Song#: 0501
Date: 02/21/1981
Debut: 88
Peak: 87
Weeks: 3
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: In 1978, Chris Thompson was fronting Manfred Mann's Earth Band (including lead vocals on their #1 "Blinded By the Light") and while working on their album "Watch," he met female background vocalist Stevie Vann. Thompson asked Vann to join his new group Night and together with producer Richard Perry, they released a self-titled debut album in 1979 that featured two Top 20 hits, "Hot Summer Nights" (#18) and "If You Remember Me" (#17, credited to "Chris Thompson & Night"). The latter was used as the theme to the movie "The Champ." This success led to a second album, "Long Distance," and this was the first single issued. The song couldn't find its way out of the chart basement and a year later the group disbanded. Thompson went back to Manfred Mann and also recorded several solo albums. He has worked with many other artists as both a musician and songwriter. Vann did a few solo recordings but mainly continued her work as a background vocalist and jingle singer.
ReduxReview: What is funny about this one is I listened to their two previous chart entries and was bowled over that I knew "If You Remember Me." I completely forgot about this song and had no idea who the artist even was for the song! What a blast from the past. Check it out if you don't remember it - you most likely will after hearing it. This single is a good piece of 70s AM rock radio and probably should have done a bit better than its paltry #87 peak.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Vann was married to producer Robert "Mutt" Lange and they were in a short-lived band called Hocus. They divorced later in the 70s, but remained friends. Lange became an in-demand producer working on major albums by Def Leppard and AC/DC. Vann and Lange remained friends and she sang background vocals on some Def Leppard recordings and he produced her 1995 solo album. Lange most famously discovered Shania Twain and produced her hit albums. They also married but were divorced by 2010.
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