I don’t know what it was about the summer of 1984, but that three-month stretch produced a bumper crop of pop. From “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and “When Doves Cry” to “Dancing In The Dark” and “I Can Dream About You.” Heck, even comparatively lesser hits, like Cyndi Lauper’s “She Bop” and Jermaine Jackson’s “Dynamite” continue to delight me 25 years later.

And so it is with Laura Branigan‘s “Self Control.” Taken from the LP of the same name, the tune was co-written by Giancarlo Bigazzi, an Italian songwriter also behind Branigan’s first big hit, “Gloria.” Harold Faltermeyer, who would go on to be known for his synth scores to films like Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun, handled the arrangement.

“Self Control” became Branigan’s third top ten hit, controlling the #4 position on Billboard’s Hot 100 for two weeks, beginning June 30, 1984. As for the music video, I thought Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” took the WTF award, but “Self Control” definitely gives that indecipherable curiosity a run for its money.

The video was directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection, The Exorcist), who must have been inspired by the song’s lyric, “I live among the creatures of the night.” MTV refused to air the clip unless cuts were made (Branigan ultimately relented):

“Self Control” was Branigan’s last visit to the top ten. In 2004, she re-recorded the song, and club mixes were issued. Just a few months later, on August 26, 2004, the singer suffered a brain aneurysm (reports said she’d ignored a lingering headache) and passed away in her sleep.

Purchase Laura Branigan – “Self Control” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.