So Bad on the radio....as an oldie
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I though there was a thread covering 'unusual' Paul songs played on the radio - unusual in that they either no longer common on the radio, even as an oldie...or never was a hit to begin with and not generally considered a common album cut...but alas, a search of the forum was all for not. Anyway, my daughter is home from school for several weeks (we live near Boston, MA and she goes to school in the UK) and we took a little mini vacation down to cape cod...we found a station (99.1) that plays a pretty good mix of old and fairly new (not sure I'd say current)...yesterday, we were out in Chatham and out of nowhere, they play Paul's 'So Bad' (it was somewhere in the 12PM to 1PM time frame and followed Dolly Parton's Here You Come Again)....I was actually floored (pleasantly so) by this song choice...I had already been impressed enough the day before, when they played With a Little Luck, which was once popular on the oldie circuit, but not so much any more (although the level to which I was impressed was diminished a bit when it turned out to be the shortened 'DJ Edit' version) So Bad was a modest hit back in 1983/84 (Pipes of Peace was released in 83, but given that So Bad was a follow up single released well after the fact behind Say Say Say, it may have been 84???)....but since that year, the only time I've heard this song played on air was during certain Paul McCartney radio specials, where they would play a number of songs you normally wouldn't hear on the radio...In fact, I think I only heard it a couple of times even during it's run on the charts So I'll ask you, excluding what you might have heard during various Paul McCartney radio specials, has anyone else ever heard this song played on the radio - once it segued into 'oldie' status?
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I have to say I have never heard "So Bad" on the radio! I love it when any Paul/Beatles/ex-Beatle song comes on the radio, always a nice surprise. I hope you had a nice break at the Cape!
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I was in McDonald's today and heard George's Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)!!
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I didnt realize 'So Bad' was released as the second single in the U.S. until recently. In the U.S., 'Say Say Say' was a smash & reached Number 1. I don't remember 'So Bad' played on the U.S. radio back then, although surprisingly, it hit Number 23 on the US charts. In the US, 'Pipes of Peace' was the b-side to 'So Bad', although in the UK, 'Pipes of Peace' was the A-side and hit #1. 'Pipes of Peace' probably would have been a Top 10 hit in the U.S. if it was the A-side.
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JoeySmith:
I didnt realize 'So Bad' was released as the second single in the U.S. until recently. In the U.S., 'Say Say Say' was a smash & reached Number 1. I don't remember 'So Bad' played on the U.S. radio back then, although surprisingly, it hit Number 23 on the US charts. In the US, 'Pipes of Peace' was the b-side to 'So Bad', although in the UK, 'Pipes of Peace' was the A-side and hit #1. 'Pipes of Peace' probably would have been a Top 10 hit in the U.S. if it was the A-side.
____________________________________________________________ Joey, I was living in Northern NJ (NY City metro area) and remember So Bad being played on WNBC AM Top 40 Radio. It wasn't played that often (as you say not a Top 10 hit) but it has sort of a secondary rotation.
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I remember there being an older thread about the radio obscurities. I've posted in it a couple of times. I've encountered "Fine Line" in a store. "My Brave Face" at a restaurant. "So Bad" I once heard on the '80s on 8 SiriusXM channel. Now we have The Beatles Channel on SiriusXM where I've heard everything from "Arrow Through Me" to "Ballroom Dancing" and "Save Us". A few months ago, something that really surprised me was "Rough Ride" on the radio...and I remember telling my wife about it because I actually stopped walking because it was so unexpected to hear. My favorite, though, is still "1985" on a gas station radio on my way to a Macca concert!
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I remember hearing it a couple times on the radio when the single came out -- but always on Adult Contemporary radio, not Top 40 (specifically, I heard it on KOST-FM in Los Angeles), which I remember thinking was a sign that radio no longer considered Paul "cool." And that, of course, proved true.
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LetMeRollIt89:
I remember there being an older thread about the radio obscurities. I've posted in it a couple of times. I've encountered "Fine Line" in a store. "My Brave Face" at a restaurant. "So Bad" I once heard on the '80s on 8 SiriusXM channel. Now we have The Beatles Channel on SiriusXM where I've heard everything from "Arrow Through Me" to "Ballroom Dancing" and "Save Us". A few months ago, something that really surprised me was "Rough Ride" on the radio...and I remember telling my wife about it because I actually stopped walking because it was so unexpected to hear. My favorite, though, is still "1985" on a gas station radio on my way to a Macca concert!
