The Great Seventies Countdown week 9

"Good evening, " the Host says as the crowd settles, "Welcome back to where music and memory intertwine, where you're forever young and the feeling never fades.  Sometimes that feeling is love and happiness and springtime.  And sometimes it is pain and angst... and Rumours..."

170- Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac, 1977, #10.  As 1976 turned to '77, much of the fun of music was already draining out of me.  Rumours and Hotel California stood out against the creeping mediocrity of the day.  Would have been a #1 on my own top ten except a) I had this thing about needing to see something on the chart, b) I was getting the chart from the News-Sentinel, which was only publishing the top 8 (if I was lucky), so c) it became "not worthy".  What a stooge I was.

169- Locomotive Breath, Jethro Tull, 1971 (on album) and 1976 (as single),# 62.  The bluesy piano lead into that powerful guitar beginning always gets the blood up.  The best song on the great lp Aqualung.

168- Heart Of The Night, Poco, 1979, #20.  "Ohh whoa down in New Orleans/ I'm so glad to be back in New Orleans/ Please don't wake me, don't shake me/if it's only/ if it's only just a dream..."

167- Turn To Stone, Electric Light Orchestra, 1978, #13.  I played Out Of The Blue incessantly.  An album I got on the cheap because my nephew was trying to dig himself out of one of those Columbia record club fiascos.
166- My Old School, Steely Dan, 1973, #63.  We sure like the sixties today, eh?  Always my best SD song, especially after becoming a William and Mary fan.



165- Rock On, David Essex, 1974, #5.  One of those slightly bizarre songs that everyone liked.  The James Dean tie in and "where do we go from here..."

164- Who'll Stop The Rain, Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1970, #2.  Love the legendary trip through history.  "Five year plans and New Deals/Wrapped in golden chains..."

163- Sweet Talkin' Woman, Electric Light Orchestra, 1978, #17.  Ironic because I just caught that I missed Turn To Stone, went up to fix that, and this was next.  When this came out I was listening a lot to CLKW, and they had an ad for some rock celebrity marathon that went:  "We all know Jeff Lynne can play a guitar (licks from Sweet Talkin' Woman in the background)... But can he run a marathon? (gutiar replaced by heavy breathing and "HUH?")

162- Fanny (Be Tender With My Love), Bee Gees, 1976, #12.  To this day, I don't understand what he sings in the second verse.  Didn't matter then, doesn't matter now.

161- Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me), Doobie Brothers,  1975, #11.  The last real Doobies song until they reformed and did The Doctor in 1989.  The Michael McDonald stuff was good, but that was another band to me.

160- Double Vision, Foreigner, 1978, #2.  I just wish Lou Gramm hadn't sung over the top of all the "oooooh double vision"s at the end.

159- Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling, The Fortunes, 1971, #15.  I said on the sixties countdown, this was a song I always thought was older.  The middle break gives me shivvers.



158- I Want You Back, Jackson Five, 1970, #1.  The beginning of stardom for Michael, and though teeny-bop and bubble gum, a powerful song.

157- Kodachrome, Paul Simon, 1973, #2. Raise your hands if you empathize with either "When I think back on all the crap I learned in High School" or "and everything looks worse in black and white."  Both hands up?  Me too.

156- Showdown, Electric Light Orchestra, 1973 (#53) and 1976 (#59).  Released once off On The Third Day and once off Ole' ELO.  Gets more play now than it did then.

155- Lying Eyes, The Eagles, 1975, #2.  What would have been their third straight #1, kept out by Island Girl.  My favorite part is how the "and your smile" in the chorus is sung different in each of the three choruses.

154- Smile A Little Smile, The Flying Machine, 1970, #5.  This song was one of those that had the "little kid mix up" legend for me.  I THOUGHT I heard my sister tell Mom that it was written by a soldier who was dying in Vietnam, and I THOUGHT it was refering to Rose Marie from the Dick van Dyke show.  Whenever I still hear it, a little of the "dying soldier" feel still creeps in for me, even though I ain't that stupid anymore.



153- Long Train Running, Doobie Brothers, 1973, #8.  "Without love, where would you be now..."

152- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Joan Baez, 1973, #3.  I love history songs- even if the history's a bit off.  And the choir in the chorus.

151- The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Robert John, 1971, #3. Call me crazy, but I still prefer his version to the Tokens' original.

"And just like that, our time together is done for another week," the Host says.  " Here is one more to send you home on- if you don't mind really dumb videos to go with it."


The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Robert John by vthik