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Post by pgfromwp on Sept 19, 2012 20:21:09 GMT -5
Critiquing the 9/22/73 AT40 chart to be broadcast by Premiere-affiliated radio stations this weekend. (As in past critiques) The ratings are: (5) Outstanding, a classic through the years; (4) Very good, a definite fave of mine; (3) Good, listenable tune; (2) Just ok; (1) No, just no. The ratings are influenced by my long-standing preference for mainstream top 40 music. This chart has many more ratings of 5 or 4 than in my past critiques, since the summer and fall seasons of 1973 have yielded several outstanding charted hits than in other comparable AT40 periods, IMHO. Enough said, let's get on with the ratings.
#40: "Get it Together" - Jackson 5 (2) -- This rating is mainly based on comparing this song to several powerful hits by this successful family band. Not distinctive enough for me. FYI: The Jackson 5 also had the #40 song from last week's 9/19/70 countdown, "I'll Be There." #39: "In the Midnight Hour" - Cross Country (3) -- Remnants from Jay Siegel's Tokens (noted for recording hits such as (the original) "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and "Portrait of My Love") reprised wicked Wilson Pickett's 1965 hit with a different style that is hypnotically satisfying, if somewhat slow overall. #38: "To Know You is to Love You" - BB King (3) -- A nice song; classic "blues boy" sound. FYI: It's a wholly different recording from the nearly similarly titled 1958 hit by the Teddy Bears "To Know Him is to Love Him." #37: "Angel" - Aretha Franklin (2) -- See my comment to #40. #36: "Rocky Mountain Way" - Joe Walsh (3) -- Like it, although it's been quite played out over the years on classic rock stations. #35: "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style) - Temptations (3) -- Like it; sounds (to me, at least) like the Dells' "Oh, What a Night" from 1969. #34: "Ecstasy" - Ohio Players (1) -- This song does nothing for me. Their 1975 hit, "Fire", blows it away (metaphorically speaking). #33: Feelin' Stronger Everyday - Chicago (3) -- Like it, though somewhat less than other hits by this group (e.g., "Beginnings, "Old Days", "Saturday in the Park"). #32: "I've Got so Much to Give" - Barry White (2) -- A plodding tune; not what I've come to expect from "the maestro." #31: "Why Me" - Kris Kristofferson (3) -- A nice, gospel-oriented tune that admittedly took me years to fully appreciate. #30: "Stoned out of My Mind" - Chi Lites (4) -- A very nice blend of interesting lyrics and upbeat melody. The title as sung has a similar sound to the title lyrics "Stoned Soul Picnic", the mega-hit by the Fifth Dimension from 1968. #29: "Ghetto Child" - Spinners (3) -- See my comment to #33. #28: "You've Never Been This Far Before" - Conway Twitty (2) -- Too slow paced country tune with somewhat suggestive lyrics. #27: "Get Down" - Gilbert O'Sullivan (4) -- Like it a lot, more than his monster hit, "Alone Again (Naturally)" from the previous year. #26: "The Morning After" - Maureen McGovern (4) -- A very pleasant tune that was taken from the movie "The Poseidon Adventure." FYI: It's the first of 10 (former, current, or future) #1 hits on this chart, which cumulatively totaled 16 consecutive weeks at the top spot. #25: "I Believe in You (You Believe in Me)" - Johnny Taylor (3) -- Nice, listenable tune. #24: "Free Ride" - Edgar Winter Group (4) -- Like it a lot. #23: "Midnight Train to Georgia" - Gladys Knight & the Pips (4) -- See my comment to #24. Has worn well over the years. #22: "Angie" -- Rolling Stones (3) -- See my comment to #33. #21: "China Grove" - Doobie Brothers (4) -- Probably my favorite recording by this California-based group. It would have been interesting if they had covered the #30 song from this chart, LOL. #20: "Yes We Can Can" - Pointer Sisters (4) -- A very catchy tune that doesn't quit. #19: "If You Want Me to Stay" - Sly and the Family Stone (3) -- See my comment to #33. #18: "Theme from Cleopatra Jones" - Joe Simon (featuring the Main Streeters) (3) -- Like it; an interesting song. #17: "Live and Let Die" - Wings (4) -- A very nice song that is the title tune from the James Bond movie that's my personal favorite from that venerable series. (I must digress: Jane Seymour's character was "easy on the eyes" in that film.) #16: "Here I am (Come and Take Me)" - Al Green (3) -- See my comment to #33. #15: "Ramblin' Man" - Allman Brothers Band (4) -- Like it a lot, though not as much as several of my friends who just love it. #14: "Keep on Truckin'" - Eddie Kendricks (5) -- I've always loved this song; it's in my top 5 from that year. #13: "Gypsy Man" - War (3) -- See my comment to #33. They've had better charted hits, IMHO. #12: "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" - Elton John (3) -- A nice, quite upbeat song that I liked more in my teens when it was aired regularly during the summer of 1973. Also see my comment to #33. #11: "My Maria" - BW Stevenson (3) -- See my comment to #25. #10: "That Lady" - Isley Brothers (3) -- See my comment to #33, with reference to "It's Your Thing" from 1969. #9: "Touch Me in the Morning" - Diana Ross (5) - I've always loved this song; it recalls memories of hearing it on a portable radio at the beach during August 1973 and never tiring of it. #8: "Higher Ground" - Stevie Wonder (3) -- Like it, just not as much as his previous hits "Superstition" and "You are the Sunshine of My Life" during 1973. #7: "Half-Breed" - Cher (5) -- I've always loved this song. #6: "Brother Louie" - Stories (3) -- I've always found this popular song about interracial romance to be likeable, just have never been that crazy about it, personally. #5: "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" - Dawn (featuring Tony Orlando) (3) -- Like it; catchy, upbeat tune. #4: "Loves Me Like a Rock" - Paul Simon (with the Dixie Hummingbirds) (3) -- See my comment to #33. #3: "Delta Dawn" - Helen Reddy (5) -- I've always loved this song (and may be opening myself up to criticism because of it). It's the rare tune that I would enjoy as much without the lyrics. FYI: In comparison to Tanya Tucker's original recording, her vocals are the salient feature in that recording, IMHO. #2: "We're an American Band" - Grand Funk (5) -- I've always loved this song from the band from Flint, Michigan, whose previous efforts were more album-oriented. #1: "Let's Get it On" -- Marvin Gaye (5) -- I've always loved this song from one of my favorite R&B artists of all time.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 19, 2012 22:48:53 GMT -5
