Midnight Wind - John Stewart (1979)

As a member of The Kingston Trio during the early-to-mid 1960s, John Stewart was well versed in mixing traditional folk elements with pop styles, a trend he continued after beginning a solo career in 1968. Despite John's versatility, solid musicianship and acclaim from the critics, his first nine solo albums met with only limited commercial success. That changed with the release of Bombs Away Dream Babies in 1979, which gave John his first top 5 pop hit, "Gold," in the summer of that year.

"Midnight Wind" was the second single to be released from the album, debuting in August. Like "Gold," it prominently featured backing vocals from Stevie Nicks and vocal and guitar work from her Fleetwood Mac bandmate, Lindsey Buckingham. While "Midnight Wind" was not as successful as "Gold" had been, it would achieve a peak position of #28 on the Hot 100 chart in October. It would be followed shortly after by "Lost Her in the Sun," which also became a top 40 hit.

Although Bombs Away Dream Babies was released on CD by Razor and Tie Records in the 1990s, it appears to be currently out of print, as do several compilations of John's solo material containing the single version of "Midnight Wind." However, a re-recorded version of the track appears on Airdream Believer, which features John's more recent interpretations of several of his most popular compositions.

Listen to the original hit version on YouTube:

I Need to Be in Love - Carpenters (1976)

It has been said that of all the songs Karen Carpenter recorded, "I Need to Be in Love" was her favorite. Listening to the track, it's not difficult to see why she admired the song so much. The beautiful melody was ideally suited to Karen's rich, expressive voice, and her wistful, introspective interpretation suggests that the lyrics may have had personal meaning for her as well. As with many of the duo's other songs, it was composed by Richard Carpenter and John Bettis, with singer-songwriter Albert Hammond collaborating.

"I Need to Be in Love" was the second single to be released from the Carpenters' eighth studio album, There's A Kind of Hush. Strangely, the single was not as successful on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as many of Karen and Richard's earlier hits had been, peaking at #25 in July 1976, although it did top the Adult Contemporary chart for one week. In 1995, the song was issued as a CD single in Japan, where it sold extremely well.

Listen to "I Need to Be in Love," accompanied by wonderful video footage of Karen and Richard, on YouTube: .
In addition to A Kind of Hush, the song can be found on numerous compilations of the Carpenters' hits, including The Ultimate Collection and Love Songs.

Who'll Be the Fool Tonight - Larsen/Feiten Band (1980)

While "Who'll Be the Fool Tonight" was the first hit single for the Larsen/Feiten Band, it was not the first occasion on which keyboardist Neil Larsen and guitarist Howard "Buzz" Feiten had worked together. The two had previously collaborated with several other musicians on the 1972 album Full Moon, one of the most highly regarded jazz fusion recordings of its time. Buzz also provided session guitar work on Neil's late 1970s solo albums Jungle Fever and High Gear.

Buzz and Neil formed the Larsen/Feiten Band in 1980 and the group's self-titled album was released later that year. Featuring contributions from a variety of musicians in the jazz and pop genres, the album quickly became a Westcoast classic. "Who'll Be the Fool Tonight," the only single released from the album, first appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 1980, peaking at #29 in the early autumn.

After years of varying availability of Larsen/Feiten Band, the album was issued on CD by Wounded Bird Records in 2005. The reissue also contains the tracks from their excellent 1982 follow-up effort, Full Moon; the name was a nod to Neil and Buzz's earlier collaboration, but featured different songs. You can view footage of the Larsen/Feiten Band performing "Who'll Be the Fool Tonight" on the Solid Gold program, via YouTube:

Thunder in My Heart - Leo Sayer (1977)

Although not as prolific as some of his contemporaries such as Paul McCartney and Elton John, Leo Sayer had consistent success as a singer/songwriter in the mid-to-late 1970s. Not only did several of his compositions become hit singles for other artists, most notably Three Dog Night's cover of "The Show Must Go On," but he also charted a number of hits as a solo artist in a wide range of musical styles. Endless Flight, released in 1976, spawned three Billboard Top 20 hits, including the U.S. charttoppers "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" and "When I Need You," the latter of which also reached #1 in the U.K.

Leo's follow-up effort, Thunder in My Heart, was released the following year. The first single from the album, the disco-flavored title track, debuted on the Hot 100 chart in October 1977, eventually reaching a peak position of #38. It would also reach #30 on the Club Play chart, the only one of Leo's singles to achieve that feat to date.

