"Hold Me" by Colin James Hay

Song#:  3043
Date:  03/07/1987
Debut:  99
Peak:  99
Weeks:  1
Genre:  Pop, Rock, World



Pop Bits:  The Australian band Men at Work hit it big in 1981 with their #1 debut album Business As Usual. The multi-platinum LP would be followed by a second one, Cargo. However, they experienced a sharp decline with their gold third effort Two Hearts and turmoil within the band didn't help. By 1986, the band was done. Lead singer Colin Hay decided to step out on his own for a solo career. He signed with the band's home label of Columbia and put together a debut solo album titled Looking for Jack. This first single was released, but it didn't do much to establish Hay's career. The song topped out at #41 at Rock while only hitting a very minor #99 on the Pop chart for one week. Further singles failed to chart and that left the album peaking at #126. This song would end up being Hay's only one to reach any US chart. Hay would continue to record solo works over the years and for a period of time beginning in 1996, Hay and his former bandmate Greg Ham would tour with a new version of Men at Work. Hay's thirteenth solo album Fierce Mercy was released in 2017.

ReduxReview:  Hay was Men at Work's main songwriter, so going solo was a challenge because he had to create an identity of his own without sounding like the LP was just an extension of Men at Work. He certainly gave it a good try with this first single. Instead of the concise pop he wrote for Men at Work, he went big with this worldbeat influenced track. It sounded as if Paul Simon (in Graceland mode) met up with Phil Collins. The track took a minute or so to get warmed up, but by the time the chorus hit, the song was in full gear. It ended up being quite a nice song. Unfortunately, it was one that just wasn't going to be a major Pop chart contender. Despite that, it really should have done better than a measly week at #99.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  Hay's music would appear in several films and TV shows. He has even appeared in a few of them including four appearances on the hit TV show Scrubs. It was there that Hay met actor Zach Braff. In 2004, Braff would include a song by Hay, "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You," on the soundtrack to Braff's film, Garden State. Braff wrote, directed and starred in the movie. The soundtrack would end up being a platinum seller that would go on to win the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album.

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"Everything I Need" by Men At Work

Song#:  2336
Date:  05/25/1985
Debut:  74
Peak:  47
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Soft Rock



Pop Bits:  Men at Work's second album, Cargo, was another significant hit for the band getting to #3 and eventually going triple platinum. After the supporting tour wrapped up, they decided to take a little break before getting back in the studio. As sessions for the new album began, tensions within the band came to a head and when the dust settled, two members had left. The band's lead vocalist and main songwriter, Colin Hay, and the two other remaining members soldiered on to record the album Two Hearts. This first single was issued, but it just couldn't find an audience. The song got locked out of the Pop Top 40 while only getting to #28 Rock and #34 AC. It would end up being their final charting song in the US. Despite the lack of a hit single, the album managed to reach #16 and go gold. By 1986, the group officially disbanded with Hay heading out on a solo career.

ReduxReview:  I dunno what happened to Men at Work, but this lackluster album basically burst their bubble. Nearly everything that made the band interesting was missing on the LP. Hay's voice on this track is about the only thing that makes it sound like something from the band. It actually has a lovely verse melody, but the tune just kind of meanders along with hardly anything to hook a listener in. The best I can say about it is that it's pleasant. Unfortunately, a pleasant little tune isn't gonna light the Pop chart on fire.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  A couple of the songs on Two Hearts featured background vocals by Australian singer Kate Ceberano. In the early 80s, Ceberano was an in-demand session vocalist. By 1984, she had joined up with the funk band I'm Talking. That group gathered three Top 10 hits in Australia, but by 1987 they were done. Ceberano moved into solo work and in 1989 her first full solo album, Brave, would go triple platinum thanks to her #2 hit "Bedroom Eyes." It would also win her an ARIA (the US equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Female Artist. She would have more hits over the years and later be a judge on Australia's X-Factor music competition show. She would also appear on the Aussie version of Dancing with the Stars and win.

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"Down Under" by Men at Work

#1 Alert!

Platinum Record Alert!

Song#:  1238
Date:  11/06/1982
Debut:  79
Peak:  1 (4 weeks)
Weeks: 25
Genre:  Pop, Rock



Pop Bits:  The Australian group broke through in a big way with their #1 hit "Who Can It Be Now?" from their #1 debut album "Business as Usual." This second single continued the #1 streak and spent four weeks at the top spot. The accompanying video was an MTV favorite and the lyrics, which contained a lot of Australian references, fascinated folks in the US. It all helped them win the Grammy for Best New Artist.

