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Post by jmack19 on Aug 29, 2015 22:36:31 GMT -5
DROPPERS: THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (33) - This was the lowest ranked #1 song on the year-ender, coming in at #32. The rest of the songs were #24 or higher. Ironically, the chart topper ended the year behind a song that spent only one week in the Top 5. That song--"Every Woman In The World" by Air Supply.
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Post by dukelightning on Aug 30, 2015 7:13:20 GMT -5
Hey I read that critique. Knew it would be ok since Casey said this was the first week since the Disco chart started in which there were no disco songs on AT40. But when you said "Fire And Ice" was the first of three 1981 hits for Pat Benatar and then said you preferred "Treat Me Right", you actually mentioned the song that WAS her first 1981 hit there. And I am with you there. BTW, I think the disco drought only lasted a couple weeks because Evelyn King debuted with "I'm in Love" a couple weeks later although it's time on AT40 was short lived and we heard that on the Gary Owens show a few months back.
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Post by cstolliver on Aug 30, 2015 13:39:50 GMT -5
Hi, all. This is my first time at this, so I hope you'll bear with me! First, a shout-out to WWIS in LaCrosse, Wisc., who played the 1972 show -- my local station in Raleigh, N.C., played 1978, so I was glad I could find a station that played the older show, although I caught it beginning with No. 38.
The droppers:
From 35: DAY BY DAY – GODSPELL: I know some people hate this song. I like it, but it works better for me as a meditation than as a pop hit. From 34: LAYLA - DEREK & THE DOMINOS: I wasn't listening to AT40 in those days (started in late '74), so I don't know whether the show played the single version or the full-throttle album version. It would be cool to hear the latter. From 30: HOLD HER TIGHT - THE OSMONDS: Not familiar with this; wondering whether it's a remake of the Johnny Nash song? From 28: BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO - THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY: I have heard this recently on WBME's "Music Expert Retro Countdown," and it's not awful, but it's far from the best Partridge Family recording. From 22: HAPPY - THE ROLLING STONES: I guess I should know this since it's the Rolling Stones, but I don't. Definitely not a song that gets recurrent oldies airplay.
40: HONKY CAT - ELTON JOHN: I missed Casey intro-ing this and No. 39, but unlike the Staples' song, this is a classic that still gets lots of airplay. Did AT40 play the line about "pissing in a stream"? 39: THIS WORLD - STAPLE SINGERS: Not familiar with this song, but considering how much I like their work overall, I bet I'd like it. 38: SWEET INSPIRATION/WHERE YOU LEAD - BARBRA STREISAND: I know Streisand is a flavor that some folks don't prefer. She's one of my favorites. That said, I find listening to this medley a chore. Glad I really wanted to hear this countdown and stuck it out. 37: RUN TO ME - BEE GEES: Surprised this lovely ballad peaked at No. 16, as it was miles above the similar-peaking "My World." 36: YOU'RE STILL A YOUNG MAN - TOWER OF POWER: This one didn't stand out for me, though I'd love their "So Very Hard to Go" the following year. 35: GONE - JOEY HEATHERTON: This was on its way off the countdown. Like No. 36, made little impact. As a 9-year-old in 1972, I was only aware of Heatherton as being a game-show star. 34: POP THAT THANG - ISLEY BROTHERS: Never heard this song on Top 40 radio in the Chicago area where I grew up. I imagine it did get play on the soul stations, though. OK, but I preferred their other hits. 33: POPCORN - HOT BUTTER: There were lots of what I would call "K-tel hits" in this countdown: AM-ready songs that I first heard on K-tel album compilations. This synthesizer instrumental is one of them. Goofy, but fun, especially if you're a kid listening to the radio. 32: WHEN YOU SAY LOVE - SONNY & CHER: A Budweiser commercial turned into a pop song. This happened a lot in the early '70s ("I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," "Silverbird," etc.), but this one didn't really work as well as the others. The couple sounded uninspired, and given what was going on in their married lives, they may well have been. EXTRA: A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE - PETER & GORDON: A favorite of mine from the '60s, so it was nice to hear. 31: LEAN ON ME - BILL WITHERS: Though this song gets a lot of oldies airplay, I never tire of it. 30: TOO LATE TO TURN BACK NOW - CORNELIUS BROTHERS & SISTER ROSE: Same with this one. So close to becoming a No. 1! Too bad "Lean on Me" couldn't have dropped from the top one week earlier. 29: SMALL BEGINNINGS - FLASH: Whenever I hear this song, I think "Pinball Wizard," which I prefer to this. 28: GO ALL THE WAY - RASPBERRIES: Great power-pop song with one of the best radio-friendly intros around. If Eric Carmen's solo records regularly had this much energy, he'd have had a much more consistent career. 27: POWER OF LOVE - JOE SIMON: An underrated song from an underrated singer. This and "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)" rival each other for my favorite of his. 26: HOW DO YOU DO - MOUTH & MacNEAL: Another K-Tel hit. This one doesn't get much airplay on oldies stations, which I think is a shame. I prefer the version with the male and the female trading vocals near the end. 25: BABY LET ME TAKE YOU IN MY ARMS - DETROIT EMERALDS: Soul/pop song that grooves but doesn't stay in the memory as much as some of the other songs in this week's countdown. 24: BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY - DANIEL BOONE: I love this song, but then I was 9 when I first heard it. It's the very stuff of AM pop. 23: BLACK AND WHITE - THREE DOG NIGHT: This was another favorite of mine when I was a kid -- we actually learned the lyrics to this song in music class when I was in fifth grade (two years later). It may seem naive today, but I still appreciate the sentiment. 22: JOIN TOGETHER - THE WHO: It's always odd to hear how this group struggled to have a hit on AT40, when so many of their songs ("Won't Get Fooled Again," "Baba O'Riley," this one) are classic radio (and "CSI") staples. 