"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" by Michael Bolton

#1 Alert!

Grammy Alert!

Song#:  4085

Date:  10/28/1989

Debut:  89

Peak:  1 (3 weeks)

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  Upon release, Bolton's sixth album, Soul Provider, didn't look like it was going to do any better than his previous effort, '87's The Hunger (#48). The title track first single stalled inside the Pop Top 20 (#18) and that left the album initially peaking at #42. Hoping to turn things around, this ballad was released as the next single. It was the right choice as it finally broke Bolton through to the masses. The song would not only become Bolton's first Pop Top 10 hit, but it would be his first to reach #1 where it would remain for three weeks. Thanks to the hit, the album would rebound and start climbing up the chart. It would quickly go gold and then in February of '90 reach the platinum mark. With a third single, "How Can We Be Lovers?," getting to #3 Pop/#3 AC, the album would finally reach a peak of #3. The follow up single "When I'm Back on My Feet Again" would also reach the Pop Top 10 peaking at #7 (#1 AC). By the fall of '90, the LP would reach the triple platinum sales mark. Over time it would double that amount and sell over six million copies. This #1 single would earn Bolton his first Grammy award. He would win for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The LP's fifth single, a remake of the standard "George on My Mind" (#36 Pop/#6 AC) would earn Bolton a Grammy nod in the same category in the following awards cycle.

ReduxReview:  Nope. Just nope. There was nothing wrong with the song. I am just not a fan of Bolton's vocal delivery. This one was not quite as bad as his excruciating take on "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," but it still was a painful listen for me. Like many of his other tracks it always sounds to me like someone has Bolton's junk in a vice and in order to access his higher register, he has the person give a good squeeze so he can get up there. It truly sounds like Bolton is mewing in pain. To his credit, Bolton wrote a quality ballad and it was one I enjoyed when recorded by Laura Branigan. She also had a big voice, but she didn't overdo her vocal. She knew when to be expressive and when to be subtle. Bolton is about as subtle as a sledgehammer. Yet there were scads of folks who loved his nut busting delivery and he ended up at #1 with this tune along with a Grammy. It basically kickstarted Bolton mania, which lasted throughout most of the 90s, unfortunately.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) If you are going to do a remake, why not cover your own song? That is what Bolton did with this track. Written by Bolton and Doug James, the song was hawked and got picked up by Arista's Clive Davis who wanted to have Air Supply record it. However, Davis wanted changes to the lyrics/title. Bolton said no to Davis' request, which was pretty gutsy for a writer/performer who hadn't had a hit yet. Not surprisingly, Davis sent Bolton and the song packin'. Luckily, Atlantic Records picked up the tune and shuffled it over to Laura Branigan. She recorded it for her second album, '83's Branigan II. It would be issued out as the LP's second single and it would get to #12 Pop/#1 AC. It would be Bolton's first major hit as a songwriter. Six years later, Bolton chose to cover the song that helped him gain traction in the music business and it made him a solo star.  2) Of course, Bolton's career took off in a big way after this hit and Soul Provider. His next three studio albums would all become multi-platinum hits with '91's Time, Love and Tenderness becoming a career best effort that reached #1 and would eventually sell over eight million copies. Along the way he would grab four more Pop Top 10 hits including the Grammy-winning #1 cover "When a Man Loves a Woman." He would also earn seven more AC #1s.

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"Swing the Mood" by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers

Song#:  4084

Date:  10/28/1989

Debut:  91

Peak:  11

Weeks:  20

Genre:  Pop, Novelty

Pop Bits:  In the late 80s, UK DJ Les Hemstock began supplying mix tracks to Music Factory Masters, a company that would basically issue out albums specifically for DJs that contained "megamix" tracks - basically medleys of well-known songs by a specific artist or ones that reflected a theme. For their Issue No. 22 album that was released in '88, Hemstock assembled a mix of early rock 'n' roll hits framed around the Glenn Miller swing era classic "In the Mood." Hemstock's track, titled "Swing the Mood," proved to be a popular selection and so label owner John Pickles and his DJ son Andy decided to see what would happen if they made the track into a single. With the help of another DJ, Ian Morgan, the team decided to develop a sort of face or front for the song. They came up with an animated character called Jive Bunny to use as a promotional front and filled out the name of the act with The Mastermixers. With everything in place the single "Swing the Mood" was issued out in the summer of '89 in the UK. The novelty tune caught on and it ended up spending five weeks at #1 on the UK chart. With that success, a full album was called for and Jive Bunny: The Album was created and released. With the song doing so well in the UK, a deal was struck for US distribution. The single would end up doing quite well nearly cracking the Pop Top 10 while getting to #38 AC. A second single "That's What I Like" would become another #1 in the UK, but could only get to #69 US Pop. The album would be a #2 triple-platinum seller in the UK and a #26 gold seller in the US. Jive Bunny's popularity would swiftly dwindle in the US and the outfit would never chart again. However, a few more hits would follow in the UK.

ReduxReview:  The decade started with a hits mix of sorts with '81's "Medley" by Stars on 45, so why not end the decade with one? The difference being that the Stars on 45 single consisted of re-recorded versions of songs while "Swing the Mood" mostly used the real tunes (with minor exceptions where they could not obtain the rights and had to re-record pieces). Either way, this was not my cup o' tea. I recognized how this might be a crowd pleaser at an event or party, but it was definitely something I could hear once and then never hear again. I can't say that it is the worst medley mix ever concocted. It was well-crafted and had the right tunes that would attract an audience "of a certain age." As a novelty tune it wasn't awful. It just wasn't my thing. The Stars on 45 single was about the only one of these I ever really liked. Anything else that came along was like a rinse-n-repeat thing and they end up coming off as cheap, easy things to create and peddle in order to make a quick buck and I wasn't buying them. Others would quickly follow (again) like '90s "The Grease Megamix" that featured songs from the film. Luckily it was a short fad that tended to be relegated to the UK. I'm sure someday there will be another song medley that will rear its ugly head and the trend will start again, but I'm praying it won't happen.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Jive Bunny would follow up their pair of #1s with a third chart topper. "Let's Party" would reach the top spot over the Christmas holiday of '89. It was a one-off single as was the follow-up "That Sounds Good to Me," which made it to #4. The Jive Bunny project would quickly record a new album, It's Party Time" and get it out in '90. Its first single, "Can Can You Party," would be the outfit's last UK Top 10 reaching #8. A pair of Top 20s would follow and that helped the album get to #23 and go gold. But like a lot of similar acts, the novelty wore off quickly. A couple of Christmas themed albums would sell pretty well, but as the 90s wore on interest in the Jive Bunny mixes waned. Later in 2018, it was reported in the British tabloid The Mirror that "Swing the Mood" originator Les Hemstock would claim that he received next to nothing from the hit single or album and was going ahead with a lawsuit. It is unknown whether an actual suit was filed and if so, the outcome. Hemstock would continue to be a popular DJ over the years and achieve a bit of fame with collaborator Chris Jennings. Billed as Hemstock & Jennings, the duo would release a few trance/dance club hits. They would also co-write and be featured on the US #6 Dance hit "Nothing But You" with Paul Van Dyk (#14 UK). Hemstock would also branch out into acting and appear in a few films and TV shows

