Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 2940 Date: 11/22/1986
Debut: 96
Peak: 2
Weeks: 20
Genre: Southern Rock
Pop Bits: This Atlanta band began in 1980 as Keith and the Satellites, but after some personnel changes they eventually became the Georgia Satellites. The band recorded a six-song demo with producer Jeff Glixman, but it didn't attract any interest and in 1984 the band decided to call it quits. As members moved on to other bands and jobs, their manager kept hawking the demo and a small British label bit. They assembled the demo into an album and in 1985 released it as Keep the Faith. Suddenly, the disc started to attract attention and that led to band members Dan Baird (lead singer/songwriter) and Rick Richards (guitar) getting back together to revive the Georgia Satellites. Other larger labels started to take notice and in 1986 the band officially signed with Elektra Records. They retained Glixman as producer and began work on a self-titled debut album. By the fall, this first single would be issued out. The simple song with a retro-rock feel quickly became a hit at Rock getting to #2. Thanks to MTV pushing the associated video, the song crossed over to the Pop chart and made it to the runner-up position. People not only bought the single, but they purchased the album as well. It would get to #5 and later in '87 would receive a platinum sales certification.
ReduxReview: This song was built around a basic 12-bar blues pattern, which wasn't commonly heard in 80s pop chart music. Baird and the boys gave the classic staple a Southern rock twist with chunky, Stones-like guitars, good melodies, and memorable lyrics like the opening line and "no hug-ee, no kiss-ee." Add in a fun video for MTV and a left-field hit was born. Every now and then the old classic sounds come around again and it attracts a fresh, younger audience. The problem though is that the revival is usually short-lived, liked the Stray Cats' rockabilly moment. So the odds were against the band for having further hits, but at least they had this terrific single that would be a bar band staple for years to come.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: Producer Jeff Glixman broke through in the business when he produced/co-produced four albums for the rock band Kansas. He worked with the band first on their 1975 second LP Song for America and its 1977 follow-up Masque. But it was the band's next two albums that put them and Glixman on the map. 1976's Leftoverture and 1977's Point of No Return would both be quad-platinum Top 10 albums. Leftoverture featured the #11 gold record "Carry on My Wayward Son" while Point of No Return would include their classic #6 platinum record "Dust in the Wind." After four albums together, Kansas moved on to self-producer their next LP while Glixman worked with other artists. They would work together again on a live album in 1992 and then a new studio LP in 1995 titled Freaks of Nature. While he wouldn't server as producer, Glixman would mix a couple more of the band's studio albums.
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