1976-1985: My Favorite Decade: Roxy Music

Using information found in the above supplement, below is an annotated list of songs that didn't quite crack the Billboard Hot 100, provided with links in hopes of helping you find some vintage tunes that are new to you. Click on the title to hear the tune or see the video, click on the artist for a Wikipedia entry, and click on the album for the Discogs entry. In all, there were 105 tracks that "bubbled under" the Hot 100 in 1982, here's 21 of those.

*Title*	*Artist*	*Album*	BU	*Rock*	AC	RB	*Dance*	*Country*
It's Our Own Affair	Ray Parker, Jr.	The Other Woman	106			44
Brown Eyed Girl	Henry Paul Band	Anytime	105
Song on the Radio	Pinups	The Pinups	110
Sea of Heartbreak	Poco	Cowboys & Englishmen	109		35
Ghost Town	Poco	Ghost Town	108
Let Her Go	Point Blank	On a Roll	109
As	Jean-Luc Ponty	Mystical Adventures	108
Let's Work	Prince	Controversy	104			9	1
Keep This Heart in Mind	Bonnie Raitt	Green Light	104	39
Me and the Boys	Bonnie Raitt	Green Light	109
Yes It's You Lady	Smokey Robinson	Yes It's You Lady	107
My Old Piano	Diana Ross	Diana	109
Take a Chance with Me	Roxy Music	Avalon	104
Can't Get You Out of My Mind	Dan Seals	Harbinger	110
I Can Make You Feel Good	Shalamar	Friends	102			33
Wait for Me	Slave	Show Time	103			20	21
It's Alright	Gino Soccio	Face to Face	108				2
What	Soft Cell	Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing	101				31
Love Connection (Raise the Window Down)	Spinners	Can't Shake This Feelin'	107			68
Six Months in a Leaky Boat	Split Enz	Time and Tide	104
Black Coffee in Bed	Squeeze	Sweets from a Stranger	103	26

The following songs didn't quite make Billboard's Hot 100 list in 1982, peaking at positions 101-110. I'm incredulous these fine singles didn't manage to crack the Hot 100 as this is quality stuff that gets a lot of playing time 'round here:

Below is a Mixcloud show containing 14 of the Bubbling Under tunes followed by an annotated playlist:

"Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)"
Haircut 100
From the album Pelican West
Written by Nick Heyward
Produced by Bob Sargeant

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	101
Dance	41
Rock	50

I'm an unabashed fan of Nick Heyward and Haircut 100 and this song was part of my introduction to that group. The label promoted this song as "pop-funk-rock" - I'd go with "soul-dance-pop" but that's splitting hairs. I was surprised to see it chart on the rock charts. It peaked at #4 in the UK and probably ranked that high in my personal ranking around August 1982 (if I'd had personal rankings in August 1982). Do yourself a favor and listen to the whole album.

"There She Goes Again"
Marshall Crenshaw
From the album Marshall Crenshaw
Written by Marshall Crenshaw
Produced by Richard Gottehrer & Marshall Crenshaw

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	110

Typical pop brilliance from Crenshaw, who seems to be able to write a hook as easily as pouring a cup of coffee. The bridge to this loping shuffle is sublime. I was late to the Crenshaw party ("discovering" him around 1994) but better late than never. Again, seek out the entire debut album and give it a listen.

"Your Precious Love"
Al Jarreau & Randy Crawford
From the album Casino Lights
Written by Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson
Produced by Tommy LiPuma

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	102

From the #1 jazz album Casino Lights, this cover of a Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit is one of three Jarreau/Crawford duets on this live album and the first of five covers in this mix. I prefer "Who's Right, Who's Wrong" but this is excellent, too. In addition to that vocal power, check out the backing band: Larry Carlton (who delivers a smoky solo), Marcus Miller and the Yellowjackets, You know what you should do? Check out the whole album.

"He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'"
Bananarama
From the album Deep Sea Skiving
Written by Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson & Edward Holland, Jr.
Produced by Dave Jordan & Fun Boy Three

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	108
Dance	16

A bouncy cover of a 1964 Velvelettes tune. This has Fun Boy Three on backing vocals and Terry Hall's fingerprints all over it. Not surprisingly, it peaked at #5 in the UK. I haven't heard the whole album, so I can't legitimately make a recommendation on this one.

