8:29 PM
Yankees do nothing in the seventh inning. St. Louis has tacked on a run in the fifth inning, but they're still losing to Houston, 4-2.
*****
8:26 PM
Listening to the Red Sox radio broadcast -- they're obviously frustrated, but they're not homers, either. Which is as it should be. I'll never get used to listening to baseball broadcasts in the Midwest, where the announcers root for the home team. You never hear that on the East Coast, or the West Coast (the influence of Vin Scully and Russ Hodges when the Dodgers and Giants moved west).
*****
8:23 PM
And Robert Andino hits a three-run inside-the-park home run -- I missed part of it; it popped out of someone's glove when they hit the fence. 6-2, Orioles.
*****
8:20 PM
Baltimore takes the lead on Boston on a double by Chris Davis. Davis has two RBI on the night.
*****
8:19 PM
Philadelphia does nothing in the top of the seventh against Atlanta. I have no fear of anyone in the Phillie lineup; it's the pitching staff that would worry me. Milwaukee would appear to be the biggest obstacle for the Phillies to overcome, but I have to say I don't know the Diamondbacks very well.
*****
8:16 PM
Shall I ask why Baltimore is batting Mark Reynolds, who's hit 37 home runs, seventh in the lineup? Yeah, he's struck out over 190 times, but he's still probably one of their best hitters. There are reasons, I suppose, why Buck Showalter's managing his fourth team.
*****
8:13 PM
Houston now up on St. Louis 4-1, on a home run by Downs, who I've never heard of. It would pretty galling if St. Louis struggles to beat the only 100-loss team in the majors at the most crucial point of the season.
*****
8:07 PM
Houston pushes across two runs in the top of the fourth to take the lead over St. Louis. Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen may be out as manager of the White Sox.
*****
8:05 PM
Red Sox go down very quickly in the top of the 6th inning. Alex Rodriguez leads off the top of the 6th for the Yankees -- only .276-16-62 this year? I know he missed a fair amount of time with injuries, but still...
*****
7:57 PM
Philadelphia takes the lead over Atlanta, 3-2, on a triple by Shane Victorino and a single by Raul Ibanez. I'd say Atlanta has a better chance of losing the wild card than Atlanta, given they're playing the Phillies (best record in the league) the last three games while St. Louis is at Houston (worst record in the league). Boston has a similar advantage; they in Baltimore while Tampa Bay hosts the Yankees.
*****
7:56 PM
I would be more impressed with MLB.com's Free Game of the Day if it weren't the LA Dodgers at Arizona -- a game with no playoff ramifications whatsoever.
*****
7:52 PM
Still two races yet to be decided.
Red Sox and Orioles tied in the bottom of the fifth inning, Tampa Bay beating the Yankees 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Red Sox hold a one-game lead.
In the National League, Philadelphia and Atlanta are tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning, while St. Louis leads Houston 1-0 in the top of the third inning. Atlanta holds a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
What I Carry With Me at All Times, and Why
Well, almost all times.
- My wallet.
- My cell phone.
- Keys to the house and car.
- A backpack containing the following:
- iPod.
- A couple of magazines.
- The book I'm reading.
- An umbrella. (I have to get a new one; yesterday's wind and rain destroyed my old one.)
- A baseball cap. (Mostly to cover my head. Usually I wear Cubs, White Sox, Bears, or Northern Illinois. When in Rome...)
- Aspirin and allergy pills. (Always useful.)
- A pack of Life Savers. (Usually Five Flavors.)
- A couple of pens and a pad. Because you never know.
Let me explain the last one.
In December 1993, I had just started back as a senior production manager at St. Martin's Press (still the best job ever). I was working almost exclusively on Tor Books, a primarily science fiction house that SMP owns, but operates fairly independently. Tor had just launched a new imprint, Forge, for the books that weren't technically SF, horror, or fantasy. Still mostly fiction, but the occasional nonfiction book as well.
We were having a sales conference in Short Hills, NJ, which was launching the books that would appear in the Spring 1994 catalog. And the lead Forge title was The October Twelve, by Phil Rizzuto, former New York Yankee shortstop turned broadcaster, with Tom Horton. To promote the book, Rizzuto was appearing at the sales conference.
Oddly, the event Rizzuto was at didn't have many, if any, actual sales reps - I believe they were elsewhere at that point. No matter, however, Phil was going to promote the book. And he'd brought along a friend -- Yogi Berra. Right up front, they said they didn't really have a speech prepared; they would open the floor to questions.
Now, remember Phil and Yogi probably weren't aware of who they were talking to -- a room full of science fiction, fantasy, and horror editors and writers. If they knew the two of them at all, they knew Rizzuto from "Paradise From the Dashboard Light," and thought Yogi Berra was named after that cartoon character.
It quickly transpired that there were three people in the room who knew anything about baseball: the editor of the book (who would last another year), the president of the company, and me.
I don't remember what questions I asked, but I asked a lot of questions. And between the three of us, it went pretty well. And then they offered to sign autographs.
And I had brought nothing to write on, or with. No paper, no books, no newspaper, no nothing. The editor told me he'd get me a signed copy of the book, but I don't think that's coming at this point.
So I carry a couple of pens and a pad with me. Because you never know.
- My wallet.
- My cell phone.
- Keys to the house and car.
- A backpack containing the following:
- iPod.
- A couple of magazines.
- The book I'm reading.
- An umbrella. (I have to get a new one; yesterday's wind and rain destroyed my old one.)
- A baseball cap. (Mostly to cover my head. Usually I wear Cubs, White Sox, Bears, or Northern Illinois. When in Rome...)
- Aspirin and allergy pills. (Always useful.)
- A pack of Life Savers. (Usually Five Flavors.)
- A couple of pens and a pad. Because you never know.
Let me explain the last one.
In December 1993, I had just started back as a senior production manager at St. Martin's Press (still the best job ever). I was working almost exclusively on Tor Books, a primarily science fiction house that SMP owns, but operates fairly independently. Tor had just launched a new imprint, Forge, for the books that weren't technically SF, horror, or fantasy. Still mostly fiction, but the occasional nonfiction book as well.
We were having a sales conference in Short Hills, NJ, which was launching the books that would appear in the Spring 1994 catalog. And the lead Forge title was The October Twelve, by Phil Rizzuto, former New York Yankee shortstop turned broadcaster, with Tom Horton. To promote the book, Rizzuto was appearing at the sales conference.
Oddly, the event Rizzuto was at didn't have many, if any, actual sales reps - I believe they were elsewhere at that point. No matter, however, Phil was going to promote the book. And he'd brought along a friend -- Yogi Berra. Right up front, they said they didn't really have a speech prepared; they would open the floor to questions.
Now, remember Phil and Yogi probably weren't aware of who they were talking to -- a room full of science fiction, fantasy, and horror editors and writers. If they knew the two of them at all, they knew Rizzuto from "Paradise From the Dashboard Light," and thought Yogi Berra was named after that cartoon character.
It quickly transpired that there were three people in the room who knew anything about baseball: the editor of the book (who would last another year), the president of the company, and me.
I don't remember what questions I asked, but I asked a lot of questions. And between the three of us, it went pretty well. And then they offered to sign autographs.
And I had brought nothing to write on, or with. No paper, no books, no newspaper, no nothing. The editor told me he'd get me a signed copy of the book, but I don't think that's coming at this point.
