mighty Marvin's seventh pop Top 40 was this ballad on which he asks a formerly poor lady who now runs in wealthy, popular circles to drop her fancy accoutrements and return back to the other side of the tracks for a bit, where she'll learn that "nobody loves you but me." I don't know if I were in such a position I would do so, but being Marvin, he makes a compelling case.
17 - "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am," Nancy Wilson
This is not the future Heart guitarist (who would have been just 10 at the time), but rather one of the great female jazz vocalists of the second half of the 20th century. Her first, and biggest, pop hit was this lush ballad about the limitnessless of her love. I love the way she sings some of the actual lyrics as if she were scatting, and to my ears her voice comes off as a smokier version of Blossom Dearie, whom I adore. Fantastic.
16 - "Good Times," Sam Cooke
One of his last hits before his death in December of this year, this is a stylish, laid back R&B song about enjoying oneself with friends at night. Perfect for chilling on a summer night.
15 - "I Wanna Love Him So Bad," The Jelly Beans
Another vocal group on Lieber and Stoller's Red Bird label, this four woman, one man New Jersey quintet's only major hit was this bit of Brill Building pop-soul about jonesing for a guy named Jim. Just good, solid pop of the era.
14 - "Keep On Pushing," The Impressions
This Chicago R&B group, who at the time were led by soul legend Curtis Mayfield, earned their second pop Top Ten with this funky ode to persistence that became an anthem of the civil rights movement. Curtis' voice is always soothing to the soul, and the song really does make you believe you can take on the world. Brilliant.
13 - "Can't You See That She's Mine," The Dave Clark Five
These Londoners, named for their drummer/manager/chief songwriter, were the second of the "British Invasion" bands to appear on Ed Sullivan's stage, and they went on to appear on that "really big shew" more than any of their peers. From 1964 to 1967, they scored 17 U.S. Top 40s, the fouth of which was this upbeat declaration of love. Even though they weren't from Liverpool, I would argue that this is the most Beatle-sounding non-Beatle song on this chart. And that's fine with me.
12 - "Nobody I Know," Peter and Gordon
London born ex-child actor Peter Asher and Scotland native Gordon Waller met while attending school, began playing music in coffee bars, and then scored a recording contract. Earlier in 1964, they had topped the pops on both sides of the Atlantic with "A World Without Love," a song written by the boyfriend of Asher's sister Jane, Paul McCartney. Their second hit was another McCartney compostion, a sprightly bit of folk-pop about how much a guy can love a girl. Not as good as their first hit, but nice. After the duo split in 1968, Asher had a successful career behind the mixing boards, producing records for artists including James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and 10,000 Maniacs. Waller, meanwhile, started a music publishing company after a brief solo career. The two would reunite a few times in the 2000s before Gordon's death in 2009.e
11 - "Under the Boardwalk," The Drifters
This classic vocal group, which dates back to 1953 and has featured more than 60 different vocalists over the years, peaked in popularity between 1959 and 1964, a period during which they hit the pop Top 40 16 times. Their fifth and final Top Ten was this timeless number about cuddling up "on a blanket with my baby" beneath a beachfront walkway, with the sounds of happy revellers and the smell of food vendors' wares in the background. What can you say? It's great, and as long as people are playing recorded music, someone's going to put this on somewhere.
Oh boy, it's swell to say Good Morning Top Ten.
10 - "The Girl From Ipanema," Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto
New York saxman Getz had been a big name in jazz since the 40s when he began dabbling in the Brazilian jazz/samba hybrid known as bossa nova in the early 60s. In 1962, his recording of "Desafinado," a song by bossa nova star Antonio Carlos Jobim, hit the Top Twenty. Two years later, Getz recorded this Jobim composition with the man himself on piano, Joao Gilberto on guitar, and Gilberto's wife Astrud on vocals. The result was this gently swaying ode to a lady from a certain part of Rio who, shall we say, turns heads. It's become a bit of a cliche, and the song is reportedly the second most recorded pop number of all time (behind "Yesterday"), but Gilberto's languid vocal strikes the right effortlessly sexy tone, and the musicianship is impossible to argue with. Some songs get played a lot simply because they're that good.
9 - "Memphis," Johnny Rivers
A year after Lonnie Mack took an instrumental take on this Chuck Berry song about trying to get in touch with a girl named Marie by way of telephone into the Top Ten, Louisianan Rivers scored his first major hit with a sung version, recorded live at the then-new Los Angeles nightclub the Whisky a Go Go. Quite honestly, a lot of Rivers' stuff leaves me cold, but this one I have a lot of time for. Oh yes, and if you've never listened to this closely enough to get the twist at the end....pay attention next time.
8 - "I Get Around," The Beach Boys
The A-side of "Don't Worry Baby," this ever-popular celebration of cars, girls, and "makin' real good bread," was the group's first #1. Nothing to say except "Wah wa oo."
7 - "Dang Me," Roger Miller
Oklahoman Miller had been a successful Nashville songwriter for a decade, but he had had only minimal recording success until he recorded this jaunty number about a charmingly incorrigible man who goes out and parties while his wife stays home with their baby. It topped the country chart, reached the pop Top Ten, and launched Miller as a major star. I love this one, and a lot of his other stuff. He did a lot of silly tunes, including this one, but the man was a genuine genius, and one of my favorite country singers of all time.
6 - "Wishin' and Hopin'," Dusty Springfield
Born Mary O'Brien in London in 1939, Springfield sang in a couple groups before scoring a hit on her own in 1963 with "I Only Want to Be With You." Her first American Top Ten came with this version of a Bacharach/David composition originally recorded by Dionne Warwick. It's a song about how you can't get the one you love just by longing really hard. You need to take action. Good advice, but not always easlily acted upon. As for the song, it's just great, and Dusty shows off one of the great sets of pipes in all of pop history.
5 - "Where Did Our Love Go," The Supremes
The first of these ladies' 12 Number Ones was this lament over a lost love that leaves a "burning, yearning feeling inside me." For some reason "snappy" is the adjective that this is bringing to mind right now. And I mean that in a wonderful way.
4 - "Everybody Loves Somebody," Dean Martin
Born Dino Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio in 1917, Martin boxed and worked in illegal casinos before catching on as a nightclub singer. He did well, but his career didn't really take off until he met a comic named Jerry Lewis and they worked up an act that made them America's hottest nightclub attraction, and eventually led them to Hollywood, where they made a string of successful films. While teaming with Lewis on screen, Martin's recording career began to flourish, and he picked up a number of hits, including "That's Amore," and the #1 "Memories are Made of This." But as rock began to pick up steam in the mid-50s, Martin's chart hits came fewer and farther between. Also around this time, Dean's partnership with Jerry ended. But he was still successful, establishing himself as a movie star in his own right, and performing frequently in Las Vegas with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the rest of what came to be known as "The Rat Pack." But then, out of seemingly nowhere, during the height of the British Invasion, Martin's recording of an obscure 1947 song about finding love at long last went all the way to #1. Which certainly must have pleased ol' Dino to no end, given that he hadn't been exactly shy about his disdain for these foreign newcomers (two moths earlier, he had called The Rolling Stones "singing frauds" on national TV after their performance on a variety show he was hosting). But I gotta say, I'm a fan of this song's smooth, old school charms, and I'm an even bigger fan of Dean. The man just radiated cool..Sinatra's great and all, but it always seemed like he was trying to impress everyone. Dean, however, just did his thing, and the fact that you were going to be impressed was a given.
3 - "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena," Jan and Dean
The surf duo's second and last Top Five was this ode to a sweet-looking grandmother who leads a double life as the speed-demon driver of "a brand new, shiny red Super Stock Dodge." A silly pleausre that can't help but bring a smile to your face.
2 - "Rag Doll," The Four Seasons
The fourth and final #1 of the decade for Frankie Valli and his Jersey Boy friends was this tune about having a secret crush on a girl whose been mocked all her life for her poverty. One of their better efforts, and it shows them to be kind of the bridge between doo-wop and the "beat groups."
And at #1 49 years ago was...
