I'm breaking down the AT40 show of August 4, 1979 track by track.
So what was I doing around the time of this AT40 episode's broadcast? Not much beyond looking forward to 8th grade (top dog at the middle school!). I don't remember much about the summer of '79; I rode my Sears 10-speed bike around town a lot, I guess. If we went on a family vacation that summer, I couldn't find any photographic evidence of it around here. In the words of Peter Gibbons, "I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything I thought it could be." Man-oh-man what I wouldn't give for a carefree three months like that again.
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| Your humble blogger's 7th grade yearbook photo |
Now, on with the countdown:
Like he did in the first hour, Casey gives the address so listeners could receive a free copy of the AT40 Worldwide Listening Directory, a listing of stations that carry AT40..
#9: "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer. This song was #1 back in June and was falling down the chart only because her follow-up single was in the middle of a five week run at #1. I prefer this tune to "Bad Girls" simply because of the guitar, but really Donna could do no wrong in my book.
#8: "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" by Dr. Hook. Now here's some soft rock goodness with just a slight touch of disco. Right up my alley as 13 year old and I still like it today. This song would spend 16 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #6 in August.
#7: "Makin' It" by David Naughton. A TV show theme, sung by the show's lead. I've always liked this song with its positive attitude over a disco beat. And, yes, I remember watching a few (if not all) episodes of the TV show. The theme song entered the Top 40 on May 12, nearly two months after the show had been canceled. Naughton's only song to reach the Top 40, it peaked at #5 in 16 weeks on the chart. The TV series, on the other hand, only lasted 9 weeks. Below is an episode. If you can make it through all 24 minutes, you made it twice as far as I just did.
"There's a man in the countdown who used to be a member of a famous trio who once had all their cash stolen by a real kangaroo dressed in a sports coat. And they have photographs to prove it. That story is coming up."
#6: "My Sharona" by The Knack. A great song from a great album. The first New Wave #1? I like to tell people that my wife's nickname is Sharona and that the song was written about her. Apparently, the real Sharona is a real estate agent in L.A. This would sit atop the Hot 100 for 6 consecutive weeks starting August 25.
Casey tells the story of the Kingston Trio touring in Australia, running over a kangaroo, dressing it in their clothes, and photographed themselves. The kangaroo was only stunned, revived, and took off still wearing their clothes (with the group's cash in the sports coat's pocket). Note - this probably isn't true, it's a urban legend-type story called "The Kangaroo Thief" that dates back to the early 1900's. But it's still a good story, Casey. Anyway, John Stewart was a member of the Kingston Trio from 1961-67, so this tall tale leads into...
#5: "Gold" by John Stewart. Stewart was more known for his songwriting than his singing. With production by Lindsey Buckingham and background vocals by Stevie Nicks, this sounds like a mid-'70s Fleetwood Mac hit, which is probably what they were after. It peaked here at #5 in 13 weeks in the Top 40.
#4: "The Main Event/Fight" by Barbra Streisand. This song was featured in its own post back in 2014. (Spoiler alert: I gave it a grade of 'B'). It would move up to #3 the next week, peaking there.
#3: "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward. I loves me some disco, but I just don't care for this one. Something about the chorus grates on me. Nonetheless, it topped the Top 40 charts for 2 weeks, the R&B charts for 5 weeks, and the disco chart for a week. It was Ward's only Top 40 hit.
#2: "Good Times" by Chic. This song contains the most important, most sampled, most imitated bass lines of all time (see Bowie's Let's Dance, Queen's Another One Bites The Dust, and, of course, Rapper's Delight). Nile Rodgers is a musical genius and hella guitar player. The last of Chic's 5 Top 40 tunes, this one was huge: #1 pop, #1 R&B, #28 AC, #3 Disco. What kept it from earning its rightful #1 spot on the disco chart? According to my crack staff, it was The Boss (all cuts) by Diana Ross and "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore.
Before we continue, Casey tells us what's atop the other charts:
- Country: "You're the Only One" by Dolly Parton
- Disco: "I've Got the Next Dance" by Deniece Williams
- R&B: "Good Times" by Chic
- Album: Bad Girls by Donna Summer
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| Billboard, August 4, 1979, p. 56 |
"Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."
Previously, I've looked at these AT40 episodes track by track:
September 18, 1982
October 24, 1981
July 19, 1980
February 16, 1980
June 9, 1979
April 23, 1977
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