So I carry a couple of pens and a pad with me. Because you never know.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Superhits '78, Part 3
The Bee Gees, “Staying Alive,” #1 (four weeks), February 5, 1978
And here come the Bee Gees songs. In fairness, we’re starting out with the best of the bunch, and a seminal song of the era that’s still played regularly on oldies stations to this day. Not everybody loves it, but it’s still a classic. And it just may have kept some people alive, at that: NPR reported in 2010 the song’s 103 beats per minute (which keeps it far away from the disco standard of 126, by the way) is nearly the same as the the recommended chest compression rate of 100 per minute – so CMTs have been taught to keep the song in their head when they perform emergency duties.
Queen, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” #4, February 5, 1978
Another classic, but for entirely different reasons. Freddie Mercury wrote “We Are the Champions” with the idea of composing a song for use at football (soccer) matches, and it’s stuck. The pounding “We Will Rock You” made for a nice double A-side, with many stations simply putting the two songs back to back (at just over 5 minutes, it was a little longer than the average single song, but not ridiculously long – “Staying Alive,” for example, clocked in only about fifteen seconds shorter by itself). Cheers used “We Will Rock You” for a classic teaser shot; here's the link from writer Ken Levine (and the video as well).
Electric Light Orchestra, “Turn to Stone,” #13, February 5, 1978
First of four chart singles from the double album Out of the Blue, and arguably ELO at its peak. Easy to dance to, but still appealing to rock fans (unlike, say, “Shine a Little Love,” the lead single off the 1979 album Discovery). Although none of the singles hit the top 10 in the United States, Out of the Blue made it to #4 and went quadruple platinum. (In fairness, the RIAA counts each sale of a double album as two since there’s two LPs inside, so that skews it a bit.) Out of the Blue was my first ELO purchase in 1979 (for the astonishing price of $3.99 at Korvettes; that was quite something for a double LP that hadn’t been remaindered), later on I found out ELO sued their distributors for releasing defective copies at discount prices. For what it’s worth, my copy’s fine.
Bill Withers, “Lovely Day,” #30, February 5, 1978
The last of Bill Withers’ hits (excluding the Grover Washington Jr. song “Just the Two of Us,” for which he supplied lead vocals but didn’t get a credit on the sleeve), this song has had more covers and samples than I could possibly list – everything from a remake off The Bodyguard soundtrack to Luther Vandross to LL Cool J. But I love the original – this guy can really hold a note.
Donna Summer, “I Love You,” #37, February 5, 1978
Clever title for a song, eh? First single from her Once Upon a Time album (released just before her total chart dominance from the summer of ’78 through early spring of 1980, where there was a total of one week without a Summer song in the top 40), and not a big hit. Still a fun song to dance to (especially when paired with “Rumour Has It,” which I believe it was on a 12-inch disco disk), and a bit of an oddity lyrically: in the fourth verse, was the lyric written that way (repeating part of the third verse and not rhyming), or did Summer just blow the lyric and no one said “We have to do a retake”? This sort of stuff bothers the crap out of me. This video shows her appearing on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, by the way.
George Duke, “Reach for It, “ #54, February 5, 1978
Late ‘70s funk from a guy who’s played with everyone from Frank Zappa to Jean-Luc Ponty. Ironically, for a song that features the chant “Dance!” over and over again (the only other lyrics are a spoken-word intro and the beginning and a quasi-rap at the end – almost two years before the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” broke), this isn’t a very danceable tune.
Heart, “Crazy on You,” #62, February 5, 1978
You would have thought this was a bigger hit, given it’s been a staple of classic rock stations since the early 1980s. (And deservedly so.) The Wilson sisters’ message, born in the post-Vietnam era, was that the couple in question should just forget all their other issues for one night and boink. (Nancy Wilson added the rapid-fire guitar parts were inspired by The Moody Blues’ “Question.”) “Crazy on You” was actually the first single off their debut album with Mushroom Records in 1976, Dreamboat Annie, and reached #35 at that time (the followup, “Magic Man,” would really launch their careers. Two years later, Heart had bailed for Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic/Columbia, after Mushroom unveiled a particularly repugnant advertising campaign that would lead the unknowing to believe the Wilson sisters were lovers, and Mushroom scraped up whatever they could to make more money off their one-album wonder. First up was an album of demos and whatever else was lying around, Magazine, which the band sued to have recalled (the band then rerecorded, remixed, and re-released it a year later). The second was this song’s rerelease. Mushroom Records (also home to late ‘70s Canadian bands such as Doucette and Chilliwack, as well as ex-Fairport Convention member Ian Matthews) went out of business in 1980; the two Heart albums are still in print with Capitol Records today. The video is from the 1970s show The Midnight Special, which NBC aired on Friday nights after Johnny Carson.
Gary Wright, “Touch and Gone,” #73, February 5, 1978
Yikes. Maybe you can have too many synthesizers on one record. Third consecutive flop single from Wright, after he’d had back-to-back #2 hits in 1976 with “Dream Weaver” and “Our Love Is Alive.” (No embeddable video available.)
Earth, Wind, and Fire, “Serpentine Fire,” #13, February 12, 1978
EWF was on such a hot streak during the late ‘70s; 13 Hot 100 hits, all but one of which made the top 40, and six top 10s – nearly all of which will still make you smile when they come on the radio. “Serpentine Fire,” the lead single for All ‘n All, conked out at #13, but it’s still a good one, and it’s easily recognizable and danceable despite the slightly jittery rhythm.
Neil Diamond, “Desiree,” #16, February 12, 1978
Another “boy becomes a man” song, this time courtesy of Mr. Diamond, who you’d think would have covered this territory before. Diamond’s singles track record had been spotty after leaving Uni Records for Columbia in 1973 – only “Longfellow Serenade” made the top 10 during those five years – so this was actually one of his bigger hits before the Barbra Streisand duet later that year.
The Commodores, “Too Hot ta Trot,” #22, February 12, 1978
Knockoff of their own “Brick House” hit that had gone top 5 three months before; this is the one studio track from Commodores Live!, and it probably goosed up the sales a bit, it’s nothing special – although it does provide a break on greatest hits sets between Lionel Richie ballads.
Johnny Rivers, “Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um),” #41, February 12, 1978
30th (and, to date, last) chart single for Rivers. Geez, this guy was around forever – he first started hitting the charts around the same time as The Beatles. Most of his chart hits were covers, ranging from Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” to Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and of course this one was one as well (Major Lance did the original). Not the best arrangement ever, but still a decent song.
El Coco, “Cocomotion,” #44, February 12, 1978
Typical nearly wordless disco concoction of the era. Studio band led by W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder. They had a few more Hot 100 hits under different names over the course of the year, so you’ll see them again soon, whether you want to or not.
Firefall, “So Long,” #48, February 12, 1978
They sound awfully chipper considering the relationship is ending, but that’s just the way the band is. Seventh Hot 100 hit from a group made up of remnants from such bands as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jo Jo Gunne, and an inspiration for – well, when Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman (three-fifths of The Byrds) got back together as a trio, Firefall’s producers were brought in to helm their debut album.
And here come the Bee Gees songs. In fairness, we’re starting out with the best of the bunch, and a seminal song of the era that’s still played regularly on oldies stations to this day. Not everybody loves it, but it’s still a classic. And it just may have kept some people alive, at that: NPR reported in 2010 the song’s 103 beats per minute (which keeps it far away from the disco standard of 126, by the way) is nearly the same as the the recommended chest compression rate of 100 per minute – so CMTs have been taught to keep the song in their head when they perform emergency duties.
