Pretty Poison - Catch Me I'm Falling

Annnndddd suddenly it’s Monday 22nd, where ya all been?
You’ve got to hand it to these hardy Camden, New Jersey natives. Pretty Poison, probably the first group ever to cover a Tuxedomoon composition (which they did on a flexidisc included with one of several rare self-released singles), kept going through the ’80s without recognition long enough to somehow wind up scoring an honest-to-god Top 10 soundtrack single in 1987.

The 12-inch Laced EP shows off all of the band’s strengths, from the massed percussion of “Let Freedom Ring” to the catchy electro-pop of “Expiration.” Keyboardist Whey Cooler (wanker) leads the varied synth-dance-rhythm-rock, providing solid support for big-voiced singer Jade Starling. More resourceful than inventive, Pretty Poison stakes a strong case for national exposure.
“Catch Me I’m Falling,” recorded for a quickly forgotten Jon Cryer film called Hiding Out, did the trick; a bouncy, insistent dance hit with stuttering production that clicked, thanks to numerous soundalikes polluting the airwaves around the same time. Caught off guard by their runaway success, it took Pretty Poison a while to pull an album together, using an assortment of producers. Indeed, a few of the songs (including “Let Freedom Ring” and “Nighttime”) on Catch Me I’m Falling are remakes of old indie releases, a sign of material shortage. In any case, the album of predictable, utilitarian high-tech dancercise is no better or worse than the single that induced it.

Pretty Poison – Nightime

“Nightime” is the fourth single originally released in 1984 on Philly based label Svengali Records by American dance group based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pretty Poison. “Nightime” peaked at #14 on the Billboard dance chart on August 18, 1984, after spending ten weeks on the survey. The song was later remixed and re-released in 1988 after the success of “Catch Me (I’m Falling)”. Group members are Jade Starling (lead vocalist); Whey Cooler (keyboardist and guitarist); and Kaya Pryor (percussionist). This 12″ is also known as the Philly version. After signing with Virgin Records and the success of their biggest hit “Catch Me (I’m Falling)”, “Nightime” was re-released as a four track 12” remix. The single included new mixes by Shep Pettibone, Kae Williams Jr., and Whey Cooler.