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PART TWO
Below are the second group of five songs for this series from the Hot 100 of 1974.
The songs’ positions on the chart are indicated below. You may notice some numbers missing. There are reasons for that; and there are reviews of the missing songs HERE.
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Our list begins this time with a track that reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was placed at #7 on the 1974 Hot 100 chart. The Sound of Philadelphia by MFSB featuring The Three Degrees. Read further info about this hit song HERE.
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Next is a fun novelty song by multi-hit artist Ray Stevens, celebrating (?) a fad of that day, The Streak. This track made it to #1 on the Hot 100, and ended the year at #8 on the annual chart. This video was made in 1992 as part of a Greatest Hits project. See more of the story of this song HERE.
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Third on this mini-list is Elton John’s beloved ‘classic,’ Bennie and the Jets. This song spent some time at #1 on the US Hot 100 chart, and placed at #9 on the annual chart. This video was made in 2017. Read more about this song HERE.
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Next on our list is Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do), by Aretha Franklin. This song climbed to #3 on the Hot 100 chart, and was in the #11 position on the end-of-year chart. See more info on this song HERE.
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The last song on today’s list is this laidback tune from Maria Muldaur, Midnight at the Oasis. This song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it was sitting at #13 on the year-end chart. Find out more about this song HERE.
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Please comment with your opinions about these tunes!
‘Til next time…
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~ Trivial Music Silliness ~ 
Most representative of the confusion of the mid-70s, save for the EJ remix which came out of left field. I cut my teeth on avant garde dance, so no biggie, but it was a bit out of context. Does anyone know Maria Muldaur’s origins spawned more acoustic super groups of the late 60s? A far cry from this jazzy number that was, for her, really out of context. But she sold it. we were fortunate to have a generation of fuck y’all, it’s my mic women in pop and rock whose roots were in roots. You know describing several years there in the mid 70s would be like how they try to make wine from leftover grapes sound good. Hints of disco, distant echoes of swing, and a mélange of fruity overtones -is it soul, R&B, Love Boat theme music with vocals and some naughty folk with a jazzy twist or were the suits all overcome with stylistic ADD?
By: Phil Huston on April 2, 2024
at 9:08 pm
Right on. That one word you used – mélange – says it all. But I still enjoy your more complete descriptions. And yes, I should probably apologize for the EJ-based video.
By: boromax on April 2, 2024
at 10:22 pm
Ah, memories! I particularly loved “Midnight at the Oasis.” Sadly, Maria Muldaur never had a hit to match it, but still made quite a few albums, it seems.
By: mitchteemley on April 2, 2024
at 10:20 pm
Right. She was not alone in the mid-’70s… other songstresses got slim coverage, too. Janis Ian, Phoebe Snow, Jennifer Warnes, Nicolette Larson, Lani Hall, Kiki Dee…
By: boromax on April 2, 2024
at 10:24 pm
good selection here, Ed; I love Ray Stevens’ work —
By: johnlmalone on April 2, 2024
at 10:35 pm
Me, too. Always good for a chuckle.
By: boromax on April 3, 2024
at 5:30 pm
ED,
Walking ir should I say dancing down memory lane?
Thanks, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
By: gpavants on April 2, 2024
at 11:14 pm
Definitely dancing, Gary. Definitely dancing.
By: boromax on April 3, 2024
at 5:31 pm
Streaking was big at Northwestern University in 1974. By the time I started there in the fall, it had pretty much died off.
By: John Holton on April 2, 2024
at 11:41 pm
Yep. That craze was a ‘flash’ in the pan (heheh). We were at an outdoor production of Funny Girl at Washington Park in Portland, OR, when a streaker dashed across the front of the stage. All of about 5 seconds. The cast on stage did not miss a beat.
By: boromax on April 3, 2024
at 5:34 pm
Thanks for commenting on my “Luckiest Guy in Town” post. It brought me here. This is right up my alley and I know I’m going to find some good stuff in the archives.
By: Kenny Nines on April 3, 2024
at 1:21 am
Never apologize. It was an interesting treat, albeit a bit anachronistic🤣
By: Phil Huston on April 3, 2024
at 1:49 am
Right? I wonder if you could take that video back to 1974 and show it to EJ what he would make of it.
By: boromax on April 3, 2024
at 5:36 pm
Probably be fine with it. He is Mr. Flamboyant in the best post modern Liberace way.
By: Phil Huston on April 3, 2024
at 6:19 pm
True, true.
By: boromax on April 3, 2024
at 7:07 pm
I remember the Streak song plus I remember watching the Oscars when the streaker came out as David Niven was talking. He had a great adlib. I also recall seeing a ballgame and a streaker ran across the grass where they were playing. Some fun hits here, my fav is Bennie and the Jets.
By: Birgit Bedesky on April 4, 2024
at 3:37 pm
Great memories! These really are fun hits.
By: boromax on April 4, 2024
at 4:10 pm
The Streak by Ray Stevens is hilarious! Aretha Franklin just has a totally awesome voice. 🙂
By: Nancy Homlitas on April 4, 2024
at 5:55 pm
I agree, on both counts. Thank you commenting, Nancy! ~Ed.
By: boromax on April 4, 2024
at 7:09 pm
The Sound of Philadelphia was another influential, instrumental chart-topper I loved…and growing up in the Philly suburbs I heard it a LOT.
By: Bruce@WOTC on May 8, 2024
at 2:14 am
Nothing like hometown music!
By: boromax on May 8, 2024
at 3:51 pm