Song#: 0665
Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 83
Peak: 55
Weeks: 12
Genre: Country
Pop Bits: Gilley was still riding the "Urban Cowboy" wave when he issued this title-track single from his album "You Don't Know Me." It would be his twelfth #1 on the country chart and would serve as his final pop chart entry. He would continue on and have five more #1's on the country chart and would have entries through to 1989. A few years later, Gilley would own his own theater in the boomtown of Branson, Missouri, where he still performs shows as of this posting.
ReduxReview: I'm a little surprised this made it as far up the pop chart as it did. It's quite an old-fashioned song and is quite countrified. But the song is a good one and Gilley does a good job with it. The tune has been covered many, many times (see below) and has basically become a standard, so it's got to be good to stand out from the rest and I think Gilley did a fine version.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Gilley has two very famous cousins - Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart. 2) This song is a remake of a tune that has hit the pop chart a total of five times. Written by Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold, the first chart appearance was by Jerry Vale in 1956 (#14). Lenny Welch (#45, 1960) and Elvis Presley (#44, 1967) also covered the song, but the biggest hit version was by Ray Charles who reached #2 in 1962. The song's co-writer, Eddy Arnold, had his own country hit with the song hitting #10 in 1956.
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Thursday, December 26, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
"Nothing Ever Goes As Planned" by Styx
Song#: 0664
Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 85
Peak: 54
Weeks: 8
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: After Tommy Shaw's rockin' "Too Much Time on My Hands" hit #9, the third single from the group's "Paradise Theater" album would be volleyed back to Dennis DeYoung (since the first single was his "The Best of Times," #3). This song was chosen and it fell below expectations, not even getting into the top half of the chart. Two other songs from the album, "Rockin' the Paradise" and the controversial "Snowblind," were getting attention (#8 and #22 respectively on the rock chart), but this Supertramp-ish song might have been seen as more pop friendly over those more edgier tunes.
ReduxReview: I don't know what they were thinking issuing this as a single. It has no business being one. As an album track, it works. As a single, it is not even being close to being something that would catch on at radio. I think they missed by boat by not issuing one of the two songs above or even Tommy Shaw's "She Cares." Anything would have made a better single. But I think band and label politics stuck us with this one.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: At the time their main albums came out, the only certifications for sales were gold and platinum, which several Styx albums were awarded. When the RIAA started to award for multi-platinum sales, labels could submit stats for their artists for older recordings. A&M did so with Styx and on November 14, 1984, they were awarded four of their consecutively released albums with multi-platinum certifications. This made them the first music artist to release four multi-platinum album. Many others would soon follow, but Styx was the first and it was all done on the same day.
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Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 85
Peak: 54
Weeks: 8
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: After Tommy Shaw's rockin' "Too Much Time on My Hands" hit #9, the third single from the group's "Paradise Theater" album would be volleyed back to Dennis DeYoung (since the first single was his "The Best of Times," #3). This song was chosen and it fell below expectations, not even getting into the top half of the chart. Two other songs from the album, "Rockin' the Paradise" and the controversial "Snowblind," were getting attention (#8 and #22 respectively on the rock chart), but this Supertramp-ish song might have been seen as more pop friendly over those more edgier tunes.
ReduxReview: I don't know what they were thinking issuing this as a single. It has no business being one. As an album track, it works. As a single, it is not even being close to being something that would catch on at radio. I think they missed by boat by not issuing one of the two songs above or even Tommy Shaw's "She Cares." Anything would have made a better single. But I think band and label politics stuck us with this one.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: At the time their main albums came out, the only certifications for sales were gold and platinum, which several Styx albums were awarded. When the RIAA started to award for multi-platinum sales, labels could submit stats for their artists for older recordings. A&M did so with Styx and on November 14, 1984, they were awarded four of their consecutively released albums with multi-platinum certifications. This made them the first music artist to release four multi-platinum album. Many others would soon follow, but Styx was the first and it was all done on the same day.
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Sunday, December 22, 2013
"That Old Song" by Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio
Song#: 0663
Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 86
Peak: 21
Weeks: 15
Genre: R&B, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: After getting their highest pop hit with the #4 "A Woman Needs Love" (#1 R&B), this follow-up managed to hit the chart and almost got inside the Top 20. It also became their became their biggest AC hit reaching #7. The single would be the group's last to hit the pop chart before their break-up and Parker Jr. heading out solo.
ReduxReview: This ones definitely leans more toward AC than R&B (hence the low showing on the R&B chart at #26) and for the most part it succeeds. But it just isn't as quality as some of their major hits. The tune is an agreeable slice that goes down easy, but I really wouldn't care for seconds.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Although more known for their smooth R&B sound, the group did get a couple tracks on the dance chart. The instrumental "For Those Who Like to Groove" reached #23 (#13 R&B) and from their last album, the single "Still in the Groove" reached #35.
