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Post by Hervard on Aug 3, 2013 13:43:20 GMT -5
American Top 40: The 80s - August 3, 2013
This week's presentation - August 6, 1988
Well, it looks like I was right (along with many other people). They indeed ran Casey's last AT40 show (from its original run, that is). Even though I do have two commentaries about this show (one for each time Premiere has run it up to now), I have decided to post a fresh commentary about this show, since it's been five years since the last run and, thus, my opinions on the songs have probably changed - and besides, both commentaries were like the one I posted last week, with me replying to commentaries posted by other board membeers. This is the first time that I have posted my commentary on this particular show on this board.
Droppers MAKE IT REAL - THE JETS (40) - Great song! As I've mentioned many times before, their ballads are superior to their upbeat songs, IMO. IN YOUR SOUL - COREY HART (38) - Good song - I thought this one was somewhat underrated. NOTHIN' BUT A GOOD TIME - POISON (36) - Great song! Shame that it fell off. LOST IN YOU - ROD STEWART (30) - Good song, but definitely not one of his best. PARADISE - SADE (24) - Great song! Shame that this one fell off, especially since we didn't hear it on the last 1988 show.
40: FOOLISH HEART - DEBBIE GIBSON (31) - Great song! Definitely one of her best songs ever - glad this song hit #1. I'm also glad that this song was intact in this show instead of with that terrible edit heard on the last 1988 show. 39: NITE AND DAY - AL B. SURE (27) - I liked this song - nice and mellow. 38: MISSED OPPORTUNITY - DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES (debut) - Wow, Hall & Oates just missed getting to announce their own hit on the countdown, as they had hosted the previous week. 37: ONE GOOD WOMAN - PETER CETERA (debut) - This song was OK, but I preferred most of his other solo hits (including a few AC-only hits). 36: SAYIN' SORRY WON'T MAKE IT RIGHT - DENISE LOPEZ (debut) - This was a pretty good song. I heard this song on B96 occasionally, since this was during their evolution from Mainstream Top 40 to Rhythmic Top 40. 35: HERE WITH ME - REO SPEEDWAGON (39) - Great song! One of their best. Too bad this was their last Top 40 hit. 34: IT WOULD TAKE A STRONG STRONG MAN - RICK ASTLEY (debut) - Great song! One of my all-time favorites from him! 33: NOBODY'S FOOL - KENNY LOGGINS (37) - Great song! My favorite of his two Caddyshack songs and one of my favorite movie songs by him! 32: LOVE CHANGES (EVERYTHING) - CLIMIE FISHER (23) - Great song! Reminded me a little of Rod Stewart. 31: ANOTHER PART OF ME - MICHAEL JACKSON (debut) - This song wasn't bad, but it was my least favorite of his singles from Bad. 30: I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE - MOODY BLUES (33) - Great song! I heard this song many times, as U93 began playing this at the beginning of the summer. I was kind of surprised that it didn't hit the Top 40 sooner. OPTIONAL EXTRA: THE LOCO-MOTION - KYLIE MINOGUE - This song was OK, but I preferred the Grand Funk's version of this. 29: ALL FIRED UP - PAT BENATAR (35) - Ah, the high point of the show for JessieLou! This song was OK, but not one of my favorite songs by her by any means. 28: MERCEDES BOY - PEBBLES (19) - Good song - my favorite of her two big 1988 hits. 27: I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - TAYLOR DAYNE (32) - Meh, this song was sort of a yawner. Odd, as her other Top Five ballad, "Love Will Lead You Back" is possibly my favorite from her. 26: IF IT ISN'T LOVE - NEW EDITION (34) - Meh, at this point, they weren't New Edition anymore, since their voices had changed at this point. I definitely preferred their earlier material. 25: WHEN IT'S LOVE - VAN HALEN (29) - Great song! One of my favorites from them! 24: PERFECT WORLD - HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS (28) - Good song, but definitely not their best. 23/LDD: THE FLAME - CHEAP TRICK (11) - Wow, what a sad LDD! I wonder if they got back together or are still together? Anyway, as for this song, I liked it at first, but then it was way overplayed - so much that I'm still burned out on it. I preferred other songs by them, such as "Voices" and "Ghost Town". 22: NEW SENSATION - INXS (7) - Good song, though I'm not a big fan of them in general. 