Yes, there's been another long delay. There has been much activity and change in the Glovehead Empire as of late. And as I said last time, it's been the positive sort of upheaval. So this particular outpost has been somewhat neglected. But I haven't forgotten it, and so here we are again. I will warn you that the remainder of this decade will now be covered in two more parts, so things will be stretched out a bit more. I thank you in advance for your patience. But with that settled, let's pick things back up in 1977.
January 29, 1977
39 - "I Like to Do It," KC and The Sunshine Band
After their trilogy of #1s "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way (I Like It)," and "Shake Your Booty," Harry Casey's Miami disco machine just scraped into the 40 with this tune that just seems like a mailed-in retread of their previous hits. But they were able to return to the top right away with their next single, "I'm Your Boogie Man," so good for them.
February 5, 1977
40 - "In the Mood," The Henhouse Five Plus Two
This was in actuality the last Top 40 hit for novelty star Ray Stevens. It's basically Stevens clucking like a chicken to the tune of Glenn Miller's 1940 big band standard. Pointless yet harmless on its own, and yet it was the precursor to the phenomenon of barking dogs and meowing cats performing Christmas carols, so it's hard to forgive.
February 26, 1977
33 - "Moody Blue," Elvis Presley
Elvis' last single to crack the Top 40 while he was alive was this country-pop number about trying to figure out an unpredictable lady. Certainly in or at least near my Top 5 of the King's 70s hits.
March 26, 1977
38 - "Somethin' 'Bout 'Cha," Latimore
The soul man with the given name Benjamin had his second and last pop Top 40 with this Barry Whitesque midtempo groover about his lover and the things she makes him want to do. And apparently this lady is pretty damn special, for he says, "If the Lord made anything better than you, He must have kept it to himself." Quite the endorsement. Overall, a solid sex jam.
April 9, 1977
38 - "Love in 'C' Minor," Cerrone
French producer Marc Cerrone had his first major international hit (and his only U.S. Top 40) with this Eurodisco semi-instrumental. It's pretty good as these things go. I especially like the parts that sound like a harpsichord. He continues to record to this day, and he has staged several massive live performances in France and elsewhere, including a show in Los Angeles on December 31, 1999 for the millennium celebrations.
39 - "Magical Mystery Tour," Ambrosia
The second Top 40 for these guys was this contribution to All This and World War II, a film that featured movie and newsreel clips from the war era set to Beatles covers. That sounds interesting. This track is not. Just as bland and pointless as the rest of their stuff
40 - "Spring Rain," Silvetti
Juan Fernando "Bebu" Silvetti was an Argentine, but his only major pop hit sound like Eurodisco to me. The strings, the scratch guitar, the wordless female vocals, it's all there. Okay as these things go.
May 7, 1977
33 -"Cherry Baby," Starz
This band consisted of three members of The Looking Glass, they of the excreable "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl." They added a new, non-nasal singer, as well as a guitarist, took a harder rock direction, and put out a few albums in the late-70s. Their one hit was this cool, catchy power-popper. I like it quite a bit. Well, now we know the source of their predecessor's suckitude.
May 14, 1977
32 - "My Sweet Lady," John Denver
Johnny D.'s last Top 40 of the 70s was an extra track on his second Greatest Hits collection. It's a ballad on which he thinks his love is worried that he's going to leave her on the day that "(their) lives were joined." I wonder if she's just naturally insecure, or if John's done something to make her that way. You never know with these innocent choirboy types.
34 - "Cinderella," Firefall
The second Top 40 for these Coloradans was this countryish number about a man looking back on how he resented that his lover became pregnant and how he subsequently mistreated both her and the child. Probably their best hit.
38 - "Back in the Saddle," Aerosmith
The Boston hard rock institution had their fifth top 40 hit with this raveup that's basically their usual panting innuendo, only with a Western theme. Apparently, they wanted to make the whipcrack sound heard in the song with an actual bullwhip, but after several hours of failures and minor injuries, they opted to fake it with a length of cord and a cap gun. After which they presumably celebrated by ingesting shitloads of cocaine, as was the style at the time.
July 9, 1977
36 - "The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)," Rod Stewart
Stewart's follow-up to the smash "Tonight's the Night" was this soul-pop story song that succeeded (to some degree) in getting the topic of homosexuality on mainstream American radio. Based on the true story of a friend of his from his days in The Faces, Rod sings the tale of Georgie, a young man who is disowned by his parents after coming out. He then travels to New York, where he finds success, acceptance, and love. But one night, he and his boyfriend are attacked by a gang on the way home from the theater, and Georgie is stabbed to death. An affecting song, remarkable for its time, and it still holds up today. The second part, on which Rod repeatedly pleads for George not to die, is particularly effective.
38 - "Devil's Gun," C.J. and Company
Five years after his hit astrological instrumentals "Scorpio" and "Taurus," former Funk Brother Dennis Coffey formed a disco group and charted with this song that's basically a warning against the temptations offered by Lucifer himself. It sounds like something that would have fit well on the soundtrack of any number of early 70s blaxploitation flicks, except for the strings and the other disco production touches. Solid stuff.
October 15, 1977
37 - "I Just Want to Make Love to You," Foghat
The third Top 40 for this Brit blues rock outfit was this cover of Willie Dixon's blues standard about all the things he doesn't want his woman to do (and the one thing he does). Decent, as these things go.
January 21, 1978
36 - "As," Stevie Wonder
The fourth hit from the mighty Songs in the Key of Life was this jazzy number about how long he'll love the object of his affection. Apparently, for a very long time. Just more goodness from a genius.
February 4, 1978
38 - "The Way You Do the Things You Do," Rita Coolidge
It was bad enough what she did to poor Jackie Wilson with "Higher and Higher." Did she have to go and desecrate The Temptations, too? Apparently, she did. Fortunately, this wasn't quite so successful, so perhaps that's what discouraged her from blanding up more perfectly good soul.
March 11, 1978
31 - "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," Linda Ronstadt
The most successful female rock singer of the decade picked up another hit with this cover of a Warren Zevon song about suicide and wild sexual escapades. I like the Zevon original better, but Linda does fine by this.
April 15, 1978
40 - "Rocket Ride," Kiss
One of the five studio songs on Alive II, this is a simple rocker about space travel as a metaphor for sex. Fittingly, it's sung by none other than the "Space Ace" himself, Mr. Frehley. Silly, disposable fun.
April 29, 1978
33 - "More Than a Woman," Tavares
The last hit of the 70s for this disco brother act was this cover of the one Bee Gees original from Saturday Night Fever that wasn't a single. This version was on the soundtrack too, and I have to say, it's the better one. It just is,
36 - "Do You Believe in Magic," Shaun Cassidy
The fourth and final Top 40 for Keith Partridge's real little brother was this pointless cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's 1965 classic. Maybe it's slightly better than his "Da Do Ron Ron," but I have no interest in going back to make sure.
37 - "Ego," Elton John
One of Sir Elton's later 70s hits was this jazzy number about being addicted to fame and the spotlight. It wasn't one of his more successful singles, but I think it's an overlooked gem, with some of his more pointed lyrics.
38 - "Let's All Chant," The Michael Zager Band
Before he wrote songs to tack on to 60s covers by The Spinners, New Jerseyite Zager's eponymous band had a hit with this disco number best remembered for taking the disco custom of singing "Ooh-ah, ooh-ah" to the mainstream. Good groove, some interesting instrument choices, and overall, high-quality booty-shaking fodder.
Okay, one more to go. Hopefully I'll have it for you by the end of this month. And then, I'll announce the next chapter. And there will be one. Believe it.
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