Queen, “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions,” #4, February 5, 1978
Another classic, but for entirely different reasons. Freddie Mercury wrote “We Are the Champions” with the idea of composing a song for use at football (soccer) matches, and it’s stuck. The pounding “We Will Rock You” made for a nice double A-side, with many stations simply putting the two songs back to back (at just over 5 minutes, it was a little longer than the average single song, but not ridiculously long – “Staying Alive,” for example, clocked in only about fifteen seconds shorter by itself). Cheers used “We Will Rock You” for a classic teaser shot; here's the link from writer Ken Levine (and the video as well).
Electric Light Orchestra, “Turn to Stone,” #13, February 5, 1978
First of four chart singles from the double album Out of the Blue, and arguably ELO at its peak. Easy to dance to, but still appealing to rock fans (unlike, say, “Shine a Little Love,” the lead single off the 1979 album Discovery). Although none of the singles hit the top 10 in the United States, Out of the Blue made it to #4 and went quadruple platinum. (In fairness, the RIAA counts each sale of a double album as two since there’s two LPs inside, so that skews it a bit.) Out of the Blue was my first ELO purchase in 1979 (for the astonishing price of $3.99 at Korvettes; that was quite something for a double LP that hadn’t been remaindered), later on I found out ELO sued their distributors for releasing defective copies at discount prices. For what it’s worth, my copy’s fine.
Bill Withers, “Lovely Day,” #30, February 5, 1978
The last of Bill Withers’ hits (excluding the Grover Washington Jr. song “Just the Two of Us,” for which he supplied lead vocals but didn’t get a credit on the sleeve), this song has had more covers and samples than I could possibly list – everything from a remake off The Bodyguard soundtrack to Luther Vandross to LL Cool J. But I love the original – this guy can really hold a note.
Donna Summer, “I Love You,” #37, February 5, 1978
Clever title for a song, eh? First single from her Once Upon a Time album (released just before her total chart dominance from the summer of ’78 through early spring of 1980, where there was a total of one week without a Summer song in the top 40), and not a big hit. Still a fun song to dance to (especially when paired with “Rumour Has It,” which I believe it was on a 12-inch disco disk), and a bit of an oddity lyrically: in the fourth verse, was the lyric written that way (repeating part of the third verse and not rhyming), or did Summer just blow the lyric and no one said “We have to do a retake”? This sort of stuff bothers the crap out of me. This video shows her appearing on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, by the way.
George Duke, “Reach for It, “ #54, February 5, 1978
Late ‘70s funk from a guy who’s played with everyone from Frank Zappa to Jean-Luc Ponty. Ironically, for a song that features the chant “Dance!” over and over again (the only other lyrics are a spoken-word intro and the beginning and a quasi-rap at the end – almost two years before the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” broke), this isn’t a very danceable tune.
Heart, “Crazy on You,” #62, February 5, 1978
You would have thought this was a bigger hit, given it’s been a staple of classic rock stations since the early 1980s. (And deservedly so.) The Wilson sisters’ message, born in the post-Vietnam era, was that the couple in question should just forget all their other issues for one night and boink. (Nancy Wilson added the rapid-fire guitar parts were inspired by The Moody Blues’ “Question.”) “Crazy on You” was actually the first single off their debut album with Mushroom Records in 1976, Dreamboat Annie, and reached #35 at that time (the followup, “Magic Man,” would really launch their careers. Two years later, Heart had bailed for Portrait Records, a subsidiary of Epic/Columbia, after Mushroom unveiled a particularly repugnant advertising campaign that would lead the unknowing to believe the Wilson sisters were lovers, and Mushroom scraped up whatever they could to make more money off their one-album wonder. First up was an album of demos and whatever else was lying around, Magazine, which the band sued to have recalled (the band then rerecorded, remixed, and re-released it a year later). The second was this song’s rerelease. Mushroom Records (also home to late ‘70s Canadian bands such as Doucette and Chilliwack, as well as ex-Fairport Convention member Ian Matthews) went out of business in 1980; the two Heart albums are still in print with Capitol Records today. The video is from the 1970s show The Midnight Special, which NBC aired on Friday nights after Johnny Carson.
Gary Wright, “Touch and Gone,” #73, February 5, 1978
Yikes. Maybe you can have too many synthesizers on one record. Third consecutive flop single from Wright, after he’d had back-to-back #2 hits in 1976 with “Dream Weaver” and “Our Love Is Alive.” (No embeddable video available.)
Earth, Wind, and Fire, “Serpentine Fire,” #13, February 12, 1978
EWF was on such a hot streak during the late ‘70s; 13 Hot 100 hits, all but one of which made the top 40, and six top 10s – nearly all of which will still make you smile when they come on the radio. “Serpentine Fire,” the lead single for All ‘n All, conked out at #13, but it’s still a good one, and it’s easily recognizable and danceable despite the slightly jittery rhythm.
Neil Diamond, “Desiree,” #16, February 12, 1978
Another “boy becomes a man” song, this time courtesy of Mr. Diamond, who you’d think would have covered this territory before. Diamond’s singles track record had been spotty after leaving Uni Records for Columbia in 1973 – only “Longfellow Serenade” made the top 10 during those five years – so this was actually one of his bigger hits before the Barbra Streisand duet later that year.
The Commodores, “Too Hot ta Trot,” #22, February 12, 1978
Knockoff of their own “Brick House” hit that had gone top 5 three months before; this is the one studio track from Commodores Live!, and it probably goosed up the sales a bit, it’s nothing special – although it does provide a break on greatest hits sets between Lionel Richie ballads.
Johnny Rivers, “Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um),” #41, February 12, 1978
30th (and, to date, last) chart single for Rivers. Geez, this guy was around forever – he first started hitting the charts around the same time as The Beatles. Most of his chart hits were covers, ranging from Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” to Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and of course this one was one as well (Major Lance did the original). Not the best arrangement ever, but still a decent song.
El Coco, “Cocomotion,” #44, February 12, 1978
Typical nearly wordless disco concoction of the era. Studio band led by W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder. They had a few more Hot 100 hits under different names over the course of the year, so you’ll see them again soon, whether you want to or not.
Firefall, “So Long,” #48, February 12, 1978
They sound awfully chipper considering the relationship is ending, but that’s just the way the band is. Seventh Hot 100 hit from a group made up of remnants from such bands as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jo Jo Gunne, and an inspiration for – well, when Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman (three-fifths of The Byrds) got back together as a trio, Firefall’s producers were brought in to helm their debut album.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Leif Garrett, “Runaround Sue,” #13, January 22, 1978
Leif Garrett was a typical “teen idol” singer who’s now known better today for his on-and-off drug issues that what he actually did to make himself famous. “Runaround Sue” was the second single from his self-titled debut album released in late 1977 (eight of the 10 songs on the album were remakes of songs made over 10 years earlier, ranging from the standard “That’s All” to the Billy J. Kramer hit “Bad to Me,” written by Lennon & McCartney), and they all sound pretty similar: multitracked vocals, swoopy strings, etc. Basically, it was the same playbook Donny Osmond worked from at the beginning of the decade – which is no surprise, given producer Michael Lloyd had been a VP at MGM Records during Donny’s heyday. (Did I mention that Lloyd either wrote or cowrote the other two songs?) Anyway, it is what it is. By the way, this was the only video I could embed of this – don’t ask me why it has nothing but Kristy McNichol pictures, I have no idea.
Kansas, “Point of Know Return,” #28, January 22, 1978
Given all the airplay this song got, I would have thought it was a bigger hit – perhaps I was listening to WPLJ more then, or perhaps it came back after the song was blown away (sorry) by the second single, “Dust in the Wind.” Still a catchy song 30 years later, and no doubt a key song during Kansas’ concerts at state fairs and the like. Gotta love this video – it’s so ‘70s.
