Song#: 1660
Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 91
Peak: 86
Weeks: 2
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: Singer/songwriter Esposito got his first real break in music with the band Brooklyn Dreams. A trio made up of Esposito, Bruce Sudano, and Eddie Hokenson, they hit it big when a collaboration with Donna Summer, "Heaven Knows", hit #4 in 1978. For the single, which appeared on Summer's Live and More LP, Summer had the lead vocal duties while Esposito did the supporting vocal. The song also appeared on Brooklyn Dreams' second album, Sleepless Nights, but with Esposito on lead and Summer supporting. The hit helped sell a few of the band's albums, but it did not translate into a successful recording career. However, the band did co-write Summer's 1979 #1 hit "Bad Girls," which put a few royalties in their pockets. With disco dying and interest in the band fading, they separated into their own careers. Esposito began working with producer Giorgio Moroder and this song wound up on the Moroder's soundtrack to the movie Flashdance. It would serve as the third single from the album. The ballad only managed a couple of weeks on the Pop chart while going to #36 at AC. The collaboration with Moroder continued and the pair issued an album titled Solitary Men, which also included this song. Unfortunately, it couldn't capitalize on the success of Flashdance and disappeared quickly. Esposito and Bruce Sudano would then form the band Joe-Bruce & 2nd Avenue. They issued a self-titled disc in 1987 that also failed to get attention. Despite not breaking big, Esposito kept busy in the decade supplying songs and vocals for several soundtracks as well as backing vocals for other artists.
ReduxReview: Something has always bugged me about the Flashdance soundtrack. In addition to the back-to-back #1's of the title-track and "Maniac," the album contained some primo tracks from Laura Branigan, Donna Summer, Kim Carnes, and two virtual unknowns Shandi and Karen Kamon. Any of these tracks would have done far better than this weak ballad. It is actually my least favorite song on the album (and that's even taking into consideration the dreary instrumental "Love Theme from Flashdance"). Perhaps there were agreements in place that blocked the other songs from single release. Or perhaps the label was just dumb. Whatever the case, we were left to slog through this song as a single and it bombed. When I don't particularly like a song, I usually try to say something semi-positive about it like "it's not really bad, it is just not a good single." I this case I just can't. It's just boring filler that interrupts the flow of an album loaded with some hot 80s tracks. Well, not interrupts. More like brings it to a screeching halt.
ReduxRating: 2/10
Trivia: Triple Shot! 1) Esposito would grab a couple of Grammy nods for his work on the Flashdance and Staying Alive soundtracks, but he would get a nomination in a performance category for his appearance on Brenda Russell's 1988 hit "Piano in the Dark" (#3 AC/#6 Pop/#8 R&B). They would be nominated in the Best Pop Vocal Group category for the song. Russell's song would also be nominated for Song of the Year. 2) Esposito's son is former Major League baseball player Mike Esposito. The starting pitcher played one season with Colorado Rockies in 2005. 3) Brooklyn Dream' Bruce Sudano would marry Donna Summer in 1980. They remained married until her death in 2012.
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Saturday, May 21, 2016
Friday, May 20, 2016
"I Just Can't Walk Away" by The Four Tops
Song#: 1659
Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 93
Peak: 71
Weeks: 9
Genre: R&B, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: After two albums for Casablanca that yielded the #1 R&B hit "When She Was My Girl" (#9 AC/#11 Pop), the vocal group moved back to their original home label of Motown, which they had left in 1972. Their first album for the label was appropriately title Back Where I Belong and this first single was issued to get things started. Unfortunately, the results didn't even come close to replicating the success of their previous Motown hits and it fell of the chart after a couple of months. The tune's best showing was at AC where it did get to #18. At R&B, the single stalled just inside the Top 40 at #36. The album then quickly and quietly disappeared.
