"Let Me Love You Tonight" by Pure Prairie League

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  0163
Date:  05/10/1980
Debut:  81
Peak:  10
Weeks:  17
Genre:  Country Rock



Pop Bits:  Pure Prairie League had their first official line-up in place in 1970, but through the years had numerous personnel. They had varying success in the 70s and early 80s with their peak being this song from their album "Firin' Up." Like other acts such as Captain & Tennille, they were on the Casablanca label when it started to fizzle. When the label went belly-up, they were without a contract and never really recovered. However, they remained a successful touring act and a version of the band performs currently.

ReduxReview:  This is just a nice reliable tune. Pleasant to listen too and it kind of makes you sway back and forth. It's nothing that I would rush out and buy, but it is always a pleasure to listen to when it comes up on the radio or in a playlist.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Part of the personnel changes mentioned above was bringing in a couple of new replacements in 1978. One of those happened to be Vince Gill. He joined the band and stayed with them for two albums, leaving in 1982 when the group lost their Casablanca contract. Gill is the lead singer on this single. It was his first major hit and he would have many more as a solo country artist.

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"Inside of You" by Ray, Goodman & Brown

Song#:  0162
Date:  05/10/1980
Debut:  84
Peak:  76
Weeks:  4
Genre:  R&B, Soul



Pop Bits:  The group just had a major success with the gold #5 "Special Lady" (Redux #0024) and their self-titled debut under this new moniker (they were previously The Moments) was in the process of going gold and hitting #17 on the pop album chart. They followed up with this second single which didn't make much of an impact on the pop chart, but did go Top 20 on the R&B chart.

ReduxReview:  I wasn't the biggest fan of "Special Lady" and this one is along the same lines but maybe a bit more on the pop side. They do have really nice vocals and I like the mini-vocal breakdown mid-song, but as I said of their previous song, good but bland. I think it is just me - I'm not keen on this style of R&B I guess.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Harry Ray passed away suddenly in 1992. The group continued on, keeping the name and replacing Ray with Kevin Owens. This line-up has appeared with Alicia Keys and provided vocal support on her second album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys" in 2003.

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"Happy Together (A Fantasy)" by the Captain & Tennille

Song#:  0161
Date:  05/10/1980
Debut:  85
Peak:  53
Weeks:  6
Genre:  Pop



Pop Bits:  This remake of The Turtles' 1967 #1 hit was the third single from C&T's gold album "Make Your Move." It was also the last song of their to hit the pop chart bringing a close to their peak era that saw them get seven Top 10 hits, including two #1's. This particular song was one that they performed in concert through the years expanding it to include a "fantasy" section that sounded like something from the Arabian Nights. It was popular with audiences and they recorded it for their album. C&T would go on to have one more album after this, but their label Casablanca was slowly disintegrating and it didn't get promoted and failed to generate any chart action. Toni Tennille had a fondness for vocal jazz and later in the 80s began releasing solo recordings of old standards. They are still together and perform on occasion.

ReduxReview:  I used to love, love, love this version of the song. All the keyboard sounds and the fantasy part really intrigued me. I still like it these days, but it is so over the top and strange that I can practically hear all The Turtles retreat to their shells to avoid it...but they can't. It's too gigantic. It's like "Lawrence of Arabia" meets Jim Steinman. It ain't quite right, but keeps your attention.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  During their peak years, Toni Tennille also worked as a session vocalist. She was featured on three Elton John albums including the hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." She also sang on Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album. There is a story that Tennille went to see a Floyd concert and the kid in front of her recognized who she was and said, "what are YOU doing here?" She told him she sang on the album. The kid didn't believe her and went to track down a friend who had the album with him. When he saw her name in the credits he came back, apologized, and asked for her autograph.

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"King of the Hill" by Rick Pinette and Oak

Redux Spotlight Alert!

Song#:  0160
Date:  05/10/1980
Debut:  88
Peak:  36
Weeks:  14
Genre: Soft Rock, Pop



Pop Bits:  Here is a lost group where not a lot of information is available. From what I can gather, the band Oak was from New Hampshire. They formed in 1969 and hit the bar band circuit. The band would split and reform several times before really setting sights on being a full-time successful group. They finally got their shot at the big time when they signed with Mercury. I believe their band name was originally Pinette (Rick Pinette was the lead singer/writer), but Mercury didn't like it and the band became Oak. Their first single, "This Is Love," hit the chart and peaked at #58 in 1979. Further singles would be credited to Rick Pinette and Oak. This song was their biggest chart hit and it would be followed up with one more album and chart single before the band would split.

ReduxReview:  As I've said before, this is a big part of the reason why I'm doing this project. This song was a fun find. It is a big-ass ballad with everything but the kitchen sink. It scratched the Top 40, but it reminds me of one of those songs that wasn't big the first time around, but was rediscovered years later and went Top 10 - like the group Sheriff whose song "When I'm With You" peaked at #61 in 1983 and then reappeared in 1989 and went to #1. Unfortunately, this song didn't have a second life but I'm glad I discovered it. Yes, I know it is not a brilliant song, but I really love it - the opening piano riff, Pinette's big voice, the strings, the horn, the big last note. Totally awesome. The vinyl of their self-titled debut was slightly hard to find, but I got one coming my way! This is very deserving of a Spotlight mention.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  After the band split, Pinette formed the Rick Pinette Band and toured all around the northeast. It appears that he gave up the music business and is now a motivational speaker located in Florida. He does corporate events and also school assemblies where he incorporates music and goes by "Mr. Rick."

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"Ashes By Now" by Rodney Crowell

Song#:  0159
Date:  05/10/1980
Debut:  90
Peak:  37
Weeks:  11
Genre:  Country Crossover



Pop Bits:  It's quite surprising that this is Crowell's only pop chart song. With several hits on the country chart and accolades for his songwriting, his solo work seemed like it would have broken through a bit more in pop. The song is from his second solo album "But What Will the Neighbors Think." Over the course of eight years Crowell's country audience grew and in 1988 he released his most famous album "Diamonds & Dirt." Five singles were released from this album and all of them hit #1 on the country chart. Yet, all of them failed to hit the pop chart and even the album failed to make it. Very strange. However, other artists had success with Crowell's songs and even this one was remade in 2000 by Lee Ann Womack and became a #4 country hit and a #48 pop entry.

ReduxReview:  Crowell is an excellent songwriter. This one is no exception. It may take a couple of listens to really click, but when it does, you might find yourself hooked. It's a slow burner and has a nice late-70s country pop sound. Womack's version adds some percussion and kicks up the beat a bit. It's a good reading, but I actually prefer Crowell's simmering statement.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) On the same album that this song appears, Crowell included "Queen of Hearts," written by Hank DeVito who also plays guitar on the song. It was originally recorded by Dave Edmunds a year earlier, but the song would go on to be a big hit in 1981 by Juice Newton.  2) Crowell was married to Roseanne Cash and they often collaborated. He produced her first six album before their marriage ended in 1992.

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