7 of the 70s: 5/1/14 (1970)...

It's time for Throwback Thursday 70s style, and this week I've got seven more nuggets from 1970, the year President Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, banning cigarette ads on TV...

Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Who'll Stop The Rain"
from the album Cosmo's Factory (1970)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2
Songwriter: John Fogerty

Going against the communal spirit during the late 60s, this B-side hit was a lot more cynical in its view of the force of change in the world.

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James Taylor - "Fire And Rain"
from the album Sweet Baby James (1970)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3
Songwriter: James Taylor

The song that made Taylor a star, written alluding to shock therapy that accompanied his stint in an institution, the dissolution of his former band the Flying Machines, and the suicide of a friend. Another in the list of songs that put me in tears by the end, no matter how many times I listen to it.

Frijid Pink - "House Of The Rising Sun"
from the album Frijid Pink (1970)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7
Songwriter: traditional, arranged by Alan Price

The Detroit proto-punk outfit changed the tempo on the classic to change it from the Animals' brooding bluesy treatment of the classic to a more frenetic workout.

Vanity Fare - "Early In The Morning"
from the album Early In The Morning (1969)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 12
Songwriters: Mike Leander, Ed Seago

The band from Kent, England first hit with this breezy little pop number before hitchin' a ride to the top ten.

Christie - "Yellow River"
from the album Christie (1970)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23
Songwriter: Jeff Christie

This single, which topped the chart in their native England, spent an amazing 23 weeks on the American pop chart, quite a feat in those quick-burn times...

The Neighborhood - "Big Yellow Taxi"
from the album Debut (1970)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #29
Songwriter: Joni Mitchell

This free-love pop collective had a moderate success with their cover of the Mitchell classic...

Lenny Welch - "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
from the single (1970)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34
Songwriters: Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka


This soul singer was born in New York but grew up in Asbury Park, and his rendition of the Sedaka classic preceded the writer's own slowed-down treatment by years...

I'll be back later with eight more from 1980...