Song#: 3173
Date: 06/27/1987
Debut: 91
Peak: 77
Weeks: 10
Genre: Pop, Rock
Pop Bits: This UK engineer/producer made a name for himself when he co-produced The Who's classic 1978 album Who Are You. More work followed with The Who and for artists like Eric Clapton, Corey Hart, Marilyn Martin, and Roger Daltrey. In 1987, he got an offer from Atlantic Records to sign on as a solo artist. Astley took the chance and began work on a debut album titled Everyone Loves the Pilot (Except the Crew). Astley would write/co-write all the tracks and program much of the music via the Fairlight sampler, at which Astley had become adept. However, he deferred production duties to Andy MacPherson and Phil Chapman. This first single was released and it found a home on Rock radio and got to #7 on that chart. The song crossed over to Pop, but it didn't fully catch on remaining in the bottom quarter of the chart for several weeks. The album would top out at #135.
ReduxReview: I'm not sure where I heard this song, but I'm guessing it was MTV as I remember the video, which featured Astley as a pilot who crashed in the jungle. It also had a trio of background dancers dressed as apes. Oh yeah. It worked. I loved the song and bought the single. The arrangement was cool, the production was hot and I really liked Astley's quirky, rough voice, which was similar to that of another producer/artist Rupert Hine. It was also catchy and memorable. I was highly disappointed at the time that the song petered out early. It really should have been a bigger hit. Now it is kind of a lost gem of the decade. For someone who didn't include being a recording artist as part of their goals (see below), Astley certainly tossed out a pretty cool debut single. It was also one that was featured in a Heinz ketchup commercial that starred a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) By the end of the year another Astley from the UK, Rick, would begin his streak of hits. However, the two Astley's were not related. Oddly, the two artists with the same last name just happened to kick off their solo careers in the same year. Although Jon was not related to Rick, Jon was for a while related to another famous musician. Jon's sister Karen was married to Who guitarist Pete Townshend. They wed in 1968 and separated in 1994. The connection to Townshend came in handy later when Jon got the chance to work with The Who. 2) Astley didn't have his sites set on being a recording artist himself. He was happy with his career behind-the-scenes and didn't seek the limelight. That changed one day when after finishing off his work on Marilyn Martin's debut album he was called in to the Atlantic Records office by its president. Astley was fearful that he had really messed something up, but instead he was asked if he'd like to record a solo album. It seems that the label head was impressed with Astley's work and thought there was a chance to turn the tech guy into a recording star. Astley ran with the offer and his first single became a #7 Rock hit.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Monday, June 22, 2020
"Holiday" by Kool & the Gang
Song#: 3172
Date: 06/27/1987
Debut: 93
Peak: 66
Weeks: 7
Genre: R&B
Pop Bits: The band's seventeenth studio album Forever was doing well thanks to a pair of #10 Pop hits "Victory" and "Stone Love." Those singles would help make the LP a #25 (#9 R&B) gold seller. However, that was a quarter of the double-platinum sales of their previous disc Emergency. They needed another significant hit to keep sales going and tried to do so with this third single. It would do fine at R&B reaching #9, but it was unable to replicate that success at Pop where it stalled in the bottom half of the chart. It didn't do much to increase sales of the album and it signaled a downturn in the band's fortunes.
ReduxReview: As I mentioned in the posts for their previous two hits, the band was nearly out of gas and running on fumes. They were just coasting along on the same formula they had been tossing out in songs for several years an it showed. This track sounded like they were trying to write another "Celebration," which was quite obvious since it actually contained the word "celebrate." It didn't work. The band just sounded tired. The background vocals in the chorus sounded like they were on the verge of falling asleep and JT Taylor didn't sound all that vested either. And while a song about a fun holiday wasn't a bad thing, in the era of Madonna I'm not sure it was so smart to release a single with the same name of her 1983 debut single, especially when hers also contained the word "celebrate." I dunno. It just sounded like they weren't even trying.
