Saturday, April 30, 2016

"Well, I Told You" by The Chantels

The Chantels are best known for their big 1958 hit, "Maybe", which went to #15 on the Billboard Top 100. After a few more modest successes, the girls managed a minor comeback in 1962 with "Well, I Told You". The song was written in response to "Hit The Road Jack", which Ray Charles took to #1 the year before. "Well, I Told You" proved to be the last top 40 single for The Chantels, reaching #29.

Friday, April 29, 2016

"Last Day" by Cavo

Missouri modern hard rock band Cavo have been around for a decade now, but have yet to get a single on the Billboard Top 100. But on the strength of heavy airplay, their albums have performed well. Their 2009 sophomore release, "Bright Lights Dark Days" got to #47 with the help of breakthrough tracks like "Champagne" and "Crash".

Their third album, "Thick As Thieves", arrived in 2012 and topped out at #96. "Last Day" is a powerful anthem asking a pertinent question.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

"Devil's Diary" by The Caulfields

You know a song with lines like "I'm bigger than Jesus now" and "It's never good to be understood by a girl in acid wash" has got to be awesome. "Devil's Diary" was the lead off track to this alternative rock band's debut 1995 album, "Whirligig". The band had all the right ingredients to be huge, and you could say "Devil's Diary" earned them a "cult" following, but "Whirligig" didn't set the world on fire.

The band completed an excellent follow-up recored called "L" in 1997, but it didn't get any traction thanks to A&M dropping the ball. Since then, lead singer and songwriter John Faye has completed several solo projects (his latest, "Meddling Kid", was released just last year) and fronted another band called IKE. All worth checking out. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

"Alright" by Cast

Liverpool band The La's are best known for their hit, "There She Goes", which went to #49 on the US singles chart in 1990. It has since been covered by many others, perhaps most successfully by the Sixpence None The Richer, who took the song to #32 in 1999. Bassist and backing vocalist John Power left The La's to form a new band called Cast in 1992.

Similar to much of the material done by The La's, Power pulled out all the stops to make Cast sound like an authentic 60s rock band. Their debut album, "All Change" arrived in 1995 amidst a number of others constituting the Brit-pop wave like Oasis and The Verve. 

Cast performed very well in the UK, but unlike their counterparts, didn't make it in the States. With songs like "Alright", it is hard to figure out why.

    

Sunday, April 24, 2016

"Hurt" by Johnny Cash

The legendary Johnny Cash, one of the top 100 artists of all-time, has graced us with his gritty songwriting style and trademark vocals. His career began back in 1956 when his classic, "I Walk The Line", strutted to #17. Towards the end of his life in 2003, he put his own spin on several other artist's classics in his "American Recordings" series.

A song that seemed to be written for Cash is "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails. NIN took the song to #54 in 1995. Cash's interpretation on little more than acoustic guitar suits the lyrics perfectly, and the video will linger in your mind as a haunting epitaph.

Cash's version of "Hurt" did not chart, but the digital track went gold and helped score a ranking of #22 for his "American IV" album released in 2002. 

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Prince (RIP)

I never dreamed I'd be writing a RIP tribute for Prince in 2016. The extraordinary songwriter and performer passed away on April 21 at the age of 57. In addition to his own impressive list of hits, he had written many more for other artists, including The Bangles, Sinead O'Connor, Cyndi Lauper, and Chaka Khan.

Prince was second only to Michael Jackson in being the most successful artist in the 80s, and also ranked #12 of the most successful in the 90s (Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Singles). His biggest hits included "When Doves Cry", "Let's Go Crazy", "Cream", "Kiss", and "Batdance", all of which went to #1 on the charts.

In remembrance, here is Prince at his finest, performing his smash hit "Purple Rain", which went to #2 in 1984.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

"Always Better With You" by Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack has been all over the music landscape since the 70s when he had his first big hit with the outfit called Ace, which took their signature song, "How Long" to #3 in 1975. After Ace broke up in 1977, Carrack played with Roxy Music and worked on his first solo record, "Nightbird" (1980), but it failed to chart.

Carrack then did some time with Squeeze, finding chart success with his song, "Tempted". "Tempted" landed at #49 in 1981. Carrack then left Squeeze, but would rejoin briefly in 1993 to re-record "Tempted" for the movie Reality Bites. Carrack stayed in Squeeze long enough to complete a new album with them, "Some Fantastic Place".

