Okay, after a few weeks of various detours, we're back heading for the present, picking up with 2004. I didn't want to do a January chart, because there would be too much overlap. So I moved ahead into the spring. As you can see, there were still quite a few songs hanging around from December, but part of the story of how the Top 40 has evolved is that songs seem to have longer lives on the charts, so this works for me. So I'm doing the usual, bolding the new stuff from 40-11 and then breaking them down, then on to the Top Ten. So let's travel back in time to the early days of AT40's "Seacrest era."
40 - "Work It," Nelly featuring Justin Timberlake
39 - "Harder to Breathe," Maroon 5
38 - "I Miss You," Blink-182
37 - "Stand Up," Ludacris
36 - "Wat the Hook Gon Be," Murphy Lee featuring Jermaine Dupri
35 - "Through the Wire," Kanye West
34 - "Perfect," Simple Plan
33 - "Meant to Live," Switchfoot
32 - "Falls On Me," Fuel
31 - "It's My Life," No Doubt
30 - "Away from the Sun," 3 Doors Down
29 - "F.U.R.B.," Frankee
28 - "Headstrong," Trapt
27 - "Gigolo," Nick Cannon
26 - "8th World Wonder," Kimberley Locke
25 - "Hey Mama," The Black Eyed Peas
24 - "Take My Breath Away," Jessica Simpson
23 - "Here Without You," 3 Doors Down
22 - "Don't Tell Me," Avril Lavigne
21 - "Suga Suga," Baby Bash
20 - "The Reason," Hoobastank
19 - "Slow Jamz," Twista featuring Jamie Foxx and Kanye West
18 - "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," Jet
17 - "My Band," D12
16 - "Hotel," Cassidy featuring R. Kelly
15 - "Hey Ya," OutKast
14 - "Tipsy," J-Kwon
13 - "Bounce," Sarah Connor
12 - "F--- It (I Don't Want You Back)," Eamon
11 - "Someday," Nickelback
We'll start our look at the 19 newbies with four rap collaborations and one rap group. Nelly had previously worked with Justin Timbelake when he guested on N'Sync's last hit, "Girlfriend," and two years later, Timberlake returned the favor all by his lonesome. It's your basic "girl, let me watch you move that body" rap, over a sample of AC/DC's "Back in Black." Oh, and the video was shot at the Playboy mansion. An obvious choice, but sometimes it's obvious because it's right. Nelly's fellow St. Lunatic Murphy Lee teamed up with Atlanta impresario Jermaine Dupri for this track on which Mr. Lee sings a snippet of "Tomorrow" from Annie. So after Jay Z's "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," that now makes two hip-hop hits that borrow from that show about the redheaded orphan. That I know of, at least. Chicago's Twista had his only #1 with this ode to mood-setting music that namedrops Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Marvin Gaye, and several other artists. This track marks one of the first major rapping appearances from Kanye West (who was previously best known as a producer), and it also introduced the world to the singing ability of actor/comedian Jamie Foxx, who'd go on to display it further later in the year in the movie Ray. Eminem and a few of his Detroit homeboys make up D12, a group whose biggest hit to date was this track about how all the rest of the guys are overshadowed by Mr. Mathers. And they still are. And it doesn't seem like much of an injustice to me. But it's a good song. And Philadelphian Cassidy had his biggest hit with this okay number about inviting ladies up to a rented room for certain purposes. R. Kelly sings the choruses. That's really all there is to say.
Next we'll look at four rock bands. Blink-182 had their last major pop hit to date with this dark, gothy love song. Catchy in a different way than their other hits, and a worthwhile departure. San Diego Christian rockers Switchfoot had their first major hit with this hard rocker about looking for a deeper meaning in life. Not my cup of tea, but it's about as good as it can be for what it is. 3 Doors Down are back with a droney power ballad with a similar theme to "Meant to Live." But like pretty much everything they've done except "Kryptonite," it's boring and does nothing for me. And California's Hoobastank had by far their biggest hit with this big midtempo ballad about finding someone worth changing for. I found it extremely annoying, which was a problem during much of 2004, because this song became ubiquitous. And I don't know what "Hoobastank" means, but I don't think that knowledge would change my opinion that it's a profoundly stupid name.
Then we have three solo men. The aforementioned Kanye West had his first hit on his own with this song that was inspired by a 2002 car accident where he was nearly killed and had to have facial reconstruction surgery. Part of that involved having his jaw wired shut, and it was still like that two weeks after the crash when he recorded the song. His clenched delivery adds an element of poignancy to his deeply personal tale of overcoming the experience, which also includes references to Emmett Till, Tom Cruise, the movie Unbreakable, and the Toys "R" Us commercial jingle. A compelling song, and one that announced West as someone who could take rap in a different direction and still penetrate the mainstream. And because of that difference, "Through the Wire" is this week's Uneasy Rider. Former Nickelodeon star Nick Cannon made his transition to an adult career by rapping about picking up women. And there's R. Kelly again, singing the chorus. The man certainly wasn't trapped in a closet at this time. He got around. As for Cannon, he now hosts America's Got Talent and is the father of twins with wife Mariah Carey. No, I would not have predicted that. And St. Louis rapper J-Kwon had his only significant hit about drinking and picking up women in clubs. However, he wouldn't have been allowed in any such establishment at the time he recorded it, for he was only 17 at the time. That aside, its catchily silly, and notable for his pronunciation of the word "everybody."
Then we have the solo women. Staten Island's Frankee had her only major hit by portraying Eamon's ex in a song that uses the same tune and backing track as the song it answers "F--- It (I Don't Want You Back)," Her response: you wouldn't have written a song about me if you didn't still love me, but I 'm not taking you back because you were bad in bed. Thankfully, there were no further chapters to that saga. Hartsfield, Tennessee's Kimberley Locke finished third on the second season of American Idol, and she parlayed that exposure into this one hit, a slick pop-rocker about finding an extraordinary love. One of the better songs associated with that show. Jessica Simpson is here with a pointless, limp cover of Berlin's Top Gun smash. She sings prettily, but without passion. This won't cause anyone respiratory problems. Avril Lavigne is here with the first single from her second album. It's a rock song about not allowing a boy to pressure her into doing certain things just because he has certain expectations. A simple message, well-conveyed. This might be her best single. And German Sarah Lewe, who took her stage surname from Linda Hamilton's Terminator character, had her only American hit with this "get the hell out" song that heavily samples Mary J. Blige's "Family Affair." Serviceable dance-pop, nothing more.
We close our look at the new meat with two songs that soundtracked iPod commercials. The Black Eyed Peas scored their third pop hit with this dancehallish call for women to shake their backsides on the nearest dance floor. Not earthshaking, but by their Fergie-era standards, very good. And Australian rock band Jet had their biggest hit with this rave-up that I liked at first, but gradually tired of. Other than this song, this band is probably best known for releasing an album that one music website reviewed simply by posting a video of a chimp peeing into its own mouth. Well, that's certainly a unique accomplishment.
And I, for one, welcome our new Top Ten overlords.
10 - "The First Cut is the Deepest," Sheryl Crow
Crow returns from last time with this one. Still the best version as far as I'm concerned.
9 - "Come Clean," Hilary Duff
Duff's best-remembered hit is this pleasant pop song about new beginnings. This became the theme for the MTV "reality" series Laguna Beach, which led to The Hills, which made celebrities of some rather distasteful people (coughHeidicoughSpencercough). But I won't hold that agains Hilary.
8 - "Numb," Linkin Park
This song, appropriately enough, doesn't make me feel anything.
7 - "The Way You Move," OutKast
This doesn't give me anything close to an "eargasm," but I still like it.
6 - "One Call Away," Chingy
Howard Bailey, Jr.'s third hit was this song that tells the story of, surprise, the development of a serious relationship with a woman. A nice change of pace in this genre.
5 - "With You," Jessica Simpson
Airy and disposable. When she strives for nothing more than this, she's okay.
4 - "This Love," Maroon 5
And this is where they lost me. Adam Levine's nasal whine doesn't make a soul crooner to me. I guess I'm missing something though, because these guys keep cranking out hits. But I just don't get it. I'll never apologize for enjoying the shit out of "Harder to Breathe," though.
3 - "My Immortal," Evanescence
These Arkansas goth-rockers broke through early in 2003 with "Bring Me to Life," which helped power their debut album to multi-platinum sales. Their second pop Top Ten was this ballad about a soul that stays with you after death. Singer Amy Lee's voice doesn't always appeal to me, but it fits the tone of this song perfectly.
2 - "Yeah!" Usher featuring Lil' Jon and Ludacris
Mr. Raymond had his biggest hit with this club monster that features Lil' Jon on production and random interjections and a typically lascivious Luda rap verse. Just so huge it's nearly impossible to deny.
And at #1 that April week, we find...
1 - "Toxic," Britney Spears
After the somewhat disappointing performance of the Madonna duet "Me Against the Music," Brit came back strong with this musically intriguing electrodance number about a guy who's irresistable to her despite being no good for her. I'm not sure it's my favorite of hers, but I'd certainly call it the most admirably ambitious.
Next time - back to roughly corresponding weeks as we head to 2005.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Uncovered 1984
And finally, here are the songs from recent 1984 shows that I haven't gotten to yet.
11/17/1984:
9 -"All Through The Night," Cyndi Lauper
The fourth Top 5 from She's So Unusual was this dreamy midtempo ballad about finding comfort in others. It has kind of a lullaby quality to it. All in all, another reason Cyndi will always be a favorite of mine.
14 - "No More Lonely Nights," Paul McCartney
This ballad about missing someone came from the McCartney-starring musical film Give My Regards to Broad Street. The movie didn't do too well, but the soundtrack, which contained many new versions of past Sir Paul compositions, sold all right. As for this song, it's not his strongest, but probably in the upper end of his 80s hits.
#15: What About Me - Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes & James Ingram
Rogers was originally supposed to record this balladic dramatization of a love triangle with Lionel Richie and Barbra Streisand, but he ended up with these two. Probably wouldn't have turned out much differently. Meh melodrama. Mehlodrama, if you will.
#16: Cool It Now - New Edition
The Boston boy band picked up their first pop Top 40 with this bubblegum R&B track about a guy whose friends advise him to "slow his roll" with a girl he likes. But he decides not to follow this counsel. It's not quite Jackson 5-level, but Ralph Tresvant's falsetto is sweet.
#17: The War Song - Culture Club
This lead single from Boy George and co.'s third album was their lowest charting Top 40 to date. And deservedly so. It's a song with an obvious message, and it hits you over the head with it. That generally doesn't work. George was a lot of things, but Edwin Starr wasn't one of them.
#18: Sea Of Love - The Honeydrippers
The retro-rock lark of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page produced two Top 40 hits, the biggest of which was this cover of Phil Phillips' 1959 ballad. Well done, but forgettable.
#19: Wild Boys - Duran Duran
The Brit superstars were in the midst of their hottest period when they put out this tribal-sounding tune whose lyrics depict some sort of violent struggle. Wasn't a fan when it was out, but listening again, it started to grow on me.
#20: I Can't Hold Back - Survivor
The "Eye of the Tiger" guys continued their post-Rocky III career with this dramatic romance-rocker. A decent bit of corporate-rock. They had changed lead singers since "American Heartbeat," but few noticed.
