Robbed hit of the week 3/23/15 - Jesse Johnson's "Crazay"...

"Crazay" - Jesse Johnson featuring Sly Stone
from the album Shockadelica (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #53

This week's "robbed hit" comes from funk guitarist Jesse Johnson, who came from Illinois up to Minneapolis to join the touring line-up of The Time (Prince handled almost all of the instrumental work on their albums), becoming the only musician in the band to be heard on their breakthrough Ice Cream Castles record. However, Johnson left shortly after, scoring a solo deal, and releasing his debut Jesse Johnson's Revue album in 1985. That set became one of the top-40 selling albums of 1985, and placed three singles in the R&B top-10, including the #3 "Can You Help Me?".  Two of those reached the pop chart, with first release "Be Your Man" stopping at #61.

The following year Johnson released Shockadelica, which would go on to sell over a million copies. The first single from the project, "Crazay", featuring funk/rock legend Sly Stone, who went from being a superstar in the 70s to being beaten by drug addiction during the next decade. "Crazay" brought him back to the chart for the first time since 1979's "Remember Who You Are" reached #38 on the R&B list...

While "Crazay" was a big R&B hit, rising to #2 on that chart, and made a splash in the clubs, peaking at #12, the single stalled on the Hot 100 at #53, although is stayed on the pop chart for four months. In 1988, Jesse released Every Shade Of Love, and took "Love Struck" to #78 on the Hot 100 and #4 on the R&B chart. In the 90's Johnson reunited with the Time for their Pandemonium album and top-10 "Jerk Out" single.