For the week ending September 9, 1978:
Man, after the terrific 1970 countdown last week, this one is somewhat of a letdown, although there are several strong entries. (Oh, how I wish American Top 40 had been launched around, oh, 1964, as a natural outgrowth from Casey's "Letter From Elaina" recording. How cool would that be to hear Casey countdown classic British Invasion, Motown, folk-rock, surf rock, garage rock, and psychedelic hits from the mid-late '60's! I guess we can only wonder what might have been.)
40. 5.7.0.5/City Boy--I was unfamiliar with this song, but it seemed like a fun, energetic rocker.
39. Steppin' In A Slide Zone/The Moody Blues--Although I have alway been a big Moody Blues fan, I don't think I had ever heard this release. But I can see why it has been forgotten, as it was rather underwhelming and ordinary.
38. Talkin' In Your Sleep/Crystal Gayle--This native of Wabash, IN (about 30 miles south of my hometown of Warsaw) provides fine vocals to this intriguing song about a lover involuntarily baring his soul in his sleep. (Wouldn't it be rather problematic sharing a bed with Crystal Gayle anyway? I mean, her body would take up one side, and her hair would take up the other side.)
37. I Love The Night Life/Alicia Bridges--A good, but not great disco classic. This song had real staying power, spending 19 weeks in the Top 40. It was still at its peak position of #5 in early January of '79.
36. You Never Done It Like That/Captain & Tennille--I can take it or leave it.
35. She's Always A Woman/Billy Joel--A somewhat pleasant song with intriguing, sophisticated, hard-hitting lyrics.
34. Think It Over/Cheryl Ladd--So-so at best. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the feeling that studio tricks were used on her vocals to make them sound better and fuller than what they actually were.
33. Come Together/Aerosmith--I was never all that impressed with the Beatles' original version, and this group's obnoxious remake is even worse.
32. Get Off/Foxy--The only interesting thing about this so-so dance hit is the gimmicky "whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa" vocals interspersed several times.
31. A Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy/The Kinks--Another song I was unfamiliar with. It seemed nicely dramatic, but otherwise mediocre.
30. Back In The USA/Linda Ronstadt--Like most of her 70's hits, I can take it or leave it.
29. Right Down The Line/Gerry Rafferty--Raphael Ravenscroft's immortal sax is conspicuous by its absence, but this "Baker Street" followup is kinda sweet and pleasant, nonetheless.
28. Just What I Needed/The Cars--Mediocre, at best, mainly due to overplay.
27. My Angel Baby/Toby Beau--I can take it or leave it. Even though it failed to crack the Top 10, I remember it being all over the radio that summer, especially on WOWO, Ft. Wayne. Maybe it fared much better on AC stations, a format WOWO was gravitating towards at the time, anyway.
26. Close The Door/Teddy Pendergrass--The dramatic string riff of "Da-daaa, da-daaa, da-daaa, da-daaa" is the only interesting, appealing thing about this steamy love ballad. (Oh, of course, that activity referred to is appealing. I'm referring to the appeal of the SONG.)
25. Love Theme From "Eyes Of Laura Mars" (Prisoner)/Barbara Streisand--What did this song sound like, again?
24. Oh, Darling/Robin Gibb--Like #33, a mediocre cover version of a mediocre Beatles song
23. Whenever I Call You "Friend"/Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks--A fun, upbeat love song
22. Two Tickets To Paradise/Eddie Money--This and the above song are the ones I slept through. (Thank you, mga707, for filling me in.) And although this rock classic is fun and energetic (especially the chorus), I can hear it probably every day on classic rock radio stations, so missing it in the countdown is no big deal.
21. Love Will Find A Way/Pablo Cruise--Definitely one of this countdown's better songs. It has a sprightly melody, fine harmonies, and a sharp, lively arrangement, all combining to create a sunny, summer-like feel.
20. Magnet & Steel/Walter Egan--A somewhat catchy song. I especially like the soulful way he sings the title (and the words preceding it) in the chorus.
19. Hollywood Nights/Bob Seger--Although I am somewhat lukewarm to most of this guy's hits, I do like this song's piano-pounding energy.