#22: It Ain't Enough - Corey Hart
The Montrealer followed up "Sunglasses at Night" with this ballad about knowing that no matter what you do for a loved one, it won't be sufficient. I prefer it to his other slow ones.
#23: Walking On A Thin Line - Huey Lewis & The News
The fifth hit from the band's mega-selling Sports LP was a more serious number than their previous singles. It's about a war veteran struggling with what he did in combat and trying to cope with normal life. Certainly more effective than "The War Song."
#25: We Belong - Pat Benatar
The rock diva had the second of her two Top Fives with this atmospheric ballad about knowing you're meant to be with someone even through the more difficult times. I prefer her in rocker mode, but this is pretty and heartfelt.
#27: I Can't Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar
The Red Rocker's signature song is this lament about his inability to operate his vehicle within posted speed limits. Dumb fun.
#28: Teacher, Teacher - .38 Special
The Southern rockers recorded this surprisingly effective critique of the education system for the forgotten comedy film Teachers. To me, it's between this and "Caught Up in You" for favorite honors.
#29: Valotte - Julian Lennon
John Lennon's son with first wife Cynthia already had a place in musical history for inspiring "Hey Jude," But at 21, he began a pop career of his own with this wistful, piano-driven pop song, that made people wonder if he had an extremely small ass or just enjoyed being uncomfortable. How else to explain "sitting on a pebble by a river"? That aside, a fine song.
#31: Hello Again - The Cars
The fourth single from Heartbeat City is jittery and nonsensical, so of course it was accompanied by a video directed by Andy Warhol. And that's not a slam at either.
#32: Do What You Do - Jermaine Jackson
Michael and Janet's brother had one of his hits with this breakup ballad. Like his voice on this, but otherwise, nothing here.
#33: Girls With Guns - Tommy Shaw
The Styx guitarist had his lone solo hit with this rocker about, well, ladies with firearms. Probably as some kind of metaphor, but I'm not sure for what. Cheesily catchy. Or maybe catchily cheesy. Either way, I like it.
#34: We Are The Young - Dan Hartman
Hartman followed up "I Can Dream About You" with this dance number about being the impetuousness of youth. "Every street is an arcade of dreams," he sings. If that's true, I don't think I had enough dream quarters back then to play the really good games.
#36: Sugar Don't Bite - Sam Harris
Before American Idol and America's Got Talent, there was Star Search, the Ed McMahon hosted showcase for aspiring performers. While most of its success stories are comedians, one of the first acts to make an immediate splash was Harris, a singer who was signed to Motown after being named the show's first "Grand Champion." His only pop hit was this disco-funk tune about trying to pick someone up at a club (although what that has to do with wooden clothing, I'm not sure.) Flimsy, but oddly charming, with Harris coming off as a growlier Frankie Valli. He would go on to have a successful career on Broadway. That seems about right.
#37: I Do'Wanna Know - REO Speedwagon
REO's seventh Top 40 was this snappy little pop-rocker about romantic denial. It wasn't one of their biggest hits, but it might be my favorite. Love the organ solo. Unfortunately, it was followed immediately by that mush monster "Can't Fight This Feeling."
#38: Tears - John Waite
Waite's follow-up to the #1 "Missing You,"was this song that was originally done by Peter Criss on a post-Kiss solo album that wasn't released until fifteen years after its 1982 recording. It was co-written by Vinnie Vincent, whose time in Kiss was somewhat briefer than Criss'. As for Waite's version, it's a catchy heartbreak rocker that I liked a lot then, and I still now. I'd check out Criss' version, but as I recall, he was never much of a singer. I'll stick with John.
#39: I Need You Tonight - Peter Wolf
The ex-J. Geils Bander's second solo hit was this synth-driven cheese slice about desire that needs immediate gratification. I don't need to hear this tonight, or any other time. Beneath him.
#40: Centipede - Rebbie Jackson
The oldest and most often forgotten Jackson sibling didn't begin her music career until the age of 34, and her first single, produced and written by Michael, went straight to the Top 40. I'm not sure what's supposed to be so sexy about a hundred-legged arthropod, but it's catchy and cool. Rebbie wouldn't crack the 40 again, but still, that's one more hit than La Toya had.
12/15/1984:
#3: Like A Virgin - Madonna
Ms. Ciccone picked up the first #1 of her career with the title t.rack to her second album. Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, the team behind Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and Heart's "Alone" among other hits, it's a percolating dance-popper about going through a rough period that is ended by a relationship that makes one feel "shiny and new." Still her defining song, and the video, which involved a wedding dress, the gondolas of Venice, and a lion, provided what are still many of the images people most closely associate with her..
#14: All I Need - Jack Wagner
The artist then known as Frisco Jones on General Hospital made it all the way to #2 with this gooey ballad. Like I said before, pop radio and soap operas had something going on in the 80s.
#15: Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
The title track from the Boss' biggest album is also his most misunderstood song. While its anthemic, keyboard-driven arrangement and sloganistic refrain caused many to hear the song as an example of patriotic jingoism, the lyrics in fact tell the story of a man who ends up being sent to fight in Vietnam after he "got in a little hometown jam," and then struggles in the years after his return with unemployment, the death of his brother, and the other issues associated with being a combat veteran. Sometimes I wonder if a starker, more Nebraska-style version would have served the song better. But then, it almost certainly wouldn't have reached as many ears.
#16: Run To You - Bryan Adams
The Vancouverite's first U.S. Top Ten with urgent rocker about infidelity. Solid, catchy, well-constructed. Easily among the top two or three songs in his catalog.
#24: Understanding - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
The Styx of Detroit made their own contribution to the Teachers soundtrack with this midtempo ballad about keeping an open mind. It follows their template, but doesn't really stand out.
#27: Jamie - Ray Parker Jr.
Parker's first post-"Ghostbusters" hit was this song on which he laments the loss of his ex-girlfriend and the fact that she has the temerity to date others after "I trained her just the way I wanted her." Questionable sexual politics seem to be a theme in his music.
#31: Stranger In Town - Toto
This song, whose lyrics were based on the 1961 British film Whistle Down the Wind, tells the tale of a man wanted for murder who is hidden by a group of children who believe he's Jesus. It wasn't one of their bigger hits, but it's my favorite. Much more interesting than anything else they did.
#33: (Pride) In The Name Of Love - U2
The Irish band's first American pop hit was this now-familiar tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Simple but powerful, and featuring some of The Edge's most iconic guitar work.
#34: The Belle Of St. Mark - Sheila E.
The Prince acolyte's second hit was this funky ode to a "frail but passionate creature" that she is passionately in love with. Apparently she wrote it entirely herself, but it sounds like her mentor himself could have penned it in the same exact fashion.
#37: Tender Years - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
Cafferty and co.'s second Eddie and the Cruisers hit was this bland ballad that sounds like watered-down Springsteen. Not much at all.
#38: Bruce - Rick Springfield
From an album of 1978 recordings dug up and released to capitalize on his 80s success, this novelty rocker is about how people confuse him with Bruce Springsteen due to the similarity of their names. I'm not sure if this was ever really that much of a problem, but I enjoy this nonetheless.
#40: Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder
Wonder's second hit from the soundtrack of The Woman in Red is burbly electro-funk that doesn't quite remove the taste of "I Just Called to Say I Love You," but certainly isn't nearly as cringeworthy. And that's a significant improvement.
Next time: we push into 2004.
11/17/1984:
9 -"All Through The Night," Cyndi Lauper
The fourth Top 5 from She's So Unusual was this dreamy midtempo ballad about finding comfort in others. It has kind of a lullaby quality to it. All in all, another reason Cyndi will always be a favorite of mine.
14 - "No More Lonely Nights," Paul McCartney
This ballad about missing someone came from the McCartney-starring musical film Give My Regards to Broad Street. The movie didn't do too well, but the soundtrack, which contained many new versions of past Sir Paul compositions, sold all right. As for this song, it's not his strongest, but probably in the upper end of his 80s hits.
#15: What About Me - Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes & James Ingram
Rogers was originally supposed to record this balladic dramatization of a love triangle with Lionel Richie and Barbra Streisand, but he ended up with these two. Probably wouldn't have turned out much differently. Meh melodrama. Mehlodrama, if you will.
#16: Cool It Now - New Edition
The Boston boy band picked up their first pop Top 40 with this bubblegum R&B track about a guy whose friends advise him to "slow his roll" with a girl he likes. But he decides not to follow this counsel. It's not quite Jackson 5-level, but Ralph Tresvant's falsetto is sweet.
#17: The War Song - Culture Club
This lead single from Boy George and co.'s third album was their lowest charting Top 40 to date. And deservedly so. It's a song with an obvious message, and it hits you over the head with it. That generally doesn't work. George was a lot of things, but Edwin Starr wasn't one of them.
#18: Sea Of Love - The Honeydrippers
The retro-rock lark of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page produced two Top 40 hits, the biggest of which was this cover of Phil Phillips' 1959 ballad. Well done, but forgettable.
#19: Wild Boys - Duran Duran
The Brit superstars were in the midst of their hottest period when they put out this tribal-sounding tune whose lyrics depict some sort of violent struggle. Wasn't a fan when it was out, but listening again, it started to grow on me.
#20: I Can't Hold Back - Survivor
The "Eye of the Tiger" guys continued their post-Rocky III career with this dramatic romance-rocker. A decent bit of corporate-rock. They had changed lead singers since "American Heartbeat," but few noticed.
#22: It Ain't Enough - Corey Hart
The Montrealer followed up "Sunglasses at Night" with this ballad about knowing that no matter what you do for a loved one, it won't be sufficient. I prefer it to his other slow ones.
#23: Walking On A Thin Line - Huey Lewis & The News
The fifth hit from the band's mega-selling Sports LP was a more serious number than their previous singles. It's about a war veteran struggling with what he did in combat and trying to cope with normal life. Certainly more effective than "The War Song."
#25: We Belong - Pat Benatar
The rock diva had the second of her two Top Fives with this atmospheric ballad about knowing you're meant to be with someone even through the more difficult times. I prefer her in rocker mode, but this is pretty and heartfelt.
#27: I Can't Drive 55 - Sammy Hagar
The Red Rocker's signature song is this lament about his inability to operate his vehicle within posted speed limits. Dumb fun.
#28: Teacher, Teacher - .38 Special
The Southern rockers recorded this surprisingly effective critique of the education system for the forgotten comedy film Teachers. To me, it's between this and "Caught Up in You" for favorite honors.
#29: Valotte - Julian Lennon
John Lennon's son with first wife Cynthia already had a place in musical history for inspiring "Hey Jude," But at 21, he began a pop career of his own with this wistful, piano-driven pop song, that made people wonder if he had an extremely small ass or just enjoyed being uncomfortable. How else to explain "sitting on a pebble by a river"? That aside, a fine song.
#31: Hello Again - The Cars
The fourth single from Heartbeat City is jittery and nonsensical, so of course it was accompanied by a video directed by Andy Warhol. And that's not a slam at either.
#32: Do What You Do - Jermaine Jackson
Michael and Janet's brother had one of his hits with this breakup ballad. Like his voice on this, but otherwise, nothing here.
#33: Girls With Guns - Tommy Shaw
The Styx guitarist had his lone solo hit with this rocker about, well, ladies with firearms. Probably as some kind of metaphor, but I'm not sure for what. Cheesily catchy. Or maybe catchily cheesy. Either way, I like it.
