The Floaters were an R&B group formed in 1976. Float On was their only hit. it became one of the biggest singles of the 1977 in the USA peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK and New Zealand it topped the chart. Group member James Mitchell got the idea for this song when it came to him in a dream. He jumped out of bed and hummed the tune into a tape recorder so he would remember it. The idea for the lyrics was to spotlight each member of the band, who introduced themselves with their name and astrological sign. The song was adapted in the early 1990s to advertise Cadbury’s Creme Eggs.
“Noiseworks” were formed in 1986 and became one of the standout Australian rock bands in the 80’s and 90’s with hit singles like No Lies, Take Me Back, Hot Chilli Woman and Touch. They disbanded in 1992. Their New Zealand born lead singer, Jon Stevens, attempted a reunion in 1999 but then joined INXS instead. However Noiseworks did reform in 2016 and have just released the lead single from their new studio album which is due out in October. Heart & Soul is new this week on RadiJohan.
“Amaranthe” is a Swedish Metal band. Their superb ballad Endlessly ranked at number two on the RadiJohan end of year chart for 2017. Their most recent album Manifest, released in 2020, included a track which has become a favorite at Amaranthe’s live concerts. The band “felt that it truly deserved its own spotlight as a single together with a video.” Crystalline is new this week on RadiJohan.
Boston, the self-titled debut album by “Boston” was released on this day in 1976 and ranks as one of the best-selling debut albums in history. It has been referred to as a landmark in ’70s rock. The album spawned three singles, “More Than a Feeling”, “Long Time”, and “Peace of Mind”, all of which made the U.S. singles chart. “More Than a Feeling” is ranked No. 212 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
The Genesis of “Generation Radio” occurred in 2020 with members from Chicago, Journey, and Rascal Flatts joining together with a vision to fuse the styles of their bands and bring melodic rock back to life. Since then a few other musicians have joined the project including one of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. Generation Radio’s self-titled debut album was released earlier this month and the single “Angels” is new this week on RadiJohan.
On 23rd of August 1963 “She Loves You,” a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney was released as a single by The Beatles in the United Kingdom. It became the best selling UK single of all time until 1977 when that record was broken by Paul McCartney and Wings with “Mull of Kintyre,” the first single to sell over two million copies in the UK.
| TW | LW | Artist | Title |
| 10 | 7 | Journey | You Got The Best of Me |
| 9 | 4 | Blossoms | The Sulking poet |
| 8 | 5 | FM | Long Road Home |
| 7 | 2 | Night Traveler | Blue Eyes |
| 6 | 10 | James LaBrie | Am I Right |
| 5 | 8 | Alan Parsons ft David Pack & Joe Bonamassa | I Won’t Be Led Astray |
| 4 | 6 | Chicago | If This is Goodbye |
| 3 | 9 | Gilbert O’Sullivan ft KT Tunstall | Take Love |
| 2 | 3 | The New Shining | Alien |
| 1 | 1 | Sweet | Defender |
Watch this week’s RadiJohan Top 10 by clicking play below.
Spirit of The Moonrise is the first single from the first solo album by David Paich. During the lockdowns in 2020 David revisited some old songs and ideas that he had “carried in his head for years”. That’s where the title of the album,”Forgotten Toys,” comes from. The album features a number of people David has worked with over the years including Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams from Toto, Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) and Don Felder (Eagles). Spirit of The Moonrise is new this week on RadiJohan and features a video that mirrors a dream David Paich says he has experienced frequently:
“This is a recurring dream about a distraught girl, riding ‘neath the moonlight. It has perplexed me over many a night…”
It went to number 1, that’s where. After three years without a big hit, The Supremes went all the way to the top in 1964. The song struck a chord in the United States, and the group would become the most successful chart-topping American popular music group of the 1960s. “Where Did Our Love Go” was the first of five Supremes songs in a row to reach number 1 (the others being “Baby Love”, “Come See About Me”, “Stop! In the Name of Love”, and “Back in My Arms Again”) The Supremes would land seven more number 1 hits, for a total of 12. And you thought big hair was an eighties thing….
On 20 August 1982, 40 years ago, Dexys Midnight Runners topped the UK chart. The band’s name was inspired by the amphetamine drug Dexedrine, which is commonly known as “Dexys.” The band itself steered away from drinking and drugs, saying nothing should interfere with their dedication to music. Come On Eileen was based on a true story. Eileen was a girl that Dexys lead singer Kevin Rowland grew up with. Their relationship became romantic when the pair were 13. The song also made it to number one in numerous other countries including the USA where it knocked Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean off the top spot. Much of the success for “Eileen” in America can be attributed to its video, which got constant airplay on MTV and remains one of the most memorable video clips of the era. Most videos at the time were slick productions featuring impossibly pretty people in exotic locations, making Dexys’ video was delightfully different, with the overall-clad band acting out the love story on a gritty street.