Closing the book on 1965.
20 - "I'm a Fool," Dino, Desi and Billy
14-year-old Dean Paul Martin, his 12-year-old friend and fellow celebrity namesake son Desi Arnaz, Jr., and their Beverly Hills schoolmate Billy Hinsche, put a band together, got signed by Frank Sinatra's Reprise label, and managed a couple of hits, the first and biggest being this limp attempt at garage rock. These guys would have never gotten farther than their block if not for their connections, but oh well, so is life. And Dean Paul died much too young.
19 - "Take Me Back," Little Anthony and The Imperials
Anthony Gourdine and his group of New York doo-woppers released a couple of hits in the late 50s, most notably "Tears on My Pillow." Gourdine left the Imperials in 1961, but upon his return three years later, they scored five more Top 40s, including this balladic statement from a guy who says he's not so jealous and possessive anymore and is thus ready to be a better boyfriend. It's pretty, orchestrated pop, but nothing that special.
18 - "Nothing But Heartaches," The Supremes
The artists formerly known as The Primettes were up an running as a hit machine. The previous year's "Where Did Our Love Go" began a run of five straigh #1 singles, a string broken when this song only climbed as high as #11. It's about not being able to stay away from a man that's nothing but trouble. Sonically and vocally, it's typical of their output, and it's certainly just as good a to these ears as many of their charttoppers. But the song's relative failure did not sit well with Motown head Berry Gordy, who then decided to withdraw the group's prospective follow-up single because he wanted his flagship act to only release Number One records. And for the record, the next single the Supremes did put out, "I Hear a Symphony," returned them to the top spot. The man knew his business, I guess.
17 - "You Were On My Mind," We Five
This four-man, one-woman combo from San Francisco had their biggest hit with this poppy treatment of a number originally recorded in 1964 by Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia. The original is grittier, and doesn't have that "I got troubles, I got worries, whoa-oh" chorus. I find this version annoying, frankly.
16 - "Like a Rolling Stone," Bob Dylan
Here he is, the man born Robert Zimmerman in Minnesota who became to many rock's Poet Laureate. Just three years into his career on the national scene, he had already written and released the folk standards "Blowin' In the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin," and was firmly entrenched in popular culture. But it was the summer of 1965 that took him to another level. First, there was his controversial "electric" performance at the Newport Folk Festival that alientated many folk-music purists. Shortly afterward, he would release this single, a blast of guitar and organ and Dylan seemingly alternating between sneering at and being sympathetic towards a woman who once lived a privileged life but now faces an uncertain future. Despite clocking in at six minutes, the song's urgency and depth were undeniable to radio listeners, and it went all the way to #2. His transformation from intriguing intellectual curiosity to full-on rock star was complete, and this remains one of his signature statements.
15 - "All I Really Want to Do," Cher
The second, and most successful (in the U.S.) cover of this Dylan song was the first solo hit by the woman born Cherilyn Sarkisian. Her version is a bit poppier that The Byrds', and yet somehow she sounds more, shall we say, Dylanesque. Gotta say, this is the better of the two.
14 - "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," James Brown and The Famous Flames
The Godfather of Soul and his able backup band had been racking up R&B hits for nearly a decade when they finally cracked the the Top Ten with this tribute to an old man who's able to do the modern dances of the day without embarrassing himself. It's maybe been overplayed (though not to the degree of "I Got You (I Feel Good),"), but still, that beat, that scratch guitar, those horns, and Brother James being his bad self. How can you resist?
13 - "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," Mel Carter
Cincinnatian Carter had his biggest hit with this cover of a romantic ballad that was first a hit in 1952 for Karen Chandler. It's nice, it's familiar, but I can't say it comes close to thrilling me.
12 - "What's New Pussycat," Tom Jones
Welshman Thomas Woodward was given a new name by the manager who brought him to London, one inspired by the title of the 1963 Best Picture Oscar winner. Earlier in the year, he'd hit the Top Ten in America with "It's Not Unusual," and later, this became his first Top Five. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the comedy film of the same name (which was the first major film written by Woody Allen, who also co-starred), it's kind of a French waltz over which Jones croons his appreciation for his beloved's feline features. It may be the only major pop hit ever whose lyrics end with the word "nose," which I find fascinating for some reason. Cheesy, but charming.
11 - "Baby I'm Yours," Barbara Lewis
Lewis' biggest hit (after "Hello Stranger," which we encountered in '63) was this sultry declaration of everlasting devotion. Another good one for your romantic mixes. And it was written by Van McCoy, ten years before he helped teach the world to do "The Hustle."
Mommy, where does the Top Ten come from?
10 - "Down in the Boondocks," Billy Joe Royal
Royal, a Georgian, had his first and biggest pop hit with this shuffling lament o.f a poor boy hopelessly in love with his boss' daughter. A good oldies' staple.
9 - "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," Herman's Hermits
These Mancunians, fronted by former child actor Peter Noone, scored their second American #1 with their version of a song that originated in 1910 in British music halls (the U.K. equivalent of what was known in America as "vaudeville."). In an exaggerated accent, Noone declares that he married "the widow next door," and, like her previous seven husbands, his name is Henry. Silly, but catchy. And Uneasy Rider-y.
8 - "Don't Just Stand There," Patty Duke
Duke's real first name was Anna, but it was changed by John and Ethel Ross, who took her in at the age of eight and set about molding her into a child star in ways that weren't exactly healthy (this is detailed in her 1987 autobiography Call Me Anna.) In 1959, she began a two-year run portraying Helen Keller in the Broadway play The Miracle Worker, and when she reprised the role in the 1962 film version, she became, at 16, the youngest (at that time) winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She then went on to star in a self-titled sitcom in which she played "identical cousins" Patty and Cathy, and it was at the height of that show's popularity that she released the first and biggest of her two hit singles. This is a ballad on which she asks her boyfriend why he's suddenly acting cold and indifferent toward her. There's a nice quality to her voice, but it's not as strong as it could be. Leslie Gore probably would have done better with it. Still, can't begrudge her the success, given all the shit she went through.
7 - "It's the Same Old Song," The Four Tops
Duke Fakir, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton, and the one and only Levi Stubbs had topped the chart earlier in the year with "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," and their follow-up, this number about how certain music doesn't sound the same after a breakup, became their second Top Five. More solid, reliable Motown.
6 - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," The Rolling Stones
The band's first American #1 was this rock standard whose iconic riff Keith Richards originally came up with just before going to bed in a hotel room. Fortunately, he was able to put in on tape before drifting off to sleep. The lyrics are a (sadly) still relevant rail against a media that spouts "useless information" and manipulates people through advertising. With an added bit of sexual frustration in the last verse. A classic, plain and simple. And Devo's cover version is pretty awesome as well.
