On this day in 1983: Lionel Richie started a four week run at #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “All Night Long (All Night).” The song is off his second solo album, ‘Can’t Slow Down’ and combined Richie’s soulful Commodores style with Caribbean influences. This new, more dance, pop inspired-inspired approach proved popular, as the single reached number one on three Billboard Charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary).

The song lyrics were written primarily in English, but Richie has admitted in at least one press interview that “African” lyrics in the song, such as “Tom bo li de say de moi ya” and “Jambo jumbo”, were in fact his sui generis dialects. Richie has described these portions of the song as a “wonderful joke”, written when he discovered that he lacked the time to hire a translator to contribute the foreign-language lyrics he wished to include in the song. Richie performed the song at the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Here’s a look at the complete Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1983:

1 2 ALL NIGHT LONG (All Night) Lionel Richie (Motown)-9 (1 week at #1) (1)
2 1 ISLANDS IN THE STREAM –•Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton (RCA)-12 (1)
3 5 UPTOWN GIRL –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-8 (3)
4 6 SAY SAY SAY –•– Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (Columbia)-5 (4)
5 3 TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART –•– Bonnie Tyler (Columbia)-18 (1)
6 4 ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER –•– The Fixx (MCA)-11 (4)
7 12 CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE –•– Quiet Riot (Pasha)-9 (7)
8 8 DELIRIOUS –•– Prince (Warner Brothers)-11 (8)
9 7 MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL –•– Air Supply (Arista)-16 (2)
10 11 SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER –•– The Motels (Capitol)-11 (10)

11 9 TELEFONE (Long Distance Love Affair) –•– Sheena Easton (EMI-America)-13 (9)
12 10 TRUE –•– Spandau Ballet (Chrysalis)-15 (4)
13 17 LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD –•– Pat Benatar (Chrysalis)-8 (13)
14 15 MODERN LOVE –•– David Bowie (EMI-America)-9 (14)
15 18 HEART AND SOUL –•– Huey Lewis & The News (Chrysalis)-10 (15)
16 16 TONIGHT, I CELEBRATE MY LOVE –•– Peabo Bryson / Roberta Flack (Capitol)-19 (16)
17 19 SAY IT ISN’T SO –•– Daryl Hall & John Oates (RCA)-3 (17)
18 20 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) –•– Michael Jackson (Epic)-6 (18)
19 21 CRUMBLIN’ DOWN –•– John Cougar Mellencamp (Riva)-5 (19)
20 13 KING OF PAIN –•– The Police (A&M)-12 (3)

On this day in 1988: The Escape Club went to #1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Wild, Wild West.” it would spend one week in the top spot. The song is the title track off their 1988 debut album ‘Wild, Wild West.’ When the song hit #1 in the U.S. it made the Escape Club the only British artist to have a #1 hit in the United States while never charting in the UK.

The lyrics, with phrases such as “I love her eyes and her wild, wild hair”, “heading for the ’90s, living in the wild, wild west”, are augmented with gunshot, laser and blaster (a la Star Wars) sound effects.

Here’s a look at the Top 20 on the U.S. singles chart from this day back in 1988:

1 2 WILD, WILD WEST –•– The Escape Club – 13 (1)
2 1 KOKOMO –•– The Beach Boys – 11 (1)
3 4 THE LOCO-MOTION –•– Kylie Minoque – 12 (3)
4 5 BAD MEDICINE –•– Bon Jovi – 8 (4)
5 6 ONE MOMENT IN TIME –•– Whitney Houston – 10 (5)
6 8 DESIRE –•– U2 – 7 (6)
7 3 GROOVY KIND OF LOVE –•– Phil Collins – 11 (1)
8 13 BABY, I LOVE YOUR WAY/FREEBIRD –•– Will To Power – 10 (8)
9 15 KISSING A FOOL –•– George Michael – 6 (9)
10 7 NEVER TEAR US APART –•– INXS – 14 (7)

11 12 HOW CAN I FALL? –•– Breathe – 10 (11)
12 17 LOOK AWAY –•– Chicago – 8 (12)
13 16 ANOTHER LOVER –•– Giant Steps – 13 (13)
14 18 DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT (TILL IT’S GONE) –•– Cinderella – 11 (14)
15 20 I DON’T WANT YOUR LOVE –•– Duran Duran – 5 (15)
16 22 GIVING YOU THE BEST THAT I GOT –•– Anita Baker – 8 (16)
17 23 WAITING FOR A STAR TO FALL –•– Boy Meets Girl – 10 (17)
18 10 WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND (PURE ENERGY) –•– Information Society – 18 (3)
19 24 A WORD IN SPANISH –•– Elton John – 9 (19)
20 9 RED RED WINE –•– UB40 – 29 (1)