#MusicMonday – November 16, 2020

Talkin’ to myself, runnin’ in the heat, beggin’ for your “like” on my blog…

Such complete intoxication, I’m so high on hitting the “publish” button!

In actuality, I write these in advance, so it is the “schedule” button I hit when I finish my posts.

But still, such complete intoxication for finishing a post!

I had to check back through past Music Mondays to make sure I had not written about today’s song. I’ve covered Survivor on here before, a song about a time that their lead singer “I Can’t Hold Back” how he feels for a girl he is smitten with in a book store. But, as it turns out, I have not covered today’s song, soooo…yea!

“High on You” is a 1985 single by Survivor, from their 1984 album Vital Signs. The single was the second released from the album, behind the aforementioned “I Can’t Hold Back,” and before “The Search Is Over.” Written by founding members Frankie Sullivan and Jim Peterik, and came from a jam session during a rehearsal. Peterik said the title had stuck with him since 1977, explaining:

“Lyrically, I’ve had that title ever since the CBS convention in 1977 when Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone – there were rumors about him being strung out on drugs – he bolts on stage all cleaned up and says, ‘I want you to know, people, I am high on you.” Everybody applauded. There’s a title if I ever heard one, so I guess indirectly he inspired that song.” (Source: Songfacts – “High on You”)

And this is why these groups have such staying power, because while the music video is amazing, it is also amazing 80s MTV, and we know that doesn’t exist anymore.

“High on You” reached #8 on both the Top Rock Tracks and Billboard Hot 100 (the album reached #16 on Billboard’s Top Pop Albums), and was one of five Top 10 singles for the group and their fourth highest-charting single. The group would release two more albums following Vital Signs, When Seconds Count in 1986, and Too Hot to Sleep in 1988. The latter album was a retooling of Survivor’s sound, and was met with poor sales. The group disbanded at that time, but reunited in 1993, with various personnel changes and one additional album in 2006. They’re still together today, with Frankie Sullivan being the only original member of the group.

Lead singer Jimi Jamison toured using the Survivor name during the 1990s, which lead to two lawsuits by Peterik and Sullivan (one loss, one win). Jamison would later return to Survivor in 2000, only to leave again in 2006, and return in 2011. His death in 2014 (contributed to both health issues and methamphetamine intoxication, putting an end to an era where Jamison’s voice was front and center of some of the group’s greatest hits.

It was the kind of music that always brought about the best kind of high, that only a great song can provide!

Have a great Monday, and enjoy the music!

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