Here's my critique of the countdown from 9/20/80 which Premiere ran back in 2008: #40-"Sartorial Eloquence (Don't You Wanna Play This Game No More)"-Elton John-One of his lesser known hits-Great song. #39-"Old Fashion Love"-Commodores-One of their lesser known hits-Great song. #38-"First Time Love"-Livingston Taylor-The second top forty hit for the younger brother of James Taylor-Great song. #37-"More Love"-Kim Carnes-Great rendition of a song that was originally a hit in 1967 for Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. #36-"Who'll Be The Fool Tonight"-Larsen-Feiten Band-The only top forty hit for the duo of Neil Larsen & Buzz Feiten-Decent song. #35-"It's Still Rock & Roll To Me"-Billy Joel-His first #1 hit & a bonafide classic. #34-"You're Supposed To Keep Your Love For Me"-Jermaine Jackson-Great follow up to "Let's Get Serious". #33-"How Does It Feel To Be Back"-Daryl Hall & John Oates-The initial release from the album "Voices"-Great song. #32-"How Do I Survive"-Amy Holland-Great song-FYI:Holland is married to Michael Mc Donald who was also in the countdown that week with The Doobie Brothers. #31-"Let My Love Open The Door"-Pete Townshend-The first of two top forty hits for this founding member of The Who-Great song. #30-"Boulevard"-Jackson Browne-The initial release from his album "Hold Out"-Great song. #29-"Take Your Time"-The SOS Band-The only top forty hit for this group that was based in Atlanta,GA-Their name stands for Sounds Of Success-An all-time dance floor classic. #28-"Into The Night"-Benny Mardones-The only top forty hit for this singer/songwriter from Savage,MD-A timeless classic that charted again in 1989. #27-"Magic"-Olivia Newton-John-From the movie "Xanadu"-Great song that spent four weeks at #1. #26-"No Night So Long"-Dionne Warwick-One of her lesser known hits-Great song. #25-"Woman In Love"-Barbra Streisand-A timeless classic that was written by Barry & Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees. #24-"Look What You've Done to Me"-Boz Scaggs-Great song that was featured in the movie "Urban Cowboy". #23-"Jesse"-Carly Simon-One of her best songs. #22-"Never Knew Love Like This Before"-Stephanie Mills-Great song. #21-"Someone That I Used To Love"-Natalie Cole-Beautiful ballad that's not to be confused with Gotye's big hit "Somebody That I Used To Know". #20-"He's So Shy"-Pointer Sisters-Great song. #19-"Don't Ask Me Why"-Billy Joel-The third release from the album "Glass Houses"-Great song. #18-"Hot Rod Hearts"-Robbie Dupree-Great follow up to "Steal Away". #17-"Real Love"-Doobie Brothers-The initial release from the album "One Step Closer"-Great song. #16-"All Over The World"-Electric Light Orchestra-Great song that was featured in the movie "Xanadu". #15-"Sailing"-Christopher Cross-A former #1 hit & another timeless classic. #14-"You'll Accompany Me"-Bob Seger-The third & final top forty hit from the album "Against The Wind"-Great song. #13-"You're The Only Woman"-Ambrosia-Great song. #12-"Xanadu"-Olivia Newton-John-Great song that was featured in the movie of the same name. "AT40 Archives"-"Take Good Care Of My Baby"-Bobby Vee-The biggest hit overall for this native of Fargo,ND whose real name is Robert Velline-A timeless classic that was written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King. #11-"I'm Alright"-Kenny Loggins-Great song that was featured in the movie "Caddyshack". #10-"Emotional Rescue"-Rolling Stones-Great song. #9-"One In A Million You"-Larry Graham-The only top forty solo hit for this native of Beaumont,TX who had previously charted as a member of Sly & The Family Stone & his own group Graham Central Station-Great song that radio has chosen to ignore. #8-"Driving My Life Away"-Eddie Rabbitt-Great song that was a hit on both the pop & country chart. #7-"Late In The Evening"-Paul Simon-Great song that was featured in the movie "One Trick Pony" which Simon starred in. #6-"Give Me The Night"-George Benson-Great song. #5-"Lookin For Love"-Johnny Lee-The only pop crossover smash for this country singer from Alta Loma,TX who was married at one time to actress Charlene Tilton from TV's "Dallas"-"Lookin For Love" is a bonafide classic. #4-"Fame"-Irene Cara-The first top forty hit for this actress & singer from The Bronx,NY-A timeless classic that was featured in the movie of the same name. #3-"Another One Bites The Dust"-Queen-Great song that was also a hit on the R&B chart. #2-"All Out Of Love"-Air Supply-Great song. #1-"Upside Down"-Diana Ross-Her biggest solo hit & another all-time dance floor classic.
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Post by dukelightning on Sept 21, 2012 16:18:31 GMT -5
I don't do critiques on any kind of a regular basis but I have to do one for the 9/22/73 show since it is the first show I ever heard back in the day. It is poetic justice that there are more soul songs in this show that any other in the first half of the 70s since I have always liked soul/R&B esp in the 70s. I will start with a song that was to debut the following week..... "Jimmy Loves Mary Anne"...Looking Glass...this song is a definite lost 45 and may have not ever been played on a Premiere show(someone can check that). But it got a lot of airplay in my neck of the woods back then. Great song that should have been a lot closer to the top 10 for the group who hit #1 a year earlier with "Brandy". 40. "Get it Together"...Jackson Five...decent title track from an Lp that inexplicably is their lowest peaking regular album esp. with the #2 smash "Dancing Machine" on it. (Not knowing off hand, I had a hunch this song was on the same album based on its sound which is a precursor to disco). 39. "In the Midnight Hour"...Cross Country...the renamed Tokens minus one key member with a decent cover of Wilson Pickett's first top 40 hit from 1965. I prefer that original and many of Wilson's songs. 38. "To Know You is to Love You"...B. B. King...blues legend at his peak position with this song co-written by Stevie Wonder who we will hear later. I prefer the followup hit "I Like to Live the Love". 37. "Angel"...Aretha Franklin...as Casey said, the king of the blues is followed by the queen of soul. Aretha showed her versatile talent in 1973 with "Master of Eyes", then this and finally with "Until You Come Back to Me". A good song sandwiched by 2 great songs. 36. "Rocky Mountain Way"...Joe Walsh...doesn't have many hits but the ones that he has stand out. Life's been good for Joe. 35. "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)"...Temptations...with one of their former lead singers coming up later, I am not sure why this peaked at this position. Temps reached top 10 twice earlier in the decade with ballads. BTW, I like all their styles. 34. "Ecstasy"...Ohio Players....another soulful ballad except this one is not their style. They will more than make up for this subpar effort in exactly a year, cranking out the bass on "Skintight". 33. "Feelin Stronger Every Day"...Chicago...definite song that cooks but I prefer the followup from this 6th gold Lp, "Just You and Me". 32. "I've Got so Much to Give"...Barry White...not a bad one for the maestro but with a series of top 10 hits surrounding it, this one is rightfully overshadowed by those hits. 31. "Why Me"...Kris Kristofferson...in the arly stages of itstop 40 run but well into its near record breaking Hot 100 run. God-rock still had its place in top 40 radio although I did not hear this much. (That's why it peaked at around this position on Cashbox). 30. "Stoned Out of My Mind"...Chi-Lites....one of my fave this week and an upbeat song for these guys whose biggest pop hits were ballads. 29. "Ghetto Child"...Spinners....another great song from the former Motowners from nearby Ferndale whose last 3 hits were in or near the top 10. I guess the subject matter caused this to peak at this position after being the highest debut record at #30. 28. "You've Never Been This far Before"...Conway Twitty...huge country hit that I did not hear back in the day. Good thing I listened to country for a few years and got familiar with this gem. BTW, Casey said he was #1 for 4 weeks on the country chart but it was only 3 weeks. 27. "Get Down"...Gilbert O'Sullivan...this might be the shortest song in the show at just over 2 minutes. Guess AT40 ran out of time at the end of the hour. Decent hit for Gilbert whose 1973 output was more upbeat than his first hit of a year earlier. 