Music ads from 1976

Linda Ronstadt - Hasten Down the Wind

Tom Jans - Dark Blonde

KGB - Motion
Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Best of BTO (So Far)

Dalton & Dubarri - Success & Failure

John Cale - Troubadour

Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More from the Road

Ry Cooder - Chicken Skin Music
Boston - Boston

Tommy Bolin - Private Eyes

CashBox Jazz Album Chart: July 1976

On July 10, 1976, CashBox magazine introduced a weekly 40 position chart of jazz albums:

That first chart:

The chart went through some evolution throughout the years: the number of positions changed, the frequency of publication changed, the chart name changed, but it survived in one form or fashion until the magazine ceased publication in 1996. I've compiled the chart data into two spreadsheets and housed it over at one of our sister sites, albumcharts.wordpress.com. You're welcome to all of it:

CashBox Jazz Albums Chart 1976-1988

&

 

CashBox Contemporary Jazz Chart 1989-92
Jazz Albums 1992-96

MFD Random Five #55

In which I shuffle through some music files and listen to the first five songs from the years 1976-85 that randomly pop up.

---

1. "Drivin' My Life Away" by Eddie Rabbitt (1980, Elektra)
   I must have dug the thing back in '80 because I remember every word. I still like the percussive vocals in the verse but the chorus doesn't do much for me now. No bridge, no solo, just a below-average turnaround. But here I am still singing. Go figure.


2. "One Love in My Lifetime" by Diana Ross (1976, Motown)
   Miss Ross. A great Motown single. Sounds like a Supremes tune (especially the intro and chorus) and that's fine with me. As good as it is, it barely makes the top half of songs from that '76 self-titled album.


3. "Kingdom Come" by David Bowie (1980, RCA)
    I once succinctly described the entire Scary Monsters album as "all tension, no release" but this cover of a Tom Verlaine tune hidden halfway through side 2 might be the exception that proves that description. Full of Fripp's manic guitar work, this thing isn't exactly an easy listen, but it's quality stuff nonetheless.


4. "Stay With Me" by George Howard (1985, GRP)
   This is smooth jazz at its nadir - overproduced, mostly synth accompaniment, and Simmons or DMX Drum way up in the mix. And not much to the writing - mostly just one lick. Howard got a pleasant tone on the soprano sax, which isn't easy to do, so I'll give him that. But this was popular, hit #1 on the jazz charts, and moved a bunch of copies - hell, I've even got the CD. Shrug.


5. "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung (1984, A&M)
   I'd almost forgotten this tune but here we go. Like many people, I lost interest in Styx with the Kilroy debacle. Still, DDY was able to later score one more top 40 hit with this ballad. It's not terrible, but sure could have used some Tommy Shaw crunch. 

MFD Not-So-Random Five #19

In which I select five songs from 1976-1985 based on an arbitrary theme. (Not to be confused with this blog's Random Five feature, a different exercise in arbitrariness). Today's theme: Top 40 tunes with the word "Away" in the title.

---

1. "Breaking Away" by Balance (peaked at #22 in 1981)
   This little taste of melodic rock has just a touch of disco in it - sort of as if Toto had done a cover version of "Heaven on the Seventh Floor" by Paul Nicholas. Singer Peppy Castro has a voice well-suited to the genre. Highly enjoyable, it's a shame the band made our list of MFD One-Hit Wonders.


2. "Slipping Away" by Dave Edmunds (peaked at #39 in 1983)
   Sounds like Dave Edmunds fronting ELO and that's not a coincidence seeing as Jeff Lynne wrote and produced the thing while ELO keyboardist Richard Tandy provided synth work. And I don't intend the comparison as an insult as this thing has hooks a'plenty. It got plenty of playing time in my bedroom in 1983 and I always love it when it comes around on a shuffle. Even so, Edmunds didn't get an invite to be a Wilbury.


3. "Whenever I'm Away From You" by John Travolta (peaked at #38 in 1976)
   This may be too soft to be called pablum; it limped to #26 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Even though Travolta's performance is surprisingly better than it was on "Let Her In," he can't save the bland material and an arrangement that relies far too much on strings and background singers.


4. "You Take My Breath Away" by Rex Smith (peaked at #10 in 1979)
   It's easy to dismiss this single because of Smith's teen idol status at the time.
   
   
   But if you dismiss Rex's ad libs near the end, it's not a bad little tune. In fact, it might be the best cheesy ballad that Barry Manilow didn't record. I had a friend back in '79 that once told me she always pictured Rex singing this song from inside an iron lung. Preteens aren't exactly renown for their tact or compassion.


