Sorry for the delay in finishing up this week. I got hit with the flu yesterday and wasn't in any condition to do this. I'm almost back to 100%, so I'm in good enough shape to run down the rest of this week's countdown.
20 - "You Belong to Me," Carly Simon
19 - "Baker Street," Gerry Rafferty
18 - "It's a Heartache," Bonnie Tyler
17 - "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," Billy Joel
16 - "Night Fever," The Bee Gees
The second half begins with Carly's follow-up to "Nobody Does it Better." No, it's not the 1952 pop standard ("See the pyramids along the Nile..."), but rather a disco-inflected plea for her beloved to leave his new lover. Sounds kind of like the Doobie Brothers sound of this era, and not in a good way.
Then it's ex-Stealers Wheelman Gerry Rafferty with his biggest hit, a gentle ballad about leaving the frustrations of an old life for a new beginning. It would go on to spend six weeks at #2, but never reached the top. I enjoy the guitar squeals, but the song is best known for its iconic saxophone solos. In fact, Lisa Simpson once celebrated getting a new horn by playing them.
Next is Welshwoman Bonnie Tyler, who developed her trademark rasp after surgery to remove vocal cord nodules. She feared that her singing career was over, but in fact, the voice change worked in her favor, and on her first major hit, you can hear why. Even as a child, the way she croaked out lines like "Standing in the cold rain, feeling like a clown." got to me. Love this one.
Billy Joel is here with a song that asks whether or not striving for the accoutrements of "the good life" is worth leaving behind one's roots. The song would seem to say "no." I'm not sure if Billy himself would agree, if he was honest.
This section ends with the Gibbs and one of their three #1s from that one John Travolta movie. They actually had four songs on that soundtrack, but for some reason "More Than a Woman," wasn't released as a single. It was, however, one of this week's NotCasey extras.
15 - "Love is Like Oxygen," Sweet
14 - "Baby Hold On," Eddie Money
13 - "Take a Chance on Me," ABBA
12 - "This Time I'm In it for Love," Player
11 - "Disco Inferno," The Trammps
This group begins with the last hit by British glam stars Sweet. It's another catchy rocker that declares that too much love will get you "too high" but "not enough and you're gonna die." Another one that always caught my ear at seven years old, and was the only Sweet song I recognized until I reached my late teens. I was missing a lot.
Then it's the former Edward Mahoney with his first hit, a straight pop-rocker in which he promises that he and his "baby" will triumph over any adversity the world places in front of them. In doing so, he borrows half of the chorus of the Doris Day classic "Que Sera, Sera." That song's composers naturally sued him, and Money paid damages to them in court. I can't believe how much of this sort of thing I've run across since I've started this.
Next are those prolific Swedes with their second-biggest American hit, in which the female singers proclaim to an unspecified prospect that if things don't work out with his current situation, they're "the first in line." Catchy from the word go, plus the backing vocals are incredibly effective.
For the longest time, I had assumed that Player were a one--hit wonder, that hit of course being "Baby Come Back." But apparently they had two more, and this one even reached the Top 10. I don't remember it, and as bland a ballad as it is, I'm not surprised. Oh, and one of the guys in this band went on to play a character called Ridge on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Although given the rate at which soaps are dying off in the U.S., he might have to go back to music soon.
Rounding out this fivesome are The Trammps and their defining hit about a floor on which the dancing gets so out of control that it actually creates spontaneous combustion. It's not one of the best disco songs ever, but its certainly among the first few that come to mind when people think of the genre.
And down the stretch we come!
10 - "On Broadway," George Benson
The jazz guitarist had his biggest hit to date with this breezy live cover of a 1963 Drifters hit. Nothing special, but certainly much better than...
9 - "Count on Me," Jefferson Starship
Hate them hate them hate them. The only thing I can count on from these guys is that they will bring the bile up to my throat. Maybe if they hadn't kept the "Jefferson" they wouldn't bug me so much. But they did, so they do.
8 - "Imaginary Lover," The Atlanta Rhythm Section
Normally I'm not impressed with this, but after the horror of JS, this almost sounds kind of good. I hope the next song reminds me what good really sounds like.
7 - "If I Can't Have You," Yvonne Elliman
And it does! Yvonne, ripping up a Gibb-penned disco ballad epic. If I was 100% sure I was completely through with puking, I'd be dancing right now. But it's only 99, so I'll just torso-dance.
6 - "Feels So Good," Chuck Mangione
Presumably, this is the song the world's flugelhorn players use to prove to themselves how good they are. I wonder, just how many flugelhorn players are there? Can't be many, you'd think. I'm not looking it up, though.
5 - "The Closer I Get to You," Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
Roberta and Donny, making beautiful music together and just missing topping the charts with a maturely sexy ballad. Too bad they didn't get the chance to do too many more of these. Surely they would have hit #1 eventually. At least I'd like to think so.
4 - "Shadow Dancing," Andy Gibb
The last and biggest of the other brother's three Number Ones. And the best. Again, I'm not a big fan, but this has a funky little instrumental bed, and Andy;s voice is in good form. I still think it's unfair that this had a lot to do with keeping "Baker Street" from #1, though.
3 - "You're the One that I Want," John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
My mother didn't take me to see Grease until it was re-released in 1979, but I was very familiar with it long before. We had the soundtrack (on 8-track!), and even a paperback picture book that featured still photos of the scenes and cartoon bubbles for the dialogue. So even before I saw it for real, I was quite familiar with the moment when my beloved Olivia came out in the tight top and the leather pants and the heels and asked Danny Zuko to "Tell me about it, stud!" That, of course, was immediately followed by this song, in which they sing to each other about multiplying chills and shaping up. This is one of those songs that I feel so connected to that I can't objectively judge it, so let's move on.
2 - "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," Johnny Mathis and Deneice Williams
Mathis, the 50s pop crooner known for hits like "Chances Are" and "Misty" made his return to the top 40 after a 15-year absence in a big way by going all the way to #1 with this regretful duet with former Stevie Wonder backup singer and future "Let's Hear it For the Boy" charttopper Williams. In spite of its success, though, this is probably only their second most famous duet behind the theme from Family Ties.
And sitting on the pop music throne this week was...
1 - "With a Little Luck," Wings
Macca's second big band was as inescapable as ever even this late in the decade, topping the American pops with this peppy, synth-driven lite-popper that for some reason aske the question "Can't you feel the town exploding?" Uh, no Paul, and with a little luck, I never will. Silly Beatle.
Besides "More Than a Woman," the NotCaseys were "Follow You, Follow Me" by Genesis and "Grease" by Frankie Valli.
Once again, apologies for the delay. I anticipate better things next week, in many ways.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
May 27, 1978 Part One
This week we go back to the time when Affirmed was successfully holding off Alydar to become the second horse in a row to win the Triple Crown. With Animal Kingdom falling short last week, it's now been 33 straight years without another such equine accomplishment. And if you were on your way down to your nearby OTB to place a wager, you may have been accompanied on your journey by a few of the following musical nuggets:
40 - "Stay," Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
39 - "I Was Only Joking," Rod Stewart
38 - "Oh What a Night for Dancing," Barry White
37 - "Cheeseburger in Paradise," Jimmy Buffett
36 - "Two Doors Down," Dolly Parton
35 - "You're the Love," Seals and Crofts
34 - "Sweet Talking Woman," Electric Light Orchestra
33 - "Bluer Than Blue," Michael Johnson
32 - "Tumbling Dice," Linda Ronstadt
31 - "Lay Down Sally," Eric Clapton
Soul kicks us off. Chaka Khan and company return with a plea for your continued presence. They've done much better than this bit of elevator funk, but Chaka's always in top vocal form. And the Voice himself, Mr. White, had his last Top 40 of the decade with a ballad where he initially promises to just take you on the town, but then later adds "Girl, I'm gonna take you home and stick plenty love to you." Ah, that's the Barry we know.
Four in the rock category here. Rod Stewart is back with a regretful reminiscence of his youthful indiscretions. Straightforward rock balladry, and one of his best of this period. ELO's monster album Out of the Blue produced their current hit about a honey-tongued female. Always loved the violin breaks in this one. Our old friend Linda shows up with yet another cover, this time of the Rolling Stones. She tries her best, but it doesn't quite work as well as some of her others. There's a grit and a grime that's missing, and therefore this comes off as just a very good bar-band version. And Eric Clapton is here one more time, lazily asking some woman named Sally if she might want to have a rest in his arms.
This group closes with MOR. Head Parrothead Jimmy Buffett is here enthusiastically singing the praises of his favorite meal, which also involves onions, french fries, beer, and "a big kosher pickle." For cracking the Top 40 with a song about meat, Jimmy sinks his teeth into this week's Uneasy Rider. Dolly Parton followed up her pop breakthrough "Here You Come Again" with this number about giving up on heartbreak and joining the party that is life. Although it's hard to believe the early line "they're not aware that I'm around" coming from a lady with such a, shall we say, eye-catching appearance. Seals and Crofts had their last gasp of pop success by integrating a little disco into their blanditude. Meh, there were worse ways for them to go out. But they were not missed. And Michael Johnson (not the 1996 gold medal sprinter, surprisingly) had his biggest hit with this ballad in which he bravely tries to state the advantages of being left by his lover ("I can catch up on my reading.") but by the chorus, he's forced to admit that his life is a pit of darkness without her. As doctor's office pop goes, it's above average.
30 - "Jack and Jill," Raydio
29 - "Heartless," Heart
28 - "Dust in the Wind," Kansas
27 - "Because the Night," The Patti Smith Group
26 - "Dance with Me," Peter Brown
25 - "Every Kinda People," Robert Palmer
24 - "Werewolves of London," Warren Zevon
23 - "Deacon Blues," Steely Dan
22 - "Two out of Three Ain't Bad," Meat Loaf
21 - "Can't Smile Without You," Barry Manilow
This group is extremely heavy with rock, so we'll begin with the records that don't fit into that category. Ray Parker Jr.'s first band comes back with their twist on that famed pair of fictional hill-climbers. Disco footnote Peter Brown had his biggest hit that had all the hallmarks of the genre: wah-wah guitar, lots of strings, female backup singers ("Gotta keep on makin' me high!) and exhortations to dance. Nothing special. And The Manilow returns with his deceptively peppy number about his inability to be happy without you.
I'll divide the rock into groups and solo acts. The Wilson sisters are here with a rocker about lusting after the wrong kind of man. As a kid, I actually liked this better than "Barracuda." I've since learned the error of my ways, but this is still really, really good. The band named after Dorothy Gale's home state returns with their acoustic rumination on our insignificance in the grand scheme of things. Punk poet Patti Smith, much to my surprise, actually did crack the Top 40 once with this gritty Bruce Springsteen ballad about love and lust that she recorded after it was played for her by her producer, Jimmy Iovine (who was the least-heralded but ultimately best addition to this season of Idol). I know it probably doesn't matter, but I'm glad she did end up with a hit, like Lou Reed. And maybe she would have had another if she'd put out a version of "You Light Up My Life." Speaking of which, the guy who wrote that song died this week. I never knew how completely screwed up that guy was. Anyway, moving on, the last rock group in this section is Steely Dan, with a song that is some sort of metaphor involving the college football teams of Wake Forest and the University of Alabama. It's not like them at all to turn such obscure references into a pop song. Oh, wait...
We end with the soloists. Robert Palmer, the man who would find his greatest success surrounded by icy-looking women in the "Addicted to Love" video, had his first American hit with this soul-influenced number that reminds me a lot of the utopian R&B of the first years of the decade. "What's Going On" seems like a very obvious influence. The late great Warren Zevon is another iconoclast who managed but one pop hit, that being this piano-driven perennial about an English lycanthrope who enjoys Chinese food, Pina Coladas, and keeping his hair looking good. Shame more kids these days know that Kid Rock song that sampled it than the original. Oh, and get off my lawn! And Marvin Lee Aday, the man who renamed himself after comfort food, had his biggest hit of the decade with this conflicted ballad about a woman he wants and needs, but for some reason can't love. This was off the blockbuster Bat Out of Hell album, and like the rest of that record was written by Jim Steinman, whose operatic pop mini-epics are a guilty pleasure of mine. Be they performed by Meat, Bonnie Tyler ("Total Eclipse of the Heart",) Air Supply ("Making Love Out of Nothing at All") or even Celine Dion ("It's All Coming Back to Me Now,"), they frequently hit my aural sweet spot. It's a weakness. I admit it.
Tomorrow: songs about changing locations, taking risks, and a really big fire.