18. You Needed Me/Anne Murray--Although it has nice, sentimental lyrics, it's a tad too slow and boring for me. I'd rather hear "Snowbird" anyday.
17. Reminiscing/The Little River Band--I can take it or leave it. This song seemingly got as much airplay as any other song that summer and fall, yet it didn't go #1.
16. You And I/Rick James--A lively, sunny soul release with beautiful harmony vocals by Rick's female backup singers (Were they the Mary Jane Girls or another group?)
15. Miss You/The Rolling Stones--Another song that I can take or leave.
14. Love Is In The Air/John Paul Young--One of the countdown's best songs. It begins with a soft, but steady drum beat. Then Mr Young's smooth, sincere vocals come in over a fine arrangement that builds over two verses until that dramatic bridge, where the pitch increases one note at a time. Then Mr Young dramatically unleashes the emotions he held back before. Then the return of the soft drum beat and the sequence repeats itself. All in all, one stirring, powerful pop song.
13. Fool (If You Think It's Over)/Chris Rea--A smooth, pleasant song. I especially like the instrument (marimba, xylophone, synthesizer?) that's featured at the end of each chorus and some verses, as well.
12. Don't Look Back/Boston--This group is one of my favorite rock bands of all time, and this is the best of their Top 40 hits. ("Something About You" from their debut album is even better, but it was never released as a hit.) It's just loaded with energy and drama, and it's superbly produced by that genius Tom Scholz. The really unique thing about the melody is that it is multifaceted, going off in seemingly several intriguing directions. (Jim Croce's "Operator" is another song that has that odd characteristic.) Alas, the producer's did an pathetic hatchet job on this song, editing not just the second, but the third verse, as well.
11. Hot Child In The City/Nick Gilder--I never cared much for this song. I comes off as raunchy and sleazy.
10. Got To Get You Into My Life/Earth, Wind, & Fire--Still another mediocre cover version of a Beatles song, a darn good Beatles song, in fact. You have that box office bomb Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to thank for all these inferior cover versions in the countdown.
9. Shame/Evelyn "Champagne" King--A slightly above-average disco release. Even though she make a career singing dance music, with a name like that, I can't help but be reminded of another music legend--Lawrence Welk.
8. Summer Nights/John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John--Although this song from "Grease" is incurably cutesy and cheesy, I was fixated on this song at the time. My fixation was probably due to the fact I had a mad crush on a cute blonde in school at the time and I dreamed of being her John Travolta and her being my Olivia.
7. An Everlasting Love/Andy Gibb--This is Andy Gibb's best song and the only one that really stands out. The chorus is particularly exquisite and well-crafted, and I like the song's strings, as well.
6. Grease/Frankie Valli--A mildly catchy hit, but far from exceptional.
5. Kiss You All Over/Exile--Another song I can take or leave. Although they were virtually a one-hit wonder (Their only other Top 40 hit spent one week in the countdown), they revived their career very nicely in the '80's as a very successful country band.
4. Hopelessly Devoted To You/Olivia Newton-John--Like "I Honestly Love You" from four years earlier, lyrically powerful but musically mediocre.
3. Hot Blooded/Foreigner--I guess sometimes drastic editing of a song can be a welcome thing. Just as I was disgusted to have my beloved "Don't Look Back" butchered beyond recognition, I was delighted to have to hear only the first half of this wretched piece of sleaze. (I was particularly glad not to have to hear that hideous line "Are you hot, mama? You sure look that way to me")
2. Three Times A Lady/The Commodores--Another ballad that's lyrically powerful but musically mediocre. (This song had amazing staying power, spending seven weeks at #1 or #2.)
1. Boogie Oogie Oogie/A Taste Of Honey--A fairly enjoyable disco classic, with particularly fine guitar work. But I have always been somewhat put off by the overly assertive tone of this song. Just as I don't like dour killjoys telling me I can't dance, I also don't anybody giving me orders to dance. Hey, if I want to dance, I'll dance; if I don't want to dance, I'll stay seated, thank you.
And my favorite song of the countdown (drum roll):
Don't Look Back/Boston (RIP Brad Delp)