*#21] DADDY’S HOME by Jermaine Jackson
LW #25 / 9 wks / 94-84-67-54|-41-35-28-25-21 / Jermaine Jackson’s second solo single was his first Top 40 hit / as part of The Jackson 5, he had amassed 11 Top 40/Top 20 singles, with seven Top 10 hits - including four #1s & two #2s - in only three years / younger brother Michael, the group’s lead singer, already had four Top 20 singles in just a year, with three Top 5 hits, including a #1 & a #2 - both in ‘72 / Jermaine’s first single, THAT’S HOW LOVE GOES, was on the Hot 100 at the same time as Michael’s first solo #1, BEN, and had fallen short of the Top 40, peaking at #46
*#22] JAMBALAYA (On The Bayou) by The Blue Ridge Rangers
LW #26 / 10 wks / 78-76-70-59-49|-37-34-29-26-22 / despite the name, The Blue Ridge Rangers was a one-man band — multi-instrumentalist John Fogerty’s first post-Creedence Clearwater Revival project / from ‘68 to ‘72, CCR logged 20 A & B-sides on the Hot 100 with 13 Top 40 hits and seven double-sided singles / formed in the Bay Area city of El Cerrito, California, in ‘59, they were first known as The Blue Velvets & later as The Golliwogs; the four-man band of John Fogerty - lead guitar & lead vocals, Tom Fogerty - rhythm guitar, Stu Cook - bass & keyboards and Doug Clifford - drums, renamed itself Creedence Clearwater Revival in ‘67 / the Rock band was most successful on the Hot 100 from ‘69 to ‘71, setting two Billboard records - “Most Top 10 Singles Without a #1 Hit” [9] and “Most #2 Singles Without a #1 Hit” [5] / all nine of their Top 10 hits plus SUSIE Q. [#11 - 1 wk] in November ‘68 were Gold Records [500,000 copies sold] with five selling over 1,000,000 copies [Platinum] / all of CCR’s Top 10 hits - and most of the band’s album tracks - were written by John Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Top 10 Hits:
1969:
PROUD MARY - #2 [3 wks] in March / Platinum
BAD MOON RISING - #2 [1 wk] in June / Platinum
GREEN RIVER - #2 [1 wk] in September / Gold
DOWN ON THE CORNER // FORTUNATE SON - #3 [1 wk] in December / Platinum
1970:
TRAVELIN’ BAND // WHO’LL STOP THE RAIN - #2 [2 wks] in March / Platinum
UP AROUND THE BEND // RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE - #4 [1 wk] in June / Gold
LOOKIN’ OUT MY BACK DOOR // LONG AS I CAN SEE THE LIGHT - #2 [1 wk] in October / Platinum
1971:
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN // HEY TONIGHT - #8 [1 wk] in March / Gold
SWEET HITCH-HIKER - #6 [2 wks] in August / Gold
#23] CLAIR by Gilbert O’Sullivan
LW #14 / Peak - #2 [2 wks] / Top 10 - 7 wks / Top 20 - 10 wks / Top 40 - 14 wks / Hot 100 - 15th wk [of 16] / 86-53-36-28-17-12-9-7-4-2|-2-4-7-14-23-28 / written by Raymond O’Sullivan [the singer’s real name] & produced by his manager-producer Gordon Mills, the father of the three-year-old, who is the subject of the song / Mills was also a songwriter and manager of both Tom Jones & Engelbert Humperdinck, who along with O’Sullivan were signed to Mills’ MAM Record label / O’Sullivan moved to a more masculine image with his second album, BACK TO FRONT - distancing himself from the 1930’s-styled character with short pants, which he had used in earlier appearances / O’Sullivan was living in a cottage on Mill’s estate, writing the songs for the second album from late night to 5 AM and then babysitting for Mills during the day; the melodies & songs came first while “playing around” on the piano, with lyrics written after the music was recorded / although he was secluded, O’Sullivan was aware of what was going on in the world of music while he was writing the new songs - but said that none of the albums he was listening to at the time [Carole King, Sly & the Family Stone, Neil Young, Carly Simon] had any direct impact on the songs he was writing / BACK TO FRONT [#48 US / #22 Australia / #1 UK / 2x Gold] was a much bigger hit in the UK than in the US, debuting on the UK album chart at #2, going to #1 in its 9th week and staying on the chart for 64 weeks; in the US, the album got no higher than #48 & was on the Top 200 album chart for 19 weeks; the album also went to #1 in Norway & Sweden and #2 in the Netherlands & West Germany / Gilbert O’Sullivan toured for the first time in support of his second album, after concentrating on songwriting following HIMSELF [#9 US / #17 Australia / #5 UK]; his performances were well received from both critics & his legion of female fans, with one NME reviewer at the start of the tour at Ireland’s National Stadium writing that O’Sullivan showed "much more confidence than you'd expect from a guy who's only doing his second gig." / O’Sullivan was amused by the pandemonium of his concerts, calling the exuberance of his young fans, "a lighter side to the serious one of writing songs." / BACK TO FRONT would produce two more hit singles - one for O’Sullivan [OUT OF THE QUESTION], and one for Hurricane Smith [WHO WAS IT?] / in ‘73, Gilbert O’Sullivan was the most successful British artist outside of the UK - besting Elton John for the honor
the first verse of CLAIR leads the listener to believe the song is a romantic one, but then it becomes clear that Clair is a little girl that O’Sullivan [“Uncle Ray”] is babysitting & she charmingly giggles at the song’s end / covered in Italian by the Italian crooner Johnny Dorelli in ‘73 and in English by French singer Laurent Voulzy in ‘06; a cover version of CLAIR by early ‘70s Jazz vocal group The Singers Unlimited was “sampled” by J Dilla for PLAYERS by Detroit Rap trio Slum Village in ‘00 / in the UK, CLAIR was O’Sullivan’s sixth Top 20 single, fifth Top 10 hit and first #1: NOTHING RHYMED [#8 - 4 wks] in Dec ‘70-Jan ‘71; WE WILL [#16 - 1 wk] in September & NO MATTER HOW I TRY [#5 - 2 wks] in December ‘71; and ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) [#3 - 1 wk] in April, non-album single OOH-WAKKA-DOO-WAKKA-DAY [#8 - 1 wk] in July & CLAIR [#1 - 2 wks] in November ‘72 / in Ireland, CLAIR was his fourth Top 10 & second straight #1 hit: NOTHING RHYMED [#2] in ‘70; NO MATTER HOW I TRY [#7] in ‘71; ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) [#2], OOH-WAKKA-DOO-WAKKA-DAY [#1 - 3 wks] & CLAIR [#1 - 5 wks] in ‘72 / CLAIR peaked at #3 for the first week of January ‘73 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart and was O’Sullivan’s second & last #1 [3 wks] on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart in December ‘72 / internationally, the song was both a #1 & Top 10 hit: #1 - Canada [Pop - 3 wks in January ‘73 & EL - 1 wk in Dec ‘72], Ireland [5 wks in Oct/ Nov ‘72], Norway & UK [2 wks in Nov ‘72], #2 - New Zealand, #3 - France, #4 - Netherlands, #6 - South Africa & Sweden, #8 - Argentina; and #12 in Australia
*#24] LAST SONG by Edward Bear
LW #34 / 8 wks / 98-96-80|-74-60-43-34-24 / Biggest Jump Inside the Top 40 - TIE [2] & 9th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - TIE [4] - 10 positions / second US chart single for the trio from Toronto, Canada, was the band’s first Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 & was headed higher / YOU, ME AND MEXICO, their first single, peaked at #68 for a week in June ‘70
*#25] YOU TURN ME ON, I’M A RADIO by Joni Mitchell
LW #27 / Peak - #25 [2 wks] / Top 40 - 8 wks / Hot 100 - 13th wk [of 16] / 99-81-70-59-55-51-45-40|-38-32-30-27-25-25-26-45 / Joni Mitchell’s third single to chart on the Hot 100 was her first Top 40 hit, following BIG YELLOW TAXI [#67 - 1 wk] in August ‘70 & CAREY [#93 - 1 wk] in September ‘71; but two songs written by Mitchell were Top 20 hits for other artists - BOTH SIDES NOW [#8 - 1 wk] by Judy Collins in December ‘68 & WOODSTOCK [#11 - 2 wks] by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in May ‘70 / YOU TURN ME ON, I’M A RADIO, written by Mitchell, was from her self-produced fifth studio album, FOR THE ROSES [#11 US / Gold / #19 Australia / #5 Canada], released in November ‘72 / some songs on her most successful album to date were written about Mitchell’s ‘70-’71 relationship with James Taylor; COLD BLUE STEEL AND SWEET FIRE was about his heroin addiction; Mitchell & Taylor sang backing vocals together on several songs on Carole King’s TAPESTRY album, recorded in ‘70 - but when Taylor’s career took off with the single FIRE AND RAIN and album SWEET BABY JAMES in the Autumn of ‘70, and Mitchell’s album BLUE was not as successful, it caused friction between the couple; when Taylor broke off the relationship & then began seeing Carly Simon in November ‘71, Mitchell was reportedly devastated / the album was both a commercial & a critical success with glowing reviews in a number of prominent publications - New York Times: "Each of Mitchell's songs on ‘For the Roses’ is a gem glistening with her elegant way with language, her pointed splashes of irony and her perfect shaping of images. Never does Mitchell voice a thought or feeling commonly. She's a songwriter and singer of genius who can't help but make us feel we are not alone."; Rolling Stone magazine: "Her great charm and wit, her intense vocal acting and phrasing abilities (the way she chooses to deal with a single word can change the feeling of an entire song) and the sheer power and gumption of her presence combine to bring it all off and make it shine."; and music critic Robert Christgau in Creem magazine called the album a “remarkable work” & the year’s most “aesthetically bold recording,” saying "Mitchell has integrated the strange shifts of her voice into an almost 'classical' sounding music" / the album was included in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in ‘07; an essay, which accompanied the album’s selection, noted that it was "Mitchell's first overt foray into jazz, a genre that, for the next several years, would come to dominate her art."