40 - "Stay," Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
39 - "I Was Only Joking," Rod Stewart
38 - "Oh What a Night for Dancing," Barry White
37 - "Cheeseburger in Paradise," Jimmy Buffett
36 - "Two Doors Down," Dolly Parton
35 - "You're the Love," Seals and Crofts
34 - "Sweet Talking Woman," Electric Light Orchestra
33 - "Bluer Than Blue," Michael Johnson
32 - "Tumbling Dice," Linda Ronstadt
31 - "Lay Down Sally," Eric Clapton
Soul kicks us off. Chaka Khan and company return with a plea for your continued presence. They've done much better than this bit of elevator funk, but Chaka's always in top vocal form. And the Voice himself, Mr. White, had his last Top 40 of the decade with a ballad where he initially promises to just take you on the town, but then later adds "Girl, I'm gonna take you home and stick plenty love to you." Ah, that's the Barry we know.
Four in the rock category here. Rod Stewart is back with a regretful reminiscence of his youthful indiscretions. Straightforward rock balladry, and one of his best of this period. ELO's monster album Out of the Blue produced their current hit about a honey-tongued female. Always loved the violin breaks in this one. Our old friend Linda shows up with yet another cover, this time of the Rolling Stones. She tries her best, but it doesn't quite work as well as some of her others. There's a grit and a grime that's missing, and therefore this comes off as just a very good bar-band version. And Eric Clapton is here one more time, lazily asking some woman named Sally if she might want to have a rest in his arms.
This group closes with MOR. Head Parrothead Jimmy Buffett is here enthusiastically singing the praises of his favorite meal, which also involves onions, french fries, beer, and "a big kosher pickle." For cracking the Top 40 with a song about meat, Jimmy sinks his teeth into this week's Uneasy Rider. Dolly Parton followed up her pop breakthrough "Here You Come Again" with this number about giving up on heartbreak and joining the party that is life. Although it's hard to believe the early line "they're not aware that I'm around" coming from a lady with such a, shall we say, eye-catching appearance. Seals and Crofts had their last gasp of pop success by integrating a little disco into their blanditude. Meh, there were worse ways for them to go out. But they were not missed. And Michael Johnson (not the 1996 gold medal sprinter, surprisingly) had his biggest hit with this ballad in which he bravely tries to state the advantages of being left by his lover ("I can catch up on my reading.") but by the chorus, he's forced to admit that his life is a pit of darkness without her. As doctor's office pop goes, it's above average.
30 - "Jack and Jill," Raydio
29 - "Heartless," Heart
28 - "Dust in the Wind," Kansas
27 - "Because the Night," The Patti Smith Group
26 - "Dance with Me," Peter Brown
25 - "Every Kinda People," Robert Palmer
24 - "Werewolves of London," Warren Zevon
23 - "Deacon Blues," Steely Dan
22 - "Two out of Three Ain't Bad," Meat Loaf
21 - "Can't Smile Without You," Barry Manilow
This group is extremely heavy with rock, so we'll begin with the records that don't fit into that category. Ray Parker Jr.'s first band comes back with their twist on that famed pair of fictional hill-climbers. Disco footnote Peter Brown had his biggest hit that had all the hallmarks of the genre: wah-wah guitar, lots of strings, female backup singers ("Gotta keep on makin' me high!) and exhortations to dance. Nothing special. And The Manilow returns with his deceptively peppy number about his inability to be happy without you.
I'll divide the rock into groups and solo acts. The Wilson sisters are here with a rocker about lusting after the wrong kind of man. As a kid, I actually liked this better than "Barracuda." I've since learned the error of my ways, but this is still really, really good. The band named after Dorothy Gale's home state returns with their acoustic rumination on our insignificance in the grand scheme of things. Punk poet Patti Smith, much to my surprise, actually did crack the Top 40 once with this gritty Bruce Springsteen ballad about love and lust that she recorded after it was played for her by her producer, Jimmy Iovine (who was the least-heralded but ultimately best addition to this season of Idol). I know it probably doesn't matter, but I'm glad she did end up with a hit, like Lou Reed. And maybe she would have had another if she'd put out a version of "You Light Up My Life." Speaking of which, the guy who wrote that song died this week. I never knew how completely screwed up that guy was. Anyway, moving on, the last rock group in this section is Steely Dan, with a song that is some sort of metaphor involving the college football teams of Wake Forest and the University of Alabama. It's not like them at all to turn such obscure references into a pop song. Oh, wait...
We end with the soloists. Robert Palmer, the man who would find his greatest success surrounded by icy-looking women in the "Addicted to Love" video, had his first American hit with this soul-influenced number that reminds me a lot of the utopian R&B of the first years of the decade. "What's Going On" seems like a very obvious influence. The late great Warren Zevon is another iconoclast who managed but one pop hit, that being this piano-driven perennial about an English lycanthrope who enjoys Chinese food, Pina Coladas, and keeping his hair looking good. Shame more kids these days know that Kid Rock song that sampled it than the original. Oh, and get off my lawn! And Marvin Lee Aday, the man who renamed himself after comfort food, had his biggest hit of the decade with this conflicted ballad about a woman he wants and needs, but for some reason can't love. This was off the blockbuster Bat Out of Hell album, and like the rest of that record was written by Jim Steinman, whose operatic pop mini-epics are a guilty pleasure of mine. Be they performed by Meat, Bonnie Tyler ("Total Eclipse of the Heart",) Air Supply ("Making Love Out of Nothing at All") or even Celine Dion ("It's All Coming Back to Me Now,"), they frequently hit my aural sweet spot. It's a weakness. I admit it.
Tomorrow: songs about changing locations, taking risks, and a really big fire.
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 18, 1974 Part Two
And we don't stop, 'cause we won't stop.
20 - "Sundown," Gordon Lightfoot
19 - "For the Love of Money," The O'Jays
18 - "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," Gladys Knight and the Pips
17 - "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," Stevie Wonder
16 - "Oh Very Young," Cat Stevens
The second half opens with Canuck folkie Lightfoot's biggest hit, about a mysterious "hard-lovin' woman" whom he doesn't want "creepin' 'round (his) back stair." Didn't know you were such a chick magnet, Gordo.
Then it's The O'Jays with what has become their best-know hit, what with it's rubbery grooves and "moneymoneymoneymoney, MONEY!" refrain. Of course, far from being a celebration of the "mean green," it's a warning about the harmful lengths people will go to for the almighty dollar. I wonder if Donald Trump realized that when he decided to use it as the theme for his reality show. Not that he'd care.
Next are Gladys and her fellas with another classic about how in spite of the ups and downs, the right relationship can mean everything. It would take several songs about the dark side of love to counter the effects of this track's positivity.
Then Stevie Wonder dips his toe into Latin sounds on this hit on which he pledges to have your back no matter what. Of course it's great. Lose your cares in it, and let Stevie worry about blank. (That's right, a Futurama reference.)
Finishing this section is Cat Stevens, who seems to be singing to the world's children with a message involving blue jeans and giant birds. I think it's a positive "seize the day" song, but it's not completely clear. This is the hippy-dippy side of Cat that I'm not such a big fan of. I like the "Peace Train" and "Wild World" version better.
15 - "Just Don't Want to be Lonely," The Main Ingredient
14 - "Help Me," Joni Mitchell
13 - "Tubular Bells," Mike Oldfield
12 - "I Won't Last a Day Without You," The Carpenters
11 - "T.S.O.P.," M.F.S.B.
This set begins with Cuba Gooding Sr. et al, declaring that they would really rather not be by their lonesomes if they had their druthers. Not a classic, but certainly better than most of Jr.'s movies.
Then it's Joni Mitchell with her only American Top Ten about the giddiness and caution involved with the first flush of love. It's pretty and nice, but I prefer my Joni with a little grit, like on "Free Man in Paris" or "Raised on Robbery."
Mike Oldfield was only 20 when he convinced young entrepreneur Richard Branson to allow him to record a nearly 50-minute instrumental piece at Branson's studio, and to have it released on Branson's fledgling Virgin Records label. The album's mix of rock and classical sounds became a hit in Oldfield's native Britain, and after parts of it were used in the smash horror film The Exorcist, a severely edited version was released as a single and went Top 10 in the U.S. Apparently, people really wanted to mentally relive watching Linda Blair vomit and do nasty things to a cross.
Karen and Richard show up yet again, and they're always welcome, especially when they bring good material like this song about feeling invincible in the company of one's beloved, and completely helpless alone. That Karen, she can even make scary levels of co-dependence sound endearing.
And this part concludes with Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers and what they feel is a representative musical reflection of the City of Brotherly Love. And it was the theme from the legenday Soul Train. Just happy music.
10 - "You Make Me Feel Brand New," The Stylistics
I've said it before, but I love the falsetto in this song. It sounds like happiness and renewal. This is another slowdance contender for a hypothetical Glovehead nuptials.
9 - "(I've Been) Searching So Long," Chicago
I wasn't that familiar with this one, so I was a bit surprised that it was taking so long for the vocals to kick in. When they did, I found it okay. It's another ballad that at least has some color to it, unlike "If You Leave Me Now." I'm sorry, but I can't say enough how much I feel that that song is a blight on this entire decade.
8 - "Midnight at the Oasis," Maria Muldaur
Ms. Muldaur saw her greatest success with this sultry number about the fun that can be had in the desert. I'm sure this scenario is sexier in theory than in practice, but damn if Maria doesn't make you want to try it anyway.
7 - "Band on the Run," Wings
One of Paul's other band's biggest, a three-part story of a group escaping from some sort of prison, with apparent success. Although it's never made clear if they acted on the thought they had while incarcerated that upon getting out, they would give away all their possessions "to a registered charity." I'm guessing that didn't happen.
6 - "Bennie and the Jets," Elton John
Elton grooves hard while singing about killing fatted calves and electric boots. Could be his best song ever. "BEN-nay! BEN-nay! BEN-nay, BEN-nay, BEN-nay and the Jets!" Weird and wonderful indeed.
5 - "The Show Must Go On," Three Dog Night
More 3DN that I'm not very familiar with. Okay, the opening circus music is an interesting touch. And the guy who's singing also sang lead on "Joy to the World," so that's a good sign. And it's about wanting to escape the spotlight and crowds that are "after my blood." You know what? This is all right. Good on ya, 3DN.
4 - "The Loco-Motion," Grand Funk
Here they are in their wild, shirtless glory, covering an early 60s dance-craze hit. They add big beats and a nice guitar solo. All in all, not an essential cover, but a good one to haul out to set a big dumb party mood.
3 - "The Entertainer," Marvin Hamlisch
This was originally written by ragtime king Scott Joplin in 1902, but was revived by Hamlisch for the soundtrack of the Paul Newman/Robert Redford comedy The Sting. The movie was set in the 30s, but for some reason, it was decided that ragtime was the proper accompaniment. Ah, Marvin Hamlisch. I always lump him in my mind with Paul Williams in that they were both guys mainly known for songwriting, yet somehow managed to appear on TV a lot.
2 - "Dancing Machine," The Jackson 5
The last huge hit of the group's Motown tenure was this tribute to a lady who can really get down. Nothing really to say about it. Just find it and dig it, and maybe do one or two lame attempts at the Robot while you're at it.
1 - "The Streak," Ray Stevens
If the craze of running naked through public areas is remembered for two things, one is the time it happened at the Oscars, and the other is this novelty hit that gave the world the immortal phrase "Ethel, you shameless hussy!" I wonder if Ray is tempted to take time off from writing songs for Fox News fans and try to get back on the charts with a song about planking. Probably not. Anyway, this was featured on an LP that Homer Simpson thought his dog had buried. Actually, it was his lovely wife who put it in the ground.
The NotCaseys this week were "Come Monday" by Jimmy Buffett, "Save the Last Dance for Me," by The DeFranco Family, and "Already Gone" by the Eagles.
Back for more next week, because I just don't learn.
20 - "Sundown," Gordon Lightfoot
19 - "For the Love of Money," The O'Jays
18 - "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me," Gladys Knight and the Pips
17 - "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," Stevie Wonder
16 - "Oh Very Young," Cat Stevens
The second half opens with Canuck folkie Lightfoot's biggest hit, about a mysterious "hard-lovin' woman" whom he doesn't want "creepin' 'round (his) back stair." Didn't know you were such a chick magnet, Gordo.
Then it's The O'Jays with what has become their best-know hit, what with it's rubbery grooves and "moneymoneymoneymoney, MONEY!" refrain. Of course, far from being a celebration of the "mean green," it's a warning about the harmful lengths people will go to for the almighty dollar. I wonder if Donald Trump realized that when he decided to use it as the theme for his reality show. Not that he'd care.
Next are Gladys and her fellas with another classic about how in spite of the ups and downs, the right relationship can mean everything. It would take several songs about the dark side of love to counter the effects of this track's positivity.
Then Stevie Wonder dips his toe into Latin sounds on this hit on which he pledges to have your back no matter what. Of course it's great. Lose your cares in it, and let Stevie worry about blank. (That's right, a Futurama reference.)
