Second verse, hopefully better than the first.
20 - "So Far Away," Carole King
19 - "Yo-Yo," The Osmonds
18 - "Sweet City Woman," The Stampeders
17 - "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," The Bee Gees
16 - "Tired of Being Alone," Al Green
We start with easily the best Carole King song we've come across so far. Not surprisingly, it's from the multi-million-selling Tapestry album. Just a solid singer-songwriter ballad.
Next are Ogden, Utah's finest with their follow-up to "One Bad Apple," a song that I have found out was near the top of the charts around my-birthday. It's not as much of a Jackson 5 ripoff as their first hit. Coincidentally(?), it's nowhere near as good.
Then there's Canada's Stampeders with the banjo-heavy "Sweet City Woman." They topped the pop and country charts at home, and made the Top 10 in the U.S. They would have several more Canadian hits until they would barely scrape into AT40 again four years later with a cover of "Hit The Road Jack." I can't say America missed much.
The Bee Gees show up again with their only pre-disco U.S. #1. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" is amazing cry-in-your-beer material. Barry can convey desperation and heartbreak with the best of them. Laugh if you will, but I think he's one of the greats.
Last in this quintet is Al Green. Another week, another awesome song I'd never heard before. Really, I've got to get more familiar with this man's work.
15- "Won't Get Fooled Again," The Who
14 - "If You Really Love Me," Stevie Wonder
13 - "I Woke Up In Love This Morning," The Partridge Family
12 - "Do You Know What I Mean?" Lee Michaels
11- "Stick Up," The Honey Cone
This section starts with a song that started life as part of what was to be a sprawling rock opera called Lifehouse, but ended up being the weekly mood-setter for David Caruso's hammy acting as the theme song to CSI: Miami. But "Won't Get Fooled Again" stil manages to retain its power. And that's why The Who are The Who.
Then it's more Stevie Wonder. "If You Really Love Me," is really two songs in one: the peppy, horn-drenched jam that are the choruses; and the torchy jazz balladry of the verses. I tend to enjoy songs like this, as you'll learn if and when we come across the Bee Gees' "Nights On Broadway."
Well, it's taken a while, but at last we've run into that television-spawned pop machine that was The Partridge Family. This is probably their third best-known tune, after the theme to their show and "I Think I Love You." It's really pretty good. And I stand by the statement I made a few weeks back that David is easily the better singer among the Cassidy brothers.
Next is Lee Michaels. This not-bad slice of white soul was by far his biggest hit. And he once backed up Jimi Hendrix as a session musician. Nothing more to say, really.
Rounding out the bunch are the girl group The Honey Cone. Earlier in the year, they had topped the chart with "Want Ads." In their follow-up, they compare being spurned by a lover to being robbed. But the song's narrator seems to be plotting revenge in the end by getting him to sleep with her again ("he'll return to the scene of the crime."), thus impregnating her and forcing him to marry her. How progressive.
Et maintenant, the Top Ten:
10 - "I Just Want To Celebrate," Rare Earth.
Motown's most prominent white rock signing had previously only scored hits with covers of past label hits. Finaly, the band was allowed to try their luck with a song not previously popularized, and they hit the Top Ten. Unfortunately, they'd never get back there. But this song lives on whenever people want to rejoice over something. Or sell crackers.
9 - "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," The Dramatics
This funky declaration of honesty was probably inspired by the catch phrase of TV comedian Flip Wilson's drag character Geraldine. That phrase also inspired the computer acronym WYSIWIG. That's all I got.
8 - "Superstar," The Carpenters
They're back again, with one of their most enduring hits, a tale of desire for a travelling musician. Sonic Youth did a pretty great cover of this, but you still can't beat Karen.
7 - "Smiling Faces Sometimes," The Undisputed Truth
The Undisputed Truth was apparently Motown's attempt to create a R&B/Rock hybrid band along the lines of Sly and the Family Stone. This ballad about deceptive people was their only Top 40 hit, but they did record "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone," before The Temptations did.
6 - "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," Paul and Linda McCartney
Speaking of two songs in one. This pre-Wings effort is probably my favorite post-Beatles Paul track. If I were to pick an Uneasy Rider Award for the entire decade with the field restricted to songs that hit Number One, this would certainly be a contender. Later, of course, Paul would top the charts with the three songs in one smash "Band on the Run."
5 - "Spanish Harlem," Aretha Franklin
This song was co-written by Phil Spector, was first a hit for Ben E. King, then a bigger hit for Aretha the Queen. Just killer.
4 - "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," Joan Baez
I'll admit it, it was a very long time before I realized that this Civil War story song was actually a cover of The Band. And yes, I like Robbie Robertson & co.'s version better. But I know I heard Joan's version on the radio quite a few times in my youth, and unlike some covers that reached my ears before the original, I refuse to disown it.
3 - "Ain't No Sunshine," Bill Withers
You remember when I declared that Barry Gibb could convey heartbreak with the best of them? Let me amend that by saying most of the best of them, because on this classic, Bill blows Barry out of the water. You can almost feel the sun itself setting into misery. Barry, you're still great overall, but you can't do this.
2 - "Maggie May," Rod Stewart
Everybody knows Rod the Mod's breakthrough, which was basically The Graduate reduced to a four-minute pop song. A funny thing happened while I was listening to it on the show: At the end of the song, Casey said something which I thought was to the effect of "That's Amanda Lynn accompanying Rod Stewart on this song." So I'm thinking, "Who the hell is Amanda Lynn? Did one of the many leggy blondes he's had on his arm over the years actually play an instrument on this song? That's interesting." Seconds later, I figured out that Casey had said "a mandolin," not "Amanda Lynn." I suck.
And the #1 song in the USA when I was 7 1/2 months old was...
1 - "Go Away Little Girl," Donny Osmond
This song is connected to songs 20 and 19. The latter connection is obvious, but the former is due to the fact that Carole King co-wrote it with longtime collaborator Gerry Goffin. It was previously a #1 for Steve Lawrence. It's your basic, "don't come near me because you make me want to cheat on my girlfriend with you" song, but little Donny doesn't really pull it off. As I listened to it, the one word that came to mind regarding his vocal and the backing track was "flimsy." There really isn't much there.
There were two NotCasey Extras: the Canadian staple "One Fine Morning," by the Blood Sweat and Tears-ish Lighthouse that I was surprised to learn actually did crack America; and "Birds of a Feather," the lesser-known follow-up to the Raiders' hit ode to the Cherokee Nation, "Indian Reservation." Plus, at the end of the second hour, Casey for some reason played the Bobby Vee oldie "Take Good Care of My Baby."
Another one in the books. As usual, I'm hoping next week will bring a chart from a year when I was going to school. But whatever it brings, I'll be here with my thoughts and smart-ass comments.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
September 25, 1971 Part One
They're going back on me again, this time to the year of my birth. A lot of stuff I'm not very familiar with here, but I think I'll work it out.
40 - "Easy Loving," Freddie Hart
39 -"All Day Music," War
38 - "Surrender," Diana Ross
37 - "Stagger Lee," Tommy Roe
36 -"I Ain't Got Time Anymore," The Glass Bottle
35 - "Trapped by a Thing Called Love," Denise LaSalle
34 - "Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)," The Dells
33 - "Breakdown Part One," Rufus Thomas
32 - "The Wedding Song (Love Is Here)," Paul Stookey
31 - "Bangla Desh," George Harrison
30 - "I've Found Someone of My Own," The Free Movement
29 - "Liar," Three Dog Night
28 - "Saturday Morning Confusion," Bobby Russell
27 - "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," The Persuaders
26 - "Take Me Home, Country Roads," John Denver with Fat City
25 - "Rain Dance," The Guess Who
24 - "The Story In Your Eyes," The Moody Blues
23 - "Make It Funky," James Brown
22 - "Signs," The Five Man Electrical Band
21 - "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep," Mac and Katie Kissoon
All right, I know most of these. But let's start with the three I don't. "I've Found Someone of My Own," is what the singer's lover tells him over his coffee. But he seems pretty stoic and resigned about it. Perhaps he realizes that referring to her only as "woman," probably didn't deter her much from straying. The other two "new to me"s are this weeks finalists for the Uneasy Rider Award. Bobby Russell's "Saturday Morning Confusion," is a country song over which Russell (whose greatest successes were as a songwriter, as he penned hits like Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" and his one-time wife Vicki Lawrence's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.") plays the role of a harried father making his way through a crazy day at home. His screaming twins aggrivate his hangover, he gets jumped on by the family dog whom they thought was male until he had puppies, his wife hassles him to take the kids to the movies, and then there's his annoying cousin/neighbor. But then the day ends, all is quiet, and he realizes all the confusion is worth it. The other contender is "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep," a bubblegum novelty that seems to be about a baby bird who's parents have flown away. Really. Okay, decision time: "Saturday Morning Confusion," is much more interesting and entertaining, but the award is about oddness, so for subject matter alone, "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" gets the nod.
