Some historical perspective

Voice recording #183, Dec. 12.
Jackson 5, ABC, 1970. This is about as classic Jackson 5 as you can get. 2,700.
Foreigner, "Hot-Blooded", I think it was '76 or '78. I'm a big Foreigner fan. I got kind of an indoctrination in them when I lived in Rochester. Lead singer Lou Gramm is a Rochester guy. When I worked on boxing promotions there, Lou would come to the weigh-ins and often sing the national anthem at the events. He's been there pretty much all his life. 1,400.
Climax, "Precious and Few", '72. Good strings and tinkling piano keys. 3,000.
Hues Corporation, "Rock the Boat", '74. I think it did this one before. "Rock on wit' your bad self." 2,300? I said 2,200 two days earlier, so let's make it 2,250.
Ace Frehley, "New York Groove", 1978. It's not terrible as an Ace solo effort. It's got a little driving rhythm. 4,100.
Tony Orlando and Dawn, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon", '73. It's a simple song, but it has some good instrumentation with strings and maybe some harmonica in there. It really is bigger for what it represented, which was tying a ribbon for the veterans who came back from Vietnam. A soapbox moment: The U.S. government has to recognize the long-term cost of war, and if it wants to keep sending people to fight it must make the commitment to caring for veterans who are wounded physically or mentally when they return. 3,100.
The Carpenters, "We've Only Just Begun", 1970. I think I've done this one before. I'll say 3,600. I looked back through a few other posts and didn't find this song. So, 3,600.
Melanie, "Brand New Key", '71. It's pretty good. It's folky. It's not entirely clear whether the roller skates and the key symbolize something else. Melanie has declined to explain whether there is sexual innuendo. 2,200.
Chicago, "Alive Again", '78. I think I did this a couple of days ago. 2,850. Just checked, and I gave it 4,000 the other time, and I noted that by the end of the song Chicago went back into its comfort zone. So, as a compromise, 3,500.
BT Express, "Express" from '75. It really sounds as if it was from a blaxploitation film. An explanation: blaxploitation was a genre that some felt it exploited African Americans with the kind of stereotypes that made them laugh at the absurdity and made Caucasians nod their heads. "Shaft" was the prime example. I can picture white and black 20-somethings with Afros wearing bellbottoms and dancing to this music. There's a horn thing just thrown in there. 4,650.
Elton John, "Honky Cat", '72. The key lyric in this one is "Change is going to do you good." That was a theme of the early '70s. I'll have to hear it again and give it a number.
Bobby Bloom, "Montego Bay", I think '72. It's an OK song. It throws in a little bit of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" at the end. 4,200.
Seals and Crofts, "Summer Breeze", '72. I had an 8-track tape of Seals and Crofts' album including this song. When I lived up north, any idea about summer was welcomed. 2,400.
Kansas, "People of the South Wind", '79. Kansas had some good stuff in the latter '70s. This could have been a jump-the-shark song for the group. 4,550.
Bellamy Brothers, "Let Your Love Flow", '73? It's a little bit country. 3,800.
Electric Light Orchestra, "Telephone Line", '77. 3,550.
MFSB, "TSOP", 1974. It's very repetitive, mostly instrumental, but even the vocal part is repetitive. TSOP might stand for The Sound of Philadelphia, and MFSB -- I'd probably know better what it stood for if it was MFSOB. I'll have to find out. 4,700. Research completed: I was correct about TSOP, and the song became the theme for TV show "Soul Train". The clean reading of the acronym is Mother Father Sister Brother, but the original thought, as I expected, was Mother-Fuckin' Sons of Bitches. The group later was known as The Salsoul Orchestra.
Little River Band, "Reminiscing", '77 or '78. It has an old-time feel with the horn solo, a bit of drums, a little keyboard and the reminiscing. One of the things they reminisced about was "the band that Glenn Miller had." 3,300.
Eagles, "Take It Easy", '72. "Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona." It's "such a fine" song for 3,400.
Rufus, "Tell Me Something Good", I'm thinking '73. Chaka Khan was on the lead vocals, which were well done. It also has the guitar at times singing, "Tell me, tell me, tell me." A pretty good R&B song. 2,150.
Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", 1976. This probably matches the music with the  mood of the lyrics as well as any other song. It's haunting, chilling music. The first time it really made an impact on me I was in State College to cover a Penn State football game. It was a Friday or Saturday night, later in the season. It was a cool, windy night, like the setting for the Edmund Fitzgerald, so it put a little chill down my spine. The song was well done, most likely Lightfoot's best. 900.
Steve Miller Band, "Rockin' Me", might have been '79. 3,800.
David Geddes, "Run Joey Run" from '75. It's a tragic tale of young love gone bad, but the song isn't done very well. There's a dad with a gun who's going to shoot the guy. Mayhem ensues. 4,800.
Andrea True Connection, "More More More", '75 or probably '76. Andrea True was in some porno films before and after she had a brief singing career. She died in 2011. 4,200.
Rita Coolidge, "Higher and Higher", '77. I think I had this a few nights ago and gave it 1,800-2,000. Actually, it was 2,400, so we'll settle at 2,100.