ReduxReview:  Like a lot of other pop fans, I was all about this song when it came out. The video was fun, the sound of the song was great, and the cultural references were cool. It's a classic from the time, but despite it being the bigger hit, I do think "Who Can It Be Now" is a better song. This one almost butts up against novelty, but luckily Men at Work kept it from going over the top and created a fun tune.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Decades after this song was released, a question featured on an Australian game show prompted a lawsuit regarding this song. The question posed on the show "Spicks and Specks" was "what children's song is contained in the song 'Down Under'?" The answer was "Kookaburra," a song written by a teacher in 1932 about an Australian bird. This comparison was not lost on the company that owned the rights to "Kookaburra" and they sued the writers of "Down Under," Men at Work's Colin Hay and Ron Strykert, for copyright infringement. At issue was the repeated flute riff in the song. Large portions of it were said to be the same as the children's tune. The issue went to court and in the end, Hay and Strykert lost. Over the course of 28 years, no one seemed to notice or care about any similarities between the songs, including the original writer of "Kookaburra" who was alive for several years after the initial release of "Down Under." Had the game show not used that question, most likely none of this would have come up.

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"Long Way to Love" by Britny Fox

Song#:  3659

Date:  10/01/1988

Debut:  100

Peak:  100

Weeks:  2

Genre:  Hard Rock, Glam Metal

Pop Bits:  This Philly band began to form in 1985 when two original members of the band Cinderella, drummer Tony Destra and guitarist Michael Kelly Smith, decided to leave that band (or were fired according to a couple of accounts) and start one of their own. With lead singer Dean Davidson and bassist Billy Childs, Britny Fox was born and they quickly started to gain attention. In '86, they would record an indie LP titled In America, but not long after, Destra died in a car accident. He was eventually replaced by Johnny Dee and the band was then able to sign a deal with Columbia Records. They recorded a self-titled major label debut album with producer John Jansen and this first single was pushed out. It got some attention at rock radio and was able to reach #33 on the Rock chart. That along with support from MTV allowed the song to cross over to Pop. Unfortunately, it could only spend two weeks at the very bottom spot on the chart. Two further singles failed to chart. Despite the lack of support via singles, the band became popular thanks to their high profile tour dates with Poison and Warrant. The album would peak at #39 and eventually become a gold seller. The band seemed like they were poised for bigger things, but then their second album, '89's Boys in Heat failed to replicate the success of their previous effort peaking at a minor #79. Lead singer Davidson would then leave the band and was replaced with Tommy Paris. Britny Fox would put out '91's Bite Down Hard, but the demise of glam metal in favor of grunge took a toll and the album flopped. The following year the band would call it quits.

ReduxReview:  The band's connection to Cinderella sort of got them tagged as clones of that band, but I think that was a bit unfair. They were able to do their own thing and did it quite well. This driving first single was good example of late 80s hair metal. It rocked hard yet had enough pop elements to make it catchy. The track was produced well and Dean Davidson's high-pitched, gravelly delivery was just right for the genre. With the look, some good tunes, the support from MTV, and primo touring spots, the band got enough of the right promotion to make their album go gold. Their success didn't last long, but at least they were able to make an impression before grunge came in and nearly killed off glam metal.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  Double Shot!  1) The unusual name of the band came from the ancestry of lead singer Dean Davidson whose family line goes back to Wales in the 18th century. It seems that way back then he had an ancestor by the name of Brittany (or Brittney) Fox. Davidson thought the moniker sounded metal-ish and suggested it for the band's name. After an adjustment to the first name Britny Fox was born.  2) Thus far in the 80s, this has been the only song to peak at #100 on the Pop chart. Two songs got to #99; The Cure's "In Between Days (Without You)" and Colin Hay's "Hold Me." Both of those songs only spent one week on the chart. Britny Fox was able to hang on for a second week at the same spot. We'll see if in the remainder of '88 or in '89 another song will join the #100 peak or not.

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"Overkill" by Men at Work

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1410
Date:  04/09/1983
Debut:  28
Peak:  3
Weeks:  16
Genre:  New Wave



Pop Bits:  The Australian band's #1 debut album, "Business as Usual," supplied them with the back-to-back #1 hits "Who Can It Be Now" and "Down Under." Unfortunately, these hits came almost two years after they hit big in Australia and by this time they were ready to move on to their second album. In fact, in late 1982 they issued a new single in Australia, "Dr. Heckyll and Mr. Jive," to preview their next album. It kept Aussie fans happy (it reached #6 there) while waiting for the rest of the world to catch up. Finally, this single from their new album "Cargo" got a worldwide release. The song debuted in the Top 30 in the US and would eventually make it to #3 (#3 Mainstream Rock, #6 AC). Although not a smash hit like their two previous singles, it was a solid start for their album.

