I think the point of contention here is that album sales were gaining strength in the 70s so people weren't buying the singles as much if they already had or intended to buy the albums they came from. Savvy record companies would put out singles that differed from the LP versions to entice sales but that little trick generally ticked me off.
Well, the Hot 100 is intended to list a song's overall popularity, so it takes into account all the ways in which pop music is consumed. Each of those ways are then weighted in terms of how prevalent they are in culture. Back then sales and airplay were the main ways, so if sales were declining that had to be taken into account in order to keep the Hot 100 relevant. Sales and airplay have long had their own separate charts.
that all black and white label you remember was a promo label. I had two child block labels: ABC-Dunhill for The Four Tops' "Ain't No Woman Like The One I Got", and an ABC label for Steely Dan's "Reeling In The Years". Jumping ahead again! But, sales of 45s were still very strong. What really ticked me off is when the alternate mixes got out of hand in the 90s.
Well, my point was that the emergence of albums as the more popular way to purchase music certainly impacted the volume of total singles sold, but I'm not really seeing how it affected relative singles sales, which is what the charts tabulate. The charts measure (as far as sales go) whether "You're So Vain" sells more copies this week than "Sail On Sailor", but whether the margin is 50,000 to 10,000 or 5,000 to 1,000 doesn't make any difference in their relative chart positions.
The sales-only chart tabulates relative sales. The Hot 100 attempts to blend sales, airplay (and these days streaming) into something representing overall popularity, using a formula that they periodically adjust. As I understand it, in June '73 Billboard determined that the decline in singles sales and the prevailing trends in radio called for one of those formula adjustments. My earlier point was that the pre-June singles that so many here recall hearing all over the radio may well have placed higher if the post-June formula with it's heavier emphasis on airplay were being used.
While he did borrow from "Soul Makossa" for that tune, we won't necessarily be discussing it here down the road a decade - it never made it to #1. Which is unfortunate, since it's always been my favorite off that particular album...
The ABC blocks label 45's I have: - "Reeling In The Years" (ABC-11352) - A future #1 single we'll be looking at down the road (won't go farther than this) - "Say You Love Me Too" by Charles Mann (ABC-11347) - The other Steely Dan single which was shown earlier And on Dunhill: - Said Four Tops 45 (D-4339) - "Who Gets Your Love" by Dusty Springfield (D-4341) - "Moonshine (Friend Of Mine)" by John Kay (D-4351) - "Shambala" by Three Dog Night (D-4352) 'Cept for the Tops, the other Dunhills all had CBS Pitman type on the labels. Both "blocks" labels were phased in towards the end of January 1973, but apparently were dropped by May.
Next we have "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia", by Vicki Lawrence, #1 from April 1 - April 14, 1973.
The Wikipedia entry on this one is great, and it has a kinda crazy story: Bobby Russell wrote it but didn't like it. Then-wife Vicki Lawrence cut a demo of it The label didn't know who to pitch it to - it's not quite pop but not quite country They thought about offering it to Liza Minnelli (it's kinda Broadway), but eventually offered it to Cher Sonny nixed it - he thought it might offend her southern fans Lawrence decided to cut it herself, with none other than the Wrecking Crew Carol Burnett presented Lawrence with an RIAA gold record for this one on the final episode of the 6th season of her show. Lawrence's instincts were right. This loopy little song, goofy as it was, was just compelling enough to keep listeners hanging on to the end and the big reveal. And Lawrence, being a comedic actress with impeccable timing, knew just how to sell it even if she wasn't a Cher / Minnelli caliber singer. Indeed, I think it would have been an over the top trainwreck if either of them had gotten their hands on it (Helen Reddy on the other hand could have had a hit with this one as well). I love these crazy story-songs from the early '70s. Some of them ("Taxi") seem to be more critically acceptable than others (this one, "Dark Lady"). And yeah, there's a certain kitsch aspect to most of them, but that's part of the charm. Anyhow, are they any more trashy and bizarre than the daily headlines from Florida? Or from Washington D.C., for that matter? Finally, whenever I hear this song, I can't help but think of this great scene from Designing Women. RIP Dixie:
I guess here's where I part company with most folks here, as this one starts my favorite era of Top 40 music and chart toppers in particular. This has always been one of my favorite records, a delightful story song with that wonderful AM 70s pop preoccupation, death, most especially murder. It was a genuinely liberating cultural moment for 70s pop fans when Tarantino chose to set Reservoir Dogs during a Super Sounds Of The 70s weekend, which the characters discuss and respond to throughout the film. A particularly delicious conversation centers around this song and it's twist ending. The final lines are among my favorites, although I must admit, the protagonist probably should have prevented her brother's death. Bravo, "Mama"! For extra points, check out Vicki's lurid prostitution/death followup, Hollywood Seven. I'll take this stuff over that Piano Man crap any day.
Sonny could've made better decisions regarding the music Cher sang, I believe he also rejected 'Angie Baby', which became a #1 million seller for Helen Reddy in '74.
I'm partial on this song, but it's very of the period. At this time 'story' songs were all the rage and this fit right in. I'm not familiar with what may have later transpired with the career of Vicki Lawrence but this is her biggest and signature hit. I love the verses to the song, and much like Cher's 'Dark Lady' and Helen Reddy's 'Angie Baby', the song was in the tradition of female artists singing rather grim and haunting songs with spooky lyrics I guess. I could imagine being a child at this time and being frightened by some of what was being played on the radio I'll admit I hadn't heard this song til just last week, and that's only because I knew it would be coming up soon in this thread I sorta liked what I was hearing though
There's a lot of things that don't make sense. The lights going down would make you think the guy got the chair but the lyrics say they hanged him. If Vikki hid the cheating wife's body why did she leave the cheating lover for her brother to find therefore sending him to the gallows?
For some reason i always believed Brother went home, got his gun and went looking for Seth Amos because Andy would still have been at the bar. Brother probably believed the tiny footprints were that of his cheating wife so (because there were two sets of footprints) would have known his missing wife wasn't there unless 'the path was deep and wide from footsteps leading to the cabin'
Lol. Someone posted this song, Dark Lady and Angie Baby were charming. I think of them as a trio of terror but that's just me.
Lol, before we get into full deciphering mode I would like to give a shout-out to a great song that was stuck at #2 behind 'The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia'. Gladys Knight & The Pips 'Neither One Of Us'. A subtle and soulful vocal by Gladys Knight, and the first of many consecutive hits for Gladys Knight & The Pips during these years. Coincidentally after being blocked by a song with 'Georgia' in it's title, the group would go on to score their own #1 hit with a song that also has 'Georgia' in it's title later this same year.
The part that gets me is the bartender saying "don't lose your head" but then adding "oh, btw, I've been with your wife too". Yeah, that's a good way to get him to calm down.
If Andy's the bartender then he must leave the bar unattended because he gets scared and goes home in the second verse.