Finishing this section is Cat Stevens, who seems to be singing to the world's children with a message involving blue jeans and giant birds. I think it's a positive "seize the day" song, but it's not completely clear. This is the hippy-dippy side of Cat that I'm not such a big fan of. I like the "Peace Train" and "Wild World" version better.
15 - "Just Don't Want to be Lonely," The Main Ingredient
14 - "Help Me," Joni Mitchell
13 - "Tubular Bells," Mike Oldfield
12 - "I Won't Last a Day Without You," The Carpenters
11 - "T.S.O.P.," M.F.S.B.
This set begins with Cuba Gooding Sr. et al, declaring that they would really rather not be by their lonesomes if they had their druthers. Not a classic, but certainly better than most of Jr.'s movies.
Then it's Joni Mitchell with her only American Top Ten about the giddiness and caution involved with the first flush of love. It's pretty and nice, but I prefer my Joni with a little grit, like on "Free Man in Paris" or "Raised on Robbery."
Mike Oldfield was only 20 when he convinced young entrepreneur Richard Branson to allow him to record a nearly 50-minute instrumental piece at Branson's studio, and to have it released on Branson's fledgling Virgin Records label. The album's mix of rock and classical sounds became a hit in Oldfield's native Britain, and after parts of it were used in the smash horror film The Exorcist, a severely edited version was released as a single and went Top 10 in the U.S. Apparently, people really wanted to mentally relive watching Linda Blair vomit and do nasty things to a cross.
Karen and Richard show up yet again, and they're always welcome, especially when they bring good material like this song about feeling invincible in the company of one's beloved, and completely helpless alone. That Karen, she can even make scary levels of co-dependence sound endearing.
And this part concludes with Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers and what they feel is a representative musical reflection of the City of Brotherly Love. And it was the theme from the legenday Soul Train. Just happy music.
10 - "You Make Me Feel Brand New," The Stylistics
I've said it before, but I love the falsetto in this song. It sounds like happiness and renewal. This is another slowdance contender for a hypothetical Glovehead nuptials.
9 - "(I've Been) Searching So Long," Chicago
I wasn't that familiar with this one, so I was a bit surprised that it was taking so long for the vocals to kick in. When they did, I found it okay. It's another ballad that at least has some color to it, unlike "If You Leave Me Now." I'm sorry, but I can't say enough how much I feel that that song is a blight on this entire decade.
8 - "Midnight at the Oasis," Maria Muldaur
Ms. Muldaur saw her greatest success with this sultry number about the fun that can be had in the desert. I'm sure this scenario is sexier in theory than in practice, but damn if Maria doesn't make you want to try it anyway.
7 - "Band on the Run," Wings
One of Paul's other band's biggest, a three-part story of a group escaping from some sort of prison, with apparent success. Although it's never made clear if they acted on the thought they had while incarcerated that upon getting out, they would give away all their possessions "to a registered charity." I'm guessing that didn't happen.
6 - "Bennie and the Jets," Elton John
Elton grooves hard while singing about killing fatted calves and electric boots. Could be his best song ever. "BEN-nay! BEN-nay! BEN-nay, BEN-nay, BEN-nay and the Jets!" Weird and wonderful indeed.
5 - "The Show Must Go On," Three Dog Night
More 3DN that I'm not very familiar with. Okay, the opening circus music is an interesting touch. And the guy who's singing also sang lead on "Joy to the World," so that's a good sign. And it's about wanting to escape the spotlight and crowds that are "after my blood." You know what? This is all right. Good on ya, 3DN.
4 - "The Loco-Motion," Grand Funk
Here they are in their wild, shirtless glory, covering an early 60s dance-craze hit. They add big beats and a nice guitar solo. All in all, not an essential cover, but a good one to haul out to set a big dumb party mood.
3 - "The Entertainer," Marvin Hamlisch
This was originally written by ragtime king Scott Joplin in 1902, but was revived by Hamlisch for the soundtrack of the Paul Newman/Robert Redford comedy The Sting. The movie was set in the 30s, but for some reason, it was decided that ragtime was the proper accompaniment. Ah, Marvin Hamlisch. I always lump him in my mind with Paul Williams in that they were both guys mainly known for songwriting, yet somehow managed to appear on TV a lot.
2 - "Dancing Machine," The Jackson 5
The last huge hit of the group's Motown tenure was this tribute to a lady who can really get down. Nothing really to say about it. Just find it and dig it, and maybe do one or two lame attempts at the Robot while you're at it.
1 - "The Streak," Ray Stevens
If the craze of running naked through public areas is remembered for two things, one is the time it happened at the Oscars, and the other is this novelty hit that gave the world the immortal phrase "Ethel, you shameless hussy!" I wonder if Ray is tempted to take time off from writing songs for Fox News fans and try to get back on the charts with a song about planking. Probably not. Anyway, this was featured on an LP that Homer Simpson thought his dog had buried. Actually, it was his lovely wife who put it in the ground.
The NotCaseys this week were "Come Monday" by Jimmy Buffett, "Save the Last Dance for Me," by The DeFranco Family, and "Already Gone" by the Eagles.
Back for more next week, because I just don't learn.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
May 18, 1974 Part One
This week we go back to '74. In between news updates on Patty Hearst and Watergate, the following is what was playing on many a radio at the time:
40 - "Let it Ride," Bachman-Turner Overdrive
39 - "Looking for a Love," Bobby Womack
38 - "Seasons in the Sun," Terry Jacks
37 - "Standing at the End of the Line," Lobo
36 - "Let's Get Married," Al Green
35 - "The Lord's Prayer," Sister Janet Mead
34 - "Keep on Singing," Helen Reddy
33 - "My Mistake (Was to Love You)," Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye
32 - "Hollywood Swinging," Kool and the Gang
31 - "If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - Olivia Newton-John
We start with Canadian content. Randy Bachman made his first chart dent after leaving the Guess Who with this rocker asking a lover whether or not his future transgressions would be forgiven. I suppose it's good to know what you can get away with in advance, but I'm not sure many people would be cool with it. Besides, you really don't know how you'll react to something until you have to, so it wouldn't be effective anyway. And then it's Terry Jacks and his hit that's as awful as it was massive. Who would ever willingly listen to this?
Then it's soul. R&B giant Bobby Womack had his biggest pop hit with this cover of a song that was originally performed by the Valentino's and was later the first Top 40 hit for the J. Geils Band. Apparently, the love he's looking for is one who will serve him breakfast in bed and do housework. Not exactly progressive, but I'll forgive it because the man can sing his ass off. Al Green returns with a song about giving up wild-oat sowing and longing to settle down. A few months after this record charted, Green refused to marry one of his girlfriends, citing the sound reasoning that she was already married. The woman responded by throwing a pan of hot grits at him while he was in the shower, causing severe burns. This incident would heavily influence his decision to become a minister. Miss Ross and Mr. Gaye are here with the second of the two hits from their duets album. This was the lesser hit, but for my money, the better of the two. And Kool and the Gang swing it SoCal style in this fantastic reminder of what a titanic funk outfit they were before they became a prolific but unspectauclar disco/soul band.
I'm just going to put Lobo by himself here, where he can't bother anyone. Actually, for him, this song about watching the girl of his dreams "entertain" other men while he waits patiently for his chance isn't too bad. But still, I think the world would be much better off if he were a one-hit wonder; that hit, of course, being "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."
We finish this section with three Sheilas. Or, if you prefer, Australian women. Helen Reddy returns with a song about how necessity and a father's encouragement led her to musical success. For some reason, I was surprised to learn that this sont wasn't written by Mac Davis. ONJ was born in Britain, but because she was six when she emigrated, she counts. She had her biggest hit to date with this pleading country statement that "I can't wait another minute for a day without you in it. And then there's Sister Janet Mead, whose experiments with "rock masses" led to her being asked to record an uptempo version of "Our Father, who art in heaven...etc." And that's exactly what she did. And it was a massive worldwide hit. And now it finds itself the recipient of this week's Uneasy Rider award.
30 - "Be Thankful for What You Got," William DeVaughn
29 - "Mighty, Mighty," Earth, Wind and Fire
28 - "The Payback (Part 1) James Brown
27 - "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song," Jim Croce
26 - "Oh, My My," Ringo Starr
25 - "Come and Get Your Love," Redbone
24 - "I'm in Love," Aretha Franklin
23 - "Billy, Don't be a Hero," Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
22 - "My Girl Bill," Jim Stafford
21 - "Hooked on a Feeling," Blue Swede
R&B is always a good place to start. William DeVaughn had his only pop hit with this song with a timeless message. Though judging by the lyrics, he's really hung up on the fact that he doesn't have a pimped-out Cadillac. This song is also notable for it's early use of the term "gangsta." Earth, Wind and Fire made their Top 40 debut with this funk piece that established them as players. They declare themselves "mighty people of the sun," and there's no reason to doubt them. The Godfather shows up again, promising funky revenge for a variety of trespasses against him. And you know he'll collect. And The Queen is in love, and she's quite happy about it. That's all the description you should need to want to seek this out.
Three white male solo singers are present in this section. Jim Croce had another of his posthumous hit singles with a ballad that covers much of the same ground as "Your Song." And not nearly as well, I'm afraid. Richard Starkey had another hit during his hot solo run with a song about how his doctor prescribes dancing for pretty much every ailment. Switch doctors, Ringo. And jokester Jim Stafford shows up with a loungey number that seems to indicate that his lady loves parents had motivations in naming their daughter as that guy who called his son Sue, but at the end, it's clear that he's just telling some guy named Bill to stay away from his woman. He could have cleared this up by adding a comma to the song title. I can't understand why he wouldn't have done that.
We end with three groups. Redbone had their greatest success with this nasally earworm that will get stuck in your head for hours upon exposure. Just a warning. Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods covered English group Paper Lace's hit about a boy who volunteers for the military and dies a hero, in spite of his fiance's explicit instructions to "keep your head low." This ruined Paper Lace's chance of charting in the U.S. with it, though they would manage to do so later singing about a certain Windy City evening. And Stockholm's Blue Swede decided that a B.J. Thomas hit would have been much, much better with the addition of horns and cavemen-like backing vocals. And doggone it, they were right.
Tomorrow: mean green, music to watch a teenage girl's head spin by, and the freshest sounds of 1902.
40 - "Let it Ride," Bachman-Turner Overdrive
39 - "Looking for a Love," Bobby Womack
38 - "Seasons in the Sun," Terry Jacks
37 - "Standing at the End of the Line," Lobo
36 - "Let's Get Married," Al Green
35 - "The Lord's Prayer," Sister Janet Mead
34 - "Keep on Singing," Helen Reddy
33 - "My Mistake (Was to Love You)," Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye
32 - "Hollywood Swinging," Kool and the Gang
31 - "If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - Olivia Newton-John
We start with Canadian content. Randy Bachman made his first chart dent after leaving the Guess Who with this rocker asking a lover whether or not his future transgressions would be forgiven. I suppose it's good to know what you can get away with in advance, but I'm not sure many people would be cool with it. Besides, you really don't know how you'll react to something until you have to, so it wouldn't be effective anyway. And then it's Terry Jacks and his hit that's as awful as it was massive. Who would ever willingly listen to this?
Then it's soul. R&B giant Bobby Womack had his biggest pop hit with this cover of a song that was originally performed by the Valentino's and was later the first Top 40 hit for the J. Geils Band. Apparently, the love he's looking for is one who will serve him breakfast in bed and do housework. Not exactly progressive, but I'll forgive it because the man can sing his ass off. Al Green returns with a song about giving up wild-oat sowing and longing to settle down. A few months after this record charted, Green refused to marry one of his girlfriends, citing the sound reasoning that she was already married. The woman responded by throwing a pan of hot grits at him while he was in the shower, causing severe burns. This incident would heavily influence his decision to become a minister. Miss Ross and Mr. Gaye are here with the second of the two hits from their duets album. This was the lesser hit, but for my money, the better of the two. And Kool and the Gang swing it SoCal style in this fantastic reminder of what a titanic funk outfit they were before they became a prolific but unspectauclar disco/soul band.
I'm just going to put Lobo by himself here, where he can't bother anyone. Actually, for him, this song about watching the girl of his dreams "entertain" other men while he waits patiently for his chance isn't too bad. But still, I think the world would be much better off if he were a one-hit wonder; that hit, of course, being "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."
We finish this section with three Sheilas. Or, if you prefer, Australian women. Helen Reddy returns with a song about how necessity and a father's encouragement led her to musical success. For some reason, I was surprised to learn that this sont wasn't written by Mac Davis. ONJ was born in Britain, but because she was six when she emigrated, she counts. She had her biggest hit to date with this pleading country statement that "I can't wait another minute for a day without you in it. And then there's Sister Janet Mead, whose experiments with "rock masses" led to her being asked to record an uptempo version of "Our Father, who art in heaven...etc." And that's exactly what she did. And it was a massive worldwide hit. And now it finds itself the recipient of this week's Uneasy Rider award.
