|
Post by at40petebattistini on May 2, 2018 10:03:13 GMT -5
This week’s lost classic ties into Premiere’s “A” program for May 8, 1971. While the song received a respectable amount of radio airplay, it did not appear anywhere on that week’s Hot 100 chart. However, its record label, UNI Records, placed a full-page ad in Billboard that week declaring Neil Diamond’s “Done Too Soon” as “The most requested ‘B’ side in history!” While Diamond’s “I Am…I Said” moved up to number four on this week’s AT40 program, why was its uncharted flipside (“Done Too Soon”) attracting radio airplay? Possibly because it began with a loaded, namedropper list of historical luminaries and closed with a subtle message and a life lesson. Some deemed the recording as 'powerful.' According to Wikipedia, Neil Diamond noted about the song, "It was kind of esoteric, especially at that time. But it's just me trying to say something a little different, just try and jog something in a person's memory, or to elicit a reaction. That's what my job is, to do something a little bit different, and yet something that's me and something that's you." But did Billboard’s Hot 100 contribute to the song’s lost status? It appears that a few Top 40 stations began playing “Done Too Soon”, replacing the peaking “I Am…I Said” on their playlist. By May 22, 1971, “I Am…I Said” fell out of the Top 10 to number 14. And the following week, on May 29, 1971, it dropped completely out of the Top 40 to number 41. That same week, Billboard finally added “Done Too Soon” as the flipside. As “I Am…I Said” fell off the Hot 100 on June 5, 1971, “Done Too Soon” debuted that same week at number 78. And after five weeks on the Hot 100, it climbed only as high as number 65. Did Billboard wait too long to add the flipside’s title to the Hot 100 chart? We may never know. While spotlighting flipsides on AT40 was a commonplace practice in 1971, “Done Too Soon” never received that designation. Someone took the time to create a video for “Done Too Soon” that presents all of the identified historical figures in Neil Diamond’s song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEb8xPUkbVA
|
|
|
Post by mga707 on May 2, 2018 11:04:14 GMT -5
This week’s lost classic ties into Premiere’s “A” program for May 8, 1971. While the song received a respectable amount of radio airplay, it did not appear anywhere on that week’s Hot 100 chart. However, its record label, UNI Records, placed a full-page ad in Billboard that week declaring Neil Diamond’s “Done Too Soon” as “The most requested ‘B’ side in history!” While Diamond’s “I Am…I Said” moved up to number four on this week’s AT40 program, why was its uncharted flipside (“Done Too Soon”) attracting radio airplay? Possibly because it began with a loaded, namedropper list of historical luminaries and closed with a subtle message and a life lesson. Some deemed the recording as 'powerful.' According to Wikipedia, Neil Diamond noted about the song, "It was kind of esoteric, especially at that time. But it's just me trying to say something a little different, just try and jog something in a person's memory, or to elicit a reaction. That's what my job is, to do something a little bit different, and yet something that's me and something that's you." But did Billboard’s Hot 100 contribute to the song’s lost status? It appears that a few Top 40 stations began playing “Done Too Soon”, replacing the peaking “I Am…I Said” on their playlist. By May 22, 1971, “I Am…I Said” fell out of the Top 10 to number 14. And the following week, on May 29, 1971, it dropped completely out of the Top 40 to number 41. That same week, Billboard finally added “Done Too Soon” as the flipside. As “I Am…I Said” fell off the Hot 100 on June 5, 1971, “Done Too Soon” debuted that same week at number 78. And after five weeks on the Hot 100, it climbed only as high as number 65. Did Billboard wait too long to add the flipside’s title to the Hot 100 chart? We may never know. While spotlighting flipsides on AT40 was a commonplace practice in 1971, “Done Too Soon” never received that designation. Someone took the time to create a video for “Done Too Soon” that presents all of the identified historical figures in Neil Diamond’s song. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEb8xPUkbVA"Done Too Soon" received a fair amount of airplay in my area, on several stations. Maybe the "Winnie Ruth Judd" name-drop in the song had something to do with that...
|
|
|
Post by pb on May 2, 2018 13:24:54 GMT -5
A book about Neil Diamond mentioned an amusing story about a version of "Done Too Soon" on a Paris TV show where there was a scheduling mixup and he made it onstage too late to sing the first verse. Turns out this is on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3uJYTIFCBk
|
|
|
Post by at40petebattistini on May 3, 2018 3:10:17 GMT -5
A book about Neil Diamond mentioned an amusing story about a version of "Done Too Soon" on a Paris TV show where there was a scheduling mixup and he made it onstage too late to sing the first verse. Turns out this is on YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3uJYTIFCBkThat's a great story and video ... thanks for sharing.
|
|
|
Post by djjoe1960 on May 3, 2018 7:02:17 GMT -5
I always thought of this song as sort of the precursor of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire.