21: SCHOOL'S OUT - ALICE COOPER: Great song, though I find it funny it was still a hit when school was back in. 20: SATURDAY IN THE PARK - CHICAGO: It may be played to death now, but this was a hot one this week in 1972. And it's easy to understand why, with the late summer vibe written all over it. 19: SEALED WITH A KISS - BOBBY VINTON: Not a big fan of his, but I will say this version of the song is less sappy than I'd have thought. 18: WHERE IS THE LOVE - ROBERTA FLACK & DONNY HATHAWAY: Great duet from North Carolinian Roberta Flack and a man who left us way too soon. 17: ROCK & ROLL PART #2 - GARY GLITTER: Hard to hear this without thinking of The Timelords' "Doctorin' the Tardis," which borrowed it liberally. 16: LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDOW - JACKSON FIVE: Hard to believe the group that was so hot just a few years earlier sounded so lifeless by this point. 15: DADDY DON'T YOU WALK SO FAST - WAYNE NEWTON: I'm partial to this one, as my parents were getting divorced in the summer of '72 and this song really resonated with me. Even today, I appreciate how it gives an artist who usually is wince-inducing a chance to offer a little more depth. 14: BACKSTABBERS - O'JAYS: Great song, although with "Love Train" on the way a year later, the best was yet to come. AT40 EXTRA: BEN -- MICHAEL JACKSON: As creepy as it is to think about a love ballad to a rat, MJ sounds much more honest and moving here than he did at No. 16. 13: GUITAR MAN - BREAD: Nice to hear this group break out of the ballad rut, though just barely, with this song. 12: MOTORCYCLE MAMA - SAILCAT Casey introed this as a "couple of guys from Alabama, with 'Motorcycle Mama' " but didn't actually refer to the group by name. Fitting, perhaps, since Sailcat didn't have much of a chart future. Laidback vibe but nothing to write home about. With the references to the Harley, I wonder if this was a commercial turned hit song like No. 32. QL: Multiple hits of same song from same artist. Casey refers to the medley at No. 38, which makes me wondering why this question wasn't answered back then. 11: THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE U.S.A. - DONNA FARGO "From North Carolina," as Casey says, so I ought to like it. It's OK in a charming, early '70s way, but I could see getting tired of it quickly if I heard it every day. 10: DON'T GET HOOKED ON ME - MAC DAVIS: I know the protagonist comes off as a self-centered egotist, but this vocal strikes me as Davis' most soulful and honest (compare it to, say, "Stop and Smell the Roses"). Make of that what you will. 9: DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM - JIM CROCE: The story about Croce's work as a newbie schoolteacher is all too real. As a high school counselor, I wonder whatever happened to that poor 260-pound girl. I prefer this song to its thematic remake, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." 8: COCONUT - NILSSON: This song grates on me, though I love "Without You." Guess I prefer the earnest Nilsson to the goofy one. 7: GOODBYE TO LOVE - CARPENTERS: It's hard to hear Karen Carpenter sing about people caring whether she should live or die. A lovely song, nonetheless, with a cool guitar that moves the song out of its MOR groove. 6: IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG, I DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT - LUTHER INGRAM: Great Southern soul song, although I also like Barbara Mandrell's country-pop remake. 5: HOLD YOUR HEAD UP - ARGENT: Hooky pop/rock, which I also heard for the first time on a K-Tel compilation. Glad to see it representing the rockers in the Top 10. 4: I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU - AL GREEN: You can't go wrong with Mr. Green, even if his sound did lead to a certain sameness if you listened to his hits one after the other. I really like how this week's Top 10 had so many different styles. Extra: USE ME -- BILL WITHERS: Love this song! Between Al Green, two Withers songs, Joe Simon, Luther Ingram and the Detroit Emeralds, we heard a lot of deep soul songs this week. 3: LONG COOL WOMAN (IN A BLACK DRESS) - HOLLIES: Great song! Nice to hear this group rock a bit, and it even had a bit of a rockabilly soul groove to it. 2: ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - GILBERT O'SULLIVAN: Truly, I think this song spent four weeks at No. 1 because program directors thought the protagonist's depressive point-of-view was a novel approach for a pop song. I prefer the singer's much lighter "Get Down." 1: BRANDY (YOU'RE A FINE GIRL) -- LOOKING GLASS: Casey points out that this song had to hold at No. 2 for four weeks under "Alone Again (Naturally)" to reach the top. I'm so glad it held out -- made listening to this countdown all the more worth it! This song gets a lot of play on oldies stations, but like No. 31, I never tire of it. (In the Chicago area, the follow-up "Jimmy Loves Maryanne" was a big hit too.)
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Post by davewollenberg on Aug 30, 2015 19:50:59 GMT -5
Even though Balance went with the grammatically-correct title, Peppy Castro still sang it as' BREAKIN' away'.
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Post by cstolliver on Aug 30, 2015 19:56:18 GMT -5
Hi, all. This is my first time at this, so I hope you'll bear with me! First, a shout-out to WWIS in LaCrosse, Wisc., who played the 1972 show -- my local station in Raleigh, N.C., played 1978, so I was glad I could find a station that played the older show, although I caught it beginning with No. 38. I should know this since it's the Rolling Stones, but I don't. Definitely not a song that gets recurrent oldies airplay. 40: HONKY CAT - ELTON JOHN: I missed Casey intro-ing this and No. 39, but unlike the Staples' song, this is a classic that still gets lots of airplay. Did AT40 play the line about "pissing in a stream"? A common misheard lyric, it's actually "fishing in a stream". 9: DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM - JIM CROCE: The story about Croce's work as a newbie schoolteacher is all too real. As a high school counselor, I wonder whatever happened to that poor 260-pound girl. I prefer this song to its thematic remake, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." The latter is not a remake as both songs are about two different real life men that Croce encountered. Re: Elton. That's what I get for not putting an emoticon after "pissing..." But, thanks for reading anyway!