30 - "Be Thankful for What You Got," William DeVaughn
29 - "Mighty, Mighty," Earth, Wind and Fire
28 - "The Payback (Part 1) James Brown
27 - "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song," Jim Croce
26 - "Oh, My My," Ringo Starr
25 - "Come and Get Your Love," Redbone
24 - "I'm in Love," Aretha Franklin
23 - "Billy, Don't be a Hero," Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
22 - "My Girl Bill," Jim Stafford
21 - "Hooked on a Feeling," Blue Swede
R&B is always a good place to start. William DeVaughn had his only pop hit with this song with a timeless message. Though judging by the lyrics, he's really hung up on the fact that he doesn't have a pimped-out Cadillac. This song is also notable for it's early use of the term "gangsta." Earth, Wind and Fire made their Top 40 debut with this funk piece that established them as players. They declare themselves "mighty people of the sun," and there's no reason to doubt them. The Godfather shows up again, promising funky revenge for a variety of trespasses against him. And you know he'll collect. And The Queen is in love, and she's quite happy about it. That's all the description you should need to want to seek this out.
Three white male solo singers are present in this section. Jim Croce had another of his posthumous hit singles with a ballad that covers much of the same ground as "Your Song." And not nearly as well, I'm afraid. Richard Starkey had another hit during his hot solo run with a song about how his doctor prescribes dancing for pretty much every ailment. Switch doctors, Ringo. And jokester Jim Stafford shows up with a loungey number that seems to indicate that his lady loves parents had motivations in naming their daughter as that guy who called his son Sue, but at the end, it's clear that he's just telling some guy named Bill to stay away from his woman. He could have cleared this up by adding a comma to the song title. I can't understand why he wouldn't have done that.
We end with three groups. Redbone had their greatest success with this nasally earworm that will get stuck in your head for hours upon exposure. Just a warning. Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods covered English group Paper Lace's hit about a boy who volunteers for the military and dies a hero, in spite of his fiance's explicit instructions to "keep your head low." This ruined Paper Lace's chance of charting in the U.S. with it, though they would manage to do so later singing about a certain Windy City evening. And Stockholm's Blue Swede decided that a B.J. Thomas hit would have been much, much better with the addition of horns and cavemen-like backing vocals. And doggone it, they were right.
Tomorrow: mean green, music to watch a teenage girl's head spin by, and the freshest sounds of 1902.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
May 19, 1979
We're at the end of the decade, which means a shortened show and just one entry for the week. I kind of like the change of pace, but if they decided to start playing the extra hour on these, I wouldn't complain. So with that, here goes.
32 - "Makin' It," David Naughton
31 - "I Got My Mind Made Up," Instant Funk
30 - "Old Time Rock and Roll," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
29 - "Get Used to It," Roger Voudouris
28 - "Ain't Love a Bitch," Rod Stewart
27 - "Such a Woman," Tycoon
26 - "Honesty," Billy Joel
25 - "You Take My Breath Away," Rex Smith
We start with disco. David Naughton, who was a familiar face in the 70s singing and dancing in Dr. Pepper commercials ("I'm a Pepper, you're a Pepper...") attempted a major breakthrough by playing a young disco dancer in a sitcom somewhat inspired by Saturday Night Fever. The show went nowhere, but the title song, performed by Naughton himself, would go Top Ten. It's brainless, dated disco. No need to seek it out. And Instant Funk's only major hit is your basic innuendo-fest, asking the ladies to "push it to me, baby," and "slide it to me, honey." That is, "if you want my money." Subtle.
Next is rock. You might imagine, given its iconic status as the soundtrack to Tom Cruise's Risky Business dance (and its many knockoffs) the Styx of Detroit's anthemic rebuke of disco, the tango, and other things that don't fit his description of rock n' roll was at the very least a Top 10 smash. Truth is, it only reached #28, which in my opinion is about right. It gets old quickly. Rod Stewart followed up his successful disco venture with a more typical effort, a midtempo rocker about the travails of romantic love. It even includes a callback to his breakthrough single in lines like "Oh Maggie, if you're still out there, the rest is history. And the New York group Tycoon scored their only hit with a big-chorused pop-rocker about searching for love. It was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who would go on to produce acts like AC/DC, Def Leppard, Billy Ocean, and Shania Twain. However, only one of those relationships would lead to marriage
We finish this section with the easy stuff. There isn't much remarkable about the only hit by Mr. Voudouris, except that he sounds kind of like a (presumably) Greek Lionel Richie. Billy Joel had what would be his last hit of the decade with a ballad pleading for truthfulness. Would you settle for "truthiness," William? And Rex Smith began his career as a teen heartthrob with this drippy ballad in which he really does sound like he is actually having breathing difficulties during parts of it. I imagine this was better acting than what he did in the TV-movie this song comes from. Oh yes, and he completes our set of artists who would go on to host Solid Gold, joining Marilyn McCoo, Andy Gibb. Dionne Warwicke, and Rick Dees. And before you ask, yes, that show did have some hosts during its run that never hit the charts. But who cares about them.
24 - "Hot Number," Foxy
23 - "She Believes in Me," Kenny Rogers
22 - "Chuck E.'s in Love," Rickie Lee Jones
21 - "Knock on Wood," Amii Stewart
20 - "Rock n' Roll Fantasy," Bad Company
19 - "Renegade," Styx
18 - "Deeper Than the Night," Olivia Newton-John
17 - "Disco Nights (Rock Freak)," G.Q.
Again, we begin on the dance floor. Florida's Foxy had their second and final hit about trying to look attractive so someone will "get a zing in your fling." Sounds painful. Amii Stewart returns to turn an R&B nugget into something unrecognizable, yet wonderful in its own way. And G.Q. had the biggest of their two hits with a smooth little evocation of an idyllic evening when "the feeling's right and the music's tight." Some nice bass work in the middle. A must for any truly representative disco mixlist.
Then there's soft stuff. Kenny Rogers reached the top ten for the second time in his career with a song about the woman who believes he will make it big one day in spite of the odds. It's sweet, but nothing different. Which cannot be said about Rickie Lee Jones or her signature hit, a laid-back, jazzy ode to a hepcat smitten with someone, possibly "the little girl who's singing this song." I remember being impressed with how unlike everything else on the radio this was even as a child. Still fantastic. Rickie Lee gets this week's Uneasy Rider award. And Olivia Newton-John took a break from her disco reinvention with a song more in her old country-pop vein about how strong her love is. At one point, she pledges "I'll stay the same." For better or for worse, she would break that promise.
Rock concludes this group. Bad Company made the radio again with a song about the joys of rock concerts: the lights, the noise, the crowds, etc. The kinds of things that tend to seem less appetizing as we age. Anyway, I don't mind this one, but the Kinks have a much better song with that title. And Chicago's Bob Seger (I think this may be the first chart I've covered that they're both on), are here with one of their hardest rockers, a Wild West-ish tale of a captured fugitive who's about to be executed. This could be the best song they ever did, and it's now used as a theme song by the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.
16 - "I Want Your Love," Chic
15 - "Just When I Needed You Most," Randy Vanwarmer
14 - "The Logical Song," Supertramp
13 - "We are Family," Sister Sledge
12 - "Love Takes Time," Orleans
11 - "Love is the Answer," England Dan and John Ford Coley
This last pre-top ten sextet opens with the disco masters and a song that has to live in the long long shadows of "Le Freak" and "Good Times." But on its own, it's still a solid floor filler. Apparently, the Black Eyed Peas sample it on their latest album. I'll let you make up your own mind whether or not that's a good thing.
Next is a guy whose name sounds like it should be on a product that keeps certain vehicles at an ideal tempetature for lovemaking. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, I remember this song and the guy's high voice. I suppose it's sweet to the right ears, but I get nothing from it.
Then it's Supertramp with their biggest American hit, a ballad about how children are molded from carefree, imaginative, open souls into dull, cautious comformists. But some of us manage to retain a bit of our unique humanity. I'd like to think I'm one, but the jury's still out.
Kim, Debbie, Kathy and Joni Sledge, granddaughters of an opera singer, put their voice together and gave the world this immortal disco celebration of blood ties, with a little help from Chic masterminds Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Later in the year, it would be used as a rallying song by the Pittsburgh Pirates on their way to the World Series championship. This turns out to be a big week for Pittsburgh sports references. You never know what themes will emerge when you tackle these. Also, it was sung by the Simpson family once after completing a family co-operation exercise, in spite of the fact that "wolves and cougars ate our roast beef."
Next are Orleans with their last hit, an upbeat, unmemorable song. By this time, future (and now former) congressman John Hall had left the band. Good move.
Finally we have Dan and John, who would be poster boys for faceless 70s MOR but for the fact that no one would ever want to have a poster of them. This song is a bit interesting in that it's a cover of a song by Todd Rundgren's band Utopia. Which is a material upgrade, but still, they're England Dan and John Ford Coley, so you still end up bored to tears.
They're the Top Ten, they're the Tower of Pisa:
10 - "Heart of Glass," Blondie
Deborah Harry and her band made their U.S. Top 40 debut with this smash that brought punk attitude to the discotheques and made us all better for it. You can't help but get caught up in the swirl and madness of this one. Dance floor nirvana. Oh, and in another confession you didn't ask for, I once went out for Halloween dressed as Debbie from the Autoamerican album cover. I don't know why, it just seemed like a cool idea to ten-year-old me. And it still does, for what it's worth.
9 - "He's the Greatest Dancer," Sister Sledge
The Sledges again, this time with their first hit, a tribute to a man particularly skilled in the terpsichorean arts. Plus he's hot and dresses well. I wonder which one of the sisters won the inevitable catfight for his affections. For no reason at all, I'll guess Kathy.
8 - "Take Me Home," Cher
Looking to end a five-year hit drought, Sonny's ex tried disco on for size and found that at least for one song, it fit her like a Bob Mackie gown. Her voice works surprisingly well for the genre, and she was rewarded with a Top Ten. But after this, she'd be without chart action for another eight years until she discovered power ballads.
7 - "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," The Jacksons
Michael and his brothers not named Jermaine return with a cool little disco track. Of course, it would get smoked months later when Michael made the genre's definitive statement on "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." On a bittersweet note, "Shake Your Body" would be the last song the brothers would ever perform together, at Madison Square Garden in 2001.
6 - "Love You Inside Out," The Bee Gees
Even though this was a #1, I don't remember it from childhood. And when I heard it later, it left me cold. Didn't sound like much at all. But then Feist covered it as "Inside and Out," and I thought her version was the greatest thing ever. As far as I'm concerned, hers is the definitive version, and this is just a weak cover. I know those aren't the facts, but that's what feels true to me. Sorry Gibbs, you know I love you, but that's how I feel about this one.
5 - "Goodnight Tonight," Wings
Paul and his band tried some latin-flavored disco on this single, and for me, it's just a bad bad idea. The beat sounds like something guys were playing in malls five years later, the lyrics are nothing special, and the whole enterprise seems cynical and tossed off. Not Macca's finest hour.
4 - "Stumblin' In," Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman
Here they are again, Leather Tuscadero and the guy from Smokie (whose "Living Next Door to Alice" is apparently an enduring hit in Slovakia, as it was played frequently in arenas during the recent World Hockey Championships there), "foolishly laying (their) hearts on the table." This set the bar for raspy-voiced rock duets that Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty would later try to clear on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." I think they did, but only just.
3 - "In the Navy," The Village People
The costumed party band with their last biggie, another song that subversively explores the homoerotic possiblities of a manly American institution, this time the branch of the armed forces that Bin Laden's assassins represented. Can't lie, the 45s for both this and "Y.M.C.A." were in our house, and we played them a lot. "But...but...I'm afraid of water!" In retrospect, though, it is a tad humorous that the flip sides for those singles were "Manhattan Woman" and "The Women" respectively. Don't think the group put their hearts into those.
2 - "Hot Stuff," Donna Summer
The Queen of Disco added a rock edge to her sound on this stomper about going out on the prowl. Possible her best single. Well-sung, sexy, and irresistible to the hips. Hot stuff indeed.
1 - "Reunited," Peaches and Herb
Peaches III and the one and only Herb with their biggest hit, a ballad about how great it is to get back together. Apparently, David Hasselhoff sang this at the Berlin Wall as it fell. And yet, no one turned their hammers on him. A missed opportunity.
