Song#: 0978
Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 80
Peak: 50
Weeks: 8
Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Pop Bits: Lightfoot is often considered one of Canada's best songwriters. He is revered in his homeland and has even been called a "national treasure." Performing with folk groups and solo around Canada in the 60s, his popularity grew and in 1966 he issued his first solo album, "Lightfoot!" Several chart singles and albums followed throughout the remainder of the decade, but success in the US eluded him. That changed in 1970 when his single "If You Could Read My Mind" reached #5 on the US pop chart. He would have three more US Top 10's including the #1 "Carfree Highway" (1974) and what would arguable become his most famous song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (#2, 1976). His popularity decreased in the late 70s with his pop/folk music falling out of favor. He had been absent from the pop chart for four years before this single from his LP "Shadows" got him into the Top 50 (#17 AC). It would be his last single to reach the US chart.
ReduxReview: Lightfoot has a distinctive nasally voice that is easily recognized. When it's paired with one of his great tunes, the combo is hard to resist. If the song is not that interesting, his voice can be a bit grating (for me). This song is semi-interesting with Lightfoot's voice sounding a bit pinched. It's a listenable outing but nothing that would gain new fans.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Although it took until 1970 for Lightfoot to reach the US pop chart, as a songwriter he was having success on the US country chart. In 1965, country star Marty Robbins reached #1 with Lightfoot's "Ribbon of Darkness." The following year, George Hamilton IV hit #9 with "Early Morning Rain."
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Saturday, September 6, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
"You Got the Power" by War
Song#: 0977
Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 82
Peak: 66
Weeks: 6
Genre: R&B, Funk
Pop Bits: Developed by producer Jerry Goldstein and former Animals lead singer Eric Burdon, this group hit right off the bat with the #3 "Spill the Wine" (1970). Burdon only stuck around for two albums but War continued without him and released a streak of hit singles throughout the 70s including the #2 (#5 R&B) "The Cisco Kid" (1973) and their #1 R&B smash (#7 pop) "Low Rider" (1975). The late 70s brought many changes to the band and their popularity began to decline. A switch to the RCA label prompted the LP "Outlaw" and this single got them a third of the way up the pop chart while reaching the R&B Top 20.
ReduxReview: War's funk still sounded a little stuck in the 70s, which was not really in favor at the time. Even Earth, Wind & Fire recognized early in the decade that they had to adapt and update coming up with the major hit "Let's Groove" (#3). Without anything new to offer, this song ultimately becomes forgettable. War typically offers up a nice groove, but this one lacks anything remarkable to make it stand out. Nice cowbell though...
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: At one point, the band that would eventually become War was called Nightshift. During this incarnation, the band backed football player-turned R&B singer Deacon Jones. Thought to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the game, Jones started a singing career while still playing pro football. It was during one of Jones' performances that Jerry Goldstein heard the band and liked their sound. Goldstein would help turn Nightshift into Eric Burdon and War.
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Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 82
Peak: 66
Weeks: 6
Genre: R&B, Funk
Pop Bits: Developed by producer Jerry Goldstein and former Animals lead singer Eric Burdon, this group hit right off the bat with the #3 "Spill the Wine" (1970). Burdon only stuck around for two albums but War continued without him and released a streak of hit singles throughout the 70s including the #2 (#5 R&B) "The Cisco Kid" (1973) and their #1 R&B smash (#7 pop) "Low Rider" (1975). The late 70s brought many changes to the band and their popularity began to decline. A switch to the RCA label prompted the LP "Outlaw" and this single got them a third of the way up the pop chart while reaching the R&B Top 20.
ReduxReview: War's funk still sounded a little stuck in the 70s, which was not really in favor at the time. Even Earth, Wind & Fire recognized early in the decade that they had to adapt and update coming up with the major hit "Let's Groove" (#3). Without anything new to offer, this song ultimately becomes forgettable. War typically offers up a nice groove, but this one lacks anything remarkable to make it stand out. Nice cowbell though...
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: At one point, the band that would eventually become War was called Nightshift. During this incarnation, the band backed football player-turned R&B singer Deacon Jones. Thought to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the game, Jones started a singing career while still playing pro football. It was during one of Jones' performances that Jerry Goldstein heard the band and liked their sound. Goldstein would help turn Nightshift into Eric Burdon and War.
