8 of the 80s: 8/8/13 (1987)...

I'm ready for this week's 80s throwback, and this week I'm back to 1987, the year the FCC rolled back the "Fairness Doctrine", which required radio and TV stations to present issues in a balanced way. And then there was Fox. This week I've got eight soul nuggets from this year, and included links to buy anything if possible.

Taja Sevelle - "Love Is Contagious"
from the album Taja Sevelle (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #62
Songwriter: Taja Sevelle

This Minneapolis ingenue showed up on the Purple One's Paisley Park label, then faded just as quickly.

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Sheila E. - "Hold Me"
from the album Sheila E. (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #68
Songwriters: Sheila E., Constance Guzman, Eddie Mininfield

This was the great percussionist's biggest ballad hit, which rocked the soul chart but fizzled on pop station. However, it's a classic booty-call jam.

Kool & The Gang - "Special Way"
from the album Forever (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #72
Songwriters: Ronald Bell, George Brown, Dwania Kyles, Kendall Stubbs, James JT Taylor

This by-the-numbers ballad was the classic disco group's last pop charting single.

Force MD's - "Love Is A House"
from the album Touch & Go (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #78
Songwriters: Gina Foster, Geoff Gurd, Martin Lascelles

Man, I loved when this came on the radio on the bus in Chicago. This New Edition-lite would top the soul chart with this single.

Aretha Franklin - "Rock-A-Lott"
from the album Aretha (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #82
Songwriters: Preston Glass, Joe Johnson, Narada Michael Walden

Creepy Aretha head done California Raisin style comes across all sorts of celebrities in this forgotten gem that was heavily sampled on the classic club track "Touch Me" by the 49ers.

Stephanie Mills - "(You're Puttin') A Rush On Me"
from the album If I Were Your Woman (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #85
Songwriters: Timothy Allen, Paul Laurence

This was one of five #1 R&B hits for the singer within a three-year span.This was big as well in Chicago when I lived there.

Pointer Sisters - "All I Know Is The Way I Feel"
from the album Hot Together (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #93
Songwriters: Estelle Levitt, Jerry Ragovoy

Another sweet forgotten nugget from the sister act that ruled the charts just a couple years before.

Georgio - "Tina Cherry"
from the album Georgio (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #96
Songwriter: Georgio Allentini

This R&B singer/songwriter from San Francisco had delusions of grandeur than would make Terence Trent D'Arby blush, and his career didn't go much farther than his debut with this #1 dance/soul hit.

That does it for tonight...I'll be back tomorrow with another Song of the Day and my top 100 songs of the