"Nightshift" by The Commodores

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  2197
Date:  01/26/1985
Debut:  71
Peak:  3
Weeks:  22
Genre:  R&B, Adult Contemporary, Pop



Pop Bits:  After Lionel Richie's departure, The Commodores initial attempt to regroup and forge on didn't work out well. Their album Commodores 13 would be a dud that became their worst charting effort since their 1974 debut. For their next LP, they made some changes and brought on producer Dennis Lambert. In addition to producing, Lambert also co-wrote a couple of songs for the album including this title track that he wrote with Franne Golde and Commodores member Walter Orange. After work on the album was completed, it was decided that this song would serve as the lead off single. It was a solid choice as the song became a multi-format hit reaching #1 R&B, #2 AC, #3 Pop, and #6 Dance. It would be the band's most successful single of the post-Richie era. The song helped the album reach #1 at R&B and #12 Pop, and returned them to gold-level sales.

ReduxReview:  Nostalgia sells and when matched properly to a song, it can result in a hit like this one. I think this is a strong song to being with and might have done well with different lyrics, but pair it with nice references to Gaye and Wilson and it turned into a real winner. Unfortunately, the band was never able to secure any material as good as this and they faded quickly. At least they got this one out and it is one that has continued to get airplay over the years. I'm sure when Lionel Richie heard this he was probably like, "dang - I should have come up with that one!"

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) In 1984, two icons of soul music died - Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye. This song pays tribute to both artists. Although most folks were familiar with Gaye, especially the younger generation thanks to Gaye's last hit, 1982's "Sexual Healing," many were not familiar with Wilson. As one of the biggest soul stars of the 50s and 60s, Wilson's music and performance style influenced generations of musicians. After being part of Billy Ward and His Dominoes, Wilson went solo in 1957. He scored sixteen R&B Top 10's (including five #1's) and six Pop Top 10's including his final big hit 1967's "(You're Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (#1 R&B, #6 Pop), which became a #2 Pop hit in 1977 for singer Rita Cooledge. Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.  2) Over the years, The Commodores racked up nine Grammy nominations. Their only win was for this song. They received the award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Duo or Group. This was without Lionel Richie, but he received his own Grammy when he won Album of the Year for Can't Slow Down.

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"Beat of a Heart" by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth

Song#:  2196
Date:  01/26/1985
Debut:  74
Peak:  41
Weeks:  14
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Scandal's second single from their Warrior album, "Hands Tied," just barely missed the Top 40 peaking at the dreaded #41 spot. For a third single, this track, which was co-written by Smyth and two of her bandmates, got issued. It became their third song to reach the Rock Top 10 (at #10), but as luck would have it, the song got blocked from entering the Top 40 and peaked at #41, making their second single in a row to do so. It was a bit of a bummer, but on the good side the singles helped the album reach platinum level. The song would also serve as the band's final charting single before they parted ways.

ReduxReview:  If "Hands Tied" didn't make it at Pop, then this one certainly wasn't going to either. It's just not a very memorable or hooky single. The song did well at Rock and I think that was appropriate. However, when compared to other hits on the Pop chart, this one just didn't stand out. It's a good album track and one of the better ones on a surprisingly weak album, but it didn't have the oomph needed to make it a real hit.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Around the same time that Scandal was breaking up, an iconic band who was at a career peak was losing their lead singer. David Lee Roth split from Van Halen and that left a vacant spot in the band. The first person Eddie Van Halen asked to fill Roth's position was Scandal singer Patty Smyth. The choice seemed a bit unconventional at the time and it certainly would have changed the dynamics of the band, but ultimately Smyth turned down the offer. In addition to being pregnant at the time and not wanting to relocate to California, Smyth also thought that the band's partying and inner fighting would be too much for her to take on, so she passed. Van Halen then went with their second choice, Sammy Hagar.

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"Why Can't I Have You" by The Cars

Song#:  2195
Date:  01/26/1985
Debut:  79
Peak:  33
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Synthpop, New Wave



Pop Bits:  This Boston band's LP Heartbeat City would sell over four million copies thanks to four Top 20 hits including their #3 ballad "Drive." After the quartet of hit singles, the album was beginning to wane, but in order to extend its popularity it was decided that this fifth single would be issued. While the song got some attention at Rock radio and reached #11 on that chart, it seemed that the Pop audience was losing interest and the single stalled just inside the Top 40. It would close a highly successful chapter in the band's career.