1 - "A Hard Day's Night," The Beatles
It's only right that The Fab Four are on top during our visit to '64, isn't it. Anyway, even though they'd only been famous for a short time, the group was offered the chance to do a movie in the spring of 1964. The resulting film was a massive hit and a movie that is held in high regard by critics to this day, and the title song, a driving rocker about coming home to an appreciative companion after a long workday, became the band's fifth American #1 of 1964 alone. All I can say is, from that distinctive opening chord to the closing fadeout, this is pure pop perfection, something these guys would achieve so often it boggles the mind.
Next up: a bit of a break for me, then on to 1965.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
August 1, 1964 Part One
First of all, a correction from last time. I said that Michael Jackson was the only performer on Casey's last AT40 who was also on his first. I overlooked The Moody Blues, who on July 4, 1970 were at #27 with "Question," and were at #30 in August '88 with "I Know You're Out There Somewhere." Thanks as always, Jimmy, for keeping me honest.
And now, we visit August, 1964. Around the date of this chart, the space probe Ranger 7 sent the first close-up images of the moon back to Earth, Warner Brothers closed down its long-running and storied animation department, and the USS Maddox was involved in an incident in the Gulf of Tonkin that foreshadowed increased American involvement in the Vietman war. Meanwhile, the big story on the music scene was the arrival on U.S. shores of an unprecedented number of hit records by singers and groups from the United Kingdom. The sheer volume and popularity of these recordings, and the artists who preformed them, was likened in some circles to a sort of "invasion." How much sway had these Brits gained over Yankee radio listeners and record buyers? Let's find out, shall we?
40 - "Ain't She Sweet," The Beatles
And we kick off with the undisputed leaders of the invasion. This was six months after their monumental appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and American Beatlemania was in full swing, so much so that they were even able to chart with trifles like this cover of a Tin Pan Alley hit from 1927. They put their own sound to it, and the performance is spirited, but the song is too cliched to make this more than just a curiosity.
39 - "I Believe," The Bachelors
Technically, these Dubliners don't qualify as British, seeing as they're from the Republic of Ireland. But they had their first hits in 1964, the second being this cover of a 1953 Frankie Laine hit about the faith-restoring powers of rain, crying babies, and other things. Kind of square, but the harmonies are nice.
38 - "Sugar Lips," Al Hirt
This New Orleans trumpeter scored all three of his Top 40 hits in 1964, the last of which being this peppy instrumental (well, except for a female chorus occasionally interjecting with the title phrase). The kind of song that makes you imagine girls dancing to it to entertain the crowd before Don Rickles comes out for the 11 o'clock show somewhere in Lake Tahoe. At least that's what I envision. Don't ask me why.
37 - "Hey Harmonica Man," Stevie Wonder
The now-14-year-old genius had his third pop hit was essentially a showcase for his prowess on the mouth organ, which even then was formidable. It was from an LP called Stevie at the Beach, an unsuccessful attempt to associtate him with the surf craze. This was the kind of stuff he had to put up with until he got creative control in his second Motown deal.
36 - "Tell Me," The Rolling Stones
And here they are, the other titanic band that emerged from the first wave of the U.K assault on the American pop charts, with their very first U.S. hit. It's a ballad about wanting a lover to return because you've changed for the better. It's pretty good, and while it doesn't quite have the edge of much of what would follow from them, both Mick Jagger's lead and Brian Jones and Keith Richards' backing vocals give hints that these guys would be the grittier, darker counterparts of the sunny Beatles.
35 - "Bad to Me," Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
Kramer, born William Ashton in the Liverpool suburb of Bootle, was introduced to the Manchester group The Dakotas by his manager, Brian Epstein. Together, most of their success came with songs written by a couple of guys named John and Paul from one of Epstein's other bands, including this one about how the birds and the trees would be negatively impacted if Kramer's girlfriend mistreated him. It definitely sounds like a Lennon/McCartney composition, and although it's probably below most of what they recorded themselves, that still makes it pretty damn good. And Billy and the boys do...okay with it.
34 - "Do I Love You," The Ronettes
One of Phil Spector's flagship girl groups was this Manhattan trio named after lead singer Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett, whom Spector would later marry. Their first hit, "Be My Baby," went to #2 in 1963, but although they would hit the Top 40 four more times, none of their other singles, including this declaration of undying affection, charted higher that #23. This song doesn't quite stand out as one of Spector's best productions, but his trademark Wall of Sound is in full effect, and it's well worth listening to.
33 - "Just Be True," Gene Chandler
Two years after his #1 breakthrough smas "Duke of Earl," Chicago's Chandler picked up his second pop Top 40 with this soulful plea for fidelity. Just a solid soul ballad. I don't have it ahead of "Duke of Earl," but I definitely like it better than "Groovy Situation."
32 - "Al-Di-La," The Ray Charles Singers
The Ray Charles this white-bread chorus isn't the soul legend Jamie Foxx played in a movie, but a man born Charles Raymond Offenberg, a Chicago singer-composer-conductor known for his work with Perry Como on his variety shows. His group of vocalists had their second major hit with this recording of the Italian song Emilio Pericoli had hit #6 with two years earlier. I definitely prefer that version. As for Charles, he went on to contribute to two late 70s cultural touchstones: he was heavily involved in the music for The Muppet Show, and he was also the male voice singing "Come and knock on our door" on the theme song for Three's Company. And he's still alive at the age of 94. Good for him.
31 - "People Say," The Dixie Cups
This New Orleans trio, consisting of sisters Barbara Ann and Rosa Lee Hawkins and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson, found success after relocating to New York and signing with Red Bird Records, the label formed by legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Earlier in '64, they'd topped the charts with "Chapel of Love," and their follow-up single, this assertion that a "summer romance" will last longer than others think, went to #12. It's okay, but not a girl-group essential. They'd pick up two more Top 40s, most notably that wonderfully strange Mardi Gras song "Iko Iko."
30 - "Don't Worry Baby," The Beach Boys
This was just a B-side, and it only hit #24, but this song about pre-drag-race jitters that Brian Wilson apparently wrote to try and capture the spirit of Thexth Ronettes' "Be My Baby," had gone on to be regarded as one of the band's masterpieces. And I agree with that assessment. It's just everything you want a pop song to be. And don't even bother with the B.J. Thomas version. As for the A-side of this single, we'll catch up to it later.
29 - "Walk Don't Run '64," The Ventures
This group helped popularizee the genre known as "surf rock" with "Walk, Don't Run," their version of a 1954 jazz instrumental, which hit #2 in 1960. They charted a few times afterward, but they didn't return to the Top Ten. The guitar is a little different on this, and I think it also has organ on it, but overall, it's inferior to the original and thus unnecessary. The group would pick up one more Top 40 right after this, then returned with one more big hit in 1968, the indelible theme song for Hawaii Five-0.
28 - "I Like it Like That," The Miracles
The eighth pop Top 40 by Smokey and the boys, is this swinging, grooving love song that features handclaps and crowd noises for a "party feel" Just good. I like it like that, or like this, or like anything else.
27 - "Handy Man," Del Shannon
Shannon's sixth Top 40 is a cover of the 1960 Jimmy Jones hit that James Taylor would also succeed with in 1977. Del's version has kind of a Buddy Holly feel to it, and also feels keyboars squeals in the middle similar to "Runaway." I'll definitely take this one over JT's
26 - "You're My World," Cilla Black
The Brit brigade also included this Liverpool lady, ironically born Priscilla White, who was managed by the ever-present Brian Epstein. She'd rack up quite a few hits at home, but her only major impact on the American charts came with this dramatic ballad that was originally written in Italian. I like the haunting arrangement, as well as the range of Black's voice, which goes from sultry to belting. And when she sings the line "with your hand resting in mine" she actually sounds a bit like Patti Smith, of all people, to me. This is great. Yeah, I know Helen Reddy did it to, but her version is owned many times over by this one.
25 - "Don't Throw Your Love Away," The Searchers
More from Liverpool in the form of a former skiffle band whose name came from a John Wayne movie. Their second U.S. hit was this cover of a B-side by Philadelphia soul group The Orlons. It's a song about being discriminating with one's affections. It's a fair example of the "beat group" style that powered much of the British Invasion, but it's not one of the essentials.
