Songoftheday 4/13/18 - When I kiss your lips I just don't want to behave, my passion runs deeper and girl I'm not afraid...
from the album Blow Up (1991)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 5
Today's song of the day comes from the retro-rock band from Central Jersey, the Smithereens, who had landed their first top-40 pop hit in the spring of 1990 with "A Girl Like You". The following year, the group released their fourth album Blow Up. The lead single, "Top Of The Pops", missed the pop chart in America, but climbed all the way to #2 on Billboard's Modern Rock radio chart (and crossing over to #19 on their Mainstream Rock format list). A second cut from the record, "Tell Me When Did Things Go So Wrong", peaked right under the top ten there at #11 (and #28 Mainstream Rock). That would be followed by what would become the most successful single from the set, the power-pop gem "Too Much Passion". Written by lead singer Pat DiNizio, the track would be melodic yet soft enough to bring them back to pop radio...
"Too Much Passion" became the Smithereens' second and final top-40 pop hit in April of 1992. While it didn't reach Billboard's rock radio charts, it did manage to cross over to their Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart at #32. Internationally, the record reached the top-40 in Canada (#22) and New Zealand (#33).
In 1994, the band released their first album with RCA, A Date With The Smithereens. The lead single, "Miles From Nowhere", hit #17 on the Mainstream Rock list, their final charting single. Since then, both the Smithereens and DiNizio solo had released albums, with the group's most recent studio set the timely 2011. They continued to perform, but sadly DiNizio passed away in 2017. The rest of the band has performed their songs with guest singers live in tribute, and Pat got recognized this year both at the Grammys and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in their memoriams.
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And here's the band performing on the Late Show with Jay Leno to promote the record...
Up tomorrow: A double-shot of The Boss.
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