Just one NotCasey this week: The Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute" which was #36 that week. But Casey played a bunch. There was "I Will Be in Love with You," by James Taylor's brother Livingston. And there were two #1's from early '74: "Love's Theme" by the Love Unlimited Orchestra, and "Season in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. Plus there were two Long Distance Dedications. The first came from a woman in Seattle, who wanted to send out Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" to her Iraqi fiance, whom she hadn't seen in eight years. The second was from an 82-year-old retired lawyer who was in a nursing home after suffering a stroke when a woman he went to high school with visited him out of the blue and took him on a movie date. The movie was A Star is Born, and so the man dedicated "Evergreen" to his lady love.
I'll be back soon. Visit if you find the time.
32 - "Makin' It," David Naughton
31 - "I Got My Mind Made Up," Instant Funk
30 - "Old Time Rock and Roll," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
29 - "Get Used to It," Roger Voudouris
28 - "Ain't Love a Bitch," Rod Stewart
27 - "Such a Woman," Tycoon
26 - "Honesty," Billy Joel
25 - "You Take My Breath Away," Rex Smith
We start with disco. David Naughton, who was a familiar face in the 70s singing and dancing in Dr. Pepper commercials ("I'm a Pepper, you're a Pepper...") attempted a major breakthrough by playing a young disco dancer in a sitcom somewhat inspired by Saturday Night Fever. The show went nowhere, but the title song, performed by Naughton himself, would go Top Ten. It's brainless, dated disco. No need to seek it out. And Instant Funk's only major hit is your basic innuendo-fest, asking the ladies to "push it to me, baby," and "slide it to me, honey." That is, "if you want my money." Subtle.
Next is rock. You might imagine, given its iconic status as the soundtrack to Tom Cruise's Risky Business dance (and its many knockoffs) the Styx of Detroit's anthemic rebuke of disco, the tango, and other things that don't fit his description of rock n' roll was at the very least a Top 10 smash. Truth is, it only reached #28, which in my opinion is about right. It gets old quickly. Rod Stewart followed up his successful disco venture with a more typical effort, a midtempo rocker about the travails of romantic love. It even includes a callback to his breakthrough single in lines like "Oh Maggie, if you're still out there, the rest is history. And the New York group Tycoon scored their only hit with a big-chorused pop-rocker about searching for love. It was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who would go on to produce acts like AC/DC, Def Leppard, Billy Ocean, and Shania Twain. However, only one of those relationships would lead to marriage
We finish this section with the easy stuff. There isn't much remarkable about the only hit by Mr. Voudouris, except that he sounds kind of like a (presumably) Greek Lionel Richie. Billy Joel had what would be his last hit of the decade with a ballad pleading for truthfulness. Would you settle for "truthiness," William? And Rex Smith began his career as a teen heartthrob with this drippy ballad in which he really does sound like he is actually having breathing difficulties during parts of it. I imagine this was better acting than what he did in the TV-movie this song comes from. Oh yes, and he completes our set of artists who would go on to host Solid Gold, joining Marilyn McCoo, Andy Gibb. Dionne Warwicke, and Rick Dees. And before you ask, yes, that show did have some hosts during its run that never hit the charts. But who cares about them.
24 - "Hot Number," Foxy
23 - "She Believes in Me," Kenny Rogers
22 - "Chuck E.'s in Love," Rickie Lee Jones
21 - "Knock on Wood," Amii Stewart
20 - "Rock n' Roll Fantasy," Bad Company
19 - "Renegade," Styx
18 - "Deeper Than the Night," Olivia Newton-John
17 - "Disco Nights (Rock Freak)," G.Q.
Again, we begin on the dance floor. Florida's Foxy had their second and final hit about trying to look attractive so someone will "get a zing in your fling." Sounds painful. Amii Stewart returns to turn an R&B nugget into something unrecognizable, yet wonderful in its own way. And G.Q. had the biggest of their two hits with a smooth little evocation of an idyllic evening when "the feeling's right and the music's tight." Some nice bass work in the middle. A must for any truly representative disco mixlist.
Then there's soft stuff. Kenny Rogers reached the top ten for the second time in his career with a song about the woman who believes he will make it big one day in spite of the odds. It's sweet, but nothing different. Which cannot be said about Rickie Lee Jones or her signature hit, a laid-back, jazzy ode to a hepcat smitten with someone, possibly "the little girl who's singing this song." I remember being impressed with how unlike everything else on the radio this was even as a child. Still fantastic. Rickie Lee gets this week's Uneasy Rider award. And Olivia Newton-John took a break from her disco reinvention with a song more in her old country-pop vein about how strong her love is. At one point, she pledges "I'll stay the same." For better or for worse, she would break that promise.
Rock concludes this group. Bad Company made the radio again with a song about the joys of rock concerts: the lights, the noise, the crowds, etc. The kinds of things that tend to seem less appetizing as we age. Anyway, I don't mind this one, but the Kinks have a much better song with that title. And Chicago's Bob Seger (I think this may be the first chart I've covered that they're both on), are here with one of their hardest rockers, a Wild West-ish tale of a captured fugitive who's about to be executed. This could be the best song they ever did, and it's now used as a theme song by the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.
16 - "I Want Your Love," Chic
15 - "Just When I Needed You Most," Randy Vanwarmer
14 - "The Logical Song," Supertramp
13 - "We are Family," Sister Sledge
12 - "Love Takes Time," Orleans
11 - "Love is the Answer," England Dan and John Ford Coley
This last pre-top ten sextet opens with the disco masters and a song that has to live in the long long shadows of "Le Freak" and "Good Times." But on its own, it's still a solid floor filler. Apparently, the Black Eyed Peas sample it on their latest album. I'll let you make up your own mind whether or not that's a good thing.
Next is a guy whose name sounds like it should be on a product that keeps certain vehicles at an ideal tempetature for lovemaking. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, I remember this song and the guy's high voice. I suppose it's sweet to the right ears, but I get nothing from it.
Then it's Supertramp with their biggest American hit, a ballad about how children are molded from carefree, imaginative, open souls into dull, cautious comformists. But some of us manage to retain a bit of our unique humanity. I'd like to think I'm one, but the jury's still out.
Kim, Debbie, Kathy and Joni Sledge, granddaughters of an opera singer, put their voice together and gave the world this immortal disco celebration of blood ties, with a little help from Chic masterminds Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Later in the year, it would be used as a rallying song by the Pittsburgh Pirates on their way to the World Series championship. This turns out to be a big week for Pittsburgh sports references. You never know what themes will emerge when you tackle these. Also, it was sung by the Simpson family once after completing a family co-operation exercise, in spite of the fact that "wolves and cougars ate our roast beef."
Next are Orleans with their last hit, an upbeat, unmemorable song. By this time, future (and now former) congressman John Hall had left the band. Good move.
Finally we have Dan and John, who would be poster boys for faceless 70s MOR but for the fact that no one would ever want to have a poster of them. This song is a bit interesting in that it's a cover of a song by Todd Rundgren's band Utopia. Which is a material upgrade, but still, they're England Dan and John Ford Coley, so you still end up bored to tears.
They're the Top Ten, they're the Tower of Pisa:
10 - "Heart of Glass," Blondie
Deborah Harry and her band made their U.S. Top 40 debut with this smash that brought punk attitude to the discotheques and made us all better for it. You can't help but get caught up in the swirl and madness of this one. Dance floor nirvana. Oh, and in another confession you didn't ask for, I once went out for Halloween dressed as Debbie from the Autoamerican album cover. I don't know why, it just seemed like a cool idea to ten-year-old me. And it still does, for what it's worth.
9 - "He's the Greatest Dancer," Sister Sledge
The Sledges again, this time with their first hit, a tribute to a man particularly skilled in the terpsichorean arts. Plus he's hot and dresses well. I wonder which one of the sisters won the inevitable catfight for his affections. For no reason at all, I'll guess Kathy.
8 - "Take Me Home," Cher
Looking to end a five-year hit drought, Sonny's ex tried disco on for size and found that at least for one song, it fit her like a Bob Mackie gown. Her voice works surprisingly well for the genre, and she was rewarded with a Top Ten. But after this, she'd be without chart action for another eight years until she discovered power ballads.
7 - "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," The Jacksons
Michael and his brothers not named Jermaine return with a cool little disco track. Of course, it would get smoked months later when Michael made the genre's definitive statement on "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." On a bittersweet note, "Shake Your Body" would be the last song the brothers would ever perform together, at Madison Square Garden in 2001.
6 - "Love You Inside Out," The Bee Gees
Even though this was a #1, I don't remember it from childhood. And when I heard it later, it left me cold. Didn't sound like much at all. But then Feist covered it as "Inside and Out," and I thought her version was the greatest thing ever. As far as I'm concerned, hers is the definitive version, and this is just a weak cover. I know those aren't the facts, but that's what feels true to me. Sorry Gibbs, you know I love you, but that's how I feel about this one.
5 - "Goodnight Tonight," Wings
Paul and his band tried some latin-flavored disco on this single, and for me, it's just a bad bad idea. The beat sounds like something guys were playing in malls five years later, the lyrics are nothing special, and the whole enterprise seems cynical and tossed off. Not Macca's finest hour.
4 - "Stumblin' In," Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman
Here they are again, Leather Tuscadero and the guy from Smokie (whose "Living Next Door to Alice" is apparently an enduring hit in Slovakia, as it was played frequently in arenas during the recent World Hockey Championships there), "foolishly laying (their) hearts on the table." This set the bar for raspy-voiced rock duets that Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty would later try to clear on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around." I think they did, but only just.
3 - "In the Navy," The Village People
The costumed party band with their last biggie, another song that subversively explores the homoerotic possiblities of a manly American institution, this time the branch of the armed forces that Bin Laden's assassins represented. Can't lie, the 45s for both this and "Y.M.C.A." were in our house, and we played them a lot. "But...but...I'm afraid of water!" In retrospect, though, it is a tad humorous that the flip sides for those singles were "Manhattan Woman" and "The Women" respectively. Don't think the group put their hearts into those.
2 - "Hot Stuff," Donna Summer
The Queen of Disco added a rock edge to her sound on this stomper about going out on the prowl. Possible her best single. Well-sung, sexy, and irresistible to the hips. Hot stuff indeed.
1 - "Reunited," Peaches and Herb
Peaches III and the one and only Herb with their biggest hit, a ballad about how great it is to get back together. Apparently, David Hasselhoff sang this at the Berlin Wall as it fell. And yet, no one turned their hammers on him. A missed opportunity.
Just one NotCasey this week: The Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute" which was #36 that week. But Casey played a bunch. There was "I Will Be in Love with You," by James Taylor's brother Livingston. And there were two #1's from early '74: "Love's Theme" by the Love Unlimited Orchestra, and "Season in the Sun" by Terry Jacks. Plus there were two Long Distance Dedications. The first came from a woman in Seattle, who wanted to send out Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" to her Iraqi fiance, whom she hadn't seen in eight years. The second was from an 82-year-old retired lawyer who was in a nursing home after suffering a stroke when a woman he went to high school with visited him out of the blue and took him on a movie date. The movie was A Star is Born, and so the man dedicated "Evergreen" to his lady love.
I'll be back soon. Visit if you find the time.
Monday, May 9, 2011
May 5, 1973 Part Two
The cosmic ballet goes on.
20 - "Pillow Talk," Silvia
19 - "Out of the Question," Gilbert O'Sullivan
18 - "Daisy a Day," Jud Strunk
17 - "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," The Four Tops
16 - "Walk on the Wild Side," Lou Reed
We start with Sylvia Robinson, who had scored a hit as part of the duo Mickey and Sylvia in 1957 with "Love is Strange." She worked behind the scenes in the music industry for a while after that, and in 1972, she wrote a song that she thought would be perfect for Al Green. But Green turned it down, deeming it "too sexy" for the future Reverend to record. So Robinson recorded it herself, and made it even more raunchy by adding some orgasmic moaning at the end. It's pretty hot, and probably set the stage for "Love to Love You Baby" After this, Robinson would go back behind the scenes, forming the seminal rap label Sugar Hill Records. But no, she wasn't the same Sylvia who did the country-pop hit "Nobody" in 1982.
Then it's my old buddy Gilbert. This time he's not singing about suicide or dogs or anything like that. Just a straightforward pop song about being led on by a woman. I hesitate to say this but...it's not bad. You broke through, Gil. Congrats.
Then it's singer/comedian Jud Strunk, the second singer on this week's list to have been raised over the bridge from me in Western New York. On this folky number, he sounds almost Irish as he tells the story of a couple so much in love that even when she dies, he fulfills his promise to present her daily with her favorite flower. It's normally the kind of sap that would turn me off, but daisies happen to be my Mom's favorite flower, and Mother's Day was yesterday, so it gets a pass.
The Four Tops are next with their second post-Motown single, which would be their biggest hit away from Hitsville U.S.A. It was apparently recorded first by MOR footnotes Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. I can't imagine their version was one quintillionth as good as this. Levi freaking Stubbs, man. What can you say?