YOU TURN ME ON, I’M A RADIO was written as a sarcastic response to Asylum Records’ request for a single to promote the album; recorded at A&M studios in Hollywood, the sessions for the single included contributions from three of four members of CSNY - David Crosby, Graham Nash [another of Mitchell’s recent exes] & Neil Young - but only Nash’s harmonica was ultimately used on the 2:39 recording / the B-side was URGE FOR GOING, an early song written by Mitchell & first recorded by Folk singer Tom Rush on his album THE CIRCLE GAME in ‘68; it went unreleased on an album by Mitchell for 28 years before it was the lead track on HITS / ten years after Mitchell’s first Pop hit, the song was recorded by Country singer Gail Davies, who became friends with Mitchell in the early ‘70s when she was a session musician at A&M studios; her cover was a Top 20 Country hit in the US [#17] & a Top 10 Country hit in Canada [#7] in ‘82 / Joni Mitchell recorded YOU TURN ME ON, I’M A RADIO at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles in mid-August ‘74 & it was the lead track on the double live album MILES OF AISLES [#2 US / Gold / #46 Australia / #13 Canada / #34 UK], which documented her concerts with Jazz saxophonist Tom Scott & Jazz Fusion ensemble the L.A. Express - her first tour with a backing band / the song was one of 15 tracks on the compilation album HITS [#161 Top 200] in ‘96 & one of 17 songs, personally selected by Mitchell, on DREAMLAND [#177 US / #43 UK] in ‘04, which included an essay about Mitchell’s career by journalist & filmmaker Cameron Crowe and prints of several paintings by Joni Mitchell / YOU TURN ME ON, I’M A RADIO peaked at #20 for two weeks in Jan/Feb ‘73 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart & #13 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart; it was a Top 10 hit on two of Canada’s RPM charts - #10 Pop & #3 EL; and a Top 40 hit in Australia, reaching #37
#26] DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT by James Taylor
LW #15 / Peak - #14 [2 wks] / Top 20 - 4 wks / Top 40 - 9 wks / Hot 100 - 10th wk [of 11] / 60-41-38-27-21|-15-14-14-15-26-35 / singer-songwriter-guitarist James Taylor’s sixth “45” on the Hot 100 was his fifth Top 40 hit & third to reach the Top 20 - but the first of those three not to reach the Top 10, peaking at #14 for two weeks in mid-January ‘73 / the first single released from his fourth studio album, ONE MAN DOG, was written by Taylor & produced by Peter Asher; although the album charted in the Top 10 & was certified Gold, it was less successful than his previous two albums / Taylor’s three Warner Brothers albums: SWEET BABY JAMES [#3 US / 3x Platinum / #7 Australia / #3 Canada / #6 UK / Silver], released in February ‘70; MUD SLIDE SLIM AND THE BLUE HORIZON [#2 US / 2x Platinum / #12 Australia / #4 Canada / 4 UK], released in March ‘71; and ONE MAN DOG [#4 US / Gold / #13 Australia / #7 Canada / #27 UK], released in November ‘72 / the Soft Rock ballad with a Jazz feel has been recorded by a number of diverse artists: Johnny Mathis on ME AND MRS. JONES, Liza Minelli on THE SINGER [#45 on Billboard’s Top 200, the best-selling album of her career], and The Isley Brothers on 3 + 3 - all in ‘73, American singer & actress Nancy Wilson in ‘75, Isaac Hayes’ Funk-infused, seven minute version in ‘78 has a long instrumental intro, which has been “sampled” on at least four Hip Hop songs, Pop singer Mary McGregor, also in ‘78, Scottish Soft Rock band Wet Wet Wet on their debut album POPPED IN SOULED OUT and Brazilian Jazz-Bossa Nova singer Kenia - both in ‘87, American singer-pianist Oleta Adams in ‘92, Eric Clapton on REPTILE in ‘02, Jazz saxophonist Euge Groove in ‘04, Joe Cocker on his album of cover songs HEART & SOUL, saxophonist David Sanborn featuring vocalist Lizz Wright on CLOSER, and American Jazz singer-pianist Diane Schur on SCHUR FIRE - all in ‘05, Jazz saxophonist Boney James w/vocal by Quinn [similar to the Isley Brothers’ version] in ‘09 was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance in ‘10, and Garth Brooks on “The Melting Pot” disc of his 8-disc boxed set BLAME IT ALL ON MY ROOTS: FIVE DECADES OF INFLUENCES in ‘13 / DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT has also been performed in concert by a number of artists, including Jazz guitarist-singer George Benson, Jazz guitarist-singer Pat Metheny and R&B/Soul group Earth, Wind & Fire
Jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker had an all-star backing band for his seventh studio album NEARNESS OF YOU: THE BALLAD BOOK in ‘01, with Herbie Hancock on piano, Pat Metheny on guitar, Charlie Haden on bass & Jack DeJohnette on drums, and James Taylor singing two songs, including DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT; Taylor’s re-recording of the song 18 years after his original was honored with a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male* in ‘02 / *[Taylor was the first American singer to win the award since Michael Bolton in ‘92] / Michael Brecker had played tenor saxophone on Taylor’s original recording in ‘72, with Taylor on lead vocals & acoustic guitar, Danny Kortchmar* on electric guitar, Craig Doerge on piano, Lee Sklar* on bass guitar & Russ Kunkel* on drums & congas / *[Kortchmar, Sklar, Kunkel & guitarist Waddy Wachtell were Southern California studio musicians known as “The Section” in the ‘70s & ‘80s, working in various combinations on albums by James Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Don Henley and many others; with session singer-guitarist Steve Postell, they formed The Immediate Family & released a self-titled album in August ‘21] / DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT has been included on three compilation albums & one live album by Taylor: GREATEST HITS [#15 US / 11x Platinum / #67 Australia / 3x Platinum / #27 Canada / DNC UK / Platinum] in ‘76, CLASSIC SONGS [#48 Australia / #53 UK / Silver] in ‘87, THE BEST OF JAMES TAYLOR [#11 US / Platinum / #54 Australia / Platinum / #4 UK / Gold] in ‘03 and on disc two of the 30-song, double album LIVE [#20 US / 2x Platinum / #71 Canada] in ‘93 / DON’T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT peaked at #15 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart on 1/20/73 & reached #3 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart; his fifth EL Top 10 hit was his second highest on the chart and followed FIRE AND RAIN [#7] & COUNTRY ROAD [#9] in ‘70 and YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND [#1 - 1 wk] & LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY [#4] in ‘71; in Canada, Taylor’s song peaked at #18 on the RPM Top 100 & #7 on the RPM Easy Listening chart
*#27] DREIDEL by Don McClean
LW #30 / 7 wks / 75-66|-52-43-34-30-27 / singer-songwriter-guitarist Don McLean’s third Hot 100 single was his third Top 40 hit, with his two previous singles peaking in the Top 10 & Top 20, respectively: AMERICAN PIE [#1 - 4 wks / Gold] in Jan/Feb & VINCENT [#12 - 1 wk] in May ‘72
*#28] LOVE TRAIN by The O’Jays
LW #37 / 3 wks / 61-37-28 / 2nd Biggest Jump Inside the Top 40 - 9 positions / after nine years charting on the Hot 100 with ten singles & no real success, the R&B/Soul vocal trio now had their second Top 40 Pop hit with their third Philadelphia International single; the first, BACK STABBERS, rose to #3 in early October & was certified a Gold Record by the RIAA
*#29] DO YOU WANT TO DANCE by Bette Midler
LW #32 / 7 wks / 81-72|-49-44-36-32-29 / still largely unknown by the public, the vocal stylist with the larger-than-life stage persona had her first Top 40 hit with her first Hot 100 single
#30] FUNNY FACE by Donna Fargo