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Post by mga707 on Aug 30, 2015 21:39:54 GMT -5
Good job! A few comments: From 34: LAYLA - DEREK & THE DOMINOS: I wasn't listening to AT40 in those days (started in late '74), so I don't know whether the show played the single version or the full-throttle album version. It would be cool to hear the latter. Ususally the former, but at least once in it's run they did play the full version. No, not the same song. With this song and the two following Osmonds group singles ("Crazy Horses" and "Goin' Home"), the brothers seemed to be desperately (perhaps too desperately) trying to break out of their bubblegum image by releasing driving, hard-rocking singles. Later they returned to smooth, but more grown-up than before, ballads, like their surprisingly good "Love Me For a Reason". I may be wrong, but I think this is the only Stones single in which the seemingly indestructible Keith Richards sings lead rather than Mr. Jagger. To me this song is an absolute masterpiece, especially the longer LP version. Should've charted much higher than #29. You nailed that one! Programmers loved playing this coming out of the top-of-the-hour ID jingle! With two more weeks yet to come--"Brandy" only knocked it out of the top spot for one week.
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Post by JessieLou on Aug 31, 2015 15:58:45 GMT -5
August 26, 1978Falling off: Gene Cotton & Kim Carnes - You're A Part Of Me (36) - wtf did this sound like again? Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street (33) - great song! Too bad it fell off Jackson Browne - Stay (20) - this actually might be my favorite from him - shame that this fell off! Steve Martin - King Tut (17) - LOL, good novelty comedy hit Atlanta Rhythm Section - I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight (14) - not bad but they had better 40. Andy Gibb - Shadow Dancing (30) - love this one of course! 39. Barbra Streisand - Love Theme From Eyes Of Laura Mars (debut) - UGH. What a SCREAMFEST. This actually might be decent if she wasn't oversinging like a nutjob - is this "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face"?? 38. Gerry Rafferty - Right Down The Line (debut) - good song but I prefer his dropper 37. Cheryl Ladd - Think It Over (debut) - it's ok 36. Boston - Don't Look Back (debut) - not bad but very overplayed 35. Foxy - Get Off (debut) - good song! 34. The Kinks - A Rock & Roll Fantasy (37) - don't like it 33. Robin Gibb - Oh Darling (40) - meh, he's had better 32. The Cars - Just What I Needed (34) - great song, one of their best! 31. Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks - Whenever I Call You Friend (39) - LOVE this one! One of their best. 30. Boney M - Rivers Of Babylon (31) - this isn't bad but I can see why they never hit it big here 29. Teddy Pendergrass - Close The Door (32) - not bad 28. Anne Murray - You Needed Me (35) - this is one of her better ones, although, to me that's not saying much. 27. Bob Seger - Hollywood Nights (38) - never really got into him 26. Village People - Macho Man (27) - I like this 25. Rita Coolidge - You (25) - I usually don't like her but this one is great! 24. Eddie Money - Two Tickets To Paradise (26) - great song, one of his best! 23. Little River Band - Reminiscing (28) - LOVE this! My favorite from them! 22. Quincy Jones - Stuff Like That (23) - OMG I REMEMBER THIS REPETITIVE CRAP. GO AWAY. NOW. GOD. 21. John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air (24) - don't like it 20. John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John - Summer Nights (29) - great song, classic! 19. Rick James - You And I (22) - I like this but prefer his 80's hits 18. Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good (12) - great song, but I prefer him with the Eagles 17. Toby Beau - My Angel Baby (13) - great song! 16. Nick Gilder - Hot Child In The City (21) - meh 15. Chris Rea - Fool If You Think It's Over (18) - great song! 14. Barry Manilow - Copacabana (8) - AWFUL. His worst song! 13. Earth, Wind & Fire - Got To Get You Into My Life (19) - not sure which version I prefer, both are great! 12. Evelyn "Champagne" King - Shame (15) - good song! 11. Exile - Kiss You All Over (16) - No. Just no. 10. Donna Summer - Last Dance (3) - great song, my favorite from her! 9. Andy Gibb - An Everlasting Love (10) - great song! 8. Walter Egan - Magnet And Steel (9) - great song! 7. Olivia Newton-John - Hopelessly Devoted To You (11) - meh 6. Pablo Cruise - Love Will Find A Way (7) - great song! LDD: Neil Diamond - Desiree - I don't like the song but YAY LONG DISTANCE DEDICATIONS 5. Foreigner - Hot Blooded (5) - great song, one of their best! 4. A Taste Of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie (6) - good song! 3. Rolling Stones - Miss You (4) - great song! One of their best 2. The Commodores - Three Times A Lady (1) - YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN 1. Frankie Valli - Grease (2) - Great song, love hearing this at #1!
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Post by dukelightning on Sept 1, 2015 15:27:23 GMT -5
mga, I think you are right about Keith. Certainly at the time, it was the first top 40 hit he sang on and I am reasonably sure he did not sing on any others. Good critique from a fellow North Carolinian although he sounds like a native. Which is a neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Just that I am not!