#34: We Are The Young - Dan Hartman
Hartman followed up "I Can Dream About You" with this dance number about being the impetuousness of youth. "Every street is an arcade of dreams," he sings. If that's true, I don't think I had enough dream quarters back then to play the really good games.
#36: Sugar Don't Bite - Sam Harris
Before American Idol and America's Got Talent, there was Star Search, the Ed McMahon hosted showcase for aspiring performers. While most of its success stories are comedians, one of the first acts to make an immediate splash was Harris, a singer who was signed to Motown after being named the show's first "Grand Champion." His only pop hit was this disco-funk tune about trying to pick someone up at a club (although what that has to do with wooden clothing, I'm not sure.) Flimsy, but oddly charming, with Harris coming off as a growlier Frankie Valli. He would go on to have a successful career on Broadway. That seems about right.
#37: I Do'Wanna Know - REO Speedwagon
REO's seventh Top 40 was this snappy little pop-rocker about romantic denial. It wasn't one of their biggest hits, but it might be my favorite. Love the organ solo. Unfortunately, it was followed immediately by that mush monster "Can't Fight This Feeling."
#38: Tears - John Waite
Waite's follow-up to the #1 "Missing You,"was this song that was originally done by Peter Criss on a post-Kiss solo album that wasn't released until fifteen years after its 1982 recording. It was co-written by Vinnie Vincent, whose time in Kiss was somewhat briefer than Criss'. As for Waite's version, it's a catchy heartbreak rocker that I liked a lot then, and I still now. I'd check out Criss' version, but as I recall, he was never much of a singer. I'll stick with John.
#39: I Need You Tonight - Peter Wolf
The ex-J. Geils Bander's second solo hit was this synth-driven cheese slice about desire that needs immediate gratification. I don't need to hear this tonight, or any other time. Beneath him.
#40: Centipede - Rebbie Jackson
The oldest and most often forgotten Jackson sibling didn't begin her music career until the age of 34, and her first single, produced and written by Michael, went straight to the Top 40. I'm not sure what's supposed to be so sexy about a hundred-legged arthropod, but it's catchy and cool. Rebbie wouldn't crack the 40 again, but still, that's one more hit than La Toya had.
12/15/1984:
#3: Like A Virgin - Madonna
Ms. Ciccone picked up the first #1 of her career with the title t.rack to her second album. Written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, the team behind Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and Heart's "Alone" among other hits, it's a percolating dance-popper about going through a rough period that is ended by a relationship that makes one feel "shiny and new." Still her defining song, and the video, which involved a wedding dress, the gondolas of Venice, and a lion, provided what are still many of the images people most closely associate with her..
#14: All I Need - Jack Wagner
The artist then known as Frisco Jones on General Hospital made it all the way to #2 with this gooey ballad. Like I said before, pop radio and soap operas had something going on in the 80s.
#15: Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
The title track from the Boss' biggest album is also his most misunderstood song. While its anthemic, keyboard-driven arrangement and sloganistic refrain caused many to hear the song as an example of patriotic jingoism, the lyrics in fact tell the story of a man who ends up being sent to fight in Vietnam after he "got in a little hometown jam," and then struggles in the years after his return with unemployment, the death of his brother, and the other issues associated with being a combat veteran. Sometimes I wonder if a starker, more Nebraska-style version would have served the song better. But then, it almost certainly wouldn't have reached as many ears.
#16: Run To You - Bryan Adams
The Vancouverite's first U.S. Top Ten with urgent rocker about infidelity. Solid, catchy, well-constructed. Easily among the top two or three songs in his catalog.
#24: Understanding - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
The Styx of Detroit made their own contribution to the Teachers soundtrack with this midtempo ballad about keeping an open mind. It follows their template, but doesn't really stand out.
#27: Jamie - Ray Parker Jr.
Parker's first post-"Ghostbusters" hit was this song on which he laments the loss of his ex-girlfriend and the fact that she has the temerity to date others after "I trained her just the way I wanted her." Questionable sexual politics seem to be a theme in his music.
#31: Stranger In Town - Toto
This song, whose lyrics were based on the 1961 British film Whistle Down the Wind, tells the tale of a man wanted for murder who is hidden by a group of children who believe he's Jesus. It wasn't one of their bigger hits, but it's my favorite. Much more interesting than anything else they did.
#33: (Pride) In The Name Of Love - U2
The Irish band's first American pop hit was this now-familiar tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. Simple but powerful, and featuring some of The Edge's most iconic guitar work.
#34: The Belle Of St. Mark - Sheila E.
The Prince acolyte's second hit was this funky ode to a "frail but passionate creature" that she is passionately in love with. Apparently she wrote it entirely herself, but it sounds like her mentor himself could have penned it in the same exact fashion.
#37: Tender Years - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
Cafferty and co.'s second Eddie and the Cruisers hit was this bland ballad that sounds like watered-down Springsteen. Not much at all.
#38: Bruce - Rick Springfield
From an album of 1978 recordings dug up and released to capitalize on his 80s success, this novelty rocker is about how people confuse him with Bruce Springsteen due to the similarity of their names. I'm not sure if this was ever really that much of a problem, but I enjoy this nonetheless.
#40: Love Light In Flight - Stevie Wonder
Wonder's second hit from the soundtrack of The Woman in Red is burbly electro-funk that doesn't quite remove the taste of "I Just Called to Say I Love You," but certainly isn't nearly as cringeworthy. And that's a significant improvement.
Next time: we push into 2004.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Uncovered from the 80s - Part Two
Okay, time machine fixed and recalibrated. Let's pick up where we left off before the jump.
12/12/1981
27 - "Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight," Eddie Rabbitt
The New Jersey country star (still have a hard time typing that phrase) had his final pop Top 20 with this rockabilly-tinged number about emotions getting out of control during physical intimacy. I'd forgotten about this one, but it's pretty good.
35 - "Under Pressure," Queen & David Bowie
This summit of dynamic rock singers might be better known for providing the bass hook for Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" these days, but in its original form, it's a powerful song about watching out for one another to make sure the stresses of life don't break us. Brilliant.
37 - "She's Got a Way," Billy Joel
This ballad that dates back to Joel's 1971 debut album hit the charts a decade later in a live version. A love song that he himself labelled "cornball," but it's pretty and sweet. I like it well enough.
38 - "Wrack My Brain," Ringo Starr
The funny Beatle's last Top 40 was this whimsical pop-rocker written by George Harrison. Not really sure what the lyrics are about, but it's a fun little song.
40 - "Castles In The Air," Don McLean
McLean first released this song in 1970, and it became a minor adult-contemporary hit just before "American Pie" made him famous. Eleven years later, he re-recorded it, and it became his last Top 40 hit. It's a gentle folk song about leaving a lover because he doesn't want to live her big-city lifestyle anymore, hoping to eventually take "a country woman for my wife." A solid song.
10/30/1982
23 - "American Heartbeat," Survivor
The Chicago band followed up the blockbuster success of "Eye of the Tiger" with an attempted anthem about doing things at night or something. No real message, no real hook, no big deal.
34 - "Get Closer," Linda Ronstadt
Ronstadt's fourth hit of the decade was this catchy pop-rocker that advises those in search of affection to increase their proximity to the object of same. Good song, but her commercial fortunes were fading. However, she turned those around next year with her album of big band jazz standards, What's New.
37 - "I Need You," Paul Carrack
The British singer had been a member of the bands Ace, Roxy Music, and Squeeze when he scored his first American solo hit with this R&B-styled number that features lines that sort-of-make-sense-but-don't-really like "I need you like a pool needs a cue" and "I need you like a shot needs to shoot." I enjoy that, in an offbeat way.
38 - "Young Love," Air Supply
The Australian AC superduo broke their string of seven straight U.S. Top Fives with this one, which didn't get any higher than its spot this week. Their sappy balladry just wasn't cutting it anymore. We all know what happened next, don't we. Jim Steinman to the rescue!
12/18/1982
31 - "I Do," The J. Geils Band
The Boston rockers followed up the huge success of the Freeze-Frame LP with a live album called Showtime!, which produced this rollicking cover of a 1965 R&B hit by The Marvelows. Sadly, it would be the band's last hit. Singer Peter Wolf left soon left, and the group released one more flop album before calling it quits. They've reunited a few times for live shows, but they haven't made a record in over 25 years.
33 - "Love In Store," Fleetwood Mac
The Mac's third hit from the album Mirage was this uptempo Christine McVie love song in the vein of "Say You Love Me" and "You Make Loving Fun." Not as good as either of those, though.
38 - "Heart Of The Night," Juice Newton
The Juice's sixth pop hit was this midtempo pop song about a couple "stealing love on the run." A little more urgent and edgy than her earlier hits, but apparently this didn't please listeners, because it became her lowest charting single since her big run began with "Angel of The Morning." It might have deserved a slightly better fate.
11/12/1983
29 - Ain't Nobody," Rufus and Chaka Khan
Chaka's last hit with the band she broke through with was this funk-rocker about finding true love. Just grooving goodness.
30 - "In A Big Country," Big Country
The only American hit by this band from Dunfermline, Scotland was this rock anthem about hanging on to your dreams come what may. Among the many things about this song I like is how they made the guitars sound like bagpipes. And you haven't lived until you've sang it accompanied only by piano with a class full of seventh-graders. Or was it eighth?
35 - "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes," Asia
The last pop Top 40 by this prog supergroup was this dull breakup power ballad. A huge drop from the awesomeness that is "Heat of the Moment."
36 "Souls," Rick Springfield
The Springer added to his 80s hit count with this typical rocker about two people falling in love against all odds. The video's kind of fun in a dated way, with the pretentiousness of its museum motif offset by the tackiness of the one band members bright red keytar.
39 - "My Town," The Michael Stanley Band
This Cleveland band had their second and final Top 40 with this meat-and-potatoes rocker about civic pride. Basically, they come off like a better vercion of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
Next time - Because it had enough lefovers all by itself, we'll tackle 1984
12/12/1981
27 - "Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight," Eddie Rabbitt
The New Jersey country star (still have a hard time typing that phrase) had his final pop Top 20 with this rockabilly-tinged number about emotions getting out of control during physical intimacy. I'd forgotten about this one, but it's pretty good.
35 - "Under Pressure," Queen & David Bowie
This summit of dynamic rock singers might be better known for providing the bass hook for Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" these days, but in its original form, it's a powerful song about watching out for one another to make sure the stresses of life don't break us. Brilliant.
37 - "She's Got a Way," Billy Joel
This ballad that dates back to Joel's 1971 debut album hit the charts a decade later in a live version. A love song that he himself labelled "cornball," but it's pretty and sweet. I like it well enough.
38 - "Wrack My Brain," Ringo Starr
The funny Beatle's last Top 40 was this whimsical pop-rocker written by George Harrison. Not really sure what the lyrics are about, but it's a fun little song.
40 - "Castles In The Air," Don McLean
McLean first released this song in 1970, and it became a minor adult-contemporary hit just before "American Pie" made him famous. Eleven years later, he re-recorded it, and it became his last Top 40 hit. It's a gentle folk song about leaving a lover because he doesn't want to live her big-city lifestyle anymore, hoping to eventually take "a country woman for my wife." A solid song.
