WORST Hits of the 1970s!
Audrey Rosen
In article <mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>,
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
<snip>
Ah, I was just waiting for this thread to begin! A former co-worker and I
used to crack each other up adding to a continuing list he kept of awful
'70s tunes, many of which you had in your list. Thanks for the memories.
> Dawn featuring Tony Orlando - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"
Yeah, it became one of the all-time cliches, but IMHO this was pretty
decent compared to "Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" and "Who's in
the Strawberry Patch With Sally." AACK!
> Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
Here's an idea, let's all go down to the East Side of Chicago! Ooops,
sorry...that's Lake Michigan.
> Foxy - "Get Off"
Hey, forget the silly lyrics; it has a great beat and you can dance to it!
> Dan Hill - "Sometimes When We Touch"
AGH! GAG! BARF! PUKE! HURL!! (Thanks, now I feel better.)
> Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
So bad it's good! Cracks me up every time I hear it.
Which for some reason reminds me of another '70s so-bad-it's-good song.
Remember "Troglodyte" (and its follow-up, "Bertha Butt Boogie"?) My
favorite lines from "Troglodyte" (probably quoted inaccurately, sorry):
"Bertha looked at the Troglodyte.
She was about to crush him...
but she began to LIKE him!"
Ah, the quintessential relationship... :-)
Audrey Rosen
******************************
Audrey Rosen (a-r...@nwu.edu)
Senior Publications Editor
NU Information Technology
Marketing Communications
680 Lake Shore, #1315
CH 60611 312-503-6664
******************************
Marc Wielage
Even though I'm one of the main people who helped start this group, I'm
the first to admit that the 1970s had some really horrible, miserable,
total crap songs that managed to become major hits. Without going into
great detail, below are some of my picks for the major turkeys of the
decade -- and I'll confess here and now that just because a song is bad
doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure.
Note that 95% of these routinely show up on those "Top 100 Worst Songs of
All-Time" lists that circulate in many newspapers and magazines; MIAMI
HERALD columnist Dave Barry does this every year or two, and most of these
songs are regulars (along with several horrible 1980s and even 1990s
hits).
Note that I'm characterizing these as hits mainly in that most of them
were played to death on the radio AND were widely cited as being bad songs
by most critics. To me, it's too easy to find some horrible, obscure
album track by an idiot like William Shatner and say "THIS is the worst
song of the 1970s," but to me, the songs that a mass audience actually
heard are infinitely more annoying.
Morris Albert - "Feelings"
Paul Anka with Odia Coates - "(You're) Having My Baby"
Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
The Captain & Tennille - "Muskrat Love"
The Chakachas - "Jungle Fever"
Charlene - "I've Never Been to Me"
Cher - "Half-Breed"
Dawn featuring Tony Orlando - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"
Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots - "Disco Duck (Part 1)"
Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - "Get Dancin'"
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show - "Sylvia's Mother"
Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
Foxy - "Get Off"
David Geddes - "Run Joey Run"
Tom T. Hall - "I Love"
Dan Hill - "Sometimes When We Touch"
Clint Holmes - "Playground in My Mind"
Rupert Holmes - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"
Hot Chocolate - "You Sexy Thing"
Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"
KC & The Sunshine Band - "Get Down Tonight"
KC & The Sunshine Band - "That's the Way (I Like It)"
KC & The Sunshine Band - "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty"
KC & The Sunshine Band - "Keep it Comin' Love"
Lobo - "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo"
Barry Manilow - "Copacabana (At the Copa)"
Bobbi Martin - "For the Love of Him"
C.W. McCall - "Convoy"
The Steve Miller Band - "Take the Money and Run"
Musique - "In the Bush"
Wayne Newton - "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast"
The Ohio Players - "Jive Turkey"
Little Jimmy Osmond - "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool"
Marie Osmond - "Paper Roses"
Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
The Poppy Family - "Which Way You Goin' Billy?"
Austin Roberts - "Rocky"
The Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
Donna Summer - "Love to Love You Baby"
Donna Summer - "I Feel Love"
R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me"
Joe Tex - "I Gotcha"
Think - "Once You Understand"
Meri Wilson - "Telephone Man"
On the songs above, I have to confess I have what critics Siskel & Ebert
refer to as a few "Guilty Pleasures." :-) I hate Captain & Tennille's
version of "Muskrat Love" only because I liked America's infinitely-better
1973 #67 single version. Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" is so
over-the-top lyrically, I think it's a very funny, enjoyable song on
several different levels.
KIIS-FM DJ Rick Dees' "Disco Duck" regularly appears on these lists, and I
can't really understand why because it's clearly a satire; to me, this is
another very funny song on which a lot of people missed the joke.
"Sylvia's Mother" was intended by songwriter Shel Silverstein as a satire,
but people missed that joke, too (though I think the song is much too
cornball for my tastes).
Joe Tex's "I Gotcha" may be the most in-your-face, loudest, annoying soul
hit of the 1970s. So help me, whenever my next door neighbor in my
apartment used to play his music too loud in the early-to-mid-1970s, I'd
turn my speakers around to face his wall and crank up "I Gotcha" at about
120 dB, and that would usually give him the message.
I have a soft spot in my head for "Afternoon Delight," only because I met
and worked with the group on some jingles in the late 1970s, several years
after their hit careers went down the tubes. They were terribly nice,
very talented people, and I really love the acapella harmony at the very
end of the song. God knows, the lyrics make you wince in spots, but I
have to confess, I like the song. (Alright, just shoot me and get it over
with.)
I think my picks for the absolute most-unlistenable hits of the 1970s
would have to be "Seasons in the Sun," "The Night Chicago Died," and
"Billy Don't Be a Hero." All huge hits, all from 1974 -- again, my pick
for the worst year in rock/pop history -- and all absolutely horrible.
I'll defend to the death my opinion that these songs suck big-time.
If anybody wants explanations on why the other songs often show up on the
Rock Turkey lists, ask me in a follow-up message and I'll go into the
details.
AGAIN: THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY MY CHOICES FOR 1970s TURKEYS! These are
only songs that often show up on these lists, and as I said, I do like
several songs on this list. (But I hate a lot more songs than I like.)
If you comment on this thread, do me a favor and don't quote the whole
damned message back; just a piece of the song title(s) in question is
fine.
--MFW
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-= Marc Wielage | CompuServe's CENETWORK: 76702,1025 =-
-= MusicTrax, Ltd. | Internet: m...@musictrax.com =-
-= Chatsworth, CA | AOL: mfw6 =-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Marc Wielage
In article <a-rosen-2510...@dhcp160091.ntg.nwu.edu>,
a-r...@nwu.edu (Audrey Rosen) wrote:
> Ah, I was just waiting for this thread to begin! A former co-worker and I
> used to crack each other up adding to a continuing list he kept of awful
> '70s tunes, many of which you had in your list. Thanks for the memories.
>
> Which for some reason reminds me of another '70s so-bad-it's-good song.
> Remember "Troglodyte" (and its follow-up, "Bertha Butt Boogie"?) My
> favorite lines from "Troglodyte" (probably quoted inaccurately, sorry):
>
> "Bertha looked at the Troglodyte.
> She was about to crush him...
> but she began to LIKE him!"
>
> Ah, the quintessential relationship... :-)
Oh, man, the Jimmy Castor Bunch's 1972 #6 hit "Troglodyte" and the 1975
#16 follow-up, "Bertha Butt Boogie." JEEZ, those were hilarious songs.
"A'll sock it to ya, daddy!"
In this case, I'm reluctant to throw flat-out Novelty songs into a "Worst
Songs" list simply because they're SUPPOSED to be stupid. Those are too
easy. It's the unintentionally bad stuff that annoys me 1000% more.
BTW, I didn't realize until many years later that these two songs were on
totally different labels -- the first on RCA, the second on Atlantic.
Even funnier, the "Bertha Butt" song was on Castor's 1975 album BUTT OF
COURSE, which is too damned hip.
"Troglodyte" is available on the following CDs:
RCA Nipper 70's #1 CD [sl. hiss]
Rhino Soul Hits 70's #8 CD [3:23 hissy]
and Time-Life's Sounds of 70's/AM Pop CD [3:21 sl. hiss]
and "The Bertha Butt Boogie" is on Rhino's Soul Hits 70's #15 CD [3:12].
Marc Wielage
In article <54ru38$8...@juliana.sprynet.com>, dust...@sprynet.com (Charles
G. Hill) wrote:
>
> One of the other kind is the Blue Swede cover of (Jonathan King's cover
> of) "Hooked on a Feeling". It's unmistakably bad, but it's so much fun;
> imagine Edward D. Wood, Jr. in the recording studio. Blue Swede didn't
> know the words, and probably didn't understand the ones they _did_ know,
> which adds to the general air of silliness.
>
> Being the renegade I am, I rather liked Terry Jacks' take on "Seasons in
> the Sun", if only because his deadpan bubblegum delivery drained all the
> pretentiousness out of the lyric. (Rod McKuen's English-language original
> makes "MacArthur Park" sound like "Sugar, Sugar".) If ever a song got
> what it deserved, it was this one....cgh
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, it was Jonathan King who had the idea to throw in those "ooba-chacka
ooba-chackas" into "Hooked on a Feeling," but Blue Swede beat him at
releasing it in the U.S., the little scamps. I actually found this song
kinda amusing, not quite bad enough to get on an All-Time Worst List, but
definitely in the running. :-)
Don't get me STAHted on Rod McKuen's crap. I wrote for DIGITAL AUDIO
magazine (now CD REVIEW) in the mid-1980s, and he was actually one of our
contributors for awhile. I spoke to him once and said, "I apologize for
saying this, but Terry Jacks' 'Seasons in the Sun' may be the worst song
I've ever heard in my life." McKuen basically grinned and said, "That's
what every critic says. But I made about $2 million on that song, so you
can hate it all you want."
For the record, "Seasons in the Sun" was #1 for 3 weeks in early 1974 and
wound up being the #2 record of the year, just after Streisand's "The Way
We Were" (which is one of my least favorite hits of hers).
1974 was a horrible, horrible year for music. Here's the Top 20 of the
year (in alphabetical order, not in hit order):
Paul Anka with Odia Coates - "(You're) Having My Baby"
Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
John Denver - "Annie's Song"
Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
Grand Funk - "The Loco-Motion"
Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"
Elton John - "Bennie and the Jets"
The Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme"
George McCrae - "Rock Your Baby"
MFSB featuring The Three Degrees - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)"
The Steve Miller Band - "The Joker"
Olivia Newton-John - "I Honestly Love You"
Billy Preston - "Nothing from Nothing"
Ray Stevens - "The Streak"
Barbra Streisand - "The Way We Were"
Billy Swan - "I Can Help"
Dionne Warwick & The Spinners - "Then Came You"
Al Wilson - "Show and Tell"
Stevie Wonder - "You Haven't Done Nothin'"
Granted it's not all crap. But about half of it brings the bile to my
throat, just thinking about it.
On the other hand, "Love's Theme" is a great song, Stevie Wonder's 1970s
are almost all terrific, and stuff like "The Joker" and "Bennie & The
Jets" are played every five minutes on FM Oldies stations today.
Interesting how many of these songs get absolutely zero airplay now,
though.
hiphats
Marc Wielage <m...@musictrax.com> wrote in article
<mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>...
I too would have "Get Dancin'" by Disco Tex as one of MY worst songs. Now,
here are MY personal worst songs of the '70s...
"Macarthur Park"--Donna Summer (can't hold a candle to the Richard Harris
original)
"Aqualung"--Jethro Tull
"Emotion"--Samantha Sang & the Bee Gees
"Heartbeat Is A Lovebeat"--The Defranco Family
"It's So Nice To Be With You"--The Gallery (I thought it was Neil Diamond!)
"Fooled Around And Fell In Love" (edited 45 version)--Elvin Bishop
"That Would Be Something"--Paul McCartney
"Right Off The Tip Of My Tongue"--(can't remember the group)
"Good Girls Don't"--The Knack
"Rock N' Roll (Part 2)"--Gary Glitter (what happened to Part One???)
