More Mellow 80s Moods by The Smooth Operators

The Smooth Operators (Martijn Soetens and I) take a step back in time again. We start with Dutch band Blue Feather and Billy Ocean closes the mix. This Sunday I’m going to see him live on his greatest hits tour in Groningen. Looking forward to that!

After some commercial break downs, Carly Simon (picture) moved to her fourth record label, Arista, and returned to soundtrack work, which had given her her second biggest hit, "Nobody Does It Better," from The Spy Who Loved Me, in 1977. This time, she wrote "Coming Around Again" for Heartburn, and it hit number 18 in early 1987, her biggest hit in more than six years. That set up Simon's comeback with the same titled album, which became her biggest success in a decade, producing two more chart singles, "Give Me All Night" (number 61) and "All I Want Is You" (number 54), and going platinum. Along with "The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of," they all made the Top Ten of the adult contemporary chart. Carly Simon had yet another movie-related hit with the Grammy- and Oscar-winning "Let the River Run" from the film Working Girl in 1988, which made the 1980s a very successful decade for her after all.

Next week it's time to funk up the dance floor again!

Tracklist:

Blue Feather – High Up To The Sky (1982)
Bridge – From Darkness To The Light (1981)
Brenda Russell – Hello People (1983)
Carly Simon – Coming Around Again (1987)
Lee Ritenour ft. Eric Tagg – Cross My Heart (1982)
DeBarge – Give It Up (1985)
Patrice Rushen – I Was Tired Of Being Alone (1982)
Michael McDonald – I Gotta Try (1982)
Change – Change Of Heart (1984)
David Austin – Turn To Gold (1984)
Future World Orchestra – Desire (1982)
Herbie Hancock – Lift Me Up! (1982)
Phyllis Hyman – Don’t Tell Me, Tell Her (1981)
Windjammer – Tossing And Turning (1983)
Larry Lee – Number One Girl (1982)
Curiosity Killed The Cat – Misfit (1987)
Maze ft. Frankie Beverly – Too Many Games (1985)
Ray Parker Jr. & Raydio – All In The Way You Get Down [Northern Rascal’s Groove Extension 2011] (1981)
Level 42 – Running In The Family [Dave “O” Remix] (1987)
Dee Dee Sharp – I Love You Anyway (1980)
Hot Chocolate – You’ll Never Be So Wrong (1981)
Steve Winwood – Valerie (1982)
Boy Meets Girl ‎– Waiting For A Star To Fall (1988)
ABC – Rage And Then Regret (1987)
Robert Palmer – I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On (1985)
Alan Gorrie – Up (1985)
Billy Ocean – Don’t Say Stop (1981)