Billboard's Hot 100/ Top 40 Motown Chronicles - 1974 - [Pt. 2]

[Boogiedown]

Because of the amount of content,
the year 1974 is being divided into three threads.

This is Part II:
May - August
______________

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

1974:
link for: 1974 Part I - January - April

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

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

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

link for: 1970

[Boogiedown]

The following article from Record World stretched the regular chart posting beyond the maximum amount of text permitted, so rather than trying to condense it, the entire article is being posted first [with the post of the week's regular chart review to follow]:

[The following is the conclusion
of a two part series on New York's
burgeoning disco scene.]

NEW YORK - So who are the top deejays in the city's leading discotheques, what kind of music do they play, and where do they get their programming material from?
Research into the thriving disco market has provided both answers and information.
As to who they are, most of them are young entrepreneurs who
have made working at various discos around the city their full
time job. The pay is reasonable: from $30 to $50 a night, with most working five days a week in one or more clubs. And the reason they don't hold down day jobs is
fairly logical: most would find it difficult to wake up for "normal
working hours" after having spun records until 4:00 a.m. the night
[morning] before. One Le Jardin deejay, however, is studying to be a pharmacist.

Communication
And the deejays - in the open discotheques where admission is
available to everyone, and the closed "parties" where admission
is limited to members and their friends only- maintain close communication with each other. They know each other, where they work, how much they make, what
records they are playing, and what type of crowd [and most of the
deejays have built up a loyal clientele that will follow them wherever they go] attends.
Accordingly, they share information on new disco records, new sources of supply [since surprisingly, most of them still pay for the majority of records], and new trends in the overall disco scene. Since the discos themselves are short-lived, changing with the
times becomes a crucial factor. A disco that maintains the same format, layout, music and light show, an "in" place today, will probably not last out a year unless it changes. The disco market is indeed flexible- volatile would perhaps be a better word- and today's trendsetter discos must change with the times if they want to maintain their clientele.

Music
The music played in discotheques could be called a record company executive's delight. It is six or more hours of total nonstop music,with one record segueing into another. All of the records fall into the "dance" category, of which the overwhelming majority
are r&b or r&b crossover records. All of the records are brand new:
they are not necessarily dropped when they reach the charts [and the deejays check out Record World's R&B Singles Chart, Soul Truth column and International
Hit Parades for new record information], but older standards like "Love Train,""Keep On Truckin'," or "The Love I Lost" no longer receive play. About the oldest records being played now are "Dancin' Machine" or "TSOP,"
and they will probably be dropped soon. Gallery deejay Nicky Siano explains the policy on dropping records:"I hangout with my audience, and I know what they
listen to and what they like. After a certain point, I can tell they're getting tired of a record, and I probably am too. That's when I drop it." And since Nicky is one of the key deejays in the city, when he and his colleagues decide a record has had its run, almost
all drop it. Filling six hours with good new music is a challenge that the deejays enjoy. They scour record stores for new releases, and are very much aware of the music
scene. And their value in exposing and breaking new records is becoming more well known. Billy Smith, local representative for 20th Century Records, is recognized as
the resident expert on the New York discotheque scene, and is
acknowledged as the first local man to service them fully and become friendly with them. Smith credits the discos with breaking some of the Barry White and Love
Unlimited Orchestra records, and Barry White himself noted in his Record World Dialogue[[April6) that "discotheques have been greatly responsible for a lot of my
success,"while the importance of discos to the label runs up to 20th
president Russ Regan,who agreed to award a gold record to a Le Jardin deejay for his efforts in breaking "Love's Theme" [RW'April27).

Breaking the Hits
Other companies have experienced success with records breaking out of the discos, "Soul Makossa" being a prime example.The record was initially discovered after a member of local discos turned it into an underground hit, ultimately a gold record, which was bootlegged initially with copies going for $10. The deejays, when they play something heavily [and by nature of their close communication, they usually do] can create hits. A&M credits them with Billy Preston, Columbia appreciates
their efforts on their own and Philadelphia International product
[especially MFSB], and they have exposed Motown, Buddah, RCA,
Atlantic and other labels' product without much recognition for their
value in breaking the records initially, they quickly add."I spend $30 to $40 a week for records," says Bobby D.J. of Le Jardin, and
his expenses are typical of what some of the deejays spend.

Influentials
According to 20th's Billy Smith, there are about 40 major discotheques in the New York area,with five or six considered the most influential. Smith, the deejays, and some local promotion men who have begun servicing them, are aware of their value and power. Now, they hope for recognition for their efforts

Not yet:
The applying of the term "disco" to define a specific type of music.
Here disco is used only as a synonym for a dance club, a shortening of the word discotheque.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #18
May 04, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 92
last week:109
including:
First Time Around: [?]
SMOKEY ROBINSON - It's Her Turn To Live [2:50]; producer: Smokey Robinson; writers: W. Robinson, M. Tarplin; Tamla 54246.
Melodic tune from Smokey featuring his highly distinctive vocals and good use of background horns. In a much more funky vein than some of his recent material, and the arrangement works well.

Record World:
SMOKEY ROBINSON, "IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE"[prod. by Smokey Robinson] ."Baby Come Close"
established Smokey as a solo success after his Miracles years. This
boogie from his new album churns out the saga of a mom's new lease
on love life. Will really hit home with widows, divorcees and their
progeny.Tamla T54246F.

Cash Box:

EDDIE KENDRICKS [[Tamla 54247)
Son Of Sagittarius [3:12] [-F. Wilson, L. Caston, A. Poree]
Time to get down and boogie again with Eddie, a chore that should be one of the
easier ones of any day. The man's got his act together for sure now, just one spin here
will prove that. "Keep On Trucking” and "Boogie Down" were both monsters and
there's now a third to fit right in with those other greats. Eddie's boogie is definitely a
"sign "of the times.

Record World:

STEPHANIE MILLS, " I KNEW IT WAS LOVE" [prod. by Eddie V. Deane/ Burlington Prod.] Multi-time winner of Apollo Theater amateur nights goes professional on
her powerhouse debut. Draped in Diana Ross silk tailored in Philly style, she's Vegas-bound with top 40 sequins shimmering in her future. Paramount 0290.
.
The Motown Review:

One third of the way into 1974 and Motown has held steady thus far. They continue to have representation at all levels and on various charts and this week finds them in the Top 5 [#2 Soul] with the Jackson Five as well as having two other climbers on the Top 40. Beyond that, The Temptations HEAVENLY is struggling to break into the Top 40 and sits just below it, and BOOGIE DOWN, in its 18th week, is still on the Hot 100.
Six records from the label are charting.
In the UK Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye appear together on the Top Ten with YOU ARE EVERYTHING slipping to #6 after peaking at #5.

The Top 10:

#1: THE LOCO-MOTION - Grand Funk Railroad - all three trades.

A young Top 10 as nine of the titles have been on the Hot 100 for 12 weeks or less. Running up especially quick is Ray Stevens' THE STREAK to #6 from #19 in just its 4th chart week. Grand Funk Railroad have their 2nd #1 in less than a year with a remake of teen-aged Little Eva's King/Goffin penned LOCO-MOTION which went to #1 for her as well in 1962 . Just below at #2 is MFSB's TSOP after two weeks at the top.
Big turnover week: four new records , Ray Stevens' THE STREAK , TUBULAR BELLS by Mike Oldfield at #8 from #12, THE SHOW MUST GO ON by Three Dog Night at #9 from #13, and also included: JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY by Main Ingredient at #10 from #11. Off: OH MY MY by Ringo Starr to #13 from #5, Redbone's COME AND GET YOUR LOVE to #14 from #7, , I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG Jim Croce to # 16 from #9 and look for Bobby Womack's biggest career hit, LOOKIN' FOR A LOVE at #18 from #10.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

^DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five bullets to#5 from #8
^MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross bullets to #19 from #20#
^DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder bullets to #27 from #33
OFFS: none
____

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 14 notches
I WONT LAST A DAY WITHOUT YOU - Carpenters #21 from #35

4 Arrivals, all big movers, 3 US, 1UK. 2+Top 10 bound+, 1 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
+BAND ON THE RUN+ - Paul McCartney & Wings #22 up 19 from #41 [10th Top 40 hit]

+FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY+ - O'Jays #32 up 13 from#45 [5th Top 40 hit]
I'M IN LOVE - Aretha Franklin #36 up 10 from #46 [31st Top 40 hit]
MY GIRL BILL - Jim Stafford #39 up 17 from #56 [3rd Top 40 hit]

The Hot 100:

11 premieres: 5 Top 40 bound, 4 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 1 Philly International related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 2 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#80 - I DON'T SEE ME IN YOUR EYES ANYMORE - Charlie Rich

#82 - ONE CHAIN DON'T MAKE NO PRISON - Four Tops [former Motown act]
#84 - SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME - DeFranco Family
#89 - BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT - William De Vaughn
#91 - CAN YOU HANDLE IT - Graham Central Station
#92 - SOMETHING - Johnny Rodriguez
#94 - WONDERFUL - Isaac Hayes
#95 - DAY BREAKER - ELO
#97 - ALREADY GONE - Eagles
#98 - THIS HEART - Gene Redding
#99 - FINALLY GOT MYSELF TOGETHER - Impressions written and produced by Ed Townsend [Marvin Gaye associate]
__________

Motown:
debuts: none
2nd week: ^HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #90 up 7 from #97
8th week: ^HEAVENLY - Temptations - #43 up 1 from #44 from #55 from #74 from #85 from #96
18th week: BOOGIE DOWN - Eddie Kendricks dips to#63 down 12 from #51 from #14 from #11, from #4, from #2, from #2, from #4, from #7, from #9 .
_________

A very good week for:
Charlie Rich
Rich has three 45s on the Hot 100, one is this week's highest debut.

Also a very good week for:
Trains.
The #1 record is LOCO-MOMTION [Chug-a chug-a motion like a railway train now] and at #2 is the theme for SOUL TRAIN, TSOP by MFSB. Also at #37 is I'M A TRAIN performed and written by Albert Hammond of the UK.

***
In the UK, a record by Sunny is peaking on the Top Ten at #7. Sunny is one of the singers from the now defunct Brotherhood Of Man [UNITED WE STAND] as was Roger Greenaway who with Roger Cook and Geoff Stephens composed DOCTOR'S ORDERS.



The record doesn't get picked up in the US and the song has run its course ... or has it.

***
Another European record tilting in the disco direction dips this week on the Soul Singles chart to #39 after peaking at #34 [#78 Hot 100]



The Peppers are an instrumental grouping out of France and this is their one time to shine. They've already charted in Belgium and by year's end PEPPER BOX will reach #6 in the UK.

