April 23, 1977 Part Two

Picking up where we left off.

20 - "Your Love," Marily McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.
19 - "Sir Duke," Stevie Wonder
18 - "Dancing Queen," ABBA
17 - "I'm Your Boogie Man," KC and the Sunshing Band
16 - "Can't Stop Dancing," The Captain and Tennille

This half opens with a married pair of ex-5th Dimensionites with the follow-up to their #1 "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)." Similar, but a bit faster and much more danceable. A B-minus level effort.

Next is Stevie Wonder with his bouncy tribute to the power of music. Specifically, jazz. Even more specifically, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and "the king of all," Duke Ellington. A fun listen, and educational too!

Then it's Sweden's finest at the peak of their powers. This very familiar number about a 17-year-old girl with all the right moves was their only American #1. I see that girl, I'm watching that scene, and you better believe I'm digging it.

Harry Wayne Casey and his funky bunch are back with their fourth charttopper, in which KC insists he is the answer to all your needs. A few years ago, there was a commercial for some product or other that changed the lyrics to "I'm Cheese Boogie Man." Why anyone thought that made sense I'll never understand. I doubt Don Draper would have allowed that out into the world.

Finishing this group are Daryl and Toni with a fast, piano-driven tune about the inability to stop movin' and/or groovin'. It's a boogie record, but more in the 1957 sense than the 1977 one.

15 - "Lido Shuffle," Boz Scaggs
14 - "Couldn't Get it Right," The Climax Blues Band
13 - "I Wanna Get Next to You," Rose Royce
12 - "Rich Girl," Daryl Hall and John Oates
11 - "Trying to Love Two," William Bell

Boz Scaggs opens this section with his second-biggest hit, a song about a ne'er-do-well named Lido who just can't go straight. Boz used to be in the Steve Miller Band, and he was backed up by future members of Toto, which I suppose would make him a minor sun in the 70s medium-rock universe. But I have to say, I'll take this over anything from his satellites.

Next up are a group that originally called themselves the Climax Chicago Blues Band, despite being from England. Nearly a decade after forming, they scored their first American hit with this slinky, dancefloor-friendly hit about getting both literally and figuratively lost on the road. Like this way, way better then their other hit, the goopy 1981 ballad "I Love You."

Then it's Rose Royce with their second and last Top Ten, which also came from the Car Wash soundtrack. It's a pretty little seduction ballad, but it doesn't really stick with me upon first listen.

Daryl and John scored their first Number One with this funky little riposte to a woman who has grown callous and out of touch with the world because she relies "on the old man's money." This was a favorite of 6-year-old me, although I did used to think that one line went "You can rely on the old Fast Money." I guess I thought the song had something to do with Family Feud

Closing out this quintet is William Bell, who during a 13-year stint on the legendary Stax label only managed one Top Ten R&B hit. Three years and one label change later, he's hit Number 10 on the pop chart with this ballad about a guy whose attempt to juggle both a wife and a mistress makes him feel like he needs to be "three men in one." It's a pretty damn good song, and it still became a hit even though it sounded like it could have been recorded early in Bell's career. Perhaps I'll have to dig deeper into Mr. Bell's catalogue. Get in line, Willie.

But wait, there's more. Ten more.

10 - "Right Time of the Night," Jennifer Warnes
The first and biggest solo hit a by former Leonard Cohen backup singer and future movie-theme duetter extraordinaire. This often gets confused in my mind with the 1979 Anne Murray hit "Shadows in the Moonlight." Similar tempos, similar voices, both songs mention the Milky Way. Listen to them both back to back sometime and you'll see what I mean.

9 - "When I Need You," Leo Sayer
The suspendered and Whafroed (like that? If so, don't steal it, it's mine!) one with his second and last American #1, a ballad in which he tells his lover that all he has to do is close his eyes to be with her. Anything to avoid having to go back home, eh Leo?

8 - "So Into You," The Atlanta Rhythm Section
This song belongs to a genre I like to call "lite-southern-discoish-MOR." The only other entry in this genre I can thing of right now is "Kiss You All Over," by Exile. And I like that several thousand times better than this. I'll use the rest of this time to congratulate the Atlanta Hawks on their 3-1 series lead on the Magic. Just one win away from being swept by the Bulls, guys!

7 - "Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star is Born," Barbra Streisand
Babs is back from our last trip to these parts with the song from that movie she did with Kris Kristofferson. Meh, "The Way We Were" is worth ten of these. I'm talking about the songs. Haven't seen either movie, don't plan to.

6 - "I've Got Love on My Mind," Natalie Cole
Didn't remember this jazzy little tune from Nat King's offspring. It was okay, but nothing that inspired me to write more about it. But again, she was in the Zontar episode of SCTV and for that she gets a lifetime pass from me.

5 - "The Things We Do for Love," 10cc
This one, on the other hand, I remember well. Liked it a lot, although I didn't understand why they mentioned comedian Charlie Callas in the last verse. Later I learned it was because I didn't hear them correctly. And yes, I'm aware of what the band's name refers to. If you aren't, look it up yourself.

4 - "Don't Give Up on Us," David Soul
The man who was best known at the time as Starsky's partner Hutch had always been more interested in a music career, and he finally was able to launch it with this pleading ballad that went to #1 in the U.S. and the U.K. The hits dried up on this side of the pond, but he had a few more in Britain, and he was so beloved their that he would eventually move their and become a citizen. So I guess he was the one who gave up on U.S. *rimshot*

3 - "Hotel California," The Eagles
Ah yes, the "American Pie" of the second half of the decade. Is the titular building the Church of Satan, or a mental hospital? What are "colitas?" Don't they know that wine isn't technically a spirit? And who the hell is the "she" who is intermittently referred to in the lyrics? I'm just going to leave all these questions alone and just say that this is a pretty good song. Exploring the meaning further might be construed as "checking in," and I've heard that checking out can be a tricky business.

2 - "Southern Nights," Glen Campbell
Glen's last major pop hit was this cover of a song written by legendary New Orleans musician Allen Toussaint. I've always liked it a lot. It's like if country met Dixieland in a disco and made sweet,sweet love.

And the biggest flake in the pop music blizzard of April '77 was...

1 - "Don't Leave Me This Way," Thelma Houston
This disco plea for continued lovin' was originally sung by Teddy Pendergrass on a Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes album. But it was Motown singer Houston who would finally release it as a single and take it to the top. This is disco at its best, especially the way Thelma just rips up that chorus. She'd only have one more Top 40. But at least there's this.

The NotCaseys this week were "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb, "Main Street," by Bob Seger, and "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett.

There will be more next week. Tremble at the very thought. Tremble I say!