.38 Special, If I'd Been The One Written by Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, Larry Steele, and Donnie Van Zant Produced by Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, and Rodney Mills Mastered by Bob Ludwig Label: A&M Debuted at #33 - November 12, 1983 Peaked at #1 - December 24, 1983 ^4 weeks at #1 ^12 weeks in top 10 #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album: Tour de Force (1983)
Duran Duran, Union Of The Snake Written by Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor Produced by Alex Sadkin, Ian Little, and Duran Duran (Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor) Mastered by Arun Chakraverty Label: EMI/Capitol Week of top 10 entry: November 26, 1983 Peaked at #2 - January 14, 1984 ^9 weeks in top 10 #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 #43 on the 1984 Year-End Hot 100 Album: Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983) I don't think I know this song. *Listens to the chorus* Never mind, I do know it.
While looking up the video for this next song, I found a short video that was uploaded to Peter Schilling's YouTube channel just today, so I would like to quickly discuss that. The official music video for Major Tom (Coming Home) was uploaded to his channel in February 2020, and the short video uploaded today is of Peter celebrating that music video recently reaching 30 million views. Congrats to Peter. And now, on to the next song. Genesis, That's All Written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford Produced by Hugh Padgham and Genesis (Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford) Mastered by Geoff Pesche Label: Charisma/Virgin (UK)/Atlantic (US) Week of top 10 entry: November 26, 1983 Peaked at #2 - January 21, 1984 ^12 weeks in top 10 #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 #52 on the 1984 Year-End Hot 100 Album: Genesis (1983)
If I'd Been the One - I forgot about this one; it's a nice mid-tempo melody. Union of the Snake - This was a much-anticipated new single from DD for me. The album Seven and the Ragged Tiger did not disappoint. MTV ran a special in November or December showing all the videos for the songs (including deep tracks) from their earlier albums, so I associate "Union" with that. That's All - My main music friend thought this track was boring, but I've always liked it. Distinctive use of piano throughout.
The Police, Synchronicity II Written by Sting Produced by Hugh Padgham and The Police (Sting, Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers) Mastered by Bob Ludwig Label: A&M Peaked at #9 - December 10, 1983 ^1 week in top 10 #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album: Synchronicity (1983)
Rewatching Union of the Snake, A couple random thoughts: I wondered what the budget was for that video. The production values are very high. The sci-if angle probably helped broaden their appeal, too. That’s All has always been a guilty pleasure. for some weird reason I always associate it with Lionel Richie’s You Are. I probably heard them back to back at one point and they got karmically connected.
Streets, If Love Should Go Written by Steve Walsh and Mike Slamer Produced by Neil Kernon Mastered by Ted Jensen Label: Atlantic Week of top 10 entry: December 10, 1983 Peaked at #6 - January 21, 1984 ^3 weeks in top 10 #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album: 1st (1983) Steve Walsh was the lead singer of Kansas until he left in 1981. He formed another band called Streets in 1982. They released their first album in 1983. And in 1985, they released their second album and then immediately disbanded. Steve rejoined Kansas that same year and remained the lead singer until retiring in 2014. But let's get back to that first album, creatively titled 1st. It didn't sell very well and neither did its single If Love Should Go. However, if you want Kansas with an 80s AOR sound that isn't from their Christian phase, this album might be up your alley.
Huey Lewis and the News, I Want A New Drug Written by Huey Lewis and Chris Hayes Produced by Huey Lewis and the News (Huey Lewis, Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, and Sean Hopper) Mastered by Ted Jensen Label: Chrysalis Peaked at #7 - December 17, 1983 ^4 weeks in top 10 #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 #55 on the 1984 Year-End Hot 100 Album: Sports (1983) I don't have much to say about I Want A New Drug beyond "it is a classic," so I will instead share something I discovered when researching Heart and Soul for my thread on Mainstream Rock #1 hits. Prior to The News, Huey and keyboardist Sean Hopper were in a band called Clover, best known for being Elvis Costello's backing band on his 1977 debut My Aim Is True. Clover once played in the UK as the opening act for Thin Lizzy, which is how Huey met Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott. The two became close friends, and even three plus decades after Phil's death, Huey still speaks of him very highly.
The one Police song The Police didn't do. Can imagine Sting handling this. Almost sounds like Synchronicity-era Police taken to the next level.
I remember this one very well. Was on the radio all over the place. It did seem, as the decade wore on, the Stones entered what could delicately be called the "herding cats together into a room" phase.
I do remember this one, perhaps their most famous after "What I Like About You." It was amazing they got away with using that title with no pre- or sub-title, given five years before . . . . . . Crystal Gayle (not exactly rock mainstream in any way) had a somewhat reasonable hit with this one.
If I'd Been the One-Classy AOR with excellent harmonies. Could do without the soap opera-style video though. Union of the Snake-Seven and the Ragged Tiger is my fav DD song, and tunes like this is why, high-tech new wave done right. That's All-This song sounds older than 1983 for some reason (and I realize 70s Genesis was a completely different animal) Synchronicity II- Cant say I'm a big fan of the Police, but I do love the feel of this song, too bad Sting didnt pursue this direction in his solo career. If Love Should Go-This is my first exposure to the band and the song, great bombastic AOR. I Want A New Drug-Wonder if this song got any controversy due to the word "drug" (yeah, it wasnt referring to illicit drugs, but this was the 80s Just Say No era).
