"She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby

Top 10 Alert!

One-Hit Wonder Alert!

Song#:  1350
Date:  02/19/1983
Debut:  77
Peak:  5
Weeks:  22
Genre:  Synthpop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  English musician Dolby initially stayed behind the scenes writing songs and working with other musicians such as Lene Lovich. By 1981, he began to branch out on his own and released a single that led to him signing with EMI. His debut album "The Golden Age of Wireless" did well in the UK and he ended up with a couple of minor chart singles. Dolby wanted to branch out into the new video medium, so he came up with a story about a scientist falling in love with his assistant. From that storyline he developed this song. It was released as a single and found its way onto an EP titled "Blinded By Science." In the UK, the song stumbled and could only manage a #49 peak. But in the US, the song and video got a lot of attention and Dolby found himself with an unexpected Top 10 hit. This prompted EMI to reissued Dolby's "Golden Age" LP and include this song plus the two songs from his first single. Both the EP and LP were solid sellers reaching #20 and #13, respectively, on the album chart. Unfortunately, the song would be Dolby's only major hit in the US and despite two other low-peaking singles, he got labeled a One-Hit Wonder.

ReduxReview:  Here's an 80s staple that I just loved. Dolby's synthpop was funky, quirky, and loads of fun. The song kind of pigeonholed Dolby into a synth-novelty artist, which is too bad. He's a terrific songwriter and his "Golden Age" and "The Flat Earth" albums still remain two of my favorites from the decade. This is a terrific single, but it's the type of song that can be very difficult to follow up. What I liked most about Dolby is that he wrote good songs that didn't rely on synths. He could easily play these acoustically on guitar or piano. But then he would envelope them in the technology of the day to give further depth. Although not necessarily a concept album, the UK version of "Golden Age" plays like one (the US version jumbles the tracks and it is not as effective). I find it fascinating. "The Flat Earth" expands his sound even further. Both are worth checking out.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The high-pitched backing vocals in the chorus were supplied by music producer John "Mutt" Lange. Lang had hired Dolby to do some synth work on Foreigner's "4" album (notably on their #4 hit "Urgent"). Lang returned the favor by doing the vocals for Dolby. Lang would use Dolby's talents again while producing Def Leppard's "Pyromania" album.  2) For the part of the mad scientist, Dolby cast real-life scientist and British TV personality Magnus Pyke. Pyke was known for being highly animated and occasionally yelling "science!" at certain points. Pyke appeared in the video as well as providing the voice snippets in the song.

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"What Love Is" by Marty Balin

Song#:  1349
Date:  02/19/1983
Debut:  78
Peak:  63
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  After leaving Jefferson Starship, Balin released his 1981 debut solo album title "Balin," which featured the #8 single "Hearts." His new soft rock sound was welcomed by pop and AC fans, so when Balin returned to a more rock-oriented sound with his next album "Lucky," many were not on board. This first single couldn't make any headway on the pop chart and disappeared after a few weeks. Another track on the album, "Do It for Love," got a little airplay at AC peaking at #48, but it failed to reach the pop chart. The lack of a solid single pretty much killed the album and along with it, Balin's contract with EMI. (Insert pun about the album being titled "Lucky"...) This song would be Balin's final pop chart entry. He wouldn't record another full album until 1991's "Better Generation."

ReduxReview:  This song starts out like a quiet AC ballad, but then it gets rocked up in the chorus. It's quite a change from the lovely and moody "Hearts." The production by Val Garay (Kim Carnes) is top-notch. He gives the song a nice, beefy sound. I actually like the tune quite a bit, but I don't think it was the right choice for a single.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  On his "Lucky" album, Balin revisited a song that one of his old bandmates recorded. "Heart of Stone" was written by Brian Marnell and it was recorded by his band SVT. That band included former Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady. After Casady left JA in 1972, he formed Hot Tuna. When that band took a break, Casady then formed SVT with Marnell. The band issued two singles in 1979 (including "Heart of Stone") and then a full album in 1981. Nothing really came of the releases and the band ended up folding. But Balin kept "Heart of Stone" alive and recorded it for his album.

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"Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash

Song#:  1348
Date:  02/19/1983
Debut:  79
Peak:  50
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  The first single released in the US from The Clash's "Combat Rock" album was "Should I Stay or Should I Go." It did respectable business reaching #45. But then they issued their breakthrough single, the #8 "Rock the Casbah." Now with listeners tuned in to the group and the album, focus started to shift back to the first single. Airplay picked up and it caused a bit of demand for the single. The band's record label jumped on board quickly and reissued the single with a different b-side. Hopes were probably high that it would follow "Casbah" into the Top 10, but the single faltered and couldn't even surpass its original chart peak. Regardless of the results, the extra attention helped the album get to double-platinum status.

ReduxReview:  Like a lot of folks I really didn't get into this song until after "Casbah" was a hit. I'm glad it got a reissue as the song did deserve more attention. I think it should have done better on the chart, but the song wasn't quite as pop-leaning as "Casbah" or even "Train in Vain." It may have been just a hair too rough for pop radio at the time. In the end, it didn't really matter. It's still one of their most popular tracks and one that a ton of folks know. Geez, I've even heard this played at a wedding reception. You know, that could be the ultimate test of a song's popularity and longevity. Does it get played at wedding receptions? Yes? Well then congratulations! Your song has been consumed by the masses and will live on forever.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  In the UK, this single did pretty well on initial release reaching #17 on the chart. Fast forward to 1991 and a TV commercial for Levi jeans. The popular ad used this song and it started to catch on with a new generation of listeners. The demand for a single was there so CBS Records obliged and got one released. This time around the song topped the UK chart. It became The Clash's first and only UK #1. Of course the label knew a cash cow when they saw one, so they quickly released a new Clash compilation titled "The Singles." It was a platinum seller in the UK reaching #13 on the album chart. They also reissued the "Rock the Casbah" single. It peaked at #15, which bested its original chart showing of #30.