24 - "C'mon and Swim," Bobby Freeman
San Francisco soul man Freeman had his first hit in 1958 with "Do You Want to Dance," which went to #5 and has been covered hundreds of times since. He had a couple other minor hits afteward before finally returning to the Top Five with this dance craze number. You can probably figure out how to do it. Or ask your grandparents. And the song is a fun listen even if you don't want to try the move. It's like a three-minute party.
23 - "People," Barbra Streisand
The showbusiness dynamo that is Streisand had her first Top 40 hit with this ballad about how good it is to need someone that came from the musical Funny Girl, in which she was starring on Broadway at the time. It's a showy, emotional song, and might as well have been tailor-made for her. If you like what she does, this is her doing it about as well as she can.
22 - "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," Gerry and the Pacemakers
Another Liverpool act managed by Brian Epstein, this band's first American hit was this ballad about how the dawning of a new day is a chance to find happiness after heartbreak. Well-written, gorgeously played and sung. A clear classic.
21 - "My Boy Lollipop," Millie
Jamaican-born Millie Small had made a couple of recordings in her native land when she went to England in 1963, but it was there where she became an international star at 17 with this exuberant ska cover of a song that had been a minor hit in New York City for another teenage singer, Barbie Gaye, in 1956. Her unique voice, the springy arrangement, and that surprising-yet-perfect harmonica solo make it a one-of-a-kind listening experience. Which makes it this week's Uneasy Rider. But the song makes me feel anything but uneasy. Happiness on wax.
In Part Two: more from across the pond, a South American beauty, and one of the coolest men ever stops by to show the kids how it's done/
And now, we visit August, 1964. Around the date of this chart, the space probe Ranger 7 sent the first close-up images of the moon back to Earth, Warner Brothers closed down its long-running and storied animation department, and the USS Maddox was involved in an incident in the Gulf of Tonkin that foreshadowed increased American involvement in the Vietman war. Meanwhile, the big story on the music scene was the arrival on U.S. shores of an unprecedented number of hit records by singers and groups from the United Kingdom. The sheer volume and popularity of these recordings, and the artists who preformed them, was likened in some circles to a sort of "invasion." How much sway had these Brits gained over Yankee radio listeners and record buyers? Let's find out, shall we?
40 - "Ain't She Sweet," The Beatles
And we kick off with the undisputed leaders of the invasion. This was six months after their monumental appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and American Beatlemania was in full swing, so much so that they were even able to chart with trifles like this cover of a Tin Pan Alley hit from 1927. They put their own sound to it, and the performance is spirited, but the song is too cliched to make this more than just a curiosity.
39 - "I Believe," The Bachelors
Technically, these Dubliners don't qualify as British, seeing as they're from the Republic of Ireland. But they had their first hits in 1964, the second being this cover of a 1953 Frankie Laine hit about the faith-restoring powers of rain, crying babies, and other things. Kind of square, but the harmonies are nice.
38 - "Sugar Lips," Al Hirt
This New Orleans trumpeter scored all three of his Top 40 hits in 1964, the last of which being this peppy instrumental (well, except for a female chorus occasionally interjecting with the title phrase). The kind of song that makes you imagine girls dancing to it to entertain the crowd before Don Rickles comes out for the 11 o'clock show somewhere in Lake Tahoe. At least that's what I envision. Don't ask me why.
37 - "Hey Harmonica Man," Stevie Wonder
The now-14-year-old genius had his third pop hit was essentially a showcase for his prowess on the mouth organ, which even then was formidable. It was from an LP called Stevie at the Beach, an unsuccessful attempt to associtate him with the surf craze. This was the kind of stuff he had to put up with until he got creative control in his second Motown deal.
36 - "Tell Me," The Rolling Stones
And here they are, the other titanic band that emerged from the first wave of the U.K assault on the American pop charts, with their very first U.S. hit. It's a ballad about wanting a lover to return because you've changed for the better. It's pretty good, and while it doesn't quite have the edge of much of what would follow from them, both Mick Jagger's lead and Brian Jones and Keith Richards' backing vocals give hints that these guys would be the grittier, darker counterparts of the sunny Beatles.
35 - "Bad to Me," Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
Kramer, born William Ashton in the Liverpool suburb of Bootle, was introduced to the Manchester group The Dakotas by his manager, Brian Epstein. Together, most of their success came with songs written by a couple of guys named John and Paul from one of Epstein's other bands, including this one about how the birds and the trees would be negatively impacted if Kramer's girlfriend mistreated him. It definitely sounds like a Lennon/McCartney composition, and although it's probably below most of what they recorded themselves, that still makes it pretty damn good. And Billy and the boys do...okay with it.
34 - "Do I Love You," The Ronettes
One of Phil Spector's flagship girl groups was this Manhattan trio named after lead singer Veronica "Ronnie" Bennett, whom Spector would later marry. Their first hit, "Be My Baby," went to #2 in 1963, but although they would hit the Top 40 four more times, none of their other singles, including this declaration of undying affection, charted higher that #23. This song doesn't quite stand out as one of Spector's best productions, but his trademark Wall of Sound is in full effect, and it's well worth listening to.
33 - "Just Be True," Gene Chandler
Two years after his #1 breakthrough smas "Duke of Earl," Chicago's Chandler picked up his second pop Top 40 with this soulful plea for fidelity. Just a solid soul ballad. I don't have it ahead of "Duke of Earl," but I definitely like it better than "Groovy Situation."
32 - "Al-Di-La," The Ray Charles Singers
The Ray Charles this white-bread chorus isn't the soul legend Jamie Foxx played in a movie, but a man born Charles Raymond Offenberg, a Chicago singer-composer-conductor known for his work with Perry Como on his variety shows. His group of vocalists had their second major hit with this recording of the Italian song Emilio Pericoli had hit #6 with two years earlier. I definitely prefer that version. As for Charles, he went on to contribute to two late 70s cultural touchstones: he was heavily involved in the music for The Muppet Show, and he was also the male voice singing "Come and knock on our door" on the theme song for Three's Company. And he's still alive at the age of 94. Good for him.
31 - "People Say," The Dixie Cups
This New Orleans trio, consisting of sisters Barbara Ann and Rosa Lee Hawkins and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson, found success after relocating to New York and signing with Red Bird Records, the label formed by legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Earlier in '64, they'd topped the charts with "Chapel of Love," and their follow-up single, this assertion that a "summer romance" will last longer than others think, went to #12. It's okay, but not a girl-group essential. They'd pick up two more Top 40s, most notably that wonderfully strange Mardi Gras song "Iko Iko."
30 - "Don't Worry Baby," The Beach Boys
This was just a B-side, and it only hit #24, but this song about pre-drag-race jitters that Brian Wilson apparently wrote to try and capture the spirit of Thexth Ronettes' "Be My Baby," had gone on to be regarded as one of the band's masterpieces. And I agree with that assessment. It's just everything you want a pop song to be. And don't even bother with the B.J. Thomas version. As for the A-side of this single, we'll catch up to it later.
29 - "Walk Don't Run '64," The Ventures
This group helped popularizee the genre known as "surf rock" with "Walk, Don't Run," their version of a 1954 jazz instrumental, which hit #2 in 1960. They charted a few times afterward, but they didn't return to the Top Ten. The guitar is a little different on this, and I think it also has organ on it, but overall, it's inferior to the original and thus unnecessary. The group would pick up one more Top 40 right after this, then returned with one more big hit in 1968, the indelible theme song for Hawaii Five-0.
28 - "I Like it Like That," The Miracles
The eighth pop Top 40 by Smokey and the boys, is this swinging, grooving love song that features handclaps and crowd noises for a "party feel" Just good. I like it like that, or like this, or like anything else.
27 - "Handy Man," Del Shannon
Shannon's sixth Top 40 is a cover of the 1960 Jimmy Jones hit that James Taylor would also succeed with in 1977. Del's version has kind of a Buddy Holly feel to it, and also feels keyboars squeals in the middle similar to "Runaway." I'll definitely take this one over JT's
26 - "You're My World," Cilla Black
The Brit brigade also included this Liverpool lady, ironically born Priscilla White, who was managed by the ever-present Brian Epstein. She'd rack up quite a few hits at home, but her only major impact on the American charts came with this dramatic ballad that was originally written in Italian. I like the haunting arrangement, as well as the range of Black's voice, which goes from sultry to belting. And when she sings the line "with your hand resting in mine" she actually sounds a bit like Patti Smith, of all people, to me. This is great. Yeah, I know Helen Reddy did it to, but her version is owned many times over by this one.
