Casey Kasem’s Top 40 Countdown for the week ending on January 26th of 1974 is a stew of funk, classic rock, silky soul, and patriotic pablum.
The Vietnam War was finally winding down. The U.S. had achieved none of its goals. Meanwhile, the Watergate scandal loomed like a dark cloud over Richard Nixon’s presidency. Every day, the headlines tell of another resignation, another guilty plea, another conspirator. Every day, the trail of breadcrumbs draws close to the president.
Early 1974–it all weighed on America like a bad hangover.
American radio listeners looked for escape–-on the dance floor, in the arms of a loved one, and in their own memories.
As always, Casey Kasem’s countdown captures it all.
The Week in History
The week preceding this countdown might well mark the official launch of the pro-life movement. On January 22nd, exactly one year after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, anti-abortion activist Nellie Gray assembled 6000 protesters in Washington D.C. for the first annual National March for Life. Gray is widely credited with coining the term “pro-life.”
The very next day, heavyweight boxers Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier joined Howard Cosell for an interview to promote their upcoming bout. Back in March of 1971, Frazier bested Ali across 15 bruising rounds. It was deemed the Fight of the Century, and marked Ali’s first professional defeat.
With no title on the line, Ali and Frazier met on a broadcast of Wide World of Sports to hype “Superfight II”.
What began as a heated verbal exchange between the fighters descended into a minor physical altercation. It only stoked anticipation for a match that would prove an instant classic.
Five days later–on January 28th–the legends met in the ring at Madison Square Garden for a 12-round bout that Ali ultimately won by unanimous decision. Ali would also go on to beat Frazier in a third and final bout–1975’s “Thrilla in Manilla.”
Highlights from This Week’s Countdown
While Ali prepped for his bout with Frazier, it was former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr who reigned over the last week of January ‘74.
The top song on Casey Kasem’s countdown for the week of January 26th is Ringo Starr’s “You’re Sixteen.” A throwback cover of rockabilly legend Johnny Burnette’s #8 hit from 1960, Ringo’s version peaked at the #1 spot, not just here, but on the Billboard Hot 100 as well.
If you would like to enjoy this song, I suggest assuming that the protagonist is also sixteen. It makes it less creepy.
Anyway, Ringo’s version is not necessarily better than the original but it was a much bigger hit. To that we say, good for Ringo!
Also noteworthy, this countdown contains the only song by Philadelphia native Todd Rundgren to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
As it happens, this is actually the very first song that Rundgren ever wrote. He originally recorded it in 1968 with his semi-legendary garage band The Nazz. It was the B-Side to the band’s first single—“Open My Eyes” but was not itself issued as a single.
After the dissolution of his band, Rundgren embarked on a solo career, where he built a cult following with a clutch of thoughtful, innovative and experimental records. He included a slightly juiced up version of “Hello It’s Me” on his third solo record, 1973’s Something/Anything?
It made its way all the way up to #5 on the Hot 100, and made it to #38 on this week’s Top 40 countdown.
It’s one of several tunes from this week’s countdown that would ultimately become classic rock staples. See also—“Midnight Rider” by the Allman Brothers, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John and “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” by Brownsville Station.
Fun Facts About This Week’s Countdown
There is actually a song that appears on this Top 40 countdown twice, by two different…”artists.”
Let it not be lost on us that this countdown was issued at a time when American pride was at a low ebb. With its failed policy in Vietnam and a presidency embroiled in scandal, the American government faced deep-seated unpopularity both at home and abroad.
Blame Canada
In the summer of 1973, Canadian radio broadcaster Gordon Sinclair issued the opinion that America is among the most generous nations in the world, that it rushes to the aid of other nations, and that few if any nations line up to return the favor when America faces a crisis. This “Canadian’s Opinion” argued that people should be nicer to America.
Here’s a choice sampling from Sinclair’s speech:
The Marshall Plan, the Truman Policy, all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. And now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, war-mongering Americans.
Now, I’d like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes. Come on now, you, let’s hear it. Does any country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar, or the Douglas 10? If so, why don’t they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or a woman on the moon?
You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times, and, safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They’re right here on our streets in Toronto. Most of them, unless they’re breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend up here.
I think you get the gist.
Motor City Mildness
Anyway, a Detroit-based news anchor and radio personality named Byron MacGregor decided to read Sinclair’s statement on his own CKLW program.
Suddenly, Sinclair’s stentorian statement was a cultural phenomenon. CKLW was hounded with requests to replay the recitation.
Its unabashedly pro-American sentiment brought comfort to a certain segment of the U.S. population at a time when few outside of its borders had anything nice to say.
Westbound Records quickly responded by issuing MacGregor’s reading as a single, backed by a recording of “America the Beautiful” from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Lovers of funk may recognize the swirling psychedelic illustration on the Westbound label. That’s because the label is far better known for its affiliation with funk pioneers like the Ohio Players, the Detroit Emeralds and, most importantly, Funkadelic.
