Yes, my mom liked it more than I did. However, my family generally went for the urban crime dramas like Kojak, Hawaii 5-0, Dragnet, The Rookies, Manix, S.W.A.T., Toma, Petrocelli, The Rockford Files, and Barretta. But, we also loved medical dramas like Medical Center, Emergency, and Marcus Welby MD. This seems fitting because my mom was a nurse, and my father was a cop, albeit a military cop. He explained to me that it is the same thing, except that MPs operate under military law. Man, this TV talk belongs in the visual forum.
Catching up: On June 1, 1975, I started dating a young lady. The romance didn't last long--seven weeks later, she and I split up, with me moving to one of her best friends and she shifted to one of mine--but this was my first relationship of any length. I can't say we were ever "in love," but as with most firsts, it stuck with me over the years. Several songs from this spring and summer were part of our soundtrack, and "Love Will Keep Us Together" was a biggie. I was a Beatles/Stones/Deep Purple/Faces/Elton John/Led Zep loving rocker, but I really enjoyed "Love Will Keep Us Together." I can't remember if I bought it at the time, but I think I did; I know my middle brother wound up with a copy of the album, and between hearing it on that and on the radio, I heard it plenty. I still like hearing it now and then. And when I do, I still think of that now-grandmother. She and I are Facebook friends these days, and I have told her that I associate that song with us. She asked for a mix disc of some songs from that summer--I turned her onto music, as she bought a cheap stereo for her room while we were together--and I picked out about 20 that I was pretty sure we had heard together. So, naturally, "Listen To What The Man Said" is also part of that soundtrack of those weeks, and it was another one that I loved. I bought the album sometime during the summer, and it is still my favorite song on the LP. But I don't associate it as much with said gal as I do The Captain and Tennille song, maybe because I've listened to it so many times in other contexts. JcS
A great, great song...I don’t think that I can find the words that adequately describe how much I love this song. It’s one of my “Desert Island,” tunes and my favorite McCartney Post-Beatles song. I never tire of listening to it. I immediately purchased the single (w/picture sleeve) when it was released and still have it today. That fall, I purchased the Venus and Mars album, which was one of the first albums that I ever purchased with my own money. I played that album to death during my High School years and purchased the “Archive Edition” when it was re-released a few years ago. One of my favorite concert memories is seeing Paul perform this on his 2012 “Out There” tour.
Here's the Hot 100 the sole week Listen to What the Man said was at No. 1. The ones I highlighted sound like No. 1s, but "only" made the Top 10. US Top 40 Singles Week Ending 19th July, 1975 TW LW TITLE –•– Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date) 1 3 LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAID –•– Wings (Capitol)-8 (1 week at #1) (1) 2 2 THE HUSTLE –•– Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony (Avco)-14 (2) 3 10 I’M NOT IN LOVE –•– 10cc (Mercury)-10 (3) 4 7 ONE OF THESE NIGHTS –•– Eagles (Asylum)-8 (4) 5 6 PLEASE MR. PLEASE –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-7 (5) 6 5 MAGIC –•– Pilot (EMI)-16 (5) 7 8 SWEARIN’ TO GOD –•– Frankie Valli (Private Stock)-10 (7) 8 1 LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER –•– The Captain and Tennille (A&M)-14 (1) 9 22 JIVE TALKIN’ –•– Bee Gees (RSO)-8 (9) 10 11 ROCKIN’ CHAIR –•– Gwen McCrae (Cat)-10 (10) 11 15 MIDNIGHT BLUE –•– Melissa Manchester (Arista)-11 (11) 12 13 THE WAY WE WERE / TRY TO REMEMBER (Medley) –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-13 (12) 13 16 DYNOMITE (Part 1) –•– Tony Camillo’s Bazuka (A&M)-14 (13) 14 14 MISTY –•– Ray Stevens (Barnaby)-13 (14) 15 25 SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT –•– Elton John (MCA)-3 (15) 16 17 WHY CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS? –•– War (United Artists)-12 (16) 17 21 THE ROCKFORD FILES –•– Mike Post (MGM)-10 (17) 18 19 I’M ON FIRE –•– The Dwight Twilley Band (Shelter)-13 (18) 19 20 RHINESTONE COWBOY –•– Glen Campbell (Capitol)-8 (19) 20 43 HOW SWEET IT IS (To Be Loved By You) –•– James