*#41] I BELIEVE IN YOU (You Believe In Me) by Johnnie Taylor
LW #75 / 3 wks / 80-75-41 / 2nd Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 34 positions / Taylor’s 14th Hot 100 single nearly vaulted into the Top 40 in week three / six of his previous 13 singles were Pop Top 40 hits - WHO’S MAKING LOVE [#5 - 2 wks] in December ‘68; TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOMEWORK [#20 - 1 wk] in February & TESTIFY (I Wonna) [#36 - 1 wk] in June ‘69; STEAL AWAY [#37 - 1 wk] in July & I AM SOMEBODY Part II [#39 - 2 wks] in November ‘70; and JODY’S GOT YOUR GIRL AND GONE [#28 - 2 wks] in Feb/Mar ‘71
*#42] THE MORNING AFTER by Maureen McGovern
LW #86 / 3 wks / 99-86-42 / Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 44 positions / the first chart single for the 23-year-old singer from Youngstown, Ohio, was the “Love Theme” from disaster film THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, featuring an all-star ensemble cast, and made the biggest jump on the chart in just its third week
#43] GIVE IT TO ME by The J. Geils Band
LW #30 / Peak - #30 [2 wks] / Top 40 - 6 wks / Hot 100 - 15th wk [of 16] / 98-91-81-75-63-59-52-42-39-34-34-34-30-30-43-63 / sixth single released by the band & second to chart on the Hot 100 with both becoming Top 40 hits; LOOKING FOR A LOVE reached #39 [2 wks] in January ‘72 / GIVE IT TO ME was the first single from their third studio album, BLOODSHOT, on Atlantic Records; their breakthrough album reached #10 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart; first pressings were made using red vinyl with red labels like Atlantic used in the ‘50s / GIVE IT TO ME was the last of the album’s nine tracks & at 6:32 was the longest; the single was edited to 3:07 and has a different ending than the album track / the members of J. Geils Band for the BLOODSHOT album included Peter Wolf – lead vocals, J. Geils – guitar, Magic Dick – harmonica, Seth Justman – keyboards, Danny Klein – bass & Stephen Jo Bladd – drums / GIVE IT TO ME peaked at #15 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for the week of 6/30/73; and peaked at #25 in Canada
GIVE IT TO ME
You've got to give it to me
You've got to give it to me
You've got to give it to me
You've got to give it to me
You're so slick now, know every trick now
You know I want it, I want it so bad
You know I need it, I can't believe it
So come on baby, Please relieve it
Now you've been bugging me, Every night now
You say you want it, You want it right now
I can't get to it, I can't get through it
So come on baby, Please
You've got to get it up (give it up)
You've got to get it up (give it up)
You've got to get it up (give it up)
You've got to get it up (give it up)
Why keep me cold
When it's so warm inside
Come on baby
Your love is too good to hide
#44] SWAMP WITCH by Jim Stafford
LW #46 / Peak - #39 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 9th wk [of 12] / 88-81-76-71-54-55-47-46-44-39-58-68 / first single from Jim Stafford’s self-titled first album, which was not released until after the second single, SPIDERS & SNAKES, became a Top 10 hit in early ‘74 / ten of the album’s 12 songs were written or co-written by Stafford; the album was produced by Lobo and his producer Phil Gernhard / SWAMP WITCH [3:48] was b/w album track NIFTY FIFTIES BLUES [3:03], both written by Stafford, and released on MGM Records / the self-taught instrumentalist [guitar, fiddle, piano, banjo, organ & harmonica] played in a band with the prophetic name Legends, while he was in high school in Winter Haven, Florida; all four of the friends in the band made it in the music business - Bobby Braddock [Country songwriter & producer], Kent Lavoie [better known as Easy Listening recording artist Lobo], and Graham Parsons, who was a member of both The Byrds & Flying Burrito Brothers before his untimely death at the age of 26 in September ‘73
SWAMP WITCH
Black water Hattie lived back in the swamp
Where the strange green reptiles crawl
Snakes hang thick from the cypress trees
Like sausage on a smokehouse wall
Where the swamp is alive with a thousand eyes
An' all of them watching you
Stay off the track to Hattie's Shack in the back of the Black Bayou
Way up the road from Hattie's Shack
Lies a sleepy little Okeechobee town
Talk of swamp witch Hattie lock you in when the sun go down
Rumors of what she'd done, rumors of what she'd do
Kept folks off the track of Hattie's shack
In the back of the Black Bayou
One day brought the rain and the rain stayed on
And the swamp water overflowed
Skeeters and the fever grabbed the town like a fist
Doctor Jackson was the first to go
Some say the plague was brought by Hattie
There was talk of a hangin' too
But the talk got shackled by the howls and the cackles
From the bowels of the Black bayou
Early one morn 'tween dark and dawn when shadows filled the sky
There came an unseen caller on a town where hope run dry
In the square there was found a big black round
Vat full of gurgling brew
Whispering sounds as the folk gathered round
"It came from the Black Bayou"
There ain't much pride when you're trapped inside
A slowly sinkin' ship
Scooped up the liquid deep and green
And the whole town took a sip
Fever went away and the very next day the skies again were blue
Let's thank old Hattie for savin' our town
We'll fetch her from the Black Bayou
Party of ten of the town's best men headed for Hattie's Shack
Said Swamp Witch magic was useful and good
And they're gonna bring Hattie back
Never found Hattie and they never found the shack
Never made the trip back in
There was a parchment note they found tacked to a stump
Said don't come lookin' again
*#45] IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY by Sly & the Family Stone
LW #78 / 2 wks / 78-45 / 3rd Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 33 positions / the 11th Hot 100 single for the Psychedelic Soul band from San Francisco looked to be about to become their ninth Top 40 hit, following DANCE TO THE MUSIC [#8] in ‘68; EVERYDAY PEOPLE [#1], STAND! [#22] & HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME [#2] in ‘69; THANK YOU (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) b/w EVERYBODY IS A STAR [#1] & I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER [#38] in ‘70; FAMILY AFFAIR [#1] in ‘71; and RUNNING AWAY [#23] in ‘72
#46] GIVE YOUR BABY A STANDING OVATION by The Dells
LW #34 / 12 wks / 96-91-78-66-60-53-48-49-42-38-34-46 / The Dells’ 20th Hot 100 single, dating to late December ‘62, was their eighth Top 40 hit, following THERE IS [#20 - 3 wks] in Feb/Mar, STAY IN MY CORNER [#10 - 3 wks] in Aug/Sept & ALWAYS TOGETHER [#18 - 2 wks] in November ‘68; DOES ANYBODY KNOW I’M HERE [#38 - 1 wk] in February, I CAN SING A RAINBOW / LOVE IS BLUE [#22 - 1 wk] in July & OH, WHAT A NIGHT [#10 - 2 wks] in Sept/Oct ‘69; and THE LOVE WE HAD (Stays On My Mind) [#30 - 1 wk] in October ‘71
*#47] SOUL MAKASSA by Afrique
LW #62 / Peak Position / 5 wks / 96-84-71-62-47 / 10th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [3] - 15 positions / the 13-man R&B-Jazz session group took a 15-position leap - but would go no higher with its only chart single