"Run Joey Run"--David Geddes
"More Than A Woman"--Tavares
"Dark Horse"--George Harrison
"Happy Days"--Platt & McClain (worst interpretation of a TV Theme Song)
"Beast Of Burden"--Rolling Stones
"Island Girl"--Elton John
"Who Loves You"--Four Seasons
"S.W.A.T."--Rhythm Heritage
"A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"--Sonny & Cher
"Muskrat Love"--Captain & Tennille (Personally, I like the original America
version)
"Walk This Way" (edited 45 version)--Arrowsmith (I like the Run
DMC/Arrowsmith '80s remake better)
"Love Hurts"--Nazareth
"Tell Me Something Good"--Rufus & Chaka Kahn
"Eli's Coming"--Three Dog Night
"Only You"--Ringo Starr
"Danny's Song"--Anne Murray
And that's not all! When I think of more, I'll tell you in due time. But
there is the absolute WORST song the '70s ever had...and it is...
"Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the group, but it had a
Chinese oriental sound to it.
TO BE CONTINUED
Dave Fazakas
Marc Wielage (m...@musictrax.com) wrote:
: Even though I'm one of the main people who helped start this group, I'm
: the first to admit that the 1970s had some really horrible, miserable,
I liked your list and I agree with almost all of your choices. I am however,
too embarassed to say just how many of them I have in my 45 collection!.
Dave
Scott Whitlow
> Don't get me STAHted on Rod McKuen's crap. I wrote for DIGITAL AUDIO
> magazine (now CD REVIEW) in the mid-1980s, and he was actually one of our
> contributors for awhile. I spoke to him once and said, "I apologize for
saying this, but Terry Jacks' 'Seasons in the Sun' may be the worst song
> I've ever heard in my life." McKuen basically grinned and said, "That's
> what every critic says. But I made about $2 million on that song, so you
can hate it all you want."
I too actualy like "Seasons in the sun", but can understand why some
people don't. But the worst song of the '70's and perhaps ever has got to
be "my ding-a-ling" by Chuck Berry, every time it comes up on my billboard
cd i gag and skip it, "up, up, up like a rocket ship" by some group that i
can't remember is also reeaaaly annoying.
Marc Wielage
In article <01bbc30d$43d45280$4eaaaace@default>, "hiphats"
Ah, the last one must be The Flying Lizards' late-1979 #50 semi-hit
version, which is on the ROCK OF THE 80s Volume #4 CD. I don't doubt that
it's a piece o' dirt.
I agree, a lot of that stuff is pretty bad. A few I put down as Guilty
Pleasures -- songs I know basically suck, but I have a soft spot in my
heart for them. I'm embarrassed to admit that "Emotion" is one of them,
but I like it mainly for the production and the fantastic blend Barry Gibb
did between his voice in the chorus and Samantha Sang's lead. Terrific
mix.
But I'll fight you to the death over "Heartbeat -- It's a Lovebeat." Hey,
call me a raving lunatic, but I swear, this is a great example of
mid-1970s Powerpop. Granted, the lyrics are from hell, Billy DeFranco
can't sing worth a damn, but the synthesizer riff on this thing blows me
right out of the room! It ain't art, it ain't great music, but it's pure
unadulterated Powerpop of the highest order. (I'm also a big 4 Seasons
fan, so I'd even admit to liking their disco-crap "Who Loves You" hit.)
But 90% of the other songs you mention would definitely clear a party in
about 1 minute, no question about it.
And since you asked, Part 1 of Gary Glitter's "Rock & Roll" is on the
Canadian label Stardust CD titled DISC JOCKEY HITS VOL. 2; surprisingly,
it's a vocal, and it's a real lame song. Part 2 is 90% instrumental, and
for some bizarre reason, it's turned into one of those major obnoxious
sports anthems people scream out at football games nowadays.
joe...@ibm.net
>
>I think my picks for the absolute most-unlistenable hits of the 1970s
>would have to be "Seasons in the Sun," "The Night Chicago Died," and
>"Billy Don't Be a Hero." All huge hits, all from 1974 -- again, my pick
>for the worst year in rock/pop history -- and all absolutely horrible.
>I'll defend to the death my opinion that these songs suck big-time.
You forgot a couple:
"Chevy Van" by the Sammy what's-his-name (I forget). Truly awful.
"Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" - Cher
I could never understand why people thought this woman had *any* singing talent.
She's a wonderful actor, but, Lord, that voice...
"Fly, Robin, Fly" - another name I forget
"More More More" - The Andrea Drew (?) Connection
A porno actress who was told by someone that she could sing.
Joe Dougherty
Home of Environmentally-Correct Football Picks:
http://www.unf.edu/~jdough
Charles G. Hill
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) came up with this:
>Even though I'm one of the main people who helped start this group, I'm
>the first to admit that the 1970s had some really horrible, miserable,
>total crap songs that managed to become major hits. Without going into
>great detail, below are some of my picks for the major turkeys of the
>decade -- and I'll confess here and now that just because a song is bad
>doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure.
This is quite true, though when I made up my own list ("Bottom 20 of the
Top 40", readable at http://pages.prodigy.com/cghill/bottom20.htm), I made
sure to include only those songs that actually made me wince, or more.
And yes, a few of them are included in Wielage's Worst.
One of the other kind is the Blue Swede cover of (Jonathan King's cover
of) "Hooked on a Feeling". It's unmistakably bad, but it's so much fun;
imagine Edward D. Wood, Jr. in the recording studio. Blue Swede didn't
know the words, and probably didn't understand the ones they _did_ know,
which adds to the general air of silliness.
Being the renegade I am, I rather liked Terry Jacks' take on "Seasons in
the Sun", if only because his deadpan bubblegum delivery drained all the
pretentiousness out of the lyric. (Rod McKuen's English-language original
makes "MacArthur Park" sound like "Sugar, Sugar".) If ever a song got
what it deserved, it was this one....cgh
***************************************************
* Charles G. Hill < dust...@sprynet.com >
* Have a nice day, if it's not too much trouble
* Stillsane: http://pages.prodigy.com/cghill/mas.htm
Dan Ayad
hiphats <hip...@pacbell.net> wrote in article
<01bbc30d$43d45280$4eaaaace@default>...
>
>
> Marc Wielage <m...@musictrax.com> wrote in article
> <mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>...
> .
>
> > Morris Albert - "Feelings"
> > Paul Anka with Odia Coates - "(You're) Having My Baby"
[clipped for brevity]
Could anyone ever forget:
"Daisy A Day" - Judd Strunk
"Ding-a-ling" - Chuck Berry
"Duncan" - Paul Simon
"Puppy Love" - Donny Osmond
"Ben" - Michael Jackson
"Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers
"How Do You Do" - Mouth and McNeil
"Beautiful Sunday" - Daniel Boone
"The Streak" - Ray Stevens
"Hot Child in the City" - Nick Gilder
These particular tunes and a few more tend to make me grind my teeth.
Alphonso Mason
ak...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca (Dave Fazakas) wrote:
>I liked your list and I agree with almost all of your choices. I am however,
>too embarassed to say just how many of them I have in my 45 collection!.
>
> Dave
>
Don't be embarrased. Considering how people are so enthused about
1970s music nowadays, your 45 collection are probably collector's
items <g>.
Alphonso
Marc Wielage
> You forgot a couple:
>
> "Chevy Van" by the Sammy what's-his-name (I forget). Truly awful.
> "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" - Cher
> I could never understand why people thought this woman had *any*
singing talent.
> She's a wonderful actor, but, Lord, that voice...
> "Fly, Robin, Fly" - another name I forget
> "More More More" - The Andrea Drew (?) Connection
> A porno actress who was told by someone that she could sing.
>
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Chevy Van" to me is just a benign pop song, not horrible, not great,
definitely kinda lame on the lyric side.
Agreed on the Cher hit. MAN, that was a bad song. But I would have to
say that "Half-Breed" was her nadir. Etched into my brain-cells is a
vision of her in a bad sequined Indian costume, riding a white horse,
singing the song on her solo variety show in late-1973. I pray that as I
get older, memories like that will fade quickly. *sigh*
"Fly Robin Fly" is definitely annoying, but I dunno; it doesn't quite hit
the depths for me like the other ones I mentioned.
But you got me on "More More More." That's definitely a major turkey. My
notes on that song are:
"Andrea True's first and biggest hit, the title track from her 1976 disco
album, and her only Top 25 single. Andrea was an ex-porno actress who
briefly got into the disco scene. This song was recorded in Jamaica;
producer/songwriter Gregg Diamond later revealed that he had to get Andrea
in the mood by having her record the song naked. Because of her lack of
vocal talent, True's voice was electronically enhanced and heavily
augmented with vocals from background singers."
Marc Wielage
In article <54u5b6$r...@main.freenet.hamilton.on.ca>,
ak...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca (Dave Fazakas) wrote:
> I liked your list and I agree with almost all of your choices. I am however,
> too embarassed to say just how many of them I have in my 45 collection!.
Hey, you can't be a serious student of pop culture without studying the
good AND the bad. I not only have far too many of these 45 singles, in
many cases I have the LPs and 18 different versions on CD. *sigh*
Heck, I think Rhino could actually sell quite a few copies of a CD titled
THE WORST DISCO HITS OF ALL-TIME. (If somebody sees something like this
from them in the next six months, tell me so that I can sue and demand
royalties!)
Marc Wielage
In article <01bbc3d1$37c725c0$1f25...@DanZann.worldnet.att.net>, "Dan
Ayad" <Dan...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Could anyone ever forget:
>
> "Daisy A Day" - Judd Strunk
> "Ding-a-ling" - Chuck Berry
> "Duncan" - Paul Simon
> "Puppy Love" - Donny Osmond
> "Ben" - Michael Jackson
> "Saturday Night" - Bay City Rollers
> "How Do You Do" - Mouth and McNeil
> "Beautiful Sunday" - Daniel Boone
> "The Streak" - Ray Stevens
> "Hot Child in the City" - Nick Gilder
>
> These particular tunes and a few more tend to make me grind my teeth.
Everybody's definition of horrible is different. :-)
I actually have a soft spot in my head for "Beautiful Sunday," but it's a
fairly innocuous song -- again, not one that reaches out and slaps you
like the ones on my list (at least, not to me). "The Streak" is supposed
to be a novelty song, so I cut it some slack in the stupid department.
"Hot Child in the City" is merely kinda mediocre -- the difference between
a mild headache and a severe upset stomach, if you see the distinction.
I definitely agree with you on "Puppy Love" and "Ben." Definitely two
songs that'll clear a party in 10 seconds or less. Those were the types
of songs I would break my finger hitting the radio dial to change the
station during the 1970s.
I had that problem with a few of Elton John's hits as well, only because I
got so damned sick of them. One of 'em was "Grow Some Funk of Your Own,"
which was horrendous. But I have a lot of respect for the guy, given his
incredible staying power on the charts over the years. In fact,
"Harmony," "Philadelphia Freedom," and "Part-Time Love" are among my
all-time faves of this decade. All terrific songs in their own way,
particularly the latter (which I think is an underrated classic).
Jan Herman Veldkamp
Marc Wielage
In article <whitlowc-261...@206.64.143.222>, whit...@baka.com
(Scott Whitlow) wrote:
> I too actualy like "Seasons in the sun", but can understand why some
> people don't. But the worst song of the '70's and perhaps ever has got to
> be "my ding-a-ling" by Chuck Berry, every time it comes up on my billboard
> cd i gag and skip it, "up, up, up like a rocket ship" by some group that i
> can't remember is also reeaaaly annoying.
I think the lyrics and Terry Jacks' voice are what do it to me. It's
worse than fingernails-on-a-blackboard, as far as I'm concerned.
Agreed that Chuck Berry's 1972 hit (sadly, his only #1 pop hit) was pretty
lame. I only found out recently that New Orleans songwriter Dave
Bartholomew claims to have written it in 1952 and that Chuck more or less
stole it -- a charge Berry angrily disputes.
Kristen Kohlbecker
Silver Convention or something like that...I was only 4 at the time so
have mercy :)
> "More More More" - The Andrea Drew (?) Connection
Andrea True Connection
>Joe Dougherty
>joe...@ibm.net
Tyger
--
Kristen Kohlbecker And I would choose to be with you
ty...@netcom.com That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
A Tyger and a Lady And you can have this heart to break
Marc Wielage
In article <54vrin$n...@head.globalcom.net>, mjen...@shentel.net (M.