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"I Want You" by Shana

Song#:  4059

Date:  10/07/1989

Debut:  96

Peak:  40

Weeks:  23

Genre:  Dance-Pop, Freestyle

Pop Bits:  Shana Petrone grew up in the Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale area of Florida and began to sing with her family's church band at a young age. As she got older it seemed she got the itch to pursue a career in music and somehow got involved in Miami's freestyle scene. Still in her teens, she got hooked up with songwriter/producer Steve Gordon and recorded his track "I Want You." Put out on the indie Miami freestyle label Vision Records, the song caught on locally and then started to expand to other markets. The attention it got allowed the single to reach the Pop chart. Since the tune had a slow roll out causing it to catch on in different markets at different times, the single spent a lengthy time on the chart and would only be able to just make the Top 40. With the success of the song, an album was quickly recorded. Along with tracks by Gordon, Shana would get to record a couple songs with Exposé Svengali Lewis A Martineé. Once the album was ready, a second single "You Can't Get Away" was pushed out. It would not fare as well only getting to #82. However, thanks to "I Want You" Shana's debut album of the same name was able to scrape the chart at #165.

ReduxReview:  This is definitely some cheezy indie freestyle. The production sounds like it is from 1982 and the lyrics are so basic and bland. Shana can carry a tune and her voice sounds fairly strong, but she also sounds like a teen singer and the way she was recorded made her voice nearly piercing. Still, something about it grabbed some folk's attention and the tune somehow found its way to cracking the Pop Top 40. Unfortunately, nothing about this is music to my ears. When Shana switched to country late in the 90s (see below) the fit was much better. Her voice matured and the material she was doing was far, far better. It's too bad her country career didn't fully take flight. As for her freestyle era...yeesh...

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  It seems that after the modest success of her debut album, Shana did begin work on a second effort. Yet according to some sites and an interview, Shana wasn't really into the freestyle music she was tapped into doing and decided to withdraw from the scene. Apparently, country music was her first love and so over the next few years she started to work on rebranding her career. Eventually, she was able to grab a deal with Epic Nashville. In 1998, she would release her first single "Heaven Bound." It would get to #60 on the Country chart. A follow up, "This Time," would do a little better making it to #45. It seems that was enough for Epic to flip for a full album that was to be called Something Real. However, after the title track single stalled at #66, Epic decided to pull back their commitment and shelved the album. After her major label days ended, Shana moved to Chicago and started seeking work as a model and actress (she appeared in a national ad for Head & Shoulders). She also continued to write and perform music.

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"When the Radio Is On" by Paul Shaffer

Song#:  3993

Date:  08/12/1989

Debut:  97

Peak:  81

Weeks:  8

Genre:  Pop

Pop Bits:  This multi-talented singer, songwriter, musician, actor, conductor, etc., is perhaps best known for being David Letterman's bandleader and second banana, a job he held from 1982 through the end of Letterman's late show run in 2015. Born in Canada, Shaffer got his first break when he became the musical director for the Toronto production of Godspell, a show that featured pre-SNL/SCTV alums Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, and Andrea Martin. That gig led him to working on a Broadway show in New York and then a spot in the house band for Saturday Night Live. Save for a year, Shaffer would be with the show from '75 to '80. Not long after that, he got hooked up with Letterman. Over the years Shaffer would record with numerous artists, appear on TV shows and in films, and compose songs for others including the 1982 #1 Dance hit "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. However, the one thing Shaffer had not done was record his own solo album. That changed when Capitol Records issued out Shaffer's debut LP Coast to Coast. Recorded throughout '88 in multiple studios, Shaffer used his musical connections to get as many famous singers and musicians to contribute on the tracks. The LP featured a mix of originals (some penned or co-penned by Shaffer) and covers plus two live tracks. For anyone familiar with Shaffer from Letterman, the selections and plethora of contributions was not out of character for him. To kick things off, this first single was issued out. It featured nine vocalists including Shaffer, Dion, Carole King, Ellie Greenwich, and the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith. The tune got a little bit of attention and was able to crash the Pop chart for a couple months. However, it wasn't enough to sell albums and it failed to chart. On the bright side, it earned Shaffer his first Grammy nomination. The instrumental track "Late Night," which was the studio version of the Letterman show theme song written by Shaffer, would get a nod for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

ReduxReview:  I get that this oddball rap/sung doo wop influenced tune was meant to be a sort of nostalgic tribute to hearing music on the radio via Shaffer's kooky persona. However, it really didn't excuse the fact that it was a big kitchen sink mess. There was just too much going on. The rap sections were painful to hear and didn't fit. The myriad of voices really made no sense except for Shaffer to capitalize on the names involved. Then trying to wrap it all up in some kind of late 80s beats production made it all even worse. I could hear that there was probably an original idea and perhaps even a good song underneath all the chaos, but it was completely lost under the weight of it all. Let's face it. As talented as Shaffer is, he just wasn't meant to be a solo artist unto his own. He's better as a supporting player and personality.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  While Coast to Coast was Shaffer's first solo album, it wasn't his first where he was given top billing. In 1977, Shaffer left his gig at SNL to co-star in a TV sitcom. The show was called A Year at the Top and Shaffer co-starred along with Greg Evigan. The script was based on Faust and had Shaffer and Evigan as two struggling musicians who make a pact with the devil's son to have one big successful year. The show was for CBS and the executive producer was music impresario Don Kirshner. It seems Kirshner and CBS were expecting the show to be a hit, so a soundtrack album was recorded. The show debuted in September of '77 and it flopped. It was cancelled after five episodes. Despite the show's demise, the album had already been produced so it was released as A Year at the Top by Greg & Paul. With little to promote it, the LP quickly disappeared along with the show. Shaffer would return to SNL for a few more seasons. Evigan would quickly get picked up to star in hit trucker show B.J. and the Bear, which lasted for three seasons. Evigan would co-star in another three season show, the sitcom My Two Dads, and grab a lot of guest spots on various TV shows.

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"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" by Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston

Song#:  3955

Date:  07/01/1989

Debut:  73

Peak:   41

Weeks:  8

Genre:  R&B

Pop Bits:  Franklin's album Through the Storm got off to somewhat of a slow start when its first single, the title track duet with Elton John, stalled short of the Pop and R&B Top 10s at #16 and #17, respectively. The tune was expected to be another big crossover duet for Franklin after scoring the #1 "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me" with George Michael in '87, but the single fell flat (although it did do well at AC getting to #3). So if at first you don't succeed...try again! And indeed Franklin's label, Arista, did by pushing out this duet with Whitney Houston as the LP's second single. It did perform better at R&B where the tune was able to reach #5, but pop audiences didn't much care for it and the single stalled just shy of the Pop Top 40 at the dreaded #41 spot. It also got to #18 Dance. Undeterred that the duets weren't necessarily working, Arista went ahead and pushed out another duet as the LP's third single. James Brown joined Franklin for "Gimme Your Love," but it flopped only reaching #49 R&B. The results had the album stopping at #21 R&B and #55 Pop, which was Franklin's worst showing on each chart (minus a 1987 gospel album) since 1979's La Diva, her last album for Atlantic before joining up with Clive Davis and Arista. This song didn't do Houston any favors either. It brought to a halt a string of ten consecutive Pop Top 10 hits that began in '85.