*#48] GET DOWN by Gilbert O’Sullivan
LW #61 / 3 wks / 76-61-48 / 12th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [3] - 13 positions / the Irish singer-songwriter’s fourth single on the Hot 100 appeared to be heading for the Top 40 like the previous three
#49] NEVER, NEVER, NEVER by Shirley Bassey
LW #52 / 6 wks / 90-75-69-61-52-49 / fourth US chart single for the Welsh Soul singer - Bassey’s only Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 had come in ‘65 with the theme song of the James Bond film GOLDFINGER, which peaked at #8 [2 wks] in Mar/Apr ‘65
*#50] SOUL MAKOSSA by Manu Dibango
LW #70 / 3 wks / 88-70-50 / 7th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 20 positions / the second of two versions of the song on the chart was just in its third week on the Hot 100 - but was rising quickly
*#51] WATERGATE by Dickie Goodman
LW #79 / 4 wks / 99-90-79-51 / 5th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 28 positions / Goodman had been charting with his comedy recordings since ‘61 with three inspired by TV show THE UNTOUCHABLES - THE TOUCHABLES [#60], THE TOUCHABLES IN BROOKLYN [#42] and SANTA & THE TOUCHABLES [#99], followed by BEN CRAZY [#44], spoofing doctor drama BEN CASEY, in ‘62, BATMAN & HIS GRANDMOTHER [#70] in ‘66, and ON CAMPUS [#45] & LUNA TRIP [#95] in ‘69 / Goodman’s current chart jumper was his first to take aim at politics
#52] ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN by Electric Light Orchestra
LW #54 / 11 wks / 90-85-78-74-66-65-100-79-59-54-52 / Billboard magazine realigned its reporting retailers & radio stations, beginning with the 6/9/73 chart, resulting in a drop for several songs in the lower 2/3 of the Hot 100; most noticeably affected was Electric Light Orchestra’s first single, which had a substantial drop of 35 positions to #100, before righting itself and beginning to climb again
*#53] HOW CAN I TELL HER by Lobo
LW #65 / 3 wks / 78-65-53 / 13th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [2] - 12 positions / the singer-songwriter’s eighth single on the Hot 100 followed three straight Top 40 hits and four overall; three were Top 10s - ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BOO [#5] in ‘71, I’D LOVE YOU TO WANT ME [#2 / Gold] in ‘72, and DON’T EXPECT ME TO BE YOUR FRIEND [#8] in ‘73; but his most recent single, IT SURE TOOK A LONG, LONG TIME, fell far short of the Top 10, peaking at #27 [1 wk] in late May
#54] THERE’S NO ME WITHOUT YOU by The Manhattans
LW #56 / 5 wks / 73-63-62-56-54 / sixth Hot 100 single for the five-man Soul group from Jersey City, New Jersey / recording on the Piney label in ‘62, their first four Hot 100 singles, dating to ‘65, were on the Carnival label, followed by one in ‘70 on Deluxe; THERE’S NO ME WITHOUT YOU was the group’s major label debut on Columbia Records
#55] YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE by Stevie Wonder
LW #42 / Peak - #1 [1 wk] / Top 10 - 7 wks / Top 20 - 10 wks / Top 40 - 13 wks / Hot 100 - 17 wks / 76-56-29-25-17-11-6-4-2-1-5-6-8-17-32-42-55 / second single from the album TALKING BOOK, released in late October ‘72, which had been recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, Crystal Sound Studios in Hollywood, The Record Plant in Los Angeles & AIR Studios in London; TALKING BOOK and MUSIC OF MY MIND, from earlier in ‘73, are considered to be the beginning of Stevie Wonder's “Classic” period of the early to mid-70s / Stevie Wonder won his first Grammy Awards for the two singles released from the album - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for SUPERSTITION and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE / Stevie Wonder speaking on TALKING BOOK in ‘00: "It wasn't so much that I wanted to say anything except where I wanted to just express various many things that I felt—the political point of view that I have, the social point of view that I have, the passions, emotion and love that I felt, compassion, the fun of love that I felt, the whole thing in the beginning with a joyful love and then the pain of love." / TALKING BOOK was ranked #59 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in ‘04
YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE, written & produced by Stevie Wonder, was his 14th Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 and third #1 / Stevie Wonder’s Top 10 Pop hits: 1963 - FINGERTIPS - Pt. 2 [#1 - 3 wks] in August; 1966 - UPTIGHT (Everything’s Alright) [#3 - 2 wks] in February, BLOWING IN THE WIND [#9 - 1 wk] in early September & A PLACE IN THE SUN [#9 - 2 wks] in Dec ‘66 - Jan ‘67; 1967 - I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER [#2 - 2 wks] in July/Aug; 1968 - SHOO-BE-DOO-BE-DOO-DAH DAY [#9 - 1 wk] in late May & FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE [#2 - 2 wks] in Dec ‘68 - Jan ‘69; 1969 - MY CHERIE AMOUR [#4 - 2 wks] in July/Aug & YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY [#7 - 2 wks] in December; 1970 - SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I’M YOURS [#3 - 2 wks] in August & HEAVEN HELP US ALL [#9 - 2 wks] in Nov/Dec; 1971 - IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME [#8 - 1 wk] in October; 1973 - SUPERSTITION [#1 - 1 wk] in late January ‘73 & YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE [#1 - 1 wk] in May
on Billboard’s R&B/Soul chart, YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE was Wonder’s 22nd Top 10 hit / Stevie Wonder’s Top 10 R&B/Soul hits: 1963 - FINGERTIPS - Pt. 2 [#1 - 6 wks] in Aug/Sept; 1964 - CASTLES IN THE SAND [#6] & HEY LOVE [#5]; 1966 - UPTIGHT (Everything’s Alright) [#1 - 5 wks] in Jan/Feb, NOTHING’S TOO GOOD FOR MY BABY [#4] b/w WITH A CHILD’S HEART [#8], BLOWING IN THE WIND [#1 - 1 wk] in August & A PLACE IN THE SUN [#3]; 1967 - HEY LOVE [#9], I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER [#1 - 4 wks] in July/Aug & I’M WONDERING [#4]; 1968 - SHOO-BE-DOO-BE-DOO-DAH DAY [#1 - 1 wk] in June, YOU MET YOUR MATCH [#2] & FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE [#2]; 1969 - MY CHERIE AMOUR [#4] & YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY [#5]; 1970 - SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED I’M YOURS [#1 - 6 wks] in Aug/Sept & HEAVEN HELP US ALL [#2]; 1971 - WE CAN WORK IT OUT [#3] & IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME [#4]; 1973 - SUPERSTITION [#1 - 3 wks] in January & YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE [#3]
YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE
You are the sunshine of my life
That's why I'll always be around
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart
I feel like this is the beginning
Though I've loved you for a million years
And if I thought our love was ending
I'd find myself drowning in my own tears, whoa, oh, oh
You are the sunshine of my life, yeah
That's why I'll always stay around, mmm, mmm, yeah, yeah
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart
You must have known that I was lonely
Because you came to my rescue
And I know that this must be heaven
How could so much love be inside of you?