Taylor (Warner Brothers)-5 (20) 21 4 WILDFIRE –•– Michael Murphey (Epic)-17 (3) 22 26 EVERY TIME YOU TOUCH ME (I Get High) –•– Charlie Rich (Epic)-8 (22) 23 9 WHEN WILL I BE LOVED / IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE –•– Linda Ronstadt (Capitol)-15 (2) 24 34 MORNIN’ BEAUTIFUL –•– Tony Orlando and Dawn (Elektra)-5 (24) 25 28 SLIPPERY WHEN WET –•– The Commodores (Motown)-11 (25) 26 12 LOVE WON’T LET ME WAIT –•– Major Harris (Atlantic)-17 (5) 27 18 I’M NOT LISA –•– Jessi Colter (Capitol)-16 (4) 28 32 DISCO QUEEN –•– Hot Chocolate (Big Tree)-8 (28) 29 27 HEY YOU –•– Bachman-Turner Overdrive (Mercury)-10 (21) 30 36 FIGHT THE POWER (Part 1) –•– The Isley Brothers (T-Neck)-5 (30) 31 31 IT’S ALL DOWN TO GOODNIGHT VIENNA / OO-WEE –•– Ringo Starr (Apple)-6 (31) 32 39 AT SEVENTEEN –•– Janis Ian (Columbia)-6 (32) 33 57 FALLIN’ IN LOVE –•– Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds (Playboy)-5 (33) 34 38 JUST A LITTLE BIT OF YOU –•– Michael Jackson (Motown)-7 (34) 35 41 SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL –•– Lynyrd Skynyrd (MCA)-6 (35) 36 40 SWEET EMOTION –•– Aerosmith (Columbia)-6 (36) 37 45 HOLDIN’ ON TO YESTERDAY –•– Ambrosia (20th Century)-6 (37) 38 46 WASTED DAYS AND WASTED NIGHTS –•– Freddy Fender (ABC / Dot)-5 (38) 39 24 GET DOWN, GET DOWN (Get On the Floor) –•– Joe Simon (Spring)-16 (8) 40 51 COULD IT BE MAGIC –•– Barry Manilow (Arista)-4 (40) THIS WEEK’S DROPS 47 23 ONLY WOMEN –•– Alice Cooper (Atlantic)-16 (12) 53 37 THANK GOD I’M A COUNTRY BOY –•– John Denver (RCA)-18 (1) 62 35 SPIRIT OF THE BOOGIE / SUMMER MADNESS –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-16 (35) 68 29 SISTER GOLDEN HAIR –•– America (Warner Brothers)-16 (1) 74 30 CUT THE CAKE –•– The Average White Band (AWB) (Atlantic)-15 (10) 75 33 TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (Rock Me) –•– The Doobie Brothers (Warner Brothers)-12 (11) POWER PLAYS 41 63 THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (Columbia)-3 (41) 42 42 I DON’T KNOW WHY –•– The Rolling Stones (Abkco)-6 (42) 43 47 EL BIMBO –•– Bimbo Jet (Scepter)-9 (43) 44 59 FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE –•– Bad Company (Swan Song)-3 (44) 45 49 SEXY –•– MFSB (Philadelphia International)-5 (45) 46 56 THIRD RATE ROMANCE –•– The Amazing Rhythm Aces (ABC)-5 (46) 48 48 TAKE ME TO THE RIVER –•– Syl Johnson (Hi)-6 (48) 49 60 BALLROOM BLITZ –•– Sweet (Capitol)-6 (49) 50 61 BLUEBIRD –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-3 (50) DEBUTS THIS WEEK 76 — TWO FINE PEOPLE –•– Cat Stevens (A&M)-1 (76) 77 — DAISY JANE –•– America (Warner Brothers)-1 (77) 79 — TUSH –•– ZZ Top (London)-1 (79) 87 — CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING (But My Love) –•– The Stylistics (Avco)-1 (87) 89 — DANCE WITH ME –•– Orleans (Asylum)-1 (89) 90 — HOW LONG (Betcha’ Got a Chick On the Side) –•– The Pointer Sisters (Blue Thumb)-1 (90) 95 — LIFE AND DEATH IN G&A –•– Love Childs Afro Cuban Blues Band (Roulette)-1 (95) 96 — CHASE THE CLOUDS AWAY –•– Chuck Mangione (A&M)-1 (96) 97 — SURE FEELS GOOD –•– Elvin Bishop (Capricorn)-3 (83) 100 — ROCKY –•– Austin Roberts (Private Stock)-1 (100)
Agree with the consensus. This is a great pop tune, breezy and deceptively lightweight. It bounces along with that ubiquitous Tom Scott sax blaring away over the melody and even offers up a surprise coda at the end. If Elton hadn't stolen his thunder, Paul would probably have been the 70s MVP. He had a few bumps in the beginning of his solo tenure but eventually found his footing, carrying that weight at least through the first half of the 80s. I also really enjoy the Venus & Mars LP. It's a melange of pop, rock and shlock that sounds very mid 70s and probably accounts for it's success although I do find the production somewhat boxy. I'm also partial to Magneto and Titanium Man - go X-men! - and this great single that inexplicably bombed - Letting Go b/w You Gave Me The Answer. They even remixed the song for the single, forcing completists to shell out some extra dough. Clever.
Besides #1, I also have from this set #2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16, 19, 26, 30, 32, 33, 40, 41, 49, 53 and 68. There is something I have to say about a future #1 on this set that will be on hold until we get there. I like it, and have it, but the vibe I get is different from what most had. That's all I'll say at this time.