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Post by cstolliver on Sept 2, 2015 16:39:12 GMT -5
mga, I think you are right about Keith. Certainly at the time, it was the first top 40 hit he sang on and I am reasonably sure he did not sing on any others. Good critique from a fellow North Carolinian although he sounds like a native. Which is a neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Just that I am not! Thanks for the compliment! I'm not an N.C. native though I've lived here now for 22 years -- longer than anywhere else. Born in Chicago, raised there through age 16 and South Bend, Ind., after that. Stints in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and again South Bend preceded my move to Raleigh. So ... On topic! I forgot that Gilbert O'Sullivan went back up to No. 1 after Looking Glass had its moment in the sun. Just grateful we got to hear that moment last weekend!
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Post by blackbowl68 on Sept 4, 2015 17:52:26 GMT -5
I'm sorry I'm just posting this now. I've been very busy this week and it took me awhile to complete this.
CASEY KASEM'S AMERICAN TOP 40: The 80’s – 8/29/2015 This week’s presentation is from the Billboard pop chart week ending 8/29/1981
PERSONAL: I was a 13-year old kid living on Wichita Falls, TX area and I heard this show on either KTRN-AM 1290 or KSWO-AM from Lawton, OK first run. The show aired on the latter during church service but always caught it better on the former late Sunday night. I was still learning how to be a Boy Scout but never made it to Eagle.
DROPPERS: ROCK & ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH – JIM STEINMAN (40) DOUBLE DUTCH BUS – FRANKIE SMITH (39) BETTE DAVIS EYES – KIM CARNES (38) TIME – ALAN PARSONS PROJECT (37) THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE – AIR SUPPLY (33) TOUCH ME WHEN WE’RE DANCING – THE CARPENTERS (16) No need to comment on these except one was a “disco” song.
LW#2: BELIEVE IT OR NOT (THEME FROM “GREATEST AMERICAN HERO”) - JOEY SCARBURY LW#1: ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE And the countdown begins… 40: NICOLE - POINT BLANK (debut) This Texas group shows what ZZ Top would sound like if they were a boy band. 39: YOU COULD TAKE MY BREATH AWAY - SILVER CONDOR (debut) New York rock band that sounds like a weak imitation of Kansas. 38: THE STROKE - BILLY SQUIER (17) The one song in the countdown that should’ve been a dance craze. AT40 SPECIAL REPORT: Concert doctors - Oakland, CA 37: IN THE AIR TONIGHT - PHIL COLLINS (19) Great song Premiere decided to remaster with a lame remix version. 36: DRAW OF THE CARDS - KIM CARNES (debut) Risky follow-up single with an interesting avant garde groove on it. 35: START ME UP - THE ROLLING STONES (debut) Straight forward rocker from British supergroup representing their best in the 80s. 34: IN YOUR LETTER - REO SPEEDWAGON (debut) Champaign IL rock band changes gears to this sock hop ditty for their fourth single from Hi Infidelity. QL: Has any song had versions make the Top 40 in the 60s, 70s & 80s? 33: BREAKING AWAY – BALANCE (36) Peppy Castro of Blues Magoos fame goes to something more cohesive with his new group. A: Yes…Stand By Me, Hey There Lonely Boy(Girl), Cupid, I Can’t Help Myself, and… 32: EVERLASTING LOVE - REX SMITH & RACHEL SWEET (32) Weak rendition of Robert Knight chestnut even for these two singers. AT40 ARCHIVES: WINDY - THE ASSOCIATION (176th #1 of the 1960s – July 1967) Summer of Love peaks with this happy ditty on top. Premiere Optional Extra: CHLOE – ELTON JOHN – Could’ve done without this forgettable offering from The Fox as an extra. 31: ARTHUR'S THEME (BEST THAT YOU CAN DO) - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (debut) Austin native issues title track from Dudley Moore film with breezy tempo. 30: I COULD NEVER MISS YOU (MORE THAN I DO) – LULU (34) Scottish lass returns to the American charts with lite up-tempo MOR number. 29: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY - SHEENA EASTON (35) This Scottish lass follows up her debut album with sultry turn on James Bond movie theme. 28: LOVE ON A TWO-WAY STREET - STACY LATTISAW (29) DC teen singer does a less inspiring take on the 1970 sad soul ballad. 27: YOU'RE MY GIRL - FRANKE & THE KNOCKOUTS (27) Follow up single by Frankie Previte and company in which I don’t hear a hit record. 26: DON'T GIVE IT UP - ROBBIE PATTON (26) Songwriter who tried singing this time and realized he’s better at his day job. 25: THE VOICE - THE MOODY BLUES (31) British prog rock group with their 2nd most compelling single of their chart career. 