5 - "Unchained Melody," The Righteous Brothers
The first run of the single we first encountered during its Ghost-fuelled 1990 comeback. Still good.
4 - "California Girls," The Beach Boys
Arguably the most summery song of a catalogue filled with tunes evocative of the warmest season, the melody of this ode to the ladies of America's largest state was apparently written by Brian Wilson after his first experience with LSD. Come to think of it, it does sound pretty trippy. But I don't know that I'd recommended using that method to cure writer's block too often. Anyway, song's great, of course.
3 - "Help!" The Beatles
The lads topped the U.S. charts for the ninth time was the title song from their second movie, a caper about Ringo trying to avoid being sacrificed by a cult. The song, however, was apparently John Lennon writing about his feelings of insecurity and stress caused by the band's sudden and massive fame. Just a brilliant number about the need for companionship and validation. One of the best of the best.
2 - "Save Your Heart for Me," Gary Lewis and The Playboys
Jerry Lewis' career wasn't as hot as his old partner's at this time, but he was at least he was beating him in the battle of musical progeny. While Dean Jr. and his chums never even cracked the Top Ten, Jerry's boy Gary and his band went all the way to #1 with their debut, "This Diamond Ring," then scored six more Top Tens in '65 and '66. This, their second of two #2s, is a square pop song on which Lewis tells his girl she can flirt and go out with as many boys as she wants during the summer, as long as she comes back to him in the fall. That's nice of him. Anyway, this really isn't much. I actually like the Dino, Desi and Billy track better, and I never thought I'd say that.
And at Number One roughly 48 years ago, we find...
1 - "I Got You Babe," Sonny and Cher
Salvatore Bono was 27 and working for Phil Spector when he met 16-year-old Cherilyn Sarkisian at an L.A. coffee shop in 1962. The two fell in love and began performing together, first as Caesar and Cleo, then under their real names. They made their big breakthrough with this jangly ballad, written and produced by Sonny, on which the couple pledge their devotion to each other. That devotion would not last forever, but still, this to me is one of the greatest love songs ever written.
Next time, we get our kicks in '66.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Sunday, September 1, 2013
August 21, 1965 Part One
Now we're in the late summer of '65. On the date of this chart, the United States launched Gemini 5, which would set a new record for the longest manned space mission at just under 8 days. Meanwhile, back on earth, the following sounds were orbiting American ears.
40 - "All I Really Want to Do," The Byrds
Formed a year earlier in Los Angeles, these folk-rockers who took the idea of having a misspelled animal name from The Beatles topped the charts with their debut single, a jangly cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Their follow up was another Dylan cover, a similarly swirly version of a song on which the singer says his agenda is friendship rather than anything sinister, peaked only at the spot it's at now. Starting off with a #1 and then a #40. That's a neat trick.
39 - "Ride Your Pony," Lee Dorsey
New Orleans soul man Dorsey picked up his third pop hit with this funky tune about riding the titular beast of burden to several American cities for different reasons. Just something with a nice groove for the kids to dance to. And if I'm in earshot of this, I'll be among them.
38 - "Houston," Dean Martin
Still riding high on his pop comeback, Martin scored another hit with this country-flavored number about wanting return to his hometown and the woman he loves after a run of bad luck and misery out in the cold cruel world. Dino's world-weary delivery, and a great song written by future Nancy Sinatra duet partner Lee Hazlewood make this my favorite recording of his. And that pingy percussion sound at the beginning and end? That was Dean tapping a Coke bottle. Cool, huh?
37 - "Shake and Fingerpop," Junior Walker and the All-Stars
Born Autry Mixon, Walker and his band ended up on Motown when it bought out their old label, and earlier in '65 their first major hit "Shotgun," cracked the Top 5. Their third Top 40 was this similar funk track on which Walker tells his mate to "put on your wig, woman" so they can go out and dance. More groovin' fun.
36 - "To Know You is to Love You," Peter and Gordon
The Brit duo picked up another hit with this cover of "To Know Him is to Love Him," a 1958 #1 for The Teddy Bears, a vocal group that included this song's composer, Phil Spector. This is all right, but I'm not a fan of the one guy's solo vocals. I'm not sure if it's Peter or Gordon, and it doesn't matter enough for me to find out.
35 - "I'll Always Love You," The Spinners
While covering their many successes in the 70s, I'm sure I mentioned once or twice that these guys had an unsuccessful run with Motown the decade prior. Well, here they are with their only Top 40 of this decade, a dedication of devotion. It sounds a lot like other hits from the label, and to be honest, it isn't very distinctive. But I'm glad they got their chance to show what they could really do later on.
34 - "The 'In' Crowd," Ramsey Lewis
Chicago jazz pianist Lewis had his first major hit with a live instrumental cover of a song about hanging out with popular people that Dobie Gray had taken to #13 the year before. Lewis's take went to #5. I'm not sure which is better, but there ain't nothing at all wrong with this one.
33 - "Pretty Little Baby," Marvin Gaye
Marvin's string of hits continued with this pleading "please don't leave me" ballad. I like the arrangement on this, especially the piano. This one, I think, should be better known than it is.
32 - "It Ain't Me, Babe," The Turtles
Unlike The Byrds, these Californian's didn't change the spelling of their animal name. But like them, they picked up their first hit with a Bob Dylan cover, this one of a song about not being the right lover for someone. It's one of Bobby's more straight ahead songs, and The Turtles treat it as such. Solid stuff.
31 - "Looking Through the Eyes of Love," Gene Pitney
One of Pitney's last American hits was this dramatic ballad about how even thouth the world sees him as someone for whom "being born was my first mistake," his lady love sees him as a hero, a giant, and a king. Big, bold, beautiful.
30 - "Heart Full of Soul," The Yardbirds
This London band started out as a blues-based band, but they made their breakthrough with a more poppy track, "For Your Love." Unhappy with this new direction, guitarist Eric Clapton decided to leave the group, and he was replaced by another future six-string hero, Jeff Beck. Their first hit of the Beck Era, an Eastern-flavored "baby come back" rocker, followed its predecessor into the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic. More hits would follow, and just for good measure, they would eventually welcome another superstar-to-be to their lineup in the form of future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Quite simply, a band that made great music and helped shape rock for years to come.
29 - "Ju Ju Hand," Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs
Dallas-born Domingo Zamudio named his band after seeing Yul Brynner in the movie The Ten Commandments, and they made their breakthrough earlier in the year with the novelty classic "Wooly Bully." Their third hit is another garage-rocker on which Sam seems to threaten to use some sort of black magic on those who would trespass against him. Silly fun.
