Popdose - Latest Comments in CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Richard — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:59:17 -0000

The best clip is the one of DONNY OSMOND and OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN!!! He is amazing today at almost 52! The very best!

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

orville — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:46:17 -0000

Which clip would this be?

(Myself, I'm creeming over the woman standing to the left of Marty Balin in the Jefferson Starship video. Who cares about David Freiberg and Paul Kantner with HER around?)

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Mark — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:16:09 -0000

Isn't Imaginary Lover the song that, if you sped it up from 33 to 45 rpm, sounds weirdly and remarkably like Fleetwood Mac?

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

George — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:04:19 -0000

Oops, forgot to mention he's at about the 1:07 mark.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

George — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:03:29 -0000

During "Shadow Dancing" the handsome man in the crowd with the mustache at least seems to be having a moderately good time.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Jeff — Sun, 24 May 2009 13:02:47 -0000

Save for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, this entire Chart Attack is pretty much one big bag of poo.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

what the what — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:58:08 -0000

This is yet another one of my favorite Popdose posts I look forward to. As a Bee Gees fan, I absolutely love this week's post and I also love (I'm so full of love, or something) the duets.

(My trip down Gibb memory lane) I remember seeing Andy Gibb in Hawaii in the summer of 1978, the arena was only half full, it was sad (of course it was Hawaii). And just as sad, I don't really remember his performance, then again he probably didn't remember it when it ended either. Conversely, I saw the Bee Gees at Dodger Stadium in '79 and Andy sang with them, which was awesome. Like having two Barry Gibbs.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Gigi — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:35:21 -0000

1. "Jane" is in heavy rotation on my iPod.
2. "If I Can't Have You" (Elliman version) is a song I can barely listen to in public, it gets me so emotional.
3. Am I the only person who feels that the Fugees kind of ruined "Killing Me Softly"? I know, we weren't talking about that song, but I just get so upset every time I think about the fact that an entire generation thinks of Lauryn Hill as the vocalist on that song instead of Roberta Flack. Conversely, I think Johnny Cash's cover of "The First Time Ever..." is completely awesome, and I'm sure Ms. Flack is proud.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

jefito — Sat, 23 May 2009 07:08:18 -0000

Thanks, Elaine!

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Elaine — Sat, 23 May 2009 00:11:47 -0000

http://d3gkbha1s7sr56.cloud...

That's not totally true, but the rest of someecards are far too sentimental.

Happy Birthday!

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Timbo — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:37:51 -0000

Er, that would be "Imaginary Lovers"... D'Oh!

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Timbo — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:34:38 -0000

I remember that if you played the LP version (33 rpm) at 45 rpm, it sounded like Stevie Nicks with Fleetwood Mac.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Beau — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:30:34 -0000

I also have to point out that I had no idea more than one band was staking out Hayseed Dixie territory. Not sure how I feel about that.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Beau — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:27:43 -0000

I was a little shocked to poke around online and learn that the guy's David Freiburg, who's been in various incarnations of Jefferson Air Transit since 1972.

Dude's 70 years old. Why is he handing Balin a guitar?

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Elaine — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:42:45 -0000

eh, maybe you're right. Can a song be completely separated from its lyrics and put back together successfully with new ones? The only new titles I can think of sound like novelty tunes. I still like the way "Imaginary Lover" sounds though.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

DwDunphy — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:32:35 -0000

It's hard to imagine "Imaginary Lover" retitled anything not remotely close to "Palm Sauce".

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

DwDunphy — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:31:03 -0000

"Das ist not Mtume."

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

DwDunphy — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:30:17 -0000

I hate when you put up songs that I probably shouldn't like, but do. It forces me to admit that the weird crosseyed chick with the David Lynch haircut is actually kinda hot.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

MichaelFortes — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:29:58 -0000

Jason, I agree -- "The Closer I Get To You" is awesome. But how could you not mention that it was from the pen of James "Mtume" Forman and Reggie Lucas? Those guys totally ripped shit up with Miles Davis and wrote all of Stephanie Mills' best songs too. And "Mtume" is just a cool name.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Elaine — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:03:58 -0000

I was 10 when this chart happened. Comparing it to my 10-year-old's current music is kind of mindblowing.

There's just not much to hate here, is there. Yvonne Elliman's live voice is surprisingly strong, I'm wondering how much hatred you've got for Mangione, and "Imaginary Lover" would have been great it were retitled and the lyrics were a real love song, but that just wasn't the way they rolled in 1978. Because the music is kind of awesome. Oh, and Donny Osmond sure was flouncy.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

JonCummings — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:43:29 -0000

Macca had this knack for putting together singles that just got under your skin. To hear "With a Little Luck" or even "Silly Love Songs" once or twice is to be impressed with the craftsmanship but otherwise underwhelmed with the songwriting. But as I remember it, hearing "With a Little Luck" every four hours on pop radio was like a drug.

It wasn't til after I became intimately familiar with Abbey Road, later in my teens, that I came to view most of Macca's best singles (and some not-so-greats) -- "With a Little Luck," "Silly Love Songs," "Let 'Em In," "Band on the Run," "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" and even (ick) "Goodnight Tonight" -- as his attempts to distill the magic of the Side Two medley into a single song.

Does anybody else remember when you could judge the coolness of a radio station by whether it played the long or short version of "With a Little Luck" (or "She's Gone," or "While You See a Chance")? I can't bear to hear the edits in the short version of "Luck." Of course, the other way to tell if a station was cool was by whether it played the "shit" or "kicks" version of "Jet Airliner."

"You're the One that I Want" was #11 on my personal Popdose 100 list (right below "O.P.P."). What was the matter with the rest of you people?

One more thing: Marty Balin sounds like he's channeling Bob Dylan doing a joke rendition of "Count on Me." Which immediately led me to imagine the infomercial for a "Bob Dylan Sings the Classics" album. Of course, as with most things, I'm hardly the first person to have had that idea. So, in case you've never seen it:

http://www.jokeroo.com/vide...

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

jim — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:04:49 -0000

god i was eighteen that year, thank the aforementioned i was into television, elvis, the clash and patty smith by that time. i am sure i would not have survived

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

jefito — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:47:50 -0000

I listened to "Ice on Fire" and "Leather Jackets" this morning. I don't fear poop.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

Matt — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:33:22 -0000

Jason,

Thanks for that - you've now made sure that Michael won't call me for at least a month. I owe ya one!

The next six pack is on me! Unfortunately it comes with a CD of Schmit demos attached.

Re: CHART ATTACK!: 5/20/78

jasonhare — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:01:49 -0000

While I agree, I can't help but think you're just sucking up to the readers so they don't send you birthday poo.