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Post by dougbroda on Jan 19, 2014 12:28:06 GMT -5
There are three of these that came to mind for me.
The most obvious is the Stars on 45 #1, whose legal title contains "Medley," then the names of all the sampled songs. But what did you and your peers call it back then? When I was a mere lad, the young'uns in my neighborhood just called the song "Stars on 45." Did people (other than some DJs) actually refer to the song as "Medley"?
Another that came to mind (and triggered this thread) is "Chariots of Fire - Titles."
Finally, Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (Nine To Five)," which of course was called 9 to 5 in the UK from whence it came, but needed a US renaming as Dolly Parton had just done her 9 to 5 (which went to #1, as did Sheena's). In the US almost everyone calls it "Morning Train."
Others?
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Post by woolebull on Jan 19, 2014 13:48:32 GMT -5
Two number ones from December of 1979 stand out to me.
"No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" It seems that if I've heard people say the title of this song, they've elected to say one or the other, but not both together.
"Escape ( Pina Colada Song)" I think over the years, the "Escape" part has escaped people's memories. And if I remember correctly, I think Casey a few times actually called it THE Pina Colada Song, adding a word to the title.
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Post by woolebull on Jan 19, 2014 13:57:20 GMT -5
Also "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" - I've heard it called Arthur's Theme quite a bit. More often I've heard it as "The Moon and New York City", or some derivative of that.
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Post by dougbroda on Jan 19, 2014 14:44:29 GMT -5
Just thought of another: "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" -- I don't think even John Lennon referred to it with its subtitle.
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Post by michaelcasselman on Jan 19, 2014 17:26:37 GMT -5
Also: Believe It Or Not (theme from Greatest American Hero)
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Jan 19, 2014 19:03:15 GMT -5
"Jump (For Your Love)" by The Pointer Sisters is another good example. On the May 26, 1984 show, Charlie Van Dyke (who sub-hosted that week) mentioned that the subtitle was added after the success of Van Halen's "Jump" that had recently hit #1 at that time.
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Post by davewollenberg on Jan 19, 2014 20:10:10 GMT -5
Actually, it was Jump (for MY love).
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Post by skuncle on Jan 19, 2014 20:14:39 GMT -5
The single version was called "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)", the album just calls it "Rhiannon". Same with "Edge Of Seventeen (Just Like The White Winged Dove)".
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Post by dougbroda on Jan 19, 2014 20:39:36 GMT -5
The single version was called "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)", the album just calls it "Rhiannon". Same with "Edge Of Seventeen (Just Like The White Winged Dove)". Which poses the question of why the additional verbiage. With Morning Train and the Stars on 45 song and Jump we know why; with others like the Greatest American Hero theme and Rupert Holmes' song, we can guess why, but with these two, the reason for adding the subtitle seems obscure. P.S. Don't Rupert and his "lovely lady" totally deserve each other? There's only one other hit I can think of where both sides are endeavoring to cheat on the other -- I've Found Someone Of My Own by Free Movement. And the songs also tie for the "Least Likable Couple This Side of Georgie Fame Award."
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Post by mga707 on Jan 19, 2014 22:06:43 GMT -5
P.S. Don't Rupert and his "lovely lady" totally deserve each other? There's only one other hit I can think of where both sides are endeavoring to cheat on the other -- I've Found Someone Of My Own by Free Movement. And the songs also tie for the "Least Likable Couple This Side of Georgie Fame Award." Good one! And I get the Georgie Fame reference, even though I was just a kid in 1968. Discussing "Escape" reminds me of a great old Mystery Science Theater 'bit' in which Joel (or maybe it was Mike) and the 'bots are deconstructing the song and it's basic smarminess and end with "Infidelity--it's to laugh!"
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Post by woolebull on Jan 19, 2014 22:30:06 GMT -5
P.S. Don't Rupert and his "lovely lady" totally deserve each other? There's only one other hit I can think of where both sides are endeavoring to cheat on the other -- I've Found Someone Of My Own by Free Movement. And the songs also tie for the "Least Likable Couple This Side of Georgie Fame Award." If you are looking for a both parties cheating song to hit number one, and not just one where they are thinking about it... "Human" by the Human League in 1986.
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Post by skuncle on Jan 20, 2014 5:19:18 GMT -5
Well the reason for the additional wording in the singles is because when people went to stores looking for them they would be looking for "Just Like The White Winged Dove" because that's the line that stuck out, so the label throws that on to make the single easier to find. This is the exact reason "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" had the title extended. Originally it was just called "Escape" but no one knew that was the song when they went to buy it, so they added the subtitle and the record began to sell. I bought this single when it was out, I was one of those that didn't think it was the right song, thought it was called "If You Like Piña Coladas".
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 8:08:57 GMT -5
Well the reason for the additional wording in the singles is because when people went to stores looking for them they would be looking for "Just Like The White Winged Dove" because that's the line that stuck out, so the label throws that on to make the single easier to find. This is the exact reason "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" had the title extended. Originally it was just called "Escape" but no one knew that was the song when they went to buy it, so they added the subtitle and the record began to sell. I bought this single when it was out, I was one of those that didn't think it was the right song, thought it was called "If You Like Piña Coladas". Even today we mess the title up, as there is no "The" in the title. I wonder how many times Casey messed that up. I'm pretty sure I remember him saying the subtitle with the word "The" in it. Really no big deal, however it's not the name of the song. Another number one song that has a subtitle that is more popular than the original name is, "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)". Probably falls in the same category as "Escape" Other times subtitles are put as a title to a song to help it stand out, particularly companies who force their title on a single like "Flashdance...What A Feeling" or "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" to help promote their movies. Cyndi Lauper hated the inclusion of "The Goonies 'R" to her song "Good Enough" that she used to never say the title and eventually stopped playing the song live because she grew to hate it. I would put those two songs as well as songs that most people never really say the whole title.
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Post by dougbroda on Jan 20, 2014 8:31:39 GMT -5
P.S. Don't Rupert and his "lovely lady" totally deserve each other? There's only one other hit I can think of where both sides are endeavoring to cheat on the other -- I've Found Someone Of My Own by Free Movement. And the songs also tie for the "Least Likable Couple This Side of Georgie Fame Award." If you are looking for a both parties cheating song to hit number one, and not just one where they are thinking about it... "Human" by the Human League in 1986. Yup, missed that one... and I love the lyric "I was human too" as a great simultaneous admission/minimizing of cheating on your SO.
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 8:34:46 GMT -5
If you are looking for a both parties cheating song to hit number one, and not just one where they are thinking about it... "Human" by the Human League in 1986. Yup, missed that one... and I love the lyric "I was human too" as a great simultaneous admission/minimizing of cheating on your SO. I remember Dees emphasizing that line with a "oh no she didn't" kind of response. It was a great twist to the song, for sure! Simple, yet changed the whole song.
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