Song#: 1022
Date: 05/15/1982
Debut: 88
Peak: 84
Weeks: 2
Genre: Adult Contemporary, R&B
Pop Bits: Woods' debut album already featured two Top 40 entries, including the #25 "Steal the Night," when this third single was issued. It would make a quick showing at pop while topping out at #23 at AC. Woods would drop a second LP titled "The Woman in My Life" and the title track would reach #42 on the R&B chart, but it wasn't enough to keep the album afloat. It sank quickly and after one more album that also tanked, Woods' US career came to a close.
ReduxReview: This song was probably a little too AC-leaning to make an impact at pop, but with similar sounding songs by artists like Al Jarreau doing well, I'm a little surprised this did not do better. It's a lovely, breezy tune that features a nice vocal by Woods. Granted, it is not an outstanding song that stays with you, but it certainly deserved a better fate that a measly two weeks on the chart.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: After his last US album failed, Woods then moved to Germany. He became an active stage performer in shows like "Starlight Express" and released a few singles along the way. He remained in Germany and performed there until his diabetes-related death in early 2014.
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Saturday, October 4, 2014
Friday, October 3, 2014
"Love Plus One" Haircut One Hundred
Song#: 1021
Date: 05/15/1982
Debut: 89
Peak: 37
Weeks: 17
Genre: New Wave
Pop Bits: This UK band, formed by Nick Heywood, got signed to Arista and issued a debut single in 1981. "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," reached #4 on the UK chart and this follow-up single did slightly better reaching #3. The success of the singles prompted a full album and "Pelican West" was released in early 1982. It went on to hit #2 on the LP chart. International attention started coming their way and in the US this single got the band into the Top 40 while the LP peaked at #31. Unfortunately, the band quickly developed internal issues while recording their follow-up LP and founder/lead singer/songwriter Heywood took off for a solo career. The remaining members soldiered on and issued another album, but it failed to replicate the success of their debut and they broke up in 1984.
ReduxReview: I find this song joyous in a mopey kind of way. I didn't latch onto it back then, but now I find the vibes, sax, and "aye-ya-ya's" quite catchy. This style of UK pop/new wave was just beginning to get attention in the US and this song was among the first to reach the Top 40. I think had it been released a year later, it would have done far better as the charts would be hammered with UK acts in a time referred to as the "second British invasion."
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Nick Heywood did have some success in the UK as a solo artist. His single "Whistle Down the Wind" hit #13 while his debut solo album, "North of a Miracle," reached #10. Although he wasn't able to get on the US pop chart, "Whistle Down the Wind" did reach #20 on the AC chart and his 1993 single "Kite" hit #4 on the Modern Rock chart.
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Date: 05/15/1982
Debut: 89
Peak: 37
Weeks: 17
Genre: New Wave
Pop Bits: This UK band, formed by Nick Heywood, got signed to Arista and issued a debut single in 1981. "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)," reached #4 on the UK chart and this follow-up single did slightly better reaching #3. The success of the singles prompted a full album and "Pelican West" was released in early 1982. It went on to hit #2 on the LP chart. International attention started coming their way and in the US this single got the band into the Top 40 while the LP peaked at #31. Unfortunately, the band quickly developed internal issues while recording their follow-up LP and founder/lead singer/songwriter Heywood took off for a solo career. The remaining members soldiered on and issued another album, but it failed to replicate the success of their debut and they broke up in 1984.
ReduxReview: I find this song joyous in a mopey kind of way. I didn't latch onto it back then, but now I find the vibes, sax, and "aye-ya-ya's" quite catchy. This style of UK pop/new wave was just beginning to get attention in the US and this song was among the first to reach the Top 40. I think had it been released a year later, it would have done far better as the charts would be hammered with UK acts in a time referred to as the "second British invasion."
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Nick Heywood did have some success in the UK as a solo artist. His single "Whistle Down the Wind" hit #13 while his debut solo album, "North of a Miracle," reached #10. Although he wasn't able to get on the US pop chart, "Whistle Down the Wind" did reach #20 on the AC chart and his 1993 single "Kite" hit #4 on the Modern Rock chart.
