Welcome to TOP TENS! In the inaugural episode, Milt and Dave take the time machine back to July 17, 1976.
Topics covered:
1:48 - Family Feud debuted with Richard Dawson
1:59 - USA Bicentennial
2:05 - National League won the All Star Game 7-1/George Foster was MVP
2:15 - DNC - Jimmy Carter nominated
2:28 - Loggins & Messina split
2:42: Olympics begin in Montreal
3:30: “Rock N Roll Music” by the Beach Boys/peaked at #5, spent 17 weeks in top 100
3:46: Chuck Berry
3:51: Song reached #8 on charts in 1957
3:56: Beatles made it well known in 1964/not released as a single in the US
4:19: First top 10 hit in over 10 years, last hit was “Good Vibrations”.
4:25: It was their last hit until Kokomo in 1988.
4:37: The Beach Boys were eventually inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame.
5:01: ‘Happy Days’ TV show
5:24: “Cheap Tricks”
5:29: Song “Loui Loui”
5:47: “Come and Go With Me” (formally by the The Del-Vikings) - didn’t make top 10
6:26: Chuck Berry’s version of “Rock N Roll Music”.
6:49: Beatles movie “Back Beat”. (1994 movie)
7:49: Number 9 hit introduced: “Silly Love Songs”/Wings/5 weeks at number 1
7:59: Robert Palmer
8:13: “AM radio”
8:40: ended up the number 1 song for all of 1976/biggest solo hit of McCartney’s career
8:46: One of 6 #1 songs that McCartney had under Wings
8:55: written by Paul and wife Linda
9:00: was a response to John Lennon’s criticism that Paul wrote “banal and sentimental music”
9:11: The cast of Glee redid the song - it charted at #45
9:51: “Band On The Run”
10:39: Cal Ripken and Fred McGriff/which belongs in the Hall of Fame?
11:53: Beatles - “Got To Get You Into My Life”/originally an album cut from Revolver in 1966
12:13: Beatles released a compilation album in ’76 called “Rock and Roll Music”
12:30: This is the Beatles last top 10 hit until “Free As A Bird” on 1995’s Anthology
12:48: McCartney said that “Got To Get You Into My Life” was about smoking weed
13:03: John Lennon said in a Playboy interview that this was one of Paul’s best songs
13:10: Earth, Wind and Fire would take it back into the top 10 in 1978
13:24: Blood, Sweat and Tears released a version of the song in 1975 and it went to #62
15:33: Song 7 introduced - The Captain and Tennille - “Shop Around”
16:06: The song was originally a smash hit by “The Miracles” (Smokey Robinson)
16:13: Reached number 2 on the hot 100 in 1960
16:15: Named one of the 500 songs that shaped Rock & Roll by the R&R Hall of Fame
16:23: The song appeared on their second album - it reached number 4 in July
16:40: The Captain died of renal failure - Daryl Dragon former keyboardist for the Beach Boys
17:10: Mike Love gave him the nickname “Captain Keyboard”/Toni Tennille toured with them
17:20: They had a variety show on ABC in 1976-77/married for 39 years
17:48: John Davidson had a variety show/Brady Bunch and Mary Tyler Moore also
18:53: MTM sang “With A Little Luck” - Wings song
19:11: Her singing/comedic partners were David Letterman and Michael Keaton
20:18: Toni Tennille sang back up vocals on Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”
22:09: Song #6 introduced - “Love Is Alive” by Gary Wright - also had “Dream Weaver”
22:52: “Love Is Alive” spent 7 weeks on the Hot 100, 9th biggest song of ’76
23:02: “Dream Weaver” was on a K-Tel album, not as big a hit as “Love Is Alive”
23:19: “Dream Weaver” was revived in “Wayne’s World”
23:34: Dave: “I always confuse Gary Wright with “new wave” Gary Newman” (of the Cars)
23:46: This was Gary Wright’s last Top 10 hit, he hit #16 in ’81 with “Really Want To Know You”
24:01: Wright played keyboard on George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass”
24:05: He also recorded some plays with Ringo Starr, he has a very strong Beatles connection
24:15: His bio is entitled” “Dream Weaver, Music, Meditation and My Friendship w. George H.”
25:36: Number 5 song introduced: “Moonlight, Feels Right” by Starbuck
26:41: Dave states there were other songs in the 70’s with “moonlight” themes (Van Morrison)
26:55: This was the “first and biggest” charting single by Starbuck
27:04: Acknowledgement given to the now famous Starbuck(s) coffee chain
27:07: This name was also used by Battlestar Galactica’s character (actor Dirk Benedict)
27:14: The song peaked at number 3 and was the 34th biggest song of the year
27:21: The song was featured in the film “Stuck On You” with Matt Damon & Greg Kinnear
27:31: It was the first American rock hit that features the Marimba (instrument) (during solo)
28:21: The number 4 song is presented: “More, More, More, Part 1” (Andrea True Connection)
29:20: This (disco song) is about sex - Andrea True made 50 adult films in the 70’s/80’s
29:47: The song was recorded when the artist was “stuck in Jamaica” doing a commercial
29:57: She financed the recording and it became her only Top 10 hit
30:05: She had another top 40 hit: “New York You Got Me Dancing” [#27 in 1977]
30:23: The song would become a disco “standard”.
