Boogie Oogie Oogie Just typing that title is a trip. I can imagine Peter Sellers posing as a Shakespearian actor reciting the lyrics in mock solemnity (hey, he got a hit record doing that for A Hard Day's Night!). (OK, I'll give the lyrics a pass, since this one really is all about shaking your groove thing or whatevah. ) Is it just me, or has 1978 had a lot of #1s that have gone on to become iconic? All those Gibb songs, the two Grease numbers, this one, Paul's hit, even Miss You and Three Times a Lady are songs from this era that are by and large familiar to people even today. So Boogie is not at all the kind of song I normally like, but I have to admit it is catchy. I also like the women who perform it, and you have to admit their dynamic is quite different from the usual R+B combos of the time. So another mark in the plus column.
I actually remember this on one of my Bay City Rollers albums. Appears to have charted at only #54 in the US, but it hit #13 in Germany and #22 in Canada.
Wow I watched the Lobo series too but don't remember the character from BJ and The Bear. Then again the only thing I remember about it is the theme song anyway and the unsuccessful reboot called BJ and The Seven Lady Truckers. Can't make this stuff up!
Which is likely why the song got a ton of radio airplay. The AC charts were becoming more important by then.
My wife and I were somewhere a couple of months ago and this song was played. I had not heard it in years and knew I remembered it from my younger days but could not for the life of me remember when it came out. When we got home I Googled it and realized it came out in 1978. I don't have any real memories of hearing it at the time - I know I had to have - but its a great song for sure.
...I recall that Jay Black, of Jay and the Americans (whose Top 40 days were only 7 years or so in.the past then) attempted a cover of " Love Is In The Air ". This is the first time I've heard that " Yesterday's Hero ", I'll say more later!
Boogie Oogie Oogie Okay, that's a stupid title. The song is good, though. Disco wasn't so bad. Great bass line. Love Is In The Air Man, I hated this one in high school. It was music I pictured my divorced dad putting on before a hot date while wearing a smoking jacket and Brut cologne. But, I like it now. Time for me to buy a smoking jacket. It reminds me of this one below, which was popular at the time. This was parent's music to me back then, but I think it's almost sublime now. I'm a parent. The backing vocals are amazingly good. It just has this really cool vibe to it. It went to #3.
One of the greatest songs of the late 70s. Has a great nostalgic "Glenn Miller" days feel to it. As much as it was played on the radio, it sure sounds like a No. 1, which makes No. 3 as good as....
Yeah, it definitely has that big band 40s feel to it, without seeming even slightly like a novelty song. It's extremely well arranged.
It sounds like Chic to me, too. And it would make sense that a disco band would be influenced by what was the best and biggest disco band of the time. The guitar is very Nile Rodgers' style of playing, and the bass line is bouncing all around like a Chic song. It just doesn't have the strings, which is maybe why Grant doesn't think it sounds like Chic. Plus, the clavinet isn't something Chic used.
Well, be careful. Chic may have been the best, but they weren't the biggest. Not quite yet, anyhow. Hence my comment that A Taste Of Honey made it to the top with the "Chic sound" before Chic managed it.
Yup. I noticed that months ago, when I was looking ahead at what the #1's of 1978 were gonna be. I'd argue that it's the strongest year of the decade, at least in terms of #1s. Record sales were also peaking around this time, and FM was moving far away from being a band only for the upper middle class to having more pop & R&B representation. This began to impact how those records were recorded and mixed in the same way it hit rock and genres like the singer/songwriters earlier in the decade, because what sounded good on AM radio sounded like crap on FM.
When I was a kid I always assumed it was by Chicago, due to the horns and the big-band retro references. I was shocked to learn - years later - it was by Little River Band, who I always thought of as Australian Eagles wannabes. Not that I didn't like their stuff when it came on the radio...but I never bought any, because that was quite enough. "Reminiscing" caught John Lennon's ear though, and influenced the sound and tone of Double Fantasy. So you weren't the only one who appreciated it (it's my favorite LRB song, by a considerable margin).
I don't agree - I've found almost nothing in this years #1's worth even commenting on. Obviously others' mileage may and does vary.
