Songoftheday 6/4/15 - I need a reminder something I can see, something on my finger shines so brightly....

"Diamonds" - Herb Alpert with Janet Jackson and Lisa Keith
from the album Keep Your Eye On Me (1987)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 12

Today's SOTD comes from trumpet maestro and label boss Herb Alpert, who had last been seen in the top-40 in 1982 with the breezy instrumental "Route 101". After a few more lite-jazz discs, Herb set out to change his sound, and recruited the producers of his label A&M's most successful act at that time, Janet Jackson. Terry Lewis and Jimmy "Jam" Harris produced four of the ten tracks from his next album Keep Your Eye On Me. The mostly-instrumental title track was released as its first single, and while is just missed the top-40 on the pop chart, it climbed into the top-3 on the R&B list. The reason it probably stopped short is that it was quickly overshadowed by another Jam/Lewis cut from the album, "Diamonds". With Janet Jackson on background vocals (as well as future top-40 artist Lisa Keith), the funky pop nugget was perfectly produced for mainstream success, even with Alpert fighting for the front stage. In the video, a look-alike of Janet was used instead of paying for her entourage (ever the frugal boss)...

"Diamonds" moved all the way to the top-5 on the American pop chart in June of 1987. The record also topped both the R&B and the Dance Club Play charts in Billboard magazine. Internationally, the song hit the top-10 in Canada and the Netherlands, and peaked at #27 in the UK.

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and here's the "Cool Summer Mix" that topped the dance charts in June of 1987..

Up tomorrow: Prog-rockers-turned-hitmakers are way far down.