Song#: 2639
Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 92
Peak: 90
Weeks: 6
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: Branigan's fourth album, Hold Me, wasn't being fully embraced. It's first single, "Spanish Eddie," stalled at a low #40 while a follow-up couldn't even crack the top half of the Pop chart. Her label then decided to push out this third single, which was co-written by soon-to-be mega star Michael Bolton. Branigan previously had good luck with another Bolton-penned track, the #12 "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You," so hopes were high that this tune would help turn things around. Sadly, it did not. It waffled around the bottom of the Pop chart for a few weeks and then disappeared. It got a little attention at AC getting to #25, but it wasn't enough. Hold Me would be Branigan's lowest peaking album to-date (#71) and it would be her first to not reach gold-level sales.
ReduxReview: Well, Cher was certainly lucky that this didn't become a hit for Branigan (see below). Although I don't think this song had a shot to begin with for Branigan. You can hear a potential hit with the material and Branigan sounds pretty good, but it just lacked when it came to the arrangement and production. It's a power ballad and it needed some real muscle to sell it. I think had it been done in a more rocked up arrangement, Branigan would have sold it even better and it might have had a chance. As-is, it was just a good album track. In fact, it didn't leave much of an impression on me because when Cher's version came out, I had totally forgotten about Branigan's version. There's just no comparison. Bolton's production combined with Cher's delivery really made the song a hit. Plus it helped that Cher was extra hot at the time and her return to music was a really big deal. I like Branigan's take, but Cher really knocked it out of the park..
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: As mentioned above, this song was co-written by Michael Bolton along with Mark Mangold. By this point in time, Bolton had released four rock-oriented solo albums in addition to two with his band Blackjack. Nothing much came from any of them. However, he was having some success as a songwriter. While this particular one wasn't a hit for Branigan, it would be picked up a year later by Cher, who was recording her first album in five years and her first after becoming a film star. Bolton also produced Cher's version, which got issued out as the LP's first single. It became Cher's first Top 10 (#10) hit since 1979. After becoming a successful solo artist himself, Bolton recorded his own version of the song for his 1995 hits collection Greatest Hits (1985-1985).
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Saturday, January 5, 2019
Friday, January 4, 2019
"Twist My Arm" by The Pointer Sisters
Song#: 2638
Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 93
Peak: 83
Weeks: 5
Genre: R&B, Dance-Pop
Pop Bits: The Sisters' Contact album was not shaping up to be as big of a hit as their previous one, the multi-platinum Break Out. With the lead single "Dare Me" missing the Top 10 (#11 Pop) and a second single not even cracking the Top 40, there was little to help promote the LP. It would eventually go platinum, but that was a third of what Break Out did. They tried to light another fire with this third single, but it just didn't catch. The song couldn't get out of the basement at Pop while only reaching #61 R&B. It saw some better action at Dance where it got to #15, but it wasn't enough to help it elsewhere and that closed the book on Contact.
ReduxReview: This album opener had some good energy and the standard solid production from Richard Perry, but the song wasn't all that strong. It had various hooks throughout yet when pushed together they didn't add up to much. And the "woo-woo-woo" part quickly became grating and annoying. Contact just didn't have the same quality of songs as Break Out and the results proved that.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: This song was co-written by Andy Goldmark and Bruce Roberts. Roberts had written songs for several artists including two major disco hits by Barbra Streisand in 1979 - her #3 movie theme "The Main Event/Fight" and her #1 duet with Donna Summer "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)." Long before that pair of hits, Roberts wrote songs for and produced an album by young teenage star Danny Bonaduce. Bonaduce was on the hit TV show The Partridge Family and after the "family" began to have hit songs and albums, someone thought it was a good idea to have Bonaduce do a solo LP. His 1973 self-titled debut album went nowhere and that ended his music career. Many years later, Bonaduce was asked about the album and he stated that he barely sang on it and that Bruce Roberts had pretty much done all the vocals. In the interview, Bonaduce said that the album "should have been called Danny Vanilli" (a reference to the infamous Milli Vanilli lip syncing scandal).
