Before I get into the top 20 songs of '74, I'm going to go back through the list of songs 100-41 and comment on the ones I find notable. And I'm going to do so in the style of receently retired talk show host Larry King's old USA Today column. Elipsis alert!
So we start at 100 with "Mighty Love" by the Spinners. Don't know it, but those guys are just fabulous, so it's probably great..."Beach Baby" by First Class at 94. That song sounded so big when I was little. Loved it...Stevie Wonder tells us "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" at 88. Sound advice...An Australian nun named Sister Janet Mead made this list at 85 with a rock version of "The Lord's Prayer." Why don't more nuns get into pop music? Or how about some of our female pop stars sign up for the convent? I don't know about you, but I think "Sister Gaga" has a ring to it...84 sees the Guess Who teaming with Wolfman Jack for their last significant hit, "Clap for the Wolfman." I'm gonna dig it 'til the day I die..."I Love" by Tom T. Hall at 83! Cool. I wonder if he imagined that his gentle country take on "My Favorite Things" would be turned into a bombastic beer commercial jingle in which the word "twins" is repeated salaciously...At 79 we find a single edit of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells." This was the part that was used as the theme for The Exorcist. The Tubular Bells album was the first big hit for Virgin Records, and thus we have it to thank/blame for Richard Branson...Eric Clapton's cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" is at 76, and was played as a NotCasey extra..."Moneymoneymoneymo-nay.....MONEY!" The O'Jays at 75...My homegirl Helen Reddy has two songs here, "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) at 71 and "You and Me Against the World" at 57...Hup Holland Hup! Golden Earring put a wave in the air with "Radar Love" at 64...BTO "Takin' Care of Business" at 63. Randy Bachman, 21 spots higher than his old band...The Righteous Brothers came back by name-dropping a lot of dead rockers in "Rock n' Roll Heaven" at 58...Joni Mitchell's "Help Me" at 53. Good for her, but I wish it was "Free Man in Paris"...Steely Dan tell Rikki not to lose that number at 51...The 1902 Scott Joplin rag "The Entertainer" is at 48, as performed by Marvin Hamlisch for the movie The Sting...47 is where we find Paper Lace's "The Night Chicago Died." They somehow managed to make a prohibition-era Windy City mob war in which "about a hundred cops" lost their lives sound like the greatest time ever. And this time, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods didn't swipe it from them...And there are my old buddies 3DN, with "The Show Must Go On," their only entry here at 42. It wouldn't go on much longer, though...
Now that that's out of the way, here's the Top 20:
20 - "Hooked on a Feeling," Blue Swede
This cover of a B.J. Thomas hit, featuring those legendary "ooga chaka"s, was the first song by a Swedish group to hit #1 in the U.S. Lower down on the list lurked the next Swedish charttoppers, ABBA, at 49 with "Waterloo." This was another NotCasey extra this week. The other one, I forgot to mention yesterday, was "Rock the Boat."
19 - "Sideshow," Blue Magic
Cool little R&B ballad imagining a circus attraction featuring extremely lonely people. This would apparently be "more exciting than a one-man band." Not so sure about that.
18 - "Sunshine on My Shoulders," John Denver
JD again, extolling the virtues of the star our planet revolves around, before we all lived in fear of UV rays and melanoma. A busker once sang this on the streets of Springfield during a heat wave, and someone punched him in the face.
17 - "Rock On," David Essex
This oddly hypnotic number was the only hit outside the UK for Mr. Essex. Despite its title and its mentions of James Dean and "Blue Suede Shoes" I wouldn't say it "rocks" But it's spare spookiness embeds itself in the brain, unlike the forgotten #1 hit cover Michael Damian did in 1989.
16 - "Spiders and Snakes," Jim Stafford
1974 was a big year for Stafford, a singer and comedian who was once the head writer for the legendary Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He hit the charts with the very thinly disguised pot anthem "Wildwood Weed," (#93 for the year) and the he's-not-saying-what-it-sounds-like he's-saying "My Girl Bill" (#90). But his biggest hit was this song about a guy who keeps getting into situations where he's with a girl who's, as the kids say "good to go," but gets his signals crossed and decides that what the lady wants if for him to gross her out with various icky animals. You would think that this would land Stafford the Uneasy Rider Award, and it was a very close race, but something a little higher up just edged him out.
15 - "Show and Tell," Al Wilson
This song that isn't about bringing your hamster to class was a #1 for soul singer Wilson, who would later record for Playboy Records, which, yes, was part of that Playboy company. I see Hef's engaged again. His business may be flagging, but apparently he isn't. *rimshot*
14 - "You Make Me Feel Brand New," The Stylistics
I don't remember if I liked the falsetto on the choruses to this soul classic when I was a kid, but I know I always paid attention when it came on the radio. They also made the list at #96 with "Rockin' Roll Baby."
13 -"Midnight at the Oasis," Maria Muldaur
This sutlry number about what goes on in the desert while the camels are sleeping was the biggest hit by far for New York folkie Muldaur. Very sexy, though I don't understand why she would say "cactus is our friend" if she's doing what I think she's doing. Then again, maybe she's into that.
12 - "Jungle Boogie," Kool and the Gang
For years, the only version of Kool and the Gang I knew were the bubblegum R&Bers behind "Celebration" and "Ladies' Night." But then Pulp Fiction introduced me to this swaggering slab of uncompromised funk, and it was a revelation. They also made the list at #59 with the even better "Hollywood Swinging."
11 - "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)," Aretha Franklin
This lush ballad about persisted love, co-written by Stevie Wonder, was Lady Soul's last Top Ten of the seventies. She wouldn't get back there until ten years later, when she went riding on the Freeway of Love in her pink Cadillac.
10 - "One Hell of a Woman," Mac Davis
The curly-haired one sings of a woman who, judging from the first four lines, is a woman, a baby, a witch, and a lady. It's lite pop, with a guitar line that reminded me of "Day Tripper." Mac, you bore me. Except that "It's Hard to be Humble" song. That was you, right?
9 - "Bennie and the Jets," Elton John
The biggest music star of the first half of the decade had a ho-hum year for him. He's at #78 with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," #72 with "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and up here in the Top Ten with this funky tale of rock excess that hit #1 on the pop and R&B charts. I've heard organists at NBA games play that unmistakable piano line as the home team is bringing the ball up the floor.
8 - "The Streak," Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens had been making records for years, scoring hits with novelty songs like "Ahab the Arab" and "Guitarzan," as well as the heartfelt "Everything is Beautiful." But then, the act of running naked through public places and events became a fad, even happening during the Oscars, and Stevens capitalized on the trend with this #1, his best-known hit. The verses are spoken-word, taking the form of live on the scene news reports in which a reporter (Stevens) asks a local yokel (also Stevens) to describe what happened when a mystery man ran nude through a supermarket, a gas station, and a playoff basketball game. In all cases, the yokel's wife Ethel, despite his warnings not to look, got an eyeful. The choruses are sung, and during the last one, the yokel sees the streaker again, and this time he's accompanied in the altogether by none other than that shameless hussy Ethel herself. It had competition in "Spiders and Snakes" (and if I'd opened up the competition to the whole 100, "The Lord's Prayer" might have pulled the upset), but in the end, Ray wins the Uneasy Rider Award. It almost certainly wasn't the oddest song to hit the charts in all of 1974, but among the songs that were weird and huge, it gets the nod.
7 - "T.S.O.P.," M.F.S.B.
The title initials stand for "The Sound Of Philadelphia," and the band ones "Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers." This, of course, was the theme from Soul Train. Don Cornelius was probably the first guy I ever saw on TV and immediately recognized as cool. The way that deep voice extolled the virtues of Afro Sheen...wow, that guy was The Man from the word go.
6 - "The Loco-Motion," Grand Funk Railroad
Casey informed us that this Little Eva cover was the second song to hit #1 in two different versions (the first was my old friend "Go Away Little Girl"). The boys do there usual big dumb rock thing with it, but the song is just so much fun that it actually works. Definitely better than the Kylie Minogue version.
5 - "Dancing Machine," The Jackson 5
The last big hit by the original Motown lineup. Speaking of Soul Train, it was on an episode of that show that Michael popularized the robot dance while performing this song. It wasn't the last time he'd create a sensation with a new dance step during a TV performance.
4 - "Come and Get Your Love," Redbone
This all-Native American group scored their biggest hit with this jaunty, catchy number. For me as a child, the lyrics were as unintelligible as those of "Louie Louie." But I loved it anyway. That guy's voice was mumbly in the best way.
3 - "Love's Theme," Love Unlimited Orchestra
"Lush" is the only word that comes close to describing this instrumental ballad, conducted by master loverman Barry White himself. You almost want to start slow dancing to this the instant you hear it, no matter where you are or what if any partners are available.
2 - "Seasons in the Sun," Terry Jacks
This version of a 1961 French hit was almost recorded by the Beach Boys, but it was ultimately Jacks, formerly one half of the duo The Poppy Family, who released it and had an unaccountably huge smash. I get that the idea that this guy saying his last goodbyes to his friend, his dad, and his daughter is supposed to be a touching tearjerker, but I just hear a whiny guy who I wish would just hurry up and die already. This was one of five songs by Canadians to hit Number One that year, and by far the worst.
And the biggest hit record of the year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Four was...
1 - "The Way We Were," Barbra Streisand
Barbra scored the biggest hit of the year with the title track from the film from the previous year in which she starred with Robert Redford. You all know it: "Memorieeeeeeeees light the corners of my miiiiiiiiiiiiiind." It's quite good for what it is, although on one of the shows I heard before I started this blog, I heard a Gladys Knight version of it that blew this one away. But still, it could be worse. Yesterday, I just happened to hear the end of the year end edition of the current, Ryan Seacrest-hosted version of AT40, and apparently the Number One song of 2010 was..."Tik Tok" by Ke$ha. Haven't heard it? I envy you.
So there it is. Happy New Year all. Back with more of whatever it is I do here in '11.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
1974 Part One
Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Mine was nice, and I hope yours was too. But now we're in the part of the year where you get a lot of retrospective pieces and lists going back over the year. Fittingly, this week we join Casey at Number 40 in his countdown of the Top 100 singles of the year Nixon resigned. I did manage to find the entire list online, so I'm going to touch upon some of the songs in the 41-100 range during these posts, but mainly we're focused on the top 40. And because of the occasion, I'm going to cover every single song individually for once.
40 - "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
The first and easily best offering from the frat-rock machine that would be ubiquitous for most of the rest of the decade. Some people call him Maurice, I've heard.
39 - "Top of the World," The Carpenters
Karen was happy for once on this #1. It's good to hear her that way, considering how things would end up.
38 - "Rock Your Baby," George McRae
McRae's only major hit was this #1 disco trifle written and produced by Harry Casey and Richard Finch, who would continue on with this sound as KC and the Sunshine Band. Not to be confused with the Hues Corporation charttopper "Rock the Boat," which just missed the Top 40 for the year, ending up at #43.
37 - "Nothing from Nothing," Billy Preston
Once again, it's that Fifth Beatle, with a spritely funk number. Not entirely sure what its about, although in one line, Preston declares himself "a soldier in the war on poverty." Admirable.
36 - "Just Don't Want to be Lonely," The Main Ingredient
I was sure "Everybody Plays the Fool," was the only real hit from Cuba Gooding Sr. and Co., but apparently I was mistaken. A decent ballad, but nothing special
35 - "Feel Like Making Love," Roberta Flack.
Gentle yet sexy soul from the woman who gave the world "Killing Me Softly," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Yeah, it would work.
34 - "The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," Gladys Knight and the Pips
The soul legends made the Top 100 three times: "On and On" was at 69, "I've Got to Use My Imagination" at 41, and this one cracked the top 40. And I'm sad to say I'm not that familiar with any of them. I need to bone up on my Pipology.
33 - "Dark Lady," Cher
Like Helen Reddy, Mrs. Bono had her own trilogy about women who'd been wronged. First there was the poor girl who was knocked up by a drifter in "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves." Then there was the mixed-race woman who could not overcome the prejudice of others in "Half-Breed." And then there was this one, my favorite. A woman visits a fortune teller to ask if her lover is being fatihful. The gypsy then uses playing cards to tell her that he is in fact cheating on her, and with someone close to her. Later, the woman goes home and catches her man in flagrande delicto...with the fortune teller! So of course, she shoots them both dead. I always think of this song when I'm playing online poker and I'm dealt a queen and a three.
32 - "If You Love Me, Let Me Know," Olivia Newton-John
The first woman whose voice I can remember falling in love with also put three hits in this list. The first was "I Honestly Love You," at #97, and this was the second. This was when she was planted firmly in the country genre, so much so that she was getting Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the Country Music Association. This one's all right, but I think she does much better with the song that's coming up soon.
31 - "You're Sixteen," Ringo Starr
The man who stole Pete Best's job hit Number One with this cover of a 1960 Johnny Burnette song. It features Paul McCartney on kazoo. Today's music could use more kazoo solos, if you ask me. He also showed up at #74 with "Oh My My."
30 - "Boogie Down," Eddie Kendricks
More pre-disco disco from the ex-Temptation Casey informed me preferred to record songs written or co-written by women, because women know what women like. Makes sense, I guess.
29 - "Rock Me Gently," Andy Kim
The co-author of "Sugar Sugar" tries recording a song not made famous by the Ronettes, and it pays off in the form of a #1. One I definitely dug as a kid, especially the keyboard part in the middle.
28 - "Sundown," Gordon Lightfoot
The wheezy Canuck folkie gets uncharacteristically gritty in this song about a "hard-lovin' woman" who is definitely not of the "take home to mother" variety. Perhaps that's why it was his only U.S. charttopper.
27 - "Let Me Be There," Olivia Newton-John
Now this is the stuff. I tell you, even at three, When she sang "Let me take you to that wonderland that only two can share," I wanted to let her. I realize now that this probably wouldn't have been that enjoyable for me, and would have gotten Olivia in some serious trouble. Things worked out for the best.
26 - "(You're) Having My Baby," Paul Anka
The teen idol turned Tonight Show theme composer had a #1 with this well-intentioned but kinda creepy paean to motherhood. I'm not sure he was quite the male chauvinist pig some painted him as at the time, but yeah, this song don't sit right.
25 - "Annie's Song," John Denver
The first of two on the list from good ol' JD. AKA "You Fill Up My Senses," this is proof that you can do a genuinely effective country-pop seduction ballad. To hear how it can all go horribly wrong, listen to "Afternoon Delight."
24 - "Time in a Bottle," Jim Croce
The second of the late folkie's entries on this list, after "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" at 86. This song can't be heard without thinking of the man's fate. There really never seems to be enough time, does there?
23 - "The Most Beautiful Girl," Charlie Rich
Charlie's voice lifts this above your typical "my woman left me" country song. It's a voice that fits the genre without living up to all the cliches. An indisputable classic. He also showed up at #89 with "Very Special Love Song."
22 - "Band on the Run," Paul McCartney and Wings
The Cute Beatle's other band made the list with "Helen Wheels" at 91, the fantastic "Jet" at 77, and finally this immortal three-songs-in-one about a gang of fugitives trying not to get caught by the jailer man and Sailor Sam. This is probably where he peaked artistically post-Fab Four.
21 - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero," Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
This story of a man who goes off to fight and gets himself killed by going above the call of duty, ignoring the pleas of his fiancee to "keep (his) head low" is actually set during the American Civil War, not Vietnam as is commonly thought. It was originally a U.K. #1 for the band Paper Lace, but before they could bring their version stateside, Donaldson and company put it out and scored a Number One of their own. But the Brits would score their own U.S. hit with another tale from America's past, which I'll mention at another time.
Tomorrow: I mention that thing I just said I'd mention at another time. Plus: Two "Blue" bands, a couple of novelty hits duke it out to be Uneasy Rider of an entire year, and two songs about looking back at the past occupy the top two spots.
40 - "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
The first and easily best offering from the frat-rock machine that would be ubiquitous for most of the rest of the decade. Some people call him Maurice, I've heard.
39 - "Top of the World," The Carpenters
Karen was happy for once on this #1. It's good to hear her that way, considering how things would end up.
38 - "Rock Your Baby," George McRae
McRae's only major hit was this #1 disco trifle written and produced by Harry Casey and Richard Finch, who would continue on with this sound as KC and the Sunshine Band. Not to be confused with the Hues Corporation charttopper "Rock the Boat," which just missed the Top 40 for the year, ending up at #43.
37 - "Nothing from Nothing," Billy Preston
Once again, it's that Fifth Beatle, with a spritely funk number. Not entirely sure what its about, although in one line, Preston declares himself "a soldier in the war on poverty." Admirable.
36 - "Just Don't Want to be Lonely," The Main Ingredient
I was sure "Everybody Plays the Fool," was the only real hit from Cuba Gooding Sr. and Co., but apparently I was mistaken. A decent ballad, but nothing special
35 - "Feel Like Making Love," Roberta Flack.
Gentle yet sexy soul from the woman who gave the world "Killing Me Softly," and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." Yeah, it would work.
34 - "The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," Gladys Knight and the Pips
The soul legends made the Top 100 three times: "On and On" was at 69, "I've Got to Use My Imagination" at 41, and this one cracked the top 40. And I'm sad to say I'm not that familiar with any of them. I need to bone up on my Pipology.
33 - "Dark Lady," Cher
Like Helen Reddy, Mrs. Bono had her own trilogy about women who'd been wronged. First there was the poor girl who was knocked up by a drifter in "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves." Then there was the mixed-race woman who could not overcome the prejudice of others in "Half-Breed." And then there was this one, my favorite. A woman visits a fortune teller to ask if her lover is being fatihful. The gypsy then uses playing cards to tell her that he is in fact cheating on her, and with someone close to her. Later, the woman goes home and catches her man in flagrande delicto...with the fortune teller! So of course, she shoots them both dead. I always think of this song when I'm playing online poker and I'm dealt a queen and a three.
32 - "If You Love Me, Let Me Know," Olivia Newton-John
The first woman whose voice I can remember falling in love with also put three hits in this list. The first was "I Honestly Love You," at #97, and this was the second. This was when she was planted firmly in the country genre, so much so that she was getting Female Vocalist of the Year awards from the Country Music Association. This one's all right, but I think she does much better with the song that's coming up soon.
31 - "You're Sixteen," Ringo Starr
The man who stole Pete Best's job hit Number One with this cover of a 1960 Johnny Burnette song. It features Paul McCartney on kazoo. Today's music could use more kazoo solos, if you ask me. He also showed up at #74 with "Oh My My."
30 - "Boogie Down," Eddie Kendricks
More pre-disco disco from the ex-Temptation Casey informed me preferred to record songs written or co-written by women, because women know what women like. Makes sense, I guess.
