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1979 The Next 100 Songs #1. The Wait - The Pretenders (1 Viewer)

Bracie Smathers

Footballguy
The rules. 

  • Any song or album released in 1979 and I believe I had at least one re-release.
  • Any song or album released from September of 1978.
Tim's list on the left.  

100.  “My Way” Sid Vicious - Escape (The Pina Colada Song)  - Rupert Holmes

99. “Pop Muzik” M - Just One Look - Linda Ronstadt 

98. “Ring My Bell” Anita Ward - Goodnight Tonight - Paul McCartney & Wings

97. “In the Navy” The Village People - Georgy Porgy - Toto

96. “One Step Beyond” Madness - English Civil War - The Clash

95. “Beautiful Girls” Van Halen - Natalia - Van Morrison

94. “Cars” Gary Numan - Head Games - Foreigner

93. “Sunday Papers” Joe Jackson - You're Only Lonely - J.D. Souther

92. “Jimmy Jimmy” The Undertones - Tulsa Time - Eric Clapton

91. “Fins” Jimmy Buffett - Sunday Girl - Blondie

90. “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor,Doctor)” Robert Palmer - Shake It - Ian Mathews

89. “Overkill” Motörhead - Reggatta De Blanc - The Police

88. “Heartache Tonight” Eagles - Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top

87. “Discovering Japan” Graham Parker morning - Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn

86. “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” Bauhaus - I'll Supply The Love - Toto 

85. “Babe” Styx - I Want Your Love - CHIC

84. “Dreaming” Blondie - Blue Collar Man - Styx

83. “The Guns of Brixton” The Clash -  Blue Morning, Blue Day · Foreigner

82. “Dirty White Boy” Foreigner - Volcano - Jimmy Buffett

81. “California Uber Alles” Dead Kennedys - Song On The Radio - Al Stewart

80. “Prime Time” The Tubes - My Life - Billy Joel

79. “Even the Losers” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Total Control - The Motels

78. “Walking on the Moon” The Police - Havin' A Party - Southside Johnny (w/ Springsteen) 

77. “Rock and Roll Fantasy” Bad Company - Ain't No Stopping Us Now - Mcfadden and Whitehead

76. “Longer” Dan Fogelberg - Down To The Waterline Dire Straits

75. “10:15 Saturday Night” The Cure - Feelin' Satisfied - Boston

74. “Sara” Fleetwood Mac - I Can't Turn You Loose/Soul Man - The Blues Brothers

73. “Heartbreaker” Pat Benatar - I Need A Lover - John Cougar Mellencamp

72. “Girls Got Rhythm” AC/DC - Wondering Where The Lions Are- Bruce Cockburn

71. “Precious Angel” Bob Dylan - Hold On - Ian Gomm

70. “I Can’t Tell You Why” Eagles - Cool Change - Little River Band 

69. “No Class” Motörhead - Strange Way - Firefall

68. “Double Life” The Cars - Its Different For Girls - Joe Jackson

67. “The Rose” Bette Midler - Think About Me - Fleetwood Mac

66. “Planet Claire” The B-52s - Shake Your Groove Thing -  Peaches and Herb

65. “Goodbye Stranger” Supertramp - Sailing - Christopher Cross

64. “Los Angeles” X - American Dream - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

63. “We Are Family” Sister Sledge - Heart Of The Night - Poco

62. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” The Charlie Daniels Band - Stumblin' In - Chris Norman & Suzi Quatro 

61. “After The Love Has Gone” Earth, Wind & Fire - Ain't Talk'n Bout Love - Van Halen

60. “Young Lust” Pink Floyd - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding - Elvis Costello

59. “What I Like About You” The Romantics -  Le Freak - CHIC

58. “Making Plans for Nigel” XTC - I Can't Stand Losing You - The Police

57. “Breakfast in America” Supertramp - Dreadlock Holiday - 10cc

56. “Sad Eyes” Robert Eyes - Danny's All Star Joint - Rickie Lee Jones

55. “Fool in the Rain” Led Zeppelin - Renegade - Styx

54. “Accidents Will Happen” Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Fools In Love - Joe Jackson

53. “Boogie Wonderland” Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions - Private Life - The Pretenders