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Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 93
Peak: 83
Weeks: 5
Genre: R&B, Dance-Pop
Pop Bits: The Sisters' Contact album was not shaping up to be as big of a hit as their previous one, the multi-platinum Break Out. With the lead single "Dare Me" missing the Top 10 (#11 Pop) and a second single not even cracking the Top 40, there was little to help promote the LP. It would eventually go platinum, but that was a third of what Break Out did. They tried to light another fire with this third single, but it just didn't catch. The song couldn't get out of the basement at Pop while only reaching #61 R&B. It saw some better action at Dance where it got to #15, but it wasn't enough to help it elsewhere and that closed the book on Contact.
ReduxReview: This album opener had some good energy and the standard solid production from Richard Perry, but the song wasn't all that strong. It had various hooks throughout yet when pushed together they didn't add up to much. And the "woo-woo-woo" part quickly became grating and annoying. Contact just didn't have the same quality of songs as Break Out and the results proved that.
ReduxRating: 4/10
Trivia: This song was co-written by Andy Goldmark and Bruce Roberts. Roberts had written songs for several artists including two major disco hits by Barbra Streisand in 1979 - her #3 movie theme "The Main Event/Fight" and her #1 duet with Donna Summer "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)." Long before that pair of hits, Roberts wrote songs for and produced an album by young teenage star Danny Bonaduce. Bonaduce was on the hit TV show The Partridge Family and after the "family" began to have hit songs and albums, someone thought it was a good idea to have Bonaduce do a solo LP. His 1973 self-titled debut album went nowhere and that ended his music career. Many years later, Bonaduce was asked about the album and he stated that he barely sang on it and that Bruce Roberts had pretty much done all the vocals. In the interview, Bonaduce said that the album "should have been called Danny Vanilli" (a reference to the infamous Milli Vanilli lip syncing scandal).
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Thursday, January 3, 2019
"Now and Forever (You and Me)" by Anne Murray
Song#: 2637
Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 94
Peak: 92
Weeks: 6
Genre: Country Crossover, Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: The last time Murray had a significant hit on the Pop chart was with her late 1979 remake of "Daydream Believer" (#12 Pop/#1 AC, #3 Country). Since that time she had been itching to turn more towards pop like some of her contemporaries (Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, etc.), but it seemed she just couldn't get her label and her producer (Jim Ed Norton) to get on board. While a few of her songs along the way had a more contemporary feel, she still remained grounded in country and scored twelve more Country Top 10's including five #1's. None of them were hits at Pop and as time moved forward, pop radio showed little interest in Murray's music. Then finally for her 22nd studio album, Murray got her chance to make a pop album. On board for the experiment were producers David Foster, Jack White (Laura Branigan), and Keith Diamond (Billy Ocean). The end result was Something to Talk About and to kick things off this first single was issued out. Although it was definitely a pop song, Country still embraced the tune and it became Murray's tenth #1 on that chart. AC was also on board taking the song to #7. There were high hopes that pop radio would play the single and that a younger audience would latch on to it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be. The song got locked in the basement of the Pop chart for a month and a half before disappearing. An even more synth poppy second single, "Who's Leaving Who," didn't get much support from anyone and it stopped at #62 Country/#26 AC. The album would make it to #2 at Country (#68 Pop) and go gold, but it just seemed that pop radio and its audience had no interest in Murray as a glammed-up synthpop diva. This song would actually end up being Murray's final one to reach the Pop chart. It was also her last #1 at Country. She would go on to have four more Country Top 10's, but by the early 90s, she was no longer hitting the chart.