29 - "Rock Me Gently," Andy Kim
The co-author of "Sugar Sugar" tries recording a song not made famous by the Ronettes, and it pays off in the form of a #1. One I definitely dug as a kid, especially the keyboard part in the middle.
28 - "Sundown," Gordon Lightfoot
The wheezy Canuck folkie gets uncharacteristically gritty in this song about a "hard-lovin' woman" who is definitely not of the "take home to mother" variety. Perhaps that's why it was his only U.S. charttopper.
27 - "Let Me Be There," Olivia Newton-John
Now this is the stuff. I tell you, even at three, When she sang "Let me take you to that wonderland that only two can share," I wanted to let her. I realize now that this probably wouldn't have been that enjoyable for me, and would have gotten Olivia in some serious trouble. Things worked out for the best.
26 - "(You're) Having My Baby," Paul Anka
The teen idol turned Tonight Show theme composer had a #1 with this well-intentioned but kinda creepy paean to motherhood. I'm not sure he was quite the male chauvinist pig some painted him as at the time, but yeah, this song don't sit right.
25 - "Annie's Song," John Denver
The first of two on the list from good ol' JD. AKA "You Fill Up My Senses," this is proof that you can do a genuinely effective country-pop seduction ballad. To hear how it can all go horribly wrong, listen to "Afternoon Delight."
24 - "Time in a Bottle," Jim Croce
The second of the late folkie's entries on this list, after "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" at 86. This song can't be heard without thinking of the man's fate. There really never seems to be enough time, does there?
23 - "The Most Beautiful Girl," Charlie Rich
Charlie's voice lifts this above your typical "my woman left me" country song. It's a voice that fits the genre without living up to all the cliches. An indisputable classic. He also showed up at #89 with "Very Special Love Song."
22 - "Band on the Run," Paul McCartney and Wings
The Cute Beatle's other band made the list with "Helen Wheels" at 91, the fantastic "Jet" at 77, and finally this immortal three-songs-in-one about a gang of fugitives trying not to get caught by the jailer man and Sailor Sam. This is probably where he peaked artistically post-Fab Four.
21 - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero," Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
This story of a man who goes off to fight and gets himself killed by going above the call of duty, ignoring the pleas of his fiancee to "keep (his) head low" is actually set during the American Civil War, not Vietnam as is commonly thought. It was originally a U.K. #1 for the band Paper Lace, but before they could bring their version stateside, Donaldson and company put it out and scored a Number One of their own. But the Brits would score their own U.S. hit with another tale from America's past, which I'll mention at another time.
Tomorrow: I mention that thing I just said I'd mention at another time. Plus: Two "Blue" bands, a couple of novelty hits duke it out to be Uneasy Rider of an entire year, and two songs about looking back at the past occupy the top two spots.
Monday, December 20, 2010
December 26, 1970 Part Two
Stage Two:
20 - "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," Neil Diamond
19 - "It's Impossible," Perry Como
18 - "Groove Me," King Floyd
17 - "River Deep, Mountain High," The Supremes and The Four Tops
16 - "I'll Be There," The Jackson 5
Neil Diamond kicks things off. He recorded this song about the fraternal bond before the Hollies did, but their version was released as a single first, and was a bigger hit. And was better, as far as I'm concerned. But Neil's a Hall of Famer now, so I'm sure he doesn't care.
Then it's the man who was once memorably played by Eugene Levy as a half-asleep man on a couch singing "I Love the Nightlife" on SCTV, with an English version of a Mexican ballad called "Somos Novios." Pretty standard easy-listening love song, but in a field sorely lacking in oddity, Perry Como wins this week's Uneasy Rider Award. Here's this once-huge pre-rock crooner who was too square to stay relevant in the sixties unlike Frank or Dean, and suddenly, here he is, back in the Top 40, rubbing elbows with Elton and Zeppelin. These sort of things could happen back then, which I think is kind of awesome.
The quite feminine-sounding King Floyd is here with this classic funk strut. It was playing while Homer Simpson tried to correct the indentation made by his buttocks in his couch, which had been ruined by carnies who had been squatting in his house. Good times.
The post-Diana Supremes teamed up with The Four Tops for this version of the Phil Spector-produced Ike and Tina Turner single that had famously flopped in the U.S. but is now regarded as a classic. This version doesn't quite live up to that, but it was the bigger hit, so I guess they can claim a win on some level.
Finally it's Michael and his brothers with the song that was #1 on our last visit to this year. It's fantastic. Nothing more to add.
15 - "We've Only Just Begun," The Carpenters
14 - "For the Good Times," Ray Price
13 - "Stoney End," Barbra Streisand
12 - "Domino," Van Morrison
11 - "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)," The Presidents
Karen and Richard open things up with that song made for weddings. Will it be played at mine? If the future Mrs. Glovehead allows.
Then it's country veteran Ray Price, who after nearly two years of country hits, scored his biggest pop hit with this gem written by Kris Kristofferson. Just good stuff.
After building her career on the songs of musical theatre, Barbra Streisand decided to take a stab at contemporary pop with this R&B number about youthful rebellion, written by legendary songwriter Laura Nyro. Stepping away from show tunes worked out well, becaus this was her biggest hit since "People." So she would keep it up for a while, eventually even doing disco and working with Barry Gibb. She should try that now, maybe doing an album with the Black-Eyed Peas and Nickelback. You know you'd want to hear it.
Van Morrison is here, pleading with a DJ for some rhythm and blues music on the radio. And to help, he provides a terrific slice of it with this number. I'm not sure what dominoes had to do with anything, though.
Rounding out the group are The Presidents, who were, not surprisingly, from Washington, D.C. It's a basic song about long-lasting relationships. Myself, if I want to hear a "5, 10, 15, 20" song, I'd look up the one from Schoolhouse Rock.
The Ten Tunes at the Top of the Totem Pole:
10 - "No Matter What," Badfinger
My favorite song by the power-pop band signed to the Beatles' Apple label. In a power-pop showdown, I'd take them over the Raspberries, but the unfortunalely hitless Big Star over both of them.
9 - "Gypsy Woman," Brian Hyland
The man who gave the world the naughty novelty "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" ten years earlier returned to the Top Ten with a Curtis Mayfield-penned song about...a Gypsy woman. Nice song, shame about the singer.
8 - "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?" Chicago
This is one of the band's jazziest hits. It's hard to imagine the band that was doing this even contemplating doing shit like "If You Leave Me Now" at the time. But times change, sadly.
7 - "Stoned Love," The Supremes
The biggest hit the group had without Miss Ross. It's a cry for peace and love, as was the style at the time, and had nothing to do with drugs, despite the title. Although CBS thought it might, because they cut the group's performance of it from an episode of the Merv Griffin Show. Ooooooooh!
6 - "I Think I Love You," The Partridge Family
The biggest hit from the made-for-TV band featuring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, and future freakshow Danny Bonaduce. Another one that I'm sure is now stuck in your head just by me mentioning it. That's the risk you take reading these.
5 - "Black Magic Woman," Santana
Guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana and his eponymous band had what was their biggest hit for nearly two decades with this song about a lady who's trying to make a devil out of a guy. But then came that dick from Matchbox 20 with that horrible "Smooth'' song. Happy that Carlos got a comeback out of it, but Rob Thomas is the Antichrist of Rock.
4 - "Knock Three Times," Dawn
Okay, I'll make it official: This is my favorite song by Tony O. & Co. A latin-flavored confection about secret signals between lovers, with sound effects and everything. Just good dumb fun.
3 - "The Tears of a Clown." Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
This song had been released on an album a few years earlier, but not as a single. Then their U.K. label put it out there and it was a smash, and their counterparts across the pond followed suit and gave the Miracles their only #1 with Smokey. This song may be one of the crowning glories of Motown. Lyrically, musically, vocally, just a tour de force.
2 - "One Less Bell to Answer," The 5th Dimension
Marilyn McCoo gives one of her best performances on this Bacharach/David number about a woman who , despite trying to convince herself otherwise, still misses her lost love. Possibly the biggest hit song ever to mention eggs frying.
And the summit of musical popularity at the end of 1970 was occupied by...
1 - "My Sweet Lord/Isn't it a Pity," George Harrison
Yes, it was one of those double-sided singles that was on top this week, so Casey decided that he needed to play both songs (at the expense of "Share the Land." It's always the Canadians who get the short end, isn't it?) The A-side was the onetime "quiet Beatle"'s memorable shout out to higher powers in all their forms, but particularly to the Hindu god Krishna. The flip is a lesser-known but still strong meditation on the eternal question "Why are people such bastards to each other?" George was the first Beatle to have a solo Number One. I wonder how many people had that in the pool?
Casey's one Extra was Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher," which made me hate the Rita Coolidge version even more. And besides giving "Share the Land" its due, NotCasey played Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," and Judy Collins' version of "Amazing Grace."
Well, that's it. Merry Christmas, handful of readers. I do plan to do one of these next weekend, but if I don't for some reason, Happy New Year as well.
20 - "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," Neil Diamond
19 - "It's Impossible," Perry Como
18 - "Groove Me," King Floyd
17 - "River Deep, Mountain High," The Supremes and The Four Tops
16 - "I'll Be There," The Jackson 5
Neil Diamond kicks things off. He recorded this song about the fraternal bond before the Hollies did, but their version was released as a single first, and was a bigger hit. And was better, as far as I'm concerned. But Neil's a Hall of Famer now, so I'm sure he doesn't care.
Then it's the man who was once memorably played by Eugene Levy as a half-asleep man on a couch singing "I Love the Nightlife" on SCTV, with an English version of a Mexican ballad called "Somos Novios." Pretty standard easy-listening love song, but in a field sorely lacking in oddity, Perry Como wins this week's Uneasy Rider Award. Here's this once-huge pre-rock crooner who was too square to stay relevant in the sixties unlike Frank or Dean, and suddenly, here he is, back in the Top 40, rubbing elbows with Elton and Zeppelin. These sort of things could happen back then, which I think is kind of awesome.
The quite feminine-sounding King Floyd is here with this classic funk strut. It was playing while Homer Simpson tried to correct the indentation made by his buttocks in his couch, which had been ruined by carnies who had been squatting in his house. Good times.
The post-Diana Supremes teamed up with The Four Tops for this version of the Phil Spector-produced Ike and Tina Turner single that had famously flopped in the U.S. but is now regarded as a classic. This version doesn't quite live up to that, but it was the bigger hit, so I guess they can claim a win on some level.
Finally it's Michael and his brothers with the song that was #1 on our last visit to this year. It's fantastic. Nothing more to add.
15 - "We've Only Just Begun," The Carpenters
14 - "For the Good Times," Ray Price
13 - "Stoney End," Barbra Streisand
12 - "Domino," Van Morrison
11 - "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years of Love)," The Presidents
Karen and Richard open things up with that song made for weddings. Will it be played at mine? If the future Mrs. Glovehead allows.
Then it's country veteran Ray Price, who after nearly two years of country hits, scored his biggest pop hit with this gem written by Kris Kristofferson. Just good stuff.
After building her career on the songs of musical theatre, Barbra Streisand decided to take a stab at contemporary pop with this R&B number about youthful rebellion, written by legendary songwriter Laura Nyro. Stepping away from show tunes worked out well, becaus this was her biggest hit since "People." So she would keep it up for a while, eventually even doing disco and working with Barry Gibb. She should try that now, maybe doing an album with the Black-Eyed Peas and Nickelback. You know you'd want to hear it.
Van Morrison is here, pleading with a DJ for some rhythm and blues music on the radio. And to help, he provides a terrific slice of it with this number. I'm not sure what dominoes had to do with anything, though.
Rounding out the group are The Presidents, who were, not surprisingly, from Washington, D.C. It's a basic song about long-lasting relationships. Myself, if I want to hear a "5, 10, 15, 20" song, I'd look up the one from Schoolhouse Rock.
The Ten Tunes at the Top of the Totem Pole:
10 - "No Matter What," Badfinger
My favorite song by the power-pop band signed to the Beatles' Apple label. In a power-pop showdown, I'd take them over the Raspberries, but the unfortunalely hitless Big Star over both of them.
9 - "Gypsy Woman," Brian Hyland
The man who gave the world the naughty novelty "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" ten years earlier returned to the Top Ten with a Curtis Mayfield-penned song about...a Gypsy woman. Nice song, shame about the singer.
8 - "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?" Chicago
This is one of the band's jazziest hits. It's hard to imagine the band that was doing this even contemplating doing shit like "If You Leave Me Now" at the time. But times change, sadly.
7 - "Stoned Love," The Supremes
The biggest hit the group had without Miss Ross. It's a cry for peace and love, as was the style at the time, and had nothing to do with drugs, despite the title. Although CBS thought it might, because they cut the group's performance of it from an episode of the Merv Griffin Show. Ooooooooh!
6 - "I Think I Love You," The Partridge Family
The biggest hit from the made-for-TV band featuring Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, and future freakshow Danny Bonaduce. Another one that I'm sure is now stuck in your head just by me mentioning it. That's the risk you take reading these.
5 - "Black Magic Woman," Santana
Guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana and his eponymous band had what was their biggest hit for nearly two decades with this song about a lady who's trying to make a devil out of a guy. But then came that dick from Matchbox 20 with that horrible "Smooth'' song. Happy that Carlos got a comeback out of it, but Rob Thomas is the Antichrist of Rock.
4 - "Knock Three Times," Dawn
Okay, I'll make it official: This is my favorite song by Tony O. & Co. A latin-flavored confection about secret signals between lovers, with sound effects and everything. Just good dumb fun.
3 - "The Tears of a Clown." Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
This song had been released on an album a few years earlier, but not as a single. Then their U.K. label put it out there and it was a smash, and their counterparts across the pond followed suit and gave the Miracles their only #1 with Smokey. This song may be one of the crowning glories of Motown. Lyrically, musically, vocally, just a tour de force.
2 - "One Less Bell to Answer," The 5th Dimension
Marilyn McCoo gives one of her best performances on this Bacharach/David number about a woman who , despite trying to convince herself otherwise, still misses her lost love. Possibly the biggest hit song ever to mention eggs frying.
And the summit of musical popularity at the end of 1970 was occupied by...
1 - "My Sweet Lord/Isn't it a Pity," George Harrison
Yes, it was one of those double-sided singles that was on top this week, so Casey decided that he needed to play both songs (at the expense of "Share the Land." It's always the Canadians who get the short end, isn't it?) The A-side was the onetime "quiet Beatle"'s memorable shout out to higher powers in all their forms, but particularly to the Hindu god Krishna. The flip is a lesser-known but still strong meditation on the eternal question "Why are people such bastards to each other?" George was the first Beatle to have a solo Number One. I wonder how many people had that in the pool?
Casey's one Extra was Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher," which made me hate the Rita Coolidge version even more. And besides giving "Share the Land" its due, NotCasey played Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," and Judy Collins' version of "Amazing Grace."
Well, that's it. Merry Christmas, handful of readers. I do plan to do one of these next weekend, but if I don't for some reason, Happy New Year as well.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
December 26, 1970 Part One
Boxing Day, 1970. Seven weeks before I was born. And Casey airs...a regular weekly countdown. Well, let's get to it:
40 - "We Gotta Get You a Woman," Runt
39 - "Games," Redeye
38 - "After Midnight," Eric Clapton
37 -"Border Song," Aretha Franklin
36 - "Do It," Neil Diamond
35 - "Fire and Rain," James Taylor
34 - "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper," The Flaming Ember
33 - "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden," Lynn Anderson
32 - "Patch it Up/You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," Elvis Presley
31 - "Love the One You're With," Stephen Stills
We start off with some light rock. Runt, a band featuring Todd Rundgren and Soupy Sales' sons Hunt and Tony (who would later work with Iggy Pop and even later join the David Bowie-fronted band Tin Machine), kicks off the proceedings with a politically incorrect yet catchy song about trying to get a buddy laid. Then Redeye delivers an inconsequential CSNY knockoff. Eric Clapton follows with one of his better solo hits, in which he and his friends threaten to "let it all hang out." And the "S" in CSNY is here with his biggest hit on his own. He borrowed the title and hook of this hit about making do with whoever's nearby from "Fifth Beatle" Billy Preston, who apparently used to say this a lot. Nice.
There are six inductees in the questionably-meaningful Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the first ten, and four of them are in this paragraph. Aretha Franklin squeaked out a Top 40 hit with a solid, soulful cover of a song by a guy named Reginald Dwight. Neil Diamond, who was just announced as an inductee this week, shows up with some folky advice to tell your girl you love her...before it's too late. James Taylor returns from our last trip to this year with his hit about conflagrations and percipitation. And Elvis just missed the Top Ten with a funky riff on the same territory as "Suspicious Minds" and its flip side, a take on a grand ballad first popularized by Dusty Springfield.
27 - "Montego Bay," Bobby Bloom
26 - "Lonely Days," The Bee Gees
25 - "Can't Stop Loving You," Tom Jones
24 -"If I Were Your Woman," Gladys Knight and the Pips
23 - "Pay to the Piper," The Chairmen of the Board
22 - "One Man Band," Three Dog Night
21 - "Be My Baby," Andy Kim
Three classic rock perennials kick this section off. The Guess Who promise to be there and shake your hand on the day of some massive future land giveaway. Hasn't happened yet, but if you believe Fox News, Obama should be announcing it any day now. Save us, Sarah Palin! Oh, and Casey didn't actually play this song, for reasons I'll get to later. But NotCasey did at the end of the first hour. That Reggie Dwight fellow shows up again, with the song that made his name and launched his massive career. Somehow, I still like it after hearing it so often. And Led Zeppelin make another of their rare singles-chart appearances with a song apparently written during a tour of Iceland from the point of view of Vikings. Okay, that makes sense. I didn't think England was "the land of the ice and snow." Though apparently, it was this weekend.
Two guys who co-wrote big pop hits for other people are here with hits of their own. Bobby Bloom returns with his gentle ode to Jamaica, which is much better accompaniment for lounging on hammocks with tropical drinks than, say, the Beach Boys' awful, awful "Kokomo." And Canadian Andy Kim scored his second hit Ronettes cover in a year with "Be My Baby." Bigger things would come a few years later, in the form of the classic guilty pleasure "Rock Me Gently"
Three prolific artists who have at times fallen into the MOR category are in this section. The Bee Gees greet the day and wonder where they'd be without their woman. Tom Jones' song here is, unfortunately, not the famous country song Ray Charles had a big hit with, but just another big ballad to add to his ball of wax. Oh well, whatever makes the ladies launch their lingerie. And Three Dog Night are here as well. The singer claims he just wants to be your one-man band, but you can clearly hear the rest of the group playing behind him. Another fail, 3DN.
