Tuesday, January 5, 2016

"West Coast Summer Nights" by Tony Carey

Song#:  1511
Date:  07/02/1983
Debut:  91
Peak:  64
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Carey's second solo album, I Won't Be Home Tonight, was moving a few units thanks to the title track, which reached #8 Rock and #79 Pop. This second single did a little better at Pop, but unfortunately missed the Rock chart completely. The album was originally recorded and released the previous year and by the time it caught on, Carey's label, Rocshire, was closing up shop due to the death of its promoter and an embezzlement investigation. Luckily, he got signed to Geffen and began work on his third solo LP and his other project, Planet P, who would reached #64 with the single "Why Me."

ReduxReview:  This is a fun charging song with the right feel and title for an evening cruise in a convertible. It was a great candidate for hitting the Top 40, but I think all the issues with his label probably hindered promotion. The fact that it even got on the chart and the video got airplay on MTV was most likely considered a win at the time. It's a lost song that needs to get dug up on your next windows-down joyride.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Carey joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in 1975 and stayed with them until 1977. He would end up revisiting the Rainbow catalog later in 2008 when a few former Rainbow members got together along with Blackmore's son Jurgen to tour and perform Rainbow songs. Called Over the Rainbow, the band had tour dates lined up in Russia and Europe. On a leg of the tour, Carey fell ill and had to drop out of the band. It ended up that he had a severe form of bladder cancer. After weeks of treatment, Carey made a full recovery. Oddly, one of his old Rainbow bandmates, Ronnie James Dio, died from stomach cancer not long after Carey's recovery.

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