ReduxReview:  I have to admit that when this song came out I was really disappointed. Their first two singles were so distinctive and interesting that when this melancholy tune came out, it was a total letdown. It was unfair to expect so much from them at the time, but I think everyone was kind of ready for "Down Under, Pt. 2." Instead, we got this reflective little ditty that didn't really have a chorus and only mentions the title twice. Ridiculous! I proceeded to ignore it. However, that was a mistake. Years later I can appreciate this song much more. Lyrically, I think it is one of Colin Hay's best songs and making the choice of going up an octave on the last verse was brilliant as it emphasizes the exasperation of his dilemma. The song has been overshadowed for years by its two bolder siblings, but it's this quieter one that has a lot more depth. It's not a classic, but it is certainly a very good song.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Had the timing been better, there would have most likely been a third single released from "Business as Usual." The song "Be Good Johnny" was a #8 hit in Australia, but since the band's worldwide success was delayed, there wasn't enough time to issue this song as a single elsewhere because their next album was set to go. However, it did get a lot of airplay on US rock stations and the tune made it to #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

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"It's a Mistake" by Men at Work

Top 10 Alert!

Song#:  1520
Date:  07/02/1983
Debut:  42
Peak:  6
Weeks:  15
Genre:  Rock, New Wave



Pop Bits:  The Aussie band's second album, Cargo, got under way with the #3 peak of its first single "Overkill." This next single kept up the momentum by getting into the Top 10 at both Pop and AC (#10). Rock was less receptive and the song faltered at #27. In their home country, this song served as the album's third single and it under-performed at #34. But by that time, the album had already become a #1 best-seller there and pretty much run its course.

ReduxReview:  Initially I didn't care too much for "Overkill," but eventually it won me over. The same could be said for this tune as well. I actually disliked it more than "Overkill" back then so it quickly went off my radar. These many years later I don't mind hearing the song. It's another solid effort by Colin Hay (both writing and vocals) with a slight reggae-ish beat that reminds me of The Police. I wouldn't put it in the same company as "Overkill," but it's certainly one of their better songs.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  This song was written during the Cold War and considers how it might end. War? Nuclear bomb? Told from a soldier's point of view, he questions his leader as to what is going to happen. The song makes reference to one of the key figures in the Cold War, US President Ronald Reagan (as "Ronnie").

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Milestone! The Year in Review: 1987

Eight years down, two to go! It has been quite the project, but it has been rewarding and a ton o' fun.

 

As for 1987, it sounded a lot like 1986. There was little new ground broken. Rap was still trying to make a bigger impact in a mainstream way. The Stock Aitken Waterman team was still chuggin' along. Madonna and Whitney Houston were continuing their hit streaks. However, there were a few newsworthy things to note. U2 broke through in a huge way with their Grammy-winning album The Joshua Tree, which put the band on the fast track to superstardom. Right alongside of them was George Michael and his solo debut Faith. The year saw two artists return with follow-ups to massive selling albums. Michael Jackson finally followed up his 1982 Thriller with Bad while Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love served as his formal follow-up to 1984's Born in the U.S.A. Latin Freestyle music continued to grow on the chart while folks began to take notice of New Jack Swing. CDs were becoming more popular and beginning to eat into the sales of vinyl as the 45 RPM single format continued its decline. Movie soundtracks were still big business as evidenced by Dirty Dancing's 18 weeks at #1.

According to my personal stats, it seems I enjoyed '87 a bit more than '86. There was a good increase in songs that I rated a 10 from 8 in '86 to 12 in '87. Typically, my Top 5 favorite songs of the year list showcases a variety of styles, artists and genres, but for '87 it was rock heavy. It was also male-centric with all five songs led by men with only an appearance by Dusty Springfield to break up the boys club. This was completely opposite from '86, which featured four female-led tracks with the fifth done by a male/female group. This was also the first year where one act took the top two slots on my Top 5 - U2. It also marks the third time in the decade that a John Cougar Mellencamp song made the Top 5 list. The feat ties him with with Eurythmics for the most appearances in my year-end Top 5 list.

