The First Hour Truncation Syndrome (1978-79)

[bobbo428]

THE FIRST HOUR TRUNCATION SYNDROME

I was hoping to hear one of my favorite songs from the 1978 countdown, “Run for Home,” by Lindisfarne. Unfortunately, it fell victim to what I call the First Hour Truncation Syndrome, an affliction that plagues the last 15 months of the 1970s because of the switch from three-hour shows to four-hour shows. It is akin to the Shadoe Stevens Truncation Syndrome, which afflicts all 40 positions of the last 17 months of the 1980s.

These are songs that made the top 40—but missed the top 30—and probably won’t be heard on truncated shows. I’ve arranged them in chronological order (pretty much) by the month that the songs entered the top 40. I’ve decided to turn it into a chart critique of sorts:

Let me know if there are any omissions—some songs may have made the top 30 but a guest-hosted show may have thrown a monkey wrench into the works.

OCTOBER 1978

TOOK THE LAST TRAIN-DAVID GATES
A borderline case, this did make the top 30—but I miss out on the first three weeks because it was outside the top 30. This was one of my favorite hits of that fall.
THEMES FROM THE WIZARD OF OZ-MECO
Discotized medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard”, plus Wicked Witch voices
LONDON TOWN-WINGS
Sedate pop rocker was a moderate hit.
EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE-STEPHEN BISHOP
This uplifting song complemented the mild Northeastern weather of early November, 1978.


NOVEMBER

FLYING HIGH-COMMODORES
Underrated tune that just made the top 40—I never heard it until recently.
**LIKE A SUNDAY IN SALEM (THE AMOS & ANDY SONG)-GENE COTTON***
One of my favorite songs of that fall, I had strongly hoped that this would be Cotton’s big breakthrough hit. Alas, the song barely made the top 40 and would be Cotton’s last single to climb that high. The song had a foreboding, apocalyptic feel that went well with ominous autumn days; the lyrics made me think of what I thought the ‘80s would be like, especially against the gloomy Carter-era economy. This was my favorite song that fell victim to the First Hour Truncation Syndrome!!
THIS IS LOVE-PAUL ANKA
The latest mellow offering by this adult-contemporary star, it would be one of his last hits.
ON THE SHELF-DONNY & MARIE OSMOND
Disco-tinged pop tune was a moderate hit—and the last new song I ever heard from the saccharine duo.
RUN FOR HOME-LINDISFARNE
I enjoyed this folk-rock song because it had an early-'70s feel to it. I was hoping it would be a bigger hit than it was. Lyrics had a late-fall yearning to return to one’s origins, though there was a worldly-wise tone.


DECEMBER

HOME AND DRY-GERRY RAFFERTY
The third single from his album City to City had a strong hook and a good, wintry feel. The tune was about the desire to get back home and unwind. This was a borderline top-30 hit.
INSTANT REPLAY-DAN HARTMAN
Hot disco tune had a strong hook and was a top-30 pop hit—a borderline case.
CAN YOU, FOOL-GLEN CAMPBELL
A mellow ballad, this was Campbell's final top-40 hit. Believe it or not, he actually made the Hot 100 with his recent single—three dozen years after his top-40 swan song.
I WILL BE IN LOVE WITH YOU-LIVINGSTON TAYLOR
Borderline case—barely made the top 30.
MY BEST FRIEND’S GIRL-THE CARS
Slow-tempo rocker with a hand-clapping beat—huge amounts of classic rock airplay.
THERE'LL NEVER BE-SWITCH
Lost R&B gem


******************************1979******************************
JANUARY

A MAN I'LL NEVER BE-BOSTON
Proto-power ballad missed the top 30.
LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE-ROSE ROYCE
Soulful slow jam was a moderate pop hit; was later covered by Madonna.
SHATTERED-ROLLING STONES
Tune had a pulsating beat and had a wintry feel to it.
YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH-MEAT LOAF
Third hit from Bat Out of Hell had a strong sound and anthemic quality to it.
ONE LAST KISS-J. GEILS BAND
Underrated tune deftly combined rock, pop, power pop, and R&B This should have been a bigger hit.
YOU NEED A WOMAN TONIGHT-CAPTAIN & TENNILLE
I found this song more melodic than their previous few singles (and their late-1979 hit “Do That To Me One More Time”), but this just scraped the top 40.

