Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2

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Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of Carpenters, Chic, The Dramatics, George McCrae, and The Rolling Stones.

Ah, the 1970s – what a time, what a time! What better way to reminisce on the decade than to select some of its best songs.  There were plenty of kick a$$ rock, pop, disco, soul/funk/R&B records that stand the test of time.  Honestly, there are far too many awesome musicians to recognize in one musical compendium – at least with blurbs involved. After beginning the process with 🎧 Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 1, we return with 🎧 Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2. 🎧 Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2 features some of the 70 finest, courtesy of 🎙 Carpenters, 🎙 Chic, 🎙 The Dramatics, 🎙 George McCrae, and 🎙 The Rolling Stones, among others.  So, get into the spirit of the 1970s and check out these epic musical classics!  

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1. Edwin Starr, “War” 

💿 War and Peace • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1970

“(War, huh) Yeah! / (What is it good for?) Absolutely nothing, say it again!”  🎵 “War”, an R&B protest classic, is easily the biggest hit by soul legend 🎙 Edwin Starr.  The 🎼 ✍ Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield penned hit spent three weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Take one listen to it, and you’ll totally see why!  Fittingly, this funky, horn-filled soul cut (produced by 🎛 Whitfield) commences Starr’s 1970 album, 💿 War and Peace.  We get a taste of the iconic chorus at the onset, which is a smart songwriting move in this particular instance.  That said, “War” is more than it’s golden hook. In the first verse, Starr emphasizes the cons of war, specifically “destruction of innocent lives” and “Mothers’ eyes when their sons go out to fight and lose their lives.” He has a point. The sentiment continues in the second verse, where he states war is “Friend only to the undertaker.” Verses three and four are patterned similarly, with the chorus following in all its anti-war glory. “GOOD GOD, Y’ALL!” 

Appears in 🔻:

11 Battle Tested War Songs (2021)

2. The Dramatics, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”

💿 Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get • 🏷 Concord Music Group, Inc. • 🗓 1971 

Did you know, “Some people are made of plastic / And you know, some people are made of wood”? According to Detroit-based R&B collective 🎙 The Dramatics, that is the case! Furthermore, on 🎵 “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”, the fourth track from their 1972 album, also titled, 💿 Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get, “Some people have hearts of stone / Some people (Some people) / Are up to no good.” Valid points made on this gem, which peaked at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Even though “some people” are suspect, The Dramatics ensure you – her – are aware “I’m for real!” 

“Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” marked the first of two top-ten hits by The Dramatics “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” features an epic, soulful groove. Beyond the groove, the production is electrifying with its blend of the rhythm section firing on all cylinders, winds (horns, flutes, oboe), and of course, picturesque strings.  The vocals are marvelous vocals with the collective doing a fabulous job splitting lead vocal duties and providing welcome contrast.  The centerpiece, undoubtedly, is the incredibly catchy chorus which ranks among the crème de la crème of the 1970s:    

“Whatcha see (Whatcha see) 

Is whatcha get (Is whatcha get) 

Whatcha see (Whatcha see) 

Is whatcha get (Is what you get) 

I said, what you see (Whatcha see) 

Is whatcha get now, baby (Is what you get) 

And the real thing (The real thing) 

Is the best thing yet (The best thing yet)” 

The Dramatics gives us sheer authenticity on 🎵 “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”.  This is once in a lifetime music baby!  

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3. Gladys Knight & The Pips, “If I Were Your Woman” 

💿 If I Were Your Woman • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1971 

“If I were your woman / And you were my man / You’d have no other woman / You’d be weak as a lamb.” Ooh wee, 🎙 Gladys Knight! Say that, say that! 🎵 “If I Were Your Woman” marks one of the greatest soul classics of all time.  It ranks near the top of timeless gems recorded by 🎙 Gladys Knight & The Pips.  Who penned this juggernaut, you ask? Why 🎼✍  Pam Sawyer, Clay McMurray, and Gloria Jones.  Knight and company would be nominated for the 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group (deservingly).  Furthermore, “If I Were Your Woman” would peak at no. 9 on the Hot 100 in 1971.  What I’m saying is, “If I Were Your Woman” was a big-time pop hit by a soul collective 💪.  

