The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 70's--#80-#71

Inside the Rock Era is featuring The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 70's*.  The quality is evident when songs like "I'll Be Good To You" by Brothers Johnson, "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" and "Rubberband Man" by the Spinners, "Then Came You" from Dionne Warwick and the Spinners, "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by the Undisputed Truth, "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder, "Back Stabbers" by the O'Jays, "After the Love Has Gone" from Earth, Wind & Fire, "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle, "Pillow Talk" from Sylvia, "Where Is the Love" from Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway, "Keep On Truckin'" by Eddie Kendricks and "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players get left off.  Those were the last songs out in The Top 100*.  All great songs that fell just short.  Today, Day Three of the series with songs #80 through #71.

       #80--"Something He Can Feel" by Aretha Franklin

By the time this song was released, Aretha Franklin had already charted with 54 R&B songs.  It remained on the chart for 19 weeks but did not go gold.  The song wasn't a big hit on the popular chart but remember this special is all about R&B and its chart. 

"Something He Can Feel" topped the R&B chart for four weeks in June and July of 1976 with competition from "I'll Be Good To You" by the Brothers Johnson, which did not quite make The Top 100*, and two other solid songs "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" from Lou Rawls and "Getaway" by Earth, Wind & Fire.  Franklin was nominated for Best R&B Female Vocalist at the 1977 Grammy Awards for this song.  The Queen does an amazing job here.

 

    

       #79--"In the Rain" by the Dramatics

This group originally recorded under the name the Dynamics.  Drummer Carl Smalls was a member of Undisputed Truth ("Smiling Faces Sometimes" from 1971). 

The Dramatics enjoyed the hit "Whatcha' See Is Whatcha' Get" in 1971 and were looking for a follow-up.  Here's another song in our special that wasn't huge overall, but man was it strong with the R&B crowd.  It reached #1 in March of 1972 and stayed there for four weeks, holding off songs like "Day Dreaming" from Aretha Franklin and "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers".  Unfortunately, it only remained on the R&B chart for 13 weeks or it would rank higher.

                             #78--"Dazz" by Brick

We've heard from one Atlanta, Georgia group twice already (Gladys Knight & the Pips).  Time for another from that great Southern city.  This act had just came out in 1976, but their first release only charted at #82 on the R&B chart.  Then along came "Dazz"--you'll hear the group explain that it's a cross between disco and jazz. 

It reached #1 for four weeks, taking over from "You Don't Have to Be A Star (To Be In My Show)" by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.  "Love Ballad" by L.T.D. and "Car Wash" by Rose Royce were also out at the time so pretty good competition.  The song spent 23 weeks on the R&B chart. 

                     #77--"Sideshow" by Blue Magic

This group started up in Philadelphia and this is a great soul song from Blue Magic.

It reached #1 in June, 1974, spent 16 weeks on the chart and sold a million copies.  Not bad for a previously unknown act.  "Sideshow" was actually the main attraction of its time--there wasn't heavy competition and that's why it can't rank higher than it does.  

    

       #76--"Rainy Night In Georgia" by Brook Benton

You want to talk Soul--I'm just a white guy but to me, it doesn't get much better than this.  This song defines what "soul" is--so smooth and sung from the heart.  Brook Benton takes you there with this song and you feel his emotion.  Benton charted 37 hits on the R&B chart.

The song was written by Tony Joe White, who gave us "Polk Salad Annie".  "Rainy Night In Georgia" reached #1 in March of 1970, taking over from "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly & the Family Stone and was the third #1 R&B hit of the decade.  "ABC" by the Jackson 5 was also out at the time so pretty solid competition.  "Rainy Night In Georgia" spent 14 weeks on the chart and it sold over a million copies. 

 

                        #75--"Groove Me" by King Floyd

Here's another song in Inside the Rock Era's salute to The Top 100 R&B Songs of the 70's* that wasn't big overall, but had what it takes to make it here--solid strength in the R&B genre.

King Floyd was a singer-songwriter from New Orleans, Louisiana.  Got to have that city represented in this special.  What is amazing is that this was Floyd's debut single.  It motored to #1 and spent 22 weeks on the R&B chart and also sold a million singles.  "Groove Me" was released late in 1970, registering four weeks at #1 in January, 1971.  "The Tears of A Clown" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and "If I Were Your Woman" from Gladys Knight & the Pips provided competition. 

                #74--"Dancing Machine" by the Jackson 5

We're 28 songs into the special and this is our first song from the Jackson 5.  That tells us that several songs by the group are ranked pretty high.  This is one of the last big hits to feature Michael Jackson on lead. 

It spent 20 weeks on the R&B chart but did not go gold.  What got it this high was the #1 spot on May 11, taking over from James Brown's song "The Payback".  "TSOP" by MFSB was also out at the time so good competition.  The Jackson 5 was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song of the Year and Best R&B Group Vocal Performance in 1975.  The song has also weathered the test of time very well, another important consideration in any reliable ranking.

 

#73--"I'm Gonna' Love You Just a Little More, Baby" by Barry White

This is his debut single on the R&B chart--we were just getting to know him in 1973.  It reached #1 in May and spent two weeks at #1, lasted 15 weeks on the chart and, like many of his releases, went gold.  White was nominated for a Grammy in 1974 for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance.  One thing that hurt the song in ranking was the fact that "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" by the Spinners was the only top-notch song out at the time.

              #72--"(not just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic

We've heard "Flash Light" by Parliament; here's another from the genius of George Clinton.  They recorded this one under the name Funkadelic. 

This song was one of the last to get in before the cutoff of December 29, 1979 (the last R&B chart of the decade).  The group reached #1 for three weeks, taking over from "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson.  "Good Times" from Chic and Kool & the Gang's "Ladies Night" were also out at the time so excellent competition.  Funkadelic spent 20 weeks on the R&B chart and sold over a million copies of the single.  It hasn't stood the test of time as much as others in this range or it would rank higher.

#71--"Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire and the Emotions

When you assess the R&B chart record of Earth, Wind & Fire, you are amazed at what the group accomplished.  They totaled 46 career hits in the genre, with 20 of those going Top 10 and they had seven #1 R&B hits in the decade.  That's a hint that the group has several songs coming up!

This one did not reach the #1 spot.  The single combined their talents with the Emotions, who of course had the huge hit "Best of My Love" in 1977.  "Boogie Wonderland" was only #2, but it was a strong #2, with four weeks in the runner-up spot in the summer of 1979.  Songs like "Ring My Bell" from Anita Ward, "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge and "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer kept it out of the top position.  "Boogie Wonderland" spent 13 weeks on the chart and sold a million copies.