Song#: 1783
Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 59
Peak: 13
Weeks: 14
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: Fogelberg's 1981 double album The Innocent Age was one of his best sellers. It featured three Top 10's including the #7 "Hard to Say." It was followed up by a hits collection that contained two new songs, both of which reached the Pop Top 30. Now three years after his last studio album, Fogelberg got back to recording and came up with Windows and Walls. This first single kicked things off and it did about equal business at Pop (#13) and AC (#14). It was his sixth Pop Top 20 entry, but it was considered a slight disappointment since it couldn't get into the Top 10.
ReduxReview: What a difference three years can make. Fogelberg's late-70s folk/soft rock sound was still in fashion at the beginning of the decade, but by '84, synthpop, new wave, and MTV were all the rage and Fogelberg's style suddenly seemed out of place. Critics noticed that and I remember some pretty harsh reviews for this album. While it wasn't a great album, it didn't deserve the trashing it got. There were some good songs on it like this first single. However, the problem was that this song could have easily fit on Innocent Age and now three years on, it almost sounded retro. I'm actually surprised that it got close to the Top 10. I'm not sure what Fogelberg could have (or even if he should have) done to stay more relevant at the time. He had his own established songwriting and recording style and that's who he was. Unfortunately, his sound was no longer hip with the new era of kids. He'd remain popular with the AC crowd, but this song sadly served as his final Top 40 entry at Pop. It's kind of forgotten now, which is too bad. My only real criticism? Needs more cowbell!
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Fogelberg's first manager was another Illinois native, Irving Azoff. Azoff had locally been promoting music artists and even managed an up-and-coming rock called REO Speedwagon when he found Fogelberg. After helping to get REO signed to Epic Records, Azoff thought the time was right to set up shop in L.A. In 1970, Azoff signed Fogelberg as his first client and the pair made the move to California. He got Fogelberg signed to Columbia soon after and it wasn't long before Azoff was managing the Eagles and other top acts. Over the years Azoff would continue managing artists while heading up a label (MCA), operating and developing his own label for Warner Bros. (Giant), and co-producing movies (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Urban Cowboy). According to a ranking by Billboard magazine in 2012, Azoff topped the list of the music industry's most powerful people.
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Saturday, September 10, 2016
Friday, September 9, 2016
"Back Where You Belong" by 38 Special
Song#: 1782
Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 65
Peak: 20
Weeks: 13
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: The Southern rock band's album Tour de Force was on its way to platinum status thanks to the #1 Rock hit "If I'd Been the One" (#19 Pop) and this second single that got to #4 at Rock. It just barely made the Pop Top 20, but the dual hits were enough to keep the album selling. A third single, "One Time for Old Times," was issued, but it missed the Pop chart while only getting to #17 at Rock.
ReduxReview: This song doesn't stray far from the pop/rock feel they set with "If I'd Been the One." It's a good tune, but the chorus isn't quite as strong or memorable as that previous hit. This formula would continue to work fairly well for them over the next few years, but it would start to get a little boring, especially by the time they reached their 1989 AC hit "Second Chance." I started to lose interest in the band around this time, as did a lot of other folks.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song along with "One Time for Old Times" was written by Gary O'Connor. He would land a few chart hits in Canada under his solo moniker of Gary O'. One of those songs, a remake of The Hollies' "Pay You Back with Interest" would cross the border into the US and get to #70. He would end up being more successful as a songwriter delivering tunes to 38 Special, Eddie Money, Kim Carnes, and others.
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Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 65
Peak: 20
Weeks: 13
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: The Southern rock band's album Tour de Force was on its way to platinum status thanks to the #1 Rock hit "If I'd Been the One" (#19 Pop) and this second single that got to #4 at Rock. It just barely made the Pop Top 20, but the dual hits were enough to keep the album selling. A third single, "One Time for Old Times," was issued, but it missed the Pop chart while only getting to #17 at Rock.
ReduxReview: This song doesn't stray far from the pop/rock feel they set with "If I'd Been the One." It's a good tune, but the chorus isn't quite as strong or memorable as that previous hit. This formula would continue to work fairly well for them over the next few years, but it would start to get a little boring, especially by the time they reached their 1989 AC hit "Second Chance." I started to lose interest in the band around this time, as did a lot of other folks.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song along with "One Time for Old Times" was written by Gary O'Connor. He would land a few chart hits in Canada under his solo moniker of Gary O'. One of those songs, a remake of The Hollies' "Pay You Back with Interest" would cross the border into the US and get to #70. He would end up being more successful as a songwriter delivering tunes to 38 Special, Eddie Money, Kim Carnes, and others.