28 - "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," Lesley Gore
The pop starlet made one of her last U.S. Top 40 appearances with this insanely upbeat song about how good her love makes her feel. Good if you're in the right mood. And according to one Clancy Wiggum, this is ideal accompaniment for good old-fashioned car chases.
27 - "In the Midnight Hour," Wilson Pickett
Born in Alabama, then raised in Detroit, Pickett made his first major impression on the pop charts with this legendary promise to "take you, girl, and hold you, and do all the things I told you" during the period between 12 and 1 am. I'm sure you know it and love it. The only surprising thing is that although it topped the R&B charts, it didn't even crack the pop Top 20. What was up with that?
26 - "Cara Mia," Jay and the Americans
These New York popsters scored their third and last U.S. Top Five with this cover of a song that had originally been a hit for British singer David Whitfield in 1954. A frankly weird mashup of then-modern pop and old-school crooning. Jay even sounds like he's about to yodel in some parts. I'm not a fan of this.
25 - "I Like it Like That," The Dave Clark Five
Not even two years after their American breakthrough, Clark and co. were already on Top 40 hit number ten. This isn't a cover of the Miracles song we covered in '64: rather, it's a take on a 1961 #2 smash by New Orleans soul singer Chris Kenner. You know, the one where the singer promises to show you the unlikely-named place "where it's at." These guys do pretty well with it. Not a bad appropritation of soul shouting for a bunch of Englishmen.
24 - "Since I Lost My Baby," The Temptations
The fifth pop hit for these Motown stalwarts was this sad number about how even though the world is spinning happily around you, heartbreak makes you unaware that there could possibly be anything good in the world. David Ruffin's pain and desperation is palpable. Fantastic stuff.
23 - "The Tracks of My Tears," The Miracles
Smokey and the boys with one of their best. An amazing lyric about putting on a brave face after a devastating breakup. I never mention having a Top 100 of this decade, but if I did, I'm sure I'd find a place for this.
22 - "You'd Better Come Home," Petula Clark
Born in Surrey, England in 1932, Clark first found fame during the second half of World War II, when her singing performances on radio and appearances in films delighted her countrymen and earned her the nickname "Britain's Shirley Temple." Her career kept on into the fifties, but she was on a downward slide when in 1964 "Downtown" became an international smash, even hitting #1 in America, where she'd never had any success. Her third U.S. hit was this pop ballad on which she begs her true love to stop "running around." Personally, I would have liked to have heard Dusty Springfield take a crack at this, but still, "Pet" does very well with this, especially on the line "You'd better come home and see the damage you've done." I imagine I would have enjoyed having her voice as a frequent presence on the radio.
21 - "I Want Candy," The Strangeloves
New Yorkers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer were a team of songwriter/producers who'd created the 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for The Angels. As a lark, they began recording songs and crediting them to a fictional group of Australian brothers named Giles, Miles, and Niles Strange. Then one of those songs, this "Bo Diddley beat"-poweredode to a "soft and sweet" girl, became a hit, and the group actually found themselves having to tour and be an actual band. The group would have two more hits, but neither were as big as this. Of the three members, Gottehrer has had the most influential post-band career, producing many rock and punk acts in the 70s and 80s, and later helping found the pioneering digital music distribution company The Orchard. Oh, and I'm willing to bet that for many of you, the version of this song you're most familiar with is the one from 1982 by British New Wavers Bow Wow Wow.
In Part 2: the son of somebody from this half, a mint-condtion receptacle, and a future underwear magnet.
40 - "All I Really Want to Do," The Byrds
Formed a year earlier in Los Angeles, these folk-rockers who took the idea of having a misspelled animal name from The Beatles topped the charts with their debut single, a jangly cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Their follow up was another Dylan cover, a similarly swirly version of a song on which the singer says his agenda is friendship rather than anything sinister, peaked only at the spot it's at now. Starting off with a #1 and then a #40. That's a neat trick.
39 - "Ride Your Pony," Lee Dorsey
New Orleans soul man Dorsey picked up his third pop hit with this funky tune about riding the titular beast of burden to several American cities for different reasons. Just something with a nice groove for the kids to dance to. And if I'm in earshot of this, I'll be among them.
38 - "Houston," Dean Martin
Still riding high on his pop comeback, Martin scored another hit with this country-flavored number about wanting return to his hometown and the woman he loves after a run of bad luck and misery out in the cold cruel world. Dino's world-weary delivery, and a great song written by future Nancy Sinatra duet partner Lee Hazlewood make this my favorite recording of his. And that pingy percussion sound at the beginning and end? That was Dean tapping a Coke bottle. Cool, huh?
37 - "Shake and Fingerpop," Junior Walker and the All-Stars
Born Autry Mixon, Walker and his band ended up on Motown when it bought out their old label, and earlier in '65 their first major hit "Shotgun," cracked the Top 5. Their third Top 40 was this similar funk track on which Walker tells his mate to "put on your wig, woman" so they can go out and dance. More groovin' fun.
36 - "To Know You is to Love You," Peter and Gordon
The Brit duo picked up another hit with this cover of "To Know Him is to Love Him," a 1958 #1 for The Teddy Bears, a vocal group that included this song's composer, Phil Spector. This is all right, but I'm not a fan of the one guy's solo vocals. I'm not sure if it's Peter or Gordon, and it doesn't matter enough for me to find out.
35 - "I'll Always Love You," The Spinners
While covering their many successes in the 70s, I'm sure I mentioned once or twice that these guys had an unsuccessful run with Motown the decade prior. Well, here they are with their only Top 40 of this decade, a dedication of devotion. It sounds a lot like other hits from the label, and to be honest, it isn't very distinctive. But I'm glad they got their chance to show what they could really do later on.
34 - "The 'In' Crowd," Ramsey Lewis
Chicago jazz pianist Lewis had his first major hit with a live instrumental cover of a song about hanging out with popular people that Dobie Gray had taken to #13 the year before. Lewis's take went to #5. I'm not sure which is better, but there ain't nothing at all wrong with this one.
33 - "Pretty Little Baby," Marvin Gaye
Marvin's string of hits continued with this pleading "please don't leave me" ballad. I like the arrangement on this, especially the piano. This one, I think, should be better known than it is.
32 - "It Ain't Me, Babe," The Turtles
Unlike The Byrds, these Californian's didn't change the spelling of their animal name. But like them, they picked up their first hit with a Bob Dylan cover, this one of a song about not being the right lover for someone. It's one of Bobby's more straight ahead songs, and The Turtles treat it as such. Solid stuff.