FEBRUARY

YOU THRILL ME-EXILE
Soft-rock ballad just made the top 40.
YOU MAKE ME FEEL MIGHTY REAL-SYLVESTER
Standard, pulsating disco number
YOU CAN DO IT-DOBIE GRAY
Upbeat, tuneful song with motivational lyrics and a disco beat
STORMY-SANTANA
A well-conceived cover of 1968 Classics IV hit.
SONG ON THE RADIO-AL STEWART
A borderline case that I missed out on nine months ago because it had just debuted on the 2/17/79 show I had heard last February


MARCH

EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE-EDDIE RABBITT
This theme from the Clint Eastwood movie was his first top-40 pop success—it was a cleverly written tune. This barely made the top 30, at #30.
BUSTIN' LOOSE-CHUCK BROWN & THE SOUL SEARCHERS
Funky R&B tune was a lot of fun to listen to; was sampled in an odious rap hit by Nelly in 2002.
DOG & BUTTERFLY-HEART
Contemplative, sensitive ballad
THE CHASE-GIORGIO MORODER
A synthesized disco instrumental, this had a strong hook. the 1996 Robert Miles hit “Children” reminded me of “The Chase.”
RUBBER BISCUIT-BLUES BROTHERS
This novelty song, about food, was a real hoot and was all over AOR radio.


APRIL

ROXANNE-THE POLICE
This was the first time I heard of this band, and the song caught my ear because of its urgent tone and infectious hook. The lyrics told of a girl who was a hooker. This became one of my favorites in the spring of 1979.
HAPPINESS-POINTER SISTERS
Disco tune had a soaring hook and was a top-30 hit.
SWEET LUI LOUISE-IRONHORSE
Hard-driving yet melodic tune with a BTO feel
ROLLER-APRIL WINE
Ordinary AOR rocker was this band’s second top-40 hit.
DON’T YOU WRITE HER OFF-MCGUINN, CLARK & HILLMAN
Engaging, folk-tinged tune reminded me of the trio’s days with the Byrds—it was their first top-40 pop hit together since the Byrds’ “My Back Pages” in 1967.


MAY

I (WHO HAVE NOTHING)-SYLVESTER
Disco version of the pop classic was highlighted by the singer’s falsetto voice.
(IF LOVING YOU IS WRONG) I DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT-BARBARA MANDRELL
A country/pop version of the 1972 cheating song by R&B singer Luther Ingram.
A LITTLE BIT OF SOAP-NIGEL OLSSON
Remake of the 1961 Jarmels hit had a feel that was similar to the 1970 Paul Davis cover—not surprising because Davis produced this remake.
IT MUST BE LOVE-ALTON MCCLAIN & DESTINY
Tuneful but obscure disco number
SATURDAY NIGHT, SUNDAY MORNING-THELMA HOUSTON
R&B number with a disco beat


JUNE

SHAKEDOWN CRUISE-JAY FERGUSON
Another marine-themed rocker for Ferguson, this immediately got me thinking about summertime—borderline situation chart-wise.
GOOD TIMIN'-BEACH BOYS
Nostalgic-sounding tune that reminded me of their mid-1960s ballads
DON'T EVER WANNA LOSE YA-NEW ENGLAND
Made-for-AOR tune had a mainstream guitar rock sound.
IF I SAID YOU HAD A BEAUTIFUL BODY, WOULD YOU HOLD IT AGAINST ME-BELLAMY BROTHERS
Country crossover hit with a double entendre--title may have inspired Britney Spears’ 2011 hit “Hold It Against Me.”


JULY

MARRIED MEN-BETTE MIDLER
Disco tune that was mildly catchy.
KISS IN THE DARK-PINK LADY
Disco tune by Japanese act was a moderate pop hit.


AUGUST

OH WELL-ROCKETS
AOR tune I’ve heard only a few times
YOU GONNA MAKE ME LOVE SOMEBODY ELSE-JONES GIRLS
R&B number had a good beat and hook.
GIRL OF MY DREAMS -BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY
I enjoyed the folk-rock riff of this song because folk rock is one of my favorite genres.