25 - "Don't Throw Your Love Away," The Searchers
More from Liverpool in the form of a former skiffle band whose name came from a John Wayne movie. Their second U.S. hit was this cover of a B-side by Philadelphia soul group The Orlons. It's a song about being discriminating with one's affections. It's a fair example of the "beat group" style that powered much of the British Invasion, but it's not one of the essentials.
24 - "C'mon and Swim," Bobby Freeman
San Francisco soul man Freeman had his first hit in 1958 with "Do You Want to Dance," which went to #5 and has been covered hundreds of times since. He had a couple other minor hits afteward before finally returning to the Top Five with this dance craze number. You can probably figure out how to do it. Or ask your grandparents. And the song is a fun listen even if you don't want to try the move. It's like a three-minute party.
23 - "People," Barbra Streisand
The showbusiness dynamo that is Streisand had her first Top 40 hit with this ballad about how good it is to need someone that came from the musical Funny Girl, in which she was starring on Broadway at the time. It's a showy, emotional song, and might as well have been tailor-made for her. If you like what she does, this is her doing it about as well as she can.
22 - "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," Gerry and the Pacemakers
Another Liverpool act managed by Brian Epstein, this band's first American hit was this ballad about how the dawning of a new day is a chance to find happiness after heartbreak. Well-written, gorgeously played and sung. A clear classic.
21 - "My Boy Lollipop," Millie
Jamaican-born Millie Small had made a couple of recordings in her native land when she went to England in 1963, but it was there where she became an international star at 17 with this exuberant ska cover of a song that had been a minor hit in New York City for another teenage singer, Barbie Gaye, in 1956. Her unique voice, the springy arrangement, and that surprising-yet-perfect harmonica solo make it a one-of-a-kind listening experience. Which makes it this week's Uneasy Rider. But the song makes me feel anything but uneasy. Happiness on wax.
In Part Two: more from across the pond, a South American beauty, and one of the coolest men ever stops by to show the kids how it's done/
Saturday, August 3, 2013
August 6, 1988
And so we take a look at the last show of the original American Top 40 hosted by Casey Kasem after a run of 18 years. Both pop and Casey himself continued after this, but this was indeed the end of an era. And here are the songs that accompanied this finale, with the uncovered ones from 40-11 in bold.
40 - "Foolish Beat," Debbie Gibson
39 - "Nite and Day," Al B. Sure!
38 - "Missed Opportunity," Daryl Hall and John Oates
37 - "One Good Woman," Peter Cetera
36 - "Saying Sorry (Don't Make it Right)," Denise Lopez
35 - "Here With Me," REO Speedwagon
34 - "It Would Take a Strong Stong Man," Rick Astley
33 - "Nobody's Fool," Kenny Loggins
32 - "Love Changes (Everything)," Climie Fisher
31 - "Another Part of Me," Michael Jackson
30 - "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," The Moody Blues
29 - "All Fired Up," Pat Benatar
28 - "Mercedes Boy," Pebbles
27 - "I'll Always Love You," Taylor Dayne
26 - "If it Isn't Love," New Edition
25 - "When it's Love," Van Halen
24 - "Perfect World," Huey Lewis and the News
23 - "The Flame," Cheap Trick
22 - "New Sensation,"INXS
21 - "Rag Doll," Aerosmith
20 - "Simply Irresistible," Robert Palmer
19 - "Rush Hour," Jane Wiedlin
18 - "Sweet Child o' Mine," Guns n' Roses
17 - "The Colour of Love," Billy Ocean
16 - "The Twist," The Fat Boys with Chubby Checker
15 - "Love Will Save the Day," Whitney Houston
14 - "Fast Car," Tracy Chapman
13 - "Parents Just Don't Understand," DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
12 - "Just Got Paid," Johnny Kemp
11 - "Do You Love Me," The Contours
Nine newbies. That's pretty good. Let's chop 'em up.
We'll start with duos and groups Daryl and John had their next-to-last 80s hit with this midtempo soul number about two would-be lovers who just can't get together. Kind of bland. They were running out of steam. REO Speedwagon's last Top 40 to date was this meh power ballad about being destined to have someone. There were moments on this when Kevin Cronin's voice reminded me of "Weird Al" Yankovic's. I love Al, but when you're trying to do a serious love song, that's not good. And New Edition had their first hit with Johnny Gill with this Jam-Lewis production about admitting you're still in love with someone you claim not to be. Good song, good interplay between Ralph Tresvant and the others on the bridge, maybe their best hit overall.
Then we have four solo men. My buddy Peter Cetera had his last Top Five with this sapfest about how good his lady has made his life. I only wonder if the reverse is true. It probably is, but I'm just not a fan. Rick Astley followed up his first two singles, both uptempo #1s, with a ballad about how he just can't break up with a woman despite her being no good for (or to) him. It only went to #10, but it's a decent song, and Astley performs it well. He showed a little substance. Kenny Loggins' first soundtrack hit was "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, so perhaps it's fitting that his last one came from Caddyshack II. It's an okay song, and not nearly as much as a comedown from its predecessor as the movie. Still, I could do without it. And Michael Jackson, who I believe is the only person on this chart who appeared on that first AT40 (he and his brothers were at #2 with "The Love You Save.") is here with a dance track on which he positions himself as the leader of a movement to make the world better, as he would do multiple times throughout his career. This is probably one of the better of those, and a very good song period. This was, however, the only American single from either Off The Wall, Thriller, or Bad not to make the Top Ten. Oh well, 17 out of 18 ain't bad.
We finish our look at the first thirty with two ladies. Queens singer Denise Lopez had her only major pop hit with this Latin freestyle track about not accepting apologies easily. Okay, as this stuff goes. And Pat Benatar had her last pop hit with this energetic rocker about learning from one's mistakes and seizing the day. Good for pumping oneself up. An underrated hit.
For the record, I'll give the Uneasy Rider to "The Twist."
Feel the Top Ten-sity!
10 - "Monkey," George Michael
"Do you love the monkey, or do you love me?" he asks. Well, "love," is a strong word, George, but gun to my head, I guess I'd take you over some random simian.
9 - "Pour Some Sugar on Me," Def Leppard
Not only was this one of their biggest hits, it may have influenced the future of technology. It sounds to me like Joe Elliot sang "Livin' like a lover with a red iPhone." Maybe Steve Jobs was inspired by the Leps. And maybe we'll be seeing Ashton Kutcher re-enact that moment on the big screen in a couple weeks.
8 - "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," Chicago
But I could live perfectly well without this song, thanks.
7 - "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That," Elton John
I didn't even know we were going on together!
6 - "1-2-3," Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
"I'm just gonna keeep on counting till you are mine," she sings. Well, it's been 25 years, Gloria, and I'm still not yours. How high are you up to now?
5 - "Sign Your Name," Terence Trent D'Arby
A high water mark in 80s sex-soul. But I wonder if a doctor doing a heart operation has ever done anything like signing his name. I've heard of surgeons getting in trouble for cauterizing certain words and designs on organs, so maybe it's possible.
4 - "Make Me Lose Control," Eric Carmen
Listen to the songs he mentions in the lyrics, not this.
3 - "Hold On to the Nights," Richard Marx
I still think you're singing about boobs, Dirty Dick.
2 - "Hands to Heaven," Breathe
I pray that I'll never have to hear this again.
And on the top of the charts 25 years ago was...
1 - "Roll With It," Steve Winwood
Decent pop-soul from a classy vet. Not a classic, but I don't begrudge him the top spot.