ReduxRating: 2/10
Trivia: This song would end up being the band's final one to reach the R&B Top 10. Eight years prior, the band got their first #1 R&B hit following the addition of lead singer James "JT" Taylor and choosing to work with producer Eumir Deodato. "Ladies Night" would become a gold single that also got to #8 at Pop. The tune was named after the popular bar promotion that sought to lure in more female clientele with drink and other specials. The hit helped turn their same-titled album into their first platinum seller. Several artist would cover the tune including a 2003 version by the UK girl group Atomic Kitten. Apparently, Kool & the Gang had reached out to the trio to collaborate on a track for the band's upcoming duets-style album The Hits: Reloaded. They suggested "Ladies Night" to the trio and they liked the idea so much that they asked if they could also put the song on their upcoming third album. Agreements were ironed out and the song was completed and released as a single. It would do well reaching #8 on the UK chart. The song didn't reach the US charts. In fact, while Atomic Kitten were highly successful in the UK getting twelve Top 10 hits including two #1's, they remained relatively unknown in the US. In fact, it seems as if their recordings weren't even released in the US. After three successful albums, the trio ended up splitting in 2004, although they would reunited several times over the years.
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Date: 06/27/1987
Debut: 93
Peak: 66
Weeks: 7
Genre: R&B
Pop Bits: The band's seventeenth studio album Forever was doing well thanks to a pair of #10 Pop hits "Victory" and "Stone Love." Those singles would help make the LP a #25 (#9 R&B) gold seller. However, that was a quarter of the double-platinum sales of their previous disc Emergency. They needed another significant hit to keep sales going and tried to do so with this third single. It would do fine at R&B reaching #9, but it was unable to replicate that success at Pop where it stalled in the bottom half of the chart. It didn't do much to increase sales of the album and it signaled a downturn in the band's fortunes.
ReduxReview: As I mentioned in the posts for their previous two hits, the band was nearly out of gas and running on fumes. They were just coasting along on the same formula they had been tossing out in songs for several years an it showed. This track sounded like they were trying to write another "Celebration," which was quite obvious since it actually contained the word "celebrate." It didn't work. The band just sounded tired. The background vocals in the chorus sounded like they were on the verge of falling asleep and JT Taylor didn't sound all that vested either. And while a song about a fun holiday wasn't a bad thing, in the era of Madonna I'm not sure it was so smart to release a single with the same name of her 1983 debut single, especially when hers also contained the word "celebrate." I dunno. It just sounded like they weren't even trying.
ReduxRating: 2/10
Trivia: This song would end up being the band's final one to reach the R&B Top 10. Eight years prior, the band got their first #1 R&B hit following the addition of lead singer James "JT" Taylor and choosing to work with producer Eumir Deodato. "Ladies Night" would become a gold single that also got to #8 at Pop. The tune was named after the popular bar promotion that sought to lure in more female clientele with drink and other specials. The hit helped turn their same-titled album into their first platinum seller. Several artist would cover the tune including a 2003 version by the UK girl group Atomic Kitten. Apparently, Kool & the Gang had reached out to the trio to collaborate on a track for the band's upcoming duets-style album The Hits: Reloaded. They suggested "Ladies Night" to the trio and they liked the idea so much that they asked if they could also put the song on their upcoming third album. Agreements were ironed out and the song was completed and released as a single. It would do well reaching #8 on the UK chart. The song didn't reach the US charts. In fact, while Atomic Kitten were highly successful in the UK getting twelve Top 10 hits including two #1's, they remained relatively unknown in the US. In fact, it seems as if their recordings weren't even released in the US. After three successful albums, the trio ended up splitting in 2004, although they would reunited several times over the years.
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Sunday, June 21, 2020
"Seven Wonders" by Fleetwood Mac
Song#: 3171
Date: 06/20/1987
Debut: 52
Peak: 19
Weeks: 13
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: After a five-year hiatus, the Mac returned with their fourteenth album Tango in the Night. Its first single, the Lindsey Buckingham-led "Big Love," became the band's eighth Pop Top 10 hit reaching #5. Next up to be released was this track with lead vocals by Stevie Nicks. It would be another hit at Rock for the band with the track reaching #2. The tune would also do fairly well at AC getting to #13. However, the song unexpectedly stopped a bit early on the Pop chart after cracking the Top 20. Even though it wasn't a major hit at Pop, it kept sales of the album going. By the end of the year it would reach double platinum certification.
