Song#: 1119
Date: 07/31/1982
Debut: 88
Peak: 78
Weeks: 5
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: Denver got his last pop Top 40 entry with "Shanghai Breezes" (#31), the first single from his last gold-selling studio album "Seasons of the Heart." This title-track follow-up would be his last solo effort to reach the chart. It remained in the bottom part of the chart for a few weeks but lasted a bit longer on the AC chart where it reached #23. Denver would continue to record albums up until the time of his death in 1997. His final studio album, "All Aboard!," was released two months prior to his death and would end up winning him a posthumous Grammy award for Best Musical album for Children.
ReduxReview: I think the sax sections are about the only thing interesting on this song. Other than that, it's a pretty standard folk-leaning ballad that is ultimately forgettable. Denver's music was definitely not in favor by this time and even AC listeners were beginning to abandon him. He would switch back to more country-flavored material and grab a couple of hits on the country chart ("Wild Montana Skies," #14, 1983, and "Dreamland Express, #9, 1985), but his heydays were definitely over.
ReduxRating: 3/10
Trivia: One of Denver's hobbies was that of a pilot. He logged over 2,700 flight hours and flew several types of aircraft. On October 12, 1997, he was flying a small experimental plane alone when it crashed into Monteray Bay by Pacific Grove, California. Denver was killed in the crash. The NTSB report stated the leading cause of the crash was the pilot's inability to safely switch fuel tanks. The handle was not easily accessible (it was placed behind the pilot) and the attempt to reach and turn the handle most likely caused Denver to lose control of the plane. A plaque dedicated to Denver rests on a rock near the crash site.
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