ReduxReview:  On paper, this looked like a surefire hit. A song written by Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, production by Narada Michael Walden, and most drool-worth of all, a duet between the Queen of Soul and new superstar Houston. Yet even with Clive Davis and Arista behind it, the single flopped. Why? I think the answer was simple - it just wasn't a good song. The title was messy and unmemorable as was most of the tune itself. Walden's usually tasteful production was overdone here and sounded like he was trying too hard. The old-fashioned theme of battling over a boyfriend wasn't right for the two superstars either. It didn't suit them and it really showed in the song's last section where they weirdly and uncomfortably argue and laugh over their status with the guy. It was cringe-worthy. Usually, singers like Franklin and Houston can overcome weak material with a great performance, but even these two titans of song couldn't save this misfire.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Franklin's next album, 1991's What You See Is What You Sweat, performed even worse. None of its singles made the Pop chart while the best Franklin could do on the R&B chart was the #13 remake of "Everyday People." The LP also spawned another duet single this time with Michael McDonald. The pair sang "Ever Changing Times" and it got to #11 AC/#15 R&B. Franklin would go on to have a couple more good performing singles that would both oddly peak at #5 R&B and #26 Pop. In 1994, "Willing to Forgive" would do the trick while in 1998 "A Rose Is Still a Rose" would perform the same. The latter single was from the album of the same name, which provided a late career boost. It would reach #7 R&B/#30 Pop and go gold. Franklin would supply one more album for Arista in 2003. Her final studio album arrived in 2014 with Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics. The covers LP put out by RCA was warmly received and it got to #3 R&B/#13 Pop. Franklin would pass away in 2017.

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"Livin' Right" by Glenn Frey

Song#:  3833

Date:  03/18/1989

Debut:  92

Peak:  90

Weeks:  4

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  Frey's third solo album, Soul Searchin', started off fairly well with the #13 Pop/#2 AC/#15 Rock single "True Love." However, the title track follow-up single didn't do nearly as well. While it would get to #5 AC, it failed to reach the other charts. Then this third single wouldn't get very far with it peaking at #22 AC while spending a short month at the bottom of the Pop chart. With those results, the best the album could do was #36. It would fail to reach the gold level sales of his previous two albums.

ReduxReview:  This ode to better living came off like an attempt replicate the success of Frey's own hit "The Heat Is On." It also sounded like a shelved Huey Lewis & the News track. Lewis' rock/blues/soul sound was becoming less popular at the time so I'm not sure why Frey would go down that same road. It just wasn't all that interesting or all that good. Frankly, it sounded like an artist who was running out of ideas.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Frey's last significant single came in 1991 with "Part of You, Part of Me." That tune was included on the soundtrack to the hit film Thelma and Louise. The song would get to #55 Pop/#7 AC/#9 Rock. It would be included on his next solo album, '92's Strange Weather. Unfortunately, the initial single from the LP, "I've Got Mine," would stall at #91 Pop while getting to #12 AC. Two other singles from the album would reach the AC chart, but failed to crack the Pop chart. Without a significant mainstream hit to promote the album, it became Frey's first to miss the chart. Save for a covers album in 2012, it would bring a close to Frey's solo career. He would reunite with the Eagles in '94 and remain with them through to his death in 2016.

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"Imagine" by Tracie Spencer

Song#:  3796

Date:  02/11/1989

Debut:  96

Peak:  85

Weeks:  4

Genre:  R&B, Pop

Pop Bits:  The young Star Search winner got her first crossover hit with "Symptoms of Love." It was the second single from her self-titled debut album and it reached #11 R&B, #14 Dance, and #38 Pop. For a follow up, this cover tune track was selected for release. It wouldn't do as well topping out at #31 R&B while only spending a month near the bottom of the Pop chart. By this point in time, the album had already peaked at ##57 R&B and #146 Pop. This would be the last single from the album. Spencer would then move on to record her second effort.

ReduxReview:  Unlike her previous single, this one sounded like something from a young talent show contestant. The production was bordering on karaoke and Spencer delivered it as if she was performing in front of a voting audience. The worst part was the ending, which was very stagey. The innocence of a young pre-teen singing this particular song may be appealing to some, but I didn't get it. It was a poor song choice with a horrible arrangement. Spencer deserved better than this dreck. Luckily she got some better tunes and production with her next album including the jammin' "This House."

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This was a remake of a song originally written by John Lennon and recorded by John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band. That version would reach #3 Pop in 1971. Spencer's version would be the first remake of the song to reach the Pop chart. Since then, three other artists have made the Pop chart with a version. Singer/songwriter Jack Johnson would scrape the chart with a version in 2007 (#90). In 2008, another talent show contestant, American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, would take the song to #36. Then in 2009, the cast of the TV show Glee would get a version to #67.  2) Spencer's second album, 1990's Make the Difference, performed better than her first effort. It would spawn four R&B Top 10 hits including the #1 "Tender Kisses." One of the other hits, the #7 "This House," would cross over to Pop and reach #3 (#7 Dance). The album would get to #38 R&B/#107 Pop. Then just as her career was revving up, a series of changes at her label, Capital, curtailed her progress. Apparently, she had recorded a third album, but it ended up getting shelved. Over the next few years all she could really do was record a couple of songs for movie soundtracks. Yet she remained with Capitol throughout the turmoil and finally in 1999 she was able to release her third album Tracie. It would get to #19 R&B/#114 Pop thanks mainly to the #6 R&B/#18 Pop hit "It's All About You (Not About Me)." But then after her career got reignited, it seems things happened that had her dropping out of the music biz. Save for a few background vocal appearances, it seems Spencer has not pursued a music career.

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"Let's Put the X in Sex" by Kiss

Song#:  3764

Date:  01/14/1989

Debut:  97

Peak:  97

Weeks:  2

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Rock

Pop Bits:  The band's 1987 album Crazy Nights got to #18 and returned them to platinum status. It got a boost from a pair of Rock Top 40 tracks that were also minor entries on the Pop chart. The LP saw less contributions from original member Gene Simmons, who at the time was starting to manage and produce other artists. That and some other internal issues had the band a little at odds. They needed to regroup and focus their efforts as a full unit for their next LP, but before that was to happen, it was decided that an interim compilation would be released to keep fans busy. Smashes, Thrashes & Hits would combine some of the band's best known songs along with two brand new tracks that could be used to promote the LP. "Let's Put the X in Sex" was one of the new recordings and it was issued out as the first single. It did little to help the LP with the song missing the Rock chart and only becoming a minor two-week blip at the bottom of the Pop chart. Still, a hits compilation with new tunes was catnip for fans and within a couple of months the LP would peak at #21 and go platinum. Seven years later, it would turn double platinum.

