Thursday, May 12, 2016
"Charlotte B" by Cherry Twister
Indie power pop band Cherry Twister released a pretty magnificent record in 1999 simply called, "At Home With Cherry Twister". Among the 16 tracks, "Charlotte B" is a clear standout that always gets stuck in my head. Each section of this song is catchy in its own way. The brand broke up shortly after the record's release and members either went solo or got involved with other bands, most notably Parallax Project.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
"Save Up All Your Tears" by Cher
Cher has had a remarkable career, scoring top 10 hits across four decades from the 1960-1990s. Her first goes all the way back to 1966, when "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" hit #2. Her first chart-topper arrived in 1971 with "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves". She would top the charts twice more in the 70s with "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady", and one more time in the 90s with the huge comeback hit "Believe".
Cher was mostly on hiatus in the 80s, flexing her acting muscles in the movies. But she came back (Cher could be considered the comeback queen) in a big way in the late 80s. While she didn't top the chart in that decade, she racked up several more top 10 hits with "I Found Someone" and "After All" (a duet with former Chicago singer, Peter Cetera) in 1987 and 1989, respectively.
Her newfound brand of melodic rock fit in well until grunge arrived. She produced a trio of albums of this variety, which all did very well. The final one, "Love Hurts", suggested the formula was wearing thin, however, only getting to #48 on the album chart and failing to generate a monster hit. The first single, "Love and Understanding", was tepid but managed to get to #17.
The more upbeat and energetic song everyone was probably expecting to come first was released second. "Save Up All Your Tears" just barely cracked the top 40, settling at #37 in 1991. Written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren, this tune is a terrific slab of pop rock and deserved much better. Bonnie Tyler and Robin Beck also took a swing at this tune but did no better. The "Love Hurts" album contains other covers as well, including the title track and a most intriguing choice: "A World Without Heroes" by Kiss.
Cher went on to duet with Beavis and Butt-head for a rendition of "I Got You Babe", after which she understandably went into hiding until 1998's "Believe" reminded the world who's boss.
Cher was mostly on hiatus in the 80s, flexing her acting muscles in the movies. But she came back (Cher could be considered the comeback queen) in a big way in the late 80s. While she didn't top the chart in that decade, she racked up several more top 10 hits with "I Found Someone" and "After All" (a duet with former Chicago singer, Peter Cetera) in 1987 and 1989, respectively.
Her newfound brand of melodic rock fit in well until grunge arrived. She produced a trio of albums of this variety, which all did very well. The final one, "Love Hurts", suggested the formula was wearing thin, however, only getting to #48 on the album chart and failing to generate a monster hit. The first single, "Love and Understanding", was tepid but managed to get to #17.
The more upbeat and energetic song everyone was probably expecting to come first was released second. "Save Up All Your Tears" just barely cracked the top 40, settling at #37 in 1991. Written by Desmond Child and Diane Warren, this tune is a terrific slab of pop rock and deserved much better. Bonnie Tyler and Robin Beck also took a swing at this tune but did no better. The "Love Hurts" album contains other covers as well, including the title track and a most intriguing choice: "A World Without Heroes" by Kiss.
Cher went on to duet with Beavis and Butt-head for a rendition of "I Got You Babe", after which she understandably went into hiding until 1998's "Believe" reminded the world who's boss.
Friday, May 6, 2016
"Let Go" by Cheap Trick
It is extremely difficult to select just one track from the prolific Cheap Trick, a melodic rock band that has been cranking out hits since the 70s - and still going strong, with their new album, "Bang, Zoom, Crazy...Hello", released just this year.
The band's first charting single was "Surrender", which surprisingly only went to #62 in 1978. Given the familiarity with this now classic song, you'd think it went top 10 back in the day. But the band's first major score was "I Want You To Want Me", which soared to #6 the following year.
Cheap Trick belted out a bunch of great tunes but didn't see the top 10 again until 1988 with their monster ballad, "The Flame". To satisfy label demands, the band brought in additional songwriters for "Lap of Luxury" and "The Flame", along with their cover of "Don't Be Cruel" (which went to #4), were the positive results. On the strength of these singles, the album became their second highest charting release, topping out at #16.