26. "The Morning After"...Maureen McGovern...her TV theme was heard last week; this week it is her movie theme. This is the better song but not by much. 25. "I Believe in You"....Johnnie Taylor...somewhat overlooked hit that is another of the 20 soul songs in this show and maybe the most soulful one of the bunch 24. "Free Ride"...Edgar Winter Group...Casey says Edgar Winter sings in this song. Not sure about that because my ears tell me it is Dan Hartman doing the singing. Of course this follows up their #1 hit in which no one sang. 23. "Midnight Train to Georgia"...Gladys Knight & the Pips...2nd single on their new Buddah label, 3rd written by Jim Weatherly (all in 1973) who has to take some of the credit for catapulting Gladys and co. to superstardom. Great song although I prefer the first Weatherly written song, "Neither One of Us". 22. "Angie"...Rolling Stones...the week's highest debut and an obvious departure from their signature sound. 3 #1 songs in the 70s for the Stones: a rocker, a ballad and a disco song. No one else can make that claim. I prefer the disco song. 21. "China Grove"...Doobie Brothers...last week's highest debut and the first of 3 straight songs by Bay Area groups. Great song that as Casey said is a cookin' sound. Cut off the ending. 20. "Yes We Can Can"...Pointer Sisters...all 4 sisters were part of the group in the beginning. I prefer this to all other songs Bonnie was involved in. 19. "If You Want Me to Stay"...Sly & the Family Stone...like all 3 Bay Area offerings a lot. This song is on their Fresh Lp that I found on the side of the road a couple years later. Not broken either! 18. "Theme from Cleopatra Jones"...Joe Simon...and the streak of great song continues with this movie song. Have a hunch this sounds even better in the theatre. Should have seen the movie. 17. "Live and Let Die''...Paul McCartney & Wings...right up there with "Nobody Does it Better" and "For Your Eyes Only" as my fave Bond themes. This one comes from the first such movie starring Roger Moore. 16. "Here I Am"...Al Green....Memphis soul as Casey often said although not this time. He had his best songs in 1972. 15. "Ramblin Man"...Allman Brothers....no southern rock song hit #1 in the 70s. This one came the closest. And I can attest to their long concerts having worked several over the years. They have many great long songs and this is one of them though the 45 was played. 14. "Keep on Truckin"...Eddie Kendricks...the week's biggest mover like the highest debut earlier will reach #1. Along with "That Lady", my fave songs in this show esp the 8 minute long version. 13. "Gypsy Man"...War...hard to choose which I prefer of the 3 top 10 hits by War that Casey mentioned. 12. "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting"...Elton John...another artist that was reaching superstardom at this time. A signature song for Captain Fantastic even though the other 2 singles from Goodbye Yellowbrick Road were much bigger hits. 11. "My Maria"...B. W. Stevenson...another country hit that is my least fave of the country tunes in the show...covered by Brooks & Dunn several years ago 10. "That Lady"...Isley Brothers...as mentioned above, a great song and their best IMO, also played as a LDD in a show aired last week 9. "Touch Me in the Morning"...Diana Ross...this is one of her finest efforts that I prefer over either of her songs at #1 in last week's 70s show or this week's 80s show. 8. "Higher Ground"...Stevie Wonder...1973 was a phenomenal year for Stevie that almost turned tragic after he was in a terrible auto accident about a month earlier. At least Jim Croce was the only artist lost in an accident that year. All of his hits this year were great songs. 7. "Half Breed"...Cher...I mentioned that this is the first show that I ever heard and the only thing I distinctly remember from it is when Casey said in the intro to this that after climbing from 33 to 22 to 11, the only position it could go to was #7. And she was the 7th female artist to hit #1 in 1973 extending the record, more on that below. 6. "Brother Louie"...Stories...one hit wonders by some people's definition with their interracial song. Not a one hit wonder in some places like Albany and probably their hometown of NYC as the followup "Mammy Blue" got airplay. 5. "Say Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose"...Dawn...they are in the middle of their long title phase, this tune about Rose, the next about Sally. They are all good. 4. "Loves Me Like a Rock"...Paul Simon...a 4 letter word in his previous hit "Kodachrome" may have kept him out of the #1 spot. No such excuse for this one that I prefer but Paul had many ways, 50 IIRC, to hit #1 and did so in 1976. 3. "Delta Dawn"...Helen Reddy...least fave of her 3 #1s that about the same subject as the #5 song which I preferred. Appropriate that women's libber Helen had set the record for most #1s by female artists in a year last week. 2. "We're an American Band"...Grand Funk...always get a kick out of one of the lines in this song....'let's get it on'...since that is the title of the song that this knocked out of #1. Great anthem for a great band who had 2 years of big hits starting with this one. 1. "Let's Get it On"...Marvin Gaye...this song marked the return to love and romance after a couple years of social songs. Like the Temps return to the same thing in 1971, he reached the top. Ironically, that Temps song "Just My Imagination" stopped his first social song "What's Goin On" from hitting #1. BTW, they must have run out of time again because they cut off about 30 seconds of the song.
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Post by mkarns on Sept 21, 2012 17:10:24 GMT -5
"Jimmy Loves Mary Anne"...Looking Glass...this song is a definite lost 45 and may have not ever been played on a Premiere show(someone can check that). But it got a lot of airplay in my neck of the woods back then. Great song that should have been a lot closer to the top 10 for the group who hit #1 a year earlier with "Brandy". "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" was on the 9/29 and 10/13/73 AT40s, both of which have been aired by Premiere (the first one twice.) In between the two there was a special countdown.
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Post by Hervard on Sept 21, 2012 19:28:42 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - September 22, 2012
This week’s presentation - September 20, 1980
Well, I’m glad that they finally went with a 1980 show! This is yet another repeat show - the third in a row. This was also run during the time I didn’t have access to the show, since Sunny 101.5 had dropped the show the week before, but since it had so many songs on it that I liked (or hadn’t even heard before), I managed to snag myself a copy. Fortunately, it’s been about four years since I’ve heard it, so I’m sure I’ve forgotten about many of the things from the show. Plus, of course, there’s lots of good music, so it’ll be a good listen. Here is my commentary on this week’s show (if any of this looks familiar, it’s because it’s a partially recycled commentary, lifted from both my first critique of this show, as well as the one from September 13, which, of course, was first run in 2009).
Dropper: HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - ROBERT JOHN (33) - Great song! I do, however, prefer “Sad Eyes” (but this one isn’t too far behind).
LW#3: EMOTIONAL RESCUE - ROLLING STONES LW#2: SAILING - CHRISTOPHER CROSS LW#1: UPSIDE DOWN - DIANA ROSS
We will, of course, hear those songs later on in the show.