Technically, there's a fourth record in this quarter I'd never heard, but I was quite familiar with the song "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," via a Pretenders cover. It starts with a guy stumbling home late to his lover after yet another night of debauchery, but the lady treats him as if nothing happened, even offering him something to eat. But then the bridge warns that her sweetness may mask a seething rage, and next thing you know, the guy's in the hospital because his beloved has beat the living shit out of him. I think it's just fantastic that this got on the radio in 1971.
'Two bands that once contributed a side each to a Canada-only promotional LP that could be purchased with Coca-Cola bottle cap liners are both here. One is the Guess Who, whose contribution here makes no lyrical sense (bakers, astronomers, doorbells, singing birds, some guy named John with a gun, somehow this is all supposed to make one want to do a rain dance. I think.) The other were known then as The Staccatos, but then changed their named to the Five Man Electrical Band, and gave the world this massive hit that protested the proliferation of placards on the planet. Alliteration, don't ya love it?
I'll end with the four other songs in this group, all by well-known names. "Liar," is pretty aggressive-sounding by Three Dog Night standards., which is a good thing. John Denver had his first hit with "Take Me Home, Country Roads," backed by Fat City, a folk duo who would later expand into the Starland Vocal Band, whose "Afternoon Delight," I will hopefully encounter somewhere down the road so I can detail how utterly baffled I am by its massive success. The Moody Blues are here with a song they presumably performed nightly in Las Vegas when they opened for Moody Blues cover band The Satin Knights (your Simpsons reference of the week). And when James Brown comes with a song called "Make It Funky," you know he's going to do exactly that. And (SPOILER ALERT!) he does.
So there's the first half. Admittedly, not my best work. The second half should be better, as there are a lot of familiar names and songs. And a lot of teeth.
40 - "Easy Loving," Freddie Hart
39 -"All Day Music," War
38 - "Surrender," Diana Ross
37 - "Stagger Lee," Tommy Roe
36 -"I Ain't Got Time Anymore," The Glass Bottle
35 - "Trapped by a Thing Called Love," Denise LaSalle
34 - "Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)," The Dells
33 - "Breakdown Part One," Rufus Thomas
32 - "The Wedding Song (Love Is Here)," Paul Stookey
31 - "Bangla Desh," George Harrison
Honestly, I was kind of lost in this section. The only record here I was familiar with was "I Ain't Got Time Anymore," but Casey mistakenly played the flip side, "The First Time," which I didn't know at all. And the only other song here I'd heard before was the based-on-a-true-crime blues number "Stagger Lee." The best known version of it is the 1959 classic by Lloyd Price, but it surfaces here in a New Orleans R&B-style take by Tommy Roe. Roe had previously topped the charts by sounding like Buddy Holly on "Sheila," in '62, then again seven years later with the bubblegummy "Dizzy." This didn't come close to matching those successes.
Without much background on the rest of the list, I'm just going to have to whip through them. "Easy Loving," is regarded as a country classic, but it didn't do much for me. "All Day Music, " is a slow number and War's first hit without Eric Burdon. "Surrender" sounds like a slightly sped up "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," though it wasn't nearly as big a hit for Miss Ross. "Trapped by A Thing Called Love," was a #1 Soul hit. The Dells contribute a generic early-7o's R&B ballad. Rufus Thomas is best known for "Walking the Dog," and was in his mid-fifties when he brought the funk with "The Breakdown." Mr. Stookey is the Paul in Peter, Paul and Mary, and this extremely earnest ode to matrimony was his wedding gift to Peter. And "Bangla Desh," was a charity single Harrison recorded to benefit refugees from the former East Pakistan, who had suffeted through a deadly cyclone and a bloody war for independence. Harrison would follow up the single with an all-star benefit concert.
Okay, that was a little disappointing. I apologize. But I think the next section will give me more to work with:
30 - "I've Found Someone of My Own," The Free Movement
29 - "Liar," Three Dog Night
28 - "Saturday Morning Confusion," Bobby Russell
27 - "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," The Persuaders
26 - "Take Me Home, Country Roads," John Denver with Fat City
25 - "Rain Dance," The Guess Who
24 - "The Story In Your Eyes," The Moody Blues
23 - "Make It Funky," James Brown
22 - "Signs," The Five Man Electrical Band
21 - "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep," Mac and Katie Kissoon
All right, I know most of these. But let's start with the three I don't. "I've Found Someone of My Own," is what the singer's lover tells him over his coffee. But he seems pretty stoic and resigned about it. Perhaps he realizes that referring to her only as "woman," probably didn't deter her much from straying. The other two "new to me"s are this weeks finalists for the Uneasy Rider Award. Bobby Russell's "Saturday Morning Confusion," is a country song over which Russell (whose greatest successes were as a songwriter, as he penned hits like Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" and his one-time wife Vicki Lawrence's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.") plays the role of a harried father making his way through a crazy day at home. His screaming twins aggrivate his hangover, he gets jumped on by the family dog whom they thought was male until he had puppies, his wife hassles him to take the kids to the movies, and then there's his annoying cousin/neighbor. But then the day ends, all is quiet, and he realizes all the confusion is worth it. The other contender is "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep," a bubblegum novelty that seems to be about a baby bird who's parents have flown away. Really. Okay, decision time: "Saturday Morning Confusion," is much more interesting and entertaining, but the award is about oddness, so for subject matter alone, "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" gets the nod.
Technically, there's a fourth record in this quarter I'd never heard, but I was quite familiar with the song "Thin Line Between Love and Hate," via a Pretenders cover. It starts with a guy stumbling home late to his lover after yet another night of debauchery, but the lady treats him as if nothing happened, even offering him something to eat. But then the bridge warns that her sweetness may mask a seething rage, and next thing you know, the guy's in the hospital because his beloved has beat the living shit out of him. I think it's just fantastic that this got on the radio in 1971.
'Two bands that once contributed a side each to a Canada-only promotional LP that could be purchased with Coca-Cola bottle cap liners are both here. One is the Guess Who, whose contribution here makes no lyrical sense (bakers, astronomers, doorbells, singing birds, some guy named John with a gun, somehow this is all supposed to make one want to do a rain dance. I think.) The other were known then as The Staccatos, but then changed their named to the Five Man Electrical Band, and gave the world this massive hit that protested the proliferation of placards on the planet. Alliteration, don't ya love it?
I'll end with the four other songs in this group, all by well-known names. "Liar," is pretty aggressive-sounding by Three Dog Night standards., which is a good thing. John Denver had his first hit with "Take Me Home, Country Roads," backed by Fat City, a folk duo who would later expand into the Starland Vocal Band, whose "Afternoon Delight," I will hopefully encounter somewhere down the road so I can detail how utterly baffled I am by its massive success. The Moody Blues are here with a song they presumably performed nightly in Las Vegas when they opened for Moody Blues cover band The Satin Knights (your Simpsons reference of the week). And when James Brown comes with a song called "Make It Funky," you know he's going to do exactly that. And (SPOILER ALERT!) he does.
So there's the first half. Admittedly, not my best work. The second half should be better, as there are a lot of familiar names and songs. And a lot of teeth.
Monday, September 20, 2010
September 13, 1975 Part Two
Back to the Wayback Machine...
20 - "(I Believe) There's Nothing Stronger Than Our Love," Paul Anka and Odia Coates
19 - "Dance With Me," Orleans
18 - "Solitatire," The Carpenters
17 - "Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady," Helen Reddy
16 - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," James Taylor
The second half begins with starts with Canada's own Paul Anka, who started as a teen idol, morphed into the songwriting pro behind Johnny Carson's Tonight Show theme and "My Way," then became a hit machine all over again with duet partner Odia Coates. Of course, the most famous of those hits was the smash "(You're) Having My Baby," which would win Anka the "Male Chauvinist Pig of the Year" award from Ms. magazine. I was going to mention the company he was in as a winner of that award, but I can't find a list of winners anywhere. The internet does have its limits, believe it or not.
Next is "Dance With Me," a soft rock ballad that I thought was by the Doobie Brothers. Actually, it's from the group who later did "Still The One." And their singer is now in the U.S. Congress.
Then come the Carpenters again, this time with one of my favorites. Karen isn't singing this tale of loneliness and isolation in the first person, but she conveys the pain so well that she might as well be. Fun fact: "Solitaire," is also the name of a story in The Devil You Know, the latest collection by Jenn Farrell, a good friend and a great writer. I just got my hands on it today. You should too.
Helen Reddy's back, but no crazy ladies in this one. But it's still a rich ballad about a woman who's leaving a man who's too into himself to give her what she needs. Her first hit was "I Don't Know How To Love Him;" this is sort of a sequel: "He Doesn't Know How To Love Me."
Rounding out this group is James Taylor covering Marvin Gaye. Not a fan of Mr. Taylor's takes on R&B, as I've mentioned before. So I'll just skip to the fact that Sweet Baby James singing the title of this song (sans the part in parentheses) was the answer Jaws gave when Dickie Goodman what he was thinking when he ate a swimmer.
15 - "Jive Talkin'," The Bee Gees
14 - "Third Rate Romance," The Amazing Rhythm Aces
13 - "That's the Way of the World," Earth Wind And Fire
12 - "Ballroom Blitz," Sweet
11 - "Feel Like Makin' Love," Bad Company
The last set before the top ten kicks off with the Brothers Gibb beginning their stunningly successful venture into disco. There's no way this should have worked, but did it ever. I know I always perked up when I heard that scratchy guitar opening, and I still love it today. And this is the third song on this week's chart that was sampled in "Mr. Jaws."