21: RAG DOLL- AEROSMITH (22) - It's okies, but I preferred many others by them. 20: SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE - ROBERT PALMER (26) - Meh, this is another one that was overplayed - and it wasn't one of my favorite songs in the first place. OPTIONAL EXTRA: DOMINO DANCING - THE PET SHOP BOYS - Wow, this was an unexpected extra, since it only got as high as #18 and doesn't receive any recurrent airplay. But that's cool, since it's a great song! 19: RUSH HOUR - JANE WEIDLIN (9) - Great song, and I liked Casey's clever reference to its chart movement (he did something similar to "Mercedes Boy"). 18: SWEET CHILD O' MINE - GUNS 'N' ROSES (23) - Good song. One of my favorites by them and the one that started off their chart career. 17: THE COLOUR OF LOVE - BILLY OCEAN (17) - Great song! One of my favorites by him - too bad this one missed the Top Ten. 16: THE TWIST - FAT BOYS (18) - This was OK, but it was pretty much a watered-down version of the Chubby Checker classic. 15: LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY - WHITNEY HOUSTON (21) - Good song, but I can kind of see why this broke her #1 streak (in fact, it just barely hit the Top Ten). 14: FAST CAR - TRACY CHAPMAN (20) - Good song - much better than the ad nauseum played "Give Me One Reason". 13: PARENTS JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND - DJ JAZZY JEFF & THE FRESH PRINCE (12) - Great song! One that I could definitely relate to back in the day! 12: JUST GOT PAID - JOHNNY KEMP (15) - It's okies, but nothing exceptional. Your typical late-80s dance song. 11: DO YOU LOVE ME - CONTOURS (14) - Good song - I know I have asked this before, but did they go back and re-record this song when it was re-released after being featured in Dirty Dancing? This one sounds a lot more lively than the original. 10: MONKEY - GEORGE MICHAEL (16) - This wasn't bad, but I preferred his two other #1s from 1988. OPTIONAL EXTRA: I DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE - DURANDURAN - Meh, not a fan of this one. One of my least favorite songs by them. 9: POUR SOME SUGAR ON MAY - DEF LEPPARD (2) - Great song! This song just missed hitting #1 on AT40 (Richard Marx leapfrogged over it), but it did manage to make it on the R&R chart. 8: I DON'T WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE - CHICAGO (13) - Good song, but I generally preferred them with Peter Cetera on lead vocal. This one featured Bill Champlin who was possibly my second favorite lead singer (Jason Scheff would be very close, though). 7: I DON'T WANNA GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT - ELTON JOHN (10) - Ah, both of the "I Don't Wanna" songs are back-to-back this week. This song was OK, but definitely not one of his best, by any means. 6: 1-2-3 - GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE (8) - Like The Jets, I like her slower songs best. This one wasn't bad, though. 5: SIGN YOUR NAME - TERENCE TRENT DARBY (6) - Great song! One of my favorite songs by him - has kind of a haunting sound to it. LDD: I'VE HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE - BILL MEDLEY & JENNIFER WARNES - Good song, and fitting for the dedication. 4: MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL - ERIC CARMEN (5) - Great song, but too bad they cut out the second verse. I would have preferred it if they edited the last verse, where Eric is singing so softly that you can barely understand him (I believe there was a July show with an edit like that). 3: HOLD ON TO THE NIGHT - RICHARD MARX (2) - Good song, but I prefer several other songs by him. 2: HANDS TO HEAVEN - BREATHE (3) - Meh, this is another song that I liked at first, but overplay killed it for me. At first when I heard this, I thought it was the new song by Air Supply, because the chorus sounds a little like Russell Hitchcock. 1: ROLL WITH IT - STEVE WINWOOD (1) - Great song! Definitely THE summer hit of 1988!
Predictions for next week: Well, it's been longest since they've done 1987 and August 8, 1987 would definitely fit, as they haven't done that show yet, so that's my first prediction. My back-up prediction is August 9, 1986, which would be a repeat from 2010. I would say 1984, but they just did the August 11 show last year, and August 10, 1985, which matches next week's date, was guest-hosted. August 6, 1983 isn't out of the question either (and I don't believe that one has been done yet), but I'll go with 1987 and 1986 as my two predictions.
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Post by jamie9012 on Aug 4, 2013 14:58:42 GMT -5
I did not make a list of songs from the episode from 1974, which was last week. However I will for this week. The episode from this week was from August 4, 1973, and here are some of the songs that were heard. I am not very familiar with the songs from the early 1970's, but I will do my best.
