October 7, 1972 Part One

Damn, another repeat week. But at least there's a six-week gap this time, so there should be plenty of new musical meat to chew on. We'll see how this goes.

40 - "I'll Be Around," The Spinners
39 - "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind," Sam Neely
38 - "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry," Jerry Wallace
37 - "Geronimo's Cadillac," Michael Murphey
36 - "Midnight Rider," Joe Cocker with the Chris Stainton Band
35 - "I Believe in Music," Gallery
34 - "Run to Me," The Bee Gees
33 - "I Can See Clearly Now," Johnny Nash
32 - "Power of Love," Joe Simon
31 - "If I Could Reach You," The 5th Dimension

A good start. Only two songs that were on the last '72 list: the Bee Gees' ballad and the Joe Simon hit, which grew on me some upon second listen.

Two artists I'd never even heard of are in this group. Sam Neely sounds like a sped-up recording of Jim Croce on the folky "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind." Jerry Wallace, meanwhile, topped the country charts with "If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry," a song that became a hit after being played repeatedly on a mysterious jukebox on an episode of the Rod Serling TV series Night Gallery. Kind of like what happened in the 80s to Billy Vera and the Beaters after that one episode of Family Ties.

Two artists who are mainly known for one song are here with songs other than the ones that first come to mind for most people. Michael "Wildfire" Murphey is present with his first hit, a song about the injustice done to American Indians that was apparently inspired by a 1905 photograph of the native chief driving a car (which apparently was not a Cadillac but a Locomobile). Gallery are most famous for their quintisentially 70s "Nice to Be With You," but here they offer the idealistic Mac Davis composition, "I Believe In Music."

There are also two lesser-known singles by artists who had several hits. Joe Cocker, backed by the Chris Stainton Band (whoever they are) turns in a typically spirited cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider." The 5th Dimension, the group who gave us "Up, Up and Away," "Wedding Bell Blues," and so many others, had their last signficant hit with the pleading ballad "If I Could Reach You." Later, singer Marilyn McCoo would co-host the cheesy but beloved music show Solid Gold.

Rounding out the section are two flat-out classics. The Spinners put their spin (yeah, I know) on the old "you can count on me" theme, but it doesn't sound cliched at all. And Johnny Nash produces one of pop's greatest busts of unbridled, unapologetic optimism with "I Can See Clearly Now." You can't not smile when that song is on. You just can't.

30 - "Witchy Woman," The Eagles
29 - "Thunder and Lightning," Chi Coltrane
28- "Honky Cat," Elton John
27 - "Alone Again (Naturally)," Gilbert O'Sullivan
26 - "Don't Ever Be Lonely," Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose
25 - "Starting All Over Again," Mel and Tim
24 - "Listen to the Music," The Doobie Brothers
23 - "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," Danny O'Keefe
22 - "Beautiful Sunday," Daniel Boone
21 -"Freddie's Dead," Curtis Mayfield

Three repeaters from six weeks earlier in this bunch: Elton leaving the country behind for the city lights, Gilbert killing himself, and Daniel basking in a glorious weekend afternoon.

Two one-hit wonders in the group. Chi Coltrane made one contribution to North America airwaves with the sexy, soulful "Thunder and Lightning," before hopping the Atlantic and becoming a star in Europe. Danny O'Keefe seems to have gotten lost in the singer-songwriter shuffle of the time, but he did manage to make one impression on the masses with "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," a song I had only heard part of before when it was plaved at the end of an episode of Night Court.

Classic rock makes two dents in this quarter in the form of the Eagles sultry evocation of a lady who may be able to show you a good time but probably won't be good for you long term, while the not-really-related Doobie Brothers simply want you to hear them. In a way, that sentence depicts those two bands in a nutshell.

This summary of the first half of the chart concludes with three R&B numbers. Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose's entry sounds a lot like their previous hit "Too Late To Turn Back Now." Mel and Tim, who had broken through three years earlier with the not-so-subtle metaphor for rear-end gyration, "Backfield in Motion," are on the scene with a "let's try to stay friends after the breakup," ballad that dates itself from the start by opening with a Western Union messenger presenting one of the cousins with a telegram. And then there's the indisputably awesome "Freddie's Dead," Curtis Mayfield's tragic tale of the drug trade from his indispensible Superfly soundtrack. This may not have been my greatest entry in this enterprise, but at least it goes out with me having one hell of a great song in my head.

End of Part One. In the conclusion: three 50s superstars, two solo efforts from the youngest members of brother acts go head to head (one wins decisively), and a guy who was looking like a one-hit wonder until 1981, when...you'll see.