Songoftheday 4/15/14 - I can't have no objection to the world outside, I don't have no complaints against life's one way ride....

Graham Parker & The Shot - "Wake Up (Next to You)"
from the album Steady Nerves (1985)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #39 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 3

Today's Song of the Day is from the British singer/songwriter Graham Parker, who started his musical career way back at the first "British Invasion" of the early 60s, but it wasn't until the mid-70s when he got to release his first proper album with band the Rumour, Howlin' Wind. Predating both punk and new wave, Graham was a quite the trailblazer in his appearance and style, and by 1977, he scored his first top-40 hit in the UK with "Hold Back The Night". The remake of the retro-soul song from the Trammps also became a minor hit in America, peaking at #58. Two years later, his album Squeezing Out Sparks was released, and the critically acclaimed record was his first to make the top-40 on the US Albums chart, and even now places in Rolling Stone's list of the top 500 albums of the rock era.

In 1985, with a new band called "The Shot", Parker released Steady Nerves, and the first single from the set, "Wake Up (Next To You)", became his biggest hit in the States...

"Wake Up (Next To You)" became Parker's first and only top-40 pop hit in the US in June of 1985, while climbing to #19 on the Mainstream Rock and #26 on the Adult Contemporary radio charts in Billboard.

Four years later, Graham went to #23 on the Mainstream Rock list with "Get Started Start A Fire", while reaching #27 on the newly-created Modern Rock radio chart with "Don't Let It Break You Down", both from his Mona Lisa's Sister album. In 1989, his single "Big Man On Paper" landed him at #18 on the Modern Rock chart, his so-far latest appearance, though he continues to record and tour.

Up tomorrow: A dance song about Vietnam. Party on.