Song#: 1671
Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 88
Peak: 16
Weeks: 21
Genre: Dance-Pop
Pop Bits: Madonna Louise Ciccone from Bay City, Michigan, would eventually become simply Madonna and take the world by storm. But before she was just Madonna, she began studying dance and ending up leaving the University of Michigan for the bright lights of NYC. Once there, she started working as a waitress while taking dance classes and getting opportunities to perform with dance companies and as a backing dancer for music artists. It was on one of her gigs as a backup dancer that she met Dan Gilroy. The two started a rock band called the Breakfast Club. Not long after, she left the band and with her boyfriend Stephen Bray formed Emmy. But it seemed that being in a band wasn't what she wanted and now that she was writing songs and getting more experience singing, Madonna wanted to move out on her own. Demos that she did with Bray got the attention of Sire Records and they signed her to a singles deal. Her first release was "Everybody" and that song became a Dance hit reaching #3, as did her next single "Burning Up." The results were good and Sire was ready to flip the bill for a full album. When it was mostly finished, Madonna was not fully pleased with the production of the tracks (done by Reggie Lucas), so she got her new boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez to step in and round out the production. In addition to remixing the existing tracks, Benitez fully produced a new song called "Holiday." It was selected as Madonna's third single and the first to fully represent her self-titled debut album. The song, which was paired with another track "Lucky Star," hit #1 on the Dance chart and soon it was climbing the Pop chart. It would peak in the Top 20 giving Madonna her first Pop hit.
ReduxReview: I've been trying to think back to this time and how I felt about this song and this new Madonna singer. If I remember right, I kind of thought the song was slight and that she was a weak singer with a thin and whiny tone. She came off as some snotty youngster who woke up one day and thought "I think I wanna be a singer" and found a label that would select writers and producers to do all the work while she squeaked over the tracks. In other words, I wasn't impressed. In fact, I didn't buy one single from her debut album. I think I finally bought the LP after "Lucky Star" came out just so I could figure out what was going on with this singer. The LP didn't captivate me either, but there was something about Madonna that kept my attention. I wasn't sure what or why, but I had a distinct feeling I had misjudged her. Indeed I did and once "Like a Virgin" came out, it was all over. Instant Madonna fan. Later on, I was able to revisit her debut album and realize that for the most part, its a terrific album and the production is very clean and solid, especially on this track. It probably should have been a Top 10'er, but I'm not sure if folk were really ready to jump on the Madonna train yet.
ReduxRating: 8/10
Trivia: While most songs were in place for her debut album, she still needed one more track to round out the album. She was supposed to record a song written by former bf Stephen Bray that had already been done in demo form called "Ain't No Big Deal." Unfortunately, conflicts with Bray and the song came about and Madonna was kept from recording it. Still needing a song, Benitez found this one written by two members of the post-disco group Pure Energy. Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens had shopped the song to several artists, but no one bit until Benitez took it to Madonna.Years later in 1997, Bray would include the demo of "Ain't No Big Deal" along with others that he did with Madonna (including demo versions of "Everybody" and "Burning Up") and release them a Pre-Madonna. The cash-in project, which Madonna didn't authorize, was considered an interesting curiosity at best and it disappeared quickly.
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Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
"Lucky" by Eye to Eye
Song#: 1670
Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 90
Peak: 88
Weeks: 2
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: With some positive results coming from their self-titled debut album ("Nice Girls," #37), the duo of Eye to Eye (Deborah Berg and Julian Marshall) were given the green light to do a second album for Warner Bros. Once again produced by Gary Katz (Steely Dan), Shakespeare Stole My Baby got released and this song was selected as the lead single. Unfortunately, it barely got off the ground and could only manage a couple of short weeks at the bottom of the chart. The lack of a hit basically killed the album and that ended the duo's major label days. Berg and Marshall would go on to other projects, but would reunite in 2005 for an indie LP.
ReduxReview: This is an odd song. There really is no discernible chorus and it's kind of choppy with a different feel to each section. It's almost Frankenstein-stitched together. It flows fine, but I'd never in a million years say that this was single material. Actually, I almost think this is ahead of its time. It reminds me of something that a wispy 90s singer like Lisa Loeb would do. It has a vibe more like that than an early 80s pop single. It's certainly an interesting song (as was their "Nice Girls"), but nothing that would get my attention if it came on the radio.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Deborah Berg continued in music and has released a couple of solo albums over the years. Along with doing songwriting workshops and private vocal lessons, she has collaborated with several artists and performed solo gigs. In addition to writing her own songs, she also co-wrote the theme to the PBS television series Great Museums. Julian Marshall moved on to be a session musician and producer, and for a time was an A&R person at Boulevard Records and Polydor UK. He later moved over into the teaching arena.
