Saturday, April 12, 2014

"Mistaken Identity" by Kim Carnes

Song#:  0793
Date:  10/24/1981
Debut:  83
Peak:  60
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Carnes' third single, the title track from her album "Mistaken Identity," still couldn't follow in the shoes of the LP's mega-hit "Bette Davis Eyes"; even falling short of the Top 40. The choice of picking moody songs from the album to follow up her dark synthpop hit was probably not the best way to go. But by this time "Bette" and the album had already been to #1 and she had a Grammy in her hand, so probably didn't matter.

ReduxReview:  I always thought this was a great song, but perhaps a little too moody or subtle to really be a high charting single. It has a smokey, sensual feel about it that adds to the dark tone. It still remains one of my favorite tracks from the album.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Carnes' first song to reach a chart was in 1976 with a song she wrote called "You're a Part of Me," which was from her self-titled second album. While it didn't reach the pop chart, it did get to #32 on the AC chart. Two years later, the song was recorded as a duet between Carnes and singer/songwriter Gene Cotton for Cotton's album "Save the Dancer." It was issued as a single and the duet became Carnes first hit on the pop chart reaching #36. That same year, Anne Murray recorded a version that appeared on her first #1 country album "Let's Keep It That Way," but the song was not issued as a single.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, April 11, 2014

"I Wouldn't Have Missed It for the World" by Ronnie Milsap

Song#:  0792
Date:  10/24/1981
Debut:  85
Peak:  20
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Country Crossover, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Milsap finally got his first (and only) pop Top 10 with the #5 "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me." The song and album of the same name both reached #1 at country as did this follow-up single. At pop, the single just made the Top 20 while at AC it went to #3.

ReduxReview:  Here is another quality tune from Milsap and it probably should have sneaked into the Top 10, even if just for a week. While in this pop/country part of his career, he was knockin' out winners consistently. He would successfully return to more country-oriented fare in a few years, but during this period he and Eddie Rabbitt were chasing Kenny Rogers for the king of pop/country/AC crossovers title.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This song was co-written by the team of Dennis Morgan and Kye Fleming. The team wrote several #1 country hits for artists like Milsap (this song and "Smokey Mountain Rain"), Sylvia ("Nobody") and Barbara Mandrell ("Sleeping Single in a Double Bed"). In addition to his country hits, Morgan also teamed with Simon Climie and wrote the pop hits "Love Changes (Everything)" by Climie Fisher (#23, 1988) and the Aretha Franklin/George Michael duet "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" (#1, 1987)

_________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, April 10, 2014

"Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson

Top 10 Alert!
Grammy Alert
Song#:  0791
Date:  10/24/1981
Debut:  86
Peak:  5
Weeks:  22
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  After four consecutive gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums, Benson (who had been recording albums since 1964) issued the best-of compilation "The George Benson Collection." In addition to his hits and other essential tracks, the double-LP included two new songs. This single was one of those new tunes and it turned into another major hit for him. It was his fourth pop Top 10 and his second R&B #1. In addition to winning a Grammy for Best R&B Song, it also got Benson a nod for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.

ReduxReview:  I remember that the initial horn/flute lick at the beginning grabbing my attention right away. And then the smooth jam of this song kept going and just got better. During his pop/R&B phase, for me this was easily his best song. He is really a jazz musician at heart, but he perfectly channeled all that energy down to this radio-friendly hit. It's easily one of the best singles put forth by a jazz/pop crossover artist.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Back when Benson's focus was mainly jazz, he did a full album of Beatles tunes. All songs were pulled from their 1969 album "Abbey Road" with Benson titling his disc "The Other Side of Abbey Road." Recorded the same year that "Abbey Road" was issued, Benson's LP came out the following year to great reviews. It reached #18 on the jazz chart and became his second to cross over onto the pop album chart at #125.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"La La Means I Love You" by Tierra

Song#:  0790
Date:  10/24/1981
Debut:  89
Peak:  72
Weeks:  6
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  Tierra's previous album "City Nights" contained their #18 version of The Intruders song "Together." For their next album, "Together Again," they took the remake route again for this first single. It didn't pay off as well this time around as it barely made it out of the bottom quarter of the chart. Unfortunately, it would also be their last single to reach the pop chart. The group would continue to record albums over the years and remain a popular live act.