5. "Swept Away" by Diana Ross (peaked at #19 in 1984)
   If I heard this tune in 1984, it didn't make any impression on me. The production style and LinnDrums scream "mid-'80s!" Co-written and co-produced by Daryl Hall, it sounds to me like Hall & Oates album filler and doesn't do justice to the wonderful pipes of Ross. That haircut tho ↓ - right sexy.

MFD Random Five #49

In which I shuffle through some music files and listen to the first five songs from the years 1976-85 that randomly pop up.

---

1. "Prime Time" by The Tubes (1979, A&M)
   A single released from the Remote Control album. Said album was produced by Todd Rundgren and his hand is all over this disco tune, especially apparent in the vocal harmonies, the synth solo and (even without a writing credit) it sounds like he wrote the entire bridge. It peaked at #34 in the UK singles chart, but didn't see any action stateside.


2. "I'm On the Outside Looking In" by Leslie Smith (1982, Elektra)
   "I'm on the Outside (Looking In)" is a 1964 hit song by Little Anthony and the Imperials and if I've ever heard their version, I've forgotten it, but I can't imagine it being any smoother than this. Side A, track 2 on the wonderful Heartache album which was spotlighted on this very blog back in February 2019.


3. "Jump Street" by Boz Scaggs (1976, Columbia)
   A minor-key blues piece that harkens back to Boz's days in the late '60s - Boz gets to play some blues guitar, if only for a short bit. Not bad on its own or in a shuffle, it doesn't really fit into the rest of the Silk Degrees album. I dig the urgency to the track and when the tempo picks up at the end.


4. "Believe in Magic" by Maurice White (1985, Columbia)
   The answer to the question "what would Earth, Wind & Fire sound like if synths replaced all the instruments?" Good material wasted on poor arrangement and production. If you lived through 1985, you could easily pick the year this was released just by the sound of the thing. 


5. "I Learnt How to Pray" by Squeeze (1985, A&M)
   Speaking of characteristic 1985 production, here's more for ya. Squeeze was smart enough to include some "real" instruments in addition to the synths and LinnDrum, though. Typical Squeeze hooks aplenty throughout and a tasty organ solo from Jools Holland. Been awhile since I heard the Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti album, think I'll throw a copy into the truck's CD player today.

MFD Random Five #46

In which I shuffle through some music files and listen to the first five songs from the years 1976-85 that randomly pop up.

---

1. "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton (1980, RCA)
   I didn't buy the single, but I'll sing along with the thing. It was all over the radio stations I listened to during the winter of 1981. #1 pop, #1 adult contemporary, #1 country - I'll bet I'm not the only one who can sing along with it. As I pay less attention to Dolly and more to the band this listen, I'm impressed with how great the piano and horn parts are. Tight band with members of the Wrecking Crew and other session greats.
   
   [Note: the next song to shuffle around was David Bowie's "Always Crashing in the Same Car" which previously appeared on Random Five #24.]


2. "The Hurt" by Any Trouble (1980, Stiff)
   New wave power-pop that's so catchy I'm upset I didn't listen to this in 1980. I'm also surprised the group didn't gain traction on the heels of The Knack. Maybe the group were a year or so ahead of their time? I can't imagine them not hitting the US Top 40 in 1982.


3. "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" by The Emotions (1976, Columiba)
   Sultry vocals atop a steamin' EWF groove. And I love what Verdine White does with the bass on this one. And the Phenix Horns are immediately recognizable. And the a capella breakdown - have mercy. And the fact that I need to do a deep dive into the trio's catalog.


4. "What's Your Best Thing" by The English Beat (1982, Go-Feet)
   The b-side to "Save It For Later" and it's not bad for a b-side but comes off more as a demo. The track was never properly fleshed out but it's got some promising ideas in there; not to mention some nice horn work.


5. "Freedom" by Wham! (1985, CBS)
   One of four(!) singles from Make It Big that reached the top three on the pop charts in the US. This Motown knockoff homage would be just about perfect if not for the out of tune trumpet mess at the end. George Michael sure could write some hooks. On my list of the 85 top singles of 1985, this single appeared in the #57 spot.

