Hidden Treasures - Keep Reachin' For The Stars

[Scott]

By "You Know You Missed Me" Scott

This past month or so we've heard the sad tale of Casey Kasem. Well long story short, he's not doing well and may not be here with us much longer. So I wanted to do a Hidden Treasures tribute to the American Top 40 show he is so famous for.

Regardless of what type of music you like, how you got into music, etc... Your musical life has been influenced in one way or another by the American Top 40 Charts. For example, I would say my brother was my biggest musical influencer, however, once I hit Junior High School it was a full-on assault of Top 40 tracks. For me that was 1976. Up to that point I was knee deep in my brothers collection, Beatles, Tommy James, Three Dog Night, Fleetwood Mac, Bobo Seger, Kansas, Styx, Ted Nugent... And then I heard and saw what everyone was getting into. So thats what I'm looking at this week, some deep cuts from the American Top 40. Not the #1's, but the ones that caught my ear, dipped onto the chart and then fell off. A couple of which still resonate with me to this day.

Just to make this week post even more interesting and fact based, heres some wiki "facts" that you can totally 100% rely upon being true...

• American Top 40 began on the Independence Day weekend in 1970, on seven radio stations, the very first being KDEO in El Cajon, California (now KECR), which broadcast the inaugural show the evening of July 3, 1970
• The very first show featured the very last time both Elvis Presley and The Beatles had songs simultaneously in the Top 10
• The Long Distance Dedication feature began with the August 26, 1978 broadcast, two months before the show expanded to four hours (the first LDD, located in the mail by staffer Matt Wilson, was "Desiree" by Neil Diamond, sent in by a man whose girlfriend, named Desiree, was moving to Germany to live with parents on an American air base).
• In 1988, Kasem left the show over contract concerns with ABC. Industry trade paper Billboard magazine reported that the main disputes between Kasem and Watermark/ABC were over his salary, because of declining ratings and a smaller group of stations airing the show.
  From January 2001 to December 2002, many radio stations aired reruns of 1980-1988 episodes under the title American Top 40 Flashback. The show was syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks.

What memories do you have of the American Top 40 and Casey Kasem?

I Remember...

•  Making my Dad turn the radio to the countdown and him complaining about it but he did it anyway
• I remember hearing Blondies Heart of Glass debut on the charts, why I remember this I couldnt tell you
• Into The Night by Benny Mardones, love at first listen! And still one of my all time faves!
• KISS hitting the charts with I Was Made For Loving You, remember Kasem referring to the song as a disco song

Now, on with the countdown!

PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/a1jevf39

	Peter Frampton Where I Should Be 1979 1 - I Can't Stand It No More Highest Chart Position: #14 In June 1978, Frampton suffered a near fatal car crash in the Bahamas, which left him with a concussion, muscle damage and broken bones, to make matters worse, he and his longtime girlfriend also ended their relationship. But in 1979, he released the album Where I Should Be, which went gold and produced the hit "I Can't Stand It No More", which reached #14 in the singles charts. In addition to some good Frampton compositions and guitar solos ("Got My Feet Back on the Ground", Everything I Need", She Don't Reply") The album's other highlights include the two Isaac Hayes - David Porter covers, "May I Baby", and "You Don't Know Like I Know".
	Cheap Trick Dream Police 1979 2 - Voices Highest Chart Position: #32 Dream Police shows the band expanding into longer, more complex songs and incorporating orchestration on several tracks. Three videos were produced: "Dream Police", "Way of the World" and "Voices". The album's title track became a Top 30 hit for the band. "Voices" was also a hit for the band, reaching No. 32 on the Billboard chart. "Voices" has been used twice in the soundtrack of the American sitcom How I Met Your Mother.
	Kansas Monolith 1979 3 - People Of The Southwind Highest Chart Position: #23 Although this was Kansas' third straight studio album to hit the Billboard Top 10, its sales were slow compared to the previous releases, and its one Top 40 hit, "People of the South Wind" enjoyed only brief popularity. The title refers to the meaning of the Siouan word "Kansa," the Indian tribe for which the state of Kansas was named. On their 80-city U.S. tour, the band's set list featured the entire album early in the tour, though by the time the tour ended, about half the songs had been cut from the live set in favor of older numbers.

"Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars."

[Jon]

Bobo Seger? You listened to a monkey?

I don't think I really ever religiously listened to the top 40 show, I'm sure it was playing in the background a lot of times. Maybe I waited to hear what the #1 song was a few times. I do remember listening to it while cruising in Sacramento in '83, waiting to hear "Burning Down The House". Maybe I did listen to it more that I can remember, but I can't remember.

But I can say that I didn't listen to that show in '79, so I would never have heard these songs introduced by Casey. I can pretend he's introducing them to me, his voice sticks in my head whenver I hear his name.

"Voices" should have charted higher.  

"I Can't Stand It No More" is a good song, but after this he kind of disappeared from the charts. "Frampton Comes Alive" can only last so long before people go on to other things. What came before this? "I'm In You"? Too bad though, the album that came after this is killer. 

Now, I like Kansas. But I think folks caught on quickly with this album and this single. Neither are really that good, but there are a couple really good songs on the album. This song isn't one of 'em.

I need to get that PF album, does this look like a good deal?

Wait. You were gone for awhile? Didn't even notice.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Quite honestly, I don't have any particular memories of the Top 40 Countdown, other than the host was Casey Kasem.  I did listen to it a good bit.

Frampton - I don't have this album but I really do dig this song.  And I do remember hearing it on the radio, probably the Top 40 Countdown as well.

Trick - Sometimes I really dig this song, sometimes I don't.  Can't say I remember it from the countdown, but today I like it a lot.  Sounds great.  A cool slice of power pop.

Kansas - I have this album, but I've never listened to it.  I don't remember this at all from the countdown or the radio.  But it's a very good song.  I'll have to spin this album soon.

One countdown memory ( a local station's countdown, not Top 40) was the year end countdown for WBBQ in 1976.  This particular station did this every year, and at that time, was a great radio station here in Augusta.  That particular year I remember sitting on my twin bed, next to my Grandfather (we shared a room at the time).  I was right beside him, and when the number one requested song that year came on, I almost knocked him over as I jumped with excitement.  The song was..............................Beth.  I couldn't believe it, my favorite band was the number one most requested for the year.  Of course the song only climbed to number 7 I think on the Billboard chart, but who cares.  As far as I can remember, this was on January first of 1977.  Sadly, I would lose my Grandfather a little later that year.  But I'll always have that memory of his reaction to my reaction.

[Gordon Williams]

For me, the Cheap Trick is the best track. Vaguely familiar with the Frampton, but don't recall the Kansas. And I can honestly only recall hearing the top 40 show a few times. Always preferred my records over the radio, for the most part.