"Yeah, life goes on around me every day / But it might as well be half a million miles away"
The '80s started off pretty rocky for Rockford, Illinois power-pop combo Cheap Trick. After watching their first chart entry of the decade, "Voices", struggle to #32 on the charts, the band stood by helplessly as single after single faltered just outside the Top 40. Just look at the trail of tears:
• "Everything Works If You Let It" - #44, 1980 • "Stop This Game" - #48, 1980 • "If You Want My Love" - #45, 1982 • "She's Tight" - #65, 1982 • "Tonight It's You" - #44, 1985
Each near-miss had to be frustrating for not only the band, but also for their long-time label, Epic. By 1988, something had to give. Cheap Trick, meet your new songwriters, Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. They've got a little ditty for you called "The Flame" that just smells like a hit.
No, no, I said it smells like a hit. HIT!
Cheap shots aside, "The Flame" did just what was intended, and that's get Cheap Trick back in the charts and in the public eye. After peaking at #1, its follow-up, the equally dire remake of "Don't Be Cruel", continued the hot streak, topping out at #4. The band proved its hit-making skills with covers, so perhaps it was time to showcase their own writing skills with the next single. Sorta.
Now, quite a few people are under the impression that super-ballad writer Diane Warren was responsible for "The Flame", but she actually co-wrote, along with Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, Lap of Luxury's third single. "Ghost Town" was a much more acceptable artistic compromise than the overwrought "Flame", nicely showcasing Robin Zander's throaty delivery while keeping the schmaltz at a minimum.
Sadly, "Ghost Town" didn't wow 'em the way the last two singles did, just making the Top 40. Epic worked a couple more singles off Luxury, but neither made an impact. Two albums later, the band parted ways with Epic, skipping around a few labels before starting their own. But if you think that meant artistic freedom without compromise, let me remind you that 2006's Rockford featured a lead-off single co-written by another songwriting machine, Linda Perry. Gotta pay those bills.
"Ghost Town" peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #32 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart in 1988.
* All songs are for sampling purposes only. If the album is currently in print, you'll see an Amazon link to purchase it. Supporting artists is a good thing, since labels are run by soulless whores. I KEED! Sorta. Look, if you like it, and it's in print, support 'em. If you're the artist or copyright holder, a quick e-mail to me will bring the song down ASAP. But compliment my writing first.
* Don't e-mail me asking me to repost dead links or to send you a song you can't find. Believe it or not, I have a life outside my blogging. I KEED! But don't do it.
* One more, and this is a biggie -- do NOT hotlink directly to my audio files and post them on your site, big shot. That's just disrespectful, rude, and a theft of my hard-earned bandwith.
Now, get readin', get downloadiN', and play nice. I loves me some comments. Bring it!
Cheap shots aside, "The Flame" did just what was intended, and that's get Cheap Trick back in the charts and in the public eye. After peaking at #1, its follow-up, the equally dire remake of "Don't Be Cruel", continued the hot streak, topping out at #4. The band proved its hit-making skills with covers, so perhaps it was time to showcase their own writing skills with the next single. Sorta. 
or on 
