1977 – Saturday Night Fever
1977’s Saturday Night Fever helped spread disco music around the world. The movie soundtrack, featuring several disco songs by the Bee Gees, became one of the best selling albums of all time.
Here’s a medley of songs from the film, along with movie clips: Saturday Night Fever Medley
Here are the Bee Gees songs featured on the soundtrack:
Other notable songs on Saturday Night Fever:
If I Can’t Have You by Yvonne Elliman
More Than a Woman by Tavares
Open Sesame by Kool & the Gang
Boogie Shoes by KC and the Sunshine Band
Disco Inferno by The Trammps
1977 in Music
My next posts will focus on the year 1977. Below are popular songs from that year. They are in no particular order, but they were all at the top of the charts in 1977; Debbie Boone’s You Light Up My Life being the best selling single of the year. And as I mentioned in my previous post, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours was the Album of the Year.
Click on the song names, and if I was able to locate a performance, movie clip, or something about that song, you’ll be directed to it.
Although I was only 9 years old, I remember these songs as if I heard them yesterday. And because I am a music freak, I actually did listen to some of them yesterday, on purpose!
See how many you remember:
You Light Up My Life – Debbie Boone
Love Is In The Air – John Paul Young
You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)– Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr
I Just Want To Be Your Everything – Andy Gibb
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Leo Sayer (on the Captain & Tennille Show!)
Car Wash – Rose Royce (the movie clip)
Don’t Give Up On Us – David Soul
Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
I’m Your Boogie Man – KC & The Sunshine Band
Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) – Bill Conti
Undercover Angel – Alan O’Day (Clips from Charlie’s Angels)
Rumours
On this day in 1977, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was Dreams. The band was Fleetwood Mac. And the album was Rumours. Rumours topped the charts for about 30 weeks, and won the Grammy for Album of the Year. It’s made it to Rolling Stone magazine and VH1’s Top Albums lists, among others.
Fleetwood Mac is comprised of the founder, Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, and John McVie. The lead vocals often depended upon who wrote the song; and for the most part, it was Stevie, Christine, or Lindsey.
Below is the track list as it appeared on the original vinyl version of Rumours, along with who sang each tune. Click on song titles for videos or performances. My favorite tunes off Rumors are Second Hand News, Never Going Back Again, and The Chain.
Side One
1. Second Hand News (Buckingham)
2. Dreams (Nicks)
3. Never Going Back Again (Buckingham)
4. Don’t Stop (C. McVie)
5. Go Your Own Way (Buckingham)
6. Songbird (C. McVie)
Side Two
1. The Chain (Nicks, Buckingham, C. McVie, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood)
2. You Make Loving Fun (C. McVie)
3. I Don’t Want to Know (Nicks)
4. Oh Daddy (C. McVie)
5. Gold Dust Woman (Nicks)
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
The multi-talented Judy Garland, born Frances Gumm on June 10, 1922, entertained the world since she was a child and won the Oscar, Tony, Grammy, and Golden Globe for her performances on screen and stage, and in song.
It’s easy to see from the clips below why Judy was one of the greatest performers, and how she magically sang her way into the hearts of millions around the world.
“Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (Wizard of Oz scene)
Simply Red
Mick Hucknall, better known as Simply Red was born on this day in 1960, in Manchester, England.
Many think of the 80s hits like Holding Back The Years and the remake of Harold Melvin’s classic If You Don’t Know Me By Now as Simply Red’s only contribution to music, however Mick has consistently been working on music. For those of us who have kept track, there’s a whole lot more blue-eyed soul from the talented redhead than that early material.
Mick mixed his lyrics and music with Hall & Oates classic “I Can’t Go For That” and came up with the addictive Sunrise. This song appeared on 2003’s fantastic album Home, along with a cover of You Make Me Feel Brand New. Last year’s Stay is also a recommended album.
Here are some of my other favorites from Simply Red:
Time After Time
During this week in 1984, Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time topped the Billboard chart. It’s been one of my favorite songs ever since!
This song was on She’s So Unusual, Lauper’s debut album and the one that has stood the test of time. With She’s So Unusual, Lauper became the first artist in history to have four top-five singles released from one album. The Brooklyn-born-Queens-raised Lauper is a true original!
Let’s watch the Time After Time video below, along with other hits from the very talented artist, who helped define the pop culture of the mid-80s.
Curtis Mayfield
The R&B funkster Curtis Mayfield was born on this day in 1942. He was a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious soul music, as well as an multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, bass, piano, drums, and saxophone.
Mayfield’s Number 1 Soul hit, “We’re a Winner,” became an anthem of the black pride movement in 1967, as was his “Keep on Pushing“, with his group The Impressions, had been an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement.
His 1972 album Super Fly, the soundtrack to the film of the same name, was one of the most important albums of the time. Along with Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and Stevie Wonder’s works, this album was instrumental in bringing about a new socially conscious, funky style of music.
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