The Larry Morgan ("NotCasey" had been retired forever) extras were "The Loco-Motion" by Kylie Minogue, "Domino Dancing" by The Pet Shop Boys, "I Don't Want Your Love" by Duran Duran, and "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians. The first of the LDDs was the #23 song, Cheap Trick's "The Flame," which Casey played on behalf of a young woman whose boyfriend was shipping out to Germany for the military. And for the other, a teenage boy from Florida dedicated Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' "I've Had the Time of My Life" to the girls he met in Texas who inspired him to finish third in a national job skills competition. And no, Casey made no mention of the fact that it was his last show. Whether this had anything to do with his relationship with the company he was leaving, I'm not sure, but the only little clue was at the end, where instead of saying he'd be counting down the hits next week, he told listeners to watch his syndicated TV show, America's Top 10.
Okay, the 80s have been given their due. Next time, it's back to the 60s. Specifically, 1964.
40 - "Foolish Beat," Debbie Gibson
39 - "Nite and Day," Al B. Sure!
38 - "Missed Opportunity," Daryl Hall and John Oates
37 - "One Good Woman," Peter Cetera
36 - "Saying Sorry (Don't Make it Right)," Denise Lopez
35 - "Here With Me," REO Speedwagon
34 - "It Would Take a Strong Stong Man," Rick Astley
33 - "Nobody's Fool," Kenny Loggins
32 - "Love Changes (Everything)," Climie Fisher
31 - "Another Part of Me," Michael Jackson
30 - "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," The Moody Blues
29 - "All Fired Up," Pat Benatar
28 - "Mercedes Boy," Pebbles
27 - "I'll Always Love You," Taylor Dayne
26 - "If it Isn't Love," New Edition
25 - "When it's Love," Van Halen
24 - "Perfect World," Huey Lewis and the News
23 - "The Flame," Cheap Trick
22 - "New Sensation,"INXS
21 - "Rag Doll," Aerosmith
20 - "Simply Irresistible," Robert Palmer
19 - "Rush Hour," Jane Wiedlin
18 - "Sweet Child o' Mine," Guns n' Roses
17 - "The Colour of Love," Billy Ocean
16 - "The Twist," The Fat Boys with Chubby Checker
15 - "Love Will Save the Day," Whitney Houston
14 - "Fast Car," Tracy Chapman
13 - "Parents Just Don't Understand," DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
12 - "Just Got Paid," Johnny Kemp
11 - "Do You Love Me," The Contours
Nine newbies. That's pretty good. Let's chop 'em up.
We'll start with duos and groups Daryl and John had their next-to-last 80s hit with this midtempo soul number about two would-be lovers who just can't get together. Kind of bland. They were running out of steam. REO Speedwagon's last Top 40 to date was this meh power ballad about being destined to have someone. There were moments on this when Kevin Cronin's voice reminded me of "Weird Al" Yankovic's. I love Al, but when you're trying to do a serious love song, that's not good. And New Edition had their first hit with Johnny Gill with this Jam-Lewis production about admitting you're still in love with someone you claim not to be. Good song, good interplay between Ralph Tresvant and the others on the bridge, maybe their best hit overall.
Then we have four solo men. My buddy Peter Cetera had his last Top Five with this sapfest about how good his lady has made his life. I only wonder if the reverse is true. It probably is, but I'm just not a fan. Rick Astley followed up his first two singles, both uptempo #1s, with a ballad about how he just can't break up with a woman despite her being no good for (or to) him. It only went to #10, but it's a decent song, and Astley performs it well. He showed a little substance. Kenny Loggins' first soundtrack hit was "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, so perhaps it's fitting that his last one came from Caddyshack II. It's an okay song, and not nearly as much as a comedown from its predecessor as the movie. Still, I could do without it. And Michael Jackson, who I believe is the only person on this chart who appeared on that first AT40 (he and his brothers were at #2 with "The Love You Save.") is here with a dance track on which he positions himself as the leader of a movement to make the world better, as he would do multiple times throughout his career. This is probably one of the better of those, and a very good song period. This was, however, the only American single from either Off The Wall, Thriller, or Bad not to make the Top Ten. Oh well, 17 out of 18 ain't bad.
We finish our look at the first thirty with two ladies. Queens singer Denise Lopez had her only major pop hit with this Latin freestyle track about not accepting apologies easily. Okay, as this stuff goes. And Pat Benatar had her last pop hit with this energetic rocker about learning from one's mistakes and seizing the day. Good for pumping oneself up. An underrated hit.
For the record, I'll give the Uneasy Rider to "The Twist."
Feel the Top Ten-sity!
10 - "Monkey," George Michael
"Do you love the monkey, or do you love me?" he asks. Well, "love," is a strong word, George, but gun to my head, I guess I'd take you over some random simian.
9 - "Pour Some Sugar on Me," Def Leppard
Not only was this one of their biggest hits, it may have influenced the future of technology. It sounds to me like Joe Elliot sang "Livin' like a lover with a red iPhone." Maybe Steve Jobs was inspired by the Leps. And maybe we'll be seeing Ashton Kutcher re-enact that moment on the big screen in a couple weeks.
8 - "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," Chicago
But I could live perfectly well without this song, thanks.
7 - "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That," Elton John
I didn't even know we were going on together!
6 - "1-2-3," Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
"I'm just gonna keeep on counting till you are mine," she sings. Well, it's been 25 years, Gloria, and I'm still not yours. How high are you up to now?
5 - "Sign Your Name," Terence Trent D'Arby
A high water mark in 80s sex-soul. But I wonder if a doctor doing a heart operation has ever done anything like signing his name. I've heard of surgeons getting in trouble for cauterizing certain words and designs on organs, so maybe it's possible.
4 - "Make Me Lose Control," Eric Carmen
Listen to the songs he mentions in the lyrics, not this.
3 - "Hold On to the Nights," Richard Marx
I still think you're singing about boobs, Dirty Dick.
2 - "Hands to Heaven," Breathe
I pray that I'll never have to hear this again.
And on the top of the charts 25 years ago was...
1 - "Roll With It," Steve Winwood
Decent pop-soul from a classy vet. Not a classic, but I don't begrudge him the top spot.
The Larry Morgan ("NotCasey" had been retired forever) extras were "The Loco-Motion" by Kylie Minogue, "Domino Dancing" by The Pet Shop Boys, "I Don't Want Your Love" by Duran Duran, and "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians. The first of the LDDs was the #23 song, Cheap Trick's "The Flame," which Casey played on behalf of a young woman whose boyfriend was shipping out to Germany for the military. And for the other, a teenage boy from Florida dedicated Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' "I've Had the Time of My Life" to the girls he met in Texas who inspired him to finish third in a national job skills competition. And no, Casey made no mention of the fact that it was his last show. Whether this had anything to do with his relationship with the company he was leaving, I'm not sure, but the only little clue was at the end, where instead of saying he'd be counting down the hits next week, he told listeners to watch his syndicated TV show, America's Top 10.
Okay, the 80s have been given their due. Next time, it's back to the 60s. Specifically, 1964.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Revenge of the 80s - Part Three
And now, the neglected orphans of 1985-1988.
January 19, 1985
13 - "Do They Know It's Christmas," Band Aid
The song that started it all. After seeing a news report about the famine in Ethiopia, former Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof decided to do something to help. He called a friend, Midge Ure from the band Ultravox, and together they wrote a song that asked listeners to help out people halfway around the world who were suffering while the West celebrated the holidays. Then the pair gathered together many of Britain's biggest pop stars and bands of the day, including Sting, Phil Collins, George Michael, Culture Club, Duran Duran, and U2, to perform the track. The result was a single that sold millions of copies around the world and raised large amounts of money for famine relief. And in its aftermath, there was USA for Africa's "We are the World," Canada's Northern Lights and "Tears are Not Enough," and in the summer, the massive Live Aid concert. And the song itself still gets seasonal airplay to this day. A noble effort overall, and questionable lyrics aside ("Thank God it's them instead of you"?), it's probably the best of the three major collaboration.
14 - "I Would Die 4 U," Prince and the Revolution
The fourth single from Purple Rain was this bit of new wave/funk on which he declares that he is not your lover or your friend, but rather "your messiah." 20 years after John Lennon got in trouble for his "bigger than Jesus" remarks, this caused no controversy whatsoever. Interesting. Good, but there's a reason it wasn't as big as the three hits before it.