52. “Rock Lobster” The B-52’s - Water Of Love - Dire Straits 

51. “Jumping Someone Else Train” The Cure - Shake Your Body Down To The Ground - Jackson 5

50. “Hey You” Pink Floyd - (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman - The Kinks

49. “Bad Girls” Donna Summer - Hold The Line - Toto

48. “A Message to You, Rudy” The Specials - Time Passages - Al Stewart

47. “I Wanna Be Your Lover” Prince - Ain't Love A B!tch - Rod Stewart

46. “Cruel to Be Kind” Nick Lowe - Move It On Over - George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers 

45. “Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl” The Spinners - Romeo's Tune - Steve Forbert

44. “Don’t Do Me Like That” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Tattooed Love Boys - The Pretenders

43. “Hey Hey My My (Into the Black” Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Getting Closer - Paul McCartney & Wings

42. “Run Like Hell” Pink Floyd - Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

41. “Local Girls” Graham Parker -  Double Vision - Foreigner

40. “Off the Wall” Michael Jackson - What A Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers

39. “Dream Police” Cheap Trick - Respectable - The Rollins Stones

38. “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” Pink Floyd - It's All I Can Do - The Cars

37. “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” Journey - Wavelength - Van Morrison 

36. “Good Times” Chic - Those Shoes - The Eagles

35. “Oliver’s Army” Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Depending On You - The Doobie Brothers

34. “Here Comes My Girl” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - This Is It - Kenny Loggins

33. “Rock N’ Roll High School” The Ramones - Good Girls Don't - The Knack

32. “Tusk” Fleetwood Mac - Girls Talk - Dave Edmunds

31. “Why Can’t I Touch It” The Buzzcocks - So Lonely - The Police

30. “Rock With You” Michael Jackson - Kid - The Pretenders

29. “Ladies Night” Kool & the Gang - Minute By Minute - The Doobie Brothers

28. “Lost in the Supermarket” The Clash - Who Do You Love? - George Thorogood and the Destroyers

27. “Blow Away” George Harrison - Old Time Rock And Roll - Bob Seger

26. “Rappers Delight” The Sugarhill Gang - Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchet

25: “Chuck E’s In Love” Rickie Lee Jones - Radio Radio - Elvis Costello

24. “I Don’t Like Mondays” The Boomtown Rats - The Long Run - The Eagles 

23. “Message in a Bottle” The Police - Surrender (Live at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) - Cheap Trick

22. “I Got You” Split Enz - All Mixed Up - The Cars

21. “The Logical Song” Supertramp - I Thank You - ZZ Top

20. “Let’s Go” The Cars - Drivers Seat - Sniff 'n' The Tears

19. “Funkytown” Lipps, Inc. - One Way Or Another - Blondie

18. “I Want You to Want Me” Cheap Trick - Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson

17. “My Sharona” The Knack - September - Earth Wind And Fire

16. “All My Love” Led Zeppelin - Promies - Eric Clapton

15. “Refugee” Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Precious - The Pretenders

14. “Brass in Pocket” Pretenders - Straight On - Heart

13. “London Calling” The Clash - Dance Away - Roxy Music

12. “Mother” Pink Floyd - Good Times Roll - The Cars

11. “Boys Don’t Cry” The Cure - Heart Of Glass - Blondie

10. “Take the Long Way Home” Supertramp - Jane - Jefferson Starship

9. “Dance the Night Away” Van Halen - Roxanne - The Police

8. “Video Killed the Radio Star” The Buggles - Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

7. “Highway to Hell” AC/DC - I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

6. “Life During Wartime” Talking Heads - Shattered - The Rolling Stones

5. “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer - My Best Friends Girl - The Cars

4. “Sail On” The Commodores - Mystery Achievement - The Pretenders

3. “Train in Vain” The Clash - Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits

2. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” Michael Jackson - Beast Of Burden - The Rolling Stones

1. “Comfortably Numb” Pink Floyd - The Wait - The Pretenders

 
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I'll begin tomorrow but for now here are a few tunes that didn't make the cut.  A few are unknown and 'fairly' interesting.

It has over a million hits on YouTube but this song was new to me.  Very good.

I had heard of the Roches but it was only in name.  A group of sisters with brilliant harmony, quirky but excellent sound.  GIVE THIS ONE A LISTEN.  

