Rickie Lee Jones - The Magazine

This week (September 12th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Magazine, the third studio album from Rickie Lee Jones. It spent twenty-one weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 44. It also went to number 40 in the UK and number 20 on the US Billboard Jazz chart. Some of the album was written in Paris while Jones was kicking her addiction to heroin and cocaine.

Streets of Fire (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In June of 1984, a film hit the theatres that had dreams of being a big blockbuster but failed to gross enough to cover its original budget. The soundtrack of Streets of Fire, however, sported a big line up - from the Blasters to the Fixx, Jim Steinman to Dan Hartman, and so many. It spent twenty-one weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 32.

Click here for the full album review.

Atlantic Starr - Yours Forever

This week (October 20th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Yours Forever, the fifth studio album from R&B group Atlantic Starr. This 1983 release followed the Gold seller Brilliance (click here for that review) and charted at number 91 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 10 on the US Billboard R&B chart. This was also the final album for lead-singer Sharon Bryant before she left the group to pursue a solo career.

DeBarge - In A Special Way

Following their 1982 album All This Love (click here for that review), the five-member family group DeBarge returned to the studio to work on their third album. The result was 1983’s In A Special Way which is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary today (September 24th). This one charted similarly to its predecessor, reaching number 36 on the US Billboard Album chart and number 4 on the US Billboard R&B chart.

Michael McDonald - If That's What It Takes

Today (August 9th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of If That’s What It Takes, the solo debut album of Michael McDonald. The American singer and songwriter had been a member of Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers in the 1970’s. After the later group’s first farewell tour, McDonald started working on the tracks that would eventually be part of his August 1982 release.

The album went Gold in sales, reaching number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 200 and number 10 on the US Billboard R&B charts. It generated two charting singles, including one Top 10 smash. McDonald wrote two of the ten tracks solo and collaborated on seven others.

Streets of Fire (soundtrack)

Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.

In June of 1984, a film hit the theatres that had dreams of being a big blockbuster but failed to gross enough to cover its original budget. Not even stars Michael Paré, Diane Lane, Willem Dafoe, Rick Moranis, Deborah Van Valkenburgh and a very young Bill Paxton could save Streets of Fire for cinema disaster.

However, thanks to an interesting musical score and a pretty decent soundtrack album, the film did find itself a cult following among fans. Today we look at that soundtrack album.