LW #19 / Peak - #5 [2 wks] / Top 10 - 4 wks / Top 20 - 9 wks / Top 40 - 14 wks / Hot 100 - 19th wk [of 20] / 95-83-71-59-51-45-31-25-21-20-12-12-7-6|-5-5-11-19-30-39 / Gold / the second single released from Fargo’s first album, THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE U.S.A. [#47 Top 200 / #1 - 4 wks Country / Gold / #24 Australia / #67 Canada], was an even bigger Pop crossover hit than the album’s title song / FUNNY FACE rose steadily up the Pop chart, needing seven weeks to reach the Top 40 & finally rising into the Top 10 in its 13th week, after stalling at #12 for two weeks; with its first 14 weeks on the Hot 100 all in ‘72, FUNNY FACE finally reached its peak position of #5 in week 15 in the first chart of ‘73; Fargo’s second crossover hit spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100 - six weeks longer than it had on the Country chart - and four weeks longer than her first hit single on the Pop chart / written by Fargo and produced by her husband-manager-producer Stan Silver, FUNNY FACE was Fargo’s second straight #1 on the Country chart; THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE U.S.A. topped the Country chart for the first three weeks of June, while FUNNY FACE spent the last three weeks of October at #1 / Fargo wrote 16 verses for the song - but only used two in the recording; she had first offered it to comedian George Lindsey [Goober on THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW] - but he turned it down / in “The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits,” Donna Fargo told author Tom Roland, "It was a natural song for me to write, 'cause my husband used to call me 'funny face' and I used to call him 'fuzzy face' because he always wore a beard. It was just kind of a little song to him." / included on four compilation albums by Donna Fargo, all confusingly with the same title - THE BEST OF DONNA FARGO [12 songs] on Dot Records in ‘77, THE BEST OF DONNA FARGO [18 songs] on Varese Vintage in ‘95, BEST OF DONNA FARGO [10 songs] on Curb Records in ‘97 and 20TH CENTURY MASTERS: THE MILENNIUM COLLECTION - THE BEST OF DONNA FARGO [11 songs] on MCA Records in ‘02 / FUNNY FACE peaked at #9 [2 wks] on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for the last week of December ‘72 & the first week of January ‘73 and also went to #5 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart; in Canada, it went to #1 on the RPM Country chart - but only got as high as #17 on the RPM Pop chart; #2 on Australia’s Kent Music Report & #12 on New Zealand’s Listener chart / on Billboard’s Country singles chart, Donna Fargo would have 20 Top 40 hits through the ‘70s & three more in the ‘80s; a dozen more Top 10 hits followed her first two hit singles & she tallied a total of six #1s - four straight in ‘72 & ‘73 / the singer-songwriter would have six more singles chart on the Hot 100 through early ‘75 - but none reached the Top 40; FUNNY FACE was Donna Fargo’s only Top 10 Pop hit, although THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE U.S.A. had come close, peaking at #11 [2 wks / Gold] in August ‘72
#31] I WANNA BE WITH YOU by The Raspberries
LW #16 / Peak - #16 [1 wk] / Top 20 - 3 wks / Top 40 - 9 wks / Hot 100 - 11 wks / 77-45-37-32-31-28|-23-20-17-16-31 / I WANNA BE WITH YOU was written & sung by band leader Eric Carmen and produced by Jimmy Ienner / lead single & first track on the group’s second & highest charting album, FRESH [#36 US / #31 Australia / #19 Canada], released on Capitol Records in mid-November ‘72 / Billboard magazine described the band’s third single as a "strong rock ballad," while Cashbox noted that it was "similar to the Beatles vocally" / the 3:05 track b/w album track GOIN’ NOWHERE TONIGHT was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London; the album was recorded at both Abbey Road Studios & the Record Plant Studios in New York City / bassist/rhythm guitarist Eric Carmen wrote four of the album's songs, co-wrote four more with rhythm guitarist/bassist Dave Smalley & sang lead vocals on six of the eight; Smalley wrote one song by himself & sang lead on it and two he co-wrote with Carmen; lead guitarist Wally Bryson wrote & sang lead on one track / Carmen began as the band’s bass player but took over rhythm guitar at the end of ‘72, since he was the band’s “front man” in concerts, and original rhythm guitarist Smalley switched to bass / I WANNA BE WITH YOU was performed on late Friday night TV show THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL in Season one, Episode 15, hosted by Johnny Rivers, in May ‘73 / included on two compilation albums: RASPBERRIES’ BEST FEATURING ERIC CARMEN [#138 US / #70 Canada], released on Capitol Records in ‘76, which included ten songs - all with Carmen as lead singer, eight written by Carmen & one each co-written by Carmen with Smalley & Bryson; RASPBERRIES CAPITOL COLLECTOR’S SERIES, released in ‘91, included 20 tracks drawn from the Pop Rock band’s four studio albums from ‘72 to ‘74 / I WANNA BE WITH YOU was The Raspberries’ second Top 20 single & would be their 2nd highest charting single, even though four more singles would chart through ‘74; it reached #10 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart & #17 in Canada
#32] REELIN’ AND ROCKIN’ by Chuck Berry
LW #33 / Peak - #27 [1 wk] / Top 40 - 7 wks / Hot 100 - 10th wk [of 13] / 90-77-72-60-55|-40-37-35-33-32-29-27-47 / Berry’s second straight Top 40 hit would peak at #27 on the 2/17/73 chart, before dropping out of the Top 40 to #47 in its 13th & final week on the Hot 100 / written by Chuck Berry, REELIN’ AND ROCKIN’ was first recorded on December 29-30, 1957, in Chicago, produced by the Chess brothers - Leonard & Phil - and released on their label, Chess Records; used as the B-side of SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN, Berry’s highest charting US Pop hit in the late ‘50s & early '60s, which peaked at #2 for three weeks in March & April ‘58 / the song became a Top 40 hit 14 years later as the follow-up single to Berry’s surprise #1 novelty hit MY DING-A-LING, which topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in late October ‘72 / from the album THE LONDON CHUCK BERRY SESSIONS [#8 Top 200 / #8 Soul / Gold], produced by Esmond Edwards; side one was recorded at Olympic Studios in London, England, and side two, which contained extended versions of the two singles plus JOHNNY B. GOODE, was recorded at the Lanchester Arts Festival in Coventry, England, on February 3rd ‘72 / the 7:07 album version was edited to 4:26 for the Chess Records single / three more singles by Berry would be released through ‘79 & three more would be released in ‘17 - but none charted / REELIN’ AND ROCKIN’ reached #30, after two weeks at #31, for the week of 2/10/73 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart - but only got to #42 on Billboard’s R&B chart / it was his last single to chart internationally, peaking at #21 in Canada & #18 in the UK
Chuck Berry’s Top 40 hits on the Hot 100 & R&B charts:
REELIN’ AND ROCKIN’ was Berry’s 27th & final single on the Hot 100 and the 14th Top 40 by the “Founding Father” of Rock & Roll, who had nine Top 20 and seven Top 10 hits from ‘55 to ‘72 / on the R&B chart, Chuck Berry had 19 songs that charted in the Top 40 - all from ‘55 to ‘64 - with 18 Top 20 and 14 Top 10 hits [double the number of his Top 20/Top 10 hits on the Pop chart], including three #1s & four #2s
1955:
MAYBELLENE - [#5 - 1 wk Pop / #1 R&B*]
*[#1 - 9 wks Best Sellers in Aug/Sept/Oct / #1 - 9 wks Jockeys in Aug/Sept/Oct / #1 - 11 wks Juke Box in Sept/Oct/Nov]
one of Rock & Roll’s pioneer songs was included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll and came in at #18 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time / Rolling Stone wrote: "Rock & roll guitar starts here." / sold over one million copies by the end of ‘55
b/w WEE WEE HOURS - [DNC* Pop / #10 R&B]
*[DNC = Did Not Chart]
THIRTY DAYS (To Come Back Home) - [DNC Pop / #2 R&B]
1956:
NO MONEY DOWN - [DNC Pop / #8 R&B]
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN - [#29 - 1 wk Pop / #2 R&B]
Berry tells Classical composer Ludwig von Beethoven to “roll over” & make room for Rock & Roll / added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in ‘03 / #97 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time / Rolling Stone wrote: "“Roll Over Beethoven” became the ultimate rock & roll call to arms, declaring a new era." / recorded by numerous artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, The Beatles and, combining both Classical & Rock, it was Electric Light Orchestra’s first single [#42] in ‘73
TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS - [DNC Pop / #4 R&B]
1957:
SCHOOL DAYS (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell) - [#3 - 3 wks Pop / #1 R&B*]
*[#1 - 1 wk Best Sellers in May / #1 - 5 wks Jockeys in Apr/May/June / #1 - 1 wk Juke Box in May]
the song’s last verse contains the lines "Hail, hail rock and roll / Deliver me from the days of old." / HAIL! HAIL! ROCK AND ROLL was the title given to an October ‘87 documentary about Chuck Berry, directed by Taylor Hackford, which included songs performed at two concerts celebrating Berry’s 60th birthday, filmed at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, in mid-October ‘86 / the 2-hour film interwove rehearsal [4 songs] & concert [15 songs] footage and interviews with Chuck Berry & his family, his ‘50s & ‘60s music peers Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Little Richard, as well as, John Lennon [archival footage] & Bruce Springsteen / Berry, who had been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier in the year, performed with Robert Cray [guitar] on ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN & BACK IN THE U.S.A. and [guitar & vocals] on BROWN-EYED HANDSOME MAN, Julian Lennon [vocals] on JOHNNY B. GOODE, Linda Ronstadt [vocals] on BACK IN THE U.S.A., Eric Clapton [guitar & vocals] on WEE WEE HOURS, Etta James [vocals] w/Clapton, Cray & Keith Richards [guitars] on ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC, and Ingrid Berry [vocals] w/Clapton, Cray & Joe Walsh [guitars] on SCHOOL DAYS / the band included Chuck Berry [vocals, electric guitar] Keith Richards [electric guitar, backing vocals], Johnnie Johnson [piano] - Berry’s original pianist, Chuck Leavell [organ], Joey Spaminato of NRBQ [bass, backing vocals], Steve Jordan [drums, backing vocals], Bobby Keyes [tenor saxophone] and Chuck’s daughter Ingrid Berry [backing vocals] / the soundtrack album which accompanied the film’s release had 13 tracks from the concerts - but, inexplicably, did not include SCHOOL DAYS, which gave the film its title
OH BABY DOLL - [#57 - 1 wk Pop / #12 R&B]
ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC - [#8 - 1 wk Pop / #6 R&B]
included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll and #128 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time / recorded by numerous artists, including The Beatles, who performed it live in their early days at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany; a #1 hit for the “Fab Four” in four countries & Top 3 in three more in early ‘65; on the setlist of their final tour, with a live version from ‘66 released on ANTHOLOGY 2 in ‘96; title song of their double compilation album with many early recordings, released in ‘76 / #5 for The Beach Boys, from the album 15 BIG ONES, in ‘76
1958:
SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN - [#2 - 3 wks Pop / #1 R&B*]
*[#1 - 3 wks Best Sellers in March / #1 - 3 wks Jockeys in March]
#272 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time / The Beach Boys’ SURFIN’ USA [#3] in ‘63 was Brian Wilson’s surf lyrics set to the music of SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN and the song’s copyright, including lyrics, had to be turned over to Berry’s publishing company / recorded by The Beatles on radio show “Pop Goes The Beatles” in ‘63 & finally released on LIVE AT THE BBC in ‘94 / John Lennon recorded a slower, bluesy version on his Phil Spector-produced album of late ‘50s & early '60s cover songs, ROCK ‘N ROLL, in ‘75
JOHNNY B. GOODE - [#8 - 1 wk Pop / #2 R&B]
one of the most recognizable Rock & Roll songs of all time was included on the 12-inch gold-plated copper phonograph record, containing sounds & images selected to portray the diversity of life & culture on Earth, sent into outer space on the Voyager spacecraft / recorded by numerous artists - Country musician Buck Owens [#1 Country] in ‘69 - a posthumous Top 40 UK hit by Jimi Hendrix in ‘72 - a Top 40 hit by Reggae artist Peter Tosh in ‘83 - and a Heavy Metal version by Judas Priest in ‘88 / the semi-autobiographical song about the “country boy” who “couldn’t read & write so well” but could play guitar “just like ringing a bell” and one day might see his “name in lights” has been described as “the first rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom” / the song has received numerous honors: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll, #7 on Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, #42 on Q magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks, #12 on Guitar World’s 50 Greatest Guitar Solos, #1 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in ‘99 / played by Chuck Berry and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, along with ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC, when Berry was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in January ‘86 / performed in a scene at a mid-’50s high school dance by Michael J. Fox, as Marty McFly, in the 1985 film BACK TO THE FUTURE, with Fox working in his favorite Rock & Roll moves - a Pete Townshend “windmill,” a Jimi Hendrix “behind the back” and Chuck Berry’s “duckwalk” / Chuck Berry’s original recording sold over 1,000,000 copies in the US & over 400,000 downloads* - Gold in the UK / *[JOHNNY B. GOODE downloads in the UK; release date - 14.11.04 / certification date - 03.09.21]
CAROL - [#18 - 1 wk Pop / #9 R&B]
SWEET LITTLE ROCK AND ROLLER - [#47 - 1 wk Pop / #18 R&B]
1959:
ALMOST GROWN - [#32 - 1 wk Pop / #3 R&B]
BACK IN THE U.S.A. - [#37 - 1 wk Pop / #16 R&B]
reportedly written by Berry after returning home from touring Australia & seeing the living conditions of the Aborigines / on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website: “Berry saluted such everyday pleasures as the drive-ins and corner cafes 'where hamburgers sizzle on an open grill night and day / Yeah, and a jukebox jumping with records like in the U.S.A.'” / Berry’s original recording featured Etta James and The Marquees [aka Harvey & the Moonglows w/a young Marvin Gaye] / the B-side was MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE; shortened to MEMPHIS, the song was a #2 hit for Johnny Rivers in ‘64, who followed it up with his #12 cover of MAYBELLENE / Linda Ronstadt’s cover of BACK IN THE U.S.A. was a Top 20 hit, peaking at #16, in ‘78 / she performed the song with Berry for his 60th birthday concert in the film HAIL! HAIL! ROCK AND ROLL in ‘87 / famously parodied by The Beatles on BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. on the “White Album” in ‘68
1960:
LET IT ROCK - [#64 - 1 wk Pop / #18 R&B]
1964:
NADINE (Is It You?) - [#23 - 1 wk Pop / #7 - 3 wks R&B*]
*[Cashbox sales only R&B chart, as Billboard did not publish its R&B chart in ‘64]
one of the first songs recorded by Berry after his release from prison in October ‘63 / Berry told British weekly music magazine Melody Maker, “I took 'Maybellene' and from it got 'Nadine.'” / noted for its use of similes [“She moves around like a wayward summer breeze” - “Moving through the traffic like a mounted cavalier” - “I was campaign shouting like a Southern diplomat”], the song is said to have influenced the writing of Bob Dylan’s story-songs on his album BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME in ‘65 / covered by a wide ranging group of artists — from Waylon Jennings to Dion to George Thorogood to New Riders of the Purple Sage to Michael Nesmith to George Benson to Dire Straits to Motörhead / Chuck Berry performs NADINE in HAIL! HAIL! ROCK AND ROLL; in the film, Bruce Springsteen singled out two imagery-laden lines from the song: “I saw her from the corner when she turned and doubled back / Started walking toward a coffee-colored Cadillac”, saying “I've never seen a coffee-colored Cadillac, but I know exactly what one looks like.”
NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO - [#10 - 1 wk Pop / #2 - 1 wk R&B*]
although the music was recycled from his earlier hit SCHOOL DAYS, Berry was at the top of his game lyrically, telling the comedic tale of a date that doesn’t go the way the narrator had hoped / Chuck Berry’s biggest Pop hit in ‘64 was also a Top 10 Pop hit in Canada [#6], Ireland [#7], New Zealand [#2] & the UK [#3] / covered by George Thorogood & the Destroyers on BAD TO THE BONE in ‘82 and the live album LIVE: LET’S WORK TOGETHER in ‘94
Ridin' along in my automobile
My baby beside me at the wheel
I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile
My curiosity runnin' wild
Cruisin' and playin' the radio
With no particular place to go
Ridin' along in my automobile
I was anxious to tell her the way I feel
So I told her softly and sincere
And she leaned and whispered in my ear
Cuddlin' more and drivin' slow
With no particular place to go
No particular place to go
So we parked way out on the Kokomo
The night was young and the moon was gold
So we both decided to take a stroll
Can you imagine the way I felt?
I couldn't unfasten her safety belt!
Ridin' along in my calaboose
Still tryin' to get her belt a-loose
All the way home, I held a grudge
For the safety belt that wouldn't budge
Cruisin' and playin' the radio
With no particular place to go
YOU NEVER CAN TELL - [#14 - 1 wk Pop / DNC R&B]
also known as C’EST LA VIE and TEENAGE WEDDING, Chuck Berry wrote YOU NEVER CAN TELL while in prison and recorded it, along with NADINE, in his first recording session after being released / “It was a teenage wedding, and the old folks wished them well / You could see that Pierre did truly love the mademoiselle” ... the song tells the story of a young couple, married in New Orleans, who start out their life together with very little but then begin doing well enough to buy a “souped up jitney” to drive to back to the city to celebrate their first anniversary … each verse ends with “'C'est la vie,' say the old folks, 'it goes to show you never can tell.'” / Emmylou Harris had sung Chuck Berry songs in a Folk trio early in her career & said, "...‘C'est La Vie’ was the result of listening extensively to rock-&-roll oldies while on the road.”; she had a #6 Country hit with it as C’EST LA VIE, with Cajun fiddle by Ricky Skaggs, in ‘77; others who have recorded the song, include Aaron Neville, Loggins & Messina, John Prine, New Riders of the Purple Sage, the Jerry Garcia Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Mavericks, Bob Seger and Coldplay / featured in Episode 10 of Season 10 of THE BIG BANG THEORY in December ‘16, with Leonard dancing to it in his underwear after Sheldon moves out of the apartment, leaving himself & Penny alone together for the first time / featured prominently in a memorable dance contest scene with Mia Wallace [Uma Thurman] & Vincent Vega [John Travolta] in PULP FICTION in ‘94; the film’s co-writer & director Quentin Tarantino said the song characters’ names - "Pierre" & "Mademoiselle" - give the scene a "uniquely '50s French New Wave dance sequence feel."
LITTLE MARIE - [#54 - 1 wk Pop / #30 - 1 wk R&B*]
1972:
MY DING-A-LING - [#1 - 2 wks Pop / #42 R&B]
Berry’s final Top 10 hit was his only #1 on Billboard’s Pop charts / the double entendre novelty song about a boy who receives a gift of "silver bells hanging on a string" from his grandmother that he calls his "ding-a-ling" was written & first recorded by New Orleans musician & band leader Dave Bartholomew in ‘52 / Berry recorded it live at an English concert festival while he was in the country to record THE LONDON CHUCK BERRY SESSIONS in early ‘72 / the song caused a good deal of controversy & was banned on some radio stations due to Berry’s enthusiastic vocal delivery & the audience’s raucous response - but Berry didn’t mind that at all, commenting, “That little weenie song made my wallet fat.” / Boston radio DJ Jim Connors was awarded a Gold Record for his part in discovering the song & promoting it to other radio stations around the country / in the UK, MY DING-A-LING was just Chuck Berry’s third Top 10 hit, following LET IT ROCK // MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE [#6 - 1 wk] in November ‘63 & NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO [#3 - 1 wk] in June ‘64; despite the efforts of one conservative teacher to have it banned by the BBC, MY DING-A-LING was by far his biggest UK hit, topping the chart for four weeks in Nov/Dec ‘72, and finally dropping off after 17 weeks - all in the Top 40; [38-23-6-2-1-1-1-1-2-2-7-14-22-26-38-40-40]
1973:
REELIN’ AND ROCKIN’ - [#27 - 1 wk Pop / DNC R&B]
#33] HARRY HIPPIE by Bobby Womack & Peace
LW #35 / Peak - #31 [1 wk] / Top 40 - 6 wks / Hot 100 - 9th wk [of 12] / 93-80-57-45|-42-40-37-35-33-31-33-52 / singer-songwriter-guitarist Bobby Womack first sang Gospel with his four brothers - Friendly, Jr., Curtis, Harry & Cecil - in their father’s church in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late ‘40s & early ‘50s; as Curtis Womack & the Womack Brothers, they recorded their first single, BUFFALO BILL, in ‘54, when Curtis was 12 and Bobby was 10; R&B/Soul singer Sam Cooke discovered the brothers two years later & promised to help their career, inviting them to record for his SAR label in ‘60; the teenagers recorded several Gospel songs as The Womack Brothers in ‘61 & ‘62, without success; Cooke, himself a former Gospel singer, convinced them to switch to secular music / changing their name to The Valentinos, they scored their first hit, LOOKIN’ FOR A LOVE [#72 Pop / #8 R&B] in ‘62; the reworked version of one of their failed Gospel singles would eventually sell two million copies & landed the brothers an opening spot on a tour with James Brown & His Famous Flames / in ‘64, the group recorded IT’S ALL OVER NOW, written by Bobby & his sister-in-law Shirley, but before their single could be released, they learned that a new British R&B-Rock band wanted to put out their cover version as a single in the US; Bobby was against it at first - but his anger subsided after receiving his first royalty check for the second US Top 40 hit [#26 - 1 wk in September ‘64] by The Rolling Stones / Bobby Womack began touring & recording as a guitarist with Sam Cooke in ‘63; he & his brothers were shocked when Cooke was shot & killed under mysterious circumstances in December ‘64 and The Valentinos broke up temporarily / in February ‘65, just 77 days after Sam Cooke’s death in Los Angeles, with intense press coverage & the case still under investigation, his 29-year-old widow Barbara attempted to marry Bobby Womack - but the license was denied because he was not yet 21 & his parents would not give their permission; they married on March 5th - the day after Bobby turned 21, causing scandal amongst his own family & Cooke’s brothers [who later broke his jaw] and angering Sam Cooke’s legion of fans; Womack’s family & friends would later say that Barbara Cooke fell in love with Bobby, convincing him to marry her, even talking him into wearing one of Sam's suits to be married in; Womack said he had gone to her side after the shooting because he was afraid that she would “do something crazy” if she were left by herself