78 was good (better than 73-74), but not the decade's best, which would be 70-72, 75, 76, 78, 79, 77, imo. I was in high school then, so know most of the songs.
I'd like to post the chart the week Reminiscing peaked at No. 3. I can't do that because it would reveal the No. 1 that we haven't discussed yet. Let's just say that No. 1 is close to the current No. 1 and is "waiting in the wings...." Here's the last week Boogie Oogie Oogie was No. 1. Notice Foreigner's HOT BLOODED got blocked at No. 3 (in an earlier week with Boogie Oogie at No. 1). This week, Reminiscing is at No. 10. I've highlighted the ones I really like. The exceptional songs are in RED. US Top 40 Singles Week Ending 23rd September, 1978 TW LW TITLE Artist (Label) -Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date) 1 1 BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE –•– A Taste Of Honey (Capitol) -14 (3 weeks at #1) (1) 2 5 KISS YOU ALL OVER –•– Exile (Warner Brothers / Curb) -12 (2) 3 4 HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU –•– Olivia Newton-John (RSO) -12 (3) 4 2 THREE TIMES A LADY –•– The Commodores (Motown) -15 (1) 5 6 AN EVERLASTING LOVE –•– Andy Gibb (RSO) -11 (5) 6 7 SUMMER NIGHTS –•– John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John and Cast (RSO) -8 (6) 7 8 DON’T LOOK BACK –•– Boston (Epic) -6 (7) 8 3 HOT BLOODED –•– Foreigner (Atlantic) -13 (3) 9 11 HOT CHILD IN THE CITY –•– Nick Gilder (Chrysalis) -16 (9) 10 15 REMINISCING –•– Little River Band (Harvest) -9 (10) 11 13 LOVE IS IN THE AIR –•– John Paul Young (Scotti Brothers) -11 (11) 12 12 FOOL (If You Think It’s Over) –•– Chris Rea (United Artists / Magnet) -12 (12) 13 14 YOU AND I –•– Rick James (Gordy) -13 (13) 14 16 YOU NEEDED ME –•– Anne Murray (Capitol) -11 (14) 15 17 HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS –•– Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band (Capitol) -7 (15) 16 19 WHENEVER I CALL YOU “FRIEND” –•– Kenny Loggins (Columbia) -9 (16) 17 9 GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (Columbia) -10 (9) 18 21 OH! DARLING –•– Robin Gibb (RSO) -7 (18) 19 10 SHAME –•– Evelyn “Champagne” King (RCA) -15 (9) 20 24 RIGHT DOWN THE LINE –•– Gerry Rafferty (United Artists) -7 (20) 21 28 GET OFF –•– Foxy (Dash) -10 (21) 22 23 LOVE THEME FROM “EYES OF LAURA MARS” (Prisoner) –•– Barbra Streisand (Columbia) -9 (22) 23 18 GREASE –•– Frankie Valli (RSO) -18 (1) 24 26 BACK IN THE U.S.A. –•– Linda Ronstadt (Asylum) -6 (24) 25 29 COME TOGETHER –•– Aerosmith (Columbia) -8 (25) 26 31 SHE’S ALWAYS A WOMAN –•– Billy Joel (Columbia) -7 (26) 27 27 JUST WHAT I NEEDED –•– The Cars (Elektra) -15 (27) 28 32 YOU NEVER DONE IT LIKE THAT –•– The Captain and Tennille (A&M) -8 (28) 29 35 WHO ARE YOU –•– The Who (MCA) -5 (29) 30 33 I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE (Disco ‘Round) –•– Alicia Bridges (Polydor) -12 (30) 31 34 TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP –•– Crystal Gayle (United Artists) -9 (31) 32 36 5.7.0.5 –•– City Boy (Mercury) -7 (32) 33 20 MISS YOU –•– Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones) -18 (1) 34 22 MAGNET AND STEEL –•– Walter Egan (Columbia) -18 (8) 35 52 BEAST OF BURDEN –•– Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones) -3 (35) 36 49 JOSIE –•– Steely Dan (ABC) -5 (36) 37 41 ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE –•– Michael Johnson (EMI-America) -7 (37) 38 42 DEVOTED TO YOU –•– Carly Simon and James Taylor (Elektra) -6 (38) 39 40 PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT –•– Meat Loaf (with Ellen Foley and Phil Rizzuto) (Epic / Cleveland International) -7 (39) 40 48 HEARTBREAKER –•– Dolly Parton (RCA) -5 (40) THIS WEEK’S DROPS 52 25 CLOSE THE DOOR –•– Teddy Pendergrass (Philadelphia International) -12 (25) 62 30 A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL FANTASY –•– The Kinks (Arista) -10 (30) 68 37 