The Dance Decade 1973-1983

So I'm perusing past issues of Smash Hits magazine and come across the following ad:

You have my full attention now, Smash Hits. Since I was in Texas and not England in 1983, it's not surprising that I didn't hear of this compilation when it was originally released. I could nitpick and complain that 1973-1983 is eleven years and, therefore, more than a decade, but no time for that - I gotta see a track list and quick. You can see the Discogs listing by clicking here or below is the best photo of the box set back cover I could find:

click to enlarge

That's a damn fine compilation plus many tunes with which I was previously unfamiliar. Here's a playlist (in dire need of updating) if you want to judge/discover for yourself:

Bracketology: Donna Summer Singles, Sweet 16

I've created this bracket of 16 of Donna Summer's Top 40 singles between the years 1976-85 (sorry, "This Time It's for Real") and we'll match them against each other, round by round, until a winner emerges. I hope you'll play along as I'm sure your bracket will turn out differently from mine. I based the seedings on Billboard Hot 100 chart peaks.

• 1 vs 16: "Bad Girls" (#1 for 5 weeks in 1979) vs. "The Woman in Me" (#33 in 1983)
• 2 vs 15: "Hot Stuff" (#1 for 3 weeks in 1979) vs. "Cold Love"  (#33 in 1981)
• 3 vs 14: "MacArthur Park" (#1 for 3 weeks in 1978) vs. "There Goes My Baby" (#21 in 1984)
• 4 vs 13: "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" (#1 for 2 weeks) vs. "Love is in Control (Finger on the Trigger" (#10 in 1982)
• 5 vs 12: "Love to Love You Baby" (#2 for 2 weeks in 1976) vs. "I Feel Love" (#6 in 1977)
• 6 vs 11: "Dim All the Lights" (#2 for 2 weeks in 1979) vs. "On the Radio" (#5 in 1980)
• 7 vs 10: "Last Dance" (#3 in 1978) vs. "Heaven Knows" (#4 in 1979)
• 8 vs 9: "She Works Hard for the Money" (#3 in 1983) vs. "The Wanderer" (#3 in 1980)

Fill out your bracket(s) with your personal favorites and check back for the semifinal round.

---

Blog post #800

Album ad #69

Donna Summer - A Love Trilogy (1976)

Two Hit Wonders 1976-85 [8 of 16]

*to qualify as a MFD two hit wonder, the artist or group can have placed only two singles in the Billboard Top 40 and those two singles must have entered the Top 40 during the years 1976-85.  Many of these artists are occasionally mistaken for a one hit wonder or have hit other charts in Billboard, but each hit the Top 40 only twice. In no particular order, here's four of the 64 that I found:

---

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM
Born on 10/3/47 in Palo Alto, California. Rock guitarist/singer/songwriter. Formed Buckingham-Nicks duo with then-girlfriend, Stevie Nicks. Both joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Trouble	11/7/81	9
Go Insane	8/25/84	23

---

HENRY GROSS
Born on 4/1/51 in Brooklyn, New York. Pop-rock singer.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Shannon	4/3/76	6
Springtime Mama	8/21/76	37

---

RHYTHM HERITAGE
Studio group assembled by producers Steve Barri and Michael Omartian. Vocals by Oren and Luther Waters.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Theme from S.W.A.T.	1/10/76	1
Baretta's Theme (Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow)	5/8/76	20

---

TOMMY TUTONE
Rock group formed in San Francisco: Tommy Heath (vocals), Jim Keller (guitar), Jon Lyons (bass) and Victor Carberry (drums).

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Angel Say No	6/21/80	38
867-5309/Jenny	3/13/82	4

---

Data and artist descriptions taken from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th edition (2000).

MFD Not-So-Random Five #16

In which I select five songs from 1976-1985 based on an arbitrary theme. (Not to be confused with this blog's Random Five feature, a different exercise in arbitrariness). Today's theme: five Donna Summer singles that cracked the Hot 100, but not the Top 40.

---

1. "Could It Be Magic" (peaked at #52 -  May 29, 1976)
   When I first heard this cover version I didn't care it much for it, but over time that clavinet part and relentless hi-hat wore me down. Donna moaning over a fantastic arrangement? Count me in.   


2. "Rumour Has It" (peaked at #53 - April 15, 1978)
   Wikipedia states this song "is one of the earliest examples of disco, funk, rock, and electronica in pop culture." Whoa - slow your roll, wiki. It's a solid tune, though. In addition to the usual disco strings, it's got some great horn licks, which is a nice change. On the album, this rolls directly into "I Love You" and that's a great one-two punch, right there.


3. "State of Independence" (peaked at #41 - November 6, 1982)
   #41 - close but no cigar. Originally recorded by Jon and Vangelis for their 1981 album The Friends of Mr Cairo. I can't follow the lyrics. Spiritual or no? I've examined the 1982 self-titled album previously on this blog. Here's what I wrote more then: "Adding a psuedo Afro-Carribean feel over a droning synth turns me off.    At least the sax solo and the "All-Star Choir" chanting nonsense lyrics make it interesting." Now I don't even find those things interesting.