Then it's the Amazing Rhythm Aces with a catchy little tune about a one-night stand. This was as high as it got on the 40, but apparently it went to #1 in Canada on both the pop and country charts. And they weren't even Canadian. Impressive.
Next are Earth Wind and Fire with a soul ballad promoting peace and love. Nothing much to say about it. It's just a nice song to hear on the radio.
This is the highest appearance so far of a Classic Rock Double Shot. It starts with England's Sweet, offering an edgier sound than the glam rock that made them famous. Myself, I still prefer those songs: "Little Willy," "Fox on the Run," and the politically incorrect "Wig Wam Bam." Following that, and closing the last fivesome before the Top Ten, are Bad Company with what one might classify as one of the first power ballads. You haven't lived until you've heard it covered by South Park's Ned Gerblansky. He sings it much better than Kid Rock did.
And now, the Top Ten:
10 - "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," Freddy Fender
This was poised to become the first hit for Hispanic country singer Fender fifteen years fifteen years earlier, but a marijuana bust just as the song was starting to catch on caused radio stations to drop the record immediately. He finally broke through earlier in '75 with the #1 hit "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," and this new recording of his should-have-been followed it into the top ten. There are so many things about this story that make it unthinkable today.
9 - "Run Joey Run," David Geddes
This is an almost operatic story song about how Joey's girlfriend Julie, whom he has gotten pregnant, calls him because her father is enraged, crazy, and has got a gun. She tells him to run, but instead, he rushes to her house, where he finds her outside and sees that she's been hit by her dad. Then her father comes out to shoot Joey, but as he does, Julie jumps in front of him, takes the bullet, and dies. Just as cheery as it sounds. I don't remember ever having heard the original before yesterday, but I did see it acted out a few months ago on an episode of Glee. That's right, I watch Glee. Wanna fight about it?
8 - "I'm Sorry," John Denver
The erstwhile Mr. Deutschendorf is apologizing to a woman for what he did during their relationship, though why he felt the need to be "sorry for the way things are in China," I'll never know. This was what they used to call a "double-sided" hit, because both sides of the 45 rpm single received significant airplay. The other side of this one, for the record, was the Jacques Cousteau tribute "Calypso."
7 - "Could It Be Magic?" Barry Manilow
Another 70s icon finally shows up here. Barry's music became kind of a "Feelings"-esque punchline for a while after the hits dried up, but his reputation has recovered somewhat, and I think deservedly so. To me, nothing tops "Mandy," but this is a suitably desperate-sounding plea for love. I like it.
6 - "Fight the Power," The Isley Brothers
More great funk from the Isleys. Plus, instead of inspiring creepy Swiffer commercials, it inspired Public Enemy's fantastic contribution to the Do The Right Thing soundtrack. A much more worthy contribution to society.
5 - "Fame," David Bowie
I remember that this sounded so ahead of this time even to my 4-year-old ears. I know I especially liked that part where Bowie repeated the word "fame" over and over with his voice all distorted. See, I did have some taste back then.
4 - "Get Down Tonight," KC and the Sunshine Band
Yeah, you know we're in the disco years when KC and the boys show up, This was their first, and perhaps their best, hit. And people have been doing little dances and making a little love to this ever since. Plus, it made "Mr. Jaws."
3 - "At Seventeen," Janis Ian
A gentle little folk ditty about the pain and tribulation of high school that somehow became a huge hit. It's been used in two Simpsons episodes: once as the ironic theme to a beauty pageant, then later as Homer wandered Springfield trying to figure out the meaning of a message given to him by a Johnny Cash-voiced coyote in a hot-pepper-induced hallucination. I'm sure Ms. Ian saw that coming.
2 - "Fallin' In Love," Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
One of the weirder stories in pop history. They had a #4 hit in 1971 with "Don't Pull Your Love," then faded into obscurity. Then Reynolds left the group. Then the band got another record deal, but it was on the condition that they remained Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. They agreed, and despite their Reynoldslessness, they got themselves a Number One with this slick bit of MOR. Reynolds must have been pissed.
And the toppermost of the poppermost 35 years ago was...
1 - "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell
We all know this, right? Some of you may have even perfored karaoke versions of it. It's just awesome. Country boy goes to the city and dreams of hitting the big time, even though he knows getting there will take "a load of compromisin'" Well, at least he's realistic. And yes, this is the last of the songs here that was sampled in "Mr. Jaws."
The Extras this week were "Who Loves You," the Four Seasons' comeback hit that is probably being performed right now somewhere in a production of Jersey Boys; "Bad Blood," a rockin' Neil Sedaka song that featured backing vocals by Elton John; and another Eagles staple, "Lyin' Eyes."
Another week down. Join me next week as I return to the Me Decade and roll around in the sound.
20 - "(I Believe) There's Nothing Stronger Than Our Love," Paul Anka and Odia Coates
19 - "Dance With Me," Orleans
18 - "Solitatire," The Carpenters
17 - "Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady," Helen Reddy
16 - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," James Taylor
The second half begins with starts with Canada's own Paul Anka, who started as a teen idol, morphed into the songwriting pro behind Johnny Carson's Tonight Show theme and "My Way," then became a hit machine all over again with duet partner Odia Coates. Of course, the most famous of those hits was the smash "(You're) Having My Baby," which would win Anka the "Male Chauvinist Pig of the Year" award from Ms. magazine. I was going to mention the company he was in as a winner of that award, but I can't find a list of winners anywhere. The internet does have its limits, believe it or not.
Next is "Dance With Me," a soft rock ballad that I thought was by the Doobie Brothers. Actually, it's from the group who later did "Still The One." And their singer is now in the U.S. Congress.
Then come the Carpenters again, this time with one of my favorites. Karen isn't singing this tale of loneliness and isolation in the first person, but she conveys the pain so well that she might as well be. Fun fact: "Solitaire," is also the name of a story in The Devil You Know, the latest collection by Jenn Farrell, a good friend and a great writer. I just got my hands on it today. You should too.
Helen Reddy's back, but no crazy ladies in this one. But it's still a rich ballad about a woman who's leaving a man who's too into himself to give her what she needs. Her first hit was "I Don't Know How To Love Him;" this is sort of a sequel: "He Doesn't Know How To Love Me."
Rounding out this group is James Taylor covering Marvin Gaye. Not a fan of Mr. Taylor's takes on R&B, as I've mentioned before. So I'll just skip to the fact that Sweet Baby James singing the title of this song (sans the part in parentheses) was the answer Jaws gave when Dickie Goodman what he was thinking when he ate a swimmer.
15 - "Jive Talkin'," The Bee Gees
14 - "Third Rate Romance," The Amazing Rhythm Aces
13 - "That's the Way of the World," Earth Wind And Fire
12 - "Ballroom Blitz," Sweet
11 - "Feel Like Makin' Love," Bad Company
The last set before the top ten kicks off with the Brothers Gibb beginning their stunningly successful venture into disco. There's no way this should have worked, but did it ever. I know I always perked up when I heard that scratchy guitar opening, and I still love it today. And this is the third song on this week's chart that was sampled in "Mr. Jaws."
Then it's the Amazing Rhythm Aces with a catchy little tune about a one-night stand. This was as high as it got on the 40, but apparently it went to #1 in Canada on both the pop and country charts. And they weren't even Canadian. Impressive.
Next are Earth Wind and Fire with a soul ballad promoting peace and love. Nothing much to say about it. It's just a nice song to hear on the radio.
This is the highest appearance so far of a Classic Rock Double Shot. It starts with England's Sweet, offering an edgier sound than the glam rock that made them famous. Myself, I still prefer those songs: "Little Willy," "Fox on the Run," and the politically incorrect "Wig Wam Bam." Following that, and closing the last fivesome before the Top Ten, are Bad Company with what one might classify as one of the first power ballads. You haven't lived until you've heard it covered by South Park's Ned Gerblansky. He sings it much better than Kid Rock did.
And now, the Top Ten:
10 - "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," Freddy Fender
This was poised to become the first hit for Hispanic country singer Fender fifteen years fifteen years earlier, but a marijuana bust just as the song was starting to catch on caused radio stations to drop the record immediately. He finally broke through earlier in '75 with the #1 hit "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," and this new recording of his should-have-been followed it into the top ten. There are so many things about this story that make it unthinkable today.
9 - "Run Joey Run," David Geddes
This is an almost operatic story song about how Joey's girlfriend Julie, whom he has gotten pregnant, calls him because her father is enraged, crazy, and has got a gun. She tells him to run, but instead, he rushes to her house, where he finds her outside and sees that she's been hit by her dad. Then her father comes out to shoot Joey, but as he does, Julie jumps in front of him, takes the bullet, and dies. Just as cheery as it sounds. I don't remember ever having heard the original before yesterday, but I did see it acted out a few months ago on an episode of Glee. That's right, I watch Glee. Wanna fight about it?