Jenkins) wrote:
> I don't think this one was a hit, but the absolute worst song of the
> 70s has got to be Telephone Man. Can't remember who recorded it, and
> I don't really want to.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That would be Meri Wilson's 1977 #18 hit, which also was on my "Worst
Songs of the 1970s" list.
It's a fairly bad song, but I cut some slack for Novelty songs like this
which were specifically not *meant* to be taken seriously. Granted,
though, this one is fairly obnoxious. There was even a SEQUEL to Meri
Wilson's hit -- "Peter, The Meter Reader" -- which thankfully didn't
chart. Here's my notes on her original song:
"One of the most suggestive talk/narrative hits of the decade, this song
frequently shows up on critics' "Worst Songs of the 1970s" lists.
Singer/songwriter Meri wrote this song after dating a real telephone man,
and recorded it as a joke in only one take. Thankfully, this was her only
charted hit, though she had regional success with her equally-wacky
follow-up single "Peter the Meter Reader" (a favorite on the syndicated
Dr. Demento radio show in the 1970s and 1980s)."
M. Jenkins
"hiphats" <hip...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>And that's not all! When I think of more, I'll tell you in due time. But
>there is the absolute WORST song the '70s ever had...and it is...
>"Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the group, but it had a
>Chinese oriental sound to it.
I don't think this one was a hit, but the absolute worst song of the
70s has got to be Telephone Man. Can't remember who recorded it, and
I don't really want to.
--------------------
Mary Jenkins
mjen...@shentel.net
--------------------
Robert J. Boyne
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>I
>> "Fly, Robin, Fly" - another name I forget
>> "More More More" - The Andrea Drew (?) Connection
>"Fly Robin Fly" is definitely annoying, but I dunno; it doesn't quite hit
>the depths for me like the other ones I mentioned.
>But you got me on "More More More." That's definitely a major turkey. My
>notes on that song are:
>--MFW
>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>-= Marc Wielage | CompuServe's CENETWORK: 76702,1025 =-
>-= MusicTrax, Ltd. | Internet: m...@musictrax.com =-
>-= Chatsworth, CA | AOL: mfw6 =-
>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Funny thing about our individual tastes.
I like both the above mentioned recordings.
I ran my record store between 1975/1986 . So I heard many songs that
were featured in the background as I worked.
Hearing these 2 and many others takes me back.
I must however mentiom my all time fave rave Donna Summers.
Now we're talking!
--
Robert J. Boyne, N.Vancouver, B.C.,Canada
(rjb...@direct.ca)
*****************************************
"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?"
Super-Tramp (1871-1940), British poet.
Leonard Blanks
"hiphats" <hip...@pacbell.net> writes:
>I too would have "Get Dancin'" by Disco Tex as one of MY worst songs. Now,
>here are MY personal worst songs of the '70s...
>"Macarthur Park"--Donna Summer (can't hold a candle to the Richard Harris
>original)
No. That was real quality, although I thought that it was Lorne Green
for years until someone pointed out that he had never appeared in Camelot.
[Paul McCartney tune snipped accidentally (sorry)]
I believe that I would add everything else that Macca managed to congeal
in his lanquid career as a pop music tunesmith (beginning with Yesterday).
>"Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the group, but it had a
>Chinese oriental sound to it.
This is probably "Money" -- The Flying Lizards. Marc Wielage can
tell you were you can find a copy.
Len
--
Leonard Blanks | It possesses a sound rhythmic structure
l...@haruspex.demon.co.uk | and facilitates Terpsichorean movement;
http://www.haruspex.demon.co.uk/ | I'll give it an 85.
Leonard Blanks
whit...@baka.com (Scott Whitlow) writes:
>I too actualy like "Seasons in the sun", but can understand why some
>people don't. But the worst song of the '70's and perhaps ever has got to
>be "my ding-a-ling" by Chuck Berry, every time it comes up on my billboard
>cd i gag and skip it, "up, up, up like a rocket ship" by some group that i
>can't remember is also reeaaaly annoying.
You are correct about "My Ding-a-Ling", something that one might have
expected of Rod McKuen.
William A. Brent
>> I too actualy like "Seasons in the sun", but can understand why some
>> people don't.
>I think the lyrics and Terry Jacks' voice are what do it to me. It's
>worse than fingernails-on-a-blackboard, as far as I'm concerned.
Rod McKuen (who adapted it into English) also recorded this
song, though in his version he sings of his wife as follows:
" without you I'd have had a lonely life
you cheated lots of times but then
I forgave you in the end,
for your lover was my friend."
if you think Terry Jacks voice is harsh, you should get a load of McKuen's.
as for the lyrics, the Brel original (released on Phillips) roughly
translates into "The Dying Man" and is about the most
cheery of his works. Yet it still make the American version
sound positivly upbeat.
.,-*'`^`'*-,.__.,-*'`^`'*-,.__.,-*'`^`'*-,.__.,-*'`^`'*-,._
--==[> All spelling errors due to line noise <]==--
--==[> E-Mail me at bbr...@pipeline.com <]==--
_.,-*'`^`'*-,.__.,-*'`^`'*-,.__.,-*'`^`'*-,.__.,-*'`^`'*-,._
Victor Eijkhout
> > "Fly, Robin, Fly" - another name I forget
>
> Silver Convention or something like that...I was only 4 at the time so
> have mercy :)
The other day I read that this song was originally
going to be called "Run rabbit run".
That would have made it the worst song of all time ...
Victor.
--
405 Hilgard Ave ................................. `[W]e don't usually like to
Department of Mathematics, UCLA ............. talk about market share because
Los Angeles CA 90024 .................... we're not going to share anything.'
phone: +1 310 825 2173 / 9036 .................. [Jim Cantalupo, president of
http://www.math.ucla.edu/~eijkhout/ McDonald's Int.]
Jan Herman Veldkamp
Jan Herman Veldkamp wrote:
Oops something went wrong there. The message was cut off after the first
line with many providers, but I received a reply from Joe Dougherty in
which he quotes most of my original message. Strange.
To summarize: I just mentioned that:
"Fly, Robin, Fly"
and
"More More More"
were by the Silver Convention and the Andrea True Connection. These
were obviously not great songs, but imho they do not qualify for worst
hits of the decade.
No, for real rock-bottom awfulness one should look at the 'Smurf' songs
that were hits in a number of European countries (I'm not sure about
the US). Everything about these songs has great irritation potential:
the lyrics, the tune and the style of singing.
Jan Herman Veldkamp.
Marc Wielage
In article <551e37$5...@haruspex.demon.co.uk>, l...@haruspex.demon.co.uk
(Leonard Blanks) wrote:
>
> I believe that I would add everything else that Macca managed to congeal
> in his lanquid career as a pop music tunesmith (beginning with Yesterday).
>
I know McCartney gets slammed routinely in many quarters, especially
nowadays, but I think his career in retrospect isn't that horrendous.
(I'm gonna confine this discussion purely to his 1970s work; his 1980s
work would be more appropriate for another group.)
I'd argue that "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" is terrific pop/rock for
the period and one of the highlights of 1973. And his BAND ON THE RUN
album (from that same year) ain't exactly chopped liver. While there's a
lot of excellent stuff on that album, I think the highlight for me is
"Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five," which is a track that has a tremendous
dynamic range and a kick-ass ending. The album is particularly stunning
when you consider how few people worked on it, with McCartney doing a lot
of the guitar work and most of the drumming as well (with the departure of
Henry McCullough and Denny Seiwell).
I agree that there are 1970s hits that sometimes show up on all-time worst
lists; "Silly Love Songs" is one of them, but I think that one's
undeserved. Heck, I even think "Mary Had a Little Lamb" has some
redeeming values.
But I'd also freely admit there's a few McCartney songs I can live
without; most of the stuff on the WILDLIFE album, to name a few.
Victor Eijkhout
> I agree that there are 1970s hits that sometimes show up on all-time worst
> lists; "Silly Love Songs" is one of them, but I think that one's
> undeserved.
I'll say.
At the very least it has a catchy melody.
The really remarkable part about that song is the totally amazing
bass part. McCartney's bass playing is one of the best kept
secrets in pop musicianship. I've heard "Silly Love Songs"
quoted as having a particularly good bass part by (I think)
Louis Johnson of te Brothers Johnson.
Wally Wawro
In article <54t1ir$2e3m$4...@news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net>, joe...@ibm.net wrote:
> In <mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>, m...@musictrax.com
(Marc Wielage) writes:
>
> >
> >I think my picks for the absolute most-unlistenable hits of the 1970s
> >would have to be "Seasons in the Sun," "The Night Chicago Died," and
> >"Billy Don't Be a Hero." All huge hits, all from 1974 -- again, my pick
> >for the worst year in rock/pop history -- and all absolutely horrible.
> >I'll defend to the death my opinion that these songs suck big-time.
>
>
> You forgot a couple:
>
> "Chevy Van" by the Sammy what's-his-name . Truly awful.
Sammy Johns.....hey, I liked it but no accounting for taste I guess ;)
> "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" - Cher
> I could never understand why people thought this woman had *any*
singing talent.
> She's a wonderful actor, but, Lord, that voice...
> "Fly, Robin, Fly" - another name I forget
Silver Connection
> "More More More" - The Andrea Drew (?) Connection
Andrea True Connection
> A porno actress who was told by someone that she could sing.
In the late 80's her alter-ego was a british babe named Samantha Fox who
had a hit with something called "But The Pants Stay On."
--
Pro Accordion.....and I vote!
Sian Williams
> I too would have "Get Dancin'" by Disco Tex as one of MY worst songs.
Now,
> here are MY personal worst songs of the '70s...
>
> "Macarthur Park"--Donna Summer
> "Tell Me Something Good"--Rufus & Chaka Kahn
> "Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the group, but it had a
> Chinese oriental sound to it.
Wait just a second! I have to take exception to your inclusion of the songs
named above in your "worst of the 70s" list ..... Donna Summer & Chaka Khan
were 2 of the BEST singers of the decade and I can find nothing to object
to in either of the songs you chose (except maybe lyrics about cakes but
that wasn't Donna's fault!) .... Money by the Flying Lizards is fantastic!
And as for Disco Tex well, er, it's not one of my faves but my brother
loves it - we had it played specially at his wedding reception!!
So how about targetting the Bay City Rollers (can't think of a single good
thing they produced) or the Wombles (oh, well done Mike Batt!) instead?
Bill Marcum
In article <54t1ir$2e3m$4...@news-s01.ny.us.ibm.net>, joe...@ibm.net wrote:
> "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" - Cher
> I could never understand why people thought this woman had *any*
>singing talent.
> She's a wonderful actor, but, Lord, that voice...
That song wasn't so bad, but "Half Breed"...
--
Bill Marcum bma...@iglou.com
"You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?" --Billy Joel
Jonathan Whitehead
Not sure of the dates but I think it came from the 70's.
My vote for the worst song ever has to go to 'Kung Fu Fighting' by Carl Douglas,
surely this must rank as the poorest record of all time. period.
I feel embarrassed to be a member of the human race when I hear this song.
Other than that 'Una Polama Blanca' (SP?) is quite bad as well.
Jon.
m...@musictrax.com
In article <3275DA...@sheffield.ac.uk>, Jonathan Whitehead
<j.m.wh...@sheffield.ac.uk> wrote:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
I know that Carl Douglas' 1974 #1 hit "Kung Fu Fighting" sometimes makes
the list of 1970s Turkeys (and was in the list I posted earlier), but I
actually don't think the song is that bad. To me, it's one of those songs
that's annoying but not _horrible_, and there's a big difference.
A lot of Helen Reddy's stuff falls into that category as well. (One of my
guilty pleasures is the only Helen Reddy hit I can stand: "Peaceful,"
which for some perverse reason, I actually enjoy.)
Note, by the way, that "Kung Fu Fighting" is also from 1974, which I still
maintain is the worst year for pop music ever.
Charles Board
I think another reason McCartney's 70's work gets a bad rap is that lyrics
were never his forte. To put it mildly. The singer-songwriter boom early
in the decade cast a critical lens over the 70's in which what you said
was more important than how you said it. And McCartney's best work was
awful close to lyrical gibberish - raise your hand if you have any idea
what "Helen Wheel", "Jet" or "Junior's Farm" is really about. "I'm gonna
do your sweet banana"?!? Hell, I've read several interviews in which Macca
explained "Band On The Run" but I still don't get it. At all.
