Song idea came from telephone conversation
This week in 1983: The Ford Motor Co. marked the 75th anniversary of the Model T; The CIA reported using Salvadoran air base to supply Nicaraguan rebe ls ; James Watt resigned as Secretary Of Interior; and a singer from Hugo, Oklahoma, had his 9th hit record.
Conversations, telephone conversations included, or something overheard during a phone conversation, have provided the idea or “hook line” for several hit songs.
And B.J. Thomas’ 1983 No. 1, “New Looks from an Old Lover” was one of those tunes.
According to B.J., he walked into the kitchen one morning as his wife was on the phone and she remarked to a friend on the other end of the line that she “was getting new looks from and old lover.” B.J. said the line struck him as a great idea and he encouraged his wife to write the song, which she later did write with Red Lane and Lathan Hudson for B.J.’s first Columbia album titled “New Looks.”
“Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love” was the first single to be released from that album and “New Looks from an Old Lover” was the second single and came on the charts July 9th, 1983. It was at the top of the charts on October 1st, 1983.
It was his 9th charted song and his 3rd No. 1. The Columbia single was on the charts for 21 weeks.
B.J. Thomas placed 17 songs on the country music charts between 1975 and 2000. Four of those songs also placed on the pop charts.
B.J. was born Billy Joe Thomas in 1942 and was raised in Rosenberg, Texas. He joined The Grand Ole Opry in 1981.
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