ReduxReview: This falls in the category of "too little, too late." Country music was going through an identity crisis during this time period and sales were on the decline. Coupled with that, the golden age of country crossover hits was over. Even superstar acts were having trouble securing crossover hits. So for Murray to try and become a pop star at this time was not a great idea. Had she made the switch six years earlier after "Daydream Believer," it might have worked. But in '86, no one wanted a synthpop Anne Murray. However, that doesn't mean that the actual songs on the album were bad. This was a solid tune co-written by David Foster, Randy Goodrum, and Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams) that had a nice 80s production by Foster. Unfortunately, I think it was just too AC-leaning to capture the pop audience she wanted. And it's still Anne Murray! She could front a Metallica song and her soothing croon and bedazzled pant suit would still tame it into a bizarre country/AC/metal track! She just wasn't meant to be a cool, hip, pop diva. "Who's Leaving Who" was certainly something that fell into Laura Branigan territory, but it wasn't going to get a shot at pop after the first single failed (which is too bad as I've always like the song, even though it needed a stronger production). It was a valiant effort from Murray, but the timing of it all was just wrong.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) The name of the album came from a song that Murray wanted to record, but ultimately never did. "Something to Talk About," written by Shirley Eikhard, would get a big second lease on life five years later when Bonnie Raitt picked it up for her Grammy-winning album Luck of the Draw. It was the first single from the album and it became Raitt's first and only Pop Top 10 hit reaching #5. The song would be nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year while Raitt would win a Grammy for her performance of the song (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). 2) While Murray's career cooled in the 90s, it didn't mean she still couldn't sell albums. In 1999, she recorded an album of contemporary Christian songs titled What a Wonderful World. It would be a surprise hit reaching #1 at CC, #4 Country, and #38 Pop. It would also become her third career platinum album. In 2002, she recorded an collection of classic country songs called Country Croonin'. It would be a gold-seller that got to #13 on the Country chart.
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Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 94
Peak: 92
Weeks: 6
Genre: Country Crossover, Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: The last time Murray had a significant hit on the Pop chart was with her late 1979 remake of "Daydream Believer" (#12 Pop/#1 AC, #3 Country). Since that time she had been itching to turn more towards pop like some of her contemporaries (Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, etc.), but it seemed she just couldn't get her label and her producer (Jim Ed Norton) to get on board. While a few of her songs along the way had a more contemporary feel, she still remained grounded in country and scored twelve more Country Top 10's including five #1's. None of them were hits at Pop and as time moved forward, pop radio showed little interest in Murray's music. Then finally for her 22nd studio album, Murray got her chance to make a pop album. On board for the experiment were producers David Foster, Jack White (Laura Branigan), and Keith Diamond (Billy Ocean). The end result was Something to Talk About and to kick things off this first single was issued out. Although it was definitely a pop song, Country still embraced the tune and it became Murray's tenth #1 on that chart. AC was also on board taking the song to #7. There were high hopes that pop radio would play the single and that a younger audience would latch on to it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be. The song got locked in the basement of the Pop chart for a month and a half before disappearing. An even more synth poppy second single, "Who's Leaving Who," didn't get much support from anyone and it stopped at #62 Country/#26 AC. The album would make it to #2 at Country (#68 Pop) and go gold, but it just seemed that pop radio and its audience had no interest in Murray as a glammed-up synthpop diva. This song would actually end up being Murray's final one to reach the Pop chart. It was also her last #1 at Country. She would go on to have four more Country Top 10's, but by the early 90s, she was no longer hitting the chart.
ReduxReview: This falls in the category of "too little, too late." Country music was going through an identity crisis during this time period and sales were on the decline. Coupled with that, the golden age of country crossover hits was over. Even superstar acts were having trouble securing crossover hits. So for Murray to try and become a pop star at this time was not a great idea. Had she made the switch six years earlier after "Daydream Believer," it might have worked. But in '86, no one wanted a synthpop Anne Murray. However, that doesn't mean that the actual songs on the album were bad. This was a solid tune co-written by David Foster, Randy Goodrum, and Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams) that had a nice 80s production by Foster. Unfortunately, I think it was just too AC-leaning to capture the pop audience she wanted. And it's still Anne Murray! She could front a Metallica song and her soothing croon and bedazzled pant suit would still tame it into a bizarre country/AC/metal track! She just wasn't meant to be a cool, hip, pop diva. "Who's Leaving Who" was certainly something that fell into Laura Branigan territory, but it wasn't going to get a shot at pop after the first single failed (which is too bad as I've always like the song, even though it needed a stronger production). It was a valiant effort from Murray, but the timing of it all was just wrong.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) The name of the album came from a song that Murray wanted to record, but ultimately never did. "Something to Talk About," written by Shirley Eikhard, would get a big second lease on life five years later when Bonnie Raitt picked it up for her Grammy-winning album Luck of the Draw. It was the first single from the album and it became Raitt's first and only Pop Top 10 hit reaching #5. The song would be nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year while Raitt would win a Grammy for her performance of the song (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance). 2) While Murray's career cooled in the 90s, it didn't mean she still couldn't sell albums. In 1999, she recorded an album of contemporary Christian songs titled What a Wonderful World. It would be a surprise hit reaching #1 at CC, #4 Country, and #38 Pop. It would also become her third career platinum album. In 2002, she recorded an collection of classic country songs called Country Croonin'. It would be a gold-seller that got to #13 on the Country chart.
