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.