Rounding out this group is a song that Casey said "has my nomination for the most unusual song of the year." So I guess he's contradicting my choice for this week's Uneasy Rider. And I'll admit that perhaps if I wasn't so familiar with this song, the idea of a jazzy, Bowie-produced number by the ex-leader of the Velvet Underground with lyrics referring to transvestism, valium, and (though not in the radio edit) fellatio would seem like an odd formula for a Top 20 single in 1973. But in the end, I just think it's so cool and catchy that it couldn't help getting on the radio, subject matter aside. So Clint Holmes keeps his award, regardless of what Casey thinks.
15 - "Reelin' in the Years," Steely Dan
14 - "Daniel," Elton John
13 - "Wildflower," Skylark
12 - "Peaceful," Helen Reddy
11 - "Masterpiece," The Temptations
This section opens with a band named after a fictional sex toy from the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. This was their second hit, and it contains a couple highly-regarded guitar solos. I like the Dan. They may be a bit pretentious, but they filled a niche for literate-yet-accessible pop-rock.
Then it's Elton with a Vietnam-inspired soft-rocker about a blinded vet who escapes his demons by making regular visits to Spain. At least that's what I've been able to piece together. This is another song I remember doing the "Health Hustle" to in my early years of elementary school. I didn't mention it at the time, but "Joy to the World" was too.
Next is the only hit by Canada's Skylark, a ballad in which they suggest that a woman be allowed to cry because "she's a free and gentle flower growing wild." The keyboardist for this band was David Foster, who would go on to become the multimillionaire producer of records by a who's who of MOR of the past thirty years. Oh yes, and in 1992, he apparently saved Ben Vereen's life by hitting him with his car. Yes, you read that right.
Then it's Helen R., my girl, with one of her non-crazy lady hits. This was the follow-up to her first #1 "I Am Woman." It's a song about basking in a quiet, bucolic corner of the world. Personally, I think it's more suited to John Denver.
Ending this section are the Temps with a song that, despite its title, is a gritty tale of crime and despetation in the inner city. Like "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," the vocals don't come in until quite a while into the song, which apparently caused friction between the group and producer Norman Whitfield. This was their last Motown Top 10
And now, introducing the starting lineup for your World Champion Top Ten!
10 - "Frankenstein," The Edgar Winter Group
A smash instrumental by one of rock's most successful albinos. The song's name comes from the fact that it contains elements of various studio jams that were edited together. It was playing in a van that some cool kids had dubbed "the Second Base Mobile" when a teenaged Homer Simpson apporached to hang out with them in their strobe-lit glory. He was rebuffed.
9 - "Sing," The Carpenters
You may have heard this song about the joy of beltiing out a tune, even if "it's not good enough for anyone else to hear" early in your life, as it was written for
Sesame Street. Barbra Streisand was the first pop artist to record it, but the Carpenters apparently decided to do their own version, complete with a children's choir, after hearing it performed on a TV special called Robert Young With the Young. Ah, early 70s television, when giving the guy who played Marcus Welby M.D. a children's special was thought to be a ratings-grabber.
8 - "The Twelfth of Never," Donny Osmond
Another cover by young Donald, this one of a Johnny Mathis hit that declares that the singer will love his lady until the titular non-existent date. The voice was deepening, but I have to admit, the kid did all right on this one.
7 - "Stuck in the Middle with You," Stealers Wheel
Yes kids, there was a time when people could hear this song sung by future "Baker Street" hitmaker Gerry Rafferty without picturing Michael Madsen cutting a cop's ear off. Before that, it was just a catchy pop number about being caught between clowns and jokers. Ah Tarantino, he can be a blessing and a curse.
6 - "Drift Away," Dobie Gray
This singer who was discovered by Sonny Bono of all people and took his stage name partly from the TV show The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis had his first hit in 1965 with "The 'In' Crowd." His second wouldn't come for another eight years in the form of this soulful ode to getting lost in music. The only good thing I can say about Uncle Kracker's 2003 cover version is that Dobie sang on it, and presumably made some nice cash.
5 - "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," Vicki Lawrence
The second female lead on The Carol Burnett Show made her only impact on the music biz with this countryish tale of a man who is convicted and executed for murdering one of his wife's lovers, even though his sister knows he's innocent. How, you ask? Because she killed the guy. And the brother's wife, who's body "will never be found." She says she couldn't save her brother because she didn't have time or opportunity to confess, but me, I'm not so sure she tried as hard as she could. Apparently, this song was first offered to Cher, but Sonny made her turn it down for fear that it would offend Southerners. Too bad. Vicki does the best she can, but I imagine Cher would have knocked this out of the park.
4 - "You are the Sunshine of My Life," Stevie Wonder
Stevie's third charttopper. It's less adventurous than most of his other hits from his creative flowering, but it's still an effective pop song. Although I don't understand why he decided to let two other singers sing the first four lines.
3 - "Little Willy," Sweet
The first, and biggest, U.S. hit by these British glam titans. I don't know if the fact that the title can also mean "small penis" was taken into consideration during the song's creation, but I wouldn't be surprised. What I am sure of is that it's one of the decade's catchiest singalongs. I would love one day to be in a roomful of drunks belting this one out at the top of our lungs.
2 - "The Cisco Kid," War
One of the band's biggest hits, this song was inspired by a character created by writer O. Henry in 1907 as a Caucasian outlaw who would later morph into a Latino Western hero in movies and TV. The Kid and sidekick Pancho were stars of the first TV show shot in color, and they were also American TV's first major Hispanic characters. As for the song itself, it's got the group's usual Latin flavor, but it's more naturally intergrated with funk than some of their other stuff. It may be my favorite of theirs.
And leading the pop pack on this particular occasion was...
1 - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," Dawn
Tony Orlando and his female backups had their second Number One with this story of a man coming home from a stint in prison who wrote his lover that if she wanted him back, she should affix a bit of material to a tree near her home. He spends most of the song dreading her response, but at the end, he sees that she's greeted him with not one but 100 yellow ribbons. Aw, ain't that sweet. But how much you wanna bet that the guy was back in the pen within a year?
The NotCaseys this week were "Right Place, Wrong Time," by Dr. John, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper, and "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce. The last one of these is notable because it appeared on the very first chart I covered here. We're starting to come full circle, and we may soon run into more and more previously traveled ground. I foresaw this, and I have some thoughts on what I'm going to do when things start getting repetitive. Stay tuned.
See you in six.
20 - "Pillow Talk," Silvia
19 - "Out of the Question," Gilbert O'Sullivan
18 - "Daisy a Day," Jud Strunk
17 - "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," The Four Tops
16 - "Walk on the Wild Side," Lou Reed
We start with Sylvia Robinson, who had scored a hit as part of the duo Mickey and Sylvia in 1957 with "Love is Strange." She worked behind the scenes in the music industry for a while after that, and in 1972, she wrote a song that she thought would be perfect for Al Green. But Green turned it down, deeming it "too sexy" for the future Reverend to record. So Robinson recorded it herself, and made it even more raunchy by adding some orgasmic moaning at the end. It's pretty hot, and probably set the stage for "Love to Love You Baby" After this, Robinson would go back behind the scenes, forming the seminal rap label Sugar Hill Records. But no, she wasn't the same Sylvia who did the country-pop hit "Nobody" in 1982.
Then it's my old buddy Gilbert. This time he's not singing about suicide or dogs or anything like that. Just a straightforward pop song about being led on by a woman. I hesitate to say this but...it's not bad. You broke through, Gil. Congrats.
Then it's singer/comedian Jud Strunk, the second singer on this week's list to have been raised over the bridge from me in Western New York. On this folky number, he sounds almost Irish as he tells the story of a couple so much in love that even when she dies, he fulfills his promise to present her daily with her favorite flower. It's normally the kind of sap that would turn me off, but daisies happen to be my Mom's favorite flower, and Mother's Day was yesterday, so it gets a pass.
The Four Tops are next with their second post-Motown single, which would be their biggest hit away from Hitsville U.S.A. It was apparently recorded first by MOR footnotes Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. I can't imagine their version was one quintillionth as good as this. Levi freaking Stubbs, man. What can you say?
Rounding out this group is a song that Casey said "has my nomination for the most unusual song of the year." So I guess he's contradicting my choice for this week's Uneasy Rider. And I'll admit that perhaps if I wasn't so familiar with this song, the idea of a jazzy, Bowie-produced number by the ex-leader of the Velvet Underground with lyrics referring to transvestism, valium, and (though not in the radio edit) fellatio would seem like an odd formula for a Top 20 single in 1973. But in the end, I just think it's so cool and catchy that it couldn't help getting on the radio, subject matter aside. So Clint Holmes keeps his award, regardless of what Casey thinks.
15 - "Reelin' in the Years," Steely Dan
14 - "Daniel," Elton John
13 - "Wildflower," Skylark
12 - "Peaceful," Helen Reddy
11 - "Masterpiece," The Temptations
This section opens with a band named after a fictional sex toy from the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. This was their second hit, and it contains a couple highly-regarded guitar solos. I like the Dan. They may be a bit pretentious, but they filled a niche for literate-yet-accessible pop-rock.
Then it's Elton with a Vietnam-inspired soft-rocker about a blinded vet who escapes his demons by making regular visits to Spain. At least that's what I've been able to piece together. This is another song I remember doing the "Health Hustle" to in my early years of elementary school. I didn't mention it at the time, but "Joy to the World" was too.
Next is the only hit by Canada's Skylark, a ballad in which they suggest that a woman be allowed to cry because "she's a free and gentle flower growing wild." The keyboardist for this band was David Foster, who would go on to become the multimillionaire producer of records by a who's who of MOR of the past thirty years. Oh yes, and in 1992, he apparently saved Ben Vereen's life by hitting him with his car. Yes, you read that right.
Then it's Helen R., my girl, with one of her non-crazy lady hits. This was the follow-up to her first #1 "I Am Woman." It's a song about basking in a quiet, bucolic corner of the world. Personally, I think it's more suited to John Denver.
Ending this section are the Temps with a song that, despite its title, is a gritty tale of crime and despetation in the inner city. Like "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," the vocals don't come in until quite a while into the song, which apparently caused friction between the group and producer Norman Whitfield. This was their last Motown Top 10
And now, introducing the starting lineup for your World Champion Top Ten!
10 - "Frankenstein," The Edgar Winter Group
A smash instrumental by one of rock's most successful albinos. The song's name comes from the fact that it contains elements of various studio jams that were edited together. It was playing in a van that some cool kids had dubbed "the Second Base Mobile" when a teenaged Homer Simpson apporached to hang out with them in their strobe-lit glory. He was rebuffed.
9 - "Sing," The Carpenters
You may have heard this song about the joy of beltiing out a tune, even if "it's not good enough for anyone else to hear" early in your life, as it was written for
Sesame Street. Barbra Streisand was the first pop artist to record it, but the Carpenters apparently decided to do their own version, complete with a children's choir, after hearing it performed on a TV special called Robert Young With the Young. Ah, early 70s television, when giving the guy who played Marcus Welby M.D. a children's special was thought to be a ratings-grabber.
8 - "The Twelfth of Never," Donny Osmond
Another cover by young Donald, this one of a Johnny Mathis hit that declares that the singer will love his lady until the titular non-existent date. The voice was deepening, but I have to admit, the kid did all right on this one.
7 - "Stuck in the Middle with You," Stealers Wheel
Yes kids, there was a time when people could hear this song sung by future "Baker Street" hitmaker Gerry Rafferty without picturing Michael Madsen cutting a cop's ear off. Before that, it was just a catchy pop number about being caught between clowns and jokers. Ah Tarantino, he can be a blessing and a curse.
6 - "Drift Away," Dobie Gray
This singer who was discovered by Sonny Bono of all people and took his stage name partly from the TV show The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis had his first hit in 1965 with "The 'In' Crowd." His second wouldn't come for another eight years in the form of this soulful ode to getting lost in music. The only good thing I can say about Uncle Kracker's 2003 cover version is that Dobie sang on it, and presumably made some nice cash.
5 - "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia," Vicki Lawrence
The second female lead on The Carol Burnett Show made her only impact on the music biz with this countryish tale of a man who is convicted and executed for murdering one of his wife's lovers, even though his sister knows he's innocent. How, you ask? Because she killed the guy. And the brother's wife, who's body "will never be found." She says she couldn't save her brother because she didn't have time or opportunity to confess, but me, I'm not so sure she tried as hard as she could. Apparently, this song was first offered to Cher, but Sonny made her turn it down for fear that it would offend Southerners. Too bad. Vicki does the best she can, but I imagine Cher would have knocked this out of the park.
4 - "You are the Sunshine of My Life," Stevie Wonder
Stevie's third charttopper. It's less adventurous than most of his other hits from his creative flowering, but it's still an effective pop song. Although I don't understand why he decided to let two other singers sing the first four lines.
