Casey Kasem American Top 40

[RGMike]

Followed by the saddest relic of the set, Harry Chapin's "Sequel". Shame that his best songs never charted.

Had he released this song in 1974, it probably would have done better. This didn't seem like it fit in the late 1980 sound. Side note: Chapin would only be alive only 7 1/2 more months as he died in a car crash in mid-July 1981.

BTW, Mike. You miss the final hour? No comments on the top 11.

Yeah, I'm usually out-the-door around 1:00 on Sundays.

[RGMike]

This week, as previously noted, That '70s Casey is the last 3 hours of the 4-hour show from Dec 2nd 1978:

http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-02-78.pdf

and Casey's '80s is from Dec 6th 1986:

http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-06-86.pdf

[Wayback]

This week, as previously noted, that '70s Casey is the last 3 hours of the 4-hour show from Dec 2nd 1978:
http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-02-78.pdf
and Casey's '80s is from Dec 6th 1986:
http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-06-86.pdf

Nice that we finally visit late '78, but looks like we won't hear:
40: INSTANT REPLAY - DAN HARTMAN
39: THERE'LL NEVER BE - SWITCH
38: EVERY 1'S A WINNER - HOT CHOCOLATE
37: RUN FOR HOME - LINDISFARNE
36: BLUE COLLAR MAN - STYX
35: THIS IS LOVE - PAUL ANKA
34: NEW YORK GROOVE - ACE FREHLEY
33: ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE - FUNKADELIC
32: PROMISES - ERIC CLAPTON
31: DANCE, DISCO HEAT - SYLVESTER
Complete 12/2/78 Top 40: http://www.oldradioshows.com/at40/120278.html
(I find these lists easier to read than the original cue sheets)

[RGMike]

This week, as previously noted, that '70s Casey is the last 3 hours of the 4-hour show from Dec 2nd 1978:
http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-02-78.pdf
and Casey's '80s is from Dec 6th 1986:
http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-06-86.pdf

Nice that we finally visit late '78, but looks like we won't hear:
40: INSTANT REPLAY - DAN HARTMAN
39: THERE'LL NEVER BE - SWITCH
38: EVERY 1'S A WINNER - HOT CHOCOLATE
37: RUN FOR HOME - LINDISFARNE
36: BLUE COLLAR MAN - STYX
35: THIS IS LOVE - PAUL ANKA
34: NEW YORK GROOVE - ACE FREHLEY
33: ONE NATION UNDER A GROOVE - FUNKADELIC
32: PROMISES - ERIC CLAPTON
31: DANCE, DISCO HEAT - SYLVESTER
Complete 12/2/78 Top 40: http://www.oldradioshows.com/at40/120278.html
(I find these lists easier to read than the original cue sheets)

indeed, the first hour tends to be the most interesting, in terms of forgotten gems -- of which Lindisfarne's "Run For Home" is certainly worth seeking out (their only US hit, iirc). And of course the Ace Frehley, Sylvester and Funkadelic tunes are fab.

[Gazoo]

Hrm.  The Switch, Lindisfarne, and Anka tunes would all have been NTM.

BOS to "Ready to Take a Chance Again," HM to Chaka, doin' it nat'rally on "I'm Every Woman."

[Gazoo]

I'm always surprised that 3DN's forgettable "Let Me Serenade You" made the Top 20; I tend to conflate it with both "Sure as I'm Sitting Here" and "Play Something Sweet" from the following year.

Right there with you.  Those are easily the three weakest entries in their singles canon.

[RGMike]

Hrm.  The Switch, Lindisfarne, and Anka tunes would all have been NTM.

BOS to "Ready to Take a Chance Again," HM to Chaka, doin' it nat'rally on "I'm Every Woman."

Naturally indeed -- saw her on a Soul Train rerun recently in a tank-top, flashing her unshaved pits!

VHM EJ's "Part-Time Love", definitely an unfairly forgottten ditty. Woulda made a nice duet-with-Kiki followup.

If the Captain is so good in bed, why does Toni keep calling him "little man"?