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
"Where Are You Now?" by Synch
Song#: 2636
Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 95
Peak: 77
Weeks: 12
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: This Pennsylvania band formed in the mid-80s with Lou Butwin handling most of the lead vocal duties. However, the band's drummer, Jimmy Harnen, offered up this song that he had co-written with a friend and when they went to a local studio to record the demo, Harnen did the lead vocal. The demo ended up getting the attention of a local radio station who began to spin the track. Requests to hear the song kept coming in and soon the band had to get a single pressed to offer for sale. After the single sold a few thousand copies, the major labels came knocking. The band ended up in a deal with Columbia and a debut album, ...Get the Feelin', was issued out. It included a newly recorded version of this song, which served as the LP's first single. Hopes were high for a big hit, but the song ended up falling short of expectations staying in the bottom quarter of the Pop chart. With little to show for their investment, Columbia let the band go. The band tried to keep going, but eventually just split up. Normally, this would be the end of the story, but for this song it wasn't. It would return to the airwaves later in 1989 and become a left-field hit.
ReduxReview: I typically don't mind a small dose of schlock like this song once in a while. I used to write stuff like this - big pop ballads with saccharine lyrics that gets everyone doe-eyed. I probably got a dozen or more tunes that could sit comfortably next to this one. In the late 80s, forgotten songs were all of a sudden getting rediscovered and practically forced into being hits and this was one of them. While there were songs that were far more worthy of being dug up, this one wasn't too bad. It's actually quite perfect for sentimental teenagers and reminiscing middle-aged adults. In fact, if you look at the comments for the video above, the words "prom" and "high school dance" are often used. It makes sense. I barely remember the song so it obviously didn't make an impression on me. I guess I'm just picky about my schlock.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: After his days in the music spotlight waned, Jimmy Harnen went on to have a career behind the scenes working as a promoter for labels like DreamWorks and Capitol. He then became a big wig at Big Machine Records, the home of Taylor Swift. He was hired in by BMR's founder Scott Borchetta, who some folks may remember from his appearances on American Idol as a senior mentor. The winners of the last two season of the original run of American Idol were signed to BMR (Nick Fradiani and Trent Harmon). Harnen helped sign and break major BMR acts like The Band Perry and Florida Georgia Line.
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Date: 03/01/1986
Debut: 95
Peak: 77
Weeks: 12
Genre: Pop, Adult Contemporary
Pop Bits: This Pennsylvania band formed in the mid-80s with Lou Butwin handling most of the lead vocal duties. However, the band's drummer, Jimmy Harnen, offered up this song that he had co-written with a friend and when they went to a local studio to record the demo, Harnen did the lead vocal. The demo ended up getting the attention of a local radio station who began to spin the track. Requests to hear the song kept coming in and soon the band had to get a single pressed to offer for sale. After the single sold a few thousand copies, the major labels came knocking. The band ended up in a deal with Columbia and a debut album, ...Get the Feelin', was issued out. It included a newly recorded version of this song, which served as the LP's first single. Hopes were high for a big hit, but the song ended up falling short of expectations staying in the bottom quarter of the Pop chart. With little to show for their investment, Columbia let the band go. The band tried to keep going, but eventually just split up. Normally, this would be the end of the story, but for this song it wasn't. It would return to the airwaves later in 1989 and become a left-field hit.
