The AT40 Blog/July 15, 1978: Like it was half a new show

For a two-week period, Casey Kasem stopped counting down the hits.

That is, the every week hits on the Top 40 countdown. For the week of July 1, 1978, AT40 did a special countdown of the Top 40 movie songs of the rock era, inspired by the big hits that were out in the previous couple of years. And one week after that countdown, Casey decided to take the next week off, leaving the regular show hosting duties to Mark Elliot, a disc jockey at KHJ-AM in Los Angeles who these days is a voice-over artist for Walt Disney Entertainment.

So it was not until the countdown of July 15, 1978 that Casey made his return to do his regular countdown duties. And when he came back, he found the countdown to be quite a bit different from the one he did three weeks earlier.

During the week the countdown of the Top 40 movie songs was done, eight songs debuted in the regular Top 40, a very unusual number of debut songs. Then the week Elliott counted down the hits and Casey was on vacation, eight more songs made Top 40 debuts. That's 16 songs that came in and 16 that exited during the two weeks Casey didn't count down the regular hits.

By the time he came back on July 15, there were the pedestrian three debut hits. Still, that meant 19 new songs that Casey needed to acclimate himself to thanks to the staff writers who had the job of putting the facts of those songs down for Casey to speak on his show.

The 19 songs that left the countdown? Well to mention each one of them would take a minute and a half alone or a whole paragraph ... so here it goes:

"With A Little Luck" by Wings, "Dance Across The Floor" by Jimmy "Bo" Horne, "Almost Summer" by Celebration, "On Broadway" by George Benson, "Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan, "Heartless" by Heart, "Oh What A Night For Dancing" by Barry White, "Warm Ride" by Rare Earth, "Every Kinda People" by Robert Palmer, "Even Now" by Barry Manilow, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" by Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams, "I Was Only Joking" by Rod Stewart, "Follow You, Follow Me" by Genesis, "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione, "Stone Blue" by Foghat, "It's The Same Old Song" by K.C. & The Sunshine Band, "Because The Night" by Patti Smith, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" by Tuxedo Junction and "You're The Love" by Seals & Crofts.

Of those 19 songs that exited the Top 40 in that three-week period, the only one that Casey never announced himself on the show was "Chattanooga Choo Choo," the disco remake of the old 1940s standard which debuted at No. 32 on the week of the movie countdown and held there the next week before falling out the week he returned.

So with "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" gone after two weeks in the Top 40, that left 18 songs for Casey to be introduced to. In case you may not have known them, here's the short version of each of those 18 songs within the countdown of July 15, 1978:


I've Had Enough--Wings (No. 40, debut): The follow-up to the No. 1 smash "With A Little Luck," the song was the second hit from the band's last studio album on Capitol Records, "London Town." It would peak at No. 25 for Paul and Linda McCartney and Denny Laine.

Will You Love Me Tomorrow--Dave Mason (No. 39, No. 39 the week before when it debuted): The man behind the Top 15 hit "We Just Disagree," remade the old Shirelles No. 1 classic of 1961 "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." It would drop out of the countdown the next week.

Love Or Something Like It--Kenny Rogers (No. 38, debut): The man who once fronted The First Edition and had broken through with his country crossover "Lucille" in 1977 debuted in the countdown with a song he actually co-wrote with Steve Glassmeyer. It would only climb to No. 32 two weeks later.

Can We Still Be Friends--Todd Rundgren (No. 36, No. 37 the week before when it debuted): The Philadelphia-based star wrote, produced and sang this one that Robert Palmer would chart with two years later. The emotional "Can  We Still Be Friends" would get as high as No. 29.

Prove It All Night--Bruce Springsteen (No. 35, debut): The highest debut for this particular week was the Jersey Shore's rocker first Top 40 hit since the iconic debut of "Born To Run" in late 1975. Legal hassles involving his management slowed up making his album "Darkness On The Edge Of Town," but The Boss was back in the countdown, albeit a short run as the song peaked at No. 33 the next week before dropping out.

Stay/The Load Out--Jackson Browne (No. 32, No. 38 the week before when it debuted): The second hit from his memorable "Running On Empty" album, Browne's two-song medley (with the shorter "Stay" being played on the countdown) about life on the road and going on one tour bus trip after another would peak at No. 20 a month later.

Hot Love, Cold World--Bob Welch (No. 31, No. 33 the week before, third week): After hitting the chart with the Top 10 "Sentimental Lady" and the Top 15 "Ebony Eyes," former Fleetwood Mac member Bob Welch was in with the third song from his "French Kiss" album. The song would peak at No. 31 this week before dropping out the next week.