Whoa, whoa
You are the sunshine of my life, yeah
That's why I'll always stay around, mmm (baby)
You are the apple of my eye
Forever you'll stay in my heart, yeah
You are the sunshine of my life, baby
That's why I'll always stay around
as with all of Stevie Wonder's recordings in his “Classic” period, he played most of the instruments - but others did play & sing on TALKING BOOK tracks, including YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE: Stevie Wonder – lead vocal, background vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano & drums, Scott Edwards – electric bass, Daniel Ben Zebulon – congas, Jim Gilstrap – first lead vocal & background vocals, Lani Groves – second lead vocal & background vocals, Gloria Barley – background vocals; Jim Gilstrap sings the first two lines of the first verse & Lani Groves sings the next two lines / the single version of YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE also has horns added to the mix & was one of 16 songs from the ‘70s & early ‘80s on the double compilation album STEVIE WONDER’S ORIGINAL MUSIQUARIUM I, released on Tamla Records in May ‘82 / from the Billboard review: "a soft, haunting ballad with outstanding electric piano runs and outstanding production work."; from the Cashbox review: "changes the pace [from 'Superstition'] and delivers a stirring ballad performance that is also certain to go gold instantly." / #1 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for 5/19/73 / the song was Wonder’s fourth Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart & first #1: MY CHERIE AMOUR [#3] & YESTER-ME, YESTER-YOU, YESTERDAY [#10] in ‘69, IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME [#10] in ‘70, and YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE [#1 - 2 wks] in Apr/May ‘73 / #5 in Canada [#9 EL], #7 in the UK, #8 in New Zealand & #10 in Australia, #23 in Ireland & the Netherlands, and #42 in West Germany / in addition to the Grammy win Wonder had for Best Male Pop Vocal, YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE was also nominated for Grammy Awards for Record of the Year & Song of the Year / #183 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in ‘04
#56] HEY YOU! GET OFF MY MOUNTAIN by The Dramatics
LW #43 / Peak - #43 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 10th wk [of 12] / 88-80-69-65-62-53-59-53-43-56-56-56 / The Dramatics’ fifth single was nearly their third Top 40 hit, but dropped to #56 for three weeks after hopping up to #43 on the 6/30/73 chart / on Billboard’s Soul chart, it was the group’s third Top 5 hit, peaking at #5; WHATCHA SEE IS WHATCHA GET peaked at #3 [#9 Pop] in ‘71 and IN THE RAIN spent four weeks at #1 in March & April ‘72 [#5 Pop] / HEY YOU! GET OFF MY MOUNTAIN was written, arranged & produced by Tony Hester from the album DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT with the B-side THE DEVIL IS DOPE
#57] LET’S PRETEND by Raspberries
LW #35 / Peak - #35 [2 wks] / Top 40 - 7 wks / Hot 100 - 16 wks / 86-76-66-57-51-47-42-40-39-38-35-40-41-36-35-57 / the Raspberries’ third Top 40 hit was also affected by the changes in retailers & reporting radio stations when Billboard realigned the Hot 100 on the 6/9/73 chart; it suffered a five-point drop to #40 & then dipped to #41 before climbing back into the Top 40 to #36 and spending a second & final week at its Peak Position of #35 / the second single from their second album, FRESH, was written by Eric Carmen, who sang lead vocals, and produced by Jimmy Ienner / the 16 weeks it spent on the Hot 100 were second only to GO ALL THE WAY, which was on the Pop chart for two weeks longer / the band performed the song on THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL in early May ‘73 on a first season show hosted by Johnny Nash / from the Cashbox review: “Raspberries change the pace a bit and deliver a strong semi-ballad with all the grace and capabilities of the Beatles’ early sound.” / included in the set of their Cleveland reunion concert in late November ‘04, which was finally released in August ‘17 as RASPBERRIES POP ART LIVE / covered by Bay City Rollers on their fourth studio album, DEDICATION, in ‘76; also recorded by Joey Travolta on his debut album in ‘78, and by The Lettermen in a medley with the Raspberries’ first single DON’T WANT TO SAY GOODBYE on their ‘70s love song album LOVE IS… in ‘79 / [possibly influenced the title of Prince’s song LET’S PRETEND WE’RE MARRIED from his 1999 album in ‘83] / sales for LET’S PRETEND were strong with the song reaching #18 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for the first of two weeks on 6/23/73 in week 15; #13 in Canada & #62 in Australia
LET’S PRETEND
I can't sleep nights
Wishing you were here beside me
Can't help feeling
That's the way it ought to be
You know we could run (run, run) away
But I couldn't bear
To hear the things they'd say, oh no
Baby, let's pretend that tonight could live forever
If we close our eyes and believe it might come true
Baby, let's pretend we could always be together
But for now just let me spend the night with you
Somehow, someday
Things are gonna be so different
Don't cry, someway
I promise it'll be all right
So now that we're all alone
I couldn't bear
To leave to take you home, oh no
Baby, let's pretend that tonight could live forever
If we close our eyes and believe it might come true
Baby, let's pretend we could always live together
But for now just let me spend the night with you
So take me now
My love can't wait
We're almost there now, darlin', darlin'
Hold me (hold me), hold me (hold me)
Ho-oh-old me
Baby, let's pretend that tonight could live forever
If we close our eyes and believe it might come true
Baby, let's pretend we could always live together
But for now just let me spend the night with you
Baby, let's pretend that tonight could live forever
If we close our eyes and believe it might come true
Baby, let's pretend we could always be together
But for now just let me spend the night with you
*#58] UNEASY RIDER by Charlie Daniels
LW #84 / 2 wks / 84-58 / 6th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 26 positions / first Hot 100 chart appearance for the 36-year-old guitarist & fiddle player; Daniels was the leader of The Jaguars from ‘58 to ‘67 and was a session musician in Nashville after going solo in ‘68, playing on Bob Dylan’s NASHVILLE SKYLINE
#59] NOBODY WANTS YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN & OUT by Bobby Womack
LW #69 / 4 wks / 89-77-69-59 / 15th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [2] - 10 positions / Bobby Womack’s tenth single on the Pop chart, dating to August ‘68; two of the ten - THAT’S THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT CHA [#27 - 1 wk] in February ‘72 & HARRY HIPPIE [#31 - 1 wk / Gold] in February ‘73 - had reached the Top 40, while CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ [#43 - 1 wk] had come close in late January ‘69 / all nine of his previous Hot 100 singles were Top 25 Soul hits and three reached the Top 10 - THAT’S THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT CHA [#2], WOMAN’S GOTTA HAVE IT [#1 - 1 wk] in June ‘72 and HARRY HIPPIE [#8]
*#60] ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH by The Four Tops
LW #73 / 3 wks / 81-73-60 / 12th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [3] - 13 positions / the four-man vocal group’s third single on Dunhill Records was from the film SHAFT IN AFRICA, and followed the Top 10 hits KEEPER OF THE CASTLE [#10 - 1 wk] in mid-January & AIN’T NO WOMAN (Like The One I’ve Got) [#4 - 2 wks / Gold] in April ‘73
*#61] BROTHER LOUIE by Stories
LW #76 / 3 wks / 83-76-61 / 10th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [3] - 15 positions / second chart single for the New York Rock quartet of Ian Lloyd - bass & lead vocals, Steve Love - guitar, Michael Brown - keyboards and Bryan Madey - drums; keyboardist Brown was a founding member of The Left Banke, which had the hits WALK AWAY RENEE [#5] in ‘66 & PRETTY BALLERINA [#15] in ‘67
#62] BACK WHEN MY HAIR WAS SHORT by Gunhill Road