40: SARTORIAL ELOQUENCE (DON'T YA WANNA PLAY THIS GAME NO MORE) - ELTON JOHN (debut) - Wow, here’s something rare - an AT40 with only a single debut. This was only the third time in AT40 history that had happened - the other two were in August, 1976 (“Teddy Bear” by Red Sovine) and May, 1978 (“Tumbling Dice” by Linda Ronstadt). Neither of those songs lasted very long on the charts, nor did this one - climbed to #39 the following week and dropped out. As for my opinion of this song, it’s not bad, but far from being his best. 39: OLD FASHION LOVE - THE COMMODORES (37) - Good song, but not quite my favorite song by them. 38: FIRST TIME LOVE - LIVINGSTON TAYLOR (39) - Great song! Sounds a lot like something his brother (James, of course) would record (and his voice sounds similar as well). 37: MORE LOVE - KIM CARNES (36) - Wow, what happened this week? Did not many stations report? Several songs on their way down only dropping a spot - that's weird. Anyhoo, I thought this song was a great one. Not quite as good as her #1 song of the following year, however. 36: WHO'LL BE THE FIRST TONIGHT - LARSON-FEITEN BAND (40) - I already forgot how this song goes, so it must not have been anything memorable. 35: IT'S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME - BILLY JOEL (34) - And here's another slow dropper. I wonder if there were a whole buttload of debuts the following week? Anyway, as you all know, this is my least favorite song of the "Glass Houses" era (but it’s still a good one). My favorite is coming up later in the show. 34: YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP YOUR LOVE FOR ME - JERMAINE JACKSON (35) - Good song, but I preferred his two 1984 singles (which, of course, excludes “Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’). 33: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (30) - This wasn’t bad, but they’ve had so many other songs that I prefer. ARCHIVE: WOODEN HEART - JOE DOWELL - wtf did this sound like again? (This song was cut from the show, so I’m guessing it sounded rather geezerly). OPTIONAL EXTRA: ON THE ROAD AGAIN - WILLIE NELSON - Great song! One of his all-time best! 32: HOW DO I SURVIVE - AMY HOLLAND (38) - Good song. 31: LET MY LOVE OPEN THE DOOR - PETE TOWNSEND (24) - Good song, one of my favorite solo songs by him. 30: BOULEVARD - JACKSON BROWNE (19) - Great song! I’m a little surprised it only got as high as #19, as I heard it all the time back in the summer of 1980. It did hit the Top Five on the R&R chart, though, so it was obviously a poor seller. Perhaps more people bought the “Hold Out” album than the singles from it. LDD: IF - BREAD - I never used to like this song, because when I heard it, it could stick in my head all day and drive me nuts. But now I just love it. 29: TAKE YOUR TIME - S.O.S. BAND (22) - Pretty good song, but nothing special. 28: INTO THE NIGHT - BENNY MARDONES (11) - Not bad, but I played this song ad nauseum during its return in 1989 and got tired of it as a result. I don’t mind hearing it every once in awhile, though. 27: MAGIC - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN (13) - Good song, not sure if I prefer this or Xanadu. 26: NO NIGHT SO LONG - DIONNE WARWICK (32) - Good song, like most of her ballads. 25: WOMAN IN LOVE - BARBRA STREISAND (33) - Great song! Possibly my third favorite by her behind “What Kind Of Fool” and “We’re Not Makin’ Love Anymore” (the latter, a Top Ten AC hit in the fall of 1989). 24: LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME - BOZ SCAGGS (29) - Good song, but one of my least favorite songs by him. 23: JESSE - CARLY SIMON (25) - This one was a popular number on the juke box at Pizza Hut back in late 1980/early 1981. It’s a great song, definitely one of my favorites from her. ARCHIVE: MICHAEL - THE HIGHWAYMEN - This one was also cut out of the broadcast, and that’s fine with me, as I never liked this song very much. OPTIONAL EXTRA: TOUCH AND GO - THE CARS - Wow, this was kind of an unexpected extra, as it was one of their least successful hits, and you don’t hear it much anymore. I guess they need to make it difficult for everyone to correctly guess the extras. Anyway, this wasn’t bad, but they’ve had many better songs. 22: NEVER KNEW LOVE LIKE THIS BEFORE - STEPHANIE MILLS (26) - Cool song. They still play this song on oldies-based AC stations. 21: SOMEONE THAT I USED TO LOVE - NATALIE COLE (23) - Great song. Sounds a little like something you’d hear in a Broadway musical. 20: HE'S SO SHY - POINTER SISTERS (27) - Great song! This and "Slow Hand" were among my favorite Pointer Sisters songs (Don't worry, I won't say for the millionth time that their quality started to go downhill in 1984...) 19: DON'T ASK ME WHY - BILLY JOEL (21) - Great song, definitely my favorite release from “Glass Houses”. 18: HOT ROD HEARTS - ROBBIE DUPREE (20) - I prefer his other song “Steal Away” but this one’s a great one too. 17: REAL LOVE - DOOBIE BROTHERS (28) - Great song! If someone were to guess the Doobie Brothers' five Top Ten hits (you thought they had more, didn't you?), they might not think of this one, since it's faded into obscurity. 16: ALL OVER THE WORLD - ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (18) - OK song, but not my favorite ELO song by any means. 15: SAILING - CHRISTOPHER CROSS (5) - Nice, mellow song. Close your eyes while listening and you can just picture yourself out on the sea... 14: YOU'LL ACCOMP'NY ME - BOB SEGER (16) - Great song, though I preferred “Fire Lake”. 13: YOU'RE THE ONLY WOMAN - AMBROSIA (14) - Great song - my third favorite from them behind “Biggest Part Of Me” and “How Much I Feel”. 12: XANADU - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN w/ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (17) - Great song! As I said earlier, I like this about the same as Olivia’s other hit in the countdown. ARCHIVE: TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY BABY - BOBBY VEE - They actually left this one in the broadcast. This one was OK, but nothing I’d go out of my way to hear. I seem to remember hearing it in a soap or shampoo commercial back in the late 1980s. OPTIONAL EXTRA: HOLD ON - KANSAS - Wow, they threw several curveballs this time around! The only extra they chose this week that isn’t really obscure is the Willie Nelson song. Also, this is the first time that I can ever remember that none of the extras that they selected reached above #20 on the charts. Anyway, this was a good song, but I preferred several others by them. 11: I'M ALRIGHT - KENNY LOGGINS (12) - Great song! The gopher in Caddyshack really liked this one too, since he danced to it over the ending credits. 10: EMOTIONAL RESCUE - ROLLING STONES (3) - Great song! By far my favorite of their two disco songs. 9: ONE IN A MILLION YOU - LARRY GRAHAM (15) - Great song! Too bad it was his only Top 40 hit. LDD: NIGHTS ARE FOREVER WITHOUT YOU - ENGLAND DAN & JOHN FORD COLEY - Great song! The subject matter of this dedication was very similar to the other one from earlier in the show. 8: DRIVING MY LIFE AWAY - EDDIE RABBIT (10) - Well, my windshield wipers never kept perfect rhythm with the song playing on my radio, but one time, the blinkers I was coming up to on the highway were keeping perfect rhythm with "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen. As for this song, it’s a great one - possibly THE best by Mr. Rabbitt. 7: LATE IN THE EVENING - PAUL SIMON (7) - Great salsa beat to this song. Unusual musical style for Simon. 6: GIVE ME THE NIGHT - GEORGE BENSON (6) - Good song, with a smooth jazz feel to it. 5: LOOKING FOR LOVE - JOHNNY LEE (8) - I didn’t care for this song back in the day, but recently, I’ve gotten to like it for some reason. Some songs are like that, I guess. 4: FAME - IRENE CARA (4) - This song was OK, but one of my least favorite songs by her. 3: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - QUEEN (9) - I think you all know my opinion of this song... OPTIONAL EXTRA: THAT GIRL COULD SING - JACKSON BROWNE - Great song! Definitely one of my favorites by him! Like “Boulevard”, I remember hearing this song quite a lot back in 2: ALL OUT OF LOVE - AIR SUPPLY (2) - No. Just no. 1: UPSIDE DOWN - DIANA ROSS (1) - Good song, but I prefer several others by her. However, this is still better than the annoying “I’m Coming Out”, which was on its way up the chart at the time (that said, I’m kinda surprised that they didn’t choose it as an extra).
