7 of the 70s: 8/1/13 (1976)...

Hey gang, it's time for this week's 70s throwback, and right now I've got seven more nuggets from 1976, the year the Seattle Seahawks play their first professional game.

Walter Murphy - "A Fifth of Beethoven"
from the album A Fifth Of Beethoven (1976)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriter: Ludwig von Beethoven (Walter Murphy, arranger)

While now he's scoring TV shows like Family Guy, Walter made his bread and butter in the 70s with this disco-fied version of the classical music monolith that would be big in the early 80s with the "Hooked On,..." records. I heard this first in Saturday Night Fever, though this generation would know it as the backdrop for Robin Thicke's "When I Get You Alone" (Thanks John, for the earworm bringing me to this...)

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Daryl Hall & John Oates - "Sara Smile"
from the album Daryl Hall and John Oates (1975)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4
Songwriters: Daryl Hall, John Oates

Last night I stayed up till 3 AM on a YouTube time-suck discovering the Live At Daryl's House series. Jesus he's amazing, and he can do his songs 50 times and sound different each time. And the sonics are incredible. Of course this is their first big hit, written about Daryl's then-girlfriend and sometimes collaborator Sara Allen.

War - "Summer"
from the album Greatest Hits (1976)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7
Songwriters: Thomas Allen, Harold Brown, Morris Dickerson, Jerry Goldstein, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard Scott

The quintessential funk-rock group topped the easy-listening chart with this extremely laid-back ode to this time of year.

Parliament - "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)"
from the album Mothership Connection (1975)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #15
Songwriters: Jerome Bailey, George Clinton, William "Bootsy" Collins

Party-goers were given a subliminal lesson in jazz song structure with this classic jam from the space-funk masters.

The O'Jays - "Livin' For The Weekend"
from the album Family Reunion (1975)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #20
Songwriters: Kenny Gamble, Cary Gilbert, Leon Huff

This soul chart-topping single from the iconic soul group is my theme for this upcoming Saturday off..

Brotherhood of Man - "Save Your Kisses For Me"
from the album Love And Kisses (1976)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #27
Songwriters: Tony Hiller, Martin Lee, Lee Sheridan

This song won the Eurovision song contest that year for their native England, and was the biggest thing in Europe. Notsomuch over here, though.

 Red Sovine - "Teddy Bear"
from the album Teddy Bear (1976)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40
Songwriters: Billy Joe Burnette, Tommy Hill, Dale Royal, Red Sovine

Jesus Christ, a CB radio spoken word song with enough  sadness to make Debbie Downer slit her wrists.

That's it for this 70s convoy...I'll be back later with 8 more from 1986....Keep on Truckin'!