July 21, 1973 Part Two

The rest of the musical story of a week 38 years ago.

20 - "The Morning After," Maureen McGovern
19 - "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," Chicago
18 - "So Very Hard to Go," Tower of Power
17 - "Touch Me in the Morning," Diana Ross
16 - "Monster Mash," Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers

The second half begins with Maureen McGovern's hit version of the theme from The Poseidon Adventure For a brief period afterward, she became the go-to vocalist for love songs from disaster movies. An interesting specialty, to say the least.

Then it's the bandsonification (yeah, I made that word up) of the Windy City with a song about how love makes one feel more vital and capable. I still think the ending is the best part, though. I could listen to that on a loop for hours.

The first time I came across this Tower of Power song, I don't think I gave it a fair hearing, obsessed as I was to connecting it to onetime member and steroid kingpin Victor Conte. This time I paid more attention, and I was rewarded with a very good R&B number about stepping aside for the good of someone you love. Fuck you, BALCO.

Next we have Diana, singing big and bold about an affair doomed to end. Again, I think I dismissed this before, but now I'm ready to declare it a top-of-the-line diva exercise. Which I'm sure was the objective.

Rounding out this bunch is Robert George Pickett's re-release of his 1962 #1 about a mad scientist whose creation doesn't terrorize the countryside, but rather entertains the monster community with his brand new dance craze. Even Dracula approves, in spite of his initial accusations of the whole thing being a ripoff of his Transylvania Twist. The idea of combining golden age horror with teenybopper rock is distinctive enough, but the fact that this reissue came in summer instead of Halloween cements Bobby "Boris'" receipt of this week's Uneasy Rider Award.

15 - "Behind Closed Doors," Charlie Rich
14 - "Money," Pink Floyd
13 - "Right Place Wrong Time," Dr, John
12 - "Long Train Running," The Doobie Brothers
11 - "Diamond Girl," Seals and Crofts

This last pre-Top 10 group begins with country's Silver Fox and his sultry ode to the things he and his lady do when no one's looking. And you know what that is, don't you? I sure do. At least I think so. But I'm too embarrassed to ask.

Then it's Pink Floyd, the prog-rock superstars who didn't get on AM radio too often in the decade, but did score one hit single with this celebration/denouncement of the pursuit of legal tender. Using a cash register as a percussion instrument was particularly inspired.

Next is New Orleans boogie pianist Mac Rebennack and his biggest hit, a song about habitually acting inappropriately for the situation. I didn't hear this song for the first time until well into adulthood. I mainly knew his voice from commercials. It was the same with Leon Redbone.

Then the pre-Michael McDonald Doobies show up with a blues rock locomotive that was originally called "Rosie Pig Moseley." Cool. It asks the question "Without love, where would you be now?" I shudder to think.

Finally we have Seals and Crofts, comparing a woman to a "precious stone." Maybe they did that in the hope of avoiding having to buy her one. I have a feeling those guys are cheap like that. No reason, just a hunch.

Way back when, these were The Ten:

10 - "Natural High," Bloodstone
This Kansas City vocal group had their biggest hit with this ballad about how a woman's love makes them want to "take to the sky." So if I've got this straight, instead of this being about drug-free intoxication, it's about joining the Mile High Club without a plane. Interesting.

9 - "Playground in my Mind," Clint Holmes
The return of the Buffalo-born singer's jaunty hit about flashing back to childhood. Instantly dated. And Casey, I love ya, but I didn't need to hear you try and sing the chorus. Just play 'em.

8 - "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," Bette Midler
This song about a jazz musician whose talents come in handy when he's drafted into the army was originally popularized by the Andrews Sisters in an Abbot and Costello movie. Three decades later, a young singer who first gained attention performing in a gay bathhouse in New York City would score her first Top Ten hit with her own version. She went on to a long and successful career, as did the man who accompanied her on piano in that bathhouse, Barry Manilow.

7 - "Smoke on the Water," Deep Purple
The biggest hit for these British hard rockers, with a riff that will not be forgotten as long as people learn electric guitar. But in spite of Homer Simpson's insistence, the line after the one about the gambling house burning down isn't "I am hungry for a candy bar, I think I'll eat a Mounds."


6 - "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)," George Harrison
The quiet Beatle's second American charttopper. Like the one that preceded it, "My Sweet Lord," it's a prayer of sorts. It's just as good, with the added bonus of not having any copyright lawsuits attached to it.

5 - "Kodachrome," Paul Simon
Rhymin' Simon is here with my favorite of his, a song connecting his good and bad memories of youth to the camera he used to capture them. And in spite of his having new experiences and a state-of-the-art Nikon to shoot them with, he still desperately wants to hang on to his old Kodachrome. Another Top 20 of the decade contender.

4 - "Shambala," Three Dog Night
You know what? I might actually like this better than "Joy to the World." That's a fun song, but I think you have to be in a certain mood to really want to hear it, whereas "Shambala" seems like it would sound just as good anytime. Either way, this is prime 3DN.

3 - "Yesterday Once More," The Carpenters
I've enjoyed hearing so much Karen and Richard all these weeks, and here we are with the first one of theirs I covered, their tribute to the memories and emotions songs from the past can evoke. Nothing to say but "shoo-bee-doo-lang-lang."

2 - "Will it Go Round in Circles," Billy Preston
I'm determined not to use the nickname I always use when writing about one of Billy's songs as I cover this #1 about melody-free songs, stepless dances, and stories in which the bad guy wins. I'm just going to say that this is top-drawer early 70s funk, and that he had a truly magnificent Afro back in the day. Oh, and did you know he is sometimes referred to as "the fifth Beatle?" Dammit!

And ruling the charts on this occasion was...

1 - "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," Jim Croce
The biggest hit Croce was around to see, this tale of a man considered to be the toughest and smoothest in Chicago until the day a guy beat the shit out of him for hitting on his wife is a worthy heir to earlier chronicles of suave, violent men like "Stagger Lee" and "Mack the Knife." But I know I had no idea what was going on when I heard it as a child. I just thought those references to King Kong and junkyard dogs were pretty neat.

The NotCaseys this week were "Delta Dawn" by Helen Reddy, "Let's Get it On," by Marvin Gaye, and "Tequila Sunrise" by the Eagles.

The sands in our 70s hourglass are running low, but there's still a few more in there, and we'll watch them flow downward again next week.