Predictions for next week: Well, I have a feeling that we’re going to hear a fourth repeat show in a row next week. My first prediction is September 29, 1984 (originally run in 2007), with September 28, 1985 (from 2008) as my back-up prediction. Actually, I’m kind of hoping for the back-up prediction, since that was during my “no AT40: The 80s” period. But I kind of have a feeling that we’re going to hear several 1984 shows before the year is over with.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 22, 2012 17:56:08 GMT -5
Here's my critique of the countdown from 9/22/73 which Premiere is airing this weekend: #40-"Get It Together"-Jackson Five-One of their lesser known hits-Decent song. #39-"In The Midnight Hour"-Cross Country-The only top forty hit for this trio from Brooklyn,NY which featured Jay Siegel,Phil Margo & his brother Mitch-If those names sound familiar,they were former members of The The Tokens whose best known song was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from 1961-Here they put their own spin on a Wilson Pickett classic which is quite good. #38-"To Know You Is To Love You"-B.B.King-One of the lesser known hits from this legendary blues guitarist-Great song. #37-"Angel"-Aretha Franklin-Great song. #36-"Rocky Mountain Way"-Joe Walsh-The first top forty hit for this native of Topeka,KS who eventually became a member of The Eagles-A bonafide classic-FYI:The album this song appears on has one of the weirdest titles of all time:"The Smoker You Drink The Player You Get". #35-"Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)"-Temptations-One of the lesser known hits for this legendary group-Great song. #34-"Ecstasy"-Ohio Players-Decent song. #33-"Feelin Stronger Every Day"-Chicago-From the album "Chicago VI"-Great song. #32-"I've Got So Much To Give"-Barry White-Another decent song. #31-"Why Me"-Kris Kristofferson-The second of his two top forty hits-Great song. #30-"Stoned Out Of My Mind"-Chi-Lites-Their final top forty hit-Great song. #29-"Ghetto Child"-Spinners-Great song that should've been a bigger hit. #28-"You've Never Been This Far Before"-Conway Twitty-The final top forty hit on the pop chart for this native of Friars Point,MS who became one of the biggest names in country music-Great song. #27-"Get Down"-Gilbert O'Sullivan-Fantastic song. #26-"The Morning After"-Maureen Mc Govern-The first of two top forty hits for this native of Youngstown,OH-A timeless classic that was featured in the movie "The Poseidon Adventure". #25-"I Believe In You (You Believe In Me)"-Johnnie Taylor-Great song. #24-"Free Ride"-Edgar Winter Group-Great song that featured the late Dan Hartman on lead vocals. #23-"Midnight Train To Georgia"-Gladys Knight & The Pips-Their biggest hit overall & a timeless classic. #22-"Angie"-Rolling Stones-The initial release from the album "Goat's Head Soup"-Great song that featured the late Ian Stewart on piano. #21-"China Grove"-The Doobie Brothers-The second release from the album "The Captain & Me"-A bonafide classic. #20-"Yes We Can Can"-Pointer Sisters-The debut release for this R&B quartet from Oakland,CA-Great song. #19-"If You Want Me To Stay"-Sly & The Family Stone-Great song that radio has chosen to ignore. #18-"Theme from Cleopatra Jones"-Joe Simon featuring The Mainstreeters-Great song. #17-"Live & Let Die"-Wings-A timeless classic that was featured in the James Bond movie of the same name. #16-"Here I Am (Come & Take Me)"-Al Green-Great song. #15-"Ramblin Man"-Allman Brothers-The first & biggest hit for this Southern rock group that was based in Macon,GA-A bonafide classic. #14-"Keep On Truckin"-Eddie Kendricks-The first & biggest solo hit for this former member of The Temptations-Great song. #13-"Gypsy Man"-War-Great song that featured group member Lee Oskar on harmonica. #12-"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting"-Elton John-The initial release from the album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"-One of his best songs. #11-"My Maria"-B.W.Stevenson-The only top forty hit for this native of Dallas,TX-A bonafide classic. #10-"That Lady"-Isley Brothers-One of their best songs. #9-"Touch Me In The Morning"-Diana Ross-Her second #1 solo hit & a timeless classic. #8-"Higher Ground"-Stevie Wonder-Great song that was later covered by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. #7-"Half Breed"-Cher-Her second #1 hit as a solo artist & a bonafide classic. #6-"Brother Louie"-Stories-This song about an interracial love affair become the only top forty hit for this New York City based group which featured Ian Lloyd on lead vocals-Another bonafide classic. #5-"Say,Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose"-Tony Orlando & Dawn-A bonafide guilty pleasure. #4-"Loves Me Like A Rock"-Paul Simon-The second release from the album "There Goes Rhymin Simon"-Great song which also featured the legendary gospel group The Dixie Hummingbirds-A bonafide classic. #3-"Delta Dawn"-Helen Reddy-Her second #1 hit & a timeless classic. #2-"We're An American Band"-Grand Funk-Another bonafide classic. #1-"Let's Get It On"-Marvin Gaye-One of his best songs.
