The biggest knock against Toto was that at times they sounded generic and sterile, which is a pretty fair knock. However, they were studio professionals and at least in one case (David Paich), they were studio professionals who were the children of widely renowned studio professionals. They didn’t grow up bashing instruments randomly in a… Read More “Hold The Line” by Toto (1978)
“Here, My Dear” is the opening song to (and title track of) the album I consider to be Marvin Gaye’s greatest. This isn’t the popular opinion. Hell, there are a lot of folks who don’t even know Here, My Dear exists. After all, it sold poorly upon release and generated no hit singles despite following… Read More “Here, My Dear” by Marvin Gaye (1978)
Hey! It’s the first instance I can think of in which the “A” and the “B” side of a 45 single appear on this list. “Footsteps In The Dark” was the flip side of “Groove With You”. I played the ever loving junk out of this 45 as a teenager. Isley Brothers ballads went two… Read More “Groove With You” by The Isley Brothers (1978)
“Grease” topped the pop charts because it had just about everything going for it. It was the theme song to one of the hottest movies of 1978; a throwback classic starring John Travolta and Bolivia Neutron-Bomb Olivia Newton-John. It was written and produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, who wrote and produced literally… Read More “Grease” by Frankie Valli (1978)
“Got To Get You Into My Life” was The Beatles’ tribute to soul music. While the song’s Wikipedia page suggests Motown was an influence, the horn-heavy arrangement has more in common with the rougher soul sounds coming from further south. I’m not certain as to whether Wilson Pickett or Otis Redding ever covered this song,… Read More “Got To Get You Into My Life” by The Beatles (1966)/Earth, Wind & Fire (1978)
“Got To Be Real” is pure joy. It’s almost like you can hear the grin on Cheryl Lynn’s face as she’s singing. It helps “Got To Be Real”‘s cause that, vocally, Cheryl Lynn comes across as a mixture of Ethel Merman and Chaka Khan. Her voice has that down-home diva quality to it, but there’s… Read More “Got To Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn (1978)
I had a paralysis from analysis moment that led me to this song choice. Originally, my next up was “Fire” by The Ohio Players. I sat with that choice for a while, ultimately asking myself if I was picking that song because it’s such a legendary funk song or because I legitimately love it. I… Read More “Fire” by The Pointer Sisters (1978)
First off, shout out and rest in piece to a great Canadian and one of my first crushes ever, the Bearlicious (Otterlicious?) Alan Thicke. Yes, lawd. So, here are some interesting facts for folks who may only know Alan as Jason Seaver on Growing Pains or as Robin’s dad. He apparently was Philippe Wynne from… Read More “Diff’rent Stokes” by Alan Thicke, Gloria Loring & Al Burton (1978)
I’m listening to “Destiny” as I type this. A 20 year old Michael Jackson is singing “If it’s the rich life, I don’t want it/Happiness ain’t always material things”, and I’m juxtaposing it in my head with images of that TV special with that scumbag Martin Bashir. The whole special was a shit show, but I clearly… Read More “Destiny” by The Jacksons (1978)
1978’s “Dance (Disco Heat)” introduced Sylvester to the American audience at large. Not to say Sylvester was a newbie-he’d been kicking around the music scene for half a decade at this point. But this song crystallized the sound, the iconography, the look that made Sylvester many things; a disco icon, a queer icon, an icon… Read More “Dance (Disco Heat)” by Sylvester (1978)
Five Star Jamz 