LOVE WILL FIND A WAY –•– Pablo Cruise (A&M) -17 (6) 72 38 TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE –•– Eddie Money (Columbia) -14 (22) 73 39 MY ANGEL BABY –•– Toby Beau (RCA) -17 (13) POWER PLAYS 41 43 ALL I SEE IS YOUR FACE –•– Dan Hill (20th Century) -7 (41) 42 45 BADLANDS –•– Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) -6 (42) 43 44 I WILL STILL LOVE YOU –•– Stonebolt (Parachute) -8 (43) 44 47 DANCE (Disco Heat) –•– Sylvester (Fantasy) -6 (44) 45 46 YOU –•– The McCrarys (Portrait) -6 (45) 46 51 IT’S A LAUGH –•– Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA) -5 (46) 47 50 TOOK THE LAST TRAIN –•– David Gates (Elektra) -7 (47) 48 63 HOW MUCH I FEEL –•– Ambrosia (Warner Brothers) -4 (48) 49 56 SWEET LIFE –•– Paul Davis (Bang) -5 (49) 50 75 MacARTHUR PARK –•– Donna Summer (Casablanca) -3 (50) DEBUTS THIS WEEK 67 — DOUBLE VISION –•– Foreigner (Atlantic) -1 (67) 79 — STRAIGHT ON –•– Heart (Portrait) -1 (79) 85 — FLYING HIGH –•– The Commodores (Motown) -1 (85) 86 — YOU SHOULD DO IT –•– Peter Brown with Betty Wright (Drive) -1 (86) 87 — GOT TO HAVE LOVING –•– Don Ray (Polydor) -1 (87) 88 — LISTEN TO HER HEART –•– Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Shelter / ABC) -1 (88) 89 — WHAT GOES UP –•– The Alan Parsons Project (Arista) -1 (89) 90 — BRANDY –•– The O’Jays (Philadelphia International) -1 (90) 93 — THE JOKER –•– Snail (Cream) -1 (93) 94 — WHEN YOU FEEL LOVE –•– Bob McGilpin (Butterfly) -1 (94)
Really solid chart, lots of classic tracks. AN EVERLASTING LOVE –•– Andy Gibb This wasn't one of those "classic tracks". The first real sign in my opinion that the Gibb formula was starting to run on fumes. GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE –•– Earth, Wind and Fire OH! DARLING –•– Robin Gibb Two more signs, from the ill-fated, disastrously-received Sgt. Pepper's film. There was an air of sacrilege regarding having these polyester-clad disco clowns defile the legacy of The Beatles. They probably engendered as much loathing for their participation in this cinematic Titanic as they did for saturating the airwaves with disco for 12-months straight. EWF had a decent sized hit with their cover though, probably the best thing to come from that ill-starred project. FOOL (If You Think It’s Over) –•– Chris Rea Rea's biggest hit, and one that doesn't sound at all dated 40+ years on. Rea was huge overseas - "Driving Home For Christmas" has a whopping 135 million Spotify plays - but never broke big here. This was his first and by far biggest US chart hit - in fact, it's the only time he broke into the US Top 40. Surprising - he was a constant if minor chart presence in the UK until the late '80s, which his commercial fortunes improved considerably, a run which lasted thru the mid-90's, peaking with the delicious "The Road To Hell", his only UK Top 10 hit. WHENEVER I CALL YOU “FRIEND” –•– Kenny Loggins MAGNET AND STEEL –•– Walter Egan We weren't just at peak Bee Gees, but also peak Fleetwood Mac, as I think I mentioned earlier. Nicks appeared for a duet with Kenny Loggins and helped make him a "solo" star, and Buckingham and Nicks appeared on and co-produced (with Mac producer Richard Dashut) Egan's "Magnet & Steel", by far his biggest hit (and one of my favorites from this era). Fleetwood Mac were also great Yacht Rock, and we'd also entered into the period of peak-Yacht Rock (roughly '78 thru '82). In addition to these two cuts, you could add the following contemporary hits to the list: RIGHT DOWN THE LINE –•– Gerry Rafferty I liked this one almost as much as Baker Street SHE’S ALWAYS A WOMAN –•– Billy Joel Is Billy Yacht Rock? He's certainly at least adjacent. The Stranger is his finest work, and was still charting singles into '78. This was one of the album's finest, a lovely traditional ballad that's been overshadowed over the years by ballad supernova "Just The Way