"Nobody's Business"
Maxus
From the album Maxus
Written by Jay Gruska & Lisa Dal Bello
Produced by Michael Omartian

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	109

I was hipped to the goodness of Maxus a few years back and I'm glad I was cuz you know we love West Coast/AOR around here. This is the second track from their first and only album, which didn't chart but certainly should have. I'm gonna blame Warner Bros. for not giving it the promotion it deserved. Underrated and unappreciated. If you like Toto and such and haven't yet heard Maxus, go listen to the entire album.

"If Love Takes You Away"
Stephen Bishop
From the Summer Lovers soundtrack
Written by Stephen Bishop
Produced by Russ Titelman

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	108
Adult Contemporary	22

Bish consistently put out good soft rock tunes like this midtempo soundtrack contribution. I'm digging the bridge on this one but it doesn't go to a Jay Graydon guitar solo like I expect it to. Never seen the movie or heard the full soundtrack but if this track listing is accurate, the album seems like something I'd enjoy.

"So Fine"
Howard Johnson
From the album Keepin' Love New
Written by Kashif
Produced by Kashif, Morrie Brown & Paul Lawrence Jones

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	105
Dance	1
R&B	6

I'm all in as soon as I hear the first a capella notes of the introduction. The groove reminds me a bit of Carl Carlton's "She's a Bad Mama Jama" which was on the charts at the same time. #1 on the dance chart doesn't surprise me a bit cuz I can't sit still.

"Me and The Boys"
Bonnie Raitt
From the album Green Light
Written by Terry Adams
Produced by Rob Fraboni

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	109

I like this one so much, I wrote a whole post about it and gave it a B+.

"Jamaica"
Bobby Caldwell
From the album Carry On
Written by Bobby Caldwell
Produced by Bobby Caldwell

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	105
R&B	54

The smoothest vocal track in this mix. Caldwell is in fine voice, as always. Bonus points for the simple but effective arrangement of synths and Latin percussion.

"Six Months in a Leaky Boat"
Split Enz
From the album Time and Tide
Written by Tim Finn & Split Enz
Produced by Hugh Padgham & Split Enz

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	104

I first heard this fun track on the MTV and quickly became a fan of the Finn brothers. It wasn't a hit here in the US, but reached #7 in the group's native New Zealand.

"As"
Jean-Luc Ponty
From the album Mystical Adventures
Written by Stevie Wonder
Produced by Jean-Luc Ponty

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	108

I got this #1 jazz album in 1983 as part of a Columbia house 10-for-a-penny deal. Admittedly, electric jazz violin is an acquired taste, but Stevie Wonder tunes are not so I was quickly drawn to this track on side two of the album. I once made an odd mixtape that led off with Donald Fagen's "New Frontier" then segued into this cut. I'm not surprised this didn't make the Top 40, but I'm still digging it all these years later. Today's trivia: that's American Idol's Randy Jackson on bass, dawg. (I hate that he overused the nonsense word "pitchy" on that show, but I gotta admit that he plays a great bass on this tune.)

"My Old Piano"
Diana Ross
From the album Diana
Written by Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards
Produced by Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	109

The Chic-written and produced Diana was released in 1980, but apparently the record label was trying to milk one more single out of the thing two years later. Can't say I blame 'em because it's Chic and Diana Ross ferchrissakes. Listen to the whole album and, if possible, find the deluxe version that includes the original Chic mix.

"Jamming"
Grover Washington, Jr.
From the album Come Morning
Written by Bob Marley
Produced by Grover Washington Jr. & Ralph MacDonald

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	102

The third tune on this list taken from #1 jazz albums. A smooth jazz cover of a Bob Marley tune. Typical Grover goodness. This relaxing cut is highly recommended as is the entire album.

"Take a Chance with Me"
Roxy Music
From the album Avalon
Written by Bryan Ferry & Phil Manzanera
Produced by Rhett Davies & Roxy Music

U.S. Billboard charts peaks:
Bubbling Under	104

The entire Avalon album is exquisite and I'll leave it at that.

"Bubbling Under" chart information taken from Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1982 supplement, pp. 49-54, the accuracy of which will be discussed in a later post.

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Music ads for 1980 releases

Friday, March 2, 2018

Bubbling Under 1982 [Part 4 of 5]

Friday, February 23, 2018

Bubbling Under 1982

Monday, June 26, 2017

Vintage Music Pinbacks #10