_______________________________________________________ Just heard "Back in the Sunshine Again" from Driving Rain on the Sirius Beatles channel. I never remember hearing it on the radio as it wasn't one of the "singles" from the album. It actually sounded quite good to my ears. I often like Paul's "soulful" style songs. He has had quite a few of them in his Solo career. Paul's vocal style (particularly the last 3rd of the song) reminds me of Al Green. Now that was a real example of a "deep cut" but it was so refreshing to hear.
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Bruce M.:
I remember hearing it a couple times on the radio when the single came out -- but always on Adult Contemporary radio, not Top 40 (specifically, I heard it on KOST-FM in Los Angeles), which I remember thinking was a sign that radio no longer considered Paul "cool." And that, of course, proved true.
_____________________________________________________ Yes "So Bad" was one of those "guilty pleasure" songs with Bee Gees' type harmonies. If you could get past the too trite lyrics, Paul's vocals were spot on for 80's music. In my opinion, So Bad was in the middle of his Pipes of Peace and Broad Street period where people were getting tired of Paul's ultra "Pop" genre songs...especially Ebony and Ivory, Say Say Say and a little later with "No More Lonely Nights". He got so overplayed on Pop radio that people were getting a little sick of Paul. Many Beatle Paul fans were also probably thinking ...is this the Revolver, Hey Jude Paul we knew? As you rightfully suggest, it took him years to recover. Flowers in the Dirt and working with Elvis Costello got him back to his Beatles' mojo in my opinion.
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It certainly deserves to be heard
A real smoothie ! Dreamy 
In fact, "Say Say Say" and "No More Lonely Nights" also do it big fashion for my ears, heart and err, lower regions 
ops: Ultra romantic and orgasmic-- Always appreciated "Ebony and Ivory" and got a thrill out of that. And teared up at the message. I'm a big sucker and softy for all those ditties. And unashamed 
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B J Conlee:
Just heard "Back in the Sunshine Again" from Driving Rain on the Sirius Beatles channel. I never remember hearing it on the radio as it wasn't one of the "singles" from the album. It actually sounded quite good to my ears. I often like Paul's "soulful" style songs. He has had quite a few of them in his Solo career. Paul's vocal style (particularly the last 3rd of the song) reminds me of Al Green. Now that was a real example of a "deep cut" but it was so refreshing to hear.
I havent heard anything from Driving Rain yet on Beatles Channel, but yeah...thats a deep one! I have to go back and revisit it. I love "Rinse the Raindrops"...gets up in that Monkberry range towards the end!
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B J Conlee:
Bruce M.:
I remember hearing it a couple times on the radio when the single came out -- but always on Adult Contemporary radio, not Top 40 (specifically, I heard it on KOST-FM in Los Angeles), which I remember thinking was a sign that radio no longer considered Paul "cool." And that, of course, proved true.
_____________________________________________________ Yes "So Bad" was one of those "guilty pleasure" songs with Bee Gees' type harmonies. If you could get past the too trite lyrics, Paul's vocals were spot on for 80's music. In my opinion, So Bad was in the middle of his Pipes of Peace and Broad Street period where people were getting tired of Paul's ultra "Pop" genre songs...especially Ebony and Ivory, Say Say Say and a little later with "No More Lonely Nights". He got so overplayed on Pop radio that people were getting a little sick of Paul. Many Beatle Paul fans were also probably thinking ...is this the Revolver, Hey Jude Paul we knew? As you rightfully suggest, it took him years to recover. Flowers in the Dirt and working with Elvis Costello got him back to his Beatles' mojo in my opinion.
You forgot "The Girl is Mine" - the worst offender of them all!
