Casey Kasem's American Top 40 - The 70s

[Channel98]

Here – not that I expect anyone to actually listen to this – is Kasey Cisyk's original version of You Light Up My Life, the theme song of a movie starring Didi Conn, Joe Silver and Michael Zaslow. This got to #80 on the Hot 100 in November 1977. Various pressings of the single said "Original Cast" or "Original Soundtrack Recording." Cisyk was not credited. Make of that what you will.

 

[HecticArt]

Eight(ish)

31. Queen - We Are the Champions
22. Steve Miller Band - Swingtown
21. Styx - Come Sail Away
17. Paul Simon - Slip Slidin' Away
14. Barry White - It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me
13. Player - Baby Come Back
11. Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun
5. Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou

 

[sadchild]

Great/good/ok 13

*****
31. Queen - We Are the Champions
17. Paul Simon - Slip Slidin' Away
11. Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun

****
15. Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again
12. Dave Mason - We Just Disagree

***
30. Rod Stewart - You're in My Heart
26. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
22. Steve Miller Band - Swingtown
21. Styx - Come Sail Away
16. Bob Welch - Sentimental Lady
9. Linda Ronstadt - It's So Easy
5. Linda Ronstadt - Blue Bayou
4. Chicago - Baby What a Big Surprise

**
37. Firefall - Just Remember I Love You
25. Paul Davis - I Go Crazy
23. James Taylor - Your Smiling Face
19. Judy Collins - Send in the Clowns
13. Player - Baby Come Back
3. Bee Gees - How Deep is Your Love
2. Crystal Gayle - Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

*
28. Donna Summer - I Feel Love blue man group did it better
1. Debby Boone - You Light Up My Life

? 19

 

[Channel98]

28. Donna Summer - I Feel Love blue man group did it better

Listen up, fool! Berkeley punk-rock band The Mr. T Experience recorded I Feel Love for their 1993 CD Our Bodies Our Selves. Frank "Dr. Frank" Portman is the lead singer and guitarist. I pity the fool who doesn't like this version.

 

[sadchild]

Don't love it, but it's certainly better than Donna's

 

[scotchandcigar]

12 for 1977:

31. Queen - We Are the Champions
30. Rod Stewart - You're in My Heart
29. Santana - She's Not There
28. Donna Summer - I Feel Love
26. Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
23. James Taylor - Your Smiling Face
22. Steve Miller Band - Swingtown
21. Styx - Come Sail Away
17. Paul Simon - Slip Slidin' Away
11. Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun
9. Linda Ronstadt - It's So Easy
4. Chicago - Baby What a Big Surprise

 

[scotchandcigar]

Don't love it, but it's certainly better than Donna's

I don't really understand your attitude about the original, without which there'd be no Blue Man Group version. While I agree the latter has more of a rock edge to it, which you're certainly free to prefer, you talk about the original as if it's just a cover version you don't like, rather than the groundbreaking song it is.

Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, the team aimed to create a futuristic mood, employing a Moog synthesizer borrowed from the classical composer Eberhard Schoener, aided by his assistant, Robby Wedel. Wedel demonstrated how to synchronize the elements using a click track, a feat Moroder described as "a revelation".

"I Feel Love" was recorded on a 16-track tape recorder, with the various parts programmed on a sequencer. As the Moog went out of tune quickly, it had to be recorded in bursts of 20 or 30 seconds before being retuned. "I Feel Love" was the first song to combine repetitive synthesizer loops with a continuous four-on-the-floor bass drum and an off-beat hi-hat, which became a main feature of techno and house music ten years later.

Unusually for a disco track of the era, Moroder composed the backing track and bassline before the melody. He introduced variety by altering the key at regular intervals and layering Summer's vocals. Each note of the bassline is doubled by a delay effect. The unmodified bassline plays through the left channel and the delayed repetition through the right, creating a flickering, strobe-like effect.

According to the singer David Bowie, his collaborator Brian Eno "came running in" and told him he had heard "the sound of the future". According to Bowie, Eno accurately predicted that "I Feel Love" would change the sound of club music for the next 15 years.

 

[sadchild]

Right up there Kraftwerk and Ray Whatshisdoorface. "Thank you for opening the door to a next level in music. Now others can make music with your cutting edge idea that will actually sound good."

 

[sadchild]

Almost a two hit wonder!

LTD
#4 "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again"
#20 "Love Ballad"
#40 "Shine On"

 

[Channel98]

Love Ballad was written by Clarence "Skip" Scarborough, who also wrote Netsky's Love Is Gone and co-wrote Bill Withers' Lovely Day, the Dells' Love Can Make It Easier, the Friends Of Distinction's Love Or Let Me Be Lonely, Creative Source's You Can't Hide Love, Earth Wind & Fire's Love Music, Deniece Williams' Love Notes and Phyliis Hyman's No One Can Love You More. Did you detect a pattern there?

Love Ballad was a number-one R&B hit and #20 pop hit for L.T.D. in November 1976. Jeffrey Osborne sang lead. George Benson's remake got to #3 on the R&B chart and #18 on the Hot 100 in April 1979. Here is the 5:15 album version. It was cut to 4:16 for release as a single.