Vocally, Gladys Knight & The Pips sound utterly sublime. With Knight on lead, that alto is lush, rich, and dynamic.  It’s a perfect match for the passionate lyrics that grace “If I Were Your Woman.”  Where this man has had a lousy woman, Gladys asserts she’d be his everything and treat him the way that he should be treated. “You’re like a diamond (shining) / But she treats you like glass,” she asserts on the memorable second verse, continuing, “Yet you beg her to love you / But me you don’t ask.” Ooh wee! What a fool that man is! Helping to sell her case are those harmonized supporting vocals by The Pips, on autopilot like the front woman.  You know what else is on autopilot? That vintage soul production that made the 1970s lit AF! That syncopated bass line, the keys, the strings, the groove – ear catching and awe-inspiring.  Even the underpinnings – the harmonic progression – make “If I Were You Woman” one of the best of all time.   

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Appears in 🔻:

Gladys Knight vs. Alicia Keys: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 31 (2021)

4. Carpenters, “Top Of The World”  

💿 A Song For You • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1972 

“There is only one wish on my mind / When this day is through I hope that I will find…” 🎙 Carpenters – siblings 🎙 Karen Carpenter (1950 – 1982) and 🎙 Richard Carpenter (1946 – ) – were a musical force, PERIOD.  All told, the 🏆 Grammy-winning duo’s gentle brand of pop earned them 12 top-10 hits, with three of those top-10s being no. 1s.  After scoring a no. 1 hit with 🎵 “(They Long To Be) Close To You” in 1970, they’d score their second no. 1 with 🎵 “Top Of The World” in 1973, spending two weeks on top. “Top Of The World” appeared on their 1972 album, 💿 A Song For You.  

Finishing off the excerpted verse, Karen sings, “That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me / All I need will be mine if you are here.” Sigh, she sings with incredible ease – nothing forced.  Her voice is clear and angelic.  After blessing us with her compelling lead, she gets lovely supporting vocals (Richard) during the tuneful chorus:   

“I’m on the top of the world looking down on creation 

And the only explanation I can find 

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around 

Your love’s put me at the top of the world.” 

 Of course, the verses are sweet too, with Karen radiating with her breezy approach. Rightfully, Karen’s vocals and brilliant songwriting (Richard Carpenter and 🎼 ✍ John Bettis) earn substantial praise on this once in a lifetime classic. That said, the music – the instrumental – deserves plenty of love, too.  “Top Of The World” was produced by 🎛 Jack Daugherty.  The aesthetic created is celestial in itself.  “Top Of The World” has this sensational blend of pop with a dash of country/folk thrown in. There are keys, pedal steel, and strings that complement the sophisticated lead of Karen. Five decades after its arrival, 🎵 “Top Of The World” remains an epic, timeless record.   

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Appears in 🔻:  

5. Tower of Power, “So Very Hard To Go”

💿 Tower of Power • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 1973 

“Ain’t nothin’ I can say / Nothin’ I can do / I feel so bad, yeah / I feel so blue.” When 🎙 Lenny Williams was the lead singer for 🎙 Tower of Power (1973 – 1974), it was a special time – an understatement!  Williams has an incredible voice – heaven-sent by all means.  His tenor delivers the heat on 🎵 “So Very Hard To Go”, a highlight from the collective’s self-titled, 1973 album.  Not only is “So Very Hard to Go” the song to beat on 💿 Tower of Power, it is the most successful song of the R&B collective’s career.  “So Very Hard To Go” peaked at no. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it a pop hit. Impressive.   

“‘Cause I could never make you unhappy / No, I couldn’t do that, girl,” Williams asserts in the chorus, continuing, “Only wish I didn’t love you so / Makes it so, so very hard to go.” Indeed, indeed! Besides illustrating how difficult love is, particularly “stepping aside” from it, the music is marvelous.  Williams says it best: “It ain’t easy to walk away when a man loves somebody.” FACTS! Besides that, soul oozes from the band, including a tight rhythm section and bright, biting horns.  All of these brilliant musical attributes make 🎵 “So Very Hard To Go”, which was written by 🎼 ✍ Stephen Kupka and Emilio Castillo,  utterly stupendous, fifty years after its release.  