We close with some R&B. Gladys Knight makes a powerful case for herself as an alternative to some gentleman's current paramour, with the Pips providing yeoman assistance as always. And the Chairmen of the Board, best remembered for "Give Me Just a Little More Time," are represented here by a song whose basic message is, "I've spent a lot of money on you, so dammit, woman, it's time you let me in your pants." Some things are timeless.
Tomorrow: a couple guys I didn't think I'd be coming across in this decade, somebody's biggest hit without a certain someone else, and the reason why Casey snubbed Burton & co.
40 - "We Gotta Get You a Woman," Runt
39 - "Games," Redeye
38 - "After Midnight," Eric Clapton
37 -"Border Song," Aretha Franklin
36 - "Do It," Neil Diamond
35 - "Fire and Rain," James Taylor
34 - "I'm Not My Brother's Keeper," The Flaming Ember
33 - "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden," Lynn Anderson
32 - "Patch it Up/You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," Elvis Presley
31 - "Love the One You're With," Stephen Stills
We start off with some light rock. Runt, a band featuring Todd Rundgren and Soupy Sales' sons Hunt and Tony (who would later work with Iggy Pop and even later join the David Bowie-fronted band Tin Machine), kicks off the proceedings with a politically incorrect yet catchy song about trying to get a buddy laid. Then Redeye delivers an inconsequential CSNY knockoff. Eric Clapton follows with one of his better solo hits, in which he and his friends threaten to "let it all hang out." And the "S" in CSNY is here with his biggest hit on his own. He borrowed the title and hook of this hit about making do with whoever's nearby from "Fifth Beatle" Billy Preston, who apparently used to say this a lot. Nice.
There are six inductees in the questionably-meaningful Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the first ten, and four of them are in this paragraph. Aretha Franklin squeaked out a Top 40 hit with a solid, soulful cover of a song by a guy named Reginald Dwight. Neil Diamond, who was just announced as an inductee this week, shows up with some folky advice to tell your girl you love her...before it's too late. James Taylor returns from our last trip to this year with his hit about conflagrations and percipitation. And Elvis just missed the Top Ten with a funky riff on the same territory as "Suspicious Minds" and its flip side, a take on a grand ballad first popularized by Dusty Springfield.
We finish this section with a band that had three minor pop hits and a singer who had one major smash. The Flaming Ember were a white-soul outfit from Detroit, and the singer sounds to me a little like the great Levi Stubbs on this song about not painting a group of people with the same brush due to the actions of one. And in amongst the many country hits in the career of ex-Lawrence Welk regular Lynn Anderson is this #3 pop hit about taking the bad with the good. In the late 80s, Canadian dance duo Kon Kan would sample it on the less successful, yet still remembered fondly in some corners, "I Beg Your Pardon."
30 - "Share the Land," The Guess Who
29 - "Your Song," Elton John
28 - "Immigrant Song," Led Zeppelin27 - "Montego Bay," Bobby Bloom
26 - "Lonely Days," The Bee Gees
25 - "Can't Stop Loving You," Tom Jones
24 -"If I Were Your Woman," Gladys Knight and the Pips
23 - "Pay to the Piper," The Chairmen of the Board
22 - "One Man Band," Three Dog Night
21 - "Be My Baby," Andy Kim
Three classic rock perennials kick this section off. The Guess Who promise to be there and shake your hand on the day of some massive future land giveaway. Hasn't happened yet, but if you believe Fox News, Obama should be announcing it any day now. Save us, Sarah Palin! Oh, and Casey didn't actually play this song, for reasons I'll get to later. But NotCasey did at the end of the first hour. That Reggie Dwight fellow shows up again, with the song that made his name and launched his massive career. Somehow, I still like it after hearing it so often. And Led Zeppelin make another of their rare singles-chart appearances with a song apparently written during a tour of Iceland from the point of view of Vikings. Okay, that makes sense. I didn't think England was "the land of the ice and snow." Though apparently, it was this weekend.
Two guys who co-wrote big pop hits for other people are here with hits of their own. Bobby Bloom returns with his gentle ode to Jamaica, which is much better accompaniment for lounging on hammocks with tropical drinks than, say, the Beach Boys' awful, awful "Kokomo." And Canadian Andy Kim scored his second hit Ronettes cover in a year with "Be My Baby." Bigger things would come a few years later, in the form of the classic guilty pleasure "Rock Me Gently"
Three prolific artists who have at times fallen into the MOR category are in this section. The Bee Gees greet the day and wonder where they'd be without their woman. Tom Jones' song here is, unfortunately, not the famous country song Ray Charles had a big hit with, but just another big ballad to add to his ball of wax. Oh well, whatever makes the ladies launch their lingerie. And Three Dog Night are here as well. The singer claims he just wants to be your one-man band, but you can clearly hear the rest of the group playing behind him. Another fail, 3DN.
We close with some R&B. Gladys Knight makes a powerful case for herself as an alternative to some gentleman's current paramour, with the Pips providing yeoman assistance as always. And the Chairmen of the Board, best remembered for "Give Me Just a Little More Time," are represented here by a song whose basic message is, "I've spent a lot of money on you, so dammit, woman, it's time you let me in your pants." Some things are timeless.
Tomorrow: a couple guys I didn't think I'd be coming across in this decade, somebody's biggest hit without a certain someone else, and the reason why Casey snubbed Burton & co.
Monday, December 13, 2010
December 11, 1976 Part Two
Second half...
20 - "Love Ballad," L.T.D
19 - "Hot Line," The Sylvers
18 - "Dazz," Brick
17 - "Love Me," Yvonne Elliman
16 - "Stand Tall," Burton Cummings
Leading off are L.T.D., whose initials stood for Love Togetherness Devotion. Ain't that sweet? Certainly sweeter than writing a love ballad called "Love Ballad" that's only slightly less generic than its title.
The Sylvers were nine siblings from Memphis who at this time ranged in age from 14 to 25. They had topped the charts earlier in the year with "Boogie Fever." In this follow-up, they're searching for a lover via the telephone, even employing the help of the FBI and CIA. Um, if she's that hard to contact, shouldn't one take that as a hint? But then there'd be no song, I suppose
Brick are back, having more fun making up words. Last time we came across them, they coined "Dusic," as a short form for "dance music." On this, their biggest hit, the title is a less time-consuming way to say "disco jazz." The song's all right, but not as fun as making up your own crazy words for mashed-up genres. "Threzmer." "Fip-hop." "Grountry and Pestern."
Yvonne Elliman is next. She was born in Hawaii, gained fame in both the stage and film versions of Jesus Christ Superstar, then took on the pop world. This is a half-decent disco ballad, but to me, her greatest accomplishment will always be singing by far my favorite track on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, "If I Can't Have You." Apparently, the execs in charge wanted her to sing "How Deep is Your Love" instead, but the Bee Gees insisted on doing it themselves and gave her a different composition of theirs to sing. I think that worked out pretty well.
Rounding out this quintet is the only U.S. solo hit for Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings. It's a big ballad that seems to be about talking oneself out of suicide. It's suitably bombastic and uplifting. Nothing near his best Guess Who work, though.
15 - "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," Gordon Lightfoot
14 - "I Never Cry," Alice Cooper
13 - "After the Lovin'" Engelbert Humperdinck
12 - "Beth," Kiss
11 - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," Elton John
This group starts with Gordon Lightfoot's epic tale of a shipwreck on "the Great Lake they call Gitchee-Gumee." And unlike last time, I got to hear it. Casey played the whole thing, and there were definitely other songs that got edited down because of it, but really, you can't cut this one down and do it justice.
Alice Cooper is here, in the heart of the period where his only hits were ballads. On this one, he demonstrates an impressive vulnerability, even hinting at his real-life struggle with alcoholism. Though I still find the line about his heart being a virgin a little creepy.
Even as a child, I knew there was something smarmy about Engelbert Humperdinck. I didn't know how dirty his borrowed moniker sounded, nor was I aware exactly what "the lovin'" was. But I knew there was something kind of oily and off about the whole enterprise. And listening to this again, I shuddered. It's one of the few songs that could make me long for "Feelings."
Kiss are here with another one of the songs I missed last time. It's pretty enough, but weird to imagine it being sung in Peter Criss' cat makeup
Last in this section is Elton John, returning to piano balladry after a few ventures into more discoey waters. The man could do these in his sleep.
IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!
10 - "Nights are Forever Without You," England Dan and John Ford Coley
Okay, this one is almost as familiar to me as "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." I guess less familiarity breeds less contempt, because I can tolerate this one much more.
9 - "You are the Woman," Firefall
No, I'm not, guys. Go away.
8 - "Nadia's Theme," Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr.
I told you the Young and the Restless/Nadia Comaneci story behind this instrumental last time, and I have nothing to add. Is Michael Damian still on that show?
7 - "More Than a Feeling," Boston
Tom Scholz sees his Mary Ann walking away. Well, I guess he'll have to console himself with Ginger.
6 - "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," Leo Sayer
Can't deny, this song does get the feet in movin' mode. But I've never sang it in the mirror, like teenaged Homer Simpson and Barney Gumble did once, prompting Homer's father to rant about how what he's with isn't it, and what's it feels weird and scary to him.
5 - "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)," Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
Two "Juniors" in the top ten simultaneously. I wonder if that's a record. Anyway, decent song, great job.
4 - "Muskrat Love," The Captain and Tennille
The last of the songs I missed last time, and because I got to hear it and bask in its cheesy goodness (which was considerable, despite the rodent-sex verse being cut for time), it belatedly claims an Uneasy Rider Award. According to a story Casey told last night, the duo performed it at a White House reception for Queen Elizabeth, and a member of Her Majesty's entourage later called it "an insult," saying that a song about animals making love was inappropriate to be played in front of royalty. I must say, I agree. I also feel that songs about royals making love are inappropriate to be played in front of animals. That's just nasty.
3 - "Love So Right," The Bee Gees
"...turned out to be so wrong." This one might be more appropriate for royalty, given the Windsors' recent track record. Good luck William and Kate, I guess.
2 - "The Rubberband Man," The Spinners
Damn, these guys were great. This is kind of a novelty, but these guys work it so hard you can still take them seriously, unlike, say, "My Ding-a-Ling."
And the song that was still rockin' America 34 years ago was...
1 - "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," Rod Stewart
This seduction jam starts off on a bit of a creepy note, with Rod telling his conquest-to-be to stay away from the window and the back door. Nothing like asking someone not to try and escape to build a mood of romance. Well, apparently she didn't get away, because he refers to his "virgin child" as "girl" in the first two verses, then as "woman" in the last one. Damn, Rod, you couldn't even finish the song before deflowering her?
Three pretty well-known songs were this week's NotCasey extras: Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," ABBA's "Dancing Queen," and a live version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird."
On to the next. Apparently, Casey used to do special Christmas and "Top Hits of the Year," shows around this time. I wonder if we'll get any of those in these next three weeks.
20 - "Love Ballad," L.T.D
19 - "Hot Line," The Sylvers
18 - "Dazz," Brick
17 - "Love Me," Yvonne Elliman
16 - "Stand Tall," Burton Cummings
Leading off are L.T.D., whose initials stood for Love Togetherness Devotion. Ain't that sweet? Certainly sweeter than writing a love ballad called "Love Ballad" that's only slightly less generic than its title.
The Sylvers were nine siblings from Memphis who at this time ranged in age from 14 to 25. They had topped the charts earlier in the year with "Boogie Fever." In this follow-up, they're searching for a lover via the telephone, even employing the help of the FBI and CIA. Um, if she's that hard to contact, shouldn't one take that as a hint? But then there'd be no song, I suppose
Brick are back, having more fun making up words. Last time we came across them, they coined "Dusic," as a short form for "dance music." On this, their biggest hit, the title is a less time-consuming way to say "disco jazz." The song's all right, but not as fun as making up your own crazy words for mashed-up genres. "Threzmer." "Fip-hop." "Grountry and Pestern."
Yvonne Elliman is next. She was born in Hawaii, gained fame in both the stage and film versions of Jesus Christ Superstar, then took on the pop world. This is a half-decent disco ballad, but to me, her greatest accomplishment will always be singing by far my favorite track on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, "If I Can't Have You." Apparently, the execs in charge wanted her to sing "How Deep is Your Love" instead, but the Bee Gees insisted on doing it themselves and gave her a different composition of theirs to sing. I think that worked out pretty well.
Rounding out this quintet is the only U.S. solo hit for Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings. It's a big ballad that seems to be about talking oneself out of suicide. It's suitably bombastic and uplifting. Nothing near his best Guess Who work, though.
15 - "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," Gordon Lightfoot
14 - "I Never Cry," Alice Cooper
13 - "After the Lovin'" Engelbert Humperdinck
12 - "Beth," Kiss
11 - "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," Elton John
This group starts with Gordon Lightfoot's epic tale of a shipwreck on "the Great Lake they call Gitchee-Gumee." And unlike last time, I got to hear it. Casey played the whole thing, and there were definitely other songs that got edited down because of it, but really, you can't cut this one down and do it justice.
Alice Cooper is here, in the heart of the period where his only hits were ballads. On this one, he demonstrates an impressive vulnerability, even hinting at his real-life struggle with alcoholism. Though I still find the line about his heart being a virgin a little creepy.
Even as a child, I knew there was something smarmy about Engelbert Humperdinck. I didn't know how dirty his borrowed moniker sounded, nor was I aware exactly what "the lovin'" was. But I knew there was something kind of oily and off about the whole enterprise. And listening to this again, I shuddered. It's one of the few songs that could make me long for "Feelings."
Kiss are here with another one of the songs I missed last time. It's pretty enough, but weird to imagine it being sung in Peter Criss' cat makeup
Last in this section is Elton John, returning to piano balladry after a few ventures into more discoey waters. The man could do these in his sleep.
IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!
10 - "Nights are Forever Without You," England Dan and John Ford Coley
Okay, this one is almost as familiar to me as "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." I guess less familiarity breeds less contempt, because I can tolerate this one much more.
9 - "You are the Woman," Firefall
No, I'm not, guys. Go away.
8 - "Nadia's Theme," Barry DeVorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr.
I told you the Young and the Restless/Nadia Comaneci story behind this instrumental last time, and I have nothing to add. Is Michael Damian still on that show?
7 - "More Than a Feeling," Boston
Tom Scholz sees his Mary Ann walking away. Well, I guess he'll have to console himself with Ginger.
6 - "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," Leo Sayer
Can't deny, this song does get the feet in movin' mode. But I've never sang it in the mirror, like teenaged Homer Simpson and Barney Gumble did once, prompting Homer's father to rant about how what he's with isn't it, and what's it feels weird and scary to him.
5 - "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)," Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.
Two "Juniors" in the top ten simultaneously. I wonder if that's a record. Anyway, decent song, great job.
4 - "Muskrat Love," The Captain and Tennille
The last of the songs I missed last time, and because I got to hear it and bask in its cheesy goodness (which was considerable, despite the rodent-sex verse being cut for time), it belatedly claims an Uneasy Rider Award. According to a story Casey told last night, the duo performed it at a White House reception for Queen Elizabeth, and a member of Her Majesty's entourage later called it "an insult," saying that a song about animals making love was inappropriate to be played in front of royalty. I must say, I agree. I also feel that songs about royals making love are inappropriate to be played in front of animals. That's just nasty.
3 - "Love So Right," The Bee Gees
"...turned out to be so wrong." This one might be more appropriate for royalty, given the Windsors' recent track record. Good luck William and Kate, I guess.
2 - "The Rubberband Man," The Spinners
Damn, these guys were great. This is kind of a novelty, but these guys work it so hard you can still take them seriously, unlike, say, "My Ding-a-Ling."
And the song that was still rockin' America 34 years ago was...
1 - "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," Rod Stewart
This seduction jam starts off on a bit of a creepy note, with Rod telling his conquest-to-be to stay away from the window and the back door. Nothing like asking someone not to try and escape to build a mood of romance. Well, apparently she didn't get away, because he refers to his "virgin child" as "girl" in the first two verses, then as "woman" in the last one. Damn, Rod, you couldn't even finish the song before deflowering her?
Three pretty well-known songs were this week's NotCasey extras: Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," ABBA's "Dancing Queen," and a live version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird."
On to the next. Apparently, Casey used to do special Christmas and "Top Hits of the Year," shows around this time. I wonder if we'll get any of those in these next three weeks.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
December 11, 1976 Part One
December 1976. I think this was the Christmas I got a Six Million Dollar Man action figure. Good times.
40 - "Whispering/Cherchez la Femme/C'est si Bon," Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
39 - "I Like Dreamin'," Kenny Nolan
38 - "This Song," George Harrison
37 - "If You Leave Me Now," Chicago
36 - "Don't Take Away the Music," Tavares
35 - "Enjoy Yourself," The Jacksons
34 - "Saturday Night," Earth Wind and Fire
33 - "Do You Feel Like We Do," Peter Frampton
32 - "Shake Your Rump to the Funk," The Bar-Kays
31 - "Jeans On," David Dundas
A lot of disco/funk in this first quarter. Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band blended disco with 40s era swing on this track, which opens by name-checking record executive and future ex-Mr. Mariah Carey Tommy Mottola. Later, two members would continue blending old and new dance music with Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Tavares are here with a seemingly reasonable plea, and to further their argument, the singer borrows a popular insurance slogan and proclaims "It's my piece of the rock." The Jacksons returned with a new name, a new label. and a lineup change (younger brother Randy "Not the Idol Guy" Jackson replaced Jermaine, who stayed at Motown after marrying Berry Gordy's daughter), but "Enjoy Yourself" is fun, positive pop that sounds like the same old Jackson boys. I wasn't familiar with this Earth Wind and Fire track, but while it didn't stand out, they're a group that's always worth a listen. I didn't know the Bar-Kays song either, but I must admit, my posterior did oscillate a little while listening to this one.
Three MOR hits here. Kenny Nolan wrote the legendary ode to street prostitution in New Orleans "Lady Marmalade," so I guess I can forgive him for this snoozer. You may remember that I consider "If You Leave Me Now" to be an affront to taste from its appearance on out last visit to '76, so no need to elaborate. And David Dundas, who was apparently a British Lord by birth, had his only hit with this mildly uptempo repurposed blue jeans ad (for a brand called Brutus). I think I remember it from back in the day.
The other two songs here are by artists who, although pretty different, were both considered "rock stars" George Harrison wrote "This Song," to vent his frustrations after losing a lawsuit accusing him of infringing on the copyright of the 60s hit "He's So Fine" with "My Sweet Lord. He makes several references to the dispute in the lyrics, including insisting "My expert says it's okay." And Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do" returns from the last '76 list, but this time, Casey played the version without the talk-box. What's the point?
