Skip to My Lou (Finis Henderson song)

"Skip to My Lou" was a 1983 single for singer Finis Henderson III. It was released on the Motown label and became a hit for him that year.

"Skip to My Lou"
Song by Finis Henderson III
from the album Finis
A-side"Skip to My Lou"
B-side"I'd Rather Be Gone"
Released1983
LabelMotown 1669 MF
Composer(s)F. Hamilton
Producer(s)Al McKay
Finis Henderson III singles chronology
"Skip to My Lou"
(1983)
"Lovers"
(1983)

Background

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"Skip To My Lou" was written by Frank Hamilton. The song was produced by Al McKay. It appears on Henderson's Finis that was released in 1983. The album version of the song runs for five minutes and one second.[1]

It was reported in the 27 August 1983 issue of Billboard that Henderson was working on a video for "Skip to My Lou". It was being produced by Joe Orlandino of Bop Theater in Chicago. The director was Tony Aguilera.[2]

Reception

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The single was reviewed in the 7 May 1983 issue of Cash Box. It received a positive review with the reviewer making references to a Romeo waking up a sleeping beauty. The record was descrived as having a playful funk groove.[3]

Airplay

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As noted by R&R in the 6 May issue, Henderson's single was one of the additions to the playlist in KIKI in Honolulu.[4] On the week of 20 May, it was noted by R&R that the single was added to the playlist of WILD in Boston,[5] WGCI in Chicago and WGPR in Detroit,[6] and KJCB in Lafayette,[7], and KDAY in Los Angeles.[8]

Along with "Hopscotch" by Gwen Guthrie, "Bad Lady" by Stone City Band and "It's You I Love (So in Love)" by Pamela Nivens, Skip to My Lou was one of the mentioned black contemporary Up and Coming singles in the 11 June issue of Cash Box.[9]

It was noted in the 16 July issue of Cash Box that the single was one of the highlights at radio KJFJ in Los Angeles.[10]

The single was recorded as a breaker (Appearing on an airplay action page for the first time) by Music & Video Week in the 23 July issue.[11] The following week, Music & Video Week had it as one of the bubblers.[12]

Chart

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On the weeks of 18 June 1983, the single debuted at no. 86 on the Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary singles chart.[13] On 27 August, and in its eleventh charting week, the single peaked at no. 33 on the Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles chart.[14][15] It was still in the chart at no. 97 on week 15.[16]

The single peaked at no. 48 on the week of 23 July and spent a total of thirteen weeks in the Billboard chart.[17]

It charted in the UK, and on the week of 16 July, it moved up twenty notches from no. 50 to no 30 on the Record Mirror Disco chart.[18] That week the single also debuted at no. 99 on the Record Mirror Top Singles chart.[19] On the week of 23 July, the single had moved up from no. 99 to no. 77 in the Music & Video Week The Next 75 chart.[20]

On the week of 30 July, the single had moved up from no. 25 to its peak position of no. 22 on the Record Mirror Disco chart.[21] Also on that week, the single had dropped down to no. 41 from no. 26 in the Music & Video Week Disco & Dance Top Singles chart.[22] It was still in the Record Mirror Disco chart at no. 57 on the week of 9 September.[23]

References

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  1. ^ Session Days - 1983 Finis Henderson – Finis
  2. ^ Billboard, August 27, 1983 - Page 27 Video, Music Monitor, * Finis:
  3. ^ Cash Box, May 7, 1983 - Page 10 NEWS & REVIEWS, REVIEWS, SINGLES (continued from page 8), NEW AND DEVELOPING, FINIS HENDERSON (Motown 1669 MF) Skip To My Lou (4:07)
  4. ^ R&R Friday, May 6, 1983, - Page 57 CHR ADDS HOTS, WEST PARALLEI. TWO, KIKI/Honolulu, HI Kong/Shishido
  5. ^ R&R, May 20, 1983 - Page 50 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, EAST, WILD/BOSTON Elroy R.C. Smith
  6. ^ R&R, May 20, 1983 - Page 50 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, MIDWEST, WGCI/Chicago Richard Pegue; WGPR/Detroit Joe Spencer
  7. ^ R&R, May 20, 1983 - Page 50 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, SOUTH, KJCB/Lafayette Beatrice Evans
  8. ^ R&R, May 20, 1983 - Page 50 Black Radio Regionalized Adds & Hots, WEST, KDAY/Los Angeles Jack Patterson
  9. ^ Cash Box, June 11, 1983 - Page 32 BMCK CONTEMPORARY, UP AND COMING
  10. ^ Cash Box, July 16, 1983 - Page 27 BMCK CONTEMPORARY, BLACK RADIO HIGHLIGHTS, KGFJ - LOS ANGELES - GEORGE MOORE, PD
  11. ^ Music & Video Week, July 23, 1983 - Page 8 AIRPLAY ACTION, Breakers, FINIS HENDERSON-Skip To My Lou-Motown TMG 1304 (R)
  12. ^ Music & Video Week, July 30, 1983 - Page 8 AIPLAY ACTION, Bubblers
  13. ^ Cash Box, June 18, 1983 - Page 26 TOP 100 BLACK CONTEMPORARY SINGLES, June 18, 1983 86, 6/11 -, Weeks On Chart 1
  14. ^ Cash Box, August 23, 1983 - Page 25 TOP 100 BLACK CONTEMPORARY SINGLES, August 27, 1983 33, 8/20 35, Weeks On Chart 11
  15. ^ Cash Box, September 3, 1983 - Page 25 TOP 100 BLACK CONTEMPORARY SINGLES, September 3, 1983 38, 8/27 33, Weeks On Chart 12
  16. ^ Cash Box, October 8, 1983 - Page 25 TOP 100 BLACK CONTEMPORARY SINGLES, October 8, 1983 97, 10/1 66, Weeks On Chart 17
  17. ^ Records and Charts - Finis Henderson “Skip To My Lou”
  18. ^ Record Mirror, July 16, 1983 - Page 30 DISCO, 30 50 SKIP TO MY LOU, Finis Henderson, Motown 12 in
  19. ^ Record Mirror, July 16, 1983 - Page 42 TOP SINGLES Week ending July 16, 1983, THIS WEEK • 99, LAST WEEK _, SKIP TO MY LOU, Finis Henderson, Motown TMG1304
  20. ^ Music & Video Week, July 23, 1983 - 7 & 12 - INCH, THE NEXT 75, This Week 75, Last Week 99
  21. ^ Record Mirror, July 30, 1983 - Page 26 RECORD MIRROR DISCO, 22 25
  22. ^ Music & Video Week, July 30, 1983 - Page 27 MUSIC & VIDEO WEEK TOP SINGLES DISCO & DANCE, THIS WEEK 41, LAST WEEK 26, WEEKS ON CHART 5< SKIP TO MY LOU Finis Henderson Motown TMG (7) 1304 (R)
  23. ^ Record Mirror, September 3, 1983 - Page 30 RECORD MIRROR DISCO, 55 37 SKIP TO MY LOU, Finis Henderson, Motown 12 in


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