Funny . . . the point where it began to come together for Macca was when Elton began to catch fire on the charts.
I always loved "Listen To What The Man Said" from the very start. I seem to have acquired a stereo/mono promo in a picture sleeve. Also in my collection are two other singles from VENUS AND MARS, the above mentioned "Letting Go", and the single of "Venus And Mars Rock Show" with "Magneto And Titanium Man" on the b-side. In another thread, I mentioned that I was working for a pop radio station morphing into more free-form rock. When VENUS AND MARS came out, the station was all over it, playing much of the album. In fact, as I really liked "Magneto And Titanium Man" and I had it on this 45, I always thought it was an A-side single. (Never cared for the "Rock Show" track.) It came as a bit of a surprise years later when I realized the "Magneto..." was a b-side.
"Listen To What The Said" had a difficult time on live radio turntables of the day with the segues going in and coming out.
By catch fire you mean collapse, right? But yeah, Macca seemed to be on an upward trajectory to some degree, at least in his ability to have one big hit off of each album.
No, I was talking 1972-73, culminating in Mr. John's first #1 "Crocodile Rock." This was around the time of Wings' "Hi Hi Hi," but before "My Love" topped the chart.
When I was a kid of 14, I had a lot of symptoms that pointed to possible diabetes. It ran in my family, and with the constant thirst and other symptoms, that summer is when I had to spend an entire day doing tests for blood sugar. They made me drink this sickly sweet orange drink (think Tang but with about 3 cups of sugar in it) and have my blood drawn every two hours. It was a very bad day, but I cooperated and thank God, the tests were negative. Since I was a good boy, my mom decided to reward me with not one, but TWO albums of my choosing. I picked out Captain Fantastic (she balked at the cover art, but bought it anyway) and Venus and Mars. I loved both at the time, and still do, and I have to agree with everyone else that LTWTMS is one of Wings' best singles. I love that coda with the sax and the powerful drums playing over those gorgeous strings and the rest of the band. Paul was the master of great codas! Definitely one of the top #1s of the year. And it made me feel better about being poked with a needle countless times that day. I still have issues with fake orange drinks.
Another giant hit by Paul, one of many of the early-mid 70s. Among them: -Live and Let Die (1973) (Top 5) -My Love (1973) No. 1. -Helen Wheels (Top 10) -Band on the Run (1974, No. 1) -Junior's Farm (Top 10, 1974) I'd say Paul was on a roll. I don't consider it a "competition" between Paul and Elton.
That's news to me (about the "modern" logo being in use again). "Listen to What the Man Said" is not a huge favorite of mine among his hit singles, but it does rank in my personal top half. I remember hearing this one a lot.
"Listen to what the man said" - best thing I can say about this one is it's catchy. I didn't mind it at the time and wouldn't have switched stations if it came on the radio. Nowadays I would switch and I'd do it in a hurry. Paul would later put out much worse songs than this one, but this is the point where I gave up on him. Despite the thread consensus, time has not been kind to this one.
Listen to What the Man Said has long struck me as sort of the quintessential Wings tune: Insanely catchy, perfectly packaged and with all the substance of cotton candy. You can't get it out of your head, but a little voice inside you keeps asking, "This is the guy who wrote Blackbird and Let It Be? Really?" I'm a huge Macca fan, but the '70s were not his strongest period artistically, despite his great commercial success.
yeah, I decided not to go there, but I do think this is some of Paul's "pot music," which is to say his marijuana use seems to be a major factor in his not caring about the quality of his material. This one actually has a good bit of nice stuff going on musically, which doesn't happen again much after this single. The lyrics are the most basic problem. Paul was no stranger to weed, even when he was still poducing some very good music, so I'm not totally blaming his use for songs like this and the ones that are still on the way. I think the combination of it, getting older, and having nothing to prove to anyone led to a mindset of settling for way too little from himself in his songwriting. That's his choice, and that's cool - he earned the right, he can live and produce his art the way he wants. I didn't like any of his subsequent singles up to "Arrow through me," which I did like a bit. I lost track of him after that, except for the odd song I'd hear now and then. I'm not at all qualified to comment on anything he's done since about the time of "Tug of War"
It may be that after getting a lot of acclaim for BOTR, he just set about making catchy little pop songs. He even told the world with the title of his very next #1. I like McCartney for the next year or two then it gets spotty. But Elton suffered the same fate only he had a different vice. In his case, he managed to remain just popular enough to last through the 90s.
I don't think it was a "competition", but I think Elton definitely trailed off a bit around this time. Paul didn't. His albums maybe faltered a bit more commercially in the UK, but not to the degree Elton's did. On the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic Paul was about to have some huge successes, although his performance perhaps wasn't as consistent as it had been earlier in his career.
From what I read of John Denver in Jerry Weintraub's book, Mr. "Rocky Mountain High" had pretty much the same vice as Elton (that is, the proverbial "nose candy," and to some extent the bottle).