Saturday, July 12, 2014

American Top 40 -- July 10, 1971

I don't usually hear shows from this early in the decade.  I spent the summer of 1971 playing in my back yard in Hopkinsville, racing my cars on the porch, and getting excited about going to kindergarten.  But I'm sure I've heard some of these songs anyway.

Your host, of course, is Casey Kasem.

Number 22:  "Neverending Song of Love," by Delaney & Bonnie & Friends.  I actually have never heard this song before.

Further thoughts in the comments.

25 comments:

  1. Number 21:

    Freda Payne, "Bring the Boys Home"

    I've never heard this one either.

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    Replies
    1. This is a great song. Freda Payne is really something else. What I most love about this song is how direct it is. It doesn't get into any arguments, it makes one firm statement--it builds the chorus around that one statement--and it just beats that drum over and over again.

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  2. Number 20:

    John Denver, "Take Me Home Country Roads"

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  3. Missed a whole bunch.

    Number 12:

    RIngo Starr, "It Don't Come Easy"

    I'm really glad I missed the breakup of the Beatles. That would have really annoyed me. This is a great, great song.

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  4. Number 11:

    Eighth Day, "She's Not Just Another Woman"

    A soul song that I have never heard.

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  5. Number 10:

    Carly Simon, "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"

    This is a fabulous song, and I would love to see a musical in which the female lead got to sing this song.

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  6. Number 9:

    Jerry Reed, "When You're Hot, You're Hot"

    This song, the Carly Simon song, and the soul song at number 11, all sound as though they came from different countries -- and in a way, they did.

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  7. Number 8:

    The Honey Cone, "Want Ad"

    This is a fun song that sounds like the old Motown hits from the mid-60's.

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  8. Number 7:

    Jean Knight, "Mr. BIg Stuff"

    Another Motown-like song. It may be from Motown, for all I know.

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  9. Number 6:

    James Taylor, "You've Got a Friend"

    This is an almost perfect song.

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  10. Number 5:

    Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, "Don't Pour Your Love"

    Man, I loved this song when I was five years old. I have a really vivid of sitting in the back seat of my parents car, driving through Nashville at night, listening to this song. I have no idea where we were going, or why we were even in Nashville, but the five-year-old me thought that was about the coolest thing in the world.

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  11. Number 4:

    The Carpenters, "Rainy Days and Mondays"

    This is probably my favorite Carpenters song. What a wonderful countdown this has turned out to be.

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  12. Number 3:

    Cornelius Brothers, "Treat Her Like a Lady"

    YEAH! I love this song too. WHAT A GREAT COUNTDOWN!

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    Replies
    1. Any time you have a song where the singer takes the lead, and the backup singers jump in and around the chorus -- like the old four-part harmony you get in church -- just goes straight to the pleasure center of my brain.

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    2. This is an excellent point--I hadn't sorted out what is so interesting and appealing about this song, but you nailed it.

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  13. Number 2:

    The Raiders, "Indian Reservation"

    Apparently before doing this countdown, Casey called me and asked what songs I wanted to hear.

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    Replies
    1. this really is an excellent countdown. great song here.

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  14. Number 1:

    Carole King, "It's Too Late"

    And a great song to top everything off. Thank you, 1971!

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    Replies
    1. OK, another excellent point--I'll spend the next 51 minutes working to the 5-stars/highly recommended Tapestry record. Thank you, Go Heath!

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