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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Jan 20, 2014 9:14:05 GMT -5
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. "Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us" by Ollie & Jerry is another good example. And not only does Cyndi Lauper hate "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" - I hate it too. Had Cyndi Lauper not added that subtitle to that Goonies song, Bobby Brown would have eventually used Cyndi's original working song title 7 years later.
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Post by atruefan on Jan 20, 2014 9:23:34 GMT -5
The first example that comes to mind is the atrociously named " "They Just Can't Stop It" the (Games People Play)" by the Spinners. A hideous amalgamation of unnecessary quotation marks, the word "the" in small letters, and unnecessary parentheses. Thankfully Atlantic realized how ridiculous the whole thing was, and later copies which referenced the album simply called it "Games People Play."
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Post by dougbroda on Jan 20, 2014 11:32:26 GMT -5
The first example that comes to mind is the atrociously named " "They Just Can't Stop It" the (Games People Play)" by the Spinners. A hideous amalgamation of unnecessary quotation marks, the word "the" in small letters, and unnecessary parentheses. Thankfully Atlantic realized how ridiculous the whole thing was, and later copies which referenced the album simply called it "Games People Play." You don't mention the words being out of order as well. Presumably they were trying to avoid confusion with the 1969 Joe South hit... but six years later, the Alan Parsons Project had no problem with the title. (I'd call this whole topic Best Of My Love-itis.)
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Post by freakyflybry on Jan 20, 2014 11:50:09 GMT -5
Diana Ross - Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To) Barbra Streisand - Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 15:35:46 GMT -5
New Order's two Top 40 songs fit: "True Faith" and "Regret".
Pet Shop Boys and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money)" would definitely fit.
I would think many people never said the whole title to any of Billy Ocean's longer titled songs.
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Post by chrislc on Jan 20, 2014 16:23:15 GMT -5
The first example that comes to mind is the atrociously named " "They Just Can't Stop It" the (Games People Play)" by the Spinners. A hideous amalgamation of unnecessary quotation marks, the word "the" in small letters, and unnecessary parentheses. Thankfully Atlantic realized how ridiculous the whole thing was, and later copies which referenced the album simply called it "Games People Play." The lyrics are strange too.
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Post by pgfromwp on Jan 20, 2014 16:25:46 GMT -5
"Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" - Looking Glass "Country Boy (You've Got Your Feet in L.A.)" - Glen Campbell "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" - Four Seasons "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)" - Bee Gees "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" - Marvin Gaye "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" - Melanie "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)" - Helen Reddy "(They Long to Be) Close to You" - Carpenters A brief sampling of such song titles from the 1970's.
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 17:01:51 GMT -5
The first example that comes to mind is the atrociously named " "They Just Can't Stop It" the (Games People Play)" by the Spinners. A hideous amalgamation of unnecessary quotation marks, the word "the" in small letters, and unnecessary parentheses. Thankfully Atlantic realized how ridiculous the whole thing was, and later copies which referenced the album simply called it "Games People Play." The lyrics are strange too. 12:45!
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Post by skuncle on Jan 20, 2014 17:04:59 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. Actually "The" is part of the title of "Escape", at least that's how it's listed on my record from 1979:
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 17:16:34 GMT -5
That's interesting. Thank you for that! It's listed that way as well on some other things I see as well.
I went to the Hot 100 of 1/12/80 to see how it is listed. According to Billboard, the number one song on 1/12/80 was "Escape" by Rupert Holmes. There was no subtitle at all listed, and none was listed for the weeks it was on Billboard in 1980 (I do not have the book with 1979 charts, but I'm sure it's the same).
I wonder why Billboard wouldn't have the correct title of "Escape"?
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Jan 20, 2014 17:31:18 GMT -5
Does "Solid (As A Rock)" by Ashford & Simpson fit the category too? I don't know of such song title ever hitting AT40 by another artist before 1985. Speaking of which, that song will be heard on this weekend's retro rebroadcast. I would think many people never said the whole title to any of Billy Ocean's longer titled songs. These Billy Ocean song titles were probably only used once on AT40: "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" "Love Zone" "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" "When the Going Get Tough, the Tough Get Going" Yes, "Love Zone" was a short title, but I am pretty certain that title was only used once in the history of AT40. I have a question regarding "Caribbean Queen" - I heard a version of the song when I was logged onto Second Life a few years back, and the version played at a disco in Second Life has "African Queen". Why did he change the lyrics to "Caribbean Queen" and not leave it as "African Queen"?
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 17:47:28 GMT -5
Does "Solid (As A Rock)" by Ashford & Simpson fit the category too? I don't know of such song title ever hitting AT40 by another artist before 1985. Speaking of which, that song will be heard on this weekend's retro rebroadcast. I would think many people never said the whole title to any of Billy Ocean's longer titled songs. These Billy Ocean song titles were probably only used once on AT40: "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" "Love Zone" "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" "When the Going Get Tough, the Tough Get Going" Yes, "Love Zone" was a short title, but I am pretty certain that title was only used once in the history of AT40. I have a question regarding "Caribbean Queen" - I heard a version of the song when I was logged onto Second Life a few years back, and the version played at a disco in Second Life has "African Queen". Why did he change the lyrics to "Caribbean Queen" and not leave it as "African Queen"? I think it had a different title in different parts of the world. There was also "European Queen" as well. Billy was always about the love, and making each special part of the world feel like they were the only part of the world Billy was singing to... I think "Solid" would count for some people. I've always called it "Solid".
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Post by skuncle on Jan 20, 2014 18:06:39 GMT -5
That's interesting. Thank you for that! It's listed that way as well on some other things I see as well. I went to the Hot 100 of 1/12/80 to see how it is listed. According to Billboard, the number one song on 1/12/80 was "Escape" by Rupert Holmes. There was no subtitle at all listed, and none was listed for the weeks it was on Billboard in 1980 (I do not have the book with 1979 charts, but I'm sure it's the same). I wonder why Billboard wouldn't have the correct title of "Escape"? Sounds weird, but I think only the record itself was changed. It was originally released without the subtitle, so maybe that has something to do with it?
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Post by woolebull on Jan 20, 2014 18:17:56 GMT -5
That's interesting. Thank you for that! It's listed that way as well on some other things I see as well. I went to the Hot 100 of 1/12/80 to see how it is listed. According to Billboard, the number one song on 1/12/80 was "Escape" by Rupert Holmes. There was no subtitle at all listed, and none was listed for the weeks it was on Billboard in 1980 (I do not have the book with 1979 charts, but I'm sure it's the same). I wonder why Billboard wouldn't have the correct title of "Escape"? Sounds weird, but I think only the record itself was changed. It was originally released without the subtitle, so maybe that has something to do with it? Could be. Didn't the single change hands at some point when the initial company was bought out? It's funny, however, that if I remember correctly Casey always said the subtitle which was never part of the Billboard title. Interesting.
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Post by skuncle on Jan 20, 2014 20:15:16 GMT -5
Yes, it was originally on the Infinity label which folded I guess, which was absorbed or bought out by MCA. It would make sense that Casey would use the subtitle because of the songs history and why the subtitle was added in the first place. Casey said that he felt it was very important that songs have an intro and an outro so you knew the artist as well as the title. I'm guessing he thought it was easier to use the subtitle.
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