Pop music fans know that Robert Palmer went nuclear in the mid to late 80s with some bombastic singles accompanied by iconic videos. But he didn’t just drop out of the sky in that suit and tie to deliver those hits.

Palmer had been toiling for about a decade before that, recording excellent music on the fringe of the mainstream. His first US Top 40 hit came with a song that would score for him again many years down the road in a remixed version.

The Rise of Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer could do a little bit of everything. He played multiple instruments, often handling most of the background work on his albums. As a songwriter, he wrote killer hooks and subtly incisive lyrics. On top of all that, he stood out as a vocalist who could make an impression without overemoting.

In addition, Palmer displayed an affinity for tackling all types of genres. Memorable early songs of his ranged from New Orleans-style swing (“Sneakin’ Sally Through The Alley”) to reggae (“Pressure Drop”).

As often happens with multifaceted artists, Palmer had a hard time finding a niche that earned him a foothold with pop audiences. In terms of US singles success, he finally enjoyed his breakthrough with a song written by an old buddy of his.

“People” Pleasing

Andy Fraser played bass for the band Free, a British hard rock outfit that earned a great deal of success in the late 60s and early 70s. He co-wrote “All Right Now”, their biggest hit. While he was just starting out, Robert Palmer would often frequent shows by the band, focusing his attention on Fraser’s work on bass.

When Free fell apart, Fraser started working on some projects where he was out in front. He wrote a song called “Every Kinda People” for one of those projects. Although that proposed record didn’t see the light of day, Robert Palmer came calling and asked if he could record the song on his 1978 album Double Fun.

Fraser’s original lyrics skewed a bit more political. Palmer removed some of the more polarizing elements in the song, instead focusing on the lyrics’ plea for unity. The steel drum touches added a bit of Caribbean flavor to Palmer’s arrangement, while some disco flavor also emerged in the rhythm.

The Aftermath

“Every Kinda People” finally broke the seal on the US Top 40 for Robert Palmer. The song hit No. 16 in 1978. 14 years later, Palmer released a remixed version of the song as part of a greatest hits package. And it did some damage again, this time becoming a Top 10 hit on the Adult Contemporary charts.

Interestingly enough, “Every Kinda People” didn’t quite kick off a protracted run of hits for Palmer. He did score again the next year with “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)”. Following that, however, it would be another seven years until he reached that rarefied chart air again.

In 1985, Palmer, having spent some time with the supergroup The Power Station, utilized a few of his collaborators from that project on his album Riptide. “Addicted To Love”, the third single from the record, went to No. 1 in 1986, the first of three hits that made the Top 2 for him in the next two years.

Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images