26 - "Call to the Heart," Giuffria
This band, formed by keyboardist Gregg Giuffria after he left the proto-hair metal band Angel, had their only major hit with this cheeseball power ballad on which singer David Glenn Eisley sounds like a poor imitation of Steve Perry. Indistinct and forgettable.
34 - "Money Changes Everything," Cyndi Lauper
The fifth single from She's So Unusual was this cover of a 1980 song by an Atlanta New Wave band called The Brains. It's a catchy, synth-driven rocker about how, well, money changes everything. Unlike its predecessors, this missed the Top Ten by a wide margin, but it deserved a better fate. It's fantastic. And The Brains' original is well worth looking up too.
38 - "In Neon," Elton John
Sir Elton didn't get any higher than this with this vaguely countryish ballad about a girl's futile dreams of stardom. Better than some of his bigger hits from this decade.
39 - "Mistake No. 3," Culture Club
Boy George and co.'s penultimate U.S. hit was this ballad that, I think, is about how friends and lovers come in and out of one's life, and how some of them one might regret having removed from one's life. The wedding-themed video is kind of odd and frivolous, and doesn't quite match the tone of the song, Better to just listen to the song and appreciate George's usual affecting vocal performance.
March 16, 1985
34 - "This is Not America," David Bowie with the Pat Metheny Group
Bowie teamed up with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and his band for this song from the film The Falcon and the Snowman, which was based on the true story of two American men who sold security secrets to the Soviet Union in the late 70s. It's spooky and atmospheric. I only wonder if Bowie and Metheny might do a sequel for the soundtrack of the inevitable Edward Snowden movie.
35 - "Why Can't I Have You," The Cars
The fifth single from Heartbeat City was this synthpop ballad about how Ric Ocasek lusts after an unattainable woman with a "candy smile" and "eyes like mica." That man certainly has some unique ways of describing the ladies. Definitely not one of my favorites of theirs.
40 - "Radioactive," The Firm
This short-lived supergroup, fronted by Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, had their only pop hit with this catchy rocker on which Rodgers describes himself using the title word. And he means it as a good thing, I guess, although he does say "don't you stand too close, you might catch it." Whatever. I like it.
May 25, 1985
38 - "Show Some Respect," Tina Turner
The fifth and final American hit from Private Dancer was this okay funk-rocker about how a couple must treat each other with more dignity for their relationship to survive. Okay, but not in the same league as her biggest songs of this decade.
39 - "Oh Girl," Boy Meets Girl
The duo of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam had their first hit with this song on which Merrill tells a woman that he doesn't need her and doesn't want to see her, even though it's pretty clear neither is true. Mediocre uptempo MOR that peaked right here. Three years later, however, they'd score a Top Five with "Waiting for a Star to Fall." And in between their only two Top 40s, Whitney Houston topped the charts with their compositions "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)."
June 29, 1985
31 - "Possession Obsession," Daryl Hall and John Oates
The fourth hit from their Big Bam Boom LP was this song about the perils of being overly needy and greedy. It's okay, but Oates sings lead, and chartwise, that's never a good thing..He does all right, but let's just say that the fact that H comes before O in the alphabet isn't the only reason Hall's always billed first.
37 - "Little by Little," Robert Plant
Plant's third solo pop hit was this tune about slowly but surely recovering from a traumatic event to the point where "I can breathe again." It's midtempo, synth-spiced corporate rock. Okay, but not up to the stuff he did with that famous band he was with before.
40 - "Wake Up (Next to You)," Graham Parker and The Shot
Parker, a British singer-songwriter, had built up critical acclaim and a cult following with his band The Rumour in the late 70s, but he never scored a U.S. Top 40 until forming a new band and releasing this rock ballad about how everything is right with the world as long as he awakens beside his special someone. Parker's voice has some similarities to Elvis Costello's, but he has his own style, and it works well. A pleasing radio tune. Parker never came close to this chart position again, but he did have a bit of a revival last year when he and the reunited Rumour appeared in the film This is 40.
February 15, 1986
28 - "Day by Day," The Hooters
The second and biggest of this Philly band's three hits was this okay rocker about not getting too far ahead of oneself. I still wish "All You Zombies" had gone Top 40 though. That could've contended for an Uneasy Rider for sure.
April 26, 1986
14 - "American Storm," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
The tenth Top 40 of the decade for Detroit's Styx was this rootsy rocker about the numbness and isolation caused by cocaine addiction. At least that's what Seger said in an interview. Regardless, it's a decent tune, and much better than the title track of the album it came from, Like a Rock.
23 - "I Do What I Do (Theme for 9 1/2 Weeks)," John Taylor
The only solo hit by Duran Duran's bassist was this darkly steamy tune from the film in which Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke have a passionately destructive sexual relationship. Never seen it, don't feel the need to. I do know that both actors went through rocky career patches that saw revivals that were punctuated by Oscar nominations. I also know that Basinger won, and Mickey Rourke should have. Seriously, The Wrestler is one of my favorite movies.
26 - "Saturday Love," Cherelle with Alexander O'Neal
The first of this pair's two hit duets was this romantic R&B track written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Pleasant pop for any day of the week.
37 - "Stick Around," Julian Lennon
Lennon's fourth and last U.S. hit was saw him going in more of a synthpop direction on a song whose lyrics are basically "should I stay or should I go. Song's okay, and the sped-up video, which includes appearances by Joe Piscopo, Michael J. Fox, and three random women in bikinis, is, well, something to see.
38 - "Feel it Again," Honeymoon Suite
Formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and deriving their name from their hometown's reputation as the preferred destination for newlyweds, these hard rockers scored their only major American hit with this rocker about jealousy. Good song, but the video features visual effects that look so incredibly cheesy and primitive now. I can tell you as a Canadian that this is clearly their best song. I can also tell you that our side of the Falls not only has most of the touristy stuff, but is also clearly better to look at than the American side. I've live most of my life within half-an-hour's drive of the place, Trust me.
39 - "For America," Jackson Browne
Browne's most recent Top 40 was this angry rocker that casts a cynical eye on what his homeland has become, contrasting his youthful idealism with the mistrust built up by Watergate and Vietnam and decrying "a generation's blank stare" and those who blindly declare "my country wrong or right." A little preachy, but a good enough song not to collapse under the weight of its politics.
June 21, 1986
29 - "One Hit (To the Body)," The Rolling Stones
One of the Stones' lesser 80s hits. Their basic sound accompanying Mick singing about a woman whose love he compares to a punch in the stomach. The sound of them on cruise control.
34 - "If She Knew What She Wants," The Bangles
The second Top 40 for these L.A. ladies was this sunny pop song about a hard-to-please woman. It was written by veteran singer-songwriter Jules Shear, who also penned Cyndi Lauper's hit "All Through the Night." Catchy tune, great lyrics, solid performance. All around good.
37 - "Out of Mind, Out of Sight," Models
This Melbourne band had been somewhat successful in their native land through the first half of the 80s, and opened for many major international acts on their Australian tours. But the band's only major dent on American music was this new wavish lust rocker on which the singer declares he's "gotta keep my body tight." I guess that means he works out to keep up an attractive appearance for his lover or lovers. That's considerate. As for the song, it's fun, dated cheese.
March 21, 1987
23 - "That Ain't Love," REO Speedwagon
REO's eleventh Top 40 was this midtempo rocker about how a relationship isn't really ideal if one side has most of the power. I think that's it. Probably in the middle of their pack of hits.
25 - "As We Lay," Shirley Murdock
Toledo soul singer Murdock had her only pop hit with this ballad about two people attached to others and their regrets the morning after a tryst. Understated yet passionate. A fine addition to the Adultery R&B sub-genre
May 9, 1987
25 - "Day-In, Day-Out," David Bowie
Bowie's next-to-last U.S. pop hit to date was this funk-rock tale about a woman born in impoverished circumstances who doesn't have the access to the means to improve her station, so she ends up turning to drugs, theft, and prostitution, and things don't end well for her. The video makes this all even clearer. An okay song, but unlike say, "For America," this one isn't quite sturdy enough to make its points effectively.