4. "Unconditional Love" (peaked at #43 - October 8, 1983)
   Features vocals by British reggae act Musical Youth. Sounds like music they'd pipe in on a tropical ride at a theme park. DeBarge did it better a few years later with "Rhythm of the Night."


5. "Supernatural Love" (peaked at #75 - November 24, 1984)
   I have no memory of this one from the radio or MTV in '84. Fairly generic stuff for its time, which probably explains why it didn't chart higher. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's nothing grabbing my ear, either.

---

Two Hit Wonders 1976-85 [7 of 16]

*to qualify as a MFD two hit wonder, the artist or group can have placed only two singles in the Billboard Top 40 and those two singles must have entered the Top 40 during the years 1976-85.  Many of these artists are occasionally mistaken for a one hit wonder or have hit other charts in Billboard, but each hit the Top 40 only twice. In no particular order, here's four of the 64 that I found:

---

PETER BROWN
Born on 7/11/53 in Blue Island, Illinois. Disco singer/keyboardist.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Do Ya Wanna Get Funky with Me	10/8/77	18
Dance With Me (w/Betty Wright)	5/6/78	8

---

EDDY GRANT
Born Edmond Grant on 3/5/48 in Plaisance, Guyana; raised in London. Rock-reggae singer. Member of The Equals.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Electric Avenue	5/21/83	2
Romancing the Stone	6/30/84	26

---

MAXINE NIGHTINGALE
Born on 11/2/52 in Wembly, England. Acted in productions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and Savages.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Right Back Where We Started From	3/13/76	2
Lead Me On	7/7/79	5

---

PETE TOWNSHEND
Born on 5/19/45 in London. Lead guitarist/songwriter of The Who.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Let My Love Open the Door	7/5/80	9
Face the Face	12/21/85	26

---

Data and artist descriptions taken from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th edition (2000).

MFD Random Five #44

In which I click the shuffle icon on the iTunes app and listen to the first five songs that pop up from the years 1976-85.

---

1. "Mirabella" by Earl Klugh (1980, Liberty)
   A busy yet relaxing solo acoustic piece from the wonderful Late Night Guitar album. Although Klugh is considered a jazz artist, there's not much improvisation here, but it's so good you'll hardly notice. 


2. "The Long Honeymoon" by Elvis Costello (1982, Columbia)
   It's okay but its no "Beyond Belief." This bossa/cocktail piano crossover has its moments, such as the chord progression in the chorus, but the rest doesn't speak to me. 


3. "Raspberry Beret" by Prince (1985, Paisley Park)
   I loved this psychedlic thing from the get go. In fact, Around the World in a Day was the first Prince album I purchased myself instead of dubbing friend's albums. And that was because of this lead single. The winding cello line, and man-oh-man that middle eight.  Off the top of my head, I'd call this a top five Prince tune along with "1999," "U Got the Look," "Dirty Mind," and "Kiss."


4. "I Don't Know Where to Start" by Eddie Rabbitt (1982, Elektra)
   I don't remember this tune from '82, when it reached #35 on the pop chart. It's a pleasant enough crossover ballad, the guitar accompaniment is interesting but the banal chorus melody hurts. Rabbitt's final Top 40 tune as a solo act.


5. "I Like Dreamin'" by Kenny Nolan (1976, 20th Century Fox)
   Speaking of Top 40, this song spent 20 weeks there, peaking at #3. A classic soft rock single complete with strings, harps, female background singers, and not one but three upward modulations near the end. Barry Manilow would be jealous.

Two Hit Wonders 1976-85 [6 of 16]

*to qualify as a MFD two hit wonder, the artist or group can have placed only two singles in the Billboard Top 40 and those two singles must have entered the Top 40 during the years 1976-85.  Many of these artists are occasionally mistaken for a one hit wonder or have hit other charts in Billboard, but each hit the Top 40 only twice. In no particular order, here's four of the 64 that I found:

---

BLACKFOOT
Rock group from Jacksonville, Florida: Rick Medlocke (vocals, guitar), Charlie Hargrett (guitar), Greg Walker (bass) and Jakson Spires (drums).

