Finally.
First of all, I obviously need to comment of the recent passing of the man himself, Casey Kasem. He is, quite simply, the reason I do this. He had just the right mix of warmth and gravitas that made something as frivolous as a weekly list of popular songs seem important, and that's what began my fascination with this stuff. And of course my childhood would be lacking so much if not for the familiar scaredy-cat exclamations of Norville "Shaggy" Rogers. RIP, sir. I hope you've managed to get a hold of one or two of those stars you always told us to reach for.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, to quote the Ramones (RIP Tommy), "It's the end, the end of the seventies."
June 24, 1978
36 - "It's the Same Old Song," KC and the Sunshine Band
Harry and his disco crew had one of their lesser hits with this cover of The Four Tops' 1965 hit about how music can remind one of lost love. One of the more pointless covers we've come across, and there have been quite a few.
37 - "Stone Blue," Foghat
The penultimate Top 40 for these Brits was this straight-ahead rocker about how listening to music can help chase away the blues. In no way groundbreaking, but a good one to crank up on a summer night.
38 - "Dance Across the Floor," Jimmy "Bo" Horne
This guy's only major hit was this disco song about dancing. It was written and produced by Harry Wayne Casey, and it sounds like one of his own band's rejects. Not much to hear here.
August 12, 1978
35 - "Mr. Blue Sky," The Electric Light Orchestra
Jeff Lynne and company didn't even crack the U.S, Top 30 with this celebration of fair weather, but time has revealed it to be one of their masterworks. It's just so big and joyous and glorious. Happy, gorgeous music.
36 - "You're a Part of Me," Gene Cotton with Kim Carnes
Folk-popper Cotton's third hit was this "come back to me" ballad that introduce pop radio to future "Bette Davis Eyes" diva Kim Carnes. Her parts make this worth a listen. She's just got one of those voices that make me sit up and take notice.
September 23, 1978
39 - "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," Meat Loaf
Although it only got this high on the pop charts, I'm sure most of you have heard this cornerstone of the megaselling Bat Out of Hell LP in all of its eight-and-a-half minute glory. The Meat-man and duet partner Ellen Foley portray horny teenagers on the verge of "going all the way" (the process of this being memorably metaphorically described by New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto). But just as the boy is about to "steal home," the girl tells him to "Stop right there!" and asks him if he will love her forever and marry her. The boy tries to get away with indecision by asking her if he can "sleep on it," but she persists, and eventually, in a frenzy of lust, he declares that he will indeed "love (her) 'til the end of time." But then, we learn that the two of them, after some time of being bonded by the promises they made that night, are completely miserable together. Part celebration of young hormonal exploration, part cautionary tale, all classic.
December 16, 1978
39 - "I Will Be in Love With You," Livingston Taylor
James' little brother didn't quite have as big a career, but he did score two Top 40s, the first of whichbeing this gentle, folky love song. Earnest and pleasant, but not much more than that.
February 17, 1979
36 - "Stormy," Santana
The guitar legend was seen to be moving in a more mainstream direction, and this lite R&B ballad would seem to indicate such. Carlos' distinctive playing is always good to hear, but to me, this isn't much of a showcase for it.
37 - "You Can Do It," Dobie Gray
The third and last solo pop hit for the man behind "The 'In' Crowd" and "Drift Away" was this cool bit of disco-funk motivational positivity. He doesn't sound out of place at all in the genre. The man is just so versatile and cool.
40 - "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," Sylvester
The second, and best remembered, of Sylvester James, Jr.'s U.S. pop hits was this swirling disco track about dancing and other activities that bring one in close contact with another's body. Certainly among the genre's Top 20, if not Top Ten.
March 17, 1979
30 - "I Don't Know if it's Right," Evelyn "Champagne" King
Ms. King's second hit was this song about not being sure if she should sleep with the man she's with. Her doubts seem well-founded. I hope she didn't. And that's how you know it's a good song, because I care.
31 - "Every Which Way but Loose," Eddie Rabbitt
The country star first crossed over to the pop charts with this number about what the kids call a "player" who seems to have found a woman he'd like to settle down with. It was also the title song to a Clint Eastwood comedy about a truck driver with a pet orangutan. Yes, that happened. Even more surprisingly, the movie was a huge hit. Ah, the seventies.
37 - "Superman," Herbie Mann
The veteran jazz flautist picked up his second and last pop hit with this disco tribute to the Man of Steel, which featured female vocalists singing his praises. Clearly, this was inspired by the popularity of the Christopher Reeve film of the previous year. Well, at least it's a nicer thing to be inspired by than what prompted him to do "Hijack."