Thunder in My Heart, which also contains the excellent 1978 single "Easy to Love," has been reissued on CD on the Rpm Records label. The single is also included on several hits compilations, including The Very Best of Leo Sayer. You can view Leo performing the track on YouTube:

Space Race - Billy Preston (1973)

By the time he achieved his first hit as a solo artist in 1969, Billy Preston had built up an impressive résumé as a keyboardist for some of music's top artists, most notably The Beatles, with whom he collaborated on a number of the Get Back and Abbey Road sessions. His prowess at the organ and ability to successfully combine elements from a myriad of musical styles resulted in several top 100 singles in the early 1970s, including "Outa-Space" and "Will It Go Round in Circles," which placed at #2 and #1 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Billy's success continued with "Space Race," a catchy and dynamic instrumental somewhat reminiscent in style and theme to its predecessor "Outa-Space." It was the first single from the album Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music. Released in September 1973, it reached a peak position of #4 on the pop chart later that fall, as well as a top placing on the R&B singles chart. After the song had finished its chart run, a portion of it could be heard prior to the mid-show commercial break on American Bandstand each week for much of the remainder of the 1970s.

Although Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music does not appear to be readily available on CD, "Space Race" is contained on several good collections of Billy's hits and best-known album tracks, including Ultimate Collection, released in 2000 on the Hip-O label. Listen to the track on YouTube:

Love Will Show Us How - Christine McVie (1984)

Christine Perfect recorded her first album as a solo artist, Christine Perfect, in 1970. Although it was well-received, it would be nearly another fourteen years before she would release a second one. During the intervening years, Christine, now known as Christine McVie, was busy as a vocalist, keyboard player and songwriter for one of the most successful bands of the rock era, Fleetwood Mac, a role she would continue into the 1990s.

In early 1984, during a band hiatus, Christine released her second album, Christine McVie. A well-crafted and elegant collection of songs, featuring contributions from a number of Christine's contemporaries including fellow Fleetwood Mac members Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood, the album yielded several hits. The second single, "Love Will Show Us How," debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in late April 1984, achieving a peak placing of #30 the following month.

View the promotional video for "Love Will Show Us How" on YouTube:

Christine McVie, which also features the top 10 hit "Got A Hold on Me," is currently in print, as are Christine's 1970 album and her most recent effort, 2004's In the Meantime.

Sunny Days - Lighthouse (1972)

Although the pioneers of rock were influenced by the jazz and swing greats of the day, the genres were still quite distinct in style prior to the mid 1960s. As the decade neared its end, however, more and more artists began combining elements of jazz, swing, classical and other styles with rock and pop to create a new hybrid, horn-dominated sound popularized by such bands as Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Among those artists was Lighthouse, a well-regarded Canadian band who released their first album in 1969.

In 1972, after several U.S. and Canadian radio hits, including "One Fine Morning" which reached #24 on the U.S. pop chart in 1971, the group released their eighth album, Sunny Days. The title track, a catchy ode to music and sunshine with an interesting retro quality, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1972, peaking at #34 in late November. Lighthouse would achieve one more top 40 hit, 1973's "Pretty Lady," before disbanding the following year.

Although the availability of Sunny Days in CD format appears to be limited, the tracks from the album are available for purchase as downloads via Amazon.com and iTunes. "Sunny Days" can also be found on the hits compilation Sunny Days Again: The Best of Lighthouse.

Listen to a YouTube posting of the track:

Never Let Her Go - David Gates (1975)

During his early years in the music business, David Gates was involved in many facets of the industry, including songwriting, production, and session work. In the late 1960s, he formed the popular soft-rock band Bread with three other musicians, an association for which he remains best-known today. David's smooth, clear tenor voice and melodic songwriting style helped Bread to become one of the most successful pop groups of the early 1970s, scoring an impressive string of chart hits before disbanding in 1973.

David's first solo effort, Clouds, produced several singles that did very well on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, but were only moderately successful on the Hot 100. It was his second album, Never Let Her Go, that would give him his first solo top 40 hit on the pop chart. The title track, a beautiful ballad similar in style to some of his best work with Bread, achieved a peak placing of #29 on the Hot 100 chart in March 1975, as well as a #3 peak on the AC chart.

