Time Machine co-ordinates VXVI42441486

Today we stumble, rumble, and bumble into April 14th 1986- a date chillingly close to our own (well, closer than usual...).  Today, President Ronald reagan ordered the bombing of Libya, to encourage Muammar Qaddafi to settle down and keep his terrorist agents at home.

"yeah... prolly shoulda listened to that..."

It could have been worse, Colonel!  92 people- 32 more than in the bombings- were killed by giant, 2 lb. hailstones in Bangladesh.  Some of them were the largest hailstones in history- the world record of 2.2 lbs was set in this storm.  Thankfully, my Musical Tardis has insurance for most natural disasters short of asteroid strikes, as well as Michael Bolton appearances.

And so we start our third show of our helpless drift outside the Martin Era, and we have one new debut, and the first ever time the 6D victim sat at #1!  So strap in and bombs away, dream babies!


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The bad thing about drifting left or right of center is the chance I might not have a lot of stations for the Panel.  This week, we gather in 15 stations, which gave us 9 candidates for POTM!

Leading off, Robert Palmer and Addicted To Love, which sat at Cashbox's #6 slot.

Glass Tiger's Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone, which got a vote or two even though it wasn't going to chart until October...

The Stones had their cover of Harlem Shuffle at #10.

John Cougar Mellencamp and ROCK In The USA was at #7.

The number 2 on CB, Falco's Rock Me Amadeus.

Atlantic Starr's mellow Secret Lovers, at #8.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, like Glass Tiger, were a bit ahead of the game, getting votage despite not charting until July. The song?  Tuff Enough.

INXS slams in at #4 with What You Need.

ANNNNNd, Billy Ocean's When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, the theme from the flick Jewel Of The Nile, was at 61, dropping from it's top ten peak.

So basically, we've knocked three songs out in just the description!  I'll help you out a little farther- Atlantic Starr, Mellencamp, and the Stones only got a single vote as well.  That leaves you with Palmer, Falco, and INXS to choose from.  Stay tuned for the winnah... later.


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I'd like to welcome Ms Gloria Lynne to our show now.  Madame President, thank you for coming.

S'okay, but don't call me Madame, it makes me feel like a hooker!

I read a little bit about you last week.  You didn't have an easy life, did you?

No, easy would not be a valid description.   Seemed like most everything was a fight- even success.

You titled the memoir book I Wish You Love after the hit song-  a very gracious title for a book detailing such a life.

God is good, even through the rough spots.   People would say to me, 'Gloria, you need to do a gospel album.' I said, 'What I do is gospel.'

"Everything I sing is gospel."*


I think that is a great philosophy.  Would you like to intro our debut?

Sure.  The one and only debut this week is from a sweet young thing you all know well here- Melody and her Echo Chamber.  Her third M10 hit from her 2012 lp comes in at number nine.  And whooo-eee, you might need a seizure warning on her video:





* The boldface is actual, honest to Bob Gloria speaking.


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George Michael topped the UK chart with A Different Corner- a song, I will admit, I don't know.  The highest charter on both charts was Rock Me Amadeus, which was #3 there.

And the #86 in '86 was another song I didn't recognize- Pat Benatar with Le Bel Age.  A fairly nondescript tune from the lp Seven The Hard Way, it was co-written by Robert Tepper- who was on the chart this week at #55 and falling with No Easy Way Out, which was the theme from Rocky IV.  A couple of further notes on ol' Robert- he was discovered and signed by Scotti Brothers- and long time TM followers may remember Tony Scotti as the singer of Come Live With Me on Valley Of The Dolls.  And, he was also a co-writer on one of my favorite songs of this time period, Benny Mardones' Into The Night.


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Now, I'll be the first to admit that 1986 was getting farther and farther away from the music I loved.  But there were a lot of great tunes, and so I perused the week's hot 100 and came up with what I would deem my top ten for this week, as follows:


10- Bangles, Manic Monday.  It wasn't ALL about Susanna Hoff's eyes. #5

9- If You Leave, OMD.  Although I wasn't a big fan of the style, this one stuck with me. # 30

8- ELO, Calling America.  Their last charting hit. #33

7- Atlantic Starr, Secret Lovers. #8

6- Robert Tepper, No Easy Way Out. #55

5- Pet Shop Boys, West End Girls. #12

4- Dream Academy, Life In A Northern Town.  #46  "It was winter 1963, when we felt that the world would freeze, with John F Kennedy, and the Beatles..."

3- Dire Straits, So Far Away.  #18

2- Howard Jones, No One Is To Blame.  #74

Annnd...

1- Simply Red, Holding Back The Years... #80... "...I'll keep holding on..."

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Madonna took another title in 2005 when she hit #1 in 41 countries with the tune Hung Up.  It broke the record held by Lipps, Inc. with Funky Town, which hit the top in 28 national charts.  One of the members of Lipps, Inc was a producer by the name of David Z.  David Z worked with Prince and his associated acts, including a hard luck band named Mazarati.  Hard luck, because their one chance at real fame came when Prince gave them a song he'd basically half-assed.  DZ and the group reworked the song into a funky groove that Prince liked so much he took it back from them.  And that song was at #1 but without Panel love- Prince and the Revolution with Kiss.


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And now, the M10:

Melody's Echo Chamber is one of two acts with 2 songs in the countdown.  The one at #9 was our one debut; the one at #10 is the former #1 Crystallized.

Steely Dan moves up a pair to #8 with Come Back Baby.

Tom Jones, who also covered Kiss, slides from 2 to 7 with I Know.

The other act with two songs is the Four Seasons, with Marcie climbing 2 to #6, while Walk On By slides from 3 to #4.

Barry Manilow's medley is fives across the board- 5 last week, 5 this week, 5 weeks on the chart.

Zooming up to #3, Old 97's with Brandi Carlile with Good With God.

Moving up a pair to #2, Real Estate and Serve The Song.


And the number ones?  M10 says- once again-

Chicano Batman and Passed You By!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And, the Panel pick?

With a 4-3 win over Robert Palmer, Falco and Rock Me Amadeus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Still no idea what next week will bring- if you only knew the debate I had over THIS week....