ReduxReview: The Four Tops + Holland-Dozier-Holland + Motown. It has to be a fantastic return to form, right? Nope. What should have been a hot, upbeat, retro reunion of the three somehow turned into this sluggish ballad. It is well-performed by the Tops, but the song is a dud. It's almost reaching for a Commodores-ish sound but falls flat. It's definitely not a horrible tune, but considering the songwriters, the artist, and the label, it is pretty disappointing.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: For the new Motown album, the Tops were once again paired with the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. HDH wrote many songs for the Tops during their original Motown days including their two biggest hits "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (#1 Pop and R&B, 1965) and "Reach Out I'll Be There" (#1 Pop and R&B, 1966). HDH wrote this song and four others for the new album, but the magic that they had with the Tops in the early days was no longer there. The album also boasted two superstar duets (neither written by HDH) - one with Aretha Franklin and one with The Temptations. The appearance of the legendary stars also failed to attract listeners.
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Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 93
Peak: 71
Weeks: 9
Genre: R&B, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: After two albums for Casablanca that yielded the #1 R&B hit "When She Was My Girl" (#9 AC/#11 Pop), the vocal group moved back to their original home label of Motown, which they had left in 1972. Their first album for the label was appropriately title Back Where I Belong and this first single was issued to get things started. Unfortunately, the results didn't even come close to replicating the success of their previous Motown hits and it fell of the chart after a couple of months. The tune's best showing was at AC where it did get to #18. At R&B, the single stalled just inside the Top 40 at #36. The album then quickly and quietly disappeared.
ReduxReview: The Four Tops + Holland-Dozier-Holland + Motown. It has to be a fantastic return to form, right? Nope. What should have been a hot, upbeat, retro reunion of the three somehow turned into this sluggish ballad. It is well-performed by the Tops, but the song is a dud. It's almost reaching for a Commodores-ish sound but falls flat. It's definitely not a horrible tune, but considering the songwriters, the artist, and the label, it is pretty disappointing.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: For the new Motown album, the Tops were once again paired with the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. HDH wrote many songs for the Tops during their original Motown days including their two biggest hits "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (#1 Pop and R&B, 1965) and "Reach Out I'll Be There" (#1 Pop and R&B, 1966). HDH wrote this song and four others for the new album, but the magic that they had with the Tops in the early days was no longer there. The album also boasted two superstar duets (neither written by HDH) - one with Aretha Franklin and one with The Temptations. The appearance of the legendary stars also failed to attract listeners.
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Thursday, May 19, 2016
"Caught in the Game" by Survivor
Song#: 1658
Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 95
Peak: 77
Weeks: 5
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: After getting a bit of attention with their first two albums, Survivor had a major break through when their contribution to the Rocky III soundtrack, "Eye of the Tiger," became a #1 smash. Their third album, titled after the hit, vaulted to #2 and became a platinum seller. Expectations were high for their follow-up as the band readied their new album Caught in the Game. This first single introduced the album, but not everyone was welcoming. The song performed okay at Rock reaching #16, but it faltered quickly at Pop and fell off the chart just over a month after it debuted. This was not good news. To make matters worse, no other single or song from the album was able to reach the Rock or Pop charts. With little support, the album tanked at a lowly #82 - a far cry from their previous #2 hit - and it had people questioning if the band could do anything nearly as popular as their signature tune.
ReduxReview: These guys had to know that chances were slim they could repeat the results of "Eye of the Tiger," but they really did need a solid catchy tune that would keep the ball rolling for them. Unfortunately, this was not the song. It's not a bad album opener, but this has about zero going for it as a single. The sound is a bit more guitar-heavy than their previous outings, but I don't think that mattered. It's just a weak song to introduce the album. These guys were more than capable of writing some good, commercial rock fare, but this song and album were a stumble. Perhaps they were pushed to get this out and that along with Dave Bickler's health issues (see below) had them scrambling to produce product. Whatever it was, it resulted in what is arguably their weakest album of the decade.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The bad news continued for the band when lead singer Dave Bickler developed nodules on his vocal fold. He had to have surgery done to remove the nodules and that left the band without a singer. There would be no tour to support the Caught in the Game album, which certainly played a part in its lack of sales. With additional vocal rest required for Bickler, the band sought out a new vocalist so they could move forward. Jimi Jameson was hired and he would help lead the band into a new era of popularity. Bickler would end up returning to the band in 1993 and stay until 2000. He would also do another short stint with them in 2014 following the death of Jimi Jamison. Bickler would stay on until March of 2016.
