SATURDAY'S SINGLES - MADONNA and LIONEL RICHIE

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Good morning gang and welcome to the return of Saturday's Singles, A Number Ones edition. First up under our needle is this #1 from 1984. "Like A Virgin" by Madonna was released November 6, 1984 on the Sire/ Warner Brothers labels and produced by Nile Rodgers. It is the title track to her second studio album. The song, written by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg debuted at #48 on the Hot 100 and #26 on the Dance Club Songs chart, but within weeks captured the top spot on both those charts as well as #1 in Australia, Canada, the European Top 100 Singles, the UK Disco charts, the Cash Box, and the Radio and Records charts. It's B-side is "Stay" from the same LP. 

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan and during her 4 decade career has sold over 300 million records earning her the title of "Queen Of Pop". 2019 saw the release of her 14th studio album, Madame X.

A Like A Virgin
Written-By – Billy Steinberg/Tom Kelly
3:35

B Stay
Written-By – Madonna, Steve Bray
4:04

Madonna – lead vocals 

Nile Rodgers – Synclavier II, guitars, acoustic guitar

Robert Sabino – synthesizers, bass synthesizer

Bernard Edwards – bass 

Tony Thompson – drums 

Jimmy Bralower – LinnDrum and Simmons drum machine programming 

Curtis King – background vocals 

Frank Simms – background vocals 

George Simms – background vocals 

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Our second #1 came about year later. "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Ritchie was released in October 1985 on the Motown label and produced by Lionel Richie and James Anthony Carmichael. It was a part of the soundtrack to the film White Nights, starring  Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Jerzy Skolimowski, Helen Mirren and Isabella Rossellini, but was not included on the film's soundtrack release, because Motown didn't want it appearing on the Atlantic label. Instead it was officially released on Lionel's 2nd record, Can't Slow Down. The song reached #1on both the Canadian Adult Contemporary charts and RPM Singles chart, in Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, the Hot 100, the US Adult Contemporary charts, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs survey, and the Cash Box. It is b/w the title track, "Can't Slow Down". 

Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. was born June 20, 1948 in Tuskegee, Alabama. During his post Commodores solo career he has sold over 100 million albums. He released his 10th studio album, Tuskegee, in 2012. 

A Say You, Say Me
Arranged By – James Anthony Carmichael
Written-By – Lionel Richie
3:59

B Can't Slow Down
Arranged By  – David Cochrane, James Anthony Carmichael
Written-By – D. Cochrane, Lionel Richie
4:40

Lionel Richie – vocals, keyboards

Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, Minimoog bass

Michael Boddicker – Yamaha DX7 tub. bells

Carlos Rios – acoustic guitar

Steve Lukather – guitar

Tim May – guitar

Abraham Laboriel – electric bass guitar

John Robinson – drums

Paulinho Da Costa – percussion

Paul Leim – Oberheim DMX

James Anthony Carmichael – string arrangements

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