May 29, 1971 Part One

Okay, here's the thing.  I promised that I'd do this one soon after my last entries.  But factors conspired to make me decide to delay it.  First, I had kind of a busy week.  Then, I learned that this weekend's 80s show was from June of 1981, and it had a lot of overlap with both the last 1981 show I covered and the very first 80s lookback I did almost a year ago.  So what's happening this weekend is a two-part 70s piece, then a brief look at this weeks 80s show.  Got it?  Awesome.  Now lets go way back to a time when I was in my fifth month on Earth.

40 - "Lowdown," Chicago
39 - "Double Lovin'," The Osmonds
38 - "Indian Reservation," The Raiders
37 - "Power to the People," John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band
36 - "What's Going On," Marvin Gaye
35 - "I Don't Know How to Love Him," Yvonne Elliman
34 - "Me and My Arrow," Nilsson
33 - "Cool Aid," Paul Humphrey and his Cool Aid Chemists
32 - "When You're Hot, You're Hot," Jerry Reed
31 - "The Drum," Bobby Sherman

We begin with some easy stuff.  Chicago had one of their lesser early hits with this song about their disappointment over either losing a friend or the state of their country.  Not sure which, but it rocks a bit, by their standards, so I like it.  Utah's Osmond boys followed up the smash "One Bad Apple" with another Jackson 5-lite number in which they say they're going to increase their affections twofold to the point where "you'll be beggin' and cryin' for more."  There's something a little...um...kinky about some of the lyrics, but surely those nice Mormons weren't implying anything of the kind.  Right?  Yvonne Elliman had her first it with the original version of this song about Mary Magdalene's conflicted feelings for Jesus Christ, from the album version of Jesus Christ Superstar that preceded all of the stage versions.  Elliman's rich voice conveys things nicely, but still, when I want to hear her, I will always reach for "If I Can't Have You."  Harry Nilsson is here with this simple, jaunty song from an concept album about a boy with a round head who lives in a town where everyone else has pointed heads.  And apparently, "Arrow" is the name of the boy's dog.  Anyway, I had heard about this song for a long time, and upon finally hearing it, I was charmed, and curious to see the animated film that was made of the story.  And Bobby Sherman had one of his last hits with this bit of fluffy, produced bubblegum about the fleeting nature of love.  Not much to it.  Lisa was right to laugh at you, Marge.

Next we have some politically-minded hits.  The Raiders (formerly Paul Revere and the...) had their biggest hit with this #1 cover of a song first recorded in 1959.  Over a dark pop-rock arrangement, singer Mark Lindsay (himself part Cherokee) intones lyrics about how America's natives had their land, language and way of life taken away by white people.  But apparently a lot of white people enjoyed hearing about that, because this record would become one of the biggest sellers in the history of the group's record label.  I'm still not sure about the song though.  To me, it sounds a little too gimmicky to be truly sincere.  John Lennon and company are here from a past '71 recap with their anthem of populist revoulution.  I imagine it was sound good accompanied by some banging pots and pans right now.  And also back from that time is Marvin Gaye with his classic bit of socially conscious soul silk.  Right on, indeed.

We finish with the other two songs.  Drummer Paul Humphrey and his band had their only hit with this okay little funk instrumental that doesn't at all remind me of antropomorphic drink pitchers smashing through walls.  Later, he would join Lawrence Welk's orchestra for the last six years of the man's TV show.  Interesting.  And country star Jerry Reed had his last pop hit with this bit of redneck funk about the time Jerry and two friends had their illegal crap game broken up by the police, and when he tried to get lenience from the judge, who was a friend of his, the judge let the others off with a fine and gave Jerry 90 days in jail.  Just silly, catchy fun.

30 - "Timothy," The Buoys
29 - "Reach Out I'll Be There," Diana Ross
28 - "I Love You For All Seasons," The Fuzz 
27 - "Nathan Jones," The Supremes
26 - "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People," The Chi-Lites
25 - "I Don't Blame You at All," Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
24 - "Right on the Tip of My Tongue," Brenda and the Tabulations
23 - "Woodstock," Matthews' Southern Comfort
22 - "Don't Knock My Love (Part I)," Wilson Pickett
21 - "It's Too Late," Carole King

R&B is huge in this section, but we'll start with the three songs here that don't fit that description.  The Buoys are back with one of the Uneasy Rider Hall of Famers, the rock song about cannibalism written by Rupert "The Pina Colada Song" Holmes.  If you like eating your best friend, and getting caught in the rain...Englishman Iain Matthews, ex of folk stars Fairport Convention, began his solo career recording under an alcohol-centric pseudonym, and the one hit he had during this time was this extremely limp and lightweight cover of Joni Mitchell's tribute to the famed 1969 Upstate New York music and art fair.  Really, it's so bland and uninteresting, it's the complete opposite of what Woodstock was.  Stick to the Joni and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young versions.  And songwriting legend Carole King had her biggest hit as an artist with this classic about a couple who suddenly realize they must part because "something inside has died."  This helped launch the Tapestry album to mega-success, and deservedly so.

Next we have the Motown artists.  Diana Ross is here, giving a Four Tops 60s hit the same big ballad treatment she gave to "Ain't No Moyd untain High Enough."  This one wasn't as successful, and with good reason.  It seems forced.  Her old group The Supremes did better with this spirited kiss-off to a lover who took a little too long going off on his own to "get his head together" or whatever they did in the 70s.  Possibly their best post-Diana moment.  And Smokey and the Miracles return with the final record on which they combined their talents.  Still sounds too "Tears of a Clown"-lite to me.

We finish with non-Motown soul.  The Fuzz return from our long-ago last visit to '71 with this still-inconsequential ballad.  Chicago's Chi-Lites had their first pop hit with this funky protest tune about greed and injustice among people who have a disproportionate amount of power and influence in society.  Thankfully, we're long past the days when that was the reality, am I right?  Philadelphian Brenda Payton and her backup singers had their second and last pop hit with this sweet little ballad about not being able to tell someone you love them.  A decent song, but definitely an awesome group name.  And Wilson Pickett had his next-to-last pop hit with this funky request for a disinterested lover to let him move on to someone who might appreciate his talents more.  Or as he puts it, "If you don't need it, don't waste it/Somebody else might wanna taste it."  The man had a way with words, no doubt.

Tomorrow (I'm pretty sure): bread and fruit preserves, more Andrew Lloyd Webber, and one of the raunchiest songs ever to hit #1.