Casey Kasem American Top 40

[RGMike]

I dearly love "Convention '72" -- one of the cleverest "flying saucer" records ever -- but the flamingly femmy "Sidney Bruntly" character might not make it if the record were made today.  Unless he was played by Carson Kressly.

And now Helen spreads 'em again. Interesting that a feminist anthem contains the line "I'm still an embryo/With a long long way to go".

[RGMike]

Chuck Berry gives a shout-out to some girl-on-girl action in the audience -- no wonder his ding-a-ling's gettin' a workout!

What a shame Rick Nelson wasn't able to maintain some chart momentum after "Garden Party".  Has everyone here heard his Dylan cover ("She Belongs to Me") from late '69/early '70? It actually made the Top 40, and was quite lovely.

[RGMike]

When I heard that Lobo wrote the Total Cereal jingle... I 'bout fell off my chair. 

Sorry I missed the first part of this chart -- Cashman & West (who actually sang the Total jingle) did "American City Suite" earlier.

[RGMike]

And now we get Aug 13, 1977. I know I'm in the minority in liking both Glen Campbell's "Sunflower" and the BeeGees' "Edge of the Universe", even if the latter was an RSO placeholder while they waited to release "How Deep Is Your Love".

But all hail Hot Chocolate's "So You Win Again", yet another fab Russ Ballard composition.

[RGMike]

Mac MacAnnally's "It's a Crazy World" gets my "most interesting lyric of the marathon" award.

[RGMike]

The Kasemarathon closes with a Dec 3, 1973 chart. My fave year, as we know, but not many OMGWTF selections, other than The 4 Tops' "Sweet Understanding Love" which leads off at #40 (on its way down & out). Not enuf incentive here to pass up Little Steven's salute to the 36th anniversary of the release of Nuggets.       

[Wayback]

This weekend (10/18-19) Casey70's visits Oct 29, 1977. The playlist:
http://www.wbbgfm.com/pages/pp_caseykasem.html

[Gazoo]

This weekend (10/18-19) Casey70's visits Oct 29, 1977. The playlist:
http://www.wbbgfm.com/pages/pp_caseykasem.html

I'm gonna miss this, but a lot of entertaining entries, including the start of Paul Davis's record-setting run with "I Go Crazy," some delightfully corny Manilow ("Daybreak"), and a new generation of vaguely Frampton-looking teen idols (Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett).  Might want to leave before #1, though.

[Tinka Cat]

This weekend (10/18-19) Casey70's visits Oct 29, 1977. The playlist:
http://www.wbbgfm.com/pages/pp_caseykasem.html

I'm gonna miss this, but a lot of entertaining entries, including the start of Paul Davis's record-setting run with "I Go Crazy," some delightfully corny Manilow ("Daybreak"), and a new generation of vaguely Frampton-looking teen idols (Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett).  Might want to leave before #1, though.

Coming in at number 21 is Linda Ronstadt's remake of "Blue Bayou," and I gotta say, I really dislike her take on it.  Her voice sounds like its absolutely YELLING in the upper register parts of the song.  oh man.  Who's responsible for that? 

15 year old Leif sounded really cute doing "Surfin' USA," but talk about novelty acts, heh..!

... and a tip o' the hat to the Baby's "Isn't It Time?" which debuts this week at number 31. 

[Tinka Cat]

omg: lucky number thirteen is “THE KING IS GONE” by Ronnie McDowell ... now THAT is some good cheese.

[Tinka Cat]

number 12 -> “HEAVEN ON THE 7th FLOOR” – Paul Nicholas

Casey says that Paul thinks the song would've charted higher in his native England (not sure how high it got there, but it hit #6 in the US) if he had used the word "lift" instead of "elevator."

remember, kids, poetry is the best words in the best order!

[RGMike]

Coming in at number 21 is Linda Ronstadt's remake of "Blue Bayou," and I gotta say, I really dislike her take on it.  Her voice sounds like its absolutely YELLING in the upper register parts of the song.  oh man.  Who's responsible for that? 

Actually, she did that a lot. Check out her cover of "Hurts so Bad" a few years later. I suspect some people liked it and considered it a "rock chick" thing to do.  She did take singing lessons in the '80s (seriously) so that she could understand the technical aspects of her craft; it helped her delivery when she did "La Boheme" in NY and then the Nelson Riddle standards albums.

[RGMike]

Music Geek Conundrum:  Casey announced, as he intro-ed "Blue Bayou", that it was the first of "five remakes in a row!" (Yes, he was extremely excited)

21 "Blue Bayou", Ronstadt
20 "Surfin USA", Lief Garrett
19 "Slow Dancin'", Johnny Rivers
18 "Signed Sealed Delivered", Frampton
17 "We're All Alone", Rita Coolidge

But does a hit really qualify as a "remake" (for AT40 purposes) if the original never made the Top 40? The Funky Kings' "Slow Dancin'" peaked at #61. And I never even *knew* that Frankie Valli did "We're All Alone" in 1976 (a #78 peak) -- I'll wager Ms. Coolidge had never heard his version either. Casey doesn't even mention that it's a Boz Scaggs tune.

[SFGuy]

The XM 80's Casey show was from October 24, 1981 which included the Four Tops last big hit "When She was My Girl" (peaking at #11 three weeks later, #13 on the 24th. The Four Tops did have one more top 40 hit but that peaked at #35 in 1988). I noticed a ton of what would be considered light rock/pop: Christoper Cross (Arthur's Theme), Endless Love, For Your Eyes Only, Hard to Say - Dan Fogelberg, Air Supply, Commordores, Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram among others.

[Wayback]

Music Geek Conundrum: Casey announced, as he intro-ed "Blue Bayou", that it was the first of "five remakes in a row!" (Yes, he was extremely excited)
21 "Blue Bayou", Ronstadt
20 "Surfin USA", Leif Garrett
19 "Slow Dancin'", Johnny Rivers
18 "Signed Sealed Delivered", Frampton
17 "We're All Alone", Rita Coolidge
But does a hit really qualify as a "remake" (for AT40 purposes) if the original never made the Top 40? The Funky Kings' "Slow Dancin'" peaked at #61. And I never even *knew* that Frankie Valli did "We're All Alone" in 1976 (a #78 peak) -- I'll wager Ms. Coolidge had never heard his version either. Casey doesn't even mention that it's a Boz Scaggs tune.

That AT40 was the least memorable set I've heard this year.  I too didn't realize Frankie Valli had done "We're All Alone", but as you know, Casey's definition of a charted record is if it made the Billboard Top 100.