24: THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY - THE BEACH BOYS (30) Hey if a Beatles medley can top the chart, why can’t a medley from the Sunshine boys. Seemed like a good idea at this time. LDD: YOU DECORATED MY LIFE - KENNY ROGERS: Nice song to dedicate to two people society says you shouldn’t show love far. 23: THAT OLD SONG - RAY PARKER JR. & RAYDIO (25) A somewhat watered down follow-up to great soul song from Detroit guitarist and company. 22: FEELS SO RIGHT – ALABAMA (24) Country band known for mountain music breaks through on the pop side with rather dragging ballad. AT40 ARCHIVES: LIGHT MY FIRE - THE DOORS (177th #1 of the 1960s – July 1967) Eerie charttopping classic that thankfully only the single version was played. (Do you REALLY need to hear the 7-minute album track on a countdown show?) Premiere Optional Extra: WHEN SHE WAS MY GIRL – THE FOUR TOPS – Detroit vocal quartet finally returns to the pop chart with powerful doo-wop soul number on Casablanca(!) 21: HOLD ON TIGHT – ELO (28) British prog rock returns from Xanadu with a 50’s styled sock hop winner. 20: IT'S NOW OR NEVER - JOHN SCHNEIDER (14) Bo Duke does a decent rendition here of Elvis chestnut. 19: FIRE AND ICE - PAT BENATAR (22) Long Islander continues shouting from where she left off on “Treat Me Right.” 18: REALLY WANNA KNOW YOU - GARY WRIGHT (21) The Dream Weaver awakens to see pleasant results & wants to make contact. 17: THE BREAKUP SONG - THE GREG KIHN BAND (20) New wave sounding rocker that they don’t write like that anymore. 16: STEP BY STEP - EDDIE RABBITT (23) My favorite country singer issues this fun tongue-in-cheek number about getting the girl you want. QL: Who had the first #1 on the Disco Chart? 15: COOL LOVE - PABLO CRUISE (18) West Coast rock band with very soulful single good enough to dent the R&B charts. A: The Bee Gees, with “You Should Be Dancing.” 14: ELVIRA - THE OAK RIDGE BOYS (13) This rendition of Dallas Frazier 1966 single is the most fun sounding country song on the chart this week. 13: HEARTS - MARTY BALIN (12) Former Jefferson Starship lead singer continues his MOR sound on this tepid number. 12: BOY FROM NEW YORK CITY - MANHATTAN TRANSFER (7) Coed vocal quartet takes 1965 Ad-Libs hit and makes it stronger. 11: I DON'T NEED YOU - KENNY ROGERS (3) Country superstar continues with Lionel Richie behind the boards with soundalike follow-up to “Lady.” AT40 ARCHIVES: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE - THE BEATLES (178th #1 of the 1960’s – August 1967) The happy-get-lucky record this British supergroup that was on top with when their manager was found dead. How ironic. Premiere Optional Extra: THE NIGHT OWLS - LITTLE RIVER BAND Australian pop group returns to the charts with rather aggressive number. 10: WHO'S CRYING NOW – JOURNEY (11) San Francisco rock band begins its peak with great sounding bitter ballad. 9: LADY (YOU BRING ME UP) - THE COMMODORES (10) Up-tempo soul number from Tuskegee funk band. 8: URGENT – FOREIGNER (15) British hard rock group also hitting its peak with heavily synthesized number featuring sax solo from Jr. Walker. 7: (THERE’S) NO GETTING' OVER ME - RONNIE MILSAP (9) Blind country singer scores biggest pop hit with a number that sounds like it was written in the mid 60’s 6: QUEEN OF HEARTS - JUICE NEWTON (8) I stand corrected. THIS was the fun sounding country song on this week’s chart. Another tongue-in-cheek number about love gone wrong. LDD: LIVING IN A FANTASY – LEO SAYER – The dedication told sounded like a fantasy. 5: JESSIE'S GIRL - RICK SPRINGFIELD (5) I’m sure this rocking number about jealousy kept selling every time people tuned into General Hospital. 4: STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND - STEVIE NICKS with TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS (6) What drama was going with this woman that she could not cut this track on Fleetwood Mac? Anyway, it’s her best single to date next to “Dreams.” 3: BELIEVE IT OR NOT (THEME FROM “GREATEST AMERICAN HERO”) - JOEY SCARBURY (2) Another example of a theme song that was better than the TV show it came from. Premiere Optional Extra: PRIVATE EYES – DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES – Duo lays out obsessive jealousy over very fun rhythm track. No wonder it topped the chart. 2: SLOW HAND - THE POINTER SISTERS (4) Nice mid-tempo ballad from West Coast family group that has somewhat endured over the years. 1: ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE (1) Not exactly Marvin & Tammi but this slow love ballad became Motown’s biggest hit during B.G.’s years.
SYNOPSIS: When Casey answered the question about the disco chart, he mentioned this was first week since that chart was created in Billboard five years earlier where there was no disco record in the countdown. Apparently this was the perfect scenario many pop radio programmers at the time were hoping for. As a result, there was an overabundance of country songs and slow ballads on the charts. It makes this period the most forgettable era in rock & roll history.
