Summary: On the eve of Valentine’s Day, we're is still collecting your nominations for the Most Romantic Song Ever. But it’s important to pay tribute to the, how shall we put it, less successful entries in the love-song genre. Mario Correa -- writer and Entertainment Weekly Radio host -- offered up these three “disastrous love songs” for Soundcheck's occasional series That Was a Hit!?!, about songs that perhaps never should have made it to the charts. Actual Disaster: Maureen McGovern, “The Morning After” (a.k.a. “Love Theme from The Poseidon Adventure”) This was the granddaddy of [disaster-movie theme songs]. In the [1972] movie, the Poseidon is capsized by that rogue wave, but the song is sung at a happy point right before the wave hits. It was originally supposed to be an out-and-out love song, called “Why Must There Be a Morning After”, as in the “morning after” lovemaking. But then when they were writing it, they decided to make it more about the disaster. It ended up as a mish-mash between a love song and survival of a massive sea disaster. Very Icky Disaster: Benny Mardones, “Into the Night” It’s a beautiful song when you listen to it -- not very closely. Here’s the problem: It was originally going to be called “She’s Just Sixteen Years Old.” Now, a record producer wisely said to the [then 34-year-old] songwriter and performer, Benny Mardones, “Let’s change that title.” The Disastrously Crowded Relationship: Kenny Rogers, “What About Me?” (feat. Kim Carnes and James Ingram) It was a big hit in 1984 -- No. 15 on the charts. You had these singers from very different worlds coming together in this very awkward threesome. It’s not clear to me who is loving who in this song? As a kid, I was very intrigued by which two singers were the couple. Later in the song, the lovers switch and the “odd man out” is a different person. In case you’re keeping score folks, at the end of song, it’s Kim Carnes who sings, “What about me?”