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Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 90
Peak: 88
Weeks: 2
Genre: Soft Rock
Pop Bits: With some positive results coming from their self-titled debut album ("Nice Girls," #37), the duo of Eye to Eye (Deborah Berg and Julian Marshall) were given the green light to do a second album for Warner Bros. Once again produced by Gary Katz (Steely Dan), Shakespeare Stole My Baby got released and this song was selected as the lead single. Unfortunately, it barely got off the ground and could only manage a couple of short weeks at the bottom of the chart. The lack of a hit basically killed the album and that ended the duo's major label days. Berg and Marshall would go on to other projects, but would reunite in 2005 for an indie LP.
ReduxReview: This is an odd song. There really is no discernible chorus and it's kind of choppy with a different feel to each section. It's almost Frankenstein-stitched together. It flows fine, but I'd never in a million years say that this was single material. Actually, I almost think this is ahead of its time. It reminds me of something that a wispy 90s singer like Lisa Loeb would do. It has a vibe more like that than an early 80s pop single. It's certainly an interesting song (as was their "Nice Girls"), but nothing that would get my attention if it came on the radio.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: Deborah Berg continued in music and has released a couple of solo albums over the years. Along with doing songwriting workshops and private vocal lessons, she has collaborated with several artists and performed solo gigs. In addition to writing her own songs, she also co-wrote the theme to the PBS television series Great Museums. Julian Marshall moved on to be a session musician and producer, and for a time was an A&R person at Boulevard Records and Polydor UK. He later moved over into the teaching arena.
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Thursday, May 26, 2016
"No One Can Love You More Than Me" by Melissa Manchester
Song#: 1669
Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 91
Peak: 78
Weeks: 4
Genre: Synthpop
Pop Bits: A younger generation of music fans got to know Manchester through her 1982 Grammy-winning pop/dance hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You," a song that was a step outside of the more adult-oriented tunes she was known for. Since it worked out so well, then obviously that is the type of music she should be making, right? So her label, Arista (aka Clive Davis), thought it best to keep pushing her down the dance diva road in order to keep Manchester's star bright and albums selling. Following a Greatest Hits package, her next LP, Emergency, was loaded with synthpop tracks that were geared to keep fans of "You Should" on board. This first single was issued, but it just didn't captivate listeners and it died off quickly after a month on the Pop chart (and #34 AC). A second single failed to reach any chart and that put the album in a tailspin. It was a definitive crash and burn and it brought to an end Manchester's days at Arista where she had been since her 1975 breakthrough album Melissa.
ReduxReview: Here's the thing. I can see both side in this situation. I can understand where the label needed their artists to have hits in order to make money. Whether artists like it or not, once on a label, they are product. On the other hand, I can see how an artist would want to maintain control over their career and direction. It's a fine line. But in Manchester's case, while it was great to have a hit and a Grammy, she wasn't all that thrilled with doing the song in the first place and taking her career in that direction (it was all a fluke in my opinion anyway). So when it worked, of course the label would want more and I think they pushed her towards a sound/genre that was never in her wheelhouse. Here's an interesting fact - on her 1975 #12 album Melissa, she co-wrote nine out of the ten songs. On Emergency, three of ten. And the results speak for themselves. Arista pretty much sucked the musical life out of Manchester and it showed. What a waste. However, it all wasn't a complete loss. Along the way there were a few minor bright spots and this one had a little glimmer of life to it. Co-written by Terry Britten (of "What's Love Got to Do with It" fame) and Billy Livsey, it's actually a pretty good tune. I don't think it was catchy or memorable enough to really be a single (especially with the awkward title), but the song is one of Manchester's better efforts during this dreary phase of her career.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Manchester's reluctance to record "You Should Hear" wasn't the first time she had an issue with one of her hits. In 1978, Clive Davis heard tracks for Manchester's upcoming album that she titled Caravan. He didn't think there was a definitive hit to anchor the LP and that one was necessary. According to the song's producer, Harry Maslin, he was assigned to do the song "Don't Cry Out Loud" from Davis and get Manchester to record it. Apparently, she hated the song and was mad that she was forced to do it. However, from Manchester's angle, she was the one who brought the song to Davis. Co-written by Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager, Allen had done a gentle and subdued version of the song for an album and Manchester wanted to cover the tune in a similar fashion. Davis agreed that it would be great and a plan was set. However, when Manchester walked into the studio to do her vocal, the track had been rearranged and produced into an epic big ballad and Manchester was livid. Like she would later with "You Should Hear," she reluctantly went ahead and recorded the song. Clive then also renamed the album after the track despite Manchester's objections. The song was issued as a single and it hit #10 while the album went to #33.
