"My Love" by Lionel Richie

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1409
Date:  04/09/1983
Debut:  55
Peak:  5
Weeks:  16
Genre:  Pop, R&B, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Thanks to this song's #5 peak, Richie ended up with a trio of Top 5 hits from his self-titled debut album (which also went Top 5 hitting #3). It joined the #1 "Truly" and the #4 "You Are." In addition to its solid showing at pop and R&B (#6), the song was a major hit at AC spending four weeks in the top spot. It was Richie's fourth consecutive AC #1, which included his duet with Diana Ross, "Endless Love."

ReduxReview:  I loved the first two singles from Richie's debut and was on the verge of buying it until this single came out. I didn't like it very much and I hated the "blows my mind" line. I just didn't connect with the song and ignored it as much as possible. It's still not a favorite of mine but I don't mind it as much now. It has that same pop/country feel that Richie provided for Kenny Rogers (see below). It makes me wonder if this was originally meant for Rogers but then Richie decided to keep it. Probably a good choice as it became another hit for him.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Richie stepped into the pop/country market when he produced Kenny Rogers' 1981 album "Share Your Love," which featured the #3 pop hit "I Don't Need You" (#1 AC and Country). He also contributed a song to Rogers' 1983 album "We've Got Tonight." Rogers returned the favor a bit by providing backing vocals on this song.

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"Sing Me Away" by Night Ranger

Song#:  1408
Date:  04/09/1983
Debut:  75
Peak:  54
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Night Ranger grabbed their first Top 40 hit (barely) with the #40 peaking "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" (#4 rock). It was the first single released from their debut album "Dawn Patrol." This second single didn't do as well missing the pop Top 50 and only hitting #39 at rock radio. But it would be enough to get their album up to #38 and set them up for further success.

ReduxReview:  Night Ranger would hit their stride with their next couple of albums. In the meantime, their "Dawn Patrol" songs got them established. Compared to a lot of other 80s rock bands, their tunes were a notch above average. They didn't have anything spectacular, but it was quality work. I like this song, but for me the chorus is underwhelming. I understand what they were doing here with the crunchy, groovy verse leading to a brighter chorus, but it doesn't quite work. The melody is present, but the production should have been bigger so it could really soar. The build up is great, but once there the chorus deflates and sags. Because of that it remains a good, yet unremarkable, song.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Lead vocal duties for the band were shared between bassist Jack Blades and drummer Kelly Keagy. Keagy would sing on two of their biggest hits, "Sister Christian" and "Sentimental Street," as well as this single.

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"Fool Moon Fire" by Walter Egan

Song#:  1407
Date:  04/09/1983
Debut:  77
Peak:  46
Weeks:  10
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Egan came close to getting his first big break when his Georgetown college band Sageworth and Drums almost inked a deal with Warner Bros. Records. It fell through and the band broke up. Luckily, while in D.C. Egan got involved in the country-rock music scene which included Emmylou Harris, who was just beginning her association with ex-Flying Burrito Brothers member Gram Parsons. Soon, everyone was out in L.A. with Egan's composition "Hearts on Fire" getting recorded by Parsons and Harris (for Parsons' seminal 1973 album "Grievous Angel"). Egan dove deeper into the SoCal music scene backing many artists while doing his own solo work. He finally got picked up by Columbia Records and issued his 1977 debut album, "Fundamental Roll," which was co-produced by newfound friends Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. A year later, Buckingham also co-produced Egan's follow-up album "Not Shy." It featured the #8 gold record "Magnet and Steel," a song Egan wrote about Stevie Nicks (she sang backup on it as well). His career seemed set, but it would prove to be his peak moment as his next two albums tanked. He moved over to MCA for the album "Wild Exhibitions." It featured this single that came close to getting him back into the Top 40. It would be his final pop chart entry and his last album for sixteen years.

ReduxReview:  I discovered this song just a year or so ago when I got an 80s rock radio compilation. It kind of has a Dave Edmunds feel to it. And like a lot of song along those lines, they really can't compete on the pop chart with the likes of "Billie Jean," or Duran Duran. That doesn't mean the songs are bad. Many are terrific. But it wasn't exactly what the kids were clamoring for. Egan's song is a good one, but I don't think it is something that would storm the charts, especially around this time. Egan's album had some more help from Lindsey Buckingham, which I think you can hear with the cool background vocals. I can't confirm it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Buckingham provided the guitar solo.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  For the rest of the 80s and 90s, Egan kept busy with music and other projects including trying to break into acting. During this time, Egan did do one thing that many burgeoning actors would do - appear on a game show. In fact, he was on two of them. In 1985, Egan appeared on the short-lived game show "Catch Phrase." He ended up winning the game four times. The following year he appeared on "Scrabble," but was not able to win. In regards to prizes won on the shows, Egan said in an online QA session "I won some money and lots of household gadget and way overpriced watches and things (contestants pay the tax, of course) and we're still eating Rice A Roni around here."

