Alright, it’s the middle of October and in the 70s/80s. When was fall supposed to “kick in?”
Physical – Olivia Newton-John
“Physical” is a 1981 song written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick and performed by Olivia Newton-John.
Recorded in early 1981, it first rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in America in November 1981 and stayed there for 10 weeks, until near the end of January 1982. In terms of chart placement, it was the most popular single of her career, as well as her final number-one (to date). Billboard ranked it as the number one pop single of 1982 (since the chart year for 1982 actually began in November 1981), and it was also the most successful song on the Hot 100 during the entire decade of the 1980s. The famous guitar solo is performed by Toto’s guitarist Steve Lukather.
Interestingly, “Physical” was preceded and followed in the #1 position by recordings of the duo Hall and Oates. “Private Eyes” yielded its top spot to “Physical” in November 1981, and “Physical” yielded to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” the following January.
The single, slightly edgier than she had been known for in the past (such as her songs from Grease and her country-pop ballad “I Honestly Love You”), proved to be immensely popular both in America and in the United Kingdom, despite the fact that the song was censored and even banned by some radio stations, particularly Adult Contemporary stations; in spite of Newton-John’s status as the reigning queen of soft-rock music at the time, “Physical” peaked at only number twenty-nine on the AC chart (its follow-up, the slightly softer-edged “Make a Move on Me,” found more acceptance at AC radio and went to number six AC as well as number five pop.) The song was a big dance hit and spawned a music video. The revamped acoustic version of the song was released on the 2002 Olivia duet album (2) as a bonus track.
The song ranks at #6 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100.
The video featured a lusty Olivia, dressed in a tight leotard, working out in a gym with several overweight men, who eventually transform into attractive muscular young men. The gym setting may have been partly an attempt to divert attention from the overt sexual connotations of the term “physical”. This was further emphasized by the twist comedy ending of the video, when the transformed men who are now oblivious to Newton-John’s advances are ultimately revealed to be gay (this was also a source of controversy; MTV frequently cut the ending when it aired the video, and the sometimes sensuous nature of the video also led to it being banned outright by some broadcasters in Canada and the United Kingdom). The video won a Grammy Award for Video Of The Year in 1983. The song was banned in South Africa for its suggestive lyrics.
Like her first number-one single, “Physical” sold over two million copies, being certified platinum.
The video was featured on Pop-Up Video on VH1.
I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do) – Hall & Oates
“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” is a 1981 song recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
It was the fourth number-one hit single of their career on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second hit single from their album Private Eyes. It features Charles DeChant on saxello.
On January 30, 1982, “I Can’t Go for That” ended a 10-week run at the top of the Hot 100 by Olivia Newton-John’s song, “Physical”. “Physical” had knocked out “Private Eyes” from the top spot.
Thanks to heavy airplay on urban contemporary stations, “I Can’t Go for That” also topped the U.S. R&B chart, a rare feat for a non-African American act. The song also went to number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week in January 1982.
According to the Hall and Oates biography, Hall upon learning that “I Can’t Go For That” had gone to number one on the R&B chart, wrote in his diary, “I’m the head soul brother in the U.S. Where to now?”
“I Can’t for That (No Can Do)” is one of the 14 Hall and Oates songs that have been played on the radio over one million times, according to BMI.
The single 45 version is actually not just an edit of the song but an edit of the dance mix rather than the version from “Private Eyes”.
Daryl Hall sketched out the basic song one evening at a music studio in New York City in 1981 after a recording session for the Private Eyes album. Hall began to play a bass line on a Korg organ, and sound engineer Neil Kernon recorded the result. Hall then came up with a guitar riff, which he and Oates worked on together. The next day, Hall and longtime collaborator Sara Allen completed the lyrics.
“I Can’t Go for That” was voted number six on VH1’s list of “The 100 Greatest Songs of the ’80s”.
The song has been covered by a number of recording artists including Brian McKnight, The Nylons, Les Go (with Alfredo Alias), Donny Osmond, East End, Kansascali, and Orson.
According to Hall, Michael Jackson admitted to Hall that Jackson’s song “Billie Jean” copied elements of “I Can’t Go For That”.
Turn Your Love Around – George Benson
“Turn Your Love Around” is one of many major R&B, Jazz and Pop hit singles for George Benson. The song was written to help fill out Benson’s 1981 greatest hits album, “The George Benson Collection”. It reached the Top Ten on the Jazz and Soul charts in the USA, Turn Your Love Around”, went to number one on the soul singles charts, as well as number five on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in early 1982.
The song is notable for being one of the very first pop hits to feature a Linn LM-1 drum machine, programmed by noted session drummer Jeff Porcaro.
This song was sampled on the album version of Lil’ Kim’s “Not Tonight” and on the Japanese 1 million hit song “Da.Yo.Ne.” by East End X Yuri in 1994.
Call Me – Skyy
“Call Me” is a 1981 single by Brooklyn based funk group Skyy.
The crossover single was very successful in both the R&B and Dance charts. Despite the crossover success, where the single peaked at number twenty-six on the Hot 100. It was only one of two Skyy singles to place on the chart.
