Way Back Wednesday: The Top Music of August 5th, 1983

This Week In 1983: The Top Music of Agust 5th, 1983

While there are two future number one songs sitting in the Top Ten right now, it’s going to be another month before we see anyone else in the #1 position other than the Police. The biggest drop of the week belongs to Kajagoogoo and their former top 5 song dropping thirteen spots to sit at #34 for it’s last week in the countdown. The biggest leap belongs to Asia who jump fifteen spots and land in the Top 40 at #35 with “Don’t Cry”. Peaking out this week at #4 this week is Duran Duran and our featured song of the week, “Is There Something I Should Know”.

Song Story: “Is There Something I Should Know” by Duran Duran

Often regarded as a stand alone single, “Is There Something I Should Know” was included as the only new song on the reissue of the bands first album which saw little success in the US the first time around. After the band’s mega success with the album Rio in 1982 (thanks in large part to their videos seeing heavy rotation on MTV), their label decided to reissue the album and release a single ahead of their third album that debuted in late 1983. To this point, they had released seven singles and had great success in their native UK but none of them reaching #1. Rumor has it that this song’s production and release is a direct result of the rest of the band’s negative response to keyboard player, Nick Rhodes, helping Kajagoogoo (previously unknown) with their first and only UK #1 song, “Too Shy”. This song became their first #1 in the UK for the double D boys and reached #4 in the US.

Drummer Roger Taylor has said that the video for this song is the only thing he would change about any Duran Duran video: “I would change the end of ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ where I am singing to the camera. I look very uncomfortable doing this and, to this day, cringe every time I see.” The first time I saw this video, I thought they were the coolest band on the planet because of their matching outfits. I also thought Simon Le Bon was the coolest front man in music. Until I experienced David Lee Roth a year later. But that’s a different story…