Stevie Wonder, “As,” #36, January 22, 1978
By January 1978, it had been over a year since Songs in the Key of Life was released, and Motown was still pumping out singles. This was the fourth Top 40 hit from Stevie’s magnum opus after “I Wish,” “Sir Duke,” and “Another Star.” (“Isn’t She Lovely” got tons of radio airplay, but Wonder never authorized Motown to release it as a single.) Nothing wrong with this song; more likely it didn’t get much of a label push. By the way, that wasn’t Stevie banging away on a Fender Rhodes in the original version; it’s Herbie Hancock.
Donny & Marie Osmond, “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” #38, January 22, 1978
And speaking of Donny Osmond, this was his 31st Hot 100 hit of the ‘70s (just the ninth for Marie, however), and, yes, it’s a remake of an oldie. Out of print, and it suffers from the typical Donny & Marie duet issue: most duets are written as love songs between the singers; it sounds a little icky when it’s being sung between a brother and a sister. (Saturday Night Live did a sketch in 1982, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Marie and Gary Kroeger as Donny, that took that ick factor to the extreme.)
Marilyn Scott, “God Only Knows,” #61, January 22, 1978
Another one that’s out of print. Marilyn Scott has had (and continues to have) success as a jazz vocalist. It’s a remake of the 1966 Beach Boys hit from Pet Sounds; it has an interesting arrangement but won't eclipse the original.
Sammy Hagar, “You Make Me Crazy,” #62, January 22, 1978
Post-Montrose and pre-Van Halen, Sammy charted with this song that could easily have been mistaken for an Andrew Gold or Stephen Bishop tune. Which is probably why we never hear it nowadays, even though it’s still in print – who wants a wimpy Sammy Hagar when we can have the one on “Poundcake” and “Why Can’t This Be Love?”
The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach,” #66, January 22, 1978
Well, you have to give Sire Records credit for trying. The Ramones’ second of three Hot 100 singles (all from the album Rocket to Russia) may not be their most recognizable song (“I Wanna Be Sedated”? “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School”? “Blitzkreig Bop”?), but it’s had a long shelf life – my son recognized it instantly as a “chase theme” song from an episode of What’s New, Scooby-Doo? Ruh-roh.
Al Green, “Belle,” #83, January 22, 1978
Green’s last Hot 100 entry in the 1970s came a bit before he temporarily stopped recording secular music. It’s a fine song, if a bit similar to some of his previous efforts. It’s likely being on the small Hi Records label (which didn’t have a lot of other artists at this point) started to slow his career momentum down; Green had also become an ordained pastor, which refocused his energies. He stopped performing and recording secular music altogether in favor of gospel a year after “Belle,” but has since balanced both genres.
Randy Newman, “Short People,” #2, January 29, 1978
Hard to believe the guy who’s known now for such family-friendly fare as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “We Belong Together” was a controversial figure due to this song, which was clearly – clearly – a lampoon of the reasons why we dislike some people and not others. It’s a terrific joke, and made Newman, who previously could best be described as a cult figure, into a household name. I’m actually just as familiar with the parody of this parody, Chevy Chase’s 1980 song “Short People,” which keeps the melody but changes the lyrics to sing the praises of those who are height-challenged (“They don’t take up much space/You can get a dozen in a car”).
Paul Simon, “Slip Slidin’ Away,” #5, January 29, 1978
Paul Simon took what amounted to a five-year break between the Still Crazy After All These Years album and One-Trick Pony (which was both a failed movie starring Mr. Simon and a somewhat more successful soundtrack of them same); this song and “Stranded in a Limousine” were the only two songs Simon released during that period. The two of them were on the 1977 Greatest Hits, Etc., which was released to let Simon fulfill his contractual obligations to Columbia Records; all of his releases since then have been on Warner Brothers (although now the back catalog has gone back to Columbia – if anyone can figure out the music industry, please let me know). In any case, this is a memorable lyrics grafted onto a gospel tune, and certainly stands up to his other work.
Styx, “Come Sail Away,” #8, January 29, 1978
Styx’s first big hit on their primary label, A&M (their previous top 10 hit, “Lady,” was on the much smaller Wooden Nickel Records), and it’s been an AOR staple ever since. Styx’s overall oeuvre is a matter of personal taste (me: eh), but if their fans were polled, this would probably be their quintessential track.
Leo Sayer, “Easy to Love,” #36, January 29, 1978
Easy to love, but hard as hell to listen to. The second single off his Thunder in My Heart album, and sung mostly in falsetto (remember, The Bee Gees were breaking sales records doing the same at this time) barely scraped into the Top 40, as had the title track two months before. That was a big comedown from the two #1 hits he’d notched in 1977, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “When I Need You.” No doubt a big money loser for Chrysalis Records, which probably pressed a sizeable number of copies assuming Sayer’s star would continue to ascend; I remember seeing this album in cut-out racks for years.
Kenny Rogers, “Sweet Music Man,” #44, January 29, 1978
Gentle and basically uninteresting ballad from just before the time when Kenny Rogers would dominate the pop and country charts. This was a top 10 country hit, but too contemplative for a major crossover.
Rose Royce, “Ooh Boy,” #72, January 29, 1978
After scoring a #1 hit with their debut single “Car Wash” in early 1977, this group struggled to maintain momentum, and this single fit right in – it sounds as if it could have been a Motown release from 10 years before. As a result, it missed the top 40 by a mile (their last chart single, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," would be far more successful). Solidly produced by Norman Whitfield, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair.
Kellee Patterson, “If It Don’t Fit, Don’t Force It,” #75, January 29, 1978
The first of this series to go into a very special subset: That’s What She Said. (This was an era with lots of double-entendre song titles, most of which didn’t chart terribly highly.) Patterson hailed from Gary, Indiana, becoming popular there around the same time as The Jackson 5. She recorded a few albums with minor labels (one in the mid-1990s in a jazz vein); this was her only Hot 100 entry. It was tempting to say this was a disco one-shot without hearing it; it’s actually more of a soul/funk piece, and certainly deserved to be heard.
Leif Garrett was a typical “teen idol” singer who’s now known better today for his on-and-off drug issues that what he actually did to make himself famous. “Runaround Sue” was the second single from his self-titled debut album released in late 1977 (eight of the 10 songs on the album were remakes of songs made over 10 years earlier, ranging from the standard “That’s All” to the Billy J. Kramer hit “Bad to Me,” written by Lennon & McCartney), and they all sound pretty similar: multitracked vocals, swoopy strings, etc. Basically, it was the same playbook Donny Osmond worked from at the beginning of the decade – which is no surprise, given producer Michael Lloyd had been a VP at MGM Records during Donny’s heyday. (Did I mention that Lloyd either wrote or cowrote the other two songs?) Anyway, it is what it is. By the way, this was the only video I could embed of this – don’t ask me why it has nothing but Kristy McNichol pictures, I have no idea.
Kansas, “Point of Know Return,” #28, January 22, 1978
Given all the airplay this song got, I would have thought it was a bigger hit – perhaps I was listening to WPLJ more then, or perhaps it came back after the song was blown away (sorry) by the second single, “Dust in the Wind.” Still a catchy song 30 years later, and no doubt a key song during Kansas’ concerts at state fairs and the like. Gotta love this video – it’s so ‘70s.
Stevie Wonder, “As,” #36, January 22, 1978
By January 1978, it had been over a year since Songs in the Key of Life was released, and Motown was still pumping out singles. This was the fourth Top 40 hit from Stevie’s magnum opus after “I Wish,” “Sir Duke,” and “Another Star.” (“Isn’t She Lovely” got tons of radio airplay, but Wonder never authorized Motown to release it as a single.) Nothing wrong with this song; more likely it didn’t get much of a label push. By the way, that wasn’t Stevie banging away on a Fender Rhodes in the original version; it’s Herbie Hancock.