3 - "Little Willy," Sweet
The first, and biggest, U.S. hit by these British glam titans. I don't know if the fact that the title can also mean "small penis" was taken into consideration during the song's creation, but I wouldn't be surprised. What I am sure of is that it's one of the decade's catchiest singalongs. I would love one day to be in a roomful of drunks belting this one out at the top of our lungs.
2 - "The Cisco Kid," War
One of the band's biggest hits, this song was inspired by a character created by writer O. Henry in 1907 as a Caucasian outlaw who would later morph into a Latino Western hero in movies and TV. The Kid and sidekick Pancho were stars of the first TV show shot in color, and they were also American TV's first major Hispanic characters. As for the song itself, it's got the group's usual Latin flavor, but it's more naturally intergrated with funk than some of their other stuff. It may be my favorite of theirs.
And leading the pop pack on this particular occasion was...
1 - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree," Dawn
Tony Orlando and his female backups had their second Number One with this story of a man coming home from a stint in prison who wrote his lover that if she wanted him back, she should affix a bit of material to a tree near her home. He spends most of the song dreading her response, but at the end, he sees that she's greeted him with not one but 100 yellow ribbons. Aw, ain't that sweet. But how much you wanna bet that the guy was back in the pen within a year?
The NotCaseys this week were "Right Place, Wrong Time," by Dr. John, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper, and "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce. The last one of these is notable because it appeared on the very first chart I covered here. We're starting to come full circle, and we may soon run into more and more previously traveled ground. I foresaw this, and I have some thoughts on what I'm going to do when things start getting repetitive. Stay tuned.
See you in six.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
May 5, 1973 Part One
This week it's '73. While Secretariat was winning the Kentucky Derby on his way to history, these were the songs that were filling the air around him.
40 - "Blue Suede Shoes," Johnny Rivers
39 - "Danny's Song," Anne Murray
38 - "I Can Understand It," New Birth
37 - "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby," Barry White
36 - "It Sure Took a Long, Long Time," Lobo
35 - "Leaving Me," The Independents
34 - "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," First Choice
33 - "I'm Doing Fine Now," New York City
32 - "Playground in My Mind," Clint Holmes
31 - "Cherry, Cherry (Live)" Neil Diamond
This first bunch is bookended by a pair of sixties holdovers. Veteran rocker Johnny Rivers didn't do much new with a Carl Perkins standard. I guess it just snuck in to the 40 on the residual goodwill from "Rockin' Pneumonia." And Neil Diamond took the song he scored his first Top 40 hit with back into the charts with a rollicking live version from the Hot August Night album. It does have a way of moving me, Cherry.
Next we'll delve into that endless reservoir of 70s MOR. Anne Murray took a song about love and impending parenthood that Kenny Loggins wrote to commemorate the birth of his brother's son into the Top 10. One of her best known hits, and it doesn't make me want to claw my eyes out or anything, but being told I'd never hear again might "bring a tear of joy to my eyes." Lobo's here again, and I'm sorry, I really don't care. I don't know what people heard in songs like this then, but to my ears in 2011, they offer nothing. Nothing, I tell you. And Clint Holmes, who I remember mainly from his frequent appearances on Variety Club telethon's in his hometown of Buffalo, had his only hit with this sing-songy novelty about calming down by thinking back to the innocence of childhood, which is represented in the choruses by Holmes duetting with his producer's son on rhymes about buying candy and marrying and having kids with his schoolyard sweetheart. It's silly, and it pretty much destroyed any hope of a serious career for Clint. But he did find a home performing in Las Vegas, and for further consolation, I'll give him this week's Uneasy Rider Award.
The rest is good old R&B. Detroit's New Birth had their biggest of three pop hits with this funky Bobby Womack cover in which the singer proclaims that he can comprehend pretty much everything in the world except how the woman he loves can stand to be away from him for too long. Oh, and by "biggest hit" I mean it hit #35. It deserved better. Barry White scored his first hit with a song that introduced the world to his smooth, impeccable loverman rap. It's probably second or third favorite for me. Oh, and future copyright defendant Ray Parker Jr. played on it. The Independents are here wiith a decent ballas about how their neighborhood is abuzz with the idea that the singer is about to be abandoned by his lady. First Choice are a female trio who had a hit with this fun number about a guy named "Dangerous Dan" who, according to the spoken-word opening, is "Wanted by the FBI" for seducing ladies and leaving women with "another mouth to feed." and lives that are "a mess." Well, now that Bin Laden's been taken care of, maybe they can started conentrating on apprehending this charming fiend. And the song at 33 isn't really remarkable, except for the group's name and the fact that they were produced by the unlikely combo of Partridge Family producer Wes Farrell and "Philly Sound" architect Thom Bell. Those are two names I did not expect to ever have to type in the same sentence.
30 - "Steamroller Blues," Elvis Presley
29 - "Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me," The New Seekers
28 - "Hallelujah Day," The Jackson 5
27 - "Thinking of You," Loggins and Messina
26 - "My Love," Paul McCartney and Wings
25 - "The Right Thing to Do," Carly Simon
24 - "Stir it Up," Johnny Nash
23 - "Hocus Pocus," Focus
22 - "Neither One of Us," Gladys Knight and the Pips
21 - "Funky Worm," The Ohio Players
We'll start with rock. The King leads off with the closing song from his Aloha from Hawaii TV special, a blues number so authentically gritty-sounding you'd never guess it was written by maestro of mellow James Taylor. Paul and his new lads (and lady) appear again with a sweet ballad about his beloved, who reportedly "does it good." I'll assume that any crass interpretations of that line are wrong. And the Dutch band Focus had their only American hit with this drviing, grooving instrumental that features what I would claim are the best uses of yodelling and accordion in a rock song. Makes me proud to have ancestors from those nether lands.
Just a little bit of the easy stuff. The New Seekers are here with a thoroughly forgettable and superfluous cover of two parts of Tommy. And where's that Coke they said they'd buy me? Kenny L. and his buddy Jim are here with a song that reminds me of some of the Lovin' Spoonful's poppier stuff. Except for the fact that it sucks. And Carly Simon has decided that caring for the one she's singing for is the right thing to do. Although she doesn't indicate whether or not it's "a tasty way to do it," unlike Wilford Brimley.
We close with another substantial helping of soul. The Jackson 5 are here with one of their lesser-known hits, their first to hit the 40 but not reach the Top 20. It's basically another in the "peace and love are on their way" genre that was big at this time, but the line "Somebody finally saw the light/They're gonna send our brothers home" is likely a Vietnam reference, which gives the song a topical edge. Johnny Nash, who helped introduce reggae to the U.S. mainstream with "I Can See Clearly Now," had his only other hit with a cover of a then-unknown Jamaican named Nesta Robert Marley. This and "I Shot the Sheriff" were pretty much the only exposure many people got to Bob's music up until his death. Gladys Knight and her backup notched another classic with this song about when people know things have to end but just aren't willing to pull the plug. I'm sure Gladys gets plenty of respect, but I think she still might be a tad underrated. At her best, she was right there with Diana and Aretha. And the Ohio Players had their first hit with a song about a six-foot-long, guitar-playing worm who is managed by "Granny," whose voice is heard throughout the song, making declarations like "That's funky like nine cans of shaving powder!" Had never heard it before, but I did recognize it from hip-hop samples, particularly Granny's "Sing it now," which was used in De La Soul's "Me Myself and I." But now that I've experienced the whole thing, love it love it love it.
Tomorrow: an underground legend, a man who ran over a guy who was once on The Muppet Show, and a woman who got away with *gasp* murder!
40 - "Blue Suede Shoes," Johnny Rivers
39 - "Danny's Song," Anne Murray
38 - "I Can Understand It," New Birth
37 - "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby," Barry White
36 - "It Sure Took a Long, Long Time," Lobo
35 - "Leaving Me," The Independents
34 - "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," First Choice
33 - "I'm Doing Fine Now," New York City
32 - "Playground in My Mind," Clint Holmes
31 - "Cherry, Cherry (Live)" Neil Diamond
This first bunch is bookended by a pair of sixties holdovers. Veteran rocker Johnny Rivers didn't do much new with a Carl Perkins standard. I guess it just snuck in to the 40 on the residual goodwill from "Rockin' Pneumonia." And Neil Diamond took the song he scored his first Top 40 hit with back into the charts with a rollicking live version from the Hot August Night album. It does have a way of moving me, Cherry.
Next we'll delve into that endless reservoir of 70s MOR. Anne Murray took a song about love and impending parenthood that Kenny Loggins wrote to commemorate the birth of his brother's son into the Top 10. One of her best known hits, and it doesn't make me want to claw my eyes out or anything, but being told I'd never hear again might "bring a tear of joy to my eyes." Lobo's here again, and I'm sorry, I really don't care. I don't know what people heard in songs like this then, but to my ears in 2011, they offer nothing. Nothing, I tell you. And Clint Holmes, who I remember mainly from his frequent appearances on Variety Club telethon's in his hometown of Buffalo, had his only hit with this sing-songy novelty about calming down by thinking back to the innocence of childhood, which is represented in the choruses by Holmes duetting with his producer's son on rhymes about buying candy and marrying and having kids with his schoolyard sweetheart. It's silly, and it pretty much destroyed any hope of a serious career for Clint. But he did find a home performing in Las Vegas, and for further consolation, I'll give him this week's Uneasy Rider Award.
The rest is good old R&B. Detroit's New Birth had their biggest of three pop hits with this funky Bobby Womack cover in which the singer proclaims that he can comprehend pretty much everything in the world except how the woman he loves can stand to be away from him for too long. Oh, and by "biggest hit" I mean it hit #35. It deserved better. Barry White scored his first hit with a song that introduced the world to his smooth, impeccable loverman rap. It's probably second or third favorite for me. Oh, and future copyright defendant Ray Parker Jr. played on it. The Independents are here wiith a decent ballas about how their neighborhood is abuzz with the idea that the singer is about to be abandoned by his lady. First Choice are a female trio who had a hit with this fun number about a guy named "Dangerous Dan" who, according to the spoken-word opening, is "Wanted by the FBI" for seducing ladies and leaving women with "another mouth to feed." and lives that are "a mess." Well, now that Bin Laden's been taken care of, maybe they can started conentrating on apprehending this charming fiend. And the song at 33 isn't really remarkable, except for the group's name and the fact that they were produced by the unlikely combo of Partridge Family producer Wes Farrell and "Philly Sound" architect Thom Bell. Those are two names I did not expect to ever have to type in the same sentence.
30 - "Steamroller Blues," Elvis Presley
29 - "Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me," The New Seekers
28 - "Hallelujah Day," The Jackson 5
27 - "Thinking of You," Loggins and Messina
26 - "My Love," Paul McCartney and Wings
25 - "The Right Thing to Do," Carly Simon
24 - "Stir it Up," Johnny Nash
23 - "Hocus Pocus," Focus
22 - "Neither One of Us," Gladys Knight and the Pips
21 - "Funky Worm," The Ohio Players
We'll start with rock. The King leads off with the closing song from his Aloha from Hawaii TV special, a blues number so authentically gritty-sounding you'd never guess it was written by maestro of mellow James Taylor. Paul and his new lads (and lady) appear again with a sweet ballad about his beloved, who reportedly "does it good." I'll assume that any crass interpretations of that line are wrong. And the Dutch band Focus had their only American hit with this drviing, grooving instrumental that features what I would claim are the best uses of yodelling and accordion in a rock song. Makes me proud to have ancestors from those nether lands.
Just a little bit of the easy stuff. The New Seekers are here with a thoroughly forgettable and superfluous cover of two parts of Tommy. And where's that Coke they said they'd buy me? Kenny L. and his buddy Jim are here with a song that reminds me of some of the Lovin' Spoonful's poppier stuff. Except for the fact that it sucks. And Carly Simon has decided that caring for the one she's singing for is the right thing to do. Although she doesn't indicate whether or not it's "a tasty way to do it," unlike Wilford Brimley.
We close with another substantial helping of soul. The Jackson 5 are here with one of their lesser-known hits, their first to hit the 40 but not reach the Top 20. It's basically another in the "peace and love are on their way" genre that was big at this time, but the line "Somebody finally saw the light/They're gonna send our brothers home" is likely a Vietnam reference, which gives the song a topical edge. Johnny Nash, who helped introduce reggae to the U.S. mainstream with "I Can See Clearly Now," had his only other hit with a cover of a then-unknown Jamaican named Nesta Robert Marley. This and "I Shot the Sheriff" were pretty much the only exposure many people got to Bob's music up until his death. Gladys Knight and her backup notched another classic with this song about when people know things have to end but just aren't willing to pull the plug. I'm sure Gladys gets plenty of respect, but I think she still might be a tad underrated. At her best, she was right there with Diana and Aretha. And the Ohio Players had their first hit with a song about a six-foot-long, guitar-playing worm who is managed by "Granny," whose voice is heard throughout the song, making declarations like "That's funky like nine cans of shaving powder!" Had never heard it before, but I did recognize it from hip-hop samples, particularly Granny's "Sing it now," which was used in De La Soul's "Me Myself and I." But now that I've experienced the whole thing, love it love it love it.