31 - "Looking Through the Eyes of Love," Gene Pitney
One of Pitney's last American hits was this dramatic ballad about how even thouth the world sees him as someone for whom "being born was my first mistake," his lady love sees him as a hero, a giant, and a king. Big, bold, beautiful.
30 - "Heart Full of Soul," The Yardbirds
This London band started out as a blues-based band, but they made their breakthrough with a more poppy track, "For Your Love." Unhappy with this new direction, guitarist Eric Clapton decided to leave the group, and he was replaced by another future six-string hero, Jeff Beck. Their first hit of the Beck Era, an Eastern-flavored "baby come back" rocker, followed its predecessor into the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic. More hits would follow, and just for good measure, they would eventually welcome another superstar-to-be to their lineup in the form of future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Quite simply, a band that made great music and helped shape rock for years to come.
29 - "Ju Ju Hand," Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs
Dallas-born Domingo Zamudio named his band after seeing Yul Brynner in the movie The Ten Commandments, and they made their breakthrough earlier in the year with the novelty classic "Wooly Bully." Their third hit is another garage-rocker on which Sam seems to threaten to use some sort of black magic on those who would trespass against him. Silly fun.
28 - "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," Lesley Gore
The pop starlet made one of her last U.S. Top 40 appearances with this insanely upbeat song about how good her love makes her feel. Good if you're in the right mood. And according to one Clancy Wiggum, this is ideal accompaniment for good old-fashioned car chases.
27 - "In the Midnight Hour," Wilson Pickett
Born in Alabama, then raised in Detroit, Pickett made his first major impression on the pop charts with this legendary promise to "take you, girl, and hold you, and do all the things I told you" during the period between 12 and 1 am. I'm sure you know it and love it. The only surprising thing is that although it topped the R&B charts, it didn't even crack the pop Top 20. What was up with that?
26 - "Cara Mia," Jay and the Americans
These New York popsters scored their third and last U.S. Top Five with this cover of a song that had originally been a hit for British singer David Whitfield in 1954. A frankly weird mashup of then-modern pop and old-school crooning. Jay even sounds like he's about to yodel in some parts. I'm not a fan of this.
25 - "I Like it Like That," The Dave Clark Five
Not even two years after their American breakthrough, Clark and co. were already on Top 40 hit number ten. This isn't a cover of the Miracles song we covered in '64: rather, it's a take on a 1961 #2 smash by New Orleans soul singer Chris Kenner. You know, the one where the singer promises to show you the unlikely-named place "where it's at." These guys do pretty well with it. Not a bad appropritation of soul shouting for a bunch of Englishmen.
24 - "Since I Lost My Baby," The Temptations
The fifth pop hit for these Motown stalwarts was this sad number about how even though the world is spinning happily around you, heartbreak makes you unaware that there could possibly be anything good in the world. David Ruffin's pain and desperation is palpable. Fantastic stuff.
23 - "The Tracks of My Tears," The Miracles
Smokey and the boys with one of their best. An amazing lyric about putting on a brave face after a devastating breakup. I never mention having a Top 100 of this decade, but if I did, I'm sure I'd find a place for this.
22 - "You'd Better Come Home," Petula Clark
Born in Surrey, England in 1932, Clark first found fame during the second half of World War II, when her singing performances on radio and appearances in films delighted her countrymen and earned her the nickname "Britain's Shirley Temple." Her career kept on into the fifties, but she was on a downward slide when in 1964 "Downtown" became an international smash, even hitting #1 in America, where she'd never had any success. Her third U.S. hit was this pop ballad on which she begs her true love to stop "running around." Personally, I would have liked to have heard Dusty Springfield take a crack at this, but still, "Pet" does very well with this, especially on the line "You'd better come home and see the damage you've done." I imagine I would have enjoyed having her voice as a frequent presence on the radio.
21 - "I Want Candy," The Strangeloves
New Yorkers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer were a team of songwriter/producers who'd created the 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for The Angels. As a lark, they began recording songs and crediting them to a fictional group of Australian brothers named Giles, Miles, and Niles Strange. Then one of those songs, this "Bo Diddley beat"-poweredode to a "soft and sweet" girl, became a hit, and the group actually found themselves having to tour and be an actual band. The group would have two more hits, but neither were as big as this. Of the three members, Gottehrer has had the most influential post-band career, producing many rock and punk acts in the 70s and 80s, and later helping found the pioneering digital music distribution company The Orchard. Oh, and I'm willing to bet that for many of you, the version of this song you're most familiar with is the one from 1982 by British New Wavers Bow Wow Wow.
In Part 2: the son of somebody from this half, a mint-condtion receptacle, and a future underwear magnet.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
August 1, 1964 Part Two
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.
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.
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.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Revenge of the 80s - Part Two
First of all, it has come to my attention that I missed some of the songs I, er, missed from '80-'82. Let's clean that up right now.
July 12, 1980
25 - "The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)," Meco
Meco's second Star Wars-themed hit marked his second and final appearance in the Top 20. The usual discofication of the music, with added sound effects of lasers, lightsabers, Chewbacca, and R2D2. An interesting relic of its time.
34 - "Walks Like a Lady," Journey
The band's third Top 40 is this uncharacteristically jazzy strut with lyrics that are along the same lines as Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman." A cool little detour from big bold rock.
January 10, 1981
24 - "One Step Closer," The Doobie Brothers
The group's last hit with Michael McDonald was this tepid bit of MOR jazz-pop on which he shares lead vocals with saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus. Now that is a fantastic name, and easily the coolest thing I found looking this song up.
August 1, 1981
37 - "Don't Want to Wait Anymore," The Tubes
The first of two Top 40s by these San Francisco new wavers is a ballad about really desperately wanting to have sex with a woman, asking her to imagine them being the last two people on Earth, trapped in a frozen wasteland where they have to "make love to survive." The weirdest thing about it is it sounds much more like an 80s Chicago ballad that a song by the group that gave the world "White Punks on Dope" and "Don't Touch Me There." Oddly charming.
40 - "You're My Girl," Franke and the Knockouts
The middle hit by Mr. Previte and co. is uninspired, uninspiring corporate rock. Background music, at best.
June 12, 1982
10 - "It's Gonna Take a Miracle," Deneice Williams
The second solo hit for this native of Gary, Indiana was this cover of a 1965 R&B hit by The Royalettes. Silky soul about not being able to get over someone, co-produced by Philly soul legend Thom Bell. Good stuff, and I prefer it by a large margin over "Let's Hear It for the Boy."
Now that that's cleared up, let's move ahead.
February 26, 1983
33 - "The Woman in Me," Donna Summer
Donna's post-disco struggles continued with this seductive, breathless, pop ballad. It didn't get any higher than this, but I think it should have. She still sounded good on the radio, trends aside.