ReduxReview:  And yet another horny rocker from Kiss. Written by Paul Stanley and his sometimes collaborator Desmond Child, the tune is not all that different from what they had been slingin' out on their previous few albums. Kiss were known for their cheeky songs about sex. Sometimes they would be sly about it, other times more overt and even humorous. It worked well for tracks like "Love Gun," but fourteen years into their career, the joke was becoming stale. Clever innuendo was getting replaced with the humor of a teenager. Meanwhile, contemporaries like Aerosmith were hitting new highs with far better material while newer stars like Bon Jovi were leaving them in the dust. Kiss was always going to have a big, loyal following no matter what they did, but songs like this one were not going to expand their audience.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Although most hits compilations will include the original recordings, some artists opt to include updated versions of the tracks. Kiss chose to do that with the majority of the song on Smashes, Trashes & Hits. The compilation gave them a chance to remix some songs and even update/replace certain parts. While most of these changes may only be apparent to diehard fans and audiophiles, the band made one change that was significant. Kiss' biggest hit, "Beth" (#7, 1976), was originally co-written and sung by the band's drummer Peter Criss. Criss would leave (or was fired from) the band in 1980. His replacement would be Eric Carr. Instead of putting the original version of "Beth" on the compilation with former member Criss singing, it was decided that the song would be redone with Carr doing the vocals. The basic track from the original record was used with Carr singing a new vocal and adding some drum overdubs.

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"Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

Song#:  3695

Date:  10/29/1988

Debut:  93

Peak:  57

Weeks:  12

Genre:  Rap

Pop Bits:  This duo broke through to the mainstream with their second album He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. It would be a #4 triple-platinum seller thanks to a pair of Pop Top 20 hits; the Grammy winning "Parents Just Don't Understand" (#10 R&B) and "A Nightmare on My Street" (#9 R&B). A follow-up single was in order, but instead of releasing another track from the album, the duo went back into the studio and re-recorded "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble," a song from their indie-based debut '87 debut album Rock the House. The song had been released as the duo's first single back in '86 and at that time it reached #81 on the R&B chart. The new version of the tune was pushed out as a stand-alone single. It would get on the Pop chart, but would stop short of the halfway mark. It would not return to the R&B chart. The pair would then move forward to record their third LP, which would be released later in '89.

ReduxReview:  Ugh. This is just not my thing. It's just so goofy that it borders on novelty. In fact, the Billboard book of singles actually tags this as a novelty song. I don't think the duo's intent was to make a novelty tune, especially since it originally served as their debut single, so I'm not listing it as such. Either way, it doesn't work for me. Coming along at a time when rap was really undergoing a transformation, it made the duo sound as if they were a comedy act rather than legit rap musicians. It wasn't like they had to record serious political or cultural hardcore rap tracks, but I don't think they needed to be so corny either. Maybe that's what they wanted though; a rap alternative that would appeal to kids and be parent approved. In that scenario, then this probably worked fine. It just didn't do anything for me at all.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  This song was created around a sample from the theme song to the 60s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. The show, which starred Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, began in 1965 and ran for five seasons. In its first season, a theme song composed by Richard Wess was used. For the second season when the show was updated to color from black and white, a new theme, titled "Jeannie," was written by Hugo Montenegro. It was highly memorable and quickly gained in popularity. Lyrics were added by Buddy Kaye and in 1966 Montenegro would record the tune with his orchestra and chorus. It was released as a single, but did not chart. However, Montenegro would have a big hit two years later when his version of the theme song to the Clint Eastwood spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (composed by Ennio Morricone) would reach #2 Pop/#1 AC.

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"Louie, Louie" by The Fat Boys

Song#:  3676

Date:  10/15/1988

Debut:  97

Peak:  89

Weeks:  3

Genre:  Hip-Hop

Pop Bits:  This rap trio earned a pair of Pop Top 20 hits with their own updated versions of two rock classics. "Wipeout!," which featured The Beach Boys got to #12 while "The Twist (Yo, Twist!)" featuring Chubby Checker made it to #16. Their near-novelty remakes were crowd-pleasers and so the trio kept them coming and issued out this single. Unlike their previous two hits, this one didn't feature any guests. The Boys were on their own. However, the third time wasn't the charm and it seemed like audiences were tiring of the trio's formula. The song stalled quickly on the Pop chart while not even cracking the R&B chart. By this point in time, the album the track was from, Coming Back Hard Again, had already peaked at #33 Pop/#30 R&B and had gone gold. Unfortunately, interest in the trio would quickly wane and after a pair of LPs that did not perform well, they disbanded.

ReduxReview:  The Fat Boys found a gimmick in doing these cover versions and they basically beat it to death quickly. Once they backed themselves into the corner, they couldn't get out. Their next LP featured no cover tunes and it sank upon release. The remakes kind of turned the trio into a comedy/novelty act and once the joke work off, no one was interested in them. Still, they certainly did well in the 80s with three gold and one platinum album. That is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but had they not got caught in the remake trap they might have been able to carry on for longer. If you liked their "Wipeout" and "The Twist," chances are you will like this one too. I didn't like the first two and my opinion doesn't change with this one.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  This is a remake of a song originally written and performed by Richard Berry. His original recording of the song was done along with his band the Pharaohs in 1956, but despite strong regional support, the tune never took off nationally and failed to chart. Then in 1958 a Washington State musician named Rockin' Robin Roberts discovered the obscure tune and began performing it with his band. He got it recorded in 1960 and the following year it became a #1 regional hit. Yet the song still failed to chart nationally. That might have been it for the tune, but then in 1963 the Portland, Oregon, band The Kingsmen recorded and released the song. Their rockin' guitar driven take began to catch on and eventually it would reach #2 on the Pop chart. Part of the song's popularity came from the way lead singer Jack Ely slurred the lyrics, which made them difficult to understand. That led to people believing he was intentionally doing that to cover up salacious lyrics. It led to the song being banned by many radio stations and even led to an FBI investigation, which came up empty. The Kingsmen had recorded a rock 'n' roll classic and it became their main claim to fame. They would only have one other Pop Top 10 hit with 1964's "The Jolly Green Giant" (#4). "Louie, Louie" would go on to be the most recorded rock song in history with an estimated 1,600-2,000 version released. The Fat Boys' take has been the fourth and thus far last version of the song to reach the Pop chart. It followed The Kingsmen's classic, the Sandpipers' 1966 #30 version, and John Belushi's 1978 #89 take. A 1966 reissue of The Kingsmen's single would get to #97.