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Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 91
Peak: 78
Weeks: 4
Genre: Synthpop
Pop Bits: A younger generation of music fans got to know Manchester through her 1982 Grammy-winning pop/dance hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You," a song that was a step outside of the more adult-oriented tunes she was known for. Since it worked out so well, then obviously that is the type of music she should be making, right? So her label, Arista (aka Clive Davis), thought it best to keep pushing her down the dance diva road in order to keep Manchester's star bright and albums selling. Following a Greatest Hits package, her next LP, Emergency, was loaded with synthpop tracks that were geared to keep fans of "You Should" on board. This first single was issued, but it just didn't captivate listeners and it died off quickly after a month on the Pop chart (and #34 AC). A second single failed to reach any chart and that put the album in a tailspin. It was a definitive crash and burn and it brought to an end Manchester's days at Arista where she had been since her 1975 breakthrough album Melissa.
ReduxReview: Here's the thing. I can see both side in this situation. I can understand where the label needed their artists to have hits in order to make money. Whether artists like it or not, once on a label, they are product. On the other hand, I can see how an artist would want to maintain control over their career and direction. It's a fine line. But in Manchester's case, while it was great to have a hit and a Grammy, she wasn't all that thrilled with doing the song in the first place and taking her career in that direction (it was all a fluke in my opinion anyway). So when it worked, of course the label would want more and I think they pushed her towards a sound/genre that was never in her wheelhouse. Here's an interesting fact - on her 1975 #12 album Melissa, she co-wrote nine out of the ten songs. On Emergency, three of ten. And the results speak for themselves. Arista pretty much sucked the musical life out of Manchester and it showed. What a waste. However, it all wasn't a complete loss. Along the way there were a few minor bright spots and this one had a little glimmer of life to it. Co-written by Terry Britten (of "What's Love Got to Do with It" fame) and Billy Livsey, it's actually a pretty good tune. I don't think it was catchy or memorable enough to really be a single (especially with the awkward title), but the song is one of Manchester's better efforts during this dreary phase of her career.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Manchester's reluctance to record "You Should Hear" wasn't the first time she had an issue with one of her hits. In 1978, Clive Davis heard tracks for Manchester's upcoming album that she titled Caravan. He didn't think there was a definitive hit to anchor the LP and that one was necessary. According to the song's producer, Harry Maslin, he was assigned to do the song "Don't Cry Out Loud" from Davis and get Manchester to record it. Apparently, she hated the song and was mad that she was forced to do it. However, from Manchester's angle, she was the one who brought the song to Davis. Co-written by Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager, Allen had done a gentle and subdued version of the song for an album and Manchester wanted to cover the tune in a similar fashion. Davis agreed that it would be great and a plan was set. However, when Manchester walked into the studio to do her vocal, the track had been rearranged and produced into an epic big ballad and Manchester was livid. Like she would later with "You Should Hear," she reluctantly went ahead and recorded the song. Clive then also renamed the album after the track despite Manchester's objections. The song was issued as a single and it hit #10 while the album went to #33.
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"Allies" by Heart
Song#: 1668
Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 93
Peak: 83
Weeks: 4
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Heart's first single from their album Passionworks, "How Can I Refuse?," just missed the Top 40 getting to #44. Although it did reach #1 at Rock, the miss at Pop wasn't a great start and they hoped to turn things around with this second single. Unfortunately, it did far worse spending a short month hanging around the bottom of the chart. In doing so, it made the album their first to not generate at least one Top 40 Pop single. To make matters worse, the song couldn't even get on the Rock chart. The poor performing singles hampered albums sales and the best it could do was a #39 showing - their worst charting album to-date. It would also serve as their final album for Epic. The band was struggling with the label over lack of promotion and other issues. After Passionworks, it was time for Heart to move on to something new.
