Song#: 1971
Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 86
Peak: 64
Weeks: 6
Genre: Hard Rock
Pop Bits: The Scorpion's ninth album, Love at First Sting, would finally be the one that would break them through to a large audience. This was due in part to the hit single "Rock You Like a Hurricane" (#25 Pop/#5 Rock) and its associated video, which got put into heavy rotation on MTV. For the LP's second single, this album-closing power ballad was selected. Although it didn't seem to do all that well on either chart (#64 Pop/#36 Rock), it would end up being one of their most recognizable songs and would help the album achieve triple-platinum status.
ReduxReview: This is a solid power ballad that has nearly become the band's "Stairway to Heaven" moment. The 6+ minute tune had to be cut down for the single, which is kind of a bummer because this is a song that should be heard in full. I'm a little surprised by the chart peaks for it. I thought it was far more popular than that. Alas, I don't think it really mattered much because it has remained one of the biggest songs in their catalog - deservedly so.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: This song would be a big hit in several European countries including France where it reached #3 and sold over a million copies. Apparently, the track was considered a catalyst of sorts for a baby boom that happened in France in 1985. In an interview, Scorpion member Rudolf Schenker mentioned that when they were on a prominent TV show in France, the host told them their song was responsible for the baby boom there. The band didn't believe him and laughed about it, but apparently there was some type of government statistic that pointed this out. Whether really true or not is unknown, but it certainly was a good story that made the song even more memorable.
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Tuesday, March 14, 2017
"Mama Weer All Crazee Now" by Quiet Riot
Song#: 1970
Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 88
Peak: 51
Weeks: 12
Genre: Heavy Metal
Pop Bits: Quiet Riot made a huge splash with their third album Metal Health. The six-million selling LP is considered the first heavy metal album to reach #1 and it got there thanks to the gold single "Cum on Feel the Noize" (#5 Pop/#7 Rock). Now they had the formidable task of following it up. The band retreated to the studio and when they came out they had Condition Critical. The LP was introduced by this first single, but it seemed that lightning wasn't going to strike twice. The song stalled outside the Rock Top 10 at #13 and then failed to get into the top half of the Pop chart. With those results, the album stopped at #15. It would be certified platinum, but that was a big disappointment following their multi-platinum breakthrough. Tensions then became high in the band due to leader Kevin DuBrow throwing shade at the press and other artists after the failure of the album. It turned many folks against the band and certainly made the road tougher. DuBrow's tirades continued through their next album, which failed to generate any real interest. Fed up, the band fired DuBrow. Yet, they still could not regain their popularity and by 1989 the band was done. There would be various reformations and associated albums that included DuBrow, but the heydays of Metal Health were long gone. DuBrow would die of a cocaine overdose in 2007.
ReduxReview: Quiet Riot basically rehashed Metal Health down to recording and releasing this Slade cover (see below). It falls under the - if it ain't broke, don't fix it - adage. Unfortunately, it was broken and they did need to fix it. These guys were really thrust in the limelight quickly, which adds pressure from various sources (fans, labels, etc.) and I don't think they handled it well. Instead of advancing their music, they basically just trod out a similar album that just wasn't as good. This first single was probably the best thing on the album, but was still weak in comparison to the catchy "Cum on Feel the Noize." It made matters worse when DuBrow ended up being a PR nightmare. When it was all said and done, the band made a big, significant mark on the musical landscape and opened the door for other metal bands, but they were a bit of a one-trick pony.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The band's hit "Cum on Feel the Noize" was a remake of a song originally done by the UK rock band Slade. So if it worked once, why not try it again. This song was also a remake of a Slade tune. Written and recorded by the band in 1972, it was included on their third album Slayed?, which became their first #1 LP in the UK. The song was released as a single and it became their third to top the UK chart. The song would also be issued in the US where it got to #76 on the Pop chart. Unfortunately, Quiet Riot's remake didn't connect with listeners like "Cum on Feel" did.
