Saturday, November 19, 2016

"Sail Away" by The Temptations

Song#:  1855
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  85
Peak:  54
Weeks:  8
Genre:  R&B

Pop Bits:  The Temptations had been having a rough time of it for a while. Since 1977, they had only been able to score one R&B Top 10, 1982's #6 "Standing on the Top, Pt. 1" that featured Rick James, and their last Pop Top 40 entry was in 1975. In addition, tensions in the group had people coming and going, which prevented a steady line-up. After a successful performance on the Motown 25 special and a popular concert captured on video, the time seemed right for a return. They set out to record the album Back to Basics, which was mostly co-written and produced by Norman Whitfield, the man who ushered the Temps through their biggest hits in the late 60s/early 70s. Whitfield hadn't worked with the group since 1973, so the prospect of teaming up once again seemed like a great idea. The LP's first single, "Miss Busy Body (Get Your Body Busy)" was pretty much a non-starter stalling at #67 R&B. However, this second single gave them a little glimmer of hope by getting to #13 at R&B, #17 AC, and almost over the halfway point at Pop. It wasn't a smash hit, but it was their best showing since 1980.

ReduxReview:  It's just too dang easy to call this single breezy especially since the opening contains ocean sounds, yet that word does a good job describing the song. The relaxing tune has an older R&B vibe that is expertly guided by the Temps' background vocals. It was a good fit for AC, but it was probably a bit too laid back and subtle for Pop. It's a lovely song that I could easily hear in the background while sipping margaritas by the beach.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This single featured lead vocals by Ron Tyson. Tyson had recently joined the group after member Glenn Leonard, who had joined them in 1975, was fired. Dennis Edwards, who sang the lead on many of the Temptations hits, had rejoined the group in 1980 after being gone for three years. He sang lead on the "Miss Busy Body" single along with other songs on the album, but he would be dropped from the band for a second time following the album's release and replaced by Ali-Ollie Woodson. Woodson would assume many of the lead vocal duties, but like a lot of Temptation members, he also got fired from the band. He would only be gone for two years before rejoining them.


Friday, November 18, 2016

"There's No Easy Way" by James Ingram

Song#:  1854
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  89
Peak:  58
Weeks:  10
Genre:  R&B, Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  By the time Ingram's debut solo album It's Your Night arrived, he had already been on the Pop chart collaborating with stars like Quincy Jones and Patti Austin. The time finally came for him to issue his first true solo single. "Party Animal" was the album's second single, yet it failed to make the Pop chart. The LP's next single would get him back on the Pop chart, but once again it was in duet fashion - the #19 "Yah Mo B There" with Michael McDonald. It left Ingram still looking for a solo effort to make the Pop chart. He finally got one with this song. Although it would peak in the lower half of the chart, it would be the first one to be credited solely to him. The song would have better luck at AC (#7) and R&B (#14).

ReduxReview:  The upbeat "Party Animal" couldn't score, so why not go back to ballad mode? This Barry Mann composed tune seemed to connect at AC and R&B, yet I think it was just a bit too adult and sentimental for Pop radio. Although it's a pretty tune, frankly I can't distinguish it from any other mediocre 80s AC/Pop ballad of the day. Ingram is a fantastic singer and he makes the best of fairly pedestrian material. Ingram should have been a much bigger star, but I think he was held back by a lot of sub-par material. When he is matched with something great like "Just Once," it can be brilliant. With songs like this, he blends in with the pack and becomes forgettable.

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  Another solo single from the album, "She Loves Me (The Best That I Can)," was released. Once again, R&B (#59) and AC (#19) gave it some attention, but it failed to reach the Pop chart. Ingram would actually have to wait until the new decade to finally score his second solo Pop chart hit - and it would be a big one. In 1990, Ingram released the big ballad "I Don't Have the Heart." It was the fourth single from his album It's Real and it would end up topping the Pop chart while hitting #2 at AC and #53 R&B. It would be his biggest Pop hit and only solo #1 on any chart. Alas, it would also be his final solo entry on the Pop chart.


