CoronaVinyl Day 325 (E): You Could Have Been With Me by Sheena Easton

For an explanation of CoronaVinyl, click here.

Today's CoronaVinyl category is "E," and all I have left for "E" artists are albums by the Eagles and Sheena Easton, so I'll just alternate.  Since I did an Eagles album more recently, it's Easton's turn.  Today's selection is her second studio album, 1981's You Could Have Been With Me.

The album is definitely pure 1981, as it's what I would call post-disco pop, as several songs have some disco elements, but it mostly projects into early '80s soft pop, eith Easton's smooth and soulful voice taking center stage, as you might expect.  After her debut album released earlier in 1981 had done pretty well -- garnering Easton two Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including the #1 song "9 to 5 (Morning Train)" -- Easton's second album continued along the same path, but didn't do quite as well.  The first side appears to have a love-lamenting theme, with the back-to-back-to-back songs "You Could Have Been With Me," "Just Another Broken Heart," and "I'm Not Worth the Hurt."  Side two is dude-centered, with "A Letter from Joey," "Johnny," and "When He Shines."

The album went to #47 on the Billboard album chart and #33 on the album chart in her native UK.  It did net her two more Top 40 hits in the U.S., "When He Shines" (which was also released on her first album), which went to #30 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the title track, which went to #15.

The Spotify version of the album has five bonus tracks, and the song order isn't exactly the same as it is on the actual album.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Just Another Broken Heart"
This one is definitely the poppiest song on the first side, and with it's chorus and backing vocals, it appears to have some doo wop influences to mix in with that '80s pop sounds.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "A Letter From Joey"
The first track on the second side is a heartfelt soft rocker that tells the story of receiving what is, in essence, a Dear John letter, but in this case, it would be a Dear Sheena letter from someone named Joey.