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"K.I.S.S.I.N.G." by Siedah Garrett

Song#:  3579

Date:  07/16/1988

Debut:  97

Peak:  97

Weeks:  1

Genre:  R&B, Funk, Dance

Pop Bits:  This singer/songwriter started to gain experience in the music business in the early 80s. Her initial break came when she joined the funk group Plush, who released a self-titled debut album in '82. It didn't get very far only generating minor entries on the R&B and Dance charts. She then worked mainly as a background vocalist, but in '84 unexpectedly became Dennis Edwards' duet partner on the #2 R&B hit "Don't Look Any Further" (#72 Pop). Her career took a swing upward when she got hooked up with Quincy Jones and his label Qwest. She sang the song "Do You Want It Right Now" for the soundtrack to the dance/drama flick Fast Forward. The single got to #3 Dance/#63 R&B. Garrett's biggest breakthrough came when she became Michael Jackson's duet partner on the #1 single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You." She also co-wrote Jackson's #1 hit "Man in the Mirror." With her name and talent getting recognized, it was time for Garrett to record her own solo album. She would record Kiss of Life for the Qwest label with producers Rod Temperton and Dick Rudolph. This first single was issued out and it did well on the Dance chart getting to #1. It became a medium hit at R&B reaching #16, but it barely crossed over to the Pop chart where it spent one lone week near the bottom. Two other singles would be released, but neither charted. The album could only manage a #41 showing at R&B. With those results, Garrett took a step back and then mainly sang and wrote for other artists.

ReduxReview:  Garrett is a very good vocalist, however I don't think she has a distinctive voice. While that is great for a background vocalist, for a lead singer it's a detriment unless you are paired with can't-miss hit songs and the problem with Garrett's debut LP is that she didn't find (or compose) the right material. With Quincy Jones on her side and Rod Temperton in the producer's seat, it would seem that Garrett had pick-o-tha-litter when it came to songs, yet she ended up with a lot of bland material that wasn't going to elevate her beyond "that person who sang on Michael Jackson's song." There were some good folks involved including L.A. Reid and Babyface, but no one was really bringing their A-game including a usually reliable Temperton who supplied three tunes including "Groove of Midnight," a track Michael Jackson demoed and then rejected from Bad. Frankly, I think this lead single was a bit of a mess. Garrett's voice was lost behind a cacophony of production and there was little in the way of a memorable melody or hook. I can't even understand what she is singing half the time. It also seems like Temperton was trying to make the song sound like a Michael Jackson track and directed Garrett to do a Jackson impersonation. None of it worked and any hope of Garrett having a successful solo career was lost. It somehow got to #1 at Dance, but even that did little for Garrett or the album. Her voice and writing skills served her better behind the scenes and it seems like she carved out a nice career after this disappointing debut.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Garrett's writing skills would later earn her two Oscar nominations in the Best Original Song category. For the 2006 film version of the Broadway hit Dreamgirls, Garrent would co-write a new song with the show's original composer Henry Krieger. "Love You I Do" would be sung in the film by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson. Then for the 2012 animated film Rio, Garrett would co-write "Real in Rio." Neither would win the Oscar, but "Love You I Do" would win a Grammy for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media.

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"My Love" by Julio Iglesias with Stevie Wonder

Song#:  3523

Date:  05/21/1988

Debut:  94

Peak:  80

Weeks:  5

Genre:  Adult Contemporary

Pop Bits:  This Latin music superstar broke through to the mainstream with his first English-language album 1100 Bel Air Place. It featured his first major hit, "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," a duet with Willie Nelson that reached #5 Pop/#3 AC/#1 Country and went platinum. A second single, "All of You," another duet song this time with Diana Ross, also did well getting to #19 Pop/#2 AC. The album would be his biggest crossover success getting to #5 Pop and eventually selling over four million copies. After that big success, Iglesias could have chosen to do another English album, but instead returned to Latin music for 1985's Libra, which thanks to the success of his previous LP made it to #92 on the US Pop chart. Next up was 1987's Un hombre solo, an album that finally earned Iglesias his first Grammy award (Best Latin Pop Album). Not wanting to neglect his mainstream audience, Iglesias then recorded his second English-language album, Non Stop. For the LP, he'd go the duet route again this time with Stevie Wonder, who would write, produce, and sing on the first single "My Love." The tune would do well at AC getting to #14, but it didn't fully click at Pop where it stalled low on the chart. It also scratched the R&B chart at #88. Still, the album would sell well and get to #52. It would take about three years, but the LP would eventually go gold. The single would be Iglesias' last one to reach the US Pop chart.

ReduxReview:  I want to call this tune awful, but I can't because it isn't really all that bad. It is just not my thing. It is, however, a vat of cheez whiz. It sounds like one of those songs that is sung at the end of a telethon. The song probably played well on AC, which really was Iglesias' main audience, but this bit o' treacle wasn't gonna get anywhere at Pop. I'm even surprised it got on the chart. Stevie Wonder can be a master of sap when he wants to be and he certainly was here. His presence, complete with the obligatory harmonica solo, probably helped the song along (and let it squeak on R&B chart), but it was definitely not one of Wonder's best efforts. While matching up Iglesias with Wonder was a good idea, this just wasn't the right song. Also, Iglesias was a huge star at the time and on CBS, so he could have worked with most any songwriter/producer. Why he didn't get paired with someone like Burt Bacharach is beyond me. Luther Vandross would have been really interesting as well. Anything/anyone would have been better than this gooey schmaltz.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  While Iglesias would mainly continue to record Latin albums, once in a while he would push out an English-language effort. In 1990, he released the pop standards album Starry Night. It would be a #37 gold seller. Then in 1994, he recorded a covers album titled Crazy, which featured duets with Dolly Parton, Dave Koz, and Art Garfunkel. It would get to #30 and also go gold. His last album to make the Pop chart was the 1996 Spanish-language concept LP Tango. It got to #81 and would go gold. While Iglesias would be recognized as the best selling Latin artist worldwide in history, his son would certainly surpass his achievements on the US charts. Enrique Iglesias would become a major crossover star that to-date has scored five Pop Top 10 hits, including two #1's, along with three Top 10 albums.

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"My Girl" by Suavé

Song#:  3441

Date:  03/12/1988

Debut:  91

Peak:  20

Weeks:  15

Genre:  R&B, New Jack Swing

Pop Bits:  The story goes that a teenage Waymond Anderson, later known as Suavé, was at a New Edition concert in L.A. and one of the group members invited Anderson on stage to sing. This somehow led to him being discovered and getting signed to Capitol Records sometime in 1985. Over the next couple of years, Suavé would be groomed by the label while writing and producing his debut album. By spring of '88, I'm Your Playmate would be ready and this first single issued out. The New Jack take on the song became a hit at R&B getting to #3. It was able to make some waves over at Pop as well where the track just barely cracked the Top 20. The hit helped the album get to #26 R&B and #101 Pop. A follow-up single,"Shake Your Body," got to #22 R&B, but failed to make the Pop chart. Suavé would return in 1991 with his second album To the Maxx, but it failed to generate a charting single and quickly disappeared along with Suavé's recording career.

