# 5001 Casey Kasem’s Velvet-Voiced Countdowns of Summers Past - NYTimes.com

Casey Kasem’s Velvet-Voiced Countdowns of Summers Past

By BILL MARSH

Published: July 11, 2009

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.

Related

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, 1970

10 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 Night

35 years ago this week
July 13, 1974

10 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 McRae

30 years ago
July 14, 1979

10 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 Summer

25 years ago
July 14, 1984

10 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 - Prince

20 years ago
July 14, 1989

10 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 Red

15 years ago
July 17, 1994

10 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 Base

10 years ago
July 11, 1999

10 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 Martin

Five 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 - Hoobastank

Final 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 - Shinedown

Sources: Premiere Radio Networks, IMDB.com, Oldradioshows.com

Casey Kasem’s Velvet-Voiced Countdowns of Summers Past - NYTimes.com

POST #5000 JULY 12, 2009 - FEB. 27, 2007 POST #1 - VISUALGUIDANCELTD - [::] - MRDANTEFONTANA - MRJYN - MALMO - NOLA [HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SEBASTIAN!]

#1 The Birthday Party - Junkyard

Added by Gjervan

I'm so happy Sebastian's post #1 remains intact! Do you know how rare that is for YouTube?

I've replaced or retired literally dozens. I think it's a sign. And P.S., Sebastian always had and still has incredible taste in music and videos, and 2., he was the first person to ever comment or write to me on my former high-roglyphic blog, 'the perfect american,' which still exists, btw, but only for me, as a sort of online storage unit where i keep my collection of new york times and mad magazines, report cards and summonses, girlfriend love letters and tro's [just kidding about that last one]. And so I'd like to thank Sebastian sincerely for beginning a thankless project as a labor of love and similar online diary of his musical-video wanderings outside the realm of then and current, more established, pop-culture aggregator, PCL Linkdump - until Halloween of 2008, when after a brief, unceremonious transferral of title, I began to build, change and keep the same ecclectic smorgasborg of offerings, which easily rested atop the piledriven soil which he had so fertilely tended.

May this soil continue to produce crops as variegated as The Birthday Party, as timely and internecine as Michael Jackson's Death and Videolife, and as straightforwardly badass as the life, times, exploits and music of Jerry Lee Lewis (where Sebastian's and my totally bi-hemispheric taste-bubbles collided into one pink, treacly, pop of pianisimo, glissandi and blissfulness).

And, of course, and as always, may its loamy fecundity provide crops for future harvesters in the fields where we toil, unburdened byan audience, unused to adulation or recognition and unmolested by its burdens.

For if a man has confidence in himself, surely those who share this confidence will soon discover the other, and celebrate together, each to himself and with the other, what is known to one, and then to both, and finally to all who care to discover.

~ mrjyn

Michael Jackson Buried with White - Says Reporter - Betty's Alive!

Today's Michael Jackson television coverage was so abundant with awkward moments that I hestitate to choose just one as the low point of the day. One contender: During a lull in activity, ABC showed the Thriller video. Michael as a zombie! At his own funeral! Excellent choice. Then there was NBC's Michael Okwu, who was so enthusastic about celebrity funerals that he started prematurely burying people.

Posted by Glenn Garvin at 04:13 PM, Miami Herald

~ nichopoulooza

Changing the Guard - for my new YT friend - Lillywhite Trombonist - whom One met after Breaking the Coldstream Guard 'Thriller' Vid (currently 10k YouViews) - Promised Exclusive Video of current Tour

Changing the Guard

Changing the Guard - for my new YT friend - Lillywhite Trombonist for Royal Coldwater Guard - whom ONE met after Breaking the Coldstream 'Thriller' Vid (currently 10k YouViews - search Nichopoulooza or use [::] search engine for Coldwater Guard, Thriller) - He's Promised Exclusive CG Video of current Tour (matches Royal Middle Stripe of Household Guards Hanger - see photo)

From May to July 2009 inclusive, Changing the Guard will take place daily at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

Changing the Guard or Guard Mounting is the process involving a new guard exchanging duty with the old guard.

The Guard which mounts at Buckingham Palace is called The Queen’s Guard and is divided into two Detachments: the Buckingham Palace Detachment (which is responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace), and the St. James’s Palace Detachment, (which guards St. James’s Palace). These guard duties are normally provided by a battalion of the Household Division and occasionally by other infantry battalions or other units.

When Guardsmen are on duty, the soldiers are drawn from one of the five regiments of Foot Guards in the British Army: the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, the Welsh Guards, the Grenadier Guards and the Coldstream Guards.

The five Regiments may be recognised as follows:

Regiment	Grouping of buttons on scarlet tunic	Collar badge	Plume on bearskin cap
Grenadier Guards	Singly	Grenade	White, worn on left side
Coldstream Guards	Twos	Garter Star	Red, worn on right side
Scots Guards	Threes	Thistle	No plume
Irish Guards	Fours	Shamrock	Blue, worn on right side
Welsh Guards	Fives	Leek	Green and white, worn on left side

The Queen’s Guard is commanded by a Captain (who usually holds the rank of Major), and each Detachment is commanded by a Lieutenant. The Colour of the Battalion providing the Guard is carried by a Second Lieutenant (who is known as the Ensign).

The handover is accompanied by a Guards band. The music played ranges from traditional military marches to songs from films and musicals and even familiar pop songs.

When The Queen is in residence, there are four sentries at the front of the building. When she is away there are two.

The Queen's Guard usually consists of Foot Guards in their full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins. If they have operational commitments, other infantry units take part instead.

Units from Commonwealth realms occasionally take turn in Guard Mounting. In May 1998, Canadian soldiers from Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry mounted guard at Buckingham Palace for the first time since the Coronation in 1953.

Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign and the Royal Palaces since 1660. Until 1689, the Sovereign lived mainly at the Palace of Whitehall and was guarded there by Household Cavalry.

In 1689, the court moved to St James's Palace, which was guarded by the Foot Guards. When Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace in 1837, the Queen's Guard remained at St James's Palace, with a detachment guarding Buckingham Palace, as it still does today.

At Buckingham Palace, Guard Mounting takes place at 11.30am. It is held daily from May to July, and on alternate dates throughout the rest of the year.

Buckingham Palace is not the only place to see Guard Mounting.
At Windsor Castle, the ceremony takes place at 11.00 am. For most of the year Guard Mounting takes place on alternate dates, but it is held daily (except Sundays) from April to July.

At Horse Guards Arch, Changing the Guard takes place daily at 11.00 am (10.00 am on Sundays) and lasts about half an hour; it is normally held on Horse Guards Parade by the arch of Horse Guards Building.

There is no Guard Mounting in very wet weather.[REMEMBER THAT, LADIES]

Changing the Guard