Casey Kasem’s Velvet-Voiced Countdowns of Summers Past - NYTimes.com
Casey Kasem’s Velvet-Voiced Countdowns of Summers Past Casey Kasem possesses one of broadcasting's iconic voices. Last weekend, his meticulous tallies of pop music hits, interspersed with his trademark "long-distance dedications," ended after 39 years.
Casey Kasem in 1970.
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Radio: That Casey Kasem Show Was More Than Just Reaching for Stars (July 8, 2009)
Casey Kasem on ‘American Top 40’
From top, left to right: Michael Jackson, Gordon Lightfoot, Donna Summer, Billy Idol, Madonna, Lisa Loeb, Ricky Martin, Shinedown.
(The same voice has also exclaimed countless times, "Zoinks! C'mon, Scoob!" That would be the hapless, high-metabolism Shaggy from "Scooby Doo," one of many cartoon characters brought to life by Mr. Kasem.)
In the manner of "American Top 40," his original show, here's a bit more background: Before he started listing pop hits, Mr. Kasem made his own appearance on the Billboard Singles Chart with his song "A Letter From Elaina" in 1964 (peak position: No. 103). He is a strict vegetarian and advocates for animal rights. His son, Mike, joined a rap group. A memoir may be next.
Mr. Kasem's counting down isn't really over. His Top 40 shows from the 1970s and '80s, like Shaggy, live on in syndication.
Here's a sampling of July Top Ten hits that Mr. Kasem introduced and played, from his debut to his final sign-off on Independence Day.
Debut show
July 4, 197010 Hitchin' a Ride - Vanity Fair
9 The Wonder of You - Elvis Presley
8 The Long and Winding Road - Beatles
7 Close to You - Carpenters
6 Lay Down (Candles in the Wind) - Melanie
5 Band of Gold - Freda Payne
4 Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
3 Ball of Confusion - Temptations
2 The Love You Save - Jackson Five
1 Mama Told Me Not to Come - Three Dog Night35 years ago this week
July 13, 197410 Rock and Roll Heaven - Righteous Brothers
9 The Air That I Breathe - Hollies
8 You Won't See Me - Anne Murray
7 Billy, Don't Be a Hero - Bo Donaldson & the Haywoods
6 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me - Elton John
5 On and On - Gladys Knight & the Pips
4 Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
3 Rock the Boat - The Hues Corporation
2 Annie's Song - John Denver
1 Rock Your Baby - George McRae30 years ago
July 14, 197910 Gold - John Stewart
9 Shine a Little Love - Electric Light Orchestra
8 I Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick
7 Makin' It - David Naughten
6 Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind & Fire
5 She Believes in Me - Kenny Rogers
4 Chuck E's in Love - Ricky Lee Jones
3 Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
2 Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
1 Bad Girls - Donna Summer25 years ago
July 14, 198410 Legs - ZZ Top
9 The Heart of Rock & Roll - Huey Lewis & the News
8 Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
7 Almost Paradise - Mike Reno & Ann Wilson
6 Self Control - Laura Branigan
5 The Reflex - Duran Duran
4 Eyes Without a Face - Billy Idol
3 Jump (for My Love) - The Pointer Sisters
2 Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
1 When Doves Cry - Prince20 years ago
July 14, 198910 Lay Your Hands on Me - Bon Jovi
9 On Our Own - Bobby Brown
8 What You Don't Know - Exposé
7 Batdance - Prince
6 Baby Don't Forget My Number - Milli Vanilli
5 So Alive - Love & Rockets
4 Good Thing - Fine Young Cannibals
3 Express Yourself - Madonna
2 Toy Soldiers - Martika
1 If You Don't Know Me by Now - Simply Red15 years ago
July 17, 199410 Can You Feel the Love Tonight - Elton John
9 Any Time, Any Place - Janet Jackson
8 Crazy - Aerosmith
7 Anytime You Need a Friend - Mariah Carey
6 You Mean the World o Me - Toni Braxton
5 If You Go - Jon Secada
4 I'll Remember - Madonna
3 Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
2 I Swear - All-4-One
1 Don't Turn Around - Ace of Base10 years ago
July 11, 199910 Beautiful Stranger - Madonna
9 Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer
8 That Don't Impress Me Much - Shania Twain
7 If You Had My Love - Jennifer Lopez
6 No Scrubs - T.L.C.
5 Wild Wild West - Will Smith w/ Dru Hill & Kool Moe Dee
4 Sometimes - Britney Spears
3 All Star - Smash Mouth
2 I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
1 Livin' la Vida Loca - Ricky MartinFive years ago
July 17, 2004 (American Top 20 Hot Adult Contemporary)10 Everything - Alanis Morissette
9 Meant to Live - Switchfoot
8 100 Years - Five For Fighting
7 My Immortal - Evanescence
6 Someday - Nickelback
5 Away From the Sun - 3 Doors Down
4 Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
3 Heaven - Los Lonely Boys
2 This Love - Maroon 5
1 The Reason - HoobastankFinal show
July 4, 2009 (American Top 20)10 Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
9 Come Back to Me - David Cook
8 No Surprise - Daughtry
7 Please Don't Leave Me - Pink
6 Not Meant to Be - Theory of a Deadman
5 You Found Me - The Fray
4 The Climb - Miley Cyrus
3 Her Diamonds - Rob Thomas
2 If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickelback
1 Second Chance - ShinedownSources: Premiere Radio Networks, IMDB.com, Oldradioshows.com
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Tosches displays not only a historian’s love for the eras he writes about, but a gossip columnist’s passion for irreverence and shock. That makes this book and its companion (Unsung Heroes of Rock & Roll) completely essential reads for anyone who loves popular twentieth century music. And, it blows the lid off country’s origins in a way guaranteed to outrage country’s often-times “holier-than-thou” patrons. Obscure names, obscure songs, obscure facts all mesh to create a living, breathing historical time-capsule that speaks as much about the era the music was recorded in as the music itself. And the writing is dry yet never condescending, witty yet never demeaning, sincere yet unafraid to point out “the truth” no matter how ugly and undignified it may be. But you’ll learn to love the heroes that pepper this book for the pioneers they were. And, when the last page is read, you’ll come back to it again and again. Part of the pleasure of reading a great book is rereading it and learning much more than you did the last time you read it. . . Tosches manages that feat thanks to an unflinching eye for detail and a poet’s way with words.