8 - "I'm Sorry," John Denver
The erstwhile Mr. Deutschendorf is apologizing to a woman for what he did during their relationship, though why he felt the need to be "sorry for the way things are in China," I'll never know. This was what they used to call a "double-sided" hit, because both sides of the 45 rpm single received significant airplay. The other side of this one, for the record, was the Jacques Cousteau tribute "Calypso."
7 - "Could It Be Magic?" Barry Manilow
Another 70s icon finally shows up here. Barry's music became kind of a "Feelings"-esque punchline for a while after the hits dried up, but his reputation has recovered somewhat, and I think deservedly so. To me, nothing tops "Mandy," but this is a suitably desperate-sounding plea for love. I like it.
6 - "Fight the Power," The Isley Brothers
More great funk from the Isleys. Plus, instead of inspiring creepy Swiffer commercials, it inspired Public Enemy's fantastic contribution to the Do The Right Thing soundtrack. A much more worthy contribution to society.
5 - "Fame," David Bowie
I remember that this sounded so ahead of this time even to my 4-year-old ears. I know I especially liked that part where Bowie repeated the word "fame" over and over with his voice all distorted. See, I did have some taste back then.
4 - "Get Down Tonight," KC and the Sunshine Band
Yeah, you know we're in the disco years when KC and the boys show up, This was their first, and perhaps their best, hit. And people have been doing little dances and making a little love to this ever since. Plus, it made "Mr. Jaws."
3 - "At Seventeen," Janis Ian
A gentle little folk ditty about the pain and tribulation of high school that somehow became a huge hit. It's been used in two Simpsons episodes: once as the ironic theme to a beauty pageant, then later as Homer wandered Springfield trying to figure out the meaning of a message given to him by a Johnny Cash-voiced coyote in a hot-pepper-induced hallucination. I'm sure Ms. Ian saw that coming.
2 - "Fallin' In Love," Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds
One of the weirder stories in pop history. They had a #4 hit in 1971 with "Don't Pull Your Love," then faded into obscurity. Then Reynolds left the group. Then the band got another record deal, but it was on the condition that they remained Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. They agreed, and despite their Reynoldslessness, they got themselves a Number One with this slick bit of MOR. Reynolds must have been pissed.
And the toppermost of the poppermost 35 years ago was...
1 - "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell
We all know this, right? Some of you may have even perfored karaoke versions of it. It's just awesome. Country boy goes to the city and dreams of hitting the big time, even though he knows getting there will take "a load of compromisin'" Well, at least he's realistic. And yes, this is the last of the songs here that was sampled in "Mr. Jaws."
The Extras this week were "Who Loves You," the Four Seasons' comeback hit that is probably being performed right now somewhere in a production of Jersey Boys; "Bad Blood," a rockin' Neil Sedaka song that featured backing vocals by Elton John; and another Eagles staple, "Lyin' Eyes."
Another week down. Join me next week as I return to the Me Decade and roll around in the sound.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
September 13, 1975 Part One
Okay, we're closer to my wheelhouse. I was four. Within my earshot, disco was dawning. Beyond, punk was in its birth throes. Could be cool. Here goes:
40 - "Give It What You Got," B.T. Express
39 - "Your Love," Graham Central Station
38 - "Do It Any Way You Wanna," The People's Choice
37 - "Theme from Jaws," John Williams
36 - "Carolina in the Pines," Michael Murphey
35 - "Lady Blue," Leon Russell
34 - "Miracles," Jefferson Starship
33 - "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," Elton John
32 - "Brazil," The Ritchie Family
31 - "Mr. Jaws," Dickie Goodman
Disco is present right off the bat with three entries. B.T Express are probably best remembered for their 1974 hit "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied). This song didn't get any higher than 40, and that is completely justified. "Do It Any Way You Wanna," is a semi-instrumental in which the title is sung slightly more than in, say, "The Hustle." And the Ritchie Family weren't an actual family, just a group of session singers who were put together by the man who would later create The Village People. If you hear this record and it sounds familiar, it's a song that dates back to the 30s, and if you are familiar with SCTV (and you should be), you might remember John Candy (as Mr. Mambo) shaking his maracas to it in the closing credits of one episode.
Two artists who spent a lot of time in the background of the music biz are in this group. Larry Graham was the bass player for Sly and the Family Stone before forming his own group, heard here with a cool little funk ballad. Leon Russell was a member of The Wrecking Crew, the preeminent L.A. session band of the early sixties (they played on many of Phil Spector's productions, and have hundreds of other credits) before gaining fame on his own. I hadn't heard this song before, and my major impression of it was that his voice sounded like a cross between Willie Nelson and Barry Manilow.
Three songs I will group together under the general heading of "general pop." Michael Murphey is here with his more uptempo, less ghost-filled follow-up to his smash "Wildfire." Elton John had yet another hit by recounting the time when he was talked out of marrying a girlfriend (probably best for all concerned). And Jefferson Starship begin the string of hits that would shit all over the legacy of Jefferson Airplane (many say the worst of these was "We Built This City," but I don't know, I find that a guilty pleasure. I'd go with that song from that mannequin movie. "Excreable," seems too nice for that one.) with the MOR dungball "Miracles."
And finally...bum bum....Do you hear that?...bum bum...Yes, it's not one, but two songs related to Steven Spielberg's game-changing sharkcentric blockbuster. First, there's John Williams original theme, whose appearance on the pop chart would have surprised me more if I hadn't been through this a few weeks ago with Star Wars. Then there's "Mr. Jaws," the parody record by Dickie Goodman that is this week's clear winner of the Uneasy Rider Award. This track is typical of the so-called "break-in" records Goodman had been doing since the fifties. In it, he pretends to be a reporter interviewing characters in the film, including Jaws himself, and the answers to the questions are provided by snippets of recent radio hits (five of which appear later in this very chart. I'll point them out as we go along.) You get an idea of just how massive the Jaws phenomenon was when you learn that this mildly funny, extremely cheesy trifle made it all the way to Number 4.
30 - "Gone at Last," Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow
29 - "One of These Nights," The Eagles
28 - "Rocky," Austin Roberts
27 - "It Only Takes A Minute," Tavares
26 - "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" The Pointer Sisters
25 - "Games People Play," The Spinners
24 - "The Proud One," The Osmonds
23 - "Daisy Jane," America
22 - "Feelings," Morris Albert
21 - "Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)" Johnny Wakelin and the Kinshasa Band
Only one real disco song here, Tavares' "It Only Takes A Minute." In it, the band once known as Chubby and the Turnpikes remind us that while we occupy our minds with worries about the weather, money, employment and health, we should remember that only sixty seconds (give or take) are required to fall in love. Later, a cover version of this became the first hit for British boy band Take That, so in a way, Tavares get some of the credit and/or blame for the career of Robbie Williams.
There are two more conventional R&B/soul numbers in this group as well. The Pointer Sisters return with more strutting funk, while the Spinners lament the duplicitous nature of humanity in a deceptively bouncy song that I know I loved back in the day.
Four frequent contributors to the decade's airwaves are in this quarter. Paul Simon duets with Phoebe Snow on a song that's even more gospelly (is that a word? It should be.) than "Loves Me Like A Rock." The Eagles make their first appearance in this blog with a song that finds Don Henley pursing Satan's female offspring in one part of the lyric (it's also the first of this week's hits sampled in "Mr. Jaws.") The Osmonds had their last Top 40 hit with a very bland offering, and America's then-current single wasn't much more memorable. But they both had strong brands, and that was enough to get them into the middle ranges of this chart. Neither song got much higher, however.
We'll wrap up this portion of this week's examination of the countdown with three much less prolific artists. Austin Roberts worked on music for cartoons like Scooby-Doo and Josie and the Pussycats before scoring a couple of pop hits, the biggest of which was tearjerker in which a man named Rocky helps his unnamed beloved through the process of falling in love, having a baby, and then, in a shocking twist, dying young. But it's okay, because we learn that this lady is somehow helping poor Rocky deal with loneliness and single parenthood from beyond the grave. Ain't that sweet. Brazillian Morris Albert probably thought "Feelings," was the start of a long and glorious career, but sadly, his lone hit has become a longstanding musical punchline. And Brit Johnny Wakelin briefly found himself side by side with music's giants by literallysinging the praises of one of sport's biggest personalities. The reggae-ish "Black Superman," was probably the source of my first real awareness of Muhammad Ali, so I wouldn't have known that Wakelin named his backing group after the city where Ali beat George Foreman to regain the heavyweight title. What would I have done with that information? Who knows?
So that covers the first 20. I'll be back soon with the conclusion, featuring many of the decade's MOR heavyweights, yet another Classic Rock Double Shot, and a song even more tragic than "Rocky." Until then, then.