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"She's a Beauty" by The Tubes

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1406
Date:  04/09/1983
Debut:  82
Peak:  10
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  The Tubes moved away from their punk roots towards a more mainstream sound with their 1981 album "The Completion Backward Principle." The album became their highest charting to-date (#36) thanks to their first Top 40 single "Don't Want to Wait Anymore" (#35 pop, #22 Mainstream Rock). Despite some members of the band wanting to go back to their art-rock days, the decision was made to continue down the more commercial path that they had started. Once again, producer David Foster came in and assisted them with their next LP "Outside Inside." It was a successful venture for them as this initial single became their first Top 10 pop hit (#1 Mainstream Rock). The song helped propel the album to #18. Both the single and album would be the band's peak moment.

ReduxReview:  It's hard to rectify that this is the same band who did "White Punks on Dope," but the move to mainstream pop/rock certainly provided us with some great tunes like this one. I skipped buying this single and went right for the album. It's arguably their most commercial effort and I liked it. The LP was full of solid pop/rock tunes including this Beauty. They also maintained some of their silliness with the oddball track "Wild Women of Wongo." But like a lot of bands, once they reached their peak, things would fall apart afterward and sadly, that was the case with The Tubes. Luckily, they left behind a pretty great body of work.

ReduxRating:  9/10

Trivia:  The song was certainly helped along by its video. Directed by Kenny Ortega, it was considered a high quality video for the time. Lead singer Fee Waybill plays a carnival barker who is luring men to a ride where they can view beautiful women. A young boy steps up and takes the ride. That boy was 12- year-old Robert Arquette, brother of actors Rosanna, Patricia, Richmond, and David. Years later, Robert became Alexis and began to live life as a trans woman. She continued to act in many films and TV shows. Many folks may remember her in 1998's "The Wedding Singer" where she played a Boy George-alike and sang "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" at a wedding reception.

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"Reap the Wild Wind" by Ultravox

Song#:  1405
Date:  04/09/1983
Debut:  85
Peak:  71
Weeks:  5
Genre:  New Wave, Synthpop



Pop Bits:  This British band's origins started in 1974 as Tiger Lily, but by 1976 they were a solid unit that would sign with Island Records as Ultravox! Over the course of three albums (and minus the exclamation), the band did little to impress record buyers despite being a popular live act. They were on the verge of calling it quits when three members decided to soldier on and hired a new lead singer in Midge Ure. Their fourth album, "Vienna," was their breakthrough in the UK with the title track single reaching #2 and the album hitting #3. Their next album was also a Top 10 hit, but in the US they were virtually ignored. Their sixth album, the George Martin produced "Quartet," finally got them a little recognition in the US when this single reached #27 at Mainstream Rock and crossed over to the pop chart (#12 UK). It would end up being their only song to reach the US pop chart. However, in the UK they continued to have hit songs and albums until their initial breakup in 1988.

ReduxReview:  Why oh why did "Vienna" not catch on in the US?? Ugh! It's such a great song and a synthpop classic. It's not a conventional pop song, but that is what makes it great. It was their biggest hit in the UK and #1 in at least three other European countries, yet the US just didn't get it. Apparently what we did get was this single which briefly rode the chart. It's got a nice cinematic sound and is one of their better songs, but it's no "Vienna." It's not even as good as their other main hit "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" (#3 UK). While those songs have lived on past their time, this one had fallen to the wayside and I can understand why. It's a good tune, just not a great one.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) Although this was their only US chart entry, the band is more famous for two other songs: "Vienna" and "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes". These two UK hits have been on several 80s compilations and have become more popular in the US over time. "Vienna" is also famous for its video which used 1949's film noir "The Third Man" as inspiration. 2) Lead singer Midge Ure maintained a solo career while in Ultravox.  His 1985 single "If I Was" became a UK #1 hit. He left the band in 1988 and continued his solo career. He scored a few more UK chart entries and even briefly appeared on the US pop chart in 1989 with "Dear God" (#95). Perhaps his biggest moment in music was being the co-writer of the 1984 UK charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas." The song remains the second biggest selling single in UK history, only surpassed by Elton John's Princess Diana tribute "Candle in the Wind 1997."

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