Dave Edmunds — “Slipping Away”

Entered Top 40:  July 30, 1983
1 week 
Peaked at: 39

Coming out of the British blues-rock scene, Dave Edmunds had scored a UK Christmas Number One in 1970 with “I Hear You Knocking,” also a US #4 hit in 1971. Edmunds had some more UK attention in the late ’70s through his association with Nick Lowe (they were both in Rockpile, which supported both of their solo efforts) and Elvis Costello; but it took a collaboration with ELO’s Jeff Lynne to get him back in the US Top 40. Despite producing all his own solo records to this point, in 1983 Edmunds Jeff Lynne produce two songs on his Information LP, including the Lynne-penned “Slipping Away.”

Edmunds and Lynne continued to work together the following year; Lynne produced 6 songs on Edmunds’ Riff Raff album, and wrote 3; none of them approached the US Top 40, though a cover of the Four Tops’ “Something About You” was a #16 hit on the Mainstream Rock tracks. In the 21t century, Edmunds has been more active as a producer than as a performer.