Nah...I love it all, right up to the last week of 1979. For me, it’s going to change significantly at the stroke of 1980, and not for the good as my childhood ended right about there too. Music would become less significant for me. So, this is the good times! Guess I’m overly enthused for everything coming, but will try hard to hold it back!
The long version was also what was issued on the Golden Series reissue 45 in the early 1980's. I remember well, having frequented Downstairs Records in midtown Manhattan for years . . .
And I wonder if that title at least in part inspired the "Sail on, silver girl" line in "Bridge Over Troubled Water." But as they say, that'd be water under the bridge ("What bridge?").
ABBA's I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do Wow. It does sound like a copy. Come to think of it, a lot of Connie Francis' songs are in similar style to Billy Vaughn.
Despite the fact I'm quoting czekleba, I'm here responding to all responses to my comment that my sister thought the hit version of "I Can Help" was by Ringo Starr. Obviously I can't get into my sister's head to tell you what she was thinking, but I can tell you she didn't know much country music at the time. She wouldn't have known these other artists. Also, she was listening to this on AM radio, so the sound fidelity wasn't great.
Precisely. Ringo had been having hits all year in 1974, so he was constantly on the radio. People were accustomed to hearing him. Billy Swan's voice does have a lot of general similarities to Ringo's voice. He's in the same vocal register and even uses similar inflections. It's not the least bit surprising someone hearing "I Can Help" on an AM radio would've mistaken it for Ringo.
I honestly can say, again, having been familiar with Mr. Starr, I didn't really hear him in Mr. Swan's singing.
Whenever I think of Casey I always remember that infamous rant that floated around after he tried to record a dedication to a dead dog (!). It's pretty hilarious but probably too profane to post here. Search youtube Casey Kasem rant and you'll find it. Also, I had a friend in college who did a pitch perfect imitation of Casem. He would launch into these funny Casemesque dedications to Casem's wife Jean, who was a willowy blonde actress who appeared from time to time on Cheers, or his daughter, whose name was Freedom. He had the Casem dramatic pauses down to a tee. (yes, Jean really was that much taller than he was): Oh, and of course Casem also did the voice for him:
One of my favorite instances where Casey moonlighted from AT40 was his supporting role in the 1971 B-movie The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant with Bruce Dern and Pat "Marilyn Munster" Priest. (Not to be confused with The Thing With Two Heads the following year, which had Ray Milland and Rosey Grier sharing a body.)
Casem was a great voice actor, he did other cartoon characters than Shaggy. I've never really seen him act in anything live though, but it's obvious that he knows voicing techniques very well. As a young kid aspiring to do voiceovers on television one day (never did achieve that dream), he was my idol. I listened to AT40 every week to hear the tunes of course, but it really was Kasey that made me listen. One of the greatest voices in radio of all time. If he's not in the Rock Hall of Fame, he should be.
I first started listening to AT 40 because Casey voiced Mark on Battle Of The Planets: Hey, I was 10. Gimme a break!
He appeared in many TV shows and dramas. He appeared in 2 Hawaii 5-0s. In shows like Ironside, etc. Casey Kasem - IMDb He was an okay actor. Not stunning, but fine (and better than most who would try to act).
I’m a total Columbo geek....even own the stupid expensive blu ray set from Japan (highly recommended)! I can categorically say Casey was not in any episodes, but now that you mention it he would have been a great, good natured type of killer!
For someone who's lasting legacy is AT40, the man has a mile long list of acting and voice-over credits. What is surprising is he apparently never guested on his wife's short-lived 80s sit-com The Tortellis.
Casey Kasem also did the voice of Robin/Dick Grayson & Chief O’Hara in “The Adventures of Batman” cartoon series.
