"Heartlight" by Neil Diamond

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1177
Date:  09/11/1982
Debut:  69
Peak:  5
Weeks:  19
Genre:  Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  E.T. mania was in full swing at this time with the film ("E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial") still at or near the top of the box office chart and related products crowding the shelves. It seemed most everyone loved the film and that included Diamond who saw a screening of it with songwriters Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. The trio were so moved by the film that afterwards they wrote this song that would become the title track to Diamond's latest LP. The timing of the release was just about perfect and the song rode the mania wave right into the Top 10. It would also spend four weeks at #1 on the AC chart. The single would be Diamond's final pop Top 10 and last AC #1. The album also did well going to #9. It would be his last non-holiday studio album to reach the Top 10 until 2005.

ReduxReview:  Since over half the album was written by Diamond, Bacharach, and Bayer-Sager, I can only assume this album was already in process when they saw "E.T." and wrote the song. I'm sure Diamond is very thankful it did because the other singles from the LP tanked. His pop career was already in decline so not having this timely single would probably have meant disaster. But the song saved him - for now. Yeah, back then I was all about the movie and I totally loved this song. But I listen to it now and think - this was really a hit? You tell me - had this not had the "E.T." tie-in, do you think it would have been a Top 10'er? I mean, if the song was about doin' it for the first time with someone Diamond would sing "turn off your lamp light...," would you buy it? Or about a prostitute? "Under the streetlight..." I wouldn't have. So as a memento of a time/place/event, it can provoke a cheezy, fun smile out of me. But as a legit hit...bleh.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Although the song does not specifically call out any character from the film, the lyrics regarding "turn on your heartlight" and "take a ride across the moon" were unmistakably inspired by scenes from the movie. And for the film's studio, MCA, maybe a little too much. With significant merchandising money to be made (including an "E.T." story album featuring Michael Jackson), MCA was not pleased with Diamond's composition and sought to protect their product. In the end, Diamond agreed to pay MCA a fee of $25,000 for using the film as inspiration for the song.

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"I Get Excited" by Rick Springfield

Song#:  1176
Date:  09/11/1982
Debut:  75
Peak:  32
Weeks:  12
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  This single from Springfield's LP "Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet" became the album's third Top 40 entry following "Don't Talk to Strangers" (#2) and "What Kind of Fool Am I" (#21). Although it was the lowest peaking of the bunch, it caught the attention of Grammy voters who handed Springfield a nomination for Best Rock Vocal, Male.

ReduxReview:  This one has shades of "Jessie's Girl" right off the bat, but it settles into its own song soon enough. Actually, I thought this should have been the LP's second single. I think it would have done much better than it did as the third single. Regardless, Springfield was tossing out some solid pop/rock tunes at the time that still sound pretty darn good.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Springfield's "Success" album featured the song "Black Is Black." This was originally a hit for the band Los Bravos in 1966. The single reached #4 on the pop chart and in doing so, Los Bravos became the first Spanish rock band to have a major international chart hit.

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"The Look of Love (Part 1)" by ABC

Song#:  1175
Date:  09/11/1982
Debut:  77
Peak:  18
Weeks:  25
Genre:  New Wave, Dance



Pop Bits:  This UK band began as Vice Versa in 1977 and then with the addition of lead singer Martin Fry, they evolved into ABC. They recorded the single "Tears Are Not Enough," which did well in the UK reaching #19. This prompted a full album produced by Trevor Horn called "The Lexicon of Love." Their next single, "Poison Arrow," broke the into the UK Top 10 (#6) and then this single kept the streak going reaching #4. Here in the US, this single was our introduction to the band. Their cinematic new wave sound and accompanying video got a lot of attention and the single made it into the Top 20 while reaching the #1 spot on the Dance chart.

ReduxReview:  Looking back, it's just weird to realize this did not go Top 10. The song has had such a long life that it just seems like it was a major chart hit. I think I like it even more now that I did back then. It is certainly a classic from the period. I like to think of this song as "sophisticated new wave."

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  The 12" single for this song consisted of Parts 1-4.  Part 1, which is this single, is the album version of the song. Part 2 was an instrumental version, Part 3 a vocal remix, and Part 4 a short instrumental section from the song. Parts 1 and 4 appeared on the album while 2 and 3 were only available on the 12" single.

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"Burning Down One Side" by Robert Plant

Song#:  1174
Date:  09/11/1982
Debut:  81
Peak:  64
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  After drummer John Bonham died, the rest of Led Zeppelin decided they did not want to continue without him and officially disbanded. Plant was the first to attempt a solo career and released his debut album "Pictures At Eleven." This first single did well at Mainstream Rock reaching #3, which prompted the album to peak at #5 and go platinum.

ReduxReview:  This doesn't stray too far from Zeppelin territory. The song sounds great, but it's not necessarily something good for pop radio. It doesn't have an immediately recognizable chorus, which pop radio cherishes. It kind of just rambles on (Zeppelin pun intended). I like the tune, but I don't think it makes a good pop single.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Lending a hand, Phil Collins played drums on this single plus five other tracks on the album. Cozy Powell performed drums on the remaining two tracks.  2) After the Led Zeppelin breakup, Plant seemed at a crossroads of sort not knowing what to do. Initially, he decided to give up music and began the process to become a teacher focusing on the Rudolf Steiner system. But eventually the music lured him back and he began his solo career.

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"All of My Love" by Bobby Caldwell

Song#:  1173
Date:  09/11/1982
Debut:  89
Peak:  77
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop



Pop Bits:  After a platinum debut album and a gold follow-up that featured the #42 "Coming Down from Love," Caldwell issued his third LP "Carry On." The first single issued was "Jamaica." The song couldn't make any headway at pop and failed to chart. However, it did reach #54 at R&B. This second single got him back on the pop chart, albeit briefly. It did only slightly better at R&B reaching #67. It would be Caldwell's last single to reach the pop chart.

ReduxReview:  Caldwell's slick urban contemporary sound ala Boz Scaggs doesn't really draw me in. However, I do like this single. The verse is lacking a bit, but the chorus is pretty great. It's the closest I've heard him come to straight-ahead pop and I like it. Had he done more songs like this, I might have been a fan. But after hearing some of his albums, it seems this song was an oddity in his catalog. What I don't understand is why the cruddy "Jamaica" got selected for first single release. This song is obviously superior. Dunno. Just put it in the "what were they thinking" file.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  But I'm big in Japan... Caldwell had instant success in the US with the #9 "What You Won't Do for Love" (1978), but he had a hard time following that up. However, his audience in Japan grew and his albums sold at gold and platinum levels. He became so popular there that he even earned a nickname - Mr. AOR (a reference to Album Oriented Rock - basically Adult Contemporary).

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