 

[hwkn]

Tonight’s wheel is 10/10/70

 

[sadchild]

December 15, 1973

40: SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK - THE PERSUADERS
39: WHEN I FALL IN LOVE - DONNY OSMOND
38: WHY ME - KRIS KRISTOFFERSON
37: CORAZON - CAROLE KING
36: YOU'RE A SPECIAL PART OF ME - DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE
35: UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME - ARETHA FRANKLIN
34: CHEAPER TO KEEP HER - JOHNNIE TAYLOR
33: ME AND BABY BROTHER - WAR
32: ANGIE - THE ROLLING STONES
31: LET ME BE THERE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
30: PAPER ROSES - MARIE OSMOND
29: LET ME SERENADE YOU - THREE DOG NIGHT
28: D'YER MAK'ER - LED ZEPPELIN
27: WHO'S IN THE STRAWBERRY PATCH WITH SALLY - TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN
26: I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
25: I GOT A NAME - JIM CROCE
24: HELEN WHEELS - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS
23: HEARTBEAT-IT'S A LOVEBEAT - THE DeFRANCO FAMILY
22: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
21: COME GET TO THIS - MARVIN GAYE
20: MIND GAMES - JOHN LENNON
19: LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER
18: MY MUSIC - LOGGINS & MESSINA
17: ROCKIN' ROLL BABY - STYLISTICS
16: SHOW AND TELL - AL WILSON
15: MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
14: NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - BARRY WHITE
13: KEEP ON TRUCKIN' - EDDIE KENDRICKS
12: THE LOVE I LOST (PART 1) - HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES
11: SPACE RACE - BILLY PRESTON
10: IF YOU'RE READY (COME GO WITH ME) - THE STAPLE SINGERS
9: THE JOKER - STEVE MILLER BAND
8: PHOTOGRAPH - RINGO STARR
7: LEAVE ME ALONE (RUBY RED DRESS) - HELEN REDDY
6: HELLO IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN
5: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE
4: JUST YOU 'N' ME - CHICAGO
3: TOP OF THE WORLD - THE CARPENTERS
2: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN
1: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - CHARLIE RICH

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

This is not on my list but I did not know until now that this was the original make of the Rod Stewart song. It was also remade. prior to Stewart, by Robert Palmer.
40: SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK - THE PERSUADERS

9 good/ok from 1973:
32: ANGIE - THE ROLLING STONES
31: LET ME BE THERE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
22: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
15: MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
9: THE JOKER - STEVE MILLER BAND
8: PHOTOGRAPH - RINGO STARR
5: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE
3: TOP OF THE WORLD - THE CARPENTERS
2: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN

 

[HecticArt]

Almost seven.

28: D'YER MAK'ER - LED ZEPPELIN
22: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
19: LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER
14: NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - BARRY WHITE
9: THE JOKER - STEVE MILLER BAND
5: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE - Meh. It's well done, but such a downer.
2: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN

 

[Channel98]

When I Fall In Love was one of Donny Osmond's 13 chart hits that were remakes. The song was originally an instrumental written by Victor Young. It was the theme song of One Minute To Zero, a 1952 war movie produced by Howard Hughes and starring Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth. Lyrics were written by Edward Heyman. When I Fall In Love has been recorded by more than 800 artists. Here is the first version, by jazz singer/pianist Jeri Southern (real name: Genevieve Hering) and the Victor Young Orchestra. This was recorded on April 3, 1952 and released as a single in June but failed to chart. A version by Doris Day reached #20 in August 1952. The song later became a hit for Etta Jones, the Lettermen, Donny Osmond, Natalie Cole, and Céline Dion & Clive Griffin.

 

[sadchild]

This is not on my list but I did not know until now that this was the original make of the Rod Stewart song. It was also remade. prior to Stewart, by Robert Palmer.

I didn't know either. I like Rod's version.

Great/good/ok 9

*****
5: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE

****
32: ANGIE - THE ROLLING STONES
28: D'YER MAK'ER - LED ZEPPELIN
25: I GOT A NAME - JIM CROCE
14: NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP - BARRY WHITE
9: THE JOKER - STEVE MILLER BAND
2: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN

***
22: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
4: JUST YOU 'N' ME - CHICAGO

**
6: HELLO IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN

? 30

 

[scotchandcigar]

14 for 1973

32: ANGIE - THE ROLLING STONES
31: LET ME BE THERE - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
28: D'YER MAK'ER - LED ZEPPELIN
24: HELEN WHEELS - PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS
22: SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS' ROOM - BROWNSVILLE STATION
20: MIND GAMES - JOHN LENNON
19: LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER - an iconic song, which I expected to be on everyone's list.
11: SPACE RACE - BILLY PRESTON
9: THE JOKER - STEVE MILLER BAND
8: PHOTOGRAPH - RINGO STARR
6: HELLO IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN - an iconic song, which I expected to be on everyone's list.
5: TIME IN A BOTTLE - JIM CROCE
4: JUST YOU 'N' ME - CHICAGO
2: GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - ELTON JOHN

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

19: LIVING FOR THE CITY - STEVIE WONDER - an iconic song, which I expected to be on everyone's list.
6: HELLO IT'S ME - TODD RUNDGREN - an iconic song, which I expected to be on everyone's list.

I am not familiar with either.

 

[scotchandcigar]

I am not familiar with either.

Is this based on the titles, or listening to the songs? Because if it's the latter, I find it incomprehensible that you could listen to rock/pop radio in the 70s or 80s without hearing Rundgren's biggest hit a thousand times. And it's been used in countless movies and TV shows, even recently.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Is this based on the titles, or listening to the songs? Because if it's the latter, I find it incomprehensible that you could listen to rock/pop radio in the 70s or 80s without hearing Rundgren's biggest hit a thousand times. And it's been used in countless movies and TV shows, even recently.

I do these lists based upon my familiarity with the song names and my ability to match this to a song. It is entirely possible there are songs which I have heard which are these songs but I never matched them to a name. I don't listen in general to a lot of radio stations that play a lot of early 70s rock so it is still possible I have not heard.

The only Rundgren song I am really familiar with is "Bang the Drum All Day" which ironically was not a hit for him. It was used as a Friday at 5 song on one of the radio stations I listened to in the 90s.

I just did a quick listen on youtube to "Hello It's Me". I am familiar. It is not a channel changer but I don't like enough to make my list.