"When She Was My Girl" by The Four Tops

     Much thanks to you for tuning into the Dial tonight, friends! Our latest spotlighted tune is an unexpected comeback record from a legendary soul act that most pop radio listeners would never stake a major claim in the U.S. top 40 in the 1980s, but yet, they did just that. Ladies and gentlemen, the Dial is proud to bring you The Four Tops, and "When She Was My Girl".

"She used to be… everything to me. When she was my girl."

The lead single pulled from the group’s twenty-seventh album, 1981’s Tonight!, and featuring the unmistakable harmonica work of Stevie Wonder, "When She Was…" concerns a timeless lament of a love lost, which makes it a perfect companion piece to The O’Jays 1978 classic "Use Ta Be My Girl".

The tune is also the legendary R&B group’s first top 40 charter since 1973’s "Sweet Understanding Love", a US #33 hit, and it also marks the final top 40 appearance for the band as a headlining act, which does not count 1988’s "Indestructible", a #35 pop hit recorded as a duet with Smokey Robinson. "When She Was…" itself peaked at the "so close" #11 spot, not quite able to take up residence in the US Top 10, though it did reach #1 US R&B, #9 US Adult Contemporary, and #3 in the UK.

Successfully marrying the group’s classy soul sounds with modern (for the time) early 80’s style production, "When She Was…" features Levi Stubbs’ soothing yet powerful lead vocals, and magnificent harmonies by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, and Lawrence Payton. These gentlemen are the original founding members of the group, having recorded together starting in 1953 as the Four Aims, then changing their name to the Four Tops in ’56. These icons of soul and pop remained together until 1997, due to Payton’s passing in that year. Currently, a group identified as The Four Tops continue to tour today, however Fakir is the only remaining original member. Still, they continue the legacy of the group and perform multiple shows yearly.

On a side note, it’s amazing how many phenomenal tunes these guys gave us … "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "It’s The Same Old Song", "Standing in the Shadows of Love", "Bernadette", "Still Water (Love)", "Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)"… the majority of which were recorded and released during the 1960s for Motown. If you have any interest in classic soul, and you somehow aren’t already a fan, I urge you to check these classics out.

"I… held her near… told her how much I cared. When she was my girl."

As the instrumentation of "When She Was…" sounded like a contemporary soul group, for years, I failed to pick up on the fact that this was the legendary Four Tops from my parents’ oldies stations until much later. After the song’s original chart run, and on the rare occasions that I would happen across "When She Was…" on a lite rock station, I always assumed it was somebody like The O’Jays, (again, likely due to the "Use Ta Be My Girl" similarities), the Commodores (post Lionel Richie of course), or Ray, Goodman, and Brown.

One minor complaint, is that there is a lyric at the end of the second chorus that seems a little out of place to me, given the song’s overall sweetness when Levi sings…

"She’s gone… the big legged girl is gone."

Other than once being called "foxy", there’s no other reference to her physical looks, and certainly, this "big legged" comment feels almost like a borderline insult, even though I assumed she’s just a thicker lady, and Levi likes ‘em larger. But, then the question is, is his "ex" pleased that she’s being referred to in this way in a song heard by millions? I’m so confused.

Of course, "Big legged woman" is actually an appreciative term that appeared in songs going all the way back to songs of the bluesmen of the 1930’s like Johnnie Temple, and Albert King. It’s the "OLD-old school" way of praising what Sir-Mix-A-Lot did in 1992’s "Baby Got Back", if you know what I mean.

Out of place lyric aside… "When She Was…" is a sweet, romantic soul classic sung by one of the true legendary groups of R&B music and led by one of the most genuine soul voices ever. A solid tune to mark the group’s final major hit single, and one they can be proud of.

"When we walk down the street… I would tell everyone we meet… this is my girl."

Interestingly, the Tonight! parent LP also contains covers of two songs released shortly before The Tops’ turned in their renditions, "Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong", a quiet storm slow jam co-written by Kenny Loggins, and originally appearing on Kenny’s 1979 album Keep The Fire, and Stevie Wonder’s "All I Do", a soft rock meets funk blend that Stevie originally released on his 1980 LP Hotter Than July. These two tracks remained album cuts, as had the originals by Kenny and Stevie. However, it would have been interesting if the Tops had chosen to cover recent hit singles by these two guys… maybe we would have gotten Levi and company singing renditions of "I’m Alright", or "Send One Your Love" instead.

So check out this last big hit from an act rightfully considered to be one of the architects of the Motown sound. How well do you think it compares to their legendary 1960’s output? Drop me a comment with your thoughts. And be sure to continue to tune into the Dial for more songs to kickstart that jukebox in your mind!

"When she was my girl… there was laughter and loving in my world… everyday."





