September 2, 1972. On this night, at the Montreal Forum, the first of a series of eight hockey games was played between the national team of the Soviet Union and an all-star collection of Canadian NHL players. Most observers here predicted that the NHLers would dominate the Soviet "amateurs." They were in for a bit of a surprise. Somewhat less surprising was the music that populated the national chart.
Bonus Track #1: 68 - "Love is a Railroad," Pepper Tree
This group of Nova Scotia bar band all-stars had their biggest hit with this love song that sounds like Crosby Stills and Nashville. It doesn't quite lay down a complete system of tracks through your mind, but it sounds nice as it speeds through.
Bonus Track #2: 55 - "Summer Sun," Jamestown Massacre
A light, breezy rock song in the Doobie Brothers vein by a short-lived Illinois band. Most notable for its singer, Dave Bickler, who would later help form Survivor and enjoy success with them before being replaced shortly after "Eye of the Tiger" hit #1. I bet he was rooting for Ivan Drago.
50 - "Easy Livin'," Uriah Heep
Named for a character from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, this London band had their biggest hit with this chugging rocker about the redeeming love of a woman. You'd be forgiven (by me at least) if you thought this was Deep Purple. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
47 - "America," Yes
The prog stars picked up a hit with a cover of a 1968 Simon and Garfunkel song about a man and his girlfriend Kathy taking a cross-country bus trip. Simon's playful lyrics about bags full of real estate and bowtie cameras are dramatized by Jon Anderson's high voice, and the instrumental jam breaks try to make this more epic. But I can't say it's at all preferable to the original.
46 - "Africa," Thundemug
From London Ontario, this group had the first of two Top 40s with this reverent rock tribute to the continent "where life began." The line "sing, coloured man" hasn't aged well, but otherwise this is decent Canuck content. And it references Tanganyika, which will always remind me of my Grade 10 science teacher.
42 - "Circles," The New Seekers
The British MOR travellers went Top Ten at home and got this high here with this cover of a Harry Chapin song about the cyclical nature of life. Nice song, pretty performance, and it ends just about right when you're ready to hear something else.
40 - "Feelin' Better Already," Everyday People
Another Nova Scotia band, this one with a song about an improved mood. Rock with harmony vocals. It's okay, no more to say.
39 - "Reflections of My Childhood," Frank Mills
Seven years before "Music Box Dancer" became an international smash, Montrealer Mills hit at home with by playing piano and singing on this song about trying to recapture youthful idealism. Easy listening at its easiest, but that's not always a bad thing.
37 - "One More Chance," Ocean
The Toronto group that gave us "Put Your Hand in the Hand" managed one more domesticated Top 40 with this less-explicitly religious prayer for the redemption of mankind. They seem less faithful on this one ("You don't get my hallelujah until I see the signs"). I have to say, cynicism doesn't become them as much as piety did.
34 - "New York is Closed Tonight," Barry Greenfield
Vancouver native Greenfield went to England as a teenager to pursue his musical dreams, eventually getting discovered by future 10cc member Graham Gouldman. His biggest hit was this mix of folk and hard rock about that seems to be about some sort of catastrophe (possibly nuclear attack or ecological disaster) that decimates the Big Apple. It's a cool little story song, enhanced by Greenfield's Cat Stevens-esque voice. And even though this is the first time I've ever heard it, I'm going to go ahead and declare it a Certificate CanCon Classic.
33 - "Bad Side of the Moon," April Wine
The Halifax band's third hit was a cover of a 1970 Elton John B-side. I'm not sure what the lyrics about a "rustic spoon" or foreign-speaking hummingbirds mean, but they sound good, and the band's spirited performance truly makes it their own. Possibly their best track.
32 - "Wild Eyes," The Stampeders
The Calgary band's second #2 (to go with the #1 "Sweet City Woman") was this straight ahead rocker about a lady with exotic peepers. Simple but satisfying classic rock.
30 - "Who Has the Answers," Andy Kim
The Montrealer who co-wrote "Sugar Sugar" and would go on to fall just short of a Triple Crown with "Rock Me Gently" is here with a folky tune spiritual doubt in a broken world. Okay song, notable for the fact that he sounds more like Neil Diamond here than on anything else I've heard of his.
23 - "Sun Goes By," Dr. Music
This Toronto jazz group was originally assembled for a TV variety show starring novelty singer Ray Stevens, but would go on to success on their home singles charts with songs like this sunny, almost proto-disco number. This one shows they could more than hold their own with contemporaries foreign (Chicago) and domestic (Lighthouse).
22 - "Concrete Sea," Terry Jacks
The Winnipegger's second solo hit was this funk-rock ditty about longing to no longer be boxed in by the confines of a big city. It's short, it's snappy, and it's nothing at all like "Seasons in the Sun." I've found a version of this guy I can get with.
10 - "Sealed with a Kiss," Bobby Vinton
The Polish Prince's Brian Hylton cover stalled at #19 in the States, but us SWAK-y Canadians made it a Top Ten. This was our nation's first version of Vin-sanity. But I don't think Bobby could dunk.
9 - "Happy," The Rolling Stones
The Exile on Main Street track featuring a rare lead vocal from Keith Richard's didn't chart in Britain and missed the Top Twenty i America, but again, we took it upon ourselves to make it a Top Ten. I'm pleased about that, and I'm amused at the thought that later in the decade, this country would explicitly learn what Keef meant when he said he "always took candy from strangers."
8 - "School's Out," Alice Cooper
Britain sent Alice's naughty anti-educational institution yowl to #1. America held it to #7. True to form, we split the difference by taking it to #1. Does this mean we got no principles?
7 - "You Don't Mess Around with Jim," Jim Croce
The Philly folkie's breakthrough was a cross-border Top Ten. It's still essentially the same song as "Bad Bad Leroy Brown," but it's catchy enough in its own way to be forgiven.
6 - "Hold Your Head Up," Argent
The signature hit for Rod Argent's post-Zombies band peaked at #5 in all three Triple Crown countries. I will refer to that as a Stare Express. Look it up.
5 - "Coconut," Harry Nilsson
Harry's silly tune about drinking fruit and becoming ill was a crossborder Top Ten, but missed the Top 40 in Britain. They're such a silly country.
4 - "Goodbye to Love," Carpenters
Karen and Richard's second Triple Top Ten. Apparently because of those surprising fuzz guitar solos, some consider it to be the first power ballad. I'm picturing Karen throwing up the metal devil horns. It's a cool image.
3 - "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress," The Hollies
We have the Mancunians' driving rocker about a prohibition-era bust our jewel in the Triple Crown. America held it to #2, okay. But only #32 in the U.K.? That's not right.
2 - "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)," The Looking Glass
So I've been upfront in the past about my distaste for this. The second Guardians of the Galaxy movie tried to rehabilitate it in my esteem. It failed. I still hate the lyrics, I am repelled by the vocals, and I am pleased Britain denied it a Triple Crown with #51 authority.
1 - "Alone Again (Naturally)," Gilbert O'Sullivan
Ol' Gil was also denied a Triple Crown by the Brits, and the fact that it got as close as #3 probably wasn't much consolation to him, if this song is any indication. I've been listening lately to podcasts of old episodes of Desert Island Discs, the BBC radio show where celebrities name their favourite records. Gilbert never did one, which is probably for the best. But I wonder if anyone ever chose this to have while lost on am uncharted island, and if they did so for any other reason to accompany their resigned walk into watery oblivion. Why else would you need it for?
Back to Britain next time. Tremble in anticipation until then.
No comments:
Post a Comment