"She's In Love With You" by Suzi Quatro

   

    

     Hello Radio Dial fans! Thanks for checking in as we begin the month of August! Adding to what has been a hot summer throughout much of the country, the Dial is beaming a forgotten rocker from Detroit native Suzi Quatro to your speakers, wherever you may be. Turn up the volume (and turn on the A/C), for Suzi and her 1980 single “She’s In Love with You”!

“So if you see her all alone one night walk up to her discreetly… ask her why. And if she replies with words that don’t make sense, it may be just because she’s shy.”

“She’s In Love…” concerns a woman whom is letting her male friend know about another girl that loves him from afar. However, unlike other songs with a similar plot (such as Melissa Manchester’s 1982 hit “You Should Hear How She Talks About You”), here Suzi’s narrator is simply giving her guy friend a friendly “heads up”, instead of revealing herself to be the actual interested romantic party at the end of the song.

“She’s In Love…” was Suzi’s biggest US solo hit (with one caveat, which I’ll mention shortly), and it JUUUUST missed the Top 40 at position #41 in January 1980. This was not the only Quatro single that knocked on the door of the 40 and was denied access, as “I’ve Never Been in Love” peaked at US #44 in October of ‘79, and “If You Can’t Give Me Love” hit US #45 in June of that same year.

Now for that caveat… Suzi DID hit the US Top ten (#4) in ‘79 with the soft rock classic “Stumblin’ In”, a sweet song about a lasting love. However, as this was recorded as a duet with singer Chris Norman, its success is attributable to both artists as a pairing, and is not technically a solo Suzi single.

“Don’t take advantage of her lack of understanding just because you think you could… Treat her right, treat her good… take her home and make her feel the way she should.”

Written by the songwriting team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the “Chinnichap” duo was responsible for many top U.K. pop/rock hits by acts like Mud, and Smokie, in addition to many of Quatro’s earlier UK-only hits as well, like “Devil Gate Drive”, a UK chart topper in ’74.

Despite being better known in their native London than in the States, the Chinnichap team was also successful in bringing their signature sound to the U.S., with hits like The Sweet’s “Little Willy”, and “Ballroom Blitz” (#3 in ’72, and #5 in ’73, respectively), Exile’s “Kiss You All Over” (#1 in ’78), Toni Basil’s “Mickey” (#1 in ’82), Huey Lewis & the News’ “Heart & Soul” (#8 in ’83), and Tina Turner’s “Better Be Good To Me” (#5 in ’84).

“So take her home and hold her close… touch her where she feels it most, but be true… And when she’s makin’ love to you, she’ll do what you want her to.”

Quatro, a.k.a. “Leather Tuscadero” (Happy Days fans know what I’m talkin’ about), drew her inspiration from The Beatles and Elvis, and has in turn, inspired tons of female rockers with her bass proficiency, leather clad tough chick image and glam-meets-bubblegum style. Joan Jett, both as a solo artist, and as a member of The Runaways, is the most obvious lady rocker that owes a debt to Suzi, but we can also look toward Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, The Pixies’ Kim Deal, and Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, in addition to groups like L7, and Girlschool. Possibly even the White Stripes on some level, as the opening riff for WS’s signature song “Seven Nation Army” bears a strong resemblance to Quatro’s 1981 single “Lipstick”... but that’s another story altogether.

So, click that window below and rock out with Suzi, as we here at the Dial delve through more of our forgotten and worthwhile cuts from years past to bring you another classic track in about two weeks.

Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen, the MORE you remember!

“She’s in love with you… That’s all she wants to do… She’ll never let you down, she’ll never fool around, ‘cuz she’s in love with you.”