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Thursday, September 4, 2014
"If It Ain't One Thing...It's Another" by Richard "Dimples" Fields
Song#: 0976
Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 83
Peak: 47
Weeks: 10
Genre: R&B
Pop Bits: Fields promoted his own singing career early on by purchasing a nightclub and becoming the headliner. Located in San Francisco, the Cold Duck Music Lounge is where Fields honed his skills for many years before getting the attention of Casablanca Records. Signed to the Boardwalk label, Fields issued an LP that featured his first R&B chart song, a remake of The Penguins' "Earth Angel." His second LP boasted this tune which became his biggest hit. Reaching #1 on the R&B chart, it crossed over to pop and got near the Top 40. Fields would put out more singles and albums (and eventually just go by "Dimples"), but nothing would come close to this peak moment. Unfortunately, he died of a stroke in 2000.
ReduxReview: This guy had an odd career where he did some rather randy tunes like "A Woman at Home (A Freak on the Side)" and then did innocent stuff like "Earth Angel" and "Sincerely." This song is kind of a head scratcher. With lyrics of how bad things are, including him talking about an ugly woman having his baby (not to mention the whole section referring to the bible!), it is really amazing this did so well. Maybe folks saw this as more of a novelty song. I really don't know. Good for him I guess that he got at #1 out of it, but for me this is pretty awful.
ReduxRating: 2/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Fields had put out some recordings in the 70s before signing with Boardwalk. His album "Spoiled Rotten!" contained his first version of this song. With a slightly slower tempo and spacy keyboard sounds, the song did not contain any of the spoken word passages heard in his updated version. 2) Fields' first album contained the song "She's Got Papers on Me," which has turned into a sort of R&B cult classic. In the song, Fields is talking about how he wants to leave his wife for his mistress but can't. Later in the song, R&B star Betty Wright comes on and lays down the law from her side in a spoken word section. The song itself is not all that great, but Wright's contribution is perfection.
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Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 83
Peak: 47
Weeks: 10
Genre: R&B
Pop Bits: Fields promoted his own singing career early on by purchasing a nightclub and becoming the headliner. Located in San Francisco, the Cold Duck Music Lounge is where Fields honed his skills for many years before getting the attention of Casablanca Records. Signed to the Boardwalk label, Fields issued an LP that featured his first R&B chart song, a remake of The Penguins' "Earth Angel." His second LP boasted this tune which became his biggest hit. Reaching #1 on the R&B chart, it crossed over to pop and got near the Top 40. Fields would put out more singles and albums (and eventually just go by "Dimples"), but nothing would come close to this peak moment. Unfortunately, he died of a stroke in 2000.
ReduxReview: This guy had an odd career where he did some rather randy tunes like "A Woman at Home (A Freak on the Side)" and then did innocent stuff like "Earth Angel" and "Sincerely." This song is kind of a head scratcher. With lyrics of how bad things are, including him talking about an ugly woman having his baby (not to mention the whole section referring to the bible!), it is really amazing this did so well. Maybe folks saw this as more of a novelty song. I really don't know. Good for him I guess that he got at #1 out of it, but for me this is pretty awful.
ReduxRating: 2/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Fields had put out some recordings in the 70s before signing with Boardwalk. His album "Spoiled Rotten!" contained his first version of this song. With a slightly slower tempo and spacy keyboard sounds, the song did not contain any of the spoken word passages heard in his updated version. 2) Fields' first album contained the song "She's Got Papers on Me," which has turned into a sort of R&B cult classic. In the song, Fields is talking about how he wants to leave his wife for his mistress but can't. Later in the song, R&B star Betty Wright comes on and lays down the law from her side in a spoken word section. The song itself is not all that great, but Wright's contribution is perfection.
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"Just to Satisfy You" by Waylon & Willie
Song#: 0975
Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 85
Peak: 52
Weeks: 9
Genre: Country
Pop Bits: Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson had collaborated before on two other country #1 singles and a
successful duet album, "Waylon & Willie" (#1 country, 1978). Jennings asked his pal back again for this song that appeared on Jennings' "Black on Black" album. It was another smash at country reaching #1 and it had enough support to make it almost halfway up the pop chart. At the time, Nelson was having his greatest crossover success, but for Jennings this single would be his final pop chart entry. However, Jennings would still spend the rest of the decade releasing a long string of country Top 10 hits.
