Casey Kasem American Top 40

[RGMike]

Sammi Jo's "Tell Me A Lie" is a nice bit of country songwriting, "cheatin'" division.  Got no NYC airplay at all, but still got to #21 nationally; amazingly, it only got to #52 on the C&W chart -- but Janie Fricke's 1983 remake would be a country #1.

[RGMike]

Is Carly'n'James' "Mockingbird" my WOS this week? Yes, indeed-o!

And shame on Helen Reddy's "Keep on Singin'" for ripping off the melody of BJ Thomas' far superior "Rock'N'Roll Lullabye".  I've never heard the Austin Roberts orig of "KOS", BTW. And... I'm good with that.

But BOS the fantabulous Bobby W, "Lookin' For A Love".  Hugs'n'kisses!

[RGMike]

I found this amusing: the #1 LP that week in 1974 was John Denver's Greatest Hits -- he'd only had 3 "hits" up to that point.

[Gazoo]

Sammi Jo's "Tell Me A Lie" is a nice bit of country songwriting, "cheatin'" division. 

I loved it.

Meanwhile, Casey's '80s visit 1985 and #39 with a nice song on awful vinyl: New Edition's forgotten ballad "Lost in Love."

And then at #38, a BOS candidate, Loofa and "Til My Baby Comes Home."  I loved this one when it came out.

[Gazoo]

Some interesting tunes and fond memories in this set.  The original Katrina is here - and untrue to its name, I think it's been more than a year since I heard it last - as are REO Speedwagon's sappy but effective "Can't Fight This Feeling" and what may be the most overproduced single in history, Kenny Loggins' "Vox Humana."  Best funk of set is a battle between the MJ Girls' "In My House" and Teena Marie's "Lovergirl."

[Wayback]

This weekend Casey70's is from May 6, 1972.  The Playlist:
http://www.whnn.com/goout.asp?u=http://images.radcity.net/5874/3640499.pdf

[Gazoo]

This was a good '72 set.  Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Mister Can't You See" was new to me - her only Top 40 hit!  VHM to "The Candy Man," which I love doing at karaoke; BOS to the flawless "I Saw the Light."

[RGMike]

This was a good '72 set.  Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Mister Can't You See" was new to me - her only Top 40 hit! 

I *loved* Ms. Sainte-Marie back then, but she's goaty-throatier than Stevie Nicks with strep! You're familiar (I hope) with her "Magic is Afoot"?

[Tinka Cat]

This was a good '72 set.  Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Mister Can't You See" was new to me - her only Top 40 hit! 

I *loved* Ms. Sainte-Marie back then, but she's goaty-throatier than Stevie Nicks with strep! You're familiar (I hope) with her "Magic is Afoot"?

It sounded like she was running in place..!

[RGMike]

Jeez, are the syndicators deliberately picking every single countdown in which Bobby Vinton appears??  He's at #39 with "Every Day of My Life", which amazingly got as high as 24 but which I have no recollection of. Kind of amazing that he'd have a Top 40 hit that didn't get any NYC airplay.

[RGMike]

This was a good '72 set.  Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Mister Can't You See" was new to me - her only Top 40 hit! 

I *loved* Ms. Sainte-Marie back then, but she's goaty-throatier than Stevie Nicks with strep! You're familiar (I hope) with her "Magic is Afoot"?

It sounded like she was running in place..!

LOL! great production, tho' -- wouldn't've been out-of-place on All Things Must Pass.

"Please, Mrs. Avery, tell Gaz that 'Sylvia's Mother' is a small masterpiece of economical story-songwriting, whatever he may think of Ray Sawyer's admittedly creepy voice."

(speaking of, True Oldies Channel is doing a "storytellers weekend", featuring story songs -- "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town", for one)

OMG! I don't think I've ever heard that spoken intro to Gladys' cover of "Help Me Make it Thru the Night" before!  But I got a chuckle from the 45 edit of "Roundabout". They got in and out of the valley rather quickly. But that left room for Casey to play the looong version of "Taxi".

BOS Nilsson's fantabulous "Jump Into The Fire".

[RGMike]

'50s nostalgia begins to take hold: the J-5 do their underrated cover of "Little Bitty Pretty One" at #26, MJ will be along later with "Rockin' Robin", Donny O covers Paul Anka in a bit. And it was right around this time in '72 that I saw the Off-B'way production of Grease (a class trip, amazingly).

Man, that Sammy Davis Jr makes a groovy lemon pie! Must be all that Maneschewitz Cream White Concord.

[Gazoo]

This was a good '72 set.  Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Mister Can't You See" was new to me - her only Top 40 hit! 

I *loved* Ms. Sainte-Marie back then, but she's goaty-throatier than Stevie Nicks with strep! You're familiar (I hope) with her "Magic is Afoot"?

Sadly, not at all.  I'll YouTube it now.

"Please, Mrs. Avery, tell Gaz that 'Sylvia's Mother' is a small masterpiece of economical story-songwriting, whatever he may think of Ray Sawyer's admittedly creepy voice."

LOL, but BLAHBLAHBLAH (sticks fingers in ears) ... I think it's the "next three minutes" conceit that really bugs me.

OMG! I don't think I've ever heard that spoken intro to Gladys' cover of "Help Me Make it Thru the Night" before! 

I love that bit!  About 10 years ago I made a mix tape for a few friends, using that as the intro; I titled the mix "Gladys Imagines Happy People."

[Gazoo]

OMG! I don't think I've ever heard that spoken intro to Gladys' cover of "Help Me Make it Thru the Night" before! 

Also perhaps worth noting that the single is credited "Gladys Knight & the Pips" - but no Pips appear on the track.  It's Gladys solo.

[RGMike]

Surprise BOS2: Don McLean's lovely "Castles in the Air", a track from his first, pre-"Pie" LP, on the small Mediarts label. But UA put it on the flip of "Vincent" and it charted as a double-sided hit. "Castles" was a big prog-FM "turntable hit" in NYC when that first LP was orig released. Hearing it here was an unexpected treat.