K-Chuck Radio: These should have been radio hits!

I’m going to test-drive this feature, where I go back to my radio roots and create this new online blog radio station, “K-Chuck Radio.”  I used to do this at my old blogspot.com site, so what’s the harm of bringing it over to the TU page?

And for this initial blast of “K-Chuck Radio,” I’ve selected ten songs that, although they were either regional hits or international hits, the songs just never broke through to the American national top ten.

But the fact is, just because these songs didn’t hit the top of the US charts has no bearing on the songs’ musical quality. These are great songs, and here’s a chance for you to enjoy them today. Crank up your speakers and dance around the office!

THE SUNDOWNERS There’s Always You Yes, this is local band Bobby Dick and the Sundowners, and this was their biggest hit from the 1960’s. I think this got several spins on WPTR and WTRY back in the day.
THE RECORDS Starry Eyes What do you do when your band manager completely shafts you? You write a song about him – and it becomes a big UK hit. It didn’t make a dent in America, and that’s a shame.
SUZI QUATRO Devil Gate Drive If you only know Suzi Quatro from her easy listening hit, “Stumblin’ In,” you need to listen to this song – as well as several other hits she had in England and worldwide, songs like “Can the Can” and “48 Crash” and “Daytona Demon.” This is the kind of rock and roll that Courtney Love only WISHES she could achieve.
BOND Dancin’ (On A Saturday Night) I really really dig this pop song, it was a Canadian top 10 hit in 1975. See, the world needs more pop songs like this on the radio.
FLASH CADILLAC AND THE CONTINENTAL KIDS Did You Boogie With Your Baby You may have heard of Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids – they were one of the bands featured in the 70’s film American Graffiti. This song was a minor hit, but it actually appears in two versions. The version I’ve listed here features the group reunited with their American Graffiti co-star, Wolfman Jack.
THE MOIR SISTERS Good Morning (How Are You) I love the tight three-part female harmonies on this song. It’s just a very sweet, beautiful easy-listening song. I could just imagine this song being played in the morning, after a boyfriend and girlfriend spend the night together.
OSMOSIS She (Didn’t Even Remember My Name) I stumbled across this song a few weeks ago; apparently in 1974 it was a major hit in South Africa and Australia, among other places. What do we know about Osmosis? Only that they were a South African studio group and that’s about it.
CHILDE HAROLD Brink of Death This piece of psychedelia from 1968 has some way cool people working on it. Bert Sommer wrote the song, and synth pioneer Wendy Carlos produced and arranged it.
POLLY BROWN AND PICKETTYWITCH That Same Old Feeling This one-hit wonder from the early 1970’s took their name from a pub in Somerset, England. This was a monster hit in England, and it still sounds great today.
TIN TIN Toast and Marmalade For Tea If you think this sounds like an early Bee Gees song, you’d be right; Maurice Gibb produced this duo’s biggest hit. The distorted piano sound effect came when a recording engineer accidentally bumped the tape reel – and liked the sound that it produced.

Again, ten great songs that should have been monster hits in America in the 1970’s. Bad breaks? Bad luck? Or were we so entrenched in disco and arena rock that we just didn’t notice these songs in the mix? Who knows?

But one thing I do want to ask you. Would you like listening to more K-Chuck Radio?