32 - "Get That Love," Thompson Twins
By the time of this, their penultimate American hit, the Twins were down to a duo, with Joe Leeway having left. It's a midtempo synthpop effort, typical of them, and contains a lyrical callback to their earlier hit "Lies." But it's definitely a notch below the stuff that made them famous.
35 - "Heartbreak Beat," The Psychedelic Furs
These Brit New Wavers, led by brothers Tim and Richard Butler, had been developing a following on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 80s, and they had made a bit of a breaktrhrough in 1986 when a re-recorded version of their 1981 song "Pretty in Pink" peaked at #41 in America after being used as the title track to a hit Molly Ringwald movie. The band's next single, a slick rocker about experiencing not-quite-romance while listening to the radio, did crack the Top 40, but the band would later decide that the song and the album it came from were too much of a commercial compromise from their true sound, and thus they never came close to these chart heights again. Which was probably for the best. This song's okay, but if you want to hear them at their best, find songs like "Love My Way," "Heaven," and "The Ghost in You."
36 - "You Can Call Me Al," Paul Simon
After the commercial disappointment of his 1983 LP Hearts and Bones, Simon felt discouraged and uninspired. But then he heard a tape of some musical styles from South Africa, and he decided to go there to write and record with African musicians. The result was Graceland, a record that topped charts around the world, was hailed by critics, and helped expose more people to African music. But the only Top 40 hit it produced was this funky, almost ska-ish song whose lyrics could be interpreted as Simon's own journey from mid-life crisis to musical rebirth. Fantastic song, fantastic album.
March 5, 1988
34 - "Twilight World," Swing Out Sister
The second and last U.S. Top 40 by these British purveyors of "sophisti-pop" was this classy, catchy tune about...I'm not really sure. Staying positive, I think. Anyway, not quite as awesome as "Breakout," but still quite good.
June 4, 1988
29 - "Beds are Burning," Midnight Oil
These Australians, led by bald, 6-foot-4 singer Peter Garrett, had long established themselves as stars Down Under, known for both their music and their politcal activism. But then, they scored a surprise American hit with this churning rock song that calls for the return of land in Australia's Western Desert to the Aboriginal Pintupi tribe. Not generally the kind of subject that makes for a pop hit in any era, but the song is hooky and insistent, and those horn blasts reinforce the lyrical urgency. The group wouldn't chart this high again in America, but they stayed together until 2002, when Garrett decided to begin a serious political career that has seen him not only elected to Australia's House of Representatives, but also appointed to cabinet positions. Have to admire a guy who proves when it comes to changing things, he's not just talk.
31 - "Under The Milky Way," The Church
Also from Australia, this Canberra band's only major American hit was this pretty acoustic number. Not sure what it's about, except maybe being led somewhere by "something shimmering and white." Doesn't matter. Loved it then, love it now.
38 - "When We Kiss," Bardeux
This dance-pop duo's only pop hit was this spare, midtempo, mostly-rapped song about a relationship that's only stable when lips lock. There's not much to it, and these girls sound bored, so why should I care?
40 - "Tall Cool One," Robert Plant
The former Zeppelin frontman's last major U.S. pop hit is a slick rocker about how much he wants to have sex with a particularly fetching lady. He does that a lot, and he's good at it. The song's okay, but it's mostly notable for its use of samples from multiple Led Zep songs, most prominently "Black Dog."
Next time: We're not done with the 80s yet. This weekend, they're airing the last original AT40 that Casey hosted, from this weekend in 1988, so of course, I have to give it its own entry.
January 19, 1985
13 - "Do They Know It's Christmas," Band Aid
The song that started it all. After seeing a news report about the famine in Ethiopia, former Boomtown Rat Bob Geldof decided to do something to help. He called a friend, Midge Ure from the band Ultravox, and together they wrote a song that asked listeners to help out people halfway around the world who were suffering while the West celebrated the holidays. Then the pair gathered together many of Britain's biggest pop stars and bands of the day, including Sting, Phil Collins, George Michael, Culture Club, Duran Duran, and U2, to perform the track. The result was a single that sold millions of copies around the world and raised large amounts of money for famine relief. And in its aftermath, there was USA for Africa's "We are the World," Canada's Northern Lights and "Tears are Not Enough," and in the summer, the massive Live Aid concert. And the song itself still gets seasonal airplay to this day. A noble effort overall, and questionable lyrics aside ("Thank God it's them instead of you"?), it's probably the best of the three major collaboration.
14 - "I Would Die 4 U," Prince and the Revolution
The fourth single from Purple Rain was this bit of new wave/funk on which he declares that he is not your lover or your friend, but rather "your messiah." 20 years after John Lennon got in trouble for his "bigger than Jesus" remarks, this caused no controversy whatsoever. Interesting. Good, but there's a reason it wasn't as big as the three hits before it.
26 - "Call to the Heart," Giuffria
This band, formed by keyboardist Gregg Giuffria after he left the proto-hair metal band Angel, had their only major hit with this cheeseball power ballad on which singer David Glenn Eisley sounds like a poor imitation of Steve Perry. Indistinct and forgettable.
34 - "Money Changes Everything," Cyndi Lauper
The fifth single from She's So Unusual was this cover of a 1980 song by an Atlanta New Wave band called The Brains. It's a catchy, synth-driven rocker about how, well, money changes everything. Unlike its predecessors, this missed the Top Ten by a wide margin, but it deserved a better fate. It's fantastic. And The Brains' original is well worth looking up too.
38 - "In Neon," Elton John
Sir Elton didn't get any higher than this with this vaguely countryish ballad about a girl's futile dreams of stardom. Better than some of his bigger hits from this decade.
39 - "Mistake No. 3," Culture Club
Boy George and co.'s penultimate U.S. hit was this ballad that, I think, is about how friends and lovers come in and out of one's life, and how some of them one might regret having removed from one's life. The wedding-themed video is kind of odd and frivolous, and doesn't quite match the tone of the song, Better to just listen to the song and appreciate George's usual affecting vocal performance.
March 16, 1985
34 - "This is Not America," David Bowie with the Pat Metheny Group
Bowie teamed up with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and his band for this song from the film The Falcon and the Snowman, which was based on the true story of two American men who sold security secrets to the Soviet Union in the late 70s. It's spooky and atmospheric. I only wonder if Bowie and Metheny might do a sequel for the soundtrack of the inevitable Edward Snowden movie.
35 - "Why Can't I Have You," The Cars
The fifth single from Heartbeat City was this synthpop ballad about how Ric Ocasek lusts after an unattainable woman with a "candy smile" and "eyes like mica." That man certainly has some unique ways of describing the ladies. Definitely not one of my favorites of theirs.
40 - "Radioactive," The Firm
This short-lived supergroup, fronted by Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, had their only pop hit with this catchy rocker on which Rodgers describes himself using the title word. And he means it as a good thing, I guess, although he does say "don't you stand too close, you might catch it." Whatever. I like it.
May 25, 1985
38 - "Show Some Respect," Tina Turner
The fifth and final American hit from Private Dancer was this okay funk-rocker about how a couple must treat each other with more dignity for their relationship to survive. Okay, but not in the same league as her biggest songs of this decade.
39 - "Oh Girl," Boy Meets Girl
The duo of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam had their first hit with this song on which Merrill tells a woman that he doesn't need her and doesn't want to see her, even though it's pretty clear neither is true. Mediocre uptempo MOR that peaked right here. Three years later, however, they'd score a Top Five with "Waiting for a Star to Fall." And in between their only two Top 40s, Whitney Houston topped the charts with their compositions "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)."
June 29, 1985
31 - "Possession Obsession," Daryl Hall and John Oates
The fourth hit from their Big Bam Boom LP was this song about the perils of being overly needy and greedy. It's okay, but Oates sings lead, and chartwise, that's never a good thing..He does all right, but let's just say that the fact that H comes before O in the alphabet isn't the only reason Hall's always billed first.
37 - "Little by Little," Robert Plant
Plant's third solo pop hit was this tune about slowly but surely recovering from a traumatic event to the point where "I can breathe again." It's midtempo, synth-spiced corporate rock. Okay, but not up to the stuff he did with that famous band he was with before.
