Don’s Top 10 From January 25, 1989

(#10 last week) Remake of the 1969 Jackie DeShannon hit (that she also co-wrote), but the first version was actually, surprisingly, by the Dave Clark Five who had a mid-chart hit with it in the U.K. in 1968. This version hearalded Al Green's return to the pop chart after 14 years away.

(#15 last week) One of the biggest hits to not get to #1, this pop-rap song was EVERYWHERE in '89. For many adults, it was one of the few rap hits they could tolerate.

(#8 last week) In the where-are-they-now department, Karyn White has pretty much stayed out of the public eye for many years. White lives in Rocklin, California, a suburb of Sacramento, and runs a successful interior design & real estate business. She recently recorded her first album in 17 years. She was married in the 90s to super-producer Terry Lewis, but is now with second hubby Bobby G.

(#12 last week) "Born to Be My Baby" was the second of five singles from the "New Jersey" album to chart in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, the most singles from an album to chart in the Top 10 for a rock band. The video was interesting. Done in black & white, it was shot all in the studio, chronicling the recording process. There is actually dialogue between band members & the band does the chorus again, unsatisfied with the original version. The video prominently features photogenic shots of Jon Bon Jovi singing, as well as the band gathering around a microphone to sing the "na-na-na-na-na" part. The video also features Jon Bon Jovi's wife Dorothea.

(#13 last week) Paula Abdul has such an ingrained image from years of starring on TV that it's almost hard to remember when she was the fresh young thing with hit after hit, starting with this infectious ditty. The first time I heard it, I knew it would go to #1.

(#11 last week) Samantha Fox was a real-life "fox". A former topless "Page 3" model for London newspapers at the age of 18, sexy Sam parlayed that into a recording career. This was her third & final American hit & was produced by Full Force (Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam).

(#2 last week) The 4th single from Dayne's debut album "Tell It to My Heart". Her real name: Leslie Wunderman. She should have kept that! Dayne got her big break by being noticed singing Russian folk songs at a Brighton Beach, Brooklyn nightclub! The woman is very smart: She studied music theory & composition at Nassau Community College & also earned a degree of philosophy graduating at CW Post.

(#3 last week) The incredible SIXTH single from "Hysteria", this was the second to use a concert arena setting for the video. The flip side of the single was a non-album rarity, a cover of Englebert Humperdinck's 1967 ballad "Release Me" (itself a remake of Little Esther Phillips's 1962 original)..

(#5 last week) One of those "secret-weapon" songs. This was a hit for anyone who played it when first released way back in 1983 (including me in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre), but few played it,. so the band broke up. UIn later '88, a DJ in upstate New York found it, started playing it & so began a surprise revival. With no video (a rarity by this time), the song went all the way to the top. Amazingly, the lead singer, Freddy Curci, was working as a pizza delivery guy when told his life had just changed forever!  Curci tried to reform the band, but two of the original four had already started another group, Frozen Ghost, & not only refused to re-form, they denied permission for Curci to even use the name Sheriff. So he and the fourth member of the band started Alias, & managed one big hit under THAT name, 1990's "More Than Words Can Say". BTW, Curci is in the Guinness Book Of World Records for holding the longest note in a pop song, the last line of "When I'm With You".

(#1 last week; 2nd week at #1) One of two 1989 #1 hits that was a 60s Motown homage (the other: "Good Thing"--Fine Young Cannibals), this song from the "Buster" soundtrack (Collins starred in the movie) was co-written with Phil by the legendary Lamont Dozier, of Holland-Dozier-Holland fame. Collins went right to the source! The video was also an homage to the era, using one of the original hosts of "Top Of The Pops", the "Bandstand" of England.