Journey, Ask The Lonely Written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain Produced by Mike Stone Label: MCA Week of top 10 entry: December 17, 1983 Peaked at #3 - January 21, 1984 ^7 weeks in top 10 Soundtrack: Two of a Kind (1983)
The Rolling Stones, She Was Hot Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards Produced by Chris Kimsey and The Glimmer Twins (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards) Mastered by Nick Webb Label: Rolling Stones Week of top 10 entry: December 17, 1983 Peaked at #4 - February 4, 1984 ^9 weeks in top 10 #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album: Undercover (1983) This song evidently had a music video, but the only version of it I could find on YouTube had a bunch of people in it commenting on the video. Everywhere else, the video was blocked for copyright.
.38 Special, Back Where You Belong Written by Gary O'Connor Produced by Don Barnes, Jeff Carlisi, and Rodney Mills Mastered by Bob Ludwig Label: A&M Week of top 10 entry: January 14, 1984 Peaked at #4 - February 18, 1984 ^8 weeks in top 10 #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album: Tour de Force (1983)
Adding to what I said about Huey Lewis and Phil Lynott being friends, here's Huey playing with Phil on Old Grey Whistle Test.
Synchronicity II - This is one of the better tracks from The Police album. Sting hanging with two hands while still singing in the video always cracked up me and my friends. If Love Should Go - This is new to me; a good, but not necessarily distinctive, track. I Want a New Drug - Terrific tune; I remember hearing it while working out in an old-fashioned body-builder gym during early '84. Someone above asked about any controversy about the use of the word "drug" in the title and lyrics. I don't remember there being any fuss, but I, personally, being anti-recreational drug use, was a tad uncomfortable with it. Ask the Lonely - Being more of a Top 40 listener than an AOR tuner at the time, I am more familiar with Olivia's title song from Two of a Kind than this Journey track. As with "If Love Should Go", it's very listenable, but not anything special. Nifty acapella section starting at 2:44. She Was Hot - This title is like an "answer" to the Stones' earlier "She's So Cold" ("I'm so hot for her, she's so cold") which is superior and I'm more familiar with. Back Where You Belong - Amusing Hill Street Blues pastiche in the video. (And later it parodies the subway door scene from The French Connection.)
Van Halen, Jump Written by Michael Anthony, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, and Eddie Van Halen Produced by Ted Templeman Mastered by Chris Bellman and Gregg Geller Label: Warner Bros. Debuted at #14 - January 14, 1984 Peaked at #1 - January 21, 1984 ^8 weeks at #1 ^10 weeks in top 10 #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 #6 on the 1984 Year-End Hot 100 #61 on the Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs #1 on Hot Hard Rock Songs Album: 1984 (1984) David Lee Roth was watching TV one night. The five o'clock news was reporting on a man who was standing on top of the Arco Towers in Los Angeles. He was about to fall down 33 stories and "check out early,” as David later put it. A whole crowd of people in the parking lot below were yelling "Don't jump." David thought to himself, "jump." Keep that story in mind whenever you hear the line "might as well jump." Also, skipping ahead a few decades, there's a Billboard chart called Hot Hard Rock Songs that is essentially Mainstream Rock but with Hot 100 measurements (sales, streaming, and radio instead of just radio). Jump debuted at #1 on that chart in October 2020. See if you can guess why.
Billy Idol, Rebel Yell Written by Billy Idol and Steve Stevens Produced by Keith Forsey Mastered by George Marino Label: Chrysalis Peaked at #9 - January 21, 1984 ^1 week in top 10 #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 Album: Rebel Yell (1983)
1984 was the year I stopped buying albums (for the most part). I continued to follow the new hits through the radio and MTV (when I had the opportunity), but I didn't resume record buying until '85. (I was heavily into "improving myself" in '84 which included not overspending money.) This restriction I imposed did not take place until February however, so I did buy the Van Halen's MCMLXXXIV and Idol's Rebel Yell albums in January. Early 1984 also was a time for me attending several frat parties because a couple of my friends were attending the University of Washington then; I remember "Rebel Yell" being on the playlists, and "Jump" propelled VH to #1 on the Hot 100 as mentioned above. I'm guessing "Jump" returned to #1 on the Hot Hard Rock chart in October 2020 as "might as well jump" was probably the sentiment of numerous people at that time being in the midst of endless COVID rules and a contentious, exhausting presidential race. EDIT: Or simply because that was the month Eddie died. Duh, Mark.
Stan Lynch, the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, turns 67 today. Happy birthday!
Ask the Lonely-Excellent AOR, should have been on the Frontiers album proper (then again, it may have gotten overshadowed by the other huge songs on that album) She Was Hot-Has kind of an late 60s/early 70s feel to it, not bad. Back Where You Belong-Standard fare for .38 but still done well. Amusing video. Jump-Not much to say about this, anthemic tune that still holds up well enough. Rebel Yell-With my earliest exposure to Billy being this song, I mistakenly thought he was a hard rock/heavy metal artist, of course, nothing could be further (though some of his songs could be seen as a hybrid of new wave and rock/metal).
