Hi Everybody! Welcome back to this week’s countdown! If you missed the previous songs, you can go ahead and check out songs 40-31 and 30-21. In addition to more hits from this week in 1988, we have a Long Distance Dedication today! Now, let’s Return to the week ending May 21, 1988, and move on with the countdown.

 20. “My Girl” by Suave

This is a cover of The Temptation’s classic 1964 hit. This was Suave’s first and biggest hit. There’s a good reason why we haven’t heard much else from him. Suave, whose real name is Waymond Anderson, was sentenced to life in prison in 1993 for arson murder. He torched a crack house near the USC campus, which resulted in the death of a drug addict. He is still in prison. However, new information has been presented that he was in Jackson, Mississippi, visiting his sister the day of the murder. A minister in Jackson also said that he saw Suave in church that day. There were witnesses that implicated Suave, but they have since changed their stories saying that they were placed under duress by the police. This sounds like it could be a Dateline special.

19. “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” by Whitney Houston

This was the fourth single to be released from Whiteney’s second album, Whitney. Initially, Houston did not want to record the song. But, Arista Records CEO Clive Davis believed the song would go to number one if she recorded it, so she obliged. I suppose that Clive Davis did know what he was doing pre-American Idol.
“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” did indeed become a number one hit – Houston’s seventh consecutive one in the U.S.

18. “Circle in the Sand” by Belinda Carlisle

I love the Go-Go’s, and I love Belinda Carlisle’s solo work just the same. She has a unique voice. Fun fact: Thomas Dolby played the keyboard for this song.

17. “Make It Real” by The Jets

I enjoyed The Jets back in the day. This is a really good ballad. It would be the group’s fifth and final Top 10 hit.

16. “Dreaming” by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

OMD had that classic ’80s New Wave sound. This song was released as a single from their greatest hits album, and would be their last single before the band split up.

15. “Angel” by Aerosmith

As with all the other singles released from Aerosmith’s huge comeback album, this song was overplayed beyond belief. It is a good ballad that I would enjoy more if it wasn’t played so much.

14. “Together Forever” by Rick Astley

I feel like this is a continuation of “Never Gonna Give You Up“. The music sounds the same. And if he’s never gonna give, never gonna give, never gonna give you up [damn earworm!], then that means that you will be Together Forever. So, this all makes sense now – 27 years later! The songs ARE related!

13. “Pink Cadillac” by Natalie Cole

This is a Bruce Springsteen song that was originally released on the B-side of “Dancing in the Dark“. In 1988, Natalie Cole covered the song and ran away with it, making it a Top 10 single. I was never a big fan of this song. I also get confused between this song and Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love.”

Long Distance Dedication

We have now arrived at a staple of American Top 40 – The Long Distance Dedication. Most of us have had childhood friends that we have long lost touch with – either because they moved away, or we moved away. Robert sent in a letter that most of us can relate to. He says,

Dear Casey,

Good friends are important to all of us – and I have two of the best. In 1981 I moved to Frankfurt, Germany with my military family. I was nervous: no friends, a new school AND a new country. I clearly remember my first day of seventh grade. I slowly walked to the bus stop and stood away from everyone. There was not a soul I knew. As the bus pulled up I reluctantly boarded and took a seat by myself. I kept my eyes forward – scared to say anything – until I heard a voice ask me if it was alright to sit next to me. I looked up, said “Yes” and my life was changed forever. I was too nervous to notice that someone else was standing away from the group and not talking – and now he was sitting next to me. His name was LeRoyce and he had just moved to Germany as well. We continued our conversation all the way to school. As fate would have it, we had a few classes together and we got to know each other even better. We spent hours together and I met his younger brother Marvin. The three of us became inseparable. We helped each other through the hard times of growing up. We survived junior high and high school together – never letting each other down. Naturally, high school ended and we were forced to go our separate ways and create our own lives. Unfortunately, after graduation we lost touch. It was not until 12 years later that I made a good attempt to locate LeRoyce and Marvin. I was successful! I found that they were both living in Louisville, Kentucky. I got a hold of them, booked a flight and our reunion was set. I cannot describe the absolute joy of being back together with my best friends. We had a great time and vowed to not let so much time pass between our get togethers. We now meet every summer, rotating between Louisville and my home in Nebraska. In fact, they will be here in July. One bond we have always shared was music. We spent countless hours listening to our favorite songs. One of those songs never fails to remind me of them every time I hear it. Casey, would you please play When Doves Cry by Prince for LeRoyce and Marvin – it was one of our favorite songs and it always reminds me of those great times we spent together. We still listen to it every time we reunite now.

OK, Robert. Here is your long distance dedication:

http://www.mojvideo.com/video-prince-when-doves-cry/63806cee6342494500af

That was “When Doves Cry”, the 1984 classic by Prince from the Purple Rain soundtrack.

Now, on with the countdown.

12. “Wishing Well” by Terence Trent D’Arby

I was never much of a fan of this song. Despite that fact, MTV and radio constantly played it. I don’t hate it as much now, but I’m still not a fan. “Wishing Well” was a #1 hit. It did take a while though, as it was on the charts for 17 weeks before topping the charts.

11. “Piano In the Dark” by Brenda Russell Featuring Joe Esposito

Well, this song gets my vote for song of the day. I loved this song when it came out, and I still do. “Piano in the Dark” was in heavy rotation as I was sorting mail at the post office. This would be Brenda Russell’s biggest hit, peaking at number 6 on the Hot 100. It also earned Russell two Grammy Award nominations in 1989, including one for Song of the Year.

That’s it for today. We will wrap up the countdown on Friday. As always, please let me know what you think of the countdown so far, and if you have any memories from 1988 that you’d like to share..