After leaving Squeeze the first time, Carrack made his first appearance on the charts as a solo artist in 1982 with the delightful little song, "I Need You". "I Need You" went to #37 and was produced by Nick Lowe, who also teamed up with Carrack to form a side band called Noise To Go.

Some of you may know Carrack's voice best from his work with Mike + The Mechanics. In 1985, Carrack gave the band their first hit, taking "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" to #6. In 1989, Carrack finally hit the apex of the chart, taking "The Living Years" to #1.

Carrack also found success as a solo artist. His third solo record, 1987's "One Good Reason", was his most successful, yielding four charting singles - the best performer was the excellent "Don't Shed A Tear", which hit #9.

With the exception of "I Need You", Carrack's second solo record, "Suburban Voodoo", was strangely overlooked. It didn't produce any other charting singles, but managed to get to #78 on the album chart thanks to "I Need You". The album remains one of my favorite records from Carrack - filled with snappy pop and rock tunes. Carrack's vocals are earnest and the musicianship sharp. Check out "Always Better Than You", one of many other great tunes on this under-appreciated classic.

Monday, April 18, 2016

"Believes Again" by Michael Carpenter

Indie singer/songwriter and producer Michael Carpenter has been releasing infectious power pop records since 1999. In a rational music world, his talents would have translated into superstardom.

"Believes Again" is just one highlight of many from his excellent 2001 release, "Hopefulness". Carpenter has stayed busy releasing many more records since then, some with side projects. All in all, he's appeared on over 300 records!   

Sunday, April 17, 2016

"(Want You) Back In My Life Again" by The Carpenters

As one of the biggest artists of the 70s, The Carpenters need no introduction. Scoring three #1 hits in that decade, "(They Long To Be) Close To You" in 1970, "Top of The World" in 1973, and "Please Mr. Postman" in 1974, and lots more top 10 hits, The Carpenters ranked as the fourth most successful 70s group according to Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles.

The popularity of this brother-sister duo began to wane by the close of the decade as the two fought their own personal demons. Richard sought help for his addiction to drugs and Karen was battling anorexia, which ultimately took her life in 1983, robbing us of one of the smoothest voices in pop history.

Their 10th and final album, "Made In America", was released in 1981 and spawned their first top 20 hit in over 4 years when "Touch Me When We're Dancing" went to #16. Amazing to me, the next single, "(Want You) Back In My Life Again", only reached #72. Featuring the bouncy keyboards of Daryl Dragon (Captain and Tennille), this upbeat number suggested that The Carpenters would have sustained a viable career adapting to 80s musical trends.  

Saturday, April 16, 2016

"I'm Not Over" by Carolina Liar

Take the pop sensibilities of a Swedish band and add a singer from South Carolina and you have a mashup called Carolina Liar. Delivering catchy pop songs with a rock edge, it is rather astonishing they haven't had more chart success.

They broached the chart with their debut album, "Coming To Terms". Propelled by the second single, "Show Me What I'm Looking For", which got to # 67, "Coming To Terms" reached #140 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2008. Surprisingly, the band's peppy first single, "I'm Not Over", didn't chart despite massive airplay and being featured in the movie, What Happens In Vegas.

Nor did the band's 2011 follow up record, "Wild Blessed Freedom". If you want to check out a standout track from that album, seek out "Daddy's Little Girl".

Friday, April 15, 2016

"Heart of America" by The A's

How did I miss The A's back when we did the "A's"? "Heart of America" comes from this little-known Philly band's second album, "A Woman's Got The Power", released in 1981. The A's were a rambunctious band that rounded off their rough edges with smooth melodies, reminding me of The Replacements at times.

The A's never aced the charts so they were pretty much over before they had a chance to begin. It is a shame because I really liked the way their sound was evolving.

"Heart of America" stands out not only because it is catchy, but it also brings in saxophone and banjo (!), making this energetic rock song one you won't soon forget.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

"American As Apple Pie" by Eric Carmen

All by himself, Eric Carmen released two different eponymous records - his debut after breaking from The Raspberries in 1975, and another one in 1984. The first one did much better, reaching #21 on the album chart, while his 1984 record stalled at #128.

Eric Carmen's solo career got off to a great start - and what better way to kick off a solo career than with a song called "All By Myself"? "All By Myself" hit #2 in 1975 and was followed up by another hit landing at #11 ("Never Gonna Fall In Love Again").

Carmen's career fizzled after that until 1987, when his contribution to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, "Hungry Eyes", topped out at #4. He even beat that monster hit with a follow up single called "Make Me Lose Control", which got to #3 in 1988. His last charting single was "Reason To Try", which stopped trying at #87 that same year.