SEPTEMBER

YOUNG BLOOD-RICKIE LEE JONES
R&B-influenced tune had a summery feel to it and just made the top 40.
SATURDAY NIGHT-HERMAN BROOD/WILD ROMANCE
Summer rocking number that had a sense of anticipation
AIN’T THAT A SHAME-CHEAP TRICK
Remake of the Fats Domino hit was a moderate success.
ARROW THROUGH ME-PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS
A lightweight offering from McCartney, it was a feathery number that was popular on adult contemporary stations. This was a borderline situation.
ROLENE-MOON MARTIN
Rhythmic-sounding AOR with a good hook; was a moderate pop hit. This was a borderline case—peaking at #30.
GOOD FRIEND-MARY MACGREGOR
Sincere soft rock tune with an early fall sound—when people were making new friends in school


OCTOBER

SO GOOD, SO RIGHT-BRENDA RUSSELL
A soulful piano ballad that sounded more like a late spring tune; was a top-30 pop hit—and her last time in the top 40 until 1988’s “Piano in the Dark.” This song peaked at #30, so it is a borderline case.
FOUND A CURE-ASHFORD AND SIMPSON
Generic disco-tinged tune was the first top-40 pop hit for this prolific songwriting duo—and last until 1985’s “Solid.”
FINS-JIMMY BUFFETT
Another fun song, this had a fun-at-the-beach vibe to it and should have been a summer hit.
STREET LIFE-CRUSADERS
Disco-tinged jazz fusion number with an excellent piano interlude. This song had a springlike vibe, though it was an autumn hit.
VICTIM OF LOVE-ELTON JOHN
One of his lesser-known singles, this disco tune was catchy, but the backlash was setting in so this was only a moderate hit. Borderline situation—missed the top 30 but might be heard because of the three-song recap syndrome.


NOVEMBER

CONFUSION-ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Anxiety-tinged song from Discovery; the lyrics reflected my chronic nervousness of the time, with my struggles in Calculus, Literature, and more. The song has a subtle reggae beat.
IF YOU WANT IT-NITEFLYTE
Slow jam had a nocturnal feel and was a moderate pop hit.
PRETTY GIRLS-MELISSA MANCHESTER
Disco-tinged song had a good hook and an early-‘80s feel to it.


DECEMBER 1979/JANUARY 1980*

CHIQUITITA-ABBA
Melancholy, late fall sort of Europop hit with Caribbean flavor and piano. This song peaked at #30, another borderline situation because of end-of-year programming or guest hosts.
VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR-BUGGLES
Very enjoyable new wave-tinged pop rocker with well-paced strings; the tune was prophetic of the video era. It is a real shame that this suffers from the First Hour Truncation Syndrome!
LOVE PAINS-YVONNE ELLIMAN
A disco-tinged soft rocker that was catchy.
I STILL HAVE DREAMS-RICHIE FURAY
A mellow, reflective soft rocker
*TRAIN, TRAIN-BLACKFOOT
Chugging Southern rock number just made the top 40—I included this because I couldn’t remember whether the Jan. 12, 1980 show was guest hosted.
*I’D RATHER LEAVE WHILE I’M IN LOVE-RITA COOLIDGE
Underrated soft rock ballad that was in the same situation as the Blackfoot song above if the 1/12/80 show was guest hosted—this song reached #38 and stayed on the top 40 for only two weeks.
*RAPPER’S DELIGHT-SUGAR HILL GANG
A novelty song that was the first rap single to make the top 40; this had a humorously quirky feel to me. The tune sampled Chic’s recent smash “Good Times.” This was the first rap song ever to reach the top 40—I recall first hearing this song when an acquaintance was playing it on her tape player in our high school cafeteria one Friday that December.

*Actually entered top 40 during a year-end special week or a show I’m unsure whether it was guest hosted.

[80sat40fan]

bobbo... A number of songs listed above were played during the second hour of AT40. Starting with the 2/24/79 show, Casey played the Top 3 songs from last week's show. This meant that the #31 and #32 songs (and sometimes #33) were played in the second hour of AT40. "Oh Well" by The Rockets was played three times as it was featured at #33, and two weeks at #30. You will get to hear some of the great songs you mentioned above... but some other great tunes will only be heard on stations which play all four hours of the 70s show.

Great idea for a list! Now you have me humming, "Bustin' Loose" by Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers!

