May 1975 -- talk about eclectic

The first fivesongs Casey played today from May 1975 were country, disco, singer-songwriter, Led Zeppelin, and R&B.  It kept on mixing from there -- with a #1 song that was R&B, replacing a pop song, with a country song at #2.  Very little disco yet (just a few months from the revolution!), and some of the classic rock from earlier in the decade had faded.  Lots of adult contemporary, and a few absolute 70's classics.

What Casey didn't know what that one of those debuted that week by a new artist...Love Will Keep Us Together by The Captain and Tennille.  What Casey was prescient about was how Supertramp's first hit, "Bloody Well Right" would flop... he didn't normally call out such things, but in this case, the flip side "Dreamer," which had been a big hit in the UK and Canada, has ignored.

Casey also called out Joe Simon for having so many chart records without a top 10..."would this be the one?" he asked.  And what do you know, it was!!  A bold call for a small move into the 20's.

Roger Whittaker's song was his first and only top 40 hit, and it sounded like it was recorded in the 50's!  Queen's first chart hit was peaking.

The #1 song was one of my least favorites by an artist I otherwise liked.  A few years later, the Manhattan's song of the same title became a life-long favorite.  My favorite this week:  the R&B classic "Walking in Rhythm" by the Blackbyrds.

1 4 SHINING STAR –•– Earth, Wind and Fire (Columbia)-15 (1 week at #1)
2 2 BEFORE THE NEXT TEARDROP FALLS –•– Freddy Fender (ABC / Dot)-17
3 3 JACKIE BLUE –•– The Ozark Mountain Daredevils (A&M)-16
4 5 ONLY YESTERDAY –•– The Carpenters (A&M)-9
5 7 THANK GOD I’M A COUNTRY BOY –•– John Denver (RCA)-10
6 8 HOW LONG –•– Ace (Anchor)-12
7 1 HE DON’T LOVE YOU (Like I Love You) –•– Tony Orlando and Dawn (Elektra)-11
8 9 I DON’T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE –•– Paul Anka (with Odia Coates) (United Artists)-11
9 15 BAD TIME –•– Grand Funk (Capitol)-8
10 14 OLD DAYS –•– Chicago (Columbia)-5

11 13 SISTER GOLDEN HAIR –•– America (Warner Brothers)-8
12 12 KILLER QUEEN –•– Queen (Elektra)-16
13 16 LOVE WON’T LET ME WAIT –•– Major Harris (Atlantic)-9
14 17 WHEN WILL I BE LOVED / IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE –•– Linda Ronstadt (Capitol)-7
15 11 PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM –•– The Elton John Band (MCA)-12
16 6 WALKING IN RHYTHM –•– The Blackbyrds (Fantasy)-16
17 18 HIJACK –•– Herbie Mann (Atlantic)-13
18 21 CUT THE CAKE –•– The Average White Band (AWB) (Atlantic)-7
19 19 SHOESHINE BOY –•– Eddie Kendricks (Tamla)-15
20 10 (Hey Won’t You Play) ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG –•– B.J. Thomas (ABC)-17

21 23 I’M NOT LISA –•– Jessi Colter (Capitol)-8
22 22 THE IMMIGRANT –•– Neil Sedaka (Rocket)-9
23 26 ONLY WOMEN –•– Alice Cooper (Atlantic)-8
24 29 WILDFIRE –•– Michael Murphy (Epic)-9
25 30 BAD LUCK (Part 1) –•– Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (Phila. Intl.)-10
26 28 RAINY DAY PEOPLE –•– Gordon Lightfoot (Reprise)-9
27 31 MAGIC –•– Pilot (EMI)-8
28 32 GET DOWN, GET DOWN (Get On the Floor) –•– Joe Simon (Spring)-8
29 33 THE LAST FAREWELL –•– Roger Whittaker (RCA)-8
30 36 TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS (Rock Me) –•– The Doobie Brothers (Warner Brothers)-4

31 34 SHAKEY GROUND –•– The Temptations (Gordy)-10
32 35 I’LL PLAY FOR YOU (Hear the Band) –•– Seals and Crofts (Warner Brothers)-8
33 41 LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER –•– The Captain and Tennille (A&M)-6
34 39 I WANNA DANCE WIT’ CHOO (Doo Dat Dance) (Part 1) –•– Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes (Chelsea)-6
35 37 BLOODY WELL RIGHT –•– Supertramp (A&M)-7
36 40 REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU TO FORGET / MY SHIP –•– Tavares (Capitol)-7
37 55 ATTITUDE DANCING –•– Carly Simon (Elektra)-3
38 38 TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT –•– Led Zeppelin (Swan Song)-6
39 43 THE WAY WE WERE / TRY TO REMEMBER (Medley) –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-5
40 48 MISTY –•– Ray Stevens (Barnaby)-5