40. MY LOVE- Paul McCartney and Wings- According to what I have read, this song reached #1 in the United States in June of 1973. It was a good song. 37. LONG TRAIN RUNNING- The Doobie Brothers- I like the guitar riffs (if that is the correct phrase) heard in this songs. I've heard some other songs from this group called "Listen To The Music", "China Grove", and "One Step Closer". Recently, I located a copy of "Listen To The Music" on a single record. 36. YOUNG LOVE- Donny Osmond- If I correctly remember, Casey Kasem said that this song was a remake of an earlier one. It does have a sound that goes back to the 1950's, or before. 34. PLAYGROUND IN MY MIND- Clint Holmes- I remember hearing a story about Clint Holmes on another episode of American Top 40, although I don't completely remember it. He was given a gift by a fan, who told him that it was for a person who sang on the song. I think that this was the song that played after the termination of the story. 32. MISDEMEANOR- Foster Sylvers- In a way, this song sounded new. I wonder if another musician has used a sample of it in another work? 31. GIVE ME LOVE- George Harrison- This was the #1 song on the last episode from 1973, which was in June. 30. ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH- The Four Tops- This was a good song. 28. WHERE PEACEFUL WATERS FLOW- Gladys Knight & The Pips- At first, I thought that Aretha Franklin sang this song. The voice shared some similar characteristics to Aretha's. However, she did sing a song that appeared in this countdown. 27. HOW CAN I TELL HER- Lobo- Before this song was played, an interesting story was told about how the name of the act came to exist. 26. ANGEL- Aretha Franklin- This was another good song. 22. DELTA DAWN- Helen Reddy- Although Helen Reddy has had many other successful songs, this is the only one that I know. 21. KODACHROME- Paul Simon- I thought that this song was funny. When it first started, I thought that it was going to be slower. Suddenly, I heard the first few lyrics, and I laughed. In all honesty, I must listen to the song again to understand what it is about. 20. IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY- Sly & The Family Stone- I liked this song. Although they have had other hits, I only know a few of them. 19. HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME)- Al Green- I am more familiar with another version of this song that was performed by the group UB40. This version was pretty good. 17. LET'S GET IT ON- Marvin Gaye- This song is definitely a classic. I hear it on the radio very often. 16. BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY- Bette Midler- This was another good song. 15. UNEASY RIDER- Charlie Daniels- I love how songs sometimes tell stories. When I listened to this song, I felt like I was at the location where this incident happened. I think that I even felt scared at some parts. 14. GET DOWN- Gilbert O'Sullivan- Earlier in this year, I heard another song he sang. I think it was called "Alone Again", or a similar title. 12. MONSTER MASH- Bobby Pickett & The Crypt Kickers- The narrator's spooky voice created a haunting atmosphere in this song. 11. FEELING STRONGER EVERDAY- Chicago- I like many of Chicago's songs that I have heard, and this was another. 10. SHAMBALA- Three Dog Night- This was one of my favorite songs on this countdown! I also like "Joy To The World". 9. WILL IT GO ROUND IN CIRCLES- Billy Preston- He had many hit songs. One of my favorites from him is "Nothing From Nothing". 5. YESTERDAY ONCE MORE- The Carpenters- Like the song at #10, this was a favorite of mine on this list! Sometimes, I pretend that I was alive in the 1970's. After school has dismissed for the day, I would hear this song in the back seat of a car. I begin to sing along. As I look out my window, I could see many vehicles on the streets that would have been common in this period. 4. SMOKE ON THE WATER- Deep Purple- I have read that this is an easy song to learn on the guitar. I must try it soon. 3. LIVE AND LET DIE- Paul McCartney and Wings- This was their second song on this countdown. Although it started out slow, it led into a frantic, dramatic sound. 2. BAD BAD LEROY BROWN- Jim Croce- Although I did not hear this song on the episode, it is another favorite of mine. I don't think that Leroy was ever the same. I wish that Jim Croce did not die so early. 1. THE MORNING AFTER- Maureen McGovern- This was a nice, uplifting song. If you are in a difficult position now, remember that it will not last forever. I was not able to hear this song, as well as the previous song, because the show was removed before they played. However, I did hear it on the computer.
I hope that I did not make a very bad list. There were many great songs on this countdown. Thank you for reading.
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jcs72
Full Member
Posts: 141
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Post by jcs72 on Aug 4, 2013 17:54:39 GMT -5
36. YOUNG LOVE- Donny Osmond- If I correctly remember, Casey Kasem said that this song was a remake of an earlier one. It does have a sound that goes back to the 1950's, or before. I have not yet heard it, but the only song I know that has that title "Young Love" is by Sonny James, which topped both the pop and country charts in 1957.
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Post by mga707 on Aug 4, 2013 18:08:40 GMT -5
36. YOUNG LOVE- Donny Osmond- If I correctly remember, Casey Kasem said that this song was a remake of an earlier one. It does have a sound that goes back to the 1950's, or before. I have not yet heard it, but the only song I know that has that title "Young Love" is by Sonny James, which topped both the pop and country charts in 1957. Same song. Movie star Tab Hunter actually had the most pop success with the song, as his cover version topped all four of Billboard's pre-Hot 100 charts in 1957, while James' original only hit #1 on one of them (the disc jockey airplay chart) in addition to the country chart. The Crew Cuts (of "Sh-boom" fame) also had their last pop chart hit with yet another cover of the song in 1957. Wasn't this the first of Donny's hits in which he sang in a lower octave?