ReduxReview: This song is a rarity in the Buckingham/Nicks version of Fleetwood Mac as it was not written by any of the band members (although Nicks gets a slight writing credit for changing a line - see below). However, the song was a natural fit for the band and for Nicks on lead vocals. It was a solid pop song and I expected it to crack the Top 10. The fact that it stopped short of that mark was a bit surprising especially after hitting #2 at Rock. It may not be a classic Mac song, but it was another quality track from them.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) This song was written by Sandy Stewart. She had worked on Nick's 1983 solo disc The Wild Heart performing background vocals, playing keyboards, and co-writing three songs including the #14 "If Anyone Falls." Stewart's attempts at a solo career didn't really pay off, but her songs got recorded by several artists including Nicks. Stewart wrote this track and recorded a demo of it that she sent over to Nicks without including a lyric sheet. Nicks decided to record it as a Fleetwood Mac track and thought she had the lyrics correct when she went to record it. However, there was a line in Stewart's original demo that Nicks heard wrong and she ended up singing "all the way down to Emmeline" instead of the original lyric "all the way down you held the line." Nicks decided to keep her little update and because of that she ended up with a songwriting credit. 2) This song experienced a bit of a revival thanks to a TV show. It was used for the opening segment of the 2014 season finale of American Horror Story: Coven. Done in a music video style, it featured the cast along with an appearance by Stevie Nicks. The episode itself was titled "The Seven Wonders," which was a reference to a test a witch took in order to become the "supreme" witch. The revival of the Mac tune was received well and it ended up making the US Digital Rock Tracks chart at #18. It was Nicks' second appearance on the series. She was in an earlier episode titled "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks" where she accompanied herself on piano singing "Rhiannon." She would also make an appearance on AHS: Apocalypse where she would sing a live version of "Gypsy" with a piano accompaniment.
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Date: 06/20/1987
Debut: 52
Peak: 19
Weeks: 13
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: After a five-year hiatus, the Mac returned with their fourteenth album Tango in the Night. Its first single, the Lindsey Buckingham-led "Big Love," became the band's eighth Pop Top 10 hit reaching #5. Next up to be released was this track with lead vocals by Stevie Nicks. It would be another hit at Rock for the band with the track reaching #2. The tune would also do fairly well at AC getting to #13. However, the song unexpectedly stopped a bit early on the Pop chart after cracking the Top 20. Even though it wasn't a major hit at Pop, it kept sales of the album going. By the end of the year it would reach double platinum certification.
ReduxReview: This song is a rarity in the Buckingham/Nicks version of Fleetwood Mac as it was not written by any of the band members (although Nicks gets a slight writing credit for changing a line - see below). However, the song was a natural fit for the band and for Nicks on lead vocals. It was a solid pop song and I expected it to crack the Top 10. The fact that it stopped short of that mark was a bit surprising especially after hitting #2 at Rock. It may not be a classic Mac song, but it was another quality track from them.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) This song was written by Sandy Stewart. She had worked on Nick's 1983 solo disc The Wild Heart performing background vocals, playing keyboards, and co-writing three songs including the #14 "If Anyone Falls." Stewart's attempts at a solo career didn't really pay off, but her songs got recorded by several artists including Nicks. Stewart wrote this track and recorded a demo of it that she sent over to Nicks without including a lyric sheet. Nicks decided to record it as a Fleetwood Mac track and thought she had the lyrics correct when she went to record it. However, there was a line in Stewart's original demo that Nicks heard wrong and she ended up singing "all the way down to Emmeline" instead of the original lyric "all the way down you held the line." Nicks decided to keep her little update and because of that she ended up with a songwriting credit. 2) This song experienced a bit of a revival thanks to a TV show. It was used for the opening segment of the 2014 season finale of American Horror Story: Coven. Done in a music video style, it featured the cast along with an appearance by Stevie Nicks. The episode itself was titled "The Seven Wonders," which was a reference to a test a witch took in order to become the "supreme" witch. The revival of the Mac tune was received well and it ended up making the US Digital Rock Tracks chart at #18. It was Nicks' second appearance on the series. She was in an earlier episode titled "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks" where she accompanied herself on piano singing "Rhiannon." She would also make an appearance on AHS: Apocalypse where she would sing a live version of "Gypsy" with a piano accompaniment.