***
Two-page full-color ad promoting the double record set of various artists from various labels for the ST to the movie SAVE THE CHILDREN released in September of last year.

Full-page ad black lettering on brown mustard background announcing the Frankie Valli and the Four Season's latest hit HICKORY.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #19
May 11, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week:
this week 101
last week 92
including:
NORTH, SOUTH, EAST & WEST - I Can't Make It Without
YOU [2:53]; producer: Slanvue Prods.; writer: D. Ells; 20th Century 2096. Soul cut with
intensity and style of the Jackson 5 at their best. Sounds somewhat like the 5 without being an imitation.



J5 meet Barry White on this one single outing on 20th Century by this mysterious group from somewhere on the compass.

Record World Sleeper:

MARTIN & FINLEY, "WHITEBIRD" [prod.by Bob Gaudio]. Promising duo takes wings on this production which could well have been a flight-mate to "Jonathan Livingston Seagull."Not the old It's A Beautiful Day track, but one that creates its own bright and sunny climate, each time it comes into earshot. Motown M1294.

The Motown Review:

A very good week for Motown. The Jackson Five are in the Top 3 with DANCING MACHINE as well as it being #1 in Record World and #1 Soul. Stevie Wonder continues to bullet up the Top 40 at a steady pace. Big names Diana Ross and Eddie Kendricks both enter the Hot 100 with Eddie having the Hot 100's highest debut record. Seven Motown 45s are charting.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: LOCO-MOTION week 2
Record Word: DANCING MACHINE week 1
Cash Box THE SHOW MUST GO ON - week 1

2nd week at #1 for the LOCO-MOTION of the Grand Funk Railroad. Strong Top 10, six of the titles have bullets including the three new ones . At #4 from #11 is THE ENTERTAINER by Marvin Hamlisch from the movie THE STING. Chicago continues their streak of Top Tenners with SEARCHIN' SO LONG at #9 from #12 and Maria Muldaur gets her first shot at it with MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS at #10 from #14. The three that leave: BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME by Gladys Knight and the Pips to #11 from #4, HOOKED ON A FEELING by Blue Swede dives to #12 from #7, and JUST DON"T WANT TO BE LONELY by Main Ingredient , dropping from its peak of #10 to #18.
.
The Top 40:

Motown:

Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

^DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five bullets to #3 from #5 from #8
^DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder bullets to#21 from #27 from #33
MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross dips to #25 from #19 from #20
OFFS: none

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 10 notches
MY GIRL BILL Jim Stafford to #29 from #39

5 Arrivals, 4 U.S. 1 Canada, 2+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 1 Country
highest debut:
LETS GET MARRIED - Al Green #34 up 7 from #41 [9th Top 40 single]

SUNDOWN - Gordon Lightfoot - #36 up 10 from #46 [2nd Top 40 hit]
BILLY DON'T BE A HERO - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods #38 up 19 from #57 [* first time artist]
IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME KNOW - Olivia Newton John #39 up 11 from #50 [3rd Top 40 hit]
STANDING AT THE END OF THE LINE - Lobo - #40 up 8 from #48 [6th Top 40 hit]

The Hot 100:

9 debuts: 3 Top 40 bound, 2 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 2 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#74 - SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks

#80 - HAVEN'T GOT TIME FOR THE PAIN - Carly Simon
#84 - RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER - Steely Dan
#89 - TEEN ANGEL - Wednesday
#92 - SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross
#95 - WILDFIRE - New Birth
#96 - EVERYBODY WANNA GET RICH RITE AWAY - Dr. John
#98 - AFTER MIDNIGHT - Maggie Bell
#99 - RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring
________

Motown:

debuts: two
1st week: ^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks DEBUT - #74
1st week : ^SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross DEBUT - #92
3rd week: ^HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #86 up 4 from #90 from #97
9th week: HEAVENLY - Temptations - #53 down 10 from #43, from #44, from #54, from #74 from #85 from #96
19th week: BOOGIE DOWN - Eddie Kendricks OFF from #63, from #51, from #14, from #11, from #4, from #2, from #2, from #4, from #7, from #9 .
OFFS : one

Eddie Kendricks will now BOOGIE DOWN but not off the chart entirely as his next single jumps right on. 19 weeks is a long run and just shy of making the 5 month club.



BOOGIE DOWN is Kendrick's second #1 Soul single in a row and peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 [#39 UK].
________

A very good week for
Instrumentals
especially when used in other mediums, three voiceless 45s are in the Top 10 [never before?]
#4 - THE ENTERTAINER, ragtime from the movie THE STING
#7 - TUBULAR BELLS music used in THE EXORCIST
#8 - TSOP, aka THEME FROM SOUL TRAIN heard weekly on the TV dance show.

***
Duke Ellington turned 75 on April 29th, celebrated by several trade ads congratulating him.

Soul Sauce by Leroy Robinson:

excerpts
....we have to be just as candid, and perhaps negative, by saying that there is not
enough black pride in the music of Ellington. And like all dreadful situations of deficiency, the reason for the shortage must be singled out.
We could start with the elimination many years ago of the jazz big band, which also eliminated dancing by the masses until Chubby Checker introduced "The Twist."
Or, we could blame Ellington for playing and writing music that some
younger critics felt "wasn't modern enough." And still another younger
and unknowledgeable group, might go so far as to say that Duke Ellington's music is without soul.
You might also find that in many black American homes, the Duke's
music is not welcome.
.... According to our word carrier, [radio DJ] Jones decided to open his home wide to Ellington, as well as at WVON where he is the leading voice. And when that wasn't enough. Jones got another Chicago station, WJPC, and three other New York stations, WBLS, WNJR and WLIB, to open their homes [stations] to pay homage to a music institution.
So, what's important about those stations playing the music of Duke Ellington for a week or two? Everything, when you consider these stations are the so-called soul stations which do not normally welcome much jazz, and particularly Ellington's form, into their home and family. Whether this noble effort by Jones and the other jocks is going to have any overwhelming effect on young black listeners can only be hoped for.
We can cite a situation with our own daughter, where her exposure
to "Lady Sings The Blues" encouraged her to finally examine our vast
collection of Billie Holiday records at home. Once she did, she agreed
with her father that there was obviously more to the soul of "Lady
Day" than was found in the mimicry of Diana Ross in the film.
Duke Ellington is our own. Pride in his music should be a universal one, not a racial one.

Also worth a look: Scott Joplin's current spurt in popularity with the #1 LP on Billboard's Top 200 and a Top 5 single.

Cash Box:

Atlantic Obtains Rights To ABBA’S Eurovision Winner
NEW YORK — Atlantic Records has acquired the United States and Canadian distributing rights for the Swedish group, ABBA, whose single, "Waterloo," won top honors at the 19th annual Eurovision Song Festival. The announcement was made by Jerry Greenberg, senior vice president and general manager of Atlantic Records, who negotiated the deal with New York attorney Bob Casper. "Waterloo” was voted the award over 7000 entries from Britain, Holland, Israel, and Yugoslavia. Eurovision’s 500 million viewers in 32 countries watched the contest and an estimated million more listened on the radio.

[Boogiedown]

Big news: ROCK THE BOAT

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #19
May 18, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week 147!
last week 101

Record World:
PUZZLE- Motown M1302F
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE SOMEBODY [prod. by Bob Cullen] Horn rock with solid guitar tracks puts the sound pieces together for this band as they pound out their best effort to date. They'll be what they wanna be.

COMMODORES - Motown M1307F
MACHINE GUN [prod.by James Carmichael]
Nothin' really violent - just a funky instrumental goin' down here. It's aiming pointblank at the charts. Big bullseye!

The Motown Review:

Motown is #2!!!
The Jackson Five deliver another one for the team as DANCING MACHINE moves up a notch to #2 just short of being the top single of the week. Stevie Wonder is bulleting, but not charging, up the Top 40, as DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING is #2 on the Soul chart just above DANCING MACHINE at #3 [from #1]. Eddie Kendricks latest makes a big Hot 100 jump, while Diana Ross struggles without a bullet. No new tunes from the label break, but one departs giving the label six records on the Hot 100.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: THE STREAK week 1
Record Word: THE STREAK week 1
Cash Box: DANCING MACHINE - week 1

THE STREAK has barely been on the charts, six week in, and it's #1. Ray Stevens has successfully tapped into the craze that is sweeping the country. It was exactly four years ago that Ray was also #1 with EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. Philly replaces Philly as TSOP by MFSB drops to #11 from #8 and The Stylistics enter at #10 from #13 with YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW. Brits replace Brits as Paul McCartney and Band dash up the chart with BAND ON THE RUN to #7 from #14 while Mike Oldfield's TUBULAR BELLS drops to #13 from #7.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

^DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five bullets to #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
^DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder bullets to #19 from #21 from #27 from #33
MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross dips to #33 from #25 from #19 from #20
OFFS: none

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 16 ranks
SUNDOWN Gordon Lightfoot to #20 from #36

Just 2 breakthroughs, both U.S., 2+Top 10 bound+, 1 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
+BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT+ - William DeVaughn #30 up 24 from #54 [One Hit Wonder]

+HOLLYWOOD SWINGIN'+ - Kool & The Gang #32 up 12 from #44 [3rd Top 40 hit]

The Hot 100:

7 debuts: 4 Top 40 bound, 2 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 2 Philly International related, 0 Motown, 1 by proxy, 0 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#84 - I'M COMING HOME - Spinners

#87 - LIVIN IN THE USA - Steve Miller Band
#92 - SIDESHOW - Blue Magic
#93 - THE LONE RANGER -Oscar Brown Jr.
#96 - COME MONDAY - Jimmy Buffett
#98 - TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS - Bachman Turner Overdrive
#99 - FOX HUNT - Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass

Motown:

debuts: none
2nd week: ^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks - #55 up 19 from #74
2nd week : ^SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross - #83 up 9 from #92
4th week: ^HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #72 up 14 from #86 from #90 from #97
10th week: HEAVENLY - Temptations - OFF from #53 from #43, from #44, from #54, from #74 from #85 from #96
Offs: one
As former Temptation Eddie Kendricks bullets up, The Temptations without him fall off the chart with a not so HEAVENLY thud as they fail to reach the Top 40 [#43] with this their 32rd single to go Top 10 Soul.
________

A very good week for:
The Main Ingredient
Rarely, since Billboard's period of revising their chart calculating, do records go back up the chart once leaving their peak [except #1] with WHY ME by Kris Kristofferson having the wildest up and down performance. This week, JUST DON"T WANT TO BE LONELY goes upward 3 places from the #18 spot it plunged to last week from #10. Now The Main Ingredient are #15 as well as being at #7 in Record World.