35 - "I'm Alive," Neil Diamond
Neil's last Top 40 to date was this pop-rocker that contrasts the harsh realities of life with the good things like flowers and babies, concluding that all in all, it's good to be breathing. Unabashed positivity, and far from an embarrassing way to go out, like his penultimate Top 40, "Heartlight," would have been.
36 - "The Clapping Song," Pia Zadora
One of the biggest punchlines of the early 80s, Zadora was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and as a child appeared on Broadway and in the B-movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. In 1972, at the age of 18, she met 50-year-old Israeli businessman Meshulam Riklis. The couple married five years later, and Riklis then began using his considerable wealth to try and make Zadora an international star. In 1982, he financed her starring debut, Butterfly, which also featured among its cast Orson Welles and Ed McMahon. The movie bombed and was loathed by critics, but Zadora won a Golden Globe award for Best Female Newcomer for her performance. However, most believe that it was Riklis' extensive wining and dining of the Hollwood Foreign Press Asscociation that netted her the prize more than her acting. Shortly after that fiasco, Zadora appeared on the pop charts with this cover of a 1965 novelty hit by Shirley Ellis whose lyrics involve the death by misadventure of an alcoholic goose and a tobacco-abusing monkey, a girl who is denied a doll by her mother because she kissed a member of the military, and of course, clapping. I haven't heard Ellis' version, but as for this one...I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were financial enticements to DJs required to scrape it into the Top 40. I don't know this, of course, but listening to it...not good. Mediocre vocals over mediocre funk. Zadora's film career continued later in this year with The Lonely Lady, but its results were even more disastrous than Butterfly's, and her movie star dreams were dead. She's made some attempts at returns to recording, Broadway, and cabaret in the years since. She still never became a big star. but she divorced Riklis in 1993, and I imagine she's living pretty comfortably. Plus no one can take that Golden Globe away. But she didn't get the People's Global Golden Choice Award, losing out on that one to a real talent: Skip Bittman.
38 - "Tied Up," Olivia Newton-John
ONJ's penultimate Top 40 isn't as kinky as it sounds. It's just lite-funk about trying to figure out where a relationship stands. It's not bad, really. That voice can make me forgive a lot. And it's hard not to like a song with a flute solo.
40 - "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," Night Ranger
The San Francisco hard rock combo's first major hit is a sped-up rocker about not wanting a relationship to be more than physical. Arena-ready guitar soloing and keyboard flourishes abound. Brainless fun.
May 7, 1983
12 - "Even Now," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Our old friends the Styx of Detroit picked up another of their hits with this okay pop-rocker about a woman who remains his raison d'etre after all this time. He's done better, he's done worse.
15 - "Photograph," Def Leppard
The Sheffield pop-metallers made their American breakthrough with this song about lusting after a celebrity. The video features a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, but singer Joe Elliott has said that he wasn't writing about her specifically. No matter. A fantastic pop song, and the best thing they've done.
16 - "Rio," Duran Duran
The Brit heartthrobs' second American hit was this fluttery synthpop number about a hot lady whose name means "river" in Spanish. I'm not sure she could acually "dance across the Rio Grande," but no big deal. More good good pop from these boys.
22 - "Mornin'," Al Jarreau
The Milwaukee-born jazz singer's second pop hit was this airy number that makes it clear that he's an AM person, as he sings morning greetings to his radio, his bowl of cereal, a bird, a bridge, and the man who shines his shoes. Myself, I've always find it hard to get started before 11, so this song doesn't really jibe with me. But the animated video is kinda cool.
24 - "Welcome to Heartlight," Kenny Loggins
Unlike the similarly-titled Neil Diamond hit, this song has nothing to do with E.T. Rather, it's a pop-rocker about a peaceful, beautiful place. It's okay as Kenny's non-movie songs go, but the slight island accent he affects on this doesn't do much for me.
25 - "It Might Be You," Stephen Bishop
San Diego singer-songwriter Bishop's last Top 40 hit was this ballad about finding love at last that came from Tootsie, the movie where Dustin Hoffman dresses in drag to get a part on a soap opera. That's a movie I'm not so embarrassed to say I saw in a theater. As for the song, though, it's sappy dreck. I'd much rather hear "On and On,"
26 - "Some Kind of Friend," Barry Manilow
The Man(ilow)'s next-to-last Top 40 was this sees him trying to keep up with the times with drum machines and synthesizers on a song about a relationship with a woman who only wants him for his money. I think that's it. Actually, he doesn't embarrass himself, but still, this isn't Barry in his natural habitat.
29 - "Stranger in My House," Ronnie Milsap
The country star's last pop hit was this dark, bluesy tune about suspecting a lover of stepping out on him. Apparently, some country stations didn't play this because the guitar solo sounded "too rock," and that's why it didn't go to #1 on that chart. Their loss, because it's the best thing I've heard from him.
30 - "So Wrong," Patrick Simmons
The once-and-future Doobie Brother had his only American solo hit with this fair bit of funk-pop about starcrossed lovers. The funny thing is, I have no problem imagining Michael McDonald singing this.
35 - "I Couldn't Say No," Robert Ellis Orrall with Carlene Carter
Orrall, a Boston-area singer-songwriter, and Carter, the daughter of country singer June Carter and her first husband, both made their only pop chart appearances with this cool little duet about romantic tribulation. It's kind of new-wave/rootsy power-pop. I like it a lot. Both Orrall and Carter went on to have country hits in the 90s, and in 2006, Orrall co-wrote one song and produced other tracks for the debut album by one Taylor Swift.
39 - "Whirly Girl," Oxo
Angel Ledesma, formerly of the two-hit disco band Foxy, formed a new group in the early 80s, and managed one minor hit with this boisterous pop number about a girl who really gets around ("She's been with the Rolling Stones, on their tours and in their homes.") Fun, frivolous, fantastic.
40 - "Gimme All Your Lovin'," ZZ Top
The first of the band's Eliminator hits was this grinding sex boogie. But of course, it was all about the video. In it, a young man is working at a gas station on a long stretch of desert highway when three hot women pull up in that distinctive red 1933 Ford. After they fill up and get refreshments, they are about to leave when all of a sudden, the band appears, and they toss him a set of keys hooked to a silver "ZZ" keychain. He shows it to the women, and they let him into their car and take him for a ride (read into that what you will). Later, they return to the gas station and let him out. But then we find out that it was all a dream...or was it? When he awakens, he finds the keychain next to him, and then a familiar old car speeds by. So of course, the kid hops in his truck and follows. We never find out if he catches it. And somehow, this is what began ZZ Top's rise to multiplatinum superstardom.
