Next #1: Look At Me (I'm In Love) - The Moments June 28, 1975 1 wk I have zero, zip, nada memory of this song. This it the very first time hearing it. This group had a string of hits in the 70s starting with "Love On A Two-Way Street" in 1970. They also had a little song with a group called The Whatnoughts called "Girls" in 1973. In the late 70s, they changed their name to "Ray, Goodman & Brown". More on that when this thread gets to 1980.
The Moments, in 1973-74, also had something of a hit with "Sexy Mama." A truncated version of that number was featured in the 1974 K-tel compilation Dynamic Sound. But I have heard "Look At Me (I'm In Love)." Not on the radio (unless Felix Hernandez happened to play it on his Rhythm Review show), but at record shows and at the since-defunct Downstairs Records in midtown Manhattan. As well, in 1974, they were credited alongside Sylvia on the All Platinum label with a tune called "Sho Nuff Boogie" which also did some business. Oh, and that group they did "Girls" with was The Whatnauts. Haven't really heard their oeuvre, but have seen many a label of their records. Some online places mistakenly ID'd the label of their first hit - a cover of the Whitfield/Strong composition "Message From A Black Man" - as A&M, when in fact it was A&I. Big difference.
Don't feel too bad at that; until I actually looked closely, I thought the group name had been "Whatanuts." But given that there were frequent Apollo moon landings when they first hit the scene, makes sense why they spelt it as they did.
Next #1: Slippery When Wet - Commodores July 5, 1975 1 wk A lot more of you will know this number. This is also the Commodores' first #1 single.
I like this one. As with a lot of these songs I heard this years later. I was born in '72 and Dutch radio didn't/doesn't play a lot of R&B/Soul/Funk, so I had to find about it another way. Mainly through Hip Hop and then figuring out what was sampled (pre-internet). And maybe after finding the song that was sampled exploring the catalogue of that artist/group.
Before Lionel Richie coated their sound in a thick layer of his MOR treacle they were a top notch funk act. I'm not familiar with this one, though. I think my uncle had one Commodores album, but I don't remember him listening to it much. That having been said, he probably did them a huge favor commercially. And some of his weird excursions ("Sail On") were particularly inventive earworms.
I have to agree with you except that the Commodores did everything by vote. They wouldn't have done those Lionel Richie ballads if it hadn't been cool with the rest of the band. And, in my opinion, there was only one ballad that got overplayed, and that doesn't come up until years later. It took Three Times to get there, and i'm not talking about A song called "Lady" that he wrote for Kenny Rogers. No, that overwrought song got played at every damned wedding, Valentines and mother's day, birthday, and anniversary. The other three Lionel Richie ballads the band did that are coming up are cool.
Funny how The Commodores went from the funk workout of tracks like this one to the smoothed out MOR of.....well, you know. Love Won't Let Me Wait was a nice addition to the sexy bedroom genre - that's right, I coined a style - and I actually heard and bought Look At Me I'm In Love.
Fantastic song! It may be overplayed in US, but in my rural area I can hear it only when I choose to play it. It makes me get down with my bad self every time Man, I wanted this CD so bad I've paid close to $50 for the old CD (before Japanese reissue appeared).
I'd concur with that . . . even in comparison to "Machine Gun" which I still hear from time to time on some radio stations, one could make the case "Slippery When Wet" is underplayed.
Speaking about The Coomdores' funky side, Brick House is the most frequent choise for funk compilations, as far as I can see.
Yeah, I'd read that, but apparently the band was really split. There's a reason for that. I'm not quite sick of it yet, in spite of decades of overplay.
Since some have mentioned "Brick House" . . . Spoiler: Don't Look If You Don't Want To Jump Ahead . . . it would seem today to be to their oeuvre, in every which way, what "Forget Me Nots" is to Patrice Rushen's, given @Grant's comments - and opinions - on both.
Next two #1s: The Hustle - Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony July 12, 1975 1 wk No comment here, as I assume most or all have already commented on it in the other Billboard thread.
And... Fight The Power - Part 1 - The Isley Brothers July 19, 1975 3 wks This song had a long shelf life! I was hearing it on pop radio as far back as April of that year, and it didn't even hit #1 on this chart until three months after that! And, then it stayed there for three weeks! One thing is for sure: 1975 was a great year for singles with a long shelf life! Here it is in its album length, as the album format had finally attained dominance in the the soul market.
All I have to say here, is: For me, though I've long enjoyed it, it has a vibe more in common with . . .
Probably their biggest hit on the soul charts. I seem to recall it being "edited for radio" because of a certain phrase with the initials "B.S." in the chorus. On stock 45's, there are two variants on the A side. First-pressings, such as I have, indicated on the label "AA-AF": Later pressings changed to "DA-DF" as here: F.T.R., my 45 has the profanity in question. And all lacquers were cut at Kendun Recorders, which some Forumites swear by in its sound. Also, I seem to recall this being the #1 soul single of 1975, no?
Do you think a complete singles collection by Commodores Great song! Love them Isleys being rough and tough!
What a pair of singles, "The Hustle" and "Fight The Power". Both perfection at accomplishing what they set out to do.
Here's a new #1 that i'm almost sure no one else here has never heard. I just happen to have it on three CDs but this is my first time hearing or noticing it. Hope That We Can Be Together Soon - Sharon Paige and Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes We ending August 9, 1975 1 wk To me, this song is a real snoozer. Totally forgettable. Hard to believe it reached #1 in mid-1975