10/30/1982
23 - "American Heartbeat," Survivor
The Chicago band followed up the blockbuster success of "Eye of the Tiger" with an attempted anthem about doing things at night or something. No real message, no real hook, no big deal.
34 - "Get Closer," Linda Ronstadt
Ronstadt's fourth hit of the decade was this catchy pop-rocker that advises those in search of affection to increase their proximity to the object of same. Good song, but her commercial fortunes were fading. However, she turned those around next year with her album of big band jazz standards, What's New.
37 - "I Need You," Paul Carrack
The British singer had been a member of the bands Ace, Roxy Music, and Squeeze when he scored his first American solo hit with this R&B-styled number that features lines that sort-of-make-sense-but-don't-really like "I need you like a pool needs a cue" and "I need you like a shot needs to shoot." I enjoy that, in an offbeat way.
38 - "Young Love," Air Supply
The Australian AC superduo broke their string of seven straight U.S. Top Fives with this one, which didn't get any higher than its spot this week. Their sappy balladry just wasn't cutting it anymore. We all know what happened next, don't we. Jim Steinman to the rescue!
12/18/1982
31 - "I Do," The J. Geils Band
The Boston rockers followed up the huge success of the Freeze-Frame LP with a live album called Showtime!, which produced this rollicking cover of a 1965 R&B hit by The Marvelows. Sadly, it would be the band's last hit. Singer Peter Wolf left soon left, and the group released one more flop album before calling it quits. They've reunited a few times for live shows, but they haven't made a record in over 25 years.
33 - "Love In Store," Fleetwood Mac
The Mac's third hit from the album Mirage was this uptempo Christine McVie love song in the vein of "Say You Love Me" and "You Make Loving Fun." Not as good as either of those, though.
38 - "Heart Of The Night," Juice Newton
The Juice's sixth pop hit was this midtempo pop song about a couple "stealing love on the run." A little more urgent and edgy than her earlier hits, but apparently this didn't please listeners, because it became her lowest charting single since her big run began with "Angel of The Morning." It might have deserved a slightly better fate.
11/12/1983
29 - Ain't Nobody," Rufus and Chaka Khan
Chaka's last hit with the band she broke through with was this funk-rocker about finding true love. Just grooving goodness.
30 - "In A Big Country," Big Country
The only American hit by this band from Dunfermline, Scotland was this rock anthem about hanging on to your dreams come what may. Among the many things about this song I like is how they made the guitars sound like bagpipes. And you haven't lived until you've sang it accompanied only by piano with a class full of seventh-graders. Or was it eighth?
35 - "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes," Asia
The last pop Top 40 by this prog supergroup was this dull breakup power ballad. A huge drop from the awesomeness that is "Heat of the Moment."
36 "Souls," Rick Springfield
The Springer added to his 80s hit count with this typical rocker about two people falling in love against all odds. The video's kind of fun in a dated way, with the pretentiousness of its museum motif offset by the tackiness of the one band members bright red keytar.
39 - "My Town," The Michael Stanley Band
This Cleveland band had their second and final Top 40 with this meat-and-potatoes rocker about civic pride. Basically, they come off like a better vercion of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.
Next time - Because it had enough lefovers all by itself, we'll tackle 1984
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Uncovered from the 80s - Part One
At last, we move on to the 80s leftovers. There are quite a few, and one year in particular has enough to merit its own entry (or two, TBD), but we'll never finish if we don't start, so here goes.
11/1/1980
30 - "Without Your Love," Roger Daltrey
Shortly after his Who bandmate Townshend scored his biggest solo hit with "Let My Love Open the Door," Daltrey had his sole U.S. Top 40 with this ballad from the soundtrack of McVicar, a film in which he played a real-life British bank robber. A sweet song of devotion and dependence.
31 - "Never Be The Same," Christopher Cross
Cross' follow-up to the #1 "Sailing" was this uptempo MOR track about a lost, life-altering love. Basic waiting-room music, perfect for leafing through old magazines while awaiting the results of your blood work.
35 - "I'm Happy That Love Has Found You," Jimmy Hall
The former lead singer of Southern rockers Wet Willie had his thonly solo Top 40 with a song about being happy for a woman finding the love of her life...him. That`s not usually how these songs go, and that's the most interseting thing about his slick, boring lite-popper.
36 - "You Shook Me All Night Long ," AC/DC
This Australian hard rock band had broken through in America the previous year with the Highway to Hell LP. Then in early 1980, lead singer Bon Scott died after a night of drinking, and the group considered breaking up. But instead, the band hired a new singer, Brian Johnson, and recorded a new album called Back in Black. This record became one of the biggest sellers of all time, and the first single, this grinding ode to raucous sex with a "fast machine" who "kept her motor clean" became the band's first U.S. Top 40. I probably don't have to say much more, because most of you who are reading this can probably identify the song upon simply hearing that first note.
39 - "Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)," Waylon Jennings
The country legend had his biggest pop hit with the title song to the popular action-comedy series that followed Georgia cousins Bo and Luke Duke as they foiled Boss Hogg and Sherriff Rosco P. Coltrane, often with the help of their Uncle Jesse and their cutoff-clad cousin Daisy. Jennings also narrated the adventures of these "two modern-day Robin Hoods." Yee-haw.
40 - "Sometimes A Fantasy," Billy Joel
The fourth hit from Joel's Glass Houses LP was this jittery rocker on which Billy describes having what is now called "phone sex." I liked the song better before I realized that. Still, pretty good.
10/17/1981
20 - "Say Goodbye To Hollywood," Billy Joel
Billy again, this time with a live version of a song he first recorded in 1976. It's a song about leaving Los Angeles whose sound was inspired by Phil Spector productions like The Ronettes' "Be My Baby." One of his better hits.
24 - "She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)," Carl Carlton
Eight years after cracking the Top Ten with "Everlasting Love," Carlton picked up a second hit with a funky ode to a woman who has "all the curves that men like." It also helped add "mama jama" to the lexicon of swear-word substitutes, alongside such favorites as "dadgum," "freaking," and the more recent "shut the front door."
29 - "Atlanta Lady," Marty Balin
The former member of Jeffersons Airplane and Starship had his second solo hit with the slice of plain white milquetoast about a woman from the capital of Georgia. There's just nothing about this.
32 - "He's A Liar," The Bee Gees
As the 70s ended and disco declined, people wondered what direction the Gibbs would take on their first eighties recordings. Their first single of the decade saw them going in a more pop-rock direction on this song that seems to be about a guy who gets roughed up by his ex's new man. I think that's it. The minor chords and the menacing delivery of the title phrase were clearly meant to give them an edgier sound, but it isn't very convincing, and the single failed to get past #30. The group's commercial low point.
33 - "Alien," Atlanta Rhythm Section
The band on the milder end of the Southern rock spectrum had its last Top 40 hit with a song about feeling alone and isolated from the world. Nothing earth-shaking, but a nice little song about a state we can all relate to.
37 - "Sausalito Summernight," Diesel
This Dutch band had their only major American success with this Steve Millerish rocker about an ill-starred California road trip. One of the stronger hits to emerge from my father's homeland.
39 - "In The Dark," Billy Squier
Squier's follow-up to "The Stroke" was this synth-laden rock song about trying to reunite with an old lover. I'm pretty sure that's it. Meh, you're better off just listenting to "The Stroke" again.
40 - "Burnin' For You," Blue Oyster Cult
The second and last hit for these Long Island rockers was this song about lust, decorated with some darker imagery like "living for giving the Devil his due." Not quite "Don't Fear the Reaper," but a solid classic rock staple.
Uh oh, a sudden unexpected wrinkle in the space-time continuum had zapped us ahead to...
11/22/1986
26 - "What About Love," 'Til Tuesday
The second and last Top 40 for these Bostonians was this midtempo rumination on a lover's emotional unavailability. A step down from "Voices Carry," to be sure. But Aimee Mann would go on to work better in this vein on her own.
39 - "Welcome To The Boomtown," David & David
Messrs. Baerwald and Ricketts, singer-songwriters with identical Christian names, recorded just one album together, and it spawned this hypnotic, compelling rock song that introduces two characters: Christina, a sportscar-driving, cocaine-abusing jet setter; and Kevin, a college dropout who now deals drugs out of a Denny's restaurant. We don't learn much about either of them beyond that, except for when the bridge seems to tell of Christina's death ("The ambulance arrived too late/I guess she didn't want to wait.") But even with this dearth of detail, the song is a vivid, chilling portrait of those who succumb to the world's darker temptations. "Pick a habit, we got plenty to go around," Baerwald sings. A solid entry in my 80s Top 100.
In Part Two: hopefully I'll successfully dial the time machine back to finish '81, and we'll go from there.
11/1/1980
30 - "Without Your Love," Roger Daltrey
Shortly after his Who bandmate Townshend scored his biggest solo hit with "Let My Love Open the Door," Daltrey had his sole U.S. Top 40 with this ballad from the soundtrack of McVicar, a film in which he played a real-life British bank robber. A sweet song of devotion and dependence.
31 - "Never Be The Same," Christopher Cross
Cross' follow-up to the #1 "Sailing" was this uptempo MOR track about a lost, life-altering love. Basic waiting-room music, perfect for leafing through old magazines while awaiting the results of your blood work.
35 - "I'm Happy That Love Has Found You," Jimmy Hall
The former lead singer of Southern rockers Wet Willie had his thonly solo Top 40 with a song about being happy for a woman finding the love of her life...him. That`s not usually how these songs go, and that's the most interseting thing about his slick, boring lite-popper.
36 - "You Shook Me All Night Long ," AC/DC
This Australian hard rock band had broken through in America the previous year with the Highway to Hell LP. Then in early 1980, lead singer Bon Scott died after a night of drinking, and the group considered breaking up. But instead, the band hired a new singer, Brian Johnson, and recorded a new album called Back in Black. This record became one of the biggest sellers of all time, and the first single, this grinding ode to raucous sex with a "fast machine" who "kept her motor clean" became the band's first U.S. Top 40. I probably don't have to say much more, because most of you who are reading this can probably identify the song upon simply hearing that first note.
39 - "Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)," Waylon Jennings
The country legend had his biggest pop hit with the title song to the popular action-comedy series that followed Georgia cousins Bo and Luke Duke as they foiled Boss Hogg and Sherriff Rosco P. Coltrane, often with the help of their Uncle Jesse and their cutoff-clad cousin Daisy. Jennings also narrated the adventures of these "two modern-day Robin Hoods." Yee-haw.
40 - "Sometimes A Fantasy," Billy Joel
The fourth hit from Joel's Glass Houses LP was this jittery rocker on which Billy describes having what is now called "phone sex." I liked the song better before I realized that. Still, pretty good.
10/17/1981
20 - "Say Goodbye To Hollywood," Billy Joel
Billy again, this time with a live version of a song he first recorded in 1976. It's a song about leaving Los Angeles whose sound was inspired by Phil Spector productions like The Ronettes' "Be My Baby." One of his better hits.
24 - "She's A Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)," Carl Carlton
Eight years after cracking the Top Ten with "Everlasting Love," Carlton picked up a second hit with a funky ode to a woman who has "all the curves that men like." It also helped add "mama jama" to the lexicon of swear-word substitutes, alongside such favorites as "dadgum," "freaking," and the more recent "shut the front door."
