Don’s Top 10 From June 1, 1973

(#10 last week) Jersey boy Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, et al, with their second hit. They stopped touring after July, 1974 to concentrate on their albums, but the hits kept coming even without live appearances. did you know they performed backup for Jay Black & The Americans in the late 60s? And their first songwriting success was a Barbra Streisand album cut in 1971?

(#7 last week) If you've ever wondered who the other voices at the beginning of this Grammy winner are, wonder no more--they're Jim Gilstrap & Lani Groves.

(#8 last week) When you're a two-hit wonder, is it good if you have to wait eight years between those hits? That's what happened to Dobie, who hit with "The In Crowd" in 1965.

(#9 last week)Lead singer for this Vancouver-based group was Donny Gerard, who put out a great solo single in 1976 called "Words (Are Impossible)". It should have been a hit. This was, though. Keyboardist for the band: David Foster, he of reality TV "fame".

(#5 last week) Some call this tune Dylanesque, some Beatleesque. I just call Gerry Rafferty & Co.'s tune insanely catchy. They would have had more hits in 1966.

(#6 last week) 16 years. That's how long Sylvia Robinson had to wait between her first hit, 1957's "Love Is Strange", & this steamy classic. But she DID write the 1970 smash "Love On A Two-Way Street".

(#4 last week) A perfect change-of-pace followup to "Crocodile Rock". A serious ballad about a soldier returning from Vietnam who just wanted normalcy, but was not treated that way. He was treated like a hero, although he did not feel like one.

(#1 last week; was #1 for 5 weeks) Based on a true story. Produced by former member of the Tokens ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight") Hank Medress. When this was recorded, "Dawn", Telma Hopkins & Joyce Vincent, had only been on the group's records since 1972. On Dawn's first two huge hits, "Candida" (1970) & "Knock Three Times" (1971), the backup vocalists to Tony Orlando were Sharon Greane, Linda November, Toni Wine (Archies member who co-wrote "Candida") & a man, former Tokens lead singer Jay Siegel! Another Token, Phil Margo, played drums.

(#2 last week) About as hard rock a hit single as there has ever been on top 40 radio. God bless the memory of guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who we lost recently at the age of 64, way too young. Rick Derringer (The McCoys) also plays guitar on the record. The title refers to its "monster-like, lumbering beat", according to Winter.

(#3 last week; 1st week at #1) 1972 had been a quiet year on the charts for Paul, but he returned to the top in '73 in a big way, with a #1 song, album & a highly-rated ABC special.