30 - "Lost Without Your Love," Bread
29 - "I Wish," Stevie Wonder
28 - "It's a Long Way There," The Little River Band
27 - "The Best Disco in Town," The Ritchie Family
26 - "Somebody to Love," Queen
25 - "Just to Be Close to You, "The Commodores
24 - "Hello Old Friend," Eric Clapton
23 - "Disco Duck," Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots
22 - "Car Wash," Rose Royce
21 - "Livin' Thing," Electric Light Orchestra
We've got three repeaters here: The Ritchie Family's exercise in disco recycling, The Commodores getting a little grittier than usual, and Rick Dees & Co. with that dancefloor novelty extraordinaire, which does not repeat as an Uneasy Rider winner.
Two MOR stars are present. Bread reunited after three years apart to score one more Top Ten. It isn't much, even for them. And I had thought that the Little River Band hadn't hit the Top 40 in the US until 1977's "Help is on Its Way," but apparently, I was wrong. And this first hit almost...rocks. That wouldn't last.
Two major funk classics are in this group. Stevie Wonder's artistic independence reached its commercial peak with the Songs in the Key of Life album, and this was the first single, a propulsive reminiscence of his childhood. From the opening bassline to those horn blasts, just top to bottom awesomeness. And Rose Royce had their first and biggest hit with the title song to a movie starring Richard Pryor and George Carlin. Solid disco-funk that inspired an unecessary Christina Aguilera cover from the unnecessary movie Shark Tale.
We close this half with three diverse examples of "Rock" as it was defined in 1976. Queen would just miss the top ten with this big, almost operatic ballad of lovelorniness (yeah, I make up words. Why not?) that remains an anthem for the unattached everywhere. Eric Clapton is here with an unmemorable slice of the kind of MOR mush that made up the bulk of the songs that he got on pop radio for a 20-year period. And ELO make one of their rarer-than expected appearances in this enterprise with one of their biggest hits, one that I was surprised to learn just know has been interpreted as anti-abortion. Well, the lyrics do contain the word "conceived," so...maybe? I don't know, I just think its about the ups and downs of romance, like most other pop songs. And that's OK.
Tomorrow: a lot of repeaters from seven weeks ago, and a certain pair of "animal lovers" show up to claim what's rightfully theirs
40 - "Whispering/Cherchez la Femme/C'est si Bon," Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
39 - "I Like Dreamin'," Kenny Nolan
38 - "This Song," George Harrison
37 - "If You Leave Me Now," Chicago
36 - "Don't Take Away the Music," Tavares
35 - "Enjoy Yourself," The Jacksons
34 - "Saturday Night," Earth Wind and Fire
33 - "Do You Feel Like We Do," Peter Frampton
32 - "Shake Your Rump to the Funk," The Bar-Kays
31 - "Jeans On," David Dundas
A lot of disco/funk in this first quarter. Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band blended disco with 40s era swing on this track, which opens by name-checking record executive and future ex-Mr. Mariah Carey Tommy Mottola. Later, two members would continue blending old and new dance music with Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Tavares are here with a seemingly reasonable plea, and to further their argument, the singer borrows a popular insurance slogan and proclaims "It's my piece of the rock." The Jacksons returned with a new name, a new label. and a lineup change (younger brother Randy "Not the Idol Guy" Jackson replaced Jermaine, who stayed at Motown after marrying Berry Gordy's daughter), but "Enjoy Yourself" is fun, positive pop that sounds like the same old Jackson boys. I wasn't familiar with this Earth Wind and Fire track, but while it didn't stand out, they're a group that's always worth a listen. I didn't know the Bar-Kays song either, but I must admit, my posterior did oscillate a little while listening to this one.
Three MOR hits here. Kenny Nolan wrote the legendary ode to street prostitution in New Orleans "Lady Marmalade," so I guess I can forgive him for this snoozer. You may remember that I consider "If You Leave Me Now" to be an affront to taste from its appearance on out last visit to '76, so no need to elaborate. And David Dundas, who was apparently a British Lord by birth, had his only hit with this mildly uptempo repurposed blue jeans ad (for a brand called Brutus). I think I remember it from back in the day.
The other two songs here are by artists who, although pretty different, were both considered "rock stars" George Harrison wrote "This Song," to vent his frustrations after losing a lawsuit accusing him of infringing on the copyright of the 60s hit "He's So Fine" with "My Sweet Lord. He makes several references to the dispute in the lyrics, including insisting "My expert says it's okay." And Peter Frampton's "Do You Feel Like We Do" returns from the last '76 list, but this time, Casey played the version without the talk-box. What's the point?
30 - "Lost Without Your Love," Bread
29 - "I Wish," Stevie Wonder
28 - "It's a Long Way There," The Little River Band
27 - "The Best Disco in Town," The Ritchie Family
26 - "Somebody to Love," Queen
25 - "Just to Be Close to You, "The Commodores
24 - "Hello Old Friend," Eric Clapton
23 - "Disco Duck," Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots
22 - "Car Wash," Rose Royce
21 - "Livin' Thing," Electric Light Orchestra
We've got three repeaters here: The Ritchie Family's exercise in disco recycling, The Commodores getting a little grittier than usual, and Rick Dees & Co. with that dancefloor novelty extraordinaire, which does not repeat as an Uneasy Rider winner.
Two MOR stars are present. Bread reunited after three years apart to score one more Top Ten. It isn't much, even for them. And I had thought that the Little River Band hadn't hit the Top 40 in the US until 1977's "Help is on Its Way," but apparently, I was wrong. And this first hit almost...rocks. That wouldn't last.
Two major funk classics are in this group. Stevie Wonder's artistic independence reached its commercial peak with the Songs in the Key of Life album, and this was the first single, a propulsive reminiscence of his childhood. From the opening bassline to those horn blasts, just top to bottom awesomeness. And Rose Royce had their first and biggest hit with the title song to a movie starring Richard Pryor and George Carlin. Solid disco-funk that inspired an unecessary Christina Aguilera cover from the unnecessary movie Shark Tale.
We close this half with three diverse examples of "Rock" as it was defined in 1976. Queen would just miss the top ten with this big, almost operatic ballad of lovelorniness (yeah, I make up words. Why not?) that remains an anthem for the unattached everywhere. Eric Clapton is here with an unmemorable slice of the kind of MOR mush that made up the bulk of the songs that he got on pop radio for a 20-year period. And ELO make one of their rarer-than expected appearances in this enterprise with one of their biggest hits, one that I was surprised to learn just know has been interpreted as anti-abortion. Well, the lyrics do contain the word "conceived," so...maybe? I don't know, I just think its about the ups and downs of romance, like most other pop songs. And that's OK.
Tomorrow: a lot of repeaters from seven weeks ago, and a certain pair of "animal lovers" show up to claim what's rightfully theirs
Sunday, December 5, 2010
December 2, 1978
1978, the final frontier. This is the last year of the seventies that we have yet to cover here. It's also going to be another short one, becaused this aired after the show expanded to four hours, so we pick it up partway through.
30 - "I'm Every Woman," Chaka Khan
29 - "We've Got Tonight," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
28 - "Hot Child in the City," Nick Gilder
27 - "Part-Time Love," Elton John
26 - "You Never Done it Like That," The Captain and Tennille
25 - "The Power of Gold," Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg
24 - "Ooh Baby Baby," Linda Ronstadt
23 - "Ready to Take a Chance Again," Barry Manilow
22 - "How You Gonna See Me Now," Alice Cooper
21 - "Don't Want to Live Without It," Pablo Cruise
Interesting start. Even though we're in the heart of the disco era, the genre isn't represented here by any of its big names. But that's not to say that there aren't songs that were played at the many Studio 54 imitators around the world. I'm certain booties were shook to Chaka Khan's celebration of the many facets of her femininity, which would later be covered by Whitney Houston and briefly used as the theme to Oprah. There's also a certain amount of disco influence in Elton John's entry here, although he'd explore the realm better later with "Mama Can't Buy You Love." This song was written with a lyricist other than Bernie Taupin. It was also banned in the Soviet Union. And then there's Pablo Cruise. Nothing to write home about, because, hey, it's Pablo Cruise. But it is indisputably disco...ish.
The rock contingent is led off by the Styx of Detroit, Bob Seger and his band, with his big hit ballad that was later covered by the unlikely duo of Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton. British-born Canadian went to #1 in the States with this glammy ode to a lady who is, as they would say these days, "good to go." As a child, it took me a while to get my head around the fact that a dude was singing this song, and all this time, I've had a mental picture of Mr. Gilder as this big-haired, made up Bowie wannabe. So now I finally looked up pictures of him from that era, and maybe this is just me, but damn if he didn't look quite a bit like Martina Navratilova. And Alice Cooper is present with his last hit of this decade, which is also this week's winner of the Uneasy Rider Award (Come on, you had to know he was going to win one eventually). From the concept album From the Inside, which was inspired by his stay at a sanitarium where he was treated for alcoholism, it takes the form a letter written by a patient to his wife telling her he's about to be released, and in the letter, the writer expresses his doubts and fears about how his beloved will accept him in his new state. Maybe this doesn't sound that odd, but there's just something about Alice's delivery of lines like "like a hobo in the snow," that just sounds more campy than serious. Anyway, with no Muppets or Disco Ducks in sight, Alice gets the nod this week. Oh, and if you were wondering what Bernie Taupin was doing at this time, he was co-writing this song.
The rest of this group falls into the MOR category. The Captain and Tennille are back with another surprisingly sexy hit that even shows hints of R&B influence. Dan Fogelberg teamed up with jazz flautist Tim Weisberg on a lite-rockin' cautionary tale about greed. Of course, if you live in an area with one of those stations that are playing all holiday music right now, you'll probably be hearing his tale of romantic regret on New Year's Eve "Same Old Lang Syne" several times in the next few weeks. Linda Ronstadt is back and cashing in on nostalgia again, this time with her second and most successful Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cover. And Barry Manilow shows up yet again with a song I remember best from its use in the SCTV sketch "Krishna Sings Manilow."
20 - "Sweet Life," Paul Davis
19 - "Change of Heart," Eric Carmen
18 - "Hold the Line," Toto
17 - "Straight On," Heart
16 - "Too Much Heaven," The Bee Gees
We start with easy-listening stalwart Paul Davis and his less successful followup to "I Go Crazy." Not much to say. I remember it, but it never mattered to me.
I've talked a lot of shit about Eric Carmen's post-Raspberries career. I must say, "Change of Heart" isn't that bad, though. Still, it doesn't make up for "Hungry Eyes."
Toto introduced themselves to the world with this reminder that "Love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa." Of course, they would have their greatest sucess three years later singing about blessing the rains in Africa and some chick who apparently isn't Rosanna Arquette, even though one of the band members had dated her.
Many rock acts at the time were incorporating disco beats into songs to improve their chances at Top 40 airplay. As these efforts go, Heart's "Straight On" is pretty good. Ann Wilson could belt it as well as a lot of divas, and the track is danceable but still recognizable as Heart's brand of medium-hard rock. But I still say, they should have broken up in 1980.
This group ends with the Bee Gees' first post-Saturday Night Fever single. It's another R&Bish ballad in the "How Deep is Your Love," mode. It was a huge hit, and apparently, it served a good cause; before its release, the group announced that all the publishing royalties from the song would be donated to UNICEF in honor of 1979 being the International Year of the Child. It would go on to raise over $7 million.
15 - "Y.M.C.A.," The Village People
14 - "Alive Again," Chicago
13 - "You Needed Me," Anne Murray
12 - "Strange Way," Firefall
11 - "Our Love (Don't Throw it All Away)," Andy Gibb
Here it is, the Village People's ever-popular ode to the Young Men's Christian Association and all of the fun things gentlemen can get together and do there. There has been speculation that this song has some underlying reference to (gasp) homosexual activity, but I never believed that. That sailor and that biker man just haven't found the right woman yet, Grandma, so it's perfectly safe for you to dance to at the wedding.
Chicago pop up again with a song that actually reminds me of the pre-"If You Leave Me Now" incarnation of the band. It's uptempo and unsappy. I'll take it.
Anne Murray had her biggest hit with a song that, in spite of its title, seems to be about how much she needs the person she's singing about. Quite a twist.
I gotta say, I like"Strange Way" much better than the other Firefall songs I've heard here. It's not great or anything, but at least the band sounds like they have at least one pulse among them.
Finally, it's Andy Gibb with a nice little ballad that holds up better than some of his disco smashes. I still don't think much of his catalogue overall, but this is okay.
Top Ten, ho!
10 - "Sharing the Night Together," Dr. Hook
More soft rock goop from the band that used to cover a lot of Shel Silverstein songs. From "Sylvia's Mother" to this? Ugh. Someone should have burned the Jefferson Starship playbook before these guys got their hands on it.
9 - "My Life," Billy Joel
An assertion of independence from the future Mr. Christie Brinkley and serial road hazard. It later was used as the theme song for the guys-in-drag sitcom Bosom Buddies, which introduced the world to Newhart star Peter Scolari. Oh, and some other guy named Hanks who did a few movies.
8 - "Time Passages," Al Stewart
The second of two Top Ten hits for this Scottish folk rocker (the first was 1976's "Year of the Cat.") His voice always sounded lazy to me, but in a good way.
7 - "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)," Alicia Bridges
I'm sure you all know this disco standard that is closely associated with the George Hamilton vampire spoof Love at First Bite (although it's apparently been removed from home video versions of the film for reasons unknown). I remember seeing about-to-be-divorced Luanne van Houten singing this while burning a box of her soon-to-be ex's possessions. And Apu Nahasapeemapetilon teaching a parrot to sing a version of this song with alternate lyrics for his lovely wife Manjula.
6 - "Double Vision," Foreigner
The title of Foreigner's biggest non-ballad hit (it reached #2) was apparently inspired not by intoxication but rather a concussion suffered during a hockey game by New York Rangers goalie John Davidson. More proof that these songs come from anywhere and everywhere.
5 - "I Just Wanna Stop," Gino Vanelli
Quebec's prince of blue-eyed soul had his biggest hit with this ballad about a guy who just wants to take a moment to express his feelings. It's also probably the biggest hit to mention Montreal in the lyrics.
4 - "Le Freak," Chic
This song was inspired by an incident where band members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards tried to get into Studio 54 for a meeting with Grace Jones but weren't let in. Frustrated, the pair went back to Rodgers' apartment and jammed on a song that originally had the vocal hook "Aaaahhh, fuck off!" Later, with an eye on their business interests, they changed "fuck off" to "freak out" and the rest is history. Of course, nowadays they would have just kept the swear word, put out a video, and watched the song become a viral sensation and get nominated for multiple major Grammys. On an unrelated note, congratulations, Cee-Lo!
3 - "How Much I Feel," Ambrosia
For a band named after the food of the gods, their music sure was bland. This and "You're the Biggest Part of Me" were their biggest hits. And both sucked. Hard.
2 - "MacArthur Park," Donna Summer
Donna's disco version is just as over the top as Richard Harris', but in a different way. But I heard this version first, so it wins.
And the biggest of the big 32 years ago was...
1 - "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
Originally, these two MOR heavyweights recorded this song separately, with neither version making many waves. But then a Louisville, Kentucky radio programmer edited the two versions together as a "going away gift" for the wife he was divorcing. The track eventually made it to air, became popular with the station's listeners, and started to get so much attention that Columbia Records convinced Streisand and Diamond to go into the studio and do a real duet. It's over the top and huge on drama, which is exactly what you want from these two.
Lots of bonus songs this week. The NotCasey extra was the week's #32, "Promises" by Eric Clapton. Casey played two #1s from spring 1971, Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" (which I like, by the way) and "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones. He also played Fleetwood Mac's "Over My Head" (from the band's self-titled album, which at the time held the record for spending the most weeks on the chart before hitting the top) and Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" (because according to Casey, Nelson was the most successful TV star-turned-singer ever). And there was a Long Distance Dedication: An 18-year-old guy dedicate the Atlanta Rhythm Section's "So Into You" to his secret crush Erica, who didn't know he existed when they were classmates and now was off studying at Stanford.
So now all the years have been touched on. But my work is not done. However, I no longer have a preference regarding what year comes next. Up for anything, I am.
30 - "I'm Every Woman," Chaka Khan
29 - "We've Got Tonight," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
28 - "Hot Child in the City," Nick Gilder
27 - "Part-Time Love," Elton John
26 - "You Never Done it Like That," The Captain and Tennille
25 - "The Power of Gold," Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg
24 - "Ooh Baby Baby," Linda Ronstadt
23 - "Ready to Take a Chance Again," Barry Manilow
22 - "How You Gonna See Me Now," Alice Cooper
21 - "Don't Want to Live Without It," Pablo Cruise
Interesting start. Even though we're in the heart of the disco era, the genre isn't represented here by any of its big names. But that's not to say that there aren't songs that were played at the many Studio 54 imitators around the world. I'm certain booties were shook to Chaka Khan's celebration of the many facets of her femininity, which would later be covered by Whitney Houston and briefly used as the theme to Oprah. There's also a certain amount of disco influence in Elton John's entry here, although he'd explore the realm better later with "Mama Can't Buy You Love." This song was written with a lyricist other than Bernie Taupin. It was also banned in the Soviet Union. And then there's Pablo Cruise. Nothing to write home about, because, hey, it's Pablo Cruise. But it is indisputably disco...ish.
The rock contingent is led off by the Styx of Detroit, Bob Seger and his band, with his big hit ballad that was later covered by the unlikely duo of Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton. British-born Canadian went to #1 in the States with this glammy ode to a lady who is, as they would say these days, "good to go." As a child, it took me a while to get my head around the fact that a dude was singing this song, and all this time, I've had a mental picture of Mr. Gilder as this big-haired, made up Bowie wannabe. So now I finally looked up pictures of him from that era, and maybe this is just me, but damn if he didn't look quite a bit like Martina Navratilova. And Alice Cooper is present with his last hit of this decade, which is also this week's winner of the Uneasy Rider Award (Come on, you had to know he was going to win one eventually). From the concept album From the Inside, which was inspired by his stay at a sanitarium where he was treated for alcoholism, it takes the form a letter written by a patient to his wife telling her he's about to be released, and in the letter, the writer expresses his doubts and fears about how his beloved will accept him in his new state. Maybe this doesn't sound that odd, but there's just something about Alice's delivery of lines like "like a hobo in the snow," that just sounds more campy than serious. Anyway, with no Muppets or Disco Ducks in sight, Alice gets the nod this week. Oh, and if you were wondering what Bernie Taupin was doing at this time, he was co-writing this song.