after being ostracized by his own family, Bobby Womack went solo - but soon discovered that the R&B community had turned against him, as well, and he was introduced on stage as “that kid who married Sam Cooke’s wife” / Bobby found work as a session rhythm guitarist, recording first with Aretha Franklin and then Wilson Pickett / Pickett recorded two albums with Womack and had four Top 20 R&B hits with Womack-penned songs: I’M IN LOVE [#70 Top 200 / #9 R&B] in ‘67-’68 yielded the title song [#45 - 2 wks Pop / #4 R&B] in Dec ‘67-Jan ‘68 & JEALOUS LOVE [#50 - 2 wks Pop / #18 R&B] in March ‘68 and the two singles written by Womack from THE MIDNIGHT MOVER [#91 Top 200 / #10 R&B] in ‘68 were I’M A MIDNIGHT MOVER [#24 - 1 wk Pop / #6 R&B] in July & I FOUND A TRUE LOVE [#42 - 1 wk Pop / #11 R&B] in November ‘68 / following Wilson Pickett’s success with songs he had written, Bobby Womack was signed to Minit Records & released his first solo album, FLY ME TO THE MOON [#174 Top 200 / #34 R&B] in ‘69, with MY PRESCRIPTION [#44 R&B] on Minit and COMMUNICATION [#83 Top 200 / #7 R&B] on United Artists Records, following in ‘70 & ‘71 / during this time Womack wrote the instrumental BREEZIN’, recorded by Hungarian Jazz guitarist Gábor Szabó & Womack, and released as a Szabó single [#43 R&B] in ‘71; five years later, it would be the title song of Jazz guitarist George Benson’s 15th album, which went to #1 on both the Top 200 [2 wks] & Soul [6 non-consecutive wks] album charts & was certified 3x Platinum; originally, BREEZIN’ had lyrics - but they went unrecorded & were then lost; Womack recreated the lyrics, as best he could remember, for his recording of the song in ‘10
Bobby Womack’s first Top 40 hit on the Pop chart was THAT’S THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT ‘CHA [#27 - 1 wk] in February ‘72, from his third album, which featured his four brothers on backing vocals; it was his ninth Top 40 single on the Soul chart & his first Top 10 hit, peaking at #2 / the first single from Womack’s fourth album, UNDERSTANDING [#43 Top 200 / #7 Soul], released on United Artists Records in May ‘72, was WOMAN’S GOT TO HAVE IT,* which only got to #60 on the Hot 100 - but became his first #1 [1 wk] on Billboard's Soul chart in June ‘72 / *[co-written by Daryl Carter, Bobby Womack & his stepdaughter Linda Cooke, with whom he had an affair when she was just 17, ending his marriage with her mother in ‘70; Barbara Womack grazed Bobby’s head with a bullet on her discovery of her husband & daughter together; Linda Cooke, who reportedly never spoke to her mother again, later married Bobby’s youngest brother Cecil, who had previously been married to former Motown singer Mary Wells when she was 23 & he was just 19; Linda & Cecil, as the duo Womack & Womack, would have success on the R&B charts in the ‘80s] / the album’s second single, a cover of Neil Diamond’s Top 10 hit SWEET CAROLINE (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) was a moderate hit on both the Pop [#51] & Soul [#16] charts and as it faded from radio station playlists, black DJ’s began flipping the song over & playing the B-side
HARRY HIPPIE was written by Bobby Womack’s songwriter friend Jim Ford about Bobby’s younger brother Harry, who was a very laid back free spirit / the song became Bobby Womack’s second Top 40 hit on the Pop chart, his third Top 10 hit [#8] on the Soul chart & his first single to become a Gold Record; it reached #25 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for the week of 2/17/73 / the amusing tribute to Womack’s brother, who played bass in his band, would turn tragic in ‘74 / years later, Bobby Womack commented on the song & his brother’s death: "Harry was the bass player and tenor for the brothers when we were the Valentinos. He lived a very carefree life. As a child he always said he wanted to live on an Indian reservation. We used to joke about it, but when we got older, he was the same way. He always thought I wanted the materialistic things, and I said, 'I just want to do my music. My music put me into that comfortable territory.' He didn't want the pressure. We used to laugh and joke about the song when I'd sing it. When he was brutally killed in my home, it was by a jealous girlfriend who he'd lived with for five years. She fought a lot, violence. And in our home, it was considered to be worth less than a man to fight a woman, so he didn't fight back, and she stabbed him to death. At the time I was in Seattle doing a gig and he was going to join me when we got back. Previously, I had hired a new bass player because I felt it would help Harry's relationship with his spouse if he wasn't on the road. And that turned out to be very sour. He ended up losing his life behind it. At that time, "Harry Hippie" wasn't a joke anymore; I had lost a brother. I still do that song in his honor today." / Harry Womack’s girlfriend reportedly became enraged after finding women’s clothing in the room Harry was staying in at Bobby’s house - but the clothes actually belonged to Bobby’s girlfriend / after learning of his brother’s murder, Bobby Womack was hospitalized after jumping out of the building he was in at the time; he became further involved with drugs as a result of trying to cope with Harry’s death
*#34] KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG by Roberta Flack
LW #54 / 2 wks / 54-34 / 2nd Highest Debut in the Top 40 / 2nd Biggest Jump Into the Top 40 & 4th Biggest Jump on the Hot 100 - 20 positions / the third solo single by the songstress was her second solo Top 40 hit; after a 20-position leap to #34 in only its second week on the Hot 100, it appeared to be headed much higher / Flack’s previous solo single, THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE, spent six straight weeks at the top of the Hot 100 in April & May ‘72
#35] SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES by Blue Haze
LW #29 / Peak - #27 [2 wks] / Top 40 - 7 wks / Hot 100 - 13th wk [of 14] / 98-84-82-66-54-49-35-31|-29-27-27-29-35-47 / Blue Haze was a Reggae studio group formed by British composer, conductor & arranger Johnny Arthey & Phillip Swern / Arthey, born in September ‘30, played piano with a military band during his national service / he became a much in-demand arranger in the ‘60s & ‘70s, working with Engelbert Humperdinck, Mary Hopkin, French-American singer Joe Dassin, Petula Clark & many other English singers; he wrote the orchestration for a number of hit songs in the UK, including ELOISE [#2] by Barry Ryan in ‘68, YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK [#5] by Jamaican duo Bob & Marcia in ‘70, and the Rock Steady hit YOU CAN GET IT IF YOU REALLY WANT [#2] by Desmond Dekker in ‘70; he arranged the novelty hit JOHNNY REGGAE [#3] by The Piglets in ‘71 and was leader of a studio group known as “The Reggae Strings,” adding strings to a number of Reggae songs that became UK hits in the early ‘70s
SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, with music by Jerome Kern & lyrics by Otto Harbach, was written for the Broadway Musical ROBERTA, based on the novel “Gowns by Roberta,” & sung in the show by Tamara Drasin in ‘33; first recorded by Gertrude Niesen that year; conductor Paul Whiteman had the first hit with it the following year, reaching #1, with a vocal by Bob Lawrence; actress Irene Dunne sang the song in the 1935 film adaptation of the musical, in which she co-starred with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers & Randolph Scott; actress & coloratura soprano Kathryn Grayson sang it in the 1952 film remake, renamed LOVELY TO LOOK AT, co-starring herself, Red Skelton & Howard Keel / others who have recorded or performed SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, include: the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in ‘38; American harmonica player Larry Adler, live on the BBC, in the ‘30s; English bandleader Henry Hall, also live on the BBC, in the ‘30s; American Jazz pianist Art Tatum in the ‘30s & later in his career; Russian-born American conductor Andre Kostelanetz recorded an Easy Listening version in ‘41; a Mutual radio broadcast by Benny Goodman w/vocalist Peggy Lee was recorded & released on BENNY AND SID ROLL ‘EM in ‘41; Glenn Miller’s version was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London in November ‘44 - but after his WWII death, flying from England to France in December of that year, the recording went unreleased until ‘95; recorded in a live broadcast from New York City by the Nat King Cole trio in ‘48 & also performed on THE NAT KING COLE SHOW in ‘57; Harry Belafonte’s cover was in an early recording in ‘49 