Song#: 0740
Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 83
Peak: 37
Weeks: 11
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: As part of the Canadian group The Guess Who, Cummings sang lead on six Top 10 hits including the #1 "American Woman" in 1970. He remained with the group for a decade before leaving for a solo career. He had a major hit right away with 1976's "Stand Tall" (#10), but his follow-ups failed to reach the Top 40. His fifth solo album, "Sweet Sweet," featured this single and it became his second Top 40 hit. It also served has his last song to reach the chart.
ReduxReview: This is another one of those tunes that sounds like the theme song to a TV sitcom. If it was, it would work out just fine. As an early 80s single, not so much. It's not a bad song but I don't think it is particularly strong or interesting. Cummings is a great vocalist, but he gets a little weird near the end. I just didn't click with it.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Cummings tried his hand at acting and co-starred in the 1982 film "Melanie" with Glynnis O'Connor and Don Johnson. Cummings plays a musician and this song was featured during the closing credits.
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Saturday, March 8, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
"In the Dark" by Billy Squier
Song#: 0739
Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 85
Peak: 35
Weeks: 12
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This follow-up to Squier's hit "The Stroke" (#17) didn't do quite as well but did manage to get into the Top 40. At rock radio, it was another hit reaching #7. The success of the singles pushed his album, "Don't Say No" into the Top 10 and it eventually achieved triple-platinum status.
ReduxReview: While not as good or immediate as "The Stroke," this is still a hot slice o' rock pie from Squier. It was a great one-two punch from him and although neither really lit up the pop chart, they certainly made him a star and became rock radio staples.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Before hitting the solo trail, Squier was a member of a few bands. The last one he was in, Piper, he formed and they issued two albums in 1976 and 1977. Despite good press and an opening slot on a Kiss tour, the albums tanked and the group disbanded. Squier finally secured a solo deal in 1980.
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Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 85
Peak: 35
Weeks: 12
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This follow-up to Squier's hit "The Stroke" (#17) didn't do quite as well but did manage to get into the Top 40. At rock radio, it was another hit reaching #7. The success of the singles pushed his album, "Don't Say No" into the Top 10 and it eventually achieved triple-platinum status.
ReduxReview: While not as good or immediate as "The Stroke," this is still a hot slice o' rock pie from Squier. It was a great one-two punch from him and although neither really lit up the pop chart, they certainly made him a star and became rock radio staples.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Before hitting the solo trail, Squier was a member of a few bands. The last one he was in, Piper, he formed and they issued two albums in 1976 and 1977. Despite good press and an opening slot on a Kiss tour, the albums tanked and the group disbanded. Squier finally secured a solo deal in 1980.
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Thursday, March 6, 2014
"Sausalito Summernight" by Diesel
Song#: 0738
Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 86
Peak: 25
Weeks: 18
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This Dutch group released their first album, "Watts in the Tank," in the Netherlands in 1980. It spawned a few middling chart hits there including this single. It seemed to be enough to take the album to a broader audience and a year later it was issued in the US. This song became their only US pop chart entry making it into the Top 30. However, in Canada it was very popular and hit #1. The group would issue a second album, but it failed to do any business and the group called it quits in 1985.
ReduxReview: This is one of those singles that didn't do real well when it came out but became a popular tune later for those who love 80s pop. I'm one of them. I didn't really latch onto this song back then, although I did like it. Then later on I found it on an 80s compilation and I got hooked. It's a fun single with a nice guitar lick and interesting vocal parts.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: The band was founded by Pim Kooperman, who was also a co-founding member of the Dutch prog-rock band Kayak. Another co-founding member of Kayak, Max Werner, had just finished up a short run on the US pop chart with his solo outing "Rain in May" (#74). Both of them left Kayak in the mid-70s and rejoined in 1999. Werner left a year later, but Kooperman stayed with Kayak until his death in 2009.
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Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 86
Peak: 25
Weeks: 18
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This Dutch group released their first album, "Watts in the Tank," in the Netherlands in 1980. It spawned a few middling chart hits there including this single. It seemed to be enough to take the album to a broader audience and a year later it was issued in the US. This song became their only US pop chart entry making it into the Top 30. However, in Canada it was very popular and hit #1. The group would issue a second album, but it failed to do any business and the group called it quits in 1985.
ReduxReview: This is one of those singles that didn't do real well when it came out but became a popular tune later for those who love 80s pop. I'm one of them. I didn't really latch onto this song back then, although I did like it. Then later on I found it on an 80s compilation and I got hooked. It's a fun single with a nice guitar lick and interesting vocal parts.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: The band was founded by Pim Kooperman, who was also a co-founding member of the Dutch prog-rock band Kayak. Another co-founding member of Kayak, Max Werner, had just finished up a short run on the US pop chart with his solo outing "Rain in May" (#74). Both of them left Kayak in the mid-70s and rejoined in 1999. Werner left a year later, but Kooperman stayed with Kayak until his death in 2009.
