Billboard's Hot 100/ Top 40 Motown Chronicles - 1973 - [Pt. 2]

[Boogiedown]

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

This is Part II:
May - August

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

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

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Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #18
May 5, 1973

Number of singles reviewed this week: 172!!
last week: 119

including:
Soul:
SMOKEY ROBINSON - SWEET HARMONY [4:10] -producers:Smokey Robinson & Willie Hutch; writer: W. Robinson Tamla 54233. Smokey's soft voice is showcased on his first solo effort which is dedicated to his former Miracles associates. There is a soft, silken quality to the total production.Destined for pop crossover play

EDDIE KENDRICKS - DARLING COME BACK HOME [3:10] producer: Frank Wilson, Leonard Caston; writers: K. Wakefield, F. Wilson, K. Errisson. Tamla 54236F. The former front man for The Temptations is heard pleading for the return of his woman, with the massage [sic] underscored by a sweet arrangement. The single should gain pop recognition as well.

Tamla is double-barreling this week releasing two singles, both by long time artists trying to get a foothold as solo performers. Maybe this time out.

Meanwhile, it's a Stevie Wonder week, as he enters the nation's Top 5 with Motown's hottest single, also on Tamla. The Temptations peak and suddenly drop from the Top 10. Gladys Knight and the Pips have two records charting while the J5 appear to struggle. Brother Michael hops onto the Hot 100 [as this week's highest debut 45] to help out. Adding it, and with no drop offs, Motown has six charting 45s.
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The Top 10:

Week three for Dawn's TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE at #1. War's CISCO KID pressing hard again at #2. Stevie Wonder closing in at #4 with a bullet from #6 with YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE. The typical two new entries , this time by Dobie Gray with DRIFT AWAY at #6 from #11 . It is Dobie Gray's only time in the Top Ten, he came close in 1965 with THE IN CROWD, which was the last time he charted Top 40, peaking at #13. Also his first week in, at #10 from #15, Edgar Winter [and group] with the instrumental FRANKENSTEIN, titled such for the way their much longer performance song's parts had to be chopped and sewn together into something short and cohesive enough to be a single.

The Top 40:

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

^YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder now Top 5 with a bullet at #4 spot from #6.
MASTERPIECE - Temptations sudden reversal downward to #11 from #7, the song's peak.
NEITHER ONE OF US [WANTS TO BE THE FIRST TO SAY GOODBYE] - Gladys Knight & The Pips drops from #12 to #22.
^ HALLELUJAH DAY - Jackson Five up one to #27 from #28.

off: none
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Biggest mover in the Top 40: 11 places:
DANIEL - Elton John at #14 from #25

Six entries, 5 US, 1 UK, 2+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy
Highest Debut:
STEAMROLLER BLUES/FOOL Elvis Presley #30 up 14 from #44 [98th Top 40 Hit]

+PLAYGROUND IN MY MIND+ - Clint Holmes #32 up 11 from #43 [One Hit Wonder]
IT SURE TOOK A LONG LONG TIME - Lobo #36 up 9 from #45 [4th Top 40 hit]
+I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY+ - Barry White #37 up 20 from #57 [*First Time Artist]
I CAN UNDERSTAND IT -New Birth #38 up 4 from #42 [*First Time Artist]
BLUE SUEDE SHOES - Johnny Rivers #40 up 2 from #42 [Fifteenth Top 40 hit]


The Hot 100:

Eight newbies: 2 Top 40 bound, 1 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 0 by proxy
Highest debut:
third tier:
#84 - WITH A CHILD'S HEART - Michael Jackson

#88 - HEY YOU! GET OFF MY MOUNTAIN - Dramatics
#94 - MONSTER MASH - Bobby 'Boris' Picket
#95 - YOUR SIDE OF THE BED - Mac Davis
#97 - SO VERY HARD TO GO - Tower Of Power
#98 - A LITTLE BIT LIKE MAGIC - King Harvest
#99 - DUELING TUBAS - Martin Mull
#100 - WORKING CLASS HERO - Tommy Roe

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Motown:
debuts:
one
1st week: WITH A CHILD'S HEART - Michael Jackson #84 DEBUT
2nd week: DADDY COULD SWEAR, I DECLARE - Gladys Knight & The Pips #71 up 7 from #78 -

offs:
none
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NEW! --- The Motown singles found on Billboard's BUBBLING UNDER THE HOT 100. Many will go on to break into The Hot 100 while others won't.

BUBBLING UNDER THE HOT 100:

#105 - BAD WEATHER - Supremes - last week: #105
#106 - TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE SUCH SWEET MUSIC - Spinners - DEBUT
#OFF - MA- Rare Earth - last week: #110

****

Third very good week in a row for:
Bell Records
with three titles still in the Top 5.
At #1 is Dawn's TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE.
LITTLE WILLIE by The Sweet is #3 from #5 with a bullet, and Vickie Lawrence's former #1, THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN GEORGIA, still strong at #5.
Add to that, Bell also has the #1 and #2 singles in the UK. For the first time in ages that chart and the Hot 100 have the same song in the #1 position, Dawn's TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE. At #2 on Bell is Gary Glitter's HELLO HELLO I"M BACK AGAIN.

****
Also a very good week for:
Split titled charters
A few years ago, 45s with split credits were common. The split was either due to a medley of songs as the title, or a 45 getting play with both its A and B sides.This week, side-by -ide on the Top 40 are examples of both. At #29 is a medley of two songs from The Who's rock opera TOMMY by The New Seekers, PINBALL WIZARD/SEE ME FEEL ME, and at #30 is the double sided hit, STEAMROLLER BLUES/FOOL, by Elvis Presley. Double-siders have been regular for Elvis since the early years, even until now, but the trend in general has all but faded. Barbra Streisand is another artist who often splits her 45s.
There are no other splits on the entire Hot 100 and like the way of the doo doo bird , these may be final examples. Something to keep an eye out for.



Texas born Lawrence Darrow Brown or "Dobie Gray" [a take-off of the popular TV character, Dobie Gillis] had limited success through the sixties, most notably being first to record a Motown tinted arrangement [by a young Gene Page] of THE IN CROWD in 1965 that went to #13 , with a Ramsey Lewis remake going to #5 later that same year.
A failed release of DRIFT AWAY by artist John Henry Kurtz fell into the hands of Dobie Gray when its' author, Mentor Williams, brother of Paul Williams, produced Gray's first Decca album in Nashville, where Dobie Gray will move to permanently.