8 of the 80s: 5/16/13 (1985)...

Hey gang, I'm back with 8 more nuggets from the 80s, and this week the time machine goes back to 1985, the year Philadelphia mayor Wilson Goode ordered the attack on the MOVE headquarters, killing 11 and burning down a neighborhood.

Luther Vandross - "It's Over Now"
from the album The Night I Fell In Love (1985)
Billboard peak: #101
Songwriters: Luther Vandross, William Miller

This proto-house jam frustratingly spend five weeks right under Billboard's Hot 100 chart, even after being a top-10 R&B hit.

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Gwen Guthrie - "Padlock"
from the album Portrait (1983)
Billboard peak: #102
Songwriter: Tamy Smith

One of the classics of famed Paradise Garage DJ/producer Larry Levan, this track hit the clubs and radio two years after it was released when it was remixed by Levan.

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - "Too Many Games"
from the album Can't Stop The Love (1985)
Billboard peak: #103
Songwriter: Frankie Beverly

Mentored originally by Marvin Gaye, the group from Philadelphia by way of San Fran scored their third top-5 R&B hit with this midtempo jam.

The Whispers - "Contagious"
from the album So Good (1984)
Billboard peak: #105
Songwriters: Reggie Calloway, Melvin Gentry, Bobby Lovelace, Boaz Watson

The post-disco funk outfit led by twins Walter and Wallace Scott had a top-10 R&B hit with this toss-off dance party.

Shalamar - "My Girl Loves Me"
from the album Heartbreak (1984)
Billboard peak: #106
Songwriters: Micki Free, Howard Hewett, David Wolinski

Shalamar by this point had lost both Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels, and this would be the last pop hit under the name.

Vanity - "Mechanical Emotion"
from the album Wild Animal (1984)
Billboard peak: #107
Songwriter: Denise Matthews

Morris Day helped out with this post-"6" single from the lesser of Prince's proteges.

Carol Lynn Townes - "Believe In The Beat"
from the album Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (Original Soundtrack) (1984)
Billboard peak: #109
Songwriter: Layng Martine

Yes, from the often cited for comic effect movie Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, the singer who recorded the classic "99 1/2" for the first movie came back with lesser rewards.

The Dazz Band - "Heartbeat"
from the album Jukebox (1984)
Billboard peak: #110
Songwriters: Reggie Andrews, Bobby Harris

The "Let It Whip" boys take it down a notch with this seductive R&B number that's too bright for the bedroom but too sedate for the club.

That does it for tonight...I'll be back tomorrow with another Song of the Day and my top-100 tunes for the week.. have a great night!