***

Marvin Gaye
Sets Concerts

LOS ANGELES -Because of the critical acclaim of his first commercial
concert appearance in six years last January in Oakland, Marvin Gaye has
agreed to a very limited number of concert appearances beginning May 17 at
the Forum in Los Angeles. The only other confirmed dates at this time are
two appearances in Kingston, Jamaica, May 21 and 23 as a part of the island's
annual Labor Day celebration. Gaye, who has become a superstar
with such recorded hits as "Let's Get It On," "What's Goin' On" and "Keep Getting It On," to say nothing of "Inner City Blues," personally chose the Kingston
dates because of the festive occasion surrounding his appearance.
Motown Records is backing the appearances with a full schedule of radio
spots, in-store and window displays, and other special merchandising .

'Rock the Boat'
Gets New Life
From Disco Play
By GARY COHEN

NEW YORK - RCA Records is the most recent label to enjoy the
power of the discotheque market. "Rock The Boat,"a single by the Hues Corporation, is experiencing a second life thanks to the strong play from New York and other city discos. As a result of the New York disco play, the record went to number 2 at WWRL and went on WABC at number 15, without being on any pop or r&b chart in the country. This week, the record has picked up other
key additions and debuts at 81 with a bullet on Record World's
pop chart, and 69 with a bullet on r&b. Attesting to the power of the discos, RCA Records reported that the record sold 30,000 in New York before major radio airplay, and 15,000 without any N.Y. radio
airplay, with only disco play. Tom Cossie, RCA's director of promotion, reported that "Rock The Boat" was "the hottest breaking disco record in RCA's history."

an amazing claim by Tom Cossie when considering disco hasn't even officially happened yet.

Again this week The Sting soundtrack is Billboard's top selling LP. Scott Joplin would likely be thrilled to see his music riding so high [finally] while never imagining it would be applied so successfully as movie mood music.
Newcomer Marvin Hamlisch's rendition of Scott's THE ENTERTAINER is #3 on the Top 40, and is #1 Easy Listening.



Same could be said of Mike Oldfield who took two years to create TUBULAR BELLS, never considering it as movie music much less for The Exorcist. But, unbeknownst to him, the rights were bought and the music parsed and used for the film [performed by Mystic Sounds, not Mike Oldfield].



The young [age 19] composer's fate was sealed and TUBULAR BELLS has been his cash cow ever since. It didn't do Richard Branson's new venture Virgin Records any harm either seeding the entrepreneur with money for future endeavors like Virgin Airlines, the Virgin Records chain, and Janet Jackson.

***
Full-page ad for Eddie Kendricks single, SON OF SAGITTARIUS , touted as his third million-seller.

.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #20
May 25, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 99
last week: 147
including:

Soul recommended:

THE ORIGINALS - Game Called Love [3:00]; producer: Stevie
Wonder: writer: S. Wonder; Soul 35113. .

Record World:
REGGIE GARNER - ABC 11440
HALF A CUP [prod. by McKinley Jackson]
Artist is indeed in his cups here as his soul runneth over. Pounding funk should quench many a thirst for a chantin' disco item such as this. One whole of a hit.



Cash Box newcomer:

MICHAEL WHITE [Impulse 284]
Father Music, Mother Dance [2:38] [M. White, M. Washington]:
Already a regional r&b hit in many areas, this one looks to break out any day now and when it does, watch out! A powerhouse, hard driver of funk certain to establish the artist, this one is another strong disco item that will have 'em dancing uptown, downtown and all around. This is one marriage that works.

The Motown Review:

Six songs from Motown one the charts, just one with a bullet: SON OF SAGITTARIUS by Eddie Kendricks. The rest are charting pretty flat. The Jackson Five remain the hottest scoring Motown act , again at #2. On the other end of the Hot 100, Smokey Robinson squeaks in at #99.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: THE STREAK - week 1
Record Word: THE SHOW MUST GO ON - week 1
Cash Box: THE STREAK - week 1

Humor rules the week as THE STREAK repeats at #1 for week #2 for Ray Stevens. Log jam week with just one title breaking through at the bottom. Radio and sales are enough to assist Joni Mitchell into the Top 10 with HELP ME at #10 from #14, especially from the AC crowd where Joni is #1 with this hit, the only Top 10 single of her career. Diving down to make room: Elton John and BENNY AND THE JETS landing at #18 from #6.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five repeats at #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder repeats at #17 from #17 from #21 from #27 from #33
MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross dips to#37 from #33 from #25 from #19 from #20
OFFS: none
____

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 10 notches
BILLY DON'T BE A HERO - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods to #13 from #23

5 Arrivals, 3 U.S., 2 Canada, 1+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
+YOU WON'T SEE ME+ - Anne Murray #33 up 8 from #41[4th Top 40 hit]

ONE HELL OF A WOMAN - Mac Davis -#36 up 9 from #45 [2nd Top 40 hit]
SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME - DeFranco Family#38 up 10 from #48 [3rd and final Top 40 hit]
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK - Bill Haley #39 up 6 from #44 [14th and final Top 40 hit [repeat: 8 weeks #1 in 1955]
DAYBREAK - Nillson #40 up 2 from#42 [8th and final Top 40 hit]

The Hot 100:

11 newbies: 4 Top 40 bound, 5 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 1 by proxy, 0 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#70 - ON AND ON - Gladys Knight & The Pips [former Motown act]

#75 - TRAIN OF THOUGHT - Cher
#78 - ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN - Righteous Brothers
#83 - *ROCK THE BOAT* - Hues Corporation
#86 - KING OF NOTHING - Seals & Crofts
#88 - I HATE HATE - Razzie
#89 - I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG - Brownsville Station
#93 - KEEP ON SMILIN' - Wet Willie
#94 - KISSIN' TIME - Kiss
#96 - DANCIN' ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Flash Cadallac Continental Kids
#98 - LOVE THAT REALLY COUNTS - Natural Four
#99 - IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson
*disco significant record

Motown:

debuts: one
!st week: ^IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson DEBUT at #99
3rd week: ^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks - #45 up 10 from #55 from #74
3rd week : ^SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross - #74 up 9 from #83 from #92
5th week: ^HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #68 up 4 from #72 from #86 from #90 from #97
OFFs: none
_____

A very good week for:
Earth Wind & Fire
It's taken the group five albums to find a sound in a single that takes them into the Top 40. MIGHTY MIGHTY this week is #30 after peaking last week at #29. The single also takes EW& F into the Soul Singles' Top 10 [#4] for the first time and this week the album that opens our eyes to them becomes the #1 Soul LP and is certified gold. OPEN OUR EYES was unconventionally recorded in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.



***
Five Month Club:
20 weeks:
COME AND GET YOUR LOVE - Redbone #29 still Top 40
SEASONS IN THE SUN - Terry Jacks #47

***
Cash Box:

`Boogie Down' LP Goes Game Show
NEW YORK -Eddie Kendricks' Tamla
LP, "Boogie Down" which includes the newly-released single, "Son of Sagittarius," will be promoted during June on a pair of prime time game shows. Exposure is set for both "Let's Make A Deal" and "The Price Is Right," part of a continuing TV support program that began in March with the "New Dating Game"series.

***
Cash box news :

Word started getting around at the O'Jay's press conference that there was going to be a surprise birthday party for Stevie Wonder at Hollywood's Speak Easy Club, but I don't think anyone dreamed that before the evening was over [the sun came up] Stevie would receive congratulations from Bill Withers, B. B. King, The Temptations, The O'Jays, Flo and Eddie, New York disk jockey Frankie Crocker, and the illustrious
Smokey Robinson, who made a point of stopping to pose with Cash Box president
and publisher George Albert for eager photographers. Wonder, winner of five Grammys this year, was joined by his mother as well as Motown president Ewart Abner and family and a host of label personnel, including the redoubtable Mike Lushka. In between all the fine food, drink, and dancing, Stevie found time to give the evening the air of uniqueness it deserved when he got up to play several numbers. Once it got going the jam lasted for hours with dozens of musicians participating. One morning FM jock summed it all up when he took the air at 6 AM and said. "You won't believe this but I just left Stevie Wonder's birthday party and it was still going strong."

***
Record World Concert Review:

Ross Regalizes Caesar's Palace
LAS VEGAS -
Diana Ross unveiled her new show before a packed audience at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas recently. The show was absolutely magnificent and will shortly be available for all to enjoy on Diana's latest album, "Live at Caesar's Palace." Rarely has an artist controlled an audience as Diana did. She had people singing, holding hands and swaying in time during her performance of "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand." She then exploded into a medley of Supremes songs that had people whooping and clapping. Later, the audience sat mesmerized as Diana took us back to the days of Billie Holliday with a "Lady Sings the Blues" segment topped off by a sensational rendering of "My Man."
Other high spots were her version of "Corner of the Sky" from the "Pippin" score -a possible single in the near future; the "Touch Me in the Morning" number which featured her superb dancers; a tune called "Together,"written by Motown's The Devastating Affair, who added background vocals; and her performance -in the true sense of the word -of "Sleepin," her current single. There aren't enough words to describe the greatness that emanated from Ms. Ross during the show. Suffice it to say that the all-too-'often used term "superstar" readily applies to Diana in this, her 13th consecutive year at the top of her profession.
Lenny Beer

***
Will this become a regular segment of the Soul Ingredient column in Cash Box?:

HOT DISCO MOVERS -
"Do It Over," Olympic Runners ... "Mighty, Mighty,"
Earth, Wind & Fire ..."Help Yourself," Undisputed Truth ... "Satisfaction," Harold Melvin & Bluenotes ... "T.S.O.P.," MFSB ... "Where Do We Go From Here," Trammps ... "Waterbed," LTG Exchange. "What Goes Around [Comes Around]," Black Ivory.

***
Full-page ad for Hues Corporation's ROCK THE BOAT single in Cash Box and Record World.

[Boogiedown]

Big News: ROCK YOUR BABY

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #21
June 1, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 108
last week: 99
including:
THE TEMPTATIONS - You've Got My Soul On Fire [3:25];
producer: N. Whitfield; writer: N. Whitfield; . Gordy 7136. [Motown]. Strong lead vocals and intricate backup vocals mixed with heavily percussion
oriented instrumentation make this one of this veteran
groups most commercial effort in a long while. Should get
equally heavy play on pop and soul.

Record World:
RARE EARTH - Rare Earth R 5057F CHAINED [prod. by Frank Wilson]
Back to their familiar formula of re-interpreting vintage Motor City soul for the rock market, group picks up on a well-linked Marvin Gaye goodie from '68.