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Saturday, June 20, 2020
"Give to Live" by Sammy Hagar
Song#: 3170
Date: 06/20/1987
Debut: 69
Peak: 23
Weeks: 17
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: When Hagar was selected for the lead singer role in Van Halen following David Lee Roth's departure, he was signed to Geffen Records as a solo act. VH was on Warner Bros. In order for Hagar to move forward with VH, some negotiations between the labels had to take place and as part of the deal Hagar had to record one more solo album for Geffen. Once things had calmed down following the success of his first album with VH, 5150, Hagar got back into the studio to fulfill the obligation. His VH bandmate Eddie Van Halen tagged along to play bass and co-produce. The finished product, I Never Said Goodbye, was issued out and this first single was released. It would be a major hit at Rock becoming Hagar's first and only solo track to reach #1 on that chart. That result helped its crossover chances and the tune was able to get close to the Pop Top 20. The album would make it to #14 and would become a gold seller. With his Geffen contract fulfilled, Hagar got back to business with Van Halen.
ReduxReview: Despite having Eddie Van Halen helping out, this track is all Hagar. The power ballad didn't sound anything like a VH track and that was a good thing. Hagar needed to keep his solo identity separated from his VH duties. The song was a good effort and thanks to his profile getting boosted in a major way with VH's 5150, folks paid attention. It was a hit at Rock and it even did fairly well on the Pop chart peaking in the same area as VH's previous two singles. The album would go gold and I'm sure that Geffen was pleased with the results getting what they could out of Hagar before he left the label for good. I thought the song was good, but not great. The big chorus had some heft, but the balance of the tune didn't stick with me. When it came time to write about this tune, I couldn't remember a lick of it and also didn't realize it was a Top 30 hit, so I guess it didn't make much of an impression on me back in the day.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: When the album was finished, the original intent was for it to be a self-titled effort that just featured a picture on Hagar on the front cover. It would have been Hagar's second self-titled album following his 1977 second solo LP. Initial pressing of the album did follow this plan and were distributed, but then a promotional opportunity came up via MTV. A "name my album" contest was run on the channel where viewers could sent in their suggestions. Hagar helped to choose the winner, which ended up being I Never Said Goodbye. Further pressings of the album featured the new title. It would be Hagar's only solo effort during his time with Van Halen.
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Date: 06/20/1987
Debut: 69
Peak: 23
Weeks: 17
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: When Hagar was selected for the lead singer role in Van Halen following David Lee Roth's departure, he was signed to Geffen Records as a solo act. VH was on Warner Bros. In order for Hagar to move forward with VH, some negotiations between the labels had to take place and as part of the deal Hagar had to record one more solo album for Geffen. Once things had calmed down following the success of his first album with VH, 5150, Hagar got back into the studio to fulfill the obligation. His VH bandmate Eddie Van Halen tagged along to play bass and co-produce. The finished product, I Never Said Goodbye, was issued out and this first single was released. It would be a major hit at Rock becoming Hagar's first and only solo track to reach #1 on that chart. That result helped its crossover chances and the tune was able to get close to the Pop Top 20. The album would make it to #14 and would become a gold seller. With his Geffen contract fulfilled, Hagar got back to business with Van Halen.
ReduxReview: Despite having Eddie Van Halen helping out, this track is all Hagar. The power ballad didn't sound anything like a VH track and that was a good thing. Hagar needed to keep his solo identity separated from his VH duties. The song was a good effort and thanks to his profile getting boosted in a major way with VH's 5150, folks paid attention. It was a hit at Rock and it even did fairly well on the Pop chart peaking in the same area as VH's previous two singles. The album would go gold and I'm sure that Geffen was pleased with the results getting what they could out of Hagar before he left the label for good. I thought the song was good, but not great. The big chorus had some heft, but the balance of the tune didn't stick with me. When it came time to write about this tune, I couldn't remember a lick of it and also didn't realize it was a Top 30 hit, so I guess it didn't make much of an impression on me back in the day.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: When the album was finished, the original intent was for it to be a self-titled effort that just featured a picture on Hagar on the front cover. It would have been Hagar's second self-titled album following his 1977 second solo LP. Initial pressing of the album did follow this plan and were distributed, but then a promotional opportunity came up via MTV. A "name my album" contest was run on the channel where viewers could sent in their suggestions. Hagar helped to choose the winner, which ended up being I Never Said Goodbye. Further pressings of the album featured the new title. It would be Hagar's only solo effort during his time with Van Halen.
