Saturday, November 24, 2012

"Real Love" by The Cretones

Song#:  0151
Date:  05/03/1980
Debut:  98
Peak:  79
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Power Pop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  L.A.-based Cretones were signed to Richard Perry's Planet Records and release two album in the early 80s. Although they had a good following it didn't translate well to national sales or recognition. However, they became a cult band for power pop enthusiasts and at the time gained one very important fan - Linda Ronstadt. She used three songs from the Cretones debut album, "Thin Red Line," for her foray into new wave, "Mad Love." All three songs were written by band member Mark Goldenberg. This was their first single and the only one to hit the pop chart.

ReduxReview:  The Cretones are a really good band and they put out some good, catchy power pop. They should have caught on more than they did. In the link above, "Real Love" is followed by "Mad Love," which is one of the songs covered by Linda Ronstadt. I like the crunchy "Mad Love" a bit better, but both are good tunes and if they turn your crank, you should check out more of The Cretones.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  After the Cretones, Goldenberg went on to perform with several major artists, including Jackson Browne, and write songs for other artists. Among the hits he wrote or co-wrote are "Automatic" by the Pointer Sisters, "Along Comes a Woman" by Chicago, "Soul Kiss" by Olivia Newton-John, and "Novocaine For the Soul" by Eels.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

"Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)" by Paul McCartney and Wings

 #1 Alert!
 Gold Record Alert!
Song#:  0150
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  73
Peak:  1 (3 weeks)
Weeks:  21
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  Wings were in a bit of a holding pattern when McCartney retreated on his own to do some recording. The result became his second fully solo album "McCartney II." It was an immediate hit in the UK shooting to #1 and this first single hitting #2. The album was a bit of a departure as it found McCartney dabbling in synthesized sounds and techniques, almost giving it a new wave feel. "Coming Up" was also a smash in the US becoming McCartney's seventh post-Beatles #1. Unfortunately, it also signaled the end of Wings and McCartney would remain solo after this.

ReduxReview:  Not a lot of songs hit #1 in a live version, so this song is a bit unique - especially since it wasn't on the album it should be promoting (see below). But I clearly remember this being on the radio (and us singing along replacing the title with "throwing up"). I don't think I heard the studio version until years later. I like both, but in the end I think I prefer the studio version. It's a bit closed and claustrophobic and the recording technique reminds me of an old record from the 20s or 30s, along with some of the keyboard licks. I just find it a bit more interesting.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  When the single was released in the US, on the B-side was a live version of the song done in Glasgow on a Wings tour stop. This is the version which got promoted in the US. The album version was considered slight in sound with McCartney's voice in an altered state. The live version sounded fuller and had McCartney's real voice which the record company thought the US would prefer. And we did. The live version received the vast majority of airplay and since it was not included on the album, it boosted sales for the single. In its chart run, the song was initially credited as "Coming Up" by Paul McCartney, but after it peaked at #1 it was then listed as "Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)" by Paul McCartney and Wings. By comparison, here is the original album version:



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Thursday, November 22, 2012

"Here Comes My Girl" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Song#:  0149
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  80
Peak:  59
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Still riding high with "Damn the Torpedoes," the group released this third single from the now-classic album. Although the song didn't hit the Top 15 like the previous two singles, it was still a rock radio hit and showed a more sensitive side to Petty's music, especially when following the blistering "Refugee" single.

ReduxReview:  This is just excellent songwriting. Another stunner from "Damn the Torpedoes." I just love how he starts out talking over the riff, moves to singing and keeps increasing the tension and volume until the relief of the chorus hits. Wanna write a great rock song? Study this one kids...

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  When he was younger, Petty worked on the grounds crew at the University of Florida. Apparently while working there, he planted a lime tree. The tree is still there and is commonly known as the Tom Petty tree, although Petty has no recollection of ever planting anything there. Another odd job he did in the pre-fame days was working as a gravedigger - briefly.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

"Fool For a Pretty Face" by Humble Pie

Song#:  0148
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  85
Peak:  52
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Rock, Blues-Rock



Pop Bits:  This UK group was formed in 1969 by Steve Marriott after he left The Small Faces. Originally he intended to put together a group for Peter Frampton (who just had his first taste of success with The Herd), but Marriott put himself in the band and Humble Pie was formed. They had immediate success in the UK but it wasn't until their "Performance Rockin' the Fillmore" live album that they broke in the US. Frampton left before the album became a success but the group continued on and sold well until they disbanded in 1975. Marriott revived the group with a new line-up in 1979 and their first album together, "On to Victory," included this chart song.