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Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 86
Peak: 21
Weeks: 15
Genre: R&B, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: After getting their highest pop hit with the #4 "A Woman Needs Love" (#1 R&B), this follow-up managed to hit the chart and almost got inside the Top 20. It also became their became their biggest AC hit reaching #7. The single would be the group's last to hit the pop chart before their break-up and Parker Jr. heading out solo.
ReduxReview: This ones definitely leans more toward AC than R&B (hence the low showing on the R&B chart at #26) and for the most part it succeeds. But it just isn't as quality as some of their major hits. The tune is an agreeable slice that goes down easy, but I really wouldn't care for seconds.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Although more known for their smooth R&B sound, the group did get a couple tracks on the dance chart. The instrumental "For Those Who Like to Groove" reached #23 (#13 R&B) and from their last album, the single "Still in the Groove" reached #35.
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Saturday, December 21, 2013
"Secrets" by Mac Davis
Song#: 0662
Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 87
Peak: 76
Weeks: 6
Genre: Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: Davis' LP "Texas in My Rearview Mirror" spawned two country Top 10's including the title track, which hit #51 pop. This third single didn't generate much interest at country (#47), but it got him back on the pop chart, if just for a short stay. It would be his last single to reach the pop chart. Davis would go on to have few more country chart entries including another Top 10 with his last entry on that chart coming in 1986.
ReduxReview: I can understand why this didn't click at country because it falls into soft rock/AC territory. This tune wasn't written by Davis, but he makes it his own and I kind of like it. There is nothing spectacular here, but I think it draws you in with its 70s soft rock arrangement and a nice vocal turn by Davis.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although you don't hear his name much any longer, he has been an influence to a few current artists and has co-written songs with musicians not even close to his style. In 2010, Davis co-wrote the closing song, "Time Flies," to Weezer's 2010 album "Hurley." In 2013, Davis did the original vocal demo for what would be EDM artist Avicii's #4 hit "Wake Me Up." Davis also co-wrote the song "Addicted to You" that appears on Avicii's album "True."
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Date: 07/11/1981
Debut: 87
Peak: 76
Weeks: 6
Genre: Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: Davis' LP "Texas in My Rearview Mirror" spawned two country Top 10's including the title track, which hit #51 pop. This third single didn't generate much interest at country (#47), but it got him back on the pop chart, if just for a short stay. It would be his last single to reach the pop chart. Davis would go on to have few more country chart entries including another Top 10 with his last entry on that chart coming in 1986.
ReduxReview: I can understand why this didn't click at country because it falls into soft rock/AC territory. This tune wasn't written by Davis, but he makes it his own and I kind of like it. There is nothing spectacular here, but I think it draws you in with its 70s soft rock arrangement and a nice vocal turn by Davis.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although you don't hear his name much any longer, he has been an influence to a few current artists and has co-written songs with musicians not even close to his style. In 2010, Davis co-wrote the closing song, "Time Flies," to Weezer's 2010 album "Hurley." In 2013, Davis did the original vocal demo for what would be EDM artist Avicii's #4 hit "Wake Me Up." Davis also co-wrote the song "Addicted to You" that appears on Avicii's album "True."
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Friday, December 20, 2013
"Urgent" by Foreigner
Top 10 Alert!
Song#: 0661 Date: 07/04/1981
Debut: 51
Peak: 4
Weeks: 23
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Foreigner's previous album "Head Games" marked a slight decline for the group with singles from the album missing the Top 10. This first single from their follow-up album "4" brought them back to the Top 10 and it helped to propel the album to #1 - their first and only on the US chart. It would go on to sell over 7 million copies in the US making it the group's best-selling studio LP. It also got the group a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Group.
ReduxReview: Around this time, there were three albums everyone had. Foreigner's "4," REO Speedwagon's "Hi-Infidelity," and (soon) Journey's "Escape." All with good reason. Foreigner had some great singles, but for me this one is the best. It's well written, sounds awesome (even today), and the sax solo is certainly one of the most memorable in rock. I like this track even more now that I did back in the day.
ReduxRating: 9/10
Trivia: This song featured two other artist of note - one established, one soon-to-be. The sax solo was performed by Junior Walker. He and his group the All Stars were one of Motown's great R&B acts in the 60s and early 70s. Walker had 13 R&B Top 10s during that time and took two of them into the pop Top 10. Also playing synthesizers on the "4" album was Thomas Dolby. A session musician at the time, the money he earned from working on the album and tour dates with Foreigner helped to fund his first solo project that contained his his "She Blinded Me with Science" (#5, 1982).
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