First of all, sorry about yesterday. I couldn't figure out how to correct how screwy it turned out, so I gave up. But I've corrected the problem for today, and I've fixed yesterday's too. So here we go.
20 - "Running on Empty," Jackson Browne
19 - "Ebony Eyes," Bob Welch
18 - "We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye," England Dan and John Ford Coley
17 - "(What a) Wonderful World," Art Garfunkel with James Taylor and Paul Simon
16 - "Our Love," Natalie Cole
We start with our first visit from one of the decade's iconic singwriters, Jackson Browne. This rocker about Browne's ambivalence toward life as a touring musician was only the third highest-charting single of his career, but it is arguably the one best remembered today. Definitely one I liked at the time.
Then it's ex-Fleetwood Mac man Bob Welch, with a rockier-than-I recalled ode to a woman whose dark ocular organs render him put him in a dreamlike state while simultaneously blinding him. This is apparently a good thing. Anyway, I like this much better that "Sentimental Lady."
Next are England Dan and John Fo.....zzzzzzz. I can't even get through their name without falling asleep from boredom. It's more sleepy MOR that isn't "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight." Don't remember it, don't care.
Art Garfunkel's last major chart success had come with "My Little Town," a one-off reunion with his old buddy Paul. Three years later, Art returned to the charts with a Sam Cooke cover that featured both Simon and fellow folkie James Taylor on backup vocals. It's much like Taylor's soul covers: pretty but bland. I do wonder, however, if this was recorded before or after James had an ant infestation in his Martha's Vineyard home and his neighbor Art came over with his compressor to create a total vacuum that blew the ants out the door.
Last in this group is Nat King's daughter with a made-for-weddings ballad about a love that will "stand taller than a tree," and "shine brighter than the night." Not my thing, but it seems like it should be better known than it is.
15 - "Jack and Jill," Raydio
14 - "Falling," LeBlanc and Carr
13 - "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)," Chic
12 - "Dust in the Wind," Kansas
11 - "Just the Way You Are," Billy Joel
We start with Raydio, whose misspelled name is due to the group's founder, Ray Parker Jr. This, their first hit, was a retelling of the famous nursery rhyme in which Jack is left alone on the hill one too many times, so he goes down the slope to get some outside attention of his own. It's not the first repurposing of a kid's story for pop purposes, but in a weak week, it gets the Uneasy Rider Award. And it's by far the catchiest of the few hits Raydio would have before Parker Jr. went solo and had a smash with the title song from Ghostbusters. But then Huey Lewis sued him because he felt that song plagiarized from "I Want a New Drug." It was settled out of court, but I think Huey would have won at trial. But I'm hardly a legal expert.
Then it's the faceless duo of Leblanc and Carr with an unremarkable knockoff of the Eagles, America, and other soft rockers. It made no impression on me at all. Moving on.
Chic had their first hit with a number that's sparer than their later smashes, but still does a tremendous job of making one want to do what the title instructs. There's some nice flute in it.
Then it's Kansas with their biggest hit, the acoustic ballad that has made generations of knucklehead rock fans get all reflective and philosophical for a few minutes before the DJ plays some Nugent or something. I guess that's a worthwhile feat.
Rounding out this bunch is Billy Joel with his biggest ballad. Not a fan of it, but it's still better than that Bruno Mars song of the same name. No, I don't think I'm just being a bitter, closed-minded old man. Why would you ask that?
And then, there were ten:
10 - "Thunder Island," Jay Ferguson
This bit of 70s lite-rock about a couple's idyll during a tropical storm is an okay song by an ex-member of the group Spirit. But my favorite composition by him is, by far, the theme from the U.S version of The Office.
9 - "If I Can't Have You," Yvonne Elliman
Here's another one of the songs I've been waiting to cover here, the Gibb brothers-written standout (to me) of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It was a huge favorite of mine as a kid, and time hasn't changed that at all. I don't know what it is: the arrangement, the way the drums sound, the urgency of Yvonne's voice, the big verses and even choruses. Whatever it is, it just hits all my sweet spots. Easily in my Top Ten of the whole decade.
8 - "Sometimes When We Touch," Dan Hill
And now to the other extreme, this overwrought bit of cheese that almost makes me ashamed to be Canadian. Awful awful awful.
7 - "I Go Crazy," Paul Davis
It's one of the great mysteries of this decade how this inconsequential ballad stayed on the charts for a record number of weeks. Coming up with theories of how this could have happened is much more interesting than listening to the song.
6 - "(Love is) Thicker than Water," Andy Gibb
Another hit by the Bee Gees little bro. His best, as far as I'm concerned. But he just never had anything that could stand up to his siblings' best. It really is too bad.
5 - "Can't Smile Without You," Barry Manilow
One of the B-Man's biggest, a silly little number about how a certain person's absence robs his life of joy. Although he sounds pretty happy while singing it. What gives, Barry?
4 - "Lay Down Sally," Eric Clapton
The artist formerly known as God hit the commercial peak of his late-70s country-pop period with this song about wanting a lady to stay a while. Good guitar playing here, but he did too many songs like this. This one is the only one still worth hearing.
3 - "Emotion," Samantha Sang
The one hit by this Australian songstress, featuring so much help from the Bee Gees that she almost seems like a guest on her own record. And if it had been credited to the Brothers Gibb, it would have given them a rare feat, because look what follows it.
2 - "Stayin' Alive," The Bee Gees
And here it is, the song that accompanied John Travolta's movie-opening strut and instantly became both legendary and cliched. Divorcing it from its ubiquity, I've got to admit it's a fantastic song. It does indeed make you feel, well, alive.
And on top 33 years ago was...
1 - "Night Fever," The Bee Gees
Yes, those Australian freres had the top two songs this week. And this made a total of six songs from Saturday Night Fever on this chart. Honestly, I've never been very big on this one. It's okay, but it's miles below "Stayin' Alive." I just don't get it.
The NotCaseys were "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon, "It's a Heartache" by Bonnie Tyler, and "With a Little Luck" by Wings. The first two are great. The third, meh.
Back next week, and hopefully the entries will be presentable the first time.
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