Thursday, April 22, 1982

Men at Work released Business As Usual in the U.S.: April 22, 1982

Originally posted April 22, 2012.

image from myfoxhouston.com

Sadly, Greg Ham, one of the band members of Australian band Men at Work, was found dead on April 19 at his home. Two concerned friends found the body when they went to check on him after not hearing from him in some time. Police did not release any details. Ham lived alone. He was 58.

Among his musical contributions to Men at Work were the sax solo in “Who Can It Be Now?” and the flute solo in “Down Under.” Both songs were from the band’s debut album, Business As Usual. It was released in their home country in November 1981 and saw U.S. release five months later in April 1982. The “Australian five-piece [became] the most unlikely success story of 1982,” ^AZ spending 15 weeks atop the U.S. album chart and eventually selling 15 million copies worldwide on the basis of “two excellent singles that merged straight-ahead pop/rock hooks with a quirky new wave production and an offbeat sense of humor. Colin Hay’s keening vocals uncannily recall Sting, and the band’s rhythmic pulse and phased guitars also bring to mind a bar band version of the Police.” ^AMG “Like Sting, Colin Hay’s vocal inflections were more suited to reggae than to white guitar-pop; the band, meanwhile, seemed to aim for much the same kind of earnest, slightly arch tone as early XTC.” ^AZ

Who Can It Be Now?

The lead single, Who Can It Be Now?, was released in Australia in June 1981, where it became a #1 hit. More than a year later, it made its U.S. chart debut, eventually soaring to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

While that song played up paranoia in its video, the follow-up hit, Down Under, showcased Men at Work’s goofier side. The almost-novelty song celebrated their native country with a campy and popular video. The song was an even bigger hit on the U.S. charts. “For a time, Australians abroad seemed destined to have ‘Down Under’ sung at them – often by whole groups of strangers – as if it were a sunny gesture of greeting or camaraderie, instead of what it actually was: a tacit reinforcement of cultural stereotypes.” ^AZ “For the record: to ‘chunder’ means to vomit. And a Vegemite sandwich is nothing you’d want to eat.” ^AZ

Down Under

The song met with more controversy in 2010 when it was determined it had been plagiarized from a 1934 Australian song “Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree,” written by Marion Sinclair. The band were ordered to pay a portion of royalties to the company holding the copyright on “Kookaburra.”

“There’s a fair amount of filler on the record, but Be Good Johnny, I Can See It in Your Eyes, and Down by the Sea are all fine new wave pop songs, making Business as Usual one of the more enjoyable mainstream-oriented efforts of the era.” ^AMG

Awards:

Amazon.com Widgets

Resources and Related Links:

DMDB page for Business As Usual
Men at Work’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
^AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
^AZ Amazon.co.uk review by Andrew McGuire
^WK Wikipedia
CBS News: Men at Work musician Greg Ham dead at 58

Be Good Johnny

Monday, April 19, 1982

Queen “Body Language” released

Body Language

Queen

Writer(s): Freddie Mercury (see lyrics here)

Released: April 19, 1982

First Charted: May 1, 1982

Peak: 11 US, 11 CB, 15 RR, 30 RB, 19 AR, 25 UK, 3 CN, 23 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.)

Sales (in millions): --

Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 6.6 video, -- streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

With their 1980 album The Game, Queen landed two #1 hits in the United States with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “Another One Bites the Dust.” The latter “inspired Queen to temporarily abandon their glam roots in the early 1980s, and experiment with disco, funk and soul music.” ^WK

1982’s Hot Space reflected that change. “Body Language” “is notable for its near lack of guitar…[and] a ‘slinky’ synth bass” ^WK supplied by John Deacon. It was “a source of contentions within the band.” ^SF Drummer Roger Taylor said singer Freddie Mercury “wanted our music to sound like you had just walked into a gay club. And I didn’t!” ^SF He probably wasn’t thrilled that most of the instrumentation was recorded by Mercury with drum machines. ^SF

The song is “blatantly about sex” ^SF with “suggestive lyrics…and writer Freddie Mercury’s moans and groans.” ^WK The video was banned from MTV for “its erotic undertones plus plentifiul skin and sweat.” ^WK

On a personal note, the song was in my top ten on the first chart I ever did on September 18, 1982. I put together that first list after hearing a local radio station’s countdown of the best songs of all time. The original intent was my own best-of-all-time list, but it became a weekly endeavor which I maintained for more than a decade.

Resources:

DMDB encyclopedia entry for Queen
^SF Songfacts
^WK Wikipedia

Monday, April 12, 1982

John Cougar American Fool

First posted 6/10/2010; updated 9/20/2020.