VHM 2 Jews singing about gold. Cue Cartman's head exploding.



BTW Gaz, Switch included several DeBarges; "There'll Never Be" sounds much like one of their teen-dreamy ballads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLKkkOoszAA

VHM Ms Ronstadt singing about an award-winning wig: "what a prize toupee"

Ditto the BOS for Barry M; OMGWTF Alice Cooper; surely haven't heard "How You Gonna See Me Now" on the radio since '78.  WOS Pablo Cruise: they don't wanna live without it, but I sure coulda.

BOS2 the late great Dan Hartman -- "Instant Replay" shows up as an extra.

[RGMike]

Hour 2 starts with a couple o' forgotten hits: Paul Davis' sweet "Sweet Life" and Eric Carmen's lovely "Change of Heart"

Nobody gets too much Bee Gees no more.  "YMCA" OTOH...

VHM Chicago's underrated "Alive Again"; BOS3 Anne Murray with one of the nicest lyrics of the decade.

WOS2 Dr Hook; always a VHM for Ms Bridges gettin' some ack-SHAWN.

[sundaygal]

Hrm.  The Switch, Lindisfarne, and Anka tunes would all have been NTM.

BOS to "Ready to Take a Chance Again," HM to Chaka, doin' it nat'rally on "I'm Every Woman."

I Call Your Name by Switch is an old school favorite of mine.  Not that I'm a Switch expert - it's the only song I know by them (but it's a good one).  Those DeBarge boys are falsetto champs!

[Gazoo]

WOS2 Dr Hook

I never noticed until today how simillar "Sharing the Night Together" is to Gene Chandler's "Groovy Situation."

[RGMike]

If yer still craving chart trivia after 3 hours of Casey, True Oldies Channel is doing a "Close But No Cigar" Weekend, highlighting songs that peaked at #2.

[RGMike]

Casey's '80s is from Dec 6th 1986:

http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-06-86.pdf

sundaygal take note: this chart includes Oran "Juice" Jones' "The Rain" at #29.  Quite a few forgotten gems in the first 2 hours.

[SFGuy]

Here are the upcoming shows (as Mike probably knows by now, assuming you are now a member of the AT40 Fun & Games site):

Casey's 70's shows:

December 11-12: December 11, 1976  http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-11-76.pdf
December 18-19: December 26, 1970  http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-26-70.pdf
December 25-26: Top 40 of 1974       http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-28-74.pdf

Casey's 80's shows:

December 11-12: December 10, 1983   http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-10-83.pdf
December 18-19: December 22, 1984   http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/12-22-84.pdf
December 25-26 and January 1-2: Top 100 of 1985    http://www.charismusicgroup.com/Cue%20Sheets/01-04-86.pdf

[RGMike]

OMGWTF: The Pointers' "GoldMine" is totally NTM -- turns out this was their last Top 40 appearance. And "For Tonight", also NTM, is by Nancy Martinez -- the golfer? Oh, guess not. Another late-'80s cheezy-synth dance throwaway. (ETA: this awful "T-T-T-T-T-T-T-Tonite" stuff is bringing it perilously close to a WOS)

VHM Billy Vera -- always a sweet tune and a great behind-the-hits story.

back-to-back BOSes to Carly Simon's wonderful "Coming Around Again" (how sad it was snubbed by the Oscars -- she'd win a couple years later for a lesser tune) and Mr Palmer's stylish Cherrelle cover.

WOS Kansas, and another VHM Daryl Hall's forgotten "Foolish Pride". Look out! Winwood's having a semen overspill.

[RGMike]

BOS3 OJ Jones, pullin' a Rambo. "ah gave ya things ya couldn't even PRONOUNCE! Silly rabbit, tricks are fo' KIDS! You without me like corn flakes without the milk!" We MUST get AL to play this one.

WOS2 Billy Ocean with one of his interchangeable, I-dare-you-to-tell-'em-apart ballads.

Proxy of Gaz: you know HoJo loves you, don't you?