Hardly any hits on this song but its not bad.

I absolutely love the Pretenders and have a handful of songs so this one didn't make the cut.

Good tune by Rundgren that just missed.

I won't list many pop songs like Do You Think I'm Sexy or Reunited ... that is an extensive list but the ones above haven't been played to death and may have been forgotten.

I'll start the countdown tomorrow and my list will include some Adult Contemporary and ... well you'll see.

 
Love Precious. Such a great song. 
 

Trivia question: you can look it up but that would be cheating. In the early 70s, the Roches (the two sisters) took a rock and roll class at Columbia University. Who taught the class? 

 
Love Precious. Such a great song. 
 

Trivia question: you can look it up but that would be cheating. In the early 70s, the Roches (the two sisters) took a rock and roll class at Columbia University. Who taught the class? 
I don't know but Paul Simon 'discovered' them and had them back him on Saturday Night Live and that is where they became 'known'.  

 
The last song to reach number one in the decade of the 70s and the first song to hit number one in two decades as it reached number one in 1980.  This song charted once again in 2014 when it was used in the movie 'Gardians of the Galaxy'.

Rupert Holmes had never had a piña colada before he wrote the song which I thought was a lie but this song made piña coladas popular and I had my first piña colada at a piña colada party in 1982 so a song about two drunk cheaters who don't eat health food sparked a cultural trend.  

Infectiously catchy and a true guilty pleasure I give you a song that became so popular they had to change its name so people could find it in the record store.

100. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes

Released October 1979

Cheech: Let's get one of those big, white houses, man. You know, like, with a veranda, you know. With a porch. We'd be sitting out there sipping pina colonics, man.

Chong: Pina colonics?

Cheech: Yeah.

Chong: What's that?

Cheech: You know, they make them in a blender, man. You know.

Chong: Oh, yeah.

 
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1979...again? 

Can I do one? But something in the 80's?
Start compiling off to the side and when this is finished we can see what you come up with.  I have to wait till Tim is done to see what songs fall to me.  I make my list before Tim is finished so I don't cheat and take songs from the spotlighting lists in his thread when he's finished.  This is all my work.

Going second after the first 100 songs are taken is a distinct disadvantage so that is why I allow the last quarter of the previous year and any song released during the year including re-released songs and on this list I have a couple of live songs.

Making a list takes time.  Then revising takes time.  Doing write ups takes time.

Start compiling off to the side right now but wait and keep digging.  You'll find lots more songs and you'll revise your list and if you do a bit of research you'll find some really cool facts and I'm sure you will have personal stories.  

The next song on my list has a story attached.

 
Start compiling off to the side and when this is finished we can see what you come up with.  I have to wait till Tim is done to see what songs fall to me.  I make my list before Tim is finished so I don't cheat and take songs from the spotlighting lists in his thread when he's finished.  This is all my work.

Going second after the first 100 songs are taken is a distinct disadvantage so that is why I allow the last quarter of the previous year and any song released during the year including re-released songs and on this list I have a couple of live songs.

Making a list takes time.  Then revising takes time.  Doing write ups takes time.

Start compiling off to the side right now but wait and keep digging.  You'll find lots more songs and you'll revise your list and if you do a bit of research you'll find some really cool facts and I'm sure you will have personal stories.  

The next song on my list has a story attached.
Why would I make a side list if I'm not doing the same year? 

 
Why would I make a side list if I'm not doing the same year? 
IOWs wait till I''m finished.  Also some songs on my list will over-lap with 1980 since they came out late in 79 and charted in 80.

The suggestion of making a list off to the side will help you because you'll find more songs if you wait and dig around.  You'll want to revise your list.  And if you research you'll find really cool tidbits of information that may sway your original list.

The primary reason is to wait till I'm done but by waiting it will improve your list.

 
IOWs wait till I''m finished.  Also some songs on my list will over-lap with 1980 since they came out late in 79 and charted in 80.

The suggestion of making a list off to the side will help you because you'll find more songs if you wait and dig around.  You'll want to revise your list.  And if you research you'll find really cool tidbits of information that may sway your original list.

The primary reason is to wait till I'm done but by waiting it will improve your list.
He said "in the 80s" not necessarily 1980.

