Talking about my Post New Romanticism loves the other day left me wanting more, so you’re going to get a video entry to show ’em off!
– Go West/”Call Me” – While the likes of Duran Duran and Culture Club were at the peak of their popularity, there were other groups that were putting out music with less fanfare, but still of note. I loved Go West from their debut single “We Close Our Eyes” (#41), but “Call Me” (#54) sealed the deal for me. Unlike many of the groups that followed, Go West had some longevity, and evolved their sound as they went along. While some may not be as crazy about their more commercial sound in later years, I thought Indian Summer was a great album, and really enjoyed their remake of “What You Won’t Do For Love” (#55).
– Danny Wilson/”Mary’s Prayer” – One of several US one-hit wonders on this list, Danny Wilson released “Mary’s Prayer” (#23) in 1987, and the song slowly grew into a modest hit. Named after the title of a Frank Sinatra movie, the band consisted of brothers Gary and Kit Clark, along with Ged Grimes. Honestly, I don’t even remember if I had the full-length on this one, but “Mary’s” really holds up well over 20 years later.
– T’Pau/”China In Your Hand” – One of my all-time favorite songs. I remember watching T’Pau perform this on the US version of “Top of the Pops” in 1987, which really just recycled the British performances and inserted a few US-only tracks to make it more authentic. I would have bet money that this would have been a #1 record, but the song never even charted here, and T’Pau remains a one-hit wonder in the US. It wasn’t the first time my instincts were wrong, and it sure wasn’t the last. Of course, the song went straight to #1 in the UK.
– Johnny Hates Jazz/”Shattered Dreams” – If you measure a record’s potential by the impact of the single that preceded it, you would have hoped that Johnny Hates Jazz would have been more popular, but as often is the case, you would have also been wrong. I remember “Shattered Dreams” tearing up the airwaves in 1988, and it peaked at #2. The follow-up, “I Don’t Wanna Be a Hero”, only made it to #31, while “Turn Back the Clock” (a personal favorite of mine), only charted on the Adult Contemporary chart. As was often the case, there’s a US version of the video, but I actually prefer the UK version (not that either of them are epics).
– Climie Fischer/”Love Changes (Everything)” – I was obsessed with this song for months for some reason, and to this day, it remains one of those records that just goes to show that I am a music and chart geek. Released originally in 1987 and considered a flop, it took “Rise to the Occasion” becoming a hit in multiple territories to give “Love” a second chance. The re-issue was a remixed version, and ended up at #10 in the UK, and #23 in the US.
– Post-New Romanticism – I don’t know if this is an actual term, but it fits what I’m looking for here. As groups like Duran Duran and Culture Club lost some sway with the public, they were replaced by pop groups with an even smoother style, which bordered on Adult Contemporary. Groups like Johnny Hates Jazz and Danny Wilson were big in ’87-’88, and I ate it all up. I wore out the cassette tape of T’Pau’s Bridge of Spies, which only spawned one Top 40 hit here in the US with “Heart and Soul” (#4 Hot 100, #13 Club Play). My favorite song from this period, though, was “China in Your Hands”, which was #1 in the UK, but never charted here. One more nail in the coffin of Americans having good taste in their pop music.
– Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me – Ah, Robert Smith. How I wanted to be you in 1987. I had just gotten caught up with Staring at the Sea when Kiss Me came into view. Despite only having one minor Top 40 hit (“Just Like Heaven”, #40), this is the album that really started the momentum moving in their direction here in the US. “Heaven” was by far the deepest, most romantic record I had ever loved (I was 18, ‘nuff said), and I subsequently experienced a couple of firsts with that album playing in the background. It was DEEP, folks! [Somewhere along the line, I will have to pen my ode to Disintegration.]
– R&B and Rap – I went through three majors in one year at school, and the only consistent thing in my academic life was working at the radio station on campus. I threw myself into that venture with every free minute of my time. While I may have been pop and alternative elsewhere, at the station I was R&B and rap. High on rotation that year was Keith Sweat, whose Make It Last Forever was far and away the most played album on the R&B shows at the station. While the seeds for my crossover to rap had been planted years ago, 1987 was the year that they took root and grew. Teena Marie (“Ooh La La La”), 3rd Bass, Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, and New Edition (“Can You Stand the Rain” was the JAM!) all made a big impact.
– Sign O’ the Times – Given all of the influences that I was feeling that year, it really shouldn’t be any wonder that Prince was the epitome of my musical preferences. The title track was both funky and topical, and “U Got the Look” came out of nowhere to liven up Top 40. For me, the pinnacle of Sign was “Adore”, which I am not afraid to say is the best performance of a love song in the Rock era. I won’t say “best love song”, because lyrically I don’t think it stands up to the true champs. From a delivery standpoint, Prince wins hands down. The phrase is clichéd, but I have no problem in referring to this as a Master Class in how to really deliver a song. You get as much meaning from the delivery as you do from the lyrics. In my opinion, this is Prince’s best album and performance by a mile. 
As I was coming up with Idol artists to write about 
One of the more fascinating elements of the American Idol phenomenon for me is watching the chart success (or failure, in most cases) once they leave the show. This becomes even more interesting for me because I have rarely picked the winner early on, because I’m going off of who fits my taste, rather than America’s as a whole. While there have been some no-brainers (Carrie Underwood, anyone?), who would have picked Jordin or Kris to win it all back in the audition process?
Next stop on the Sophomore Express is Leave This Town, the second release for fourth-place Chris Daughtry and his eponymous band. Billboard declared his debut CD the fastest-selling debut rock record of the Soundscan era, and the numbers bear that out. #1 for two weeks, over 4 million sold and counting, and five Top 25 hits, including two Top fives (“It’s Not Over” and “Home”). It would be an understatement to say that RCA is banking on a huge opening week for this when it hits shelves on July 14th, but I honestly can’t think of a clearer sure-shot hit for the month of July than this one. First single “No Surprise” doesn’t stray far from the first record’s formula, and has already conquered multiple formats. Chris would have to go on a killing spree in a Baptist church in order to kill the momentum he’s currently got.
For every sure-fire Idol hit, there are going to be multiple non-starters, and Elliott Yamin’s 2nd CD falls into that category. Coming off of a surprise hit debut, which sold close to 100,000 units in its first week, Fight for Love hasn’t even come close. The record debuted mid-May at 26, but the sales were only a fraction of the first record, and the first single (also called 
From 
I have a friend that is heading out to London in two weeks for the start of a European vacation, and he put out a general call for suggestions on what to read while he is on vacation. Instantly, I had a suggestion, based on my own leisure reading during my trip. 
One of the top contenders for “Club Jam of the Summer” has to be David Guetta’s collaboration with Kelly Rowland on “When Love Takes Over”. Who knew that it would take a dance track to make Kelly Rowland relevant again? Well, that actually wasn’t as far of a stretch as you might think, given the fact that it was her remixes of “Work” and “Daylight” that made her last effort relevant. The single is at #6 on the Club Play chart and #53 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, so this is shaping up to be a mainstream smash. Check out the video and leave some feedback. If this isn’t your jam for the summer, what is?
Stumble It!
Pop Music Notes 