I'm still enjoying this project and I hope anyone who encounters the blog will have fun as well. Keep reading, pass it along to friends, feel free to send comments, and don't forget to "Rate It!" at the bottom of each post. Here is a recap of 1987:

Number of charted songs in 1986:  392  (401 in 1986)

Time it took listen/post all songs:  1 year, 31 days  (1 year, 36 days for 1986)
Number of songs that debuted in 1987 to hit #1:  32  (30 in 1986)
Number of songs that debuted in 1987 to reach the Top 10 (excluding #1's):  79  (81 in 1986)
Number of gold singles:  14  (17 in 1986)
Number of platinum singles: 3  (1 in 1986)
Number of songs that won a Grammy:  5  (6 in 1986)
Number of One-Hit Wonders:  7  (6 in 1986)
Number of Rated 10 songs:  12  (8 for 1986)
Number of Rated 1 songs:  1  (0 for 1986)

 

Top 5 favorite chart songs of the year:

1. "With or Without You" by U2
2. "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2
3. "Cherry Bomb" by John Cougar Mellencamp
4. "Tunnel of Love" by Bruce Springsteen
5. "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" by Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield
   

Worst song of the year:  "Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau

Best song I didn't know existed:  "Love Is Contageous" by Taja Sevelle

Favorite discovery: KTP's album Certain Things Are Likely

 

 A few other fun stats:

Highest debut:  #37 - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson (peaked at #1)
Lowest debut:  #99 - "Hold Me" by Colin James Hay (peaked at #99)

Longest climb to peak position:  "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by Kim Wilde climbed 95 positions from #96 to #1

Longest trip to #1 for a song debuting in 1987:  "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake took 15 weeks to reach #1
Quickest trip to #1 for a song debuting in 1987:  "Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau and "Bad" by Michael Jackson both took 6 weeks to reach #1.
Most weeks at #1 for a song debuting in 1987:  4 - "Faith" by George Michael

Most weeks on the chart for a song debuting in 1987:  30 - "In My Dreams" by REO Speedwagon (it peaked at #19).

Average number of weeks a song spent on the chart:  13
Position on chart where the most songs debuted:  #91 - 25 songs debuted at that spot (2 hit the Top 10)
Longest song title:  "Can'tcha Say (You Still Believe in Me)/Still in Love " by Boston
Shortest song title:  "Bad" by Michael Jackson

A few artists who got their first chart single in 1987: Boy George, Crowded House, Debbie Gibson, Exposé, Jody Watley, Kenny G, LL Cool J, Poison, Rick Astley, Salt-N-Pepa, Suzanne Vega, Terence Trent D'Arby, Tiffany

Runners-Up:  9 songs peaked at #2, 2 songs peaked at #11, and 1 songs peaked at #41

Some interesting things learned (click links for more details in previous posts): 

• The Swedish band Deep Sunshine was captured on video (posted on YouTube) performing Europe's "The Final Countdown." It's considered by many to be the worst cover song ever done. 
• The three women who ultimately made up the vocal group Exposé were all replacements for the original line-up who were either fired or left just prior to recording the debut album.
• Billy Idol recorded a Christmas album.
• Run-D.M.C. were sued by members of The Knack for using a sample of "My Sharona" in the song "It's Tricky," nearly twenty years after "It's Tricky" was first released.
• Before releasing Sign 'O' the Times, Prince had basically completed three other albums, all of which were shelved with some tracks being repurposed for Sign.
• Motown head Berry Gordy hated Marvin Gaye's classic LP What's Going On and initially refused to release it.
• Kenny G had four singles reach the R&B chart including one that got to #15 prior to him finally making the Pop chart with "Songbird."
• Billy Idol was inspired to write "Sweet Sixteen" after discovering the Florida attraction the Coral Castle.
• Heart's #1 hit "Alone" had been recorded twice before with one of the versions being featured on a TV series soundtrack.
• Glenn Frey was supposed to record "Shakedown."
• Richard Marx's father wrote some famous advertisement jingles.
• Laura Branigan was the last musical guest on a famous and influential TV show.
• Aretha Franklin wasn't a fan of Natalie Cole.
• Great White's lead singer shot a maid during a botched home invasion.
• A tabloid journalist and sometimes musician accused Pet Shop Boys of plagiarism and ended up paying a price for it.
• Michael Jackson wanted "Bad" to be a duet with Prince.
• The band Big Trouble were created to be the all-female version of The Monkees.
• Patrick Swayze's "She's Like the Wind" was written for another movie.
  

 

According to the year-end chart for 1987, these were the year's Top 10 singles:

1. "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles
2. "Alone" by Heart
3. "Shake You Down" by Gregory Abbott
4. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston
5. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship
6. "C'est La Vie" by Robbie Nevil
7. "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake
8. "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby & the Range
9. "Shakedown" by Bob Seger
10. "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi

So long '87! I'm looking forward to see what '88 has in store. Hopefully I find a few more undiscovered gems.

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