40 years ago this week on AT40

[bobbo428]

2014 note: The countdown that I heard 40 years ago today was not based on the actual Billboard Hot 100 from that week but on a prediction of the chart. As a result, I heard ZZ Top's "La Grange" debut, even though its actual chart peak was #41. For weeks afterward, I thought that Casey had erred when he mentioned the number of weeks that Wet Willie's "Keep On Smiling" had been in the countdown. I also knew that something was awry when, a year later, that Casey declared "Toosh" as ZZ Top's first top-40 hit. Anyway, this is how I saw it 40 years ago today:


The countdown saw a lot of chart action, including seven debut songs. There was a new group called Wet Willie leading off the countdown. Also debuting was a song called “Come Monday,” by a fellow named Jimmy Buffett. I wonder why he is in such a hurry for Monday to come. The Impressions debuted with their first hit in several years with “Finally Got Myself Together.” ZZ Top made an impressive debut with “La Grange,” a tune that I had heard in a commercial a couple months ago. It must have been a song that spent a lot of time on the Hot 100 before reaching the top 40. it sounds like a hit! Marvin Hamlisch took a 15-point nosedive with “The Entertainer”; it may fall completely out of the top 40 next week—but I’ll have no way of knowing because Casey won’t mention the dropper-offers in two weeks because he doesn’t do that anymore. I was disappointed that Anne Murray’s “You Won’t See Me” has begun to fall already. The same goes for Carly Simon’s “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,” which is already falling in only its fifth week on the chart. The Spinners appear to have lost their momentum already with “I’m Coming Home,” which inches up only one notch.Blue Magic has hit a wall with “Sideshow” at #26. Can it start moving up again, or has it peaked? I was hoping that the Stylistics would reach #1 with “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” but that song has begun its descent. I do enjoy the new #1 song, Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown”; it is a mellow, relaxing tune. The next #1 should be either “Rock the Boat” or “Rock Your Baby,” both of which are already in the top 10 after only three weeks in the 40. George McCrae’s hit may even beat the Hues Corporation tune to the top. However, I hope William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful for What You’ve Got” can hold them off and sneak in at #1 if Lightfoot allows it.


In other news...

The Mets lost a twinbill to the Cardinals—Tug McGraw lost the lead in the nightcap. Tug has been a screwball so far this year.

[Deleted]

7/27/74 seemed to see quite a purging of older songs. Band on the Run was at #40 & Billy Don't Be a Hero at #39 this week. While "Band..." isn't a big deal since it was at #26 last week, "Billy.." was #13 and "Sundown" which was #12 is gone completely. Olivia's song crashed to #27 after being at 10 last week too.

Last year I asked if there were weeks a national purging of music took place because it seemed like older songs in all the charts were taking unusual dives within the same week or two. I guess I'll see how the show from 84 holds up. Neither show from 94 and AT20 from 04 I doubt I see anything unusual there as they are like wading through molasses wearing cement shoes.

[jmack19]

November 1974 & October 1975 were notorious purge periods as well as parts of 1978 & 1982. On 11/9/74, there were songs by Dawn & Lynyrd Skynyrd that fell from the Top 10 off the Top 40.

[dukelightning]

Casey answered a question about the biggest drop from #1. The answer was "The Sounds of Silence" which dropped to 12. But here is a coincidence. That same week the songs that would end up sharing the new record for biggest drop from #1 debuted back to back at 39 and 38...."Nothing from Nothing" and "Then Came You". 7 songs in 9 weeks later in 1974 actually took a drop from 1 to at least 12 so any one of those 7 songs if it were the only one that took such a drop, would have at least tied the previous record.

[Deleted]

Abba ´s Waterloo in at number 11 , 40 years ago, and Casey tells everybody no to confusse Waterloo with another song from the 50s. It seems like Casey is thinking Waterloo could be another one hit wonder.

[bobbo428]

(pretending it actually is 8/3/74)

We were at a cottage at Cayuga Lake, near Ithaca, NY on Aug. 3, 1974. I had feared that I'd missed the next two countdowns because I knew of no station carrying At40 in that neck of the woods. However, I found Casey's countdown on a Syracuse, NY station, WFBL. I knew that there was no way that I could pick up WILK (Wilkes Barre, PA) this far away (I have enough trouble picking it up at home). It was the first time I ever caught Casey’s show on Saturday—the chart date now lines up with the countdown date! Mac Davis’s “One Hell of a Woman” was playing when I tuned in. I then heard Donny & Marie’s “I’m Leaving It All Up to You,” a song I can do without. A few songs later, I found out that Paul Anka’s comeback hit, “(You’re) Having My Baby” took an 11-notch jump. It reminds me of Elton John’s hit “Daniel” musically. . Unfortunately, Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” missed the top 10 after peaking at #13. Come on folks, that song should have made thwe top five! I’ll remember that song 10, heck, 40 years from now! Wet Willie’s “Keep On Smilin’” is still moving up; I hope it can reach the top 10…My father likes “Wildwood Weed”…”Rock Your Baby” is running out of gas fast—it is very unlikely to make it to the next school year…Blue Magic has made the top 10 with “Sideshow”…”Rock and Roll Heaven” took a fall; I hoped it would reach #1…Paper Lace is likely headed to the top with “The Night Chicago Died”…Steely Dan is still moving up, to #4—I hope they can go all the way, but Roberta Flack’s song has jumped over “Rikki”…John Denver’s sappy tune still rules the roost. He may have robbed Elton John of a #1.