The Motown Review:

Jackson Five still Top 5 with DANCING MACHINE maintaining their position as Motown's current best charting act. Eddie Kendricks has bulleted back into the Top 40 while Stevie Wonder has stalled outside the Top 10. No debuts and no drop offs, Motown holds solid with seven records charting on the Hot 100.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: THE STREAK - week 3
Record Word: THE STREAK - week 1
Cash Box: THE ENTERTAINER - week 1

Third week running, Ray Stevens' THE STREAK is #1. Hot on its heals in second place is Paul McCartney's BAND ON THE RUN. The J5's DANCING MACHINE is still strong at #3. Three new 45s bullet into the Top 10: SUNDOWN by Gordon Light foot is at #7 from #12, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods are at #9 from #13 with BILLY DON'T BE A HERO, while Cat Stevens' OH VERY YOUNG comes in at #10 from #14. Grand Funk's THE LOCO-MOTION dips to #14 from #8 , It's lights out for Three Dog Night's THE SHOW MUST GO ON as it deep dives to #14 from #4, while Chicago finds themselves at #18 from #9 after SEARCHIN' FOR SO LONG.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Four 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five #3 from#2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
^DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder #16 from #17 from #17 from #21 from #27 from #33
MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross repeats at #37 from #33 from #25 from #19 from #20
^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks #32 DEBUT
OFFS: none

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 8 spots
SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME -DeFranco Family to #30 from #38

4 Breakers , All U.S. , 1+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 1 Motown, 1 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
HAVEN'T GOT TIME FOR THE PAIN - Carly Simon - #27 up 17 from #44 [4th Top 40 solo hit]

SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks #32 up 13 from #45 [3rd Top 40 solo hit]
ANOTHER PARK ANOTHER SUNDAY - Doobie Bros. #36 up 5 from #41 - [5th Top 40 hit]
+ON AND ON+ - Gladys Knight & The Pips - #40 up 30 from #70 [14th Top 40 hit]
____

The Hot 100:

9 newbies: 4 Top 40 bound, 5 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 0 Motown, by proxy, 2 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#76 - WATERLOO - Abba

#83 - WHEN THE MORNING COMES - Hoyt Axton
#85 - REBEL REBEL - David Bowie
#87 - ANNIE'S SONG - John Denver
#90 - LAMPLIGHT - David Essex
#91 - TOO LATE - Tavares
#93 - *ROCK YOUR BABY* - George McGrae
#98 - PLEASE COME TO BOSTON - Dave Loggins
#99 - GEORGIA PORCUPINE - George Fischoff
*disco significant record

Motown:

debuts: none
2nd week: ^IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson #97 up 2 from #99
4th week: ^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks - Top 40 from #45, from #55, from #74
4th week : ^SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross - #70 up 4 from #74 from #83 from #92
6th week: ^HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #63 up 5 from #68 from #72 from #86 from #90 from #97
OFFs: none
_____

A very good week for:
Lenny Waronker
Not many hits to report from this LA born producer and one day president of Warner Records [he'll sign Prince], but this week he's experiencing quite a peak with two of his best efforts side-by-side on the Top 10 with MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS at #6 and SUNDOWN at #7:
Adding to the rarity, this is New York born writer David Nichtern's only hit:



Lyrically he made an error, there are no cacti, friendly or not, in the Arabian dessert.

Canadian Gordon Lightfoot writes this one himself:



***
Album Spotlight:

DIANA ROSS - At Caesars Palace, Motown M6.80151.
Diana Ross has came the full circle, from recording star to TV personality to an accomplished actress to night club star. With this LP, she showcases her remarkable ability to communicate with all kinds of audiences, using standards, some of her most famous tunes from her days with the Supremes, melodies from her "Lady Sings the Blues" movie and several newer songs. In fine voice and demonstrating a natural audience regal [particularly on the sing along sections of the set], she shows how she has blossomed into an all around musical star. The kind of LP that should appeal to all record buyers and make record buyers out of many. Are orchestration andarrangements also add to the quality. and the medleys are ideal for radio play.
Best cuts "Reach Out and Touch [Somebody's
Hand], "Supremos Medley,""Lady Sings the Blues, "My Man."
Dealers: Motown has mounted a huge push on this
set, so watch for material. Display in pop, soul and female vocalists

Full-page ad for the LIVE AT CAESARS PALACE recording touting the performance and the LP's photo spread packaging.

***
Record World:

J5 Set Film Debut
LOS ANGELES - Raymond St.
Jacques, in conjunction with Jackson-Aarons Enterprises, will present
the motion picture debut of the the Jackson 5, when they co-star with St. Jacques in "Isoman Cross and Sons." Play Slave Family St. Jacques, who has written the original screenplay and will direct, produce and co-star in the film, is known for his roles in "Come Back Charleston Blue" and "Cotton Comes to Harlem." "Isoman Cross and Sons" is a period piece dealing with a black slave family during the mid-19th century. Their story is not just the struggle for freedom but for existence its-elf. St. Jacques portrays the father, and The Jackson 5 play the sons. The role of the mother has not been cast as yet

***
All three trades reporting the passing of Duke Ellington:

from Record World:

NEW YORK- Edward Kennedy
"Duke" Ellington died Friday [[24)
at Columbia Presbyterian \Hospital here of pneumonia. Although he shad been et the medical facility for treatment for more than a month, and had to spend his 75t' birthday in a hospital bed, his condition had not been listed as "serious" until the day prior to his death. Perhaps the most famous of all big band/jazz leaders, musicians
and composers, the man who had made his self-penned classic
"Take the 'A' Train" his theme song had been honored with every conceivable award for his craft during his prolific and active lifetime - including [[the nation's highest honor, the Medal of Freedom, which President Nixon presented him in 1969 on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
Among his classic compositions are "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," "Satin Doll" and "Mood Indigo." One of his most ambitious and highly acclaimed extended jazz works, "Black, Brown and Beige" was recorded by him for Columbia Records. Duke Ellington had cut for almost every major label during his lifetime, and most recently appeared in duet on Flying Dutchman with Teresa Brewer.

***

Disco Discs Hot
NEW YORK- For the second time in three weeks, a single that started out as a major discotheque record has become a national radio smash. "Rock Your Baby" by George McRae [T.K.] was added by WABC and seven other key top 40 stations this week, and moves 25 points from 108 to 83 with a bullet. The other disco breakout, "Rock the Boat" by the Hues Corporation [RCA] also jumps 25 points from 68 bullet to 43 bullet, and appears headed for chart-topping status, with six more key additions this week.

***

Noteworthy: Abba charts for the first time in the US.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #22
June 8, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 94
last week: 108

Cash Box:
GLADYS KNIGHT& THE PIPS [Soul 35111F]
Between Her Goodbye And My Hello [3:35] [J. Weatherly]
This new-old Gladys Knight track from her former label is going to be yet another
winner for the lady and her Pips, and will continue the incredible track record the
group has had of late. This Jim Weatherly track is a sensitive ballad, performed as only this group can. Call this top 5 on both pop and r&b fronts.

THE TEMPTATIONS [Gordy7136F]
You've Got My Soul On Fire [3:25] [N. Whitfield]
One of the hottest disks the Temps have come across with in some time, this one is a certain pop and r&b smash and possibly the group's biggest in years. In keeping with the times, this is a great dance track and will be one of the more requested items at the discos. Watch this one take off, like wild-fire.

First Time Around:
WILLIE HENDERSON - Dance Master [2:57]; producer: W.
Henderson; writer: W. Henderson, Q. Joseph; Playboy 50057. Excellent soul tune somewhat like recent Kool & the Gang material which should
prove a major radio and discotheque hit.



From Chicago, DANCE MASTER is noteworthy as the first disco record with the disco 'wooos' featured by studio female vocals. The B-side is a DJ coveted instrumental version.

The Motown Review:

DANCING MACHINE remains very strong while still ranking as one of the nation's Top 5 hits. Not so strong this round for SON OF SAGITTARIUS, which bulleted into the Top 40 in just three weeks but now in its 4th week advances just one spot. Marvin and Diana leave the Top 40 but spend another week on the Hot 100. No bulleted upward movement for any Motown records, a bit of a collapse overall, suggesting a summer slump may be at hand. But then only a strong label like Motown can have seven singles on the Hot 100 yet it still qualifies as a weak week.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: BAND ON THE RUN - week 1
Record Word: BAND ON THE RUN - week 1
Cash Box: BAND ON THE RUN - week 1

Ray Stevens' three week winning STREAK at the top comes to an end as Paul McCartney's band replaces him there with BAND ON THE RUN from their now #1 LP. Tight Top Ten with just one record easing in from #11 to #10, FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY by The O'Jays. Off: from its peak of #10, Cat Stevens' aging OH VERY YOUNG, now descends to #13.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five solidly at #4, from #3 from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder has peaked and slides to #22, from #16 from #17 from #17 from #21 from #27 from #33
^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks ticks upward to #31, from #32

MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross OFF the Top 40 from #37 from #37 from #33 from #25 from #19 from #20

OFFS one
______

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 11 places
ON & ON -Gladys Knight & Pips to #29 from #40

6 Additions, 5 US, 1 UK, 2+Top 10 bound+, 2 PI related, 0 Motown, 1 by proxy, 1 Country
highest debut:
I'M COMING HOME - Spinners #30 up 12 from #42

+THE AIR THAT I BREATHE+ - Hollies #35 up 8 from #43 [11th and final 70s Top 40 hit]
IF YOU WANNA GET TO HEAVEN - Ozark Mountain Daredevils #37 up 8 from #45 [*first time artist]
+RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER+ - Steely Dan #38 up 18 from #55 [3rd Top 40 hit]
NO CHARGE - Melba Montgomery #39 up 2 from #41 [One Hit Wonder]
SIDESHOW - Blue Magic #40 up 9 from #49 [*first time artist]

The Hot 100:

11 newbies: 3 Top 40 bound, 2 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 1 Philly International related, 0 Motown, by proxy, 2 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#77 - IF YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP - Elvis Presley

#84 - WORKIN' AT THE CAR WASH BLUES - Jim Croce
#85 - BALLERO - War
#87 - WHO ARE YOU - B B King
#88 - ROOM FULL OF ROSES - Mickey Gilley
#94 - IF YOU GO AWAY - Terry Jacks
#95 - SHO' NUFF BOOGIE - Sylvia & The Moments
#96 - THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK AND ROLL - Mott The Hoople
#98 - TELL LAURA I LOVE HER - Johnny C Angel
#99 - HOW DO YOU FEEL THE MORNING AFTER - Millie Jackson
#100 - I'VE HAD IT - Fanny

Motown:

debuts: none
3rd week: ^IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson #90 up 9 from #97 from #99

5th week : SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross -#78 down 8 from #70 from #74 from #83 from #92
7th week: HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #72 down 9 from #63 from #68 from #72 from #86 from #90 from #97
16th week: MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross #57 down 20 from #37
OFFs: none
_____

A very good week for:
The Sound Of Philly
while chart performance for one label cools [see above], the week for the guys of MFSB is on fire with 7 singles on various labels charting, five of them Top 40 [two added this week with Spinners having highest debut] and two Top 10:
#3 YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW,
#10 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY,
[continues next week]

***
Also a very good week for:
Elvis Presley
by having the highest debuting record of the week, a testament to his chart making longevity.

