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Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of Carpenters, Chic, The Dramatics, George McCrae, and The Rolling Stones.
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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!
1. Edwin Starr, “War”
💿 War and Peace • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1970
Appears in 🔻:
2. The Dramatics, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”
💿 Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get • 🏷 Concord Music Group, Inc. • 🗓 1971
“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!
Appears in 🔻:
- The Dramatics, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 73 (2023)
- The Dramatics vs. The Dramatics: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 19 (2023)
3. Gladys Knight & The Pips, “If I Were Your Woman”
💿 If I Were Your Woman • 🏷 Motown • 📅 1971
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.
Appears in 🔻:
4. Carpenters, “Top Of The World”
💿 A Song For You • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1972
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.
Appears in 🔻:
- Carpenters, “Top Of The World”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 36 (2023)
- 13 Songs That Thrive At The Top (2023)
- 15 Must-Hear, Throwback Vibez, Vol. 10 (2023)
5. Tower of Power, “So Very Hard To Go”
💿 Tower of Power • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 1973
“‘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.
Appears in 🔻:
6. George McCrae, “Rock Your Baby”
💿 Rock Your Baby • 🏷 Rhino Entertainment • 🗓 1974
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!
Appears in 🔻:
7. Hall & Oates, “Sara Smile”
💿 Daryl Hall & John Oates • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1975
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.”
Appears in 🔻:
- Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Sara Smile”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 35 (2023)
- 15 Must-Hear, Throwback Vibez, Vol. 10 (2023)
8. The Spinners, “Games People Play”
💿 Pick of the Litter • 🏷 Atlantic • 🗓 1975
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.
Appears in 🔻:
- The Spinners, “Games People Play”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 64 (2023)
- 15 Epic Songs Where the Game is Played (2023)
9. Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music”
🎙 Wild Cherry • 💿 Wild Cherry • 🏷 Sony • 📅 1976
“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 🔻:
10. Barry White, “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me”
💿 Barry White Sings for Someone • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1977
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.
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11. Alicia Bridges, “I Love The Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”
💿 I Love The Nightlife • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 🗓 1978
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 🌈.
Appears in 🔻:
12. The Rolling Stones, “Miss You”
💿 Some Girls • 🏷 Promotone B.V. • 📅 1978
“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!
Appears in 🔻:
- The Rolling Stones, “Miss You”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 36 (2022)
- I Miss…: 5ive Songs No. 19 (2022)
- 15 Intriguing Miss or Missing Songs (2022)
13. Chic, “Good Times”
💿 Risqué • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1979
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]
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