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Post by JessieLou on Sept 4, 2015 19:28:08 GMT -5
Posting this early since I will be out of town this Sunday. September 3, 1977Falling off: Helen Reddy – You’re My World (26) – YAY! Helen Not Reddy drops off! BYE! Alan O’Day – Undercover Angel (31) – aww I like this one! Slade – Slide (32) – wtf did this sound like again? Barbra Streisand – My Heart Belongs To Me (37) – Ugh, AND STAY OUT! 40. Donna Summer - I Feel Love (debut) – I used to not like this but it’s grown on me, but still not one of her best. Love the production on this one though. 39. George Benson - The Greatest Love Of All (debut) - I like this but prefer Whitney’s version 38. Steve Miller Band - Jungle Love (debut) – I’m usually not a big fan of theirs but I LOVE this one. Probably my favorite from them 37. Alice Cooper – You And Me (25) – good song but FAR from his best. 36. Peter McCann – Do You Want To Make Love (23) – good song! 35. Elvis Presley - Way Down (debut) – not a fan, RIP though 34. Carole King - Hard Rock Cafe (36) – Love her! But this isn’t one of her best. Still good though! 33. Bay City Rollers – You Made Me Believe In Magic (33) – No. Just no. 32. Hot Chocolate – So You Win Again (34) - meh 31. Ronnie Milsap - It Was Almost Like A Song (35) – YAWN. 30. Heatwave - Boogie Nights (40) – LOVE this one! 29. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better (29) – LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. Carlegend Slaymon strikes again! 28. Meri Wilson – Telephone Man (18) – One of the top 10 WORST songs of the 70’s. Dude, HOW THE HELL DID THIS GIRL GET A RECORD DEAL?! SHE CAN’T SING!!! How insulting to Carlegend that her masterpiece was followed by this off-key anthem. 27. Meco - Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band (38) – I like it 26. Bee Gees – Edge Of The Universe (28) – I like it but not one of their best. 25. Kiss – Christine Sixteen (27) – meh 24. B.J. Thomas - Don't Worry Baby (29) – meh, I don’t seem to like any version of this song. EXTRA: Elton John & Kiki Dee – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – great song! Very deserving #1 hit. 23. Shaun Cassidy - That's Rock And Roll (30) – UGH. Cannot stand this cheesy ass song. 22. Peter Frampton – I’m In You (11) – Love this song, one of his best! 21. KC & the Sunshine Band - Keep It Comin' Love (24) - one of their best! 20. Johnny Rivers - Swayin' To The Music (22) – great song! I think I prefer this over “Rockin’ Pneumonia” but that one’s good too. 19. Stephen Bishop - On And On (21) - great song! 18. Ram Jam – Black Betty (19) – I actually never cared for this. 17. Leo Sayer - How Much Love (17) - good song! 16. Foreigner - Cold As Ice (20) - great song from a great band! 15. Supertramp – Give A Little Bit (15) – all of their songs are mediocre to me, including this one. The Goo Goo Dolls version is better. 14. Pablo Cruise – Whatcha Gonna Do (6) – Love this one! Not sure if I prefer this or “Love Will Find A Way”. 13. John Williams - Star Wars – Star Wars (16) – um it’s not bad I guess. 12. Sanford-Townsend Band - Smoke From A Distant Fire (14) – good song! 11. Heart - Barracuda (12) – LOVE THIS SONG! My favorite on the chart! 10. Electric Light Orchestra - Telephone Line (13) - meh 9. Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter 23 (10) – great song! 8. Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop (9) - great song! 7. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Just A Song Before I Go (7) – LOVE this! One of their best and one of my favorites on the chart! 6. The Floaters - Float On (8) – LOVE this song!! 5. James Taylor - Handy Man (5) – I love this one! One of my favorites from JT. 4. The Commodores - Easy (4) - YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNN 3. Rita Coolidge - Higher And Higher (3) – um, are you for real right now? All these great songs on the chart and this mediocrity is all the way at #3? BYE! 2. Andy Gibb - I Just Want To Be Your Everything (2) - great song! This and “Shadow Dancing” are my favorites from him. 1. The Emotions - Best Of My Love (1) – Great song!
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Sept 4, 2015 19:34:46 GMT -5
Not necessarily on it being a remix of In The Air Tonight. They most likely originally played the single version which had a different mix.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 5, 2015 9:48:29 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 70s - September 5, 2015
This week's presentation - September 3, 1977
Droppers: MY HEART BELONGS TO ME - BARBRA STREISAND (37) - This one was a guilty pleasure of mine, since many people I know consider this a snoozefest. That's why I like it; nice and mellow - has sort of a haunting sound to it. SLIDE - SLAVE (32) - I don't remember how this one goes, but I seem to recall it wasn't anything exceptional. UNDERCOVER ANGEL - ALAN O'DAY (31) - Definitely one of the biggest hits of 1977! One of the best, as well; this one peaked at #2 on my Personal Top 30, edged out of #1 by "Peace Of Mind" by Boston. YOU'RE MY WORLD - HELEN REDDY (26) - I remember that this song sounded like "How Important Can It Be" by Joni James, a song that reached #2 on the charts two decades before.
40: I FEEL LOVE - DONNA SUMMER (debut) - I joined the show a little late, so I missed this one. As you can guess, I didn't consider that a great loss. 39: THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL - GEORGE BENSON (debut) - This is where the show was when it started. This was a really nice song, though I preferred Whitney Houston's remake of this - but that's because I heard that version first (and more often). I have a feeling that I'd prefer George's version if I'd heard it during its chart run, but, in fact, I do not ever remember hearing it on the radio. 38: JUNGLE LOVE - THE STEVE MILLER BAND (debut) - The second single from Book Of Dreams and one of four songs that he charted with in 1977. This was pretty good, but my least favorite of his 1977 singles. 37: YOU AND ME - ALICE COOPER (25) - As we all know, I preferred his power ballads over his loud rockers. This is possibly my second favorite song from him, behind "Only Women". 