 
IOWs wait till I''m finished.  Also some songs on my list will over-lap with 1980 since they came out late in 79 and charted in 80.

The suggestion of making a list off to the side will help you because you'll find more songs if you wait and dig around.  You'll want to revise your list.  And if you research you'll find really cool tidbits of information that may sway your original list.

The primary reason is to wait till I'm done but by waiting it will improve your list.
You make no sense. But carry on. 

 
Linda Ronstadt.  If you hear interviews at the time she 'sounds' ditzy but if you actually LISTEN to what she's saying she knew music and was very-influential to a famous band that will make the list later.  
This song is a cover that originally wasn't on the list so why is it here?  Story below....

Released January 23, 1979

An older guy I used to work with in the 90s named Tom was very slow and I had to jump-in and help him because he'd hold everything up.  One day as I was waiting on Tom I noticed he had a pronounced limp. 
Tom explained he had no car and was walking 11 miles to and 11 miles from work 22 miles each day getting home past 1:00 AM.  No wonder why he was so slow at work.  I offered a ride home.  

Turns out he lived two blocks from me.  
I told him he was not walking anymore.  
Car pooling allowed plenty of time to get Tom's story.  Cutting to the chase, in the 60s he was in a band with a girl named Linda Ronstadt but didn't go on to join the Stone Ponies because he got drafted.  Before they could ship him off he got into a horrific car accident that messed him up physically which was another reason he was so slow at work.  
That accident 'likely' saved his life as every single person from his Platoon got killed in Nam.  
The happy ending is people asked to join our car pool.  It grew to six people which saved money and it was a blast. One girl who joined us looked familiar. I got her story. 
Turns out she was the grand daughter of the famous singer and actor Della Reese.  I can't remember the name of the girl but she was beautiful and looked like Della at this age >>>  Picture

 
Linda's live bands were fantastic. Just One Look was one of the songs featured in a 1980 HBO special that was rediscovered a few years ago after everyone assumed the tapes had been lost. I caught it last month when my local PBS station aired it during a pledge drive. 

 
I was hesitant before committing to trying to make a list of the next 100 songs from 1979 when I saw how much disco and AC were strewn over the Billboard Hot 100.  Disco crept into a lot of songs and this is one of them.  Paul gets a lil-goofy but he can craft a nice ditty so this one 'just' makes the list.  Its Sir Paul.

Released 23 March 1979

 
I was hesitant before committing to trying to make a list of the next 100 songs from 1979 when I saw how much disco and AC were strewn over the Billboard Hot 100.  Disco crept into a lot of songs and this is one of them.  Paul gets a lil-goofy but he can craft a nice ditty so this one 'just' makes the list.  Its Sir Paul.

Released 23 March 1979
Love the song and the video. Paul's take on disco bass here is excellent. Also flamenco flavored guitar. And clave, lots of clave.

 
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Love the song and the video. Paul's take on disco bass here is excellent. Also flamenco flavored guitar. And clave, lots of clave.


I have no issues with disco if it's played like Sir Paul does. The bass line is incredibly infectious. 
Thirded.  One of the best bass lines of his post-Beatles career.  Plus, the "pew pew pews"!

 
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LOVE the groove on this track.

In a 1988 interview with Modern Drummer, Jeff Porcaro discussed developing the groove for "Georgy Porgy":

"...it's imitating Paul Humphrey heavily; it's imitating Earl Palmer very heavily. When it comes to that groove, my biggest influences were Paul Humphrey, Ed Greene, Earl Palmer, and the godfather of that 16th-note groove, James Gadson. That "Georgy Porgy" groove I owe to them."

Released April 1979

If anyone wants to read/hear I have a long story about how this song saved me from over-aggressive cops who were out seeking a bad guy when I was innocently driving home from work one night.  

 
LOVE the groove on this track.

In a 1988 interview with Modern Drummer, Jeff Porcaro discussed developing the groove for "Georgy Porgy":

"...it's imitating Paul Humphrey heavily; it's imitating Earl Palmer very heavily. When it comes to that groove, my biggest influences were Paul Humphrey, Ed Greene, Earl Palmer, and the godfather of that 16th-note groove, James Gadson. That "Georgy Porgy" groove I owe to them."

Released April 1979

If anyone wants to read/hear I have a long story about how this song saved me from over-aggressive cops who were out seeking a bad guy when I was innocently driving home from work one night.  
Such a great groove (you might hear this type of beat referred to as a something like "pocket 16ths"), and Cheyrl Lynn's vocals are platinum. Love this tune.

 
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Bracie Smathers said:
LOVE the groove on this track.

In a 1988 interview with Modern Drummer, Jeff Porcaro discussed developing the groove for "Georgy Porgy":

"...it's imitating Paul Humphrey heavily; it's imitating Earl Palmer very heavily. When it comes to that groove, my biggest influences were Paul Humphrey, Ed Greene, Earl Palmer, and the godfather of that 16th-note groove, James Gadson. That "Georgy Porgy" groove I owe to them."

Released April 1979

If anyone wants to read/hear I have a long story about how this song saved me from over-aggressive cops who were out seeking a bad guy when I was innocently driving home from work one night.  
That's good stuff -- had never heard it before. 

 
Joe Strummer noted that he learnt "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" at school. "It was such a good tune. I suggested that we update it, see what it sounded like," he said. 

The guitar work is great on this.

Released 23 February 1979 

 
Love this tune.  As a DJ I used to play it late at night while looking out the window at Storm Mountain up in the Colorado Rockies.

Robbie Robertson called Van Morrison the 'Caruso of rock and roll.'

Released: February 1979

Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Natalia

 
He eventually became a mystery writer, which he was more suited for looks-wise.

I was never a huge fan of this song but it is indeed catchy. 
I should hate this song because this type of music can be quite annoying.   I have to admit that I find it very catchy and always turn it up when I hear it.   

 
Foreigner got into trouble with this album cover as it depicts a girl in front of urinals with a terrified look on her face.  Many stores refused to stock the album. 

Them group had a solid guitar sound but I was never a big fan of Lou Graham's vocals especially his solo ballads that he did in the 80s but they had a few 'decent' tunes in the late 70s.  In spite of the cover they were not misogynists, just a poor choice by the artist (Roy Thomas Baker) who did covers for other bands notably Queen. 

Released September 10, 1979

 
Foreigner got into trouble with this album cover as it depicts a girl in front of urinals with a terrified look on her face.  Many stores refused to stock the album. 

Them group had a solid guitar sound but I was never a big fan of Lou Graham's vocals especially his solo ballads that he did in the 80s but they had a few 'decent' tunes in the late 70s.  In spite of the cover they were not misogynists, just a poor choice by the artist (Roy Thomas Baker) who did covers for other bands notably Queen. 

Released September 10, 1979
I had no idea it was 1979, thought it was earlier.  This definitely should be in the oiriginal 100, pretty big song for Foreigner.

 
Souther wrote songs for the Eagles and Ronstadt.  Linda had both J.D. and Glenn as part of a 'super-band' as her manager was constantly pushing her to improve her band.  Both would leave with Linda's endorsement.  Before hitting it big Souther and Frey were roommates and their downstairs neighbor was Jackson Browne.  Here's what Frey said about that time.

“Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, and I all lived at 1020 Laguna in Echo Park. J.D. and I shared a $60-a-month, one-room apartment — a couch and kind of a bed with a curtain in front of it. Right underneath us in an even smaller studio apartment was Jackson. He had his piano and guitars down there. I didn’t really know how to sit down and work on a song until I heard him playing underneath us in the basement.”

Don Henley admitted that once the Eagles made it big that they had a 'punch-in-the-face' hit-list of critics.  They didn't care if they got bad reviews because they were so-big that bad reviews actually improved sales so critics would attack their musical buddies like Souther and Jackson Browne.  Linda Ronstadt would cover this tune.  It was J.D.'s biggest hit and went to number one for 5 weeks.  

93.  You're Only Lonely - J.D. Souther

Released 1979

 
EC has this song on THREE different albums, the studio version from 'Backless' below and a live version on Just One Night in 78 recorded in Japan and another live version on Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies.  

When he recorded this, four members of Clapton's band were from Oklahoma: bassist Carl Radle, drummer Jamie Oldaker, organist **** Simms and backup singer Marcy Levy. Radle, Oldaker and Simms were all from Tulsa and had a band together called the Tulsa County Band, which helped forge the "Tulsa Sound," a melding of country and rock. Clapton was smitten with this sound, and used these musicians to create it on his Slowhand and Backless albums. On his next album, Just One Night, Clapton switched to British musicians.