ReduxReview: This is one of those odd songs where the verse sections are better than the chorus. Not that the chorus is bad, but the arrangement and melody within the verses are so good that when the chorus comes in, it's a bit of a let down. There is a nice build up to the chorus, but once it hits there's not much of a payoff. I wanted something like build-build-build>big!-big!-big!-triumphant!, but instead it's like build-build-build>bigish-low-low-low-eh. Even the bridge hints at building to something great and then it fizzles. Again, not bad, I just wanted more. All-in-all, it's still a quality track from Heart.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song was written by Journey member Jonathan Cain. He wrote the tune for possible inclusion on Journey's LP Frontiers and recorded a demo. Apparently, Cain wanted to sing the song himself instead of front-man Steve Perry, but that wasn't flying with Perry. So Cain came up with a duet version for him and Perry, but it just didn't work. The song ended up getting set aside and ignored until Heart came along and gave it their attention.
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Date: 10/29/1983
Debut: 93
Peak: 83
Weeks: 4
Genre: Rock
Pop Bits: Heart's first single from their album Passionworks, "How Can I Refuse?," just missed the Top 40 getting to #44. Although it did reach #1 at Rock, the miss at Pop wasn't a great start and they hoped to turn things around with this second single. Unfortunately, it did far worse spending a short month hanging around the bottom of the chart. In doing so, it made the album their first to not generate at least one Top 40 Pop single. To make matters worse, the song couldn't even get on the Rock chart. The poor performing singles hampered albums sales and the best it could do was a #39 showing - their worst charting album to-date. It would also serve as their final album for Epic. The band was struggling with the label over lack of promotion and other issues. After Passionworks, it was time for Heart to move on to something new.
ReduxReview: This is one of those odd songs where the verse sections are better than the chorus. Not that the chorus is bad, but the arrangement and melody within the verses are so good that when the chorus comes in, it's a bit of a let down. There is a nice build up to the chorus, but once it hits there's not much of a payoff. I wanted something like build-build-build>big!-big!-big!-triumphant!, but instead it's like build-build-build>bigish-low-low-low-eh. Even the bridge hints at building to something great and then it fizzles. Again, not bad, I just wanted more. All-in-all, it's still a quality track from Heart.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This song was written by Journey member Jonathan Cain. He wrote the tune for possible inclusion on Journey's LP Frontiers and recorded a demo. Apparently, Cain wanted to sing the song himself instead of front-man Steve Perry, but that wasn't flying with Perry. So Cain came up with a duet version for him and Perry, but it just didn't work. The song ended up getting set aside and ignored until Heart came along and gave it their attention.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2016
"Church of the Poison Mind" by Culture Club
Top 10 Alert!
Rated 10 Alert!
Song#: 1667 Rated 10 Alert!
Date: 10/22/1983
Debut: 54
Peak: 10
Weeks: 17
Genre: Pop, Blue-Eyed Soul
Pop Bits: With three Top 10 hits from their debut album Kissing to Be Clever, Culture Club quickly became major stars with their flamboyant lead singer Boy George grabbing a lot of headlines. As with many artists who hit it big right out of the gate, pressure was on the band to prove they weren't just a gimmicky act with a couple of fluke hits. With hopes high, they emerged from the studio toting their second LP Colour By Numbers. To introduce the album, this first single was selected and released. In the UK, the song soared to #2 becoming their third Top 3 single there. In the US, the single got to #10, which was their fourth consecutive Top 10. The hit got them over the sophomore slump and even better results were to come.
ReduxReview: Although I loved Culture Club's first singles, their debut album was just okay for me. It was likable, but I wasn't a big fan in any way. And then this single hit the airwaves. I devoured this slice of Motown pie like I had been starving for years. The groove was movin', the verse was great, Boy George was knockin' it out, and when Helen Terry (see below) chimed in, that was the cherry on the whipped creamed chorus. I absolutely loved it all and it still remains my favorite Culture Club song. Why the single only got to #10 is a mystery to me. I thought for sure it was headed to #1, which it really should have.
ReduxRating: 10/10
Trivia: A highlight from this song was the background vocals provided by Helen Terry. Terry had already done some vocal work for Culture Club on their debut album after Boy George found her in a UK night club. Her role expanded on the band's second album with her vocals standing out on tracks like this single and "Black Money." A lot of attention and interest came her way, which prompted Terry to embark on a solo career. Her first single, "Love Lies Lost," a co-write with Boy George and Roy Hay, was issued in 1984 and went to #34 on the UK chart. Unfortunately, further singles and her lone album, 1986's Blue Notes, failed to establish her as a solo artist. Later, Terry switched careers from music to TV and film production. Most notably, she has been a producer (now executive producer) of the BRIT Awards show since 2001.
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