36: DO YOU WANNA MAKE LOVE - PETER McCANN (23) - I wonder if David Gates was inspired by this song for "Goodbye Girl", since they both sound very similar. Anyway, this is ordinarily the type of song that I'd really like (and I believe at one time I did), but now I think it's just a little too cheesy for my taste 35: WAY DOWN - ELVIS PRESLEY (re-entry) - I loved the way that Casey said that this song "re-debuts" this week. Of course, Elvis' death about three weeks before accounted for its renewed popularity. It was a good song. 34: HARD ROCK CAFÉ - CAROLE KING (36) - Her popularity had peaked during the first half of the 1970s, but she indeed had a few last gasps in the late-70s. This was her second-to-last Top 40 hit. It was a good one. 33: YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC - BAY CITY ROLLERS (33) - After its hard fall from #10 the week before, one might expect this song to drop out the following week, but, as a matter of fact, it was in holding pattern. Not sure what happened there, but nevertheless, it was a good song. 32: SO YOU WIN AGAIN - HOT CHOCOLATE (34) - I was never a huge fan of them, but this one actually was not too bad. 31: IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A SONG - RONNIE MILSAP (35) - I wonder if anyone thought this was the new song by Barry Manilow when they first heard the opening piano notes, as it definitely sounded like something Manilow would sing. Unsurprisingly, I thought this was a great song. 30: BOOGIE NIGHTS - HEATWAVE (40) - With a jump like that, this was definitely Top Ten bound. Part 2 of this song ("The Groove Line") would chart the following year and would also hit the Top Ten. Both songs were so/so IMO, but my favorite song from them was the one that charted between those two songs, "Always And Forever", one of the most popular love songs of all time. 29: NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - CARLY SIMON (39) - Another big jump - and like the Heatwave song, this would peak at #2. This is definitely one of my favorite songs by Carly Simon (Chris Thompson's song "If You Remember Me" from two years later reminds me of this song). 28: TELEPHONE MAN - MERI WILSON (18) - This one was a little goofy - I wouldn't like to hear it on a daily basis. 27: "STAR WARS" THEME/CANTINA BAND - MECO (38) - This was the biggest jumper of the week - had just a little more oomph in it than the Heatwave and Carly Simon songs. This one would go on to hit #1. I liked it, but preferred the other version of the Star Wars theme by the John Williams Orchestra on this week's chart. 26: EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE - THE BEE GEES (28) - Their final song before their biggest wave of popularity ever - this song was pretty good, but not quite their best. 25: CHRISTINE SIXTEEN - KISS (27) - Like Alice Cooper, I liked Kiss' ballads the best, but this song wasn't too bad. 24: DON'T WORRY BABY - B.J. THOMAS (29) - I was surprised to hear that the Beach Boys only got as high as #24 with their version of this song, since it receives a lot of recurrent airplay. This song would peak at #17. I liked this one. EXTRA: DON'T GO BREAKIN' MY HEART - ELTON JOHN & KIKI DEE - The #1 song from a year before (though not fifty-two weeks before - the first week in September, "You Should Be Dancing" by the Bee Gees had moved into the top spot. Nevertheless, it was a great song - one of Elton's best. 23: THAT'S ROCK 'N' ROLL- SHAUN CASSIDY (30) - Ah, the teen idol of the late-70s. I remember a girl who was in kindergarten with me had a huge crush on him. I liked most of his music - this and Da Doo Ron Ron are probably my two favorites from him. 22: I'M IN YOU - PETER FRAMPTON (11) - He never quite matched the success of his Frampton Comes Alive album, but this song, from his sophomore album, of the same title, was his most successful single, peaking at #2. It is definitely my favorite song from him. 21: KEEP IT COMIN' LOVE - K.C. & THE SUNSHINE BAND (24) - Their only Top Ten hit that did not go to #1 (it didn't miss by much, though; it peaked at #2 for three weeks, but couldn't quite get past Meco; then, when Debby Boone leapfrogged this song, of course, there was no hope). I never used to like this song very much, but now I think it's one of their best. 20: SWAYIN' TO THE MUSIC - JOHNNY RIVERS (22) - Of course, the crickets (the creatures, not the band) help him out in the first verse of this song. It wasn't bad, but I preferred a few others from him (i.e. "Summer Rain", "Secret Agent Man") 19: ON AND ON - STEPHEN BISHOP (21) - Casey mentioned that this was his biggest hit, and it would end up being his biggest hit ever; just barely missed the Top Ten, which I thought was a shame, as it was my favorite song from him. A small consolation - it did hit the Top Ten on the R&R chart, peaking at #8. 18: BLACK BETTY - RAM JAM (19) - I'm not a big fan of Southern Rock, so this song didn't really do anything for me. 17: HOW MUCH LOVE - LEO SAYER (17) - A true example of "Third Single Syndrome". After two #1 hits from Endless Flight, this was all the higher this song got. Too bad, as it was my favorite of his three EF singles. 16: COLD AS ICE - FOREIGNER (20) - Their second hit - and there was a lot more where that came from! This would probably be my favorite of their two Top Ten hits from 1977 (though "Feels Like The First Time" was also a great one!) 15: GIVE A LITTLE BIT - SUPERTRAMP (15) - This was their very first Top 20 hit. This was all the further it got, but it did far better than the remake by the Goo Goo Dolls (on the pop chart; that version of the song was a #1 Hot AC smash, a format that did not exist back in 1977). This was one of my favorite songs by Superman. 14: WHATCHA GONNA DO - PABLO CRUISE (6) - The first of several great songs by them. We heard his song that hit #1 on my Personal Top 30 chart on last week's 80s show. This one peaked at #3 on my chart in September 1977. I actually like this one a little better; "Cool Love" made it to #1 on my chart due to a lack of good songs (IMO, mind you) in the fall of 1981. In 1977, however, there were plenty of great ones. 13: STAR WARS - THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / JOHN WILLIAMS (16) - Of course, we already know that this song, the original Star Wars theme, is my favorite of the two versions of it on the chart this week. 12: SMOKE FROM A DISTANT FIRE - THE STANFORD TOWNSEND BAND (14) - Ah, the Hall & Oates soundalikes. However, they weren't anywhere near as successful; this was their only Hot 100 hit. But at least it was a Top Ten. I remember hearing this one back in the day, as well as on Sunny 101.5, which played it every once in awhile about 25 years ago as a recurrent). 11: BARRACUDA - HEART (12) - A high point in the show for our friend JessieLou. I liked this song, but preferred several others from them. 10: TELEPHONE LINE - THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (13) - This song had a rather slow climb up the charts; debuted in early July and peaked at #7 the last week of September. It was a great one; one of my favorites from them. 9: STRAWBERRY LETTER #23 - THE BROTHERS JOHNSON (10) - This one was indeed a popular song (after all, it did hit gold status). It just wasn't quite my cup of tea. 8: DON'T STOP - FLEETWOOD MAC (9) - The third Top Ten song from what would become the top album of 1977. I used to like it, but overplay changed it. 7: JUST A SONG BEFORE I GO - CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG (7) - They had been hitting the chart for nearly ten years but, oddly enough, this was their very first Top Ten hit. I preferred their later hits myself. 