Super Hits of The 70s: Have A Nice Day, Vol. 5

Tufffffffie. At first blush, I'd say it's down to Richie Havens, Tommy James, and the Fortunes.

I have only listened to one of these songs in the last five days, and that song is "Draggin' the Line," so that gets my vote.

"Draggin' the Line" has been described as a "lazy psychedelic shuffle whose hypnotic feel perfectly expressed its title."[8]Asked about the meaning of the title in a 2009 interview, Tommy James said: ""Draggin' the Line" just meant working every day. Nothing really very mysterious about it."[9] However, it has been falsely speculated that the song's title and lyrics refer to cocaine use,[10] citing the title, the lyrics, Tommy James' documented drug use,[11][12] and because another Tommy James and The Shondells song, Crystal Blue Persuasion, has been previously associated with the use of speed,[10] the song having been described in 1979 by noted music critic Dave Marsh as "a transparent allegory about James' involvement with amphetamines. In addition, it has been widely accepted that the song could more specifically refer to the tedious job of setting up power lines back in the early 50's and 60's. This view has gained a large amount of support, especially since the lyrics are commonly interchange with 'Checkin the line''"

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/cryptosicko/playlist/2cdkFG3NVqX9PGcyaV9L0g?si=CJrtmH98TzeWe6z2hBpVCA

"Games" is missing, and I'm suspicious of how legit this version of "Chick-A-Boom" is.

XP Also:

The song has also inspired a long-running jingle for the Chili's restaurant chain's babyback ribs. The lines "I want my babyback, babyback, babyback, babyback..." and "Barbecue sauce" closely mimick the real song's bass line and vocal response, respectively.

Struggling, I only know Tommy James and Lobo here. And Murray Head, I assume. Feel like I must know the Fortunes as it's British.

Redeye: "Games"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnChP-ms7xc

"Games" is some good Bubblegum CSNY.

Re: "Indian Reservation" (which I recently learned dates back to 1959, and was first issued by Marvin Rainwater as "The Pale Faced Indian"

A well-known story told by Loudermilk is that, when he was asked by the Viva! NashVegas radio show about the origins of the song "Indian Reservation", he fabricated the story that he wrote the song after his car was snowed in by a blizzard and he was taken in by a small group of Cherokee Indians.[6] A self-professed prankster,[7] he spun the tale that a Cherokee chieftain, "Bloody Bear Tooth" asked him to make a song about his people's plight on the Trail of Tears, even going so far as to claim that he had later been awarded "the first medal of the Cherokee Nation", not for writing the song, but for his "blood".[6] He went on to fabricate the detail that on that day the tribe revealed that his "great-great grandparents, Homer and Matilda Loudermilk" were listed on the Dawes Rolls (the citizenship rolls of the Nation).[6] Had this detail of his tall tale been true, he would have been a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, which he was not.[6] Neither the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, nor the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, nor the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma communities are known as "reservations."

This volume includes more good tracks and more loathsome tracks than any of the previous entries. It's hard to choose between Richie Havens, Jerry Reed, The Fortunes, and Tommy James, and some of the unfamiliar tracks are probably good too. On the other hand, just reading the titles of "Chick-a-Boom," "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo," and "Don't Pull Your Love" makes me wish I had never turned on a radio.

Will give the rest a listen but the chances of me not voting for "Burning Bridges" are extremely low. Grew up with this song on an MGM soundtracks compilation. Schifrin again. Massive breakbeat at the start. Also I love Kelly's Heroes.

Jerry Reed again!

Gotta go with Tommy James just because that's an amazing production -- and in terms of sequencing, coming right after the absolutely horrible Chase song, which I will forever disdain for inadvertantly causing the renaming of T. Rex's "Get It On" over here but more to the point is just a completely useless white-guy-thinks-he's-sexy abomination, is a study in contrasts. Chase's horn section is all shrill nonsense and horrible afterglow, but the James horn moments are just these perfect punctuation marks. And even "Hugging a tree when you get near it" works.

The Mike Curb Congregation, though, that breakbeat, per Jeff W. (Which I know has been sampled more than a few times.) Murray Head, almost inescapable, but "Don't Pull Your Love" clicks more as a song in the end (near thing, though), even if it's typical 'sad horny guy is sad' stuff. The Raiders offer further proof that Mark Lindsay can sing anything and mean it in the moment.

Fucking "Chick-a-Boom" -- destroy everyone involved with it. Jerry Reed transcends.

(Also with the Mike Curb song, I kinda love how it's an afterschool lesson about the regrets suffered when you don't network for employment opportunities properly. Of course Mike would do that.)

I attempted to A/B the Spotify "Chick-A-Boom" vs. a 45 rip on YT, and if it's a rerecord, it's pretty close, without any of the tell-tale signs that it's a different version (thinner drums, cheaper keyboards, clearly off vocals etc.).