with Jazz saxophonist Zoot Simms; Jazz saxophonist & conductor Charlie Parker on BIRD AT ST. NICK’S and Pop singer Jo Stafford on AUTUMN IN NEW YORK - both in ‘50; recorded by Eartha Kitt with the Henri Rene Orchestra in ‘52, in the same sessions that produced SANTA BABY, and released on THAT BAD EARTHA in ‘54; singer & pianist Dinah Washington on her fourth studio album, DINAH!, in ‘56; actress/singer Polly Bergen sang the song on the premier episode of her TV variety series THE POLLY BERGEN SHOW in September ‘57; recorded by Jazz singer & pianist Jeri Southern for her ‘57 album WHEN YOUR HEART’S ON FIRE, with the album title taken from a line in the song; the first song on Jazz singer Sarah Vaughn’s album NO COUNT SARAH in ‘58; Vaughn was accompanied by the Count Basie Band - but Basie himself was not involved in the recording / 1950s Doo Wop group The Platters had a huge international hit with SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES in ‘58-‘59 - their fourth #1 on the Billboard Pop charts, topping the Hot 100 for three weeks in January & February ‘59 and reaching #3 on Billboard’s R&B chart; also #1 in Australia, Canada, Italy, South Africa & the UK [1 wk in March / 20 wks on chart], and Top 10 in the Netherlands [#4] and Belgium - Flanders [#5] & Wallonia [#8]; the Platter’s producer, Buck Ram, said that the song’s lyricist Otto Harbach thanked him "for reviving his song with taste" - but the widow of composer Jerome Kern disliked The Platters’ version so much that she considered legal action to prevent the single’s distribution / included on the album titled BLUE HAZE in ‘73, the studio group’s Reggae cover version of the classic song reached #21 on the Cashbox [sales only] chart & #5 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart; internationally, it was a Top 10 hit in the “low countries” yet again - Netherlands [#4] & Belgium - Flanders [#2] & Wallonia [#9], Top 20 in Canada [#13], and Top 40 in Australia [#30] & the UK [#32]
*#36] THE COVER OF THE “ROLLING STONE” by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
LW #43 / 10 wks / 100-99-85-84-77|-65-55-49-43-36 / 3rd Debut in the Top 40 / after a slow start, the third chart single by the New Jersey band was now their second Top 40 hit, jumping up seven positions to #36, in its tenth week on the Hot 100 / the group’s first “45” on the Hot 100, the Gold single SYLVIA’S MOTHER, was a #5 hit for two weeks in June ‘72
#37] PIECES OF APRIL by Three Dog Night
LW #24 / Peak - #19 [1 wk] / Top 20 - 1 wks / Top 40 - 9 wks / Hot 100 - 12th wk [of 14] / 90-66-47-33-28-25-23|-21-19-21-24-37-43-56 / from Three Dog Night’s Richard Podolor-produced sixth studio album, SEVEN SEPERATE FOOLS [#6 US / Gold / #21 Australia / #7 Canada], released on Dunhill Records in July ‘72 / PIECES OF APRIL stretched the popular Pop Rock band’s string of consecutive Top 20 Pop singles to 14 by peaking at #19 for the week of 1/13/72, their second single to peak in that position for one week / the streak had begun with their second Hot 100/Top 40 single, ONE, which first entered the Top 20 in the 6/7/69 chart, jumping to #14, from #23, in its third week in the Top 40 & sixth week on the Hot 100
Three Dog Night’s 14 Top 20 Hits:
1969:
ONE - #5 [3 wks / Gold] in June/July
EASY TO BE HARD - #4 [2 wks] in Sept/Oct
ELI’S COMING - #10 [ 2 wks] in Nov/Dec
1970:
CELEBRATE - #15 [2 wks] in Mar/Apr
MAMA TOLD ME (Not To Come) - #1 [2 wks / Gold] in July
OUT IN THE COUNTRY - #15 [2 wks] in October
1971:
ONE MAN BAND - #19 [1 wk] in January
JOY TO THE WORLD - #1 [6 wks / Gold] in Apr/May
LIAR - #7 [1 wk] in August
AN OLD FASHIONED LOVE SONG - #4 [3 wks / Gold] in Dec ‘71-Jan ‘72
1972:
NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN - #5 [2 wks] in February
THE FAMILY OF MAN - #12 [2 wks] in Apr/May
BLACK & WHITE - #1 [1 wk / Gold] in September
1973:
PIECES OF APRIL - #19 [1 wk] in January ‘73
PIECES OF APRIL was written by Country songwriter Dave Loggins, who would have a Top 10 Pop hit with PLEASE COME TO BOSTON [#5 - 2 wks / #1 - 1 wk EL / #4 Canada] in August ‘74 / Loggins released his own version of the Three Dog Night hit, reaching #22 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart in ‘79 / Dave Loggins - a second cousin of singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins [although they never met until later in their careers] - was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in ‘95 / he has written songs recorded by Alabama, Billy Ray Cyrus, Crystal Gayle, Restless Heart, Wynonna Judd, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Gary Morris, Tanya Tucker, and Don Williams, including the #1 Country hits, MORNING DESIRE - the 12th Country #1 by Kenny Rogers - in ‘85 and YOU MAKE ME WANT TO MAKE YOU MINE by Juice Newton - her second Country #1 - also in ‘85 / Loggins scored his own Country #1 [his only Country hit] NOBODY LOVES ME LIKE YOU DO, in a duet with Anne Murray in mid-December ‘84, ironically, with a song he did not write / another song written by Loggins, TIL THE WORLD ENDS, would be Three Dog Night’s final Hot 100 single in ‘75
PIECES OF APRIL has also been recorded by Andy Williams for ALONE AGAIN (Naturally) [#86 US / #68 Australia] in ‘73, Johnny Mathis in sessions for ME AND MRS. JONES in ‘72 - but not released until the CD version came out 35 years later in ‘17 & also on his 68-disc box set THE VOICE OF ROMANCE: THE COLUMBIA ORIGINAL ALBUM COLLECTION - also released in ‘17, and by Twiggy on her self-titled album [#33 UK / Silver] in ‘76 / PIECES OF APRIL was just the second* single by the group not to feature the voices of all three of its singers; Cory Wells & Danny Hutton left the London recording sessions before the last two songs, which included PIECES OF APRIL, were recorded, leaving Chuck Negron to sing both by himself / *[TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS, the band’s first chart single - #29 [1 wk] in April ‘69 - featured only the voice of Cory Wells] / PIECES OF APRIL was included on the live album AROUND THE WORLD WITH THREE DOG NIGHT [#18 US / Gold / #21 Canada / #9 Japan] on Dunhill Records in ‘73 and on three compilation collections - the 20 track, double album THE BEST OF 3 DOG NIGHT [Gold] on MCA Records in ‘82, the 43 track, 2-disc CD CELEBRATE: THE THREE DOG NIGHT STORY, 1965—1975 on MCA Records in ‘93, and the 21 track THE COMPLETE HIT SINGLES [#178] on Geffen Records in ‘04 / PIECES OF APRIL peaked one position higher, at #18, on the Cashbox [sales only] chart for 1/6/73 and was the band’s third Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, peaking at #6; in Canada, the tender ballad reached #14 on the RPM Pop chart & #9 on the RPM EL chart
*#38] PEACEFUL EASY FEELING by Eagles
LW #44 / 6 wks / 73-|67-58-51-44-38 / 4th Debut in the Top 40 / the four-man Country-Rock outfit’s third single was their third Top 40 hit in just over seven months / TAKE IT EASY debuted in the Top 40 at #35 in its fourth week on the 6/24/72 chart and WITCHY WOMAN entered the Top 40, also at #35 in its fourth week, three months later on the 9/30/72 chart / their latest wasn’t moving up the chart quite as quickly as its predecessors, needing six weeks to reach the Top 40
#39] LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE by The Partridge Family starring Shirley Jones & featuring David Cassidy
