June 19, 1976

Once again, we're making another venture back into the 70s.  This time, it's 1976.  The U.S.A. was just days away from turning 200, the NBA and ABA had just merged, and Czechoslovakia was about to win Euro 1976.  But don't talk to me about this year's Euro.  I'm half-Dutch.  Nuff said.  Anyway, here's 40-11, with the new ones in bold.

40 - "Rock and Roll Music," The Beach Boys
39 - "Mamma Mia," ABBA
38 - "Right Back Where We Started From," Maxine Nightingale
37 - "I'm Easy," David Carradine
36 - "Turn the Beat Around," Vickie Sue Robinson
35 - "Save Your Kisses for Me," Brotherhood of Man
34 - "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," Elvin Bishop
33 - "Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)," Parliament
32 - "Making Our Dreams Come True," Cyndi Grecco
31 - "Let Her In," John Travolta
30 - "Today's the Day," America
29 - "Got to Get You Into My Life," The Beatles
28 - "That's Where The Happy People Go," The Trammps
27 - "You're My Best Friend," Queen
26 - "Get Closer," Seals and Crofts
25 - "Boogie Fever," The Sylvers
24 - "Welcome Back," John Sebastian
23 - "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)," Fleetwood Mac
22 - "The Boys are Back in Town," Thin Lizzy
21 - "Fool to Cry," The Rolling Stones
20 - "Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)," Rhythm Heritage
19 - "Take the Money and Run," The Steve Miller Band
18 - "Moonlight Feels Right," Starbuck
17 - "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," Eric Carmen
16 - "I Want You," Marvin Gaye
15 - "Movin'," Brass Construction
14 - "Takin' It to the Streets," The Doobie Brothers
13 - "Love is Alive," Gary Wright
12 - "Kiss and Say Goodbye," The Manhattans
11 - "Happy Days," Pratt and McClain

Twelve newbies, and they divide up nicely.

We'll start with two groups who have participated in the infamous Eurovision Song Contest.  ABBA, who won the 1974 contest for Sweden with "Waterloo," are here with their disco classic about repeatedly forgiving a cheating lover.  It, of course, later lent its title to the successful stage and film musicals based around the band's hits.  I saw some of the movie, and it looked okay, but not really my thing.  I'd rather just listen to the originals.  And the U.K.'s Brotherhood of Man won the 1976 title with their entry here. a cheesy bit of folky bubblegum that seems to be written about a lover, but in a twist ending, is actually directed toward a three-year-old.  Incredibly cloying and silly, and the harmonies are nothing to write home about.  And yet it not only won Eurovision, it was a massive international hit.  But it sounds like a Tony Orlando and Dawn reject.  So I'm giving it this week's 70s Uneasy Rider. 

This may have been the all-time chart heyday for television theme songs.  There were four on this week's chart:  John Sebastian's "Welcome Back," plus three of our newcomers.  First is Cyndi Grecco, who had her only hit with the song that opened the sitcom Laverne and Shirley, a peppy tune that set the tone for the weekly adventures of Mmes. DeFazio and Feeney, two Milwaukee brewery workers looking for love and happiness in the late 50s and early 60s.  Not a great song, but it brings back fond memories of milk and Pepsi, Boo-Boo Kitty, and of course, Lenny and Squiggy.  And this version doesn't contain the "Schlemiel, Schlimazel!" part, so points off for that.   Rhythm Heritage, who had previously gone to #1 with the theme from S.W.A.T., are here with their version of the theme from a drama series that starred Robert Blake as a tough, cockatoo-owning cop.  But theirs wasn't the version from the show: that was originally performed by composer Dave Gruisin, and a later version was sung by Sammy Davis Jr.  And as far as I'm concerned, the latter is the best one.  Nothing like the Candy Man singing "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."  And the team of San Antonio, Texas' Truett Pratt and Pasadena, California's Jerry McClain started out as commercial jingle performers, then later tried to break into rock. They would score their only hit when the producers of the hit sitcom Happy Days decided to replace Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" with an original theme tune, and they hired Pratt and McClain to record it.  The song has a 50s retro sound, with lyrics about having a girl wear your school ring on a chain, cruising around town, and "rockin' and rollin' all week long."  Not much of a song, but again, it's all about the memories of Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, and of course, Fonzie.  Just try to block out that time he jumped over that shark.  And the Ted McGinley years.
 
This being the 70s, of course we have MOR.  America had their last hit of the 80s with this song in which they feel like a lover's return is imminent.  I don't know, guys.  This listless pop sleeping pill reminds me of The Association, and that's not good.  If she hears this, I don't think today will be the day.  And not tomorrow either.  You'll be waiting quite a while.  And my old friend Eric Carmen followed up his shitburger of a debut solo hit, "All By Myself," with this midtempo number about giving up on love.  By his solo standards, it's pretty good, but still, I don't need to hear it ever again.  If he's not with The Raspberries, I'll pass every time.

