AT40, July 19, 1980 [Part 3 of 4]

 

I'm breaking down the AT40 show of July 19, 1980 track by track.  For an introduction and a look at #40-31, click here, for #30-21 click here.

#20:  "Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc.  As a kid, I never caught on that the "band" name was homophonic with lip synch, probably because I was a kid.  At the time, there was nothing like this synth-driven disco song with no chorus being played on the radio and I have particular 8th grade memories tied to the song.  So many synths with a catchy bass line, synth voice, and strings punctuated by guitar.  I wouldn't want to live in Funkytown, but it's a fun place to visit.  On this date, the song was coming down the chart after spending four weeks at the #1 spot in June.  It spent a total of 15 weeks in the Top 40; it also spent 4 weeks at #1 on the Disco chart and 5 weeks at #2 on the R&B chart.

#19: "Gimme Some Lovin'" by The Blues Brothers.  The Blues Brothers were a comedy act with a stacked backing band, so while the accompaniment is good, the vocals never are.  Still, they put together a classic movie and introduced me to some '60s R&B so they've got that going for them.  Sure, I'd rather hear the original, but this is good enough for gubment werk.  The Brothers would stay on the chart 8 weeks with this one, peaking at #18 (The Spencer Davis Group hit #7 back with their original version in 1967).

#18: "Love the World Away" by Kenny Rogers.  The third track on this particular AT40 countdown from the soundtrack to Urban Cowboy.  I doubt there were many AT40 episodes in the late '70s/early '80s that didn't have a Kenny Rogers track on them (he had 20 Top 40 hits during that time).  Like all Rogers ballads of the time, you can't really tell the difference between them yet you know all the words.  This song peaked at #14 on the pop charts, #4 on the country chart, and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

#17: "Emotional Rescue" by The Rolling Stones.  It's no "Gimme Shelter" (or even "Shattered" for that matter) and there's not much to it, but I dig the groove going down in the rhythm section.  Plus I like the sax line and the spoken word riff near the end.  This song peaked at #3 during its 14 weeks in the Top 40.

#16:  "I'm Alive" by Electric Light Orchestra.  I was a little late to the party, but by summer 1980 I was a full-blown ELO fan.  As such, I have an odd attraction to both the Xanadu movie and its soundtrack.  This is the first of two songs from said soundtrack.  At #16, this is the song's peak.

#15:  "More Love" by Kim Carnes.  I've already professed to my love for this song in a previous post on this blog. I don't remember hearing this on the radio other than when it appeared on AT40. It would spend 15 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #10 for three consecutive weeks in August.

#14:  "In America" by The Charlie Daniels Band.  Don't care for this one.  I don't know if I never heard it before or just blocked it from my memory.  It spent 8 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #11. It also reached #13 on the country charts.

AT40 Extra: "Desperado" by The Eagles.  Casey plays this classic album cut after telling a tame version of this story that happened March 20, 1980:

click to enlarge

#13: "One Fine Day" by Carole King.  Nothing particularly remarkable about King's version, but it was about time she had her own success with a song she wrote back in 1963.  The Chiffons reached #5 with the song; King would peak at #12 in what would be her final appearance in the Top 40.

#12:  "Tired of Toein' the Line" by Rocky Burnette.  It's not quite rockabilly, but it certainly has a '50s feel and the basic rock-and-roll I-vi-IV-V⁷-I chord progression.  I had forgotten about this gem until a few years book when I came across the book 99 Red Balloons and 100 Other All-Time Great One-Hit Wonders which included this song at #46.  It's not a great book, but when I read about this song, I couldn't remember it just from the title, I had to hear it.  One of those songs that, even though I hadn't heard it in years and didn't know it by title, I could sing along again at first listen.  Burnette's only Top 40 hit, this peaked at #8 on the next chart, July 26.

AT40 Archives: "Alley-Oop" by The Hollywood Argyles.  Casey continues to play the #1 hits of the 1960's in chronological order.  This novelty song spent one week at the top of the chart in July 1960.  It was the 9th #1 single of the '60s.  Like most kids my age, I had this on a novelty song compilation album so it brings back good memories of my early childhood.  Maybe it was K-Tel's Goofy Greats?

#11:  "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" by the S.O.S. Band.  I always liked this funky dance tune maybe because I was entering my "dancing fool" phase of life around 1980 (I'll let you know should that phase ever pass).  With the Nile Rodgers-esque guitar part over a memorable synth bass line, this will now be an earworm in my head for the rest of the day.  This jam spent 14 weeks in the Top 40, including 2 weeks at the #3 spot.  It also spent 5 weeks at #1 on the R&B charts and 4 weeks at #1 on the dance charts.

More to come...