In between the horrendous 80s brand-building Starship and the 60s drug-drenched Jefferson Airplane came Jefferson Starship. Though the mid-career Jeffersons don’t have the music snob street cred of the Airplane or the mullett-wearing frat boy love of Starship — really? you liked We Built This City? — the 70s version of the band delivered some great songs.

So What Were Their Three Best Songs?

For better or worse, Simply Red is Mick Hucknall. It’s been said he’s a little tempestuous (but then what pop star isn’t from time-to-time) but his voice is a gift and his charity work well-known.

Holding Back The Years deserves to make this list simply because it was so different from what was happening at the time and it introduced Hucknall’s voice to the world. SR’s take on If You Don’t Know Me By Now may not improve hugely on the original, but the timbre of Hucknall’s improvisations certainly give it weight. Stars is a bit on the disco tip but it’s a purely executed piece of pop.

These are the 3 best songs by Simply Red.

Simply Red – Holding Back The Years
Simply Red – If You Don’t Know Me By Now
Simply Red – Stars

A few months ago, my Mom decided to up the ante in the “World’s Coolest Mom” rankings by shipping me a box of records from the cache vinyl that’s stashed in the closet at the old homestead. If that weren’t enough to pull her far and away to the top of the WCM rankings, she committed to sending me a box of records every month for the next year. Like the Columbia Record Club in hundred-weight boxes.

This month’s shipment came in yesterday and it contained a few genuine nuggets.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: I started in radio in 1979, doing Saturday all-nights at WELM Radio. My first experience — three minutes into my first song — was a drunken, screaming phone call from the music director, telling me to take that f’ing record off the air. (I was playing Hot Legs by Rod Stewart. Didn’t seem like a big deal).

I immediately potted down the record and threw in a cart of this song: The Tourist’s take on the Dusty classic I Only Want To Be With You. I hadn’t given the song much thought until their Reality Effect album showed up on my doorstep. Did you know that this band included Ann (not yet Annie) Lennox and Dave Stewart. I did not know that!

The Tourists – I Only Want To Be With You

I don’t recall how or why or when I came in contact with the Producers. Something tells me I heard about them while in my first years at Syracuse University. Wikipedia tells me they were from Atlanta, that Wayne Famous (their keyboardist) played with Billy Joe Royal and were discovered by producer Tom Werman. They recorded two albums, The Producers in 1981 and You Make The Heat in 1982, and had a semi-hit single called What She Does.

I don’t recall their story nor their hit but I do remember the song Certain Kinda Girl which is a catchy little ditty. I can see them opening for Cheap Trick.

The Producers – Certain Kinda Girl

Whatever happened to Joe Piscopo? The last time I saw a picture of him, he looked like Lou Ferrigno. He was a little less chemically injected when he cut his take on Sinatra, the I Love Rock and Roll Medley. I think it’s brilliant and it speaks for itself.

Joe Piscopo – The First Rehearsal
Joe Piscopo – I Love Rock And Roll Medley

Dusic was actually the first single for Brick in 1977, preceding their hit (Dazz) which came the following year. Disco jazz flute and a beat that makes me want to shake my rump. mom said she danced in the hallway to all the records before she sent them over.

Brick – Dusic