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Highway Song	8/4/79	26
Train, Train	12/22/79	38

---

THE GAP BAND
Funk trio of brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma: Ronnie (vocals, horns, keyboards), Robert (vocals, bass) and Charlie (vocals, drums) Wilson. Named for three streets in Tulsa: Greenwood, Archer and Pine.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Early in the Morning	7/3/82	24
You Dropped a Bomb on Me	9/11/82	31

---

NIGEL OLSSON
Born 2/10/49 in Merseyside, England. Drummer for Elton John's band from 1971-76.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Dancin' Shoes	1/27/79	18
Little Bit of Soap	5/19/79	34

---

ANDREA TRUE CONNECTION
Born in Nashville. Female disco singer/actress. Appeared in several X-rate movies in the 1970s.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
More, More, More (Pt. 1)	4/24/76	4
N.Y., You Got Me Dancing	3/26/77	27

---

Data and artist descriptions taken from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th edition (2000).

Two Hit Wonders 1976-85 [5 of 16]

*to qualify as a MFD two hit wonder, the artist or group can have placed only two singles in the Billboard Top 40 and those two singles must have entered the Top 40 during the years 1976-85.  Many of these artists are occasionally mistaken for a one hit wonder or have hit other charts in Billboard, but each hit the Top 40 only twice. In no particular order, here's four of the 64 that I found:

---

BELLAMY BROTHERS
Country duo from Darby, Florida: brothers Howard (born 2/2/46) and David (born 9/16/50) Bellamy.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Let Your Love Flow	3/6/76	1
If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me	7/14/79	39

---

ANDREW GOLD
Born on 8/2/51 in Burbank, California. Pop-rock singer/songwriter. Son of conductor Ernest Gold and singer Marni Nixon.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Lonely Boy	4/16/77	7
Thank You for Being a Friend	3/4/78	25

---

NIGHT
Pop-rock group: Stevie Lange (female vocals), Chris Thompson (male vocals), Robbie McIntosh (guitar), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Billy Kristian (bass) and Rick Marotta (drums). Thompson was lead singer of Manfred Mann's Earth Band. McIntosh later joined The Pretenders and Paul McCartney's backing band.

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Hot Summer Nights	8/4/79	18
If You Remember Me	10/20/79	17

---

THE TUBES
Pop-rock group from San Francisco: Fee Waybill (vocals), Bill Spooner and Roger Steen (guitars), Michael Cotton and Vince Welnick (keyboards), Rick Anderson (bass) and Prairie Prince (drums).

Title	Top 40 Debut	Chart Peak
Don't Want to Wait Anymore	8/1/81	35
She's a Beauty	5/7/83	10

---

Data and artist descriptions taken from The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 7th edition (2000).

MFD Random Five #42

In which I click the shuffle icon on the iTunes app and listen to the first five songs that pop up from the years 1976-85.

---

1. "Green Flower Street" by Donald Fagen (1982, Warner Bros.)
   The Nightfly is such a classic album and one of my all-time favorites. So much so that it certainly deserves its own post on this blog. In any case, this is the second tune on said album and has fun groove, great bridge, obscure lyrics, and a fantastic solo turn from Larry Carlton.


2. "One Step Over the Borderline" by Peter Allen (1980, A&M)
   From the wiki:

   Bi-Coastal is the sixth studio album released in 1980 by Australian singer and songwriter Peter Allen. [sic] The album is Allen's most successful and was produced by David Foster who also wrote many of its songs.  The album has become a classic with lovers of west coast pop music not because of the songs but for the use of musicians like Toto, Steve Lukather, Jay Graydon and others.

   I don't think Allen released six studio albums in 1980, but that's beside the point. Foster's hand is all over this song - just check out the bridge about two minutes in. And Graydon is evident from the get-go. I didn't come to this song/album until very recently and I'm not happy about the fact that I didn't find it when it was originally released.


3. "I'm Ready" by Bryan Adams (1983, A&M)
   Not released as a single, this Foreigner knock-off led side two of my Cuts Like a Knife cassette as I drove to and from my job at the local Burger King in 1983. Adams later released an "unplugged" version of this tune - I'm not at all interested in that one, but I dig this one.


4. "8th Avenue Shuffle" by The Doobie Brothers (1976, Warner Bros.)
   Deep cut from Takin' It to the Streets written by Patrick Simmons. Immediately identifiable as a Doobies tune, it's acceptable as far as filler goes, but it isn't a shuffle.


5. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders (1980, Sire)
   A soft rock tune on an otherwise raucous debut album. Chrissy's lyrics show an extreme confidence and so help me I believe every word. Deserved a higher chart peak than #14, but a great way to end a shuffle. And now I'll grab The Nightfly and Pretenders CDs from the shelves for play during the morning commute. I suggest you do the same.