[Deleted]

"Rock n Roll Heaven" by the Righteous Brothers chokes me up a little now when I hear it in light of Casey's passing this year.

Now followed by a really %#*{%] song, "Having My Baby." Nothing to do with the message in it. I just think it's a terrible sounding song.

[Deleted]

Earlier in this thread I talked about how Cheech & Chong suck. Well you can add Jim Stafford and Don Bowman to that list. Their shelf life seems to have been all of halfway through one week with a song on the chart.

Also as an aside, this is the 40th anniversary of Nixon's resignation. Does Casey ever somehow reference this a week or two later?

[bobbo428]

Aug 9, 2014 12:10:53 GMT -5 @paul said:

"Rock n Roll Heaven" by the Righteous Brothers chokes me up a little now when I hear it in light of Casey's passing this year.

Now followed by a really %#*{%] song, "Having My Baby." Nothing to do with the message in it. I just think it's a terrible sounding song.

I felt the same way about "Rock and Roll Heaven." By a major coincidence, that song made the top 40 on June 15, 1974--40 years to the day before Casey left us.

[bobbo428]

A hypothetical journal entry from 40 years ago today:

This was the first countdown I caught in its entirety in three weeks, as well as my first countdown on Syracuse’s WFBL. Fortunately, one of my personal favorites, Lamont Dozier’s “Fish Ain’t Bitin’”, is still hanging on, at #40. Debut songs are Barry White’s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” Mzain Ingredient’s “Happiness Is Just Around the Bend,” Guess Who’s “Clap for the Wolfman,” and Edgar Winter’s “The River Is Rising.” Mac Davis’s “One Hell of a Woman” is the longest-running record at a mere 12 weeks. Elvis’s “If You Talk in Your Sleep” took a big plunge…Dionne Warwicke & Spinners have a catchy, hot new song that sounds as though it could even last until November…Not only is “Rock Your Baby” plummeting, but so is “Rock the Boat.” At most, they may have only one week left…The song which in June I thought was called “Eyeshot Cherries” is actually called “I Shot the Sheriff,” and it is a big hit, soaring from the upper 30s to the low 20s—it should reach the top 5 soon…The Hollies take an unexpected plunge, 6-17, with “The Air That I Breathe, as does Steely Dan, with “Rikki”—both are very unlikely to make it to the new school year—and you can add “Rock and Roll Heaven” to that list as well, as it drops 7-14…Paul Anka is sizzling with “Having My Baby”…Wet Willie is only one away from the top 10…Rufus is red hot with “Tell Me Something Good”…”Sideshow” is still moving up—it is one of two songs most likely to make it to 7th grade (the Sept. 8 weekend), like John Denver’s “Annie’s Song”…Roberta Flack achieves her third number 1 hit in just over two years with “Feel Like Making Love,” a mellow, summery tune.

2014 note: They are due to have a 1974 countdown again soon--I enjoyed the late summer/early fall portion of that year best, so I hope there is a show from late August/September soon. They did Aug. 31 last year, as well as Oct. 12; they had Sept. 21, 1974 about three years ago.

[blackbowl68]

With the 8/24/1974 AT40 show coming this week, I wanted to relate my personal experience from this timeframe.

My family was living in England at this time but we were about to make our move to Fairfield, CA. It would be my first time living in the US (other than visiting relatives in Queens, NY.) Apparently, my dad had just purchased the British copies of "Be Thankful For What You Got," "Rock Your Baby," & "Feel Like Makin' Love." Just before our departure, I also remember hearing three hit records on UK radio that hadn't reached American soil yet: "Kung Fu Fighting," "Laughter In The Rain" & "Magic."

