Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1976 – Part Two – ABBA, Lou Rawls, Elton John, Kiki Dee and The Four Seasons

Each week William and I select two top hits from the charts in the US and UK starting with 1960 for two weeks followed by 1961 etc..through to 1985. We will also include some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time. We are now in the 1970s.

Welcome to our show and we are excited to share decades of music with you in 2021. Here is my second selection of top 1976 hits which I hope you will enjoy. William.

News Event: May 31st The Who set the record for the loudest concert of all time, 120 decibels at 50 metres, at The Valley in Charlton, London, England

ABBA – Dancing Queen

“Dancing Queen” was ABBA’s only #1 hit in the US. Written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, this song topped the charts around the world making it a colossal hit. The original video of this song has been viewed over 469 million times as of January 2021, and has become ABBA’s most recognizable and popular song. In 2015, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

News Event: September 24th “Oh! Calcutta!” revival opens at Edison Theater NYC for 5,959 performances, Broadway’s longest-running musical revue

Lou Rawls – You’ll Never Find Another Love like Mine

“You’ll Never Find Another Love like Mine” (written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff) was Lou Rawls’ breakthrough international hit, topping the charts in the US, Canada, and the UK. This song got Lou Rawls nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Lou Rawls     

News Event: September 25th Bono, David Evans, his brother Dik and Adam Clayton respond to an advertisement on a bulletin board at Mount Temple posted by fellow student Larry Mullen Jr. to form a rock band, which would eventually become U2

Now time for my second picks from 1976 and I hope you will enjoy my selection

Elton John and Kiki Dee – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is a 1976 duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee. It was written by Elton John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms “Ann Orson” and “Carte Blanche”, respectively, and intended as an affectionate pastiche of the Motown style, notably the various duets recorded by Marvin Gaye and singers such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston.  Elton John 

News Event: December 18th Second remake of “A Star is Born” film, directed by Frank Pierson and starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, premieres

The Four Seasons – December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)

“December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” is a song originally performed by The Four Seasons, written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker, produced by Gaudio, and included on the group’s album, Who Loves You (1975). The single was released in December 1975 and hit number one on the UK Singles Chart on February 21, 1976. It repeated the feat on the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 13, 1976, remaining in the top spot for three weeks.Billboard ranked it as the No. 4 song for 1976.  It was the final Four Seasons’ song to reach number one.

 

Additional sources: On This Day – Music – Hits of the 70s: Playback FM – Wikipedia

Your Hosts for The Breakfast Show

William Price King is an American jazz singer, crooner, and composer.

His interest in music began at an early age when he studied piano and clarinet in high school. At Morehouse College in Atlanta where he grew up, he sang in the Glee Club and studied classical music. After graduation he went off to the Yale School of Music where he earned a Masters degree. From there he journeyed to New York where he created a jazz trio ‘Au Naturel’ which performed in some of the hottest venues in Manhattan including gigs on Broadway and the famous ‘Rainbow Room.’ These gigs opened doors for performances in Montreal and a European tour.

While touring Europe he met a lovely French lady, Jeanne Maïstre, who, a year later became his wife. King left the group ‘Au Naturel’ and settled in the south of France where he started a new life on the French Riviera, opening his own music school – the “Price King Ecole Internationale de Chant.” He has had the pleasure over the years of seeing many of his students excel as singers on a professional level, and some going on to become national celebrities. He continues to coach young singers today, in his spare time.

Blog– IMPROVISATION – William Price King on Tumblr – Buy William’s music: William Price King iTunes – Facebook – William Price King – Twitter – @wpkofficial
Regular Venue – Cave Wilson

Sally Cronin is an author, blogger and broadcaster who enjoyed four years as part of the team on Onda Cero International’s English speaking morning show in Marbella and then for two years as a presenter on Expressfm the local radio station in Portsmouth. She co-presented two ‘Drive Time’ shows a week with Adrian Knight, hosted the live Thursday Afternoon Show and The Sunday Morning Show guests including musicians and authors. Following this she became Station Director for a local internet television station for two years, producing and presenting the daily news segment, outside broadcasts and co-presenting the Adrian and Sally chat show live on Friday evenings.

She and her husband David have now returned to Ireland where they live on the Wexford Coast where she blogs and continues to write books.

Books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews: Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

Next week 1977 Part One. We hope you will tune in.. as always we love to hear from you.. thanks William and Sally.