ReduxReview: Okay, so these guys are great and all that, but why does this just sound so lazy? I expected something a bit better than this. I don't think the song is bad, but the arrangement and delivery lack any kind of energy. It's like two old grandpa's on the porch singin' and watching the world pass by. There are passages where they basically mumble the title. This one had potential, but it turned out to be a snoozer.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: With this song, Jennings is basically covering his own recording. Jennings wrote the tune with Don Bowman in 1963. It was picked up and recorded by Bobby Bare in 1965 and his single reached #31 on the country chart. Jennings recorded the song and put it on his album of the same name in 1969, however, the song was not issued as a single. Other country artists like Jerry Reed, Barbara Mandrell, and Glen Campbell recorded the song over the years, but it took Jennings' duet with Nelson to finally get the song to #1.
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Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 85
Peak: 52
Weeks: 9
Genre: Country
Pop Bits: Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson had collaborated before on two other country #1 singles and a
successful duet album, "Waylon & Willie" (#1 country, 1978). Jennings asked his pal back again for this song that appeared on Jennings' "Black on Black" album. It was another smash at country reaching #1 and it had enough support to make it almost halfway up the pop chart. At the time, Nelson was having his greatest crossover success, but for Jennings this single would be his final pop chart entry. However, Jennings would still spend the rest of the decade releasing a long string of country Top 10 hits.
ReduxReview: Okay, so these guys are great and all that, but why does this just sound so lazy? I expected something a bit better than this. I don't think the song is bad, but the arrangement and delivery lack any kind of energy. It's like two old grandpa's on the porch singin' and watching the world pass by. There are passages where they basically mumble the title. This one had potential, but it turned out to be a snoozer.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: With this song, Jennings is basically covering his own recording. Jennings wrote the tune with Don Bowman in 1963. It was picked up and recorded by Bobby Bare in 1965 and his single reached #31 on the country chart. Jennings recorded the song and put it on his album of the same name in 1969, however, the song was not issued as a single. Other country artists like Jerry Reed, Barbara Mandrell, and Glen Campbell recorded the song over the years, but it took Jennings' duet with Nelson to finally get the song to #1.
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Wednesday, September 3, 2014
"Finally" by T.G. Sheppard
Song#: 0974
Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 86
Peak: 58
Weeks: 8
Genre: Country Crossover
Pop Bits: This ballad was the second singled lifted from Sheppard's "Finally!" LP and it was number six in a string of eight consecutive country #1's. The early 80s would be his hottest period as a chart artist with several of his songs crossing over to the pop chart. This single also made the AC chart reaching #17.
ReduxReview: This song is bothering me so much! I know I've heard it before (as I could sing along with the chorus) but could swear it was not this version. I'm certain a female vocalist covered this song on an album. I can't really find any evidence supporting a female version, but that is what I'm hearing in my head. Amy Grant did do a live version for an album, but I never owned that LP. I'll figure it out someday. In the meantime, Sheppard scores with this sweet pop ballad. I think this song had better potential and probably if a non-country artist had done it, the single might have done much better on the chart. I think it is one of Sheppard's best singles.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Sheppard owned a log home estate near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and in 1988 he opened it up as a B&B called Moon Mountain Lodge. Sheppard kept a suite of rooms at the lodge for himself and when in the area would sometimes stay at the B&B and mingle with guests. Sheppard sold the property in later years.
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Date: 04/03/1982
Debut: 86
Peak: 58
Weeks: 8
Genre: Country Crossover
Pop Bits: This ballad was the second singled lifted from Sheppard's "Finally!" LP and it was number six in a string of eight consecutive country #1's. The early 80s would be his hottest period as a chart artist with several of his songs crossing over to the pop chart. This single also made the AC chart reaching #17.
ReduxReview: This song is bothering me so much! I know I've heard it before (as I could sing along with the chorus) but could swear it was not this version. I'm certain a female vocalist covered this song on an album. I can't really find any evidence supporting a female version, but that is what I'm hearing in my head. Amy Grant did do a live version for an album, but I never owned that LP. I'll figure it out someday. In the meantime, Sheppard scores with this sweet pop ballad. I think this song had better potential and probably if a non-country artist had done it, the single might have done much better on the chart. I think it is one of Sheppard's best singles.
ReduxRating: 7/10
Trivia: Sheppard owned a log home estate near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and in 1988 he opened it up as a B&B called Moon Mountain Lodge. Sheppard kept a suite of rooms at the lodge for himself and when in the area would sometimes stay at the B&B and mingle with guests. Sheppard sold the property in later years.
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