January 1974. On the date of this chart, the Global Television Network was launched. The intention was to be an outlet for Canadian-produced programming, but it soon ended up merely serving as another avenue for Canadian advertisers to reach viewers watching American shows. Domestic content was much easier to find on the radio, as we'll see when we scan the charts.
Bonus Track #1: 54 - "Raised on Robbery," Joni Mitchell (CanCon!)
This is from Joni's best-selling album, Court and Spark, and while it wasn't as successful as that record's other singles "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris," for my money it's her best. It's the tale of a prostitute unsuccessfully trying to pick up a man she finds watching a hockey game in a hotel bar, done with style and clever wordplay ("I'm a pretty good cook, I'm sitting on my groceries.") Fantastic, and because it wasn't much of a hit anywhere else, I'm making it a Certified CanCon Classic.
Bonus Track #2: 52 - "Make it All Worthwhile," James Leroy (CanCon!)
From Ottawa, Leroy had picked up three Top 20 hits in the space of a year. The last of this was this decent folk-rock love song in the James Taylor/Mac Davis vein. His subsequent efforts didn't do as well, and his frustration sadly culminated in his 1979 suicide. Unfortunately, pop music has more than its share of unhappy endings.
50 - "Goddess of Nature," Abraham's Children (CanCon!)
This Toronto band had an artily psychedelic quality, as exemplified by this track about a seductive earth mother figure. A little restrained, but not bad.
46 - "Keep Your Head to the Sky," Earth Wind and Fire
The funk stars' first Top 50 here was this soul ballad about finding spiritual peace. It sounds quite a bit like Curtis Mayfield-era Impressions, and that's a very good thing.
42 - "Million Dollar Weekend," Crowbar (CanCon!)
This Hamilton band is mainly remembered for their 1971 hit "Oh What a Feeling," but they managed another one with this old-time R&B raveup about adventures and shenanigans and such. You can almost smell the Cottage Country air.
41 - "She," Southcote (CanCon!)
The only hit for this Toronto band was this horn-laden pop tune about romantic rejection. It's catchy and exuberant, and in a just world it would have gotten higher than #80 in the States.
40 - "Weeping Widow," April Wine (CanCon!)
The Nova Scotians' sixth hit was this rocker that warns of danger , but it's not clear if the titular lady is in peril, or if she is the peril. Either way, it's good hard rock of its time, with cowbell and screeching from voices and guitars.
39 - "Hangin' Around," The Edgar Winter Group
The pale Texan behind "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride" got much higher than the home country peak of #65 up here with this suitably laid back ode to sloth and ignorance. Pop music always makes this state seem cooler than it really is.
38 - "Let Me Get to Know You," Paul Anka (CanCon!)
The Ottawa-born former teen idol wasn't doing too well as a recording artist at this time, but he managed to chart in his homeland with this sort-of suggestive love song. Let's just say it's likely that the events depicted in this song may have directly led to those in his next single, the career-reviving "(You're) Having My Baby."
37 - "A Fool Such as I," Bob Dylan
During his brief run at rival Asylum Records, Dylan's former and future label Columbia threw together an album of outtakes from previous sessions, including this recording he made with The Band in 1967 of this country number that had been a hit in the 50s for both Hank Snow and Elvis Presley. Good song, a nice vibe, Dylan breaks out that smoother voice he also uses on "Lay Lady Lay" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." A nice little footnote.
36 - "Cousin Mary," Fludd (CanCon!)
The fourth hit for this Toronto band was this country-folk track about a tough, free-spirited lady. Kind of like a lesser song by the aforementioned Band, but still pretty good.
35 - "American Tune," Paul Simon
The Rhymin' One's fifth North American solo hit was this meditation on the ideal and reality of America. A poignant song that's not the instant crowd-pleaser many of his bigger hits are, but it stays around in your heart and is interpretation-friendly enough to be one of his most covered songs.
26 - "Running Wild," The Stampeders (CanCon!)
From Calgary, naturally, this trio are mainly known in the rest of the world for 1971's "Sweet City Woman." At home, they were much more prolific, with over a dozen hits, including this bluesy number about living free and unfettered. Their sound here could be best described as "BTO's understudies."