You Are". Joel's singles chart performance doesn't really reflect how huge he was on radio and in general - his albums were flying off the shelves and his '70s albums continued to move copies (and sound reasonably contemporary) well into the mid-'80s. Eff Platinum - The Stranger went Diamond. JOSIE –•– Steely Dan The funkiest entry from Aja, Steely Dan were the Dom Perignon of Yacht Rock. Always loved this one, but then I loved anything by them that radio played. LOVE WILL FIND A WAY –•– Pablo Cruise I told you we'd entered peak Yacht Rock. Pablo Cruise are something of a joke today, but man this one's laden with hooks. HOW MUCH I FEEL –•– Ambrosia Smooth sailing with these white soul brothers. Appropriation? Sure. But even Quincy Jones thought they were fantastic. These guys were to Yacht Rock what the Bee Gees were to disco, in terms of credibly pulling off (in this case, impossibly smooth) R&B. SWEET LIFE –•– Paul Davis Coming off the crazy success of "I Go Crazy", this one wouldn't persist for quite such an amazing length of time on the charts, but got heavy radio play well into the '80s on the increasingly important light rock and classic rock/pop stations. Only made it to #17, but you'd swear it had gone Top 10 at least. Beyond Yacht Rock, new disco acts were still cropping up on the charts. Disco might have been hurtling toward its demise, but at this point it not only looked like an established genre, but also the dominant one: I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE (Disco ‘Round) –•– Alicia Bridges Bridges and her distinctive throaty warble were indicative of late-stage disco, which started to pull in influences from elsewhere (including rock and jazz). DANCE (Disco Heat) –•– Sylvester The "computer disco" of Giorgio Moroder from '77 and "I Feel Love" quickly inspired a reaction from America - Sylvester and producer Harvey Fuqua were one of the first with this hit. His biggest chart success but probably not his best-known single - that would be reserved for its followup, which barely scraped the pop charts. Sylvester and electronic dance pioneer Patrick Cowley would carry on having massive club smashes right until the latter passed away from HIV in 1982. LISTEN TO HER HEART –•– Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers It's amazing to me how little chart success Petty enjoyed with these now-classic cuts. That would eventually change, but he was more of a hit out of the gate with critics and album buyers than with pop chart listeners. TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE –•– Eddie Money Speaking of, this one never even made it into the Top 20. The way rock radio has played it since the '80s, you'd think it was a #1. And it does sound like a #1. A #1 from the '80s. This isn't quite my style, but I've always thought Money was underrated. This cut seemed hugely influential and still sounded contemporary almost a decade later. Absolute classic. DOUBLE VISION –•– Foreigner STRAIGHT ON –•– Heart Two huge rock acts of the '70s and '80s had new releases climbing the charts. I like 'em both, but "Double Vision" seems more dependent on killer production. "Straight On" has that fantastic stomping groove and an incredible performance from the sisters. Hard to pick a favorite, but along with Money and Petty they both demonstrated rock wasn't quite dead yet.
However, Aerosmith's cover of "Come Together" from that same bomb was, to put it mildly, paint-by-numbers, almost a carbon copy of the original - and would be their last Top 40 hit for nearly a decade. At least EWF tried something different with their "Got To Get You... ." (It was apparently that film's equivalent of Elton John's cover of "Pinball Wizard" from the film version of The Who's Tommy - EWF's version was produced by its frontman Maurice White, and he wisely stayed away from George Martin - unlike Aerosmith.)