"Blue Light" by David Gilmour

Song#:  1853
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  90
Peak:  62
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  For English musician Gilmour, his first bands were not enjoying any success and by 1967, he and his bandmates were flat broke with no prospects. Luckily, some old connections came in handy and Gilmour was asked to join the band Pink Floyd. That band had just scored a Top 10 debut album in the UK (the psychedelic rock classic The Piper at the Gates of Dawn) under the guidance of co-founder Syd Barrett. However, Barrett's use of LSD and other issues led to the rest of the band not wanting to work with him. They came to an agreement that Barrett would leave the band and it was Gilmour that was there to take his place. With Gilmour taking on lead vocal duties and writing/co-writing many of the songs along with Roger Waters, the band continued to be highly successful in the UK while starting to grab a following in the US. It all culminated in their massive 1973 classic LP Dark Side of the Moon, which remains one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Prior to that in 1978, Gilmour though he had more to offer than what he could do via Pink Floyd and issued a self-titled solo album. Although it featured no charting singles, his ties to Pink Floyd helped make it a gold-seller. After Floyd's second huge album, 1980's The Wall, things started to fall apart within the band. Their follow-up LP, The Final Cut, ended up all written and mainly sung by Roger Waters. It set Gilmour's creativity aside and he responded by recording a second solo disc title About Face. Again, it would be gold certified, but this time around his songs got a little chart action. "All Lovers Are Deranged" reached #10 at Rock while "Murder" (which was about John Lennon's murder) got to #13. Then, this single did well enough at Pop to get on the chart for a few weeks (and #35 Rock). It would end up being his only song to hit the Pop chart. Gilmour would end up taking over Pink Floyd once Roger Waters departed in 1985.

ReduxReview:  If Pink Floyd turned into a pop/rock band and collaborated with Phil Collins, this is probably what they would sound like. Based on this tune, I think it might have worked just fine. The opening guitar lick is very Floyd sounding, but then it moves into an exciting rock tune with organ, sax, and horns. It doesn't necessarily have a hooky chorus, but this thing chugs along nicely and consistently draws you in. It's not a great single, but it is a solid song from Gilmour who showed that he could move his prog rock into more commercial territory.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) It would be twenty-two years before Gilmour would release another solo album. In 2006, Gilmour issued On an Island and it reached #1 in the UK. It would also go Top 10 in the US hitting #6. A follow-up album in 2015, Rattle that Lock, would do about the same - #1 UK, #5 US. Even though both albums reached the US Top 10, neither sold well enough to hit the gold level.  2) For two songs on the album, Gilmour teamed up with another musician who was having is own creative issues with his band. Pete Townsend of The Who contributed lyrics to two of Gilmour's songs - the Rock chart hit "All Lovers Are Deranged" and "Love on the Air." The latter song was chosen as the album's second single, but it failed to chart.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

"My Ever Changing Moods" by The Style Council

Song#:  1852
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  92
Peak:  29
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop

Pop Bits:  After the British mod-revival rock band The Jam broke up in 1982, lead singer/songwriter Paul Weller recruited keyboardist Mick Talbot for his new band The Style Council. Initially, it was just the duo that formed the band, but they would later hire on other members. Their first single in 1983, "Speak Like a Child," was a #4 hit in the UK and they grabbed a #3 with "Long Hot Summer." While the singles did nothing in the US, an EP of their first recordings was issued in the States and found its way onto the Album chart (#172). With a foundation to build upon, the Council then recorded their first full album, Café Bleu. This song served as the first single from the album and it reached #5 in the UK. It would help send the album to #2. However, what was unusual is that the single version of the song was done with a full band while the version that appeared on Café Bleu was an acoustic vocal/piano version. The full-band single made it across the pond to the US and started to catch on. Eventually it would reach the Pop Top 30 while going to #34 AC, #52 Rock, and #88 R&B. Due to the success of the single, an altered version of Café Bleu was issued in the US under the title My Ever Changing Moods. It had an altered line-up of songs that included replacing the acoustic version of this song with the full-band single version. It would be their best effort in the US reaching #56.

ReduxReview:  Easy, breezy, beautiful...Cover Girl! This would be a good song for a photo shoot, but it's much better than just background music. For me, when this came out and I first heard it on the radio, it was something fresh and interesting. I fell for it right away and got the single. Oddly, I never dove into their albums. I've since listened to some of their music and Café Bleu is quite good. It's a bit eclectic, but it works. The acoustic version of this song is lovely and dreamy, but I prefer this full-band single version.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Although The Jam and Paul Weller were huge in the UK, neither really broke through in the US. The Jam got nine Top 10 singles in the UK, including four #1's, and a solo Weller grabbed five Top 10's. All of Weller's twelve solo studio LPs reached the Top 10 with four of them hitting #1. By contract, neither The Jam nor Weller were able to get on the US Pop singles chart. Their albums didn't fare that well either. The Jam landed three on the chart with the best getting to #72, while only one of Weller's albums charted. That makes this Style Council single and the Café Bleu album the best Weller was able to do in the US.