40 - "Give It What You Got," B.T. Express
39 - "Your Love," Graham Central Station
38 - "Do It Any Way You Wanna," The People's Choice
37 - "Theme from Jaws," John Williams
36 - "Carolina in the Pines," Michael Murphey
35 - "Lady Blue," Leon Russell
34 - "Miracles," Jefferson Starship
33 - "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," Elton John
32 - "Brazil," The Ritchie Family
31 - "Mr. Jaws," Dickie Goodman
Disco is present right off the bat with three entries. B.T Express are probably best remembered for their 1974 hit "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied). This song didn't get any higher than 40, and that is completely justified. "Do It Any Way You Wanna," is a semi-instrumental in which the title is sung slightly more than in, say, "The Hustle." And the Ritchie Family weren't an actual family, just a group of session singers who were put together by the man who would later create The Village People. If you hear this record and it sounds familiar, it's a song that dates back to the 30s, and if you are familiar with SCTV (and you should be), you might remember John Candy (as Mr. Mambo) shaking his maracas to it in the closing credits of one episode.
Two artists who spent a lot of time in the background of the music biz are in this group. Larry Graham was the bass player for Sly and the Family Stone before forming his own group, heard here with a cool little funk ballad. Leon Russell was a member of The Wrecking Crew, the preeminent L.A. session band of the early sixties (they played on many of Phil Spector's productions, and have hundreds of other credits) before gaining fame on his own. I hadn't heard this song before, and my major impression of it was that his voice sounded like a cross between Willie Nelson and Barry Manilow.
Three songs I will group together under the general heading of "general pop." Michael Murphey is here with his more uptempo, less ghost-filled follow-up to his smash "Wildfire." Elton John had yet another hit by recounting the time when he was talked out of marrying a girlfriend (probably best for all concerned). And Jefferson Starship begin the string of hits that would shit all over the legacy of Jefferson Airplane (many say the worst of these was "We Built This City," but I don't know, I find that a guilty pleasure. I'd go with that song from that mannequin movie. "Excreable," seems too nice for that one.) with the MOR dungball "Miracles."
And finally...bum bum....Do you hear that?...bum bum...Yes, it's not one, but two songs related to Steven Spielberg's game-changing sharkcentric blockbuster. First, there's John Williams original theme, whose appearance on the pop chart would have surprised me more if I hadn't been through this a few weeks ago with Star Wars. Then there's "Mr. Jaws," the parody record by Dickie Goodman that is this week's clear winner of the Uneasy Rider Award. This track is typical of the so-called "break-in" records Goodman had been doing since the fifties. In it, he pretends to be a reporter interviewing characters in the film, including Jaws himself, and the answers to the questions are provided by snippets of recent radio hits (five of which appear later in this very chart. I'll point them out as we go along.) You get an idea of just how massive the Jaws phenomenon was when you learn that this mildly funny, extremely cheesy trifle made it all the way to Number 4.
30 - "Gone at Last," Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow
29 - "One of These Nights," The Eagles
28 - "Rocky," Austin Roberts
27 - "It Only Takes A Minute," Tavares
26 - "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" The Pointer Sisters
25 - "Games People Play," The Spinners
24 - "The Proud One," The Osmonds
23 - "Daisy Jane," America
22 - "Feelings," Morris Albert
21 - "Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)" Johnny Wakelin and the Kinshasa Band
Only one real disco song here, Tavares' "It Only Takes A Minute." In it, the band once known as Chubby and the Turnpikes remind us that while we occupy our minds with worries about the weather, money, employment and health, we should remember that only sixty seconds (give or take) are required to fall in love. Later, a cover version of this became the first hit for British boy band Take That, so in a way, Tavares get some of the credit and/or blame for the career of Robbie Williams.
There are two more conventional R&B/soul numbers in this group as well. The Pointer Sisters return with more strutting funk, while the Spinners lament the duplicitous nature of humanity in a deceptively bouncy song that I know I loved back in the day.
Four frequent contributors to the decade's airwaves are in this quarter. Paul Simon duets with Phoebe Snow on a song that's even more gospelly (is that a word? It should be.) than "Loves Me Like A Rock." The Eagles make their first appearance in this blog with a song that finds Don Henley pursing Satan's female offspring in one part of the lyric (it's also the first of this week's hits sampled in "Mr. Jaws.") The Osmonds had their last Top 40 hit with a very bland offering, and America's then-current single wasn't much more memorable. But they both had strong brands, and that was enough to get them into the middle ranges of this chart. Neither song got much higher, however.
We'll wrap up this portion of this week's examination of the countdown with three much less prolific artists. Austin Roberts worked on music for cartoons like Scooby-Doo and Josie and the Pussycats before scoring a couple of pop hits, the biggest of which was tearjerker in which a man named Rocky helps his unnamed beloved through the process of falling in love, having a baby, and then, in a shocking twist, dying young. But it's okay, because we learn that this lady is somehow helping poor Rocky deal with loneliness and single parenthood from beyond the grave. Ain't that sweet. Brazillian Morris Albert probably thought "Feelings," was the start of a long and glorious career, but sadly, his lone hit has become a longstanding musical punchline. And Brit Johnny Wakelin briefly found himself side by side with music's giants by literallysinging the praises of one of sport's biggest personalities. The reggae-ish "Black Superman," was probably the source of my first real awareness of Muhammad Ali, so I wouldn't have known that Wakelin named his backing group after the city where Ali beat George Foreman to regain the heavyweight title. What would I have done with that information? Who knows?
So that covers the first 20. I'll be back soon with the conclusion, featuring many of the decade's MOR heavyweights, yet another Classic Rock Double Shot, and a song even more tragic than "Rocky." Until then, then.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
September 8, 1973
Okay, I'm not sure how I'm going to handle this. There's going to be a lot of crossover from the very first chart I covered, seeing as this is the countdown from just two weeks later. Going over a lot of the same territory seems kind of repetitive. But I do want to do at least one entry on it, so I'll start by laying out the first 30 songs, putting the new ones in bold and commenting on them, and then talking about as many of the others as I see fit. After that, we'll see.
40 - "I Was Checkin' Out, She Was Checkin' In," Don Covay
39 - "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" The Temptations
38 - "Believe In Humanity," Carole King
37 - "Free Ride," The Edgar Winter Group
36 - "I've Got So Much To Give," Barry White
35 - "Ramblin' Man," The Allman Brothers Band
34 - "Yes We Can Can," The Pointer Sisters
33 - "How Can I Tell Her?" Lobo
32 - "There It Is," Tyrone Davis
31 - "Stoned Out Of My Mind," The Chi-Lites
30 - "Ghetto Child," The Spinners
29 - "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out," Bobby Womack
28 - "Uneasy Rider," Charlie Daniels
27 - "Young Love," Donny Osmond
26 - "Why Me, Lord?" Kris Kristofferson
25 - "Monster Mash," Bobby "Boris" Pickett
24 - "Theme from Cleopatra Jones," Joe Simon and the Mainstreeters
23 - "Angel," Aretha Franklin
22 - "Half-Breed," Cher
21 -"Bad Bad Leroy Brown," Jim Croce
20 - "My Maria," B.W. Stevenson
19 - "I Believe In You, You Believe In Me," Johnnie Taylor
18 - "Higher Ground," Stevie Wonder
17 - "That Lady Parts 1 & 2," The Isley Brothers
16 - "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," Elton John
15 - "Are You Man Enough," The Four Tops
14 - "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," Chicago
13 - "Get Down," Gilbert O'Sullivan
12 - "If You Want Me To Stay," Sly and the Family Stone
11 - "The Morning After," Maureen McGovern
So there was a turnover of nine songs over the two weeks. About what you'd figure.
First of the new ones is from the Temptations. They were a year removed from their last number one hit, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," and earlier in '73, they'd scored a Top Ten with "Masterpiece." But after that, none of their singles would even crack the top 20, including this one. I can't say this struck me as anything special.
Then there's Edgar Winter, one of the biggest albino rock stars ever, with the classic rock staple "Free Ride." He and his group had hit #1 earlier in the year with the instrumental "Frankenstein," then went Top Twenty with this. Then...no more hits. These things happen.
Next is the first appearance of one of the decade's icons, Barry White. "I've Got So Much to Give" was his second Top 40 single. It's one of his slower jams, and it didn't get very far. But the best was yet to come, by which of course I mean his role as the Grand Marshal of Springfield's snake-abuse festival, Whacking Day.
Two "AT40 Extras," from the last '73 chart are here: the Allman Brothers Band's southern rock perennial and Cher's caught-between-two-worlds lament. I wonder how much someone would have bet me if I'd wagered them that Gregg Allman and Cher would be married two years later.
At 34 are the Pointer Sisters. Years later they'd get on a roll with songs like "He's So Shy," "I'm So Excited," "Neutron Dance," and my personal favorite, the Springsteen cover "Fire." But this was their first hit. I'd never heard it before, but I liked it a lot. It's a bouncy, positive number, written by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint. Given its title, how it didn't get revived two years ago during a certain political campaign is a mystery.
Two R&B numbers are at 31 and 30. I'd heard the former in the form of a cover by the Jam, and the original revealed it to have been a faithful one. And no, it doesn't seem to be about drugs at all. I didn't get to hear much of "Ghetto Child" due to distractions, but it seemed to be your typical socially conscious soul song of the time, and I didn't feel like I ws missing anything.
Highest of the newbies is an undisputed classic. Last week I mentioned the beginning of Stevie Wonder's musical autonomy, and "Higher Ground," is an example of that independence in full flower. Funky, inspiring, just awesome.