ReduxReview:  This is just a guess on my part, but I'm thinking that when the album was done the label didn't hear a hit single and pushed him to do this remake, a la Club Nouveau's "Lean on Me." I disliked that song a lot and I'm not too fond of this one either. I will say it is slightly less annoying than Club Nouveau's awful remake, but I don't think a New Jack version of this classic was necessary. Suavé sounded like a capable singer, but there was nothing about his voice that made him stand out and he practically got overrun by the track's effects and production. Indeed it seems his own songs were not all that great as his second single didn't to that well and anything further from him failed. Any talent he did have was soon squashed due to some unfortunately life choices (see below).

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This is a remake of a song written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, and originally recorded by The Temptations. Their 1964 version would reach the tops of both the Pop and R&B charts in 1965. It was their first #1 on both Billboard charts. Many artists would cover the song with three other artists besides The Temptations and Suavé getting a version on the Pop chart. In 1968, singer Bobby Vee would pair the tune with "Hey Girl" and get to #35. In 1980, disco/soul singer Amii Stewart would do a duet with Johnny Bristol that paired the song with "My Guy." It would get to #63 Pop (#76 R&B). Then Daryl Hall & John Oates would release a live medley that included the song. Two members of The Temptations guested on the track. That version would get to #20 Pop (#40 R&B). Since those three singles were medleys, that makes Suavé the only artist to-date to have a full, complete remake of the song reach the Pop chart.  2) After Suavé's time on charts, his life went downhill fast. He apparently got involved in using and selling drugs. His spiral culminated in his arrest in 1993 for arson and murder. It was alleged that Waymond Anderson (aka Suavé) entered a house near the USC campus looking for a couple of drug users who owed him money and when he didn't find them or wasn't able to get what he wanted, he doused the house with gas and set it on fire. Unfortunately, one person didn't get out of the house and died as a result. Based on witness IDs, Anderson was arrested for the crime. He would end up going to trial and found guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison. Anderson has maintained his innocence over the years and has claimed he was out of town the day of the incident. The witnesses that ID'd him at the scene later recanted their testimony citing police pressure and a couple of other people came forward saying they saw Anderson in Jackson, MS, on the incident date. His case has still yet to be fully reviewed and as of this posting, he is still in prison. Anderson also was involved in the 1997 murder case of the Notorious B.I.G. He made a statement that implicated a police officer, but later admitted it was a lie that he told because he was offered money from B.I.G.'s family to do it.

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"Dear Mr. Jesus" by PowerSource (Solo...Sharon)

Song#:  3368
Date:  12/19/1987
Debut:  82
Peak:  61
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Contemporary Christian



Pop Bits:  PowerSource was a Christian youth choir from Bedford, Texas, a town that falls between Dallas and Ft. Worth. In 1986, the group got together with songwriter/producer Richard Klender and recorded an indie album titled Shelter from the Storm. The group would sing together with various soloists being featured on the tracks. While the album may have found some fans in the Christian music community, for the most part the album came and went. Somehow, a copy of the album happened to be on-hand at a Tampa radio station and someone there began to play the track "Dear Mr. Jesus," which featured a lead vocal from 6-year-old Sharon Batts in the late fall of '87. The song was about a young girl writing a letter to Jesus after seeing a news report about child abuse on TV. The tune began to get some attention, but what really pushed the song in a bigger way was a tragic event that happened in New York City in November of '87 (see below). After details of the event came to light, a radio station in New York picked up "Dear Mr. Jesus" and put it on the air. The response was overwhelming. Soon there were requests for copies of the album since a single had not been issued out. As the song caught on in more markets, a single was finally printed. Airplay combined with sales allowed the tune to debut on the Pop chart. The message song wouldn't get too far, but it made an impression. The album would reach #10 on the Contemporary Christian chart. Batts was then courted by record labels and two years later she did record the solo album Someone to Love Me with PowerSource supporting, but it didn't get anywhere. It seems that later in life Batts remained in Texas, became a style consultant, and wrote a 2019 book on how to make clothes look good on you.

ReduxReview:  This is a difficult song to rate. On one hand, how can you say anything negative towards a tune about child abuse sung by a kid? Just saying you don't like it could bring the wrath of other people who think you are insensitive and don't get it. Basically, you are a monster. On the other hand, regardless of the subject matter it is still a musical piece that is open to criticism. People may love it, people may loathe it. It took me a minute to remember the song, but it all came back to me as soon as I heard it. I have to say, I think the same way about it now as I did back then. While I appreciate the sentiment, I have a very low tolerance for treacly tunes like this. They pander to people's emotions, are manipulative, and are usually poorly written and produced. If you compare this tune to another 1987 song about child abuse, Suzanne Vega's "Luka," it should become clear how a quality song can be composed about a tough subject. Now, I do understand that someone's Aunt Doris may not really get Vega's track and would more likely be crying in her kerchief to "Dear Mr. Jesus." That's fine. There's a place in the world for both types of tunes, but for me, this toddler-led ditty makes me cringe rather than cry. Sorry - I gotta calls it as I hears it. (Frankly, it should be a 0 or 1, but I'll add a point due to the unexpected and pretty darn good rock filler vocal at the end by some guy, presumably the writer/producer.)

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  This song played on people's emotions, especially in New York. On November 1, 1987, criminal defense attorney Joel Steinberg struck his adopted daughter Lisa, age 6, in the head. He left their home and eventually Steinberg's common law wife, Hedda, called the police. Lisa would die three days later from her injuries. Apparently, Lisa and a young toddler that Steinberg had taken in but not adopted, were being abused for quite a while. Both Steinberg and Hedda were arrested. Hedda, in exchange for her testimony, would not serve time. Steinberg would be convicted for manslaughter and serve a prison term. He was paroled in 2004. The crime caught the nation's attention and this song, sung by a six-year-old, happened to get discovered just after the Steinberg incident.

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"Love Is a House" by Force M.D.'s

Song#:  3242
Date:  08/29/1987
Debut:  97
Peak:  78
Weeks:  9
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  This vocal quartet broke through to the mainstream with their hit "Tender Love," which was featured on their second album Chillin'. The song was written and produced by the Jam & Lewis team and it became the group's second R&B Top 10 reaching #4 while getting to #2 AC and #10 Pop. A couple of follow-up singles made the R&B Top 30, but didn't reach the other charts. The group then set out to record their third album, Touch and Go. This first single was released from the LP and it became their first (and only) #1 at R&B. Like "Tender Love," the tune crossed over to the Pop and AC charts, but it didn't do as well topping out at #79 and #38, respectively. The title track would serve as the second single and get to #10 at R&B, but it failed to chart elsewhere. The LP would just barely do better than Chillin' hitting #12 R&B and #67 Pop (Chillin' got to #14 R&B/#69 Pop).

