This week, we see what people were grooving to during Summer Solstice '75.
40 - "I'll Do for You Anything You Want Me To," Barry White
39 - "Theme from The Rockford Files," Mike Post
38 - "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell
37 - "Black Friday," Steely Dan
36 - "I'm on Fire," The Dwight Twilley Band
35 - "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," Elvis Presley
34 - "Please Mr. Please," Olivia Newton-John
33 - "Rockin' Chair," Gwen McRae
32 - "Midnight Blue," Melissa Manchester
31 - "One of these Nights," The Eagles
We start with R&B. Barry White didn't get any higher than #40 with his latest slice of loverman grooviness. Not much different than what you expect, but I have to say, it deserved at least a little better. And a year after Gwen McRae's then-husband George topped the charts with the disco precursor "Rock Your Baby," she herself hit the Top Ten with this funky offer to be a "good-lovin' daddy"'s piece of moving furniture. This may be some sort of sex code, but I'm not going to jump to conclusions.
Two shots of MOR. It's almost unfair to put Mike Post's rollicking, synthesizer-vs.-harmonica theme to James Garner's classic private eye series in the easy-listening category, but I'm doing it, so there. And joining it is Melissa Manchester's first hit, a Carole Bayer Sager co-written ballad about giving love one more shot. Although the meaning of the line "Wouldn't you give your hand to a friend," has been forever warped for me by Dickie Goodman's "Mr. Jaws."
There are also a couple big country crossover hits here. Glen Campbell was just entering the charts with the song that was at #1 on our very first visit to 1975 back in September. Very sad to hear this week that he's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but at least he's getting to do one more tour, so he gets a last chance to be where the lights are shining on him. And Olivia Newton-John has one of my favorites of hers here with this one in which she's peacefully drinking away her blues in a Nashville bar when "some buttton-pushin' cowboy" selects B17 on the jukebox, not knowing that it brings back painful memories of the guy Olivia just broke up with. Complete ignorance is no defense, you insensitive bastard!
We finish with rock. Steely Dan are their usual inscrutable selves on this song, which describes what Donald Fagen plans to do on the titular day. Apparently, it involves digging holes, shedding footwear, and feeding kangaroos. Sounds like fun. Dwight Twilley (an incredibly fun name to say over and over. Try it.) and his eponymous band of Oklahomans had their first and only hit with this fun bit of power pop greatness. Twilley, however, would have a solo hit (with a little backing vocal help from Tom Petty) nine years later with the even better "Girls." Elvis
himself actually qualifies as rock on this hit, a rousing flashback to the old days in which he describes a woman who's so bad she's good while simultaneously providing spelling lessons. Maybe his last great single. And the Eagles also return from last September, continuing their search for some female devil/angel hybrid, presumably to have sex and do cocaine with.
30 - "Why Can't We Be Friends," War
29 - "Shining Star," Earth, Wind and Fire
28 - "Baby That's Backatcha," Smokey Robinson
27 - "Swearin' to God," Frankie Valli
26 - "Dynomite," Bazuka
25 - "Hey You," Bachman-Turner Overdrive
24 - "Misty," Ray Stevens
23 - "The Way We Were/Try To Remember," Gladys Knight
22 - "I'm Not in Love," 10cc
21 - "Attitude Dancing," Carly Simon
We start with three songs that I've chosen to define as "rock." You can fight me over it if you ever meet me, but until then, this is the way it is. War are here with the song that battles "Low Rider" for the title of their best-known. Apparently, they'd like to be pals with everyone, even if you work for the CIA because "they wouldn't have you in the ma-FYE-ay." When Homer Simpson fought Drederick Tatum, he entered the ring to this song. BTO try to get my attention with their current hit. For most of it, it doesn't, but I do perk up when I hear those "sha-na-na-na"s. And artsy Brits 10cc had their biggest American hit with this haunting ballad of denial. I've been through that "silly phase" myself, boys. But you know it doesn't mean that much to me.
Then there's your soul and funk and disco and such. The band named after elements return from last time with their reminder that everyone is capable of something great. I think I believe that. Smokey Robinson didn't hit #1 on this chart with his song here the way his old colleagues did with "Love Machine," but he did top the R&B charts with this groovy mover in which he reminds a friend that their relationship is mutually beneficial. Bazuka had their only moment in the Top 40 sun with this noisy disco number in which the only word heard is an exclamation popularized by Good Times' Jimmie "J.J." Walker. You know what? I wish that show's theme song had been a hit instead of this. And Gladys Knight and her loyal crew go to town on Barbra Streisand's charttopper of the previous year. From Gladys' cool but passionate spoken-word intro (which uses parts of the lyrics of "Try to Remember" from the musical The Fantasticks; hence the title) to her delivery of lines like "Can it be that it was all so simple then," she just blows Babs away as far as I'm concerned. That's more props to Ms. Knight than a knock on Ms. Streisand.
We end things on a light note. Frankie Valli is pretty high on life, and himself, on his entry this week. He declares himself "king of all men" and his beloved "mistress of the world" Okay, Frankie, you're in love, I get it. But be a little humble, why don't you. Pride goeth before the fall, ya know. Ray Stevens takes a break from comedy to deliver a banjo version of the song Jessica Walter kept asking Clint Eastwood to play in that movie. Someone must have asked for this, but I sure didn't. For me, only Johnny Mathis should be "as helpless as a kitten up a tree." And Carly Simon attempts to launch a new dance craze with a song that's not really all that danceable. Not that it would have worked anyhow. In her proposed new dance, it doesn't matter how your body moves or what steps you do. It's all about changing your attitude. That's a good message and all, but if there are no steps or movements, then it's just...living. Then you could say sitting is dancing, sleeping is dancing, etc. Then chaos ensues, and society collapses. Is that what you really want, Carly?
Tomorrow: A guy I used to think was just a nobody who advertised his records on TV to old people shocks me by actually having had a genuine hit, the world's most unlikely feminist, and the bonding power of love is celebrated yet again.
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