***
The UK continues to march to its own drum when it comes to pop singles including those from Motown. This week R. Dean Taylor is at #4 [from #9] with 1967's THERES A GHOST IN MY HOUSE while Stevie Wonder is at #26 [from #17] with MISSTRA KNOW-IT-ALL and Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross share the #42 spot with YOU ARE EVERYTHING. None of the three chart in the US.
#1 for the third time on the UK singles chart is SUGAR BABY LOVE



by the manufactured group The Rubettes. As explained this week in a Billboard article, the record was studio created last fall, and the musicians involved have accepted an offer to become the actual group. All seven accepted except the primary falsetto singer, being imitated now by another member.

***
Cash Box Talent On Stage 6-01:

Marvin Gaye

THE FORUM, LOS ANGELES - History was made when Motown recording legend Marvin Gaye made his first appearance in Los Angeles before a capacity house that spent the better portion of the evening on its feet cheering, stomping and shouting approval for each Gaye composition. Marvin's return to the concert stage was no ordinary event by anyone's estimation. Smokey Robinson, Billy Preston, and Motown president Ewart Abner headed a list of celebrities who took life in hands to sit in the audience and watch Marvin perform. Robinson, when he made his appearance in the arena after wishing Gaye well backstage, was literally mobbed by a quarter of the hall while those who couldn't get close enough simply applauded spontaneously. At the point when it looked as if Smokey would have to leave for his own protection, the house lights dimmed and the 32 piece orchestra, conducted by Gene Page, and Ladies Choice, Marvin's back-up vocal quartet, took their places to await the star. Instead of Marvin appearing, his brother came out, fooling practically all but the folks Up front into thinking he was the illustrious singer. As he introduced Marvin, the crowd lept to its feet applauding. From the outset, Gaye was in total command, starting with "Trouble Man" and moving through "Mercy Mercy Me [The Ecology]," "Inner City Blues," "Let's Get It On," "Save The Children," and a great medley of old hits "Wonderful One," "Pride and Joy," "How Sweet It Is," and "Can I Get A Witness," before turning to "What's Goin' On" as his finale. Surprisingly, Gaye chose not to perform an encore, but the knowledgeable fans seemed not to mind, remaining content to have gotten a glimpse of their hero and watched history in the making.

***
Full-page ad: Commodores' MACHINE GUN single with an image of the 45, not the group.

[Boogiedown]

Big news: Commodores


Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #24
June 15, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 68
last week: 94

Cash Box Newcomer:
THE RUBETTES [Polydor 15089]
Sugar Baby Love [3:33] [Bickerton,Waddington)
Fifties harmonies with a more contemporary flair is the only way to describe this
bright disk, already a smash in England. As all of the proper elements for hit standing
are included here, there'll be no stopping this disk on its rise to the top of the
American pop charts. As cute as it is entertaining and as dynamic as it is commercial.
Sugar and spice and everything nice. [see last week]

Record World Pick:

THUNDERTHIGHS - Mercury 73497
CENTRAL PARK ARREST [prod. by Steve Rowland]
"Do-do-do" ladies from Lou Reed's " Walk on the Wild Side" do their own hit shoppin'. Famed N.Y. action spot is immortalized by neo-vice voice squadron.



Like The Rubettes, out of the UK, are Lou Reed's "colored girls" with a light song about defending oneself against urban crime in NYC. Stop!, in the name of....the law

The Motown Review :

Motown keeps hangin' on: The Jackson Five's DANCING MACHINE remains in the nation's Top 10 for the eighth week, dropping slowly while maintaining the group's position as Motown's hottest act. Eddie Kendricks moves up, some, and is now Top 30 where Stevie Wonder remains as well. Gaye and Ross depart. Newly charting on behalf of Motown, is the self-contained group Commodores, with a clavinet propelled instrumental called MACHINE GUN.
One drop off and one single added, holds Motown to a 7 record chart presence.


The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO - week 1
Record Word: YO MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW - week 1
Cash Box: BAND ON THE RUN - week 2

An American remake of a British #1 does the same here by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods. BILLY DON'T BE A HERO is an anti-war song. Last week's #1, BAND ON THE RUN by Wings, drops decidedly to #5. Just one new record enters the Top 10 and William DeVaughn is THANKFUL FOR where his home grown record has GOT : #7 from #11. Joni Mitchell sings, HELP ME I think I'm falling ...to #12 from #7.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five still solid at #6 from #4, from #3, from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
^SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks ticks upward to #29, from #31, from #32
DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder has peaked and slides some more to #29 from #22, from #16, from #17 from #17 from #21 from #27 from #33
Offs: None

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 8 places {tie}
AIR THAT I BREATHE - Hollies to #27 from #35
SIDESHOW - Blue Magic to #32 from #40


5 rockin' debuts, all US, 4+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 1 Country
highest debut:
+ROCK THE BOAT+ - Hues Corporation #23 up 22 from #45 [*first time artist]

+ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN+ - Righteous Bros. #33 up 10 from #43 [8th Top 40 hit]
+ROCK YOUR BABY+ - George McCrae#34 up 28 from #62 [*first time artist]
+ANNIE'S SONG+ - John Denver #37 up 23 from #60 [4th Top 40 hit]
TRAIN OF THOUGHT - Cher #39 up 8 from #47 [11th Top 40 hit]

The Hot 100:

Baker's dozen hot out of the oven: 5 Top 40 bound, 2 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 2 by proxy, 1 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#75 - JIVE TURKEY Pt I. - Ohio Players

#79 - TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD - Rufus [Stevie Wonder written]
#80 - THAT SONG IS DRIVING ME CRAZY - Tom T. Hall
#81 - SILLY MILLY - Blue Suede
#83 - MACHINE GUN - Commodores
#87 - YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD - Helen Reddy
#90 - MR PRESIDENT - Dickie Goodman
#91 - FISH AIN'T BITIN' - Lamont Dozier [former Motown writer/producer]
#92 - I'M FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU - Little Anthony& Imperials
#93 - THERE WILL NEVER BE ANY PEACE - Chi-Lites
#97- WAKE UP AND LOVE ME - April Stevens
#98 - THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED - Paper Lace
#99 - WILD THING - Fanny
______

Motown:

debuts: one
1st week: ^MACHINE GUN Commodores DEBUT #83
4th week: ^IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson #82 up 8 from #90 from #97 from #99

6th week : SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross -#78 down 8 from #70 from #74 from #83 from #92
8th week: HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth #72 down 9 from #63 from #68 from #72 from #86 from #90 from #97
17th week: MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross OFF from #57 from #37
OFFs: one

MY MISTAKE WAS TO LOVE YOU's gallant four month Hot 100 run ends. Might have been a mistake to project love between these two, as this, the second single pairing Marvin and Diana, does worse than the first peaking at #19, with both singles from their shared album failing to reach the Top 10.
As Motown artists, both are special but best apart.
_____

A very good week [again] for :

The Sound Of Philly
with three Top 10:
#2 YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW [#1 in Record World]
#7 BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU'VE GOT
#9 FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY
plus:
#24 I'M COMING HOME
#32 SIDESHOW
#40 TSOP
for a total of 6 hits on various labels on the Top 40
plus:
#78 - WHO ARE YOU

Here is YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW as first heard on the Stylistics' 1973 album ROCK N ROLL BABY:



The recording has been tweaked some and repressed on the group's latest album LET'S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER where it, and the 45, are shaved but still run at 4:45 in length.

***
Five Month Club:
20 weeks:
JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY - Main Ingredient #36 still Top 40.
23 weeks:
COME AND GET YOUR LOVE - Redbone #43

***
Cash Box:
Photo captioned:

Celebrity Time
A SUPREME WEDDING
-Mary Wilson, the last of the Original Supremes, recently married UCLA Law student Pedro Ferrer in Las Vegas. Shown. at the wedding site with the happy couple are Joel
Grey, with whom The Supremes were starring at The Riviera Hotel and actor-
former football great Jim Brown.

***
Diana Ross in box ad on the magazine's cover for her new live LP plus the banner ad across the bottom announces it's Diana Ross Month.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #25
June 22, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 67!
last week: 68

including:
J0HNNY BRISTOL - Hang On In There Baby [3:23], producer : J. Bristol; writer: J. Bristol; MGM 14715
Except for the funky tenor voice rather than a
rumbling basso profundo, this could be Barry White and the
Love Unlimited Orchestra. With swooping, romantic strings, a
pleasingly tricky melody and intensely communicative lyrics, it's soul romanticism at its best

Cash Box:
SOUND EXPERIENCE [Soulville 024]
Don't Fight The Feeling [3:25] [-S. Watson, M. Miles]
A smash disco record, this very funky disk from a top new soul group will find sure
success on r&b charts with pop exposure happening a bit later. Super party atmosphere captured on this record will have all up and dancing and might become one of the outside smashes of the year. The title says it all, "don't fight the feeling," get up and dance!



More whistle blowing, this time from this college formed Baltimore/Philly group.
Three times in this issue, Cash Box uses the word 'disco' in their descriptions of picked singles. Increasingly these dancable records are going unclaimed by the charts. Is it time for a special chart of their own??

