#7 - "I've Got The Blues": Blues, Country Rock and Southern Rock

There was a new brand of rock that really developed in the 70's called "Southern Rock".  It took elements of blues and country and added some heavier guitars and dual-guitar solos.  Southern rock had its beginnings toward the end of the 60's with bands like The Allman Brothers, but the sound was defined and became popular in the 70's.  Several of the decades most famous bands and solo acts had aspects of blues, country and southern rock.  In this entry, we will take a look at a few that defined the genres...

Eric Clapton - Eric Clapton had achieved success in the 60's as a member of The Yardbirds and later with the first "Supergroup", Cream.  He also played lead guitar on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on The Beatles White Album.  His style was heavily influenced by the blues, but Clapton had the ability to take the blues and create his own unique sound.  At the start of the 70's, he formed "Derek and The Dominos" and had hits with "Layla" and "Bell-Bottom Blues", both of which were written for the then-wife of Clapton's friend and collaborator, George Harrison.  Shortly after the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" was released by the band, Eric left the band and began his very successful solo career.

Over the course of the 70's, he released several charting singles, including "Let It Rain", "Lay Down Sally", "Wonderful Tonight" and the cover of the Bob Marley song "I Shot The Sheriff" which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100...Eric Clapton is the only three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee (solo, The Yardbirds and Cream).

Eric Clapton - Layla
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C74sjfGUQXo

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Lynyrd Skynyrd was originally formed in the mid-60's as the band The Pretty Ones, but changed their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1968.  Named after a strict p.e. teacher "Leonard Skinner" who was always enforcing the "No Long Hair" rules in his school.  The band developed their "Southern Rock" sound and began gaining popularity in the early 70's.  Before long, their popularity took off and they became the band that became the epitome of the "Southern Rock" sound. They released several singles: "Gimme Three Steps", "Saturday Night Special", "What's Your Name?", and "That Smell".  Their highest charting single, "Sweet Home Alabama" reached #8 on the Billboard charts and their 14 minute epic "Free Bird" is considered to be their signature song.  In fact, there is a long-standing joke at concerts where somebody will yell out a request for any band to "PLAY FREE BIRD".

Sadly, three days after their album "Street Survivors" was released, a tragic plane crash in 1977 took the lives of three of the band members: Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines all died when the plane they were flying in ran out of fuel.  The original cover for the album showed the band standing in flames and was quickly pulled from shelves and re-issued with the flames removed.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Free Bird"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpmsv7-OKQo

ZZ Top - While ZZ Top is mainly known for their long beards and early 80's MTV video hits "Legs", "Sharp-Dressed Man" and "TV Dinners", they had mainstream success in the pre-MTV days.  Billy Gibbons formed the band in Houston, TX with two different players, but eventually recruited Dusty Hill and Frank Beard to join the band.  Their first album, aptly named "ZZ Top's First Album" was released in 1971.  During the 70's, ZZ Top defined their sound and their first hit "La Grange" about a brothel in the Texas town of La Grange reached number 41 on the Billboard Charts.  Their next hit "Tush" made it up to #20 on the Billboard Chart.  They had a couple of other hits in the 70's with the cover of Sam & Dave's "I Thank You" and their own song "Cheap Sunglasses".  Once the 80's rolled around, the band re-defined its sound and its image and would be one of the first pioneers of the early "video age".

ZZ Top - "Tush"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jB_QM73Slk

Eagles - While (The) Eagles are perhaps more known for defining the "California Rock" sound, they started out more of a "Country Rock" type band.  They were formed by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and were actually started as the backing band for new artist Linda Ronstadt.  Their self-titled debut album released in 1972 produced three Top 40 singles: "Take It Easy", "Witchy Woman" and "Peaceful, Easy Feeling".  Their next album, "Desperado" did not produce any Top 40 hits, but contained two of the bands most popular tracks, "Desperado" and "Tequila Sunrise".  In 1974, Don Felder joined the group, followed by Joe Walsh in 1975.  They still had a "country" sound to their music at this period, but they would gradually get away from this sound.  Before adopting the more "California Rock" style, they continued to release hit singles such as "Already Gone", "One of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes" and "Take It To The Limit".  They hit their commercial peak in 1976 with the mega-hit album "Hotel California" and their sound had developed into the defined "California Rock".