24 - "I Thought of You Again," Susan Jacks (CanCon!)
Susan Pesklevits was born in Saskatoon, but she later moved to British Columbia, where she met guitarist Terry Jacks, whom she would marry and would join in The Poppy Family, who had a big international hit with 1970's "Which Way You Goin', Billy." Both the group and the marriage had broken up by this time, and Susan was having her second solo Top Ten with this country-pop chugged about lamenting a former lover while riding on a train. Blander than the subject matter by far. As for her real ex, well, stay tuned.
23 - "Pretty Lady," Lighthouse (CanCon!)
Yet another group with just a couple hits outside but several more at home. In this case, it's the Toronto jazz-pop outfit behind "One Fine Morning" and "Sunny Days." Their final domestic Top Ten was a little more straight pop than their better-known tunes, but it's still well-crafted radio pop. But after this, the light burned out.
22 - "Teenage Lament '74," Alice Cooper
The last hit for the original Alice Cooper band was this midtempo complaint about the stereotypical teenage woes: problems flitting in, being told your music's too loud, fighting parents, etc. Not as good as his similarly-themed "I'm Eighteen," but still a good show of Alice's mastery of rock n'roll's primal appeal.
14 - "Hurricane of Change," Murray McLauchlan (CanCon!)
Murray Mac's second and final Top Ten was this Dylanesque ditty about fear and uncertainty in modern life. Possibly his most vital performance.
10 - "Spiders and Snakes," Jim Stafford
This country ode to grossing girls out made it to #1 here. Yes, we will put a frog in your clothes to make you like us. That, with hockey and rolling up the rim of coffee cups, are the three pillars of Canadian society.
9 - "Are You Lonesome Tonight," Donny Osmond
Little Donny's voice was in the middle of cracking when he covered one of Elvis' signature ballads. He just goes through the motions, including a stiff reading of the spoken bridge. Maybe the weakest single of his hottest period.
8 - "Time in a Bottle," Jim Croce
Croce'so posthumous rumination on the fleeting nature of life was a cross-border charttopper. Sentimental, but not sappy.
7 - "The Way We Were," Barbra Streisand
Babs' superballad was another Can-Am #1, but somehow it didn't even go Top 30 in Britain. That's a head-scratcher.
6 - "Love's Theme," Love Unlimited Orchestra
The lush instrumental by Barry White's backup is yet another hit denied a Triple Crown by the U.K. But at least it was a Top Ten there. They were in the ballpark, or on the pitch, or whatever.
5 - "Big Time Operator," Keith Hampshire (CanCon!)
Born in England, Hampshire started in the late 60s as a London pirate radio DJ. Then he moved to Canada and had a successful recording career which included a #1 version of "The First Cut is the Deepest" and two other Top Fives. The second of these was this soul/pop number about how he has progressed in his life's ambitions by working his way through various jobs that all sounds similar to "operator." Gimmicky fun enhanced by the conviction of Hampshire's performance.
4 - "Smokin' in the Boys' Room," Brownsville Station
The grimy grinder about teenage rebellion was a Top Five on both sides of the border. Still destroys the Motley Crue cover.
3 - "You're Sixteen," Ringo Starr
Ringo's Johnny Burnette cover was a U.S. #1 and a Top Five in the other two Triple Crown countries. Two things: no, that wasn't a kazoo, that was Paul McCartney singing weirdly; and no, the fact that Ringo was in his thirties at the time does not mean judged of similar age in Alabama get to "court" teenage girls.
2 - "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
The legendary ode to midnight-toking space cowboys earned two-thirds of a Triple Crown (although sixteen years apart, its trip to the top in Britain coming thanks to a 1990 jeans commercial). We held it to #2. Sorry, Maurice.
And on top 44 years ago was...
1 - "Seasons in the Sun," Terry Jacks (CanCon!)
There's Susan's ex, nauseating us all with this sapcrap claptrap. And of all the songs here, this is the one that actually captured a Triple Crown. It makes "Alone Again Naturally" sound like "Don't Worry Be Happy." And if you ever catch me listening to this song, you can slap me right here.
So next time, it's back to Britain. Hope you liked this one. Comments are welcome here or on the Facebook page. If you like this place, tell a friend, all that promotional blah-blah. See you soon.
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