LW #49 / Peak - #40 [1 wk] / Top 40 - 1 wk / Hot 100 - 15 wks / 97-83-72-68-61-56-51-46-43-40-43-46-44-49-62 / the New York band recorded two albums in the early ‘70s - FIRST STOP by Gun Hill Road on Mercury Records and GUNHILL ROAD, produced by Kenny Rogers, on Kama Sutra Records in ‘72 / three songs, including BACK WHEN MY HAIR WAS SHORT, were re-recorded before the album was re-released in ‘73; drug references in the lyrics were changed & the song was given a faster pace / the group’s only Top 40 hit has the distinction of being in the Top 10 in more different markets at more different times than any other “45” in ‘73 / popular on FM & college radio stations, the band was also a sought after opening act for both comedians - George Carlin, Robert Klein, Soupy Sales, Lily Tomlin, and Cheech & Chong - and music acts - Bette Midler, Poco, Harry Chapin, Gordon Lightfoot, and Jim Croce / the band also performed their lone hit on TV shows AMERICAN BANDSTAND & THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL / in late October ‘11, the ‘73 version of their second album was re-released with five extra tracks - FORD DESOTO CADILLAC & WE CAN’T RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER ANYMORE and the original versions of the three songs which were re-recorded, including the song which became a hit and 42ND STREET & SAILING / Glenn Leopold, Paul Reisch and Steven Goldrich [who replaced Gil Roman in ‘73] reunited in early November ‘11, for the first time since ‘76, at a benefit concert to feed the homeless and honor their former manager Paul Colby, who was also the longtime owner of NYC club The Bitter End / in October ‘14, Gunhill Road played the Bitter End for the first time in 40 years and self-released their album EVERY 40 YEARS; in ‘17, a documentary with the same name was released, which detailed the band’s origins and reunion / a fourth album, WHAT YEAR IS THIS, was recorded in ‘19 but was delayed due to Covid-19 / the band had four members [two new] while recording a fifth album in ‘22; the lead single, IDIOTS - commenting on talk radio - was released in August, in advance of the 19 track album
band member Glen Leopold worked for cartoon studio Hanna-Barbera as a story editor, writer, character creator, and show developer on over 40 TV shows from ‘77 to ‘13, and was head writer on six series - THE SMURFS [‘81-’89], PINK PANTHER AND SONS [‘84-’86], GRAVEDALE HIGH [‘90], THE PIRATES OF DARK WATER [‘91-’93], SWAT KATS: THE RADICAL SQUADRON [‘93-’95] and THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST [‘96-’97] / Leopold was also involved with ten films from ‘81 to ‘00, including THE ADVENTURES OF RONALD MCDONALD: MCTREASURE ISLAND in ‘90, A FLINTSTONES CHRISTMAS CAROL in ‘94, and five SCOOBY DOO films, including SCOOBY DOO ON ZOMBIE ISLAND in ‘98, SCOOBY DOO! AND THE WITCH’S GHOST in ‘99, and SCOOBY DOO AND THE ALIEN INVADERS in ‘00
*#63] DELTA DAWN by Helen Reddy
LW #77 / 3 wks / 86-77-63 / 11th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 14 positions / the sixth single to chart on the Hot 100 for the Australian singer followed her #1 hit I AM WOMAN from December ‘72 and PEACEFUL, which reached #12 in early May ‘73
#64] THE FREE ELECTRIC BAND by Albert Hammond
LW #55 / Peak - #48 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 11 wks / 100-89-75-67-63-58-50-49-48-55-64 / written by Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood and produced by Hammond / first single & title song of Hammond’s second album [#193 Top 200]; the album’s ten songs were all written by Hammond & Hazlewood and produced by Hammond / #41 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart; #11 in South Africa, #19 in the UK, #38 in Australia, #44 in Canada & #28 on the RPM EL chart
#65] FINDER’S KEEPERS by The Chairman of the Board
LW #59 / 5 wks / 74-67-57-59-65 / sixth single on the Hot 100 for the Soul quartet with lead vocalist General Johnson, recording on Holland-Dozier-Holland’s Invictus label
#66] BE WHAT YOU ARE by The Staple Singers
LW #66 / Peak - #66 [2 wks] / Hot 100 - 4th wk [of 6] / 86-72-66-66-67-73 / after four straight Pop Top 40 hits, the ninth single on the Hot 100 by the family group stopped well short of the Top 40 / The Staple Singers’ five Top 40 Pop hits - HEAVY MAKES YOU HAPPY (Sha-Na-Boom Boom) [#27 - 2 wks] in April & RESPECT YOURSELF [#12 - 1 wk] in late December ‘71, I’LL TAKE YOU THERE [#1 - 1 wk] in early June & THIS WORLD [#38 - 2 wks] in early September ‘72, and OH LA DE DA [#33 - 1 wk] in late April ‘73 / BE WHAT YOU ARE, the title song of their third album of the early ‘70s [#102 Top 200 / #13 Soul], released on Stax records in December ‘73, was written by Homer Banks, Raymond Jackson & Carl Hampton and produced by Al Bell / BE WHAT YOU ARE also broke a string of four straight Top 10 hits on Billboard’s Soul chart by peaking at #18 / The Staple Singers’ five Top 10 Soul hits - HEAVY MAKES YOU HAPPY (Sha-Na-Boom Boom) [#6] & RESPECT YOURSELF [#2] in ‘71, I’LL TAKE YOU THERE [#1 - 4 wks] in May & THIS WORLD [#6] in ‘72, and OH LA DE DA [#4] in ‘73
#67] BROTHER’S GONNA WORK IT OUT by Willie Hutch
LW #67 / Peak - #67 [2 wks] / Hot 100 - 8th wk [of 10] / 97-94-93-71-70-69-67-67-70-94 / the Motown producer-songwriter’s first single was from the film THE MACK, a blaxploitation film starring Max Julien, Richard Pryor, Juanita Moore, Roger E. Mosley & Dick Anthony Williams, filmed in Oakland, California / Hutch wrote the original score for the film, which received poor reviews at the time of its release but is now regarded as one of the best films of the genre / BROTHER’S GONNA WORK IT OUT has been “sampled” by Dr. Dre, Chance the Rapper, Chief Keef with Kanye West, and A$AP Mob / Willie Hutch had previously written the lyrics for The Jackson 5’s biggest hit, I’LL BE THERE, and co-wrote other songs recorded by the group & Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, and Marvin Gaye / BROTHER’S GONNA WORK IT OUT was also the first single for Willie Hutch on Billboard's Soul chart, peaking at #18
#68] I’D RATHER BE A COWBOY by John Denver
LW #68 / Peak - #62 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 7th wk [of 10] / 90-81-81-88-73-68-68-65-62-76 / I’D RATHER BE A COWBOY (Lady’s Chains), written by Denver & produced by Milton Okun, would peak at #62 on the 7/21/73 chart / Denver’s follow-up to his Top 10 hit ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH fell well short of the Top 40 on the Hot 100 - but was a #25 hit on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart / it charted below #50 on three of Canada’s RPM charts - #75 Top 100, #67 Country & #58 EL / unfortunately for Denver, the chart performance of his first single from his FAREWELL ANDROMEDA album [#16 US / #23 Canada] set the tone for the two other singles which followed
#70] OVER THE HILL & FAR AWAY by Led Zeppelin
LW #81 / 3 wks / 87-81-70 / 14th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 11 positions / the Heavy Metal Rock band’s sixth single and seventh song on the Hot 100; three of their previous singles were Top 40 hits & three were not - GOOD TIMES BAD TIMES [#80] in ‘69, WHOLE LOTTA LOVE [#4 / Gold] b/w LIVING LOVING MAID (She’s Just A Woman) [#65] in ‘70, IMMIGRANT SONG [#16] in ‘71, BLACK DOG [#15] & ROCK AND ROLL [#47] in ‘72
#71] WHAT ABOUT ME by Anne Murray
LW #64 / Peak - #64 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 7th wk [of 8] / 83-74-68-68-66-64-71-73 / Murray’s follow-up to her biggest hit to date, DANNY’S SONG, fell 57 positions short of that hit’s Peak Position / WHAT ABOUT ME, written by Scott McKenzie,* was Murray’s first single & title song of her first album on Arc Records in ‘68 but did not chart / *[Scott McKenzie is best remembered for singing SAN FRANCISCO (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair) [#4] in ‘67; he also co-wrote The Beach Boys #1 hit KOKOMO in ‘88] / Murray’s current single was a live version of the song from her DANNY’S SONG album [#39 Top 200 / #4 Country / #5 Canada / Gold], produced by Brian Ahern / although the song was not a Pop hit, it did well enough on the Cashbox [sales only] chart to reach #37 and was a big Easy Listening hit, peaking at #2, and got to #20 on Billboard’s Country chart; on Canada’s RPM charts - #22 Top 100, #1 EL & #2 Country; and #93 in Australia
#72] LOVE & HAPPINESS by Ernest Jackson
LW #58 / Peak - #58 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 6 wks / 100-70-65-65-58-72 / the only Hot 100 single by Ernest Jackson, released on John Fred’s Louisiana-based Stone Records / [Fred was best known as the lead singer of John Fred & the Playboy Band with the #1 hit JUDY IN DISGUISE (With Glasses) in ‘68]
