The Weekly Top 10 Thread-December 14, 1974

Ruby Red Dress isn't quite as good as Avenging Annie, but it's probably ok.
Psycho Killer, Qu'est ce que c'est?

 

Well, my rodential friend....personally, I would pick "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" for that 'weirdest story-song' honor, although it's a shame the Buoys' overwrought(if perversely enjoyable)"Timothy" didn't make the national TT(as it was, took forever to launch that one, and even then, took forever for it to crawl up the charts back in '71), since songs about cannibalism are so tragically rare.....

 

Judging from the catalogue number (Scepter SCE-12275, two numbers after Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Fall In Love Again," SCE-12273), "Timothy's" original release had to be very late 1969/very early 1970. So it obviously had to take "forever" to make it onto the charts.

 

What a great chart -- love every one of 'em!

 

I always gave those poor miners the benefit of the doubt and presumed Timothy was their pack mule.

 

Joining the ABDL (Angie Baby Defense League) I kinda like this surreal song about a teenage social misfit girl who traps a stocker guy, or is he a DJ, in her radio and is able to control him. "It's so nice to be insane, No one asks you to explain..." If you don't like Helen Reddy's grating voice, turn down the treble. Dec. '74 was the first year in high school for me; I like all the songs.

That's W.O.L.D.D.D.D.D.D.D.[SIZE=-2]D.[/SIZE][SIZE=-3]D.[/SIZE][SIZE=-4]D.[/SIZE] or perhaps W.O.L.[echo]D.[/echo]

 

"Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was better by The Beatles IMO, but a cool 45 nonetheless. The flip side had Elton John And John Lennon doing "I Saw Her Standing There" live and it wasn't on any LP.

 

I never really liked any of Helen Reddy's stuff.

 

John Lennon sang back-up and played some cool reggae licks on Elton's version. I recall John saying that The Beatles' version was 'so badly recorded' and Elton's version was much better.

 

Hey hey hey heyWAIT A MINUTE! Didn't you once say you hated that song??? You like it now? Infectous, huh?

 

Well Ed, here's how it went: I was browsing around in the chart book wondering what would make a good one, since last week's 1982 chart was a bust. In fact, it seems that lately, the forum isn't too keen on the 80s at all, and since I had recently done two 60s charts, and one from 1970, I decided to go further into the 70s. But, I didn't like any of the other years I saw, and since I jjust happened to be listening to my homemade CD-Rs of 1974 hits, I thought, this was a damn good time period! I'll do 1974 this week!

Anyway, here are my thoughts, since I did not do them on the initial post:

1. Kung Fu Fighting-Carl Douglas
Man, I love this song! Yeah, it's hokey, but it has a funky instrumental track. That's what gets me going.

2. When Will I See You Again-The Three Degrees
It's nice, but it wore out fast for me, even though, on a cold day in december, I rode my bike to the store to buy it.

3. I Can Help-Billy Swan
I love this song! It is also very unusual, as I like songs that sound a bit off-kilter. It's practially all a two-chord keyboard and Billy, at least that's the way it sounded on AM radio in the car back then. There are a lot of different masterings on CD, but my favorite is the one on the Sony Soundtrack Of A Century.

4. Cat's In The Cradle-Harry Chapin
W.O.L.D. is a much better song. But "Cat's..." has a nice, but fluffy story line.

5. Angie Baby-Helen Reddy
A wierd song, escpcially since it's a Helen Reddy song. It was written by Alan O'Day, the same guy who had a top 10 hit three years later with "Undercover Angel". Count me in as another Hele Reddy Fan! My Favorite is "Ruby Red Dress (Leave Me Alone)". I go for that Las Vegas sound.

6. Do It ('Till You're Satisfied)-B.T. Express
It gets old fast, but it's a cool groove. This song was a taste of what kind of music that would dominate for the next two years, and was already burning up the R&B charts at that time from the likes of Ohio Players, Average White Band, and Laballe. BTW, this song was originally mixed by our own Tom Moulton!

7. You're The First, The Last, My Everything-Barry White
Not his best by a long shot...but not bad, either...

8. Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)-Al Green
This song hit just a year after Al Green complained to his producer, Willie Mitchell, that all of his songs sounded alike. He wanted variety. Well, he got "Here I Am Come And Take Me", and this. Al Green would have another year of top 40 hits before this style of R&B fell by the wayside in favor of a tougher kind of R&B, mentioned in the notes for B.T. Express above.

9. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds-Elton John
A hell of a lot better than the Beatles' original as far as being a pop hit is concerned. I'd rather listen to this version.

10. Junior's Farm/Sally G-Paul McCartney & Wings
I liked Junior's Farm, but always considered it a lesser hit. Now it's one of my all-time favorites. I didn't like "Sally G" at all because it was country. I sure as hell love it now!