January 13, 1973 Part Two

The referee blows his whistle, and play resumes:

20 - "I Wanna Be With You," The Raspberries
19 - "Pieces of April," Three Dog Night
18 - "Hi, Hi, Hi," Wings
17 - "Trouble Man," Marvin Gaye
16 - "Sitting," Cat Stevens

The Raspberries kick off with more of their power pop goodness. Oh Eric Carmen, where did it all go wrong?

Then it's good old 3DN with a song I'd never heard before, and that I acutally kind of like, as much as I can like one of their songs that isn't "One," "Joy to the World," or "Mama Told Me Not to Come." It's about a guy looking back on an idyll with a lover that he keeps in a "memory bouquet" (a terrible metaphor that bumps this song down a few points, but not far enough to keep it from being above average for them) now that it's over. There was a movie with this title starring a pre-TomKat Katie Holmes a few years ago. I've never seen it, but I looked it up, and apparently, this song isn't on the soundtrack. Can't say that's a bad decision

Then it's Macca and company with a retro-rocker that was banned by the BBC for drug and sexual innuendo. The first one is obvious, as the title words are preceded in the chorus with "We're gonna get." The latter was because Paul sings something that sounds like "body gun" that's apparently actually "polygon." Good work, Paul.

Marvin Gaye is next with the title song from a blaxploitation film. It's a jazzy little number in which Marvin declares that he can handle any kind of bother that comes his way. Exactly what the job requires.

Last in this group is Cat Stevens with his typical gentle folk. Not sure if he's hopeful or hopeless, because the lyrics are ambiguous that way. But he does say "there's a power growing in my hair." So maybe he's Samson.

15 - "Oh Babe, What Would You Say," Hurricane Smith
14 - "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," James Taylor
13 - "Why Can't We Live Together," Timmy Thomas
12 - "It Never Rains in Southern California," Albert Hammond
11 - "Living in the Past," Jethro Tull

Norman Smith was a recording engineer and producer who worked with The Beatles and Pink Floyd. He was so methodical that John Lennon gave him the ironic nickname "Hurricane." Then, in 1972, when he was almost 50, he began a singing career that surprisingly spawned this international smash. It's a nice little big-band style midtempo ballad, but what really distinguished it was Smith's voice, which sounds like Jerry Lewis impersonating Frankie Valli. For various reasons, "Oh Babe, What Would You Say" takes this weeks Uneasy Rider Award.

Next we have James Taylor expressing his desire for companionship. It's pretty good. Definitely preferable to his R&B covers.

Then it's "Why Can't We Live Together," a great song I just heard for the first time. Backed by just a drum machine and an organ, Thomas delivers a soulful plea for peace and harmony. So simple, yet sooooo good.

Before he was better known in some circles for fathering one of The Strokes, Albert Hammond Sr. was an accomplished songwriter whose big hit as a performer was this tale of a guy who strikes out in L.A. It's almost good enough to make me forgive him for co-writing "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now." Almost.

Finally there's Jethro Tull, by far the biggest rock band ever fronted by a flautist. This catchy little tune was one of their two Top 40 hits (the other being "Bungle in the Jungle"), but I'm sure if you've ever been exposed to classic radio, you've heard stuff like "Thick as a Brick" or my favorite, "Aqualung."

And now, the ten at the end:

10 - "Keeper of the Castle," The Four Tops
This was the first post-Motown hit for Levi and company. At the same time Helen Reddy was rallying women to embrace their strength, the Tops were encouraging men to stop fooling around and stay close to home and family and be "like a sovereign lord protector." Not completely at odds with the message of "I Am Woman" but not exactly on the same wavelength either. Oh well, it's Levi Stubbs, I can't help myself.

9 - "Crocodile Rock," Elton John
Sir Elton contributes to the growing 50s nostalgia craze with this ode to rock's early years and girls named Suzy who wore tight dresses. Probably the first Elton John song that I ever loved.

8 - "Superfly," Curtis Mayfield
In the battle for "Best Blaxploitation Theme Ever," the battle is pretty much between this and Isaac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft." At the risk of being told to shut my mouth, I'm going to go with this one. You can't go wrong either way, but gun to my head, I'll take Curtis' sweet singing over Isaac's menacing growl.

7 - "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu," Johnny Rivers
The man who had a string of hits in the 60s with songs like "Secret Agent Man" and "Poor Side of Town," returned to hitmaking with this cover of a song about fun-sounding ailments originally done by a New Orleans group called Huey "Piano" Smith and the Clowns. Now that is truly a great band name.

6 - "Your Mama Don't Dance," Loggins and Messina
The man who Casey called "Ken" Loggins and partner Jim Messina had their biggest hit together about the timeless subject of teenage rebellion and those who would squash it. A good, fluffy radio song, but I must say I doubt that the mother in question's lack of desire to boogie is as big a contributor to the problem as it's made out to be.

5 - "Funny Face," Donna Fargo
The second and final pop hit for country singer Fargo. Again, she's really happy about the man in her life. And okay, I'll tell the story. I don't remember this, but apparently, when I was very young and this would come on the radio, my mother would sing "Funny Face" to me, and I'd respond with the next line, "I love you." All together now: Awwwwwwwwww!

4 - "Clair," Gilbert O'Sullivan
I can't say I think this song O'Sullivan sings to his niece (who is heard giggling at the end) is good, but it's cute and harmless, and I'll take it over anything else of his I've heard.

3 - "Me and Mrs. Jones," Billy Paul
The R&B adultery song of the 70s. Billy Paul might not have had any more hits after this, but for his powerhouse performance on this immortal paean to forbidden love, he is legend.

2 - "Superstition," Stevie Wonder
Those drums! Those keyboards! And then the song itself, where Stevie wisely warns that "when you believe in things that you don't understant, then you suffer." A masterpiece, and deservedly Stevie's first #1 of the decade. No amount of "I Just Called to Say I Love You"'s can erase this.

And topping them all that fateful week was...

1 - "You're So Vain," Carly Simon
Completing what I believe is the best #1-#2-#3 punch we've come across is this epic, Mick Jagger-backed takedown of some full-of-himself bastard. But who probably thinks this song is about him and is actually right? The contenders include Warren Beatty, David Bowie, David Cassidy (!) and even Jagger himself. Carly has allegedly divulged the mystery asshole's identity to a TV exec who won an auction, and Howard Stern claims she told him too. Will we ever know for sure. Well there was another anonymous man in the news at the time, Deep Throat, and we eventually found out who he was, so I guess there's hope.

Three NotCasey extras this week: "Could it Be I'm Falling in Love" by The Spinners, "Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, and The Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling."

Back next week, y'all.