"Let Go" is the lead-off track and helps set the tone for this outstanding record. Written by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and collaborator Todd Cerney, the "Rock Doctor", this song was released as the fourth single (the third was another ballad, "Ghost Town", co-written with Diane Warren, which went to #33). "Let Go" is one of my favorite Cheap Trick anthems, but it didn't chart. The fifth and final single, "Never Had A Lot To Lose", did chart however, reaching #75 in 1989.
As another fun piece of "Lap of Luxury" trivia, Gregg Giuffria (Angel, Giuffria, House of Lords) co-wrote "All We Need Is A Dream".
The band's first charting single was "Surrender", which surprisingly only went to #62 in 1978. Given the familiarity with this now classic song, you'd think it went top 10 back in the day. But the band's first major score was "I Want You To Want Me", which soared to #6 the following year.
Cheap Trick belted out a bunch of great tunes but didn't see the top 10 again until 1988 with their monster ballad, "The Flame". To satisfy label demands, the band brought in additional songwriters for "Lap of Luxury" and "The Flame", along with their cover of "Don't Be Cruel" (which went to #4), were the positive results. On the strength of these singles, the album became their second highest charting release, topping out at #16.
"Let Go" is the lead-off track and helps set the tone for this outstanding record. Written by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and collaborator Todd Cerney, the "Rock Doctor", this song was released as the fourth single (the third was another ballad, "Ghost Town", co-written with Diane Warren, which went to #33). "Let Go" is one of my favorite Cheap Trick anthems, but it didn't chart. The fifth and final single, "Never Had A Lot To Lose", did chart however, reaching #75 in 1989.
As another fun piece of "Lap of Luxury" trivia, Gregg Giuffria (Angel, Giuffria, House of Lords) co-wrote "All We Need Is A Dream".
Thursday, May 5, 2016
"She's The One" by The Chartbusters
"She's The One" would prove to be the only top 40 hit for the garage rock band from Washington DC called The Chartbusters. This terrific tune reached #33 in 1964, but the sophomore single, "Why (Doncha Be My Girl)" only got to #92. The band stopped busting the chart after that.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
"Mess Around" by Ray Charles
Ray Charles (aka The Genius) was one of the biggest superstars of the 60s, ranking at #3 for the decade according to Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles. The same book also ranked him as the 18th most successful artist of all-time.
Before his career kicked into high gear with the #6 smash in 1959, "What'd I Say", Ray Charles did a rousing version of "Mess Around" in 1953. It didn't chart, but has become a classic nonetheless. The tune was also famously featured in a memorable scene from the 80s movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
Before his career kicked into high gear with the #6 smash in 1959, "What'd I Say", Ray Charles did a rousing version of "Mess Around" in 1953. It didn't chart, but has become a classic nonetheless. The tune was also famously featured in a memorable scene from the 80s movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
"Born To Fight" by Tracy Chapman
Singer/songwriter Tracy Chapman is best known for her contemplative blues and ballads, as evidenced by her biggest hits, "Fast Car" (which went to #6 in 1988) and "Give Me One Reason" (which went to #3 in 1996). She brought a refreshing authenticity to the synth-laden pop of the 80s, propelling her debut album to the top of the chart.
Her follow-up record, "Crossroads", performed well, reaching #9 in 1989. It featured guest stars like Neil Young and Marc Cohn. However, the lead single and title track only got to #90. "Born To Fight" is an upbeat track from the record that might have performed better - one of my favorite tunes from this remarkable artist.
Her follow-up record, "Crossroads", performed well, reaching #9 in 1989. It featured guest stars like Neil Young and Marc Cohn. However, the lead single and title track only got to #90. "Born To Fight" is an upbeat track from the record that might have performed better - one of my favorite tunes from this remarkable artist.
Monday, May 2, 2016
"Halfway To Heaven" by Champion
Champion is an obscure AOR band that fell through the cracks in the late 80s. This Cleveland-based outfit released their one and only record, "Halfway To Heaven" in 1988. The music fit pretty comfortably among the likes of Toto, Survivor, and The Outfield, but somehow went overlooked.
The title track is a wonderful mid-tempo rocker that should have easily reigned on the charts back in 1988. If you dig it, be sure to check out "Wait 'til Tomorrow" and "Just Another Day", too.
The title track is a wonderful mid-tempo rocker that should have easily reigned on the charts back in 1988. If you dig it, be sure to check out "Wait 'til Tomorrow" and "Just Another Day", too.
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