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Post by blackbowl68 on Sept 23, 2012 9:59:38 GMT -5
Chart Critique for CASEY KASEM'S AMERICAN TOP 40: THE 70's - September 22, 2012. This week's countdown is for chart week ending September 22, 1973. (I see many critiques for this week, so I'm just adding my two cents worth.) PERSONAL: I was living in England at this time with my family and was about to start school. Many songs on this list appeared on a reel-to-reel my father made which I still crave to hear now and then. DROPPERS: NOBODY WANTS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT - BOBBY WOMACK (40) Ain't that the truth. A MILLION TO ONE - DONNY OSMOND (39) New version of Jimmy Charles 1960 chestnut. BAD BAD LEROY BROWN - JIM CROCE (37) He sadly died on September 20, so this song's departure is bittersweet. UNEASY RIDER - CHARLIE DANIELS (32) Thank God we didn't hear that uneasy story. MONSTER MASH - BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT & THE CRYPT-KICKERS (31) Still not sure why it was a summertime hit. ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH - THE FOUR TOPS (26) From Shaft In Africa. 40: GET IT TOGETHER – THE JACKSON FIVE (DEBUT) Funky club stomper that has become a lost modest hit. 39: IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR – CROSS COUNTRY (DEBUT) ABSOLITELY WACK! The former Tokens redo this Wilson Pickett dance floor favorite as a lame folk song. 38: TO KNOW YOU IS TO LOVE YOU – B.B. KING (DEBUT) Cool laid back blues number that's pleasant to hear in the Golden Age of Soul. 37: ANGEL – ARETHA FRANKLIN (25) A cry for love written by her Carolyn that pop (not classic soul) radio has totally forgotten about. Casey announces the upcoming special countdown of the top 40 acts of Rock Era (so far)36: ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY – JOE WALSH (DEBUT) Monster twelve bar blues belter from former Gang member that still rock today. 35: HEY GIRL (I LIKE YOUR STYLE) – THE TEMPTATIONS (36) Mellow mood song by Motown group with Richard Street putting his swerve on. However, I never it ended right. 34: ECSTASY – THE OHIO PLAYERS (DEBUT) Dayton funk band tells you what they want their "Funky Worm" to give you. 33: FEELIN’ STRONGER EVERY DAY - CHICAGO (19) I would feel stronger if Peter Cetera wasn't singing this. 32: I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE – BARRY WHITE (34) Smooth R&B jam by the Maestro that was too soulful for pop radio. 31: WHY ME – KRIS KRISTOFFERSON (23) The chart boomerang song of the year. This post-hangover inspirational country number had just reached a false high at this point. 30: STONED OUT OF MY MIND – THE CHI-LITES (38) My favorite song by this Chicago soul trio (I double checked) that still makes me high. It was rebounding this week to new peak . 29: GHETTO CHILD – THE SPINNERS (29) Detroit group with their "Cloud Nine" story under Philadelphia production. 28: YOU’VE NEVER BEEN THIS FAR BEFORE – CONWAY TWITTY (35) First country crossover hit for former Rock 'n' roller. Not really feeling this track. 27: GET DOWN – GILBERT O’ SULLIVAN (17) My favorite song by him despite being a lesser hit, but for some reason I remember it with handclaps. I bothered to notice at this point only one of the eight soul records played in this hour cracked the top 25.AT40 OPTIONAL EXTRA: BASKETBALL JONES featuring TYRONE SHOELACES - CHEECH & CHONG - One of those rare novelty songs that became better known than the record it parodies. In this case:"Love Jones" by the Brighter Side of Darkness. 26: THE MORNING AFTER – MAUREEN McGOVERN (18) Academy Award winner from the Poseidon Adventure. Decent song that took six months to top the chart. Another mention from Casey about the upcoming special countdown.25: I BELIEVE IN YOU (YOU BELIEVE IN ME) – JOHNNIE TAYLOR (20) Decent soul cut from the Philosopher. Prefer his next hit though. 24: FREE RIDE – THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP (27) Great follow-up record that I'm not sure who sings lead on. Casey tells story of British fan club that took a trip to America to see Elvis Presley. Sounds right since he never toured Britain.23: MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS (33) The Atlanta family group goes to Jim Weatherly again and gets their biggest all-time hit. Great song but not my favorite. 22: ANGIE – THE ROLLING STONES (DEBUT) Ballad from the bad boys of rock 'n' roll lusting about David Bowie's wife. I can only imagine about that bizarre managé a trois. 21: CHINA GROVE – THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (24) Memorable rocker from San Jose boys with Tom Johnston on lead that still gets massive recurrent airplay. 20: YES WE CAN CAN – THE POINTER SISTERS (28) Much improved rendition of Lee Dorsey track that could also be the motto of our sitting president, but the opposition is saying I'm Not Havin' It. 19: IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY – SLY & THE FAMILY STONE (16) Decent synthesized soul track that shows the man is still becoming unraveled. 18: THEME FROM CLEOPATRA JONES – JOE SIMON featuring THE MAIN STREETERS (22) Title track from blaxploitation film with a rather sophisicated production. 17: LIVE AND LET DIE - WINGS (9) Decent title track from first James Bond flick with Roger Moore taking over the role. 16: HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) – AL GREEN (10) Great Memphis number from soul superstar, but I prefer the UB40 version more. 15: RAMBLIN’ MAN – THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (21) Superb rock track with the first 2 minutes of a long jam session as a coda. AT40 OPTIONAL EXTRA: NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - IKE & TINA TURNER - Blues/rock track about Tina's Tennessee hometown that cannot be found on an iPhone map app. 14: KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ – EDDIE KENDRICKS (30) After several tries, the former Temptation finally breaks through with this hot but rather complex dance floor stomper. Disco was on the horizon. 13: GYPSY MAN - WAR (8) Good but dated hit for LA-based Latin soul/funk band. Doesn't really sound like a single. 12: SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT (FOR FIGHTING) – ELTON JOHN (12) Angry rocker that shows the Rocket Man was ready to rumble. One of my favorites by him. 11: MY MARIA – B.W. STEVENSON (14) Bona fide hit for Dallas country rocker after losing in the "Shambala" cover battle. Song was later a #1 country hit for Brooks & Dunn. 10: THAT LADY (PT. 1) – THE ISLEY BROTHERS (15) Single mix of much improved new version of their 1964 song with brother Ernie on lead guitar. First hit where family group is credited as a sextet. 9: TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING – DIANA ROSS (7) The backup plan for the Lady Sings The Blues project becomes a #1 hit as well. Great song. 8: HIGHER GROUND – STEVIE WONDER (13) First hit from Innervisions album that literally saved his life. Later redone by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 7: HALF-BREED - CHER (11) Great song about Cherokee Indian slur. One of her best. 6: BROTHER LOUIE - STORIES (6) Another great song confronting racial prejudice first done by Hot Chocolate, containing the "Louie Louie" riff that also placed on the soul charts. 5: SAY, HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE – DAWN featuring TONY ORLANDO (3) Decent ragtime number from pop group that gives some variety to the show. 4: LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK – PAUL SIMON (4) Great gospel tinged folk song, but I never felt the Dixie Hummingbirds sounded right on this track. Guess that's why they made their own version of the song. 3: DELTA DAWN – HELEN REDDY (1) This was last week's prediction for #1, but is still a keeper for this Australian lass with song first charted for Tanya Tucker. AT40 OPTIONAL EXTRA: PAPER ROSES - MARIE OSMOND - She was always a little bit country, and the Ogden native picks this number that sounds updated from Anita Bryant original. Final mention from Casey about the upcoming special countdown.2: WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND – GRAND FUNK (5) Great rocker surging up the chart for Flint, MI band produced by Todd Rundgren. 1: LET’S GET IT ON – MARVIN GAYE (2) Hot & steamy Motown song on the chart that got a second wind at #1 because it was that good. Prediction for next week's #1: We're An American Band. SYNOPSIS: This was clearly a soulful summer, as over half this week's songs also appear on the Soul survey, which Billboard had just recently expanded to 100 positions. This dominance can be attributed to the growth of Soul Train and onslaught of blaxploitation films appearing in theaters. (Even American Bandstand briefly had a soul spinoff at this time.) Some of these records had more of a rock or blues sound, but still made their strides.
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Post by pgfromwp on Sept 25, 2012 23:21:39 GMT -5
Critiquing the AT40 9/28/74 chart that will be featured on Premiere-affiliated stations this weekend. In keeping with my ratings: (5) Outstanding; has always been a top favorite; (4) Very good; a strong favorite; (3) Good; a nice, listenable tune -- the majority of charted songs fall in this category; (2) Just ok; not a favorite; (1) No, just no. My preference for mainstrream AT40 music influences the ratings.
