7 of the 70s: 1/17/13...

It's time for this week's flashback to the 70s, and this week I'm back to 1972, the year New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American to announce running for president under a major party (Democrat)...

Looking Glass - "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)"
from the album Looking Glass (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1

The New Brunswick, New Jersey's biggest claim to fame was this chunk of pop storytelling, most likely inspired by local legend Mary Ellis, whose gravesite and old homestead is now the Loews moviehouse I saw the Hobbit at.

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The Raspberries - "Go All The Way"from the album Raspberries (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5

Eric Carmen not only had possibly the best hair in all of rock and roll, but also the songwriting ability to come up with come-ons like this one as sweet as honey. Who could say no?

America - "Ventura Highway"
from the album Homecoming (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak:: #8

This coming of age tale from the classic Cali-pop trio had the first instance of the phrase "purple rain", as well as was sampled for another Minneapolis production, Janet Jackson's Jam & Lewis-produced "Someone To Call My Lover"...

Bread - "The Guitar Man"
from the album Guitar Man (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11

The kings of soft-rock still had a tough life on the road as well..

Rare Earth - "Hey Big Brother"
from the album Rare Earth In Concert (1971)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19

The Detroit rockers had a top-20 hit with the edited studio version of a song from their first live album.

The Addrisi Brothers - "We've Got To Get It On Again"
from the album We've Got To Get It On Again (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #25

Don and Dick, the siblings who wrote "Never My Love" for the Association (another one of my all-time favorite pop songs), scored a hit of their own with this pun-filled make-up (and possibly make-out) song.

April Wine - "You Could Have Been A Lady"
from the album On Record (1972)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #32

Well, I started with some brandy, and I'll finish with some "wine", as this Canadian rock group got their sole American hit of the 70s with this infectious number.

Well that ends this 70s trip, I'll be back later with 8 more from 1982....