But the man sure could *nail* the musical side.....
Doug Stoffa
Jonathan Whitehead (j.m.wh...@sheffield.ac.uk) wrote:
: Other than that 'Una Polama Blanca' (SP?) is quite bad as well.
: Jon.
I had totally forgotten about this song. Its proper title was
"Paloma Blanca", by the George Baker Selection. I dug out my old 45 of this
trash, and had to shut it off after only 15 seconds. It was on Warner
Brothers, and had the good looking label (with the Palm trees, etc.)
Considering what his 45 was next to - numberous Shaun Cassidy hits, anlong
with a Bay City Rollers 45, I had no trouble understanding why these were
in a box in the back of the closet. Enough said.
-doug
--
Send E-Mail to: dou...@panix.com -- In Real Life: A nice person.
=============================================================================
"Hens love roosters, geese love ganders, everyone else loves Ned Flanders."
"Not me!" -HS. LETS GO METS!!!! GO RANGERS!!!!
Marc Wielage
---------------------------------------------------------------
I got a Japanese compilation McCartney CD of some kind a few years ago,
and I was flabbergasted to read the English -> Japanese -> English
translations of his lyrics! In "Hi, Hi, Hi," the booklet claimed one
verse went:
"I want you to lie on the bed
get you ready for my...polygon"
which I thought was hysterical! Not long ago, I think somebody asked
McCartney about that, and he laughed and said he was actually saying "get
you read for my body, girl," but then said if he had thought of the word
"polygon," he would've used THAT.
As to "Helen Wheels": this was supposedly Paul's nickname for his car of
that era. "Jet" was the name of Paul & Linda's labrador retriever puppy.
And "Junior's Farm" was a real place outside of Nashville, TN, owned by a
guy named Junior Putnam. I agree, though -- you'd never know or
understand this from the ultra-oblique lyrics.
Mark Rathwell
: At the very least it has a catchy melody.
: The really remarkable part about that song is the totally amazing
: bass part. McCartney's bass playing is one of the best kept
: secrets in pop musicianship. I've heard "Silly Love Songs"
: quoted as having a particularly good bass part by (I think)
: Louis Johnson of te Brothers Johnson.
Right on! Paul McCartney is one of the most underated bass
players around. Too many people are into slap and no substance where
bassists are concerned. Peter Cetera (who was influenced heavily by Paul
McCartney) is another extrodinary bassist of the same type.
>> Mark <<
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Rathwell
E_Mail: mrat...@uoguelph.ca
Web Page: http://www.uoguelph.ca/~mrathwel
BB
eijk...@jacobi.math.ucla.edu (Victor Eijkhout) wrote:
>The really remarkable part about ["Silly Love Songs"]
>is the totally amazing bass part.
I particularly love the bass fills during the bridge:
Love doesn't come in a minute (bass, bass, bass)
Sometimes it doesn't come at all (bass, bass, bass)
I only know that when I'm in it (bass, bass, bass)
BB
Charles Board
In article <mfw-291096...@ip32-021.lax.primenet.com>, m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) writes:
|>
|> I got a Japanese compilation McCartney CD of some kind a few years ago,
|> and I was flabbergasted to read the English -> Japanese -> English
|> translations of his lyrics! In "Hi, Hi, Hi," the booklet claimed one
|> verse went:
|>
|> "I want you to lie on the bed
|> get you ready for my...polygon"
|>
|> which I thought was hysterical! Not long ago, I think somebody asked
|> McCartney about that, and he laughed and said he was actually saying "get
|> you read for my body, girl," but then said if he had thought of the word
|> "polygon," he would've used THAT.
|>
And all these years I thought it was:
"Get you ready for my fuzzy gong!"
(as if that made any sense either...)
FuppDuck
hiphats <hip...@pacbell.net> wrote in article
<01bbc30d$43d45280$4eaaaace@default>...
>
>
> Marc Wielage <m...@musictrax.com> wrote in article
> <mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>...
> .
>
> > Morris Albert - "Feelings"
> > Paul Anka with Odia Coates - "(You're) Having My Baby"
> > Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
> > Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
> > The Captain & Tennille - "Muskrat Love"
> > The Chakachas - "Jungle Fever"
> > Charlene - "I've Never Been to Me"
> > Cher - "Half-Breed"
> > Dawn featuring Tony Orlando - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak
> Tree"
> > Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots - "Disco Duck (Part 1)"
> > Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - "Get Dancin'"
> > Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show - "Sylvia's Mother"
> > Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
> > Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
> > Foxy - "Get Off"
> > David Geddes - "Run Joey Run"
> > Tom T. Hall - "I Love"
> > Dan Hill - "Sometimes When We Touch"
> > Clint Holmes - "Playground in My Mind"
> > Rupert Holmes - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"
> > Hot Chocolate - "You Sexy Thing"
> > Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"
> > KC & The Sunshine Band - "Get Down Tonight"
> > KC & The Sunshine Band - "That's the Way (I Like It)"
> > KC & The Sunshine Band - "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty"
> > KC & The Sunshine Band - "Keep it Comin' Love"
> > Lobo - "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo"
> > Barry Manilow - "Copacabana (At the Copa)"
> > Bobbi Martin - "For the Love of Him"
> > C.W. McCall - "Convoy"
> > The Steve Miller Band - "Take the Money and Run"
> > Musique - "In the Bush"
> > Wayne Newton - "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast"
> > The Ohio Players - "Jive Turkey"
> > Little Jimmy Osmond - "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool"
> > Marie Osmond - "Paper Roses"
> > Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
> > The Poppy Family - "Which Way You Goin' Billy?"
> > Austin Roberts - "Rocky"
> > The Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
> > Donna Summer - "Love to Love You Baby"
> > Donna Summer - "I Feel Love"
> > R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me"
> > Joe Tex - "I Gotcha"
> > Think - "Once You Understand"
> > Meri Wilson - "Telephone Man"
> >
Most of these can be found on one Time/Life musical anthology or another at
any given time. Im suprized they havent made one huge package out of all
these songs. Would make for a wonderful late night "infomercial".
The funny thing is, that I enjoy most of those hokey songs listed above.
Grew up listening to the trash, and it is kinda fun to hear them from time
to time. Thank god my musical tastes have matured - I listen to country.
<G>
heyw...@sirius.com
In article <mfw-261096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>, m...@musictrax.com
(Marc Wielage) wrote:
> Oh, man, the Jimmy Castor Bunch's 1972 #6 hit "Troglodyte" and the 1975
> #16 follow-up, "Bertha Butt Boogie." JEEZ, those were hilarious songs.
> "A'll sock it to ya, daddy!"
Hey, what about Jimmy Castor's "Hey Leroy, (Your Mama's Callin) I've put
this on bunches of comp tapes for people and they LOVE it.
Modern society without organised religion
is like a crazed maniac without a chainsaw.
Marc Wielage
In article <heywally-ya023080...@news.sirius.com>,
heyw...@sirius.com wrote:
> Yeah, but for my buck, I think "Mull Of Kintyre" has some swell lyrics.
> That's really a lovely song.
>
Note that Denny Laine claims to have written part of this huge worldwide
hit, and whines that Paul never gave him the HUGE chunk of royalties he
feels he deserves. I think in a 1980s settlement, he got $250K or
thereabouts, but feels he should've gotten several times that.
I'm not a fan of "Mull of Kinture," but I recognize that a lot of people
love it, especially in other countries. This song was part of the reason
why Paul severed his relationship with Capitol Records for several years;
here's my notes on it:
"Paul's ode to his Scottish homeland, with Kintyre being the southern tip
of the peninsula, about 11 miles from his farm in nearby Campbelltown.
Features 21 local bagpipers from the Campbelltown Pipe Band. One of
McCartney's all-time biggest worldwide hits, hitting #1 in Britain for
more than two months and also becoming the biggest-selling British and
Australian hit up to that time. Also made it to #1 in Holland, New
Zealand, Belgium, and Germany. Because of the song's bagpipes and unusual
melody, Capitol Records decided to instead pushed the single's B-side,
"Girls' School," which became a minor Top 40 hit in the U.S. This angered
Paul enough to leave the label the moment his contract was up five years
later, and he stayed with Columbia Records from 1979-1984. Single credited
to "Wings.""
I don't blame Capitol; I think "Girls' School" is a better song. I think
it's a cultural thing; when I visited Japan in 1980, I was shocked to find
out they loved "Mull of Kintyre" over there.
heyw...@sirius.com
> I think another reason McCartney's 70's work gets a bad rap is that lyrics
> were never his forte.
Yeah, but for my buck, I think "Mull Of Kintyre" has some swell lyrics.
That's really a lovely song.
I'd mention "Helter Skelter" but it's from that previous decade, and well,
the newsgroup has ears...
(just kidding Mark)
Marc Wielage
In article <558jct$c...@camel2.mindspring.com>, watc...@mindspring.com wrote:
> m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>
> Wow, you are the first person (besides my wife) I've ever heard
> mention that song. It's on my top 5 list. I bought Band on the Run in
> 1975, when 1985 seemed an eternity into the future. As complete
> works, the BAND ON THE RUN album followed by the VENUS AND MARS album
> stand as the high point of the seventies for me.
Yeah, I would probably agree with that, at least for McCartney. There's a
lot of fantastic "concept" albums from the 1970s that really love; another
one is ELO's OUT OF THE BLUE double-album, which has a dozen great songs
on it, IMHO. And curiously enough, because I just worked on a Led
Zeppelin-related project, I was shocked by how many of their tracks I
actually knew -- even though I never really owned a Zep album in the
1970s!
> Another McCartney favorite of mine (from the RAM album) is "Monkberry
> Moon Delight." I'm not exactly sure what MMD is, but I think I know
> and I'm sure it's naughty (and you can't convince me otherwise).
McCartney's lyrics are so vague and ephemeral, god knows what the hell
he's singing about. (Remember, this is also the guy who helped come up
with "four of fish and finger pie.") I think the thing that makes me like
"1985" is the orchestral backing that builds and builds, and then segues
to a quick reprise of the "Band on the Run" theme. Call me a wacko, but
the bit where the saxes wail on the segue give me chills, everytime.
> I think it is also interesting that your refer to McCartney's "solo"
> career but I think McCartney's only solo albums came during his
> Beatles days. Post Beatle, wasn't he always credited as either a
> member of a band or as "Paul and Linda McCartney?" I guess it's a
> matter of perception to think of him as solo because his "band" was so
> weak and transitory.
Yeah, maybe in retrospect I'm guilty of thinking of "Paul & Linda
McCartney" or "Wings" or "Paul McCartney & Wings" as really just being the
efforts of ONE guy. In my database, I must confess, I have all of these
sorted under McCartney, period.
> I think McCartney was the sort of artist that was best when he had a
> counter-balance to keep him in check. Working without Lennon or
> Martin, he seemed to often indulge himself in stupid ideas. He needs
> someone that he HAS to listen to say "Paul, that's silly" every once
> in awhile..
I've read nearly every book ever published (in English) on McCartney, and
even people like Denny Laine seem convinced that Paul *wanted* to work
with people who would kick his creative ass the way John did, but it was a
two-edged sword: he would only take that kind of attitude from somebody
who could write songs as good as John. And of course, somebody like that
didn't exist.
Bill Proesch
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>McCartney's lyrics are so vague and ephemeral, god knows what the hell
>he's singing about. (Remember, this is also the guy who helped come up
>with "four of fish and finger pie.") I think the thing that makes me like
>"1985" is the orchestral backing that builds and builds, and then segues
>to a quick reprise of the "Band on the Run" theme. Call me a wacko, but
>the bit where the saxes wail on the segue give me chills, everytime.
The build and release (I call it "musical orgasm") was something that
I love about Beatles music, and some McCartney stuff. The two best
examples are on Abbey Road and Band on the Run.
My first stereo was the Sears combo 4-Track/8-Track player I bought
from older brother for $25 and installed in my first car, a $200 1961
Falcon. My big-hearted brother threw in his small collection of
8-tracks, which included Abbey Road. I practically wore out Track #4
of Abbey Road, because everytime it would loop around, I'd hit the
button and go back to #4 (where the crickets start chirping). Talk
about chills.