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Appears in 🔻:

Tower of Power, “So Very Hard To Go”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 54 (2023)

6. George McCrae, “Rock Your Baby”

💿 Rock Your Baby • 🏷 Rhino Entertainment • 🗓 1974 

“Woman / Take me in your arms / Rock your baby.”  Sometimes, it takes only one big hit to cement a musical legacy. For 🎙 George McCrae, it is his influential, no. 1 hit, 🎵 “Rock Your Baby”.  “Rock Your Baby” is, indeed, “smooth like butter”  – perfect for the dance floors back in the day.  Even though disco isn’t the sensation in the 2020s that it was the 1970s, “Rock Your Baby” still feels like a slice of dance music heaven 😇.  Notably, this record influenced one of the most iconic disco songs of all time: 🎵 “Dancing Queen” by 🎙 ABBA.  That alone tells you that Mr. McCrae had it going on 💪!     

Supported by that celestial instrumental, it also helps that McCrae has an angelic instrument on his hands.  His voice is stunning.  He never forces things or over sings.  What he serves up is just wright – cool, calm, and collected.  Like 🎵 “I Get Lifted” from his 1974 album, 💿 Rock Your Baby, 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Richard Finch and Henry Wayne Casey (KC) – members of the legendary KC & The Sunshine Band – wrote and produced the track. “Yeah! Hold me tight / With all your might / Now, let your lovin’ flow / Real sweet and slow.” Ooh la la, George! 🎵 “Rock Your Baby” remains the sugar honey iced tea to this day!  

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Appears in 🔻:

George McCrae, “Rock Your Baby”: Dance Gemz 🕺 💎 🎶 No. 8 (2023)

7. Hall & Oates, “Sara Smile”  

💿 Daryl Hall & John Oates • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1975

“Sara, smile / Oh, won’t you smile awhile for me, Sara.” Songs about a significant other make you feel some type of way! 🎙 Daryl Hall & John Oates – aka 🎙 Hall & Oates – struck gold with 🎵 “Sara Smile”.  “Sara Smile” was written for Daryl Hall’s longtime girlfriend, Sara Allen. Though no longer a couple, this R&B-influenced soft-rock/pop record still speaks about the beauty of the relationship.  Hall sounds fantastic, singing within a beautiful tone and incredible authenticity.  “Baby hair, with a woman’s eyes,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “I can feel you watching in the night / All alone with me and we’re waiting for the sunlight.”  

Beyond the dedication and love-themed lyrics, the music is stunning too.  There is a warmth conveyed by this record that remains potent as the hit from 💿 Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975) approaches 50 years old.  Beyond the keys, guitars, and strings, one of the best instrumental aspects is the bass line, which represents a key instance of the soul influence on this number.  The bass line is big and rich, truly anchoring things down. Also, beyond the lead vocals by Hall – recorded live with the band, by the way – the background vocals sound incredibly smooth. Listening to 🎵 “Sara Smile” in the 2020s, it is easy to hear why it reached no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Simple yet telling, songs like this gem by the iconic duo only come once in a lifetime.  “Thank you for making me feel like a man.”  

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Appears in 🔻:  

8. The Spinners, “Games People Play” 

💿 Pick of the Litter • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 1975  

“Games people play / Night or day they’re just not matchin’ / What they should do / Keeps me feelin’ blue.” 🎙 The Spinners were one of the best and successful soul groups of the 1970s.  Interestingly, the iconic collective had seven top-10 hits.  🎵 “Games People Play” was one of them, peaking at no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and spending a total of 18 weeks on the charts.  Helping to craft the sophisticated Philly soul sound is the late, great producer, 🎛 Thom Bell.  “Games People Play” commences with a distinct, unmistakable groove.  Furthermore, there is a superb string and horn arrangement, which falls in line with 1970s soul. In addition to the core rhythm section, the use of percussion is a marvelous musical touch. Also, shout out to 🎼✍ Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons, and Joseph B. Jefferson, who penned this masterpiece.  The harmonic scheme is incredibly notable, going beyond basic, tried and true chord changes.

Sound and songwriting play a pivotal role.  So do the incredibly sophisticated, soulful vocals. In the hands of the late 🎙 Bobby Smith, Pervis Jackson, and Evette Benton, nothing sounds forced – it feels organic. All three vocalists contrast yet complement each other.  Smith serves up a sweet tenor, while Jackson delivers a robust bass. As for Benton, she adds a glorious, feminine touch.  The vocal arrangement is nothing short of stupendous.  As far as the most memorably part of this gargantuan soul joint, it’s the chorus, one of the most memorable by The Spinners (“Been down too long / Right, wrong, they just can’t stop it / Spendin’ all day / Thinking just of you”).  🎵 “Games People Play” is indeed the ‘pick of the litter’ from the collective’s 1975 album, 💿 Pick of the Litter.  