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jcs72
Full Member
Posts: 141
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Post by jcs72 on Aug 4, 2013 21:04:16 GMT -5
15. UNEASY RIDER- Charlie Daniels- I love how songs sometimes tell stories. When I listened to this song, I felt like I was at the location where this incident happened. I think that I even felt scared at some parts. I think Casey (oops, Premier!) played the full version, although one of the lyrics was changed to "hippie gaf". At least that's what I think I heard.
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Post by mga707 on Aug 4, 2013 21:31:17 GMT -5
15. UNEASY RIDER- Charlie Daniels- I love how songs sometimes tell stories. When I listened to this song, I felt like I was at the location where this incident happened. I think that I even felt scared at some parts. I think Casey (oops, Premier!) played the full version, although one of the lyrics was changed to "hippie gaf". At least that's what I think I heard. No, it was the 45 version. The full LP version contains extra verses. And yes, the word in question--the same word that Dire Straits was able to put on the radio in 1985, but not today, was changed. I guess they just reversed it! Just my personal opinion, but this was by far my least favorite song on the 73 show. I've never liked the CDB, period. I disliked the "redneck hippie" Charlie Daniels of the '70s as much as I still dislike the "redneck Ted Nugent" Daniels of today. Aretha's "Angel" is probably my favorite 'forgotten' song from this countdown. One of her best vocal performances. Still gives me chills. And her sister wrote it!
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Post by jamie9012 on Aug 4, 2013 22:57:42 GMT -5
I think Casey (oops, Premier!) played the full version, although one of the lyrics was changed to "hippie gaf". At least that's what I think I heard. No, it was the 45 version. The full LP version contains extra verses. And yes, the word in question--the same word that Dire Straits was able to put on the radio in 1985, but not today, was changed. I guess they just reversed it! Just my personal opinion, but this was by far my least favorite song on the 73 show. I've never liked the CDB, period. I disliked the "redneck hippie" Charlie Daniels of the '70s as much as I still dislike the "redneck Ted Nugent" Daniels of today. Aretha's "Angel" is probably my favorite 'forgotten' song from this countdown. One of her best vocal performances. Still gives me chills. And her sister wrote it! I do not know very much about Charlie Daniels. I really only know one song from him called "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". It is on a Compact Disc that I have which features a collection of songs. As for "Uneasy Rider", I just thought that the storytelling was interesting, although I did not hear all of the lyrics. I do not consider myself a fan of the Charlie Daniels Band (mainly because, as I mentioned, I don't know them). I did not hear this song on this episode, so I had to hear it on another website. Also, I did not understand what "gaf" meant until you explained it in your statement.
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Post by mrjukebox on Aug 4, 2013 23:03:11 GMT -5
Thanks,Woolebull,for pointing out my error-Our local rock station in Connecticut,I-95,only plays "When It's Love" & "Finish What You Started" which are both on "OU812".
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Post by jamie9012 on Aug 5, 2013 21:53:47 GMT -5
The 1980's episode of American Top 40 this weekend was from August 6, 1988. Although I was not born yet, I recognized many of the songs. However, I was also surprised by the number of songs that I failed to recognize. Most of them appeared in the lower positions of the chart. Here are some of the songs from that episode.
