Larry Lee (1982) Number One Girl

 A bit of background, Larry Lee was the drummer for country rockers, Ozark Mountain Daredevils; a band developed in 1974 by the same people who helped put together the Eagles two years prior. Though their experimental bluegrass sound may never had emulated the same success of the Eagles, they did have a no 3 hit with a breezy ballad full of hard rock guitars and piano by the drummer, Larry Lee called 'Jackie Blue'. Larry Lee's story isn't so different from that of Kiss drummer Peter Criss, like Criss he was not the lead singer songwriter but the third singer in the band who contributed a few compositions to each album. Also like Criss, he would sing and compose their respective band's biggest hits; and also like Criss's ballad Beth, Jackie Blue was nothing like their usual repertoire and would never be reproduced by either band. Also like Criss, he embarked on a solo career in 1979 leaving the Ozark Mountain Daredevils to see if he could follow up with an album away from the style of their groups indulging in their own tastes and ultimately failing.

Lee's 1982 solo debut, Marooned is a nice 80s soft rock collection that features a few good songs such as the singles, Don't Talk and ballad, The Best is Yet to Come alld renched in 80s synths sounds. Though Number One Girl is chosen as it comes close to sounding like Jackie Blue, something OMD dared not do the same way Kiss never tried to write another Beth type song. It has the same stabbing piano keys and heavy slide guitar of his 1976 hit but with a more of a romantic fun feel with great pop chorus.