8 of the 80s: 2/20/14 (1980)...

80's throwback time is up right now with eight more nuggets from 1980, the year that the FBI targeted members of Congress in the ABSCAM bribery scandal, which snagged my own congressman Frank Thompson (now the subject of the movie American Hustle)...(I've included highlighted links to buy anything on MP3 or CD when available)

The Pointer Sisters - "He's So Shy"
from the album Special Things (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3
Songwriters: Tom Snow, Cynthia Weil

Hey whatdya know, it's my own theme song, song by the totally awesome siblings from Oakland.

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The Manhattans - "Shining Star"
from the album After Midnight (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5
Songwriters: Leo Graham, Paul Richmond

The veteran soul vocal group from Jersey City had a renaissance in the 80s, scoring their second top-ten pop hit fifteen years after their debut single (their first came ten years after)...

Shalamar - "The Second Time Around"
from the album Big Fun (1979)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8
Songwriters: William Shelby, Leon Sylvers

It took until their third lead singer Howard Hewett for the Soul Train-adjacent post-disco greats to have their biggest hit, with this eternally joyful anthem.

Dionne Warwick - "Deja Vu"
from the album Dionne (1979)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #15
Songwriters: Adrienne Anderson, Isaac Hayes

The late great soul artist who would go on to be South Park's "Chef" would co-write this sensual single produced by Barry Manilow...

Stacy Lattisaw - "Let Me Be Your Angel"
from the album Let Me Be Your Angel (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #21
Songwriters: Bunny Hull, Narada Michael Walden

Stacy was only becoming a teenager when this sublime record was recorded. What a talent.

Manhattan Transfer - "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone"
from the album Extensions (1979)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #30
Songwriters: Jay Graydon, Bernard Hermann, Alan Paul

The jazz-soul vocal group went to the space disco with this ridiculously entertaining floorfiller.

The Isley Brothers - "Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love)"
from the album Go All The Way (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #39
Songwriters: Ernie, Marvin, O'Kelly, Ronald, and Rudolph Isley, Chris Jasper

The all-season quiet-storm answer to "Baby It's Cold Outside" by the family-sized funk group.

Ray Goodman and Brown - "My Prayer"
from the album II (1980)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #47
Songwriters: Georges Boulanger, Jimmy Kennedy

The soulful trio updated the classic Platters hit for the 80s...