40. FOOLISH BEAT- Debbie Gibson- The first song from her that I learned was called "Lost In Your Eyes". It appears on a Compact Disc of songs that I have. I did not hear this song on this episode, however it was good. 39. NITE AND DAY- Al B. Sure!- This is such an interesting name to use! This was the first song that I have recognized away from American Top 40. 38. MISSED OPPORTUNITY- Daryl Hall & John Oates- So, great duo received the job to host American Top 40 in the week before. I wonder how it sounded? 36. SAYIN' SORRY DON'T MAKE IT RIGHT- Denise Lopez- It seems that she has had enough of apologies that fail to be sincere. This was a good song. 33. NOBODY'S FOOL- Kenny Loggins- I have never heard this song before. I really like it. 32. LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING- Climie Fisher- I also liked this song. This was a duo featuring Simon Climie and Rob Fisher. Rob Fisher was part of the group (or duo?) Naked Eyes. Sadly, he died in 1999. 31. ANOTHER PART OF ME- Michael Jackson- I am not familiar with this song. I have never heard it on the radio, and I do not possess a copy of the album "Bad". 30. I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE- The Moody Blues- If I remember correctly, this song reminded me of another song that they sang called "Your Wildest Dreams". 28. MERCEDES BOY- Pebbles- Although I have seen the title of this song, I am not very familiar with the song itself. 23. THE FLAME- Cheap Trick- I did not hear the Long Distance Dedication. What was it about? Although I was not alive in 1988, I do remember listening to this song a few years ago. 22. NEW SENSATION- INXS- I do not have any copies of this group's albums, but I like the songs that I have heard from them. This was one of the first music groups that I liked. I can even remember when my mother told me about the death of the lead singer Michael Hutchence. However, I did not know all of the facts until much later when I researched his tragic death. 20. SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE- Robert Palmer- I liked this song. 19. RUSH HOUR- Jane Wiedlin- I really liked this song! I do not seem to hear it on the radio. I read that Jane Wiedlin is a member of the group "The Go-Go's". 18. SWEET CHILD O' MINE- Guns 'N' Roses- The guitars on this song sounded great. I also liked the lead singer's voice. 17. THE COLOR OF LOVE- Billy Ocean- Billy Ocean has peformed many songs that I like. Although I had never before heard this song, I also liked it. 16. THE TWIST- Fat Boys- This is a great classic song! It reminds me of the Flintstones, for some reason. 15. LOVE WILL SAVE THE DAY- Whitney Houston- Somehow, I believed that this song would not be so upbeat. I thought that it would have been a ballad. Still, it was a great song! 14. FAST CAR- Tracy Chapman- I used to think that this song was performed by a man! This was before I knew it was by Tracy. The first song from her that I learned was "Give Me Just One Reason". I learned of it when I saw the music video on television. I was sick, and unable to go to school on that day. 13. PARENTS JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince- This song was very funny! When it came on, my brother heard it, and told me about other rap musicians he liked when this song was in the charts. 11. DO YOU LOVE ME- The Contours- I agree with Hervard, who said that this version sounds different than the original. For me, the drums sounded slightly louder. I enjoyed this song. 10. MONKEY- George Michael- The music in this song reminds me of another song that he sings. For an obvious reason, the other song is not heard very often (or at least I assume that it is for that reason). 9. POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME- Def Leppard- This is one of their songs that I hear most often on the radio. I like it. It appears on their album called "Hysteria". Def Leppard is one of my favorite bands. Hearing their music as well as their history has helped me in handling difficult situations, as well as learning the guitar (although I do not know how to play any of their songs). 8. I DON'T WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE- Chicago- I am not very familar with the songs of Chicago that are from the late 1980's. However, this was a good song. 7. I DON'T WANNA GO ON WITH YOU LIKE THAT- Elton John- Elton John's voice was soulful in this song. 6. 1-2-3- Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine- This was one of my favorite songs on this countdown. "Don't Wanna Lose You" is the first song from Gloria Estefan that I learned. It appears on the same Compact Disc of different songs as the song I discussed at song #40. That is definitely one of my favorites on it. 5. SIGN YOUR NAME- Terence Trent D'Arby- I agree that this song has a haunting sound. It is really good. 4. MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL- Eric Carmen- This was another good song. It did make me want to turn the radio up. 3. HOLD ON TO THE NIGHTS- Richard Marx- According to a CD that I have, this song reached its peak position (#1) in July of 1988. 2. HANDS TO HEAVEN- Breathe- This song was great, although I don't think I have ever heard it. 1. ROLL WITH IT- Steve Winwood- In 2012, I purchased Mr. Winwood's album "Back In The High Life" on a cassette tape. There is a song on that album called "Take It As It Comes". "Roll With It" sounded similar to that song. It was very good!
I do not know any German language songs from this year to list (although it is American Top 40). I listed some on other reviews that I typed. In conclusion, this was a good episode. It was full of surprises for me, with many songs that I did not know. Also, it seemed that some albums released that year, or in 1987, had proven just how successful they were. Thank you for reading.
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Post by mga707 on Aug 5, 2013 22:52:29 GMT -5
Saddened to hear that Mr. Fisher is no longer with us. One of the two songs I most enjoyed hearing, as I have not heard either since 1988 and do not have either on CD.
Good catch! this song was lyrically pretty much a sequel to "Your Wildest Dreams". Surprised it did not get higher than it's position on this chart.
'88 was definitely their breakthrough year in the U.S. Their three consecutive hits ("Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside", and this one) had peaked 1--2--3 on the Hot 100 in '88. the next one, "Never Tear Us Apart", reached #7 late in the year. Hutchense definitely had a video presence, and MTV played them a lot.
Correct again! This little dark-haired pixie was definitely the cutest Go-Go...and exactly my age (born in 1958)! The other 'forgotten' '88 hit that I most enjoyed hearing again.