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Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 95
Peak: 77
Weeks: 5
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: After getting a bit of attention with their first two albums, Survivor had a major break through when their contribution to the Rocky III soundtrack, "Eye of the Tiger," became a #1 smash. Their third album, titled after the hit, vaulted to #2 and became a platinum seller. Expectations were high for their follow-up as the band readied their new album Caught in the Game. This first single introduced the album, but not everyone was welcoming. The song performed okay at Rock reaching #16, but it faltered quickly at Pop and fell off the chart just over a month after it debuted. This was not good news. To make matters worse, no other single or song from the album was able to reach the Rock or Pop charts. With little support, the album tanked at a lowly #82 - a far cry from their previous #2 hit - and it had people questioning if the band could do anything nearly as popular as their signature tune.
ReduxReview: These guys had to know that chances were slim they could repeat the results of "Eye of the Tiger," but they really did need a solid catchy tune that would keep the ball rolling for them. Unfortunately, this was not the song. It's not a bad album opener, but this has about zero going for it as a single. The sound is a bit more guitar-heavy than their previous outings, but I don't think that mattered. It's just a weak song to introduce the album. These guys were more than capable of writing some good, commercial rock fare, but this song and album were a stumble. Perhaps they were pushed to get this out and that along with Dave Bickler's health issues (see below) had them scrambling to produce product. Whatever it was, it resulted in what is arguably their weakest album of the decade.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: The bad news continued for the band when lead singer Dave Bickler developed nodules on his vocal fold. He had to have surgery done to remove the nodules and that left the band without a singer. There would be no tour to support the Caught in the Game album, which certainly played a part in its lack of sales. With additional vocal rest required for Bickler, the band sought out a new vocalist so they could move forward. Jimi Jameson was hired and he would help lead the band into a new era of popularity. Bickler would end up returning to the band in 1993 and stay until 2000. He would also do another short stint with them in 2014 following the death of Jimi Jamison. Bickler would stay on until March of 2016.
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"I Think You'll Remember Tonight" by Axe
Song#: 1657
Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 98
Peak: 94
Weeks: 2
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This hard rock band had a bit of a breakthrough when their third album, Offering, spawned the Rock radio track "Rock 'N' Roll Party in the Streets" (#23) and the #64 Pop entry "Now or Never." It set them up well for their next album, Nemesis, but the only track to make any headway was this single that got to #36 at Rock and spent two short weeks near the bottom of the Pop chart. It wasn't great news, but it got far worse for them when two band members, Bobby Barth and Michael Osborne were involved in a car wreck. Barth would survive, but sadly Osborne would not. The band would fold soon after Osborne's death. A reformed version of the band would appear in 1997.
ReduxReview: This tune starts off with a terrific, mysterious groove, but the chorus is a bit of a letdown. Although I like the Hammond organ part, it seems a bit out of place for a band that is billed as being hard rock. This is definitely not hard rock. It's more in line with Michael Stanley Band or some other Midwest rock outfit. The rest of the album kind of shifts around from harder rocking tunes a la 38 Special to more pop-oriented rock via Survivor or even the more keyboard oriented tracks from Styx. There are some good songs on the LP with several (like this one) that seemed to have been written with a more commercial slant. It's all good, just not outstanding.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: The lineup of Axe in 1997, which featured original members Barth and drummer Teddy Mueller, also included vocalist Bob Harris. Harris had been a part of Frank Zappa's band for a few years beginning in 1981. He played keyboards and trumpet and provided vocals. He became lead singer of Axe when they reformed. Axe is still in existence as of this date with Harris at the helm. All other original members have either moved on to other projects or have passed away.