ReduxReview:  This song kind of irks me. The group really broke through with "Tender Love," which was written and produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It was the only song Jam & Lewis did with them. By the time the Force M.D.'s were ready to do a new album, I'm guessing they wanted Jam & Lewis back on board, but that team was so in-demand at the time they probably couldn't do it. So if they couldn't get the real deal, it seemed the next best thing was to imitate them. Geoff Gurd and Martin Lascelles wrote this song (with Gina Foster) and produced it for the group and it came off like a weak sequel to Human League's "Human," which was a Jam & Lewis track. This song had similar chords, structure, sounds (that synth swoop), spoken work part, and arrangement as "Human" and other Jam & Lewis tracks. This was no homage to Jam & Lewis. It was blatant rip off, in my opinion. I think they changed it up enough to avoid copyright infringement, but there is no mistaking that this was meant to sound like a Jam & Lewis track. The ploy worked at R&B resulting in a #1 hit, but the mainstream didn't buy it. The song is actually not a bad one, but what grinds my gears is that the writers/producers set out to emulate the other team's work. It's one thing to set a song in a certain style or genre. Around this time many writers/producers were wanting to do their own versions of freestyle or new jack. That's fine. But to imitate the trademark sound and style of another artist (without being a type of tribute) is different. To top it off, the lead singer seems to be doing an impression of Smokey Robinson. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in this case I think it was more like - we're going to imitate Jam & Lewis in order to get a hit and make money. Sad.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  After Chillin', the group's fortunes started to dwindle. Their fourth album for the Tommy Boy label, Step to Me, did not perform well and it seems the results left them off of the label's roster. A fifth album on an indie label failed to right the ship. Membership changes would take place over the years and oddly in a short span the group would have three members pass away including Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy, who sang lead on "Tender Love" and "Love Is a House." Still, the group soldiered on adding new members and released an album in 2000 titled The Reunion.

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"Wipeout!" by The Fat Boys and The Beach Boys

Song#:  3190
Date:  07/11/1987
Debut:  72
Peak:  12
Weeks:  19
Genre:  Rap



Pop Bits:  This trio of Prince Markie Dee (Mark Morales), Kook Rock-Ski (Damon Wimbley), and Buff Love (Darren Robinson) first got together while attending the same junior high school in Brooklyn. Calling themselves The Disco 3, the trio sharpened their skills for a couple of years before entering into a big Coca-Cola-sponsored hip hop talent contest. The finals were held at Radio City Music Hall and The Disco 3 became the winners. The contest organizer ended up managing the teens and later on due to their physical statures renamed them The Fat Boys. The guys got hooked up with rapper Kurtis Blow who ended up producing their 1984 self-titled debut album. It ended up being a gold-selling success that got to #6 R&B/#48 Pop. A follow-up album, The Fat Boys Are Back, would be another gold record, but their third disc Big & Beautiful wasn't quite as well-received. Their manager thought the group could break through in a bigger way like Run-D.M.C. and came up with an idea to push them into the mainstream. He took a cue from Run-D.M.C.'s collaborative effort with Aerosmith, "Walk This Way," and got the Boys in the studio with the legendary Beach Boys. The two groups settled on doing a vocal version of the old instrumental hit "Wipe Out." It would be included on The Fat Boys' fourth album, Crushin'. The LP's first single, "Falling in Love," became their biggest entry at R&B to-date hitting #16. It was then that they decided to unleash their "Wipeout!" collaboration. It quickly became their first (and only) R&B Top 10 (#10). The tune then crossed over to the Pop chart where it nearly made the Top 10. The album would make it to #4 R&B/#8 Pop and reach platinum level sales. The hit was the major breakthrough the trio was looking for.

ReduxReview:  The Fat Boys were influential and always had a bit of a comedic side to their work, as did a lot of early hip hop artists. But at a time when other rappers were raising the stakes with stronger, more potent material, it seemed the Fat Boys got left behind and started to get tagged as a novelty rap act, thanks in part to this track and the Disorderlies film (see below). On the good side, they ended up with a big hit that brought them other opportunities. On the bad side, they got stuck repeating the formula, which pigeonholed them even further. Frankly, I hated this track when it came out. It was a goofy mashup of old school rap with an old school rock group (who's career was clinging to life at the time) on an old school surf song. I thought it was messy and unnecessary. I think perhaps they thought it would be a natural extension of "Walk This Way," but the problem was that Run-D.M.C.'s track was such a strong, inspired piece of work that it made this one seem like a parody. While others thought this was just a fun little lark to party to, I nearly considered it a step back for rap.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The basis for this song was the 1963 instrumental hit "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris. Their original version got to #2 on the Pop chart. The tune became popular again in 1966 and returned to the Pop chart where it got to #16.  2) Earlier in '87, The Fat Boys were hired on to star in a screwball comedy called Disorderlies, which would co-starred Oscar and Tony nominated actor Ralph Bellamy. The Boys had previously appeared in a couple of films, but this was the first one where they had the lead roles. Also hired in for a cameo appearance was The Beach Boys. It was on the set of the movie that The Fat Boys' manager introduced them to the other legendary Boys and planted the idea of a collaboration. The movie would be released in August of '87 and would be a modest hit.

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"Niagara Falls" by Chicago

Song#:  3186
Date:  07/11/1987
Debut:  94
Peak:  91
Weeks:  3
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  The band's Chicago 18 album got off to a shaky start, but then two power ballad singles made the Pop Top 20 with "Will You Still Love Me" making it to #3 (#2 AC). It seemed that audiences liked to tune in to the band's now-signature power ballads while ignoring their upbeat tracks and that trend continued with this fourth single from the album. This mid-tempo album opener tanked early on and quickly dropped off the chart. It even failed to make the AC chart. Still, by this point the album had reached platinum level sales thanks to the previous two hits. While that was definitely good news and demonstrated that Chicago could survive without lead singer/songwriter Peter Cetera, it was a sharp drop from their six-million selling previous album.

ReduxReview:  I think the band should have thrown in the towel on the album after the third single, but I'm sure their label wanted to see if they could eke out some more album sales and chose to push this track out. It was a mistake. The song was an interesting album opener that had a strained chorus, an oddball center section, and some weird production/arrangement touches going on, yet it was something that should have never even been considered for a single. There was just no way this was going to be a hit. It was too messy and had zero pop radio appeal. Between this and the LP's first single ("25 or 6 to 4"), Chicago was definitely having issues. Luckily, they still were able to pull a couple of hits from the album, but overall it wasn't pretty.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Keyboardist Robert Lamm was a founding member of Chicago and wrote several of their hits and took a turn at lead vocals on a few of their earlier tracks. Lamm was still writing the occasional tune for the band during their 80s hit making years and two of his newer tunes showed up on Chicago 18. He also co-wrote a third track titled "When Will the World Be Like Lovers?" The song was recorded by the band, but in the end it was left off of the album. In 1993, Lamm would re-record the tune for his 1995 solo album Life Is Good in My Neighborhood. It was Lamm's second solo effort. His first one came in 1974 with Skinny Boy. He would record the occasional solo album while retaining his position in Chicago. None of his album would reach the Pop chart, but in 2008 his album The Bossa Project did get to #47 on the Jazz chart. The Chicago version of "When Will the World" was never officially released on any of their albums, but it has shown up online (and frankly, it would have made a far better single than "Niagara Falls," so kind of a poor choice to keep it off the LP).

