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Post by Kapitan on Sept 18, 2021 14:53:10 GMT
Once again, my parent’s were “appalled” by the lyrics of a song with “Go All the Way”. Not even sure I really quite knew what that meant then. It was a more innocent time. Now you get 10 year olds singing about their “WAP”. That's the funny thing about questionable lyrics: I think they often go over the heads of the kids who are too young to be listening, so it's almost irrelevant. I had the same experience with several songs during the early and mid 80s.
There is another great example of that from this very year, 1972, with Lou Reed's hit "Walk on the Wild Side." Though the BBC wasn't run by 10-year-olds, they missed it, too.
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Post by carllove on Sept 18, 2021 15:09:39 GMT
How could I forget, that the greatest movie soundtrack ever was released this year! The Soundtrack to “ A Clockwork Orange”. Beethoven as you have never heard it before! Had it on cassette tape. One that eventually broke, I played it so much!
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Post by carllove on Sept 18, 2021 15:22:59 GMT
Once again, my parent’s were “appalled” by the lyrics of a song with “Go All the Way”. Not even sure I really quite knew what that meant then. It was a more innocent time. Now you get 10 year olds singing about their “WAP”. That's the funny thing about questionable lyrics: I think they often go over the heads of the kids who are too young to be listening, so it's almost irrelevant. I had the same experience with several songs during the early and mid 80s.
There is another great example of that from this very year, 1972, with Lou Reed's hit "Walk on the Wild Side." Though the BBC wasn't run by 10-year-olds, they missed it, too. I have heard that song on the radio, but lately it seems to be intact without edit. Not like that is a double entendre like “Pearl Necklace”. Pretty sure there is no double meaning there. Maybe the kids think it has something to do with shampooing hair? Thankfully I never asked my parents what that meant. I did ask then what “tits” were, once. Then I swear I have heard NIN “Closer” once or twice without edit on the radio. Pretty sure the “f” word is not allowed on the radio.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 18, 2021 16:55:44 GMT
Ah, 1972, I remember it well. I've been thinking about how to verbalize this post so it makes sense. I know what I mean but I don't know how to write it.
I think 1972 was a kind of turning point in pop/rock. I remember 1971's music well, too, and I always thought of that year as the real "end of the 60's". It just took an extra year for it to wind down. I thought the 60's attitude was finally...leaving...in 1971. We finally came to the reality that many of our great 60's bands were gone and might not be coming back. Oh, obviously there were still a few great ones left, but things had thinned out, and it was now time for a new breed, a new wave.
Also in preparing this post, I screened the Top Songs Of 1972, and it appeared to me (and I might be wrong), that there were more male and female singers having hits than groups. I'm thinking Elton John, Paul Simon, Nilsson, Al Green, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Don McLean, Todd Rundgren, Cat Stevens, and, yes, a young Michael Jackson. Hell, even Sammy Davis, Jr. and Wayne Newton had hit singles. And, Chuck Berry had his biggest hit ever with "My Ding-a-Ling! 1972 seemed to be more pop-oriented, a little more goofy and wacky, a little more glittery, a little more showy . Hey, who, or what is this David Bowie, Sweet, T-Rex, Slade, and, um Lou Reed? Motown was fading, only to be replaced by The Sound Of Philadelphia. Where did my Kinks go? The Doors? Well, it sure looks likes The Beatles are really history, just look at John, Paul, George, and Ringworm now! Huh, Simon but no Garfunkel? Neil Young, how dare you leave the other three, but welcome nevertheless...and thank you.
AM radio was still great but FM radio was coming big time. Rock and roll was still alive and well (that would be Johnny Winter next year ) and was as loud and fast as ever, it's just that there was a changing of the guard. These 1972 guitar players cut their teeth on the late 60's greats. Welcome back Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Derek And The Dominos, thank you for "Layla", it made my summer, and sorry to see you leave so soon. And, finally, CCR and Chicago were STILL GREAT! "Saturday In The Park" and "Sweet Hitchiker". The best in AM radio music. Turn it on. Turn it up.