LOVE & HAPPINESS, written by Al Green & Teenie Hodges and produced by Willie Mitchell, was one of Green’s most popular songs - but not released as a single by Hi Records in the US until ‘77 [#104 Bubbling Under the Hot 100 / #92 Soul], when his string of Pop & Soul hits were already at an end; released by London Records in the UK in ‘73, but did not chart / LOVE & HAPPINESS was recorded during sessions for the I’M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU album [#4 Top 200 / #1 Soul]; Al Green on the recording process for the song: “I wouldn’t say it was a return to the old style soul of my early days, but I definitely pulled it from the same source of raw and gritty need. The result was like a slow fever, building on the beat, pushing up the temperature with each breath of the staccato horns and pushing through to delirium as we came up on the fade.” / Green performed LOVE & HAPPINESS on SOUL TRAIN in early March ‘73 & the song received airplay on many stations / cover versions: First Choice on ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS in ‘73, The Undisputed Truth on LAW OF THE LAND in ‘73, Funk band Graham Central Station* on NOW DO U WANTA DANCE in ‘77, Al Jarreau in ‘79, the Amazing Rhythm Aces in ‘79, saxophonist David Sanborn in ‘84, In Living Color on BISCUITS in ‘91, Etta James on THE RIGHT TIME in ‘92, Jamaican Reggae band Morgan Heritage in ‘94, Jamaican Ska-Rock Steady band Toots & the Maytals in ‘95, Marc Broussard on S.O.S.: SAVE OUR SOUL in ‘06 & Puerto Rican Reggae band Cultura Profética on SOBREVOLANDO in ‘19 / *[Larry Graham, the leader of Graham Central Station, was the bass player in Sly & the Family Stone] / from Al Green’s biography “Take Me To The River” in ‘00: “‘Love and Happiness’ was like mixing explosive chemicals — everything had to be added at just the right time and at just the right dose. The tempo was the most important thing to Willie, and, if you listen close, you can hear Teenie counting off with his foot on a cardboard box for the take that nailed it.” / Al Green’s LOVE & HAPPINESS was ranked #98 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in ‘04
LOVE & HAPPINESS
Love and happiness, yeah
Something that can make you do wrong
Make you do right
Yeah, hmm
Love...
Love and happiness
Something's going wrong
Someone's on the phone
Three o'clock in the morning, yeah
Talking about how she can make it right, yeah
Well, happiness is when
You really feel good about somebody
There's nothing wrong
Being in love with someone
Yeah
Oh, baby
Love and happiness
(Love and happiness)
Yeah
Love and happiness
(Love and happiness)
Oh-oh
Have to say
Love and happiness
(Love and happiness)
Yeah
Love and happiness
(Love and happiness)
You be good to me
And I'll be good to you
We'll be together, yeah
We'll see each other
Walk away with victory, yeah
Oh, baby
Love and happiness
(Love and happiness)
Oh
Love and happiness
(Love and happiness)
Oh!
Hey, hey, hey
Make you do right
Love'll make you do wrong
Make you come home early
Make you stay out all night long
The power of love
Wait a minute
Let me tell you about the power
The power of love
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Power
Power
Make you do right
Love'll make you do wrong, huh, yeah
Lady
Lady
(Love and happiness)
See love
(Love and happiness)
Make you wanna dance and sing
(Love and happiness)
Make you wanna dance
Love and happiness, eh-heh
Love is
Wait a minute
Love is, heh-heh
Walkin' together, heh-heh
Talkin' together
Singin' together
Prayin' together
Say, I wanna moan, say
Moan for love, I say
Let me moan for love, I say
Wanna moan for love
Talkin' about the power
#74] KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS by Tammy Wynette
LW #72 / Peak - #72 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 4 wks / 100-89-72-74 / at #72, Country singer Wynette’s tenth song on the Hot 100 was the highest charting since her only Top 40 Pop hit, STAND BY YOUR MAN [#19] in ‘69 / on Billboard’s Country chart, KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS was her 14th #1 hit, including two duets with David Houston / nine of Wynette’s ten crossover singles went to #1 on the Country chart & the other peaked at #2
#75] TEQUILA SUNRISE by Eagles
LW #82 / 3 wks / 92-82-75 / fourth Hot 100 single for the Country Rock band & first single from their second album, DESPERADO / the band’s first three singles - all from their self-titled first album - were all Top 25 hits: TAKE IT EASY [#12 - 2 wks] in late July & WITCHY WOMAN [#9 - 1 wk] in November ‘72 and PEACEFUL EASY FEELING [#22 - 1 wk] in March ‘73
#76] FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST by Keith Hampshire
LW #74 / Peak - #70 [3 wks] / Hot 100 - 12th wk [of 13] / 100-85-80-74-70-70-70-83-76-74-74-76-78 / FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST was written by Cat Stevens in ‘64 or ‘65 as he was trying to become established as a songwriter and he made a demo in ‘65; Stevens finally recorded the song in October ‘67, when it was included on his second album, NEW MASTERS, released in December of that year / Stevens had previously sold the song to American Soul singer & former Ikette P.P. Arnold for £30 and she launched her solo career with the song, after performing with the Ike & Tina Turner Review as the opening act on a Rolling Stones tour; Arnold’s version went to #18 in the UK, debuting in May & peaking in late June ‘67; her up-tempo take on the song was featured in the satirical comedy-crime drama SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS, starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson & Christopher Walken, in ‘12 / English-born Canadian singer Keith Hampshire [whose voice has been compared to David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears] had the first #1 hit with the song - topping both the RPM Top 100 [1 wk] in May ‘73 & Easy Listening charts; as a result, Hampshire received a Juno nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year and began hosting the CBC TV show KEITH HAMPSHIRE’S MUSIC MACHINE in ‘74; included on his albums THE FIRST CUT in ‘73 and THE BEST OF KEITH HAMPSHIRE: THE MILLENIUM COLLECTION in ‘05 / recorded by Rod Stewart for his A NIGHT ON THE TOWN album and released in the US as the follow-up single to his massive hit TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT [#1 - 8 wks], reaching #21 [1 wk] in April ‘77; in the UK, the US hit did not chart, and FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST was half of a double A-side with I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, which spent four weeks at #1; Stewart also recorded the song on his live MTV album UNPLUGGED… AND SEATED in ‘93 / Swedish musician Papa Dee’s Reggae cover of the song was a Top 10 hit in three Nordic countries - #5 in Sweden & #9 in Denmark & Norway - in ‘95 / Sheryl Crow’s version was the first new single from THE VERY BEST OF SHERYL CROW, released in September ‘03; it peaked at #14 on the Hot 100 and went to #1 on three Billboard charts - Adult Contemporary [2 wks] in Apr/May ‘04, Adult Alternative & Adult Top 40; the Gold Record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance / Cat Stevens’ enduring classic has also been recorded by Barbara Jones, Jamaican Reggae singer Dawn Penn in ‘94, English singer James Morrison, Irish tenor Colm Wilkinson [who originated the leading roles in both LES MISERABLES and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA], Welsh Pop singer Duffy and Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST
I would have given you all of my heart
But there's someone who's torn it apart
And she's taken just all that I had
But if you want, I'll try to love again
Baby, I'll try to love again, but I know
The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know, the first cut is the deepest
When it comes to being lucky, she's cursed
When it comes to loving me, she's worst
I still want you by my side
Just to help me dry the tears that I've cried
And I'm sure gonna give you a try
And if you want, I'll try to love again
Baby, I'll try to love again, but I know
The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know, the first cut is the deepest
And when it comes to being lucky, she's cursed
When it comes to loving me, she's worst
I still want you by my side
Just to help me dry the tears that I've cried
But I'm sure gonna give you a try
'Cause if you want, I'll try to love again
Baby, I'll try to love again, but I know
Whoo!
