‘Reconsider Me’ – a hit or not in 1986?

[greendaze5]

If Stevie had swallowed her pride and allowed ‘Reconsider Me’ to be put on RAL, do you think it would have been a radio hit? Perhaps as the single after ‘I Can’t Wait’ (instead of ‘Has Anyone Ever…’)?

Don’t know how well it would have done, but I really like the song. What strikes me is how different sounding it is from the rest of RAL, which (except for ‘Has Anyone Ever…’) is so dated in its 1980’s-ness.

But I do have to wonder though if the version on ‘Enchanted’ was the final product, or did Jimmy Iovine intend to add production to it (drum machines and synthesizers) to make it more compatible with the rest of the songs on RAL. Back in 1986, it would‘ve stuck out like a sore thumb if left as it was.

Is there a version out there sung by Warren Zevon?

Roland

[Livia]

I think what we got was the finished product, at least it seems that way to me, it's beautifully done. I prefer having it as a secret gem, not released as a single.

Warren did record it - I have it on his Genius/greatest hits album and hear his version often on a local radio station.

[wheart]

I don't know think it would have been a hit back in 1986 but I could be wrong. It seems the more hard rocking, synthesized songs faired better. I personally adore this song and I don't think it would have stuck out like a sore thumb on the album. I Sing For the Things is very similiar in production, without drum machines or synthesizers.

[LukeA]

It should have been on the album, and released as the second single between "Talk To Me" and "I Can't Wait".

As has been recently discussed in another thread, the studio recording "Has Anyone..." is way too uneven, and never should have been considered (at least in that configuration) as a single. Its a good song, but it just seems like it was destined to be released as the featured single on a live album- sort of like a "Silver Springs", if Stevie had a "Dance" equivalent ("Soundstage" doesn't count)

[HejiraNYC]

It should have been on the album, and released as the second single between "Talk To Me" and "I Can't Wait".

As has been recently discussed in another thread, the studio recording "Has Anyone..." is way too uneven, and never should have been considered (at least in that configuration) as a single. Its a good song, but it just seems like it was destined to be released as the featured single on a live album- sort of like a "Silver Springs", if Stevie had a "Dance" equivalent ("Soundstage" doesn't count)

I disagree. RAL, despite the flotilla of producers, is surprisingly consistent in sound. Yes, it's dated, but if I didn't know better, I would have assumed that it was all helmed by the same producer. Where RAL explored a groovier, funk- and new wave-inspired side of Stevie, "Reconsider Me" sounds like it was ripped directly from a Roy Orbison album. It is kind of a corny, old-fashioned damsel-in-distress ditty that sounds like it could have been cobbled together by a Brill Building hack for a Doris Day movie. That doesn't mean it's a bad song; it just doesn't belong anywhere on such a moody, eclectic period piece like RAL.

[drzubritsky]

It's hard to say how big of a hit "Reconsider Me" would have been. Certainly it would have fared better on the charts than HAEWAFY given its more traditional structure and commercial arrangement (along with Henley's backing vocals). I don't think it would have been a huge hit, though; it may have been a bit stale-sounding on the radio in 1986. Probably would have peaked about where "After The Glitter Fades" or "Nightbird" did, in the lower regions of the top 40.

I do think it would have fit in stylistically on RAL, though. Not every song featured ultra-80s production ("Imperial Hotel", "I Sing For The Things", "No Spoken Word").

[ragrsrocalot]

I would say Not

[vivfox]

The song sucks. No matter what year it is in.

[Jondalar]

The strange thing about the vocals is it sounds like it is from 1997. I don't think she tried to sing, but it was alot better than most of the other songs she had on that album. The producer was looking out for her best interest.

[CADreaming]

The song sucks. No matter what year it is in.

The song sucks or Stevie's version sucks? I think Warren's songs are great.

[trackaghost]

Warren did record it - I have it on his Genius/greatest hits album and hear his version often on a local radio station.

It' was originally on his 1987 album Sentimental Hygiene, which is a great album.

Stevie should have definitely included it on Rock A Little, it's a beautiful song. I think even she realises her mistake now.

[Jondalar]

She didn't even try to sing the song. You can tell she blew it off. The vocals are horrible and its a nice song.

[vivfox]

The song sucks or Stevie's version sucks? I think Warren's songs are great.

I've never heard his version. Her vocal is terrible IMO.