Wednesday, November 16, 2016

"Hands Across the Sea" by Modern English

Song#:  1851
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  93
Peak:  91
Weeks:  3
Genre:  Rock, New Wave

Pop Bits:  This UK band gained a small US following thanks to their #7 Rock hit "I Melt with You" (#78 Pop), which was also featured in the 1983 movie Valley Girl. It set them up for an even bigger breakthrough with their third LP Ricochet Days, but unfortunately this first single couldn't build on their previous hit's success and it stalled at #24 at Rock while barely making a blip on the Pop chart. In their UK homeland, the track was a non-starter and it failed to even make an appearance on the chart. The band would issue one more album before splitting up. A reformed version of the band would surface in 1990 for the album Pillow Lips, which featured a newly recorded version of "I Melt with You" that got to #76 on the Pop chart and #25 Dance.

ReduxReview:  This is a pleasant little ditty with a college-radio, Brit new wave slant, but it's nowhere near as memorable as the instantly hooky "I Melt with You." However, the more I hear it, the more I like it. I just don't think it's single-worthy. Once they established themselves as potential hitmakers, the band really needed something better to reel in listeners. This one wasn't going to do it.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The band's album Ricochet Days featured appearances by Kate St. John and Nicky Holland. Those two musicians along with Virginia Astley became The Ravishing Beauties. Although they would never record an album, the trio would perform on albums by bands like Echo & the Bunnymen and Siouxie & the Banshees. The trio came to an end with each member going on to other projects. St. John would become a member of The Dream Academy, who scored the Top 10 hit "Life in a Northern Town" in 1985. Holland would continue to do studio work in addition to songwriting. She has penned songs for Cyndi Lauper, Oleta Adams, and Tears for Fears. Astley embarked on a solo career and has recorded several albums. Her brother Jon would grab a #7 Rock hit in 1987 with "Jane's Getting Serious."


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

"Jimmy Loves Maryann" by Josie Cotton

Song#:  1850
Date:  04/07/1984
Debut:  95
Peak:  82
Weeks:  4
Genre:  Pop, New Wave

Pop Bits:  Cotton got some attention when "He Could Be the One," from her debut LP Convertible Music, made it to #74 on the Pop chart. A small part in the movie Valley Girl singing her controversial tune "Johnny Are You Queer?" also helped get her into the spotlight. It set her up well for her follow-up album From the Hip. This first single got things started, but the song didn't catch on and it disappeared quickly after a month on the Pop chart. The lack of a hit doomed the album and soon after Cotton was left off the Elektra roster. Although her Pop chart days were over, she would continue to perform and record over the years. Her song "Johnny Are You Queer?" creeps up every now and then in films and TV shows (it was used in a second season episode of Glee).

ReduxReview:  I loved the original version of this song (see below) when I was a kid, so I really wanted to hear Cotton's take. I lucked out and the local used record store had a cut-out of the album for sale and I bought it. I thought the new wave-ish update of the groovy soft rock original was pretty great and I thought it had a good chance to be a hit. Sadly, for whatever reason it stalled early and vanished. It deserved a better fate, as did Cotton. I really liked her retro-girl look and sound. She was a good songwriter as well.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This is a cover of a song originally done by the band Looking Glass. Their 1973 original version was the first single lifted from the group's second (and last) album Subway Serenade. The song, with a slightly different title of "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne," peaked at #33 on the Pop chart and #16 AC. It was their second and final Pop chart entry. Looking Glass were more known for their big #1 hit, 1972's "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)." A year or so later, Barry Manilow was recording a cover version of Scott English's tune "Brandy." Not wanting to get his song confused with the recdent Looking Glass hit, Manilow then change the title of the song to "Mandy." That single would also get to #1 in 1974.


