That chorus, now that you mention it, does have an almost Muppet Show sound to it, in terms of the voices . . .
One last thing about Convoy. Outside of possibly these last few years due to (in my opinion) the samesness sound of a lot of rap songs, I doubt that I will discover any other # 1 hits that I haven't heard of besides Convoy
Re: Paul Simon - Kodachrome hit #2. So did Loves Me Like a Rock. So, yes, 50 Ways is his only #1. Lonely Nights (Angel Face) by Captain & Tennille is one I have come to like over the years. I do remember hearing it in 1976 but it didn't make much of an impression on me then. Later on I rediscovered it. I also found out later that it was written by Neil Sedaka. I still like Love Will Keep Us Together more, because I did like that song when it was new (and -- since I'm sure it would be pointed out if I didn't say it --- I know Sedaka wrote that).
For a group that's regarded in the same reverential tones as The Stones or Beatles, The Who shockingly placed just one song in the Top 10 - 1967's I Can See For Miles (#9). They did have quite a few Top 20 hits, though and this fun ditty was their last such chart entry until a song that became well known to TV audiences arrived two years hence. I love the use of banjo and accordion and those opening chords are a blast of much needed rock on the charts. I like this even more today than I did 40+ years ago and I dug it then.
Although "I Can See For Miles" was the biggest hit in The Who's name, the biggest hit anyone associated with the group had was 1968's "Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (which peaked here at #2) - of which Pete Townshend was associate producer. As for the LP that contained "Squeeze Box," The Who By Numbers, the last track, "In A Hand Or A Face," struck me in some portions (namely the chorus) as a "Son of 'I Can See For Miles'."
In my opinion, they earned their spot in the Big Three of the British Invasion with their staying power - they were still selling albums by the truckload and at least having moderately successful singles long after most of their original competition had become trivia questions - and their influence. I think the reason why they had only the one US top ten single is that their "singles era" was before they'd really caught on in the US. It was only with Tommy that they really broke through there (and every studio album they've put out since then has hit the top ten), and that was also just about exactly the time they completed the transition to being strictly an album-oriented band. But their 1965-67 singles are still my favorite part of their catalog overall!
So '70s it hurts. This pretty much defined cheezy mid-'70s TV soundtrack music, a discofied takeoff on the work Isaac Hayes had done 5 years before on Shaft. A lot of famous talent was part of Rhythm Heritage at one time or another, including Michael Omartin on keyboards, James Jamerson, Victor Feldman, and Ray Parker, Jr. I never cared all that much for this track. My favorite Rhythm Heritage cut was the theme from Baretta, "Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow", sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!
This record was so cool, and so was the TV show. I have it, and the "Disco-fied" album by Rhythm Heritage. There are three version of this song: The 45 RPM single is the longest at 4:07 - it appears on the ABC 45 and Rhino Kurtis Blow: The History of Rap. Vol. 1 The LP version is 3:26 - it appears on the "Disco-fied" album The radio edit is 2: 50. - it appears on Rhino Billboard Top Pop Hits 1976
BTW, not to skew this away from Rhythm Heritage, but did we discuss "Fox On The Run" by Sweet? It's one of my all-time favorite glam-rock (or bubblegum) songs.
Actually, 2:50 (listed on the label as 2:47) was on very first pressings of the stock 45's. Notice the 4:07 version has 'RE-1' affixed to the matrix number. Original CBS Pitman pressing. Later CP pressings (notice the misalignment of the revised matrix number on this vs. the 2:47 version). I am familiar with the 3:26 edit from Disco-Fied because in my youth, I had gotten a mix tape of various songs from ABC Records' vaults as put out by a company called Sound Choice (a year before ABC unloaded its records division for a song onto MCA). The long version of this group's follow-up - a cover of the aforementioned "Baretta's Theme" - was also on the mix tape. (As this will be this outfit's only topper, I will bring up the 45 of that later single in my next post, if permissible.) Also, at the time this topped the charts, wasn't S.W.A.T. already cancelled? Oh, and one more thing (as Lt. Columbo would say): The 2:50 (2:47) edit is the one in my collection. Much more to the point I.M.H.O. than the 4:07.
Anyway . . . as I've said, their version of "Baretta's Theme" (which, believe it or not, I actually prefer to Sammy Davis Jr.'s which would be put out later this year as a single on 20th Century) was the follow-up to this. I vividly remember, in my first year in summer camp, this 45 in the camp's record collection. Very early pressings misspelled the main title as "Barretta's Theme." (Though it was corrected by the time the label shown was on the accompanying clip below.) As you can guess, this and Mr. Davis' recording are different birds (neither of which was the cockatoo that sat on Baretta's shoulder).
We might've, but it wouldn't hurt to discuss again. A somewhat different recording of this had been a hit for them in '75 in Britain. By this time the group itself was producing and writing its own songs. Harder edge than the stuff written for them by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and produced by Phil Wainman.
Hmmm. I don't ever recall seeing that "RE" on my label copy. I bought the 45 fairly early. My copy is vinyl with the sharp edge. It has the same font as the one shown for the "Baretta's Theme" 45 above. I hate it when youse guys bring up records that haven't even charted yet, but, the OP says it's cool, so... That is also from the "Disco-fied" LP, as you noted. It was the second single from the album. I had to recreate the single edit, though, as it doesn't exist digitally. The LP version does, though. I found it on a LaserLight CD comp back in the 90s at Target. N0. The show was still in production.
I think I saw a Google link about how the band wrote and recorded "Fox On The Run" while Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn were away. A lot of people on this forum don't necessarily like "Chinnichap" songs, but I do. I also like the work they did with Blondie later on.
Hmmm. Then the book which had named S.W.A.T. one of "The Worst TV Shows Ever" must've erred (which wouldn't be a surprise if that were the case - I saw in one show there were errors even I knew of) when they claimed it was cancelled by Christmas 1975.
The last show aired in April 1976, which means it was still on the air, but as you know, a show can be taped well in advance of its airing. I was mistaken about it still being in production by then. S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series) - Wikipedia
CBS Santa Maria, then. If your label says 2:47 (as non -RE label copy indicates) and plays 4:07 (where -RE would be in the deadwax, presumably), wouldn't surprise me. There were many cases of the James Gang Rides Again LP where some copies listed, in one of their long songs, Ravel's "Bolero" among the medley where it wasn't included on the record, and others had it in the medley on the record but it wasn't in the label copy.
My label 100% states 4:07. I have two copies of it. The other one is of thicker vinyl with a horribly cut center hole.
