Ocean, another of the earliest beneficiaries of Canadian radio’s 1971 CanCon law, crossing the border via CKLW with Put Your Hand in the Hand. #at40

I hate to be a “there’s no Easter Bunny” kind of guy, but no, Susan Dey is definitely not singing.

It’s one of the earliest CanCon hits to cross the border and go Top 10 in the USA, after those broadcast laws went into effect in Canada in January 1971.

Happy Passover from the Godfather of Soul.

Mike Vernon, Who Helped Spark the British Blues Boom, Dies at 81

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/a... RIP Mike Vernon, British blues producer and exec who produced early Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Level 42, etc. and had a Top 10 US hit producing Bloodstone’s 1973 soul classic Natural High.

A true, no exception, one-hit wonder.

I agree with you that Up To Date is the best PF album. I’ll meet you halfway is great, and my dark horse faves are there’s no doubt in my mind and morning rider on the road. Overall, terrific songs

Coming hot on the heels of their debut single “I think I love you”, the Partridge family’s “doesn’t want to be wanted” was, incredibly, from their 2nd album, only 6 months after the show debuted. This album was way more David Cassidy-centric. The first was largely driven by studio singers. #at40

The golden age of Tiger Beat/16/Spec/Fave teen magazines.

My grandmother took
me on a bus to a record store on 108th street in Forest Hills, Queens, to buy the Bobby Sherman album that contained this single the week it came out in the spring of ‘71. The only time we ever went record shopping together. An nice memory. #at40

I think that prediction remains to be proven. We are a bit past the socially
conscious pop song era by 1971. But let’s see.

I think Billboard and Cashbox were equally inaccurate at that moment, and massive differences in chart position critter result from corruption at any point in the information gathering chain—the store level, the magazine level, etc. Plus remember, radio play was irrelevant to the hot 100 in 1971.

Losing Streak

open.spotify.com/track/3OTN97...

But of course New York Groove was a direct
lift of Bohannon’s UK Top 10 hit Disco Stomp. Check it out if you doubt it: open.spotify.com/track/3mUkLW...

open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

“I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will” from Crocodile Rock might be the most exuberant moment in the history of pop. Elton’s 1st number one. #at40

I love the late Timmy Thomas and worked with him on Joss Stone’s Soul Sessions albums, but I must point out he didn’t produce any of the pop/soul hits Casey just credited him with. Why Can’t We Live Together was truly great, though. #at40

He’s engineered some Beatles records and Pink Floyd’s records. Back then, that could jumpstart your hitmaking career.

How in the world are War not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? #at40

Don’t Expect Me To Be Your Friend and The Last Song both on the chart this week in ‘73. Two great soft rock cheese classics; each one featuring a singer resigned to the end of a relationship. They would have made a great double-sided single. #at40

Could it be I’m Falling in Love was the 2nd of the Spinners’ five top-5 hits in a five-year span. One per year from 1972 to 1976, and one peaking at each chart position between one and five. This one peaked the number four. They were my favorite music artist when I was a kid. #at40

It snuck back into the culture before Guardians of the Galaxy came out. The Toploader theory is interesting. Also, Baha Men had a version in the Fat Albert movie.

Rocky Mountain High was the first 45 I ever bought. A dollar well-spent. I remember I got it the same day my older brother bought Crocodile Rock, which i bet we’ll soon hear. #at40

Casey, wherever you are, King Harvest are not from England. Their members were American and French. #at40

Dancing in the Moonlight is one of the great pop records of the 70s. It was kind of a “lost 45” for many decades, but then resurfaced in the past 20 years as a well-known classic and wedding reception staple. Not sure what revised it from obscurity so late in the game. Ideas, anyone? #at40

Killing Me Softly has much to recommend it, but if you have good speakers, check out the kick drum sound, it’s really incredible. #at40

The great teen soul record Love Jones by Brighter Side of Darkness was parodied by Cheech and Chong later n ‘73 as Basketball Jones. And the parody topped the original on the chart, peaking at #15, while Love Jones topped out at #16. #at40

Hi Hi Hi is the first single in Wings’ incredible run of 8 consecutive Top 10 singles, including 3 #1s, ending after Listen To What the Man Said in ‘75. #at40

The 50s revival continues with Jermaine Jackson covering Shep and the Limelites’ Daddy’s Home, which itself was a sequel to the Heartbeats’ hit A Thousand Miles Away. #at40

The Last Song by Edward Bear is one of the great innocent, un-ironic cheese pop singles of the 70s. #at40