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"(Want You) Back in My Life Again" by Carpenters
Song#: 0737
Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 88
Peak: 72
Weeks: 8
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: Following up their final pop Top 40 hit "Touch Me When We're Dancing" (#16), this second single from the LP "Made in America" circled the bottom of the chart for a couple of months. It did better at AC reaching #14.
ReduxReview: This is not too bad of a song but I think it is held back by the arrangement, which is a little too slight for the tune. And as much as I love Karen's voice, she sounds a little weak here. I think if Olivia Newton-John had done this song in her more rock-oriented style, this would have made a solid addition to one of her albums. As is, the single is just lacking the punch it takes to grab your attention.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Before this album was made, Richard Carpenter took a year off from music to deal with his addiction to Quaaludes. Instead of sitting idle, Karen embarked on a solo project working with legendary producer Phil Ramone. The sound of the album took her in a different direction than what she was doing with the Carpenters and it met with a resounding thud at her label, A&M, and with her brother. Label head Herb Alpert decided to shelve the album and also required the Carpenters to flip the bill for the recording through their future royalties. A few of the tracks were used or remixed for a couple of Carpenters releases, but the full album remained shelved until 1996, thirteen years after her death, when it was released in its entirety as Karen had wanted.
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Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 88
Peak: 72
Weeks: 8
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: Following up their final pop Top 40 hit "Touch Me When We're Dancing" (#16), this second single from the LP "Made in America" circled the bottom of the chart for a couple of months. It did better at AC reaching #14.
ReduxReview: This is not too bad of a song but I think it is held back by the arrangement, which is a little too slight for the tune. And as much as I love Karen's voice, she sounds a little weak here. I think if Olivia Newton-John had done this song in her more rock-oriented style, this would have made a solid addition to one of her albums. As is, the single is just lacking the punch it takes to grab your attention.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Before this album was made, Richard Carpenter took a year off from music to deal with his addiction to Quaaludes. Instead of sitting idle, Karen embarked on a solo project working with legendary producer Phil Ramone. The sound of the album took her in a different direction than what she was doing with the Carpenters and it met with a resounding thud at her label, A&M, and with her brother. Label head Herb Alpert decided to shelve the album and also required the Carpenters to flip the bill for the recording through their future royalties. A few of the tracks were used or remixed for a couple of Carpenters releases, but the full album remained shelved until 1996, thirteen years after her death, when it was released in its entirety as Karen had wanted.
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014
"You've Got a Good Love Coming" by Van Stephenson
Song#: 0736
Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 89
Peak: 79
Weeks: 4
Genre: Pop
Pop Bits: Stephenson's music career took off as a staff songwriter in Nashville where he wrote/co-wrote hit songs for artists like Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Janie Fricke and Juice Newton. The success allowed him to get signed as a solo artist and he issued his first LP, "China Girl," which leaned towards pop/rock rather than the country he was writing. This first single got some minor attention for a few weeks and the album didn't chart. It would take another three years before he would issue a follow-up, which would be his most successful solo outing.
ReduxReview: Stephenson was an excellent songwriter and he wrote/co-wrote a lot of quality tunes. This shuffle is well-done and a really nice listen. It's not the most outstanding single, but it deserved to get a little further out of the basement of the chart.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although this song wasn't a hit on the pop chart for Stephenson (who co-wrote the tune), country artist Lee Greenwood recorded the song and he reached #9 on the country chart in 1984.
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Date: 09/12/1981
Debut: 89
Peak: 79
Weeks: 4
Genre: Pop
Pop Bits: Stephenson's music career took off as a staff songwriter in Nashville where he wrote/co-wrote hit songs for artists like Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Janie Fricke and Juice Newton. The success allowed him to get signed as a solo artist and he issued his first LP, "China Girl," which leaned towards pop/rock rather than the country he was writing. This first single got some minor attention for a few weeks and the album didn't chart. It would take another three years before he would issue a follow-up, which would be his most successful solo outing.
ReduxReview: Stephenson was an excellent songwriter and he wrote/co-wrote a lot of quality tunes. This shuffle is well-done and a really nice listen. It's not the most outstanding single, but it deserved to get a little further out of the basement of the chart.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Although this song wasn't a hit on the pop chart for Stephenson (who co-wrote the tune), country artist Lee Greenwood recorded the song and he reached #9 on the country chart in 1984.
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