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Friday, June 19, 2020
"That's Freedom" by Tom Kimmel
Song#: 3169
Date: 06/20/1987
Debut: 83
Peak: 64
Weeks: 8
Genre: Pop, Rock
Pop Bits: This Tennessee-born singer/songwriter started to get a foothold in the business supplying songs to other artists. A song he wrote called "Heroes" would be recorded by five different artists over a three-year span including a version by The Highwaymen (Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings). The work led to Kimmel getting a solo deal with Mercury Records. Kimmel would record his own version of "Heroes" for his debut album 5 to 1. Also included was this first single. It found an audience at Rock where the tune topped out at #17. It crossed over to the Pop chart, but only stuck around for a couple of months. Follow-up singles failed to chart and that left the album peaking at #104. He returned in 1990 with an album for Polydor, but nothing came from it. A few years later, Kimmel moved from a more mainstream pop/rock sound to contemporary folk and began releasing independent albums. His songs would continue to get picked up by artists such as Trio (Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris), the Stray Cats, and Kathy Mattea.
ReduxReview: If John Waite and Rod Stewart had a baby, it might have come out as Tom Kimmel. The tune itself sounded like something that Waite might have done during his No Brakes period while Kimmel's voice had a tone and rasp that wasn't too far from the school of Stewart. It's a good rock tune with a hooky chorus that chimes with a bit of the ol' American spirit. I'm surprised the song wasn't picked up for use in some commercial. It became hit in Australia a few years later (see below), but despite being a solid song, it just wasn't strong enough to click on US pop radio.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although Kimmel wouldn't have a major hit with this song, another artist ended up doing better with a version. Australian star and former Little River Band front man John Farnham recorded the song for his 1990 solo album Chain Reaction. It would be released as the LP's second single and it would reach #6 on the Australian chart. The song was unable to chart in the US. Farnham was a huge music star in Australia, but in the US he remained relatively unknown with his only Pop chart entry coming in 1990 with "You're the Voice" (#82).
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Date: 06/20/1987
Debut: 83
Peak: 64
Weeks: 8
Genre: Pop, Rock
Pop Bits: This Tennessee-born singer/songwriter started to get a foothold in the business supplying songs to other artists. A song he wrote called "Heroes" would be recorded by five different artists over a three-year span including a version by The Highwaymen (Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings). The work led to Kimmel getting a solo deal with Mercury Records. Kimmel would record his own version of "Heroes" for his debut album 5 to 1. Also included was this first single. It found an audience at Rock where the tune topped out at #17. It crossed over to the Pop chart, but only stuck around for a couple of months. Follow-up singles failed to chart and that left the album peaking at #104. He returned in 1990 with an album for Polydor, but nothing came from it. A few years later, Kimmel moved from a more mainstream pop/rock sound to contemporary folk and began releasing independent albums. His songs would continue to get picked up by artists such as Trio (Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris), the Stray Cats, and Kathy Mattea.
ReduxReview: If John Waite and Rod Stewart had a baby, it might have come out as Tom Kimmel. The tune itself sounded like something that Waite might have done during his No Brakes period while Kimmel's voice had a tone and rasp that wasn't too far from the school of Stewart. It's a good rock tune with a hooky chorus that chimes with a bit of the ol' American spirit. I'm surprised the song wasn't picked up for use in some commercial. It became hit in Australia a few years later (see below), but despite being a solid song, it just wasn't strong enough to click on US pop radio.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although Kimmel wouldn't have a major hit with this song, another artist ended up doing better with a version. Australian star and former Little River Band front man John Farnham recorded the song for his 1990 solo album Chain Reaction. It would be released as the LP's second single and it would reach #6 on the Australian chart. The song was unable to chart in the US. Farnham was a huge music star in Australia, but in the US he remained relatively unknown with his only Pop chart entry coming in 1990 with "You're the Voice" (#82).
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