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Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 88
Peak: 51
Weeks: 12
Genre: Heavy Metal
Pop Bits: Quiet Riot made a huge splash with their third album Metal Health. The six-million selling LP is considered the first heavy metal album to reach #1 and it got there thanks to the gold single "Cum on Feel the Noize" (#5 Pop/#7 Rock). Now they had the formidable task of following it up. The band retreated to the studio and when they came out they had Condition Critical. The LP was introduced by this first single, but it seemed that lightning wasn't going to strike twice. The song stalled outside the Rock Top 10 at #13 and then failed to get into the top half of the Pop chart. With those results, the album stopped at #15. It would be certified platinum, but that was a big disappointment following their multi-platinum breakthrough. Tensions then became high in the band due to leader Kevin DuBrow throwing shade at the press and other artists after the failure of the album. It turned many folks against the band and certainly made the road tougher. DuBrow's tirades continued through their next album, which failed to generate any real interest. Fed up, the band fired DuBrow. Yet, they still could not regain their popularity and by 1989 the band was done. There would be various reformations and associated albums that included DuBrow, but the heydays of Metal Health were long gone. DuBrow would die of a cocaine overdose in 2007.
ReduxReview: Quiet Riot basically rehashed Metal Health down to recording and releasing this Slade cover (see below). It falls under the - if it ain't broke, don't fix it - adage. Unfortunately, it was broken and they did need to fix it. These guys were really thrust in the limelight quickly, which adds pressure from various sources (fans, labels, etc.) and I don't think they handled it well. Instead of advancing their music, they basically just trod out a similar album that just wasn't as good. This first single was probably the best thing on the album, but was still weak in comparison to the catchy "Cum on Feel the Noize." It made matters worse when DuBrow ended up being a PR nightmare. When it was all said and done, the band made a big, significant mark on the musical landscape and opened the door for other metal bands, but they were a bit of a one-trick pony.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The band's hit "Cum on Feel the Noize" was a remake of a song originally done by the UK rock band Slade. So if it worked once, why not try it again. This song was also a remake of a Slade tune. Written and recorded by the band in 1972, it was included on their third album Slayed?, which became their first #1 LP in the UK. The song was released as a single and it became their third to top the UK chart. The song would also be issued in the US where it got to #76 on the Pop chart. Unfortunately, Quiet Riot's remake didn't connect with listeners like "Cum on Feel" did.
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Monday, March 13, 2017
"I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" by Cherrelle
Song#: 1969
Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 90
Peak: 79
Weeks: 9
Genre: R&B, Dance
Pop Bits: Cheryl Anne Norton gained experience touring with a few jazz and R&B artists. She recorded a demo along the way that got the attention of Tabu Records. She signed a deal with them, changed her name to Cherrelle, and work commenced on her debut album. Five of the eight songs for the album were written and produced by the increasingly in-demand team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, including this first single. The song caught on at both R&B and Dance where it peaked at #8 and #6, respectively. The hit then leaked over to the Pop chart where it circled around the bottom quarter for a couple of months. It was a solid hit, but the following year the song would gain a wider audience via rocker Robert Palmer's remake and the associated video.
ReduxReview: Jam and Lewis were doing quite well getting established as go-to songwriting/production team, but they were still a ways from their peak period. The songs they provided for Cherrelle showed that they still had some growing to do. Three of their contributions, including this song, were very (unnecessarily) lengthy jams that seemed to have roots in Prince's music. They're not bad, but they are a bit forgettable. This one was the best of the bunch and in the edited single version, it's pretty tasty and it's Top 10 R&B/Dance placement was deserved. I think it played a bit too urban for Pop radio at the time, so it kind of got ignored. That may have ended up being a good thing because it then sounded fresh (and more pop-friendly) when Robert Palmer covered it. But before his hit came this jammin' original.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Apparently, Cherrelle was very good friends with Whitney Houston. They ended up living in Atlanta at the same time. Cherrelle was even seen during parts of the reality TV series Being Bobby Brown hanging out with Houston. The night before Houston's overdose death, Cherrelle had a nightmare that they pair were in a hotel room and someone broke in and tried to kill them. She later saw it as a sort of sign or omen about Houston's death. It seems that Cherrelle may have had her own experiences in the drug world. In the early 90s, she was married to Dana Gold, who was a notorious drug kingpin.