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Thursday, October 2, 2014
"Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" by Juice Newton
Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 1020 Date: 05/08/1982
Debut: 70
Peak: 7
Weeks: 17
Genre: Country Crossover
Pop Bits: Newton's third solo LP, the platinum-selling "Juice," featured three Top 10 singles with two of them going gold ("Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts"). Her follow-up album "Quiet Lies" began well as this lead single became her fourth Top 10 in a row while reaching #4 at AC. Country radio was less receptive and the song could only muster a #30 showing. Newton grabbed a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocals for the song.
ReduxReview: Although this is a catchy ditty, I almost remember it more for the video in which Newton keeps getting injured in accidents when her boyfriend picks her up for their dates. She ends up in a full body cast by the end. I wasn't the biggest fan of the song so I didn't buy into it like I did her previous singles. But it is a solid, well-written tune that certainly kept her career on a roll.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song's writer is Gary Burr. He has written or co-written song for numerous country artists. However, he does have one major pop hit to his name. Burr co-wrote the song "This Is the Night," which was performed by Clay Aiken on the season two finale of American Idol. The song served as Aiken's first single (a double a-sided single paired with "Bridge Over Troubled Water") and upon release it became the fastest selling single since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind" tribute in 1997. The song debuted at #1 which left season two AI winner Ruben Studdard stuck at #2 with his coronation song "Flying Without Wings." Burr co-wrote the song with Chris Braide and a musician who was on this same 1982 chart, Aldo Nova ("Fantasy").
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"Play the Game Tonight" by Kansas
Song#: 1019
Date: 05/08/1982
Debut: 78
Peak: 17
Weeks: 15
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: The band's recent shift towards Christian-oriented rock did not sit well with lead singer/songwriter Steve Walsh. He decided to leave the group (the first original member to do so) and form his own band called Streets. After a grueling process, the remaining Kansas members hired John Elefante as a replacement. Their first LP with the new guy, "Vinyl Confessions," leaned heavily toward the CCM arena and this first single became only their third to reach the pop Top 20. Although the single did well, the album became their first to not reach gold-level sales.
ReduxReview: This song put them back in the Top 20 and I do like the song, but I think they kind of lost some of their identity here. This really encroaches on Styx territory, which is weird considering their Christian content. Regardless, it worked well even though the Kansas of yore was kind of left behind like dust in the wind...
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: The overt Christian overtones of the album brought new fans to the group and got noticed by the CCM community. It was named the best album of 1982 by CCM Magazine and decades later, HM Magazine (Heaven's Metal) put the album at #74 of the 100 Best Christian Rock Albums.
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Date: 05/08/1982
Debut: 78
Peak: 17
Weeks: 15
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: The band's recent shift towards Christian-oriented rock did not sit well with lead singer/songwriter Steve Walsh. He decided to leave the group (the first original member to do so) and form his own band called Streets. After a grueling process, the remaining Kansas members hired John Elefante as a replacement. Their first LP with the new guy, "Vinyl Confessions," leaned heavily toward the CCM arena and this first single became only their third to reach the pop Top 20. Although the single did well, the album became their first to not reach gold-level sales.
ReduxReview: This song put them back in the Top 20 and I do like the song, but I think they kind of lost some of their identity here. This really encroaches on Styx territory, which is weird considering their Christian content. Regardless, it worked well even though the Kansas of yore was kind of left behind like dust in the wind...