In addition to Never Let Her Go, which appears to be currently in print, the track can be found on Retrospective, an excellent compilation of Bread's hits as well as solo material from David Gates and fellow Bread member James Griffin. Listen to a sample of the song via this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00123HI54/ref=dm_mu_dp_trk40

My Kind of Lady - Supertramp (1982)

As with other areas of pop culture, the pop/rock music scene in the early-to-mid 1980s experienced a resurgence of the styles and trends of the 1950s and early 1960s. Artists such as The Stray Cats, The Honeydrippers and Tracey Ullman recorded singles that were heavily inspired by the sounds of the early rock era, and which were very well-received by the listening public. Joining them was the popular rock band Supertramp, with the melodic "My Kind of Lady."

"My Kind of Lady" was the second single to be released from the group's 1982 album "...Famous Last Words...". Debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late January 1983, it achieved a peak position of #31 approximately one month later. The song also gave the group their second Billboard Adult Contemporary chart hit, peaking at #16.

You can view the promotional video for the song on YouTube:
While "My Kind of Lady" did not appear on Supertramp's first hits compilation, Classics, Vol. 9, it has been featured on several more recent collections, as well as "...Famous Last Words...", which is currently in print.

Oh! Darling - Robin Gibb (1978)

In 1978, the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, loosely inspired by the Beatles' 1967 album of the same title, was released in theaters. Although the movie's concept was intriguing, it worked better in theory than in practice. Despite a cast that included some of the most popular artists of the day, including The Bee Gees, the movie was critically panned, and is mostly remembered today for its campiness. The one true strength of the movie was the soundtrack, which included several strong performances that became chart hits, including Robin Gibb's cover of "Oh! Darling."

"Oh! Darling," a soulful interpretation of the classic Abbey Road track featuring Robin's distinctive vibrato, debuted on the Billboard chart in August 1978, the month after the film's release, reaching a peak position of #15 in September. Although it was Robin's first U.S. chart appearance as a solo artist, he had previously charted in other countries, including Germany and the U.K., in 1969 and 1970.

The film's soundtrack has been reissued on CD by Polydor Records and is currently in print. You can view a complete track listing and listen to song samples via this link: http://music.barnesandnoble.com/Sgt-Peppers-Lonely-Hearts-Club-Band/e/731455707625/?itm=2. A more complete performance by Robin has also been posted on YouTube:

Who Do You Think You Are - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods (1974)

Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods are best remembered today for their version of "Billy, Don't Be A Hero," which topped the Billboard chart for two weeks in the U.S. in June 1974. Although the group was not able to duplicate the massive success of that hit with their subsequent singles, they did achieve several more chart hits during the 1970s, the most successful of which was "Who Do You Think You Are."

"Who Do You Think You Are" was released as the follow-up single to "Billy, Don't Be A Hero"; it would achieve a peak placing of #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early fall of the same year. The catchy, upbeat song was composed by Clive Scott and Des Dyer, both members of Jigsaw (see the previous posting on "Love Fire"), who also recorded it for one of their own LPs.

A reformed version of Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods still continues to tour today as part of The Original Idols Live. The group's four studio albums do not appear to have been issued on CD, although a compilation of the group's material, The Best of Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, was released by Varese Sarabande in the mid 1990s. "Who Do You Think You Are" is also included on several 1970s compilations, including Vol. 13 of Rhino's Super Hits of the '70s: Have A Nice Day series.

Listen to the track in its entirety on YouTube: .

That Old Song - Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio (1981)

By the time Ray Parker, Jr. had reached his late twenties, he was already a long-time veteran of the music industry. Not only had he worked as a session guitarist for many of the most prominent R&B and pop artists, he also had developed considerable skills as a songwriter and producer. In 1977, Ray and three other musicians formed Raydio, a collaboration which produced several top 40 hit singles, including "Jack and Jill," "You Can't Change That," and "Two Places at the Same Time" during the years 1978 to 1980.

A Woman Needs Love, the group's fourth album, was released in 1981. Credited to Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio, the title track became the group's most successful single. It was followed by "That Old Song," a smooth midtempo effort featuring Ray on lead vocals. The single peaked at #21 and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts respectively in the summer of 1981, and also gave the group their first Adult Contemporary chart hit, with a peak of #7.

