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Post by wickster82 on May 11, 2013 23:31:35 GMT -5
There have been several threads here and other forums about Bill Wardlow and how he handled the Billboard Charts up until 1983. The thread about 1982 touches on this, for example. Allegedly, Al Coury, who managed RSO Records, "schmoozed" Bill Wardlow to get If I Can't Have You to the top spot. Well, after 3 weeks at number 2, on May 13, 1978 Yvonne Elliman finally hit number 1 for one week. However, if you look at the April 29 chart you'll notice the following songs holding their chart positions from the previous week:
Bee Gees - Staying Alive #13 Andy Gibb - (Love Is) Thicker Then Water #27 Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love #55 Player - Baby Come Back #96
This just happens to be the last four number 1 songs on their way down and they just happen to be on the RSO label. By comparison, on Cashbox the bottom two spent their last week three weeks earlier at numbers 97 and 99. Both falling exactly 41 spots from the previous week.
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Post by jdelachjr2002 on May 12, 2013 5:24:10 GMT -5
Also, the time when "Baker Street" hit #1 except that there was some last-minute goings on between RSO/Andy Gibb and Billboard that resulted in "Shadow Dancing" holding the #1 spot for a seventh straight week ("Baker Street" was at #2 for six straight weeks). It was mentioned in Rob's AT40 book.
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Post by mga707 on May 12, 2013 9:12:28 GMT -5
Also, the time when "Baker Street" hit #1 except that there was some last-minute goings on between RSO/Andy Gibb and Billboard that resulted in "Shadow Dancing" holding the #1 spot for a seventh straight week ("Baker Street" was at #2 for six straight weeks). It was mentioned in Rob's AT40 book. "Baker Street" did NOT hit #1 in "Billboard".
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Post by bestmusicexpert on May 12, 2013 10:04:19 GMT -5
He was saying that it did (Should Have) but was bumped out in favor of another week for SD.
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Post by mga707 on May 12, 2013 11:04:47 GMT -5
He was saying that it did (Should Have) but was bumped out in favor of another week for SD. Thanks for the clarification. What's ironic is that Rafferty's LP, "City To City", is the one that knocked the "Fever" soundtrack out of the #1 spot on the LP chart after 24 consecutive weeks. It's also kind of unusual that unlike other long-running #1 LPs such as "Rumours" and "Thriller", the "Fever" soundtrack did not ever reclaim the #1 spot after those 24 weeks.
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Post by Mike on May 12, 2013 13:03:37 GMT -5
It's also kind of unusual that unlike other long-running #1 LPs such as "Rumours" and "Thriller", the "Fever" soundtrack did not ever reclaim the #1 spot after those 24 weeks. Not necessarily. Saturday Night Fever had its singles all hitting close together, versus the normally spread-out pattern as is typical for albums, like both Rumours and Thriller. Yeah, Thriller still saw its seven released closer together than usual, but they were still spread out compared to Saturday Night Fever.
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Post by at40petebattistini on Feb 28, 2023 15:19:13 GMT -5
I gotta wonder if RSO had so much clout in those days they could pass the #1 riches around making sure everyone tasted the top spot. Not quite. On the RSO label, Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally" spent 3 weeks at #3 in April 1978.
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Post by trekkielo on Feb 28, 2023 15:44:27 GMT -5
I gotta wonder if RSO had so much clout in those days they could pass the #1 riches around making sure everyone tasted the top spot. Not quite. On the RSO label, Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally" spent 3 weeks at #3 in April 1978. Same for Olivia Newton John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (#3) & "Summer Nights" with John Travolta at #5, both on the RSO label in September 1978!
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Post by mkarns on Feb 28, 2023 15:51:26 GMT -5
Though those Grease songs peaked while non-RSO hits ("Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Kiss YOu All Over") were at #1. "Lay Down Sally", by contrast, was kept off the top by RSO's own Bee Gees blockade.