Eagles - "Witchy Woman"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcLwneGLCEU

There were several other bands during the era that only had minor success, but were able to produce hit singles based on the same blues/country/southern rock sound.  These included:

The Marshall Tucker Band - "Heard It In A Love Song"
Pure Prairie League - "Amie"
Molly Hatchet - "Flirtin' With Disaster"
Black Oak Arkansas - "Jim Dandy"
Ram Jam - "Black Betty"
Blackfoot - "Highway Song"
Glen Campbell - "Rhinestone Cowboy" (Note: This was my first favorite song that I can remember)

#8 - "It's All About The Gimmick" - Gimmick Bands and Novelty Songs

The 70's was not the first decade to have a gimmick band or a novelty song, but it saw an explosion in gimmick bands and they had major success. Those of you that know me, know my love for KISS and there is probably no "gimmick" band that has had more success than KISS...But there were a few before them and there were a few after them. #8 is dedicated to the bands and songs that were about more than just the music:


Bands:

Alice Cooper - While The Alice Cooper band actually started in the late 60's, it wasn't until 1971 that they recorded their first hit - "I'm Eighteen".  Alice was known for several on-stage gimmicks, including walking out with a python, being electrocuted by electric chair on stage and being beheaded by guillotine.  Alice also wore eye makeup and was an early influence for KISS.  Alice Cooper had a string of hits in the 70's, which also included "School's Out", "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Billion Dollar Babies".  Lead singer Vincent Funier eventually went onto adopt the name Alice Cooper as his own and became a solo act by the mid-seventies.  Alice Cooper was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 and still continues to tour as of 2015.


Alice Cooper - I Love The Dead

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j19AthwJ9bU

KISS - Perhaps no band defined 70's gimmick like KISS.  Formed in 1973, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley took what Alice Cooper had started and turned it to eleven.  With their kabuki style makeup, platform shoes, outrageous costumes, smoking guitars, levitating drum kits and fire and blood, they were every parents nightmare.  Their first three studio albums were poor selling and the band was headed toward financial ruin.  All of that changed, in what seemed like overnight, with the release of KISS Alive!  Released in September of 1975, this double-album exploded the band into superstars.  The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the US and is one of the top-selling live albums of all time.  In a time before cell phones and the internet, the band famously hid their true identities for 10 years until "unmasking" in 1983.  The band has gone through several personnel changes in its 40+ years, but no lineup has captured the magic the way the original lineup did.  The bands two founders, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, are the only two members that have been with the band from the beginning.  The original band reunited in 1995 as part of the MTV Unplugged series, and eventually put the makeup back on and had a successful reunion tour that began in 1996.  Eventually Ace Frehley and Peter Criss left the band again, but KISS still continues to tour in full makeup and costumes.  KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.


KISS - 100,000 Years


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_UAu5WbRp4

Village People - The Village People (see #10 - the birth and death of disco) is an American Disco band that had major hits in the mid to late 70's.  They were comprised of six men depicting several different "macho" stereotypes.  Victor Willis (The Cop), Felipe Rose (Native American), Alex Briley (The Soldier), David Hodo (Construction Worker), Randy Jones (Cowboy) and Glenn Hughes (Biker/Leatherman) had a string of hits in the 70's, including "In The Navy", "Macho Man" and "YMCA".  A version of The Village People still tours as of 2015.


Village People - Macho Man


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08


Other gimmick bands of the 70's include:


The New York Dolls
David Bowie
T. Rex
Devo


Novelty Songs

Steve Martin - King Tut - Steve Martin had gained star status with his appearances on Saturday Night Live and his "Wild and Crazy" stand-up act.  In 1978, he released the single "King Tut" after the craze of the King Tut traveling exhibit that traveled the US from 1976 to 1979.  He debuted the single on Saturday Night Live during the April 22, 1978 showing.  The single went on to sell over a million copies and peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.


Steve Martin - King Tut


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgTPH5y1-ZI

Rick Dees - Disco Duck - Rick Dees, a radio disc jockey (DJ) wrote and performed this song.  As a testament to just how crazy the 70's were for music, the track actually reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, the week of October 16th, 1976.  Rick Dees went on to become a famous DJ and went on to host "Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown"


Rick Dees - Disco Duck


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgPgavmY99U

Hot Butter - Popcorn - Popcorn is an instrumental that was originally released in 1969 by Gershon Kingsley, but was later re-recorded and released in 1972 by Hot Butter.  The "synth-pop" instrumental reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 hits and reached #4 on the US Billboard Easy Listening chart.