Monday, November 14, 2016

"I'm Stepping Out" by John Lennon

Song#:  1849
Date:  03/31/1984
Debut:  82
Peak:  55
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  The John Lennon/Yoko Ono album Milk & Honey, put together by Ono after Lennon's death, featured "Nobody Told Me," a posthumous single release by Lennon that found it's way to #5 on the Pop chart. A follow-up single was inevitable and this lead-off track from the album was selected. Unfortunately, it just didn't connect as well with listeners and it peaked before it could get inside the top half of the Pop chart. Rock radio wasn't really all that interested either and it stopped at #34. However, it wouldn't be the last time Lennon would be on the Pop chart. In the mid-90s, three Beatles tracks would get on the chart, including the #6 "Free As a Bird," and in 1988, "Jealous Guy," a track that originally appeared on Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, was issued as a single to promote the documentary film Imagine: John Lennon. The song would get to #80 Pop and #22 AC.

ReduxReview:  I was never a big fan of Lennon's post-Beatles work. He did have some terrific songs along the way, but in general I didn't connect with his music. I was always more McCartney than Lennon. Although "Nobody Told Me" was fine, this song just doesn't do it for me. I think the problem stems from it being an unpolished demo and despite the studio work done by Ono & Co., it still sounds unfinished. I do think there is a song existing in here somewhere and it would have been interesting to hear a fully completed version, but as-is the tune sounds unformed and incomplete. Even though it plays more like an idea than a song, Lennon may have been on to something good here. Sadly, we will never know.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  The Milk & Honey album includes the track "Grow Old with Me," which was originally intended for the Lennon/Ono LP Double Fantasy. The song was demoed, but due to time constraints it did not get fully recorded for the album and Lennon's intentions were to complete it for the next LP. Sadly, that did not happen due to his murder. Later in 1994, Ono sent Paul McCartney four songs that Lennon wrote and demoed, including this one. McCartney and the remaining Beatles, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, began to rework the recordings in order to create new songs to be included on an upcoming Beatles anthology series. Using Lennon's original vocals and piano work as the base, the other Beatles and producer Jeff Lynne worked up from there to finish off the songs. From the sessions, two tunes were completed - "Free As a Bird" and "Real Love." Both would be released as singles by the Beatles and peak at #6 and #11 respectively. They attempted to rework "Grow Old with Me," but it was more complicated than the others and it just didn't work out. However, it is rumored that the attempted recordings of the song exist, but who knows where. The song was redone in 1998 in a version that was orchestrated by the Beatles producer George Martin. It appeared on a Lennon anthology box set that year.


Sunday, November 13, 2016

"Communication" by Spandau Ballet

Song#:  1848
Date:  03/31/1984
Debut:  85
Peak:  59
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Soft Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul

Pop Bits:  After scoring a Top 10 with "True" (#4) and a Top 30 with "Gold" (#29), this British band tried to secure another hit with this third single from their album True. It got off to a good start, but then faltered and peaked short of the top half of the Pop chart. It would also be their only song to reach the US Dance chart (#58) in tandem with another album track, "Lifeline." The song would get to #12 in the UK. Although the album would fall short of gold certification, it still did well reaching #19.

ReduxReview:  This is a good song with a catchy chorus, but overall it just wasn't as strong at their previous two singles. The balance of the album was also filled out with some nice material, but "True" and "Gold" eclipsed them by far. Although they had the one big hit, it didn't necessarily translate to a loyal following in the US. I remember the band was scheduled to perform at my college, which had a large concert hall. I got a ticket, which was surprisingly quite up close, and I was excited to see them. However, they ended up cancelling due to very low ticket sales. I was bummed, but looking back, it kind of made sense. They were not nearly popular enough to play a venue that size. A club would have been more appropriate.  In the UK, they could have easily filled most any theater. Still, they made a distinct and long-lasting impression around the world with "True."

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Two members of the band were brothers - Gary and Martin Kemp. Both brothers found themselves enrolled in a children's acting school and began to get roles in films and in TV programs. At one point, Gary decided to quit acting and focus on music. Eventually he would be a co-founder of Spandau Ballet. Early on when the band needed a bassist, Martin joined up. They both put acting aside until 1990 when they were offered the lead roles in The Krays. The Kemps portrayed real life twin brothers Ronnie and Reggie Kray, who were famous English gangsters in the 50s and 60s. The film was generally well-received and the Kemp brothers got good notices for their performances. In 2015, another biopic was made about the Kray brothers. Titled Legend, it starred Tom Hardy, who performed a dual role as both of the twins.