ReduxReview:  Tierra does a good with this R&B classic. They up the tempo slightly and add their horn section in a nice arrangement with the strings. The also add the chorus line to The Delfonics' (see below) other hit "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" (#10, 1970), which is a cool reference. It's a pleasant listen and it probably should have been supported a bit more at pop radio.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This song is a remake of the 1968 hit by The Delfonics. Written by Thom Bell and William Hart, the song reached #4 at pop and #2 R&B. It was the group's biggest charting hit. The song has been covered by many artists including The Jackson 5, Prince, Todd Rundgren, The Manhattan Transfer, and Laura Nyro. But the versions by The Delfonics and Tierra remain the only ones to reach the pop chart.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

"Controversy" by Prince

Song#:  0789
Date:  10/24/1981
Debut:  90
Peak:  70
Weeks:  11
Genre:  R&B, Funk



Pop Bits:  Prince Rogers Nelson signed to Warner Bros. and issued his debut album "For You" in 1978. Although not well-reviewed, the LP contained the #12 R&B hit "Soft and Wet" (#92 pop). He broke through to pop with his self-titled next album that featured the #11 "I Wanna Be Your Lover" (#1 R&B). His follow-up album "Dirty Mind" was critically hailed as a major work, but it lacked singles support with only "Uptown" going to #5 at R&B. He returned to the pop chart (and #3 R&B) with the title track to his next album, "Controversy." It was a bit of a transition album as it included songs with religious and political themes as well as his trademark graphically sexy tunes. It would be his second platinum-selling album and it set the stage for his next major work that truly turned him into a star.

ReduxReview:  Frankly, at the time I didn't even know Prince existed. So I missed all his early stuff until "1999" came out. And then like millions of others, I jumped on the bandwagon. When I did finally dig into his back catalog, this album was not a favorite. I could kind of see where he was going with it, but I just didn't think it really worked all together. "Dirty Mind" was short and focused and it really hit the mark. "Controversy" rambles a bit and tries a bit too hard. However, the one bright spot is this track. On the LP it rambles on far too long at 7+ minutes, but the single version is pretty terrific.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) At this point, Prince was still in the process of establishing himself as a major concert draw. When "Controversy" was released, his initial promotional performances were as an opening act for The Rolling Stones on some of their US stops.  2) Prince kind of became famous for using word abbreviations in song titles and lyrics as opposed to the whole words (like "4" instead of "for"). This album is where it all began with the song "Jack U Off."

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Snap Shot" by Slave

Song#:  0788
Date:  10/24/1981
Debut:  99
Peak:  91
Weeks:  7
Genre:  R&B, Funk



Pop Bits:  Slave followed up their gold-selling "Stone Jam" album that featured the single "Watching You" (#78 pop, #6 R&B) with "Show Time." The album was not quite as popular and this first single couldn't shovel itself out of the pop basement. However, it was another R&B Top 10 hitting #6. It would be the group's final pop chart entry.

ReduxReview: "Snap......EeeYooooooooooooo!" Well, that little chorus bit certain sticks in your head. And not really in a good way. It is just emphasized to the max. Again with Slave, it is good reliable funk but nothing outstanding for EeeYoooooooooooo! to hear.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Singer/drummer Steve Arrington had joined the group on their third album. "Show Time" would be his fourth and final with the group. He left to form his own band Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame and then go solo later in 1985. His biggest hit was as a solo artist with "Dancin' in the Key of Life" which reached #8 at R&B and was his only pop chart entry at #68.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by Diana Ross

Top 10 Alert!
Song#:  0787
Date:  10/17/1981
Debut:  56
Peak:  7
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  Ross' final hit with her home label Motown was the smash duet "Endless Love." With her contract done she moved on to RCA (who signed her for $20 million) and began work on her new album. It was supposed to be another collaboration with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, who directed her previous (and biggest) hit album "diana," but scheduling conflicts forced Ross to produce her own album within the timeline set by the label. The result was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" which featured this first title-track single. It helped the album reach platinum status, but it wasn't nearly as successful as her last Motown album. It would also be her last studio album to go platinum in the US.