29 - "Atlanta Lady," Marty Balin
The former member of Jeffersons Airplane and Starship had his second solo hit with the slice of plain white milquetoast about a woman from the capital of Georgia. There's just nothing about this.
32 - "He's A Liar," The Bee Gees
As the 70s ended and disco declined, people wondered what direction the Gibbs would take on their first eighties recordings. Their first single of the decade saw them going in a more pop-rock direction on this song that seems to be about a guy who gets roughed up by his ex's new man. I think that's it. The minor chords and the menacing delivery of the title phrase were clearly meant to give them an edgier sound, but it isn't very convincing, and the single failed to get past #30. The group's commercial low point.
33 - "Alien," Atlanta Rhythm Section
The band on the milder end of the Southern rock spectrum had its last Top 40 hit with a song about feeling alone and isolated from the world. Nothing earth-shaking, but a nice little song about a state we can all relate to.
37 - "Sausalito Summernight," Diesel
This Dutch band had their only major American success with this Steve Millerish rocker about an ill-starred California road trip. One of the stronger hits to emerge from my father's homeland.
39 - "In The Dark," Billy Squier
Squier's follow-up to "The Stroke" was this synth-laden rock song about trying to reunite with an old lover. I'm pretty sure that's it. Meh, you're better off just listenting to "The Stroke" again.
40 - "Burnin' For You," Blue Oyster Cult
The second and last hit for these Long Island rockers was this song about lust, decorated with some darker imagery like "living for giving the Devil his due." Not quite "Don't Fear the Reaper," but a solid classic rock staple.
Uh oh, a sudden unexpected wrinkle in the space-time continuum had zapped us ahead to...
11/22/1986
26 - "What About Love," 'Til Tuesday
The second and last Top 40 for these Bostonians was this midtempo rumination on a lover's emotional unavailability. A step down from "Voices Carry," to be sure. But Aimee Mann would go on to work better in this vein on her own.
39 - "Welcome To The Boomtown," David & David
Messrs. Baerwald and Ricketts, singer-songwriters with identical Christian names, recorded just one album together, and it spawned this hypnotic, compelling rock song that introduces two characters: Christina, a sportscar-driving, cocaine-abusing jet setter; and Kevin, a college dropout who now deals drugs out of a Denny's restaurant. We don't learn much about either of them beyond that, except for when the bridge seems to tell of Christina's death ("The ambulance arrived too late/I guess she didn't want to wait.") But even with this dearth of detail, the song is a vivid, chilling portrait of those who succumb to the world's darker temptations. "Pick a habit, we got plenty to go around," Baerwald sings. A solid entry in my 80s Top 100.
In Part Two: hopefully I'll successfully dial the time machine back to finish '81, and we'll go from there.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Uncovered from the 70s - Part Two
The rest of the untold story of the 1970s.
12/9/1978
31 - "Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls," Queen
Freddie and the boys had one of those "double-sided" hits with this pair of rock staples. On one side, he sings the praises of two-wheeled, foot-powered vehicles while expressing his displeasure with two then-recent blockbuster films ("Jaws was never my scene, and I don't like Star Wars."), On the other, he celebrates the charms of ladies with ample posteriors, who he says "make the rocking world go round." Both songs make references to the other in their lyrics, which is a nice touch. An even nicer touch was hiring 65 models to ride bicycles nude for the video for the former song. Never let it be said that Queen did anything half-assed.
33 - "Run For Home," Lindisfarne
These folkies from Newcastle, England had their only American hit with this string-laden pop song that basically says there's no place like the place you come from. It's all right, and the singer sounds a bit like Elton John, but nothing spectacular.
36 - "There'll Never Be," Switch
This Ohio R&B band featured siblings Bobby and Tommy DeBarge, whose younger siblings would follow in their footsteps and sign to Motown. This band's only pop hit is basically an Earth Wind and Fire knockoff ballad. Not much.
37 - "Instant Replay," Dan Hartman
The former bassist for the Edgar Winter Group had his first solo hit with this number about love so good it should be immediately repeated. If you were to try and find a solid, basic example of what the disco genre was to play for someone who'd never heard of it, this would be a good choice. A nice base to build upon with the better stuff.
38 - "Can You Fool," Glen Campbell
The country superstar's last pop Top 40 was this ballad about not being able to forget a lost love no matter what you do. High-quality MOR.
39 - "My Best Friend's Girl," The Cars
The second hit by the Boston New Wave stars was this jittery rocker on which Ric Ocasek laments that his buddy's girlfriend "used to be mine." I'm not sure how "nuclear boots" and a :"drip-dry glove" make a woman attractive, but obviously they do it for Ric.
7/14/1979
37 - "Minute By Minute," The Doobie Brothers
The follow-up to the massive "What a Fool Believes" was this slow, soulful tune about hanging on one moment at a time after a devastating breakup. This is definitely not what the original Doobies were about, but still, it's very good for what it is.
10/20/1979
36 -"Found A Cure," Ashford & Simpson
Five years before their biggest pop hit, "Solid," this husband and wife songwriting duo cracked the pop charts for the first time with this disco number about love being a remedy for heartache. That message is about as groundbreaking as the song, which is to say not very.
38 - "Fins," Jimmy Buffett
The lead Parrothead's last pop Top 40 was this about a woman being pursued by men, whom Jimmy compares to sharks circling prey. Catchy, but kinda silly.
11/17/1979
14 - "Send One Your Love," Stevie Wonder
Stevie's last Top Five hit of the 70s was this pretty ballad that advises lovers to express their affection for one another by, as the old slogan went, "saying it with flowers." A dozen roses, to be specific. This was the only hit from one of Stevie's odder projects, the soundtrack to a documentary called The Secret Life of Plants. The man was never afraid to try something different.
21 - "Ladies' Night," Kool & The Gang
The first, and probably best, hit of the band's poppier incarnation was this disco ode to those special evenings at clubs when women are given discounts on drinks. Apparently, some jurisdictions are outlawing this practice, classifying it as unlawful gender discrimination. Oh well, at least they can't outlaw the funk.
24 -"Cool Change," The Little River Band
At last, the LRB song I dislike above all others. It was an MOR sailing song a year before Christopher Cross did one, but as much as his sucks, at least it doesn't try to pull off a line like "the albatross and the whales, they are my brothers" with a straight face. I would now like to apologize to Three Dog Night for ever mentioning them in the same sentence as these guys. They were just awful.
27 - "Dream Police," Cheap Trick
The Illinois band's first Top 40 hit not recorded live during a concert in Japan was this paranoid rave-up about "those men inside my brain" who want to arrest Robin Zander for the things he fantasizes about at night. Fantastic power-pop, with brilliant use of strings. Simply a classic. "Surrender" might be just a bit better, but that only hit #62.
28 - "Half The Way," Crystal Gayle
The final solo pop hit for Loretta Lynn's li'l sis was this.none-too-country pop tune with somewhat suggestive lyrics like "fill me up to the top, oh, don't you stop till I'm overflowing." Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but I think I'm somewhere in the ballpark.
30 - "Dreaming," Blondie
The third Top 40 by Debbie Harry and the boys was this pop-rocker that's kind of the opposite of "Dream Police," in that it celebrates the joys of reverie, in part because "dreaming is free." I love all of their hits, but I think I just might love this a touch more than the others.
31 - "Victim Of Love," Elton John
Just before this, Sir Elton had experimented with Philly soul on "Mama Can't Buy You Love," but with this track and the album it came from of the same name, he went full-on disco. You'd think the genre's innate flamboyance would fit him like a pair of oversized sunglasses. It didn't. This isn't great, but it's a masterpiece compared to his disco cover of "Johnny B. Goode." That is the definition of a Thing That Shouldn't Be.
32 - "Better Love Next Time," Dr. Hook
The once-cool interpreters of Shel Silverstein in the midst of their run as disco playlist-fillers. No wonder Sylvia Avery dumped you, Doc.
33 - "I Want You Tonight," Pablo Cruise
The wuss-rock machine had their penultimate Top 40 hit with this hunk of lite disco. I don't know who's going to save you guys, but it won't be me.
35 - "I Need A Lover," John Cougar
This song, written by Mr. Mellencamp himself, was first a hit in Australia, then it was released in America when a cover version by Pat Benatar began getting airplay on rock radio. It's a Springsteenesque number about wanting "some girl to thrill me and then go away." He'd do better in the future, but the raw talent is easily recognizable.
37 - "Confusion," Electric Light Orchestra
Jeff Lynne and his bandmates noodle with synthesizers and sing about feeling lost and alone. One of their lesser works.
38 - "Damned If I Do," The Alan Parsons Project
The British proggers had their third U.S. hit with this song about the only paradox Bart Simpson could think of when the teacher of that gifted class he cheated his way into asked him for one. It comes from Eve, which was apparently a concept album about the struggles of women. From Poe to robots to the Pyramids to...feminism? I guess the progression made sense to them.
40: "We Don't Talk Anymore," Cliff Richard
The British institution scored his second U.S. Top Ten with this synth-disco breakup song. Apparently, this was one of the videos played on the first hour of MTV's existence. I'm not sure how excited I'd have been about this new channel if one of the first things it played was Sir Cliff, with his feathered hair and rainbow-trimmed blue T-shirt, ankle deep in dry ice. Funny to think that in a roundabout way, that paved the way for Teen Mom.
Next time: I climb the mountain of untouched 80s hits.
12/9/1978
31 - "Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls," Queen
Freddie and the boys had one of those "double-sided" hits with this pair of rock staples. On one side, he sings the praises of two-wheeled, foot-powered vehicles while expressing his displeasure with two then-recent blockbuster films ("Jaws was never my scene, and I don't like Star Wars."), On the other, he celebrates the charms of ladies with ample posteriors, who he says "make the rocking world go round." Both songs make references to the other in their lyrics, which is a nice touch. An even nicer touch was hiring 65 models to ride bicycles nude for the video for the former song. Never let it be said that Queen did anything half-assed.
33 - "Run For Home," Lindisfarne
These folkies from Newcastle, England had their only American hit with this string-laden pop song that basically says there's no place like the place you come from. It's all right, and the singer sounds a bit like Elton John, but nothing spectacular.
36 - "There'll Never Be," Switch
This Ohio R&B band featured siblings Bobby and Tommy DeBarge, whose younger siblings would follow in their footsteps and sign to Motown. This band's only pop hit is basically an Earth Wind and Fire knockoff ballad. Not much.
37 - "Instant Replay," Dan Hartman
The former bassist for the Edgar Winter Group had his first solo hit with this number about love so good it should be immediately repeated. If you were to try and find a solid, basic example of what the disco genre was to play for someone who'd never heard of it, this would be a good choice. A nice base to build upon with the better stuff.
38 - "Can You Fool," Glen Campbell
The country superstar's last pop Top 40 was this ballad about not being able to forget a lost love no matter what you do. High-quality MOR.
39 - "My Best Friend's Girl," The Cars
The second hit by the Boston New Wave stars was this jittery rocker on which Ric Ocasek laments that his buddy's girlfriend "used to be mine." I'm not sure how "nuclear boots" and a :"drip-dry glove" make a woman attractive, but obviously they do it for Ric.