The rest of this group falls into the MOR category. The Captain and Tennille are back with another surprisingly sexy hit that even shows hints of R&B influence. Dan Fogelberg teamed up with jazz flautist Tim Weisberg on a lite-rockin' cautionary tale about greed. Of course, if you live in an area with one of those stations that are playing all holiday music right now, you'll probably be hearing his tale of romantic regret on New Year's Eve "Same Old Lang Syne" several times in the next few weeks. Linda Ronstadt is back and cashing in on nostalgia again, this time with her second and most successful Smokey Robinson and the Miracles cover. And Barry Manilow shows up yet again with a song I remember best from its use in the SCTV sketch "Krishna Sings Manilow."
20 - "Sweet Life," Paul Davis
19 - "Change of Heart," Eric Carmen
18 - "Hold the Line," Toto
17 - "Straight On," Heart
16 - "Too Much Heaven," The Bee Gees
We start with easy-listening stalwart Paul Davis and his less successful followup to "I Go Crazy." Not much to say. I remember it, but it never mattered to me.
I've talked a lot of shit about Eric Carmen's post-Raspberries career. I must say, "Change of Heart" isn't that bad, though. Still, it doesn't make up for "Hungry Eyes."
Toto introduced themselves to the world with this reminder that "Love isn't always on time, whoa whoa whoa." Of course, they would have their greatest sucess three years later singing about blessing the rains in Africa and some chick who apparently isn't Rosanna Arquette, even though one of the band members had dated her.
Many rock acts at the time were incorporating disco beats into songs to improve their chances at Top 40 airplay. As these efforts go, Heart's "Straight On" is pretty good. Ann Wilson could belt it as well as a lot of divas, and the track is danceable but still recognizable as Heart's brand of medium-hard rock. But I still say, they should have broken up in 1980.
This group ends with the Bee Gees' first post-Saturday Night Fever single. It's another R&Bish ballad in the "How Deep is Your Love," mode. It was a huge hit, and apparently, it served a good cause; before its release, the group announced that all the publishing royalties from the song would be donated to UNICEF in honor of 1979 being the International Year of the Child. It would go on to raise over $7 million.
15 - "Y.M.C.A.," The Village People
14 - "Alive Again," Chicago
13 - "You Needed Me," Anne Murray
12 - "Strange Way," Firefall
11 - "Our Love (Don't Throw it All Away)," Andy Gibb
Here it is, the Village People's ever-popular ode to the Young Men's Christian Association and all of the fun things gentlemen can get together and do there. There has been speculation that this song has some underlying reference to (gasp) homosexual activity, but I never believed that. That sailor and that biker man just haven't found the right woman yet, Grandma, so it's perfectly safe for you to dance to at the wedding.
Chicago pop up again with a song that actually reminds me of the pre-"If You Leave Me Now" incarnation of the band. It's uptempo and unsappy. I'll take it.
Anne Murray had her biggest hit with a song that, in spite of its title, seems to be about how much she needs the person she's singing about. Quite a twist.
I gotta say, I like"Strange Way" much better than the other Firefall songs I've heard here. It's not great or anything, but at least the band sounds like they have at least one pulse among them.
Finally, it's Andy Gibb with a nice little ballad that holds up better than some of his disco smashes. I still don't think much of his catalogue overall, but this is okay.
Top Ten, ho!
10 - "Sharing the Night Together," Dr. Hook
More soft rock goop from the band that used to cover a lot of Shel Silverstein songs. From "Sylvia's Mother" to this? Ugh. Someone should have burned the Jefferson Starship playbook before these guys got their hands on it.
9 - "My Life," Billy Joel
An assertion of independence from the future Mr. Christie Brinkley and serial road hazard. It later was used as the theme song for the guys-in-drag sitcom Bosom Buddies, which introduced the world to Newhart star Peter Scolari. Oh, and some other guy named Hanks who did a few movies.
8 - "Time Passages," Al Stewart
The second of two Top Ten hits for this Scottish folk rocker (the first was 1976's "Year of the Cat.") His voice always sounded lazy to me, but in a good way.
7 - "I Love the Nightlife (Disco 'Round)," Alicia Bridges
I'm sure you all know this disco standard that is closely associated with the George Hamilton vampire spoof Love at First Bite (although it's apparently been removed from home video versions of the film for reasons unknown). I remember seeing about-to-be-divorced Luanne van Houten singing this while burning a box of her soon-to-be ex's possessions. And Apu Nahasapeemapetilon teaching a parrot to sing a version of this song with alternate lyrics for his lovely wife Manjula.
6 - "Double Vision," Foreigner
The title of Foreigner's biggest non-ballad hit (it reached #2) was apparently inspired not by intoxication but rather a concussion suffered during a hockey game by New York Rangers goalie John Davidson. More proof that these songs come from anywhere and everywhere.
5 - "I Just Wanna Stop," Gino Vanelli
Quebec's prince of blue-eyed soul had his biggest hit with this ballad about a guy who just wants to take a moment to express his feelings. It's also probably the biggest hit to mention Montreal in the lyrics.
4 - "Le Freak," Chic
This song was inspired by an incident where band members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards tried to get into Studio 54 for a meeting with Grace Jones but weren't let in. Frustrated, the pair went back to Rodgers' apartment and jammed on a song that originally had the vocal hook "Aaaahhh, fuck off!" Later, with an eye on their business interests, they changed "fuck off" to "freak out" and the rest is history. Of course, nowadays they would have just kept the swear word, put out a video, and watched the song become a viral sensation and get nominated for multiple major Grammys. On an unrelated note, congratulations, Cee-Lo!
3 - "How Much I Feel," Ambrosia
For a band named after the food of the gods, their music sure was bland. This and "You're the Biggest Part of Me" were their biggest hits. And both sucked. Hard.
2 - "MacArthur Park," Donna Summer
Donna's disco version is just as over the top as Richard Harris', but in a different way. But I heard this version first, so it wins.
And the biggest of the big 32 years ago was...
1 - "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond
Originally, these two MOR heavyweights recorded this song separately, with neither version making many waves. But then a Louisville, Kentucky radio programmer edited the two versions together as a "going away gift" for the wife he was divorcing. The track eventually made it to air, became popular with the station's listeners, and started to get so much attention that Columbia Records convinced Streisand and Diamond to go into the studio and do a real duet. It's over the top and huge on drama, which is exactly what you want from these two.
Lots of bonus songs this week. The NotCasey extra was the week's #32, "Promises" by Eric Clapton. Casey played two #1s from spring 1971, Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" (which I like, by the way) and "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones. He also played Fleetwood Mac's "Over My Head" (from the band's self-titled album, which at the time held the record for spending the most weeks on the chart before hitting the top) and Rick Nelson's "Garden Party" (because according to Casey, Nelson was the most successful TV star-turned-singer ever). And there was a Long Distance Dedication: An 18-year-old guy dedicate the Atlanta Rhythm Section's "So Into You" to his secret crush Erica, who didn't know he existed when they were classmates and now was off studying at Stanford.
So now all the years have been touched on. But my work is not done. However, I no longer have a preference regarding what year comes next. Up for anything, I am.
Monday, November 29, 2010
December 1, 1973 Part Two
The rest of it:
20 - "Never Never Gonna Give You Up," Barry White
19 - "Angie," The Rolling Stones
18 - "Time in a Bottle," Jim Croce
17 - "Let Me Serenade You," Three Dog Night
16 - "I Got a Name," Jim Croce
We kick off with Barry White, doing his usual thing, pledging devotion and guaranteeing satisfaction, presumably of the carnal kind. Of course, drop one "Never" and you get that Rick Astley song that has recently regenerated as something even more annoying than it was in the first place. Maybe RickRolling should be replaced by BarryRolling. The world would be a much sexier place.
According to that always-reliable source, Wikipedia, "Angie" was not, contrary to legend, written about David Bowie's wife. Rather, the title came from the middle name of Keith Richards' recently-born daughter. But I'm suspicious, because according to the article, the child's name is Dandelion Angela. And everyone knows celebrities never give their kids weird-ass names likie that. Nice try, Wikipedia.
For the first time, one of these sections of five contains two songs by the same artist: Jim Croce, who had been killed in a plane crash that September. "Time in a Bottle," from his first album, had been used in a TV movie about a couple dealing with cancer that aired just a week before Croce's death, and the interest in the song became great enough that it was put out as a single. Obviously, lines like "there never seems to be enough time" took on greater resonance, and that propelled the song to Numbe One. "I Got a Name," meanwhile, is the statement of a man who has a lot he wants to say and do before life passes him by, a declaration that would take on a sad irony. All in all, I think this decade could have used a few more hits from this man.
And in between the Croce songs, there is Three Dog Night. Like I've said before, they had a few good songs, but I think this decade could have used a few less hits from them. They keep cluttering up these charts with songs I'd never heard before and never want to hear again.
15 - "Cheaper to Keep Her," Johnnie Taylor
14 - "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)," The Staple Singers
13 - "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)," Helen Reddy
12 - "Paper Roses," Marie Osmond
11 - "Hello It's Me," Todd Rundgren
We start with Johnnie Taylor and his jazzy bit of advice to married men who are considering divorce: Don't. She'll take you for all you've got, and even if you find another woman you like better, she won't want you because you're broke. Yes, romance was alive and well back then.
The Staple Singers hold truer to their gospel roots this time with "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)." Lyrically and musically, it's very similar to "I'll Take You There." But if the lyric sites I'm looking at are accurate, it may have been the first pop song to contain the word "terrorists." So that's something.
Then it's Helen Reddy with the second (and last to be touched on here) installment of the "Crazy Lady Trilogy." This particular woman wanders around town talking to herself and saying "Leave me alone," to anyone who dares approach her. The reason for this is because years ago, some farm boy "taught it all" to her, then left her, and this caused her breakdown. Probably the least exciting entry in the series, though not without its charms. Still. "Angie Baby" FTW.
Marie Osmond had reached the ripe old age of 14 before she finally joined her brothers in the hitmaking business with this cover of a song that was originally a hit for orange-pitchwoman/homophobe Anita Bryant. She doesn't do too bad with a country song that equates fake flowers with inscere expressions of love. In fact, I like it better than any of Donny's covers that I've heard so far.Y
This section ends with Todd Rundgren's biggest hit. He had a few others, but he had even more success as a producer, working on such records as Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell, XTC's Skylarking, and the first two albums by the criminally underappreciated Canadian group The Pursuit of Happiness. Oh yes, and until she was nine, Liv Tyler thought he was her father.
Top Ten fever, catch it...
10 - "The Most Beautiful Girl," Charlie Rich
An aching country classic from the Silver Fox. Few singers have packed as much pain into a single line that Charlie does when he sings "Tell her I need my baby."
9 - "Heartbeat, It's A Lovebeat," The DeFranco Family
Not only is this sibling act Canadian, their easily the most local-to-me act I'll cover here. Their biggest hit by far is prime bubblegum. It's pretty cool musically, with an almost gothic-sounding opening and some spacey keyboards on the instrumental bridge. And Tony DeFranco easily out-Donny Osmonds Donny Osmond on lead vocals. Apparently, he sells real estate now.
8 - "The Love I Lost," Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
An early disco number by the group most famous for singing "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and introducing the world to Teddy Pendergrass. Didn't do much for me.
7 - "Midnight Train to Georgia," Gladys Knight and the Pips
Man, what can you say? A classic about a man who decides to ditch the hassle of Los Angeles to return to the comforts of home, and the woman so in love with him that she has no choice but to follow. Gladys gives one of the all time great vocals, and no backup singers have contributed more to a song's awesomeness than the Pips do here.
6 - "Just You 'N' Me," Chicago
A Chicago ballad that contains the phrase "you are the inspiration," yet doesn't suck. Imagine that. They were still themselves back then.
5 - "Keep on Truckin'" Eddie Kendricks
A Number One from a former Temptation, whose title is a phrase popularized by cult comic artist R. Crumb. It's another song that is considered an early precursor to disco. I think I should like it more than I do.
4 - "Space Race," Billy Preston
An instrumental by one of the "Fifth Beatles." Suitably cosmic and keyboard drenched. I'm sorry I don't have much to say, but neither did the song.
3 - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Elton John
Elton again, with a song in which the narrator decides to get off of the fast track and go home to plow and hunt "the horny back toad." Kind of like the opposite to "Honky Cat." I think the real Elton was always more likely to follow the latter storyline. This song was played at the prom where Marge Simpson was accompanied by Artie Ziff rather than her future husband.
2 - "Photograph," Ringo Starr
Marge Simpson's favorite Beatle reached the top with this song about remembering better times with an old lover by looking at a picture. Meh, I'm a "It Don't Come Easy" man myself.
And the song that was rockin' America's world back then was...
1- "Top of the World," The Carpenters
Karen and Richard scored their second Number One with this countryish number about how love can make you euphoric. As a child, this got confused in my mind with Anne Murray's "Snowbird" for some reason. But I know it was this song that Cecil Terwilliger was singing to himself while wiring the Springfireld Dam with explosives. (Yes, I had Simpsons references for each of this week's top three. And I could have made more. There's several openings for them every week.)
Three NotCasey Extras this week. I'd only heard the Motley Crue cover of Brownsville Station's "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" before last night. I must say, the original is way better. "Let Me be There" sparked the initial stirrings of the musical crush on Olivia Newton-John that fully flowered on "Have You Never Been Mellow." And Barry White's 40-piece backing group The Love Unlimited Orchestra would go on to have a #1 with the sumptuous "Love's Theme"
Back next week with another one. I'd like '78, but for some reason, I'm thinking '71.
20 - "Never Never Gonna Give You Up," Barry White
19 - "Angie," The Rolling Stones
18 - "Time in a Bottle," Jim Croce
17 - "Let Me Serenade You," Three Dog Night
16 - "I Got a Name," Jim Croce
We kick off with Barry White, doing his usual thing, pledging devotion and guaranteeing satisfaction, presumably of the carnal kind. Of course, drop one "Never" and you get that Rick Astley song that has recently regenerated as something even more annoying than it was in the first place. Maybe RickRolling should be replaced by BarryRolling. The world would be a much sexier place.
According to that always-reliable source, Wikipedia, "Angie" was not, contrary to legend, written about David Bowie's wife. Rather, the title came from the middle name of Keith Richards' recently-born daughter. But I'm suspicious, because according to the article, the child's name is Dandelion Angela. And everyone knows celebrities never give their kids weird-ass names likie that. Nice try, Wikipedia.
For the first time, one of these sections of five contains two songs by the same artist: Jim Croce, who had been killed in a plane crash that September. "Time in a Bottle," from his first album, had been used in a TV movie about a couple dealing with cancer that aired just a week before Croce's death, and the interest in the song became great enough that it was put out as a single. Obviously, lines like "there never seems to be enough time" took on greater resonance, and that propelled the song to Numbe One. "I Got a Name," meanwhile, is the statement of a man who has a lot he wants to say and do before life passes him by, a declaration that would take on a sad irony. All in all, I think this decade could have used a few more hits from this man.
And in between the Croce songs, there is Three Dog Night. Like I've said before, they had a few good songs, but I think this decade could have used a few less hits from them. They keep cluttering up these charts with songs I'd never heard before and never want to hear again.
15 - "Cheaper to Keep Her," Johnnie Taylor
14 - "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)," The Staple Singers
13 - "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)," Helen Reddy
12 - "Paper Roses," Marie Osmond
11 - "Hello It's Me," Todd Rundgren
We start with Johnnie Taylor and his jazzy bit of advice to married men who are considering divorce: Don't. She'll take you for all you've got, and even if you find another woman you like better, she won't want you because you're broke. Yes, romance was alive and well back then.
The Staple Singers hold truer to their gospel roots this time with "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)." Lyrically and musically, it's very similar to "I'll Take You There." But if the lyric sites I'm looking at are accurate, it may have been the first pop song to contain the word "terrorists." So that's something.
Then it's Helen Reddy with the second (and last to be touched on here) installment of the "Crazy Lady Trilogy." This particular woman wanders around town talking to herself and saying "Leave me alone," to anyone who dares approach her. The reason for this is because years ago, some farm boy "taught it all" to her, then left her, and this caused her breakdown. Probably the least exciting entry in the series, though not without its charms. Still. "Angie Baby" FTW.
Marie Osmond had reached the ripe old age of 14 before she finally joined her brothers in the hitmaking business with this cover of a song that was originally a hit for orange-pitchwoman/homophobe Anita Bryant. She doesn't do too bad with a country song that equates fake flowers with inscere expressions of love. In fact, I like it better than any of Donny's covers that I've heard so far.Y
This section ends with Todd Rundgren's biggest hit. He had a few others, but he had even more success as a producer, working on such records as Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell, XTC's Skylarking, and the first two albums by the criminally underappreciated Canadian group The Pursuit of Happiness. Oh yes, and until she was nine, Liv Tyler thought he was her father.
Top Ten fever, catch it...
10 - "The Most Beautiful Girl," Charlie Rich
An aching country classic from the Silver Fox. Few singers have packed as much pain into a single line that Charlie does when he sings "Tell her I need my baby."
9 - "Heartbeat, It's A Lovebeat," The DeFranco Family
Not only is this sibling act Canadian, their easily the most local-to-me act I'll cover here. Their biggest hit by far is prime bubblegum. It's pretty cool musically, with an almost gothic-sounding opening and some spacey keyboards on the instrumental bridge. And Tony DeFranco easily out-Donny Osmonds Donny Osmond on lead vocals. Apparently, he sells real estate now.
8 - "The Love I Lost," Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
An early disco number by the group most famous for singing "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and introducing the world to Teddy Pendergrass. Didn't do much for me.
7 - "Midnight Train to Georgia," Gladys Knight and the Pips
Man, what can you say? A classic about a man who decides to ditch the hassle of Los Angeles to return to the comforts of home, and the woman so in love with him that she has no choice but to follow. Gladys gives one of the all time great vocals, and no backup singers have contributed more to a song's awesomeness than the Pips do here.
6 - "Just You 'N' Me," Chicago
A Chicago ballad that contains the phrase "you are the inspiration," yet doesn't suck. Imagine that. They were still themselves back then.
5 - "Keep on Truckin'" Eddie Kendricks
A Number One from a former Temptation, whose title is a phrase popularized by cult comic artist R. Crumb. It's another song that is considered an early precursor to disco. I think I should like it more than I do.
4 - "Space Race," Billy Preston
An instrumental by one of the "Fifth Beatles." Suitably cosmic and keyboard drenched. I'm sorry I don't have much to say, but neither did the song.
3 - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Elton John
Elton again, with a song in which the narrator decides to get off of the fast track and go home to plow and hunt "the horny back toad." Kind of like the opposite to "Honky Cat." I think the real Elton was always more likely to follow the latter storyline. This song was played at the prom where Marge Simpson was accompanied by Artie Ziff rather than her future husband.
2 - "Photograph," Ringo Starr
Marge Simpson's favorite Beatle reached the top with this song about remembering better times with an old lover by looking at a picture. Meh, I'm a "It Don't Come Easy" man myself.