Donny & Marie Osmond, “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” #38, January 22, 1978
And speaking of Donny Osmond, this was his 31st Hot 100 hit of the ‘70s (just the ninth for Marie, however), and, yes, it’s a remake of an oldie. Out of print, and it suffers from the typical Donny & Marie duet issue: most duets are written as love songs between the singers; it sounds a little icky when it’s being sung between a brother and a sister. (Saturday Night Live did a sketch in 1982, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Marie and Gary Kroeger as Donny, that took that ick factor to the extreme.)
Marilyn Scott, “God Only Knows,” #61, January 22, 1978
Another one that’s out of print. Marilyn Scott has had (and continues to have) success as a jazz vocalist. It’s a remake of the 1966 Beach Boys hit from Pet Sounds; it has an interesting arrangement but won't eclipse the original.
Sammy Hagar, “You Make Me Crazy,” #62, January 22, 1978
Post-Montrose and pre-Van Halen, Sammy charted with this song that could easily have been mistaken for an Andrew Gold or Stephen Bishop tune. Which is probably why we never hear it nowadays, even though it’s still in print – who wants a wimpy Sammy Hagar when we can have the one on “Poundcake” and “Why Can’t This Be Love?”
The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach,” #66, January 22, 1978
Well, you have to give Sire Records credit for trying. The Ramones’ second of three Hot 100 singles (all from the album Rocket to Russia) may not be their most recognizable song (“I Wanna Be Sedated”? “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School”? “Blitzkreig Bop”?), but it’s had a long shelf life – my son recognized it instantly as a “chase theme” song from an episode of What’s New, Scooby-Doo? Ruh-roh.
Al Green, “Belle,” #83, January 22, 1978
Green’s last Hot 100 entry in the 1970s came a bit before he temporarily stopped recording secular music. It’s a fine song, if a bit similar to some of his previous efforts. It’s likely being on the small Hi Records label (which didn’t have a lot of other artists at this point) started to slow his career momentum down; Green had also become an ordained pastor, which refocused his energies. He stopped performing and recording secular music altogether in favor of gospel a year after “Belle,” but has since balanced both genres.
Randy Newman, “Short People,” #2, January 29, 1978
Hard to believe the guy who’s known now for such family-friendly fare as “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “We Belong Together” was a controversial figure due to this song, which was clearly – clearly – a lampoon of the reasons why we dislike some people and not others. It’s a terrific joke, and made Newman, who previously could best be described as a cult figure, into a household name. I’m actually just as familiar with the parody of this parody, Chevy Chase’s 1980 song “Short People,” which keeps the melody but changes the lyrics to sing the praises of those who are height-challenged (“They don’t take up much space/You can get a dozen in a car”).
Paul Simon, “Slip Slidin’ Away,” #5, January 29, 1978
Paul Simon took what amounted to a five-year break between the Still Crazy After All These Years album and One-Trick Pony (which was both a failed movie starring Mr. Simon and a somewhat more successful soundtrack of them same); this song and “Stranded in a Limousine” were the only two songs Simon released during that period. The two of them were on the 1977 Greatest Hits, Etc., which was released to let Simon fulfill his contractual obligations to Columbia Records; all of his releases since then have been on Warner Brothers (although now the back catalog has gone back to Columbia – if anyone can figure out the music industry, please let me know). In any case, this is a memorable lyrics grafted onto a gospel tune, and certainly stands up to his other work.
Styx, “Come Sail Away,” #8, January 29, 1978
Styx’s first big hit on their primary label, A&M (their previous top 10 hit, “Lady,” was on the much smaller Wooden Nickel Records), and it’s been an AOR staple ever since. Styx’s overall oeuvre is a matter of personal taste (me: eh), but if their fans were polled, this would probably be their quintessential track.
Leo Sayer, “Easy to Love,” #36, January 29, 1978
Easy to love, but hard as hell to listen to. The second single off his Thunder in My Heart album, and sung mostly in falsetto (remember, The Bee Gees were breaking sales records doing the same at this time) barely scraped into the Top 40, as had the title track two months before. That was a big comedown from the two #1 hits he’d notched in 1977, “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” and “When I Need You.” No doubt a big money loser for Chrysalis Records, which probably pressed a sizeable number of copies assuming Sayer’s star would continue to ascend; I remember seeing this album in cut-out racks for years.
Kenny Rogers, “Sweet Music Man,” #44, January 29, 1978
Gentle and basically uninteresting ballad from just before the time when Kenny Rogers would dominate the pop and country charts. This was a top 10 country hit, but too contemplative for a major crossover.
Rose Royce, “Ooh Boy,” #72, January 29, 1978
After scoring a #1 hit with their debut single “Car Wash” in early 1977, this group struggled to maintain momentum, and this single fit right in – it sounds as if it could have been a Motown release from 10 years before. As a result, it missed the top 40 by a mile (their last chart single, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," would be far more successful). Solidly produced by Norman Whitfield, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair.
Kellee Patterson, “If It Don’t Fit, Don’t Force It,” #75, January 29, 1978
The first of this series to go into a very special subset: That’s What She Said. (This was an era with lots of double-entendre song titles, most of which didn’t chart terribly highly.) Patterson hailed from Gary, Indiana, becoming popular there around the same time as The Jackson 5. She recorded a few albums with minor labels (one in the mid-1990s in a jazz vein); this was her only Hot 100 entry. It was tempting to say this was a disco one-shot without hearing it; it’s actually more of a soul/funk piece, and certainly deserved to be heard.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Superhits '78; Part 1
Since I've been listening to lots of music from 1978 while putting together a CD set, I thought other people might want to hear what people were listening to that year as well.
Bob Welch, “Sentimental Lady,” #8, January 8, 1978
Welch made a smart move by recycling one of his best Fleetwood Mac songs for his first solo album (after two flop LPs with a power trio, Paris, which no doubt confused his fans). He made a better move by bringing in Mac mates Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham (who joined the band after Welch left, actually replacing him) to work on the song. Nowadays Welch has no communication with them (apparently he was excluded from the membership list for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), but back then anything any member of Fleetwood Mac appeared on pretty much guaranteed a Top 20 hit. The resulting publicity (plus a paucity of other rock albums at the time) made Welch’s album French Kiss a surprise smash.
Bay City Rollers, “The Way I Feel Tonight,” #24, January 8, 1978
The Rollers’ last Top 40 entry – heck, their last entry on the American singles charts at all – is a drippy ballad that could have been recorded by half the artists in the Arista stable (no surprise; the album was produced by Harry Maslin, who later produced many of Air Supply’s hits). Hard to believe they made four studio albums after this one.
Diana Ross, “Gettin’ Ready for Love,” #27, January 8, 1978
Given that “Love Hangover” had been a huge #1 hit nine months before, the first single from Ross’ new album peaking below the top 20 was kind of a disaster. One of the problems Ross has always had is she almost never sticks with the same producers from one album to the next, so you never get the same sound. This was produced by Richard Perry after Carly Simon and Ringo Starr, but before The Pointer Sisters, so he probably didn’t have a handle on how to handle middle-of-the-road R&B just yet. It’s also a little too “girly,” given Ross was nearly 34 years old at the time.