As for the holdovers, I don't have a lot to say. For some reason, they played an instrumental only version of the Cleopatra Jones theme this week. "Monster Mash," Casey informed us, had just tied and was about to break the record for most total weeks on Billboard's Hot 100. I was less annoyed by the Isley Brothers Swiffer jingle this time. And naturally, "Uneasy Rider" wins this week's Uneasy Rider Award.
Okay, now for the Top Ten. It's all holdovers, so I don't know how much I'll have to offer. But here we go...
10 - "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)" Al Green
8 - "We're An American Band," Grand Funk Railroad
2 - "Brother Louie," Stories
I wonder if Gene ever took Diana home to meet his mama and papa?
40 - "I Was Checkin' Out, She Was Checkin' In," Don Covay
39 - "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" The Temptations
38 - "Believe In Humanity," Carole King
37 - "Free Ride," The Edgar Winter Group
36 - "I've Got So Much To Give," Barry White
35 - "Ramblin' Man," The Allman Brothers Band
34 - "Yes We Can Can," The Pointer Sisters
33 - "How Can I Tell Her?" Lobo
32 - "There It Is," Tyrone Davis
31 - "Stoned Out Of My Mind," The Chi-Lites
30 - "Ghetto Child," The Spinners
29 - "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out," Bobby Womack
28 - "Uneasy Rider," Charlie Daniels
27 - "Young Love," Donny Osmond
26 - "Why Me, Lord?" Kris Kristofferson
25 - "Monster Mash," Bobby "Boris" Pickett
24 - "Theme from Cleopatra Jones," Joe Simon and the Mainstreeters
23 - "Angel," Aretha Franklin
22 - "Half-Breed," Cher
21 -"Bad Bad Leroy Brown," Jim Croce
20 - "My Maria," B.W. Stevenson
19 - "I Believe In You, You Believe In Me," Johnnie Taylor
18 - "Higher Ground," Stevie Wonder
17 - "That Lady Parts 1 & 2," The Isley Brothers
16 - "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," Elton John
15 - "Are You Man Enough," The Four Tops
14 - "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," Chicago
13 - "Get Down," Gilbert O'Sullivan
12 - "If You Want Me To Stay," Sly and the Family Stone
11 - "The Morning After," Maureen McGovern
So there was a turnover of nine songs over the two weeks. About what you'd figure.
First of the new ones is from the Temptations. They were a year removed from their last number one hit, "Papa Was A Rolling Stone," and earlier in '73, they'd scored a Top Ten with "Masterpiece." But after that, none of their singles would even crack the top 20, including this one. I can't say this struck me as anything special.
Then there's Edgar Winter, one of the biggest albino rock stars ever, with the classic rock staple "Free Ride." He and his group had hit #1 earlier in the year with the instrumental "Frankenstein," then went Top Twenty with this. Then...no more hits. These things happen.
Next is the first appearance of one of the decade's icons, Barry White. "I've Got So Much to Give" was his second Top 40 single. It's one of his slower jams, and it didn't get very far. But the best was yet to come, by which of course I mean his role as the Grand Marshal of Springfield's snake-abuse festival, Whacking Day.
Two "AT40 Extras," from the last '73 chart are here: the Allman Brothers Band's southern rock perennial and Cher's caught-between-two-worlds lament. I wonder how much someone would have bet me if I'd wagered them that Gregg Allman and Cher would be married two years later.
At 34 are the Pointer Sisters. Years later they'd get on a roll with songs like "He's So Shy," "I'm So Excited," "Neutron Dance," and my personal favorite, the Springsteen cover "Fire." But this was their first hit. I'd never heard it before, but I liked it a lot. It's a bouncy, positive number, written by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint. Given its title, how it didn't get revived two years ago during a certain political campaign is a mystery.
Two R&B numbers are at 31 and 30. I'd heard the former in the form of a cover by the Jam, and the original revealed it to have been a faithful one. And no, it doesn't seem to be about drugs at all. I didn't get to hear much of "Ghetto Child" due to distractions, but it seemed to be your typical socially conscious soul song of the time, and I didn't feel like I ws missing anything.
Highest of the newbies is an undisputed classic. Last week I mentioned the beginning of Stevie Wonder's musical autonomy, and "Higher Ground," is an example of that independence in full flower. Funky, inspiring, just awesome.
As for the holdovers, I don't have a lot to say. For some reason, they played an instrumental only version of the Cleopatra Jones theme this week. "Monster Mash," Casey informed us, had just tied and was about to break the record for most total weeks on Billboard's Hot 100. I was less annoyed by the Isley Brothers Swiffer jingle this time. And naturally, "Uneasy Rider" wins this week's Uneasy Rider Award.
Okay, now for the Top Ten. It's all holdovers, so I don't know how much I'll have to offer. But here we go...
10 - "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)" Al Green
The more I hear of this man, the more pissed off I am that I'm so far behind in my knowledge of his canon. I've really got to do something about that.
9 - "Gypsy Man," War
8 - "We're An American Band," Grand Funk Railroad
This anthem of sleaze and debauchery was given an ironic twist when Casey introduced it by telling about the band's then-recent donations to a chain of drug-treatment centres. Apparently, they'll come into your town, help you party down...then make sure you get all that partying down out of your system so you can resume a normal life. Helpful.
7 - "Live And Let Die," Wings
Damn, why did I already use my Simpsons reference on Barry White?
The gospel group that backs up Rhymin' Simon on this song, the Dixie Hummingbirds, had been around in some form since 1928, and they're still around today. And people think the Rolling Stones are some sort of miracle of longevity.
5 - "Touch Me In The Morning," Diana Ross
Apparently, Gene Simmons got to do just that for five years. One of the weirder couplings in musical history.
4 - "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose?" Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Bigger geek who once worked with Telma Hopkins: Tony Orlando or Steve Urkel?
3 - "Delta Dawn," Helen Reddy
2 - "Brother Louie," Stories
I wonder if Gene ever took Diana home to meet his mama and papa?
And the number one song that week was...
1 - "Let's Get It On," Marvin Gaye
Like with "That Lady," I came to this song with more of an open mind this time, and I was able to appreciate its greatness a little more. Still, I could stand not hearing it for a few years.
If this week's Extras were professional athletes, they'd all be first ballot Hall of Famers: "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight and the Pips; "Angie" by the Stones; and Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." A Murderer's Row of musical might.
So that's this week's late-arriving, one-part entry. Hopefully next week they'll air a year I haven't covered yet, preferably '75 or later
Monday, September 6, 2010
September 5, 1970 Part Two
Here comes the second half...
20 - "I (Who Have Nothing)," Tom Jones
19 - "Snowbird," Anne Murray
18 - "Candida," Dawn
17 - "Hand Me Down World," The Guess Who
16 - "Overture from Tommy," The Assembled Multitude
This section kicks off with Marge Simpson's favorite. In a line that is dated in so many ways, Casey describes Mr. Jones as a man who "could stop the women's liberation movement with a shake of his hips." In spite of that cringeworthy introduction, the Welshman delivers a strong performance of this oft-covered "poor boy longs for rich girl," number.
The first of three Canadians in this quarter of the chart is the woman who was once referred to by Eric Cartman's mother as "that bitch Anne Murray." This gentle slice of Carpenters-esque MOR was her first big hit, and it does have a certain appeal. But I have no idea whether or not she is actually a bitch.
Dawn are here again with a much better song than "Gypsy Rose." Not a classic, but strong, singalong pop. If "Knock Three Times" isn't their best single, this is.
More CanCon at 17 with Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, and the rest of the Guess Who. It's your basic peace-and-love plea, but it's memorable for the phrase "fuzzy wuzzy loving cup explosion." The imagination could run wild for hours pondering that one.
Lastly in this group we have The Assembled Multitude, a group of studio musicians who for some reason recorded a faithful (if shortened and slightly watered down) version of the overture from The Who's rock opera Tommy, and for some reason it was a hit. Why radio stations couldn't have just played the Who version and cut it off before the lyrics start, I can't say.
15 - "Just Can't Help Believin'," B.J. Thomas
14 - "Hi-De-Ho," Blood, Sweat and Tears
13 - "Julie, Do Ya Love Me?" Bobby Sherman
12 - "Don't Play That Song," Aretha Franklin with the Dixie Flyers
11 - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours," Stevie Wonder
This group starts with B.J. Thomas, who this time isn't massacring the Beach Boys, so he gets points for that. But for not much else. He is the sound of paint drying.
Blood, Sweat and Tears are next, with their Canadian lead singer David Clayton-Thomas. They weren't quite as big as Chicago as far as jazz-pop-rock bands go, but they had a few hits. I remember this one because a Buffalo formal wear store called Heidi used it in their radio ads.
Next is teen idol Bobby Sherman with and old-fashioned, big-bandish number. Apparently, he went on to become a deputy sheriff. So could we be seeing Sgt. Bieber of the RCMP in 10-20 years?
Aretha Franklin teams up with session band the Dixie Flyers for some solid soul. I wish I had something smart and insightful to add, but I don't.