And the song that was rockin' America's world back then was...
1- "Top of the World," The Carpenters
Karen and Richard scored their second Number One with this countryish number about how love can make you euphoric. As a child, this got confused in my mind with Anne Murray's "Snowbird" for some reason. But I know it was this song that Cecil Terwilliger was singing to himself while wiring the Springfireld Dam with explosives. (Yes, I had Simpsons references for each of this week's top three. And I could have made more. There's several openings for them every week.)
Three NotCasey Extras this week. I'd only heard the Motley Crue cover of Brownsville Station's "Smokin' in the Boys' Room" before last night. I must say, the original is way better. "Let Me be There" sparked the initial stirrings of the musical crush on Olivia Newton-John that fully flowered on "Have You Never Been Mellow." And Barry White's 40-piece backing group The Love Unlimited Orchestra would go on to have a #1 with the sumptuous "Love's Theme"
Back next week with another one. I'd like '78, but for some reason, I'm thinking '71.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
December 1, 1973 Part One
Back to 1973, where we started...
40 - "Sweet Understanding Love," The Four Tops
39 - "Ramblin' Man," The Allman Brothers Band
38 - "Nutbush City Limits," Ike and Tina Turner
37 - "We May Never Pass This Way Again," Seals and Crofts
36 - "D'yer Mak'er," Led Zeppelin
35 - "Half Breed," Cher
34 - "Be," Neil Diamond
33 - "Show and Tell," Al Wilson
32 - "Who's in the Strawberry Patch with Sally," Tony Orlando and Dawn
31 - "Why Me Lord," Kris Kristofferson
28 - "Ooh Baby," Gilbert O'Sullivan
27 - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Bob Dylan
26 - "My Music," Loggins and Messina
25 - "Come Get to This," Marvin Gaye
24 - "Rockin' Roll Baby," The Stylistics
23 - "All I Know," Art Garfunkel
22 - "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
21 - "You're a Special Part of Me," Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye
Sixties rock legends are here in abundance. John Lennon's offering here offers many messages of peace and spirituality (not surprisingly, the song's original title was "Make Love Not War,"), but contrasting it with the image of "mind guerillas" was, shall we say, an interesting choice. Bob Dylan had his biggest hit of the decade with this mournful number from the soundtrack from the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. And Art Garfunkel had his biggest solo hit with a sweet love song written by Jimmy Webb of "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park" fame. It's the one time that I heard him and didn't miss Paul.
Soul always seems to have a lot of representatives, and this section is no exception. Stevie Wonder is present with what might be my favorite song of his, a suitably gritty depiction of struggle and strife in the urban jungle. The Stylistics, who were best known for ballads like "You are Everything" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New," show up with this upbeat tune that is actually about a baby, a child of travelling musicians who was "born in a theater in Bluefield, West Virginia." And Marvin Gaye shows up twice in this section, once by himself with a peppier, less sultry follow-up to "Let's Get it On," and a decent but not spectacular duet with Diana Ross.
We'll end this half with two MOR acts and the beginning of a commercial-rock dynasty. Gilbert O'Sullivan had his fifth and final U.S. hit with "Ooh Baby." I wasn't a fan of the other songs of his I've covered here, but at least those were lyrically interesting. This isn't. Future 80s soundtrack king Kenny Loggins and pal Jim Messina are here with "My Music," which comes off as a crappy imitation of their earlier hit "Your Mama Don't Dance." And Steve Miller and his band made their first big impact with their space-blues number about space cowboys, midnight tokers, and the "pompatus of love." It may be the only song of theirs I would admit to liking without being under oath.
Tomorrow: two hits by a guy who'd just died, three family acts, and the one song from a certain "trilogy" I haven't covered yet.
40 - "Sweet Understanding Love," The Four Tops
39 - "Ramblin' Man," The Allman Brothers Band
38 - "Nutbush City Limits," Ike and Tina Turner
37 - "We May Never Pass This Way Again," Seals and Crofts
36 - "D'yer Mak'er," Led Zeppelin
35 - "Half Breed," Cher
34 - "Be," Neil Diamond
33 - "Show and Tell," Al Wilson
32 - "Who's in the Strawberry Patch with Sally," Tony Orlando and Dawn
31 - "Why Me Lord," Kris Kristofferson
We start with R&B. The Four Tops are back with another one that reminds me that they had more early 70s hits then I'd imagined. It's nice, because it's got Levi Stubbs. Ike and Tina Turner had their last hit together with a rollicking ode to Tina's very tiny hometown that made such an impression on the area that a nearby stretch of Tennessee freeway was renamed "Tina Turner Highway." And Al Wilson takes the perennial grade-school activity and turns it to some sort of sex metaphor. Well, someone had to.
A couple classic rock bands are in the mix. The Allman Brothers Band return with a song from our last visit to '73. I must admit I like it, but I'd like it better if I could confirm if someone in the band was actually born on a Greyhound bus. And Led Zeppelin finally make their first of what will likely be quite rare appearances (they were never much of a singles band) with a song whose title is frequently mispronounced (it's "Jer-MAY-ker," like "Jamaica," due to it's reggae-influenced sound.)
Easy listening's monsters of mild are well-represented. Seals and Crofts are here with another song that makes me wish they really would never pass this way again. Neil Diamond didn't even crack the Top 30 with his epic-sounding contribution to the soundtrack of the film version of the mega-selling spiritual novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull. And Tony O. & Co. take down the Uneasy Rider Award with a song that's so old-fashioned and odd, except for when Tony sings that Sally was "the best love-maker that I ever had." Tony, you player you!
We close this set with two artists who went on to have substantial film careers. Cher's tale of a woman's half-Cherokee heritage and society's negative reaction to it reappears. I wonder if her diva powers helped that Christina Aguilera movie to a good opening. And Kris Kristofferson, star of Heaven's Gate and Blade, makes BGC history as "Why Me, Lord" becomes the first song to appear in three countdownd covered here. Congrats, Kris.
30 - "Mind Games," John Lennon
28 - "Ooh Baby," Gilbert O'Sullivan
27 - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Bob Dylan
26 - "My Music," Loggins and Messina
25 - "Come Get to This," Marvin Gaye
24 - "Rockin' Roll Baby," The Stylistics
23 - "All I Know," Art Garfunkel
22 - "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
21 - "You're a Special Part of Me," Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye
Sixties rock legends are here in abundance. John Lennon's offering here offers many messages of peace and spirituality (not surprisingly, the song's original title was "Make Love Not War,"), but contrasting it with the image of "mind guerillas" was, shall we say, an interesting choice. Bob Dylan had his biggest hit of the decade with this mournful number from the soundtrack from the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. And Art Garfunkel had his biggest solo hit with a sweet love song written by Jimmy Webb of "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park" fame. It's the one time that I heard him and didn't miss Paul.
Soul always seems to have a lot of representatives, and this section is no exception. Stevie Wonder is present with what might be my favorite song of his, a suitably gritty depiction of struggle and strife in the urban jungle. The Stylistics, who were best known for ballads like "You are Everything" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New," show up with this upbeat tune that is actually about a baby, a child of travelling musicians who was "born in a theater in Bluefield, West Virginia." And Marvin Gaye shows up twice in this section, once by himself with a peppier, less sultry follow-up to "Let's Get it On," and a decent but not spectacular duet with Diana Ross.
We'll end this half with two MOR acts and the beginning of a commercial-rock dynasty. Gilbert O'Sullivan had his fifth and final U.S. hit with "Ooh Baby." I wasn't a fan of the other songs of his I've covered here, but at least those were lyrically interesting. This isn't. Future 80s soundtrack king Kenny Loggins and pal Jim Messina are here with "My Music," which comes off as a crappy imitation of their earlier hit "Your Mama Don't Dance." And Steve Miller and his band made their first big impact with their space-blues number about space cowboys, midnight tokers, and the "pompatus of love." It may be the only song of theirs I would admit to liking without being under oath.
Tomorrow: two hits by a guy who'd just died, three family acts, and the one song from a certain "trilogy" I haven't covered yet.
Monday, November 22, 2010
November 22, 1975 Part Two
More from the year the Flyers last won the Cup:
20 - "Calypso," John Denver
19 - "I Only Have Eyes for You," Art Garfunkel
18 - "18 with a Bullet," Pete Wingfield
17 - "Saturday Night," The Bay City Rollers
16 - "Heat Wave," Linda Ronstadt
We begin with the flip side of John Denver's hit from the last '75 list, "I'm Sorry." This is a tribute to the ship from which oceanographer Jacques Cousteau based his undersea research. For you kids out there, his underwater TV documentaries were very popular at the time. I remember my parents took me and my brother out by either Lake Erie or Ontario to catch a glympse of the Calypso when I was a kid. I don't think I was very impressed. Anyway, I enjoyed John's yodelling here.
Art Garfunkel had his first solo hit with this cover of a song even older than "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." "I Only Have Eyes for You" dates back to a 1934 movie called Dames, but it's most famous version was by the Flamingos in 1959. Art did nothing to change that here, but he did okay, I guess.
Because of radio reception problems, I didn't hear "Eighteen with a Bullet" very well. What I did hear was high-voiced soul rock that seemed all right. Looking up the lyrics, Wingfield uses record-industry metaphors to describe his plans for his relationship with a woman: He's a "single" looking for an "A-side" with whom he can start "raising a whole LP." Romantic. For those of you who don't know, chart magazines like Billboard place marks known as "bullets" on the position numbers of the songs that are seeing the greatest airplay and/or sales increases that week. Incidentally, on this particular chart, "Eighteen with a Bullet" was at Number 18...with a bullet.
I've trashed the Bay City Rollers both times they've come up here, but now it's time to praise them. All together now: "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y...Night!" This song just refuses to let you do anything but love it. If only they'd stopped then...
Last in this group we have Linda Ronstadt covering Martha and the Vandellas. She does pretty well, but her version is completely unnecessary. The vast majority of the songs that made her a superstar were covers. You couldn't get away with that today...unless you were a member of the cast of Glee.
15 - "My Little Town," Simon and Garfunkel
14 - "Miracles," Jefferson Starship
13 - "(They Just Can't Stop It The) Games People Play," The Spinners
12 - "Lyin' Eyes," The Eagles
11 - "Nights on Broadway," The Bee Gees
Hey, Garfunkel's back, and this time, he's got Simon! This was a one-off reunion that appeared on both men's then-current albums. For the most part, songs where the singer reminisces about the little burg they grew up in either portray those places as idyllic or toxic. If you're looking for the former, go find John Mellencamp's "Small Town," because this one is definitely the other kind. The place described here contains "nothing but the dead and dying." Harsh.
Uh oh, there's that Jefferson Starship pusbag from our last trip back to this year. Eww, I'm starting to break out in a rash just thinking about it. Better find an antidote...
And there it is. Oh, "Games People Play," I'm thrilled to see you again. You're so good to me and my ears. *stares disdainfully at "Miracles" from a safe distance*
Next are the Eagles with their very country song about a young girl who marries a rich old man then makes frequent visits to "the cheatin' side of town." Money doesn't buy happiness, apparently. So the Eagles have done all those reunion tours just for the love of performing with each other, right?
Finally, we have my favorite Bee Gees song, bar none. Don't ask me why, but I latched onto this song at four years old and have loved it ever since. It's funky, Barry's falsetto backup singing on the choruses is tight, and the way the bridge sounds like a completely different, unfinished song yet somehow blends seemlessly with the rest of it...magnifique! You can begin assailing my taste any time now.
Now we're talkin' Top Ten:
10 - "Let's Do it Again," The Staple Singers
The Staples' always considered themselves a gospel group that happened to do pop songs on the side, but I'm sure they got a few sideways looks at church after releasing this unabashed ode to "the flesh." Why a song so sexy was written as the theme for a Bill Cosby-Sidney Poitier comedy about fixing a boxing match, I'll never understand.
9 - "Sky High," Jigsaw
This bit of string-heavy rock was also written for a movie, an action film called The Man from Hong Kong co-starring one-Bond wonder George Lazenby. It was also used as ring-entrance music by Mexican wrestling superstar Mil Mascaras. I remember thinking it was okay back in the day.
8 - "Low Rider," War
This wasn't written for a movie, but it's been used in several, from Cheech and Chong flicks to Beverly Hills Chihuahua. You're all probably humming it in your head now, so I'll stop and give you a moment...
Okay, that's enough.
7 - "Feelings," Morris Albert
This time, I tried listening to this song without the baggage of its infamy. And...it's just as ham-fisted and cheesy as its reputation. Sorry Morris, you deserved what you got.
6 - "This Will Be," Natalie Cole
I know this jazzy debut single by Nat King Cole's daughter less from its time as a hit than from it's use in commercials for products like jewellery and online dating services. She would go on to do one thing I really enjoyed (having her brain taken over by cabbage in the "Zontar" episode of SCTV) and one thing I really hated (duetting with her dead father on "Unforgettable." I'm sorry, but that was just creepy).
5 - "The Way I Want to Touch You," The Captain and Tenille
Daryl and Toni aren't nearly as awesome a MOR duo as The Carpenters, but I must admit, when they weren't singing about the mating habits of rodents, they weren't that bad. This song is pretty damn sexy, truth be told.
4 - "Island Girl," Elton John
Elton sings about a (fictional) Jamaican prostitute, who some have speculated might not be a girl at all, since she's apparently 6 foot 3, and the boy who wants to get her out of the life. Basically, a more interesting version of "Roxanne." But of course I didn't know that at four. It was just that crazy Elton John on the radio again with another song that was fun to sing along with.
3 - "Who Loves You," The Four Seasons
Frankie Valli shows up again, this time with the rest of the group he had so many 60s hits with. I guess it's all right. I have to say I hate "Oh What a Night (December 1963)" waaaaay more.
2 - "Fly, Robin, Fly," Silver Convention
This German group introduced North America to "eurodisco," and in doing so, hit Number 1. It's a pretty catchy tune, nicely orchestrated, and the lyrics, while sparse, do their job. I don't think this was the U.S. single cover, but if it had been, it might have been on top for longer than three weeks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Silver_Convention.jpg
And if you've recently turned 35 and are looking up what was Number 1 the day you were born, you will find that it was...
1 - "That's the Way (I Like It)," KC and the Sunshine Band
Them again, with the one big hit of theirs I haven't covered yet. Of their Big Three, I have it ranked right in the middle, below "Get Down Tonight" and above "Shake Your Booty." Uh huh, uh huh.
The two NotCasey extras were Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" and Nazareth's "Love Hurts." Casey also played Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," because it was a rare instance of an artist scoring his first #1 after his death.
Another one bites the dust. Next week we're due for something earlier in the decade, but that's okay. I'm ready to go back a bit.
20 - "Calypso," John Denver
19 - "I Only Have Eyes for You," Art Garfunkel
18 - "18 with a Bullet," Pete Wingfield
17 - "Saturday Night," The Bay City Rollers
16 - "Heat Wave," Linda Ronstadt
We begin with the flip side of John Denver's hit from the last '75 list, "I'm Sorry." This is a tribute to the ship from which oceanographer Jacques Cousteau based his undersea research. For you kids out there, his underwater TV documentaries were very popular at the time. I remember my parents took me and my brother out by either Lake Erie or Ontario to catch a glympse of the Calypso when I was a kid. I don't think I was very impressed. Anyway, I enjoyed John's yodelling here.
Art Garfunkel had his first solo hit with this cover of a song even older than "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." "I Only Have Eyes for You" dates back to a 1934 movie called Dames, but it's most famous version was by the Flamingos in 1959. Art did nothing to change that here, but he did okay, I guess.
Because of radio reception problems, I didn't hear "Eighteen with a Bullet" very well. What I did hear was high-voiced soul rock that seemed all right. Looking up the lyrics, Wingfield uses record-industry metaphors to describe his plans for his relationship with a woman: He's a "single" looking for an "A-side" with whom he can start "raising a whole LP." Romantic. For those of you who don't know, chart magazines like Billboard place marks known as "bullets" on the position numbers of the songs that are seeing the greatest airplay and/or sales increases that week. Incidentally, on this particular chart, "Eighteen with a Bullet" was at Number 18...with a bullet.
I've trashed the Bay City Rollers both times they've come up here, but now it's time to praise them. All together now: "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y...Night!" This song just refuses to let you do anything but love it. If only they'd stopped then...
Last in this group we have Linda Ronstadt covering Martha and the Vandellas. She does pretty well, but her version is completely unnecessary. The vast majority of the songs that made her a superstar were covers. You couldn't get away with that today...unless you were a member of the cast of Glee.
15 - "My Little Town," Simon and Garfunkel
14 - "Miracles," Jefferson Starship
13 - "(They Just Can't Stop It The) Games People Play," The Spinners
12 - "Lyin' Eyes," The Eagles
11 - "Nights on Broadway," The Bee Gees
Hey, Garfunkel's back, and this time, he's got Simon! This was a one-off reunion that appeared on both men's then-current albums. For the most part, songs where the singer reminisces about the little burg they grew up in either portray those places as idyllic or toxic. If you're looking for the former, go find John Mellencamp's "Small Town," because this one is definitely the other kind. The place described here contains "nothing but the dead and dying." Harsh.
Uh oh, there's that Jefferson Starship pusbag from our last trip back to this year. Eww, I'm starting to break out in a rash just thinking about it. Better find an antidote...
And there it is. Oh, "Games People Play," I'm thrilled to see you again. You're so good to me and my ears. *stares disdainfully at "Miracles" from a safe distance*
Next are the Eagles with their very country song about a young girl who marries a rich old man then makes frequent visits to "the cheatin' side of town." Money doesn't buy happiness, apparently. So the Eagles have done all those reunion tours just for the love of performing with each other, right?
Finally, we have my favorite Bee Gees song, bar none. Don't ask me why, but I latched onto this song at four years old and have loved it ever since. It's funky, Barry's falsetto backup singing on the choruses is tight, and the way the bridge sounds like a completely different, unfinished song yet somehow blends seemlessly with the rest of it...magnifique! You can begin assailing my taste any time now.
Now we're talkin' Top Ten:
10 - "Let's Do it Again," The Staple Singers
The Staples' always considered themselves a gospel group that happened to do pop songs on the side, but I'm sure they got a few sideways looks at church after releasing this unabashed ode to "the flesh." Why a song so sexy was written as the theme for a Bill Cosby-Sidney Poitier comedy about fixing a boxing match, I'll never understand.
9 - "Sky High," Jigsaw
This bit of string-heavy rock was also written for a movie, an action film called The Man from Hong Kong co-starring one-Bond wonder George Lazenby. It was also used as ring-entrance music by Mexican wrestling superstar Mil Mascaras. I remember thinking it was okay back in the day.
