January 13, 1973 Part One

This week, we delve into what people were listening to when I was a month shy of 2.

40 - "Harry Hippie," Bobby Womack and Peace
39 - "The Relay," The Who
38 - "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," The Temptations
37 - "Reelin' and Rockin'" Chuck Berry
36 - "Something's Wrong With Me," Austin Roberts
35 - "Daddy's Home," Jermaine Jackson
34 - "Jambalaya," The Blue Ridge Rangers
33 - "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend," Lobo
32 - "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio," Joni Mitchell
31 - "I Am Woman," Helen Reddy

We start with R&B. Bobby Womack wrote "Harry Hippie" as a light-hearted nod to his free-spirited brother Harry, but he later performed it as a more serious tribute after Harry was killed in a fight with his girlfriend (presumably the song's "Mary Hippie.") The Temptations are here with their most famous 70s, hit, in which a mother exasperatedly answers her children's questions about their absent father. And Jermaine Jackson had his first solo hit with a cover of Shep and the Limelites' not-Oedipal-but-sure-sounds-like-it ballad. This was the first of his two Top 10s, and he'd have five other top 40s, but then he also has a Pia Zadora movie and a stint on Celebrity Big Brother on his resume. So...not quite Michael, then.

There's rock here too. The Who didn't get any higher than where they are with this call-to-armA s that bears more than a passing similarity to "Won't Get Fooled Again." Chuck Berry followed up the surprise success of "My Ding-a-Ling" with this live version of one of his oldies. It would be his last Top 40 single. And The Blue Ridge Rangers was John Fogerty's first solo venture after Creedence Clearwater Revival, an album of cover versions which included this nice but unnecessary Hank Williams remake.

A couple MOR boys in this section. Austin Roberts would have his biggest success two years later with the melodramatic "Rocky," but his first hit was about desperately unrequited love with a chorus whose tune is reminiscent of Barry Manilow's "I Write The Songs." But this came out first. Hmmmmm. And Lobo (who is, I remind you and myself, one guy), had his last Top Ten with this rejection of post-relationship cordiality. "I love you too much to ever start liking you," he sings. Well I don't love or like you, Lobo, so don't worry about it.

This section ends with two solo ladies. Joni Mitchell had her first hit single with this folky come-on. Her lines are open. Interpret that how you will. Then there's the one and only Ms. Reddy and the anthem that launched her to superstardom and soundtracked the growing feminist movement. Yes, I do prefer her songs that have, shall we say, less stable female protagonists, but still, I'm confident enough in my manhood to say that this is a really good song. Even when sung by a woman who looks uncannily like Homer Simpson in drag whom Bart mistakes for his dad while waiting for him to pick him up from soccer practice.

30 - "Dancing in the Moonlight," King Harvest
29 - "Rocky Mountain High," John Denver
28 - "Walk on Water," Neil Diamond
27 - "Snoke Gets in Your Eyes," Blue Haze
26 - "Separate Ways," Elvis Presley
25 - "Love Jones," Brighter Side of Darkness
24 - "Been to Canaan," Carole King
23 - "Do it Again," Steely Dan
22 - "You Ought to Be With Me," Al Green
21 - "The World is a Ghetto," War

Two lite-pop footnotes lead off. King Harvest had their only major hit with this bouncy tune about outdoor booty shaking. In 1994, a cover version by the Baha Men (yes, the "Who Let The Dogs Out?" people) got some airplay in the Toronto area. And Brits Blue Haze are here with their forgettable version of an oft-covered song that dates back to a 1935 Broadway musical called Roberta, whose original cast included Bob Hope.

There are also some more experienced soft rockers here. John Denver's innocent ode to the Colorado outdoors was initially banned by some stations becasue of that troubling third word in the title, but eventually, everyone realized that the "high" he was talking about was not chemically induced. Neil Diamond returns with a gospellish song that seems to be about a mother figure. When Neil did gospel in a goofy, playful way on "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show," it worked. He tries it with a straight face here, and is less successful. Elvis had shown a little life the previous year with the cheesy-but-spirited "Burnin' Love," but here, he's back to the boring ballad thing with this nothing song about breaking up. And Carole King does her thing on a song about wanting to go back to a more idyllic place and time. Not one of her best, in my opinion.

A couple of soul numbers in this batch. The Brighter Side of Darkness are mainly notable for two reasons. First, their lead singer was 12 at the time of this, their only hit. Secondly, "Love Jones" would be parodied by Cheech and Chong as the timeless ode to hoops addiction, "Basketball Jones." Luminaries such as George Harrison, Carole King, and Billy Preston played on that track. I wonder would Cheech and Chong offered them for their services. And then, after leaving me alone for a while, Al Green returns to haunt me for not having caught up on my knowledge of his music. Oh well, thanks to Casey, I'm doing so in dribs and drabs, and "You Ought to be With Me," is another welcome lesson in Greenology.

We end this half with a couple of sorta-rock powers. Steely Dan had their first hit with this catchy strut in which they tell Jack to go back and...you know. And funk-rockers War weren't very optimistic at this time, as the title of this ballad will tell you. As valid as a song like this is, I must say, I like them better happier.

Tomorrow: Disease, infidelity, and narcissism.