[mkarns]

Nov 22, 2014 20:43:52 GMT -5 bobbo428 said:

*I’D RATHER LEAVE WHILE I’M IN LOVE-RITA COOLIDGE
Underrated soft rock ballad that was in the same situation as the Blackfoot song above if the 1/12/80 show was guest hosted—this song reached #38 and stayed on the top 40 for only two weeks.
*RAPPER’S DELIGHT-SUGAR HILL GANG
A novelty song that was the first rap single to make the top 40; this had a humorously quirky feel to me. The tune sampled Chic’s recent smash “Good Times.” This was the first rap song ever to reach the top 40—I recall first hearing this song when an acquaintance was playing it on her tape player in our high school cafeteria one Friday that December.

*Actually entered top 40 during a year-end special week or a show I’m unsure whether it was guest hosted.

1/12/80 was guest hosted; therefore, these two songs will never be heard in full on a Premiere AT40. "Rapper's Delight" could be used as an optional extra, though, if it hasn't been already, due to its historical significance.

[bobbo428]

Several other of the songs I mentioned in this--such as "Video Killed the Radio Star," "Instant Replay," and "Roxanne"-- are likely candidates for optional extras because of recurrent airplay or historical significance. In fact, I just heard "My Best Friend's Girl" played as one of this week's extras.

[bobbo428]

Because of the first-hour truncation syndrome, I believe that the 1970s should begin in October 1968--10 years before AT40 went to four hours. I wish that there were a way that we could make homemade after-the-fact countdowns of the top 40 of the Hot 100 from August 1958 through July 4, 1970 and call it "AT40: the '60s." However, Billboard would probably charge sky-high rates for broadcast rights. One of us would have to win the lottery, and then there's be wrangling with the folks at Billboard.

The "Eighties" should begin with 10/7/78 and continue through 8/6/88--just two months shy of a decade. My senior year of high school is split down the middle between the '70s and '80s series.

Then there is the matter of the Shadoe Stevens era, as well as the Soundscan syndrome that afflicted the Hot 100 beginning this week in 1991. The nineties editions would consist of Shadoe or Casey two-fers for 1989-early 1995. In addition, we'd be dealing with a three-year period with no AT40 per se.

Eventually, there would be a series called At40--The 2000s, but that would be three fifths Ryan Seacrest. From this vantage point, AT40--The 2010s might be all Seacrest. If Seacrest retires at the same age Casey did in 2004, he might be hosting until around 2042.

[bigal]

Nov 22, 2014 20:43:52 GMT -5 bobbo428 said:

THE FIRST HOUR TRUNCATION SYNDROME

**LIKE A SUNDAY IN SALEM (THE AMOS & ANDY SONG)-GENE COTTON***
One of my favorite songs of that fall, I had strongly hoped that this would be Cotton’s big breakthrough hit. Alas, the song barely made the top 40 and would be Cotton’s last single to climb that high. The song had a foreboding, apocalyptic feel that went well with ominous autumn days; the lyrics made me think of what I thought the ‘80s would be like, especially against the gloomy Carter-era economy. This was my favorite song that fell victim to the First Hour Truncation Syndrome!!
\
\

I thought the song was about the end of the world, when i first heard it in 78, with its haunting arrangements and lyrics with words like "prophets" "church bells" "tombstones".

I think it didnt chart highter for it was a B side to Gene's biggest hit BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT so a lot of folk already had the record, which was a bad decision on the part of Ariola Records.

[bestmusicexpert]

Like alot of these tunes.

I used to do a 60's countdown in the vein of AT40 and may again someday as I miss doing it. There really should be one like that or AT40, done right, all 40 tunes, extras etc...

[bobbo428]

Nov 29, 2014 9:48:53 GMT -5 bestmusicexpert said:

Like alot of these tunes.

I used to do a 60's countdown in the vein of AT40 and may again someday as I miss doing it. There really should be one like that or AT40, done right, all 40 tunes, extras etc...

I second that--I've always wanted to do a sixties type of countdown from, say, 1968--and even flash forward into the future--#1 hit 10 years from now (1978) or 25 years in the future (Meat Loaf)--unless it was a song I despised! I couldn't use November 1988 because I didn't like any of the #1 pop hits that month. Of course I'd flash back to 1963 or 1958 and call them "Specials" because that is what Casey called them in the early 1970s. I could also flash back to 1948 because it was only 20 years before 1968. (It doesn't hurt that I've come to enjoy 1940s and 1950s songs a lot more in recent years).

