Blame It on the Radio
"Blame It on the Radio" is a song by English singer/musician John Parr, released in 1986 as the lead single from his second studio album Running the Endless Mile. It was written and produced by Parr,[1] and reached No. 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the charts for six weeks and became Parr's last entry on the chart.[2]
"Blame It on the Radio" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by John Parr | ||||
from the album Running the Endless Mile | ||||
B-side | "Two Hearts" | |||
Released | 1986 | |||
Genre | Pop/Rock | |||
Length | 4:17 | |||
Label | Atlantic Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Parr | |||
Producer(s) | John Parr | |||
John Parr singles chronology | ||||
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Release
"Blame It on the Radio" was released on 7" vinyl by Atlantic Records in the United States and Japan only. The B-side, "Two Hearts", also appeared on Running the Endless Mile. A promotional 7" vinyl was also issued in the US, with "Blame It on the Radio" on both sides of the vinyl.[3] The single's artwork used the same photo of Parr as on the Running the Endless Mile cover, but zoomed in for a closer shot of his face.[4]
Promotion
A music video was filmed to promote the single.[5] It was directed by Meiert Avis and produced by Paul Spencer for Midnight Films Ltd. It achieved medium rotation on MTV.[6] On 6 December 1986, Parr performed the song on the 293rd episode of the American syndicated music television series Solid Gold.[7]
Critical reception
Billboard described "Blame It on the Radio" as "cheerful, strutting AOR pop".[8] Dave Sholin, writing for the Gavin Report, commented: "Just what you'd expect from a guy who knows how to make records for the radio. Parr stays on the commercial course with a song that'll have 'em singing along after about sixty seconds."[9] AllMusic picked the song as an album stand-out track by highlighting it as an AMG Pick Track.[10]
Track listing
- 7" single
- "Blame It on the Radio (LP Version)" - 4:17
- "Two Hearts (LP Version)" - 6:06
- 7" single (US promo)
- "Blame It on the Radio" - 4:16
- "Blame It on the Radio" - 4:16
Chart performance
Chart (1986) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100 Chart[2] | 88 |
Personnel
- John Parr - lead vocals, producer
- Chris Marra - guitar
- John Cooke, Peter-John Vettese - keyboards
- Brad Lang - bass
- Graham Broad - drums, percussion
- Tony Taverner - engineer
- Steve Rook - mastering
References
- "John Parr - Running The Endless Mile (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
- Billboard. "John Parr Blame It On The Radio Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- "John Parr - Blame It On The Radio (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
- "Images for John Parr - Blame It On The Radio". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
- "John Parr - "Blame It On The Radio" [Official Music Video". YouTube. 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
- "Billboard". 1986-12-06. p. 53. Retrieved 2018-04-05 – via Internet Archive.
john parr blame it on the radio.
Cite magazine requires|magazine=
(help) - johnparr.net. "Discography". John Parr. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
- "Single Reviews". Billboard. 8 November 1986. p. 71.
- Sholin, Dave (31 October 1986). "Dave Sholin's Personal Picks - Singles". Gavin Report. p. 65.
- "Running the Endless Mile - John Parr : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-07-13.