Similar feelings are brought about by the change in "Band on the Run"
and "Rock Show"
>Yeah, maybe in retrospect I'm guilty of thinking of "Paul & Linda
>McCartney" or "Wings" or "Paul McCartney & Wings" as really just being the
>efforts of ONE guy. In my database, I must confess, I have all of these
>sorted under McCartney, period.
I guess we tend to do the same thing with Springsteen. He's almost
always billed with the E Street Band but we think of him as solo.
>Paul *wanted* to work
>with people who would kick his creative ass the way John did, but it was a
>two-edged sword: he would only take that kind of attitude from somebody
>who could write songs as good as John. And of course, somebody like that
>didn't exist.
He did until December 1980.
--
Bill Proesch, President - PC Rams Computer Club, Inc., West Palm Beach, Florida
http://yonder.com/pcrams - bpro...@yonder.com - http://yonder.com/bproesch
Magnus Mulqvist
In article <mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com> m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) writes:
>Morris Albert - "Feelings"
AAARGH! Halt! Stop right there! Say no more!!!
>Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
Oddly or not, this is one of the very few pieces whose finnish cover
versions are IMO far better than the original ones. It was sung by a
16-year schoolgirl, Virve Rosti, who had a fantastic voice. (Still has!)
>Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
This was sung in finnish by Frederik, a guy who put a banana in
his trousers long before the word "macho" was invented. I had to
laugh several heads off listening to this, because it was a smash
hit.
*MM
Einar Aronsen
Supertramp is the best progressive rock band of the 70's.
Give a litle bit, Logical song, Breakfast in America, Fools Overture,
dreamer ......................................
Marc Wielage <m...@musictrax.com> skrev i artikkelen
<mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>...
> Even though I'm one of the main people who helped start this group, I'm
> the first to admit that the 1970s had some really horrible, miserable,
> total crap songs that managed to become major hits. Without going into
> great detail, below are some of my picks for the major turkeys of the
> decade -- and I'll confess here and now that just because a song is bad
> doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure.
>
> Note that 95% of these routinely show up on those "Top 100 Worst Songs of
> All-Time" lists that circulate in many newspapers and magazines; MIAMI
> HERALD columnist Dave Barry does this every year or two, and most of
these
> songs are regulars (along with several horrible 1980s and even 1990s
> hits).
>
> Note that I'm characterizing these as hits mainly in that most of them
> were played to death on the radio AND were widely cited as being bad
songs
> by most critics. To me, it's too easy to find some horrible, obscure
> album track by an idiot like William Shatner and say "THIS is the worst
> song of the 1970s," but to me, the songs that a mass audience actually
> heard are infinitely more annoying.
>
>
> Morris Albert - "Feelings"
> Paul Anka with Odia Coates - "(You're) Having My Baby"
> Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
> Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
> The Captain & Tennille - "Muskrat Love"
> The Chakachas - "Jungle Fever"
> Charlene - "I've Never Been to Me"
> Cher - "Half-Breed"
> Dawn featuring Tony Orlando - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak
Tree"
> Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots - "Disco Duck (Part 1)"
> Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - "Get Dancin'"
> Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show - "Sylvia's Mother"
> Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
> Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
> Foxy - "Get Off"
> David Geddes - "Run Joey Run"
> Tom T. Hall - "I Love"
> Dan Hill - "Sometimes When We Touch"
> Clint Holmes - "Playground in My Mind"
> Rupert Holmes - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)"
> Hot Chocolate - "You Sexy Thing"
> Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"
> KC & The Sunshine Band - "Get Down Tonight"
> KC & The Sunshine Band - "That's the Way (I Like It)"
> KC & The Sunshine Band - "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty"
> KC & The Sunshine Band - "Keep it Comin' Love"
> Lobo - "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo"
> Barry Manilow - "Copacabana (At the Copa)"
> Bobbi Martin - "For the Love of Him"
> C.W. McCall - "Convoy"
> The Steve Miller Band - "Take the Money and Run"
> Musique - "In the Bush"
> Wayne Newton - "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast"
> The Ohio Players - "Jive Turkey"
> Little Jimmy Osmond - "Long Haired Lover from Liverpool"
> Marie Osmond - "Paper Roses"
> Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
> The Poppy Family - "Which Way You Goin' Billy?"
> Austin Roberts - "Rocky"
> The Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
> Donna Summer - "Love to Love You Baby"
> Donna Summer - "I Feel Love"
> R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me"
> Joe Tex - "I Gotcha"
> Think - "Once You Understand"
> Meri Wilson - "Telephone Man"
>
>
> On the songs above, I have to confess I have what critics Siskel & Ebert
> refer to as a few "Guilty Pleasures." :-) I hate Captain & Tennille's
> version of "Muskrat Love" only because I liked America's
infinitely-better
> 1973 #67 single version. Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" is so
> over-the-top lyrically, I think it's a very funny, enjoyable song on
> several different levels.
>
> KIIS-FM DJ Rick Dees' "Disco Duck" regularly appears on these lists, and
I
> can't really understand why because it's clearly a satire; to me, this is
> another very funny song on which a lot of people missed the joke.
> "Sylvia's Mother" was intended by songwriter Shel Silverstein as a
satire,
> but people missed that joke, too (though I think the song is much too
> cornball for my tastes).
>
> Joe Tex's "I Gotcha" may be the most in-your-face, loudest, annoying soul
> hit of the 1970s. So help me, whenever my next door neighbor in my
> apartment used to play his music too loud in the early-to-mid-1970s, I'd
> turn my speakers around to face his wall and crank up "I Gotcha" at about
> 120 dB, and that would usually give him the message.
>
> I have a soft spot in my head for "Afternoon Delight," only because I met
> and worked with the group on some jingles in the late 1970s, several
years
> after their hit careers went down the tubes. They were terribly nice,
> very talented people, and I really love the acapella harmony at the very
> end of the song. God knows, the lyrics make you wince in spots, but I
> have to confess, I like the song. (Alright, just shoot me and get it
over
> with.)
>
> I think my picks for the absolute most-unlistenable hits of the 1970s
> would have to be "Seasons in the Sun," "The Night Chicago Died," and
> "Billy Don't Be a Hero." All huge hits, all from 1974 -- again, my pick
> for the worst year in rock/pop history -- and all absolutely horrible.
> I'll defend to the death my opinion that these songs suck big-time.
>
> If anybody wants explanations on why the other songs often show up on the
> Rock Turkey lists, ask me in a follow-up message and I'll go into the
> details.
>
> AGAIN: THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY MY CHOICES FOR 1970s TURKEYS! These
are
> only songs that often show up on these lists, and as I said, I do like
> several songs on this list. (But I hate a lot more songs than I like.)
>
> If you comment on this thread, do me a favor and don't quote the whole
> damned message back; just a piece of the song title(s) in question is
> fine.
Gary Huckabay
In article <01bbc76a$edc51e80$87188fc2@8640bbd40389>,
Einar Aronsen <eiar...@sn.no> wrote:
>Supertramp is the best progressive rock band of the 70's.
>Give a litle bit, Logical song, Breakfast in America, Fools Overture,
>dreamer ......................................
Uh, I guess it would be *possible* for me to disagree more, but note you didn't say "KISS", so I guess it's unlikely. Supertramp's music, although
light and catchy, isn't particularly progressive, particularly during
its era. Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and at least a dozen others
leap to mind first.
There were some really great progressive rock albums in the '70s, but
Supertramp didn't make them.
_Fragile_,_Close to the Edge_, any King Crimson album, even earlier
Genesis was fairly impressive. And there's lots more.
And, of course, there's Zappa, God rest his soul.
--
* Gary Huckabay * The Baseball Prospectus web site is now fully *
* Project Manager * functional. For information on the only premium *
* and Victim, * baseball annual, check: *
* Baseball Prospectus. * http://www.baseballprospectus.com. *
Gary Hobish
> Marc Wielage <m...@musictrax.com> skrev i artikkelen
> <mfw-251096...@ip014.lax.primenet.com>...
> > Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
Aw, c'mon, this one is kinda fun. Annoying, perhaps, but _determinadly_ so.
(They actually stole this arrangement from Jonathon King's recording of
this song.)
> > The Steve Miller Band - "Take the Money and Run"
Boring, derivitive, mindless perhaps, but it doesn't make my flesh crawl
the way some of your other listed items do...
> > Donna Summer - "I Feel Love"
Disgree here. This was the first disco record I could stand.
> > R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me"
Silly, but worth it just for the bullhorn at the end.
Gary Hobish
Armin Hammer Productions
San Francisco, CA
Francis William McGill
"Paloma Blanca" by George Baker Selection, 1976 . . . now there's a
song radio stations don't play much, at least in the USA!
Jonathan Whitehead (j.m.wh...@sheffield.ac.uk) wrote:
: Not sure of the dates but I think it came from the 70's.
: My vote for the worst song ever has to go to 'Kung Fu Fighting' by Carl Douglas,
: surely this must rank as the poorest record of all time. period.
: I feel embarrassed to be a member of the human race when I hear this song.
: Other than that 'Una Polama Blanca' (SP?) is quite bad as well.
: Jon.
Ken
1. Loving You - Minnie Ripperton (La La La La La, La La La La La, La
La La La La, etc. Oh please make it stop!)
2. Captain & Tennille - Muskrat Love (Yeccchhhhhhhh!)
3. Don McLean - American Pie (I'm talkin' the 3 minute version they
forced us to listen to on AM. Really hacked to death.)
neil
>>McCartney's lyrics are so vague and ephemeral, god knows what the hell
>>he's singing about. (Remember, this is also the guy who helped come up
>>with "four of fish and finger pie.")
something you could get from young Liverpool girls if you were
persuasive enough!
neil
Marc Wielage
> It was actually "searching for a fish & finger pie" which was
> something you could get from young Liverpool girls if you were
> persuasive enough!
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure that's what the expression may be, but that's not what they
actually say in the song "Penny Lane."
McCartney's lyrics in "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" are also fairly whacked-out:
"the butter pie...
butter pie?
The butter all melts, so you put it in the pie..."
Weird-city.
Keith Shiner
In article <55do59$m...@mark.ucdavis.edu>,
on 1 Nov 1996 20:56:09 GMT,
Gary Huckabay <ez02...@boris.ucdavis.edu> writes:
>
>And, of course, there's Zappa, God rest his soul.
>
Well, Gary here's FZs LPs that were released in the 70's. Which of these
are you familiar with? They cover a wide spectrum of music styles from
Orchestral & Jazz to Straight & Improvisational Rock (not to mention every
thing in between). Sure he had a few stinkers (which generally were the ones
that got radio air play),but in his 30+ year career FZ put out about 70
recordings (many double and triple LPs) of which the average music listener
knows little to nothing about.
I can safely say he wasn't the one-hit wonder most people think of him as
(it's just that the US Radio is to limited as to what it will play).
I can also say that none of his peers can even come close to his output.
Titles Gross Generalization of Content
<*> Uncle Meat (2 LP; 2 CD) Mostly Jazz Rock
<*> Mothermania (Best of)
<*> Hot Rats Jazz
<*> Burnt Weeny Sandwich 1970 Improv Jazz Rock
<*> Weasels Ripped My Flesh Jazz
<*> Chunga's Revenge 1971 Mostly Rock
<*> Fillmore East, June 1971 Rock Opera (cuts not on 200 Motels)
<*> 200 Motels (2 LP) 1972 Orchestral/Rock Movie Sound Track
<*> Just Another Band From L.A. Rock/Story Telling
<*> Waka/Jawaka Big Band Jazz
<*> The Grand Wazoo 1973 Big Band Jazz
<*> Over-nite Sensation 1974 Rock
<*> Apostrophe(') Rock/Story Telling
<*> Roxy And Elsewhere (2 LP) 1975 Rock
<*> One Size Fits All Big Band Rock
<*> Bongo Fury 1976 Rock
<*> Zoot Allures 1978 Rock
<*> Zappa In New York (2 LP; 2 CD) Live Rock
<*> Studio Tan Mixed
<*> Sleep Dirt Mixed
<*> Orchestral Favorites 1979 Duh?
..and for those of you keeping score, these are his releases since his
death, with many more to come from the vaults!