6: FLOAT ON - THE FLOATERS (8) - This song inspired a Sesame Street segment that came out in early 1978. It featured a song called "Give Me Five", performed by Bob, Gordon, David and Luis. It featured each of them introducing themselves (like the Floaters group members did in this song) and then singing a verse. I actually preferred that version (since it was by people that I saw on TV regularly back in the day). This song was pretty good as well. 5: HANDY MAN - JAMES TAYLOR (5) - We all knew what number this song was at, since Casey mentioned it in the intro to "Nobody Does It Better" by Taylor's then-wife Carly Simon. My mom used to be able to play this song on her guitar, so I remember it quite well - a great song! 4: EASY - THE COMMODORES (4) - This song spent nearly the entire summer climbing the chart, peaking at #4 in late August. It held that same position this week. It was a great song - definitely when the Commodores' musical quality began noticeably improving IMO. 3: (YOUR LOVE HAS LIFTED ME) HIGHER AND HIGHER - RITA COOLIDGE (3) - Her first big hit - couldn't quite break up the fight for the top spot between Andy Gibb and the Emotions, but still managed to sneak in a week at #2. This was definitely my favorite version of this song that I've heard. 2: I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING - ANDY GIBB (2) - This song appeared to be on its way down the chart, but after dipping to #3 the following week, it decided that three weeks weren't quite enough and made an encore appearance at the top. It went on to become AT40's #1 song of 1977. 1: BEST OF MY LOVE - THE EMOTIONS (1) - Casey talked about five instances when a different song with the same title as a former #1 song also hit #1. Two and a half years before, the Eagles topped the chart with their "Best Of My Love". The Emotions continued their reign for the third of five weeks. Of course, I preferred this song, since the Eagles song was a melancholy song about a dying relationship while the Emotions song was a fun, upbeat song about a love affair that was strong and flourishing.
Coming up next week: September 18, 1976. At least they gave that year a break for awhile, after bombarding us with several 1976 shows very close together during the spring. I'll probably post a recycled commentary of this, from its special broadcast on the Fourth Of July, 1976.
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Post by blackbowl68 on Sept 5, 2015 10:35:43 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Air_Tonight
The original single version of "In the Air Tonight" features extra drums that play underneath the song until the signature drum crash (referred to by fans as the "magic break") appears. These were added at the suggestion of Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun. In 2007, Collins wrote:
"Ahmet came down to the final mix in the cutting room in New York (...) The drums don't come in until the end but Ahmet didn't know that at this point, because on the demo the drums hadn't come in at all; it was only drum machine all the way. And he was saying, 'Where's the down beat, where's the backbeat?' I said, 'The drums come in in a minute.' 'Yeah, you know that and I know that, but the kids don't know that; you've got to put the drums on earlier.' So we added some drums to the mix and put it out as a single."
I never heard AT40 play this mix once during its chart run. In fact, I still hadn't heard it even when the track appeared on the Miami Vice soundtrack. So if the Wikipedia article is true, it may not have been released in every country that way & that mix may have only appeared on reissues stateside. Regardless, I still prefer the original with just the drum machine. Footnote: When was the last time you heard the original single of "Dance To The Music" by Sly & the Family Stone on the radio?
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Post by trekkielo on Sept 5, 2015 11:15:53 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Air_Tonight
The original single version of "In the Air Tonight" features extra drums that play underneath the song until the signature drum crash (referred to by fans as the "magic break") appears. These were added at the suggestion of Atlantic Records head Ahmet Ertegun. In 2007, Collins wrote:
"Ahmet came down to the final mix in the cutting room in New York (...) The drums don't come in until the end but Ahmet didn't know that at this point, because on the demo the drums hadn't come in at all; it was only drum machine all the way. And he was saying, 'Where's the down beat, where's the backbeat?' I said, 'The drums come in in a minute.' 'Yeah, you know that and I know that, but the kids don't know that; you've got to put the drums on earlier.' So we added some drums to the mix and put it out as a single."
I never heard AT40 play this mix once during its chart run. In fact, I still hadn't heard it even when the track appeared on the Miami Vice soundtrack. So if the Wikipedia article is true, it may not have been released in every country that way & that mix may have only appeared on reissues stateside. Regardless, I still prefer the original with just the drum machine. Footnote: When was the last time you heard the original single of "Dance To The Music" by Sly & the Family Stone on the radio? Yeah, I also prefer the original Face Value album version that's still played on radio stations today!
Here is Wikipedia's source referenced Collins, Phil et al. (2007). Genesis: Chapter and Verse. St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 220–221. ISBN 978-0-312-37956-8.
PS-Speaking of In the Air Tonight and Casey Kasem, does anyone remember this particular story being told?
www.snopes.com/music/songs/intheair.asp
I heard a similar story about 10 years ago about that song ... I believe I heard it on Casey Kasem's Top 40 when I was a young lass. According to memory, Phil and a buddy were sailing and a downpour started, which caused the boat to capsize. Phil was swimming to shore with his friend and saw a guy sitting on his dock just watching them. He screamed for him to help (apparently the guy had a boat and everything) but the guy just sat there and watched. Phil made it back to shore but his friend drowned. Phil later tracked this guy down and send him front row tickets to a nearby concert. The guy showed up and Phil sang "In the Air Tonight" while staring at him the whole song. (1996)
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