“You’re Still New to Me”
Marie Osmond and Paul Davis
Written by Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet
Radio & Records
#1 (1 week)
October 24, 1986
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
November 22, 1986
The family friendly musical Osmond Clan was a good fit for the sagas of domestic bliss that Paul Overstreet and Paul Davis liked to write back in the eighties.
The happy couple here is supporting their neighbors through a bad breakup and it has them celebrating that their love is eternal and still feels brand new. It’s a sweet sentiment that inspires strong performances and is only held back by some poor choices in the studio.
The production was already dated upon release, and it sounds even more antiquated today. The keyboard hook sounds like Cat Stevens’ “Father and Son” played on a starter Casio by an aspiring elementary school musician. It’s an extra flourish that’s completely unnecessary. Davis sounds great and Osmond makes the chorus melody soar. There’s some acoustic instrumentation on there already and it would’ve sufficed as the full backing track.
Still, it’s a better moment to end on with Marie Osmond than her previous solo number one, so she goes out on a high note. We’ll see Davis again soon.
“You’re Still New to Me” gets a B.
Every No. 1 Single of the Eighties
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I think for only the second time in this feature I was unable to bring to mind any aspect of the #1 hit, from the song title to the artists. I legitimately allowed myself time to let some connection emerge, but none did.
Until I heard it. I was pleasantly and completely surprised by a gentle memory, sort of like bumping into an old classmate after many years. Sure the production is jarring, but the vocals sound sweet and the songwriting still rings sincere.
I enjoy listening to this song now as much as I assume I must have back then.
I seem to have a soft spot for ’80s duets between unexpected vocal partners.
…speaking of the unexpected, mr. saros. since we both seem to have a soft spot for pop flavoured country of the 80s – here’s a tune from germany (70s) for you. there they have this style/genre “schlager” – i.e. “hit songs” (even those tunes that weren’t a hit on the charts are called like that). aren’t the similarities quite astonishing?
https://youtu.be/JlUSsUKNAxM?feature=shared
…or listen to this one from the hugely popular german tv charts show “zdf-hitparade” (early/mid 70s) and compare it to tanya tucker’s “just another love” of some ten years later:
https://youtu.be/BfwnPeRvUPI?feature=shared
by the way, most people over here in the german speaking world would only reluctantly confess that they enjoy/love this genre – but the arenas usually are packed when its stars show up – even or in some cases particularly the classic ones from the golden age of it in the 70s.
here’s today’s schlager superstar (for good measure and a rather enjoyable optical experience):
https://youtu.be/q9BcKTEugs0?feature=shared
ms fischer has been selling out the biggest arenas three to five times in a row when touring major cities like berlin, vienna or zürich in the last decade or so.