Hey
everyone! Consider tonight’s spotlighted song as a dedication to all the
brokenhearted Dialophiles out there, who are currently dealing with a lost
love, or honestly, have ever experienced this kind of sorrow. Tune in for a
forgotten top 10 ballad from Synch, featuring lead vocalist Jimmy Harnen, “Where Are You Now?”
“All alone tonight, I’m calling out your name. Somewhere deep inside this part of you remains. Images of love take me back in time…”
Much like late ‘80s hits by Sheriff (“When I’m With You”), and UB40 (“Red Red Wine”), Synch’s sole top 40 hit charted lowly on its original release (#77 in 1986), then hit it big a few years later once an adventurous DJ starting spinning the song once more. Upon its reissue, WAYN rocketed past its earlier peak to land at US #10 in the summer of 1989, and was re-credited to ‘Jimmy Harnen with Synch’, effectively putting the name of the singer ahead of the collective band name.
Jimmy wisely tried to capitalize on this unexpected success by issuing a solo LP (1989’s “Can’t Fight the Midnight”), which featured a re-recorded version of WAYN, however, this LP stalled upon release and produced no hits, unfortunately derailing the momentum caused by Synch’s ballad revival.
Though Harnen’s voice never graced another top 40 single, he did okay for himself… he’s currently the president of Republic Nashville, a country music label that is the home to The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, and other country hit-makers.
“Going through my life without you by my side… You're the only thing that keeps going through my mind. And nothing that I do can take the place of you…”
Though I love ‘80s tunage, I have to confess that it’s hard for me to stomach most of the era’s ballads now. I attribute this to the fact that I didn’t experience my first romantic heartbreak until the ‘90s. So, when I initially heard songs like “At This Moment” by Billy Vera & The Beaters, or “Look Away” by Chicago, I certainly realized they were sad, but I didn’t connect with them emotionally when they were new. Once my own heartbreak was under my belt, and I revisited these songs, I understood and identified with the sad lyrics in a way that I hadn’t before. Simply put, the same ballads I used to gladly sing along with in the ‘80s, began to bum me out in the ‘90s, so I stopped listening to the majority of them.
That being said, Jimmy’s ballad still holds up quite nicely for me. Despite the track’s heartfelt and mournful lyrics, Harnen doesn’t SING the song in an overwrought, agonized manner. He’s past the initial shock of the heartbreak, and is finally resigned to the reality of his loss, even while the pining for his former love still lingers. Thus, WAYN possesses more maturity than your typical broken-hearted love ballad, which greatly contributes to its re-playability. It also helps that the instrumentation does not tug at the heartstrings in an outrageous way like say… most of Celine Dion’s output.
Give it a listen, and see if you don’t agree that Synch’s single deserved to have more of a lasting legacy, leading to more hit singles from Harnen, either with or without his bandmates Synch.
"Where are you now… Is someone there tonight, holding what was mine? Where are you now, you wonder where I am, are you really feeling fine?”
“All alone tonight, I’m calling out your name. Somewhere deep inside this part of you remains. Images of love take me back in time…”
Much like late ‘80s hits by Sheriff (“When I’m With You”), and UB40 (“Red Red Wine”), Synch’s sole top 40 hit charted lowly on its original release (#77 in 1986), then hit it big a few years later once an adventurous DJ starting spinning the song once more. Upon its reissue, WAYN rocketed past its earlier peak to land at US #10 in the summer of 1989, and was re-credited to ‘Jimmy Harnen with Synch’, effectively putting the name of the singer ahead of the collective band name.
Jimmy wisely tried to capitalize on this unexpected success by issuing a solo LP (1989’s “Can’t Fight the Midnight”), which featured a re-recorded version of WAYN, however, this LP stalled upon release and produced no hits, unfortunately derailing the momentum caused by Synch’s ballad revival.
Though Harnen’s voice never graced another top 40 single, he did okay for himself… he’s currently the president of Republic Nashville, a country music label that is the home to The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, and other country hit-makers.
“Going through my life without you by my side… You're the only thing that keeps going through my mind. And nothing that I do can take the place of you…”
Though I love ‘80s tunage, I have to confess that it’s hard for me to stomach most of the era’s ballads now. I attribute this to the fact that I didn’t experience my first romantic heartbreak until the ‘90s. So, when I initially heard songs like “At This Moment” by Billy Vera & The Beaters, or “Look Away” by Chicago, I certainly realized they were sad, but I didn’t connect with them emotionally when they were new. Once my own heartbreak was under my belt, and I revisited these songs, I understood and identified with the sad lyrics in a way that I hadn’t before. Simply put, the same ballads I used to gladly sing along with in the ‘80s, began to bum me out in the ‘90s, so I stopped listening to the majority of them.
That being said, Jimmy’s ballad still holds up quite nicely for me. Despite the track’s heartfelt and mournful lyrics, Harnen doesn’t SING the song in an overwrought, agonized manner. He’s past the initial shock of the heartbreak, and is finally resigned to the reality of his loss, even while the pining for his former love still lingers. Thus, WAYN possesses more maturity than your typical broken-hearted love ballad, which greatly contributes to its re-playability. It also helps that the instrumentation does not tug at the heartstrings in an outrageous way like say… most of Celine Dion’s output.
Give it a listen, and see if you don’t agree that Synch’s single deserved to have more of a lasting legacy, leading to more hit singles from Harnen, either with or without his bandmates Synch.
"Where are you now… Is someone there tonight, holding what was mine? Where are you now, you wonder where I am, are you really feeling fine?”
I loved this song. It reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteThe music is beautiful. If you ever wondered where someone that had meant something to you was now, this song says it plainly.
Keep up the good work Kyle.
I agree. It's a shame this song isn't better known, as the lyrics perfectly sum up what we've all felt for that special someone in our pasts. Thanks for checking in!
ReplyDeleteKyle :^)