And I did. It was a great year. I had my transistor radio by my side. This model actually had an antenna so I could pull in FM radio, too. Almost every album I purchased in 1972 was a Doors' album, from the excellent comp, Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine, to the new Doors' album, Full Circle. What a thrill it was to discover and explore The Doors' catalogue as a 14 year old.
1972? Yep, give me "Brandy You're A Fine Girl", "Heart Of Gold", "Taxi", "Roundabout", "Betcha By Golly, Wow", "Go All The Way", and "Let's Stay Together" and I'll be a happy man.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 18, 2021 17:10:53 GMT
No. Title Artist(s) 1 "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" Roberta Flack 2 "Alone Again (Naturally)" Gilbert O'Sullivan 3 "American Pie" Don McLean 4 "Without You" Harry Nilsson 5 "The Candy Man" Sammy Davis Jr. 6 "I Gotcha" Joe Tex 7 "Lean on Me" Bill Withers 8 "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" Mac Davis 9 "Brand New Key" Melanie 10 "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" Wayne Newton 11 "Let's Stay Together" Al Green 12 "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" Looking Glass 13 "Oh Girl" The Chi-Lites 14 "Nice to Be with You" Gallery 15 "My Ding-a-Ling" Chuck Berry 16 "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" Luther Ingram 17 "Heart of Gold" Neil Young 18 "Betcha by Golly, Wow" The Stylistics 19 "I'll Take You There" The Staple Singers 20 "Ben" Michael Jackson 21 "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" Robert John 22 "Outa-Space" Billy Preston 23 "Slippin' into Darkness" War 24 "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" The Hollies 25 "How Do You Do" Mouth & MacNeal 26 "Song Sung Blue" Neil Diamond 27 "A Horse with No Name" America 28 "Popcorn" Hot Butter 29 "Everybody Plays the Fool" The Main Ingredient 30 "Precious and Few" Climax 31 "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All" The 5th Dimension 32 "Nights in White Satin" The Moody Blues 33 "Go All the Way" Raspberries 34 "Too Late to Turn Back Now" Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose 35 "Back Stabbers" The O'Jays 36 "Down by the Lazy River" The Osmonds 37 "Sunshine" Jonathan Edwards 38 "Starting All Over Again" Mel and Tim 39 "Day After Day" Badfinger 40 "Rocket Man" Elton John
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 18, 2021 17:15:27 GMT
And the albums that topped the Billboard charts in 1972:
Carole King, Music Don McLean, American Pie Neil Young, Harvet America, America Roberta Flack, First Take Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street Elton John, Honky Chateau Chicago, Chicago V Curtis Mayfield, Superfly Cat Stevens, Catch Bull at Four The Moody Blues, Seventh Sojourn
It was Chicago that spent the longest time at #1, at nine weeks.
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Post by carllove on Sept 18, 2021 17:41:34 GMT
Oh those songs - so good!
I had the 45’s of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Without You”, “Alone Again (Naturally)”, “Day After Day”, and “Go All the Way”. I remember having that Melanie album, with “Brand New Key” on it. Totally forgot about her. “Ben” was popular with my age set at the time. Wasn’t he singing to a rat, or do I remember that wrong? “Precious and Few” was a staple of the “slow skate” at the skating rink. Love that Fifth Dimension song! “Daddy Don’t You Walk So Fast” can still make me cry. They re-released “Nights in White Satin”? I don’t remember that - Where is “I’m Just a Singer in a Rock n Roll Band”? Isn’t that on Seventh Sojourn”?
Of course “American Pie” was played all of the time on the radio. I like Don McLean, but think “Vincent” is a much better song. I saw him live many years ago. He did a great show.
Forgot that “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” came out that year. The Hollies greatest hits album that I owned, was released before that.