38 - "Dog and Butterfly," Heart
The Wilson sisters went acoustic on this number about...I'm not sure really. But the imagery is pretty, and it sounds good, so I guess it can mean whatever you want it to. And that's okay.
39 - "Bustin' Loose Part I," Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers
North Carolina-born, Washington, D.C.-raised Brown is considered the founder of the "Go-Go" genre. His band's only major hit was this ode to doing your thing, letting it all hang out, that sort of thing. At different points, it reminds me of The Commodores' "Brick House" and the theme from Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Just good, fun funk.
March 31, 1979
39 - "Rubber Biscuit," The Blues Brothers
The second pop hit for Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi's soul-loving creations was this cover of a 1956 song by a doo-wop group called The Chips. It consists mostly of Aykroyd scatting and describing odd foodstuffs like "a wish sandwich," "a ricochet biscuit," and "a Sunday-go-to-meeting bun." Silly fun, performed enthusiastically.
40 -"Watch Out for Lucy," Eric Clapton
Clapton just scraped into the 40 with this bluesy tune about a girl who causes nothing but trouble for the men who cross her path. A nice reminder of his roots.
June 2, 1979
31 - "(If Loving You is Wrong) I Don't Want to be Right," Barbara Mandrell
From Houston, Texas, Mandrell was a steel-guitar prodigy who by the age of 13 was touring with superstars Patsy Cline, George Jones, and Johnny Cash. As an adult, she became a singer, and in the late 70s, she followed Dolly Parton and others into a more country-pop direction, which paid off with her only pop crossover, this cover of Luther Ingram's 1972 adultery hit. As I've said before, this was the first version I heard, and although I don't deny the greatness of the original, Barbara's take from the female point of view still holds up nicely.
33 - "It Must Be Love," Alton McClain and Destiny
This female disco trio had their only major hit with this tune about the disorienting effects of love. A basic, serviceable example of the genre.
34 - "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning," Thelma Houston
Houston's only other major hit beyond the #1 "Don't Leave Me This Way" was this disco number that seems to be about a one night stand that, in the light of the next day, seems like something more. I think that's it. Regardless, good song.
35 - "A Little Bit of Soap," Nigel Olsson
One of two solo hits for Elton John's longtime drummer was this lite-pop version of a 1961 doo-wop hit by The Jarmels. It's about how the physical evidence of a former lover's presence can be washed away, but the feelings linger. This version's okay, but I shld look up the original sometime.
June 16, 1979
34 - "Shakedown Cruise," Jay Ferguson
The second and last hit for this SoCal singer was this tale about an odd sea voyage on which the captain offers his men the option of squeezing the sails and licking the decks as an alternative to sex. It makes even less sense than "Thunder Island." That's probably why I like it better.
40 - "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya," New England
This Boston band picked up its only hit with this pop-rocker about...well, guess. It's catchy enough, there's some nice guitar on it, I dig it.
September 1, 1979
37 - "Girl of My Dreams," Bram Tchaikovsky
This British singer-guitarist, born Peter Bramall, left the band The Motors and picked up one solo hit with this power-pop tribute to a lovely American girl named Judy. It hits the same sweet spots for me that Nick Lowe's stuff does.
39 - "Hold On," Triumph
The first of two Top 40s for this Canadian power trio was this big ballad about the power of music and hanging on to one's dreams and stuff. It's okay, but for me, the one song by these guys that still holds up is 1981's "Magic Power." Look it up.
40 - "Young Blood," Rickie Lee Jones
Her second and last hit (following up the wonderful smash "Chuck E.'s in Love.") was this bit of breezy bit of jazz-pop about being cool at night in the city. I think that's it. Just more slick awesomeness from a lady I wish had made it on the radio more during my formative years.
November 10, 1979
36 - "Street Life," The Crusaders
This jazz-pop band dated back to 1960, but they didn't score a hit until nearly two decades into their career when they hooked up with singer Randy Crawford on this funky number about surviving in the inner city. Bouncy, yet it still gets its seriousness across.
And so at last, I've finished this. And so, you ask, what's this "next chapter" I've been hinting at? Well, here it is: I've decided to take a jaunt across the pond and take a look at arguably the most interesting pop chart in the world, the one in the United Kingdom. Yes, Bobby's going British. What I've decided to do is take a look at one chart a year from Old Blighty and see what they were listening to over there. I'm looking forward to hearing tunes from people I've never heard of, some stuff from familiar names that didn't chart over here, and of course, some of the battles for the prestigious title of Christmas Number One. I can't promise you when I'm going to start, but I will tell you that the first chart will be from the week of my birth in 1971. Wherever you find this thing, watch out for it. I know it's going to be fun.