Hot Butter - Popcorn


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBYjZTdrJlA

Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting - Released in 1974, Kung Fu Fighting was a song about martial arts by Carl Douglas.  The song reached number one on the US Hot 100 and the US Hot Soul lists and reached #3 on the Hot Disco singles.  It also won the Grammy in 1974 for Best Selling Single.  That song sold faster than kicks of lightning.


Carl Douglas - Kung Fu Fighting


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhUkGIsKvn0


Other 70's Novelty songs to check out:


Ray Stevens - The Streak
Jerry Reed - When You're Hot, You're Hot
Harry Nilsson - Coconut


Stay tuned for #7 on our countdown....

#9 - "Well You Can Tell By The Way I Use My Walk" - Soundtracks and Theme Songs

There were decades before and there have been decades since that had popular soundtracks, but the 70's was really the beginning of mass-appeal for soundtracks.  There were television theme songs that became radio hits.  There were movie soundtracks that broke records and remain popular to this day.  And there were theme songs that could define a movie, a character or a television show.  There were even movie themes that became disco hits.  So let's take a look at some of the best of the decade.

Soundtracks

Saturday Night Fever: As seen in #10 (The birth and death of disco) - Saturday Night Fever became the soundtrack of the decade.  The movie and the soundtrack launched both The Bee Gees and John Travolta into super stardom.  The Bee Gees scored 4 Top-10 hits from the album with "How Deep Is Your Love", "Night Fever", "If I Can't Have You" and "Stayin' Alive".  John Travolta became so popular that anything he appeared on was an instant success - at least until the 80's rolled around.

The Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JoZS6LgqYI

Grease: Hot off the heels of the success of Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta teamed up with Olivia Newton-John in this classic 70's musical set to the 50's.  Olivia Newton-John had success as a singer in the early 70's, but with this big screen debut she jumped into super-celebrity status alongside John Travolta.  To date this album has sold more than 30 million copies and produced 4 Top-10 hits in the US with the title track "Grease", "You're The One That I Want", "Summer Nights" and "Hopelessly Devoted To You".  I can still remember playing "Grease" on the playground at my grade school.  But somehow I was never cool enough to be Danny Zuko...that bites the big one, with relish

John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John - "Summer Nights"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW0DfsCzfq4

American Graffiti - Okay, I know you're saying to yourself "Why is American Graffiti listed in a 70's category?".  Yes, American Graffiti is full of songs from the 50's and early 60's, BUT this movie and soundtrack did not come out until 1973.  This was the first hit for future Star Wars director George Lucas, and the soundtrack was a best seller as well.  This album has been certified triple platinum.  The film starred Richard Dreyfuss and featured Harrison Ford, both of whom went on to achieve major success as film stars.  It also featured Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips and Suzanne Somers who all four went on to star in very successful 70's tv shows.  One of these shows, Happy Days, was created based on American Graffiti

Theme Songs

Star Wars Theme (Disco version) - When Star Wars, later titled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, came out in 1977, nobody had high expectations for the success of the movie.  However, this movie would change the entire way movies were made.  While "Jaws" had been the first summer blockbuster, Star Wars took the crown away and held onto it for several years.  The impact Star Wars had on popular culture still continues to this day.  Meco came up with a disco version of the popular Star Wars Main Theme and it reached #1 on the US Billboard Charts.  

Meco - Star Wars Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWRWYYt47RI

Theme From Shaft - This song was written and recorded by Isaac Hayes for the motion picture Shaft.  The song went to #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 and later won an Academy Award for Best Original Song....that's one bad mutha

Isaac Hayes - Theme From Shaft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q429AOpL_ds

Welcome Back - This song was written and recorded by John Sebastian written specifically for the ABC television sitcom, "Welcome Back, Kotter".  The tv show was the launch pad of future mega star John Travolta.  The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100

John Sebastian - Welcome Back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6o0Cah5kQU

The Rockford Files Theme - The Rockford Files Theme was written by Mike Post and was the intro to the television show "The Rockford Files" starring Oklahoma native James Garner.  Mr. Garner starred as Detective Jim Rockford.  The Rockford Files Theme went on to reach #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Mike Post - Rockford Files Theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg1Cx26-928

There are many other "Theme" songs from the 70's that were hits and other soundtracks that were popular during the decade.  In fact, the first music album I ever received was a soundtrack and I still have a copy of it to this day...Mahna Mahna

The Muppet Show - Mahna Mahna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTXyXuqfBLA

#10 - "I Want To Put On My Dancin' Shoes" - Disco

For as long as I can remember, music has been a huge part of my life.  From the earliest days of my childhood, I can always think back to particular songs that moved me or that when I hear them take me back to a feeling or a memory of a moment in time.  The face of music has changed a lot over the years but there's always one decade that brings back the most memories for me and that's the 70's.  It was such a unique time for music.  The 70's brought such a great, diverse offering of music that you literally did not know what you might hear next on the radio.


