On I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner is backed by Jennifer Holliday and the New Jersey Mass Choir. The ballad became Foreigner's first (and only) number-one hit. Mick Jones, who wrote the song, told Billboard columnist Paul Grein, "I was afraid people might think we'd gone soft or something. I certainly want to retain the rock image. We just put this out because the song was so strong and because it was coming out at Christmas and it had the right kind of mood." Lou Gramm admitted, "We worried the song might do irreparable damage to our rock image." It didn't.
Weird how they both use the phrase "rock image". "I couldn't decide if I should have oatmeal or toast for breakfast this morning, as oatmeal is mushy & perhaps not in keeping with my rock image. Toast is harder & more crunchy, & therefore more suited to someone like myself with such a well-known rock image."
THE BIG 40
February 2, 1985
This is smack-dab in the middle of my time as an on-air guy, so this should be fun.
40. NAUGHTY NAUGHTY - JOHN PARR
Hated this song then, hate it now. And boy, did we play the shit out of it.
37. TOO LATE FOR GOODBYES - JULIAN LENNON
Strange how he came outta the box with an album with so many strong singles, & that was basically it. I wanna say his follow-up album's first single did OK, & then it was basically adios.
33. MISTAKE #3 - CULTURE CLUB
Absolutely no recollection of this song. Thinking this is from the same album as "The War Song", which was a MASSIVE stiff. If so, surprised they actually had a Top 40 hit from that album.
19. SUGAR WALLS - SHEENA EASTON
Heh.
15. CALL TO THE HEART - GIUFFRIA
"Guys, it's been 10 minutes since Journey released an album ( note their song earlier in the countdown is from a soundtrack - that's how desperate radio was for new Journey material ). THE MARKET ABHORS A VACUUM. GET THIS RECORD OUT ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ( giant promotion machine lurches into action with a series of loud grinding noises )
And after that specific purpose was achieved, & record #2 came out, the world said "Nah...we're good here".
13. THE HEAT IS ON - GLENN FREY
Hated this song then, hate it now. And boy, did we play the shit out of it.
3. CARELESS WHISPER - GEORGE MICHAEL
I believe this was "Wham! featuring George Michael". Which we all knew was a heads-up that Wham! was about to go Splat!
2. EASY LOVER - PHIL COLLINS & PHILLIP BAILEY
I don't really care about Phil Collins output one way or another, but boy do I love this song. Gonna assume it's mostly Mr. Bailey's doing.
1. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS - FOREIGNER
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