30:46: Dave acknowledges that it was “forbidden” to admit you liked disco during this era
30:52: “Disco Sucks” T-shirts were abundant, ‘Stripes’ actor T-shirt: “Death Before Disco”
31:24: LEN uses this song track in their song “Steal My Sunshine”
32:19: Dave states that the song was revived in a comedic way but this reference was tabled
32:41: Song number 3 was introduced: “I’ll Be Good To You” by the Brothers Johnson
33:10: It was the band’s biggest single. They were not “real” brothers.
33:27: George Johnson was known as “Lightening Licks” (guitarist and vocalist)
33:31: Louis Johnson was “Thunder Thumbs” on bass (he died in 2015)
33:36: They were initially part of Billy Preston’s band (who played with the Beatles)
33:56: The song hit the top 20 again in a remake with Chaka Khan and Ray Charles
34:06: That was produced by Quincy Jones and won “Album of the Year” (Grammy) in 1990
35:09: As underrated as they were they made a major contribution to rock/punk history
35:20: Future Hits included “Stomp” and “Strawberry Letter 23”
36:00: The song “Turn The Beat Around” and “I Like The Nightlife” were referenced
36:13: “It took into the late 80’s for people to come out of the “disco closet”
36:40: Dave comes up with his “Happy Days” theory (it came out in ’74) [20 years hence]
37:55: “That 70’s Show” and “That 80’s Show” referenced
38:16: Song Number 2 introduced: The Manhattan’s “Kiss And Say Goodbye”
39:33: Dave comments that one of the singers (in a video) looks like “Flip Wilson”
39:42: The song would hit #1 a few weeks after debuting at #2, their first/only #1 hit
39:51: “Shining Star” was another huge hit by them (#5 in 1980)
40:00: “Kiss And Say Goodbye” would be be the 6th popular song of ’76, and #33 of the 70’s
40:15: Manhattan’s were from Jersey City, had been recording since ’64, 45 hits on R&B charts
40:43: The label thought it was too slow and “sat on it” for a year before releasing it
41:00: Dave references Randy Watson’s “Sexual Chocolate” (‘Coming To America)
41:12: It was only the second single to hit Platinum status (which began in 1976)
41:23: “Disco Lady” by Johnny Taylor was the first awarded Platinum status
41:41: The Jackson 5 and “white jump suits” are referenced followed by “One Direction”
42:19: Barry White, Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross are all referenced
42:33: “A quarter pounder with cheese” is referenced
43:13: Number 1 song introduced - “Afternoon Delight” by Starlight Vocal Band
44:22: Song was only top 40 hit; hailed from Washington, DC; began as husband/wife duo
44:30: The band co-wrote “Take Me Home Country Roads” with John Denver
44:39: Wife’s name = Taffy. The song is about sex, but band claimed it was about a menu.
45:12: Ringo Starr claimed he said “cranberry sauce” instead of “I buried Paul”.
45:23: A petal steel guitar was used to create the fireworks sound after “sky rockets in flight”
45:38: This was the number 1 song Bicentennial week 1976
46:04: SVB won best new artist at the Grammy’s (over Boston’ best debut album ever!!)
46:42: SVB had their own show on CBS: “The Starland Vocal band Show”. (1977)
46:49: David Letterman was a performer and writer on that show (quickly cancelled)
48:41: “We Built This City” and “Ice Ice Baby” (songs) referenced
51:32: “I’ll Be Good To You” - suggested as the top pick of the 10 songs featured this week
52:10: “Silly Love Songs” also suggested as the pick over the others
52:26: Dave: “Got To Get You Into My Life” is a “quasi revival song”
53:04: Songs that have permeated culture “beyond their time”:
“More, More, More” (Simpsons)
“Afternoon Delight” (Anchor Man and Good Will Hunting)
“Silly Love Songs” (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
58:27: “Stairway To Heaven” and “Walk This Way” referenced
59:01: Songs you want to fuck, marry or kill topic introduced:
“Afternoon Delight” - fuck (1 vote)
“Got To Get You Into My Life” - marry (1 vote)
“Moonlight Feels Right - kill (1 vote)
“I’ll Be Good To You” - fuck (1 vote)
“Silly Love Songs” - marry (1 vote)
“Rock N Roll Music” - kill (1 vote)
1:00:47: “Was This A Time Machine Worthy Week”? -
“a delicious pork steamed dumpling appetizer”
“Set me up for other great music of this era”
“Not the most emblematic 70’s week we could have landed on”
“Weird anomalies between the “Beach Boys” and “The Beatles”stuff (not of the time)
“Disco hits weren’t the biggest of all time”
“Afternoon Delight” was the closest to being emblematic”
“There were enough songs that put a smile on my face so it was worth the journey”
1:02:50: Dave references Led Zeppelin; The Doors, J. Geils Band, AC/DC
1:03:20: Bee Gees referenced “Jive Talking” and “Saturday Night Fever”
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