7/14/1979
37 - "Minute By Minute," The Doobie Brothers
The follow-up to the massive "What a Fool Believes" was this slow, soulful tune about hanging on one moment at a time after a devastating breakup. This is definitely not what the original Doobies were about, but still, it's very good for what it is.
10/20/1979
36 -"Found A Cure," Ashford & Simpson
Five years before their biggest pop hit, "Solid," this husband and wife songwriting duo cracked the pop charts for the first time with this disco number about love being a remedy for heartache. That message is about as groundbreaking as the song, which is to say not very.
38 - "Fins," Jimmy Buffett
The lead Parrothead's last pop Top 40 was this about a woman being pursued by men, whom Jimmy compares to sharks circling prey. Catchy, but kinda silly.
11/17/1979
14 - "Send One Your Love," Stevie Wonder
Stevie's last Top Five hit of the 70s was this pretty ballad that advises lovers to express their affection for one another by, as the old slogan went, "saying it with flowers." A dozen roses, to be specific. This was the only hit from one of Stevie's odder projects, the soundtrack to a documentary called The Secret Life of Plants. The man was never afraid to try something different.
21 - "Ladies' Night," Kool & The Gang
The first, and probably best, hit of the band's poppier incarnation was this disco ode to those special evenings at clubs when women are given discounts on drinks. Apparently, some jurisdictions are outlawing this practice, classifying it as unlawful gender discrimination. Oh well, at least they can't outlaw the funk.
24 -"Cool Change," The Little River Band
At last, the LRB song I dislike above all others. It was an MOR sailing song a year before Christopher Cross did one, but as much as his sucks, at least it doesn't try to pull off a line like "the albatross and the whales, they are my brothers" with a straight face. I would now like to apologize to Three Dog Night for ever mentioning them in the same sentence as these guys. They were just awful.
27 - "Dream Police," Cheap Trick
The Illinois band's first Top 40 hit not recorded live during a concert in Japan was this paranoid rave-up about "those men inside my brain" who want to arrest Robin Zander for the things he fantasizes about at night. Fantastic power-pop, with brilliant use of strings. Simply a classic. "Surrender" might be just a bit better, but that only hit #62.
28 - "Half The Way," Crystal Gayle
The final solo pop hit for Loretta Lynn's li'l sis was this.none-too-country pop tune with somewhat suggestive lyrics like "fill me up to the top, oh, don't you stop till I'm overflowing." Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but I think I'm somewhere in the ballpark.
30 - "Dreaming," Blondie
The third Top 40 by Debbie Harry and the boys was this pop-rocker that's kind of the opposite of "Dream Police," in that it celebrates the joys of reverie, in part because "dreaming is free." I love all of their hits, but I think I just might love this a touch more than the others.
31 - "Victim Of Love," Elton John
Just before this, Sir Elton had experimented with Philly soul on "Mama Can't Buy You Love," but with this track and the album it came from of the same name, he went full-on disco. You'd think the genre's innate flamboyance would fit him like a pair of oversized sunglasses. It didn't. This isn't great, but it's a masterpiece compared to his disco cover of "Johnny B. Goode." That is the definition of a Thing That Shouldn't Be.
32 - "Better Love Next Time," Dr. Hook
The once-cool interpreters of Shel Silverstein in the midst of their run as disco playlist-fillers. No wonder Sylvia Avery dumped you, Doc.
33 - "I Want You Tonight," Pablo Cruise
The wuss-rock machine had their penultimate Top 40 hit with this hunk of lite disco. I don't know who's going to save you guys, but it won't be me.
35 - "I Need A Lover," John Cougar
This song, written by Mr. Mellencamp himself, was first a hit in Australia, then it was released in America when a cover version by Pat Benatar began getting airplay on rock radio. It's a Springsteenesque number about wanting "some girl to thrill me and then go away." He'd do better in the future, but the raw talent is easily recognizable.
37 - "Confusion," Electric Light Orchestra
Jeff Lynne and his bandmates noodle with synthesizers and sing about feeling lost and alone. One of their lesser works.
38 - "Damned If I Do," The Alan Parsons Project
The British proggers had their third U.S. hit with this song about the only paradox Bart Simpson could think of when the teacher of that gifted class he cheated his way into asked him for one. It comes from Eve, which was apparently a concept album about the struggles of women. From Poe to robots to the Pyramids to...feminism? I guess the progression made sense to them.
40: "We Don't Talk Anymore," Cliff Richard
The British institution scored his second U.S. Top Ten with this synth-disco breakup song. Apparently, this was one of the videos played on the first hour of MTV's existence. I'm not sure how excited I'd have been about this new channel if one of the first things it played was Sir Cliff, with his feathered hair and rainbow-trimmed blue T-shirt, ankle deep in dry ice. Funny to think that in a roundabout way, that paved the way for Teen Mom.
Next time: I climb the mountain of untouched 80s hits.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Uncovered from the 70s - Part One
For the last couple of months, as I've been devoting this thing to the 90s and beyond, I have been lax in covering songs from the weekly re-airs of 70s and 80s shows. I had always planned on coming back to them at some point, and now, that time has arrived. My friend and unofficial consultant Jimmy Delach has compiled a list of songs from those shows that I haven't covered in the past, and to my surprise, there's over 100 of them between the two decades. So let's start this game of catch-up by starting right at the beginning of the seventies.
9/19/1970
38 - "Everything's Tuesday," The Chairmen Of The Board
These Detroit soulsters, best known for "Give Me Just a Little More Time," managed three other Top 40 hits, including this sunny hit about a girl named after a day of the week. I know Tuesday Weld, but have there been any others?
10/16/1971
36 -"You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk)," The 8th Day
Here's the story. In 1970, the group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) had a hit with the song "Somebody's Been Sleeping." Around the same time, however, radio stations were playing another of the band's songs, "She's Not Just Another Woman." But their label didn't want to hurt the current single's sales by putting out another 100 Proof song, so they decided to release it and credit it to the nonexistent "8th Day." It was a hit, so the label decided to put out another 100 Proof song under the 8th Day name, this song about a woman wanting a man to supplicate himself before she takes him back. He does, of course. After this, the label formed an actual 8th Day band, but they didn't do as well as they did before they actually existed.
37 - "Women's Love Rights," Laura Lee
This Chicago singer had her only pop Top 40 with this R&B declaration of female sexual liberation. "Love who you wanna," she sings, "'cause a man is sure gonna." This is the soundtrack of the nightmares of Todd Akin and his ilk.
40 - "Long Ago And Far Away," James Taylor
Sweet Baby James picked up his fourth Top 40 hit with another slice of the melancholy folk that made him an unlikely superstar. Pleasant enough, but not anything I'd consider essential.
10/13/1973
38 - "Let Me In," The Osmonds
This just seems like a typical, Donny-sung pop ballad with slightly dated production. However, the object of the song's plea probably isn't a woman, but rather a higher power, as this single was taken from the group's Mormon-themed concept album The Plan. It didn't sell well, and won few converts. It might be on Mitt Romney's iPod, though.
39 - "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne," The Looking Glass
The only other hit by the band who gave the world the terrible "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl," was this bit of lite funk-pop about a young couple trying to make it in the cold cruel world. A thousand times better than "Brandy," but only because that song sucks so badly. And I still can't stand the singer's voice.
10/30/1976
36 - "Nice 'n Naasty," Salsoul Orchestra
The second and final pop hit by the house band of the Salsoul label is fairly decent disco-funk over which female backup singers tell you how nasty you are. I don't know what the extra "a" was for, though.
38 - "Anything You Want," John Valenti
This Chicagoan sounds a bit like a white Stevie Wonder on this disco mediocrity. He deserved a better showcase. Decent guitar solo, though.
40 - "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)," Tyrone Davis
From Chicago via Mississippi and Michigan, Davis was a frequent presence on the R&B charts for a period of twenty years, and he scored two pop Top Fives with 1968's "Can I Change My Mind" and 1970's "Turn Back the Hands of Time," His last pop hit was this cool bit of funky soul that advises men to treat their women better or let them find someone else who can. Smooth stuff from a pro.
10/7/1978
18 - "Back In The U.S.A.," Linda Ronstadt
Lady Linda had another of her cover hits with this faithful version of Chuck Berry's 1959 celebration of what he misses about his homeland when he goes overseas (tall buildings, highways, hamburgers, jukeboxes). Pure exuberance.
19 - "She's Always A Woman," Billy Joel
The fourth hit from Billy's breakthrough LP The Stranger was this ode to an enigmatic, unattainable woman. Although if "she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleedin'," then perhaps she isn't worth attaining, Bill.
22 - "Who Are You," The Who
Thanks to CSI, this is probably the band's most famous song. It was inspired in part by an incident in which a policeman recognized an inebriated Townshend wandering around London and told him that he wouldn't be arrested for public drunkenness as long as he went straight home. No word on if the officer then made some kind of quip that was immediately followed by "wahwahwahwahDUM DUM, DUH-DUM!"
23 - "Come Together," Aerosmith
The Boston boys' last hit of the 70s was this Beatles cover they contributed to the disastrous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. Steven Tyler knows how to deliver nonsensical lyrics, so of course he was right at home on this one.
25 - "Talking In Your Sleep,"Crystal Gayle
The epic-haired country queen picked up her second pop hit with this song about how her lover has vocal sex dreams about someone while he sleeps beside her. He doesn't mention names, however, so theoretically he could be dreaming about her. But this is country music, so who am I kidding?
28 - "5-7-0-5," City Boy
The lone American hit by this Birmingham, England band was this rocker about being unable to reach a lover by telephone. Decent, in a Sweet kind of way. Also, it was one of the first hit singles produced by one Robert John "Mutt" Lange. I'm sure he didn't imagine then his future would involve AC/DC, Billy Ocean, Shania Twain, and Lady Gaga, to name just a few.
29 - "Josie," Steely Dan
The jazz-rockers accumulated another hit with this ode to the homecoming of a lady, the occasion of which will cause them to, among other things "rev up the motor scooters" and "shine up the battle apple." Maybe these are the things she needs when she "prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire," I don't know. Only the Dan know, and God bless 'em for that.
30 - "It's A Laugh," Daryl Hall & John Oates
One of the superduo's hits during that period between "Rich Girl" and "Kiss on My List" when just cracking the Top 20 was an accomplishment for them. Pleasant enough pop-rock about the breakup of a seemingly perfect couple. Decent, but hardly some lost classic.
33 - "Almost Like Being In Love," Michael Johnson
The Coloradan's follow up to his biggest hit "Bluer Than Blue" was this slick cover of a song from the 1947 Loerner and Loewe musical Brigadoon. This is not a tune that was written to be given the late-70s MOR treatment. Not just unnecessary, but aggressively unnecessary.
35 - "I Will Still Love You," Stonebolt
I'm sure most Canadians who listened to pop radio in the late 1970s would recognize this ballad about loving someone forever no matter what, but very few, myself included, would be able to say who did it without looking it up. Turns out it was the only hit by this Vancouver band whose singer sounds like a male Anne Murray. For the record, if I had been cornered by someone and made to guess, I would have probably said April Wine, or maybe Prism.
36 - "Devoted To You," Carly Simon & James Taylor
The second and last duet hit by this married couple was a cover of a 1958 Everly Brothers hit. Their love, however, did not grow through the years, and they got divorced in 1983. Meh, they had a good run.