Talk about overplayed - it was the 1st single off the Thriller album...and one of the worst songs of the 80s. This was Maccas "Paulie Pop" period. Overplayed slight pop hits that killed his FM radio career. -
JoeySmith:
B J Conlee:
Bruce M.:
I remember hearing it a couple times on the radio when the single came out -- but always on Adult Contemporary radio, not Top 40 (specifically, I heard it on KOST-FM in Los Angeles), which I remember thinking was a sign that radio no longer considered Paul "cool." And that, of course, proved true.
_____________________________________________________ Yes "So Bad" was one of those "guilty pleasure" songs with Bee Gees' type harmonies. If you could get past the too trite lyrics, Paul's vocals were spot on for 80's music. In my opinion, So Bad was in the middle of his Pipes of Peace and Broad Street period where people were getting tired of Paul's ultra "Pop" genre songs...especially Ebony and Ivory, Say Say Say and a little later with "No More Lonely Nights". He got so overplayed on Pop radio that people were getting a little sick of Paul. Many Beatle Paul fans were also probably thinking ...is this the Revolver, Hey Jude Paul we knew? As you rightfully suggest, it took him years to recover. Flowers in the Dirt and working with Elvis Costello got him back to his Beatles' mojo in my opinion.
You forgot "The Girl is Mine" - the worst offender of them all!
Talk about overplayed - it was the 1st single off the Thriller album...and one of the worst songs of the 80s. This was Maccas "Paulie Pop" period. Overplayed slight pop hits that killed his FM radio career.The sad thing about "The Girl is Mine" is that people blamed Paul for it when Michael Jackson actually wrote it. But it did manage to capture the essence of what many people found annoying about Paul.
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Bruce M.:
JoeySmith:
B J Conlee:
Bruce M.:
I remember hearing it a couple times on the radio when the single came out -- but always on Adult Contemporary radio, not Top 40 (specifically, I heard it on KOST-FM in Los Angeles), which I remember thinking was a sign that radio no longer considered Paul "cool." And that, of course, proved true.
_____________________________________________________ Yes "So Bad" was one of those "guilty pleasure" songs with Bee Gees' type harmonies. If you could get past the too trite lyrics, Paul's vocals were spot on for 80's music. In my opinion, So Bad was in the middle of his Pipes of Peace and Broad Street period where people were getting tired of Paul's ultra "Pop" genre songs...especially Ebony and Ivory, Say Say Say and a little later with "No More Lonely Nights". He got so overplayed on Pop radio that people were getting a little sick of Paul. Many Beatle Paul fans were also probably thinking ...is this the Revolver, Hey Jude Paul we knew? As you rightfully suggest, it took him years to recover. Flowers in the Dirt and working with Elvis Costello got him back to his Beatles' mojo in my opinion.
You forgot "The Girl is Mine" - the worst offender of them all!
Talk about overplayed - it was the 1st single off the Thriller album...and one of the worst songs of the 80s. This was Maccas "Paulie Pop" period. Overplayed slight pop hits that killed his FM radio career.The sad thing about "The Girl is Mine" is that people blamed Paul for it when Michael Jackson actually wrote it. But it did manage to capture the essence of what many people found annoying about Paul.
____________________________________________________ Totally agree...Girl is Mine was by far the worst of the collaborations. No wonder it took Paul 5-6 years to recover. Too much commercial success and overexposure particularly in the music business can surely backfire even if you're Paul McCartney. Flowers in the Dirt started the reversal Thank God but the biggest thing is that he did the world tour. It was huge since people forgot how good of a performer Paul was and gave him the opportunity to bring back all those Beatle songs many of which were never performed live. The "Flowers" songs on the tour were very good too.
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Yet all four of those songs that some people put down were big hits, meaning they were quite popular. I suppose success CAN be argued with.
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I'd probably have a heart attack if I heard "So Bad" on the radio. Especially since I've never heard any Paul song on the radio around here. K-pop is big right now. If he does a song with Orange Caramel or Crayon Pop, he could have a huge hit.
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As an aside, heard 'My Brave Face' tonight in the Natick (Massachusetts) Stop and Shop...but I think that's more so a muzak system and not the radio
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As we speak, Chris Evans is playing Flaming Pie on BBC radio 2!! i dont recall ever hearing that on the radio before. it sounds great and its a very good start to my working day!
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i would have changed stations pretty quickly...