The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know, the first cut is the deepest
When it comes to being lucky, she's cursed
When it comes to loving me, she's worst
#78] SIXTY MINUTE MAN // MOTHER-IN-LAW by Clarence Carter
LW #80 / 5 wks / 97-93-82-80-78 / only MOTHER-IN-LAW - a #1 hit for Ernie K. Doe in ‘61 - was listed for the first four weeks / Carter’s 15th & 16th songs to chart on the Hot 100
#79] WILDFLOWER by Skylark
LW #33 / Peak - #9 [1 wk] / Top 10 - 2 wks / Top 20 - 9 wks / Top 40 - 14 wks / Hot 100 - 21 wks / 99-86-77-65-57-45-39-31-26-20-17-13-12-10-9-13-16-19-25-33-79 / written by Skylark member Doug Edwards, putting music to a poem written by Dave Richardson, who was a friend of group leader David Foster / included on a demo tape, which the Vancouver, British Columbia, band recorded in hopes of getting a record deal; American music executive Barry De Vorzon heard the tape & was convinced the song, with Donny Gerrard singing lead, was a hit - but the band was rejected by several labels before being signed to Capitol Records / while still an album track, Rosalie Trombley, music director at CKLW Top 40 Radio station in Windsor, Ontario, and known for picking songs that became hits, played the song for three months; WILDFLOWER was finally released to the nearby Detroit area as a single, where it became a Soul hit before crossing over to the Pop chart, eventually becoming a Top 10 hit in both the US & Canada / cover versions: R&B group Color Me Badd, saxophonist Hank Crawford, Johnny Mathis, New Birth [#45 Pop / #17 Soul] in ‘74, Marlena Shaw, The O’Jays, R&B group Creative Source, Country singer Gary Morris [#21 AC in Canada] in ‘86, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Fischer, Atlanta R&B group Silk., Lana Wolf, and Journey lead singer Arnel Pineda in ‘17 [his cover is the theme song of Philippine revenge drama TV series WILDFLOWER] / Hank Crawford’s cover version has been “sampled” by 2Pac on his fourth album - the last to be released while he was alive - in ‘96 and by Drake & Lil’ Wayne on Drake’s debut album in ‘10; Skylark’s original version has been “sampled” by Eminem on his SLIM SHADY EP in ‘97, Kanye West & Paul Wall on album track DRIVE SLOW in ‘05, and by J. Cole on DREAMS from his mix-tape THE WARM UP in ‘09; UNPREDICTABLE by Jamie Foxx featuring Ludacris “samples” the New Birth cover version of WILDFLOWER, which was more complex instrumentally / although titled WILDFLOWER, the word does not appear in the song - but both words appear in the final line of the chorus: “She's a free and gentle flower growing wild” / WILDFLOWER - which sold over one million copies in the US & Canada - peaked at #9 [2 wks] on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for 5/26/73 & 6/2/73 and #5 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart; on Canada’s RPM charts - #10 Top 100 & #1 EL; #23 in the Netherlands & #65 in Australia
WILDFLOWER
She's faced the hardest times, you could imagine
And many times her eyes fought back the tears
And when her youthful world, was about to fall in
Each time her slender shoulders
Bore the weight of all her fears
And a sorrow no one hears
Still rings in midnight silence, in her ears
Let her cry, for she's a lady (she's a lady)
Let her dream, for she's a child (child)
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower, growing wild
And if by chance I should hold her (if by chance that I should hold her)
Let me hold her for a time (let me hold her for a time)
But if allowed just one possession
I would pick her from the garden, to be mine
(I would pick her from the garden, to be mine)
Be careful how you touch her, for she'll awaken
And sleep's the only freedom that she knows
And when you walk into her eyes, you won't believe
The way she's always paying
For a debt she never owes
And a silent wind still blows
That only she can hear and so she goes
Let her cry, for she's a lady
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower, growing wild
Let her cry, for she's a lady (she's a lady)
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower, growing wild
She's a flower growing wild
Skylark formed in ‘71 after several members had been in Ronnie Hawkin’s backup band [American-Canadian group The Band had also first backed Hawkins] / following a second album [which also included WILDFLOWER but didn’t sell well], the band broke up with several former members continuing in the music business / Doug Edwards, co-writer of WILDFLOWER, was a member of Canadian Folk group The Hometown Band, which released several late ‘70s albums, and later joined Vancouver Rock band Chilliwack as bass player, before illness forced him to quit; he died of cancer at the age of 70 in November ‘16; Edwards, who had previously toured as a backing musician with The 5th Dimension & been involved with the recording of The Poppy Family’s WHICH WAY YOU GOIN’, BILLY?, had been tasked by Skylark leader David Foster with sorting through poems [possible lyrics for songs] written by Foster’s friend, Vancouver Island police officer Dave Richards; Edwards developed the music for WILDFLOWER on a Hammond organ / Vancouver, B.C.-born Donny Gerrard performed with Donny Gerrard & the Checkmates for three years in the early ‘60s, then played in Hawaii with another band for several years before returning to Canada as bass player for two years in Night Train Revue; he also worked in Las Vegas and was a member of a band with drummer Floyd Sneed, which broke up when Sneed joined Three Dog Night; he auditioned as lead vocalist for Skylark & impressed David Foster; after the group broke up, he recorded several solo albums - the first on Elton John’s Rocket Records; his only charting single was WORDS (Are Impossible) [#87 - 2 wks] in April ‘76 on the Greedy label; giving up on a solo career, he sang backup vocals for Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Cher & others and sang on several solo albums & toured with Mavis Staples; in ‘85, Gerrard & Amy Holland sang the LOVE THEME FROM ST. ELMO’S FIRE (For Just A Moment) from the film’s soundtrack, produced by David Foster; he also sang on the Canadian charity single, TEARS ARE NOT ENOUGH; Gerrard died of cancer at the age of 75 in February ‘22 / Skylark leader & keyboardist David Foster was born in Victoria, British Columbia, in November ‘49, and enrolled in the University of Washington’s music program at the age of 13 in ‘63; two years later he auditioned to lead the band of an Edmonton Jazz night club, owned by Canadian Jazz musician Tommy Banks, who mentored Foster in Jazz, the music business & producing records; next he played with Ronnie Hawkins & then joined Chuck Berry’s back-up band; in ‘72, his Vancouver, B.C., band Skylark recorded its first album & in ‘73 had a Top 10 hit in the US & Canada with WILDFLOWER; Foster moved the band to Los Angeles in ‘74 and stayed in LA after the group broke up in ‘75; Foster & new songwriting partner Jay Graydon formed the short-lived band Airplay; Foster played on two George Harrison albums & then on an album on which Ringo Starr also played; Foster was a session musician, arranger & co-wrote six songs on the Earth, Wind & Fire album I AM, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Song for AFTER THE LOVE HAS GONE [#2 Pop / #2 Soul / #3 EL]; he played keyboards & co-wrote songs with Boz Scaggs - BREAKDOWN DEAD AHEAD [#15], JOJO [#14] & LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE FOR ME [#14] - in ‘80; Foster produced albums & co-wrote songs - SHE’S A BEAUTY [#10] in ‘83 - for The Tubes; he produced three of Chicago’s most successful albums from ‘82 to ‘86 & co-wrote two of their biggest hits - HARD TO SAY I’M SORRY [#1] & YOU’RE THE INSPIRATION [#3] - with band member Peter Cetera & they also co-wrote Cetera’s first solo hit, GLORY OF LOVE [#1], in ‘86; David Foster co-wrote & produced TEARS ARE NOT ENOUGH, the Canadian song for African famine relief in ‘85, featuring Joni Mitchell, Neil Young & other Canadian musicians; the same year, he scored the soundtrack for the film ST. ELMO’S FIRE and co-wrote some of the songs and has since scored other films; David Foster has worked with Kenny Loggins, Kenny Rogers, Whitney Houston, Bryan Adams, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion, Brandy, Beyonce, Josh Groban, & Michael Bublé, signing Groban, Bublé, and unknown Irish Folk group The Corrs to his 143 Records; he has co-written theme songs for several Olympic games and co-written a number of songs with his former wife Linda Thompson, and several with his daughter Amy Foster-Gillies [from his marriage to Skylark singer B.J. Cook Foster]; David Foster was the head of Verve Records from ‘12 to ‘16 and has been nominated for 47 Grammy Awards, winning 16
*#80] MY MERRY-GO-ROUND by Johnny Nash
LW #98 / 8th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 18 positions / Peak - #77 [2 wks] / Hot 100 - 2nd wk [of 5] / 98-80-77-77-93 / the follow-up single to Nash’s Reggae hits I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW [#1 - 4 wks / Gold] in November ‘72 & STIR IT UP [#12 - 1 wk] in April ‘73 abandoned the Caribbean sound & stopped well short of the Top 40 / first single from Nash’s album of the same name [#169 Top 200 / #49 Soul] / the 6:30 album track [with a children’s chorus] was edited to 4:10 and b/w album track (Oh Jesus) WE’RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO YOU [3:45]
#81] HOCUS POCUS by Focus
LW #37 / Peak - #9 [2 wks] / Top 10 - 3 wks / Top 20 - 7 wks / Top 40 - 11 wks / Hot 100 - 19 wks / 98-93-83-79-63-55-45-39-27-23-17-13-10-9-9-16-19-37-81 / written by Focus keyboardist, flautist & vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman and produced by Englishman Mike Vernon / from the album FOCUS II MOVING WAVES [#8 US / Gold / #15 Australia / #6 Canada / #4 Netherlands / #2 UK], recorded in London from mid-April to mid-May ‘71 & released on Imperial Records in October ‘71 / HOCUS POCUS, intended as a parody of Rock songs, was released as a single but only charted in the Netherlands, where it reached #12 / the album version of the song [6:42] is a rondo with a power chord riff alternating with short drum solos and yodeling, eefing,* organ playing, accordion playing, scat singing, flute riffs, and whistling - all played or performed by Thijs van Leer; the Dutch single was edited to 3:18 / *[eefing has been described as “a kind of hiccupping, rhythmic wheeze that started in rural Tennessee more than 100 years ago”] / after the single was only a Dutch hit, a faster version - HOCUS POCUS II [3:25] - was recorded, and this version became a hit in the UK [#20] and was a Top 10 hit [#9] in the Netherlands / in the US, the second version was widely played but listed as the B-side of the hit single / the band plays the song even faster in concert; an 8:30 version is included on live album AT THE RAINBOW [#135 US / #53 Australia / #9 Netherlands / #23 UK], released on Imperial Records in October ‘73, and a 5:48 version is on LIVE AT THE BBC 1976, released on Hux Records in ‘04 / also included on the compilation albums DUTCH MASTERS: A SELECTION OF THEIR FINEST RECORDINGS (1969-1973) and the original album version & the 3:25 single edit are the opening & closing tracks on HOCUS POCUS: THE BEST OF FOCUS, released in ‘93 and ‘01 / HOCUS POCUS peaked at #4 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for the week of 6/16/73; #15 in Australia, #18 in Canada & #45 in West Germany
#83] HE DID WITH ME by Vicki Lawrence
LW #90 / 3 wks / 97-90-83 / Lawrence’s follow-up single to her #1 Southern Gothic smash hit, THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA
#84] THERE YOU GO by Edwin Starr
LW #94 / 2 wks / 94-84 / 15th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [2] - 10 positions / Starr’s 11th single to chart on the Hot 100; his first four singles were on the Ric-Tic label, based in Detroit, including AGENT DOUBLE-O-SOUL [#21 - 1 wk] in October ‘65, before it was bought by Motown in ‘66; Starr had six singles chart while recording for Motown’s Gordy label, including the Top 10 hits TWENTY-FIVE MILES [#6 - 1 wk] in April ‘69 & WAR [#1 - 3 wks] in Aug/Sept ‘70 and STOP THE WAR NOW [#26 - 1 wk] in late January ‘71; THERE YOU GO was his first charted release on Motown’s Soul label
#85] BLOCKBUSTER by The Sweet
LW #87 / Peak - #73 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 4th wk [of 7] / 97-95-87-85-81-79-73 / the follow-up single to their breakthrough hit LITTLE WILLY didn’t fare nearly as well, peaking 70 positions lower / BLOCKBUSTER, written by Nicky Chin & Mike Chapman and produced by Phil Wainman, was the Glam Rock band’s only UK #1, where it spent five weeks, and also topped charts in Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand & West Germany, and peaked at #3 in Denmark, Finland, Norway & Switzerland; #29 in Australia & #30 in Canada
#87] YOU ALWAYS COME BACK (To Hurting Me) by Johnny Rodriguez
