Sunday, August 25, 2013

"Lovers After All" by Melissa Manchester and Peabo Bryson

Song#:  0510
Date:  02/28/1981
Debut:  88
Peak:  54
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Manchester's previous self-titled album didn't fully meet expectations with its two main singles barely scraping the Top 40. Her next album, "For the Working Girl," got off to a very rocky start as the first single, "If This Is Love," did not even make the pop chart (although it did reach #19 AC). This second single got a little more attention, but its half-chart peak didn't do much to promote the album and it became her lowest-charting album since her second one in 1974.

ReduxReview:  Manchester co-wrote this song and it is better than the first single, but it still doesn't sound like hit material. This slightly R&B/jazzy SoCal tune is quite nice and romantic with Bryson providing good support, but I just can't imagine the phones lines and the radio station were buzzin' for this.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Although Peabo Bryson was the featured singer on The Michael Zager Band's #94 entry "Do It with Feeling" in 1975, this duet was Bryson's first full credit pop chart entry. Bryson had been hitting on the R&B chart since 1975 and already had three Top 10 hits. It would take another decade before he finally reached the pop Top 10 on another duet, "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion.  2) Initially, there was talk of a film based on the title track to Manchester's album (co-written with Bernie Taupin). It would be called "Working Girl" and Manchester would have a role in the film. It never came to fruition, but a different film with the same title starring Melanie Griffin did come out in 1988 and it featured an Oscar-winning song by Carly Simon, "Let the River Run."

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