February 16, 1974 Part Two

Remainder.


20 - "Midnight Rider," Gregg Allman
19 - "A Love Song," Anne Murray
18 - "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
17 - "Last Time I Saw Him," Diana Ross
16 - "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)," The Rolling Stones


We start with Gregg Allman, performing a solo version of his band's tune about a man on the run. Little did he know that he was running towards Cher


Then it's Anne Murray, one of a whopping six Canadians on this week's list. She wants to sing you something. Also, she claims her brother is "the wren." So maybe she is part snowbird after all.


Then it's the song that introduced the world to Steve Miller in all his smokin', jokin, midnight tokin' glory. I still say it was all downhill from there, musically at least.


I'd never heard the single version of this Diana Ross song about a naive woman who thinks the guy she gave her love and money to before he left town on a bus is actually coming back. But I do remember her doing this on...wait for it...The Muppet Show. Is it just me, or does it seem like literally everybody did that show back then?


Last in this bunch are the Stones with this this rocker about young children losing their lives to drugs and violence. So now Keith's written an autobiography in which he says Mick has a small penis, and Mick is so pissed that a possible 50th anniversary tour might not happen. This just might be for the best.


15 - "I Love," Tom T. Hall
14 - "I've Got to Use My Imagination," Gladys Knight and the Pips
13 - "Put Your Hands Together," The O'Jays
12 - "Seasons in the Sun," Terry Jacks
11 - "Show and Tell," Al Wilson

This part begins with the only Top 40 hit for country star Tom T. Hall. Basically, it's the same song as "My Favorite Things." Tom's list includes squirrels, pickup trucks, and onions, among many others. But contrary to those terrible beer commercials, twins aren't on there

Then it's Gladys and those Pips with an unusually uptempo song about trying to rouse oneself to "keep on keepin' on," in the face of sadness and adversity. I hadn't heard this before, but I like it a lot.

The O'Jays follow with a danceable call for peace and harmony. It's great, you'll want to dance, nothing more to say.

Then it's Terry Jacks with that awful awful song that I hated even as a child. He keeps saying "It's hard to die," and with every note, my desire to make it easier for him rises. That's mean and callous, but damn do I despise this song.

Finally, Al Wilson wants to play a game. Sounds innocent enough, but I'm warning you, I get the feeling there may be sex involved. So if you're not into that kind of thing, stay away. But I won't judge you if you are.

Ten big hits at one low price!

10 - "Rock On," David Essex

"Rubbery" seems like a good word to describe the groove of this odd-but-awesome number by one-hit wonder Essex. I wonder if he ever found "that blue jean baby queen."

9 - "Boogie Down," Eddie Kendricks

The former Temptation had another solo hit with this song that helped set the disco template, from the title to the beat to the arrangement. I like this better than "Keep on Truckin'" for whatever that's worth.

8 - "Jungle Boogie," Kool and the Gang

And the boogie just don't stop. Get down, get down! More songs should open with a gong, if you ask me.

7 - "Let Me Be There," Olivia Newton-John

I believe I've told you my relationship to Miss Newton-John, and this song in particular, before. I just liked her is all. This is sweet country love, but it's #3 on my personal ONJ hit parade, behind "Please Mr. Please" and "Have You Never Been Mellow."

6 - "The Americans," Byron MacDonald

And the answer to "What could be weirder than a hit version of an editorial by a Canadian radio commentator?" is "A cover version of that same editorial by a different Canadian radio commentator." MacGregor was working at a Windsor station when he read Sinclair's editorial on air, and the response from listeners, particularly those in nearby U.S. states, prompted MacGregor to record it and release it as a single. As it turns out, MacGregor's version was the bigger hit in America. Casey didn't play this version because he had already played the Sinclair one, which seems strange because last week he played both "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"s. But I tracked it down on my own, for the sake of comparison. MacGregor's voice is deeper, almost Ted Baxter-ish, and sounds much older than 26, which he was at the time. Also, he is backed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra playing "America the Beautiful." I can hear why this one was the bigger hit. It just sounds...bigger. So what if MacGregor wasn't the one who actually saw Americans getting mocked in Paris in 1956. Anyway, the proceeds from both singles went to the American Red Cross, so regardless of your opinion of the body of the commentary, it all went for a good cause. Bottom line, because the origin behind this version is slightly weirder, MacGregor edges Sinclair for the Uneasy Rider Award.

5 - "Spiders and Snakes," Jim Stafford

Again, it's the man from Coral Gables, Florida, singing about his ineffective grossout methods for attracting women. So reptiles and arachnids don't turn most grown women on. Good to know.

4 - "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)," Aretha Franklin

The Queen of Soul, determined to get her man back. Simple, powerful, fantastic. She was that good, kids.

3 - "You're Sixteen," Ringo Starr

Ringo covers Johnny Burnette and hits #1. I much prefer him covering Buck Owens, but you can't argue with success, I guess.

2 - "Love's Theme," Love Unlimited Orchestra

I didn't get to hear this or #1 last night, because once again, CKOC mistakenly played the end of the 1979 chart instead. But no problem, we've covered this before, you probably know it, it's just as effective an aphrodisiac as the songs Barry White actually sings.

And the song at the summit was...

1 - "The Way We Were," Barbra Streisand

Again, didn't hear it last night, but it was huge, it was in that movie she did with Robert Redford, and I'm sure you know it whether you want to or not. "Scattered picTUUUUUURRRRRRES."

The NotCaseys this week were "Jet" by Paul McCartney and Wings, "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede, and Sir Elton's "Bennie and the Jets."

If current patterns hold, next week we'll be in '76. But patterns were made to be broken, so be back here next week to find out if we're in for a surprise.