Can I just say that between you and @Grant I've learned more about these singles, not just in this thread but in many others on the forum, than I've ever read or heard about before in my life, and much of that was in music retail. The amount of detail is staggering. Kudos to youse guys.
Apparently she also sings backup on Sunday Morning, another of the poppier songs on the album, although I can't hear it.
There are quite a few others. Slim Whitman did an entirely different song from any of 'em, with the same title, in the '50's.
Around the time Paul (Anka) reached #1 with this thingamajig, Nixon resigned from office and Watergate came to a climax (I'm sure it was merely a coincidence the two events coincided!). There were a few songs from that time that referenced Watergate, including one of my all time favorite songs, which came out a few months later, by Paul (McCartney): Junior's Farm. One of Paul's more obscure great singles, Junior's Farm always sounds to me like Son of Jet, but I love it even more. First of all, it flat out rocks. Jimmy McCulloch absolutely smokes on lead ('Take me Down, Jimmy!' Paul shouts before the solo). The lyrics are mostly obtuse nonsense that somehow perfectly fits the proceedings (don't miss the 'everybody's talking about the President' Watergate reference!). And the end is fantastic, as they slow everything down and ooh and ahh while Jimmy takes them down one more time and goes mental on guitar. Hands down my favorite Wings lineup! And here they are lip syncing away. The song got to #3 in the States in late 1974.
That was the LP version. The 45 edit is more coherent (and much more preferred by me), I.M.H.O.: This is another of those singles with two different cat. #'s. Originally issued on single #ABC-11427, changed after the July price increase to ABC-12010. I also read the beat of the verses a little different, giving it a particular shagadelic vibe (the snare on the fourth beat, for example). Hear it that way, you'll see what I mean in the verses. My first exposure to the long version was via a "mix tape" of various ABC and sublabel tracks by a company called Sound Choice in the last full year of ABC Records' existence in 1978. Made me appreciate the short edit more.
Recorded, incidentally, in Nashville, TN - despite the "Recorded in England" flag on U.S. Apple 45's. Certainly one of the rockingest numbers from Music Row, not to mention 'Macca'. The other reference to Watergate, will hit the top here and we'll look at it when it comes up.
Those were the exceptions. And relatively few in number. Many more never scored chart hits in the 1970s or beyond. Chuck Berry never made it past 1972, Elvis, 1977. These didn't score hits after the 1960s: -Everly Bros. -Franki Lymon -Chubby Checker -Bobby Rydell -Dion Dimucchi (Dion & The Belmonts) -Fabian -Frankie Avalon (who stopped scoring big Top 40 hit singles by 1960) -Herman's Hermits -Gene Vincent -Bobby Darin -James Darrin -Brian Hyland (no hits after 1970) -Little Richard -Fats Domino However, these 60s artists made comebacks: -Franki Valli & The Four Seasons -Neil Sedaka Their comebacks were limited to the 70s.
Odia Coates - Mr. Anka's singing partner on "(You're) Having My Baby," plus the follow-up "One Man Woman/One Woman Man" mentioned several posts ago and a few others - was essentially a protegee of his. He produced some records of hers when both were on Buddah before 1973, and he still worked with her after she left United Artists for Epic later in the '70's. She died from breast cancer in 1991, aged 49 - the same illness that, much sooner, claimed another female singer who had a Number One hit on here the next year, another one which (for different reasons) has had the hate piled on in recent years (other than that info, no peeking now . . . ).
Many thanks for the kind words. This came from a lifetime of research and study, and believe me, it didn't come easy (as Ringo would've said). I'm glad that people such as yourself have learned immensely from what I have brought to the table on her over the course of a decade.
The BTO song sure sounded bigger than No. 12. But so did Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting, China Grove, Long Train Runnin', Fool (If You Think it's Over), Life's Been Good, Wishing You Were Here, and so many others which "only" hit the Top 20.
Great tune! But, somehow, I think in 1974, that honky-tonk bar-band sound was on it's way out. ======================== Another song I really like from this period shouldn't be overlooked: Radar Love - Golden Earring
Not to dwell on the subject, but Leo Kottke does an incredible job on the song "Rings". I found a live performance that shows his unbelievable talent on the acoustic guitar. I was so lucky to see him play in person a couple of times.
