Friday 80s Flashback for September 25, 2015

[30+ Years of Private Eyes] -- September 1981. Simon & Garfunkel performed a free reunion concert in New York City's Central Park. Iron Maiden fired vocalist Paul Di'Anno and hired Bruce Dickinson to replace him. The Rolling Stones opened a US tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And the record industry released nearly 50 new albums. Now, some of those new records were EPs, compilations, and live recordings. However, I'm sure that list of releases is incomplete, so I maintain that we saw a boatload of new material to kick-off Fall 1981. As I looked over the collection of albums released 34 years ago this month, I find many that I have loved (and still enjoy). Only a few, however, stand out as having survived the passage of the last three decades, at least as far as I'm concerned. These are records whose songs jump immediately to the turntable in my brain, and play unabashedly at full volume. But, only one of those records was presumably released this very week in 1981: Private Eyes by Daryl Hall & John Oates. Maybe that record is still part of my music-appreciating DNA simply because the TV show Psych used it for a commercial several years ago. Or, it could be that the songs are still that darn good. More likely, I'm a sucker for nostalgia and blue-eyed soul. So, what tracks have I selected to highlight this week? I'll give you a hint: You won't find "Mano A Mano" when you read and hear more after the break.  

Flashback #1: "I can go for being twice as nice | I can go for just repeating | The same old lines."

One of the few singles that features both Daryl Hall and John Oates in the songwriting credits, "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" was the second single released from Private Eyes. It hit the #1 position on three US charts: US Billboard Hot 100, US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs. Oh, and it peaked at #12 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. 

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Flashback #2: "I still can't say I know | When a love is real or touch and go | And if two can be one
Who is the one two becomes?"

"Did It In A Minute" was the third single from Private Eyes. It reached the top 30 of the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, US Cashbox Top 100, and US Billboard Hot 100 charts (peaking in the top ten of the latter two). 

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Flashback #3: "The private eyes | They're watching you | They see you're every move."

And here we are with the title track from Hall & Oates' 1981 album. "Private Eyes" was the first single off the album, hitting the charts in September 1981 and reaching the #1 position on the US Billboard Hot 100 on November 7. It held onto the top position for three weeks until Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" knocked it out on November 28.  

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Once again, I remind you that the rule of three applies when doing Flashbacks. As I've made my three offerings, that's all till next week. 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.

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I'll see you in seven!