ReduxReview:  This is certainly a pleasant enough song and single, but even though it did hit Top 10, I'm not sure it advanced Ross at all. I found it a bit of a disappointment after her great collaboration with Rodgers and Edwards. But I think she was under pressure to get something out, so this is what she came up with. It's nicely done; just a bit lackluster.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  This song is a remake of the 1956 hit by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. It reached #6 at pop and #1 at R&B. The song reached the chart another five times by Gale Storm (#9, 1956), The Diamonds (#12, 1956), Gloria Mann (#59, 1956), The Happenings (#41, 1967), and this Diana Ross hit.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Young Turks" by Rod Stewart

Top 10 Alert!
Song#:  0786
Date:  10/17/1981
Debut:  61
Peak:  5
Weeks:  19
Genre:  Rock, New Wave



Pop Bits:  After flirting with disco on his previous two albums, Stewart changed with the times again and incorporated elements of new wave and synthpop into some of his songs for the LP "Tonight I'm Yours." The new sound was received well with this first single getting into the Top 10 and the album reaching #11 and going platinum.

ReduxReview:  It was quite a switch from "Passion" to this. With disco dead, he had to do something different, so why not synthpop? I didn't connect with this song when it came out, however I appreciate it a bit more now. It still doesn't belong on any list of great Stewart songs, but it chugs along okay. Like a lot of synthpop of the time, it sounds a bit thin now. I always thought the cover of this LP was hilarious with a serious Stewart sporting a round, spiky mullet and the shadow in the background looks like some kind of dusting tool, shaving brush, or shadow of a Muppet as a reflection of his 'do. Way funny...

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) "Young turk" is an English slang term that basically refers to a teenage rebel. Although the term is used as the title of the song, it is actually never used in the lyrics.  2) The video for this song features breakdancing. It was the first instance of the dance style shown in a video on MTV.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, April 7, 2014

"Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)" by Kool & the Gang

Song#:  0785
Date:  10/17/1981
Debut:  67
Peak:  17
Weeks:  17
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  The Gang followed up their successful "Celebrate!" album, which featured the #1 "Celebration," with "Something Special." The LP would just miss the pop Top 10 reaching #12, but it got to the top spot at R&B becoming their second and last to do so. This first single got the album off to a slow start at pop by only getting into the Top 20, but like the album it reached #1 at R&B - their sixth.

ReduxReview:  Even though it went to #1 at R&B, this is one of their forgotten hits. Many of their other hits continue to live on and be heard, but this is one that has kind of gotten ignored. Done in a Stevie Wonder-ish shuffle, it chugs along pretty good. However, I think it just lacks the punch that some of their big dance hits had and is probably the reason it has gotten lost over the years.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The group was originally founded by Robert "Kool" Bell and his brother Ronald in 1964. Their original name was the Jazziacs but by the time they issued their debut album for De-Lite Records in 1969, the name evolved to Kool & the Gang.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Poor Man's Son" by Survivor

Song#:  0784
Date:  10/17/1981
Debut:  78
Peak:  33
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Survivor's second album "Premonition" gave them their first Top 40 single with this song. The tune gained the attention of many folks, but one person in particular loved the song and contacted the band - Sylvester Stallone. That call would eventually lead to Survivor's biggest hit the following year.

ReduxReview:  I think Survivor started to really hone in on their sound with this album and song. More direct and cohesive than the scattered single from their debut album "Somewhere in America" (#70), the tune is a good rocker with a pop-leaning edge that is good for radio. This song basically set them up for their further chart successes.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Some band names end up as logos that will appear on all their album covers and merchandise. For their "Premonition" album, the artwork had the band's name in a specific script style. The same logo would appear on their next five albums.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, April 6, 2014

"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" by Juice Newton

Top 10 Alert!
Song#:  0783
Date:  10/17/1981
Debut:  79
Peak:  7
Weeks:  24
Genre:  Country Crossover, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Newton's first two singles from her album "Juice" went Top 10 ("Angel of the Morning" #4, "Queen of Hearts" #2) and this third single followed suit. Although considered a country-leaning artist, she had yet to crack the Top 10 on the country chart. This song turned that around in a big way by becoming her first country #1. It also reached #1 at AC and is her only single to reach the Top 10 on all three charts.

ReduxReview:  If you wanna know how to do a big country/pop ballad, this is practically textbook. Well-written song, great arrangement, and a terrific vocal. For me, this is Newton's best song. A couple of her other songs seem to steal the spotlight over this one, but it really deserves to be the one that defines her career.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  Newton's old band Silver Spur had recorded this song for their 1975 debut album "Juice Newton & Silver Spur. Written by band member Oltha Young, it was not issued as a single at the time. Newton re-recorded it for her "Juice" album. However, this was not the song's first appearance on the country chart. Country singer Dottsy recorded a version in 1976 that reached #86 on the country chart.

_________________________________________________________________________________