Cheech & Chong, “Bloat On (Featuring The Bloaters),” #41, January 8, 1978
Parody of The Floaters’ “Float On” and a salute/warning to overeating, which probably would have benefited by appearing on an album quickly after its release (C&C had some label issues, so the single came out on Ode Records, but didn’t appear on an album until two years later on Warner Brothers). Comedy records were having a tough time making Top 40, and the belching at the top and end of the record probably put off some radio stations. Shame, since it’s pretty funny on the whole, and is a good reminder that Tommy Chong is also a damn good musician – he’d been in the Motown band Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers (“Does Your Mother Know About Me”) for a long time, including when they were known as Four [gross euphemism for black men] and a [gross euphemism for a Chinese man].
Cheech & Chong And The Bloaters. Bloat On.1977 by capitainfunkk
KC & The Sunshine Band, “Wrap Your Arms Around Me,” #48, January 8, 1978
The start of a fallow period for KC and the guys – five of their previous seven singles went to either #1 or #2, but this started a run of six singles that didn’t break Top 30. It doesn’t sound significantly different than the others, so it’s hard to say why, except maybe market oversaturation – too much disco from other artists, and too much KC in too short a period.
Eric Carmen, “Boats Against the Current,” #88, January 8, 1978
Pretty but inconsequential mopey ballad that suffered in comparison with Carmen’s big hit in a similar vein, “All by Myself.” I’m sure a few people were wondering, “Is this the same guy from The Raspberries?”
David Castle, “The Loneliest Man on the Moon,” #89, January 8, 1978
Never heard this one before looking it up on YouTube; it's out of print. And, well, it's definitely different. Castle's one and only hit.
The Alan Parsons Project, “Don’t Let It Show,” #92, January 8, 1978
A good ballad that never should have been released as a single, from their breakthrough album I Robot. It took a couple of years for Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson to write songs that would work on Top 40 radio.
Player, “Baby Come Back,” #1, January 15, 1978
Standard pop-rock single notable because a lot of people thought it was Hall & Oates. It has a little similarity to “She’s Gone,” I suppose, but while lead singer Peter Beckett has a similar range to Daryl Hall, he has none of the latter’s vocal characteristics. Huge hit from RSO Records in between huge hits from their Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Dolly Parton, “Here You Come Again,” #3, January 15, 1978
Parton’s first big Top 40 pop hit, but the singer-songwriter went elsewhere for this one; it’s written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, who had been around since the Brill Building in the early 1960s. Parton’s voice was certainly unique for top 40 radio at the time; a lot of listeners (like myself) undoubtedly thought she was a new artist, and didn’t realize she’d been hitting the country charts for 10 years.
Rod Stewart, “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” #4, January 15, 1978
Stewart’s big hit off Foot Loose and Fancy Free, near the peak of his popularity, and back when he actually wrote what he sang. I hated this song when it first came out, and I’m still put off by the lyrics today(yes, “lyrical” and “physical” rhyme, but man, is that an awkward lyric). Not even sure who’s it’s written to – the disparaged “big-bosomed lady with the Dutch accent” is clearly his ex Britt Eklund, but I don’t think it was Alana Hamilton, whom he would marry in 1979, that was in his heart at the time.
Shaun Cassidy, “Hey Deanie,” #7, January 15, 1978
Oh good, Eric Carmen again. Except he only wrote this one. Cassidy’s third and last Top 10 hit, as the momentum from The Hardy Boys Mysteries was starting to wear down. Not a bad piece of pop-rock, actually; Cassidy’s songs were a little less agonizing than those of other teen idol pop stars. (Yes, I’m talking to you, Leif Garrett and Donny Osmond.)
Wings, “Girls School,” #33, January 15, 1978
Here’s one most of us in the good ol’ USA missed altogether. This was released as the B-side of “Mull of Kintyre,” McCartney’s tribute to his Scottish home, which was a gigantic hit all over the world, hitting #1 in five countries (and it’s still the fourth-biggest selling single in the UK ever). But here in America, it held no interest – so DJs flipped the single over and started playing the trifle “Girls School” instead. That broke Top 40 (barely), but considering how hot the band had been over the previous few years, it was considered a flop. It was left off the subsequent album London Town (as was “Mull of Kintyre”), and has only been released since (to my knowledge) on a 1993 London Town rerelease. Wikipedia also notes Capitol Records’ lack of promotional enthusiasm for Paul that year helped lead to his temporary exit for Columbia Records in 1979.
Peter Frampton, “Tried to Love,” #41, January 15, 1978
Last and least of the three singles from I’m in You, following the title track and a remake of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).” 1978 wasn’t a particularly good year for Frampton, who had this “hit” and his acting debut in the wretched Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie (well, I’ve heard it’s wretched; I’ve never actually seen it) to his credit. If Mick Jagger's on the record, he's buried in the mix.
Millie Jackson, “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday,” #43, January 15, 1978
Odd that an R&B star with a taste for raunchy lyrics would have a big hit with a Merle Haggard ballad, but 1970s music was nothing if not unpredictable. Jackson’s career has been long and varied, but this song was one of her bigger hits, and also one of her last. She should have had a hit with her 1985 duet with Elton John, “Act of War,” but it started up slowly in the US and Geffen Records left it off the subsequent LP Ice on Fire. (It’s still pretty hard to find here.)
John Denver, “How Can I Leave You Again,” #44, January 15, 1978
One in a string of flop singles for Denver after 1975. Before that, he’d had four #1s (“Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” and “I’m Sorry”), a #2, and a #5 out of seven singles (the only lesser hit was the #13 “Sweet Surrender”). After the #13 “Fly Away” in early 1976, however, the world seemed to tire of Denver simultaneously, and he never again registered a Top 20 hit. This is a pretty confessional, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair and run to the local record store.
Al Martino, “The Next Hundred Years,” #49, January 15, 1978
Seriously? Al Martino charted in 1978? The last of his long run of charts hits, and a little gimmicky at that. Love the video thought -- from the old show Dinah!
Cat Stevens, “Was Dog a Doughnut,” #70, January 15, 1978
So odd you have to wonder if Stevens was tired of the pop music grind long before his conversion. Eons from “Morning Has Broken.”
Ronnie Milsap, “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” #80, January 15, 1978
Bleurgh. One of those songs that would have made me reach for the next push button on the car radio the second it started to play (not that WABC or WNBC were playing this song anyway). One in a tremendous string of Top 10 country hits that ran unbroken between 1974 and 1991, but as far as the pop charts were concerned, an unsuccessful followup to 1977’s “It Was Almost Like a Song.”
Bob Welch, “Sentimental Lady,” #8, January 8, 1978
Welch made a smart move by recycling one of his best Fleetwood Mac songs for his first solo album (after two flop LPs with a power trio, Paris, which no doubt confused his fans). He made a better move by bringing in Mac mates Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham (who joined the band after Welch left, actually replacing him) to work on the song. Nowadays Welch has no communication with them (apparently he was excluded from the membership list for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), but back then anything any member of Fleetwood Mac appeared on pretty much guaranteed a Top 20 hit. The resulting publicity (plus a paucity of other rock albums at the time) made Welch’s album French Kiss a surprise smash.
Bay City Rollers, “The Way I Feel Tonight,” #24, January 8, 1978
The Rollers’ last Top 40 entry – heck, their last entry on the American singles charts at all – is a drippy ballad that could have been recorded by half the artists in the Arista stable (no surprise; the album was produced by Harry Maslin, who later produced many of Air Supply’s hits). Hard to believe they made four studio albums after this one.
