Tattoo You/Bella Donna
This weekend, On The Turntable features two excellent LPs released in 1981 and celebrating 40 years since their release. The Rolling Stones “Tattoo You” kicks off the program and is followed by the debut solo LP from Stevie Nicks, “Bella Donna” …
Tattoo You
Tattoo You is the 16th British and 18th American studio album by the Rolling Stones, released this very week in 1981 on their Rolling Stones label. The album is mostly composed with outtakes recorded in the 1970’s, but it works. It is considered by many to be the Stone’s last great album, though I do believe that Bridges To Babylon is now that album. This LP rocks … Side one kicks off a rockin’ side one with “Start Me Up” followed by “Hang Fire and reggae flavored “Slave” … Many of these songs sit in a few of my playlists.
Tattoo You has been considered to be The Stones’ most underrated album by some … and I do not disagree. It is a pure rock and roll LP; which were hard to find in the 80’s. The album is unique in that it has two different feels for each side. Side one was a rockin’ side and side two is a ballads side and features the top twenty single ‘Waiting on a Friend”. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the album 34th on its Top 100 Albums of the 80’s list and 211th on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers Tattoo You to be the 16th best lp of 1981 and the 188th best of the decade. Digital Dream Door Dot Com ranked the album fifth on its Top 100 of the year list; a position that I find more fitting.
Notable Tracks – “Waiting On A Friend” “Slave” “Start Me Up” “Hang Fire“
Bella Donna
Bella Donna is the debut solo studio album by Stevie Nicks, released July 27, 1981. The album reached number one on the US Billboard 200 in September of that year and spent nearly three years on the chart. It has been certified as quadruple platinum with over four million albums shipped. The guest musicians are a who’s who of rock that includes many members of The Heartbreakers, including her top five duet with Tom Petty. Dave Johnstone, Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn, Don Felder and Don Henley also contribute. The album spawned four hit singles during 1981 and 82; “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (#3), the Don Henley duet “Leather and Lace” (#6), her signature song “Edge of Seventeen” (#11) and the country-tinged “After the Glitter Fades”.
The album was two years in the making due to her commitments to the Fleetwood Mac LP Tusk and the Fleetwood Mac tour to promote that album. Two songs from the sessions were not included on the song list and showed up on Soundtracks later in the year; ‘Blue Lamp’ appeared on the Heavy Metal Soundtrack and ‘Sleeping Angel’ on Fast Times At Ridgemont High. The album topped the Billboard 200 chart and finished 8th on the Billboard 200 year-end chart of 1982. Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers Bella Donna to be the 33rd best lp of 1981 and the 332nd of the decade. Digital Dream Door Dot Com ranked the album 13th for its year end list.
Notable Tracks – “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” “Leather & Lace” “Edge of Seventeen” “After The Glitter Fades”
On The Turntable can be heard on KVOL 1330 AM/97.7 FM The Rewind each Saturday evening at 6pm. Listen over-the-air, on line at www.kvol1330.com and on The Rewind App. On The Turntable is also rewound and aired each Sunday morning at 7am.