#40: "Life is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" - Reunion (5) -- I've always loved this creative novelty song from the band fronted by Joey Levine, formerly of Ohio Express (noted for "bubblegum" hits such as "Yummy Yummy Yummy" in spring 1968 and "Chewy Chewy" in the fall of that year). #39: "Wildwood Weed" - Jim Stafford (3) -- Wacky comedic tune that's quite listenable. Jim referred to his brother Bill in the lyrics; apparently that was the protagonist in his previous hit "My Girl Bill." #38: "Feel Like Makin' Love" - Roberta Flack (4) -- A very nice soul song with a consistent rhythmic beat. #37: "One Day at a Time" - Marilyn Sellars (2) -- An ok country/gospel crossover tune that's not so much to my liking. #36: "Surfin' USA" - Beach Boys (3) -- Nice classic song that was re-released from its original chart run during summer 1963. This time, it only lasted one week in the (Billboard) top 40. #35: "Let's Put it All Together" - Stylistics (3) -- Nice soul/vocal tune by the Philadelphia group that had sustained chart success two years earlier with hits such as "You are Everything", "Betcha, By Golly, Wow", and "I'm Stone in Love with You". #34: "Tell Me Something Good" - Rufus (3) -- A nice, interesting tune from the soul band that evolved from the rock quartet American Breed, who is best known for their winter 1968 hit "Bend Me, Shape Me". #33: "Fallin' in Love" - Souther Hillman Furay Band (3) -- A nice song whose group member JD Souther had subsequent chart success in fall 1979 with "You're Only Lonely." Song is entirely different from the #1 hit of the same title by Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds in summer 1975. #32: "Tin Man" - America (3) -- See my comment to #35; substitute pop/rock and "A Horse With no Name", "I Need You" and "Ventura Highway". #31: "Papa Don't Take no Mess (Part 1)" - James Brown (2) -- Not one of the stronger recordings from the "godfather of soul". #30: "You and Me Against the World" - Helen Reddy (2) -- This one just doesn't do much for me, compared with her other hits. FYI: There was a DJ who did a stint on WCBS-FM in NYC during the 90s who, just prior to announcing a song by this artist, would occcasionally inquire "Is Helen Reddy?" Pardon my digression. #29: "It's Only Rock and Roll" - Rolling Stones (4) -- A very nice rocker by Mick and the boys, who sandwiched this song in-between "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" during 1974. #28: "I'm Leaving it Up to You" - Donny & Marie Osmond (3) -- A nice, listenable remake of Dale Houston and Grace Broussard's #1 hit from fall 1963. Donny does double duty (excuse the corny alliteration) on this chart; see the next song. #27: "Love Me for a Reason" - Osmonds (4) -- A very nice, mature recording from the Ogden, Utah family act that sounds nothing like their original top 40, #1 hit, "One Bad Apple". #26: "Do it Baby" - Miracles (3) -- A nice tune that was apparently just a warm up for their huge winter 1976 hit "Love Machine". #25: "I Love my Friend" - Charlie Rich (1) -- This one does absolutely nothing for me, although it supposedly hit #1 on the country/western charts. #24: "The pregnant dog is Back" - Elton John (4) -- Like it a lot, more than the slower paced (and higher charted) "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" from a few months earlier in 1974. #23: "Jazzman" - Carole King (4) -- A very nice rebound (over the past three years) tune for this successful singer-songwriter. #22: "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell (3) -- Nice, listenable tune. #21: "Skin Tight" - Ohio Players (3) -- A nice, funky melody. See my comment to #26; substitute "winter 1975" and "Fire". #20: "Stop and Smell the Roses" - Mac Davis (3) -- A nice tune that current radio has chosen to ignore. #19: "Steppin' Out Gonna Boogie Tonight" - Tony Orlando and Dawn (3) -- See my comment to #22. #18: "You Little Trustmaker" - Tymes (5) -- An outstanding up-tempo song by the soul/vocal quintet from Philadelphia who are best known for their 1963 hits "So Much in Love" and (a remake of Johnny Mathis's) "Wonderful! Wonderful!" #17: "Never My Love" - Blue Swede (3) -- An interesting attempt by the Swedish band at rocking the classic fall hit by the Association (1966) and the Fifth Dimension (1971); it showed their versatility months after releasing the poppy-sounding cover of BJ Thomas's winter 1969 hit, "Hooked on a Feeling". #16: "Can't Get Enough" - Bad Company (3) -- Nice, hard-rocking tune that marked the initial top 40 hit for the group whose member Paul Rodgers fronted the group Free years earlier, which was best noted for their fall 1970 hit, "All Right Now". #15: "Who Do You Think You Are" - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (4) -- A very nice follow up by the Cincinnati band to their #1 hit, "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" from a few months earlier in 1974. #14: "(You're) Having my Baby" - Paul Anka (1) -- Never, ever cared for this song; conversely, I've always loved his 1975-76 hit "Times of Your Life". #13: "I Shot the Sheriff" - Eric Clapton (2) -- Ok song that never was a favorite of mine; suppose it's good to be the deputy, lol. #12: "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" - Barry White (4) -- A very nice, soulful tune that would eventually reach #1. #11: "Earache My Eye (Featuring Alice Bowie)" - Cheech and Chong (2) -- A far-out satirical recording that's just ok by my avowed mainstream tastes. Was banned by several radio stations because of its lyrics encouraging dropping out and engaging in alternate lifestyles. #10: "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd (4) -- The quite nice signature song from the southern rock group whose name evolved from that of a former high school teacher. #9: "Hang on in There Baby" - Johnny Bristol (3) -- See my comment to #22. #8: "Another Saturday Night" - Cat Stevens (3) -- Again, see my comment to #22. A bit edgier than his many other recordings. #7: "Clap For the Wolfman" - Guess Who (with Wolfman Jack) (3) -- A nice tune that's an adventurous departure from the group's many previous hits. #6: "You Haven't Done Nothing" - Stevie Wonder (5) -- I've always loved this song, reportedly about former president Richard Nixon, that was backed up by the Jackson 5. #5: "Beach Baby" - First Class (5) -- Always loved this very upbeat recording by the English studio group who never charted another (Billboard) top 40 hit. #4: "Then Came You" - Dionne Warwick and the Spinners (4) -- A very nice tune from a pairing of successful soul/vocal artists. #3: "Nothing from Nothing" - Billy Preston (3) -- Like it, though not as much as his instrumental top 40 hits (e.g., "Outa Space", "Space Race"). #2: "I Honestly Love You" - Olivia Newton-John (3) -- Like it, though not as much as her earlier hit, "Let Me Be There" from winter 1974. #1: "Rock Me Gently" - Andy Kim (4) -- Really like this recording from the musician who, with it, broke a five year absence from the top 10 (see his summer 1969 cover of the Ronettes' tune "Baby I Love You" that originally charted in winter 1964).
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Post by pgfromwp on Sept 25, 2012 23:28:41 GMT -5
^Disappointed that the actual title to #24 above was censored .
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Post by SFGuy on Sept 26, 2012 5:20:48 GMT -5
^Disappointed that the actual title to #24 above was censored . And wouldn't it be wrong?