I always thought it was funny how much Daddy Dewdrop sounds like Peter Wolf on the jivey-er J. Geils tracks.

'Chick-a-Boom' makes me want to put on suspenders and a sequined bowtie and strut around aggressively singing it at people until someone mercifully punches me out.

DONTCHA JES' LOVE IT?!?!

Surprised Ned didn't drop this Mystery Science...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhwOwl1KfSU

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds just for the amazing Elvis-but-not-Elvis lead vocals during the verses.

The Fortunes track on the Spotify is a rerecord (80s Synths!)

The O.G.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO1LbkuPfqo

I wonder how many people back in the day thought the Fortunes were really Frankie Valli in disguise.

agreed, this is tough.
some favorites here include 'Don't Pull Your Love', 'Draggin The Line', 'Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again' and the dark horse Lobo track which I have on some bubblegum comp.

Surprised Ned didn't drop this Mystery Science...

Haha believe me, I was thinking about it.

huge tommy james stan so 'draggin the line' for me. though i've got big love for the fortunes' tune too. the rest can pretty much gtfo.

"lovin' a free and feelin' sprit
huggin' a tree when you get near it"

"Draggin' the Line" easily." Also like the Fortunes.

I liked Daddy Dewdrop as a kid, haven't heard it for 45 years--I'm guessing it might not hold up so well. "Get It On" is one of the more atrocious David-Clayton-Thomas Syndrome records. "Indian Reservation" is okay camp.

Never heard of Redeye.

"Indian Reservation" (which I recently learned dates back to 1959, and was first issued by Marvin Rainwater as "The Pale Faced Indian"

My primary musical interests are 50s rockabilly and R&B, yet somehow I was never aware of this, thanks!

I don't have an overwhelming fave in this, but since I'm guessing Tommy James is going to sweep it I'm voting "Don't Pull Your Love."

“”When You’re Hot You’re Hot” but really these songs are so bad! Fucking Mike Curb!

Listening to this comp right now. I’m glad I finally get to hear what Chase sounds like. This is the band that Dave Marsh gave a one-word review “Flee.” to in the Rolling Stone Record Guide. DM OTM.

Burning Bridges for the win!! “Kelly’s Heroes” forever!!! If you love this movie you pretty much have to vote for this song imo.

But there’s so much gold on here it’s crazy. I love Dont Pull Your Love and Me, and You and A Dog Named Boo

I have only listened to one of these songs in the last five days, and that song is "Draggin' the Line," so that gets my vote.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra)

I have only listened to one of these songs in the last five days, and that song is "Draggin' the Line," so that gets my vote.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra)

Burning Bridges for the win!! “Kelly’s Heroes” forever!!! If you love this movie you pretty much have to vote for this song imo.

Eh, no. However were there any other incongruous Mike Curb tracks grafted onto MGM films besides this and that Osmonds track in Pretty Maids All In A Row?

"Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"

"Rainy Day Feeling" just edges out "Draggin' the Line"

Lobo is literally the only one of these I have even heard of, but it also happens to be one of my all-time favourite records, so I voted for it.

When this series of polls began I wondered if Lobo would feature on one of the albums. Prior to this particular poll being posted, I listened to the Lobo record on YouTube, not having heard it for many years. It was as good as I remembered it. On the other hand, I got curious about other records by Lobo but found I strongly disliked the four or five songs I listened to. There's also a video of him performing (miming to) 'Me and You and a Dog Named Boo' on TV and it's the most dreary, lacklustre performance considering it's such a lively song.

were there any other incongruous Mike Curb tracks grafted onto MGM films besides this and that Osmonds track?

ahem

A pretty mediocre list. I'll go with Jerry Reed, a throwback to the days when hillbilly humour was a regular chart feature. "Who's gonna collect my welfare? Pay for my Cadillac?"

^Gotta disagree. The second half is solid IMHO (and Jerry Reid from the first half is also good).

I'm going to disagree with Ned (and Dave Marsh!) about Chase too, but I'm a sucker for these sorts of (literally, here) overblown brass arrangements. Hitherto, I'd only known the song from (an even more overblown) instrumental arrangement by German session musicians on this groovy compilation. Have saved the Chase s/t album on Spotify!

I own Don Fardon's version of Indian Reservation, but The Raiders' take may be better.

Nice harmonies on "Games" - reminded me of early Quo as much as CSNY.

Still voting for Mike Curb though.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

I totally missed this one, but the right song won.

I voted for the runner-up.

Has there been one of these yet without a Mark Lindsay vocal somewhere?

Agree that "Draggin' the Line" is an all-time classic, but I always feel a tinge of embarrassment every time I hear it because I first heard it via this garish soft-metal cover from the opening credits of the movie Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIAVBV2fbTc