And finally, there's Steveland Morris with a song we all know. This was the first single Stevie produced himself, and thus the beginning of the era in which he would find his own voice and be more innovative musically and lyrically. There were few clues of what was to come here, but it's still an undeniable classic.
And now the Top Ten...
7 - "Patches," Clarence Carter
This is probably one of only a handful of weeks when Stevie Wonder had a song in the Top 40 that wasn't the highest-charting hit by a blind R&B singer. Clarence Carter beat him by four places this week with this story song about a boy who perserveres through his hard life working on the family farm and struggling through school to keep his promise to his late father, who called him "Patches" with a mixture of derision and shame because the child had to wear ragged clothes because that's all the family could afford. It's definitely more moving than his late 80s cult hit "Strokin'"
6 - "25 or 6 to 4," Chicago
Another week, another Chicago hit. It's been speculated that this one's mysterious title is either some sort of drug reference, a cricket score, or a reference to an occasion when someone wasn't sure if the time was 3:34 or 3;35. It's probably the most boring one.
5 - "Close to You," The Carpenters
Here they are again, Karen and Richard, with their first biggie, a Burt Bacharach/Hal David pop gem that still holds up to overfamiliarity. I still feel like Karen could be singing to me. I'm such a sap.
4 - "In The Summertime," Mungo Jerry
You probably know this jaunty bit of sunny fluff. It's on oldies radio all the time, and has frequently been used in commercials. But did you know that the band's name was taken from the same T.S Eliot book that inspired the musical Cats? I didn't, but now that I do...I'm not sure, but that feels like information that could come in handy someday.
3 - "Make It With You," Bread
Okay, this is the kind of yawn-inducing stuff I think of when I think of Bread, not like last week's might-as-well-have-been-speed-metal "The Guitar Man." But I guess this must have been effective panty-dropping material 40 years ago, because look where it is.
2 - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Diana Ross
There's that missing supreme, vamping it up high above her old groupmates with this almost cinematic cover of a Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit. It's good and all, but I wonder what she was thinking when she approved the photo for the 45 sleeve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diana-anmhe.jpg Not exactly flattering.
So what topped the charts those four long decades ago. Why, none other than...
1 - "War," Edwin Starr
"Huuh! Good God, y'all!" You know what comes next. Like I said yesterday, easily the best charttopper of the four we've had so far. Say it again!
There were no Extras this week from Mr. NotCasey, because during the chart, Casey himself played three seemingly random "oldies:" "Second Hand Rose" by Barbra Streisand, "Dominique" by the Singing Nun (a Belgian Bride of Christ who somehow hit Number 1 in 1964 in the midst of Beatlemania), and "Mr. Businessman" by Ray Stevens (a surprisingly lefty-sounding number by the guy whose more recent political songs have made him many fans among Fox News viewers). Also, at the end of the second hour, he played CCR's cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," because it was on that week's best-selling album, Cosmo's Factory.
Another one in the books. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping for a chart from the second half of the decade next week. But whatever gets aired, I'll be listening and taking notes.
20 - "I (Who Have Nothing)," Tom Jones
19 - "Snowbird," Anne Murray
18 - "Candida," Dawn
17 - "Hand Me Down World," The Guess Who
16 - "Overture from Tommy," The Assembled Multitude
This section kicks off with Marge Simpson's favorite. In a line that is dated in so many ways, Casey describes Mr. Jones as a man who "could stop the women's liberation movement with a shake of his hips." In spite of that cringeworthy introduction, the Welshman delivers a strong performance of this oft-covered "poor boy longs for rich girl," number.
The first of three Canadians in this quarter of the chart is the woman who was once referred to by Eric Cartman's mother as "that bitch Anne Murray." This gentle slice of Carpenters-esque MOR was her first big hit, and it does have a certain appeal. But I have no idea whether or not she is actually a bitch.
Dawn are here again with a much better song than "Gypsy Rose." Not a classic, but strong, singalong pop. If "Knock Three Times" isn't their best single, this is.
More CanCon at 17 with Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, and the rest of the Guess Who. It's your basic peace-and-love plea, but it's memorable for the phrase "fuzzy wuzzy loving cup explosion." The imagination could run wild for hours pondering that one.
Lastly in this group we have The Assembled Multitude, a group of studio musicians who for some reason recorded a faithful (if shortened and slightly watered down) version of the overture from The Who's rock opera Tommy, and for some reason it was a hit. Why radio stations couldn't have just played the Who version and cut it off before the lyrics start, I can't say.
15 - "Just Can't Help Believin'," B.J. Thomas
14 - "Hi-De-Ho," Blood, Sweat and Tears
13 - "Julie, Do Ya Love Me?" Bobby Sherman
12 - "Don't Play That Song," Aretha Franklin with the Dixie Flyers
11 - "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours," Stevie Wonder
This group starts with B.J. Thomas, who this time isn't massacring the Beach Boys, so he gets points for that. But for not much else. He is the sound of paint drying.
Blood, Sweat and Tears are next, with their Canadian lead singer David Clayton-Thomas. They weren't quite as big as Chicago as far as jazz-pop-rock bands go, but they had a few hits. I remember this one because a Buffalo formal wear store called Heidi used it in their radio ads.
Next is teen idol Bobby Sherman with and old-fashioned, big-bandish number. Apparently, he went on to become a deputy sheriff. So could we be seeing Sgt. Bieber of the RCMP in 10-20 years?
Aretha Franklin teams up with session band the Dixie Flyers for some solid soul. I wish I had something smart and insightful to add, but I don't.
And finally, there's Steveland Morris with a song we all know. This was the first single Stevie produced himself, and thus the beginning of the era in which he would find his own voice and be more innovative musically and lyrically. There were few clues of what was to come here, but it's still an undeniable classic.
And now the Top Ten...
10 - "Lookin' Out My Back Door," Creedence Clearwater Revival
I've loved CCR as long as I can remember, and this is one of my favorites. It's happy and fun, and it contains a shout-out to Buck Owens, who I remember as the co-host of Hee Haw. In my earlier years, it was just something my parents and grandparents watched, but in later years, I began to appreciate it. Maybe my taste in music matured to appreciate country, or maybe it was Misty Rowe's cleavage. I'm not sure.
9 - "Spill the Wine," Eric Burdon and War
The former lead singer of the Animals and the future performers of "Low Rider" teamed up for this funky tune about a guy dreaming about being in a movie in which he was taken, naked, to a mountaintop and surrounded by women. Then one of them comes up to him with a bottle and a glass and tells him to, um, spill the wine. I can't be certain, but this could possibly be some sort of sex metaphor, so be sure to cover your children's ears whenever this comes on the radio.
8 - "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" Ronnie Dyson
I'd never heard this one before, and it hasn't stuck with me at all after a day. It's an R&B song, and the first radio hit for Dyson, who was already somewhat famous for being in the original Broadway cast of Hair. Hey, that`s more than I`ve done
7 - "Patches," Clarence Carter
This is probably one of only a handful of weeks when Stevie Wonder had a song in the Top 40 that wasn't the highest-charting hit by a blind R&B singer. Clarence Carter beat him by four places this week with this story song about a boy who perserveres through his hard life working on the family farm and struggling through school to keep his promise to his late father, who called him "Patches" with a mixture of derision and shame because the child had to wear ragged clothes because that's all the family could afford. It's definitely more moving than his late 80s cult hit "Strokin'"
6 - "25 or 6 to 4," Chicago
Another week, another Chicago hit. It's been speculated that this one's mysterious title is either some sort of drug reference, a cricket score, or a reference to an occasion when someone wasn't sure if the time was 3:34 or 3;35. It's probably the most boring one.
5 - "Close to You," The Carpenters
Here they are again, Karen and Richard, with their first biggie, a Burt Bacharach/Hal David pop gem that still holds up to overfamiliarity. I still feel like Karen could be singing to me. I'm such a sap.
4 - "In The Summertime," Mungo Jerry
You probably know this jaunty bit of sunny fluff. It's on oldies radio all the time, and has frequently been used in commercials. But did you know that the band's name was taken from the same T.S Eliot book that inspired the musical Cats? I didn't, but now that I do...I'm not sure, but that feels like information that could come in handy someday.
3 - "Make It With You," Bread
Okay, this is the kind of yawn-inducing stuff I think of when I think of Bread, not like last week's might-as-well-have-been-speed-metal "The Guitar Man." But I guess this must have been effective panty-dropping material 40 years ago, because look where it is.
2 - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Diana Ross
There's that missing supreme, vamping it up high above her old groupmates with this almost cinematic cover of a Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit. It's good and all, but I wonder what she was thinking when she approved the photo for the 45 sleeve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diana-anmhe.jpg Not exactly flattering.
So what topped the charts those four long decades ago. Why, none other than...
1 - "War," Edwin Starr
"Huuh! Good God, y'all!" You know what comes next. Like I said yesterday, easily the best charttopper of the four we've had so far. Say it again!