"Stay the Night" by Chicago

 
    Hey, friends! Welcome back to Kyle’s Radio Dial, the blog that stays rooted in the past to uncover great tunes you haven’t heard in forever! Up on the Dial today is a top 20 single from a legendary American pop/rock act that was named after the very place they were formed in.

Boston? Nope.

Alabama? No, not those guys either…

Kansas? Nice try, but also not right.

Today the Dial tunes in a 1984 single by a band that hails from "The Windy City", that being Chicago of course, entitled "Stay the Night". Read on!

"I don’t want you to misunderstand me… I just wanna say what’s on my mind…"

The initial single pulled from the six times platinum album Chicago 17, and written by the powerhouse songwriting team of Peter Cetera and David Foster, (and also featuring Toto member and session drummer extraordinaire Jeff Porcaro), "Stay…" is a much more rock-oriented offering than the typical adult contemporary ballads that Chicago had becoming largely associated with by this time in their evolution.

Prior to the release of "Stay…", the only singles from the group that had reached the Billboard top 10 over the previous nine years had all been ballads… "If You Leave Me Now" (#1/76), "Baby, What a Big Surprise" (#4/77), and the comeback smash "Hard to Say I’m Sorry", a chart topper from 1982. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 1975, with the group’s "Old Days" (#5), to find a Top 10 Chicago hit that wasn’t a love ballad.

Even the two singles that immediately followed "Stay..." were love ballads. "Hard Habit to Break" and "You’re The Inspiration" both peaked at #3 on the pop charts in late 84 and early 85, respectively. So, even though "Stay…" was the lead single from the album, it was quickly overshadowed by the next two extracts. I don’t think the band minded though, as Chicago 17 became (and remains) the band’s best-selling album.

"No need to hit me with an attitude… because I haven’t got the time."

Now let’s talk about that crazy music video. In the clip, Peter Cetera plays a mechanic whom is stubbornly (and superhumanly) pursuing a female customer (played by Ingrid Anderson) who either truly doesn’t want him in her life (at which point, shame on Cetera for not taking a hint)… or she just enjoys sadistically toying with him like a cat playing with a mouse. Heck, maybe that’s what the two of them are into.

Automotive buffs will appreciate the classic Olds 442 muscle car, and the video also features two unusually amicable fellows in a beater pickup truck, a sequence that ends in a rather jarring day-to-night scene switch. (What… they didn’t think we would notice THAT?)

I’d also like to point out the cops that don’t stop to help Cetera after he was flung off of the girl’s car onto a highway at high speed, choosing instead to pursue the crazy lady in her muscle car! Now, granted, she committed a moving violation at the bare minimum, and possibly attempted vehicular homicide at the most severe, so it WAS their duty to try to apprehend this beautiful maniac, but for God’s sake, Peter could have broken every bone in his body! Where’s the "to protect and serve" here, fellas?

Additionally, it’s been claimed that Cetera did his own stunts for the video, and if that is true, then that’s both incredibly cool and ridiculously insane!

My final observation here is that the video’s closing scene has to be a reference point to the final scene in Twilight Zone: the Movie. Both the movie and the video’s conclusion features a sadistic character driving off with the protagonist in an ambulance. Not to mention, Ingrid’s smirk as she looks back at Cetera is reminiscent of the look Dan Aykroyd gives John Lithgow. Watch the scenes one after another, and you’ll see what I mean.

Yep, it’s definitely a memorable video to be sure, quite goofy and over-the-top, and portions of it were filmed in and around the Los Angeles River, which has been used in many films, including the famous race between Danny and Leo from Grease!

"I wanna tell you something, make it perfectly clear… we’re gonna have a very good time."

As I am a huge fan of Chicago, encompassing all of their 60s, 70s, and 80s classics, it was difficult for me to choose a forgotten hit from the band to review. So in addition to "Stay…", I’ll also give a recommendation to two songs I strongly considered for the Radio Dial spotlight this time around, "Love Me Tomorrow" (#22/82), and "Along Comes a Woman" (#13/85), both of which failed to reach the top 10, but again, are worthy Chicago recordings that rarely get played on the radio anymore. Well, I suppose I hear "Along…" two or three times a year still, but I know it’s been years since I’ve run across "Love Me…" on terrestrial radio.

So hop on in that Olds 442 for a spin with Cetera and company, and be sure to hang on tight… Ingrid is a damn lunatic behind the wheel! And be sure to periodically check back right here for more great tunes from the not so distant past. Kyle’s Radio Dial… the more you listen… the more you remember!

(And don’t mind me… since I reminded myself of them earlier, I’ll be perusing my music collection, pulling out Dial-worthy tunes by Boston, Alabama, and Kansas for later Dial spotlights!)

"Stay the night, there’s room enough here for two… stay the night… I’d like to spend it with you."