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Post by pgfromwp on Sept 26, 2012 8:12:59 GMT -5
^1. I meant to reference the Association's recording of "Never My Love" to fall 1967, not 1966 (which, incidentally, was the time frame of their original hit, "Cherish). 2. I agree that filtering a word that originates from a licensed song title is improper, IMHO .
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Post by dukelightning on Sept 26, 2012 12:05:57 GMT -5
"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" was already at #1, the previous week.
Thanks for reminding me about Andy Kim. Up until "Rock Me Gently", his 2 biggest hits were covers of the Ronettes 2 biggest hits because in late 1970 he covered their #2 smash, "Be My Baby".
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Post by pgfromwp on Sept 26, 2012 13:10:02 GMT -5
^Dukedeb, thanks for correcting my reference to "Can't Get Enough ... Babe" as being on its way to #1. I compiled the 9/28/74 critique mostly from memory which, at my age, is never guaranteed. Also, I forgot about the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" as another Andy Kim cover. Interestingly, the Ronnie Spector - led girl group charted higher with that song, compared with "Baby I Love You", while the reverse was true for Andy Kim. Interesting popular music historical tidbits .
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Post by SFGuy on Sept 26, 2012 16:58:41 GMT -5
2. I agree that filtering a word that originates from a licensed song title is improper, IMHO . What I meant was the song title is "female" dog not "pregnant". The filter is wrong...well both ways.
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Post by mrjukebox on Sept 26, 2012 18:38:45 GMT -5
Here's my critique of the countdown from 9/28/74 which Premiere is airing this weekend: #40-"Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)"-Reunion-The only chart entry for this studio group that featured Joey Levine on lead vocals-A bonafide classic. #39-"Wildwood Weed"-Jim Stafford-Despite the fact that this song was banned on several radio stations,it did manage to make the top ten-Classic novelty record. #38-"Feel Like Makin Love"-Roberta Flack-A former #1 hit & a bonafide classic. #37-"One Day At A Time"-Marilyn Sellars-This wasn't the theme from the TV series that ran from 1975-1984-It turned out to be the only top forty hit for this country singer from Northfield,MN-Decent song. #36-"Surfin USA"-Beach Boys-In 1963,this bonafide classic went to #3 on the pop chart-Eleven years later,it was featured on a compilation album entitled "Endless Summer"-Too bad the re-release only got to #36. #35-"Let's Put It All Together"-Stylistics-Their final top forty hit & a timeless classic. #34-"Tell Me Something Good"-Rufus featuring Chaka Khan-A bonafide classic that was written by Stevie Wonder. #33-"Falling in Love"-Souther-Hillman-Furay Band-The only top forty hit for this country-rock supergroup that featured Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield,Poco),Chris Hillman (The Byrds) & J.D.Souther who was a noted songwriter for Linda Ronstadt & The Eagles-Great song that should've charted higher-FYI:Five years later,Souther returned to the top forty with "You're Only Lonely"-Two years later,in 1981,he made a final appearance with "Her Town Too" a duet with James Taylor. #32-"Tin Man"-America-Great song. #31-"Papa Don't Take No Mess (Part 1)"-James Brown-A bonafide classic from the undisputed Godfather Of Soul. #30-"You & Me Against The World"-Helen Reddy-A timeless classic written by Paul Williams. #29-"It's Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)"-Rolling Stones-Another bonafide classic. #28-"I'm Leaving It All Up To You"-Donny & Marie Osmond-Decent rendition of a song that was originally a #1 hit in 1963 for Dale & Grace. #27-"Love Me For A Reason"-The Osmonds-Wow!-An Osmond doubleheader-Great song that radio has chosen to ignore. #26-"Do It Baby"-The Miracles-Great song that featured Billy Griffin on lead vocals. #25-"I Love My Friend"-Charlie Rich-Great song that was a pop & country hit for this singer who was known as "The Silver Fox". #24-"The B****h Is Back"-Elton John-The second release from the "Caribou" album-A lot of stations banned this record because of its title-However,WABC in NYC played it-Unfortunately,they deleted the line "I get high in the evening sniffing pots of glue"-Despite the controversy,it's a great song. #23-"Jazzman"-Carole King-The initial release from her album "Wrap Around Joy"-One of her best songs. #22-"Free Man In Paris"-Joni Mitchell-The second release from the album "Court & Spark"-Great song that should've been a bigger hit. #21-""Skin Tight"-Ohio Players-Great example of old school R&B. #20-"Stop & Smell The Roses"-Mac Davis-Fantastic song that was co-written by Doc Severinsen who was the musical director on "The Tonight Show" during the Johnny Carson era. #19-"Steppin Out,Gonna Boogie Tonight"-Tony Orlando & Dawn-A bonafide guilty pleasure. #18-"You Little Trustmaker"-The Tymes-After a ten year absence from the top forty,this Philadelphia based R&B group returned with this all-time dance floor classic. #17-"Never My Love"-Blue Swede-This Don & Dick Addrissi composition was first a hit for The Association in 1967-Four years later,it was a top twenty hit for The Fifth Dimension-The third time around,it was the second top forty hit for this Swedish group-Decent rendition. #16-"Can't Get Enough"-Bad Company-The first top forty hit for this British group which featured Paul Rodgers & Simon Kirke-Four years earlier,Rodgers & Kirke had reached the top forty with the band Free who had a top five smash with "All Right Now"-"Can't Get Enough" is a bonafide rock & roll classic. #15-"Who Do You Think You Are"-Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods-Great follow-up to "Billy,Don't Be A Hero". #14-"You're Having My Baby"-Paul Anka with Odia Coates-A former #1 hit & a bonafide classic. #13-"I Shot The Sheriff"-Eric Clapton-Great rendition of a song that was written & first recorded by Bob Marley & The Wailers. #12-"Can't Get Enough of Your Love,Babe"-Barry White-A former #1 hit & another bonafide classic. #11-"Earache My Eye"-Cheech & Chong-Their biggest hit overall-A certifiable comedy classic. #10-"Sweet Home Alabama"-Lynyrd Skynyrd-The breakthrough smash for this Southern rock group that named themselves after their high school gym teacher Leonard Skinner-A bonafide classic. #9-"Hang On In There Baby"-Johnny Bristol-Great song that radio has chosen to ignore. #8-"Another Saturday Night"-Cat Stevens-Great rendition of a song that was originally a hit for Sam Cooke in 1963. #7-"Clap For The Wolfman"-Guess Who-The final top ten hit for this Canadian group-Great homage to the legendary Wolfman Jack who passed away in 1995. #6-"You Haven't Done Nothin"-Stevie Wonder-The initial release from the album "Fulfillingness First Finale"-Great song that featured The Jackson Five on background vocals. #5-"Beach Baby"-First Class-This homage to The Beach Boys was the only chart entry for this British group-Another bonafide classic. #4-"Then Came You"-Dionne Warwick & The Spinners-Great one-off duet. #3-"Nothing From Nothing"-Billy Preston-His second #1 hit-Great song. #2-"I Honestly Love You"-Olivia Newton-John-Her first #1 hit & a bonafide classic. #1-"Rock Me Gently"-Andy Kim-His biggest hit overall-Great song that still receives recurrent airplay.
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