American Fool

John Cougar

Released: April 12, 1982

Peak: 1⁹ US, 37 UK, 1³ CN, 18 AU

Sales (in millions): 5.75 US, -- UK, 5.75 world (includes US and UK)

Genre: classic heartland rock

Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

Hurts So Good (4/24/82, 2 US, 1 AR, 3 CN, 5 AU, sales: ½ million)
Jack and Diane (6/26/82, 1 US, 3 AR, 25 UK, 1 CN, 7 AU, sales: ½ million)
Hand to Hold Onto (11/6/82, 19 US, 89 UK, 97 AU)
Danger List
Can You Take It
Thundering Hearts (9/25/82, 36 AR)
China Girl
Close Enough
Weakest Moments

Total Running Time: 34:26

Rating:

3.554 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings)

Awards:

About the Album:

American Fool was the sixth, and last, album released by John Cougar. Saddled with the nickname against his will at the onset of his career, he would finally have the musical clout after this album to go back to his given name (although it would take a few more albums before “Cougar” was dropped from his name altogether).

And what was it about this album that gave him such clout? His previous albums hadn’t really hinted at what was to come. Mellencamp’s “first albums were so bereaved of strong material that the lean swagger of American Fool came as a shock. The difference is evident from the opening song, Hurts So Good, a hard, Stonesy rocker with an irresistibly sleazy hook.” ^STE He’d “never wrote anything as catchy as this before;” ^STE it “was destined to be a huge hit – ludicrous, powerful, and utterly unforgettable – and has long since gone on to be something of a rock & roll standard.” ^PK

“But the real revelation on this record was Jack and Diane, a poignant slice of life” ^PK and “remarkably affecting sketch of dead-end romance” ^STE Never before “had his romantic vision of small-town America resonated like it did” ^STE here; this became “a topical vein he would mine with even greater success on later recordings (especially on The Lonesome Jubilee).” ^PK

Those songs made him a superstar and landed American Fool atop the Billboard album chart for two months and sold 5 million copies. “These two songs are the only true keepers on American Fool, but the rest of the record works better than his previous material because his band is tighter than ever before, making his weaker moments convincing.” ^STE “Backed by a crisp, powerful, spot-on band that gave a needed sense of urgency to the material, Cougar deservedly wore the mantle of Mainstream Rock King while this record ruled the airwaves.” ^PK “Besides, songs like Hand to Hold On To and China Girl, for all their faults, do indicate that his sense of craft is improving considerably.” ^STE

“According to a 1983 article in the Toledo Blade, the song Danger List originated when Mellencamp heard his guitarist Larry Crane playing some chords in a basement rehearsal room. ‘I turned on the tape recorder and sang 30 verses,’ Mellencamp explained. ‘I just made them up. Then I went and weeded out the ones I didn’t like.’” ^WK

Resources and Related Links:

John Mellencamp’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry
^STE Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
^PK Percy Keegan, Amazon.com
^WK Wikipedia

Saturday, April 10, 1982

Hit Records: Songs of the Year, 1954-1981

First posted 3/8/2021; updated 3/16/2021.

Hit Records (Music Vendor/Record World):

Songs of the Year, 1954-1981

Hit Records was the name of the book from Record Research which covered the music charts from Music Vendor and Record World from October 4, 1954 to April 10, 1982. Based on a top 100 list from that book, these are the songs of the year from 1954 to 1981. In a few cases, a year wasn’t represented on the top 100 list. Then the song with the most weeks at #1 from that year was named song of the year with ties broken by overall Dave’s Music Database points.

Check out other “songs of the year” lists here.

1981: Olivia Newton-John “Physical”
1980: Queen “Another One Bites the Dust”
1979: Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II”
1978: Andy Gibb “Shadow Dancing”
1977: Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life”
1976: Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”
1975: Captain & Tennille “Love Will Keep Us Together”
1974: Olivia Newton-John “I Honestly Love You”
1973: Paul McCartney & Wings “My Love”
1972: Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”
1971: Don McLean “American Pie”
1970: Tony Orlando & Dawn “Knock Three Times”
1969: The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”
1968: Bobby Goldsboro “Honey”
1967: The Box Tops “The Letter”
1966: The Monkees “I’m a Believer”
1965: Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe”
1964: The Supremes “Baby Love”
1963: The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
1962: The Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry”
1961: Jimmy Dean “Big Bad John”
1960: Lawrence Welk “Calcutta”
1959: Johnny Horton “The Battle of New Orleans”
1958: Domenico Modugno “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue)”
1957: Pat Boone “Love Letters in the Sand”
1956: Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel”
1955: Perez “Prez” Prado “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White”
1954: Fontane Sisters “Hearts of Stone”

Resources and Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: other songs of the year lists
Dave’s Music Database: Lists based on charts, sales, and airplay
Dave’s Music Database: The Top 100 Songs According to Hit Records 1954-1982
Record Research: Hit Records 1954-1982

The Top 100 Songs According to Hit Records 1954-1982

First posted 9/25/2012; updated 3/16/2021.

Hit Records (Music Vendor/Record World):

Top 100 Songs, 1954-1982

This list is from a book published by Record Research, the company Joel Whitburn founded which packages books based on music chart data. As Whitburn says in the introduction, this is his “first research work that is entirely outside the covers of Billboard magazine.” This covers charts from Music Vendor and Record World from October 4, 1954 to April 10, 1982. It is, While the charts are very similar, there are some differences of interest to chart aficionados. Here’s the list of the top 100 songs according to the book (pages 403-4).