[Christopher]

I find her vocal on Reconsider Me to be top-notch. To my ears I can firmly place the vocal in Stevie's 84' to 85 era. When I heard it for the 1st time on the Enchanted box set, It made me long for the vocals of her heyday.
I think the song would have been a hit for Stevie in the mid 80's especially if it were the 1st release....It would have been more of a classic than TTM.

But after Jimmy left the sessions for RAL in 84', the recordings took a very different direction and the release was pushed back a year, I do not see Reconsider Me fitting in very well w/the final RAL release.

[equeen102289]

I think Reconsider Me could have replaced I Sing for the Things. I Sing for the Things has a more Bella Donna vibe to me. Perhaps it's because of the piano demo that I prefer to listen to (which is ten times better than the released version).

I don't think Reconsider Me would have made a good single though. With the exception of Leather and Lace, Stevie's softer songs (solo only) haven't faired well on the radio.

But if I really had my way, I would disregard I Sing for the Things and Reconsider Me and have added either Jimmy Come Back or She Loves Him Still.

[Jondalar]

I find her vocal on Reconsider Me to be top-notch. To my ears I can firmly place the vocal in Stevie's 84' to 85 era. When I heard it for the 1st time on the Enchanted box set, It made me long for the vocals of her heyday.
I think the song would have been a hit for Stevie in the mid 80's especially if it were the 1st release....It would have been more of a classic than TTM.

But after Jimmy left the sessions for RAL in 84', the recordings took a very different direction and the release was pushed back a year, I do not see Reconsider Me fitting in very well w/the final RAL release.

I don't think the songs on RAL fit together at all, so what would be the problem with having Reconsider Me on it. To me, RAL is two separate albums—nicely produced pop songs vs a coked out Stevie. You can hear her disenegrate on that album. It's fascinating, but sad. RAL turned her into a singles artist.

[vivfox]

RAL turned her into a singles artist.

You've said this before. What exactly do you mean? Stevie has always released songs as singles.

[carrie721]

i've always loved her version. somehow i never realized she recorded it in 1986; i always thought it was something she recorded later. for some reason that makes me like it more.

[Nikolaj]

I really like both the song and her vocal on it. Stevie's talent at giving us a great 'fade' at the ends of many of her recordings is top-notch on this song, too, with her way-high, fluttery "never, never" at the end. Hit or not if 'Reconsider Me' was on the album? I'd say maybe a mild hit, like 'After The Glitter Fades' if released as a fourth single.
But I think the first single definitely should have been 'I Can't Wait' to have really sold 'Rock A Little'-- to me it was a better song than 'Talk to Me' with a wild, nuts (!) vocal, and 'ICW' should have been a Top 5 song for her- also, I think the video was much more striking than 'Talk To Me' and the whole RAL album would have shot to the top as had 'Bella Donna' if 'ICW' had been the lead single. Second, I would have chosen 'Talk to Me' which was a very commercial Stevie song destined to be a hit, as it was, but I think 'ICW' was a 'monster-hit that got away'.
I agree that 'Has Anyone Ever Written' was nice, but a poor choice for the third single, and it was odd that the single version released was quite a bit longer than the album version with an extended instrumental fade. A video for the remixed version of 'The Nightmare' might have made that song a hit, the 12" version of it is a lot of wacky fun.
Come to think of it, the sound to 'If I Were You' would have been a perfect fit for radio in '86, so I'd choose that for the 4th single and have it backed with 'Reconsider Me'. It's kind of a shame the potential RAL hits didn't really come to be, at the time, the most positive (among definitely mixed) reviews of the album noted how many of the songs sounded like they could be future hits. I also loved 'Imperial Hotel'-- that one seems to be an either love-it or 'hate-it' song with Ledgies.
Boy do we need an expanded 'Rock A Little' re-release!

[golddustdrummer]

You've said this before. What exactly do you mean? Stevie has always released songs as singles.

I don't know, but maybe they meant that it turned her into someone whose albums weren't a cohesive unit...that RAL didn't flow together like the past albums did.


(note: I don't necessarily agree, just trying to clarify)

[drzubritsky]

But I think the first single definitely should have been 'I Can't Wait' to have really sold 'Rock A Little'-- to me it was a better song than 'Talk to Me' with a wild, nuts (!) vocal, and 'ICW' should have been a Top 5 song for her- also, I think the video was much more striking than 'Talk To Me' and the whole RAL album would have shot to the top as had 'Bella Donna' if 'ICW' been the lead single.

I suspect the label may have been using a strategy that had worked on other albums where you try to extend the string of big hit singles by holding back the "killer" track and leading off with a solid, commercial (but not the strongest) track as the first single. The theory being that the first single will become a hit based on built up anticipation, while you still have your "ace in the hole" as a guaranteed second hit.