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Thursday, September 8, 2016
"Come Back and Stay" by Paul Young
Song#: 1781
Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 74
Peak: 22
Weeks: 15
Genre: Pop, Blue-Eyed Soul
Pop Bits: Young's first charting single in the US, "Wherever I Lay My Hat," stalled at a lowly #70 despite being a major #1 hit in the UK. Luckily, this next single gained an audience and almost got into the Pop Top 20 (#40 AC, #33 Rock, #42 Dance). The accompanying album, No Parlez, wouldn't do that great on the chart (#79), but it would end up being a long tail seller that did more business than it's peak position would indicate.
ReduxReview: Young takes a solid power pop song (see below) and actually makes it better and more memorable. I didn't latch onto this song back then, but I hooked into it years later. It's definitely one of Young's best tracks and those backing vocals are just freakin' awesome (see below, again). The fretless bass lines are pretty cool too. It hit #4 in the UK and should have done at least that in the US. Not sure why it stalled short of the Top 20.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) This is a remake of a song originally written and recorded by Jack Lee. Lee's 1981 version would appear on his lone solo album Jack Lee's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1. Lee was originally a member of the mid-70's L.A. power pop band The Nerves. Their 1976 self-titled EP featured the Lee-written song "Hanging on the Telephone," which would later be famously covered by Blondie for their Parallel Lines LP. 2) The distinctive background vocals for this song were provided by the team of Kim Lesley and Maz Roberts. The duo were dubbed The Wealthy Tarts when they recorded and toured with Jools Holland. They moved over to do the vocals with Young and work on his tours. When joining Young, they became known as The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts. With that moniker, they tried for their own career and released a single in 1983 titled "The Last Time." It was a cover of the Rolling Stones song, but it failed to do anything.
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Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 74
Peak: 22
Weeks: 15
Genre: Pop, Blue-Eyed Soul
Pop Bits: Young's first charting single in the US, "Wherever I Lay My Hat," stalled at a lowly #70 despite being a major #1 hit in the UK. Luckily, this next single gained an audience and almost got into the Pop Top 20 (#40 AC, #33 Rock, #42 Dance). The accompanying album, No Parlez, wouldn't do that great on the chart (#79), but it would end up being a long tail seller that did more business than it's peak position would indicate.
ReduxReview: Young takes a solid power pop song (see below) and actually makes it better and more memorable. I didn't latch onto this song back then, but I hooked into it years later. It's definitely one of Young's best tracks and those backing vocals are just freakin' awesome (see below, again). The fretless bass lines are pretty cool too. It hit #4 in the UK and should have done at least that in the US. Not sure why it stalled short of the Top 20.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) This is a remake of a song originally written and recorded by Jack Lee. Lee's 1981 version would appear on his lone solo album Jack Lee's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1. Lee was originally a member of the mid-70's L.A. power pop band The Nerves. Their 1976 self-titled EP featured the Lee-written song "Hanging on the Telephone," which would later be famously covered by Blondie for their Parallel Lines LP. 2) The distinctive background vocals for this song were provided by the team of Kim Lesley and Maz Roberts. The duo were dubbed The Wealthy Tarts when they recorded and toured with Jools Holland. They moved over to do the vocals with Young and work on his tours. When joining Young, they became known as The Fabulous Wealthy Tarts. With that moniker, they tried for their own career and released a single in 1983 titled "The Last Time." It was a cover of the Rolling Stones song, but it failed to do anything.
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"Field of Fire (400 Miles)" by Big Country
Song#: 1780
Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 78
Peak: 52
Weeks: 6
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This Scottish band made a big splash with their unique sounding single "In a Big Country." It would be a #3 Rock hit that also got into the Top 20 at Pop (#17). This second single from their album The Crossing wouldn't do as well and it stumbled before getting to the halfway point of the chart. Still, their unusual sound attracted record buyers and the album would eventually go gold.
ReduxReview: Although it's not quite as grand as "In a Big Country," this song is a worthy follow-up. It's more folk-ish in nature and that may be the reason it couldn't get on the Rock chart. It probably doesn't help that the chorus only plays twice and there are quite a few instrumental passages, but I think it all works well and should have done a bit better. The album remains a favorite of mine from the era.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: The band's lead vocalist, Stuart Adamson, already had a taste of success prior to co-founding Big Country. From 1977 to 1981, Adamson was a member of the Scottish punk/new wave band Skids. Their debut album, Scared to Dance, went to #19 in the UK thanks to the #10 single "Into the Valley." Although that song would be their only UK Top 10, they would place several others on the chart. Their most successful album was 1980's The Absolute Game, which would hit #9. Adamson would leave the band in 1981 and after one more LP, Skids would call it quits.