By the way, the song peaked in the 60's/70's on all 3 charts back in 1971. (#65--Billboard/#69--Cash Box/#72--Record World)
Great song--
Thanks, Pete.
|
|
|
Post by mga707 on May 3, 2018 13:24:56 GMT -5
I always thought of this song as sort of the precursor of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire. By the way, the song peaked in the 60's/70's on all 3 charts back in 1971. (#65--Billboard/#69--Cash Box/#72--Record World) Great song-- Thanks, Pete. One could include REM's "It's the End Of the World As We Know It" (which unbelievably did NOT reach the top 40) into this 'sub-genre' as well...
|
|
|
Post by trekkielo on May 4, 2018 0:27:58 GMT -5
I always thought of this song as sort of the precursor of Billy Joel's We Didn't Start The Fire. By the way, the song peaked in the 60's/70's on all 3 charts back in 1971. (#65--Billboard/#69--Cash Box/#72--Record World) Great song-- Thanks, Pete. One could include REM's "It's the End Of the World As We Know It" (which unbelievably did NOT reach the top 40) into this 'sub-genre' as well... And Reunion's "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"!
|
|
|
Post by 1finemrg on May 4, 2018 8:08:02 GMT -5
One could include REM's "It's the End Of the World As We Know It" (which unbelievably did NOT reach the top 40) into this 'sub-genre' as well... And Reunion's "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"! And INXS "Mediate"... ...which takes us back to the granddaddy of them all, Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues".
|
|
|
Post by trekkielo on May 12, 2018 10:29:39 GMT -5
Four more, two that predate AT40 in 1967, "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas & The Papas and "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" by Peter, Paul & Mary, then two from 1970, Sly & the Family Stone's "Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin", specifically its third verse, and Temptations' "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)"!
|
|
|
Post by at40petebattistini on May 17, 2018 9:06:42 GMT -5
As Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” moved into the number one spot on Billboard’s Top LPs & Tape chart on May 21, 1977, this week’s lost classic was *not* on the album. But many believe, including Stevie Nicks, that it should’ve been. Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver Springs” was discovered earlier in 1977 when it was released as the flipside to “Go Your Own Way.” Originally intended for the LP, many were surprised when “Silver Springs” was not among the album’s tracks upon its release in late February 1977. As the group arguably became 1977’s hottest act, the flipside that went missing -- which spotlighted the writing and vocal talents of Stevie Nicks -- was well-received by many AOR radio stations, as well as Fleetwood Mac fans, as it became an unexpected “Rumours” bonus track. www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4FO2_vkZsI
|
|
|
Post by at40petebattistini on May 31, 2018 9:47:21 GMT -5
“Living In The U.S.A.” by the Steve Miller Band first appeared on Billboard’s Hot 100 in November 1968. It stayed for only two weeks, peaking at #94. But as Steve Miller gained notoriety as a result of releasing seven albums (including an anthology) by 1972, as well as making numerous concert appearances, “Living In The U.S.A.” continued to gain airplay as a popular track on AOR-formatted radio stations. Five years later, after “The Joker” hit number one, this lost classic was still getting airplay. And Capitol Records was convinced the 1968 single and AOR favorite needed to be re-issued. On the Hot 100 chart for June 1, 1974, in tying in with Premiere’s 70s program this weekend, Miller’s “Living In The U.S.A.” climbed from #76 to #62. Unfortunately, for its second chart run, it only reached #49. (Note: On CashBox’s Top 100, “Living In The U.S.A.” peaked at #38 on June 29, 1974.) “Someone give me a cheeseburger!” (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyV41-tFPcQ
|
|
|
Post by pb on May 31, 2018 11:37:04 GMT -5
“Living In The U.S.A.” by the Steve Miller Band first appeared on Billboard’s Hot 100 in November 1968. It stayed for only two weeks, peaking at #94. But as Steve Miller gained notoriety as a result of releasing seven albums (including an anthology) by 1972, as well as making numerous concert appearances, “Living In The U.S.A.” continued to gain airplay as a popular track on AOR-formatted radio stations. "Living In The U.S.A." was one of the few 60's songs for which I saw an MTV video in the early 80's days of the station. As I recall it was footage of amusement park rides.
|
|
|
Post by 1finemrg on Jun 13, 2018 4:45:28 GMT -5
The authorized Rolling Stones greatest hits collection "Made In The Shade" was released in June, 1975 in support of the Rolling Stones summer "Tour Of The Americas". Also released on the same day was the Rolling Stones album "Metamorphosis" by their former manager Allen Klein and his label ABKCO records. It was an album of outtakes, demos, and alternate versions of original songs recorded between 1964 and 1970. Though generally panned by the critics, the album made the Top 10 in the US peaking at #8. From "Metamorphosis", this week's lost 70s classic was recorded on July 3, 1969. It was the day former Rolling Stones member Brian Jones death became public. The Stevie Wonder cover was released as a single, and would spend six weeks in the Hot 100 peaking at #42. I Don't Know Why - Rolling StonesStevie's original peaked at #39 spending seven weeks on the charts. After its chart run, the 45 made a second appearance in the Hot 100 with the "B" side becoming the "A" side and vice versa. This proved to be a bonafide success as "My Cherie Amour" would peak at #4, spending 14 weeks in the Hot 100.
|
|
|
Post by 80sat40fan on Jun 16, 2018 6:45:45 GMT -5
The guy from the Lost 90s Classic thread is posting a pick from this week's 6/21/75 Hot 100... so think of me as the David Perry of this thread . It's one of my all-time favorite instrumentals, and it's from Grover Washington Jr. This song was moving up 8 notches to #62, and it would peak at #54. While I have heard the single edit of the song, only the full-length version is posted on YouTube... but I will gladly listen to all 9 minutes and 2 minutes of this tune! Here is Grover Washington Jr. with "Mr. Magic":
|
|
|
Post by 1finemrg on Jun 21, 2018 20:14:20 GMT -5
They were Dan Fogelberg's backup group as he was breaking nationally, and he returned the favor by co-writing two of their songs on their debut album. The band also covered Dan's "Old Tennessee" from his "Captured Angel" album. The lost 70s classic from June 26, 1976 was their only Hot 100 single. In its fifth week, the song was at its #76 peak position. It would hold for a second week before falling to #93 then exiting. Something the people in the Chicago are could use a little less of... Rain, Oh Rain - Fools Gold
|
|