ReduxReview:  From my understanding, this era of Humble Pie is not the best. I guess the early stuff with Frampton and their first album or so without him would be their musical peak. But really this ain't too bad for some blues-boogie.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  The term "heavy metal" to describe a music genre was at its infancy when Humble Pie was formed. One of the earliest known uses of the term in a publication was in a 1970 issue of Rolling Stone when Mike Saunders used "heavy metal" to describe the music on Humble Pie's debut disc and their self-titled album.

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"You're My Blessing" by Lou Rawls

Song#:  0147
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  88
Peak:  77
Weeks:  3
Genre:  R&B, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  The man who Frank Sinatra said had "the silkiest chops in the singing game," put songs on the pop and R&B charts for almost two decades beginning in 1965. Rawls initially worked in gospel vocal groups but broke out on his own in 1962 with the jazz album "Stormy Monday." For the next several albums he would do albums that incorporated jazz, R&B, gospel, and big band. In performance, he would captivate audiences with his songs and with story monologues. This was all captured in his breakthrough album "Live!" in 1965. The same year he recorded his first fully R&B album called "Soulin'" that spawned the hit single "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing." (#13 pop/#1 R&B). He would continue to do R&B records and eventually win three Grammys for Best R&B Performance. His biggest pop hit came in 1976 with the great "You'll Never Find Another Live Like Mine" (#2, gold). He would later move back to jazz and continue to release albums through 2003. He passed away in 2006.

ReduxReview:  This is a pleasant enough song in that R&B/AC vein that Rawls did so well. It has the Gamble/Huff pedigree (the famous Philly-soul writing team Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff), but it is not one of their stronger songs.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  After a stint in the army, Rawls went out on tour with Sam Cooke and the Pilgrim Travelers in 1958. A truck that he was in with Cooke got into an accident. One person was killed and Cooke escaped with minor injuries. Rawls was actually pronounced dead at the scene, but ended up at the hospital in a coma for five days. He fully recovered but it took a year for him to do so.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

"It Takes Time" by The Marshall Tucker Band

Song#:  0146
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  89
Peak:  79
Weeks:  3
Genre:  Southern Rock



Pop Bits:  MTB were one of the pioneers of Southern rock and were very successful throughout the 70s. They had five gold albums and two platinum and through relentless touring gained a large and loyal following. Their biggest pop hit was "Heard It In a Love Song" which hit #14 in 1977. Other than that, they never made much of an impact on the pop singles chart but it hardly mattered. They carved out a great spot for themselves and created a legacy in Southern rock that is still influential today. The original band broke up in 1983, but incarnations of the band have existed since and they are still touring. This song ended up being their last to hit the pop chart.

ReduxReview:  I don't get into much Southern rock. Some 38 Special and ZZ Top will usually be enough for me. I had not known too much about MTB except the "Heard It In a Love Song" single, which is a terrific song. So knowing they are basically Southern rock did not thrill me. However, I was surprised that I liked this one. It definitely has that So-rock vibe but it moves past that with a really nice chorus that takes an unexpected turn with its chord progression. The whole song is nicely written. Color me impressed. I'll have to check out more of their music.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The band's name is unusual because there is no Marshall Tucker in the band! They rented a warehouse as a rehearsal space and were discussing what the band's name should be. Someone noticed that the key to the warehouse had a tag on it with the name "Marshall Tucker." It was suggested to use that for the band name, which they did. They discovered years later that Marshall Tucker was a blind piano tuner who had rented the space before them for his business. The tag was left on the key when the band rented the space.  2) Soon after the album "Tenth" was recorded (which this is the first single from), co-founding member Tommy Caldwell was involved in an auto accident. He was hospitalized and died a few days later due to injuries. He died on April 28, 1980 - just two days after this last single debuted on the pop chart.

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"Shining Star" by The Manhattans

Top 10 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Grammy Winner Alert!
Song#:  0145
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  90
Peak:  5
Weeks: 25
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  This R&B vocal group put songs on the chart pop and R&B charts for 30 years beginning in 1965. They began as more of a doo-wop group in the 60's but they had the ability to change their sound with the times and continued to put out chart songs. Their biggest hit came in 1976 when "Kiss and Say Goodbye" hit #1 on the pop chart for two weeks. Their only other Top 10 pop hit was this gold record song, which should not be confused with Earth, Wind &Fire's #1 hit in 1975 of the same name. 