Diana Ross, “Gettin’ Ready for Love,” #27, January 8, 1978
Given that “Love Hangover” had been a huge #1 hit nine months before, the first single from Ross’ new album peaking below the top 20 was kind of a disaster. One of the problems Ross has always had is she almost never sticks with the same producers from one album to the next, so you never get the same sound. This was produced by Richard Perry after Carly Simon and Ringo Starr, but before The Pointer Sisters, so he probably didn’t have a handle on how to handle middle-of-the-road R&B just yet. It’s also a little too “girly,” given Ross was nearly 34 years old at the time.
Cheech & Chong, “Bloat On (Featuring The Bloaters),” #41, January 8, 1978
Parody of The Floaters’ “Float On” and a salute/warning to overeating, which probably would have benefited by appearing on an album quickly after its release (C&C had some label issues, so the single came out on Ode Records, but didn’t appear on an album until two years later on Warner Brothers). Comedy records were having a tough time making Top 40, and the belching at the top and end of the record probably put off some radio stations. Shame, since it’s pretty funny on the whole, and is a good reminder that Tommy Chong is also a damn good musician – he’d been in the Motown band Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers (“Does Your Mother Know About Me”) for a long time, including when they were known as Four [gross euphemism for black men] and a [gross euphemism for a Chinese man].
Cheech & Chong And The Bloaters. Bloat On.1977 by capitainfunkk
KC & The Sunshine Band, “Wrap Your Arms Around Me,” #48, January 8, 1978
The start of a fallow period for KC and the guys – five of their previous seven singles went to either #1 or #2, but this started a run of six singles that didn’t break Top 30. It doesn’t sound significantly different than the others, so it’s hard to say why, except maybe market oversaturation – too much disco from other artists, and too much KC in too short a period.
Eric Carmen, “Boats Against the Current,” #88, January 8, 1978
Pretty but inconsequential mopey ballad that suffered in comparison with Carmen’s big hit in a similar vein, “All by Myself.” I’m sure a few people were wondering, “Is this the same guy from The Raspberries?”
David Castle, “The Loneliest Man on the Moon,” #89, January 8, 1978
Never heard this one before looking it up on YouTube; it's out of print. And, well, it's definitely different. Castle's one and only hit.
The Alan Parsons Project, “Don’t Let It Show,” #92, January 8, 1978
A good ballad that never should have been released as a single, from their breakthrough album I Robot. It took a couple of years for Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson to write songs that would work on Top 40 radio.
Player, “Baby Come Back,” #1, January 15, 1978
Standard pop-rock single notable because a lot of people thought it was Hall & Oates. It has a little similarity to “She’s Gone,” I suppose, but while lead singer Peter Beckett has a similar range to Daryl Hall, he has none of the latter’s vocal characteristics. Huge hit from RSO Records in between huge hits from their Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Dolly Parton, “Here You Come Again,” #3, January 15, 1978
Parton’s first big Top 40 pop hit, but the singer-songwriter went elsewhere for this one; it’s written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, who had been around since the Brill Building in the early 1960s. Parton’s voice was certainly unique for top 40 radio at the time; a lot of listeners (like myself) undoubtedly thought she was a new artist, and didn’t realize she’d been hitting the country charts for 10 years.
Rod Stewart, “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” #4, January 15, 1978
Stewart’s big hit off Foot Loose and Fancy Free, near the peak of his popularity, and back when he actually wrote what he sang. I hated this song when it first came out, and I’m still put off by the lyrics today(yes, “lyrical” and “physical” rhyme, but man, is that an awkward lyric). Not even sure who’s it’s written to – the disparaged “big-bosomed lady with the Dutch accent” is clearly his ex Britt Eklund, but I don’t think it was Alana Hamilton, whom he would marry in 1979, that was in his heart at the time.
Shaun Cassidy, “Hey Deanie,” #7, January 15, 1978
Oh good, Eric Carmen again. Except he only wrote this one. Cassidy’s third and last Top 10 hit, as the momentum from The Hardy Boys Mysteries was starting to wear down. Not a bad piece of pop-rock, actually; Cassidy’s songs were a little less agonizing than those of other teen idol pop stars. (Yes, I’m talking to you, Leif Garrett and Donny Osmond.)
Wings, “Girls School,” #33, January 15, 1978
Here’s one most of us in the good ol’ USA missed altogether. This was released as the B-side of “Mull of Kintyre,” McCartney’s tribute to his Scottish home, which was a gigantic hit all over the world, hitting #1 in five countries (and it’s still the fourth-biggest selling single in the UK ever). But here in America, it held no interest – so DJs flipped the single over and started playing the trifle “Girls School” instead. That broke Top 40 (barely), but considering how hot the band had been over the previous few years, it was considered a flop. It was left off the subsequent album London Town (as was “Mull of Kintyre”), and has only been released since (to my knowledge) on a 1993 London Town rerelease. Wikipedia also notes Capitol Records’ lack of promotional enthusiasm for Paul that year helped lead to his temporary exit for Columbia Records in 1979.
Peter Frampton, “Tried to Love,” #41, January 15, 1978
Last and least of the three singles from I’m in You, following the title track and a remake of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).” 1978 wasn’t a particularly good year for Frampton, who had this “hit” and his acting debut in the wretched Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie (well, I’ve heard it’s wretched; I’ve never actually seen it) to his credit. If Mick Jagger's on the record, he's buried in the mix.
Millie Jackson, “If You’re Not Back in Love by Monday,” #43, January 15, 1978
Odd that an R&B star with a taste for raunchy lyrics would have a big hit with a Merle Haggard ballad, but 1970s music was nothing if not unpredictable. Jackson’s career has been long and varied, but this song was one of her bigger hits, and also one of her last. She should have had a hit with her 1985 duet with Elton John, “Act of War,” but it started up slowly in the US and Geffen Records left it off the subsequent LP Ice on Fire. (It’s still pretty hard to find here.)
John Denver, “How Can I Leave You Again,” #44, January 15, 1978
One in a string of flop singles for Denver after 1975. Before that, he’d had four #1s (“Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” and “I’m Sorry”), a #2, and a #5 out of seven singles (the only lesser hit was the #13 “Sweet Surrender”). After the #13 “Fly Away” in early 1976, however, the world seemed to tire of Denver simultaneously, and he never again registered a Top 20 hit. This is a pretty confessional, but nothing that would make anyone jump out of their chair and run to the local record store.
Al Martino, “The Next Hundred Years,” #49, January 15, 1978
Seriously? Al Martino charted in 1978? The last of his long run of charts hits, and a little gimmicky at that. Love the video thought -- from the old show Dinah!
Cat Stevens, “Was Dog a Doughnut,” #70, January 15, 1978
So odd you have to wonder if Stevens was tired of the pop music grind long before his conversion. Eons from “Morning Has Broken.”
Ronnie Milsap, “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” #80, January 15, 1978
Bleurgh. One of those songs that would have made me reach for the next push button on the car radio the second it started to play (not that WABC or WNBC were playing this song anyway). One in a tremendous string of Top 10 country hits that ran unbroken between 1974 and 1991, but as far as the pop charts were concerned, an unsuccessful followup to 1977’s “It Was Almost Like a Song.”
Friday, February 25, 2011
Here’s another article trying to open up a can of worms about Mike Quade being chosen manager of the Chcago Cubs over Ryne Sandberg.
Yes, Ryne Sandberg is a hero in these parts. He’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. All but a couple of games in his career were played in a Chicago Cubs uniform. (He’s going to manage the Phillies’ AAA team – he was originally traded to the Cubs from the Phils as a throw-in, with Larry Bowa going to Chicago and Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia.) And all of his accolades are deserved. He’s a good guy, and deserves a chance to manage in the big leagues someday.