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Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 90
Peak: 79
Weeks: 9
Genre: R&B, Dance
Pop Bits: Cheryl Anne Norton gained experience touring with a few jazz and R&B artists. She recorded a demo along the way that got the attention of Tabu Records. She signed a deal with them, changed her name to Cherrelle, and work commenced on her debut album. Five of the eight songs for the album were written and produced by the increasingly in-demand team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, including this first single. The song caught on at both R&B and Dance where it peaked at #8 and #6, respectively. The hit then leaked over to the Pop chart where it circled around the bottom quarter for a couple of months. It was a solid hit, but the following year the song would gain a wider audience via rocker Robert Palmer's remake and the associated video.
ReduxReview: Jam and Lewis were doing quite well getting established as go-to songwriting/production team, but they were still a ways from their peak period. The songs they provided for Cherrelle showed that they still had some growing to do. Three of their contributions, including this song, were very (unnecessarily) lengthy jams that seemed to have roots in Prince's music. They're not bad, but they are a bit forgettable. This one was the best of the bunch and in the edited single version, it's pretty tasty and it's Top 10 R&B/Dance placement was deserved. I think it played a bit too urban for Pop radio at the time, so it kind of got ignored. That may have ended up being a good thing because it then sounded fresh (and more pop-friendly) when Robert Palmer covered it. But before his hit came this jammin' original.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Apparently, Cherrelle was very good friends with Whitney Houston. They ended up living in Atlanta at the same time. Cherrelle was even seen during parts of the reality TV series Being Bobby Brown hanging out with Houston. The night before Houston's overdose death, Cherrelle had a nightmare that they pair were in a hotel room and someone broke in and tried to kill them. She later saw it as a sort of sign or omen about Houston's death. It seems that Cherrelle may have had her own experiences in the drug world. In the early 90s, she was married to Dana Gold, who was a notorious drug kingpin.
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"99 1/2" by Carol Lynn Townes
Song#: 1968
Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 91
Peak: 77
Weeks: 9
Genre: R&B, Dance, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: This singer from North Carolina first got a taste of the music business when she headed up the group Fifth Avenue. They got signed to Buddha Records and issued three singles and a 1976 debut album, but nothing caught fire and the group went their own ways. It would take nearly a decade before Townes found herself in a recording studio. This time, she was solo and recording this song that was to be used in the 1984 film Breakin'. The film was a hit and the soundtrack was doing very well thanks to it's first single, Ollie & Jerry's #9 Pop/#3 R&B/#1 Dance hit "Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us." This tune from Townes became the LPs second single and it was another success at Dance getting to #9. However, it wasn't quite as successful at R&B (#22) and was relegated to the bottom quarter of the Pop chart. Townes would supply another song for the movie's sequel, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, that would be issued as a single, but it didn't catch fire and peaked fairly low at R&B and Dance while missing the Pop chart completely. However, the singles got Townes a record deal and her debut LP Satisfaction Guaranteed got issued in 1985. It featured her two previous singles, plus a third minor dance entry. She was afforded a follow-up album, but after it failed to do anything, Townes was dropped from the label.
