Way Back Wednesday: The Top Music of June 17th, 1983

This Week In 1983: The Top Music of June 17th, 1983

Irene Cara still holding strong in the #1 position. She’s got two more weeks to go. The biggest jump of the week belongs to Eddy Grant and “Electric Avenue” which jumps seven spots into the Top 10 and lands at #4. Thomas Dolby tumbles thirteen spots to #20. Michael Jackson has two songs in the Top 20 – “Billy Jean” at #11 and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” up two spots to #17. “Always Something There To Remind Me” by Naked Eyes peaks this week at #8 and is also our featured song of the week.

Song Story: “Always Something There To Remind Me” by Naked Eyes

The song, co-written by the venerable songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David (look them up) and recorded as a demo by Dionne Warwick, was actually released three times before vocalist Pete Byrne and keyboardist Rob Fisher got a hold of it: Lou Johnson in 1964, Sandie Shaw again in 1964 and R.B. Greaves in 1970. All three versions failed to find any chart success. The Naked Eyes duo originally cut the song as a demo while trying to score a record deal. EMI Records like the demo so much they offered a contract. The record was cut at Abbey Road in London. Byrne said of the recording experience: “you never knew who was going to be hanging around the studio or who would be partying downstairs. We were so star struck that it’s a wonder we ever got anything recorded. Paul McCartney popped around one day while we were laying down tracks, listened for a bit then invited us downstairs to a party. It was crazy.”