Quote:
Originally Posted by Travis
Has Anyone Ever Written ... was not a top 40 hit, it peaked at #60. Personally I think it was a fine choice, ballads can be hits too :-). It would have done better I think if there had been a video, however, probably not better than "Imperial Hotel", that had a decent amout of air play here in DC at the time - oddly enough it was the b-side.
Enchanted probably would have made a better single than Nightbird, (I think DC/101 did play that one too a few times - Enchanted that is) but again, if there had been a video, perhaps it would have done better.
Again, here in DC both Two Kinds Of Love and especially Long Way To Go received a good amount of airplay. LWTG I think in fact peaked at #11 on the Album Oriented Rock chart. TKOL got airplay on 106.7 at the time, it was kind of a rock station back then.
|
"Has Anyone...": I used to read Billboard a lot back in that era, and in the weekly column where radio programmers would comment on new singles, one programmer predicted that HAEWAFY would be the biggest hit off of RAL because it showcased her voice so well. I remember thinking, "um, no, don't think so" and sure enough it sunk like a stone...too slow and mournful. I think I may have heard it on the radio once or twice. I'm sure they wanted to release a ballad for variety, but there weren't really any radio-friendly ballads on RAL. I'm not sure what I would have chosen as a 3rd single. "If I Were You", "Sister Honey", and "Some Become Strangers" had the most (then) commercial arrangements, but none of them sound that radio-made to me. "No Spoken Word" may have been a bit too hard edged, but might have made it as a single with a remix to soften it a bit.
"Enchanted": I remember thinking that this was an obvious single when I first listened to the album. But reflecting back, its late 70s, L.A. rock-style arrangement probably sounded too dated in 1983. This was the era when Kajagoogoo and Duran Duran were all the rage. "Nightbird" had that prominent drum machine; that element (along with its vaguely Mac feel) may have prompted its release as a single. I really don't think any of the other songs on Wild Heart were good singles candidates.