Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 2464 Date: 09/14/1985
Debut: 57
Peak: 2
Weeks: 21
Genre: Soft Rock, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: After Frey's "Smuggler's Blues" became a #12 hit thanks to its use in the hit TV show Miami Vice, Frey was asked to provide a new song for the show and its upcoming soundtrack. Frey and his co-writer Jack Tempchin came up with this tune that would be used in the two-hour second season premiere episode titled "Prodigal Son." The song was issued out as a single and it reached the top of the Rock chart while nearly doing the same at Pop and AC (#2). It would end up being Frey's biggest hit as a solo artist. With this song and Jan Hammer's "Miami Vice Theme" riding in the Pop Top 10 at the same time, the soundtrack album bolted to #1 and stayed there for eleven non-consecutive weeks.
ReduxReview: Much like his Eagles bandmate Don Henley getting the atmosphere just right on his recent hits like "Sunset Grill," Frey sets the perfect tone with this track. The noir-ish mood and lyrics fit right in with the TV show. I love the song's mysterious, gritty street feel and it sounds like something that could easily be made into a short film. As evidenced by the peak, this was Frey's top moment as a solo artist.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: Although Frey did not appear in the episode of Miami Vice that used this song, he did appear in the one that used "Smuggler's Blues." It was Frey's first acting gig. He played "Jimmy Cole," a pilot/smuggler who just happened to also like playing guitar. Frey basically kept to his day job but did a few acting gigs including recurring roles on Wiseguy (1989) and South of Sunset (1993). He also had a small role in the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire where he played the general manager of a baseball team.
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