The Motown Review:

Newcomers, The Commodores offer Motown their best ray of hope as MACHINE GUN advances with a bullet as the other 45s by the label cool off. Diana Ross' latest disappoints falling away after a peak of #70. Stevie Wonder clings to another week in the Top 40 at #38 after a sub standard peak for him, while Smokey clasps at the Hot 100 by the cliffhanging position of #100.
Two singles off, and one new ones arrives by The Temptations, giving Motown a shaky standing even with six songs charting.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: - BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO - week 2
Record Word: - BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO - week 1
Cash Box: BAND ON THE RUN - week 3

A heroic 2nd week at #1 for BILLY and Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. Repeating at #2 are The Stylistics and YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW. Two break-throughs: IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME KNOW by Olivia Newton-John at #7 from #11 and at bat at #9 from #11 is HOLLYWOOD SWINGING by Kool & The Gang. Nudged out are Maria Muldaur's MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS to #11 from #10, and FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY by The O'Jays tp #13 from the peak of #9

Motown:
Three 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five still solid at #8 from #6 from #4, from #3, from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks dips to #33 from #29, from #31, from #32
DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder has peaked and slides some more , falling to #36 from #29 from #22, from #16, from #17 from #17 from #21 from #27 from #33
Offs: None
_________

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 19! steps
ROCK YOUR BABY -George McCrae from #34 to #15

Just 3 debuts, 1 US, 1 Netherlands, 1 Swedish 1+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
ALREADY GONE - Eagles #36 up 6 from#42 [4th Top 40 hit]

+WATERLOO+ - Abba #39 up 13 from #52 [*1st time artist]
RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring #40 up 14 from #54 [*1st time artist]

The Hot 100:

9 new ones : 5 Top 40 bound, 1 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#70 - DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME - Elton John

#78 - FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE - Roberta Flack
#79 - MY THANG - James Brown
#81 - ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim
#82 - PUT OUT THE LIGHT - Joe Cocker
#89 -CALL ON ME -Chicago
#90 - YOU'VE GOT MY SOUL ON FIRE - Temptations
#96 - KUNG FU - Curtis Mayfield
#98 - WHATS YOUR NAME - Andy and David Williams
_________

Motown:

debuts: one
1st week: ^YOU'VE GOT MY SOUL ON FIRE - Temptations DEBUT #90
2nd week: ^MACHINE GUN Commodores #66 up 17 from #83
5th week: IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson #100 down 18 from #82 from #90 from #97 from #99
correction*:
6th week : SLEEPIN' - Diana Ross - OFF from #78 from #70 from #74 from #83 from #92
correction*:
8th week: HELP YOURSELF - Undisputed Truth OFF from #72 from #63 from #68 from #72 from #86 from #90 from #97

OFFs: two [*from 6/15]

Diana Ross couldn't wake the charts with SLEEPIN' as it slips away after a #70 peak. Written by Ron Miller [TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING] and Terry Etlinger, this refined ballad had too unsettling a topic to get any placement on the Easy Listening chart [in spite of the recent three weeks at #1 there with LAST TIME I SAW HIM] and charted below the Soul chart's Top 40 as well. Ross will take a rest from the charts as a soloist until next year.

Norman Whitfield's 45, HELP YOURSELF, sung by The Undisputed Truth, needed some additional help to get higher than the #63 ranking [#19 Soul]. Two more albums from the group while under the Motown fold will not return them to the Hot 100.

__________

A very good week for:
Kool & The Gang
It's taken the group four LPs to find their pocket, now the 3rd single from the wild side of their 1973 WILD AND PEACEFUL LP finds them back in the Top 10:



Curious that a 45 titled HOLLYWOOD SWINGING boasts on its label as being 'The "New York" Sound.'
In spite of their surge in popularity, Kool &The Gang will cool down for the next few years, not matching this success again until teaming up with Eumir Deodato in 1979.

***

Full-page color ad of the pink Martha Reeves album cover that reads:
MCA Records proudly presents a very special album.

***

NEW ON THE CHARTS:

THE COMMODORES
"Machine Gun"-66
Up from the comfortable anonymity of being an opening act for Motown
superstars like the Jackson Five, the Commodores move onto the chart with an
aptly-titled rapid fire instrumental after being on Motown three years themselves.
"Machine Gun" has skitter-chunking guitars and effervescent synthesizer
fills over a boulder-solid beat, blending some of the most commercial elements
of the Crusaders, Billy Preston and Kool & the Gang.
Commodores consist of six young men who met as students at Alabama's
Tuskegee Institute and still consider the town their home base. They have bastions of popularity on the Southern college circuit and various hotels overseas.
Earlier singles were hits in Europe and Brazil. Manager is Benjamin Ashburn.

***

Article stating that Motown will begin distributing and marketing CTI Records which releases about two albums a month. Tommy Noonan, Motown's director of marketing states that last year Motown released 46 albums.

***

Cash Box:

Marc Simon Forms
Provocative Prod.
HOLLYWOOD
-Mark Paul Simon has announced the formation of Provocative Promotions, a national promotion service aimed at breaking records in the discotheque market. Initial clients handled by the firm,according to Simon, are Twentieth Century Records, Kwanza Records and T. K. Records. "Provocative Promotions services all the key cities across the country," stated Simon. "We cover 80 of the largest and most popular discos in the nation. Their combined audience numbers into the hundreds of thousands each week of solid record-buying public, the trendsetters that signal the next million-sellers."
Firm is headquarted in Los Angeles at
1285 N. Sweetzer Ave, Tel.
213/650-1388.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #26
June 29, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 83
last week: 67
including;

DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE - Don't Knock My Love
[2:13] producer: H. Davis; writer: W. Pickett, R. Shapiro;
Motown 1296. Diana & Marvin have an utter ball with this Wilson Pickett uptempo classic. They play lyrics for teasing sauciness rather than plaintive intensity and
the approach works beautifully in an elegant Motown production. You gots to love it.

CASH BOX:

Marvin and Diana get down and really rock the boat here with this super Wilson
Pickett oldie that looks as if it's going to get a new Top 10 chart life here. Excellent arrangement will attract pop and r&b stations galore as it makes its way to the top.
Probably the funkiest track this top flight duo has ever laid down. Boogie down, babies!

RECORD WORLD:

Thumper bumper which Wilson Pickett first funked in '71 gets a special rendering from the together twosome. Performance is one of their finest combined efforts.

Soul:
MIRACLES - Do It Baby [2:55] producer: F. Perren; writers: F. Perren. C. Varian; Tamla
54248. Sure looks like the Miracles have their biggest grabber since Smokey split. Lush intensive production surrounds high tenor soaring lead vocal in a sophisticated
plea for loving. Veteran group is really back in the commercial groove.

recommended:
SYREETA - Come And Get This Stuff [3:02]; producer: Stevie Wonder; writer S. Wonder; Motown 1297.

REUBEN HOWELL [Motown 1305F]
Rings [2:57] [ -E. Reeves, A. Harvey]
Very pretty, laid back pop-rocker with incredible lyric weaving and hooks make this
disk an almost certain winner for Reuben. Markets that program Jim Croce will appreciate this disk that much more, as will the market's listeners. Excellent arrangement of strings aids the artist's vocals immensely and makes the song even
more exciting. Draws "rings" 'round all others.

Long shot from Motown, a remake of Cymarron's '72 hit RINGS by a new artist:



The line "got James Taylor on the stereo" is replaced here with "got Jim Croce on the stereo."

Billboard reviews the accompanying LP:

REUBEN HOWELL - Rings , Motown M6.79951. Motown has
their own Jim Stafford, a noveltyish, countryish, smooth-
yoked performer who could get there with strong material
and merchandising.

The Motown Review:

Although descending and now out of the Top Ten, The Jackson Five's DANCING MACHINE is again the label's best performing single. It is Motown's only Top 40 record. The Commodores are close at hand and will likely join the J5 there next week. One record leaves and one new/old one jumps on, this week's count is six singles on the Hot 100.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: SUNDOWN - week 1
Record Word: SUNDOWN - week 1
Cash Box: SUNDOWN - week 1

BILLY DON'T BE A HERO's two weeks at #1 ends as Bo Donaldson 's Heywoods dip to #2 giving way to Gordon Lightfoot's SUNDOWN, up from #3. All records in the Top 10 shift with three new ones entering with bullets, the highest, ROCK THE BOAT by The Hues Corporation comes in at #6 from #12. George McCrae's ROCK YOUR BABY is in at #9 from #15 and John Denver super bullets to #10 from # 27 with ANNIE'S SONG.
Off: THE STREAK by Ray Stevens to #14 from #4, DANCING MACHINE by The J5 to #16 from #8, and to #22 from #10 Marvin Hamlish' THE ENTERTAINER.

The Top 40:

Motown:
ONE 45 from Motown is on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five still Top 20 at #16 from #8 from #6 from #4, from #3, from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks OFF to #43 from #33 from #29, from #31, from #32
DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder OFF to #47 from #36 from #29 from #22, from #16, from #17 from #17 from #21 from #27 from #33

OFFS: two

A rapid departure for what seemed likely to be a huge record for Eddie Kendricks, SON OF SAGITTARIUS peaks at #28. In this, the age of Aquarius, zodiac songs have not generally done well for most acts including those at Motown.

The last four singles by Stevie Wonder had no trouble becoming Top Tenners, but DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING peaks shy at #16 [#2 Soul].
_______

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 17! points into the Top Ten
ANNIE'S SONG - John Denver from #27 to #10

5 debuts, 4 US, 1 Canada 0+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 1 Country
highest debut:
IF YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP - Elvis Presley #33 up 13 from #46 [99th Top 40 hit]

FINALLY GOT MYSELF TOGETHER - The Impressions #35 up 9 from #44 [17th & final Top 40 hit]
TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS - Bachman -Turner Overdrive #37 up 8 from #45 [2nd Top 40 hit]
WORKIN' AT THE CAR WASH BLUES - Jim Croce #39 up 9 from #48 [8th and final Top 40 hit]
COME MONDAY - Jimmy Buffet - #40 up 10 from #50 [*first time artist]


The Hot 100:

12 breakthroughs : 4 Top 40 bound, 3 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 1 by proxy, 3 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#79 - HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol- former Motown writer/producer

#84 - RUB IT IN - Billy Crash Craddock
#88 - SURE AS I'M SITTING HERE - Three Dog Night
#89 - I'VE BEEN BORN AGAIN - Johnny Taylor
#90 - OLD HOME FILLER UP AND KEEP ON-A-TRUCKIN CAFE - CW McCAll
#91 - YOU CANT BE A BEACON IF YOUR LIGHT DON'T SHINE - Donna Fargo
#94 - WORST COMES TO WORSE - Billy Joel
#95 - TELL ME THAT I'M WRONG - Blood Sweat & Tears
#96 - AIR DISASTER - Albert Hammond
#97 - HAPPINESS IS JUST AROUND THE BEND - Main Ingredient
#98 - BETWEEN HER GOODBYE AND MY HELLO - Gladys Knight & Pips

_______

Motown:

debuts: one

1st week: ^BETWEEN HER GOODBYE AND MY HELLO - Gladys Knight & The Pips DEBUT #98

2nd week: ^YOU'VE GOT MY SOUL ON FIRE - Temptations #85 up 5 from #90
3rd week: ^MACHINE GUN Commodores #45 up 21 from #66 from #83
5th week: IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE - Smokey Robinson OFF from #100 from #82 from #90 from #97 from #99
8th week: SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks #43 down 10 from #33
13th week: DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder #47 down 11 from #36
OFFS: one
It's Smokey's turn to leave the charts with his weakest solo release thus far, IT'S HER TURN TO LIVE fizzled at #82 [#29 Soul]. He'll be back later this year.
________

A very good week for:
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis is at #2 on the Soul chart [Pop # 13] with ON AND ON a song he wrote and produced for the movie CLAUDINE and sung by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Blocking ON AND ON at the top is FINALLY GOT MYSELF TOGETHER by Curtis' former group The Impressions, which doesn't trouble Mayfield since their hit, produced by Ed Townsend, is on Curtis' Curtom label.
Also on the Hot 100 [#81] is his single KUNG FU from his latest LP titled SWEET EXORCIST.
Meanwhile some casual listeners think that's Curtis at #4 this week with:



An all-star Philly cast backs William DeVaughn on his self-conceived record that he hits out of the park his first time out. William says "no thanks" however to the sudden access to fame and fortune as his religious core has him going door-to-door in Washington DC proselytizing even as BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT gets certified a million seller.

