This week in 1982: Space shuttle Columbia landed safely in California following a fourth test flight; President Ronald Reagan agreed to contribute U.S. troops to a peacekeeping unit in Beirut; San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban handguns and a singer from Houston, Texas, had his 27th hit record.
A lot of hit songs have been written under unusual circumstances, and Kenny Rogers' 1982 No. 1, "Love Will Turn You Around" was one of those tunes.
As the story goes, Rogers was on the road after finishing up his "Six Pack" movie - which still didn't have a song which could also make a hit record.
Songwriters David Malloy and Even Stevens were on their way to meet Kenny on his concert tour. During the trip, the pair began working on a song. After catching up with Kenny and singing their new song to him, Rogers added a melody that he had been working on.
On their return to Nashville, Malloy and Stevens decided to include their friend and fellow songwriter Thom Schuyler in the creation of the new song.
So they stopped and called Schuyler at midnight (this was before cellphones) and had him meet them at their office at 2 a.m.
The three of them worked on the song the rest of the night.
Kenny Rogers' Liberty Records single "Love Will Turn You Around" became part of the "Six Pack" movie and the single came on the country music charts July 10, 1982 and was at the top of the list on Sept. 4th.
The single was produced by Kenny Rogers and Davis Malloy and was Kenny's 27th charted song and his 13th No. 1.
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