Back in the '70s, AOR radio and
soul
radio were two very different formats -- and not just because one played
rock
and the other played
R&B
. "AOR" stood for
album-oriented rock
, which was an accurate name because that format was, in fact, album-oriented; at AOR, album tracks that were never released as singles could be candidates for heavy rotation.
Soul
radio, however, was much more singles-oriented -- an established
radio DJ could play some album tracks here and there, but singles were the primary focus. And that wasn't good news for
Pleasure
, who were more of an album act than a singles act.
recorded great albums, but for the most part, they didn't have the type of singles that drove program directors wild.
Accept No Substitutes
,
's second album, is a perfect example of a record that is excellent but, as a rule, didn't blow program directors away. The
funk
gem
"Let's Dance"
had the makings of a radio hit, although radio didn't really take notice until the
West Street Mob
covered it in 1981. At any rate,
's relatively small group of hardcore fans loved this record. They loved the
jazz
-tinged
of
"Pleasure for Your Pleasure"
and
"I'm Mad"
; they loved the mellow, laid-back
quiet storm
outlook of
"The Love of My Life."
did contain one charting single: the hypnotic
"Ghettoes of the Mind,"
which wasn't a huge smash but did become a minor hit and was a favorite at
's live gigs. Had '70s
radio been as album-minded a medium as AOR radio, this
Wayne Henderson
-produced LP might have enjoyed heavy rotation. But in a medium that worshipped singles,
was fighting an uphill battle. Regardless, most
fans think of this LP as a highly respectable sophomore outing. ~ Alex Henderson