Tosches is an entertaining and skillful writer and the premise of this book is an important and timely one. Country music has been diluted, softened and stripped of what once made it great and is now in the hands of the pallid “new country” gang of cheeseballs. Tosches saw this coming way back in the mid-70s, resented it and wrote this book. Unfortunately Country is full of misconceptions, omissions and serious factual errors. Yes, country music did have a dark side but it’s always had a family and religious side as well and even in its earliest stages could cross over into sentimental and mawkish pap. This didn’t start in the 50’s as Tosches insists but was present in the music of the Carter Family and Jimmy Rogers (Tosches barely mentions either) who between them invented the genre. Their music embraced both sides of the coin as did every great country artist who ever lived including Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. (Tosches unfairly savages Cash in this book for his lightweight songs which is odd because in an article written 15 years later, Tosches praises him to the skies although Cash had written no groundbreaking tunes in the intervening years) Tosches makes much of how the British murder ballad tradition disappeared completely from early country music, ignoring (or perhaps being unaware of) songs like Banks of the Ohio or Knoxville Girl–both of which were major country hits in the 30s and 50s respectively and are both taken directly from the murder ballad tradition as are many, many other country songs. His chapter on the development of the dobro and steel guitar is potentially interesting but is full of major errors. Tosches seems unaware of the major differences between dobro, slide guitar, steel guitar, pedal steel guitar and so on and at times it sounds like he thinks they’re all the same instrument with only minor alterations. For example, he doesn’t mention the difference in the number of strings between dobro and pedal steel nor the very different tunings used. This would be acceptable if the discussion were brief but considering the space he devotes to the topic, these omissions are glaring. It would be a bit like saying that the piano is just a big harpsichord. At one point he strongly disagrees with musicologists who claim that many country guitarists were influenced by jazz guitarists. He claims that the guitarist from Milton Brown’s band couldn’t have been influenced by Django Reinhardt because–he says–Reinhardt’s records didn’t reach the states until the late 30’s. Wrong, Nick. Try 1933. Eddie Lang, who had a huge influence on country guitarists is never mentioned nor is Charlie Christian whose work was the source of the style of every gutiarist who played with Bob Wills. But the most unforgiveable mistake is his insistence that Maybelle Carter’s guitar playing had as much influence on country music as “Rudy Vallee. ” Read the history of the Carter Family, “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” and the many testimonials from the greatest country guitarists ever recorded who all say that their primary influence was Mother Maybelle. This is so evident simply by listening to classic country music rhythm guitar playing that one wonders if Tosches has actually heard any. Also, Tosches can’t resist proving to us once again that he is a scholar of Greek and Roman literature and history and his references to this subject are sometimes laughably incongruous, clearly designed to convince us that his scholary credentials are unimpeachable. Usually these tedious asides have nothing to do with the subject at hand. Still, Tosches is a good writer, full of irreverence and wit and great turns of phrase. This is a fun book to read and Tosches makes a few good points. But if you want to read truly well researched books on country music, forget this and pick up Bill Malone’s Country Music USA and Rich Kienzle’s excellent book Southwest Shuffle, a fantastically researched book which says more about the real roots of “New Country” in one chapter than Tosches says in this entire poorly realized mess of a book.
In a reader review of Tosches’ book on Emmett Miller, whose real origins are in the imaginary chapters of the first edition of this book, this book belongs in every home. The writing is this book alone is worth the price. He’s a vigorous wise ass and elegant literary dynamo. If you just read the writing, and dont give a hoot about country music, you will enjoy yourself. So much of music writing is devoled to haigiagraphy and confirming ignorant common places, whereas Tosches is concerned with the dirty nasty truth, and the wild side of things. You aren’t going to learn that Roy Acuff who appointed himself a great country music icon, decades after he had had a hit, began his work in music with a group called “the Bang Boys” that specialized in X rated songs. His description of a Jerry Lee Lewis recording session sometimes in the 1970s is really masterful and still rings in my mind 20 years after I first read it. Likewise, you will love Tosches’ description of the dark end of Spade Cooley. Cooley torutured and murdered his wife because Cooley believed she had banged Roy Rodgers–and Cooley got into show business a double for Roy Rogers in the movies! There is so much uncovered about the real origins of rock and roll. No one can live without the first book that wasn’t afraid to let you know that Hank Williams was bald! If you don’t have this book in your house, buy it, or move in with someone who’s got it! Dont forget his great book on Jerry Lee Lewis, Hellfire. This man knows how to write!