***
Billboard reviews one or two "SPOTLIGHT " new LPs per issue.
This week:

MARVIN GAYE - Marvin Gaye Live, Tamla T6333S1.
Okay so were not supposed to put in three LP spotlights. But it can't be helped if one of the finest live albums in memory arrives at deadline. Production substitutes raw but full sounding excitement for the outer space studio perfection Gaye has been achieving in his recent work. All career highlights from "Can I Get A Witness" to "Let's Get It On" are here in dynamite renditions with the Oakland Coliseum SRO crowd going crazy
in the background. Crisply overpowering its everything a live LP should be.


***
In Record World's SOUL TRUTH column :
DISCO POTENTIALS:
"Love Dance" - Big City [20th Century]; "The Bigger The Cushion [The Better The Pushin]" -The Gents [Paramount]

***

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #27
July 06, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 141!
last week: 83
including;

Soul:
THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH - I'm A Fool For You [3:04]; producer N. Whitfield; writer. N. Whitfield; Gordy 7139. . Instrumental mix of wah wah guitar and horns along with the usual above par vocals of this established group make this another good bet to
cross into pop. Exchange of lead vocalists also powerful.

Cash Box:

THE MIRACLES [Tamla54248F]
Do It Baby [2:55] [F. Perren, C. Yarian]
One of the more successful pop-r&b groups in history should make that big
comeback here with this smokin', yet laid back r&b disco item with strong pop crossover potential. The vocals, both lead and in harmony,are as good as ever, but the arrangement is the real attraction. Should be an across the board smash.

Record World:
SONG OF THE WEEK
RINGS-
LOBO [prod.by Phil Gernhard]- Big Tree
BT-15008
REUBEN HOWELL [prod. by Clayton Ivey &
Terry Woodford.]-
Motown M1305F
Two treatments of a pop/country copyright last twin-hit by Cymarron and The Glaser Brothers. Lobo uses the tune to followup his "Standing at the End of the Line" charter; his version is the first single pulled from his new"Just a Singer" album. New talent from Motown Reuben Howell breezes the song as his entrance into the national top 40 scene.

The Motown Review:

The Commodores break into the Top 40 for their first time and with a bullet, giving Motown a measure of reprieve from a near total meltdown. DANCING MACHINE is still the labels best performing charter and is still in the Top 20 in this the record's 17th week on the charts. There are now just five singles from Motown on the Hot 100 and only one with the momentum to earn it a bullet.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: - ROCK THE BOAT - week 1
Record Word: - BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU GOT - week 1
Cash Box: - BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO -week 1

ROCK THE BOAT , the summer hit by newcomers The Hues Corporation has sailed to #1 in less than two months*. Down goes SUNDOWN by Gordon Lightfoot after a week at #1, it's now #2. Two records in, Anne Murray at # 9 from #12 with the Beatles song YOU WONT SEE ME and Gladys Knight is on at #10 from #13 with ON & ON; they join fellow female artist Olivia Newton-John [at #5]: Offs: BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU'VE GOT BY William DeVaughn dives from #4 to #12 and Paul McCartney's BAND ON THE RUN runs out of steam dipping to #17 from #8.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Two 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five still Top 20 at #18 from #16 from #8 from #6 from #4, from #3, from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
^MACHINE GUN Commodores DEBUT at #34
OFFS : none

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 9 jumps
RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring to #20 from #29

6 debuts, 5 US, 1 UK, 2 +Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 1 Motown, 1 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
+DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME+ - Elton John #25 up 25 from #50 [11th Top 40 hit]

MACHINE GUN - Commodores #34 up 11 from #45 [*first time artist]
+FEEL LIKE MAKING LOVE+ - Roberta Flack #36 up 17 from #53 [6th Top 40 hit]
THIS HEART - Gene Redding#36 up 10 from #46 [One Hit Wonder]
FISH AIN'T BITIN' - Lamont Dozier #39 up 13 from #52 [2nd and last Top 40 hit]
+KEEP ON SMILIN+ - Wet Willie #40 up 4 from #44 [* first time artist]

The Hot 100:

10 newbies : 4 Top 40 bound, 2 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 2 Philly International related, 0 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#82 -YOU'RE HAVING MY BABY - Paul Anka

#84 - WILDWOOD WEED - Jim Stafford
#86 - LOVE IS THE MESSAGE - MFSB
#89 - WHAT COMES UP MUST COME DOWN - Tyrone Davis
#90 - I'M LEAVING IT ALL TO TO YOU - Donne & Marie Osmond
#93 - GOOD THINGS DONT LAST FOREVER - Ectsay Passion & Pain
#94 - I WISH IT WAS ME YOU LOVED - Dells
#97 - YOU'RE WELCOME, STOP ON BY - Bobby Womack
#98 - TIME FOR LIVIN' - Sly & Family Stone
#99 - DANCE MASTER - Wayne Henderson

Motown:

debuts: none

2nd week: ^BETWEEN HER GOODBYE AND MY HELLO - Gladys Knight & The Pips #95 up 3 from #98
3rd week: ^YOU'VE GOT MY SOUL ON FIRE - Temptations #76 up 9 from #85 from #90
4th week: ^MACHINE GUN - Commodores Top 40 from #45 from #66 from #83
9th week: SON OF SAGITTARIUS - Eddie Kendricks OFF from #43 from #33
14th week: DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder #58 down 11 from #47 from #36

Offs: one
SON OF SAGITTARIUS by Eddie Kendricks is a solid Soul hit peaking at #5 but son-of-a-gun, Eddie's recent meteoric rise on the Hot 100 fell short this time barely making the Top 30 peaking at #28. He's got a third single launching off his BOOGIE DOWN LP right away.
_____

A very good week for:
The Motown machine
With both the former #1 and still in the Top 40 hit by the J5, DANCING MACHINE at #18 and MACHINE GUN at #34 by The Commodores, who
introduce themselves with a deceiving instrumental cut as the self-contained group will increasingly go on to be as known for their lyric writing and vocal skills.



***

Front page headline in this week's issue:

Labels Eye Discos as Hot Spots to Break r&b Product
By JIM MELANSON

NEW YORK-
Don't write off discotheques to the nostalgia files of the '60s quite yet. With a new look and a strong flavoring of r&b music, they're part of the in-scene once again in major markets, and record promotion men are pulling out all the stops to tap the dance clubs' resources for breaking new product.
Renewed interest in the clubs by record manufacturers comes at a time of the shrinking radio station playlist. And, rather than sitting back and bemoaning the difficulty of cracking these lists, local promotion staffers, in increasing numbers, are turning their energies toward discotheque exposure for product, notably r&b and funky/rock disks. Pick up the discotheque crowd and your chances for airplay are greatly enhanced, seems to be the consensus from the labels.

more next week


***

Five Month Club:
20 weeks:
MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur at #22

***
*But it has taken the song months to initially break through. ROCK THE BOAT first appeared as an album cut on the FREEDOM FOR THE STALLION LP last December. The single was released in February and was modestly reviewed in Billboard:

Chart #08
Feb 23, 1974
Soul recommended:
THE HUES CORPORATION - Rock The Boat [3:05]; producer: John Florez; writer: W. Holmes; RCA 0232.

Radio, pop and soul, ignored it. Once the clubs popularized it, it crossed over to reach the general public, and now this week ROCK THE BOAT is the #1 song in the country.



Featured here is the isolation of the instruments without the vocals to focus on the fully orchestrated arranging that makes this record stand out as disco, the galloping guitar, piano, bongos, busy horns and strings including the first piercing disco string 'scream' heard at 2:24.

***
Cash Box:

Crewe To Exit Motown
NEW YORK
-Bob Crewe is expected to leave his association at Motown Records to re-enter indie production. His last recording for Motown is "Hickory" by Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #28
July 13, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 151!
last week: 141
including:
Pop:
EDDIE KENDRICKS - "Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need"
[3:10]; producers: Frank Wilson & Leonard Caston; Writers:
L. Caston & K. Wakefield; . Tamla T 54249F. Departure from the boogie style associated with Kendricks over the past year or so is quite effective on this slow tune with excellent lyrics and fine instrumental arrangements. Should hit soul and pop equally well.
Soul:
FOUR TOPS- Midnight Flower [3:01]; producers: Steve
Barri, D. Lambert. B. Potter; writers: M. Jackson, R. Dozier;
ABC- Dunhill 15005. Good, bouncy commercial effort from the band that almost never misses. Repetitive guitar riffs offer good hook to cut, as does title. Disk should cross into the pop market with little trouble.

The Motown Review:

The Commodores take command of the Top 40 becoming Motown's hottest act at #26 with a bullet. The Jackson Five stay there with them, still Top 40 with 18 weeks of charting. Further down the Hot 100 are four other company records including this week's new one from Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye. Biggest surprise: Stevie Wonder moves up 2 in an unusual chart reversal once a record starts to drop, especially when below the Top 40. Six 45s total charting for Motown.
It's not so gloomy on the Soul charts where two records from the label are Top 10 and, when adding in Motown alumni, half the records there are by Motown names. Eleven 45s on the Soul Top 100 have Motown labels glued to them.

The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: - - ROCK YOUR BABY - week 1
Record Word: - ROCK THE BOAT- week 1
Cash Box: - ROCK THE BOAT -week 1

The Top 10 is rockin' with two rocketed records out of left field by unknown acts. On ABC records, ROCK THE BOAT gets capsized to #3 after just one week of a hurried #1 position by George McCrae's ROCK YOUR BABY, the fresh Sunshine Sound out of Florida's TK Records spearheaded by Casey/ Finch of KC and The Sunshine band. Huge entry by Elton John to #6 from #25 with DONT LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME.
Also a huge entry for ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN by the Righteous Brothers who haven't had a record within this upper ranking since 1965. Time to let Olivia Newton-John know that her IF YOU LOVE ME single is no longer Top 10, it sinks to #12 from #5, while Kool and the Gang's HOLLYWOOD SWINGING also bows out to #17 from #6 as does YOU MAKE ME FEEL BRAND NEW by The Stylistics now at #19 from #7.