37 - "Heartbreaker," Dolly Parton
Dolly's second pop hit was this piano-driven ballad about a lover's betrayal. She portrays the hurt brilliantly, to the point where you almost want to hung the guy down and beat the crap out of him until he agrees to be "just a little more kind" to her.
38 - "Took The Last Train," David Gates
The second of three solo hits by the former Bread man is a jazzy, uptempo pop song about a one-night stand in St. Tropez. Not the gig kind, the sexy kind. It's good hearing him happy instead of his usualy whiny sap.
In Part Two: girls, dreams and animals.
9/19/1970
38 - "Everything's Tuesday," The Chairmen Of The Board
These Detroit soulsters, best known for "Give Me Just a Little More Time," managed three other Top 40 hits, including this sunny hit about a girl named after a day of the week. I know Tuesday Weld, but have there been any others?
10/16/1971
36 -"You've Got To Crawl (Before You Walk)," The 8th Day
Here's the story. In 1970, the group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) had a hit with the song "Somebody's Been Sleeping." Around the same time, however, radio stations were playing another of the band's songs, "She's Not Just Another Woman." But their label didn't want to hurt the current single's sales by putting out another 100 Proof song, so they decided to release it and credit it to the nonexistent "8th Day." It was a hit, so the label decided to put out another 100 Proof song under the 8th Day name, this song about a woman wanting a man to supplicate himself before she takes him back. He does, of course. After this, the label formed an actual 8th Day band, but they didn't do as well as they did before they actually existed.
37 - "Women's Love Rights," Laura Lee
This Chicago singer had her only pop Top 40 with this R&B declaration of female sexual liberation. "Love who you wanna," she sings, "'cause a man is sure gonna." This is the soundtrack of the nightmares of Todd Akin and his ilk.
40 - "Long Ago And Far Away," James Taylor
Sweet Baby James picked up his fourth Top 40 hit with another slice of the melancholy folk that made him an unlikely superstar. Pleasant enough, but not anything I'd consider essential.
10/13/1973
38 - "Let Me In," The Osmonds
This just seems like a typical, Donny-sung pop ballad with slightly dated production. However, the object of the song's plea probably isn't a woman, but rather a higher power, as this single was taken from the group's Mormon-themed concept album The Plan. It didn't sell well, and won few converts. It might be on Mitt Romney's iPod, though.
39 - "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne," The Looking Glass
The only other hit by the band who gave the world the terrible "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl," was this bit of lite funk-pop about a young couple trying to make it in the cold cruel world. A thousand times better than "Brandy," but only because that song sucks so badly. And I still can't stand the singer's voice.
10/30/1976
36 - "Nice 'n Naasty," Salsoul Orchestra
The second and final pop hit by the house band of the Salsoul label is fairly decent disco-funk over which female backup singers tell you how nasty you are. I don't know what the extra "a" was for, though.
38 - "Anything You Want," John Valenti
This Chicagoan sounds a bit like a white Stevie Wonder on this disco mediocrity. He deserved a better showcase. Decent guitar solo, though.
40 - "Give It Up (Turn It Loose)," Tyrone Davis
From Chicago via Mississippi and Michigan, Davis was a frequent presence on the R&B charts for a period of twenty years, and he scored two pop Top Fives with 1968's "Can I Change My Mind" and 1970's "Turn Back the Hands of Time," His last pop hit was this cool bit of funky soul that advises men to treat their women better or let them find someone else who can. Smooth stuff from a pro.
10/7/1978
18 - "Back In The U.S.A.," Linda Ronstadt
Lady Linda had another of her cover hits with this faithful version of Chuck Berry's 1959 celebration of what he misses about his homeland when he goes overseas (tall buildings, highways, hamburgers, jukeboxes). Pure exuberance.
19 - "She's Always A Woman," Billy Joel
The fourth hit from Billy's breakthrough LP The Stranger was this ode to an enigmatic, unattainable woman. Although if "she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleedin'," then perhaps she isn't worth attaining, Bill.
22 - "Who Are You," The Who
Thanks to CSI, this is probably the band's most famous song. It was inspired in part by an incident in which a policeman recognized an inebriated Townshend wandering around London and told him that he wouldn't be arrested for public drunkenness as long as he went straight home. No word on if the officer then made some kind of quip that was immediately followed by "wahwahwahwahDUM DUM, DUH-DUM!"
23 - "Come Together," Aerosmith
The Boston boys' last hit of the 70s was this Beatles cover they contributed to the disastrous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. Steven Tyler knows how to deliver nonsensical lyrics, so of course he was right at home on this one.
25 - "Talking In Your Sleep,"Crystal Gayle
The epic-haired country queen picked up her second pop hit with this song about how her lover has vocal sex dreams about someone while he sleeps beside her. He doesn't mention names, however, so theoretically he could be dreaming about her. But this is country music, so who am I kidding?
28 - "5-7-0-5," City Boy
The lone American hit by this Birmingham, England band was this rocker about being unable to reach a lover by telephone. Decent, in a Sweet kind of way. Also, it was one of the first hit singles produced by one Robert John "Mutt" Lange. I'm sure he didn't imagine then his future would involve AC/DC, Billy Ocean, Shania Twain, and Lady Gaga, to name just a few.
29 - "Josie," Steely Dan
The jazz-rockers accumulated another hit with this ode to the homecoming of a lady, the occasion of which will cause them to, among other things "rev up the motor scooters" and "shine up the battle apple." Maybe these are the things she needs when she "prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire," I don't know. Only the Dan know, and God bless 'em for that.
30 - "It's A Laugh," Daryl Hall & John Oates
One of the superduo's hits during that period between "Rich Girl" and "Kiss on My List" when just cracking the Top 20 was an accomplishment for them. Pleasant enough pop-rock about the breakup of a seemingly perfect couple. Decent, but hardly some lost classic.
33 - "Almost Like Being In Love," Michael Johnson
The Coloradan's follow up to his biggest hit "Bluer Than Blue" was this slick cover of a song from the 1947 Loerner and Loewe musical Brigadoon. This is not a tune that was written to be given the late-70s MOR treatment. Not just unnecessary, but aggressively unnecessary.
35 - "I Will Still Love You," Stonebolt
I'm sure most Canadians who listened to pop radio in the late 1970s would recognize this ballad about loving someone forever no matter what, but very few, myself included, would be able to say who did it without looking it up. Turns out it was the only hit by this Vancouver band whose singer sounds like a male Anne Murray. For the record, if I had been cornered by someone and made to guess, I would have probably said April Wine, or maybe Prism.
36 - "Devoted To You," Carly Simon & James Taylor
The second and last duet hit by this married couple was a cover of a 1958 Everly Brothers hit. Their love, however, did not grow through the years, and they got divorced in 1983. Meh, they had a good run.
37 - "Heartbreaker," Dolly Parton
Dolly's second pop hit was this piano-driven ballad about a lover's betrayal. She portrays the hurt brilliantly, to the point where you almost want to hung the guy down and beat the crap out of him until he agrees to be "just a little more kind" to her.
38 - "Took The Last Train," David Gates
The second of three solo hits by the former Bread man is a jazzy, uptempo pop song about a one-night stand in St. Tropez. Not the gig kind, the sexy kind. It's good hearing him happy instead of his usualy whiny sap.
In Part Two: girls, dreams and animals.
Monday, December 24, 2012
December 25, 1971 Part Two
Ending our look at Casey's Christmas countdown.
20 A&B - "I'll be Home for Christmas," Bing Crosby/Floyd Cramer
At this point, Casey started playing multiple versions of some of the songs. For this one, originally written from the point of view of an American soldier fighting in World War II, he played both Bing Crosby's 1943 hit and an instrumental take by country pianist Floyd Cramer. Bing wins by a long shot.
19 - "You're All I Want for Christmas," Frankie Laine
This 1948 hit by crooner Laine was the last of the three songs Casey didn't play, but like the other two, Larry Morgan came to the rescue on the extras. On it, Laine declares his only wish is to wake up on Christmas morning "and find my stocking filled with you." You must have a big sock, Frankie.
18 - "Nuttin' for Christmas," Ricky Zahnd
There were multiple hit versions of this song about a kid who blames "snitches" for telling of the multiple foul deeds that resulted in Santa opting to pass him by, but the one Casey played was by Zahnd and his band The Blue Jeaners. I can't find any info about them at all.
17 - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee
Even though he was Jewish, songwriter Johnny Marks had most of his succcess writing Christmas songs, one of the biggest of which was this number about celebrating the holiday "in the new old-fashioned way" that would become the first Top 40 hit for a 13-year-old girl who would go on to be christened "Little Miss Dynamite." Yes, I do get a sentimental feeling when I hear it.
16 - "Please Come Home for Christmas," Charles Brown
Brown again, this time pleading for a lover's Yuletide return. The Eagles would have a hit with it later, but they can't top Mr. Brown.
15 - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Jimmy Boyd
At 13, Boyd became the youngest singer ever to have a #1 hit when he topped the charts in 1952 with this tale of a boy catching his mother making out under the mistletoe with Kris Kringle. The assumption we were supposed to make was that it was really the child's father in a Santa suit doing the kissing, but from what I understand, there are people who didn't immediately get that implication and wondered if Santa was some kind of Christmas Casanova who went around seducing housewives on his one night away from the North Pole. Myself, I always had faith that Mrs. Claus was all the woman the big man could ever need.
14 - "Here Comes Santa Claus," Gene Autry/Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
Autry, who made his name as a "singing cowboy" in movies, co-wrote this 1947 hit that was one of the first songs to mix both the religious and secular aspects of the holiday ("Let's give thanks to the Lord above that Santa Claus comes tonight.") Later, one of the lesser groups on Phil Spector's Philles label contributed a version on the company's classic LP A Christmas Gift for You.
13 - "Sleigh Ride," Leroy Anderson/The Ronettes
Anderson, a specialist in "light orchestral music," had one of his enduring compositions with this breezy evocation of dashing through the snow in a horse-drawn vehicle. His version was a hit in 1950, and remains popular to this day. Lyrics were added later, and the Ronettes recorded it for that great Spector Christmas album in 1963.
12 - "Frosty the Snowman," Gene Autry
Autry had no hand in writnig this one, but he did make the first popular recording of the story of a snowman that comes alive in 1950. If someone had come up with that idea today, it might have taken a darker turn, like maybe living snowmen being some sort of harbinger of the Zombie Apocalypse.
11 - "Jingle Bells," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
The oldest song in the countdown thus far, this 1857 composition is known far and wide, both in its original form and the "Batman Smells" version. Thankfully, Casey played this smooth, pleasant rendition, instead of, say, Barbra Streisand's bizarre, manic take on it.
10 - "The Chipmunk Song," The Chipmunks
In 1958, under the name David Seville, Ross Bagdasarian recorded the smash hit "Witch Doctor," which used the technique of speeding up the playback on a tape to create the high-voiced "Ooh, ee, ooh ah-ah" chorus. Later that year, he employed the same method to create a recording of three rodents named Simon, Theodore, and "ALVIN!" singing a song about being anxious for Santa to bring them toys, notably a remote-controlled airplane and a hula hoop. It was another hit. More recordings, a cartoon show, and three live-action movies have followed since.
