[April Wine in January] -- As I mentioned last week, this year's Flashbacks will find me dipping into 1981 and 1987's chart activity because the calendar dates of those years match up with those of 2015. Speaking of last week's post, the top three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 for 1/10/1981 maintained their positions for the week ending 1/17/1981. So, I thought I could use an album released during the past week -- albeit 34 years ago. I had a choice between The Nature of the Beast by April Wine and In Our Lifetime by Marvin Gaye. I'm thinking of saving Mr. Gaye's release for a Flashback later this year. So, April Wine it is!
The Nature of the Beast was Canadian rockers April Wine's ninth studio album. It was released on January 12, 1981, and would eventually peak at #11 on the Canadian Albums Chart and #26 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. The album spawned two singles, "Just Between You and Me" and "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" (a cover of Lorence Hud's 1973 hit). The former was a top 25 hit in the U.S. for the band while the latter had more moderate success, peaking at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although not released as a single, "All Over Town" received airplay on AOR radio stations, so it ended up charting at #29 on the Top Tracks chart. Our Flashbacks this week will be the top 25 hit and ... the full album! Read and hear more after the break.
The Nature of the Beast was Canadian rockers April Wine's ninth studio album. It was released on January 12, 1981, and would eventually peak at #11 on the Canadian Albums Chart and #26 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. The album spawned two singles, "Just Between You and Me" and "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" (a cover of Lorence Hud's 1973 hit). The former was a top 25 hit in the U.S. for the band while the latter had more moderate success, peaking at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100. Although not released as a single, "All Over Town" received airplay on AOR radio stations, so it ended up charting at #29 on the Top Tracks chart. Our Flashbacks this week will be the top 25 hit and ... the full album! Read and hear more after the break.
Flashback #1: "Just between you and be | Baby I know our love will be"
As mentioned above, "Just Between You and Me" was a top 25 hit in the States. In Canada, it peaked at #13 on the CHUM Chart. Its music video was 14th in rotation on MTV's very first day broadcasting (8/1/1981). And, as I recall, it could be found on the playlist for many a school dance through at least 1983. Considering the seemingly conflicting lyrics, the song's staying power strikes me as odd. Of course, it only strikes me that way now, in hindsight. I'm sure back in the early 80s, I was only focused on the chorus ("Just between you and me | Baby I know our love will be") just like everyone else. It's not until almost midway through the song that we get another glimpse that it's actually a love song rather than a love gong wrong song: "You always help me find my way | The love that we share | Grows stronger each day."
Flashback #2: The Full Album
As this week's post is intended to revisit an album, why not play the thing in its entirety? Why not, indeed.
--SIDE ONE--
0:00 "All Over Town"
3:04 "Tellin' Me Lies"
6:07 "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen"
10:26 "Just Between You And Me"
14:24 "Wanna Rock"
16:33 "Caught In The Crossfire"
--SIDE TWO--
20:09 "Future Tense"
24:16 "Big City Girls"
28:00 "Crash And Burn"
30:35 "Bad Boys"
33:48 "One More Time"
Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the archives. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
And if you are on Twitter, and feel so inclined, please +K my influence in Music on @klout.
I'll see you in seven!
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