"That Old Song" is included on the compilations Greatest Hits and The Best of Ray Parker, Jr., as well as A Woman Needs Love, available as an import. Listen to the track on YouTube:

Better Love Next Time - Dr. Hook (1979)

The early 1970s recordings of Dr. Hook, for a time billed as Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, were more country-oriented in style and sometimes featured humorous subjects. As the decade wore on, however, the group's sound gradually evolved to a more pop/rock based style, with love and relationships as dominant lyrical themes. During the years 1976-79, the group would release nine singles, several of which did very well on the charts, especially 1979's "When You're in Love With a Beautiful Woman," a #6 hit in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K.

Later that year, the group recorded its eighth studio album, Sometimes You Win. "Better Love Next Time" was the first of several singles to be released from the album. Debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 in the autumn of 1979, the radio-friendly hit achieved a solid #12 placing on the U.S. singles chart. It was also quite successful in the U.K., where it peaked at #8.

Listen to the complete track at YouTube via this link: .
Although Sometimes You Win does not appear to be currently in print, "Better Love Next Time" is featured on a number of the group's hits compilations, including the excellent Greatest Hits (And More).

Love Fire - Jigsaw (1976)

By the early-to-mid 1970s, the band Jigsaw had recorded several albums as well as established themselves as a popular live act in their native Britain. Although they released several singles during that time, they had not yet achieved the breakthrough hit that would bring them worldwide success. That all changed in 1975, when the single "Sky High," originally recorded for the film The Man from Hong Kong, became a huge hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. and at #9 on the U.K. chart, as well as achieving similar acclaim in other countries.

The band quickly followed up the success of "Sky High" with the release of "Love Fire," an uptempo track somewhat similar musically to its predecessor. While not a hit in the U.K., it did moderately well on the U.S. chart, achieving a #30 placing in March 1976. Both hits were included on the group's 1975 self-titled album released on Chelsea Records, also issued as Sky High on the Splash label for the U.K. market.

"Love Fire" is included on several collections of the group's material, including The Very Best of Jigsaw and Anthology. The song was also released on Volume 24 of Rhino's Have A Nice Day: Super Hits of the '70s series. You can listen to the track in full by clicking on this YouTube link:
. If, like me, you are a fan of "lost" singles, be sure to check out MusicMike2's other videos on YouTube, as he has a number of good tracks posted there.

Sequel - Harry Chapin (1980)

In 1972, singer/songwriter Harry Chapin released "Taxi," one of his best known and most loved recordings. Loosely based on a similar event he personally experienced, the song told the compelling and bittersweet story of Harry and Sue, former lovers who unexpectedly meet again years later in Harry's taxi cab. Chapin's poignant storyline and artful portrayal of the characters struck a chord with listeners, but left a sense of wondering if there would be more to the tale. Eight years later, Harry answered that question with the single, "Sequel."

"Sequel" was the first and only single released from the album of the same name, issued on Boardwalk Records. It peaked at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late 1980, one place higher than "Taxi" had peaked in 1972. Sadly, it would be Harry's final hit, as he would pass away less than a year later at just 38 years of age.

"Sequel" is included on several collections of Chapin's greatest hits, as well as the original album, which was reissued in 2003 under the name Storyteller but appears to be out of print. It was also included on Volume 4 of Rhino's Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s series. View a clip of Harry performing "Sequel" on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCAdlnkjCgM.

Believe in Humanity - Carole King (1973)

By 1973, Carole King had firmly established her place as one of pop music’s most talented and respected singer/songwriters. In addition to writing numerous compositions for other artists, she had achieved one of the best-selling and most awarded albums in pop/rock history with Tapestry in 1971. During the two years following the release of Tapestry, she recorded three albums - Music, Rhymes and Reasons, and Fantasy, all of which were quite successful as well.

“Believe in Humanity,” a jazzy piano-based track with a timely and socially conscious message, was the debut single to be released from Fantasy. It first appeared in the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1973, peaking at #28. Interestingly, the “B” side of the single, “You Light Up My Life,” simultaneously charted in its own right; although it did not quite make the top 40 on the pop chart, peaking at #67, it did achieve a #6 placing on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Listen to an audio sample of “Believe in Humanity” and other tracks from Fantasy via this link: http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/mediaplayer.asp?ean=886972456621&track=12&disc=1.
The song is also included on several of Carole’s greatest hits compilations, including A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection (1968-1976), an excellent overview of her early solo career.