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"Mr. Roboto" by Styx

Top 10 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  1347
Date:  02/12/1983
Debut:  40
Peak:  3
Weeks:  18
Genre:  Arena Rock



Pop Bits:  Styx pushed into the concept album territory with their album "Paradise Theater." Featuring two Top 10 hits, "The Best of Times" (#3) and "Too Much Time on My Hands" (#9), it became the band's first and only #1 album. There had been tension in the band even before "Paradise Theater" and it was about to get worse with their next venture. Dennis DeYoung wanted to take the band even further into rock opera territory and came up with a full concept for an album titled "Kilroy Was Here." The plotted story about how rock music is outlawed by a morality organization was not exactly well received by the other band members. DeYoung's concept also included an elaborate theatrical stage show and video which had the band members playing specific roles. Despite being at odds, the band moved forward with the album and tour. To kick things off, this first synth-heavy single was issued and hit pretty big reaching #3 on both the pop and Mainstream Rock charts. The album vaulted to #3 as well, but ended up selling less than their previous multi-platinum works.

ReduxReview:  Ah yes. The album and tour that pretty much destroyed one of my favorite bands! We were big Styx fans wearing out several cassettes of their albums ("The Grand Illusion" was our fave). We also loved concept albums and songs with story lines, so when this song and album came out we were totally on board. We cranked the shit out of this song when cruising around town. It was da bomb. Now 30+ years later, I look back on this song in a more nostalgic way. I mean, really. This was a crazy ass song for a single. It was goofy, over the top, and nothing like the Styx we knew. And despite not having a real chorus, the song was pretty darn catchy. I'd probably consider it the annoying little brother to Queen's "Bohemian Rhaposdy." Is it a good song? Well, that is debatable. But it was fun and still is. I just don't gush over it now like I did when I was a teenager. It does, however, bring back fond memories.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The band never intended for this song to be released as a single. It was meant to be a transition song for the tour. But some preliminary test marketing done by the label showed that listeners chose this song as a single over the rest. The label took that advice and the track became a hit. It has also become one of Styx's most memorable and enduring songs being used in films, TV shows, and commercials.  2) Their elaborate stage show with sets and props was not typical for an arena rock band. It began with a 10-minute concept film before DeYoung and Tommy Shaw came out to "perform" this song. They actually acted out a scene with dialog as if the video continued on stage. The full band arrives after their scene and beings to play. The whole thing didn't sit well with a lot of concert goers who where there to see a rock band, not a theater show. There were many reports of the band getting heavily booed during the lengthy opening. The tour ended up losing money and after all the dust settled, Shaw quit the band. Everyone else then decided to also go their own ways and the main era of Styx came to an end.

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"Der Kommissar" by After the Fire

Top 10 Alert!
One-Hit Wonder Alert!

Song#:  1346
Date:  02/12/1983
Debut:  75
Peak:  5
Weeks:  21
Genre:  Rock, New Wave



Pop Bits:  This British band formed in the early 70s and went through several personnel changes before deciding on a lineup that would record their 1978 debut album "Signs of Change." Their prog-rock sound attracted CBS and the band signed to the label. The band streamlined their sound, but over the course of three albums, they could only manage one UK Top 40 song. They went back into the studio to work up a new album, which was to include this song. In the meantime, CBS decided to compile tracks from the band's previous three albums for release in North America. This song got put on the LP titled "ATF." Released as a single, this song started to climb the chart in Canada before grabbing some attention in the US. Finally, in the spring of '83 the band found themselves with a Top 10 hit. For ATF, it was both good news and bad news. It was good that they finally had a hit, but it was bad because the previous December, they broke up! And to top it off, they did not want to reform. That left CBS with a hit single and no band to promote it or follow it up. CBS issued an older song from the compilation as the second single, but it barely scraped the chart. In the end, ATF became a one-hit wonder pretty much by choice.

ReduxReview:  Did I like this song back then? Nein! I wasn't buying into its staccato Euro-rap sound and chose to ignore the tune. Years later, I did developed a fondness for the song. It was the arrangement that finally drew me in. It does follow Falco's original (see below) closely, but ATF expanded on the sound greatly which I think is what made it such a hit here. I think it is far better than Falco's original.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  This is an English language remake of a song by German artist Falco. A track from his debut album, it was released as a single in 1981 and hit #1 in several European countries, but failed to get any action in the US. ATF member Andy Piercy did an English translation of the lyrics for their version while keeping the "Der Kommissar" part/title. Around the same time, Laura Branigan was prepping her second LP and recorded her own version of the song with completely different lyrics. Titled "Deep in the Dark," her label had visions of the song being a single (and even pressed UK promos) until ATF's version hit. After ATF's version started to take off in North America, Falco's version was reissued. It still couldn't do any business in the US, but it did get to #11 in Canada.

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