AT40, May 26, 1984 [Part 2 of 4]

 

I'm breaking down the AT40 show of May 26, 1984 track by track.  For a look at #40-31, click here.

#30:  "Who's That Girl" by Eurythmics. Guest host Charlie Van Dyke introduces this tune by briefly describing the appearance of first Dave Stewart then Annie Lennox with the "carrot-colored crew top hair." I never thought much of this tune with the slow tempo intro and its minor key.

"In the countdown this week are two of the many groups who named themselves for cities. One is a group named for a German city, the other is the most successful group ever named for any city. A city located on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. Details coming up."

#29:  "Almost Paradise" by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson. The biggest climber in the countdown, up 11 notches, and the first of four tunes in the countdown from the Footloose soundtrack album. Written by Eric Carmen, this ballad would peak at #7 in July. I never had much need for this ballad as I already had Lionel Richie's "Hello" in my wooing repertoire (this simply means the Richie tune is much easier to play on the piano and sing to the ladies). I gotta say, the bridge is a winner, though. I once tried to watch the "updated" 2011 remake of Footloose, but couldn't stomach more than 5 minutes before bailing. And you kids get off my lawn.

Charlie states that in the rock era, a total of 23 acts have taken the name of a city as their own, but he doesn't list them all 23.  Instead he lists the 13 of these 23 who made the top 10:

• Atlanta Rhythm Section (2 top 10 hits, 1977-78)
• The Bay City Rollers* (2 top hits, 1975-76)
• Boston (on this date, Boston had 2 top 10 hits, 1976-78. They would later have two more in 1986)
• The Brooklyn Bridge (1 top 10 hit, 1969)
• Buffalo Springfield (city name two-fer!) (1 top 10 hit, 1967)
• The Kingston Trio (2 top 10 hits, 1958-63)
• Kokomo (1 top 10 hit, 1961)
• The Manhattans (2 top 10 hits, 1976-80)
• The Manhattan Transfer (1 top 10 hit, 1981)
• Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (3 top 10 hits, 1966-67)
• The Oak Ridge Boys (1 top 10 hit, 1981)
• Orleans (2 top 10 hits, 1975-76)
• and, the most successful "city group" of all...

#28:  "Stay the Night" by Chicago. On this date, Chicago had 13 top 10 hits. This single wouldn't join that grouping, peaking at #16. By the time the '80s were over, they would add an additional 7 top 10 hits to their tally, bringing it to an impressive 20.

I've told this story so forgive me if you've heard it before: I saw Chicago on their 1985 tour promoting this album. During the encore, the band sang this tune and I can still hear 10,000 teenage girls yelling, "STAAAAAAY THE NIGHT!" along with Peter Cetera while the band played. I've never been able to properly enjoy that song since.

Nonetheless, Chicago 17 is a winner and this was its lead single.

#27:  "Run Runaway" by Slade. Although a huge band in their native UK, I can't say the same for the US. This tune won't make me change the station, but I'm not seeking it out to listen to it. To my mind, Big Country did it better.

"Coming up: a Long Distance Dedication from a romantic couple who grew up in the same neighborhood, went to the same school in Bangkok, Thailand, but never met until they were 10,000 miles from home."

#26:  "They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman. On its way down the charts at this time, I love this tune and the album it comes from. This particular tune reminds me of a "seniors only" weekend trip to a beach house on Galveston Island which included various shenanigans including wine coolers and my first midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. All photographic evidence has been destroyed.

Long Distance Dedication: "Dear Casey, we don't know how to start our story; it seems like fate brought us together. We lived in the same neighborhood in Bangkok and attended the same high school, but we never knew each other. After graduating from high school, he went to the US for his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at UC Berkeley. I received my BA degree from a university in Bangkok and then I went to Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio for my masters and doctoral degrees in education. Then, he went to Ohio State to pursue his masters degree. And that's where we met and fell in love. Unfortunately, he graduated in 1982 and had to be back to work, so he left me there for a year. It was the most difficult time of our lives, being apart. But, with love and a strong commitment, I worked as hard as I could to finish up the Ph.D. requirements and, finally, our dreams came true. On my commencement day, he came back to Columbus to be by my side. And that was the most precious graduation present I've ever received. Now, we're back together in Bangkok and we'd like to share with other people who are in love that it's worth all the suffering if your love is certain. Just the two of us can make dreams come true [ed. note: you can see where this is headed, right?] no matter how long it takes or how far apart we are. Casey, we would like to have the song "Just the Two of Us"as our "overseas" dedication. Thank you very much. Love, Kid and May."

"Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr. with Bill Withers. (#2 in 1981). I don't need any excuse to listen to this classic. In fact, I'm pausing this episode now to listen to the full 7+ minute version. But I'm wondering if Kid and May felt slighted that their letter was read by a guest host and not Casey himself.

"American Top 40 is heard in the 50 states and around the world every week on great radio stations like..."

• WNVA - Norton, Virginia
• KRXL - Kirksville, Missouri
• JORF Radio Nippon - Tokyo, Japan

#25:  "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by The Scorpions. Decidedly not in my wheelhouse in 1984, I've come to appreciate it for the rock anthem it has become. This single peaked here at #25, but has gone on to enjoy extended popularity at sporting events and in TV ads.

#24:  "You Can't Get What You Want" by Joe Jackson. As a big fan of Joe's Night and Day album, I bought this album (Body and Soul) immediately upon release. It was different, but I enjoyed it all the same. I didn't think there was a single on it, but this tune proved me wrong. This single was Jackson's last appearance in the Top 40, peaking at #15 about a month after this episode. I heard it on the speakers of my local home improvement warehouse just last week.

Charlie then teases an upcoming look at "whatever happened to The Monkees?"

#23:  "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins.  Just one in a line of at least 6 or 7 Loggins soundtrack hits of the '80s. I still love it and dance to it. Admit it, you do, too. The second of four tunes from the Footloose soundtrack on AT40 this week (Charlie mentions that the soundtrack is the #1 album this week). This smash had been #1 back in March/April and was on its slow decline down the chart. It would eventually spend an amazing 16 weeks in the Top 40 - the entire spring of my senior year in high school. I even remember dancing to this tune at prom.

Prom ticket. The prom theme was "City Lights." Seriously.

Van Dyke then gives a brief history of The Monkees and updates where the members have ended up. At that time in 1984, according to AT40:

• Davy Jones: training as a horse jockey, preparing to ride in the British Grand Nationals and writing his autobiography
• Mickey Dolenz: living in England, directing TV and stage productions
• Peter Tork: living in Venice, California with his family, has a band based in New York
• Mike Nesmith: pioneer in video production, produces movies (Repo Man), inducted into the American Video Award Hall of Fame. 

#22: "Jump (For My Love)" by The Pointer Sisters. Charlie mentions that the title of the song was originally simply "Jump" but the parenthetical subtitle was added after Van Halen's single "Jump" was released. Love this tune, particularly when the soaring bridge. Why I never bought the Break Out album is beyond me. This would eventually peak #3 at during 15 weeks on the chart.

--end of hour two--

#21: "The Authority Song" by John Cougar Mellencamp. Meh - I can take it or leave it. Peaked at #15 the previous week and I can't see how it got that high. Reminds me of this pinback I wore around that time:

Oddly, my teachers didn't like this one.

Billboard, May 26, 1984, p. 60

More to come...

*the Rollers named themselves after the Bay City in Michigan, not the one in Texas.