The Top 40:

Motown:
Two 45s from Motown are on the Top 40:

^MACHINE GUN - Commodores fires up from #26 from #34
DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five at #33 from #18 from #16 from #8 from #6 from #4, from #3, from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
OFFS : none

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 19! leaps
DONT LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME -Elton John to #6 from #25

6 debuts some big movers, 5 US, 1 UK, 4 +Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 1 by proxy, 0 Country
highest debut:
+PLEASE COME TO BOSTON+ - Dave Loggins #23 up 18 from #41 [*One Hit Wonder]

+CALL ON ME+ - Chicago #27 up 25 from #52 [14th Top 40 hit]
BALLERO - War #36 up 8 from #44 [8th Top 40 hit]
SURE AS IM SITTING HERE - Three Dog Night #38 up 23 from #71 [19th Top 40 hit]
+TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD+ - Rufus#39 up 4 from #43 [*first time artist]
+THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED+ - Paper Lace #40 up 19 from #59 [One Hit Wonder]

The Hot 100:

11 newbies : 3 Top 40 bound, 1 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 0 by proxy, 1 Country
Highest debut:
2nd tier:
#63 - SHININ' ON - Grand Funk

#70 - NOTHING FROM NOTHING - Billy Preston
#72 - ITS BETTER TO HAVE [AND DON'T NEED] - Don Covay
#76 -I SHOT THE SHERIFF - Eric Clapton
#82 - KALIMBA STORY - EW&F
#84 - SECRETARY - Betty Wright
#90 - DON'T KNOCK MY LOVE - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross
#91 - WALK ON - Neil Young
#98 - AMERICAN GIRLS - Rick Springfield
#99 - IT COULD'VE BEEN ME - Sami Jo
#100 - MA! HES MAKING EYES AT ME - Lena Zavaroni

Motown:

debuts: one
1st week: ^DON'T KNOCK MY LOVE - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross DEBUT #90
3rd week: ^BETWEEN HER GOODBYE AND MY HELLO - Gladys Knight & The Pips #86 up 9 from #95 from #98
4th week: ^YOU'VE GOT MY SOUL ON FIRE - Temptations #74 up 2 from #76 from #85 from #90
15th week: ^DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder #56 up 2 from #58 from #47 from #36
______

A very good week for:
Ann
Replacing Anne Murray's run at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with YOU WONT SEE ME is John Denver's ANNIE'S SONG. Both are Top Ten on the Hot 100 this week.

Also doing well on the AC chart is a somewhat quirky one by Cher :



In spite of its current rise there to #11 from #17, TRAIN OF THOUGHT has peaked on the Hot 100 at #27 and is now #41. The tormented Cher anguishing here is not playing well in the midst of the tabloid feeding Sonny and Cher split, where Cher has wandered off and spending time with younger men. [Can't speak to Sonny's extramarital behavior or if this short song is aimed at him.] This is Cher's last hit with MCA before her newly close buddy David Geffen gets her settled at Warner Bros. where she'll struggle through the rest of the seventies until she turns to disco in 1979.

TRAIN OF THOUGHT's charting also makes it a
Very good week for:

Alan O'day,
Southern California raised, he wrote TRAIN OF THOUGHT as well as the comeback song for The Righteous Brothers who now enter the Top 10 at #10 with Alan's ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN.

***
Too bad there's not yet a disco chart as Ashford & Simpson struggle on the Soul chart at #64 this week [will peak at #37]:



MAIN LINE is their third underperforming single from two albums since signing to Warner Bros. It will not break the Hot 100 and the pair will struggle to score a Top 40 hit through the seventies until they conquer disco in 1979.

***
Labels Eye Discos as Hot Spots to Break r&b Product
By JIM MELANSON

cont'd, Motown pipes in:

In Los Angeles, Motown has a definite fix on the disco scene. Executive Tommy Noonan speaks of the label servicing 300 locations.
"They don't break records per se." he says, "but they certainly spread the news. We get a reaction on album cuts and we move on it by having our promotion men bring that cut to the attention of radio disk jockeys."
Noonan admits there is a disproportionate percentage of the discos in the New York area. His definition of a discotheque is a place where records are played by a disk jockey for dancing.
In the Los Angeles area, Pips and the Speak Easy are two private clubs which have disco facilities that are usually mobbed. Since the discos emphasize highly rhythmic records, Noonan calls Stevie Wonder "the king of the discos. His music really gets played there."

***
Two-page ad,opposite each other, full color for Marvin Gaye's LIVE album.

[Boogiedown]

Billboard’s Hot 100/ Top 40
Chart #28
July 20, 1974

Number of singles reviewed this week: 101
last week: 151
including:

Soul:
BARRY WHITE - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe
[3:15]; producer: Barry White; writer: B. White; 20th Century 2120. Short talking intro leads into strongest vocal Barry has come up with in
sometime. Most uptempo thing he's done in a while, which
includes his usual strong production work and distinctive
beat which should be perfect for discos. Could cross easily cross into pop
Cash Box
newcomer pick:
CARL CARLTON [Back Beat 27001)
Everlasting Love [2:20) -B. Cason, M. Gayden)
This one could slip right past you, but don't let it. This is a super r&b-pop disk with
incredible hooks and a simply great performance that must not be missed. The artist
takes the song and works it into what could become a strong disco item and a pop and
r&b chart staple. There's lots of life here and it's very possible that this is as good as
"Rock Your Baby"or "Rock The Boat." Check this one out, by all means.

The Motown Review:

Motown has one record on the Top 40: MACHINE GUN by The Commodores and although bulleted, it doesn't move up enough to break into the Top 20. All other advancing charters by the label seem weeks away from puncturing the Top 40 if at all. Rueben Howell may be Motown's latest newcomer debuting at #86, but he is doing so with a rehashed song. One on, one off, six records are on the Hot 100.


The Top 10:

#1:
Billboard: - - ROCK YOUR BABY - week 2
Record Word: - ROCK THE BOAT- week 1
Cash Box: - ROCK YOUR BABY -week 1

Second week for George McCrae's ROCK YOUR BABY at #1 and John Denver's ANNIE'S SONG at #2. Biggest mover within, ROCK AND ROLL HEAVEN by the Righteous Bros from #10 to #3. Steely Dan enters the Top 10 for their second time with RIKKI DONT LOSE THAT NUMBER at #7 from #12. Not quite finished, Olivia Newton-John is back in the Top Ten again with IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME KNOW at #10 from #12. Off: Down goes SUNDOWN by Gordon Lightfoot from #4 to #12 after a #1 peak and just below that at #13 from #7 is BILLY DON'T BE A HERO by The Heywoods, also a former #1.

The Top 40:

Motown:
One! 45 from Motown is on the Top 40:

^MACHINE GUN - Commodores #22 up 4 from #26 from #34
DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five OFF from #33 from #18 from #16 from #8 from #6 from #4, from #3, from #2 from #2 from #3 from #5 from #8
OFFS : one
The Jackson Five's DANCING MACHINE runs out of Top 40 energy after a long run including two weeks at #2 .

Biggest mover in the Top 40, 12 joints
TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD - Rufus to #27 from #39

5 debuts, some big movers, 5 US, 4+Top 10 bound+, 0 PI related, 0 Motown, 1 by proxy, 0 Country
SHININ' ON - Grand Funk #34 up 29 from #63 [7th Top 40 hit]

+WILDWOOD WEED+ - Jim Stafford #35 up 27 from #62 [4th Top 40 hit]
+ROCK ME GENTLY+ - Andy Kim #36 up 6 from #42 [6th Top 40 hit]
+YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD+ - Helen Reddy #37 up 6 from #43 [7th Top 40 hit]
+HANG ON IN THERE BABY+ - Johnny Bristol #39 up 13 from #52 [One Hit Wonder]

The Hot 100:

7 breakers : 2 Top 40 bound, 3 first time to chart on the Hot 100, 0 Philly International related, 1 Motown, 0 by proxy, 0 Country
Highest debut:
3rd tier:
#71 - CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN - Guess Who

#72 - RIVER'S RISEN - Edgar Winter
#74 - BEACH BABY - First Class
#79 - RINGS - Lobo
#81 - SUGAR BABY LOVE - The Rubettes
#82 - DON'T CHANGE HORSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM - Tower Of Power
#86 - RINGS - Reuben Howell

Motown:

debuts: one
1st week: ^RINGS - Reuben Howell DEBUT #86
2nd week: ^DON'T KNOCK MY LOVE - Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross #76 up 14 from #90
4th week: ^BETWEEN HER GOODBYE AND MY HELLO - Gladys Knight & The Pips #75 up 11 from #86 from #95 from #98
5th week: YOU'VE GOT MY SOUL ON FIRE - Temptations #88 down 12 from #74 from #76 from #85 from #90
16th week: DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder OFF from #56 from #58 from #47 from #36
19th week: DANCING MACHINE - Jackson Five #47 down 14 from #33
Offs : One
DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT A THING peaks at #16 and #2 Soul and finishes out the 3 US singles from 1973's #4 charting pop album INNERVISIONS. A fourth cut, HE'S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL was issued in the UK where it reached #10.

A very good week for;
Olivia Newton-John
last week her IF YOU LOVE ME LET ME KNOW took a hard tumble from its two week peak at #5 to #12. This week, in a rare charting rebound, the Australian's single is back in the Top 10, perhaps largely because of the Top 10 success of the release on the American country chart.

***
Sometimes there are developments that almost seem divine in their results. Such could be the case of George McCrae being at the studio just as Casey and Finch were in need of a high-note reaching vocalist for a tune they'd composed:



George's wife Gwen was intended to record ROCK YOUR BABY, but was late so George filled in.
This is also a rare instance of a record currently enjoying its success concurrently in the US and in the UK where this week its #4 from #14 and heading toward #1. It'll have to bump French favorite Charles Aznavour from that perch of four weeks with his self composed song, SHE.
The UK Top 50 listing has one Motown record on it: now at #27 after peaking at #3 THERE'S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE is an HDH composition first released unsuccessfully in 1967 by R Dean Taylor. The Northern Soul scene has resurrected overlooked fast-paced dance records like this from the sixties and Motown has found chart success with this re- release.



***
Five Month Club:
20 weeks:
THE LOCO-MOTION - Grand Funk at #68
22 weeks:
MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur at #46

***
Full-page ad for RINGS by Reuben Howell with a close-up face shot.
***
Record World magazine is ten years old.