July 9, 1983
36 - "White Wedding," Billy Idol
The U.K. punk-popster's second American hit that's about...well, some kind of nuptial ceremony. But Billy makes it sound so sinister, and the frequent use of the word "shotgun" indicate that it might not be exactly a fairytale romance being celebrated. Even though it only made it as high as its position this week, it's one of his best-remembered hits, and one of his best period.
February 4, 1984
19 - "Wrapped Around Your Finger," The Police
The band's final American hit was this pop-rock tune about how Sting feels he is manipulating the person who thinks he or she is manipulating him. Of course, he's all obtuse and literary about it, but that's Sting. And at this point in time, he was making that work.
22 - "Nobody Told Me," John Lennon
Just over three years after his death, Milk and Honey, an album of recordings that Lennon and Yoko Ono were working on for the follow-up to Double Fantasy, was released. The first single, and biggest hit, from the album was this loose rocker with silly yet possibly profound lyrics. Apparently, this was originally written for Ringo, but in the end, I'm glad it remained John's, and provided a bittersweet coda to his pop career.
29 - "New Moon on Monday," Duran Duran
The Duranies again, this time with a slinky bit of new wave funk. The lyrics are pretty inscrutable, with mentions of lizard mixtures and lonely satellites. But they're pretty irrelevant, because the song grooves along amaziingly. Possibly my favorite song of theirs.
33 - "Nightbird," Stevie Nicks
Stevie's seventh hit without Fleetwood Mac is the kind of airy, floaty pop-rock she's known for. So much so that one imagines that a "Stevie Nicks Song Generator" could have come up with it. That doesn't make it bad, just...typical, I guess.
35 - "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)," Quiet Riot
These guys' second and last Top 40 was this ode to violently moving one's cranium to and fro using the neck. My brother used to do this quite a bit at concerts, and he says yes, it can cause aches and pains afterward. But you must make sacrifices for The Metal. Anyway, okay song, and nice to see they managed a hit without having to cover Slade.
36 - "This Woman," Kenny Rogers
Kenny's last solo pop hit was this Barry Gibb co-written tune on which he tells his ex how good he's got it with his new lover. Barry's backup vocals are instantly recognizable. Not country at all, but a decent enough pop song.
38 - "The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)," Irene Cara
Cara's next-to-last hit was this inspirational dance-popper from D.C. Cab, a movie about Washington taxi drivers that featured Mr. T. and Gary Busey. Neither are very well-remembered, and I can't say that's an injustice of any kind.
March 31, 1984
27 - "New Song," Howard Jones
Jones' first hit was bouncy synthpop tune about looking at the world through different perspectives and "throw(ing) off your mental chains." I don't think many people will still admit to liking his stuff, but I think he was an underrated figure in 80s pop.
31 - "Let's Stay Together," Tina Turner
The seeds for Tina's 80s comeback were first sown when she appeared on a cover of The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" by the British production team B.E.F. This led to a deal with Capitol records for a single, which turned out to be this B.E.F.-produced version of Al Green's 1971 charttopper. Turner gives a powerful performance that didn't make anyone forget Al, but still showed she still had the goods. The single only reached #26 in the U.S., but it was a U.K. Top Ten, and that convinced the label to let her do a whole album. And the rest is history.
June 9, 1984
26 - "Magic," The Cars
The second single from the band's Heartbeat City LP was this summery pop-rocker about the power of love and stuff. Just good catchy stuff, nothing more, nothing less.
31 - "Dance Hall Days," Wang Chung
The second American hit by these Brit New Wavers was this catchy tune that instructs you to take your partner by various body parts and do things to them. I don't think this was meant to start a dance craze. I should hope they weren't looking forward to people grabbing each other's ears and sticking jewelry in each other's facial orifices. Although who knows, maybe they were creepy that way.
32 - "Doctor! Doctor!" Thompson Twins
The unrelated three-person "twins" had their third American hit with this slow burner about how falling in love can feel like a fever. I might actually like this better than "Hold Me Now," "Lies," or anything else they've done. There's a hypnotic quality to it.
33 - "What is Love," Howard Jones
Jones' follow-up to "New Song" was this synthpop track that questions of the nature of romantic love. I probably have it #2 for him behind "No One is to Blame."
35 - "No Way Out," Jefferson Starship
The last hit this band had before dropping the "Jefferson" was this rock tune about trying to get away with straying in a relationship. I think that's it. Actually, it's a good song for them. Don't ask me to explain the video, though. A mustachioed Mickey Thomas enters a weird house where Grace Slick is some kind of bizarre variation of a nun, and then he goes to confession with Father Guido Sarducci, and then another mustachioed guy is lying in bed curling a barbell in front of a dancing Asian woman. It's art, I guess.
37 - "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)," The Icicle Works
This Liverpool band's only major hit is this shimmering, stomping New Wave number that seems to be about how people are looking for direction in life. Regardless, it's one of those songs that's probably better remembered than many bigger hits, and deservedly so.
39 - "Don't Walk Away," Rick Springfield
The third hit from the Hard to Hold soundtrack is this power ballad about trying to convince someone you love them in spite of their faults and failings. It's okay, but the saxophone is more distracting than enhancing. That happened a lot in the 80s.
40 - "Music Time," Styx
The Bob Seger of Chicago's last 80s hit was the lone studio track from their live album Caught in the Act. As I've said before, this is even more of a Devo ripoff than "Mr. Roboto." And the lyrics are just Dennis DeYoung listing off things he likes. And somehow, I like this a lot. Apparently, Tommy Shaw didn't, though. I see his point, but I still think it's cheesily charming.
In Part Three: 1985-1988
July 12, 1980
25 - "The Empire Strikes Back (Medley)," Meco
Meco's second Star Wars-themed hit marked his second and final appearance in the Top 20. The usual discofication of the music, with added sound effects of lasers, lightsabers, Chewbacca, and R2D2. An interesting relic of its time.
34 - "Walks Like a Lady," Journey
The band's third Top 40 is this uncharacteristically jazzy strut with lyrics that are along the same lines as Bob Dylan's "Just Like a Woman." A cool little detour from big bold rock.
January 10, 1981
24 - "One Step Closer," The Doobie Brothers
The group's last hit with Michael McDonald was this tepid bit of MOR jazz-pop on which he shares lead vocals with saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus. Now that is a fantastic name, and easily the coolest thing I found looking this song up.
August 1, 1981
37 - "Don't Want to Wait Anymore," The Tubes
The first of two Top 40s by these San Francisco new wavers is a ballad about really desperately wanting to have sex with a woman, asking her to imagine them being the last two people on Earth, trapped in a frozen wasteland where they have to "make love to survive." The weirdest thing about it is it sounds much more like an 80s Chicago ballad that a song by the group that gave the world "White Punks on Dope" and "Don't Touch Me There." Oddly charming.