<*> Ahead Of Their Time Live Concert from 1968
<*> The Yellow Shark 1994 Orchestral
<*> Civilization Phaze III (2 CD) 1995 Orchestral (on computer)
<*> Strictly Commercial (Best Of) Mostly Rock
<*> The Lost Episodes Historical Material
<*> L€ther (3 CD) Bag of Tricks (Rock to Orchestral)
<*> FZ Plays The Music OF FZ 1996 Guitar Solos (Rock)
CaveMan
Brandon M. Gorte
Sian Williams (Sian.W...@torbay.gov.uk) wrote:
:
:
: > I too would have "Get Dancin'" by Disco Tex as one of MY worst songs.
Yes, "Get Dancin'" is a pretty bad song, but I find the pat where the dj
comes in tired with his chiffon is wet part. ;)
ow,
: > here are MY personal worst songs of the '70s...
: >
: > "Macarthur Park"--Donna Summer
"MacArthur Park" is a fun song, and I feel that she did a better job than
the original singer of the song. Who sang it originally, anyway?
: > "Tell Me Something Good"--Rufus & Chaka Kahn
: > "Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the group, but it had a
: > Chinese oriental sound to it.
:
:
: Wait just a second! I have to take exception to your inclusion of the songs
: named above in your "worst of the 70s" list ..... Donna Summer & Chaka Khan
: were 2 of the BEST singers of the decade and I can find nothing to object
: to in either of the songs you chose (except maybe lyrics about cakes but
: that wasn't Donna's fault!) .... Money by the Flying Lizards is fantastic!
: And as for Disco Tex well, er, it's not one of my faves but my brother
: loves it - we had it played specially at his wedding reception!!
:
: So how about targetting the Bay City Rollers (can't think of a single good
: thing they produced) or the Wombles (oh, well done Mike Batt!) instead?
:
As for the Bay City Rollers, "Saturday Night" comes to mind as their best
song.
BMG
Backspace
Lets not forget to add to this jukebox from HELL the "song" Up, Up and
away in my beautifull balloon!!! GOD I HATE THAT TUNE!!! Or Bobby
Sherman's "In A Tree"!!! Generally I like Sherman's songs but that one
really blows... How about Disco Duck??? AUGHHHH.....
P.S. Don't mind my spelling. My excuse is simply that I can't:)
Marc Wielage
> Lets not forget to add to this jukebox from HELL the "song" Up, Up and
> away in my beautifull balloon!!! GOD I HATE THAT TUNE!!! Or Bobby
> Sherman's "In A Tree"!!! Generally I like Sherman's songs but that one
> really blows... How about Disco Duck??? AUGHHHH.....
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
Well, number one, "Up, Up & Away" was a #7 hit from 1967, so this is the
wrong group for discussions on that song. (And as I've said elsewhere, as
far as I'm concerned, songwriter Jimmy Webb can do no wrong. The song's a
classic of a sort, but I agree it's not for all tastes.) Talk about it
over on rec.music.rock-pop-r+b.1960s.
Also, Bobby Sherman had 10 charted singles, but the one you name wasn't
one of them, so I suspect it got virtually no airplay nationally.
And to me, "Disco Duck" was *intended* to be a stupid, silly song, so to
me, that lets it out of the running for Worst Songs of the 1970s --
strictly my opinion.
Marc Wielage
> >Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
> This one has a soft spot for me because it was the first pop song I
> ever heard my dad say he liked, and the first time he heard it he told
> me it was going to be the top seller in history. At that time, he was
> absolutely correct, with it staying at number one for 10 weeks.
You're more than welcome to your opinion, but jeez, man, this song really
sucks. :-)
> >The Chakachas - "Jungle Fever"
> Was this a different song than the Kool & the Gang song?
Yes. Here's my notes on the Chakachas song, which was written by Bill Ador:
"The only hit for this Belgian sextet led by Gaston Boogaerts, sometimes
cited by critics as one of the all-time worst songs of the 1970s. The
members of the group were all middle-aged Belgians, so Polydor records
hired a young NY salsa band named Barrio to perform live concerts under
the name "Chakachas." Banned from some stations in the early 1970s because
of its apparent sexual moans and groans. No relation to the 1991 Stevie
Wonder song of the same title. "Aiiiii!""
> >Charlene - "I've Never Been to Me"
> I thought this was an 80's song? Was it a re-release?
It was recorded in early 1977 and released in August of 1977; it was the
recharted remix in 1982 that most people remember.
> >Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
> Oh no, you can't hate this one! We were all in the craze at the time.
> Of course, his follow-up Everybody Do the Kung-Fu now...
I didn't say I hated this song at all; I merely said that it often shows
up on many All-Time Worst Songs lists. Me personally, I think it's kinda
amusing and not horrible.
> >The Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
> Wasn't this one of the longest lasting songs on the charts in history?
No way. It was only #1 for 2 weeks, and it charted for 20 weeks total.
There were over 1000 songs that charted for more than 20 weeks. I believe
the all-time longest-charting hit was Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" from 1982
(43 weeks), but Paul Davis' late-1977 #7 hit "I Go Crazy" charted for 40
weeks. There may be more in the 1990s, which I'm not quite as up on,
chart-wise.
As mentioned elsewhere, I once worked on a recording session around 1980
with Bill & Taffy Danoff of The Starland Vocal Band, and they were really
nice, intelligent people (as you might expect). They were sadder but
wiser after surviving their career collapse in the mid-1970s after
"Afternoon Delight," recording jingles (which I think they may still be
doing).
Marc Wielage
In article <55oqqs$a...@dfw-ixnews6.ix.netcom.com>, ttmit...@msn.com wrote:
> Loved this song. People today don't realize how big John Denver was
> back then, although he did have a goofy look.
NO, NO, NO. You completely misconstrue my point. Again, I didn't say
that 1974 was totally worthless; I just said, look at the large number of
terrible songs in this year. That was merely a list of the Top 10 of that
year, not a list of Best or Worse. [And that's the last time I post a
list here without a TITLE!]
Here's a list of the Top 100 of the year (by the U.S. charts); maybe
that'll put it into perspective. This is NOT a list of the worst songs of
the year; this is a list of the most successful hits by POPULARITY.
THE TOP 100 OF 1974
*******************
1. Barbra Streisand - "The Way We Were"
2. Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"
3. Ray Stevens - "The Streak"
4. Paul Anka with Odia Coates - "(You're) Having My Baby"
5. Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
6. Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
7. John Denver - "Annie's Song"
8. Grand Funk - "The Loco-Motion"
9. MFSB featuring The Three Degrees - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)"
10. Billy Swan - "I Can Help"
11. George McCrae - "Rock Your Baby"
12. Olivia Newton-John - "I Honestly Love You"
13. Elton John - "Bennie and the Jets"
14. The Steve Miller Band - "The Joker"
15. Dionne Warwick & The Spinners - "Then Came You"
16. The Love Unlimited Orchestra - "Love's Theme"
17. Al Wilson - "Show and Tell"
18. Stevie Wonder - "You Haven't Done Nothin'"
19. Billy Preston - "Nothing from Nothing"
20. Blue Swede - "Hooked on a Feeling"
21. John Denver - "Sunshine on My Shoulders"
22. Paul McCartney & Wings - "Band on the Run"
23. Ringo Starr - "You're Sixteen"
24. Gordon Lightfoot - "Sundown"
25. Andy Kim - "Rock Me Gently"
26. Helen Reddy - "Angie Baby"
27. Roberta Flack - "Feel Like Makin' Love"
28. Harry Chapin - "Cat's in the Cradle"
29. Cher - "Dark Lady"
30. Paper Lace - "The Night Chicago Died"
31. Bachman-Turner Overdrive - "Free Wheelin'"
31. Bachman-Turner Overdrive - "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"
32. The Hues Corporation - "Rock the Boat"
33. Eric Clapton - "I Shot the Sheriff"
34. Barry White - "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"
35. John Lennon with The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band - "Whatever Gets You
Thru the Night"
36. The Jackson 5 - "Dancing Machine"
37. The Stylistics - "You Make Me Feel Brand New"
38. B.T. Express - "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)"
39. Eddie Kendricks - "Boogie Down"
40. Elton John - "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
41. The Three Degrees - "When Will I See You Again"
42. Carole King - "Jazzman"
43. Rufus - "Tell Me Something Good"
44. Marvin Hamlisch - "The Entertainer"
45. Bobby Vinton - "My Melody of Love"
46. The Righteous Brothers - "Rock and Roll Heaven"
47. Jim Stafford - "Spiders and Snakes"
48. Aretha Franklin - "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)"
49. Brownsville Station - "Smokin' in the Boys' Room"
50. Gladys Knight & The Pips - "The BesArticle Unavailable
Edvard Framvik
>Lets not forget to add to this jukebox from HELL the "song" Up, Up and
>away in my beautifull balloon!!! GOD I HATE THAT TUNE!!! Or Bobby
"Up, up and away" with Nancy Sinatra was released in 1968 on reprise: (RA
3252) here in Norway. It's B-side on the 'hit'-single "Things" with Nancy
S. and Dean Martin.
>Sherman's "In A Tree"!!! Generally I like Sherman's songs but that one
>really blows... How about Disco Duck??? AUGHHHH.....
"Disco Duck" by Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots (Yes, that's the name!) isn't
that bad, is it? Think of it as a joke, that's what I do. A _good_ joke! :)
\\\\ Edvard ////
ttmitchell
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>Morris Albert - "Feelings"
Definitely my worst song of the 70's.
>Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
This one has a soft spot for me because it was the first pop song I
ever heard my dad say he liked, and the first time he heard it he told
me it was going to be the top seller in history. At that time, he was
absolutely correct, with it staying at number one for 10 weeks.
>The Chakachas - "Jungle Fever"
Was this a different song than the Kool & the Gang song?
>Charlene - "I've Never Been to Me"
I thought this was an 80's song? Was it a re-release?
>Cher - "Half-Breed"
>Dawn featuring Tony Orlando - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree"
>Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots - "Disco Duck (Part 1)"
>Disco-Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes - "Get Dancin'"
>Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show - "Sylvia's Mother"
>Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods - "Billy, Don't Be a Hero"
>Carl Douglas - "Kung Fu Fighting"
Oh no, you can't hate this one! We were all in the craze at the time.
Of course, his follow-up Everybody Do the Kung-Fu now...
>Foxy - "Get Off"
>David Geddes - "Run Joey Run"
>Tom T. Hall - "I Love"
>Dan Hill - "Sometimes When We Touch"
Poignant and brilliantly written. I thought the imagery was
fantastic.
>The Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
Wasn't this one of the longest lasting songs on the charts in history?
--
Mitch
ttmitchell
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>1974 was a horrible, horrible year for music. Here's the Top 20 of the
>year (in alphabetical order, not in hit order):
>John Denver - "Annie's Song"
Loved this song. People today don't realize how big John Denver was
back then, although he did have a goofy look.
>Elton John - "Bennie and the Jets"
Disagree; I don't think Elton John could have a bad song, although I
really don't like Daniel. Isn't it amazing that out of everybody on
your list he's still around and still making hits? Now that's talent!
>George McCrae - "Rock Your Baby"
Billboard at one time credited this one as being the first disco hit
in America.
>MFSB featuring The Three Degrees - "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)"
Now, how did this one make the best and the worst list?
>Ray Stevens - "The Streak"
I thought novelty songs didn't count?
>Stevie Wonder - "You Haven't Done Nothin'"
Stevie Wonder couldn't do a bad song either until I Just Called to Say
I Love You, an 80's gagger! Okay, so we didn't always know what he
was saying.
--
Mitch
Marc Wielage
In article <55lnp0$i...@geolabserver.geo>, bmg...@mtu.edu (Brandon M.
Gorte) wrote:
> "MacArthur Park" is a fun song, and I feel that she did a better job than
> the original singer of the song. Who sang it originally, anyway?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Harris, #2 from 1968.
> : > "Tell Me Something Good"--Rufus & Chaka Kahn
> : > "Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the group, but it had a
> : > Chinese oriental sound to it.
> :
> : Wait just a second! I have to take exception to your inclusion of the songs
> : named above in your "worst of the 70s" list ..... Donna Summer & Chaka Khan
> : were 2 of the BEST singers of the decade...
---------------------------------------------------------------
Don't get your bees in a bonnett. This is just an OPINION, not a fact.
It's just as silly to argue about music taste as it is to yell at somebody
because they prefer Lemon Sherbet to Chocolate Chip. (Though anybody who
hates the latter goes to the bottom of my list -- grin!)