ReduxReview:  This is a terrific single. It hits you right off the bat with a great chorus and just continues with a mellow mid-tempo groove that is a pleasure to listen to.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) "Kiss and Say Goodbye" was the second single certified platinum when that level was introduced by the RIAA in 1976. (The first was "Disco Lady" by Johnnie Taylor.)  2) The group won the 1981 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for this song.

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Monday, November 19, 2012

"What's Your Hurry Darlin'" by Ironhorse

Song#:  0144
Date:  04/26/1980
Debut:  98
Peak:  89
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Randy Bachman, one of the founding members of Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO), left that group after their 1977 album "Freeways." He put one one solo album, "Survivor" in 1978, and then went on to form Ironhorse. The Canadian band had a minor hit in 1979 with "Sweet Lui-Louise" (#36) from their self-title debut album. It's success allowed them to get a second album out called "Everything is Grey." The sound on this album moved closer to pop than the rock found on the first album and the only song they could get on the chart was this tune. Ironhorse then had a personnel change and evolved into the group Union which released one album in 1981 called "On Strike."

ReduxReview:  This is a solid pop song that kind of reminds me of something the Moody Blues might have done. With Bachman powering the group I expected something a bit different, but this is a nice change of pace and I'm surprised it didn't do better on the chart. I could definitely hear this in the Top 40.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  If this song has an old rock n' roll sound that seems a bit familiar, there may be a reason. It was co-written by Bachman and Beach Boy Carl Wilson.

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"She's Out of My Life" by Michael Jackson

Top 10 Alert!
Song#:  0143
Date:  04/19/1980
Debut:  57
Peak:  10
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Jackson was setting new standards in music and chart action with his album "Off the Wall." With the release of this fourth single, it became the first album in chart history to feature four Top 10 hits. Some considered this song schlock while others hailed it as his best vocal performance. It has been said that in the studio Jackson did several takes on the song and each time he would end up emotional and crying. Producer Quincy Jones suggested leaving the vocals that way as it must be how it was supposed to be done since Jackson kept ending the song in the same emotional manner.

ReduxReview:  I go back and forth on this song. At times I think it is really a beautiful song and other times I think it is pure schmaltz and him crying at the end is just too over the top. I think I just have to be in the mood for this type of song. Today, I'm feeling okay about it. But check with me tomorrow...

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Quincy Jones had this song for a while and originally intended for it to go to Frank Sinatra. But then he thought is was the right time for Michael to record something like this and took the song to Jackson.  2) The song was written by Tom Bahler and it has been said that he wrote the song about Karen Carpenter, whom he dated. However, Bahler says he wrote it earlier than that time and it was more about the woman he dated before Carpenter. Bahler and his brother John have lent their voices to hundreds of recordings including TV shows, film soundtracks, commercial jingles, and pop songs. Although there is no exact proof or statistics, it's been said that the brothers have two of the most recorded voices in history.

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Sunday, November 18, 2012

"Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)" by the Isley Brothers

Song#:  0142
Date:  04/19/1980
Debut:  76
Peak:  39
Weeks:  9
Genre:  R&B, Quiet Storm



Pop Bits:  The Isley Brothers are one of the most successful groups in R&B history. Their first taste of success came in 1959 with their single "Shout (Part 1)," which at the time only peaked at #47 on the pop chart and didn't even hit the R&B chart. But since then, this iconic song has been covered by numerous artists and featured in movies like "The Blues Brothers." They continued to have chart hits through the 60s and 70s with their music becoming very influential in the quiet storm format of the mid-to-late 70s. Although the group's line-up would change over the years, they still charted in the 80s, 90s and 00's. All totaled they put 42 songs on the pop chart including three Top 10 hits. They were really at the peak of their popularity when they issued the album "Go All the Way" in 1980. This song was the lead single and it hit #1 on the R&B chart.

ReduxReview:  This is very slow and sexy. As the title of one of their last albums would say, this is "Baby Makin' Music." It's not really my style, but I definitely appreciate it. The song would be delicious background music for a romantic evening, but I can't imagine this on my iPod shuffle list.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The Isley's first chart single hit in 1959 and their last hit in 2003. They had singles on the chart in each decade in between. They are one of the very few artists who have put a song on the charts for six consecutive decades.

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