The Little Record With the Big Hole

We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..it wasn’t all about the album in 1971. The 45 single was still a huge part of the record business and I thought we could take a moment and look back at some of those records that we were buying at Bob’s Musical Isle (out of the 45 vending machine) or at Wright’s Music store when you picked up your copy of the Nifty Fifty survey from WRIG…or at the new Tempo store on Wausau’s west side… or Arlans (where the EastBay headquarters is now). Or wherever you added to that growing 45 collection…see if you remember these…..

If you listened to the radio in the summer of 1971 you undoubtedly heard the funky boogie of this tune blaring forth. The Liverpool trio of Tony Ashton (keyboard & vocals), Kim Gardner (bass) and Roy Dyke (drums) had backed up George Harrison on his WonderWall LP and Harrison returned the favor on a few of their songs as well including the tune that was on the flipside of this one, “Im Your Spiritual Bread Man”. But all I know is if you want to feel better right now, take a listen to Resurrection Shuffle and feel released !

How bout this country #1 that crossed over and went Top Ten on the pop charts….

Jerry Reed was a hot country picker and who had a big southern drawl and good ole boy image that not only took him to the top of the charts but also made him a movie star when his buddy Burt Reynolds cast him in a number of films including Smokey & The Bandit later in the 70’s. Story songs were big in the 70’s and his tale of a busted crap game and what happened in court brought a smile to many faces and included the immortal line…”You understand that you hillbilly? Who’s gonna collect my welfare?…pay for my Cadillac.”

I bought this 45 at Bob’s after hearing hit blaring from my transistor for months….

If you went to a certain movie in 1971 you definitely heard this one….

One Tin Soldier was a song that was recorded every year from 1969-1974 by various artists. I remember buying the first one in 1969 by a group called The Original Caste. But it made a triumphant return to the charts in 1971 after being featured in the movie “Billy Jack”. You remember Billy Jack right?

Anyway, as cheesy as that movie was, the song became a hit again sung by a Canadian vocalist named Jinx Dawson and her group Coven. Anti-war sentiments were running hot in 1971 and the theme of  song struck a chord with folks who were tired of war and all of the tragedy it brought.

And finally, one of the weirdest hit songs to ever become a hit.

Rupert Holmes (yeah the Pina Colada guy) had signed a band called the Buoys to a one single deal with Scepter records. The label wasn’t obligated to promote the record so Holmes had to find a way to generate publicity and get the song on the radio. He purposely wrote a song that he thought would get banned to gin up some controversy. The song was “Timothy”…a catchy little ditty about three men trapped in a mine cave-in. The punch line was two of the men survived by eating the third. And so a song featuring cannibalism cracked the Top Twenty in America. After a while, the suits at the radio stations actually listened to the lyrics and did start banning the record. So Scepter came up with a story that “Timothy” was actually a donkey that was eaten. Nobody bought that explanation and Holmes dismissed it as well. It’s a catchy little number….if you don’t listen closely to the words. Lol