***

Forty years ago Sunday (June 3, 1972), "I'll Take You There" by the Staple Singers became the new #1 single in the United States. It was the only week at the top for the song and it went on to become 1972's #13 single.

Perhaps the most interesting story, though, was what host Casey Kasem told to tie in with "Oh Girl," which was at #2. It seems that the group's Eugene Record was formerly a cab driver, but he changed his mind about that line of work after being robbed three times.

Meanwhile, a nine-year-old singer debuted at #39 and was the youngest top 40 performer since Barry Gordon was six years old with "Nuttin' For Christmas" in 1955. That youngster debuting on AT40 was Little Jimmy Osmond, who would later on in the 1980's help promote one of Michael Jackson's big Japanese concerts. Osmond's song was "Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool."

"Tumbling Dice" held at #7 as the Rolling Stones' concert success was unveiled. The San Francisco area had 100,000 ticket requests for a Stones concert...and in Los Angeles, it was twice that many (200,000) and for that, Casey reasoned that it would amount to a line 85 miles long. Only the first 17 miles of ticket requests got their tickets, though.

Remember Andy Williams? Well, he was at #34 with "Love Theme From 'The Godfather' (Speak Softly Love)" and was honored by Casey as the most successful solo singer to come from an all-brother vocal group. Andy was with the Williams Brothers, who backed Bing Crosby on his 1940's hit, "Swingin' On A Star."

Casey answered three QL's (question letter). One dealt with the act with the most #2 hits without a #1. Creedence Clearwater Revival was the answer at the time with five--and then Casey played the group's latest Top 40 hit, "Someday Never Comes." It would be CCR's last Top 40 hit ever.

Plus, there were two more QL's. At the time, "Venus" was the only song to be #1 in two different songs that only shared one thing in common (the title). Frankie Avalon did it in 1959 and the Shocking Blue had its "Venus" in 1970. Finally, Louie Armstrong and Jimmy Boyd were identified as the oldest and youngest #1 singers of all time. Satchmo did it with "Hello Dolly" in 1964 and Boyd did it with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in 1952.

***

(Editor's note: Herbert Denmark Jr. of Carrollton, Georgia graduated from high school at this time in 1979. He offers these memories of the June 2, 1979 "American Top 40" show of 33 years ago Saturday...)

"On June 2, 1979, Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" became the new #1 song in the USA. It fell to #2 the following week to make way for the Bee Gees' final #1 "Love You Inside Out," then returned to the top for two more weeks. It became the #1 disco record and the #7 pop song of 1979, as well as one of the 1970s' biggest hits. The number one record in all of May 1979, Peaches and Herb's "Reunited" fell to #2.

In Hour One, Dr. Hook debuted at #38 with "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman." Host Casey Kasem noted that Dr. Hook's first Top 40 hit, 1972's "Sylvia's Mother", was picked by Rolling Stone as the worst single in the history of rock and roll. Casey also played the Beatles' last #1 before their breakup, "The Long and Winding Road" as a Long Distance Dedication.

In Hour Two, Casey told how "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business" James Brown bought WRDW-AM in Augusta, Georgia, the same station that he worked in front of shining shoes. His hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" was played as an AT40 Extra. Casey also followed up on a previous report on "Slip Disco."

In Hour Three, Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You" was played as an LDD. The story was also told of Steve Gibb, who wrote Kenny Rogers' "She Believes in Me" at #14 (note- it was #1 AC that week and would hit #1 country).

In Hour Four, the stories of England Dan and John Ford Coley's breakup (to coincide with "Love is the Answer" at #10) and a profile of Randy VanWarmer were told. Randy's first hit "Just When I Needed You Most" was at #6.

(Other notes- Two hits that became African American anthems were in the countdown: McFadden and Whitehead's "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" debuting at #40 and Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" at #4. The 97th, 98th and 99th #1 records of the decade- Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets," MFSB featuring the Three Degrees' "TSOP" and Grand Funk's remake of "The Locomotion"- were played.)

****

Twenty eight years ago Saturday (June 2, 1984), "Let's Hear For The Boy" by Deniece Williams was the #1 single in the USA for the last of two weeks.

The song from the movie "Footloose" went on to become the #15 song of 1984. To tie in with the song's stay at the top, host Casey Kasem told Deniece's bio, including how she performed for Stevie Wonder's backup group, Wonderlove. Plus, a drop-piece of her first #1, the duet with Johnny Mathis, "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," was aired.

Williams wasn't the only solo woman profiled on this AT40 show. At #2 was "Time After Time" and it was pointed out how Cyndi Lauper became the first solo woman to take her first two single releases to the Top two. Earlier in 1984, Cyndi also took "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" to #2.. "Time After Time" would move to #1 the following week.

Meanwhile, Casey told the history of heavy metal music and even played a drop-piece of Dee Purple's 1973 hit, "Smoke On The Water," to tie in with the Scorpions at #31 with "Rock You Like A Hurricane." A bio story was told about Billy Joel, who was at #15 with "The Longest Time.' Plus, Casey listed some of the Bronx-based Top 40 recording acts.

This show was very chart-heavy. "Almost Paradise...Love Theme From Footloose" was at #22 and honored as the first time two lead singers from active groups were together in a Top 40 duo. Those two singers were Ann Wilson of Heart and Mike Reno of Loverboy. Plus, with "To All The Girls I've Love Before" at #10 by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesius, drop-pieces of past hits by Spanish acts were aired. Those acts included Los Bravos ("Black Is Black"), "A Song Of Joy" (Miguel Rios) and "Eres Tu" (Mocedades).

This show also had two QL's (question letters). "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer was noted as the album by a solo woman to have spawned the most #1 hits with two (the title song and "Hot Stuff"). Finaly, "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis was dubbed the then-slowest climbing #1 single, taking 22 weeks to reach the top.

***

Sponsored by