Jermaine Stewart 'We Don't Have To...'

Chart Peak: 2
YouTube

Charted at No. 68 on 5th August, made No. 2 for 2 weeks from 16th-29th September... Jermaine at one time was a backing singer with Shalamar

Two things to start with: I promise it's a coincidence that this particular song crops up on Valentine's Day; and yes that is how the title is listed on the Now 8 sleeve (and if I remember correctly the original UK single). Evidently even a song about not disrobing was considered too edgy in mid-80s Britain because it implied that you could do so.

Nonetheless, radio seemed unafraid of playing the track and it remains so familiar I was tempted to slip relistening to it for the purposes of this post. As that probably implies, I'm not that keen on the song, because even though I sort of appreciate the sentiment behind it it's too silly to be convincing (unless "cherry wine" is some obscure euphemism I'm unaware of) but not quite silly enough to be funny as a novelty. Apparently the song was interpreted in some quarters as a response to the AIDS crisis, although there's an obvious tragic irony that Jermaine Stewart himself did die as a result of the disease. Producer (and co-writer) Narada Michael Walden has some great funky basslines to his name, including 'Jump To The Beat' and his own 'I Shoulda Loved Ya' but his inspiration seems to have dried up here and the effect it frankly a bit cheap and tacky. I wasn't best pleased that it it returned to the chart in 2011 after it was used in an advert, although that was better than the cover by forgotten reality TV irritant Lil Chris. And even that was better than the Gym Class Heroes song that samples it.

Also appearing on: Now 11, 12
Available on: We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off

Jermaine Stewart 'Get Lucky'

Chart Peak: 13

YouTube

And the award for ironic chart peak goes to...

In fact this was another last (UK) hit, although nobody knew at the time: Stewart seeemd to be on quite a roll with his second Top 20 smash of 1988. Indeed, he remained popular in Germany for a while longer, but this was it where the British Top 40 was concerned. Perhaps it was with an eye to these European markets that his record company (or whoever it was) found him this song, written by the British team of Simon Climie (already on this album as part of Climie Fisher) and Errol Brown (of Hot Chocolate).

'Get Lucky' is one of those songs there isn't a lot to say about, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's very obviously a product of its time, and it has no aspirations beyond a pop-oriented dance track for clubs. It's fine at what it does, no more and no less.

Connessieurs of artwork will be excited to know that this is the first time on the album when an act is represented by a single cover rather than the usual publicity photo.

Also appearing on: Now 8, 11