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Blame It on the Radio

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"Blame It on the Radio"
Single by John Parr
from the album Running the Endless Mile
B-side"Two Hearts"
Released1986
GenrePop/Rock
Length4:17
LabelAtlantic Records
Songwriter(s)John Parr
Producer(s)John Parr
John Parr singles chronology
"Two Hearts"
(1986)
"Blame It on the Radio"
(1986)
"Don't Worry 'Bout Me"
(1987)

"Blame It on the Radio" is a song by English singer/musician John Parr, released in 1986 as the lead single from his second studio album Running the Endless Mile. It was written and produced by Parr,[1] and reached No. 88 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It remained on the charts for six weeks and became Parr's last entry on the chart.[2]

Release

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"Blame It on the Radio" was released on 7" vinyl by Atlantic Records in the United States and Japan only. The B-side, "Two Hearts", also appeared on Running the Endless Mile. A promotional 7" vinyl was also issued in the US, with "Blame It on the Radio" on both sides of the vinyl.[3] The single's artwork used the same photo of Parr as on the Running the Endless Mile cover, but zoomed in for a closer shot of his face.[4]

Promotion

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A music video was filmed to promote the single.[5] It was directed by Meiert Avis and produced by Paul Spencer for Midnight Films Ltd. It achieved medium rotation on MTV.[6] On 6 December 1986, Parr performed the song on the 293rd episode of the American syndicated music television series Solid Gold.[7]

Critical reception

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Billboard described "Blame It on the Radio" as "cheerful, strutting AOR pop".[8] Dave Sholin, writing for the Gavin Report, commented: "Just what you'd expect from a guy who knows how to make records for the radio. Parr stays on the commercial course with a song that'll have 'em singing along after about sixty seconds."[9] AllMusic picked the song as an album stand-out track by highlighting it as an AMG Pick Track.[10]

Track listing

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7" single
  1. "Blame It on the Radio" (LP Version) - 4:17
  2. "Two Hearts" (LP Version) - 6:06
7" single (US promo)
  1. "Blame It on the Radio" - 4:16
  2. "Blame It on the Radio" - 4:16

Personnel

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  • John Parr - lead vocals, producer
  • Chris Marra - guitar
  • John Cooke, Peter-John Vettese - keyboards
  • Brad Lang - bass
  • Graham Broad - drums, percussion
  • Tony Taverner - engineer
  • Steve Rook - mastering

Charts

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Chart (1986) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 Chart[2] 88

References

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  1. ^ "John Parr - Running The Endless Mile (CD, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
  2. ^ a b Billboard. "John Parr Blame It On The Radio Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  3. ^ "John Parr - Blame It On The Radio (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
  4. ^ "Images for John Parr - Blame It On The Radio". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
  5. ^ "John Parr - "Blame It On The Radio" [Official Music Video". YouTube. 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  6. ^ "Billboard". 1986-12-06. p. 53. Retrieved 2018-04-05 – via Internet Archive. john parr blame it on the radio. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  7. ^ johnparr.net. "Discography". John Parr. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
  8. ^ "Single Reviews". Billboard. 8 November 1986. p. 71.
  9. ^ Sholin, Dave (31 October 1986). "Dave Sholin's Personal Picks - Singles". Gavin Report. p. 65.
  10. ^ "Running the Endless Mile - John Parr : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-07-13.