My Fair Share - Seals & Crofts (1977)

The harmony-rich, folk-influenced soft rock stylings of Jim Seals and Dash Crofts were a perfect fit for AM radio during the years 1972 to 1976. In that time span, the duo achieved an impressive nine singles on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, including three top 10 hits, as well as solid album sales. Jim and Dash were also guests on many television programs of the time, including several talk and variety shows.

In 1977, the duo began recording vocal and instrumental tracks for One On One, the soundtrack album to the film of the same name starring Robby Benson and Annette O’Toole. The project was something of a departure for Seals and Crofts, as on previous albums they had written nearly all of their own material. In this case, however, the songs were penned by Charles Fox and Paul Williams. The beautiful, poignant love theme from the album, “My Fair Share,” was released as a single and generated respectable airplay and sales, peaking at #28 and giving Jim and Dash their tenth Billboard pop hit.

After many years of very limited availability of many of the albums, the remaining catalog of Seals & Crofts was recently reissued on CD on Wounded Bird Records. You can view a videoclip of Jim and Dash performing "My Fair Share" via this link:

Love You Like I Never Loved Before - John O'Banion (1981)

Is it just me, or did John look quite a bit like actor Hugh Laurie?

John O'Banion's career as an entertainer had begun at an early age in television and theater in his native Indiana. It was as a singer and songwriter that he achieved his greatest success, however. His expressive, soulful tenor voice and melodic style were right in step with the Westcoast/AOR genre which was quite popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

"Love You Like I Never Loved Before" was the first single from John's debut album, John O'Banion. Released in the spring of 1981, the song peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although it would be John's only hit, he continued to record music and make appearances in films until his death in 2007 from injuries he sustained in an accident.

John's earlier albums, including his debut, are currently not widely available, but hopefully will be reissued at some point. "Love You Like I Never Before" was also included on the Rhino compilation Radio Daze: Pop Hits of the '80s, Vol. 5.

Steppin' in a Slide Zone - The Moody Blues (1978)

The year 1978 was a comeback of sorts for The Moody Blues. After releasing a string of seven solid and well-regarded albums during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the band members decided to part ways in 1974 to concentrate on their own solo projects. Three years later, the group agreed to reform for the recording of Octave, which was recorded in early 1978 and released in the summer of that year.

“Steppin’ in a Slide Zone” was the first single released from the album. Written by John Lodge, the track was recorded in a similar symphonic/progressive rock style that had been characteristic of their earlier work, but featured a synthesizer in place of the once-prominent mellotron. The single peaked at #39 in September, and while not as popular as some of their earlier tracks, it rekindled interest in the band and paved the way for even greater success in 1981 with the release of their chart-topping album, Long Distance Voyager.

Listen to a sample of “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone” via this link: http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/mediaplayer.asp?ean=731453580022&track=11&disc=1. The availability of Octave has varied over the years, but it appears to be currently in print. The track is also included on several of the group’s greatest hits compilations.

Winners and Losers - Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds (1975)

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds had scored a #4 Billboard hit in 1971 with "Don't Pull Your Love," but soon found themselves unable to sustain the momentum that hit had generated. Their next two singles, also released in 1971, were only moderately successful on the charts, not quite reaching the top 40. During the next few years, the band underwent several changes, including the replacement of group member Tommy Reynolds with Alan Dennison (although the group would continue to use its original moniker for a time afterward), and signing with a new label, Playboy Records.

Their first album on the Playboy label, Fallin' in Love, was released in 1975. The title track became a major hit for the group in the summer of 1975, reaching #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. In November of that year, the band followed it up with the release of “Winners and Losers,” an excellent ballad written in a similar breezy, soft rock/pop style as its predecessor, although slightly more uptempo. While “Winners and Losers” did not duplicate the success of “Fallin’ in Love,” it achieved a very respectable #21 placing on the Hot 100 in early 1976.

Until fairly recently, “Winners and Losers” was a difficult track to obtain on CD, but happily that changed with the release of the compilation Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds: The Playboy Years in 2005. A sample of the song can be heard via Barnes & Noble at http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/mediaplayer.asp?ean=630428014428&disc=1&track=1.