8 - "Low Rider," War
This wasn't written for a movie, but it's been used in several, from Cheech and Chong flicks to Beverly Hills Chihuahua. You're all probably humming it in your head now, so I'll stop and give you a moment...
Okay, that's enough.
7 - "Feelings," Morris Albert
This time, I tried listening to this song without the baggage of its infamy. And...it's just as ham-fisted and cheesy as its reputation. Sorry Morris, you deserved what you got.
6 - "This Will Be," Natalie Cole
I know this jazzy debut single by Nat King Cole's daughter less from its time as a hit than from it's use in commercials for products like jewellery and online dating services. She would go on to do one thing I really enjoyed (having her brain taken over by cabbage in the "Zontar" episode of SCTV) and one thing I really hated (duetting with her dead father on "Unforgettable." I'm sorry, but that was just creepy).
5 - "The Way I Want to Touch You," The Captain and Tenille
Daryl and Toni aren't nearly as awesome a MOR duo as The Carpenters, but I must admit, when they weren't singing about the mating habits of rodents, they weren't that bad. This song is pretty damn sexy, truth be told.
4 - "Island Girl," Elton John
Elton sings about a (fictional) Jamaican prostitute, who some have speculated might not be a girl at all, since she's apparently 6 foot 3, and the boy who wants to get her out of the life. Basically, a more interesting version of "Roxanne." But of course I didn't know that at four. It was just that crazy Elton John on the radio again with another song that was fun to sing along with.
3 - "Who Loves You," The Four Seasons
Frankie Valli shows up again, this time with the rest of the group he had so many 60s hits with. I guess it's all right. I have to say I hate "Oh What a Night (December 1963)" waaaaay more.
2 - "Fly, Robin, Fly," Silver Convention
This German group introduced North America to "eurodisco," and in doing so, hit Number 1. It's a pretty catchy tune, nicely orchestrated, and the lyrics, while sparse, do their job. I don't think this was the U.S. single cover, but if it had been, it might have been on top for longer than three weeks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Silver_Convention.jpg
And if you've recently turned 35 and are looking up what was Number 1 the day you were born, you will find that it was...
1 - "That's the Way (I Like It)," KC and the Sunshine Band
Them again, with the one big hit of theirs I haven't covered yet. Of their Big Three, I have it ranked right in the middle, below "Get Down Tonight" and above "Shake Your Booty." Uh huh, uh huh.
The two NotCasey extras were Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" and Nazareth's "Love Hurts." Casey also played Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," because it was a rare instance of an artist scoring his first #1 after his death.
Another one bites the dust. Next week we're due for something earlier in the decade, but that's okay. I'm ready to go back a bit.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
November 22, 1975 Part One
Back to '75. Another week in my sweet spot. Nice.
40 - "Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)," Glen Campbell
39 - "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," Diana Ross
38 - "I Write the Songs," Barry Manilow
37 - "For the Love of You," The Isley Brothers
36 - "The Last Game of the Season (The Blind Man in the Bleachers)," David Geddes
35 - "Fox on the Run," Sweet
34 - "Love Rollercoaster," The Ohio Players
33 - "Brazil," The Ritchie Family
32 - "I'm on Fire," 5000 Volts
31 - "Something Better to Do," Olivia Newton-John
We'll start off by talking about the easy-listening squad. Glen Campbell follows up the #1 "Rhinestone Cowboy" with a sequel of sorts. This is the story of a good ol' boy who finds that even though he's reached the pinnacle of fame, there still, in the words of Glen's previous hit, "a load of compomisin'." Barry Manilow is here yet again, claiming that he is music, and he writes the songs. Ironically, he didn't write this one. Beach Boy Bruce Johnston did. And at long last, Olivia Newton-John makes her BGC debut. I had a crush on her voice as a child, years before I saw her in Grease. Unfortuntately, I don't remember "Something Better to Do" very well, and it's pretty trifling and throwaway. But I'm sure she'll be back again, and I can sing her praises more extensively.
R&B has three representatives here. Diana Ross would get her third solo charttopper with the theme from her film follow-up to Lady Sings the Blues. Motown head Berry Gordy directed Mahogany. I never knew that. The Isley Brothers slow things down from their usual funk workouts with the smooth, Al Green-sounding "For the Love of You." And the Ohio Players compare your love to a rollercoaster, and they want to ride. And they make it sound like fun, so I would advise you to let them.
There are a couple pure disco records here. The Ritchie Family's version of "Brazil," was in our last '75 chart, and I have no more to say about it. British group 5000 Volts offer the okay "I'm on Fire." It's fast, the female lead singer has a nice rasp to her voice, and there's a deep male voice that jumps in on the choruses. If I were rating this record on American Bandstand, I'd give it a 73.
Rock's one rep in this section is Sweet with the incredibly catchy glam rocker "Fox on the Run." For singalong fun, only "Little Willy" beats it.
Finally, we have David Geddes. You might remember on our last trip to this year, he had the teenage melodrama "Run Joey Run." Well, that song is "Don't Worry, Be Happy" compared to this tearjerker. Set in the quintessentially American realm of high school football, it tells the story of a blind man who sits in the bleachers for all of his local team's games, by the loudspeaker, because he wants to hear the P.A. announcer call his son's name. But his son is one of the scrubs who never gets in the game, so the man's dream goes unfulfilled. The last game of the season comes around, and...the blind man isn't there. The home team are losing and being decimated by injuries when halftime comes around. During the break, the man's son receives a phone call, and is late coming back out for the second half. The coach is mad at him, but the kid tells him he was just getting ready, because now is finally his time to play. He gets on the field, and his inspired play helps the team come back to win. Later, the coach asks him what made him play like that all of a sudden, to which the kid answers that it's because his blind father died, and because he's in heaven, he finally got a chance to see his son play. Wow. This is this week's clear winner of the Uneasy Rider Award. It's hardly the only story song that aims to tug at the listener's heartstrings, but, to paraphrase one Lisa Simpson, this one pumps you so full of sap you feel like you need to blow your nose with a pancake.
30 - "I Love Music," The O'Jays
29 - "Bad Blood," Neil Sedaka
28 - "Secret Love," Freddy Fender
27 - "Venus and Mars/Rock Show," Wings
26 - "Do it Any Way You Wanna," The People's Choice
25 - "Our Day Will Come," Frankie Valli
24 - "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You," Leon Haywood
23 - "S.O.S." ABBA
22 - "Operator," The Manhattan Transfer
21 - "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Willie Nelson
This time, R&B kicks us off, although in all three cases, it has a strong disco hint to it. But I don't think the O'Jays would mind, since in this song, they claim to love all kinds of music "as long as it's groovin'" And the O'Jays never fail to groove. The People's Choice song is another repeater, and it's still just by-the-numbers disco-funk. And Leon Haywood has something in mind for you. The title doesn't quite make that something clear, but lyrics about wanting to "slide down into your canyon" might help.
Three 60s survivors are here. Neil Sedaka scored the second #1 of his mid-70s comeback by getting a little help from Elton John on one of the many songs that specifically reminds me of childhood car rides, "Bad Blood." Paul McCartney's other band is here with a bombastic ode to the huge concerts The Beatles stopped doing in 1966. If there's an example of the kind of "rock" punk sprung up as a reaction to, you can't do much better than a song that actually opens with the line "Sitting in the stand of the sports arena." And Frankie Valli (without the Four Seasons) decided to to a disco version of Ruby and the Romantics 1963 classic "Our Day Will Come." I guess you can't blame him, because it did go to #11. Oh hell, I'll blame him anyway.
1975 was a banner year for country artists on the pop charts, and there are two examples here. Freddy Fender ended his comeback year by following two Top Tens with a Top 20 remake of an Oscar-winning 1953 Doris Day hit. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is an even older song, dating back to the 40s, but it didn't come to prominence until Willie Nelson recorded it for his breakthrough Red-Headed Stranger album. The headband, the duet with Julio Iglesias, and the legend of his funny-smelling tour bus would follow.
We end with a couple of two-man, two-woman vocal groups. ABBA return with one of their most famous numbers, a distress call in the midst of a dying relationship. And the jazzy Manhattan Transfer made their breakthrough with the gospelly "Operator." They want the title professional to "get Jesus on the line." Of course, nowadays He only reads texts.
Tomorrow: one of my favorite songs from this year, the one good song by a band I otherwise have nothing good to say about, and the rare and elusive "double Garfunkel."
40 - "Country Boy (You Got Your Feet in L.A.)," Glen Campbell
39 - "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," Diana Ross
38 - "I Write the Songs," Barry Manilow
37 - "For the Love of You," The Isley Brothers
36 - "The Last Game of the Season (The Blind Man in the Bleachers)," David Geddes
35 - "Fox on the Run," Sweet
34 - "Love Rollercoaster," The Ohio Players
33 - "Brazil," The Ritchie Family
32 - "I'm on Fire," 5000 Volts
31 - "Something Better to Do," Olivia Newton-John
We'll start off by talking about the easy-listening squad. Glen Campbell follows up the #1 "Rhinestone Cowboy" with a sequel of sorts. This is the story of a good ol' boy who finds that even though he's reached the pinnacle of fame, there still, in the words of Glen's previous hit, "a load of compomisin'." Barry Manilow is here yet again, claiming that he is music, and he writes the songs. Ironically, he didn't write this one. Beach Boy Bruce Johnston did. And at long last, Olivia Newton-John makes her BGC debut. I had a crush on her voice as a child, years before I saw her in Grease. Unfortuntately, I don't remember "Something Better to Do" very well, and it's pretty trifling and throwaway. But I'm sure she'll be back again, and I can sing her praises more extensively.
R&B has three representatives here. Diana Ross would get her third solo charttopper with the theme from her film follow-up to Lady Sings the Blues. Motown head Berry Gordy directed Mahogany. I never knew that. The Isley Brothers slow things down from their usual funk workouts with the smooth, Al Green-sounding "For the Love of You." And the Ohio Players compare your love to a rollercoaster, and they want to ride. And they make it sound like fun, so I would advise you to let them.
There are a couple pure disco records here. The Ritchie Family's version of "Brazil," was in our last '75 chart, and I have no more to say about it. British group 5000 Volts offer the okay "I'm on Fire." It's fast, the female lead singer has a nice rasp to her voice, and there's a deep male voice that jumps in on the choruses. If I were rating this record on American Bandstand, I'd give it a 73.
Rock's one rep in this section is Sweet with the incredibly catchy glam rocker "Fox on the Run." For singalong fun, only "Little Willy" beats it.
Finally, we have David Geddes. You might remember on our last trip to this year, he had the teenage melodrama "Run Joey Run." Well, that song is "Don't Worry, Be Happy" compared to this tearjerker. Set in the quintessentially American realm of high school football, it tells the story of a blind man who sits in the bleachers for all of his local team's games, by the loudspeaker, because he wants to hear the P.A. announcer call his son's name. But his son is one of the scrubs who never gets in the game, so the man's dream goes unfulfilled. The last game of the season comes around, and...the blind man isn't there. The home team are losing and being decimated by injuries when halftime comes around. During the break, the man's son receives a phone call, and is late coming back out for the second half. The coach is mad at him, but the kid tells him he was just getting ready, because now is finally his time to play. He gets on the field, and his inspired play helps the team come back to win. Later, the coach asks him what made him play like that all of a sudden, to which the kid answers that it's because his blind father died, and because he's in heaven, he finally got a chance to see his son play. Wow. This is this week's clear winner of the Uneasy Rider Award. It's hardly the only story song that aims to tug at the listener's heartstrings, but, to paraphrase one Lisa Simpson, this one pumps you so full of sap you feel like you need to blow your nose with a pancake.
30 - "I Love Music," The O'Jays
29 - "Bad Blood," Neil Sedaka
28 - "Secret Love," Freddy Fender
27 - "Venus and Mars/Rock Show," Wings
26 - "Do it Any Way You Wanna," The People's Choice
25 - "Our Day Will Come," Frankie Valli
24 - "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You," Leon Haywood
23 - "S.O.S." ABBA
22 - "Operator," The Manhattan Transfer
21 - "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Willie Nelson
This time, R&B kicks us off, although in all three cases, it has a strong disco hint to it. But I don't think the O'Jays would mind, since in this song, they claim to love all kinds of music "as long as it's groovin'" And the O'Jays never fail to groove. The People's Choice song is another repeater, and it's still just by-the-numbers disco-funk. And Leon Haywood has something in mind for you. The title doesn't quite make that something clear, but lyrics about wanting to "slide down into your canyon" might help.
Three 60s survivors are here. Neil Sedaka scored the second #1 of his mid-70s comeback by getting a little help from Elton John on one of the many songs that specifically reminds me of childhood car rides, "Bad Blood." Paul McCartney's other band is here with a bombastic ode to the huge concerts The Beatles stopped doing in 1966. If there's an example of the kind of "rock" punk sprung up as a reaction to, you can't do much better than a song that actually opens with the line "Sitting in the stand of the sports arena." And Frankie Valli (without the Four Seasons) decided to to a disco version of Ruby and the Romantics 1963 classic "Our Day Will Come." I guess you can't blame him, because it did go to #11. Oh hell, I'll blame him anyway.
1975 was a banner year for country artists on the pop charts, and there are two examples here. Freddy Fender ended his comeback year by following two Top Tens with a Top 20 remake of an Oscar-winning 1953 Doris Day hit. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is an even older song, dating back to the 40s, but it didn't come to prominence until Willie Nelson recorded it for his breakthrough Red-Headed Stranger album. The headband, the duet with Julio Iglesias, and the legend of his funny-smelling tour bus would follow.
We end with a couple of two-man, two-woman vocal groups. ABBA return with one of their most famous numbers, a distress call in the midst of a dying relationship. And the jazzy Manhattan Transfer made their breakthrough with the gospelly "Operator." They want the title professional to "get Jesus on the line." Of course, nowadays He only reads texts.
Tomorrow: one of my favorite songs from this year, the one good song by a band I otherwise have nothing good to say about, and the rare and elusive "double Garfunkel."
Monday, November 15, 2010
November 12, 1977 Part Two
The second half.
20 - "We Just Disagree," Dave Mason
19 - "Dusic," Brick
18 - "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me," Peter Brown
17 - "You Make Lovin' Fun," Fleetwood Mac
16 - "Help is on Its Way," The Little River Band
We start with former Traffic member Dave Mason and his countryish ode to level-headed approaches to differences of opinion. Not a popular topic in song lyrics, but it somehow worked here.
Next are funksters Brick with "Dusic," which, near as I can figure, stands for "dance music." This is just your basic "get up and boogie" number. Fine, but nothing earth-shattering.
Disco footnote Peter Brown has a question for you, and for some reason, he's asking it in a rather angry tone. Or maybe he's just overcome with lust. Or possessed, because he does mention the devil a few times in this song. Whatever, I think this was played once on SCTV, so points for that.
Fleetwood Mac are here with one of the massive hits from Rumours. As I've said before, the Christine McVie hits were always my least favorites, but this is one of her better ones.
Ending this section are Australia's Little River Band with their first U.S. hit. Their bland pop/rock stylings let to a string of Top 40 records. I remember them, they were always on the radio for a four or five year period, then they went away and I didn't miss them. All I can say is that this one is much better than that "Reminiscing" song or the one where the guy says albatrosses and whales are his brothers.
15 - "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band," Meco
14 - "Brick House," The Commodores
13 - "That's Rock n' Roll," Shaun Cassidy
12 - "Just Remember I Love You," Firefall
11 - "Blue Bayou," Linda Ronstadt
Ah, Meco, we meet again. After his success with this, he would score three more Top 40 hits with discofications of music from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Wizard of Oz, and, yes, The Empire Strikes Back. But by the time he did Ewok Celebration, it was all over.
Next are The Commodores with another song that's become a cliche. But somehow, I can strip away all the cheesy contexts I've heard it in before and just give up to the funk. Ow! Mighty Migh-tay!
Shaun Cassidy is here again with his bland, teen idol take on 50s-style rock. Apparently, Eric Carmen wrote it. That man really lost all his cool after The Raspberries ended.
Firefall had their second-biggest hit with "Just Remember I Love You." Whoever the singer was singing this to probably didn't if all he did for her was write this boring-ass song.
Finally, Linda Ronstadt is back again, this time covering Roy Orbison. Obviously, she was never going to top the perpetually-sunglassed legend, but she did pretty well. She "made the song her own," as they say on Idol. Yeah, I watch that too.
Ici les Top Ten, mes amis...
10 - "We're All Alone," Rita Coolidge
Last time we visited this year, Rita was in the top ten covering Jackie Wilson. This time, she's back covering Boz Scaggs. I've never heard Boz's version, but it's gotta be better than this blandwich.
9 - "How Deep is Your Love," The Bee Gees
The first single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that would soon take over the airwaves and dance floors of the world. A bit surprising that they'd lead off with the ballad, but it worked, because it went to #1. It would have to wait a while to get there, though, as you'll learn later.
8 - "Heaven on the 7th Floor," Paul Nicholas
Basically, this is the disco precusor of Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator," performed by British singer/actor Nicholas, who played Cousin Kevin in the movie version of Tommy and was the original Rum Tum Tugger in Cats. Now that's a career.
7 - "Baby, What a Big Surprise," Chicago
The band shows a little more spunk here than they did on "If You Leave Me Now," but still, they were well in bland ballad territory. No "Big Surprise" here.
6 - "I Feel Love," Donna Summer
The uberdiva of disco and producer Giorgio Moroder went electronic on this track that sounded to many like something out of the future at the time. Donna also stepped out of her vocal comfort zone by going with a falsetto. Can't deny it, it's one of her best.
5 - "Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue," Crystal Gayle
Ah yes, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn's baby sister with the hair that went down to her heels. After a few coutry hits, she crossed over to pop with this jazzy ballad one imagines Patsy Cline would have recorded had she been around at the time. Of course, if you had a dirty mind, you might remove the "s" from "Eyes" and give the song a whole new meaning. But you're not that disgusting, are you?
4 - "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me," Barry White
Barry's last Top Ten. Very disco, but not quite up to some of his earlier hits. His voice just doesn't sound quite as smooth. Maybe it's just me.
3 - "Nobody Does it Better," Carly Simon
The then Mrs. James Taylor might not have been the most obvious choice to do a Bond theme, but she made it all the way to #2 with it, so it worked. Thom Yorke from Radiohead has said that this is the sexiest song ever written. With all due respect, Thom, no.
2 - "Boogie Nights," Heatwave
Last time we were in 1977, this led things off. This time, it almost closes the show. But in spite of its zeitgeist-friendly title, it fell short, partly because the top spot was in the process of being reserved exclusively for...
