We soldier on this week with more songs from the bottom three-fifths of the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1980s, made by artists whose names begin with the letter S. Enjoy.
Simply Red
“It’s Only Love” — 1989, #57 (download)
I’m sure if I lived in England, Simply Red would mean a lot more to me than they do. I’ve always claimed to like them, especially their 1986 Top 40 hit “Money$ Too Tight (To Mention),” but I don’t believe I really know anything outside of their singles. And “It’s Only Love” isn’t one that I remember, as it was the only one out of five U.S. singles that didn’t hit the Top 40 from ‘85 to ‘89. In that same period, Mick Hucknall’s band had three times that many singles chart over in the UK.
Single Bullet Theory
“Keep It Tight” — 1983, #78 (download)
This song would probably be rarer if it wasn’t on one of those Just Can’t Get Enough Rhino comps (volume 8, if you’re playing at home), but getting your hands on the original album is very tough. Named of course after the theory used by the Warren Commission to explain JFK’s assassination, I’ve only been able to find sketchy details on the group. I believe they were a D.C.-based band, and their self-titled debut on Nemperor Records was probably their only major release. Beyond that, “Keep It Tight” appears to be quite rare.