[bestmusicexpert]

I generally did a #1 ten years ago segment. Also did mainly 1964-1969 and when I did the other 4 years, had three top tens for those years as finding some of the songs is d**n near impossible... even on YouTube!

[chrislc]

Nov 27, 2014 5:04:34 GMT -5 bigal said:

Nov 22, 2014 20:43:52 GMT -5 bobbo428 said:

THE FIRST HOUR TRUNCATION SYNDROME

**LIKE A SUNDAY IN SALEM (THE AMOS & ANDY SONG)-GENE COTTON***
One of my favorite songs of that fall, I had strongly hoped that this would be Cotton’s big breakthrough hit. Alas, the song barely made the top 40 and would be Cotton’s last single to climb that high. The song had a foreboding, apocalyptic feel that went well with ominous autumn days; the lyrics made me think of what I thought the ‘80s would be like, especially against the gloomy Carter-era economy. This was my favorite song that fell victim to the First Hour Truncation Syndrome!!
\
\

I thought the song was about the end of the world, when i first heard it in 78, with its haunting arrangements and lyrics with words like "prophets" "church bells" "tombstones".

I think it didnt chart highter for it was a B side to Gene's biggest hit BEFORE MY HEART FINDS OUT so a lot of folk already had the record, which was a bad decision on the part of Ariola Records.

A great, very sad Gene Cotton song is Me And The Elephant. I have no idea why Bobby Goldsboro chose to make it Elephants rather than Elephant. It's such a heartbreaking song when it's one elephant - just not the same with more than one - maybe because one is the loneliest number.

Bobby - you might have made a comeback in the Top 40 if you had done it as Elephant.

[davewollenberg]

bestmusicexpert,'A lot' is 2 words, not 1!

[bobbo428]

I was thinking that I may have posed in this thread four years ago, but it's been seven! And the last post on this long-moribund thread was 7 years ago today. Yikes! Anyway, the Truncation Syndrome struck royally this week because I missed:

--Exile's only week in the top 40 with "You Thrill Me." I think it plunged off the entire Hot 100 the following week, a very rare occasion during the mid or late-'70s. I thought Wardlow always allowed one week on the Hot 100 after falling off the top 40.
--Nigel Olsson (sp)'s "Dancin' Shoes"
--J. Geils Band's underrated "One Last Kiss"
--Little River Band's "Lady"
--The Babys' "Every Time I Think of You," which gets no recurrent airplay--unlike lead singer John Waite's grossly overplayed, plodding "Missing You." I enjoy the other three charting "Missing You"-titled songs: Dan Fogelberg (1982), Diana Ross (1985), and the obscure Steve Perry number from early 1995 that was a sizable adult contemporary hit, if I remember correctly. I don't think it charted too high on the Hot 100 because the tune sounded too much like a mid-'80s song.

Usually, I am an all-no-nothing guy: if I can't hear Hour 1, I don't want to hear any of the show. Hour 1, in my opinion, is the most important one.

[dth1971]

Of course, 2 songs from November 1979 - "If You Want It" by Niteflyte and "Pretty Girls" by Melissa Manchester debuted on AT40 on 11/24/1979 - a date of an AT40 show yet to be played by Premiere on AT40: The 70's (Hope it's this 2022 year), but these 2 were heard in the first optional hour for the AT40: The 70's show of 12/1/1979 Premiere played back in December 2020.

[bobbo428]

Mary MacGregor's "Good Friend," from early in my senior year of high school, is another first-hour song that was on the top 40 only two weeks. And, of course, one of those weeks, there was a substitute for Casey--in October 1979. And the Beach Boys' "Good Timin'" had its sole week in the top 40 when there was a guest-hosted show in June of '79. There's Pink Lady's "Kiss in the Dark" from July or August 1979. One of my favorites from fall 1979, John Stewart's "Midnight Wind" had its meager five-week chart run plagued by the first hour syndrome in general and a guest-hosted show. And I missed out on it this past October because I was busy with something and couldn't find a station--or it was an A show and the station with the fewest ads was running a B show.

[mga707]

Feb 8, 2022 20:48:43 GMT -5 bobbo428 said:

--Exile's only week in the top 40 with "You Thrill Me." I think it plunged off the entire Hot 100 the following week, a very rare occasion during the mid or late-'70s.

You are correct. The week at #40 was the song's 11th and final week on the 'Hot 100'.