Don’s Top 10 From May 25, 1975

(#13 last week) Paul Carrack, with the first of his several chart appearances fronting different bands. He also had a few solo hits, notably, "Don't Shed A Tear", 14 years after this was a hit.

(#10 last week) After YEARS of bubbling under the top 40 on the pop side, this soul big band broke through with an impossible-to-resist jam "Shining Star". I HAVE to sing along with this every time!

(#9 last week) How many times did the great DJ Dan Ingram allude to something salacious here? A lot. And we loved it, because it was Big Dan, kemosabe.

(#3 last week) The only big pop chart hit for the jazzy soul band from D.C. Leader Donald Byrd went to high school with......Casey Kasem, which gave the "American Top 40" host something to mention as part of his trivia.

(#5 last week) One of the rare local hits to not even make the national top 40. Why a hit here? Besides the easy-to-dance-to groove, it's the big tune from the Broadway musical hit "The Wiz".

(#4 last week) Combine smooth disco with the gritty vocals of Teddy Pendergrass & you get this classic, bigger locally than nationally. I couldn't find it, but maybe you can find the intro to this video, with "Soul Train" guest host, a clearly stoned Richard Pryor, interviewing the band.

(#8 last week) A great story of redemption! Fender spent years in jail in the 60s for smoking pot. Maybe he grew his hair to awesome Afro proportions to hide the weed?  :-)

(#2 last week) There were lots of 50s & 60s remakes in the mid 70s, but how many also changed their titles? This was originally titled "He Will Break Your Heart" in 1960 for the Iceman, Jerry Butler (what a cool nickname). If I recall, this song actually brought Orlando a bit a coolness to add to his then massive popularity. It was perceived as a bit less corny than his ragtime-style hits he had had in  the last few years.

(#1 last week; was #1 for 4 weeks) Why, out of all the many Elton John singles, was this one labeled by "The Elton John Band"? Very cool video of Elton on "Soul Train". It was the first time the teen dancers had heard the song, & you can tell by their reaction that the song would be a smash. You couldn't be any hotter than John in 1975: this wasn't on any album (yet), but he still HAS the #1 album, & another song from a movie soundtrack ("Tommy") was being played on top 40, even though it wasn't a single.

(#7 last week; 1st week at #1) McCoy, mainly known as a writer-producer, ascends to the top spot with a big jump, and the biggest dance craze since "The Twist" 13 years earlier. Among Van's classics are "Baby I'm Yours (Barbara Lewis, 1965) & "5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)" (The Presidents, 1970). Van died way too young, at 39, in 1979.