The 2nd week Takin' Care of Business was stuck at No. 12. Note the two "Chicago" songs in the Top 10 that same week. US Top 40 Singles Week Ending 17th August, 1974 TW LW TITLE –•– Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date) 1 2 THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED –•– Paper Lace (Mercury)-10 (1 week at #1) (1) 2 1 FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE –•– Roberta Flack (Atlantic)-9 (1) 3 13 (You’re) HAVING MY BABY –•– Paul Anka (with Odia Coates) (United Artists)-7 (3) 4 10 TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD –•– Rufus (ABC)-10 (4) 5 5 PLEASE COME TO BOSTON –•– Dave Loggins (Epic)-12 (5) 6 6 CALL ON ME –•– Chicago (Columbia)-9 (6) 7 7 WATERLOO –•– Abba (Atlantic)-12 (7) 8 9 WILDWOOD WEED –•– Jim Stafford (MGM)-7 (8) 9 19 I’M LEAVING IT (All) UP TO YOU –•– Donny and Marie Osmond (MGM)-7 (9) 10 8 SIDESHOW –•– Blue Magic (Atco)-14 (8) 11 11 KEEP ON SMILIN’ –•– Wet Willie (Capricorn)-13 (11) 12 12 TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS –•– Bachman-Turner Overdrive (Mercury)-14 (12) 13 23 I SHOT THE SHERIFF –•– Eric Clapton (RSO)-6 (13) 14 18 SHININ’ ON –•– Grand Funk (Capitol)-6 (14) 15 20 ROCK ME GENTLY –•– Andy Kim (Capitol)-9 (15) 16 16 SURE AS I’M SITTIN’ HERE –•– Three Dog Night (Dunhill)-8 (16) 17 21 YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-10 (17) 18 3 ANNIE’S SONG –•– John Denver (RCA)-12 (1) 19 4 DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME –•– Elton John (MCA)-9 (2) 20 25 RUB IT IN –•– Billy “Crash” Craddock (ABC)-8 (20) 21 29 THEN CAME YOU –•– Dionne Warwick and the Spinners (Atlantic)-4 (21) 22 28 WILD THING –•– Fancy (Big Tree)-10 (22) 23 24 HANG ON IN THERE BABY –•– Johnny Bristol (MGM)-8 (23) 24 14 ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN –•– The Righteous Brothers (Haven)-13 (3) 25 31 NOTHING FROM NOTHING –•– Billy Preston (A&M)-6 (25) 26 39 CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE, BABE –•– Barry White (20th Century)-3 (26) 27 15 RIKKI DON’T LOSE THAT NUMBER –•– Steely Dan (ABC)-15 (4) 28 22 RADAR LOVE –•– Golden Earring (Track)-15 (13) 29 32 MY THANG –•– James Brown (Polydor)-9 (29) 30 36 CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN –•– The Guess Who (RCA)-5 (30) 31 17 THE AIR THAT I BREATHE –•– The Hollies (Epic)-18 (6) 32 51 YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ –•– Stevie Wonder (Tamla)-3 (32) 33 33 RIVER’S RISIN’ –•– Edgar Winter (Epic)-5 (33) 34 79 IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N ROLL (But I Like It) –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-3 (34) 35 37 HAPPINESS IS JUST AROUND THE BEND –•– The Main Ingredient (RCA)-8 (35) 36 26 ROCK YOUR BABY –•– George McCrae (T.K.)-12 (1) 37 27 ROCK THE BOAT –•– The Hues Corporation (RCA)-13 (1) 38 47 LET’S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER –•– The Stylistics (Avco)-4 (38) 39 44 TIME FOR LIVIN’ –•– Sly and the Family Stone (Epic)-7 (39) 40 50 BEACH BABY –•– First Class (UK)-5 (40) THIS WEEK’S DROPS 43 30 ON AND ON –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-13 (5) 49 35 ONE HELL OF A WOMAN –•– Mac Davis (Columbia)-21 (11) 50 38 MACHINE GUN –•– The Commodores (Motown)-10 (22) 53 40 FISH AIN’T BITIN’ –•– Lamont Dozier (ABC)-10 (26) 54 34 IF YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP –•– Elvis Presley (RCA)-11 (17) POWER PLAYS 41 52 DON’T CHANGE HORSES (In the Middle Of A Stream) –•– The Tower Of Power (Warner Brothers)-5 (41) 42 63 ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT –•– Cat Stevens (A&M)-3 (42) 44 56 SWEET HOME ALABAMA –•– Lynyrd Skynyrd (MCA)-4 (44) 45 55 WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE –•– Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (ABC)-4 (45) 46 49 DON’T KNOCK MY LOVE –•– Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye (Motown)-6 (46) 47 58 FREE MAN IN PARIS –•– Joni Mitchell (Asylum)-4 (47) 48 66 I LOVE MY FRIEND –•– Charlie Rich (Epic)-3 (48) DEBUTS THIS WEEK 63 — I HONESTLY LOVE YOU –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-1 (63) 70 — CAN’T GET ENOUGH –•– Bad Company (Swan Song)-1 (70) 81 — MIDNIGHT FLOWER –•– The Four Tops (Dunhill)-1 (81) 82 — YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER –•– The Tymes (RCA)-1 (82) 84 — SURFIN’ U.S.A. –•– The Beach Boys (Capitol)-18 (3) * 87 — TRAVELIN’ PRAYER –•– Billy Joel (Columbia)-1 (87) 89 — CITY IN THE SKY –•– The Staple Singers (Stax)-1 (89) * EDITOR’S NOTE: Executives at Capitol Records noticed the Nostalgia wave that was sweeping America in 1974, much of which was generated by the film “American Graffiti” and its subsequent blockbuster Soundtrack (where the Beach Boys appear with two songs, “Surfin’ Surfari” and “All Summer Long”), and via the surprise ABC-TV hit sitcom “Happy Days.” In order to cash in, they released a 2 LP compilation of former hits from The Beach Boys, and aimed that package squarely at a younger audience who likely didn’t remember those hits when they first hit the charts. “Endless Summer” spawned the single “Surfin’ U.S.A.” – a reissue of the 45 that was the first Top 10 item for the group back in 1963. Ironically, The Beach Boys had departed Capitol several years prior to land at Warner/Reprise, but the reissue campaign was viable because they still performed many of the LP’s tracks live in concert dates. Like Bill Haley’s reissue of “Rock Around The Clock” (see March 16, 1974 chart), “Surfin’ U.S.A.” managed to land inside the Top 40, peaking at #36 on the 9-28-74 chart.
I second that emotion that "Junior's Farm" rules. As for the Baby Havin' tune, I'm honestly far more annoyed by the arrangement than the lyrics and vocals. That cloying flute that chimes in, the cutesy keyboard riff that answers each "HAVIN' MY BAY-BAY!", the schmaltzy strings, that melodramatic little change that brings in the "you didn't have to keep it" section. It's icky to my ears.
Of this batch, I have #1 - 7, 10, 12, 13, 15 - 19, 21, 23 - 28, 31, 32, 35 - 37, 40, 42 - 44, 49, 50, 63, 82 and 89.
I have to ask W.B., how do you store your massive 45 collection? I've always wanted to get a jukebox for mine but that has yet to come to pass