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Post by cachiva on Aug 6, 2013 19:30:07 GMT -5
Excuse me, biotches, but you've got this "Chart Critique" thing all wrong, and I am here to straighten you all out! First of all, none of you are critiquing Casey's show, you are just presenting a list of songs from any given week, saying if you like the song or not, and then adding whatever scintilla of trivia you've been able to retain.
This is the AMERICAN TOP 40 pro board, for goodness' sake! We should be critiquing the shows, not the lists you all have found online, and are copy/pasting here. So sit back, and watch how it is supposed to be done!
American Top 40, for the week of August 1, 1970, as presented on SiriusXM.
All the shows start with a recently-recorded Casey saying, "I'm Casey Kasem! Now join us as we go back to this week, 1970!" He sounds real good to me. I wonder if he could still do it?
A very tough-sounding Casey delivers a much-longer intro than we are used to, teasing several aspects of the upcoming show, including the number of new songs, the songs that have moved into the top 10, songs by major acts and "an oldie by one of the greats of the business, ALL TIME GREATS!" lol
40. Casey intros the Impressions "Check Out Your Mind" by calling it "their hit sound", which he will do several times in the show. At some point in the show's history he stopped doing this, for sure, but it makes me want to hear him say, "And it's a BOSS TUNE, too!" I'm also mad at him because he laughed at the Impressions at the outro of this song on the very first AT40 show, maybe the only time I can recall him disrespecting a record. Bad Casey.
39. A very routine intro for Junior Walker's "Do You See My Love", and he no time to say "(For You Growing)". So I said it for him. But he makes up for it by intoning with much brio at the outro, "Do you see my love growing BABY"! By the by, I am sure that Junior says "Do you FEEL my love for you growing" for most of the song.
Now, don't you already agree that this is so much more interesting than:
Good song. Should have been a bigger hit. Junior's given name is Autry DeWalt Mixon, Jr.
Told ya!
38. For Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4", Casey breaks out his AM ROCK DJ VOICE, and also gets tripped up by the numbers in the title, which he repeats in the outro. How long was it till someone told him it was just the hour of the day the song was written?
37. It's the Supremes making a debut with "Everybody's Got the Right to Love", affording Casey the opportunity to be quite blase about this song. Rightfully so.
36. But it is positively ebullient compared to his throwaway intro to John Phillips "Mississippi", which sounds like a Paul McCartney song, without the melody, talent or charm. No love at the outro, either!
35. First, Casey explains how Billboard compiles the Hot 100, slowing down noticably for the words "data processing computer", attempting to make it sound so scientific and hi-tech. I am sure that a data processing computer in 1970 was a hand-held calculator. Casey gives a nice intro to the Three Degrees' "Maybe", telling us that it is a remake of a 1957 tune by the Chantels.
34. Casey allows a cold open for the Lost Generations' "The Sly, The Slick and The Wicked", and we here a few seconds of the strings at the intro before he starts his comments. Nice!
33. As Casey is making the intro, that weird synthesizer music is playing in the background. It always bothers me! It sounds like a musical interpretation of butterflies attacking the last flower in the field. I am so glad they stopped doing that! Let Casey talk! It's The Who's "Summertime Blues", and Casey again backtracks to mention earlier hit versions of the song. When the song starts, it is the rockingest thing to hit SiriusXM 70s + 7 in the past 12 hours! During the outro Casey mentions for the third time this show that he is in Hollywood. I guess that is important to... no one ever.
32. Casey is actually charming and funny for his intro to "Loveland", saying that Charles Wright is not alone there, as he has the entire Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band there with him! Casey was the original lolcat!
31. Sadly, Casey burns all of that goodwill by making a "fat" joke at the expense of Mountain's lead guitarist Leslie West. Bad Casey! And I guess there are not many calories in crow, as Casey was forced to eat a raft of it for predicting on air that "Mississippi Queen" would be A BIGGIE! Crunch-crunch-crunch...
30. This is the second time this show Casey mentions that a song jumped into the Top 40 after being at a specific number outside the 40 (in this case, #57.) I think it is helpful to know this, as a song that debuts on the Hot 100 at 35 would likely be a much bigger hit that a song that debuts at 85, then moves up to 75, then 50, and then into the 40 at #30. The listener would only know that one was debuting higher than the other, and assume it would be the bigger hit. But knowing a song was in its first week on the Hot 100 at #35, instead of crawling up there, would be helpful in predicting its success. Another practice of these early shows that would not last. The song in question is "Sex Machine" by James Brown, and a bashful Casey can't even bring himself to say the name of the song!
29. "Patches" by Clarence Carter is described as "the fastest climbing record on the charts", up 31 positions from #60! Hearing this song out of nowhere on Sirius XM's 70's n 7 is a joy. Hearing it right after "Sex Machine" reveals it as the melancholy manipulative maudlin marauder that it is at heart. That weepy harmonica! But Casey seems to like it!