1 - "You Light Up My Life," Debby Boone
Pat's daughter's only Top 40 hit, the title song from a long-forgotten movie starring Didi "Frenchie" Conn, was in the fifth week of a then-record ten week run at the top. Debby, her dad, and country singer Red Foley (Pat's father-in-law) became the first three-generation dynasty of charttoppers. This song was playing when young couple Homer and Marge Simpson got engaged. Homer remarked that the guy Debby was singing about must be the happiest guy in the world. Marge said she thought that Debby was singing about God, to which Homer replied, "Oh, he's always happy. No wait, he's always mad." Anyway, this song is actually pretty good. Especially when performed by Patti Smith : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agl4IvNnQPo
There were two NotCasey Extras: Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," and Queen's "We Are the Champions." There were also a couple from Casey himself: "Mr. Bojangles," in honor of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's then-recent tour of the Soviet Union; and Freddy Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," before which he once again told the story of how that song became a hit sixteen years after it was supposed to be.
Ah, another week done, and for once, I heard the whole countdown. I'm game for anything next week.
20 - "We Just Disagree," Dave Mason
19 - "Dusic," Brick
18 - "Do Ya Wanna Get Funky With Me," Peter Brown
17 - "You Make Lovin' Fun," Fleetwood Mac
16 - "Help is on Its Way," The Little River Band
We start with former Traffic member Dave Mason and his countryish ode to level-headed approaches to differences of opinion. Not a popular topic in song lyrics, but it somehow worked here.
Next are funksters Brick with "Dusic," which, near as I can figure, stands for "dance music." This is just your basic "get up and boogie" number. Fine, but nothing earth-shattering.
Disco footnote Peter Brown has a question for you, and for some reason, he's asking it in a rather angry tone. Or maybe he's just overcome with lust. Or possessed, because he does mention the devil a few times in this song. Whatever, I think this was played once on SCTV, so points for that.
Fleetwood Mac are here with one of the massive hits from Rumours. As I've said before, the Christine McVie hits were always my least favorites, but this is one of her better ones.
Ending this section are Australia's Little River Band with their first U.S. hit. Their bland pop/rock stylings let to a string of Top 40 records. I remember them, they were always on the radio for a four or five year period, then they went away and I didn't miss them. All I can say is that this one is much better than that "Reminiscing" song or the one where the guy says albatrosses and whales are his brothers.
15 - "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band," Meco
14 - "Brick House," The Commodores
13 - "That's Rock n' Roll," Shaun Cassidy
12 - "Just Remember I Love You," Firefall
11 - "Blue Bayou," Linda Ronstadt
Ah, Meco, we meet again. After his success with this, he would score three more Top 40 hits with discofications of music from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Wizard of Oz, and, yes, The Empire Strikes Back. But by the time he did Ewok Celebration, it was all over.
Next are The Commodores with another song that's become a cliche. But somehow, I can strip away all the cheesy contexts I've heard it in before and just give up to the funk. Ow! Mighty Migh-tay!
Shaun Cassidy is here again with his bland, teen idol take on 50s-style rock. Apparently, Eric Carmen wrote it. That man really lost all his cool after The Raspberries ended.
Firefall had their second-biggest hit with "Just Remember I Love You." Whoever the singer was singing this to probably didn't if all he did for her was write this boring-ass song.
Finally, Linda Ronstadt is back again, this time covering Roy Orbison. Obviously, she was never going to top the perpetually-sunglassed legend, but she did pretty well. She "made the song her own," as they say on Idol. Yeah, I watch that too.
Ici les Top Ten, mes amis...
10 - "We're All Alone," Rita Coolidge
Last time we visited this year, Rita was in the top ten covering Jackie Wilson. This time, she's back covering Boz Scaggs. I've never heard Boz's version, but it's gotta be better than this blandwich.
9 - "How Deep is Your Love," The Bee Gees
The first single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that would soon take over the airwaves and dance floors of the world. A bit surprising that they'd lead off with the ballad, but it worked, because it went to #1. It would have to wait a while to get there, though, as you'll learn later.
8 - "Heaven on the 7th Floor," Paul Nicholas
Basically, this is the disco precusor of Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator," performed by British singer/actor Nicholas, who played Cousin Kevin in the movie version of Tommy and was the original Rum Tum Tugger in Cats. Now that's a career.
7 - "Baby, What a Big Surprise," Chicago
The band shows a little more spunk here than they did on "If You Leave Me Now," but still, they were well in bland ballad territory. No "Big Surprise" here.
6 - "I Feel Love," Donna Summer
The uberdiva of disco and producer Giorgio Moroder went electronic on this track that sounded to many like something out of the future at the time. Donna also stepped out of her vocal comfort zone by going with a falsetto. Can't deny it, it's one of her best.
5 - "Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue," Crystal Gayle
Ah yes, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn's baby sister with the hair that went down to her heels. After a few coutry hits, she crossed over to pop with this jazzy ballad one imagines Patsy Cline would have recorded had she been around at the time. Of course, if you had a dirty mind, you might remove the "s" from "Eyes" and give the song a whole new meaning. But you're not that disgusting, are you?
4 - "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me," Barry White
Barry's last Top Ten. Very disco, but not quite up to some of his earlier hits. His voice just doesn't sound quite as smooth. Maybe it's just me.
3 - "Nobody Does it Better," Carly Simon
The then Mrs. James Taylor might not have been the most obvious choice to do a Bond theme, but she made it all the way to #2 with it, so it worked. Thom Yorke from Radiohead has said that this is the sexiest song ever written. With all due respect, Thom, no.
2 - "Boogie Nights," Heatwave
Last time we were in 1977, this led things off. This time, it almost closes the show. But in spite of its zeitgeist-friendly title, it fell short, partly because the top spot was in the process of being reserved exclusively for...
1 - "You Light Up My Life," Debby Boone
Pat's daughter's only Top 40 hit, the title song from a long-forgotten movie starring Didi "Frenchie" Conn, was in the fifth week of a then-record ten week run at the top. Debby, her dad, and country singer Red Foley (Pat's father-in-law) became the first three-generation dynasty of charttoppers. This song was playing when young couple Homer and Marge Simpson got engaged. Homer remarked that the guy Debby was singing about must be the happiest guy in the world. Marge said she thought that Debby was singing about God, to which Homer replied, "Oh, he's always happy. No wait, he's always mad." Anyway, this song is actually pretty good. Especially when performed by Patti Smith : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agl4IvNnQPo
There were two NotCasey Extras: Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are," and Queen's "We Are the Champions." There were also a couple from Casey himself: "Mr. Bojangles," in honor of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's then-recent tour of the Soviet Union; and Freddy Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," before which he once again told the story of how that song became a hit sixteen years after it was supposed to be.
Ah, another week done, and for once, I heard the whole countdown. I'm game for anything next week.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
November 12, 1977 Part One
Our second trip to the year of a famous blizzard in my area. But enough time has passed that there won't be a huge amount of overlap, and I always like covering charts where I can actually remember hearing most of the songs on pop radio, so bring it on:
40 - "Swingtown," The Steve Miller Band
39 - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," Peter Frampton
38 - "Thunder in My Heart," Leo Sayer
37 - "Here You Come Again," Dolly Parton
36 -"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)," The Carpenters
35 - "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again," L.T.D.
34 - "Gone Too Far," England Dan and John Ford Coley
33 - "The King is Gone," Ronnie McDowell
32 - "Your Smiling Face," James Taylor
31 - "I Go Crazy," Paul Davis
We kick off with two corporate rock heavyweights. "Swingtown" is one of the few Steve Miller Top 40 hits to not crack the Top 10, but it's still pretty well-remembered, and may have inspired the title of a recent short-lived CBS series about wife-swapping in the Me Decade. Meanwhile, Peter Frampton followed up the title track from his first studio album as a superstar by covering Stevie Wonder. "I'm in You," was his biggest hit single, reaching #2. This one just scraped into the Top Twenty. The decline had begun
A lot of easy-listening stars in this bunch. After "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," Leo Sayer took another stab at disco. He didn't go to the falsetto on "Thunder in My Heart," however, and that may or may not be the reason this attempt was much less successful. England Dan and John Ford Coley return with a song that isn't "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, so who cares? James Taylor shows up with a late 70s hit that isn't an R&B cover, so that's refreshing. And "Your Smiling Face," is actually pretty nice. And Paul Davis' "I Go Crazy," is certainly familiar, and it obviously had some sort of staying power, because it spent a then-record forty straight weeks in the Billboard Hot 100.
Two of the three new entries on the chart are at 37 and 35. After establishing herself as a country star, Dolly Parton began a concerted effort to cross over to pop with "Here You Come Again." It worked, as it reached Number Three. Soon afterward, Dolly was profiled in Rolling Stone, and in conjunction with that was photographed by Annie Liebovitz being cradled in the arms of the then little-known bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. Funk band L.T.D. don't have a similarly sexy story attached to them, but their hit didn't need it. It's just good music, and the singer sounds a little like Tom Jones.
I end this section with the battle for this week's Uneasy Rider Award. I was certain that if I ever came across "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," it would take home an Uneasy Rider in a walk. I mean, come on. It's The Carpenters, the poster-siblings of safe, unthreatening MOR, covering a trippy, unwieldily-titled song about trying to contact extra-terrestrials which was originally performed by a band many people thought were a cover for a reunited Beatles. Surely it would take some Herculean feat of cheesiness to top that, right? Well, it did, and then-unknown country singer Ronnie McDowell was the man to perform it. As the title and the date would probably indicate to you, it's a tribute to the recently-deceased Elvis Presley. If that's all this song was, it wouldn't be that remarkable. But trust me, it isn't. It starts out with McDowell, in spoken word form, proclaiming that he grew up listening to and emulating Elvis to the point where his greatest dream was for people to say that he sounded just like The King. And then McDowell decides to use the occasion of his idol's death to try to make that dream a reality by singing a bombastic ode to the man in a very good Vegas-years Elvis voice. McDowell's choice to mourn his hero by imitating him, combined with the reverent, almost hymnlike lyrics (McDowell even sings "Long live his name" in a way which suggests that in his mind he envisioned an uppercase "H" on "his"), make "The King is Gone" an extraordinary artifact of its moment. How no one did this for Michael Jackson (at least not with this level of commercial success) is beyond me.
30 - "Slip Slidin' Away," Paul Simon
29 - "My Fair Share," Seals and Crofts
28 - "She Did It," Eric Carmen
27 - "Keep it Comin' Love," KC and the Sunshine Band
26 - "Come Sail Away," Styx
25 - "Isn't it Time" The Babys
24 - "Daybreak (Live)," Barry Manilow
23 - "Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins
22 - "It's So Easy," Linda Ronstadt
21 - "Cold as Ice," Foreigner
Here's where we first start encountering repeaters from the last '77 chart. KC and the Sunshine Band were hanging in with their first Top 40 hit not to go all the way to the top, while Foreigner we're still around with one of their most memorable rock staples.
A couple of 60s survivors are here. Paul Simon had yet another hit with a rumination on life and love that can currently be heard (in Canada at least) in a commercial for snow tires. Judy Collins, meanwhile, had two Top 40 runs with her version of a number from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music; it got to #36 in 1975, then came back two years later and made it to #19. Not bad for a song from a musical based on an Ingmar Bergman film.
The easy-listening squad is never far away in this decade. Seals and Crofts, fortunately for all of us, were near the end of their run when they had this hit from a Robby Benson movie called One on One (by the way, are there any more truly 70s phrases than "Robby Benson movie?") which contains odd lyrics about Lady Justice and actually has Seals and/or Crofts singing "Sleep with me if you dare." I don't dare. Not under any circumstances. Meanwhile, Eric Carmen is here with something a little more upbeat than his other, more maudlin solo hits. That's nice and all, but still, without the Raspberries, he sucks. And Barry Manilow didn't chart much higher than where he is here with this live bit of peppy positivity, but I definitely remember it.
We end this half with three examples of rock in the forms it took at the time. Styx, who you'll recall are the Bob Seger of Chicago (still scratching my head about that one, Casey) are here with this week's chart's second tale of alien encounters. But I didn't realize that at six. I was too busy rockin' out and trying to sing as high as Dennis DeYoung. The gramatically-incorrect-and proud Babys are here with the first of their two U.S. number 13 hits. It's lightweight pop rock; catchy, yet hardly classic. Their singer, John Waite, would go on to score two Number Ones in the 80s: "Missing You" by himself, and "When I See You Smile" with the "supergroup" Bad English. Finally, Linda Ronstadt is at 22 with her second hit Buddy Holly cover (after '76's "That'll Be the Day). And in case you didn't hear, yes, her ex Jerry Brown will once again be the governor of California. I wonder if Linda regrets not having the chance to fill the shoes of Maria Shriver.
So there's Part One. Tomorrow: somebody doubles up on their hit count for the week, two hits from two of the decade's biggest albums, and one of the biggest hits EVAH!
40 - "Swingtown," The Steve Miller Band
39 - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours," Peter Frampton
38 - "Thunder in My Heart," Leo Sayer
37 - "Here You Come Again," Dolly Parton
36 -"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day)," The Carpenters
35 - "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again," L.T.D.
34 - "Gone Too Far," England Dan and John Ford Coley
33 - "The King is Gone," Ronnie McDowell
32 - "Your Smiling Face," James Taylor
31 - "I Go Crazy," Paul Davis
We kick off with two corporate rock heavyweights. "Swingtown" is one of the few Steve Miller Top 40 hits to not crack the Top 10, but it's still pretty well-remembered, and may have inspired the title of a recent short-lived CBS series about wife-swapping in the Me Decade. Meanwhile, Peter Frampton followed up the title track from his first studio album as a superstar by covering Stevie Wonder. "I'm in You," was his biggest hit single, reaching #2. This one just scraped into the Top Twenty. The decline had begun
A lot of easy-listening stars in this bunch. After "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," Leo Sayer took another stab at disco. He didn't go to the falsetto on "Thunder in My Heart," however, and that may or may not be the reason this attempt was much less successful. England Dan and John Ford Coley return with a song that isn't "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, so who cares? James Taylor shows up with a late 70s hit that isn't an R&B cover, so that's refreshing. And "Your Smiling Face," is actually pretty nice. And Paul Davis' "I Go Crazy," is certainly familiar, and it obviously had some sort of staying power, because it spent a then-record forty straight weeks in the Billboard Hot 100.
Two of the three new entries on the chart are at 37 and 35. After establishing herself as a country star, Dolly Parton began a concerted effort to cross over to pop with "Here You Come Again." It worked, as it reached Number Three. Soon afterward, Dolly was profiled in Rolling Stone, and in conjunction with that was photographed by Annie Liebovitz being cradled in the arms of the then little-known bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. Funk band L.T.D. don't have a similarly sexy story attached to them, but their hit didn't need it. It's just good music, and the singer sounds a little like Tom Jones.
I end this section with the battle for this week's Uneasy Rider Award. I was certain that if I ever came across "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft," it would take home an Uneasy Rider in a walk. I mean, come on. It's The Carpenters, the poster-siblings of safe, unthreatening MOR, covering a trippy, unwieldily-titled song about trying to contact extra-terrestrials which was originally performed by a band many people thought were a cover for a reunited Beatles. Surely it would take some Herculean feat of cheesiness to top that, right? Well, it did, and then-unknown country singer Ronnie McDowell was the man to perform it. As the title and the date would probably indicate to you, it's a tribute to the recently-deceased Elvis Presley. If that's all this song was, it wouldn't be that remarkable. But trust me, it isn't. It starts out with McDowell, in spoken word form, proclaiming that he grew up listening to and emulating Elvis to the point where his greatest dream was for people to say that he sounded just like The King. And then McDowell decides to use the occasion of his idol's death to try to make that dream a reality by singing a bombastic ode to the man in a very good Vegas-years Elvis voice. McDowell's choice to mourn his hero by imitating him, combined with the reverent, almost hymnlike lyrics (McDowell even sings "Long live his name" in a way which suggests that in his mind he envisioned an uppercase "H" on "his"), make "The King is Gone" an extraordinary artifact of its moment. How no one did this for Michael Jackson (at least not with this level of commercial success) is beyond me.
30 - "Slip Slidin' Away," Paul Simon
29 - "My Fair Share," Seals and Crofts
28 - "She Did It," Eric Carmen
27 - "Keep it Comin' Love," KC and the Sunshine Band
26 - "Come Sail Away," Styx
25 - "Isn't it Time" The Babys
24 - "Daybreak (Live)," Barry Manilow
23 - "Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins
22 - "It's So Easy," Linda Ronstadt
21 - "Cold as Ice," Foreigner
Here's where we first start encountering repeaters from the last '77 chart. KC and the Sunshine Band were hanging in with their first Top 40 hit not to go all the way to the top, while Foreigner we're still around with one of their most memorable rock staples.
A couple of 60s survivors are here. Paul Simon had yet another hit with a rumination on life and love that can currently be heard (in Canada at least) in a commercial for snow tires. Judy Collins, meanwhile, had two Top 40 runs with her version of a number from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music; it got to #36 in 1975, then came back two years later and made it to #19. Not bad for a song from a musical based on an Ingmar Bergman film.
The easy-listening squad is never far away in this decade. Seals and Crofts, fortunately for all of us, were near the end of their run when they had this hit from a Robby Benson movie called One on One (by the way, are there any more truly 70s phrases than "Robby Benson movie?") which contains odd lyrics about Lady Justice and actually has Seals and/or Crofts singing "Sleep with me if you dare." I don't dare. Not under any circumstances. Meanwhile, Eric Carmen is here with something a little more upbeat than his other, more maudlin solo hits. That's nice and all, but still, without the Raspberries, he sucks. And Barry Manilow didn't chart much higher than where he is here with this live bit of peppy positivity, but I definitely remember it.
We end this half with three examples of rock in the forms it took at the time. Styx, who you'll recall are the Bob Seger of Chicago (still scratching my head about that one, Casey) are here with this week's chart's second tale of alien encounters. But I didn't realize that at six. I was too busy rockin' out and trying to sing as high as Dennis DeYoung. The gramatically-incorrect-and proud Babys are here with the first of their two U.S. number 13 hits. It's lightweight pop rock; catchy, yet hardly classic. Their singer, John Waite, would go on to score two Number Ones in the 80s: "Missing You" by himself, and "When I See You Smile" with the "supergroup" Bad English. Finally, Linda Ronstadt is at 22 with her second hit Buddy Holly cover (after '76's "That'll Be the Day). And in case you didn't hear, yes, her ex Jerry Brown will once again be the governor of California. I wonder if Linda regrets not having the chance to fill the shoes of Maria Shriver.
So there's Part One. Tomorrow: somebody doubles up on their hit count for the week, two hits from two of the decade's biggest albums, and one of the biggest hits EVAH!
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