But momentum slowed for RAL as TTM was winding up its chart run, and ICW was only able to crack the top 20. Strange, because I knew a lot of people that liked ICW, including my then-girlfriend who was a die-hard Stevie-hater. I didn't know anyone that truly loved TTM at the time.

[vivfox]

I suspect the label may have been using a strategy that had worked on other albums where you try to extend the string of big hit singles by holding back the "killer" track and leading off with a solid, commercial (but not the strongest) track as the first single. The theory being that the first single will become a hit based on built up anticipation, while you still have your "ace in the hole" as a guaranteed second hit.

But momentum slowed for RAL as TTM was winding up its chart run, and ICW was only able to crack the top 20. Strange, because I knew a lot of people that liked ICW, including my then-girlfriend who was a die-hard Stevie-hater. I didn't know anyone that truly loved TTM at the time.

I really despised Talk To Me for the first year of its release. Like many of you have said, I felt ICW should have been the first single. After a full year I really started to appreciate TTM and still love it to this day. Haven't heard in on the radio in two decades though.

[starshine]

I do like the song Reconsider Me....whether it would've been a hit or not remains to be seen really....I still love it non-the-less......its a great song. Plus I also love it that Don's on backing vocals. I do think that RAL wasn't cohesive enough too me really.....I think all the many producers and lack of direction after Jimmy left did make a difference. RAL isn't my favorite LP of hers. Now that might have been different if it would've been Mirror,Mirror that was to have been released instead of RAL.....but who knows now hind sight is 20/20 sometimes. I personally wished that Jimmy Iovine could've completed MM or RAL cause the direction was lacking....Plus I do like more of the songs left 'off' RAL or MM than what was left on it.....or even the extended versions/outtakes are better than the released version. I still don't understand why you'd edit or use the edit version of the title track to the LP that doesn't make much sense to me today. Its the title song. I like the UK version of the song RAL better than the shortend LP version that we got....but that's IMO anyway.....so I think RAL could've been better.......we all like what we like or don't and theres nothing wrong with that.....IMO......:shrug::D

[LukeA]

re: "I Can't Wait". The market was over-saturated with dance songs titled "I Can't Wait", in Spring '86, with the chart success of Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait" coinciding with the Nicks track. You may laugh, but this may have had an impact.

[Musicman408]

I disagree. RAL, despite the flotilla of producers, is surprisingly consistent in sound. Yes, it's dated, but if I didn't know better, I would have assumed that it was all helmed by the same producer. Where RAL explored a groovier, funk- and new wave-inspired side of Stevie, "Reconsider Me" sounds like it was ripped directly from a Roy Orbison album. It is kind of a corny, old-fashioned damsel-in-distress ditty that sounds like it could have been cobbled together by a Brill Building hack for a Doris Day movie. That doesn't mean it's a bad song; it just doesn't belong anywhere on such a moody, eclectic period piece like RAL.

I was gonna say the same thing about the consistency of the album. It definitely has the same feel throughout!

[holidayroad]

re: "I Can't Wait". The market was over-saturated with dance songs titled "I Can't Wait", in Spring '86, with the chart success of Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait" coinciding with the Nicks track. You may laugh, but this may have had an impact.

I liked Nu Shooz! (I still have my cassette copy of their album Poolside) Valerie Day has great vocals :) I liked both 'I Can't Wait' songs. In fact, Stevie's 'I Can't Wait' was the song that made me a fan!!

[silvasprings]

I really despised Talk To Me for the first year of its release. Like many of you have said, I felt ICW should have been the first single. After a full year I really started to appreciate TTM and still love it to this day. Haven't heard in on the radio in two decades though.

In Australia "I Can't Wait" was the first single, and because of that they had to rush the video straight over here, that's why there is another version of the video where they didn't cut the parts where stevie is smiling and messing up a little.

Anyhow my point was that even though it was the first single Rock A Little only reached #5 in Australia. Not that our market is a real reflection of the US market.

[Angel69]

We will never really know if it would have been a hit. I like RAL just the way it is. When it was released I played the **** out of that album. It was so different from the previous two albums. It was wild, eclectic and completely Stevie. :nod: Still love it!!

[Jondalar]

You've said this before. What exactly do you mean? Stevie has always released songs as singles.

There are album artists, and then there are singles artists. Single artist have some great singles on there albums, but the rest of it sucks. Albums artist may have no radio friendly singles on there or they may, but the albums is good.