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: The overt Christian overtones of the album brought new fans to the group and got noticed by the CCM community. It was named the best album of 1982 by CCM Magazine and decades later, HM Magazine (Heaven's Metal) put the album at #74 of the 100 Best Christian Rock Albums.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014
"Standing on the Top (Part 1)" by The Temptations featuring Rick James
Song#: 1018
Date: 05/08/1982
Debut: 82
Peak: 66
Weeks: 8
Genre: R&B, Funk
Pop Bits: The Temps had been struggling since their last R&B Top 10 in 1976. Personnel and label changes didn't help and by 1982 they were on the verge of disappearing from the charts completely. Something had to be done. A significant step was convincing former Temps Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin to rejoin the group for a tour and an album. Appropriately titled "Reunion," the album needed a convincing lead single and it came courtesy of group member Melvin Franklin's nephew, R&B star Rick James. Written and produced by James, this was to be a comeback single. It partially was. On the R&B front, the song got them back into the Top 10 (#6) while the LP hit #2. At pop, the tune didn't really catch on and stalled in the lower third of the chart. It wasn't as significant of a comeback as expected, but it helped revive the ailing group. The tour was a bit rough as well and after it was all done, Kendricks and Ruffin departed once again leaving the rest of The Temps to struggle through the decade.
ReduxReview: Although James was an R&B star, he wasn't a major force on the pop chart. So his name on this single didn't mean much in the pop world. This definitely has that RJ funk stamp on it and the tune sounds great. However, it's not one of his strongest pieces and several parts of it sound more like Rick James featuring The Temptations rather than how it was billed. It was a good effort, but ultimately it was a forgettable entry in the Temps catalog.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The Temptations were signed to Motown in 1961 (initially on their Miracle label and then over to Gordy). For three years they struggled to get a hit and along the way even missed out on one. Berry Gordy wrote the song "Do You Love Me" for The Temptations. When it came time to record the song, Gordy couldn't find the group or get in contact with them. Apparently they had left the Hitsville studios to participate in a gospel showcase. Gordy felt he had a major hit on his hands and wanted to get it recorded and out the door right away. Another Motown group struggling for a hit, The Contours, were hanging around and Gordy grabbed them for the song. It ended up being a smash for The Contours hitting #3 pop and #1 R&B (and later again #11 pop in 1988 thanks to the film "Dirty Dancing").
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Date: 05/08/1982
Debut: 82
Peak: 66
Weeks: 8
Genre: R&B, Funk
Pop Bits: The Temps had been struggling since their last R&B Top 10 in 1976. Personnel and label changes didn't help and by 1982 they were on the verge of disappearing from the charts completely. Something had to be done. A significant step was convincing former Temps Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin to rejoin the group for a tour and an album. Appropriately titled "Reunion," the album needed a convincing lead single and it came courtesy of group member Melvin Franklin's nephew, R&B star Rick James. Written and produced by James, this was to be a comeback single. It partially was. On the R&B front, the song got them back into the Top 10 (#6) while the LP hit #2. At pop, the tune didn't really catch on and stalled in the lower third of the chart. It wasn't as significant of a comeback as expected, but it helped revive the ailing group. The tour was a bit rough as well and after it was all done, Kendricks and Ruffin departed once again leaving the rest of The Temps to struggle through the decade.
ReduxReview: Although James was an R&B star, he wasn't a major force on the pop chart. So his name on this single didn't mean much in the pop world. This definitely has that RJ funk stamp on it and the tune sounds great. However, it's not one of his strongest pieces and several parts of it sound more like Rick James featuring The Temptations rather than how it was billed. It was a good effort, but ultimately it was a forgettable entry in the Temps catalog.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The Temptations were signed to Motown in 1961 (initially on their Miracle label and then over to Gordy). For three years they struggled to get a hit and along the way even missed out on one. Berry Gordy wrote the song "Do You Love Me" for The Temptations. When it came time to record the song, Gordy couldn't find the group or get in contact with them. Apparently they had left the Hitsville studios to participate in a gospel showcase. Gordy felt he had a major hit on his hands and wanted to get it recorded and out the door right away. Another Motown group struggling for a hit, The Contours, were hanging around and Gordy grabbed them for the song. It ended up being a smash for The Contours hitting #3 pop and #1 R&B (and later again #11 pop in 1988 thanks to the film "Dirty Dancing").
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