40 - "Wake Up (Next to You)," Graham Parker and The Shot
Parker, a British singer-songwriter, had built up critical acclaim and a cult following with his band The Rumour in the late 70s, but he never scored a U.S. Top 40 until forming a new band and releasing this rock ballad about how everything is right with the world as long as he awakens beside his special someone. Parker's voice has some similarities to Elvis Costello's, but he has his own style, and it works well. A pleasing radio tune. Parker never came close to this chart position again, but he did have a bit of a revival last year when he and the reunited Rumour appeared in the film This is 40.
February 15, 1986
28 - "Day by Day," The Hooters
The second and biggest of this Philly band's three hits was this okay rocker about not getting too far ahead of oneself. I still wish "All You Zombies" had gone Top 40 though. That could've contended for an Uneasy Rider for sure.
April 26, 1986
14 - "American Storm," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
The tenth Top 40 of the decade for Detroit's Styx was this rootsy rocker about the numbness and isolation caused by cocaine addiction. At least that's what Seger said in an interview. Regardless, it's a decent tune, and much better than the title track of the album it came from, Like a Rock.
23 - "I Do What I Do (Theme for 9 1/2 Weeks)," John Taylor
The only solo hit by Duran Duran's bassist was this darkly steamy tune from the film in which Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke have a passionately destructive sexual relationship. Never seen it, don't feel the need to. I do know that both actors went through rocky career patches that saw revivals that were punctuated by Oscar nominations. I also know that Basinger won, and Mickey Rourke should have. Seriously, The Wrestler is one of my favorite movies.
26 - "Saturday Love," Cherelle with Alexander O'Neal
The first of this pair's two hit duets was this romantic R&B track written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Pleasant pop for any day of the week.
37 - "Stick Around," Julian Lennon
Lennon's fourth and last U.S. hit was saw him going in more of a synthpop direction on a song whose lyrics are basically "should I stay or should I go. Song's okay, and the sped-up video, which includes appearances by Joe Piscopo, Michael J. Fox, and three random women in bikinis, is, well, something to see.
38 - "Feel it Again," Honeymoon Suite
Formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and deriving their name from their hometown's reputation as the preferred destination for newlyweds, these hard rockers scored their only major American hit with this rocker about jealousy. Good song, but the video features visual effects that look so incredibly cheesy and primitive now. I can tell you as a Canadian that this is clearly their best song. I can also tell you that our side of the Falls not only has most of the touristy stuff, but is also clearly better to look at than the American side. I've live most of my life within half-an-hour's drive of the place, Trust me.
39 - "For America," Jackson Browne
Browne's most recent Top 40 was this angry rocker that casts a cynical eye on what his homeland has become, contrasting his youthful idealism with the mistrust built up by Watergate and Vietnam and decrying "a generation's blank stare" and those who blindly declare "my country wrong or right." A little preachy, but a good enough song not to collapse under the weight of its politics.
June 21, 1986
29 - "One Hit (To the Body)," The Rolling Stones
One of the Stones' lesser 80s hits. Their basic sound accompanying Mick singing about a woman whose love he compares to a punch in the stomach. The sound of them on cruise control.
34 - "If She Knew What She Wants," The Bangles
The second Top 40 for these L.A. ladies was this sunny pop song about a hard-to-please woman. It was written by veteran singer-songwriter Jules Shear, who also penned Cyndi Lauper's hit "All Through the Night." Catchy tune, great lyrics, solid performance. All around good.
37 - "Out of Mind, Out of Sight," Models
This Melbourne band had been somewhat successful in their native land through the first half of the 80s, and opened for many major international acts on their Australian tours. But the band's only major dent on American music was this new wavish lust rocker on which the singer declares he's "gotta keep my body tight." I guess that means he works out to keep up an attractive appearance for his lover or lovers. That's considerate. As for the song, it's fun, dated cheese.
March 21, 1987
23 - "That Ain't Love," REO Speedwagon
REO's eleventh Top 40 was this midtempo rocker about how a relationship isn't really ideal if one side has most of the power. I think that's it. Probably in the middle of their pack of hits.
25 - "As We Lay," Shirley Murdock
Toledo soul singer Murdock had her only pop hit with this ballad about two people attached to others and their regrets the morning after a tryst. Understated yet passionate. A fine addition to the Adultery R&B sub-genre
May 9, 1987
25 - "Day-In, Day-Out," David Bowie
Bowie's next-to-last U.S. pop hit to date was this funk-rock tale about a woman born in impoverished circumstances who doesn't have the access to the means to improve her station, so she ends up turning to drugs, theft, and prostitution, and things don't end well for her. The video makes this all even clearer. An okay song, but unlike say, "For America," this one isn't quite sturdy enough to make its points effectively.
32 - "Get That Love," Thompson Twins
By the time of this, their penultimate American hit, the Twins were down to a duo, with Joe Leeway having left. It's a midtempo synthpop effort, typical of them, and contains a lyrical callback to their earlier hit "Lies." But it's definitely a notch below the stuff that made them famous.
35 - "Heartbreak Beat," The Psychedelic Furs
These Brit New Wavers, led by brothers Tim and Richard Butler, had been developing a following on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 80s, and they had made a bit of a breaktrhrough in 1986 when a re-recorded version of their 1981 song "Pretty in Pink" peaked at #41 in America after being used as the title track to a hit Molly Ringwald movie. The band's next single, a slick rocker about experiencing not-quite-romance while listening to the radio, did crack the Top 40, but the band would later decide that the song and the album it came from were too much of a commercial compromise from their true sound, and thus they never came close to these chart heights again. Which was probably for the best. This song's okay, but if you want to hear them at their best, find songs like "Love My Way," "Heaven," and "The Ghost in You."
36 - "You Can Call Me Al," Paul Simon
After the commercial disappointment of his 1983 LP Hearts and Bones, Simon felt discouraged and uninspired. But then he heard a tape of some musical styles from South Africa, and he decided to go there to write and record with African musicians. The result was Graceland, a record that topped charts around the world, was hailed by critics, and helped expose more people to African music. But the only Top 40 hit it produced was this funky, almost ska-ish song whose lyrics could be interpreted as Simon's own journey from mid-life crisis to musical rebirth. Fantastic song, fantastic album.
March 5, 1988
34 - "Twilight World," Swing Out Sister
The second and last U.S. Top 40 by these British purveyors of "sophisti-pop" was this classy, catchy tune about...I'm not really sure. Staying positive, I think. Anyway, not quite as awesome as "Breakout," but still quite good.
June 4, 1988
29 - "Beds are Burning," Midnight Oil
These Australians, led by bald, 6-foot-4 singer Peter Garrett, had long established themselves as stars Down Under, known for both their music and their politcal activism. But then, they scored a surprise American hit with this churning rock song that calls for the return of land in Australia's Western Desert to the Aboriginal Pintupi tribe. Not generally the kind of subject that makes for a pop hit in any era, but the song is hooky and insistent, and those horn blasts reinforce the lyrical urgency. The group wouldn't chart this high again in America, but they stayed together until 2002, when Garrett decided to begin a serious political career that has seen him not only elected to Australia's House of Representatives, but also appointed to cabinet positions. Have to admire a guy who proves when it comes to changing things, he's not just talk.
31 - "Under The Milky Way," The Church
Also from Australia, this Canberra band's only major American hit was this pretty acoustic number. Not sure what it's about, except maybe being led somewhere by "something shimmering and white." Doesn't matter. Loved it then, love it now.
38 - "When We Kiss," Bardeux
This dance-pop duo's only pop hit was this spare, midtempo, mostly-rapped song about a relationship that's only stable when lips lock. There's not much to it, and these girls sound bored, so why should I care?
40 - "Tall Cool One," Robert Plant
The former Zeppelin frontman's last major U.S. pop hit is a slick rocker about how much he wants to have sex with a particularly fetching lady. He does that a lot, and he's good at it. The song's okay, but it's mostly notable for its use of samples from multiple Led Zep songs, most prominently "Black Dog."
Next time: We're not done with the 80s yet. This weekend, they're airing the last original AT40 that Casey hosted, from this weekend in 1988, so of course, I have to give it its own entry.
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