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9. Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music”

🎙 Wild Cherry • 💿 Wild Cherry • 🏷 Sony • 📅 1976

1976 delivered a surefire gem that still holds up to this day – NO CAP! Former no. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit 🎵 “Play That Funky Music” by 🎙 Wild Cherry is five minutes of sheer glory – heaven on earth!  Of course, the key lyric from “Play That Funky Music” highlights the race of the band: “Play that funky music, white boy / Play the funky music right.” Yes, Wild Cherry, is a white rock band playing disco, funk and R&B, two styles associated with black musicians.  It works out well for them, at least as far as “Play That Funky Music” is concerned! Notably, according to an American Songwriter article, the band had to embrace disco out of necessity (“Rock clubs were closing down and discos were opening up”). 

 “Once I was a boogie singer 

Playing in a rock and roll band 

… And I decided quickly, yes, I did 

To disco down and check out the show.” 

Everything about “Play That Funky Music” is fun, period.  The infectious groove demands that you move your body – it’s funky AF. The riffs from these white boys kick serious ass from the rhythmic guitar, looped, robust bass line, and the accented horns (especially that baritone sax).  As for the vocals (🎙 Rob Parissi), they are laden with personality; I love the playfulness of the performance, particularly on the chorus.  Prior to the chorus, the pre-chorus is memorable as well:    

“Yeah, they were dancing and singing 

And moving to the grooving 

And just when it hit me 

Somebody turned around and shouted…” 

Also, shout out the killer guitar solo. Wild Cherry had to tweak their style to survive, and it gave them the biggest hit of their career.  Never again would Parissi and company top the Billboard Hot 100.  “Play That Funky Music” gave them that once in a life, special hit.  The band even earned two 🏆 Grammy nominations, which is rad. 

Appears in 🔻:

Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 13 (2021)

10. Barry White, “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me” 

💿 Barry White Sings for Someone • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1977 

“I did not know you had me hypnotized / There’s a movement of your body dancin’ in my eyes?” Oh, snap! Deep-voiced soul singer 🎙 Barry White had no shortage of hits during an illustrious career. The lushly produced, sexy gem, 🎵 “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”, from his 1977 album, Barry White Sings for Someone You Love, is no exception. “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me” spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at no. 4.  It’s worth noting, White didn’t compose “Ecstasy”; it was written by 🎼 ✍ Ekundayo Paris and Nelson Pigford.

With “Ecstasy,” the listener gets the best of both worlds, in essence.  Clearly, the modus operandi is sex – good, old-school baby-making music! Not only does that sick groove incite body movements, the once-in-a-lifetime vocals, and suggestive lyrics serve as an utterly sublime soundtrack to sex.  “I know I had to hold you and make you mine,” White sings in the pre-chorus, continuing, “Don’t want to control you, just want to have a good time.” Yeah, doesn’t require much thought to brainstorm ways couples “have a good time.” Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, which features those sensual, titular lyrics (“In ecstasy, when you’re layin’ down next to me”). The lyrics, and those sensual pipes of Barry White speak for themselves on 🎵 “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”.  What a funky disco/soul classic! Additionally, you can’t shortchange “Ecstasy” with its magnificent orchestration (John Roberts), executed to perfection by 🎙 The Love Unlimited Orchestra. 

Appears in 🔻:  

Barry White, “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”: After Dark 🕛 🌃 No. 60 (2022)

11. Alicia Bridges, “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”

💿 I Love The Nightlife • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1978

One hit can solidify your musical legacy, period.  For 🎙 Alicia Bridges it all comes down to one gem in her catalog: 🎵 “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”.  “I Love The Nightlife” appears on her 1978 album, fittingly titled – wait for it –  💿 I Love The Nightlife [Note: originally, I Love The Nightlife was released as Alicia Bridges]! “I Love The Nightlife” spent 31 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately peaking at no. 5.  Bridges would earn her sole RIAA certification (gold) for this beloved, nightlife loving bop. She penned the record alongside 🎼 ✍ Susan Hutcheson.  Obviously, it is the chorus is where her money was made – one of the more memorable to come out of the disco era: “I love the nightlife, I got to boogie / On the disco ‘round, oh, yeah.” 

