Billboard's Hot 100/ Top 40 Motown Chronicles - 1973 - [Pt. 3]

[Boogiedown]

Because of the amount of content, the year 1973 is being divided into three threads.

This is Part III:
Sept. - Dec.

previously on Motown and Billboard's Hot 100/ Top 40:

2023:

link for: 1973 Part II - May - August
link for: 1973 Part I - Jan - April

past years:

link for: 1972 Part III - Sept - December
link for: 1972 Part II - May -August
link for: 1972 Part 1 - Jan -April


link for: 1971 Pt. 1 - Jan - July
link for: 1971 Pt. 2 - July - December

link for: 1970

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #35
Sept. 1, 1973

Number of singles reviewed this week: 134
last week: 101

Welcome to Part III of 1973!
Much is yet to happen this year chart-wise but it will be hard to top where we've left off in Part II with Diana Ross at the center of Billboard's biggest flub ever on their charts. [see charts #33 and #34]. Ross and Motown would probably prefer a pass on having any part of this bizarre distinction, but then it probably made for excellent water-cooler chatter throughout the industry. The good news is TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING has put Diana Ross at the top and she's currently enjoying one of the biggest hits of her solo career. And the chart moves on.

**

The Motown Review:

Another stellar week from Motown, two songs in the Top Ten [Top Five actually], along with a new 45 in the Top 40 that is the week's highest debut at #30, so that in just 3 weeks, Stevie Wonder is two-thirds the way up the Hot 100 with HIGHER GROUND. Another big Motown act joins in the charting frenzy and with no singles dropping off, 10 records are represented from Motown's current cache of hitmakers.

The Top 10:

The story remains the same: BROTHER LOUIE is #1 for week two. Marvin Gaye is putting the press on at #2 from #4 with LET'S GET IT ON as is Helen Reddy with a bullet to #3 from #6 with DELTA DAWN . Diana Ross remains high in the ratings with TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING descending just one to #4. Chicago gets their second wind and FEELIN' STRONGER EVERYDAY pushes back into the Top 10 at #10, where it peaked before dipping to #11. The big entry: LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK by Paul Simon bulleting in to #9 from #16. The two offs: BAD BAD LEROY BROWN by Jim Croce after peaking at #1 dips to #13 from #10. And Charlie Daniel's UNEASY RIDER falls off to #18 from #9.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Three records from Motown are on the Top 40:

^LETS GET IT ON - Marvin Gaye - now #2 from #4
TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross at #4 slight drop from #3
^HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder big debut at #30

Biggest mover in the Top 40: 10 marks :
MY MARIA - B.W. Stevenson to #25 from #35

*note:
color change: PI related records now purple
color change: Top Ten bound + now green
4 debuts, all US, 2 +Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 1 Motown, 0 by proxy
Highest debut:
+HIGHER GROUND+ - Stevie Wonder #30 up 21 from #51 [25th Top 40 hit]

+HALF-BREED+- Cher #33 up 21 from #54 [9th Top 40 hit]
STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites #36 up 8 from#44 [5th and final Top 40 hit]
I'VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White #37 up 6 from #43 [2nd Top 40 hit]

The Hot 100:

*note:
color change: Philly International now purple

7 debuts: 4 Top 40 bound, 2 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 1 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 1 by proxy
Highest debut:
third tier:
#71 - MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight/Pips ex Motown act

#76 - GET IT TOGETHER - Jackson Five
#80 - KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR - Bob Dylan
#83 - TONIGHT - Raspberries
#86 - PEACEMAKER -Albert Hammond
#87 - PARRTY - Maceo and the Mack
#92 - EVERYBODY'S HAD THE BLUES - Merle Haggard
#93 - HE - Today's People
#94 - THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY - Napoleon XIV
#95 - MAKE ME TWICE THE MAN - New York City
#96 - AS TIME GOES BY - Nillson
#99 - I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles

Motown:

debuts: one
1st week: GET IT TOGETHER - The Jackson Five - DEBUT #76

2nd week: ^KEEP ON TRUCKIN' - Eddie Kendricks #60 up 19 from #79
3rd week: ^HEY GIRL [I LIKE YOUR STYLE] - Temptations #47 up 11 from#58
3rd week: ^HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder - Top 40 from #51 up 22 from #73
4th week: ALL I NEED IS TIME - Gladys Knight & The Pips #73 down 8 from #65
4th week: SLICK - Willie Hutch repeat #81
5th week: ^ DON'T LET IT END - Miracles #63 up 1 from #64
9th week: ^SWEET HARMONY - Smokey Robinson #54 up 2 from #56
off: none

**
A very good week for:
Coming and going, or not.

#12 - IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY - Sly Stone
#14 - HERE I AM COME AND TAKE ME - Al Green
#29 - I WAS CHECKIN OUT, SHE WAS CHECKIN IN - Don Covay
#43 - SO VERY HARD TO GO - Tower Of Power
#89 - STAY AWAY FROM ME - Sylvers
#91 - BLOOD RED AND GOING DOWN - Tanya Tucker
#94 - THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY - Napoleon XIV
#100 - UNTIL ITS TIME FOR YOU TO GO - New Birth

SO VERY HARD TO GO ... yet Tower Of Power do so this week, dropping out of the Top 40 from #39. Next week they'll be gone altogether after a 18 week run. Sad to say this masterful composition peaked at just #17 and fell short of the Soul Top 10 as well [#11]. Lenny Williams, replacing Rick Stevens as the group's vocalist, gave it a perfect-paced delivery, arguably his career highlight. He'll be with Tower a couple of more years, then Lenny's off to Motown, does one album and moves on.



***

WHY ME: Kris Kristofferson - week #22 and Kris Kristofferson moves up a notch on the Top 40 to #31.

Cashbox reports: Kris and Rita Coolidge wed Aug. 19.

**
New to the 5 Month Club [20 weeks on the Hot 100]:
BAD BAD LEROY BROWN - Jim Croce at #13

**
Charting Billboard provides substance enough, but there are two other record trade magazines with valuable content each week as well. Will keep eyes on them as much as possible as space permits.
This week in Cashbox' R&B Ingredients column: "Initial reaction to the newly released Myrrh Records single, "Dust Yourself Off And Try It Again" by the Beautiful Zion Choir featuring Emma Richards, is exciting. One listen, and you'll agree it's a mover! Initial radio play already reflecting sales activity."

KDIA in Oakland reports airplay.



Chicago music man Willie Henderson leads this production, the Zion Choir's one of two 45 releases [DUST YOURSELF OFF is its "b"side].
Michael Jackson gospelized = disco?

**
Also from Cashbox R&B Ingredients:

Paul Williams [one of the original Temptations] was
found dead in Detroit, Friday [17].