40 - "You're My Girl," Franke and the Knockouts
The middle hit by Mr. Previte and co. is uninspired, uninspiring corporate rock. Background music, at best.
June 12, 1982
10 - "It's Gonna Take a Miracle," Deneice Williams
The second solo hit for this native of Gary, Indiana was this cover of a 1965 R&B hit by The Royalettes. Silky soul about not being able to get over someone, co-produced by Philly soul legend Thom Bell. Good stuff, and I prefer it by a large margin over "Let's Hear It for the Boy."
Now that that's cleared up, let's move ahead.
February 26, 1983
33 - "The Woman in Me," Donna Summer
Donna's post-disco struggles continued with this seductive, breathless, pop ballad. It didn't get any higher than this, but I think it should have. She still sounded good on the radio, trends aside.
35 - "I'm Alive," Neil Diamond
Neil's last Top 40 to date was this pop-rocker that contrasts the harsh realities of life with the good things like flowers and babies, concluding that all in all, it's good to be breathing. Unabashed positivity, and far from an embarrassing way to go out, like his penultimate Top 40, "Heartlight," would have been.
36 - "The Clapping Song," Pia Zadora
One of the biggest punchlines of the early 80s, Zadora was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, and as a child appeared on Broadway and in the B-movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. In 1972, at the age of 18, she met 50-year-old Israeli businessman Meshulam Riklis. The couple married five years later, and Riklis then began using his considerable wealth to try and make Zadora an international star. In 1982, he financed her starring debut, Butterfly, which also featured among its cast Orson Welles and Ed McMahon. The movie bombed and was loathed by critics, but Zadora won a Golden Globe award for Best Female Newcomer for her performance. However, most believe that it was Riklis' extensive wining and dining of the Hollwood Foreign Press Asscociation that netted her the prize more than her acting. Shortly after that fiasco, Zadora appeared on the pop charts with this cover of a 1965 novelty hit by Shirley Ellis whose lyrics involve the death by misadventure of an alcoholic goose and a tobacco-abusing monkey, a girl who is denied a doll by her mother because she kissed a member of the military, and of course, clapping. I haven't heard Ellis' version, but as for this one...I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were financial enticements to DJs required to scrape it into the Top 40. I don't know this, of course, but listening to it...not good. Mediocre vocals over mediocre funk. Zadora's film career continued later in this year with The Lonely Lady, but its results were even more disastrous than Butterfly's, and her movie star dreams were dead. She's made some attempts at returns to recording, Broadway, and cabaret in the years since. She still never became a big star. but she divorced Riklis in 1993, and I imagine she's living pretty comfortably. Plus no one can take that Golden Globe away. But she didn't get the People's Global Golden Choice Award, losing out on that one to a real talent: Skip Bittman.
38 - "Tied Up," Olivia Newton-John
ONJ's penultimate Top 40 isn't as kinky as it sounds. It's just lite-funk about trying to figure out where a relationship stands. It's not bad, really. That voice can make me forgive a lot. And it's hard not to like a song with a flute solo.
40 - "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," Night Ranger
The San Francisco hard rock combo's first major hit is a sped-up rocker about not wanting a relationship to be more than physical. Arena-ready guitar soloing and keyboard flourishes abound. Brainless fun.
May 7, 1983
12 - "Even Now," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Our old friends the Styx of Detroit picked up another of their hits with this okay pop-rocker about a woman who remains his raison d'etre after all this time. He's done better, he's done worse.
15 - "Photograph," Def Leppard
The Sheffield pop-metallers made their American breakthrough with this song about lusting after a celebrity. The video features a Marilyn Monroe impersonator, but singer Joe Elliott has said that he wasn't writing about her specifically. No matter. A fantastic pop song, and the best thing they've done.
16 - "Rio," Duran Duran
The Brit heartthrobs' second American hit was this fluttery synthpop number about a hot lady whose name means "river" in Spanish. I'm not sure she could acually "dance across the Rio Grande," but no big deal. More good good pop from these boys.
22 - "Mornin'," Al Jarreau
The Milwaukee-born jazz singer's second pop hit was this airy number that makes it clear that he's an AM person, as he sings morning greetings to his radio, his bowl of cereal, a bird, a bridge, and the man who shines his shoes. Myself, I've always find it hard to get started before 11, so this song doesn't really jibe with me. But the animated video is kinda cool.
24 - "Welcome to Heartlight," Kenny Loggins
Unlike the similarly-titled Neil Diamond hit, this song has nothing to do with E.T. Rather, it's a pop-rocker about a peaceful, beautiful place. It's okay as Kenny's non-movie songs go, but the slight island accent he affects on this doesn't do much for me.
25 - "It Might Be You," Stephen Bishop
San Diego singer-songwriter Bishop's last Top 40 hit was this ballad about finding love at last that came from Tootsie, the movie where Dustin Hoffman dresses in drag to get a part on a soap opera. That's a movie I'm not so embarrassed to say I saw in a theater. As for the song, though, it's sappy dreck. I'd much rather hear "On and On,"
26 - "Some Kind of Friend," Barry Manilow
The Man(ilow)'s next-to-last Top 40 was this sees him trying to keep up with the times with drum machines and synthesizers on a song about a relationship with a woman who only wants him for his money. I think that's it. Actually, he doesn't embarrass himself, but still, this isn't Barry in his natural habitat.
29 - "Stranger in My House," Ronnie Milsap
The country star's last pop hit was this dark, bluesy tune about suspecting a lover of stepping out on him. Apparently, some country stations didn't play this because the guitar solo sounded "too rock," and that's why it didn't go to #1 on that chart. Their loss, because it's the best thing I've heard from him.
30 - "So Wrong," Patrick Simmons
The once-and-future Doobie Brother had his only American solo hit with this fair bit of funk-pop about starcrossed lovers. The funny thing is, I have no problem imagining Michael McDonald singing this.
35 - "I Couldn't Say No," Robert Ellis Orrall with Carlene Carter
Orrall, a Boston-area singer-songwriter, and Carter, the daughter of country singer June Carter and her first husband, both made their only pop chart appearances with this cool little duet about romantic tribulation. It's kind of new-wave/rootsy power-pop. I like it a lot. Both Orrall and Carter went on to have country hits in the 90s, and in 2006, Orrall co-wrote one song and produced other tracks for the debut album by one Taylor Swift.