28. Here comes "Overture from Tommy" by Assembled Multitude, and Casey thoughtfully explains (to those in the Midwest, I guess) that it is from the Rock Opera "Tommy". Knowing that the Multitude is mostly MFSB doesn't help me enjoy the recording, however, as it doesn't rock enough to be worthy of comparison to The Who's original, and it doesn't have much of that Philly Soul feel that would dominate the charts only a couple of years later. Casey again reveals his latent hipster doofus DJ side by saying, "the name of the sound is "Overture from Tommy".
27. "Tell it All Brother" - Kenny Rogers. I'm not following the pope on Twitter, but listening to this song must surely take years off the time I will spend in purgatory. Casey's spartan intro and outro consists of him saying the name of the song and the artist. And nothing else.
"Can anyone tell me how many times Casey introduced a song by only saying the artist and title, and then did the same thing for the outro?"
26. A pumped up Casey tells us that the Flaming Ember's "Westbound #9" is on the HOT WAX record label! Does anyone know if he said that "Howzat!" was on MCA in 1976?
25. From Hollywoood. And Casey drops science, again, about Mark Lindsay's car, before playing "Silver Bird". Maybe Don Bustany was home sick that day.
24. Elvis' "The Wonder of You" finds Casey (hot) waxing enthusiastically about The K I N G of the pop music charts, saying that "nobody else is even close, not even the Beatles!" I'll just pretend I didn't hear that.
Or the miserable song, either.
23. Casey again explains what a Pipkin is for his intro to "Gimme Dat Ding". Waiting for J. Cole's rap remake, "Gimme Dat Azz." Didn't Arte Johnson sue these guys for stealing his act?
And not a single Ding was given.
22. Casey haltingly predicts a US #1 for Mungo Jerry, having not learned his lesson from "Mississippi Queen."
Sorry Casey. "In the Summertime" only hit #3. But it was atop the Canadian chart for 2 weeks, if that is any cosolation.
21. Casey tells us that the song "Aquarius" was written especially for Ronnie Dyson when he joined the cast of "Hair". Then he plays "Why Can't I Touch You?" instead, the classic bait-and-switch (from Hollywood.)
20. Miguel Rios. "Song of Joy". No joy here. Casey calls it, "most unusual."
19. Robin McNamara makes it a "Hair" twin spin on the countdown! I'm pretending I didn't hear "Song of No Joy", and that "Lay a Little Loving On Me" came right after "Why Can't I Touch You." Casey does not mention if Robin's high voice and gender-neutral name caused him any problems on the streets of New York in 1970.
18. Casey recites 20% of BJ Thomas' "I Just Can't Help Believing" before eventually playing the record. I guess songs were so short in 1970 that it was tough to fill those 3 hours!
17. Back-to-back "Hair" is followed by back-to-back long hair, with CSNY doing "Ohio" followed by
16. "Teach Your Children." Casey does his job in pointing this out to us, but is derelict in his duties by not commenting that one of the most biting protest songs of the Vietnam War era is followed by this lame cream puff of a song. I mean sound.
15. Casey buries the lead by proclaiming, "HERE ARE THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS!
and Melanie."
He doesn't say "Lay Down" which is guess is OK, as Melanie will say it about 100 times in the next three minutes.
Elton John would later change the lyrics to "Candles in the Rain" to honor the passing of Princess Diana.
14. Casey had teased this by saying, "Coming up the long and less-frequently-heard version of a hit that's been in the Top 40 for several weeks now." I cringed to think it was going to be "American Pie" (worst song ever recorded), but I was saved by it not being 1971, and it being "Are You Ready" by Pacific Gas & Electric. I liked hearing this expanded take, my only disappointment being that Casey didn't bark, "Here's P, G and E!!!"
13. Twenty weeks of Vanity Fair's "Hitchin' A Ride" means twenty weeks of flutophone, and Casey being long out of things to say about the song, group, producer or record label.
12. "Here's social commentary by Edwin Starr!" No, not "Happy Radio", but "War".
11. Casey says "Ride Captain Ride" is by "The Blues Image", but my SirusXM display says "Blues Image." Does anyone know which is right?
"American Top 40 originates in Hollywood." I've lost track of how many times he's said this. Did he get a check from the COC or something?
10. Casey calls The Stairsteps "the big family of the pop music charts - 5 brothers and a sister." SiriusXM 70's and 7 calls them the "5 Stairsteps". I wonder who does the math over there? Wikipedia calls them "The First Family of Soul." I love "O-o-h Child" and am quite saddened that the promise of things getting brighter, and walking in the rays of a beautiful sun has yet to come our way, mostly because I thought my generation was much smarter than the one that preceded it.