Let's clear our palates with some R&B.  The Trammps, future igniters of a "Disco Inferno," had their second pop hit with this danceable ode to putting one's worries aside and going to the local discotheque, because the people their are so joyful and upbeat.  It's not quite up their with their signature number, but I'd boogie to it.  Marvin Gaye is here with this lush bit of semi-disco about love and desire and such.  There really isn't much to say about it except that it's awesome, and this could be used by filmmakers as an effective substitute when they're tempted to use "Let's Get it On" for the millionth time.  And Brooklyn funk band Brass Construction had their only major pop hit with this minimally-lyriced funk grinder.  Basically, they've got themselve together, and their moving on.  After that, all that's left to do is groove.  As it should be. 
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We finish our look at the fresh stuff with two rock bands.  The Rolling Stones are here with a ballad about how many of the people close to Mick Jagger have a unique and seemingly counterproductive method of dealing with him when he tells them his troubles.  But it seems to work for him, and it's a good song, so who am I to judge?  And The Doobie Brothers are here with their first hit of the Michael McDonald era,  And it's the best of the bunch, with the band's grittier origins still shining through somewhat under Mikey Mac's pop sheen.  That wouldn't last.

I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's the Top Ten, so call me maybe.

10 - "I'll Be Good to You," The Brothers Johnson
George and Louis say they'll treat you right.  Well, this song certainly does.

9 - "Afternoon Delight," The Starland Vocal Band
I'll say it again:  This is the least sexy song about sex ever written.  This would kill even the most erotic mood, and the only thing that could get it back is, I don't know, a disco number performed by a porn star.  But what are the chances one of those will come around any time soon?

8 - "More, More, More," The Andrea True Connection
And right on cue, here's Andrea True.  How do I like it?  I like it a lot.  Now get those cameras rollin', keep the action going, and don't stop until I've forgotten that "Afternoon Delight" ever existed.

7 - "Shop Around," The Captain and Tennille
Daryl and Toni kept their run of hits going with this sprightly cover of a 1960 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles tune that just happened to be the first #1 R&B hit for a little record label called Motown.  It's about a piece of maternal romantic advice: namely, try out a few prospective partners before deciding on "The One."  Good advice, I suppose.  But a great song in its original form, and these two don't do too badly with it.

6 - "Shannon," Henry Gross
I find it hard to believe that this guy played Woodstock when he was in Sha Na Na.  Almost as hard to believe as the fact that Sha Na Na played Woodstock.  Anyway, here he is with his big hit about a dog who has hopefully swam away to "an island with a shady tree."  That sounds way nicer than the farm upstate most dogs end up.

5 - "Sara Smile," Daryl Hall and John Oates
The breakthrough for these Philadelphians.  I used to think it wasn't that good, but it's growing on me.  "She's Gone" is still better, though.

4 - "Love Hangover," Diana Ross
Miss Ross goes disco on a track about a headache you actually do want your lover to have.  Apparently, to get in her in the right mood, producer Hal Davis had a strobe light installed in the studio.  I guess it worked, because this went to #1.  It starts out lush and slow, then gets all funky on you.  One of her better solo moments.

3 - "Misty Blue," Dorothy Moore
A cracker of a soul ballad.  For some reason, I wrote last time that this was produced by Harry Casey.  It wasn't.  I should have known.  He would have discoed it up, to its extreme detriment.  We're all better off.

2 - "Get Up and Boogie," Silver Convention
The second and last American hit for this German disco group.  Quite similar to "Fly, Robin, Fly," with about the same amount of lyrics.  I think this is just a bit funkier, though.  And the "That's right!" exclamation had been sampled quite often over the years.  But for now, I'll just sit down.  Maybe I'll boogie in an hour or so.

And on top of pop 36 years ago was...

1 - "Silly Love Songs," Wings
Finally, I get to cover one of the best known and most polarizing of Paul McCartney's hits.  He wrote it as a response to the complaints of some critics that his songs were too lightweight.  And over the years, many have cited this as an example of that very charge.  I guess I can see that, but to me, it's just so damn catchy, and those horn riffs are just undeniably smile-inducing.  So I like it, and I ask you, what's wrong with that?

The NotCaseys this week were "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry and "A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band.  And Casey himself played B.B. King's "The Thrill is Gone" to accompany the story of how King once rescued his guitar from a burning building.

Done at last for this week.  See you again very soon.