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Post by Kapitan on Sept 18, 2021 18:10:19 GMT
I remember having that Melanie album, with “Brand New Key” on it. Totally forgot about her. I love that album, Gather Me. It's from 1971 but "Brand New Key" (released as a single in October 1971) stayed on the charts--and topped them--into 1972.
Not to digress too much, but I really like "Some Say (I Got Devil)" from that same album.
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
Likes: 181
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Post by sockit on Sept 18, 2021 18:24:29 GMT
I think 1972 was a kind of turning point in pop/rock. I remember 1971's music well, too, and I always thought of that year as the real "end of the 60's". It just took an extra year for it to wind down. I thought the 60's attitude was finally...leaving...in 1971. We finally came to the reality that many of our great 60's bands were gone and might not be coming back. Oh, obviously there were still a few great ones left, but things had thinned out, and it was now time for a new breed, a new wave. Well stated, SJS. I've always felt that 1972 was somewhat of a new chapter in rock. The radio hits were becoming more serious, and sometimes even dark. "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan was one of my favorites in my 45 collection, but I didn't realize until I got older what a depressing song it is. To use a Murry-ism, "it's a suicide note!" Gone were the Bubblegum years, although there was the occasional novelty hit, but those were almost always one-offs (and not so much aimed at the teeny boppers). Hard rock was becoming more mainstream on the airwaves with Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water". It took me a few years to discover what a great album DP's Machine Head is; in '72 I was only buying 45s. My sisters were more album oriented, with offerings by Three Dog Night, John Denver, the Carpenters, etc. One particular album that got my attention was the K-Tel "Believe in Music" comp, which featured a bunch of abridged hits from '71-'72.
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Post by B.E. on Sept 19, 2021 0:58:08 GMT
And the albums that topped the Billboard charts in 1972:
Cat Stevens, Catch Bull at Four It warms my heart to see Cat Stevens' name mentioned twice on this forum by posters other than me! I was planning on highlighting three of his songs, as opposed to his album, Catch Bull at Four, because I don't think that's as strong of an album as his previous few, but that didn't stop it from topping the charts it appears. Just goes to show how big he was then. That said, I love the album, but back to my original plan. "Morning Has Broken" peaked at #6 in May 1972 (#1 on the AC chart). A truly beautiful tune. "Sitting" reached #16 in January 1973. Rhythmically, and energetically, it kicks my ass! Listen to how he enhances the section beginning at about 1:56 (first heard at 0:50). The intensity skyrockets! So cool. And, this is what? A piano-driven ballad? That's something that Cat Stevens really excelled at. In the UK, "Can't Keep It In" peaked at #13 in September 1972. It should have been released as a single in the US. It would have been a hit for sure! Those are all classics, IMO. (To go along with about a dozen others of his, at least.)
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Post by jk on Sept 19, 2021 16:01:12 GMT
"Morning Has Broken" peaked at #6 in May 1972 (#1 on the AC chart). A truly beautiful tune. Ha. I played "Morning Has Broken" during the mini-concerts I gave from my back balcony during the "heroic" initial lockdown of 2020. Mr Stevens made some great music. Maybe he still does -- I've lost track since he became Yusuf Islam. Well, 1972 was the year I moved out of my parents' place for good. Songs that remind me of that time that haven't been mentioned yet (?) include Holly Sherwood's "Day By Day" and The Chi-Lites' BB-esque "Have You Seen Her?" The song that best represents my slightly later move to London's Portobello Road area is "Silver Machine" by Hawkwind, whose bassist (and in this case singer) Lemmy frequented one of the pubs in that street. Other fave 45's? Slade's finest outing ("Mama Weer All Crazee Now"), Alice Cooper's "Elected" (I'd have voted for him) and a mellow single, "Sarah", by Thin Lizzy, one of the few acts I've seen twice. Albums not mentioned so far (?) that I love include Beefheart's The Spotlight Kid, the self-titled album by Manassas, ELP's Trilogy, Yes's Close To The Edge and Santana's magnificent Caravanserai (particularly side one).