LW #39 / Peak - #39 [2 wks] / Top 40 - 2 wks / Hot 100 - 8 wks / 82-73-64|-57-49-42-39-39 / TV musical sitcom THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, starring Shirley Jones & featuring David Cassidy, aired from September 25, 1970 to August 24, 1974, for a total of 96 episodes in four seasons, with episodes still playing in syndication; the show’s story is loosely based on real-life family Pop group The Cowsills, which had three Top 10 hits in the late ‘60s and included five brothers, little sister Susan & mother Barbara; the show starred Jones as the widowed mother of five children, who joins the family’s “garage band,” lead by oldest son & lead singer Keith, played by Jones’ real-life stepson Cassidy / in reality, although David Cassidy sang lead on the songs [after he was able to convince the show’s producers that he could actually sing] and Shirley Jones sang on some songs [her voice is higher in the mix on songs in the TV show than on the records & there is still debate over whether she actually sang on most of the songs], the backing musicians were studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew and the backing vocals were sung by The Ron Hicklin singers [the most recorded group in history sang on hit records, TV & movie theme songs, and commercial jingles in the ‘60s & ‘70s, with Hicklin and brothers Tom & John Bahler being recorded the most; Hicklin said in an interview that he never had a desire to be a star, he just wanted to sing] / record sales & ratings for the group & show were fantastic in the first season and then began declining in the three seasons that followed / the current single was their eighth on the Hot 100 & was the “family” group’s lowest charting Top 40 single; it would drop completely off the chart next week, after two weeks at its peak of #39 / lead singer David Cassidy’s solo career also had a similar downward trajectory in the US, beginning with a Top 10 hit, which was followed by three singles in the lower half of the Top 40 / the group’s albums followed the same downward trend - the first four were Top 10 hits & Gold Records in ‘70 & ‘71; their fifth album was a Top 20 hit & their last to be certified Gold; current album THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY NOTEBOOK, peaking at #41, was their last album to chart in the top half of Billboard’s Top 200 album chart; two more albums would be released - both in ‘73 - but only one would chart
The Partridge Family’s Top 40 Hits:
I THINK I LOVE YOU - #1 [3 wks / Gold] in Nov/Dec ‘70
DOESN’T SOMEBODY WANT TO BE WANTED - #6 [1 wk / Gold] in March ‘71
I’LL MEET YOU HALFWAY - #9 [2 wks] in June ‘71
I WOKE UP IN LOVE THIS MORNING - #13 [2 wks] in Sept/Oct '71
IT’S ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS (Yes Love) - #20 [2 wks] in January '72
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO - #28 [1 wk] in August '72
LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE - #39 [2 wks] in Jan/Feb ‘73
David Cassidy’s Top 40 hits:
CHERISH - #9 [3 wks] / Gold] in Dec ‘71-Jan ‘72
COULD IT BE FOREVER - #37 [1 wk] in April '72
HOW CAN I BE SURE - #25 [1 wk] in July ‘72
ROCK ME BABY - #38 [2 wks] in October ‘72
David Cassidy’s solo career in the UK was much different than his career in the US, with all nine of his singles reaching the Top 20, from ‘72 to ‘75, with five Top 10 hits, including three that were double-sided hits: COULD IT BE FOREVER // CHERISH [#2 -1 wk] in May & HOW CAN I BE SURE [#1 - 2 wks] in Sept/Oct ‘72; I’M A CLOWN // SOME KIND OF SUMMER [#3 - 1 wk] in April & DAYDREAMER // PUPPY SONG [#1 - 3 wks] in Oct/Nov ‘73; and IF I DIDN’T CARE [#9 - 2 wks] in June ‘74; two of Cassidy’s Top 20 UK singles peaked at #11 - ROCK ME BABY [1 wk] in December ‘72 & I WRITE THE SONGS // GET IT UP FOR LOVE [1 wk] in August ‘75; and two peaked at #16 - PLEASE PLEASE ME [2 wks] in August ‘74 & DARLIN’ [1 wk] in November ‘75; Cassidy’s tenth & final UK hit came a decade after his first chart run ended, giving him one more Top 10 hit, THE LAST KISS [#6 - 1 wk], in March ‘85 / Cassidy’s first two UK albums - CHERISH [Gold] & ROCK ME BABY - peaked at #2 in ‘72 and his third, DREAMS ARE NUTHIN’ MORE THAN WISHES [Gold], went to #1 in ‘73; CASSIDY LIVE! [Gold] reached #9 in ‘74; and his album of re-recordings of 22 Partridge Family & solo songs, THEN AND NOW [Gold], peaked at #5 in the UK in ‘01
LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE, written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill and overseen by the group’s only producer, Wes Farrell, first charted for early ‘60s hitmaker Gene Pitney; his original version was a Top 40 hit in the US [#28 - 2 wks] in Aug/Sept ‘65 and Australia [#34] - but was a Top 10 hit in Canada & the UK, peaking at #3 in both countries / likewise, The Partridge Family’s cover version performed better on charts other than the Hot 100 - #25 [2 wks] on the Cashbox [sales only] chart in Jan/Feb ‘73, #9 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, #16 on Canada’s RPM EL chart, #22 in Australia & #9 in the UK - just the group’s second Top 10 hit there / cover versions of the song include Marlena Shaw on her THE SPICE OF LIFE album in ‘69 [which also included her cover of Ashford & Simpson’s CALIFORNIA SOUL], Jazz saxophonist Rusty Bryant on FOR THE GOOD TIMES in ‘73, and David Cassidy on THEN AND NOW, his ‘02 album of new versions of songs by The Partridge Family & his early solo years while with the group
#40] I’M NEVER GONNA BE ALONE ANYMORE by The Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
LW #42 / 5th Debut in the Top 40 / Peak - #37 [1 wk] / Top 40 - 2 wks / Hot 100 - 7th wk [of 9] / 74-69|-60-52-44-42-40-37-48 / the fourth single by the family group from Dania Beach in Broward County in southern Florida was their fourth & final Top 40 hit on the Hot 100 / their first two singles were both Top 3 hits on the Pop chart, with their third charting in the Top 25, while their fourth & current single just made it into the lower Top 40 / TREAT HER LIKE A LADY [#3 - 2 wks / #20 Soul / Gold] in July ‘71, TOO LATE TO TURN BACK NOW [#2 - 2 wks / #5 Soul / #6 EL / Gold] in July & DON’T EVER BE LONELY (A Poor Little Fool Like Me) [#23 - 1 wk / #28 Soul / #27 EL] in October ‘72, I’M NEVER GONNA BE ALONE ANYMORE [#37 -1 wk / #43 Soul / #10 EL] in February ‘73 and a fifth single, LET ME DOWN EASY [which would peak at #96 in May] were all included on their first album, CORNELIUS BROTHERS & SISTER ROSE [#29 Top 200 / #12 Soul], released in July ‘72 / a second album, BIG TIME LOVER [#32 Soul], released in ‘73, produced two singles - one got to #104 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart & both charted in the lower half of the Soul singles chart in ‘73 & ‘74; GREATEST HITS [#60 Soul] also had two singles released but only one charted on the lower half of the Soul singles chart in ‘76 / all of the group’s recordings were produced by Bob Archibald at his Music Factory studio in Miami, Florida, and released on United Artists Records; brothers Eddie & Carter - from a musical family of 15 brothers & sisters - answered a talent ad in the mid-60s & were signed as The Cornelius Brothers by Archibald to his Coral label; the brothers’ childhood friend Cleveland Barrett was also a member but was killed in an automobile accident before the group’s breakthrough; Rose Cornelius, who arranged the group’s backing vocals, toured the US with several groups, playing in Las Vegas & appearing on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW in the late ‘60s, & was singing with the Gospel Jazz Singers when their mother asked her to come home to Florida to help her brothers with their group in ‘70 / the three siblings were joined by sister Billie Jo in ‘72 / after the group broke up in ‘76, Carter Cornelius joined a Black Hebrew sect in Miami and wrote & recorded music and videos for the group until his death from a heart attack in November ‘91 / Eddie Cornelius became a born again Christian & later a pastor and wrote, recorded & sang music; his memoir “It's Not Too Late To Turn Back Now (Back To The Open Arms Of God)” was published in ‘20 / the surviving Cornelius siblings filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Capitol Records in 2001 - but the plaintiffs did not actively pursue the case and it was dismissed without prejudice three years later / Rose Cornelius is still writing & performing music in south Florida and has a Facebook page, which states that The Rose Cornelius Band has three to five members and is “available”