Tag Archives: tb70s

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Song of the Day #5,573: ‘Half-Breed’ – Cher

In the #1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week of October 6, 1973, is a Throwback Weekend selection that has not aged well. The song is ‘Half-Breed,’ Cher’s second of four career #1 hits, and it’s about as cringeworthy as its title suggests.

To be fair, the lyrics paint a sympathetic portrait of a woman with a white father and Cherokee mother, decrying the racism that mixed-race children face from both sides. But should a pop song about this topic have been written and performed by people without a drop of Native American blood?

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Song of the Day #5,552: ‘Delta Dawn’ – Helen Reddy

Today’s Throwback Weekend song comes from the week of September 15, 1973, when Helen Reddy’s ‘Delta Dawn’ topped the Hot 100 for a single week as part of its eight-week run in the top ten.

The song had previously been recorded by Bette Midler and Tanya Tucker, with the latter scoring a top ten hit on the Country chart. But Reddy, adding choir-like background vocals, was the first to score a major crossover hit with the track.

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Song of the Day #5,531: ‘Brother Louie’ – Stories

Throwing back to the week of August 25, 1973, we find the New York rock band Stories topping the Billboard Hot 100 with their cover of the song ‘Brother Louie,’ a slinky jam about an interracial couple.

This song was originally recorded by a British band called Hot Chocolate. Their funkier version, complete with spoken-word interludes by the racist parents of the song’s protagoinsts, reached #7 on the UK charts.

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Song of the Day #5,510: ‘The Morning After’ – Maureen McGovern

The week of August 4, 1073, saw Maureen McGovern’s recording of ‘The Morning After’ reach the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100, where it would remain for two weeks. This was McGovern’s first single and her only career #1.

‘The Morning After’ was the love theme of the disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, and was performed in the movie by the ship’s singer (Carol Lynley played the role but Renée Armand dudded her vocals). McGovern released her own version of the track several months after the film came out. The song won Best Original Song at that year’s Academy Awards.

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Song of the Day #5,489: ‘Will It Go Round in Circles’ – Billy Preston

The week of July 14, 1973, found Billy Preston on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 for the second week with his single ‘Will It Go Round in Circles.’ This was Preston’s second appearance at #1, having made it there as a featured artist on The Beatles’ ‘Get Back‘ in 1969.

Preston would reach #1 one more time a year later, with ‘Nothing From Nothing,’ a song I know quite well. This one is new to me.

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