Before we finish off 1980, let's take a gander at June 25, 1977.
Marvin Gaye was at #1 with "Got to Give it Up (Pt.1)." The rest of the Top Ten included "Undercover Angel," "Lucille," "Dreams," and "Angel in Your Arms."...We don't find any newcomers, however, until way down at #35, where we encounter England Dan and John Ford Coley's ballad about finding true love too late "It's Sad to Belong." I was surprised to find that not I only did I remember it, but I actually kind of liked it. You snuck up on me, boys...Boston are at #38 with another of their intechangeable classic rock staples "Peace of Mind."...And 10cc had their final American Top 40 with their #40 peaker, "People in Love." Kind of a slower "The Things We Do for Love," and not nearly as good. But this week my spotlight shines on...
36 - "All You Get From Love is a Love Song," The Carpenters
Karen and Richards penultimate hit (succeeded only by the magnificently weird "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft") was this gem of lovelorn pop on which Karen laments that "the best love songs are written with a broken heart." Her world-weary vocal is perfect for this. You just can't overstate how great a singer this woman was.
Okay, now forward three years later to finish the business.
20 - "Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer," Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes
19 - "Shoud've Never Let You Go," Neil and Dara Sedaka
18 - "Tired of Toein' the Line," Rocky Burnette
17 - "One Fine Day," Carole King
16 - "Magic," Olivia Newton-John
The second half kicks off with Kenny and Kim, back from last time with this tale of a doomed affair. Their voices blend nicely, but the song doesn't do much for me.
Neil Sedaka's final Top 40 single was also the first (and last) for his then-17-year-old daughter, Dara. On it, the two play a pair of exes who run into each other years after their romance, and both seem to regret the end of their affair. Doing this kind of song together as a father and daughter always seems like a dodgy proposition, and while sometimes it can be pulled off (Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid," for example), it doesn't quite work here. They certainly try, and Dara's voice, while maybe not the strongest in the world, has an intriguing quality at certain moments. But overall, this just seems awkward and ill-advised.
Next is the only Top 40 hit for Rocky Burnette, son of early rocker Johnny Burnette, best known for his hit "You're Sixteen." This is a chugging, catchy rock tune about getting tired of a demanding lover. The retro vibe, combined with Rocky's hiccupy vocals, make it a fun little treat. This is essential for any "80s one-hit wonders" playlist.
Then it's Carole King's last Top 40 hit, a version of a song she wrote with frequent writing partner and onetime husband Gerry Goffin that was a 1963 hit for The Chiffons. The song is timeless, and Carole performs it okay, but this version isn't different enough from the original to be at all necessary.
This section closes with ONJ, back from last August with her #1 from Xanadu about inspiring someone. Again I say, Greek muses and roller disco, who thought that was a winning combination? Still, nothing wrong with the song.
15 - "Call Me," Blondie
14 - "Cars," Gary Numan
13 - "Shining Star," The Manhattans
12 - "Let Me Love You Tonight," The Pure Prairie League
11 - "Let's Get Serious," Jermaine Jackson
This bunch is led off by Debbie Harry and co.'s sexy smash from Richard Gere's gigolo movie. Who else would you want doing a song for a movie about a man who makes a living as a sex object. The makers of Magic Mike should have given her a call. I bet she could have still whipped up something suitably lusty.
Also returning from our last trip to 1980 is Gary Numan and his erotic ode to automobiles. Homer Simpson once sang a lyrically altered version of this while hosing the blood from the ambulance he bought. Some of it was his, but most of it wasn't.
The Manhattans are back from last August with their song about wanting a lover to be around until the end. Just a nice R&B love song, nothing more or less.
Then it's the biggest hit for country popsters The Pure Prairie League, a slick bit of MOR in which Vince Gill tries to convince a lady to forget about her ex for one evening and enjoy his company, whatever that may entail. I like Vince's voice. Not as much as I enjoy his current wife's, but that's another story.
Anchoring this batch is Jermaine Jackson's second and last pop Top 10, a funk number about taking a relationship to the next level. This was co-written by Stevie Wonder, and while Jermaine does okay with it, I know I'd like it much better if Stevie himself had sung it.
