This Week In 1983: April 23rd
After seven weeks in the top spot, “Billie Jean” is dethroned by Dexys Midnight Runner and their song, “Come On Eileen”. DMR is a true One Hit Wonder here in the states. While they had another moderately successful song in the UK, this is their one and only successfully song here in the US. (Interesting side note: contrary to popular belief, there is no apostrophe in the first word of the band’s name. It’s simple Dexys and not Dexy’s.)
No big moves of consequence on the chart this week. Noticeable songs in the bottom half of the countdown that are on their way up: “Photograph” by Def Leppard, “Rio” by Duran Duran, “Flashdance” by Irene Cara, and “Always Something There To Remind Me” by Naked Eyes. David Bowie moves into the Top Ten on his way to #1 with “Let’s Dance”. Also moving into the Top Ten is Thomas Dolby and “She Blinded Me With Science”.
Song Story: “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby
Much like the group that sits at #1 this week, Dolby was a one hit wonder here in the state. Of the song, Dolby stated:
“This was just when music videos were starting to come to become popular and I was very keen to try out my talent as a music video director so I managed to persuade my record company to let me take a shot at writing and directing one. I came up with a script that had a mad professor type (played by Magnus Pyke) and a gorgeous Asian assistant who ran a home for deranged scientists. So that was how the song ‘She Blinded Me With Science’ came about. I was pretty much writing it to accompany a video.”
Who is Magnus Pike, you ask? He was a popular British scientist and TV presenter who not only stars in the video but repeatedly interjects “Science!” and delivers other lines in a deliberately over-the-top mad scientist voice, such as, “Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto, you’re beautiful!”
Dolby even has a connection to rock-n-roll super producer, Mutt Lange (who sang backup on this track). Here’s their connection: Dolby was busking in Paris when he was 19 years old, and he sent a tape with some of his songs to a London music publisher Lange worked for. The super-producer heard the tape and called Dolby in to work on Foreigner’s 4 album, where he played the synth intro to “Waiting For A Girl Like You.” Lange also had Dolby work on Def Leppard’s Pyromania album.
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