9. I have a theory that in the same way movies have shorter and shorter scenes as they reach the climax, Casey says less and less as he climbs the Top 10 during the countdown. He calls "Tighter & Tighter" by Alive & Kicking his "favorite song on the countdown."
"Does anyone know how many times a group hit the Top 10 with an ampersand in their name and in the title of their song? Does Mouth & MacNeil's "How Do & Do" count as one?"
8. The Temptations' "Ball of Confusion" is called their "4th protest song in a row." I don't think it is. They are also called "the most successful male group on Motown." I think they are.
7. Casey's long-winded exposition about Eric Burdon and War completely blows my theory about top 10 brevity out of the water. "Sill the Wine" was Eric's exit from and War's entrance into the Top 40. As a kid I thought he was saying, "Do I, dig that girl?"
6. "The Love you Save" by the Jackson Five gets the swarm of butterflies treatment, so that Casey can tell us that Michael Jackson is young.
"We're in the home stretch now, headed for the cream of the crop." Yes, he said that.
5. More confounding comments, this time about Stevie Wonder and books for the blind, but they can't blunt the greatness of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." Only Peter Frampton could do that.
4. Casey resists what must have been a very compelling desire to tell us that Freda Payne's "Band of Gold" is the first Top Five hit about impotence.
3. "In the number 3 position this week, Three Dog Night is still wishin' they'd listened to mama."
Yes, he said that.
"How many songs had group names with numbers in them where the number in the group name was also the same number as their position in the Top 40?
"...from the Atlantic Coast to the Kona Coast..."
Yep!
2. Casey fights the urge to whisper "Here's Bread, and "Make It With You." But just barely.
1. But he can't help himself when he gets to "Close to You" by the Carpenters!
It is so much fun to see how much of what we came to love about the show was already in place, even at this early date in the show's history. Casey is charming and engaging, and for so many listeners his stories about the artists and songs was the only information fans had access to.
Now THAT is how you do a critique!
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Post by jamie9012 on Aug 6, 2013 20:48:58 GMT -5
Cachiva, I do not understand you.
In my list, I have named songs that were heard in this week's countdown. I cannot remember all of the things that Casey Kasem says, although he gives much interesting information. I do not remember a rule that stated what a critique must say. Is there something that I missed?
I have heard Casey Kasem's voice in older episodes. He does sound different than he did in the later years.
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Post by jamie9012 on Aug 6, 2013 21:00:00 GMT -5
Saddened to hear that Mr. Fisher is no longer with us. One of the two songs I most enjoyed hearing, as I have not heard either since 1988 and do not have either on CD. Good catch! this song was lyrically pretty much a sequel to "Your Wildest Dreams". Surprised it did not get higher than it's position on this chart. '88 was definitely their breakthrough year in the U.S. Their three consecutive hits ("Need You Tonight", "Devil Inside", and this one) had peaked 1--2--3 on the Hot 100 in '88. the next one, "Never Tear Us Apart", reached #7 late in the year. Hutchense definitely had a video presence, and MTV played them a lot. Correct again! This little dark-haired pixie was definitely the cutest Go-Go...and exactly my age (born in 1958)! The other 'forgotten' '88 hit that I most enjoyed hearing again. I am still trying to learn how to quote a small portion of a message. That was an interesting numerical order of where the INXS songs peaked!
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Post by mga707 on Aug 6, 2013 21:47:02 GMT -5
Excuse me, biotches, but you've got this "Chart Critique" thing all wrong, and I am here to straighten you all out! First of all, none of you are critiquing Casey's show, you are just presenting a list of songs from any given week, saying if you like the song or not, and then adding whatever scintilla of trivia you've been able to retain. Your post is quite entertaining, but semantically speaking what you are giving is not a 'chart' critique but rather a 'show host performance' critique! Personally, I love hearing the "swarm of butterflies" (great description, BTW) synth fx, as well as the "60s Boss Jock Casey" sound of the early shows. Takes me back to when I first discovered the show right after it started in summer '70. And Mountain's Leslie West often called himself "The Great Fatsby", so I doubt if Casey's fat joke bothered him any...
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Post by jamie9012 on Aug 7, 2013 8:43:27 GMT -5
I wonder if the episode that Cachiva reviewed is the same one that I heard in the summer 2011? I remember hearing a song with a number in the title, and Casey Kasem shouted the title. Also, I remember his explanation of a pipkin.
I did notice the music that sometimes played when Casey gave some information. To me, it sounded like he was giving a special report on the news. I wanted to take note of it when I heard some older episodes recently.
That was such a detailed and excellent review.
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