Back to Eric Carmen's 1984 album. Things were off to a tepid start with the lead single, "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips" stalling at #35 and then "I'm Through With Love" only going to #87. But buried among a bunch of sleepy ballads failing to match the majesty of "All By Myself" is an upbeat pop rocker called "American As Apple Pie". 

Some trivia - what other artists have had two self-titled records? Check here.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

"(We Want) The Same Thing" by Belinda Carlisle

After splitting from the Go-Go's in 1984, Belinda Carlisle embarked on what would prove to be a very successful solo career. Her sunny melodies and unmistakeable vibrato, which I can achieve if I sing while speeding down a cobblestone road, helped catapult many of her songs to the upper end of the charts.

However, the wave of success began to ebb by the close of the decade. Her third solo album, "Runaway Horses", spawned her last top 40 hits: "Leave A Light On" (which features George Harrison on slide guitar) went to #11 and "Summer Rain" went to #30.

"Runaway Horses" ran to #37 on the US album chart, but did much better in other countries. The same can be said for the excellent track, "(We Want) The Same Thing", which sounds like a lost ABBA song to me. "Runaway Horses" was doing so well in the UK, this song was released as the sixth (!) single and still reached #6 in the UK. I wonder how it would have done in the US...


Sunday, April 10, 2016

"The Story" by Brandi Carlile

It's a rather simple love song, but the powerhouse delivery by singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile takes this song to new heights. "The Story" is Carlile's only charting single to date, and one of the few songs she's recorded that she didn't write (the song was written by her bassist, Phil Hanseroth). Despite being heavily featured on the hit TV show Grey's Anatomy and other media venues, "The Story" concluded at #75 in 2007.

The song helped propel Carlile's album of the same name to #58 on the Billboard Top 200 and drew comparisons to Janis Joplin. Her follow-up work has always drawn critical acclaim, but that hasn't yet translated to further success on the singles chart. Carlile's albums have fared better, her last two breaking the top 10.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

"Short Skirt - Long Jacket" by Cake

Cake is a California band that made some waves in the 90s thanks to their unique indie sound. The band effortlessly blends a wide variety of musical styles to accompany the lead vocalist's spoken word delivery. The lyrics are sharp and often sarcastic, driven by catchy guitar riffs and punchy brass.

Cake's breakthrough 1996 single, "The Distance", proved to be their only top 40 hit, reaching #35. Their follow-up record spawned a lesser known single called "Never There", which hit #78. "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" came from their fourth album, 2001's "Comfort Eagle", but it failed to chart. Shame, as it is among their finest work.

The video is a hoot, too. It shows the reactions of people from various walks of life as they listen to the song for the first time.

Friday, April 8, 2016

"I Won't Be Home Tonight" by Tony Carey

Tony Carey made his first claim to fame in the 70s as keyboardist for the classic rock band Rainbow. He went solo in the 80s and scored a few modest hits, the biggest being "A Fine Fine Day", which climbed to #22 in 1984.

His first charting single as a solo artist, "I Won't Be Home Tonight", is a rocking AOR gem that should have made a bigger splash in 1983, yet it only reached #79. The prolific Tony Carey also is the voice and songwriter in the band, Planet P (aka Planet P Project).

Thursday, April 7, 2016

"Mockingbirds" by Grant Lee Buffalo

California-based singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips had a taste of widespread success in the 90s with a string of cerebral songs drenched in haunting melodies. None made it to the Top 100 chart, but it is hard to think of the 90s without Phillips and his band, Grant Lee Buffalo. 

They came close to a big break with the brilliant song, "Mockingbirds", from their 1994 sophomore album, "Mighty Joe Moon". The video is quite wonderful, too.


Friday, April 1, 2016

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” by Glen Campbell

While the title of the song sounds harsh, it's true meaning is tragically moving. In 2011, legendary country and pop singer Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. He continued to tour and record until the disease would no longer allow him to do so. "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" is his last song and video, both achingly beautiful. The song acknowledges his impending dementia and serves as a final love letter, while the video provides a nostalgic look at his remarkable life and career.

Glen Campbell is one of the biggest crossover country stars of all-time, boasting over 35 Billboard Top 100 hits, and many more on the country charts. His most familiar songs include "Wichita Lineman", which hit #3 in 1968, "Galveston", which hit #4 in 1969, and "It's Only Make Believe", which hit #10 in 1970. He topped the chart twice with 1975's "Rhinestone Cowboy" and 1977's "Southern Nights".