80's Flashback

Erasure, A Little Respect, 1988. Although Erasure has had a whopping 35 Top 40 hits in the UK, including 15 that made the Top 10, this one was one of their only three singles to be pop smashes in the U.S., topping out at #14 a few months after their biggest stateside hit, Chains Of Love, peaked at #12. On the U.S. dance chart it's a different story of course, where Erasure has posted 17 Top Ten hits (including two #1's.) It's a tough call to pick my favorite Erasure track, but if I had to, A Little Respect would be it. I'll never forget the time the DJ at an Atlanta tea-dance turned down the music so hundreds and hundreds of men could be heard singing loudly, "Sooooooul, I hear you callllllling." Still gives me goosebumps to think about it. UNRELATED: I've run into Andy Bell in gay bars in six different states. And counting.