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"Holiday" by Kool & the Gang

Song#:  3172
Date:  06/27/1987
Debut:  93
Peak:  66
Weeks:  7
Genre:  R&B



Pop Bits:  The band's seventeenth studio album Forever was doing well thanks to a pair of #10 Pop hits "Victory" and "Stone Love." Those singles would help make the LP a #25 (#9 R&B) gold seller. However, that was a quarter of the double-platinum sales of their previous disc Emergency. They needed another significant hit to keep sales going and tried to do so with this third single. It would do fine at R&B reaching #9, but it was unable to replicate that success at Pop where it stalled in the bottom half of the chart. It didn't do much to increase sales of the album and it signaled a downturn in the band's fortunes.

ReduxReview:  As I mentioned in the posts for their previous two hits, the band was nearly out of gas and running on fumes. They were just coasting along on the same formula they had been tossing out in songs for several years an it showed. This track sounded like they were trying to write another "Celebration," which was quite obvious since it actually contained the word "celebrate." It didn't work. The band just sounded tired. The background vocals in the chorus sounded like they were on the verge of falling asleep and JT Taylor didn't sound all that vested either. And while a song about a fun holiday wasn't a bad thing, in the era of Madonna I'm not sure it was so smart to release a single with the same name of her 1983 debut single, especially when hers also contained the word "celebrate." I dunno. It just sounded like they weren't even trying.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  This song would end up being the band's final one to reach the R&B Top 10. Eight years prior, the band got their first #1 R&B hit following the addition of lead singer James "JT" Taylor and choosing to work with producer Eumir Deodato. "Ladies Night" would become a gold single that also got to #8 at Pop. The tune was named after the popular bar promotion that sought to lure in more female clientele with drink and other specials. The hit helped turn their same-titled album into their first platinum seller. Several artist would cover the tune including a 2003 version by the UK girl group Atomic Kitten. Apparently, Kool & the Gang had reached out to the trio to collaborate on a track for the band's upcoming duets-style album The Hits: Reloaded. They suggested "Ladies Night" to the trio and they liked the idea so much that they asked if they could also put the song on their upcoming third album. Agreements were ironed out and the song was completed and released as a single. It would do well reaching #8 on the UK chart. The song didn't reach the US charts. In fact, while Atomic Kitten were highly successful in the UK getting twelve Top 10 hits including two #1's, they remained relatively unknown in the US. In fact, it seems as if their recordings weren't even released in the US. After three successful albums, the trio ended up splitting in 2004, although they would reunited several times over the years.

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"Under the Boardwalk" by Bruce Willis

Song#:  3157
Date:  06/13/1987
Debut:  89
Peak:  59
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  The Moonlighting actor capitalized on his sudden fame from the hit TV show by recording an album that mainly consisted of cover tunes. The LP, titled The Return of Bruno, got released by Motown Records and its first single, "Respect Yourself," became a surprise #5 Pop hit. Its follow-up, "Young Blood," didn't fare as well only reaching #68. Despite the lower result, this third single was issued out. It did only slightly better than "Young Blood" while making it to #72 at R&B. It did much better at AC where the tune topped out at #20. Over in the UK, the song fared far better and ended up being a significant hit reaching #2. Back in the US, the album would top out at #14 and would be a gold seller.

ReduxReview:  Oh my. This is like amateur night at the local beachside hotel tiki bar. It starts off bad with the beach noises and little setup dialog and gets worse from there. You'd think that perhaps a relaxed song like this might fit in with Willis' weak vocals, but he still gets swallowed up by the classic. Just like his other singles, he sucked the soul right out of it. The arrangement is quite bland and adds nothing to the tune. The whole thing is like a can of spray cheese - a poor substitute for the original.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) This is a remake of a song originally recorded by The Drifters in 1964. Their version would reach #4 at Pop and would be their last Top 10 hit on that chart. The song has been covered by many artists, but besides The Drifters and Willis, only one other artist has reached the Pop chart with a version. Billy Joe Royal took the song to #82 in 1978.  2) Since Willis' album proved to be a success, of course there had to be a follow up. He returned in 1989 with If It Don't Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger. Once again produced by Robert Kraft for Motown Records, the album still contained cover tunes, but this time around half the tracks were co-written by Willis. The first single was a remake of another Drifters song, their 1960 #1 "Save the Last Dance for Me." It did not chart. A second single, "Turn It Up (A Little Louder)," which was written by Willis and Kraft, also failed to chart. With little to promote it, the album quickly disappeared as did Willis' recording career. While he'd later sing a few songs for soundtracks, he basically kept to his day job as an actor and in 1988 became a major film star with the hit action flick Die Hard.

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"Lead a Double Life" by Loverboy

Song#:  2700
Date:  04/26/1986
Debut:  96
Peak:  68
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  For the first time, the Canadian band scored two Top 10 hits from one album. Lovin' Every Minute of It featured the #9 title track and the #10 power ballad "This Could Be the Night." However, the hits were not consecutive. In between was the LP's second single, "Dangerous," which posed no threat to other chart songs and fizzled at a low #65. Since "This Could Be the Night" got things turned around, it seemed logical to issue out a fourth single. Three of the band's members helped co-write this track which was selected for release. Yet like "Dangerous," it just wasn't clicking with listeners and it stalled in the bottom third of the chart. It even failed to make the Rock chart something which the previous three singles were all able to do. In the end it didn't really matter as the album had already become their fourth multi-platinum Top 20 hit in a row.

ReduxReview:  What is this? On first listen I had to verify that I had called up the right track. How do I describe this? It's like a new wave synth track on speed covered in a faux punk-ish arena rock cloak. Actually, it nearly sounds like a rejected song from Styx's Kilroy Was Here album. It's so odd and nothing like what I expected from Loverboy. And what is up with Mike Reno's lead vocals? I guess he is using his lower range in an odd processed way. Then there is a smokin' hard rock guitar solo in the middle of this mess. Not to mention lyrics  - "I had a champagne milkshake for breakfast" - whaa? It actually took five people to write this thing...five! As a kooky, experimental album track, I guess this is okay. I'd consider it filler. But who in the hell green-lit this one for a single? The fact that it even made the Pop chart is a freakin' miracle. I'd dump this one into the "what were they thinking" file...and then burn the file.

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Back in 1984, lead singer Mike Reno stepped away from the band to record a duet with Ann Wilson of Heart. "Almost Paradise" would be a #7 hit from the soundtrack to the film Footloose. Four years later, Reno would climb back on board the soundtrack bandwagon and record solo tracks for three different films. In 1988 he recorded "Chasing the Angels" for Iron Eagle II and also did "Dream Machine" for Watchers. The following year he contributed "Whenever There's a Night" to the soundtrack for Dream a Little Dream. Unfortunately, all three films were critical and box office failures, which didn't help the songs at all. "Whenever There's a Night" was the only one officially issued out as a single, but it failed to chart.

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