There were no Extras this week from Mr. NotCasey, because during the chart, Casey himself played three seemingly random "oldies:" "Second Hand Rose" by Barbra Streisand, "Dominique" by the Singing Nun (a Belgian Bride of Christ who somehow hit Number 1 in 1964 in the midst of Beatlemania), and "Mr. Businessman" by Ray Stevens (a surprisingly lefty-sounding number by the guy whose more recent political songs have made him many fans among Fox News viewers). Also, at the end of the second hour, he played CCR's cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," because it was on that week's best-selling album, Cosmo's Factory.
Another one in the books. I don't know about you, but I'm hoping for a chart from the second half of the decade next week. But whatever gets aired, I'll be listening and taking notes.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
September 5, 1970 Part One
Okay, this one's a bit of a challenge, because we're going back before I was born. But I think I'm up to it. Bring it on, Labour Day weekend of 4o years ago:
40 - "All Right Now," Free
39 - "Summertime Blues," The Who
38 - "Neanderthal Man," Hotlegs
37 - "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)," Melanie
36 - "Joanne," Michael Nesmith and the First National Band
35 - "Closer to Home," Grand Funk Railroad
34 - "I Want To Take You Higher," Ike and Tina Turner
33 - "It's a Shame," The Spinners
32 - "I've Lost You," Elvis Presley
31 - "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine," James Brown
Well, this week classic rock doesn't wait to go back to back on our asses. Free kick off with the immortal "All Right Now," then before we can recover from the sheer rockosity, The Who pile on with their still awe-inspiring hard rock version of Eddie Cochrane's 1958 teenage lament. Grand Funk railroad, lightweights that they are, have the good sense to wait a few spots before showing up with their first hit, a much more serious effort than their later party jams. "Closer to Home," has strings on it and everything!
R&B/Soul/Funk dominates the second half of this group. The Sly and the Family Stone version of "I Want To Take You Higher" was in Ike and Tina's sweet spot soundwise, so they covered it straight up instead of reinventing it the way they would with "Proud Mary." The Spinners are here with a very good Stevie Wonder-written effort, but there days on Motown were numbered, and they'd go on to bigger success later in the decade. And then, there's James Brown. Nothing more to be said.
Folkie Melanie shows up with a ponderous, earnest song that sounds like something Donovan would have crumpled up in his wastebasket. This was a letdown over the more genuinely moving "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)," but she would soon rebound by going the novelty route with "Brand New Key."
Elvis appears with one of his forgotten 7os songs. "I've Lost You," tells of a relationship that's ended before it's physically over. It's not bad at all, but when it comes to Elvis hits from this year, I much prefer "Kentucky Rain."
Finally, we have two acts at opposite ends of their career trajectories. "Neanderthal Man," is a strange little number, consisting of four lines repeated over and over again (all of which contain the word "neanderthal.") over a sort-of primitive-sounding backing track that reminded me a little of "Give Peace A Chance." The band wouldn't have any more hits as Hotlegs, but they would return later with more success as 10cc, of "I'm Not In Love" and "The Things We Do For Love" fame. On the other end is Michael Nesmith, just coming off of his time with the Monkees and trying to reinvent himself as a country-rocker with a new band. "Joanne," is a decent song, but in the long run, Nesmith's past with the Pre-Fab Four proved too much to break away from. Interestingly, both Nesmith and two members of Hotlegs would play integral parts in the music video explosion of the 80s: Nesmith created a TV show called Pop Clips that was later sold and expanded into what would become MTV, while Kevin Godley and Lol Creme teamed up to direct videos for such early MTV stalwarts as The Police and Duran Duran.
30 - "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me," Robin McNamara
29 - "Cracklin' Rosie," Neil Diamond
28 - "Tighter, Tighter," Alive N Kickin'
27 - "(I Know) I'm Losing You," Rare Earth
26 - "Rubber Duckie," Ernie
25 - "Tell It All, Brother," Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
24 - "Groovy Situation," Gene Chandler
23 - "Solitary Man," Neil Diamond
22 - "Band Of Gold," Freda Payne
21 - "Everybody's Got A Right To Love," The Supremes
40 - "All Right Now," Free
39 - "Summertime Blues," The Who
38 - "Neanderthal Man," Hotlegs
37 - "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)," Melanie
36 - "Joanne," Michael Nesmith and the First National Band
35 - "Closer to Home," Grand Funk Railroad
34 - "I Want To Take You Higher," Ike and Tina Turner
33 - "It's a Shame," The Spinners
32 - "I've Lost You," Elvis Presley
31 - "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine," James Brown
Well, this week classic rock doesn't wait to go back to back on our asses. Free kick off with the immortal "All Right Now," then before we can recover from the sheer rockosity, The Who pile on with their still awe-inspiring hard rock version of Eddie Cochrane's 1958 teenage lament. Grand Funk railroad, lightweights that they are, have the good sense to wait a few spots before showing up with their first hit, a much more serious effort than their later party jams. "Closer to Home," has strings on it and everything!
R&B/Soul/Funk dominates the second half of this group. The Sly and the Family Stone version of "I Want To Take You Higher" was in Ike and Tina's sweet spot soundwise, so they covered it straight up instead of reinventing it the way they would with "Proud Mary." The Spinners are here with a very good Stevie Wonder-written effort, but there days on Motown were numbered, and they'd go on to bigger success later in the decade. And then, there's James Brown. Nothing more to be said.
Folkie Melanie shows up with a ponderous, earnest song that sounds like something Donovan would have crumpled up in his wastebasket. This was a letdown over the more genuinely moving "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)," but she would soon rebound by going the novelty route with "Brand New Key."
Elvis appears with one of his forgotten 7os songs. "I've Lost You," tells of a relationship that's ended before it's physically over. It's not bad at all, but when it comes to Elvis hits from this year, I much prefer "Kentucky Rain."
Finally, we have two acts at opposite ends of their career trajectories. "Neanderthal Man," is a strange little number, consisting of four lines repeated over and over again (all of which contain the word "neanderthal.") over a sort-of primitive-sounding backing track that reminded me a little of "Give Peace A Chance." The band wouldn't have any more hits as Hotlegs, but they would return later with more success as 10cc, of "I'm Not In Love" and "The Things We Do For Love" fame. On the other end is Michael Nesmith, just coming off of his time with the Monkees and trying to reinvent himself as a country-rocker with a new band. "Joanne," is a decent song, but in the long run, Nesmith's past with the Pre-Fab Four proved too much to break away from. Interestingly, both Nesmith and two members of Hotlegs would play integral parts in the music video explosion of the 80s: Nesmith created a TV show called Pop Clips that was later sold and expanded into what would become MTV, while Kevin Godley and Lol Creme teamed up to direct videos for such early MTV stalwarts as The Police and Duran Duran.
30 - "Lay A Little Lovin' On Me," Robin McNamara
29 - "Cracklin' Rosie," Neil Diamond
28 - "Tighter, Tighter," Alive N Kickin'
27 - "(I Know) I'm Losing You," Rare Earth
26 - "Rubber Duckie," Ernie
25 - "Tell It All, Brother," Kenny Rogers and the First Edition
24 - "Groovy Situation," Gene Chandler
23 - "Solitary Man," Neil Diamond
22 - "Band Of Gold," Freda Payne
21 - "Everybody's Got A Right To Love," The Supremes
I know, one of these songs sticks out. Some would even say it's "not like the others." But I'll save it for the end.
Another thing that catches the eye is the presence of not one but two Neil Diamond chestnuts: "Cracklin' Rosie," the song he wrote about wine that wasn't later covered by UB4o; and the dark by his standards "Solitary Man." I'll take the latter.
There are two very "of their time," pop songs by one-hit wonders. Both "Lay A Little Lovin' on Me" and "Tighter, Tighter" somehow manage to sound like rock, soul and country at various points during their running times. Neither are classics, but the latter was the bigger hit, and deservedly so.
There's another "one going up, one going down," situation in this quarter, but this time, there are two acts in the second category. Gene Chandler was years removed from "Duke of Earl" when he scored with the smooth "Groovy Situation," The Supremes carried on after that Diana chick left for a few years, and they had plenty of hits like the one here, but although it sounds okay, there's clearly something missing. But if you're looking for someone for whom bigger things were in the future, there's First Edition frontman Kenny Rogers, who would go on from having a decent career with hits like "Just Dropped In," "Ruby," and this surprisingly cool, almost hymnlike call for sinners to repent, to superstardom, plastic surgery, chicken restaurants, and the movie Six Pack (which I'll cop to actually seeing in a theater back in the day.)
Rare Earth were a white group that were signed to Motown, and had their first hits with covers of earlier hits from the label like this one and "Get Ready." Freda Payne also has a Motown connection, as she recorded her huge hit document of an ill-fated-from-the-start marriage for Invictus Records, a label founded by the longtime Hitsville U.S.A. writing/production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Okay, now I'll get to that song, the obvious winner of this week's Uneasy Rider award for biggest oddity of the week. Yes, Bert's roommate on Sesame Street had an actual hit record with his ode to his chubby yellow bathtime buddy. That's just...I don't know what it is. But it's certainly catchy, and it's stood the test of time, so whey you think about it, why the hell shouldn't it have been a hit?
Twenty down, twenty more to come in the next day or so. Part Two will have some Canadian content, some musical heavyweights, and easily the best #1 so far. Be there.
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