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sockit
The Surfer Moon
Posts: 234
Likes: 181
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Post by sockit on Sept 19, 2021 16:16:49 GMT
Here's a rather obscure musical tidbit about 1972. It was the year the Scorpions released their debut album Lonesome Crow. Of course, I didn't find out about it until I was in my twenties. It features Michael Schenker (of UFO fame) on lead guitar and sounds nothing like any of their later albums. It was clearly before their Arena Rock sound of the late 70s and later, and has a lot of instrumental jamming which was very much of the times.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Sept 19, 2021 16:54:27 GMT
Another 1972 FM radio story...As I mentioned above, I got my first FM radio in 1972, except I didn't know anything about FM and I was too preoccupied with AM to try it out. So, I go back to school in September and a friend (actually more of an acquaintance) comes up to me in the hall and says, "I heard you like The Doors. I heard their song, 'The Mosquito' on WRHY-FM in York. It's a cool song isn't it..." After I picked myself up off the floor - here was a classmate who not only heard of The Doors, but knew about an obscure song from their new album (Full Circle), and led me to a place to hear them - I was curious. Right after football practice I went home and, maybe for the first or second time, checked out this FM radio. Well, I'll be darned, about an hour or so later, on WRHY-FM, here comes "The Mosquito" in glorious non-static sound. I was blown away. I'm actually listening to Full Circle songs on the radio. Hey, this FM radio is alright. It rocks! Next thing you know I'm listening to "Highway Star" and "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple, "I'm Eighteen" by Alice Cooper, the long version of "Roundabout" by Yes, and "Melissa" by The Allman Brothers. And, there was this other long song being played. I knew the group, I recognized the voice, but this was the first time I heard this song - and I loved it. It was called "Stairway To Heaven".
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Post by carllove on Sept 19, 2021 17:16:51 GMT
And the albums that topped the Billboard charts in 1972:
Cat Stevens, Catch Bull at Four It warms my heart to see Cat Stevens' name mentioned twice on this forum by posters other than me! I was planning on highlighting three of his songs, as opposed to his album, Catch Bull at Four, because I don't think that's as strong of an album as his previous few, but that didn't stop it from topping the charts it appears. Just goes to show how big he was then. That said, I love the album, but back to my original plan. "Morning Has Broken" peaked at #6 in May 1972 (#1 on the AC chart). A truly beautiful tune. "Sitting" reached #16 in January 1973. Rhythmically, and energetically, it kicks my ass! Listen to how he enhances the section beginning at about 1:56 (first heard at 0:50). The intensity skyrockets! So cool. And, this is what? A piano-driven ballad? That's something that Cat Stevens really excelled at. In the UK, "Can't Keep It In" peaked at #13 in September 1972. It should have been released as a single in the US. It would have been a hit for sure! Those are all classics, IMO. (To go along with about a dozen others of his, at least.) One of the songs they played at my Husband’s sister’s outdoor funeral service last year was “Morning Has Broken”. The lyrics were printed on an insert inside of the program so that everybody could sing along. I didn’t need them. I purchased Cat Steven’s Greatest Hit’s in 1975 and used to sing along to the songs all of the time. It was a very moving moment. Monica was only two years older than me and had great taste in music.
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Post by jk on Sept 19, 2021 19:21:47 GMT
One of the songs they played at my Husband’s sister’s outdoor funeral service last year was “Morning Has Broken”. The lyrics were printed on an insert inside of the program so that everybody could sing along. I didn’t need them. I purchased Cat Steven’s Greatest Hits in 1975 and used to sing along to the songs all of the time. It was a very moving moment. Monica was only two years older than me and had great taste in music. I have great trouble "liking" this post, which is why I'm answering it instead (or trying to). Last year -- that must have made a most difficult time much more difficult still. For whatever reason, Cat Stevens' music has long been associated with coming to terms with grief and coping with difficult situations. Some composers/musicians are able to reach such places -- Kate Bush is another. So sorry to hear of your loss, cl.
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