In a day before MTV (when they actually played videos), iPod's and iPhones, Sony Walkman's (for us older folks), Pandora, YouTube or even the internet for that matter, music was mainly received through the radio.  AM radio was dying out and FM was where it was at.  Tune in to your favorite station and you might get Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Glen Campbell, Neil Diamond and The Bay City Rollers all in the same hour of music.  Tuning into Casey Kasem's American Top 40 on the weekends was an experience the country shared together.  Hearing the hits of the day would inspire generations to go out and purchase albums and 8-tracks of their favorite artists and it wasn't just about a single (although there were plenty of one-hit wonders to choose from), but it was about the ALBUM.  The entire album was an experience.  This decade became the birth of Album Rock. 


So now I present to you - the top 10 reasons that the 70's was THE GREATEST decade in music!!!




10.) The Birth of Disco (and death) - Say what you will about disco music.  This music defined the late part of the 70's.  Ask some random people about the 70's and disco WILL come up in the conversation.  People claim that they can't stand disco, but put on "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees or "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor and I guarantee people will sing every word as loud as they can and do their best John Travolta - Saturday Night Fever (not to be confused with Saturday Night Live) dance moves.  Disco wasn't just a style of music, it became the whole scene of the late 70's.  It determined the style of clothing, it determined the popularity of clubs (Studio 54 anyone?), it determined the popularity of movies, it was every where.  So popular was the style of music that even rock bands jumped on the bandwagon.  Bands like KISS, The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart had huge hits with disco songs. 




Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR2G-iI3-I




KISS - I Was Made For Lovin' You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7isxoTIeYM




Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iw_BE_X9sA




Rod Steward - Da Ya Think I'm Sexy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hphwfq1wLJs






Other bands fully embraced the disco era and they defined the genre.  No other band had more of an impact than The Bee Gees.  The Bee Gees had a string of hits in the 60's and early 70's but they were turned into Mega-Stars once Barry Gibb developed his falsetto singing style set over a disco beat.  Their soundtrack and the movie Saturday Night Fever is a true time-capsule into the impact of disco on the country.  This album is still in the top 10 list of highest selling albums of all-time.  Personally I felt like the plot was empty with this movie, but I still absolutely love it.  I will watch it any time I happen across it on tv.  This movie and soundtrack not only launched the Bee Gees into super-stardom, but also John Travolta.  If you've never seen it, check it out sometime.  You'll be longing for the days of leisure suits and light-up dance floors




Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY




ABBA was another "disco band" that achieved huge success based on their danceable hits.  They were a band from Sweden and they garnered a huge following with their disco sound.  Songs like "Dancing Queen", "The Winner Takes It All" and "Take A Chance On Me" could be heard on the radio and in clubs across the country.




ABBA - Take A Chance On Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOR5GA4gDfM




One other band that has to be mentioned is The Village People.  The Village People was a "gimmick band" comprised of 6 different "masculine cultural" personalities that sang disco hits.  The members were made up of a cop, a Native American, a soldier, a construction worker, a cowboy and a leather "biker".  They started out with just a gay following, but soon broke out into international superstars with their disco hits "Macho Man", "In The Navy" and of course "YMCA".  People still can't help but throw up their arms to YMCA when they hear it.




Village People - YMCA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k




There are many other bands and one-hit wonders that had huge successes in the disco era, but these were major players to the genre.  Disco was so huge in the 70's that it completely absorbed pop culture and choked itself out.  By the end of the decade, people were so sick of hearing disco that a backlash ensued.  People were sporting "Disco Sucks" t-shirts and bands that had jumped on the disco bandwagon were accused of being sell-outs. Band like KISS had a huge backlash that took years to recover due to "selling out" their music for disco.  On July 12th, 1979, there was a huge event held at Comiskey Park in Chicago called Disco Demolition Night in which disco albums were blown up on the field.  This is known as "The Day Disco Died"




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1zN-oLCKo4




Say what you will about disco, but it's impact on the decade cannot be denied.  The songs are catchy and still hold up today.  You can still hear many of them in clubs and at sporting events across the country