[bobbo428]

I first heard that Aug. 24, 1974 countdown on that date on Syracuse's WFBL, as well as this past Saturday. I was only a week and a half removed from junior high, and I was beginning to get anxious. Some highlights:

--I enjoyed Casey discussing the first literal gold record, as opposed to the first gold record issued by the RIAA (Perry Como's "Catch a Falling Star".. Other highlights--pretending is actually is Aug. 24, 1974:

Debut songs this week were“Sweet Home Alabama” (Leonard Skinner—sic--has a good sound), “Free Man in Paris” (Joni Mitchell--great song), “I Love My Friend” (Charlie Rich), “Who Do You Think You Are” (Bo Donaldson & the Heywoonds), “Don’t Change Horses in the Middle of a Stream” (Tower of Power), “I Honestly Love You” (Olivia Newton-John), and Cat Stevens’ “Another Saturday Night” (a fun song). "Who Do You Think You Are" is catchier and less corny than "Billy Don't Be a Hero." Paul Anka and his lady friend ascended to the #1 slot with “You’re Having My Baby,” a catchy tune. Paul is very happy that his wife is going to have and take care of their new child. James Brown’s “My Thang” sounds a lot like his hit “The Payback,” as well as Fred Wesley’s “Doin’ It to Death.” Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" is a smash--and I enjoy it a lot. I'm not too crazy about Donny & Marie Osmond's song, however.

The Eric Clapton hit “I Shot the Sheriff” (which at first I thought was called "Eyeshot Cherries), was going through my mind for much of the day. I enjoy the song, but my father doesn’t because it is about a homicide. However, the shooting was in self-defense. The song also mentions a bottle (bottom) that will drop out—it must be about how justice will eventually even out.

[Deleted]

You know, listening to the show from 8/24/74 is a really dark day in the chart world for me. The #1 song is awful, and debuting at #36 is a ankh that has annoyed me for years! Why? Because when it started at Jaguars games you'd hear "Whooooooooo YEEEEEHAAAAAWWWWW!!!!!!" all over the stadium. The song of course is "Sweet Home Alabama" which I always found ironic that Lynyrd Skynyrd was from Jacksonville too yet sang about living somewhere else also.

[bobbo428]

(pretending it actually is 40 years ago today)

The show began with an odd-sounding debut where the singer sang really fast. Later on, I had the countdown on. Summer songs such as "Wildwood Weed" and "Feel Like Making Love" are still hanging on, though Rufus's hit is dropping fast. The Stylistics took an unexpected dive from 18-35. I couldn't get a handle on the second debut either, and the only other debut was a re-release of "Surfin' USA" from 1963. "Tin Man" made a good eight-notch leap, and I hope it makes the top 10. Donny & Marie's hit took a big drop, which is all right by me because I'm not crazy about that song...Strangely enough, they were back to back with the Osmond Brothers' "Love Me for a Reason," which I enjoy more. Joni Mitchell appears to be peaking at #22 with "Free Man in Paris"; I had hoped that it would reach the top 10. I also hoped that Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods' "Who Do You Think You Are" would make the top 10, but it too appears to have peaked. It should fall to 19 next week, then 26 the week after the special. There was a startling surprise at #12: Barry White's "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe", last week's #1 song plunged all the way to 12, typing the all-time biggest drop from #1--the record was first set by Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence." Both are really good songs--figures, right? "Sweet Home Alabama" has made the top 10, which is good...First Class's "Beach Baby" soars 12-5--it sounds too much like an early summer song to me, however...Andy Kim reaches the summit in his 11th week in the top 40, the longest of any song since I became a listener.

There is a special next week called the Top 10 Producers of the '70s. I don't know much about the producers, so I don't know how that show will turn out.


Note: One of the three debut songs from 40 years ago this week was the country gospel ballad "One Day At a Time," by Marilyn Sellers, a sincere slice of traditional country that had a late-'60s feel to it. I didn't get to hear the song again on AT40 because of the special program the following week--and the fact that it fell off the countdown--to #41--a week later.

[bobbo428]

(pretending it was Oct. 12-13, 1974)
Stations listened to for the show: WFBL (Syracuse--Saturday); WILK (Sunday)

There was a lot of action in two weeks--during the week of the special, there were eight (!) debuts, as I would deduce late in the countdown. The countdown began with Abba's second hit, "Honey Honey," the first of eight debut songs, as Casey announced. The next song was a re-debut of a song that had plunged out of the top 40 after having climbed seven notches a week before, "Papa Don't Take No Mess." Then the new songs kept coming: "Everlasting Love," "Higher Plane," "Overnight Sensation," "Devotion," "The Need to Be," and "My Melosdy of Love," Bobby Vinton's first hit in over two years. After Vinton's song was over, I was shocked to hear that Andy Kim's "Rock Me Gently" had plunged 31 notches in only two weeks!

After that came more songs I was unfamiliar with at the time--Brownsville Station, BT Express, Steppenwolf, and Gordon Lightfoot made seven or eight-place jumps. John Denver makes a huge jump with the sedate "Back Home Again." Bachman-Turner Overdrive had the highest-ranked song not on the Sept. 28 countdown, "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet." Johnny Bristol, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Guess Who took big plunges out of the top 10. Cheech and Chong did make the top 10 with "Earache My Eye," the first comedy act to have a top-10 single. Cat Stevebns ties his all-time chart peak with "Another Saturday Night." Olivia Newton-John is at #1 for a second week with the understated piano ballad "I Honestly Love You."

There were 15 new songs in two weeks--an amazing turnover!