Casey Kasem American Top 40

[Tinka Cat]

Just remembered: #29 was the Guess Who, "Albert Flasher."  Who liked that?

I don't think I like that one too much, can't place it in my head right now, esp when the dulcet tones of the "tall young man with the troubled past, who sings soft and sad" in my face.  Dang you James Taylor!

But I've been fixated on the Guess Who's "No Time" lately.  I heard it on the radio one morning while I was in the shower -- where I do my best work -- and I was doing a great job of karaoke-ing that.  You hear it on the radio all the time, but it struck me as such a great song.  To paraphrase Geoff from yesterday, a cliche is a cliche b/c it's so very true, and song is played a lot b/c it deserves to be played a lot.

[Gazoo]

I dig "No Time" too.  But what's a "killing floor"?

Speaking of lyrical gripes, ixnay on the "Extra! Extra! Read all about it" in "Want Ads."  Even in an era of increasing media commercialization, a personal ad is not headline news.  Delusional self-importance is a frustrating mess.

[Tinka Cat]

I dig "No Time" too.  But what's a "killing floor"?

Speaking of lyrical gripes, ixnay on the "Extra! Extra! Read all about it" in "Want Ads."  Even in an era of increasing media commercialization, a personal ad is not headline news.  Delusional self-importance is a frustrating mess.

killing floor, that part of the slaughterhouse where the animal is actually killed?  that's what i always thought it meant.

aside: the other night I was at an internet radio broadcast gathering here in SF.  Chef Tracy Des Jardins was one of the featured guests on the program (she owns and runs Jardinaire, Mejita and Acme Chop House in AT&T Park).  The discussion was about food, natch, and she said she often asks her dinner party guest "What kind of meat would you eat if you had to kill it yourself?"  great question.  I love meat, but I've never killed my meal. Check out Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma -- great book, if a little long.

[Gazoo]

I dig "No Time" too.  But what's a "killing floor"?

Speaking of lyrical gripes, ixnay on the "Extra! Extra! Read all about it" in "Want Ads."  Even in an era of increasing media commercialization, a personal ad is not headline news.  Delusional self-importance is a frustrating mess.

killing floor, that part of the slaughterhouse where the animal is actually killed?  that's what i always thought it meant.

aside: the other night I was at an internet radio broadcast gathering here in SF.  Chef Tracy Des Jardins was one of the featured guests on the program (she owns and runs Jardinaire, Mejita and Acme Chop House in AT&T Park).  The discussion was about food, natch, and she said she often asks her dinner party guest "What kind of meat would you eat if you had to kill it yourself?"  great question.  I love meat, but I've never killed my meal. Check out Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma -- great book, if a little long.

Haha, I've often described myself to friends as a "cowardly omnivore" - I couldn't kill my own food.  I'd go veggie.  At most I could fish.

[RGMike]

Wow! Tough crowd!  I'm looking forward to hearing this one tonite.

[RGMike]

Speaking of lyrical gripes, ixnay on the "Extra! Extra! Read all about it" in "Want Ads."  Even in an era of increasing media commercialization, a personal ad is not headline news.  Delusional self-importance is a frustrating mess.

Jeezus Kee-ryst! talk about completely over-thinking a 3-minute pop song!   

[RGMike]

Earlier we had Paul Humphries' Cool-Aid Chemists: he may have been a fine drummer, but someone was a horrid producer; the fake applause is even worse than that on "I Play and Sing."

I'm not so sure it's fake (I'll research later) but it sure sounds like the Crusaders wrote "Put it Where You Want it" after hearing this one a few dozen times.

[RGMike]

That "Teen Angel"-was-written-as-a-joke thing is one of my favorite "behind the hits" stories of all time.

Maybe losing the "IDKHTLH" cover battle to Helen Reddy is what gave Yvonne E. her whinyface in the first place.

BOS1 she-took-2-Tylenol-and-now-she's Freda Payne, with the fabulous "Bring the Boys Home", or "Vietnam with Violins" as Robert Christgau once famously called it. Imagine Beyonce or Britney releasing something similar at the height of the Iraq war.

[RGMike]

Just remembered: #29 was the Guess Who, "Albert Flasher."  Who liked that?

Workshop owners and moviemakers.

[RGMike]

WOS to Tom Jones' "Puppet Man."  Embarrassing backing vox on that.  Unlistenable.

Very bad, but don't fault TJ: he's crackajack til da crack o' dawn. It *is*, however, one of the most unnecessary covers EVAH, as the 5th Dimension did their perfectly fine version the year before.  Oddly, the B-side of TJ's version was his take on "Resurrection Shuffle", which whould hit the 40 in a few more weeks by Ashton Gardner & Dyke. Hmmm... Tom Jones in "heavy leather" -- I'd pay to see that.

BOS2 to Gladys Knight & the Pips' "I Don't Want to Do Wrong," one of the very best cheating songs I know.  PoC sent me a grand live version by New Birth, but the original is the best.

Oh my yes. BOS2 too -- I was just beginning to appreciate Gladys at this time. Tho' GK&tPs had hits from '67 to '70, they'd been upbeat numbers like the orig "Grapevine", "Friendship Train" and the like. Then came "If I Were Your Woman", their first big wrenching ballad, and my 15-year-old's ears were simply gobsmacked by its power. I remember having an epiphany of sorts hearing that one for the first time. And "IDWTDW" is nearly its equal.

And BOS3 Isaac Hayes' "Never Can Say Goodbye", even in its truncated 45 edit. Takes some kinda cojones to cover (indeed, reinvent) a song while the orig is still on the chart.

[RGMike]

BOS3 to "Funky Nassau." 

This one, along with Brenda & the Tabs' "ROTTOMT", will forever remind me of a high school classmate named Mario Solomon, who grew up in Honduras and was the first openly gay person I ever knew (and this was in a Catholic boy's high school in 1971, folks!).  He lurved both those songs, esp "Nassau". I'd love to know what ever became of him.

[RGMike]

VHM the Partridges' lovely, forgotten "I'll Meet You Halfway", their last visit to the Top Ten.

Non-musical gripe: these On-Star commercials with scared, injured people in car accidents are the most unpleasant radio spots I have ever heard. Yuck.

[RGMike]

The Cornelius Bros say: "Treat her like a ladle. Spoon with her!"

BOS4 the sublime combination of Karen Carpenter's voice and Paul Williams' songwriting on "Rainy Days & Mondays".

[RGMike]

Earlier we had Paul Humphries' Cool-Aid Chemists: he may have been a fine drummer, but someone was a horrid producer; the fake applause is even worse than that on "I Play and Sing."

I'm not so sure it's fake (I'll research later) but it sure sounds like the Crusaders wrote "Put it Where You Want it" after hearing this one a few dozen times.

Wasn't able to find out anything about the applause, but the LP that track is from was originally released in 1969.  The amazing Mr H played drums on (among many other things):

Zappa's Hot Rats
Marvin's Let's Get it On
Joe Cocker's "With a Litlle Help..."
4 Tops' "Keeper of the Castle"
Steely Dan's Aja

and apparently Beck cites him as an influence on the Odelay album. AND... he was the featured drummer on the Lawrence Welk Show (!?!) from 1976 to the early '80s.

[Gazoo]

It's June 22, 1985 on Casey's '80s.  A few fun flashbacks: "Neverending Story," "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough."