While this blog is normally about what's currently going on in the music world, it's also deals with the music I listened to growing up and as a young adult. Last week, two such notable people in the music industry, one in front of the mic, and the other, basically behind the scenes, passed away. This week we remember Olivia Newton-John, who was a big part of popular music in the 1970's and then, thanks to a movie role was able to change her style and image, which kept her on top of the charts well into the 1980's. And then there's Lamont Dozier, who played a big role in the development of the Motown sound, writing, with his cohorts Brian and Eddie Holland, as the "Holland-Dozier-Holland" songwriting and production team, was responsible for some of the biggest hits coming ouit of the Motor City and continued to play a significant role for decades to come.
 |
| Pop star and actress Olivia Newton-John (L) and Motown songwriting and producer legend Lamont Dozier, both passed away this past week. |
We will start with Olivia Newton-John, an aspiring singer who was born in England but grew up in Australia. She started delving into music in her teens, singing with various groups, but recorded her first solo song in 1966 for Decca Records, a record label that would soon be her home during her hit-making career.
The first time I had heard of her was in the early summer of 1971, when "If Not For You", her first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100, landed her a #25 hit. But while local top 40 stations in the New York area didn't play it, it was a big Adult Contemporary hit, and the AM AC station at the time, WOR-AM played it on the weekends. Written by Bob Dylan, a cover by George Harrison appeared on the ex-Beatle's All Things Must Pass album. Her sweet, gentle voice was perfect for that format. I had often wondered whether she was any relation to Elton John, since both artists were on the Uni label (distributed by Decca, which would become MCA records), but that wasn't the case at all.
While her next couple of songs barely dented or missed the Hot 100 completely, including a cover of John Denver's "Take Me Home Country Road" (an artist, in a certain way, would have something in common with, see below), her momentum would start in late 1973 here in the states. The countrified "Let Me Be There" became her first Top 10 hit in the winter of 1974, characterized by that "Mr. bassman" sound that accompanied her, along with country twang. Naturally, the follow-up "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" had the same sound and also hit the top 10 during the summer of '74. Both of those songs established her on the country charts as well as pop success.
That momentum she garnered during that year, led her to her first #1 song, "I Honestly Love You", a ballad that, despite not being technically country, still hit the top 5 on the country chart. It won a Grammy for Record of the Year. She became a bona-fide superstar. But there was controversy.
Because of her country success with these songs, she was named "Country Music Association (CMA) Female Vocalist of the Year" for 1974, at the expense of traditional country singers such as Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Tanya Tucker. This caused a sort of "outrage" among so-called country music "purists", who felt that because Ms. Newton-John was from Australia and not a part of the "core Nashville group" that she didn't deserve that award. Of course, nowadays that is absurd, as one of the current popular country artists, Keith Urban, also hailed from Down Under.
John Denver also faced the same scrutiny. While he was from the United States, he hailed from Colorado, and not Nashville. He had big country success as well during the same time period and won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 1975, but while presenting the award, Charlie Rich, a popular artist at the time, lit a match to the cue card that he read from and set it on fire. As it turned out Rich was pretty much blacklisted and his career went into a dive, not to mention the group Association of Country Entertainers that formed in the wake of Olivia's and John's honors. That group withered away, and Newton-John garnered the support of fellow country artists.
Olivia had followed-up "I Honestly Love You" with another sweet pop ballad "Have You Never Been Mellow" which also hit #1 in early 1975, and again, while not a country song, still landed her in the top 5 on that genre chart. By then, she had this reputation for being a sweet sounding, innocent girl singer; at least in the opinion of my Mom, who always, when the subject of Olivia came up would mock her "mellow" voice. Gotta love my Mom!
Her next single was overtly country, perhaps in response to the pop sounding records of her last two hits. "Please Mr. Please" was a top 5 hit, and another top five hit on the country chart. The song takes place in Nashville, at a bar in which a "button-pushing cowboy" plays a song on the jukebox that the singer associates with a lost love.
Her popularity slacked off after that hit, "Something Better to Do" missed the top 10, but during the next couple of years, steadily made the top 40 with songs like "Let It Shine", "Come on Over", "Don't Stop Believing'" (not the later Journey song), and "Sam", a top 20 hit in early 1977. Perhaps her sweet voice became a bit too saccharine for Top 40 radio.
Then a big break occurred when Olivia signed up to do her first movie, that would give her not only a second life on the charts, but a new sound as well. She wound up with a lead role as "Sandy" opposite John Travolta in the movie adaptation of Grease. The movie became the #1 Box Office hit of 1978 and spawned three hits: The #1 "You're the One That I Want" with Travolta, the solo "Hopelessly Devoted to You", which hit #3, and "Summer Nights" recorded with Travolta and the film's cast also hit the #5. Olivia was back.
But wisely, and I don't think this had ever been done before or since, Olivia emulated her Sandy character in the movie. In Grease, she started out as a sweet "goody goody" type, perhaps, not unlike her image of the last few years. But at the end, she transformed into a tough, leather clad, spandex-wearing girl, and she carried that image forward. In late 1978, she released "A Little More Love", with a tougher sound and image, and it put her back in the top 10. "Deeper Than the Night" was another top 20 hit in '79, and then it was time for Xanadu.
Her second movie wasn't anywhere nearly as successful as the first (although it later became a cult classic), but the soundtrack was just as successful as Grease, perhaps even more so. She had three top 20's from Xanadu, including another #1, "Magic" which continued her tough sound, a top 10 hit in the title track (a duet with the Electric Light Orchestra which also had hits from the film), and finally the top 20 with Cliff Richard "Suddenly". 1980 also brought "I Can't Help It", a duet with Andy Gibb from his album After Dark that landed at #12 that spring.
I saw Olivia in concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center around the 1982 or so. Before she would perform "Magic", she kidded with the audience......"I did a movie", to which the audience went wild, thinking she was talking about Grease. She then responded, ".... You mean you SAW it?" referring to Xanadu. The singer knew what she was doing. But the best was still yet to come.
In late 1981, she continued that image with "Physical", which in addition to her "toughness", employed a bit of sexiness to go with it. The song was her biggest success, hitting #1 and staying there for ten weeks, a rarity at the time. Because of the suggestive nature, Newton-John released a video with a workout theme to "validate" the concept of sorts, which in its own way was pretty suggestive, but at the same time, was a hit because of the aerobic craze blossoming at the time, such as workout videos starring Jane Fonda, et al.
The hits continued: "Make a Move on Me" in 1982, "Heart Attack" in '83 and "Twist of Fate" in '84. The latter was from her third movie Two of a Kind which reunited her with John Travolta, but the magic from Grease wasn't there, and was a box office disappointment. The sexy (both the song and video) "Soul Kiss" in 1985 would be her last top 20 hit, although she continued recording for decades to come. She would occasionally hit the charts as a featured vocalist here and there, the last time from the Glee Cast's cover of "Physical" in 2010.
In the 1990's, Olivia was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she battled, initially successfully; she was active in supporting cancer research, much of her recordings benefiting this cause. That included a reunion with Travolta on the holiday album This Christmas. She acted occasionally as well, and in the 2010's had a Las Vegas residency that lasted several years.
But by 2013, her cancer had returned which again she beat, but came back in 2017 and this time progressed to stage 4. On August 8, Olivia Newton-John passed away at the age of 73. She was truly one of a kind, had an awesome career and very much a fighter. She will definitely be missed.
If you were a fan of Motown in the 1960's chances are, you heard on the radio a song that was produced and/or written by the team of "Holland-Dozier-Holland". Lamont Dozier was a major part of the success. He was instrumental in bringing Motown, a black-owned record label with a roster with stars of color, into the mainstream and competing with the white pop records and acts of the day. The Supremes, in particular benefited from Lamont and Hollands, garnering 10 of the trio's 12 number one singles between 1964 and 1967. "Where Did Our Love Go", "Stop! in the Name of Love", "Come See About Me", "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hanging On" are just some of the songs he produced and wrote for Diana Ross and company. Before joining Motown, he sang in various groups such as The Romeos, and The Voice Masters.
But it was during the Motown tenure that Dozier made his mark. In addition to the Supremes hits, he also had two top 10 hits with Martha & the Vandellas ("Heatwave", "Quicksand"); The Four Tops (two #1's "I Can't Help Myself" and "Reach Out, I'll Be There", along with numerous other hits, and the Isley Brothers, during their stint with Motown ("This Old Heart of Mine").
Disagreements with Motown president and founder Berry Gordy resulted in Holland-Dozier-Holland leaving Motown and starting their own company, based around the Invictus and Hot Wax labels. While not quite as successful as their Motown period, the early 1970's saw that label dominate soul music. Acts such as the popular beach music group The Chairmen of the Board featuring General Johnson ("Give Me Just a Little More Time", "Pay to the Piper"), Freda Payne ("Band of Gold", "Bring the Boys Home"), 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) ("Somebody's Been Sleeping") and The Honey Cone, a trio often compared to the Supremes ("Want Ads", "Stick Up", "The Day of Found Myself") were both pop and R&B hits. Holland-Dozier-Holland reunited with the Supremes (post-Diana Ross), albeit briefly, producing the trio's final Top 40 hit, "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking", in 1976 before the group (and H-D-H, for that matter), disbanded.
By the mid-1970's the label's success faded, and Dozier left the H-D-H team. Dozier returned to singing and garnered a couple of top 40 hits in 1974, "Trying to Hold On To My Woman" and "Fish Ain't Bitin'", the latter a social commentary about the state of the country, including a plea for then President Nixon to resign ("Tricky Dick....please...quit"), which he actually did while the song was climbing the charts.
Later on in the 1970's he wrote and sang the second season theme to the sitcom That's My Mama. He scored a Carolina Beach Music hit in 1981, "Cool Me Out"'. He was active in the 1980's scoring a top 40 hit with Alison Moyet's ''Invisible" in 1985, Jon Anderson (of Yes fame) "Hold on to Love"; and returned to #1 in 1989 co-writing and co-producing "Two Hearts" with Phil Collins. Finally, in late 1990, he produced and co-wrote "Anything Is Possible" with Debbie Gibson, which landed in the #8 position on my Top 100 of that year. Dozier (and the Holland Brothers) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Dozier also co-wrote Joss Stone's "Spoiled" in 2005 and worked on the musical stage version of The First Wives Club in 2009 (in a brief reunion with the Holland brothers as H-D-H), and most recently taught popular music courses at the University of Southern California.
Lamont Dozier was 81 years old.
THEY SAY THINGS COME IN THREES, and there was one more notable passing: Judith Durham, the lead singer of 1960's Australian folk-pop group The Seekers. The group had two notable U.S. hits, the #4 "I'll Never Find Another Love Like You" in 1965, and the #2 "Georgy Girl" in early 1967. Ms. Durham had the contemporary folk sound that predated the likes of Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell. The 2012 top five blog hit, "Bad Feeling" by English indie pop band Veronica Falls had vocals by Roxanne Clifford, whose voice resembled Ms. Durham's. Durham left The Seekers in 1968 and had sporadically recorded to this day, most recently releasing a holiday album in 2013. Ms. Durham battled lung disease which plagued her all of her life and passed last week at the age of 79.
STILL RUNNING: "Running Up That Hill" stays at my top spot for the third straight week. The Stranger Things-inspired revival of this 1985 song by Kate Bush has a comfortable--but not insurmountable---lead. The song dips a notch to #4 on the Hot 100 this week. Two beach music songs, "The Thing About You" by Carolina Coast Band featuring Rhonda McDaniel, and "Poor Side of Town" by The Main Event Band featuring Sharon Woodruff, inch up to #2 and #3 respectively. It's a possibility that either one could have a shot next week. Lizzo's "About Damn Time", which was #1 on Billboard for two weeks, dips to #2 there, but moves from #6 to #4 here. Harry Styles, also falls a notch on Billboard but drops to #5 here with "As It Was", a former #1 on both lists.
The Black Keys garner their 13th top 10 with "It Ain't Over", and Einstein's Dad their fifth top tenner with "White Shoulders Lace and Leather". St. Paul and the Broken Bones nab the Impact award with "Minotaur" (21-16), while The AZIZ Project advances 22-17 with "Thought I Was Falling in Love". This is AZIZ member Tim Izzard's seventh top 20, with three different billings---solo, with Orbis Max, and now with The AZIZ Project.
For the second week in a row, we have Co-Mover of the Week songs, both also had honors last week: King Tappa gets that designation for the second week in a row with "Are You Feeling It?" (51-36), while last week's Top Debut, Off Guard's "B.L.U." advances 78-58.
Eight new entries this week, including the blog debut from a pop and R&B superstar., which I'll get to in a moment. Ellie Goulding has the Top Debut this week with "Easy Lover" that features Big Sean. Ms. Goulding had a blog #1, "Lights" which hit the top at the end of 2011, half a year before it peaked at #2 on the Hot 100. "Easy Lover" is her first to hit the blog chart since 2019's "Close to Me" which reached #77. A rhythmic romp with the mid-song rap by Big Sean is excellently produced. To be honest, we could do without the rap, but I guess that's required to give the song cred. But Ms. Goulding's performance is heart-felt and is definitely her best since "Lights". This should return her to the top 20.
But it's the second debut that is significant.. Beyonce hits the SNS 100 for the first time ever with "Break My Soul", at #81. Beyonce, of course was originally part of the group Destiny's Child, and has been solo since the early 2000's. She had received many accolades over her career. To be honest, I'm not sure what the hype is all about. She is talented without a doubt, but when there are awesome singers in the past like Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin, "Queen Bey", while being up there, has to take, at best, a passenger seat to them.
Having said that, this is a great song, and she is in rare form. The style is early 1990's house music, a dance genre that was popular then. Aside from the "shoegaze" alt rock and grunge, this was a favorite subgenre of that era for me, and "Break My Soul" has that influence. The song moves from 5 to 1 on the Hot 100 and becomes her sixth chart-topper as a lead artist, but her first since the catchy "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" way back in 2008 which no doubt would make my Top 100 list once I get around to making one for that year that pre-dated my blog by two years.
Actually, Beyonce technically did have a #1 blog hit. She was featured on a mix of Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" which hit #1 for five weeks as a duet (the sixth week was credited to just Sheeran) on the Hot 100. The song reached #1 on my blog for two weeks, but it was the Sheeran solo version. With me warming up in recent years to artists like The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Halsey, Dua Lipa, Ava Max and most recently Lizzo, it's time to give Ms. Knowles her due. "Break My Soul" should do well here.
Next up is the latest by Alvvays, a Canadian indie-pop band that had some success, "Pharmacist". The band is led by Molly Rankin, who has fronted the band since its beginning in 2011. Incidentally, the drummer is Sheridan Riley, formerly of Avi Buffalo who had a #1 blog hit in 2010 "What's In It For". Ms. Riley joined Alvvays in 2017 and this is the first recording by the band that she is featured on. "Pharmacist" has that lush, shoegazey, fuzzy, dreamy yet noise-poppy sound that is very appealing. The band has had two top 20 blog hits; this should make it a third. From the band's third album Blue Rev, due in October.
The beach music entry this week is by Rivermist, "Pucker Up". As you'd expect, it's very soulful and is about the beach and dancing. This should hit the top 20 in no time, as it's good timely feeling captures the Carolina scene very well.
Silversun Pickups have had middling success on my blog in recent years, but I remember them from my #2 year-end song from 2009, "Panic Switch", which was #1 on the Alternative chart. It was their most recent chart topper on that list but have been fixtures at alternative radio since. A harder approach with a rather choppy beat is featured on the new song. It's worthy for a few spins. Joy Again, from Philly, had a blog top ten with "Looking Out for You" and followed it with the #26 "What Lovers Do". Their third entry is "Who Knows?', sort of in a raw early Weezer groove, a bit less cohesive than earlier efforts, but is given a chance. Irish artist Soak returns with "Swear Jar", which is a rather acoustic dreamy song with some heart and soul added by the singer. Later on, in the song featured strings which elevates the already interesting song to a new level. Soak's first two albums produced top 20 blog hits; this one has a shot. From the singer-songwriter's third album If I Never Know You Like This Again.
Finally, just inching in to the top 100 is P!nk's rather political and personal "Irrelevant". The video pretty much says it all, a commentary on both current events (BLM, Jan. 6, Roe v. Wade repeal, etc.), and about her rather being forgotten in this day and age.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
August 7, 2022 (Week ending August 13)
|
This
Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  "Running Up That Hill (A Deal WIth God)" Albums: Hounds of Love / Stranger Things: Music from the Netflix Original Series, Season 4 (3 weeks at #1) |
9 |
|
2 |
3 |
Carolina Coast Band ft Rhonda McDaniel - The Thing About You |
8 |
|
3 |
4 |
11 |
|
|
4 |
6 |
10 |
|
|
5 |
2 |
18 |
|
|
6 |
5 |
14 |
|
|
7 |
7 |
8 |
|
|
8 |
9 |
9 |
|
|
9 |
13 |
7 |
|
|
10 |
18 |
6 |
|
|
11 |
10 |
11 |
|
|
12 |
14 |
16 |
|
|
13 |
15 |
14 |
|
|
14 |
19 |
10 |
|
|
15 |
17 |
12 |
|
|
16 |
21 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  "Minotaur" Album: The Alien Coast |
8 |
|
17 |
22 |
5 |
|
|
18 |
8 |
Jerry Powell and The Carnival Band ft. Dave Sandy - Merry-Go-Round |
13 |
|
19 |
11 |
21 |
|
|
20 |
26 |
5 |
|
|
21 |
12 |
17 |
|
|
22 |
16 |
11 |
|
|
23 |
30 |
4 |
|
|
24 |
25 |
7 |
|
|
25 |
20 |
14 |
|
|
26 |
33 |
6 |
|
|
27 |
27 |
10 |
|
|
28 |
29 |
9 |
|
|
29 |
28 |
11 |
|
|
30 |
32 |
Winnetka Bowling League & The Knocks - I Like
to Hide in the Bathroom at Parties |
10 |
|
31 |
35 |
8 |
|
|
32 |
23 |
9 |
|
|
33 |
39 |
Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - In My '64 |
7 |
|
34 |
40 |
7 |
|
|
35 |
44 |
6 |
|
|
36 |
51 |
CO-MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album: 9 to 5 |
3 |
|
37 |
24 |
12 |
|
|
38 |
43 |
6 |
|
|
39 |
31 |
18 |
|
|
40 |
45 |
8 |
|
|
41 |
46 |
11 |
|
|
42 |
47 |
7 |
|
|
43 |
37 |
16 |
|
|
44 |
54 |
4 |
|
|
45 |
34 |
14 |
|
|
46 |
53 |
7 |
|
|
47 |
36 |
12 |
|
|
48 |
42 |
12 |
|
|
49 |
52 |
8 |
|
|
50 |
69 |
3 |
|
|
51 |
41 |
12 |
|
|
52 |
59 |
5 |
|
|
53 |
38 |
18 |
|
|
54 |
57 |
6 |
|
|
55 |
67 |
3 |
|
|
56 |
60 |
6 |
|
|
57 |
66 |
6 |
|
|
58 |
78 |
CO-MOVER OF THE WEEK:  "B.L.U." (Single Only) |
2 |
|
59 |
48 |
17 |
|
|
60 |
56 |
21 |
|
|
61 |
71 |
4 |
|
|
62 |
70 |
5 |
|
|
63 |
49 |
11 |
|
|
64 |
65 |
9 |
|
|
65 |
72 |
4 |
|
|
66 |
55 |
8 |
|
|
67 |
50 |
14 |
|
|
68 |
74 |
4 |
|
|
69 |
58 |
18 |
|
|
70 |
73 |
6 |
|
|
71 |
81 |
3 |
|
|
72 |
63 |
10 |
|
|
73 |
68 |
7 |
|
|
74 |
84 |
2 |
|
|
75 |
64 |
22 |
|
|
76 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  ELLIE GOULDING featuring BIG SEAN (Single Only) |
1 |
|
77 |
62 |
28 |
|
|
78 |
75 |
13 |
|
|
79 |
61 |
7 |
|
|
80 |
86 |
2 |
|
|
81 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
82 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
83 |
90 |
2 |
|
|
84 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
85 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
86 |
89 |
2 |
|
|
87 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
88 |
76 |
13 |
|
|
89 |
87 |
4 |
|
|
90 |
85 |
4 |
|
|
91 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
92 |
77 |
12 |
|
|
93 |
83 |
5 |
|
|
94 |
80 |
34 |
|
|
95 |
82 |
20 |
|
|
96 |
95 |
3 |
|
|
97 |
79 |
17 |
|
|
98 |
96 |
48 |
|
|
99 |
99 |
2 |
|
|
100 |
101 |
1 |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week. ●
Songs with
25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲ Songs with 50 or more plays.
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