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Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 78
Peak: 52
Weeks: 6
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This Scottish band made a big splash with their unique sounding single "In a Big Country." It would be a #3 Rock hit that also got into the Top 20 at Pop (#17). This second single from their album The Crossing wouldn't do as well and it stumbled before getting to the halfway point of the chart. Still, their unusual sound attracted record buyers and the album would eventually go gold.
ReduxReview: Although it's not quite as grand as "In a Big Country," this song is a worthy follow-up. It's more folk-ish in nature and that may be the reason it couldn't get on the Rock chart. It probably doesn't help that the chorus only plays twice and there are quite a few instrumental passages, but I think it all works well and should have done a bit better. The album remains a favorite of mine from the era.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: The band's lead vocalist, Stuart Adamson, already had a taste of success prior to co-founding Big Country. From 1977 to 1981, Adamson was a member of the Scottish punk/new wave band Skids. Their debut album, Scared to Dance, went to #19 in the UK thanks to the #10 single "Into the Valley." Although that song would be their only UK Top 10, they would place several others on the chart. Their most successful album was 1980's The Absolute Game, which would hit #9. Adamson would leave the band in 1981 and after one more LP, Skids would call it quits.
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Wednesday, September 7, 2016
"She Was Hot" by The Rolling Stones
Song#: 1779
Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 83
Peak: 44
Weeks: 9
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Beginning with 1971's Sticky Fingers, the Stones took eight studio albums in a row to the #1 spot, including 1981's Tattoo You. Unfortunately, the streak stopped with their 1983 effort Undercover. Although the LP's first single, "Undercover of the Night," was able to reach the Top 10 (#9 Pop, #2 rock), it wasn't enough to push the album to the top of the chart and it would stall at #4. The album would still go platinum, but it was a disappointment and this next single didn't help matters when it got shut out of the Top 40. It did fine at Rock getting to #4, but it just wasn't enough to reignite the album.
ReduxReview: After the experimental "Undercover of the Night," the Stones return to more familiar blues-rock territory with this song. It's a good little workout jam, but it's barely memorable when put next to their classic tunes. I like how the chorus builds, but it is just not one of those Stones songs that grabs you and won't let go. Overall, it's an acceptable entry in their catalog that really was not a very good single.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The video for this song, once again edited by MTV, featured actress Anita Morris. Although she would go on to many roles in TV shows and films, Morris was more noted for her performances in Broadway shows. Specifically the 1982 hit musical Nine, in which she originated the role of Carla. She and her co-star Lilliane Montevecchi were both nominated for the Drama Desk award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for their roles in the show. In a rare tie, they both won the award. They were then both nominated in the same category for the Tony award, but this time there was no tied and Montevecchi took home the prize. Sadly, Morris would die from ovarian cancer in 1994. Her son, James Badge Dale, took up the family business and has acted in TV shows (24, Rescue Me, CSI) and film (The Departed, Iron Man 3, World War Z).
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Date: 02/04/1984
Debut: 83
Peak: 44
Weeks: 9
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Beginning with 1971's Sticky Fingers, the Stones took eight studio albums in a row to the #1 spot, including 1981's Tattoo You. Unfortunately, the streak stopped with their 1983 effort Undercover. Although the LP's first single, "Undercover of the Night," was able to reach the Top 10 (#9 Pop, #2 rock), it wasn't enough to push the album to the top of the chart and it would stall at #4. The album would still go platinum, but it was a disappointment and this next single didn't help matters when it got shut out of the Top 40. It did fine at Rock getting to #4, but it just wasn't enough to reignite the album.
ReduxReview: After the experimental "Undercover of the Night," the Stones return to more familiar blues-rock territory with this song. It's a good little workout jam, but it's barely memorable when put next to their classic tunes. I like how the chorus builds, but it is just not one of those Stones songs that grabs you and won't let go. Overall, it's an acceptable entry in their catalog that really was not a very good single.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The video for this song, once again edited by MTV, featured actress Anita Morris. Although she would go on to many roles in TV shows and films, Morris was more noted for her performances in Broadway shows. Specifically the 1982 hit musical Nine, in which she originated the role of Carla. She and her co-star Lilliane Montevecchi were both nominated for the Drama Desk award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical for their roles in the show. In a rare tie, they both won the award. They were then both nominated in the same category for the Tony award, but this time there was no tied and Montevecchi took home the prize. Sadly, Morris would die from ovarian cancer in 1994. Her son, James Badge Dale, took up the family business and has acted in TV shows (24, Rescue Me, CSI) and film (The Departed, Iron Man 3, World War Z).
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