Casey Kasem American Top 40

[RGMike]

wow, Casey's '81 chart begins with Jim Steinman's "RnR Dreams Come Through", which I surely haven't heard since that year.  Eric Carmen shoulda covered this.

and it's followed by the diz-ouble diz-utch! Git yo' funky bus fare!

And now I'm unheezed by the clip of Jackie DeShannon's orig version of "Bette Davis Eyes"!

But I can't endorse APP's "Time", which has always sounded like a blantant rip of "Us & Them" -- Pink Floyd Lite for the adult contempo crowd.

VHMs to Balance's "Breaking Away", another I haven't heard since it charted; and Sheena's underrated Bond theme.

BOS1 to Lulu's wonderful "I Could Never Miss You" -- talk about a forgotten hit. WOS Air Supply.

and OMGWTF Rex Smith/Rachel Sweet with the 3rd Top 40 incarnation of "Everlasting Love".  Gawd I loved Ms Sweet; wish her solo stuff had found US chart success.

damn, that was an interesting first hour.

[RGMike]

WOS2 the worthless, only-for-the-money "Beach Boys Medley"; VHM Stacy Lattisaw's sweet cover of "Love on a 2-Way Street"

Accouchez-toi! C'est l'Orchestra Electronique.

This 2nd hour is turning out as boring as the 1st was intriguing: Raydio's generic "That Old Song"; Alabama's snooze-worthy "Feels So Right", Eddie Rabbit's not-very-interesting "Step By Step".

But VHM Ms Benatar's "Fire & Ice"

[RGMike]

Hour 2 begins with another forgotten hit: Gary Wright, charting for the first time in 5 years with "Really Wanna Know You"

VHM Greg Kihn -- "Breakup Song" sounded quite fresh in '81. And OMG, here's "In the Air Tonight" in its first chart go-'round.  WOS3 Pablo Cruise, another '70s-comebacker past their sell-by date with "Cool Love".

Billy Squier wants to be stroked; Karen Carpenter wants to be touched. Those 2 crazy kids shoulda gotten together.

VHM Jr Walker's essential sax on "Urgent"; WOS4 John Schneider's soporific remake of "It's Now Or Never"; Proxy of Gaz, Marty Balin's "Hearts"

HM the Oak Ridge Boys with



I'll have to miss the final hour: BOS2-in-absentia to Joey Scarbury.

[SFGuy]

Shows like this weekend's 80's show brings me back to when I got up early and listened to it on KCBS-FM 97.3 (until the station changed formats to KRQR "The Rocker"). Even horrible groups like Air Supply is tolerable because I'm back as a 13 year old in August 1981.

[RGMike]

Heads up! This week's '70s show is from Aug 26th 1972:

http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/08-26-72.pdf

and Casey's '80s is from Aug 27th 1983:

http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/08-27-83.pdf

[Gazoo]

'72 is sounding real good so far.  BOS to the Bee Gees' "Run to Me" (yet another covered more than ably by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs a few years ago), and VHMs to Joey Heatherton's "Gone" cover (love that blaring horn chart!) and TOP.  Meh to the Staples' NTM "This World" - I wouldn't buy a Staples comp b/c their songs all sound alike to me.

[Gazoo]

Flash, "Small Beginnings," was also NTM.  Very Yessish.  Yeesh.

But I did love Babs live on "Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead," I forgot to mention.

[Gazoo]

Casey tells a precious story about how Jim Croce was going to become a teacher instead of a musician - until he got shoved across a classroom by a 260-lb. "heavy-duty mama."  It's good for us all that he didn't bump no more with no big fat woman.

[Gazoo]

BOS2 to the magnificent arrangement on Luther Ingram's "If Lovin' You Is Wrong."  This is one of the three or four very best R&B cheating songs of the '70s.

[Tinka Cat]

Aug 26th 1972:


#40 Honky Cat – Elton John
#39 This World – The Staple Singers
#38 Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead – Barbra Streisand
#37 Run To Me – The Bee Gees
#36 You’re Still A Young Man – Tower Of Power
#35 Gone – Joey Heatherton
#34 Pop That Thang – The Isley Brothers
#33 Popcorn – Hot Butter
#32 When You Say Love – Sonny & Cher
#31 Lean On Me – Bill Withers
#30 Too Late To Turn Back Now – Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
#29 Small Beginnings – Flash
Extra: A World Without Love – Peter & Gordon
#28 Go All The Way – The Raspberries
#27 Power Of Love – Joe Simon
#26 How Do You Do – Mouth & Macneal
#25 Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) – Detroit Emeralds
#24 Beautiful Sunday – Daniel Boone
#23 Black & White – Three Dog Night
#22 Join Together – The Who
#21 School’s Out – Alice Cooper
#20 Saturday In The Park – Chicago
#19 Sealed With A Kiss – Bobby Vinton
#18 Where Is The Love – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
#17 Rock And Roll, Part 2 – Gary Glitter
#16 Lookin’ Through The Windows – The Jackson 5
#15 Daddy, Don’t You Walk So Fast – Wayne Newton
Extra: Use Me – Bill Withers
#14 Back Stabbers – The O’jay’s
#13 The Guitar Man – Bread
#12 Motorcycle Mama – Sailcat
#11 The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A. – Donna Fargo
#10 Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me – Mac Davis
#9 You Don’t Mess Around With Jim – Jim Croce
#8 Coconut – Nilsson
#7 Goodbye To Love – The Carpenters
#6 If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want To Be Right – Luther Ingram
#5 Hold Your Head Up – Argent
#4 I’m Still In Love With You – Al Green
Extra: Ben – Michael Jackson --Extra From 1972.[/I]
#3 Long Cool Woman – The Hollies
#2 Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’sullivan
#1 Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass

[Tinka Cat]

got here late, can't wait to hear the first hour.   

Casey says  "Join Together by WHO!" -- not "The Who."  (copyedit 101, right? shouldn't it be "...by WHOM"?)

hey, that Bobby Vinton, with the bongos?  not bad!

Roberta and Donny's Where is the Love is always sublime. 

[Gazoo]

Casey says  "Join Together by WHO!" -- not "The Who."  (copyedit 101, right? shouldn't it be "...by WHOM"?)

Ha ha, I took that as being akin to "Join together, by jove!"

[RGMike]

I did love Babs live on "Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead," I forgot to mention.

Not too many artists have hit the 40 twice with diff versions of the same song, not to mention she did it in consecutive years.

[RGMike]

Dittoes on the BeeGees and Joey Heatherton tunes; why Ms H. didn't have more hits is a puzzlement  -- and why Cher didn't cover "Gone" first is a question for her A&R people.

was the Isley's "Pop That Thang" sampled on 2 Live Crew's "Pop That Coochie"?

Nice that "Popcorn" was followed by a former beer jingle: HM Sonny & Cher's "When You Say Bud Love"

VHM the Condoleeza Bros & Sister Rice, "Too Late To Turn Black Now".

[RGMike]

Flash, "Small Beginnings," was also NTM.  Very Yessish.  Yeesh.

Indeed, heads exploded at prog-FM stations when this one dropped -- I'd call it Yes with lyrics that actually make sense, but whatevs.