A 17 track compilation covering the years 1978-1997. Every Palmer release I've owned has been all over the map stylistically - rock, R&B, New Wave, glam, blues, reggae, pop, soul, etc. He had minor U.S. hits here and there, but his music choices were too eclectic to earn a steady following, despite having a fantastic voice. Enter MTV and the legendary "pouty model band" backing him up in his videos and suddenly he's a much bigger draw in the late '80s. Thanks, MTV (my favorite was the gorgeous guitar player on the far right).
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks: Palmer had 12 US Top 40 hits (including 3 with side project The Power Station), only 8 appear here, but this compilation was put together in 1995 for European release where Palmer's chart history differs greatly from his U.S. rankings (see below). The disc starts out with a completely unnecessary 1997 remix (or rerecording?) of Addicted to Love, but no worries as the 1985 original closes out the disc. Two of my favorite tracks, Looking For Clues and Every Kinda People weren't the biggest hits, go figure. And I've always thought the Power Station's cover of T. Rex's Get It On (Bang A Gong) was one of the better covers of the '80s. The cover of The Staple Sisters' Respect Yourself just leaves you longing for the original.
| Song |
Year
|
US
|
UK
| |
| Addicted To Love '97 | 1997 | - | - | |
| Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) | 1979 | 14 | 61 | ✔ |
| Simply Irresistible | 1988 | 2 | 44 | ✔ |
| Get It On (Bang A Gong) | 1985 | 9 | 22 | ✔ |
| Some Guys Have All The Luck | 1980 | - | 16 | |
| I Didn't Mean To Turn You On | 1985 | 2 | 9 | ✔ |
| Looking For Clues | 1980 | 105 | 33 | ✔ |
| You Are In My System | 1983 | 78 | 53 | |
| Some Like It Hot | 1985 | 6 | 14 | |
| Respect Yourself | 1995 | - | 45 | |
| I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (w/UB40) | 1990 | - | 6 | |
| Johnny & Mary | 1980 | - | 44 | ✔ |
| She Makes My Day | 1988 | - | 6 | ✔ |
| Know By Now | 1994 | - | 25 | ✔ |
| Every Kinda People |
1978
| 16 | 53 | ✔ |
| Mercy Mercy Me/I Want You | 1990 | 16 | 9 | ✔ |
| Addicted To Love | 1985 | 1 | 5 | ✔ |
US Top 40 omissions: Hyperactive (#33 in 1986), Early In The Morning (#19 in 1988), You're Amazing (#28 in 1991), and, with The Power Station, Communication (#34 in 1985).
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I had the Power Station album plus three of Palmer's albums on cassette: Riptide (1985), Heavy Nova (1988), and Don't Explain (1990). Of those four albums, Riptide was my favorite. This CD was purchased not long after its release to replace those cassettes.
I became a Palmer fan with "Every Kinda People" and the album "Double Fun" in the late 70s and went forth to discover his earlier stuff, which I also loved. ("Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" and "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" shoulda been hit singles.) But nothing he did after he gave up blue-eyed soul for rock 'n' roll appealed to me in the same way. However: a concert I attended during this period (while he was touring on "Secrets" in 1979) is still the greatest show I've ever been to.
ReplyDeletejb, I too become a fan of the man upon hearing "Every Kinda People" although my exposure to the song came not from radio or his own album but rather the K-Tel compilation, Starburst.
ReplyDeleteEventually working my way back through his catalog, I was always impressed by his impeccable style and his choice of covers (both songs and that leggy lady on Pressure Drop.). So many great songwriters (Lowell George, Ray Davies) and musicians (members of Little Feat and The Meters) appeared on those earlier albums...
Being slightly younger than you, my first and probably only opportunity to see Palmer live came when I got tickets to Power Station in '85. Spent a solid week listening to Palmer songs beforehand and then the band hits the stage and Michael des Barres is there in place of Palmer. No knocks on des Barres but he wasn't Plamer. (Well, I guess that is a knock.) This was mere weeks before Live Aid when the "secret" would be out and back then, fans literally had no way of knowing beforehand - today, it would be Tweeted as soon as the band hit the stage: "No Robert Palmer???? WTF?????"
While I probably didn't call enough attention to it, one of the most pleasant surprises on a soundtrack full of them in The Way Way Back was when "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley" is heard during a party scene. Sam Rockwell's character (and perhaps Rockwell himself) has that certain charisma and charm that Plamer effortlessly exuded.
I'm an odd duck perhaps, but I'm pleased to see that "Know By Now" is on this collection. I really liked Robert Palmer (though I've never owned an album other than a free copy of "Honey", which isn't a gem.)
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