I agree that Donna Summer & Chaka Khan were fine singers during this
decade, but "Tell Me Something Good" is definitely one of the low points
of the 1970s from my perspective, IMHO.
Hey, at least it's better than Chaka Khan's 1984 "I Feel for You," where
they repeat her name 50,000 times. *whew*
ttmitchell
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>In article <55oqqr$a...@dfw-ixnews6.ix.netcom.com>, ttmit...@msn.com wrote:
>> >Debby Boone - "You Light Up My Life"
>> This one has a soft spot for me because it was the first pop song I
>> ever heard my dad say he liked, and the first time he heard it he told
>> me it was going to be the top seller in history. At that time, he was
>> absolutely correct, with it staying at number one for 10 weeks.
>You're more than welcome to your opinion, but jeez, man, this song really
>sucks. :-)
Gotta stick up for Dad!
>> >The Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight"
>> Wasn't this one of the longest lasting songs on the charts in history?
>No way. It was only #1 for 2 weeks, and it charted for 20 weeks total.
>There were over 1000 songs that charted for more than 20 weeks. I believe
>the all-time longest-charting hit was Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" from 1982
>(43 weeks), but Paul Davis' late-1977 #7 hit "I Go Crazy" charted for 40
>weeks. There may be more in the 1990s, which I'm not quite as up on,
>chart-wise.
>As mentioned elsewhere, I once worked on a recording session around 1980
>with Bill & Taffy Danoff of The Starland Vocal Band, and they were really
>nice, intelligent people (as you might expect). They were sadder but
>wiser after surviving their career collapse in the mid-1970s after
>"Afternoon Delight," recording jingles (which I think they may still be
>doing).
I also know both marriages broke up; they all appeared on a special
Oprah show earlier this year, and they still sound good together.
T. T. Mitchell
--
Mitch
Regina Litman
Edvard Framvik wrote:
>
> >Lets not forget to add to this jukebox from HELL the "song" Up, Up and
> >away in my beautifull balloon!!! GOD I HATE THAT TUNE!!! Or Bobby
>
> "Up, up and away" with Nancy Sinatra was released in 1968 on reprise: (RA
> 3252) here in Norway. It's B-side on the 'hit'-single "Things" with Nancy
> S. and Dean Martin.
Just to set the record straight - in the U.S., "Up, Up, and Away" is best remembered as
being done by the Fifth Dimension. It was a hit in 1967, so everyone else, please
excuse this post.
Regina Litman
Francis William McGill wrote:
>
> "Paloma Blanca" by George Baker Selection, 1976 . . . now there's a
> song radio stations don't play much, at least in the USA!
"Paloma Blanca" is another 1970s song I've never heard - and I had never heard of it
until recently when I read a great new book about 1971-75 music called "Precious and
Few: Pop Music in the Early '70s" by Don Breithaupt and Jeff Breithaupt. It's actually
called "Una Paloma Blanca", according to the authors, who didn't think much of the song.
The only song I know by the George Baker Selection is "Little Green Bag" from 1970,
which I've always loved. I get the impression from both the book and the posts here
that "Una Paloma Blanca" is nothing like "Little Green Bag".
Brandon M. Gorte
Regina Litman (rsli...@philly.infi.net) wrote:
I thought that "Una Paloma Blanca" was done by Slim Whitman in 1977.
However, I still very much dislike the song, and think that it should be
added to the worst songs of the decade list.
BMG
Regina Litman
chris topham wrote:
>
> Floaters - Float On
I can't comment on this one because, like "Junk Food Junkie" by Larry Groce, "The Last
Game of the Season (The Blind Man in the Bleachers)" by David Geddes, and "Telephone
Man" by Meri Wilson, this was one of the 1970s songs whose existence I was aware of but
never heard, at least during its heyday. Although I later heard the Geddes and Wilson
songs on CDs in the Rhino Have a Nice Day series, I don't think I've ever heard "Float
On".
chris topham
On 25 Oct 1996 05:53:01 -0700, m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>Even though I'm one of the main people who helped start this group, I'm
>the first to admit that the 1970s had some really horrible, miserable,
>total crap songs that managed to become major hits. Without going into
>great detail, below are some of my picks for the major turkeys of the
>decade -- and I'll confess here and now that just because a song is bad
>doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure.
>
Floaters - Float On
Marc Wielage
In article <328627...@philly.infi.net>, Regina Litman
<rsli...@philly.infi.net> wrote:
> Although I later heard the Geddes and Wilson
> songs on CDs in the Rhino Have a Nice Day series, I don't think I've ever
> heard "Float On".
It's lame, but interesting and amusing in a perverse sorta way. You can
find this #2 hit from the summer of 1977 on the following CDs:
Smooth Grooves #3 CD [11:44 alb. vers.]
Time-Life Sounds of 70's/1977 #2 CD [4:11 VG single vers.]
Right after you listen to that, get Cheech & Chong's 1978 album LET'S MAKE
A NEW DOPE DEAL, and check out their excellent satire, "Bloat On
(Featuring the Bloaters)," which to me is 276 times better than the
original.
BB
>I can't comment on this one because ... this was one of the 1970s songs whose
>existence I was aware of but never heard, at least during its heyday.
>I don't think I've ever heard "Float On".
Sorry to hear that Chris hated it and Regina never heard it, because
it's one of my favorites. However, if you hate "Kung Fu Fighting"
you'll probably hate "Float On" too. It's was a monster 1977 r+b hit
that made it to #2 for 2 weeks on the pop charts, but apparently it
didn't crossover that well.
It's a campy, mostly talking (non-rap) song done by four guys who
identify themselves by their names and zodiac signs, with some
mid-tempo groove playing in the background. Each guy talks about what
kind of woman he likes. One of by favorite lines is when Charles
goes:
I'd like a woman who would take me in her arms and say,
"Charles... yeah!"
The chorus was "Float... float on / float, float, float on".
With a name based on the song, it doesn't take a genius to realize
that The Floaters should be in the dictionary under one-hit wonder.
BB
Randy Amasia
> > : > "Money (That's What I Want)"--I can't remember the
group, but it had a
> > : > Chinese oriental sound to it.
Flying Lizards.
...and, may I add:
* Anything from Saturday Night Feeble
* "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward
--
Randy Amasia
Keeper of the un-celebrity Whew! official rules page
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/8105/whewrulz.htm
Regina Litman
BB wrote:
>
> Sorry to hear that Chris hated it and Regina never heard it, because
> it's one of my favorites. However, if you hate "Kung Fu Fighting"
> you'll probably hate "Float On" too. It's was a monster 1977 r+b hit
> that made it to #2 for 2 weeks on the pop charts, but apparently it
> didn't crossover that well.
>
> It's a campy, mostly talking (non-rap) song done by four guys who
> identify themselves by their names and zodiac signs, with some
> mid-tempo groove playing in the background. Each guy talks about what
> kind of woman he likes. One of by favorite lines is when Charles
> goes:
>
> I'd like a woman who would take me in her arms and say,
> "Charles... yeah!"
>
> The chorus was "Float... float on / float, float, float on".
> With a name based on the song, it doesn't take a genius to realize
> that The Floaters should be in the dictionary under one-hit wonder.
If it made it to #2, I probably heard Casey Kasem play it. But it was not played on the
stations I listened to during the week.
I did not dislike "Kung Fu Fighting", but I would certainly not call it one of my
favorites.
ejohnfan
Didn't Frank and Nancy Sinatra do "Something Stupid" in the '70s? Surely
that ranks right up there with "Having my Baby". Gag.
Kim
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beneath these branches
I once wrote such childish words for you.
But that's okay
There's treasure children always seek to find
Taupin '75
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew Rogers
In article <3283CC...@philly.infi.net> Regina Litman <rsli...@philly.infi.net> writes:
>> >Lets not forget to add to this jukebox from HELL the "song" Up, Up and
>> >away in my beautifull balloon!!! GOD I HATE THAT TUNE!!! Or Bobby
>Just to set the record straight - in the U.S., "Up, Up, and Away" is best
>remembered as being done by the Fifth Dimension. It was a hit in 1967,
>so everyone else, please excuse this post.
And none other than Bob Mould, founder of postpunk legends Husker Du, has
expressed his admiration for the musical complexity (it cycles through
*seven* different keys: verses in F, Ab, and B; chorus in G; bridge in
Bb, Db, and E) of this Jimmy Webb song.
Andrew
Randy Amasia
chris topham <ch...@toppo.demon.co.uk> wrote in article
<328c1b87...@news.demon.co.uk>...
The only good thing that can be said or "Float On" is that it
led to Cheech and Chong's wicked satire, "Bloat On"!
Marc Wielage
In article <5636f7$1...@geolabserver.geo>, bmg...@mtu.edu (Brandon M.
Gorte) wrote:
>
> I thought that "Una Paloma Blanca" was done by Slim Whitman in 1977.
> However, I still very much dislike the song, and think that it should be
> added to the worst songs of the decade list.
>
Although got famous through his record offers and so on in the 1970s, only
George Baker had a hit with it, which was #26 in late 1975. I agree, it
probably should be added to the official Turkey list. :-)
Dennis L. Pearson
" Brand New Key" by Melanie, ironically her biggest hit.
Aaaarhg!
Mencken said something like "You never go broke underestimating the
American public." (My apologies to H.L. if I changed it at all..)
Regina Litman
ejohnfan wrote:
>
> Didn't Frank and Nancy Sinatra do "Something Stupid" in the '70s? Surely
> that ranks right up there with "Having my Baby". Gag.
No, that was done in 1967.
(But Neil Sedaka did a song with his daughter in the 1970s - I don't remember it very
well, but I do remember that I did not mind the song. It may have even been on Rocket
Records. And it would not have surprised me if, after Debby Boone's taste of success,
that she recorded something with her father. If so, I never heard any such recordings
and could probably count myself fortunate for not having heard any.)
Andrew Rogers
In article <32890F...@philly.infi.net> Regina Litman <rsli...@philly.infi.net> writes:
>No, ["Somethin' Stupid"] was done in 1967.
>(But Neil Sedaka did a song with his daughter in the 1970s - I don't
>remember it very well, but I do remember that I did not mind the song.
"Should Have Never Let You Go", which actually charted in early 1980. I
didn't mind it either - most of it, anyway; she went noticeably off pitch
during the unaccompanied part at the very end.
> It may have even been on Rocket Records.
No, by that time he had switched to Elektra. As far as I can tell (I
have the '86 Whitburn) that was his first charted single since '77 and
his last ever.
Andrew
Leonard Blanks
rog...@star.Hi.COM (Andrew Rogers) writes:
This provides for me an alternative explanation for his later change in
musical direction, substituting the witty, hard-driving, hook-laden force
of the music in HD with the overly cautious, plodding MOR nature of his
solo work.
Len
--
Leonard Blanks | It possesses a sound rhythmic structure
l...@haruspex.demon.co.uk | and facilitates Terpsichorean movement;
http://www.haruspex.demon.co.uk/ | I'll give it an 85.
jimster
ejohnfan <ejoh...@bright.net> wrote:
>Didn't Frank and Nancy Sinatra do "Something Stupid" in the '70s? Surely
>that ranks right up there with "Having my Baby". Gag.
>Kim
>--
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Beneath these branches
> I once wrote such childish words for you.
> But that's okay
>There's treasure children always seek to find
> Taupin '75
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
that was done in '67
a man without hand is not a man
Martin Sagara
: I can't comment on this one because, like "Junk Food Junkie" by Larry Groce, "The Last
: Game of the Season (The Blind Man in the Bleachers)" by David Geddes, and "Telephone
: Man" by Meri Wilson, this was one of the 1970s songs whose existence I was aware of but
: never heard, at least during its heyday.
Speaking of David Geddes...
I thought his 1975 song "Run Joey Run" was pretty bad.
Martin Sagara "Visualize Whirled Peas"
University Of Colorado Trivia Bowl Alumnus
1981, "We Need Your Help Barry Manilow"
msa...@rmii.com
Regina Litman
Martin Sagara wrote:
>
> Speaking of David Geddes...
> I thought his 1975 song "Run Joey Run" was pretty bad.