A cover that EC makes great and every version I've heard is fantastic.

Released November 1978

 
Blondie, sigh. :wub:   In doing this list I fell a little in love with her.  I had a 'stalkingly-high' number of Blondie songs on the list before pairing it down.  I can't recall how I felt about Blondie back in the day because in making this list I found a lot of songs I don't remember like this one but it wasn't released in the US.  She even made a French Version which is kinda of interesting.  LINK >>> Sunday Girl (French Version)  

Blondie guitarist Chris Stein wrote this to cheer up Debbie Harry. She was down as her gray cat named Sunday Man had run away whilst they were away on tour.  

This song is addicting.  Light weight but it keeps going through your mind and you want to hear it again.  I really like it.

Released 1979

 
Blondie, sigh. :wub:   In doing this list I fell a little in love with her.  I had a 'stalkingly-high' number of Blondie songs on the list before pairing it down.  I can't recall how I felt about Blondie back in the day because in making this list I found a lot of songs I don't remember like this one but it wasn't released in the US.  She even made a French Version which is kinda of interesting.  LINK >>> Sunday Girl (French Version)  

Blondie guitarist Chris Stein wrote this to cheer up Debbie Harry. She was down as her gray cat named Sunday Man had run away whilst they were away on tour.  

This song is addicting.  Light weight but it keeps going through your mind and you want to hear it again.  I really like it.

Released 1979
Uh oh. When the year in the video says 1978 right under the video, you're treading lightly on the certitude of eligibility, no? :)

I just say that cuz I clicked the link and love the song, so really, fire away. I like this list. You and tim make a good combination, IMO.

 
Uh oh. When the year in the video says 1978 right under the video, you're treading lightly on the certitude of eligibility, no? :)

I just say that cuz I clicked the link and love the song, so really, fire away. I like this list. You and tim make a good combination, IMO.
Whoever posted the video probably got it wrong.

That song wasn't released in the US, it was only released in Europe hence the French version.  I have a song listed later with what looks like Portuguese sub titles and the date listed on that YouTube video is two years off.

I double checked and Sunday Girl was released in 79 (Wiki LINK the release is listed to the right under her pic).  It made it on a US album after it charted well in the UK.  Also I am including all albums and/or singles released from 79 and back to September of 78 so their are a lot of songs from the fall of 78 on this list but Sunday Girl's release is 79.

I like the combo of Tim and myself.  Different tastes and takes.  It is a challenge going second.

 
In all of the research I've done on every group and solo artist I've never heard of anyone putting out 100 albums but this guy did.  Ian Mathews scored his only charting hit with this song written by Terence Boylan whose version never charted.  Boylan went to school and played in a band with two high school class mates, Walter Becker and Donal Fagan (Steely Dan).

I remember hearing this but it had been awhile.  I like it.

Released December 1978

 
Its a made up name for a song that was improvised during extended stage performances of 'Can't Stand Losing You'.  

The first three Police albums, Outlandos d'Amour, Reggatta de Blanc, and Zenyatta Mondatta, were named by their manager, Miles Copeland (Police drummer Stewart Copeland's brother), using words he made up. "Reggatta de Blanc" is the only one that is also the name of a song. In Copeland's language, it translates to "White Reggae," indicating the reggae rhythms the band was using.

Dummer Stewart Copeland formed the band, his drumming is 'mad' as one of my drummer friends would say.  Copeland became insanely jealous of Sting over time as the band he created got taken over by his lead singer as he faded to the background.

On this song his drumming is 'mad', the title track to the album.

89.  Reggatta De Blanc - The Police

Released 5 October 1979

Side story.

While working at a ski resort in Colorado I had to go up to the storage area and was waiting for the elevator which was filled by the stocking crew who spontaneously began singing this song at the top of their lungs.  I still smile when I hear this.

Rio rio rioyo
Rio rio rioyo
Rio riay riayo
Rio riay riayo
Rio riay riayo
Rio riay riayo
Rio riay riayo, riayo, riayo, riyao
Riya ya ya ya ya ya ya ya
Yao


 

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