I think 7/15/78 was the countdown where "Baker Street" was supposed to be #1 until at the last minute "Shadow Dancing" stayed there. As I recall it (played by Premiere last summer), Casey teased a story about Scotland's proficiency at producing #1 artists, with the hint that Gerry Rafferty would be the latest. Instead he led into #2 with that and the qualification "if it hits #1", which to me sounded like they had the story ready for Gerry's ascension to the top and had to quickly change it. "Shadow Dancing", meanwhile, was led into by the standard survey of #1's on other charts.
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Post by lasvegaskid on Feb 28, 2023 15:55:57 GMT -5
I gotta wonder if RSO had so much clout in those days they could pass the #1 riches around making sure everyone tasted the top spot. Not quite. On the RSO label, Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally" spent 3 weeks at #3 in April 1978. Not quite the same Peteski, I realize it is a small sample size but I didn't hear LDS in my market near as much as the BeeGee blockage. In fact it was NF and SA and a Secretariat sized gap back to everyone else.
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Post by trekkielo on Feb 28, 2023 15:58:13 GMT -5
Though those Grease songs peaked while non-RSO hits ("Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Kiss YOu All Over") were at #1. "Lay Down Sally", by contrast, was kept off the top by RSO's own Bee Gees blockade. Frankie Valli's "Grease" was also on the RSO label and #1 for September 2nd, 1978!
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Post by chrislc on Feb 28, 2023 19:16:22 GMT -5
Love Is Thicker Than Water never "sounded" like a #1 song to me and still doesn't. This topic makes me question everything. I guess that's a good thing in a way, but it also gives me sea legs. Red Pill of questioning the legitimacy of those who succeed, or Blue Pill of blissfully acknowledging their superiority?
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Post by LC on Mar 1, 2023 13:50:57 GMT -5
Love Is Thicker Than Water never "sounded" like a #1 song to me and still doesn't. Yeah, it's got this odd, off-kilter way about it--something in the structure & melody, I think. It's definitely more unconventional than the rest of the big hits of the time.
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Post by djjoe1960 on Mar 1, 2023 16:52:51 GMT -5
Though those Grease songs peaked while non-RSO hits ("Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Kiss YOu All Over") were at #1. "Lay Down Sally", by contrast, was kept off the top by RSO's own Bee Gees blockade. I think 7/15/78 was the countdown where "Baker Street" was supposed to be #1 until at the last minute "Shadow Dancing" stayed there. As I recall it (played by Premiere last summer), Casey teased a story about Scotland's proficiency at producing #1 artists, with the hint that Gerry Rafferty would be the latest. Instead he led into #2 with that and the qualification "if it hits #1", which to me sounded like they had the story ready for Gerry's ascension to the top and had to quickly change it. "Shadow Dancing", meanwhile, was led into by the standard survey of #1's on other charts. Baker Street was #1 in Cash Box both July 15 & 22, 1978, so July 15 show makes sense.
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Post by trekkielo on Mar 1, 2023 18:48:31 GMT -5
Though those Grease songs peaked while non-RSO hits ("Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Kiss YOu All Over") were at #1. "Lay Down Sally", by contrast, was kept off the top by RSO's own Bee Gees blockade. I think 7/15/78 was the countdown where "Baker Street" was supposed to be #1 until at the last minute "Shadow Dancing" stayed there. As I recall it (played by Premiere last summer), Casey teased a story about Scotland's proficiency at producing #1 artists, with the hint that Gerry Rafferty would be the latest. Instead he led into #2 with that and the qualification "if it hits #1", which to me sounded like they had the story ready for Gerry's ascension to the top and had to quickly change it. "Shadow Dancing", meanwhile, was led into by the standard survey of #1's on other charts. Baker Street was #1 in Cash Box both July 15 & 22, 1978, so July 15 show makes sense. Then also "Baker Street" spent 4 weeks at #1 in Radio & Records for June 23, 30, July 7 & 14, 1978!
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