Songoftheday 8/27/13 - Early in the morning I can't sleep I can't work and I can't eat, I've been drunk all day can't concentrate...

Rod Stewart - "Infatuation"
from the album Camouflage (1984)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 13

Today's Song of the Day is by Rod "The Mod" Stewart, who started 1984 a little behind, as his album Body Wishes became his first studio set in almost twenty years to not spawn a top-10 hit, though "Baby Jane" did make the top-20 (and #1 in his native Britain) and follow-up "What Am I Gonna Do" reached the top-40.

For his 13th album, Camouflage, Rod brought back his old friend Jeff Beck to handle guitar, and his playing featured prominently on the first single, "Infatuation". Written by Rod and produced by Michael Omartian, the song is a "big pop song" with an awesome guitar hook and great horn backup. For MTV, he also rolled the gimmick of the "alternate ending" video, where either he gets the girl or he doesn't...

"Infatuation" brought Rod back to the top-10 on the American pop chart in July of 1984, while also reaching #5 on the rock radio chart. In Britain, though, it was reversed, as it peaked at #15 (pretty much where his #1 UK hit peaked here). It brought him back to MTV's A-list (courtesy of the video), and he kept that up for the rest of the 80s.

And if you would've asked young adult me what my favorite Rod song was, I would've answered this one in a heartbeat. It's basically a song that rides on the sheer machinery of its production, and the video is really well-done.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Here's the other version of the video, BTW...

Also, he rocked the first MTV Music Awards (though it definitely sounds like he's singing live to a backing track)...

...and really live in concert (with added bagpipes!) in 1984...

Up tomorrow: the beards go for the gams.