9 - "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley
This song was first written in the late 40s, but didn't attain immortality until Elvis recorded it in 1957. It's a good song, but I'm sorry, but The Jordanaires come close to ruining it. I never like hearing them on Elvis records to begin with, because I feel like they've been added to make his songs sound tamer. But on this one, they spend most of the time baying like wounded animals, and it's annoying. If someone released a collection of Elvis songs with all the Jordainaires' backup vocals edited out, I swear I'd buy it.
8 - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters/ The Four Seasons
This 1934-written classic that established Santa's list-making and constant surveillance as part of the Yuletide canon was played twice. While the older version wins on showbizzy professionalism, there is a certain charm in hearing Frankie Valli sing "You'd better not CRY-YIII-BAY-YAY-BEE!"
7 - "Winter Wonderland," Ray Conniff/Darlene Love
Another 1934 composition was this tale of romantic outings and snowmen who may be able to perform marriage ceremonies. Ray Conniff's band of boring singers are blown away by Darlene Love on yet another cut from that Spector album. Definitely a record worth having in the holiday section of your collection.
6 - "Silver Bells," Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely/Diana Ross and the Supremes
This 1950 ode to "Christmastime in the city" first appeared in the Bob Hope con-man comedy The Lemon Drop Kid. Country singers Whiting and Wakely do okay with it, but they didn't have a chance againts Miss Ross at her best.
5 - "Jingle Bell Rock," Bobby Helms
Rockabilly man Helms had two Top Ten hits in his career: the ballad "My Special Angel," and this ever-popular number that added a more modern (in 1957) twist to sleigh riding. Only quibble is that the version Casey played wasn't the original, but rather one of his later re-recordings.
4 - "The Christmas Song," Nat King Cole
This was co-written by Mel Torme, a singer of some note himself. But this evocation of all the classic Christmas accoutrements will always belong to the mighty Mr. Cole. Nothing less than steaming-hot cocoa for the soul
3 - "The Little Drummer Boy," The Harry Simeone Chorale
This 1941 composition, which owes more to a 12th century French legend about a juggler and the statue of the Virgin Mary than anything in the Bible, achieved worldwide fame in this 1958 version by conductor and arranger Simeone and his group of singers. This version remains the most widely played today, but I must say, it's not one of my favorites no matter who's singing it. Though I guess the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version's all right.
2 - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Gene Autry
The character of Rudolph, the young buck with the luminescent proboscis who is ostracized by his fellow reindeer until his unique feature saves the day for Santa "one foggy Christmas Eve," was created by Robert L. May for a children's book produced by the Montgomery Ward department store chain. Ten years later, May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks adapted the tale into a song, and Gene Autry's subsequent recording went on to become the first #1 hit of the 50s and sell 25 million copies, helping establish it as a Christmas classic. Of course, dozens of others have recorded it since. Personally, I'm partial to the one where Dean Martin calls him "Rudy the Red-Beaked Reindeer" at one point.
And at the top of Casey's Christmas list this year was...
1 - "White Christmas," Bing Crosby
This Irving Berlin composition about wanting snow to be on the ground on December 25 became a monster smash after being performed by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn. That recording has often been cited as the best selling single in the history of music. But according to Casey, both Crosby and his record label disputed this, saying that the honor truly belonged to...
BONUS: "Silent Night," Bing Crosby
This simple, beautifulsong about the transcendent serenity of the sleeping infant Jesus in his mother's arms originated in Austria in 1818. Crosby's '30s recording of it predates the time period covered by this chart, but it may very well have sold more copies than "White Christmas." Regardless, it, along with all his other entries here, provide ample evidence as to why everyone from Frank to Dean to Elvis considered him the gold standard of male pop singing.
I hope you enjoyed this little treat. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
20 A&B - "I'll be Home for Christmas," Bing Crosby/Floyd Cramer
At this point, Casey started playing multiple versions of some of the songs. For this one, originally written from the point of view of an American soldier fighting in World War II, he played both Bing Crosby's 1943 hit and an instrumental take by country pianist Floyd Cramer. Bing wins by a long shot.
19 - "You're All I Want for Christmas," Frankie Laine
This 1948 hit by crooner Laine was the last of the three songs Casey didn't play, but like the other two, Larry Morgan came to the rescue on the extras. On it, Laine declares his only wish is to wake up on Christmas morning "and find my stocking filled with you." You must have a big sock, Frankie.
18 - "Nuttin' for Christmas," Ricky Zahnd
There were multiple hit versions of this song about a kid who blames "snitches" for telling of the multiple foul deeds that resulted in Santa opting to pass him by, but the one Casey played was by Zahnd and his band The Blue Jeaners. I can't find any info about them at all.
17 - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," Brenda Lee
Even though he was Jewish, songwriter Johnny Marks had most of his succcess writing Christmas songs, one of the biggest of which was this number about celebrating the holiday "in the new old-fashioned way" that would become the first Top 40 hit for a 13-year-old girl who would go on to be christened "Little Miss Dynamite." Yes, I do get a sentimental feeling when I hear it.
16 - "Please Come Home for Christmas," Charles Brown
Brown again, this time pleading for a lover's Yuletide return. The Eagles would have a hit with it later, but they can't top Mr. Brown.
15 - "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Jimmy Boyd
At 13, Boyd became the youngest singer ever to have a #1 hit when he topped the charts in 1952 with this tale of a boy catching his mother making out under the mistletoe with Kris Kringle. The assumption we were supposed to make was that it was really the child's father in a Santa suit doing the kissing, but from what I understand, there are people who didn't immediately get that implication and wondered if Santa was some kind of Christmas Casanova who went around seducing housewives on his one night away from the North Pole. Myself, I always had faith that Mrs. Claus was all the woman the big man could ever need.
14 - "Here Comes Santa Claus," Gene Autry/Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans
Autry, who made his name as a "singing cowboy" in movies, co-wrote this 1947 hit that was one of the first songs to mix both the religious and secular aspects of the holiday ("Let's give thanks to the Lord above that Santa Claus comes tonight.") Later, one of the lesser groups on Phil Spector's Philles label contributed a version on the company's classic LP A Christmas Gift for You.
13 - "Sleigh Ride," Leroy Anderson/The Ronettes
Anderson, a specialist in "light orchestral music," had one of his enduring compositions with this breezy evocation of dashing through the snow in a horse-drawn vehicle. His version was a hit in 1950, and remains popular to this day. Lyrics were added later, and the Ronettes recorded it for that great Spector Christmas album in 1963.
12 - "Frosty the Snowman," Gene Autry
Autry had no hand in writnig this one, but he did make the first popular recording of the story of a snowman that comes alive in 1950. If someone had come up with that idea today, it might have taken a darker turn, like maybe living snowmen being some sort of harbinger of the Zombie Apocalypse.
11 - "Jingle Bells," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
The oldest song in the countdown thus far, this 1857 composition is known far and wide, both in its original form and the "Batman Smells" version. Thankfully, Casey played this smooth, pleasant rendition, instead of, say, Barbra Streisand's bizarre, manic take on it.
10 - "The Chipmunk Song," The Chipmunks
In 1958, under the name David Seville, Ross Bagdasarian recorded the smash hit "Witch Doctor," which used the technique of speeding up the playback on a tape to create the high-voiced "Ooh, ee, ooh ah-ah" chorus. Later that year, he employed the same method to create a recording of three rodents named Simon, Theodore, and "ALVIN!" singing a song about being anxious for Santa to bring them toys, notably a remote-controlled airplane and a hula hoop. It was another hit. More recordings, a cartoon show, and three live-action movies have followed since.
9 - "Blue Christmas," Elvis Presley
This song was first written in the late 40s, but didn't attain immortality until Elvis recorded it in 1957. It's a good song, but I'm sorry, but The Jordanaires come close to ruining it. I never like hearing them on Elvis records to begin with, because I feel like they've been added to make his songs sound tamer. But on this one, they spend most of the time baying like wounded animals, and it's annoying. If someone released a collection of Elvis songs with all the Jordainaires' backup vocals edited out, I swear I'd buy it.
8 - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters/ The Four Seasons
This 1934-written classic that established Santa's list-making and constant surveillance as part of the Yuletide canon was played twice. While the older version wins on showbizzy professionalism, there is a certain charm in hearing Frankie Valli sing "You'd better not CRY-YIII-BAY-YAY-BEE!"
7 - "Winter Wonderland," Ray Conniff/Darlene Love
Another 1934 composition was this tale of romantic outings and snowmen who may be able to perform marriage ceremonies. Ray Conniff's band of boring singers are blown away by Darlene Love on yet another cut from that Spector album. Definitely a record worth having in the holiday section of your collection.
6 - "Silver Bells," Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely/Diana Ross and the Supremes
This 1950 ode to "Christmastime in the city" first appeared in the Bob Hope con-man comedy The Lemon Drop Kid. Country singers Whiting and Wakely do okay with it, but they didn't have a chance againts Miss Ross at her best.
5 - "Jingle Bell Rock," Bobby Helms
Rockabilly man Helms had two Top Ten hits in his career: the ballad "My Special Angel," and this ever-popular number that added a more modern (in 1957) twist to sleigh riding. Only quibble is that the version Casey played wasn't the original, but rather one of his later re-recordings.
4 - "The Christmas Song," Nat King Cole
This was co-written by Mel Torme, a singer of some note himself. But this evocation of all the classic Christmas accoutrements will always belong to the mighty Mr. Cole. Nothing less than steaming-hot cocoa for the soul
3 - "The Little Drummer Boy," The Harry Simeone Chorale
This 1941 composition, which owes more to a 12th century French legend about a juggler and the statue of the Virgin Mary than anything in the Bible, achieved worldwide fame in this 1958 version by conductor and arranger Simeone and his group of singers. This version remains the most widely played today, but I must say, it's not one of my favorites no matter who's singing it. Though I guess the Bing Crosby/David Bowie version's all right.
2 - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Gene Autry
The character of Rudolph, the young buck with the luminescent proboscis who is ostracized by his fellow reindeer until his unique feature saves the day for Santa "one foggy Christmas Eve," was created by Robert L. May for a children's book produced by the Montgomery Ward department store chain. Ten years later, May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks adapted the tale into a song, and Gene Autry's subsequent recording went on to become the first #1 hit of the 50s and sell 25 million copies, helping establish it as a Christmas classic. Of course, dozens of others have recorded it since. Personally, I'm partial to the one where Dean Martin calls him "Rudy the Red-Beaked Reindeer" at one point.
And at the top of Casey's Christmas list this year was...
1 - "White Christmas," Bing Crosby
This Irving Berlin composition about wanting snow to be on the ground on December 25 became a monster smash after being performed by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn. That recording has often been cited as the best selling single in the history of music. But according to Casey, both Crosby and his record label disputed this, saying that the honor truly belonged to...
BONUS: "Silent Night," Bing Crosby
This simple, beautifulsong about the transcendent serenity of the sleeping infant Jesus in his mother's arms originated in Austria in 1818. Crosby's '30s recording of it predates the time period covered by this chart, but it may very well have sold more copies than "White Christmas." Regardless, it, along with all his other entries here, provide ample evidence as to why everyone from Frank to Dean to Elvis considered him the gold standard of male pop singing.
I hope you enjoyed this little treat. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
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