ReduxReview: Although this song has a great chorus, there just seems to be something missing elsewhere. The verse melody is a bit drawn out and it kind of zaps the energy from the tune. It also could have benefited from a tad more Shannon-esque production, but in general it's a solid jam. It should have done a bit better at R&B and Pop.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: This is a remake of a song originally recorded by the disco/soul trio Alton McClain & Destiny. The song appeared on their third album More of You, which was released in 1980. Although this particular song was not issued solely as a single, it was part of a trio of songs from the album that got airplay in clubs. The collective songs would get to #47 on the Dance chart. The trio recorded for Polydor Records, the same label that issued the Breakin' soundtrack and Townes' solo works. McClain & Destiny did have one previous hit under their belt. Their 1979 song "It Must Be Love" got to #10 at R&B while going to #25 Dance and #32 Pop. The group would split in 1981. McClain would later move into gospel music while the other two member would go on to form the vocal group Krystol. They would have a little success in the mid-80s getting five singles on the R&B chart. Their best effort was 1986's #18 "Passion from a Woman," which was co-written and produced by future American Idol judge Randy Jackson
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Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 91
Peak: 77
Weeks: 9
Genre: R&B, Dance, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: This singer from North Carolina first got a taste of the music business when she headed up the group Fifth Avenue. They got signed to Buddha Records and issued three singles and a 1976 debut album, but nothing caught fire and the group went their own ways. It would take nearly a decade before Townes found herself in a recording studio. This time, she was solo and recording this song that was to be used in the 1984 film Breakin'. The film was a hit and the soundtrack was doing very well thanks to it's first single, Ollie & Jerry's #9 Pop/#3 R&B/#1 Dance hit "Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us." This tune from Townes became the LPs second single and it was another success at Dance getting to #9. However, it wasn't quite as successful at R&B (#22) and was relegated to the bottom quarter of the Pop chart. Townes would supply another song for the movie's sequel, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, that would be issued as a single, but it didn't catch fire and peaked fairly low at R&B and Dance while missing the Pop chart completely. However, the singles got Townes a record deal and her debut LP Satisfaction Guaranteed got issued in 1985. It featured her two previous singles, plus a third minor dance entry. She was afforded a follow-up album, but after it failed to do anything, Townes was dropped from the label.
ReduxReview: Although this song has a great chorus, there just seems to be something missing elsewhere. The verse melody is a bit drawn out and it kind of zaps the energy from the tune. It also could have benefited from a tad more Shannon-esque production, but in general it's a solid jam. It should have done a bit better at R&B and Pop.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: This is a remake of a song originally recorded by the disco/soul trio Alton McClain & Destiny. The song appeared on their third album More of You, which was released in 1980. Although this particular song was not issued solely as a single, it was part of a trio of songs from the album that got airplay in clubs. The collective songs would get to #47 on the Dance chart. The trio recorded for Polydor Records, the same label that issued the Breakin' soundtrack and Townes' solo works. McClain & Destiny did have one previous hit under their belt. Their 1979 song "It Must Be Love" got to #10 at R&B while going to #25 Dance and #32 Pop. The group would split in 1981. McClain would later move into gospel music while the other two member would go on to form the vocal group Krystol. They would have a little success in the mid-80s getting five singles on the R&B chart. Their best effort was 1986's #18 "Passion from a Woman," which was co-written and produced by future American Idol judge Randy Jackson
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Sunday, March 12, 2017
"Don't Do Me" by Randy Bell
Song#: 1967
Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 94
Peak: 90
Weeks: 3
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This singer/songwriter from the Denver, Colorado, area started writing and recording his own songs in his late teens. One of his songs, "More Than Alive" (credited to Randy Bell & Vision), was featured on an album put out by the local Denver station (KTLK) in 1980. It was part of a regional talent search contest and the voting public chose Bell as the winner. That contest was affiliated with the Miller High Life Rock to Riches contest, which Bell then became a part of. At that point, Bell went by the name of Randy Rock. He got to the finals in New York in 1982 and ended up placing second. Not long after, Bell returned to his original name and ended up in a contract with Epic Records. After some recording sessions, it was decided that this song would be Bell's first single. Unfortunately, the marketing folks at Epic decided to capitalize on Bell's good looks and tried to turn him into a teenage pin-up idol. It seems that they tried to push his image (via photos in magazines like Teen Beat) instead of his music and it just did not work. The single became a blip on the Pop chart for a few weeks and then disappeared. Along with it went Bell's deal and career. Not much could be found about him after his major label days, but it seems he ended up back in Colorado and later became a real estate agent.
ReduxReview: This appears like a case where a label tries to turn an artist into something they are not and it fails miserably. Bell seemed to have a pretty good knack at writing rock tunes (the balance of his Epic sessions can be found on ReverbNation site), but it's like he and the label tried way to hard to make his songs modern and new wavy cool. And then they try to turn him into a matinee idol, which does not go hand-in-hand with this style of music, which was not charming, teenybopper pop. It was almost like Billy Idol and Aldo Nova had a son while listening to Berlin. Absolutely none of it worked. I've actually been witness to something like this. My college roommate was an aspiring musician and I happened to work at the production company he used. He had some good tunes, but they kind of got hijacked in a similar way and they tried to make him over into this near-goth looking singer with funky hair, black clothes, and dark makeup. It wasn't very good and it didn't get him anywhere. However, the guy had talent and I think Bell had something as well. But when caught up in the "we're gonna make you a star!" thing, it's hard to not go with it. This song is very odd and in the end, not very good. Everyone just tried too hard. Bell even uses some sort of new wave punctuated accent that is pretty bad (and the last falsetto section is awful). That said, there is a weird allure to the song. Kind of like - "I know this is really bad, so why did I just queue it up again?"