Top Ten! The most effectual Top Ten!
10 - "She's Out of My Life," Michael Jackson
Michaels fourth and last hit from Off the Wall was this ballad of regret over lost love. It was written by Tom Bahler, a music-biz vet and associate of Quincy Jones who once dated Karen Carpenter. Many have speculated that she was the subject of the song, but Bahler has denied that. Regardless, a solid song, and a typically great performance by MJ. The voice crack at the end might have been cheesy done by someone else, but he sells it.
9 - "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time," The Spinners
Earlier in the year, these guys had a big hit by doing a disco medley of a 60s classic and an original composition by produer Michael Zager. So of course, they repeated the formula on their next single, with the oldie this time being a 1961 Sam Cooke soul standard. Just like "Forgive Me Girl" did when paired with "Working My Way Back to You," the new song blends in with the familiar one, but pales in comparison. But for the second time in a row, this MO resulted in a Top 5 smash. But when they went back to the well a third time the next year, tacking a Zager tune onto The Carpenters' "Yesterday Once More," it flopped. Good. I love these guys, but here, they were, to coin a phrase, spinning their wheels.
8 - "Biggest Part of Me," Ambrosia
Back again, and still boring as fuck. Shouldn't a band named after the food of the gods have something tastier to offer than this thin gruel?
7 - "Steal Away," Robbie Dupree
This Brooklynite's first and biggest hit was this meh pop tune about running away with a lover. It's basically a soundalike of Michael McDonald-era Doobie Brothers, except that Robbie can't get his voice that high. Unexceptional.
6 - "Little Jeannie," Elton John
Sir Elton is back from August with his midtempo pop song about a woman he's in love with. No comment. One of his weaker big hits.
5 - "Against the Wind," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
The Styx of Chicago had another of his biggies with this song about the passage of time and the compromises and trials that come with it. It was partly inspired by Seger's days running cross-country in high school. I have to admit, the man can do some great stuff when he gets introspective.
4 - "It's Still Rock n' Roll to Me," Billy Joel
Billy returns from August with his song about how trends change, but the spirit of rock always remains. Don't like it as much as I used to, but still enjoyable.
3 - "The Rose," Bette Midler
The Divine Miss M's best moment. I don't care what anyone thinks, it always moves me.
2 - "Funkytown," Lipps Inc.
Maybe the best non-Prince-associated dance tune to come out of Minneapolis. And it kicks the shit out of the Pseudo Echo version we ran into last week.
And at that Number One Spot thirty-two years ago, it was...
1 - "Coming Up," Paul McCartney and Wings
This, Wings' last major hit, appeared in two versions on the single. The A-side, credited to McCartney alone, was a jittery, New Wavey take on this song about brighter days ahead, and Paul's vocals on it were manipulated to sound sped-up and spacey. The B-side was a more conventional-sounding rendition, performed live with Wings at a concert in Glasgow, Scotland. It was the B-side that got the bulk of the airplay in the U.S. McCartney wasn't happy about this, as he liked the studio version better, but his label had pushed the live version harder to radio because, as one executive put it, "Americans like the sound of Paul McCartney's real voice." And as much as I admire his willingness to experiment, I must say that I also prefer the live version.
This week's NotCaseys were "Empire Strikes Back (Medley)" by Meco, "Time for Me to Fly" by REO Speedwagon, "Into the Night" by Benny Mardones, and "Drivin' My Live Away" by Eddie Rabbitt. Casey himself played Marty Robbins' "El Paso" because it was #1 in January of 1960, and he also accompanied a story about songwriter Jerry Lieber's childhood with George Benson's "On Broadway." And there were two LDDs. A collegiate distance runner dedicated the Doobie Brothers' "It Keeps You Runnin'" to the high school track teammate who, well, kept him runnin'. And a woman with hearing hearing issues dedicated Andrew Gold's "Thank You for Being a Friend" to her childhood audiologist.
Another one down. Back in a few.
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