King Tut--Steve Martin (No. 30, No. 35 the week before when it debuted): Funny man Steve Martin debuted the week before with the track honoring the Egyptian boy king during the year his remains went on display in the United States. It would be Martin's only Top 40 hit and would peak at No. 17.

Songbird--Barbra Streisand (No. 29, No. 34 the week before, third week): The latest single for Barbra Streisand was the title song from her newest album (the album with Streisand holding her little pet dog on the cover and featured her "solo" version of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"). Written by Dave Wolfert and Stephen Nelson, "Songbird" would peak at No. 25 by the next week, spending two weeks in that position.

I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight--Atlanta Rhythm Section (No. 28, No. 36 the week before when it debuted): Following up the Top 10 hit "Imaginary Lover" and the second hit from the album "Champagne Jam," ARS was back with a song about all the turmoil in the world, but for one night, it wasn't going to let the narrator get in his mind. This hit would peak at No. 14 a month later.

Magnet And Steel--Walter Egan (No. 26, No. 31 the week before, third week): From his "Not Shy" album, singer-songwriter Walter Egan's song about his infatuation for the one he loves and the strong attraction he sings about, had debuted at No. 38 two weeks earlier. By late August, the New Yorker's one and only hit, co-produced by Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckngham, would peak at No. 8.

FM--Steely Dan (No. 23, No. 28 the week before, third week): In what was the best year in Steely Dan's career, the duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen scored this time around with the title track from the movie about everyday life at a radio station starring Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan and Martin Mull. "FM" didn't get much radio mileage, though, as it peaked at No. 22 two weeks later.

My Angel Baby--Toby Beau (No. 22, No. 29 the week before, third week): Named for a shrimp boat based in their native Texas, these one-hit wonders benefited from being the opening act for such artists as Bob Seger, The Doobie Brothers and Steve Miller Band. "My Angel Baby" was easy on the ears and featured the guitar licks of leader Danny McKenna. It would peak at No. 13.

Three Times A Lady--The Commodores (No. 21, No. 26 the week before when it debuted): A song that leader and keyboardist-singer Lionel Richie wrote first in tribute to his parents' 37th wedding anniversary and then to the union with his own wife at the time, Brenda, "Three Times A Lady" became the Commodores' biggest hit ever, spending two weeks at No. 1 in mid-August as it skyrocketed to the top.

Hot Blooded--Foreigner (No. 20, No. 30 the week before when it debuted): The first single from the band's newest album, "Double Vision," the half-American, half-British group came smokin' out of the gate with a rocker to remember featuring the work of lead singer Lou Gramm and lead guitarist Mick Jones, the co-writers of the song. "Hot Blooded" would become the band's biggest hit at that point, peaking at No. 3 in early September.

Life's Been Good--Joe Walsh (No. 19, No. 23 the week before, third week): The Eagles' guitarist has never taken himself too seriously, so his self-penned satirical ode to the excesses of life hit a nerve with listeners and record buyers. From the album, "But Seriously, Folks ... " "Life's Been Good" would peak at No. 12 in August.

Copacabana--Barry Manilow (No. 17, No. 22 the week before when it debuted): The story of a "love triangle" at the famous night club in New York City (Casey tells the story of "Copacabana" on this particular show) as co-written and sung by Barry Manilow, the third single from the "Even Now" album would get as high as No. 8 a month later.

Love Will Find A Way--Pablo Cruise (No. 14, No. 21 the week before, third week): One year after hitting the Top 10 with "Whatcha Gonna Do?" the San Francisco-based band known for their instrumental music used on network television was off and flying with their latest single, leaping from No. 30 on July 1 to No. 21 to No. 14. It would ultimately peak at No. 6 seven weeks later, just like their debut hit did.

That's a lot of traffic and new songs to become acclimated to in three weeks, but as the professionals they were, the AT40 staff had it all under control. Still, it had to be strange for three weeks worth of songs to debut and all the songs you were so used to instantly gone. It doesn't happen quite like that anymore and it hasn't happened like this since that three-week period in July 1978.

Most of those aforementioned 18 songs became a part of the scrapbook that was the summer music of that year.

The only two songs, though, that held its exact place on the chart were the ones that held the top two spots on the chart for a fifth straight week as Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing" remained No. 1 and Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" stayed at No. 2.