ReduxReview:  This mysterious track works well for the band, but it doesn't really click as a single. I think they should have called it at four singles and left this to just Rock radio airplay. It sold a few singles, but it probably wasn't enough to really have made any difference to their bottom line, especially considering the promotional costs, which included a video made for the song. It's definitely a quality track that works well on the album, but there was no need to push it out as a single. I think record companies started to get greedy after Michael Jackson's seven single run from "Thriller" and just tried to eke out every dollar they could from any album that hit big, like Heartbeat City.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  The Cars were one of those successful American bands that never fully caught on in the UK. Prior to Heartbeat City, only four of their singles reached the UK chart with "My Best Friend's Girl" being their only Top 10 entry at #3. They finally got a second UK Top 10 when "Drive" reached #4. Two other singles were issued in the UK with minimal results. "You Might Think" reached #88 while the track "Heartbeat City," which was not issued as a single in the US, got to #78. None of their albums would get higher than #25. Despite the lack of results on the charts, the band's tours in the UK and Europe were highly successful.

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"Playing to Win" by LRB

Song#:  2194
Date:  01/26/1985
Debut:  81
Peak:  60
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  The Little River Band went through a major change when their lead singer and original member Glenn Shorrock left the band. He was replaced by John Farnham and their first effort together, The Net, didn't yield the results expected. With a pair of middling Top 40 single entries, the album stalled early and failed to go gold (after having four gold/platinum studio albums in a row). The band was in flux at the time with both personnel and direction issues. A couple of long-time members took off and the sound of the band began to have a harder edge. With Farnham still fronting the band, they recorded their eighth studio album, Playing to Win. The title track was chosen for the first single and upon release it got some exposure at Rock and ended up at #15 on that chart. However, their new sound didn't translate to Pop and it halted before it could get close to the Top 40. It would end up being their final single to reach the Pop chart.

ReduxReview:  This certainly isn't the smooth soft rock sounds of LRB. The changed up sound is almost a cross between Kansas and Styx with a little Toto thrown in. It probably wasn't the best move for them. It's fine to change up things, but there was a lot going on with the band around this time and they just went a bit too far overboard with the changes. They might as well have broken up and started a new band. It might have worked out better. This anxious song isn't all that bad, but it's certainly no "Reminiscing" or even "The Night Owls." To me, it sounds like a band trying too hard and not getting anywhere.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) In addition to the changes in personnel and sound, the band began to bill themselves with the acronym that fans knew them by - LRB. The album and singles were all credited as such. However, the change only lasted for one album since it really didn't work out.  2) The band recorded one more album with Farnham at the helm before he left for a solo career. Once Farnham was out, original vocalist Glenn Shorrock rejoined the band. They smoothed out their sound and over the course of two albums they managed to get three songs into the Top 30 of the AC chart. After that, the band stopped recording and just toured. There would be numerous personnel changes over the years with a few indie albums released, but none of them included anyone from the band's original line-up. As of this posting date, the band still tours, but the only member from their hitmaking days to stay in the band is bass guitarist Wayne Nelson, who joined the group in 1980.

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"Crazy" by Kenny Rogers

Song#:  2193
Date:  01/26/1985
Debut:  86
Peak:  79
Weeks:  8
Genre:  Pop, Country Crossover, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  Rogers' sixteenth studio album, What About Me, became another platinum seller for the artist thanks to the title track hit, which was done in a trio style with James Ingram and Kim Carnes. The song hit #1 at AC while going to #15 Pop. Country didn't respond as well and the song faltered at #70. However, Rogers regained his Country audience with this second single from the album. The ballad would hit #1 becoming his sixteenth to do so. It was also another AC Top 10'er getting to #5. But like Country did on "What About Me," Pop proceeded to ignore this tune and it barely made a dent in the chart.

ReduxReview:  It's kind of crazy (so to speak) that this song just utterly failed at Pop. With "What About Me" hitting #15, it seemed a big, hooky, Lionel Richie-ish ballad would achieve similar results. It didn't and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it was just too standard of a song - like, we've heard this before, even from Rogers (i.e. "Through the Years"). Perhaps it was just a bit too bland. Whatever the case, it didn't grab a Pop audience. However, even though it sounded nothing like a country tune, it got to the top of that chart. Weird. I think the song has a good chorus and I always remember it, but the rest of the song is a bit flat. At the point when the song should really soar, it doesn't. Overall, I think the song is just barely a cut above average.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Singer/songwriter Richard Marx co-wrote this hit with Rogers. The pair also co-wrote "What About Me" along with producer David Foster. Marx contributed one other track to the album, "Somebody Took My Love," which he co-wrote with David Pomeranz. Over the next few years, Marx would continue to write and sing background for other artists before finally landing his own solo deal in 1987. His very first solo single, "Don't Mean Nothing," would be the first of nine Top 10 hits for the artist. But it was his work on this Kenny Rogers album that got him established in the business.

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