B.J. Thomas: “Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love” (1983)
By 1983, having bounced around from label to label and ventured into contemporary Christian music for a bit, B.J Thomas was six years removed from his last top 40 pop hit.
British New Wave dominated the pop charts and shoved many a 70’s pop star to the fringes, to oldies act status, or to the country charts. For Billy Joe Thomas, the country scene made a comfy fit. “Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Love”, his final pop chart entry at #93, was a number one country hit.
Had it been the immediate follow-up to pop #1 hit (and longest-titled song ever to top the pop charts) “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” in 1975 it may have found a wider pop audience.
Even if you were familiar with classics like “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”, “Hooked On a Feeling”, “I Just Can’t Help Believing” and “Rock and Roll Lullaby” this is a song you may have missed.