39 - "Whirly Girl," Oxo
Angel Ledesma, formerly of the two-hit disco band Foxy, formed a new group in the early 80s, and managed one minor hit with this boisterous pop number about a girl who really gets around ("She's been with the Rolling Stones, on their tours and in their homes.") Fun, frivolous, fantastic.
40 - "Gimme All Your Lovin'," ZZ Top
The first of the band's Eliminator hits was this grinding sex boogie. But of course, it was all about the video. In it, a young man is working at a gas station on a long stretch of desert highway when three hot women pull up in that distinctive red 1933 Ford. After they fill up and get refreshments, they are about to leave when all of a sudden, the band appears, and they toss him a set of keys hooked to a silver "ZZ" keychain. He shows it to the women, and they let him into their car and take him for a ride (read into that what you will). Later, they return to the gas station and let him out. But then we find out that it was all a dream...or was it? When he awakens, he finds the keychain next to him, and then a familiar old car speeds by. So of course, the kid hops in his truck and follows. We never find out if he catches it. And somehow, this is what began ZZ Top's rise to multiplatinum superstardom.
July 9, 1983
36 - "White Wedding," Billy Idol
The U.K. punk-popster's second American hit that's about...well, some kind of nuptial ceremony. But Billy makes it sound so sinister, and the frequent use of the word "shotgun" indicate that it might not be exactly a fairytale romance being celebrated. Even though it only made it as high as its position this week, it's one of his best-remembered hits, and one of his best period.
February 4, 1984
19 - "Wrapped Around Your Finger," The Police
The band's final American hit was this pop-rock tune about how Sting feels he is manipulating the person who thinks he or she is manipulating him. Of course, he's all obtuse and literary about it, but that's Sting. And at this point in time, he was making that work.
22 - "Nobody Told Me," John Lennon
Just over three years after his death, Milk and Honey, an album of recordings that Lennon and Yoko Ono were working on for the follow-up to Double Fantasy, was released. The first single, and biggest hit, from the album was this loose rocker with silly yet possibly profound lyrics. Apparently, this was originally written for Ringo, but in the end, I'm glad it remained John's, and provided a bittersweet coda to his pop career.
29 - "New Moon on Monday," Duran Duran
The Duranies again, this time with a slinky bit of new wave funk. The lyrics are pretty inscrutable, with mentions of lizard mixtures and lonely satellites. But they're pretty irrelevant, because the song grooves along amaziingly. Possibly my favorite song of theirs.
33 - "Nightbird," Stevie Nicks
Stevie's seventh hit without Fleetwood Mac is the kind of airy, floaty pop-rock she's known for. So much so that one imagines that a "Stevie Nicks Song Generator" could have come up with it. That doesn't make it bad, just...typical, I guess.
35 - "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)," Quiet Riot
These guys' second and last Top 40 was this ode to violently moving one's cranium to and fro using the neck. My brother used to do this quite a bit at concerts, and he says yes, it can cause aches and pains afterward. But you must make sacrifices for The Metal. Anyway, okay song, and nice to see they managed a hit without having to cover Slade.
36 - "This Woman," Kenny Rogers
Kenny's last solo pop hit was this Barry Gibb co-written tune on which he tells his ex how good he's got it with his new lover. Barry's backup vocals are instantly recognizable. Not country at all, but a decent enough pop song.
38 - "The Dream (Hold On to Your Dream)," Irene Cara
Cara's next-to-last hit was this inspirational dance-popper from D.C. Cab, a movie about Washington taxi drivers that featured Mr. T. and Gary Busey. Neither are very well-remembered, and I can't say that's an injustice of any kind.
March 31, 1984
27 - "New Song," Howard Jones
Jones' first hit was bouncy synthpop tune about looking at the world through different perspectives and "throw(ing) off your mental chains." I don't think many people will still admit to liking his stuff, but I think he was an underrated figure in 80s pop.
31 - "Let's Stay Together," Tina Turner
The seeds for Tina's 80s comeback were first sown when she appeared on a cover of The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" by the British production team B.E.F. This led to a deal with Capitol records for a single, which turned out to be this B.E.F.-produced version of Al Green's 1971 charttopper. Turner gives a powerful performance that didn't make anyone forget Al, but still showed she still had the goods. The single only reached #26 in the U.S., but it was a U.K. Top Ten, and that convinced the label to let her do a whole album. And the rest is history.
June 9, 1984
26 - "Magic," The Cars
The second single from the band's Heartbeat City LP was this summery pop-rocker about the power of love and stuff. Just good catchy stuff, nothing more, nothing less.
31 - "Dance Hall Days," Wang Chung
The second American hit by these Brit New Wavers was this catchy tune that instructs you to take your partner by various body parts and do things to them. I don't think this was meant to start a dance craze. I should hope they weren't looking forward to people grabbing each other's ears and sticking jewelry in each other's facial orifices. Although who knows, maybe they were creepy that way.
32 - "Doctor! Doctor!" Thompson Twins
The unrelated three-person "twins" had their third American hit with this slow burner about how falling in love can feel like a fever. I might actually like this better than "Hold Me Now," "Lies," or anything else they've done. There's a hypnotic quality to it.
33 - "What is Love," Howard Jones
Jones' follow-up to "New Song" was this synthpop track that questions of the nature of romantic love. I probably have it #2 for him behind "No One is to Blame."
35 - "No Way Out," Jefferson Starship
The last hit this band had before dropping the "Jefferson" was this rock tune about trying to get away with straying in a relationship. I think that's it. Actually, it's a good song for them. Don't ask me to explain the video, though. A mustachioed Mickey Thomas enters a weird house where Grace Slick is some kind of bizarre variation of a nun, and then he goes to confession with Father Guido Sarducci, and then another mustachioed guy is lying in bed curling a barbell in front of a dancing Asian woman. It's art, I guess.
37 - "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)," The Icicle Works
This Liverpool band's only major hit is this shimmering, stomping New Wave number that seems to be about how people are looking for direction in life. Regardless, it's one of those songs that's probably better remembered than many bigger hits, and deservedly so.
39 - "Don't Walk Away," Rick Springfield
The third hit from the Hard to Hold soundtrack is this power ballad about trying to convince someone you love them in spite of their faults and failings. It's okay, but the saxophone is more distracting than enhancing. That happened a lot in the 80s.
40 - "Music Time," Styx
The Bob Seger of Chicago's last 80s hit was the lone studio track from their live album Caught in the Act. As I've said before, this is even more of a Devo ripoff than "Mr. Roboto." And the lyrics are just Dennis DeYoung listing off things he likes. And somehow, I like this a lot. Apparently, Tommy Shaw didn't, though. I see his point, but I still think it's cheesily charming.
In Part Three: 1985-1988
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