That said, its most successful release may well be the least funky thing ever recorded. Released in January of 1974, “Americans” by Byron MacGregor was not just the biggest hit in Westbound’s history.
It actually became one of the fastest selling records in U.S. chart history as well. “The Americans” topped 2 million in sales in just one month, and reached all the way up to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
And you can really feel the hotness here.
You can’t help but feel that Sam Eagle from the Muppets was loosely based on the consequent recording. (In fact, the staunchly patriotic puppet would make his first appearance the following year. Coincidence?)
As for Casey Kasem’s Top 40 in the final week of January 1974, “Americans” charted not once but twice.
Gordon Sinclair, seeing MacGregor’s success, recorded his own hit single, backed by an orchestral version of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” At 73, Gordon Sinclair made it all the way to #24 on the U.S. charts.
Gordon Sinclair and Byron MacGregor sit at #28 and #10 respectively on this week’s Top 40 countdown.
Funky Facts About this Week’s Countdown
While Westbound made hay with its patriotic turn, this week’s countdown had plenty of funk too.
Get Up With the Get Down
Bass-heavy hits run up and down the charts here, including Kool and the Gang’s grimy “Jungle Boogie” at #18, Stevie Wonder’s “Livin’ for the City” at #12 and “Me and Baby Brother” from War at #15. Songs like “Boogie Down” by Eddie Kendricks (#36) and “Put Your Hands Together” by the O’Jays (#22) hinted at a not-too-distant future when disco would rule the land.
Right On Doin’ It
Late January of 1974 was also a conspicuously sexy time. Entries from Isaac Hayes (“Joy Pt. 1), Al Green (“Livin’ for You”) and Barry White (“Never Never Gonna Give You Up”; “Love’s Theme”) suggest people in radioland were feeling all kinds of romantic.
Scattered Pictures and Midnight Tokers
Then again, Barbara Streisand’s locked up #3 slot with “The Way We Were” And, Jim Croce’s haunting and maudlin “Time in a Bottle” takes the #8 spot. In other words, while lots of people were getting down in the mid-’70s, a lot of others were just feeling down.
These were heavy times. There was perhaps a yearning for a simpler time.
Then again, there’s nothing simpler or more effective than the vibe on Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker.” The self-declared pompatus of love nabs the #5 slot on this week’s countdown. He also offers a pointed retort to Streisand and Croce:
“Well don’t you worry, don’t worry, no don’t worry mama.”
He makes a good point.
Casey’s Kasem’s American Top 40–January 26, 1974
- YOU’RE SIXTEEN – RINGO STARR
- SHOW AND TELL – AL WILSON
- THE WAY WE WERE – BARBRA STREISAND
- I’VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION – GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
- THE JOKER – STEVE MILLER BAND
- LOVE’S THEME – BARRY WHITE (The Love Unlimited Orchestra)
- SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM – BROWNSVILLE STATION
- LET ME BE THERE – OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN
- TIME IN A BOTTLE – JIM CROCE
- AMERICANS – BYRON MACGREGOR
- UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING TO DO) – ARETHA FRANKLIN
- LIVING FOR THE CITY – STEVIE WONDER
- NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP – BARRY WHITE
- SPIDERS AND SNAKES – JIM STAFFORD
- ME AND BABY BROTHER – WAR
- ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT/WHEN I FALL IN LOVE – DONNY OSMOND
- HELEN WHEELS – PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS
- JUNGLE BOOGIE – KOOL & THE GANG
- WALK LIKE A MAN – GRAND FUNK Railroad
- THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL – CHARLIE RICH
- LIVIN’ FOR YOU – AL GREEN
- PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER – The O’JAYS
- LEAVE ME ALONE (RUBY RED DRESS) – HELEN REDDY
- ROCK ON – DAVID ESSEX
- GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD – ELTON JOHN
- SISTER MARY ELEPHANT – CHEECH & CHONG
- LET YOUR HAIR DOWN – TEMPTATIONS
- AMERICANS – GORDON SINCLAIR
- TOP OF THE WORLD – CARPENTERS
- I LOVE – TOM T. HALL
- JOY – PT. 1 – ISAAC HAYES
- MIDNIGHT RIDER – ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
- LAST TIME I SAW HIM – DIANA ROSS
- JIM DANDY – BLACK OAK ARKANSAS
- A LOVE SONG – ANNE MURRAY
- BOOGIE DOWN – EDDIE KENDRICKS
- BABY COME CLOSE – SMOKEY ROBINSON
- HELLO IT’S ME – TODD RUNDGREN
- ROCKIN’ ROLL BABY – THE STYLISTICS
- ABRA-CA-DABRA – THE DEFRANCO FAMILY