LW #99 / 13th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [2] - 12 positions / Peak - #86 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 3rd wk [of 4] / 100-99-87-86 / first chart single for the Mexican-American Country singer, born in Sabinal, Texas / on the Country chart, the song was his second single & first of six to reach #1 [first of four in Canada], and followed PASS ME BY (If You’re Only Passing Through) [#9] / both singles were from his debut album, INTRODUCING JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ [#156 Top 200 / #1 Country] - his first of seven Top 10 albums but the only one to top the chart / YOU ALWAYS COME BACK (To Hurting Me) was co-written by Rodriguez & Tom T. Hall and produced by Jerry Kennedy / Rodriguez was 21 years old when his hit topped the Country chart, making him the youngest male with a #1 Country single - a record which held until ‘12, when Hunter Hayes topped the chart with WANTED, when he was three months & one week younger than Rodriguez was when YOU ALWAYS COME BACK (To Hurting Me) topped the chart for a week on the 6/9/73 chart
#88] BLACK BYRD by Donald Byrd
LW #96 / Peak - #88 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 2nd wk [of 5] / 96-88-97-99-99 / only Hot 100 single for the 40-year-old trumpet player, born in Detroit / from BLACK BYRD, the 35th album recorded by Donald Byrd, dating to ‘55, and his first to be produced by Larry Mizell, who wrote or co-wrote all of the album’s seven tracks; Mizell was assisted by his brother Fonce Mizell, who was a songwriter & producer for Motown Records / the song lent its name to The Blackbyrds, formed in ‘73 while Byrd was teaching Jazz at Howard University in Washington, D.C.; the Soul vocal group would have six songs on the Hot 100 from ‘74 to ‘77, including the Top 10 hit WALKING IN RHYTHM [#6] in ‘75
#90] GIVING IT ALL AWAY by Roger Daltrey
LW #83 / Peak - #83 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 5th wk [of 7] / 87-__-90-84-83-90-99-96 / the first solo single by the lead singer of The Who was from his first solo album, DALTREY [#45 US / #59 Australia / #6 UK], recorded in January & February ‘73 [between Who tour dates] at Daltrey’s Barn Studio in Barwash, East Sussex, and at The Beatles’ Apple Studios in London / eight of the album's ten songs, including the single, were written by David Courtney & a then unknown Leo Sayer,* with the other two being written by Adam Faith & Courtney, the co-producers of the album / The Who’s management team tried to derail the album, fearing a Faces type situation with the lead singer becoming a bigger star than the band; Daltrey at the time: "I think it will do the Who some good if it's a hit, and I think there's a market for my album." / the song with the opening lines "I paid all my dues so I picked up my shoes, I got up and walked away" was a hit in the UK and would remain Daltrey’s biggest, peaking at #5; its time on the charts & airwaves coincided with reports that The Who was being sued for unpaid damage to a hotel [for a TV thrown out of a window] from the band’s last tour / Daltrey performed his hit single on THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST in the UK; the BBC program began airing in ‘71 [and ran to ‘88] / nearly 50 years later, Daltrey included GIVING IT ALL AWAY on the set list for his UK tour in ‘22 / a second single from the album, THINK, reached #61 on the UK chart; two other album tracks, including ONE MAN BAND, were also released as singles but did not chart / GIVING IT ALL AWAY peaked at #58 in Australia
*[Leo Sayer would record GIVING IT ALL AWAY and ONE MAN BAND for his second album, JUST A BOY, in ‘74; the album also included his breakthrough single LONG TALL GLASSES (I Can Dance) [#4 UK / #9 US]; ONE MAN BAND was a #6 hit in the UK for Sayer - but only got to #96 in the US]
#93] YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE by Donna Fargo
LW #93 / Peak - #93 [2 wks] / Hot 100 - 4th wk [of 7] / 95-94-93-93-96-100-100 / the Country singer’s fourth single on the Pop chart was the lowest charting, following THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE U.S.A. [#11 - 2 wks / Gold] in August ‘72, FUNNY FACE [#5 - 2 wks / Gold] in January ‘73 & SUPERMAN [#41 - 1 wk] in April ‘73 / YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE, written by Fargo & produced by her husband/manager, Stan Silver, was the second single from MY SECOND ALBUM [#104 Top 200 / #1 Country / #36 Canada] / YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE was Fargo’s fourth single on the Billboard Country chart & her fourth consecutive #1 Country hit for one week in late July; preceded by THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE U.S.A. [3 wks] in June & FUNNY FACE [3 wks] in October ‘72, and SUPERMAN [1 wk] in April ‘73
#95] TOP OF THE WORLD by Lynn Anderson
LW #97 / 2 wks / 97-95 / the Country singer’s fifth single on the Hot 100; Anderson’s first Pop single was the #3 Gold Country & Pop hit ROSE GARDEN from early ‘71
#100] HELLO STRANGER by Fire & Rain
LW #100 / Peak - #100 [3 wks] / Hot 100 - 2nd wk [of 3] / 100-100-100 / only chart single for the group taking its name from James Taylor’s first hit / Barbara Lewis, who wrote the song, had a #3 Pop & #1 R&B hit with HELLO STRANGER in June ‘63 / HELLO STRANGER [3:39] b/w SOMEBODY TO LOVE [3:55], written by Dabney Slick,* with both sides produced by Joe Sareceno for Dana Productions was from the album FIRE & RAIN on Mercury Records / Fire & Rain was the husband & wife duo of Manny Frieser [formerly of The Grodes] & Patti McCarron; their self-titled album was in the Folk Rock genre with Frieser writing or co-writing seven of the album’s 11 songs / a second album, LIVING TOGETHER, on 20th Century Fox Records in ‘75 had a disco flavor & included The Rolling Stones’ LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER
*[Dabney Roger “Darby” Slick was the brother of Paul Slick, who was the husband of Grace, and all three were members of San Francisco band The Great Society, which released “Someone To Love” as a single in ‘66; Grace Slick took the song & her own WHITE RABBIT with her when she joined Jefferson Airplane for their first album, SURREALISTIC PILLOW in ‘67 / SOMEBODY TO LOVE [#5 - 1 wk] in June ‘67 & WHITE RABBIT [#8 - 2 wks] in July/Aug ‘67 were the band’s only Top 40 hits while recording as Jefferson Airplane in the late ‘60s & early ‘70s]
DEBUTS ON THE HOT 100
*#69] LIVE AND LET DIE by Wings
*#73] HERE I AM (Come And Take Me) by Al Green
*#77] ANGEL by Aretha Franklin
*#82] LOVE, LOVE, LOVE by Donny Hathaway
*#86] THE HURT by Cat Stevens
*#89] SWEET CHARLIE BABE by Jackie Moore
#91] FRIEND OF MINE by Bill Withers
#92] ROLAND THE ROADIE AND GERTRUDE THE GROUPIE by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
Peak - #83 [1 wk] / Hot 100 - 1st wk [of 4] / 92-85-83-91 / written by Shel Silverstein & produced by Ron Haffkine / from the ‘73 album BELLY UP [#141 Top 200 / #7 Denmark] / ROLAND THE ROADIE AND GERTRUDE THE GROUPIE [3:03] b/w album track PUT A LITTLE BIT ON ME, also written by Silverstein & produced by Haffkine