But let’s make two points here:
- Mike Quade also deserves a chance to manage. Sandberg’s managed in the minors for four years, the last year with the Cubs’ AAA team. Quade managed in the minors for 17 years, nine of which were at the AAA level. He also spent three and a half years as a Cubs coach and three years as an Oakland Athletics’ coach. So in terms of experience, Quade wins that one.
- Sandberg is a baseball Hall of Famer, but what happens to managers?
They get fired. And it doesn’t happen often to a team hero like Sandberg has been to the Cubs. And when it does happen, it’s not pretty.
I’ve come up with a list of 11 members of the Hall who have also managed in the big leagues. And only one really managed in the same place where he achieved all his success as a player. Here’s the list, in reverse chronological order:
Frank Robinson
Eddie Mathews
Bob Lemon
Yogi Berra
Lou Boudreau
Ted Williams
Joe Cronin
Bill Terry
Mel Ott
Frankie Frisch
Rogers Hornsby
Boudreau, Cronin, Terry, Ott, Frisch, and Hornsby were all player-managers for significant portions of time. (And all were pretty successful in both roles with the exception of Ott, who never finished above third place and supposedly inspired successor Leo Durocher to comment “Nice guys finish last.”)
Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox, just in Washington and Texas. Bob Lemon never managed the Indians, just in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.
Eddie Mathews was a star for the Milwaukee Braves, but managed the Atlanta Braves. He only played in Atlanta for a year near the tail end of his career.
Frank Robinson had some great years with the Orioles, and managed the Orioles, but wasn’t exclusive to either team – the O’s were the second of five teams he played for, and the third of four teams he managed.
Yogi Berra – ah, here’s the issue. He managed the Yankees in 1964, won the pennant, just barely lost the World Series – and was fired anyway. Understandably bitter, he went over to the Mets and achieved some success as a coach and manager. Back over to the Yanks, he coached for another eight years, then managed the team again for a year and change – and was fired again, just 15 games into the season, despite assurances from George Steinbrenner he’d be given a real shot at managing the team. He wouldn’t set foot in Yankee Stadium again for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t pretty. Just as I’m sure it wasn’t pretty when the Packers fired Bart Starr as their coach. After nine seasons. During which he made the playoffs once, and had an overall record of 52-76-3.
Look, I don’t know if Mike Quade’s going to be a great manager, or if Ryne Sandberg will be, or both, or neither. Quade had a good quarter-season at the end of 2010, but that’s usually pretty meaningless. (The Angels had a run of firing managers mid-season, the new guy did well in August and September, they’d be impressed and give him a two- or three-year deal, and the team would be lousy for the next year and a half – until they’d fire the manager mid-season and start the cycle over.)
But I know, all other things being equal I’d rather take a chance with a guy with more experience, and if he fails have no problem in letting him go, that going with a guy that I’d hate to fire because he was a superstar for the team for years and years. It’s not worth the messy divorce.
Yes, Ryne Sandberg is a hero in these parts. He’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. All but a couple of games in his career were played in a Chicago Cubs uniform. (He’s going to manage the Phillies’ AAA team – he was originally traded to the Cubs from the Phils as a throw-in, with Larry Bowa going to Chicago and Ivan DeJesus to Philadelphia.) And all of his accolades are deserved. He’s a good guy, and deserves a chance to manage in the big leagues someday.
But let’s make two points here:
- Mike Quade also deserves a chance to manage. Sandberg’s managed in the minors for four years, the last year with the Cubs’ AAA team. Quade managed in the minors for 17 years, nine of which were at the AAA level. He also spent three and a half years as a Cubs coach and three years as an Oakland Athletics’ coach. So in terms of experience, Quade wins that one.
- Sandberg is a baseball Hall of Famer, but what happens to managers?
They get fired. And it doesn’t happen often to a team hero like Sandberg has been to the Cubs. And when it does happen, it’s not pretty.
I’ve come up with a list of 11 members of the Hall who have also managed in the big leagues. And only one really managed in the same place where he achieved all his success as a player. Here’s the list, in reverse chronological order:
Frank Robinson
Eddie Mathews
Bob Lemon
Yogi Berra
Lou Boudreau
Ted Williams
Joe Cronin
Bill Terry
Mel Ott
Frankie Frisch
Rogers Hornsby
Boudreau, Cronin, Terry, Ott, Frisch, and Hornsby were all player-managers for significant portions of time. (And all were pretty successful in both roles with the exception of Ott, who never finished above third place and supposedly inspired successor Leo Durocher to comment “Nice guys finish last.”)
Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox, just in Washington and Texas. Bob Lemon never managed the Indians, just in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York.
Eddie Mathews was a star for the Milwaukee Braves, but managed the Atlanta Braves. He only played in Atlanta for a year near the tail end of his career.
Frank Robinson had some great years with the Orioles, and managed the Orioles, but wasn’t exclusive to either team – the O’s were the second of five teams he played for, and the third of four teams he managed.
Yogi Berra – ah, here’s the issue. He managed the Yankees in 1964, won the pennant, just barely lost the World Series – and was fired anyway. Understandably bitter, he went over to the Mets and achieved some success as a coach and manager. Back over to the Yanks, he coached for another eight years, then managed the team again for a year and change – and was fired again, just 15 games into the season, despite assurances from George Steinbrenner he’d be given a real shot at managing the team. He wouldn’t set foot in Yankee Stadium again for nearly 15 years.
It wasn’t pretty. Just as I’m sure it wasn’t pretty when the Packers fired Bart Starr as their coach. After nine seasons. During which he made the playoffs once, and had an overall record of 52-76-3.
Look, I don’t know if Mike Quade’s going to be a great manager, or if Ryne Sandberg will be, or both, or neither. Quade had a good quarter-season at the end of 2010, but that’s usually pretty meaningless. (The Angels had a run of firing managers mid-season, the new guy did well in August and September, they’d be impressed and give him a two- or three-year deal, and the team would be lousy for the next year and a half – until they’d fire the manager mid-season and start the cycle over.)
But I know, all other things being equal I’d rather take a chance with a guy with more experience, and if he fails have no problem in letting him go, that going with a guy that I’d hate to fire because he was a superstar for the team for years and years. It’s not worth the messy divorce.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Will One of the Mets' Big Three Return?
The Big Three of 1996, that is.
Long, long ago, the New York Mets had three brilliant pitching prospects that everyone figured couldn't miss. They were to challenge Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and John Smoltz of the Braves for starting superiority within a few years. Guaranteed.
Except it didn't happen. All three had major arm issues -- possibly brought on by throwing too many innings at too young an age (which was allegedly manager Dallas Green's idea), possibly not. In any case, Bill Pulsipher washed out of the major leagues altogether, Paul Wilson put together a few so-so years with Cincinnati, and Jason Isringhausen was turned into a reliever -- and was traded to Oakland for Billy Taylor during the 1999 stretch run. Which turned out to be a big mistake, as Isringhausen became a star closer for the Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.
Now Isringhausen is back in the Mets' camp and looking to latch on as a bullpen guy. He likely wouldn't be a closer (although he might be used as such to keep Francisco Rodriguez's option year from vesting -- if Frankie closes 54 games this year, it happens), but he'd be a veteran arm. It might happen.
I've written before about the Mets picking up players past their prime and expecting great things. No one is expecting great things from Jason Isringhausen at this point. He's not going to save 30 games. He won't be on the mound at the end of October when the Mets win the World Series. It's not going to happen.
But it would be nice to see him make a small comeback with the team that got him started, and for the Mets to get a small return on a long-ago (but not forgotten) investment.
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