Actually, I did, too. In fact, I did not feel I was missing out on any great life
experience by not hearing "Last Game of the Season (The Blind Man in the Bleachers)" all
those years, based on my opinion of his previous hit. And it turned out I was right.
However, I do kind of like "Telephone Man". Ironically, "Last Game of the Season" and
"Telephone Man" were released on two different volumes of Rhino's "Have a Nice Day" that
came out at the same time. In the liner notes about one of these two songs, it is said
that the folks at Rhino considered putting the two on the same volume but decided that
it would be too cruel. (I don't know if they were joking or serious about this.)
ttmitchell
b...@bigblack.com (BB) wrote:
>Sorry to hear that Chris hated it and Regina never heard it, because
>it's one of my favorites. However, if you hate "Kung Fu Fighting"
>you'll probably hate "Float On" too. It's was a monster 1977 r+b hit
>that made it to #2 for 2 weeks on the pop charts, but apparently it
>didn't crossover that well.
>It's a campy, mostly talking (non-rap) song done by four guys who
>identify themselves by their names and zodiac signs, with some
>mid-tempo groove playing in the background. Each guy talks about what
>kind of woman he likes. One of by favorite lines is when Charles
>goes:
The thing about the song was that if you got the album cut it was
about 8 1/2 minutes, and the rap was only that same short bit you
heard on the radio. I can honestly say I liked the music, but it
would be considered pretty simplistic by today's standards.
--
Mitch
ttmitchell
m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) wrote:
>In article <5636f7$1...@geolabserver.geo>, bmg...@mtu.edu (Brandon M.
>Gorte) wrote:
>>
>> I thought that "Una Paloma Blanca" was done by Slim Whitman in 1977.
>> However, I still very much dislike the song, and think that it should be
>> added to the worst songs of the decade list.
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>Although got famous through his record offers and so on in the 1970s, only
>George Baker had a hit with it, which was #26 in late 1975. I agree, it
>probably should be added to the official Turkey list. :-)
Wait a minute; isn't this the song that Bobby Vinton used to sing
every week on his TV show? Uh, no, I didn't watch it, uh, my mom did
(he says as he realizes his ultimate shame is now out)! Anyway, I
thought it was his song, along with Melody of Love.
--
Mitch
Charles G. Hill
ttmit...@msn.com (ttmitchell) came up with this:
>The thing about ['Float On'] was that if you got the album cut it was
>about 8 1/2 minutes, and the rap was only that same short bit you
>heard on the radio.
It's even longer than that; the version on the LP (ABC AB-1030) runs a
startling 11:49.
Anyway, I really like this silly bit of R&B froth, and I greatly admire
the Cheech & Chong parody ("Bloat On"), which builds on that silliness
without being mean-spirited about it.
Incidentally, the jacket liner does give the singers' astrological signs,
in case you somehow managed to miss it during the song....cgh :)
***************************************************
* Charles G. Hill < dust...@sprynet.com >
* Have a nice day, if it's not too much trouble
* Stillsane: http://pages.prodigy.com/cghill/mas.htm
George Turner
When I think of horrible music from the seventies, the first song
I think of is "You Light Up My Life" by Debbie Boone. I remember
thinking, "I'm going to hear this song too many times," the first
time I heard it. Little did I know how many times I was going to
hear it.
--
getu...@ptc.com <George Turner>
Charles Board
In article <32967dee...@news.demon.co.uk>, ch...@toppo.demon.co.uk (chris topham) writes:
|> On 30 Oct 1996 13:36:16 GMT, cnc...@bnr.ca (Charles Board) wrote:
|> >
|> >|>
|> >|> I got a Japanese compilation McCartney CD of some kind a few years ago,
|> >|> and I was flabbergasted to read the English -> Japanese -> English
|> >|> translations of his lyrics! In "Hi, Hi, Hi," the booklet claimed one
|> >|> verse went:
|> >|>
|> >|> "I want you to lie on the bed
|> >|> get you ready for my...polygon"
|> >
|> >And all these years I thought it was:
|> > "Get you ready for my fuzzy gong!"
|>
|> Is this a joke? Everyone surely knows (apart from Paul apparently)
|> that he's singing "get you ready for my body gun", mind you I can't
|> quite place *that* particular appendage on the anatomy
|> chart.................<g>.
see also "Love Gun" (Kiss), "Muscle Of Love" (Alice Cooper) and, of course,
the title object in "My Ding-A-Ling" (Chuck Berry)
chris topham
On 30 Oct 1996 13:36:16 GMT, cnc...@bnr.ca (Charles Board) wrote:
>
>In article <mfw-291096...@ip32-021.lax.primenet.com>, m...@musictrax.com (Marc Wielage) writes:
>
>|>
>|> I got a Japanese compilation McCartney CD of some kind a few years ago,
>|> and I was flabbergasted to read the English -> Japanese -> English
>|> translations of his lyrics! In "Hi, Hi, Hi," the booklet claimed one
>|> verse went:
>|>
>|> "I want you to lie on the bed
>|> get you ready for my...polygon"
>|>
>|> which I thought was hysterical! Not long ago, I think somebody asked
>|> McCartney about that, and he laughed and said he was actually saying "get
>|> you read for my body, girl," but then said if he had thought of the word
>|> "polygon," he would've used THAT.
Kim Fosbe
msa...@rainbow.rmii.com (Martin Sagara) writes:
>Speaking of David Geddes...
>I thought his 1975 song "Run Joey Run" was pretty bad.
If it's the "Run Joey Run" that I'm thinking about, it came out when I was
about 10 yo, and that would be 1969, er, make that 1970, I don't want to
violate the charter. :) "Run, Joey, Joey run-run, the hounds are on your
trail", is that the one your thinking of? I liked it then, but I haven't
heard it for years.
John V. Smith
Hey, wasn't there another version of this song put out on Budda records
with the guy who sang lead for the Ohio Express (Yummy, Yummy, Yummy)?
Marc Wielage wrote:
>
> In article <kim.848471474@ivgate>, k...@ivgate.omahug.org (Kim Fosbe) wrote:
>
>
> > If it's the "Run Joey Run" that I'm thinking about, it came out when I was
> > about 10 yo, and that would be 1969, er, make that 1970, I don't want to
> > violate the charter. :) "Run, Joey, Joey run-run, the hounds are on your
> > trail", is that the one your thinking of? I liked it then, but I haven't
> > heard it for years.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I don't know how you were able to hear this song in 1969 or 1970, since as
> far as I know, it wasn't released until August of 1975. At least, that's
> the first time it made the BILLBOARD charts (#4 in the first week of
> October of 1975), on the Big Tree label.
>
> I suspect the song you're thinking of is "Quick Joey Small (Run, Joey,
> Run)" by the Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus (#25 from late 1968),
> which is a completely different song from the one we're talking about.
>
> --MFW
>
-- John V. Smith
-----
The Only Thing I Know How To Do,
Is To Keep On Keeping On.........
Regina Litman
Marc Wielage wrote:
>
> In article <kim.848471474@ivgate>, k...@ivgate.omahug.org (Kim Fosbe) wrote:
>
>
> > If it's the "Run Joey Run" that I'm thinking about, it came out when I was
> > about 10 yo, and that would be 1969, er, make that 1970, I don't want to
> > violate the charter. :) "Run, Joey, Joey run-run, the hounds are on your
> > trail", is that the one your thinking of? I liked it then, but I haven't
> > heard it for years.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I don't know how you were able to hear this song in 1969 or 1970, since as
> far as I know, it wasn't released until August of 1975. At least, that's
> the first time it made the BILLBOARD charts (#4 in the first week of
> October of 1975), on the Big Tree label.
>
> I suspect the song you're thinking of is "Quick Joey Small (Run, Joey,
> Run)" by the Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus (#25 from late 1968),
> which is a completely different song from the one we're talking about.
Yes, that line about the hounds on the trail is definitely from "Quick Joey Small"
(which, incidentally, is a major omission from the "Bubblegum Classics" series thus
far).
There was also a song in the same time period called "Run Sally Run" by the Cufflinks,
their third girl's name song after the big hit "Tracy" and the followup "When Julie
Comes Around". (The first two Cufflinks songs are, of course, on the "Bubblegum
Classics" CDs.)
Marc Wielage
In article <kim.848471474@ivgate>, k...@ivgate.omahug.org (Kim Fosbe) wrote:
> If it's the "Run Joey Run" that I'm thinking about, it came out when I was
> about 10 yo, and that would be 1969, er, make that 1970, I don't want to
> violate the charter. :) "Run, Joey, Joey run-run, the hounds are on your
> trail", is that the one your thinking of? I liked it then, but I haven't
> heard it for years.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know how you were able to hear this song in 1969 or 1970, since as
far as I know, it wasn't released until August of 1975. At least, that's
the first time it made the BILLBOARD charts (#4 in the first week of
October of 1975), on the Big Tree label.
I suspect the song you're thinking of is "Quick Joey Small (Run, Joey,
Run)" by the Kasenetz Katz Singing Orchestral Circus (#25 from late 1968),
which is a completely different song from the one we're talking about.
--MFW
Martin Sagara
Kim Fosbe (k...@ivgate.omahug.org) wrote:
: msa...@rainbow.rmii.com (Martin Sagara) writes:
: >Speaking of David Geddes...
: >I thought his 1975 song "Run Joey Run" was pretty bad.
: If it's the "Run Joey Run" that I'm thinking about, it came out when I was
: about 10 yo, and that would be 1969, er, make that 1970, I don't want to
: violate the charter. :) "Run, Joey, Joey run-run, the hounds are on your
: trail", is that the one your thinking of? I liked it then, but I haven't
: heard it for years.
No, it's a different song. David Geddes song is about a teen boy who
gets in trouble with his girlfriend's father (at least that's what I
remember). The David Geddes song has a like that goes like...
Daddy please don't!
It wasn't his fault!
He means so much to me!
GAG!
Marc Wielage
In article <5721hp$p...@natasha.rmii.com>, msa...@rainbow.rmii.com (Martin
Sagara) wrote [about "Run Joey Run"]:
>
> No, it's a different song. David Geddes song is about a teen boy who
> gets in trouble with his girlfriend's father (at least that's what I
> remember). The David Geddes song has a like that goes like...
>
> Daddy please don't!
> It wasn't his fault!
> He means so much to me!
>
> GAG!
Gee, but you sing it so well... Heck, you sing it better than Paul
Vance's daughter in the song! :-)
MAN, this is one horrible song.
Scott F.
On 20 Nov 96 06:31:14 GMT, k...@ivgate.omahug.org (Kim Fosbe) wrote:
>msa...@rainbow.rmii.com (Martin Sagara) writes:
>
>>Speaking of David Geddes...
>>I thought his 1975 song "Run Joey Run" was pretty bad.
>
>If it's the "Run Joey Run" that I'm thinking about, it came out when I was
>about 10 yo, and that would be 1969, er, make that 1970, I don't want to
>violate the charter. :) "Run, Joey, Joey run-run, the hounds are on your
>trail", is that the one your thinking of? I liked it then, but I haven't
>heard it for years.
>
Yeah, I vaguely remember Run Joey Run. It was a loud song with very
little melody. Didn't they just yell & try to sound dramatic for
about 2 minutes? There were some really bad records in the early 70s,
say from 1972-early '74. I personally think disco saved the decade!
It all started sounding better during the summer of '74. Bad songs?
so many, but howabout "Playground Of My Mind" by Clint Holmes? That
one has to be the worst. Really, worse than the Osmonds.
Erik Andersson
>>
>Yeah, I vaguely remember Run Joey Run. It was a loud song with very
>little melody. Didn't they just yell & try to sound dramatic for
>about 2 minutes? There were some really bad records in the early 70s,
>say from 1972-early '74. I personally think disco saved the decade!
>It all started sounding better during the summer of '74. Bad songs?
>so many, but howabout "Playground Of My Mind" by Clint Holmes? That
>one has to be the worst. Really, worse than the Osmonds.
The scary thing is that here I sit, two decades later, and I can still hear
"My name is Jimmy, I've got a nickle, I've got a nickle, shiny and new..." and
"Daddy please don't, it wasn't his fault, he means so much to me.." running
around in my head. I don't think I've heard either "Playground in my Mind"
nor "Run Joey Run" in 10 to 12 years, but they're still there. (Clogging up
room so that the expensive stuff I was supposed to learn in grad school could
settle).
Erik