That Old Song - Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio (1981)

By the time Ray Parker, Jr. had reached his late twenties, he was already a long-time veteran of the music industry. Not only had he worked as a session guitarist for many of the most prominent R&B and pop artists, he also had developed considerable skills as a songwriter and producer. In 1977, Ray and three other musicians formed Raydio, a collaboration which produced several top 40 hit singles, including "Jack and Jill," "You Can't Change That," and "Two Places at the Same Time" during the years 1978 to 1980.

A Woman Needs Love, the group's fourth album, was released in 1981. Credited to Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio, the title track became the group's most successful single. It was followed by "That Old Song," a smooth midtempo effort featuring Ray on lead vocals. The single peaked at #21 and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts respectively in the summer of 1981, and also gave the group their first Adult Contemporary chart hit, with a peak of #7.

"That Old Song" is included on the compilations Greatest Hits and The Best of Ray Parker, Jr., as well as A Woman Needs Love, available as an import. Listen to the track on YouTube:

Better Love Next Time - Dr. Hook (1979)

The early 1970s recordings of Dr. Hook, for a time billed as Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, were more country-oriented in style and sometimes featured humorous subjects. As the decade wore on, however, the group's sound gradually evolved to a more pop/rock based style, with love and relationships as dominant lyrical themes. During the years 1976-79, the group would release nine singles, several of which did very well on the charts, especially 1979's "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman," a #6 hit in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K.

Later that year, the group recorded its eighth studio album, Sometimes You Win. "Better Love Next Time" was the first of several singles to be released from the album. Debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 in the autumn of 1979, the radio-friendly hit achieved a solid #12 placing on the U.S. singles chart. It was also quite successful in the U.K., where it peaked at #8.

Listen to the complete track at YouTube via this link: .
Although Sometimes You Win does not appear to be currently in print, "Better Love Next Time" is featured on a number of the group's hits compilations, including the excellent Greatest Hits (And More).