Tomorrow: an underground legend, a man who ran over a guy who was once on The Muppet Show, and a woman who got away with *gasp* murder!
Monday, May 2, 2011
April 26, 1975 Part Two
The other twenty.
20 - "Stand by Me," John Lennon
19 - "How Long," Ace
18 - "Killer Queen," Queen
17 - "It's a Miracle," Barry Manilow
16 - "The Bertha Butt Boogie, Part 1," The Jimmy Castor Bunch
Tje second half begins with John Lennon's last hit of the decade, a cover of the Ben E. King classic. This is from the covers album Rock n' Roll, which Lennon recorded to settle a lawsuit from a music publisher who asserted that "Come Together" borrowed too heavily from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me." This may be why John's copyright troubles are less famous than George's.
Then it's the only hit from Britain's Ace. This song wasn't about finding about a lover's betrayal; rather, it was written by singer Paul Carrack in response to learning that the band's bassist had been secretly working with other groups. Ace soon disbanded, but Carrack would have later successes guesting on the Squeeze hit "Tempted," singing for Genesis side project Mike + the Mechanics, and with the 1987 solo Top Ten "Don't Shed a Tear."
Next are Queen with their first American hit, a slinky rock number about a cultured, seductive woman of the world who may be some sort of spy or assassin (hence the "killer" part. No, I don't wanna try. Great song though.
Barry Manilow followed up his #1 debut "Mandy" with an uptempo, disco tinged tune about how having a lover to come home to after the ups and downs of the road is "a true blue spectacle." It's big, fun and cheesy. A different side of Barry, but still awesome nonetheless.
Closing this section are novelty funk band The Jimmy Castor Bunch, who had their ) second biggest hit (behind 1972's "Troglodyte (Cave Man),") with a song about how a uniquely-endowed lady started an earth-shaking dance craze. Dumb, funky fun, but hardly essential.
15 - "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone," Paul Anka
14 - "Jackie Blue," The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
13 - "L.O.V.E. (Love)," Al Green
12 - "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)," Leo Sayer
11 - "Shining Star," Earth, Wind and Fire
This group opens with the man who wrote the theme to Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, singing about how he doesn't enjoy solitude while in the embrace of the sandman. A female voice that sounds like his frequent duet partner Odia Coates shows up a bit at the end. And Casey told a story about how Paul was on the same tour as Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper that fateful night, but his manager stopped him from getting on the plane. That crash has come up more than I expected this week.
Next is the biggest hit by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, a cool, grooving rocker accentuated by the singer's falsetto. Apparently, this song was originally written about a drug dealer friend of the band's, but their producer suggested it might have a better chance of being a hit if they made it about a girl and dropped the overt drug references. Good advice, as it turned out.
Then it's my old buddy Rev. Green, singing about his favorite subject. This may have been an early foreshadowing of his turn to gospel music, with lines like "Can't you see that salvation is freeing?" Or maybe it's just me. Anyway, another great one from a guy I always enjoy learning more about.
Then it's Leo Sayer's first American hit. Unlike his biggest hits, it's neither disco nor a ballad. Instead, it's a piano-driven, bluesy number about a starving drifter who comes across a lavish feast, only to be told that he can only eat if he can skillfully cut a rug. The man doesn't think he has sufficient rhythm to complete this task, but apparently the motivation of having his hunger sated brings out the Fred Astaire in him. Probably Leo's best song.
This section ends with Earth Wind and Fire's breakthrough, a #1 after two previous Top 40s that didn't get higher than #29. You probably know it, the uptempo motivational speech-turned-funk jam about how greatness is within you "no matter who you are." A little overplayed, but still classic.
And now, the ten that were bigger than the other thirty:
10 - "Walking in Rhythm," The Blackbyrds
These Howard University students return from last time, "thinkin' 'bout my baby, tryin' to move on." Slick, silky, smooooooth.
9 - "What am I Gonna Do With You," Barry White
Althoug Barry seems to be asking a question in the title, a listen to the lyrics reveals that he already knows the answer. because they have been engaged in coitus for several hours and are "still goin' strong." He plans to continue, even though he knows that afterward, he "won't be able to move." Musically, it's similar to a few of his earlier hits, but still, you can't deny The Man.
8 - "Emma," Hot Chocolate
The band named after a popular wintertime warmup return with their song about a lady whose dreams of fame end in tragedy. Yep, I like this one more every time I hear it.
7 - "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Freddy Fender
We've covered the story of how Freddy's career was derailed in the early 60s by a pot bust, only to finally make it with this bilingual smash. Still, glad he got his due, eventually.
6 - "Chevy Van," Sammy Johns
Mr. Johns again, singing about sex in a large General Motors vehicle. I don't hate it, but let's just say if I never hear it again, "that's all right with me."
5 - "Supernatural Thing Part 1," Ben E. King
And 15 points higher than John Lennon's cover of his signature song is Ben E. himself, using his golden pipes to elevate an unspectacular funk track. The song's beneath him, but I don't begrudge him the success at all.
4 - "Lovin' You," Minnie Riperton
Here it is again. Just for fun, I tried to see what it would sound like if I tried to hit that famious high note. My preliminary description: hoarse seagull.
3 - "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)," Tony Orlando and Dawn
This song was originally entitled "He Will Break Your Heart" when soul singer Jerry Butler took it to #7 in 1960. Tony O. and co. played it relatively straight as an R&B ballad, and were rewarded with a Number One and their last major chart success. Not one of my favorites of theirs, but hardly offensive to the ears.
2 - "Philadelphia Freedom," Elton John
One of the more famous guests at that wedding last Friday that attracted attention for some reason, with a smash inspired in part by tennis. No lower than Top 20 of the decade for me. I am intrigued, however, by what it would feel like to be zapped right between the eyes by "the whipoorwill of freedom."
And the song that reached more ears than all others this week 36 annums ago was...
1 - "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," B.J. Thomas
Billy Joe's second and final charttopper, following "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." This is "a real hurtin' song" to me, not in the sense that it's about heartbreak, but rather in the sense that I don't think very much of it. But I'm sure B.J doesn't care, so if you disagree with me, neither should you.
This week's NotCaseys were "Magic" by Pilot, "The Hustle" by Van McCoy, and "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tennille.
Toodles until next week. And for my fellow Canucks, should you be reading this on the 2nd and the polls are still open and you haven't voted yet, go do it. It'll make bitching about the government feel so much better.
20 - "Stand by Me," John Lennon
19 - "How Long," Ace
18 - "Killer Queen," Queen
17 - "It's a Miracle," Barry Manilow
16 - "The Bertha Butt Boogie, Part 1," The Jimmy Castor Bunch
Tje second half begins with John Lennon's last hit of the decade, a cover of the Ben E. King classic. This is from the covers album Rock n' Roll, which Lennon recorded to settle a lawsuit from a music publisher who asserted that "Come Together" borrowed too heavily from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me." This may be why John's copyright troubles are less famous than George's.
Then it's the only hit from Britain's Ace. This song wasn't about finding about a lover's betrayal; rather, it was written by singer Paul Carrack in response to learning that the band's bassist had been secretly working with other groups. Ace soon disbanded, but Carrack would have later successes guesting on the Squeeze hit "Tempted," singing for Genesis side project Mike + the Mechanics, and with the 1987 solo Top Ten "Don't Shed a Tear."
Next are Queen with their first American hit, a slinky rock number about a cultured, seductive woman of the world who may be some sort of spy or assassin (hence the "killer" part. No, I don't wanna try. Great song though.
Barry Manilow followed up his #1 debut "Mandy" with an uptempo, disco tinged tune about how having a lover to come home to after the ups and downs of the road is "a true blue spectacle." It's big, fun and cheesy. A different side of Barry, but still awesome nonetheless.
Closing this section are novelty funk band The Jimmy Castor Bunch, who had their ) second biggest hit (behind 1972's "Troglodyte (Cave Man),") with a song about how a uniquely-endowed lady started an earth-shaking dance craze. Dumb, funky fun, but hardly essential.
15 - "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone," Paul Anka
14 - "Jackie Blue," The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
13 - "L.O.V.E. (Love)," Al Green
12 - "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)," Leo Sayer
11 - "Shining Star," Earth, Wind and Fire
This group opens with the man who wrote the theme to Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, singing about how he doesn't enjoy solitude while in the embrace of the sandman. A female voice that sounds like his frequent duet partner Odia Coates shows up a bit at the end. And Casey told a story about how Paul was on the same tour as Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper that fateful night, but his manager stopped him from getting on the plane. That crash has come up more than I expected this week.
Next is the biggest hit by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, a cool, grooving rocker accentuated by the singer's falsetto. Apparently, this song was originally written about a drug dealer friend of the band's, but their producer suggested it might have a better chance of being a hit if they made it about a girl and dropped the overt drug references. Good advice, as it turned out.
Then it's my old buddy Rev. Green, singing about his favorite subject. This may have been an early foreshadowing of his turn to gospel music, with lines like "Can't you see that salvation is freeing?" Or maybe it's just me. Anyway, another great one from a guy I always enjoy learning more about.
Then it's Leo Sayer's first American hit. Unlike his biggest hits, it's neither disco nor a ballad. Instead, it's a piano-driven, bluesy number about a starving drifter who comes across a lavish feast, only to be told that he can only eat if he can skillfully cut a rug. The man doesn't think he has sufficient rhythm to complete this task, but apparently the motivation of having his hunger sated brings out the Fred Astaire in him. Probably Leo's best song.
This section ends with Earth Wind and Fire's breakthrough, a #1 after two previous Top 40s that didn't get higher than #29. You probably know it, the uptempo motivational speech-turned-funk jam about how greatness is within you "no matter who you are." A little overplayed, but still classic.
And now, the ten that were bigger than the other thirty:
10 - "Walking in Rhythm," The Blackbyrds
These Howard University students return from last time, "thinkin' 'bout my baby, tryin' to move on." Slick, silky, smooooooth.
9 - "What am I Gonna Do With You," Barry White
Althoug Barry seems to be asking a question in the title, a listen to the lyrics reveals that he already knows the answer. because they have been engaged in coitus for several hours and are "still goin' strong." He plans to continue, even though he knows that afterward, he "won't be able to move." Musically, it's similar to a few of his earlier hits, but still, you can't deny The Man.
8 - "Emma," Hot Chocolate
The band named after a popular wintertime warmup return with their song about a lady whose dreams of fame end in tragedy. Yep, I like this one more every time I hear it.
7 - "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Freddy Fender
We've covered the story of how Freddy's career was derailed in the early 60s by a pot bust, only to finally make it with this bilingual smash. Still, glad he got his due, eventually.
6 - "Chevy Van," Sammy Johns
Mr. Johns again, singing about sex in a large General Motors vehicle. I don't hate it, but let's just say if I never hear it again, "that's all right with me."
5 - "Supernatural Thing Part 1," Ben E. King
And 15 points higher than John Lennon's cover of his signature song is Ben E. himself, using his golden pipes to elevate an unspectacular funk track. The song's beneath him, but I don't begrudge him the success at all.
4 - "Lovin' You," Minnie Riperton
Here it is again. Just for fun, I tried to see what it would sound like if I tried to hit that famious high note. My preliminary description: hoarse seagull.
3 - "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)," Tony Orlando and Dawn
This song was originally entitled "He Will Break Your Heart" when soul singer Jerry Butler took it to #7 in 1960. Tony O. and co. played it relatively straight as an R&B ballad, and were rewarded with a Number One and their last major chart success. Not one of my favorites of theirs, but hardly offensive to the ears.
2 - "Philadelphia Freedom," Elton John
One of the more famous guests at that wedding last Friday that attracted attention for some reason, with a smash inspired in part by tennis. No lower than Top 20 of the decade for me. I am intrigued, however, by what it would feel like to be zapped right between the eyes by "the whipoorwill of freedom."
And the song that reached more ears than all others this week 36 annums ago was...
1 - "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," B.J. Thomas
Billy Joe's second and final charttopper, following "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." This is "a real hurtin' song" to me, not in the sense that it's about heartbreak, but rather in the sense that I don't think very much of it. But I'm sure B.J doesn't care, so if you disagree with me, neither should you.
This week's NotCaseys were "Magic" by Pilot, "The Hustle" by Van McCoy, and "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tennille.
Toodles until next week. And for my fellow Canucks, should you be reading this on the 2nd and the polls are still open and you haven't voted yet, go do it. It'll make bitching about the government feel so much better.
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