See other chart-based lists here.

Debby Boone “You Light Up My Life” (1977)
Olivia Newton-John “Physical” (1981)
Lionel Richie & Diana Ross “Endless Love” (1981)
The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
Perez “Prez” Prado “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” (1955)
Elvis Presley “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956)
Andy Gibb “Shadow Dancing” (1978)
Gogi Grant “The Wayward Wind” (1956)
Bee Gees “Night Fever” (1977)
Chic “Le Freak” (1978)
Guy Mitchell “Singing the Blues” (1956)
Tennessee Ernie Ford “Sixteen Tons” (1955)
Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956)
Pat Boone “Love Letters in the Sand” (1957)
Mitch Miller “The Yellow Rose of Texas” (1955)
Sonny James “Young Love” (1956)
Queen “Another One Bites the Dust” (1980)
Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive” (1977)
Fontane Sisters “Hearts of Stone” (1954)
Blondie “Call Me” (1980)
Johnny Horton “The Battle of New Orleans” (1959)
Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” (1959)
Tommy Edwards “It’s All in the Game” (1951/1958)
Domenico Modugno “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue)” (1958)
Elvis Presley “All Shook Up” (1957)
Jimmy Dean “Big Bad John” (1961)
Rod Stewart “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” (1976)
Danny & The Juniors “At the Hop” (1957)
The Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (1962)
Lawrence Welk “Calcutta” (1960)
Andy Gibb “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” (1977)
Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” (1981)
Pink Floyd “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” (1979)
Donna Summer “Hot Stuff” (1979)
Kenny Rogers “Lady” (1980)
J. Geils Band “Centerfold” (1981)
Dolly Parton “9 to 5” (1980)
Commodores “Three Times a Lady” (1978)
The McGuire Sisters “Sincerely” (1954)
Elton John & Kiki Dee “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (1976)
John Lennon “Just Like Starting Over” (1980)
Dean Martin “Memories Are Made of This” (1955)
Percy Faith “Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” (1960)
The Monkees “I’m a Believer” (1966)
Rod Stewart “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (1978)
The Knack “My Sharona” (1979)
Bobby Vinton “Roses Are Red My Love” (1962)
Don McLean “American Pie” (1971)
Ray Charles “I Can’t Stop Loving You” (1962)
Three Dog Night “Joy to the World” (1971)
Robert John “Sad Eyes” (1979)
The Browns “The Three Bells” (1959)
Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs “Sugar Shack” (1963)
Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1969)
The Four Seasons “Sherry” (1962)
The Everly Brothers “Wake Up Little Susie” (1957)
The Drifters “Save the Last Dance for Me” (1960)
Gene Chandler “Duke of Earl” (1962)
Bobby Goldsboro “Honey” (1968)
Paul McCartney & Wings “My Love” (1973)
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981)
Johnnie Ray “Just Walkin’ in the Rain” (1956)
Alan O’Day “Undercover Angel” (1977)
Perez “Prez” Prado “Patricia” (1958)
Lipps Inc. “Funky Town” (1980)
Bill Haley & the Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” (1954)
Les Baxter “The Poor People of Paris” (1956)
Donna Summer “Bad Girls” (1979)
The Platters “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (1958)
Nick Gilder “Hot Child in the City” (1978)
Mary MacGregor “Torn Between Two Lovers” (1976)
Paul McCartney & Wings “Silly Love Songs” (1976)
Billy Joel “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” (1980)
Peaches & Herb “Reunited” (1979)
The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968)
Sam Cooke “You Send Me” (1957)
Rupert Holmes “Escape (The Pina Coloda Song)” (1979)
Elvis Presley “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear” (1957)
Bobby Lewis “Tossin’ and Turnin’” (1961)
Ricky Nelson “Travelin’ Man” (1961)
The Everly Brothers “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (1958)
Frankie Avalon “Venus” (1959)
Tony Orlando & Dawn “Knock Three Times” (1970)
Connie Francis “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own” (1960)
The Highwaymen “Michael” (1961)
The Box Tops “The Letter” (1967)
Gilbert O’Sullivan “Alone Again Naturally” (1972)
The Singing Nun “Dominique” (1963)
Elvis Presley “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960)
The Champs “Tequila” (1958)
The Everly Brothers “Cathy’s Clown” (1960)
Bobbie Gentry “Ode to Billie Joe” (1967)
Del Shannon “Runaway” (1961)
The Supremes “Baby Love” (1964)
The Tokens “The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh)” (1961)
The Dixie Cups “Chapel of Love” (1964)
Mary Hopkin “Those Were the Days” (1968)
The Fifth Dimension “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (1969)
Paul & Paula “Hey Paula” (1962)
Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe” (1965)

Resources and Related Links:

Dave’s Music Database: Lists based on charts, sales, and airplay
Dave’s Music Database: “Hit Records: Songs of the Year, 1954-1981”
Record Research: Hit Records 1954-1982

Friday, April 9, 1982

Squeeze “Black Coffee in Bed” released