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Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 98
Peak: 94
Weeks: 2
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: This hard rock band had a bit of a breakthrough when their third album, Offering, spawned the Rock radio track "Rock 'N' Roll Party in the Streets" (#23) and the #64 Pop entry "Now or Never." It set them up well for their next album, Nemesis, but the only track to make any headway was this single that got to #36 at Rock and spent two short weeks near the bottom of the Pop chart. It wasn't great news, but it got far worse for them when two band members, Bobby Barth and Michael Osborne were involved in a car wreck. Barth would survive, but sadly Osborne would not. The band would fold soon after Osborne's death. A reformed version of the band would appear in 1997.
ReduxReview: This tune starts off with a terrific, mysterious groove, but the chorus is a bit of a letdown. Although I like the Hammond organ part, it seems a bit out of place for a band that is billed as being hard rock. This is definitely not hard rock. It's more in line with Michael Stanley Band or some other Midwest rock outfit. The rest of the album kind of shifts around from harder rocking tunes a la 38 Special to more pop-oriented rock via Survivor or even the more keyboard oriented tracks from Styx. There are some good songs on the LP with several (like this one) that seemed to have been written with a more commercial slant. It's all good, just not outstanding.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: The lineup of Axe in 1997, which featured original members Barth and drummer Teddy Mueller, also included vocalist Bob Harris. Harris had been a part of Frank Zappa's band for a few years beginning in 1981. He played keyboards and trumpet and provided vocals. He became lead singer of Axe when they reformed. Axe is still in existence as of this date with Harris at the helm. All other original members have either moved on to other projects or have passed away.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2016
"Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
#1 Alert!
Platinum Alert!
Song#: 1656 Date: 10/15/1983
Debut: 26
Peak: 1 (6 weeks)
Weeks: 22
Genre: Pop, R&B
Pop Bits: With Jackson's Thriller still ruling the charts, McCartney coming off of his own #1 solo disc (Tug of War), and one hit already in the bank ("The Girl Is Mine"), the time for a second duet between these two legends could not have been more perfect. To help promote McCartney's upcoming LP Pipes of Piece, this duet was issued as the first single. Not only did the song have a significantly high debut within the Top 30, it quickly rose to the top spot and remained there for a solid six weeks becoming one of the decade's top superstar collaborations. It hit several other charts as well getting to #2 R&B, #2 Dance, #3 AC and #24 Rock. It also had Jackson taking away a specific historic title from McCartney. The single was Jackson's seventh Top 10 within a year, which broke the record that was held by both The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Although the song was a major hit, it didn't translate into big albums sales for McCartney. His associated Pipes of Peace LP would top out at a weak #15. It would be a platinum seller, but considering the size of this hit, the album results were a bit of a disappointment.
ReduxReview: I remember the huckster/vaudeville-style video for this song. It was pretty corny and even though it had a story line, it had nothing whatsoever to do with they lyrics. However, I don't think people really cared because the song was so solid. Of the three songs McCartney and Jackson collaborated on (see below), this one is by far the best. The song played to the strengths of both artists and it's one of the better pop grooves that McCartney had done in a long while.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: This was McCartney's second album to feature a pair of duets with a superstar artist. Tug of War contained two duets with Stevie Wonder, including the #1 hit "Ebony and Ivory." For Pipes of Peace the superstar was Michael Jackson, who did this hit and another track titled "The Man." Both songs were co-written by McCartney and Jackson. Oddly, these tracks are not new. They were originally recorded during McCartney's sessions for Tug of War, a year before their first duet single, the #2 "The Girl Is Mine," was released.
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