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: How serious was Epic in trying to make Bell a pin-up idol? In addition to the marketing in teen magazines, the packaging for Bell's 45-rpm single was made to be a wall poster. The front of the sleeve had the top half of Bell with big hair and an open shirt and the back of the sleeve showed his lower half in tight leather pants. Along the sides were these big yellow dashes. The idea was to cut off the folded sides of the sleeve where the yellow dashes appeared and then the sleeve would unfold into a full-body picture of Bell. Perfect for your bedroom wall! It was an interesting marketing tactic, but with neither the single nor Bell attracting attention, the gimmick didn't pay off.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Date: 07/07/1984
Debut: 94
Peak: 90
Weeks: 3
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This singer/songwriter from the Denver, Colorado, area started writing and recording his own songs in his late teens. One of his songs, "More Than Alive" (credited to Randy Bell & Vision), was featured on an album put out by the local Denver station (KTLK) in 1980. It was part of a regional talent search contest and the voting public chose Bell as the winner. That contest was affiliated with the Miller High Life Rock to Riches contest, which Bell then became a part of. At that point, Bell went by the name of Randy Rock. He got to the finals in New York in 1982 and ended up placing second. Not long after, Bell returned to his original name and ended up in a contract with Epic Records. After some recording sessions, it was decided that this song would be Bell's first single. Unfortunately, the marketing folks at Epic decided to capitalize on Bell's good looks and tried to turn him into a teenage pin-up idol. It seems that they tried to push his image (via photos in magazines like Teen Beat) instead of his music and it just did not work. The single became a blip on the Pop chart for a few weeks and then disappeared. Along with it went Bell's deal and career. Not much could be found about him after his major label days, but it seems he ended up back in Colorado and later became a real estate agent.
ReduxReview: This appears like a case where a label tries to turn an artist into something they are not and it fails miserably. Bell seemed to have a pretty good knack at writing rock tunes (the balance of his Epic sessions can be found on ReverbNation site), but it's like he and the label tried way to hard to make his songs modern and new wavy cool. And then they try to turn him into a matinee idol, which does not go hand-in-hand with this style of music, which was not charming, teenybopper pop. It was almost like Billy Idol and Aldo Nova had a son while listening to Berlin. Absolutely none of it worked. I've actually been witness to something like this. My college roommate was an aspiring musician and I happened to work at the production company he used. He had some good tunes, but they kind of got hijacked in a similar way and they tried to make him over into this near-goth looking singer with funky hair, black clothes, and dark makeup. It wasn't very good and it didn't get him anywhere. However, the guy had talent and I think Bell had something as well. But when caught up in the "we're gonna make you a star!" thing, it's hard to not go with it. This song is very odd and in the end, not very good. Everyone just tried too hard. Bell even uses some sort of new wave punctuated accent that is pretty bad (and the last falsetto section is awful). That said, there is a weird allure to the song. Kind of like - "I know this is really bad, so why did I just queue it up again?"
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: How serious was Epic in trying to make Bell a pin-up idol? In addition to the marketing in teen magazines, the packaging for Bell's 45-rpm single was made to be a wall poster. The front of the sleeve had the top half of Bell with big hair and an open shirt and the back of the sleeve showed his lower half in tight leather pants. Along the sides were these big yellow dashes. The idea was to cut off the folded sides of the sleeve where the yellow dashes appeared and then the sleeve would unfold into a full-body picture of Bell. Perfect for your bedroom wall! It was an interesting marketing tactic, but with neither the single nor Bell attracting attention, the gimmick didn't pay off.
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