Jules Shear was born in Pittsburgh and his biggest success has come in writing or co-writing hits for others…most notably “All Through the Night” for Cyndi Lauper and “If She Knew What She Wants” for The Bangles. He also worked with Lindsey Buckingham.
In 1988 Reckless Sleepers released their first and only album, Big Boss Sounds. The band’s label, college radio mainstay I.R.S. Records, concentrated the promotional push on the band’s lead singer and chief songwriter, Jules Shear. They inserted a sticker on the front of the record and shifted the billing to “RECKLESS SLEEPER Starring Jules Shear,”
Jules wrote the song and inexplicably gave this song away to Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers and they…pushed by Columbia records made it to #48 on the Billboard 100 and #8 in the Main Stream Rock Tracks in 1988. The Reckless Sleeper’s version didn’t chart because they were beaten to the punch with their own song.
Personally, I like The Reckless Sleepers version better. The guitar intro makes it worth it.
If We Never Meet Again
Well there’s one thing I’d like to rearrange
But after everything’s already happened and there’s nothing left to change
They can take their advice and use it all on themselves
‘Cause when all the talking stops I want to have something else
[Pre-Chorus 1]
I want to have a little faith
I want to know what a boy and girl can do
When they’re dizzy cause they’re just not spinning with this world
[Chorus]
Ah if we never meet again
If goodbyes remain unspoken
I won’t glorify our past
But our bond remains unbroken
If we never meet again
[Verse 2]
Well there’s one thing that I’ll never forget
It’s the beauty of a friendship that’s not over yet
I know how just one smile can be planted like a seed
And I want to do that with somebody else the way it was done for me
[Pre-Chorus 2]
I want to have a little faith
There’s something better at the end of this path
Cause these memories get old and flat like photographs
[Chorus]
Ah if we never meet again
If goodbyes remain unspoken
I won’t glorify our past
But our bond remains unbroken
If we never meet again
[Verse 3]
Now there’s one thing that I don’t need to even up
You can be what they’ve made you into or you can make your own luck
You can’t blindly fight your enemies
You can’t blindly follow your friends
I know it’s happened so many times
I guess it’s gonna happen again
[Pre-Chorus 3]
But I gotta have faith
I got to know that a boy and a girl
Can still make it even when they’re just not spinning with this world
[Chorus]
Ah if we never meet again
If goodbyes remain unspoken
I won’t glorify our past
But our bond remains unbroken
If we never meet again
If goodbyes remain unspoken
I won’t glorify our past
But our bond remains unbroken
If we never meet again

Never heard of Restless Sleepers but I did by that Tommy Conwell debut on tape back in the day(the day being 30 years ago lol) as I’m Not Your Man was a great track.
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Dude that is impressive! I knew this post was about a not too well known band but I never dreamed someone heard of either one of them… and you had a tape of them.
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Truth be told my buddies band at the time was playing I’m Not Your Man and after there set I asked him who was that by? He told me and I went abd bought it on tape.
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That is cool man. Our band played a few of these.
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How my buddy heard it I have no idea so I really can’t take credit for this one lol
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I’ve heard of Shears – he inspired a great album, Til Tuesday’s Everything’s Different Now. I hear he’s a great songwriter but not a great singer.
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He’s not a great singer…if you don’t mind…check out my favorite powerpop songs post I made earlier this morning…I wanted your take on it if you don’t mind.
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Wow, I don’t recall having ever heard of Jules Shear before – nice tune! I think I agree with you I prefer the version by the Reckless Sleepers, a band I also had not been aware of.
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I did a “My Favorite Power Pop songs” post right before that one so I thought I would find a rare one.
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have seen his name here and there but didn’t know anything much of him. He certainly can write good songs anyway.
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All of this is new to me. Reckless Sleepers, in this song, remind me of Lone Justice a bit.
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Yea that guitar riff does sound like them some. After doing that powerpop 10 list I wanted to get another unknown song in there.
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You just couldn’t keep it at 10, huh? LOL!
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It was just too hard to do that. I want to do 20 more lists…of powerpop songs!
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LOL!
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