ReduxReview: I typically don't mind a small dose of schlock like this song once in a while. I used to write stuff like this - big pop ballads with saccharine lyrics that gets everyone doe-eyed. I probably got a dozen or more tunes that could sit comfortably next to this one. In the late 80s, forgotten songs were all of a sudden getting rediscovered and practically forced into being hits and this was one of them. While there were songs that were far more worthy of being dug up, this one wasn't too bad. It's actually quite perfect for sentimental teenagers and reminiscing middle-aged adults. In fact, if you look at the comments for the video above, the words "prom" and "high school dance" are often used. It makes sense. I barely remember the song so it obviously didn't make an impression on me. I guess I'm just picky about my schlock.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: After his days in the music spotlight waned, Jimmy Harnen went on to have a career behind the scenes working as a promoter for labels like DreamWorks and Capitol. He then became a big wig at Big Machine Records, the home of Taylor Swift. He was hired in by BMR's founder Scott Borchetta, who some folks may remember from his appearances on American Idol as a senior mentor. The winners of the last two season of the original run of American Idol were signed to BMR (Nick Fradiani and Trent Harmon). Harnen helped sign and break major BMR acts like The Band Perry and Florida Georgia Line.
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Tuesday, January 1, 2019
"Kiss" by Prince & the Revolution
#1 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Grammy Alert!
Rated 10 Alert!
Song#: 2635 Rated 10 Alert!
Date: 02/22/1986
Debut: 52
Peak: 1 (2 weeks)
Weeks: 18
Genre: R&B, Funk, Soundtrack
Pop Bits: After the success of Purple Rain, Prince was bitten by the film bug and decided to do another project. For his second venture, he chose to do a rom-com with a 1930's feel. Under the Cherry Moon had Prince and Jerome Benton (of The Time) as cousins who were scamming rich women and living the high life on the French Riviera. All was fun until Prince falls in love with one of their targets. Of course, the film would contain music and that translated into a sort-of soundtrack album titled Parade. This first single would kick things off and after a high debut, the song shot to the top of the Pop chart. It also reached #1 at R&B and Dance. It was his third single to top all three charts. Despite the major hit, the album would peak at #3 and would only go platinum, which was half of what his previous LP, the psychedelic Around the World in a Day, would sell and a tenth of what Purple Rain sold. It didn't help that the film was a box office bomb and big critical failure. Still, the album was critically more successful than Around the World and this song became one Prince's most enduring hits. It also won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance, Duo or Group and was nominated for Best R&B Song
ReduxReview: This sparsely arranged track just hit all the right buttons. It was a retro-ish R&B tune that was minimally dressed with modern flare. It had a great hook and Prince's falsetto sounded right at home. It was an irresistible piece of ear candy and there was no doubt this was gonna hit #1. Apparently, his record company didn't like the tune and thought it was way too underdone and sounded like a demo. They didn't want to release it, but Prince put his foot down and the song got out. It's completely amazing, even in retrospect, that no one at Warner Bros. heard this as a hit. I knew it on first listen. Idiots.
ReduxRating: 10/10
Trivia: Double Shot! 1) Prince originally wrote this song for the Minneapolis band Mazarati, which was formed by Revolution bassist Brown Mark. The band worked up the song with Prince, but then Prince liked how the tune had developed and decided to finish it himself. The completed track still has some of the original recorded parts including the background vocals done by Mazarati. Mazarati would issue a debut album in 1986 with only one single making any impression - the #19 R&B track "100 MPH," which was written, produced, and all instruments performed by Prince. 2) Two covers of this tune would end up reaching the charts. Later in '86, the British alt-rock band Age of Chance recorded a version that featured their own lyrics. The song got to #50 in the UK while hitting #35 on the US Dance chart. A couple of years later, singer Tom Jones began including the song in his shows and even sang it on TV. That performance was caught by members of the Art of Noise and they reached out to Jones to see if he would sing on a version they had worked up. He obliged and in 1988 it was issued out as a single. It was a big hit in the UK reaching #5. In the US it would get to #18 Dance and #31 Pop.
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