Of course, there’s more to “I Love The Nightlife” than just the chorus. Still focusing on the lyrics, Bridges keeps it sassy in the verses.  “Please don’t talk about all the plans we had / For fixing this broken romance,” she sings in the first verse, adding, “I want to go where the people dance / I want some action, I wanna live.”  Notably, the way she says ACTION is a vibe in its own right.  Bridges possesses a distinct, incredibly expressive and playful voice – she was made for this joint! Similarly, in the second verse, she wants no drama, just some – wait for it – ACTION!  Besides the fun songwriting and performance by Bridges, the production (🎛️ Steven Buckingham) and sound of the record is EVERYTHING.  The groove is idiomatic of the disco era. The song gets the full shebang as far as the arrangement: tight rhythm section (including organ), a mean saxophone solo (🎷 Jay Scott), and those glorious, soaring strings.  Honestly, it is sort of surprising “I Love The Nightlife” didn’t chart higher than no. 5 🤔. Also, interesting fact: Bridges is a member of the LGBTQ community 🌈.   

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Appears in 🔻:

Alicia Bridges, “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 60 (2023)

12. The Rolling Stones, “Miss You”  

💿 Some Girls • 🏷 Promotone B.V. • 📅 1978 

🎙 The Rolling Stones are one of the greatest bands, ever – it’s no disputable! One of the greatest records in their illustrious career arrived in 1978.  🎵 “Miss You” served as the opener on 💿 Some Girls. Honestly, it’s one hell of an opener – groove as albeit!  Perhaps at the time no one expected 🎙 Mick Jagger or 🎙 Keith Richards to put on their dancing, disco shoes, but they do on this timeless no. 1 hit.  The groove alone is enough to solidify its certified bop status! 

“I’ve been holding out so long / I’ve been sleeping all alone / Lord, I miss you.” Ooh wee, Mick! Clearly, Jagger is portraying a guy longing for a girl big-time.  He continues singing in the first verse, “I’ve been hanging on the phone / I’ve been sleeping all alone / I want to kiss you sometime.” Oh, the power of lust, and perhaps love, too, as he’s genuinely infatuated.  We know that there’s love too because in the second verse, he eschews groupies and his party life of the past: “‘Hey, let’s go mess and fool around / You know, like we used to.’” New and in love Mick (or his character) isn’t feeling that.  He is, however, feeling her, despite trying to talk himself out of it: “I guess I’m just lying to myself / It’s just you and no one else / Lord, I won’t miss you, child.” He’s lying! “Miss You” is one of the best songs ever made, and don’t let anybody tell you any different! 

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13. Chic, “Good Times” 

💿 Risqué • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1979

“Good times / These are the good times.” Woo! Say that, 🎙 Chic! “Leave your cares behind / These are the good times / … Our new state of mind / These are the good times,” the tuneful chorus of 🎵 “Good Times” continues.  This beloved no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 commences the funk/soul collective’s 1979 LP, 💿 Risqué.  Risqué also experienced success on the Billboard 200, peaking at no. 5. “Good Times” is kind of a big deal, and definitely a great means to lift the spirit, even north of four decades after its arrival. “Good Times” was written and produced by the one-and-only 🎼 ✍ 🎛 Nile Rodgers (guitar) and Bernard Edwards (bass). The record features vocals by Edwards in addition to five other vocalists. The vocals, hence, are performed by committee, which is intriguing.  The vocals carry those GOOD lyrics, including lifting the famous lyric, “Happy days are here again.” In the same verse, verse one, the singers assert, “Boys will be boys, better let them have their toys / Girls will be girls, cute ponytails and curls / Must put an end to this stress and strife / I think I want to live the sporting life.” Woo! Besides the lyrics, the backdrop of this disco record is incredibly impressive, featuring a tight rhythm section – specifically that bass line – as well as soaring strings 🎻. A popular source of sampling, 🎵 “Good Times” is not only a funky dance joint but a highly influential one.  No GOOD list is complete without this gem – PERIOD!  

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Appears in 🔻:  

Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2 [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic, Concord Music Group, Inc., Motown, Rhino Entertainment, Promotone B.V., RCA, Sony, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner; cottonbro studio via Pexels]

Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2 | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on June 9, 2023June 9, 2023