This
is the last stretch of YOU
NEVER NOVEMBER WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET month, and I hope that you have been enjoying
it! I think that the year 2015 is going
to be one of experimentation with this blog.
Consider this to be a preview of what is to come.
Now,
I know that I only did a music posting only a couple of days ago, but for
whatever reason, I opted to do another one today. Consider this a Monday Jukebox edition. Or, consider it a Jukebox sandwich, if you like, since Sunday was
the main day for music in this blog for a really long time.
And
the reason why I wanted to do a music posting?
Well, it has to do with a certain song that always perplexed me as a
kid. It's a song that sort of had an
identity crisis when it was first released four decades ago. Some people found it to be adult
contemporary. Some considered it
pop. Some even considered it country
music! Whatever the case, it is a song
that hit the top of the charts exactly 40 years ago this week.
Now,
I can't remember what life was like back in 1974. I bypassed the decade of pet rocks, disco music, and flared jeans
by being a child of the eighties.
However, I do feel as though I can identify a lot with today's song
choice.
For
one, I know that like this song, I've gone through a couple of identity crises
in my day, wondering how people see me.
But more importantly, I can identify with the lyrics of this song
because in a way, I feel that they probably describe my personality a lot (and
it is also how I want others to see me as well - to a point).
I'll
explain what I mean a little later in this entry. For now, let us hear the #1 song on the charts from four decades
ago this week.
ARTIST: Billy
Swan
SONG: I Can Help
ALBUM: I Can Help
DATE
RELEASED: July 1974
PEAK
POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS: #1 for 2
weeks
Now,
before I go ahead with today's music entry, I do have an announcement to
make. All year long, you have enjoyed
hearing #1 hits from the past. Sadly,
this will be coming to an end today.
The remainder of all music posts for the year will feature holiday
favourites, and beginning in 2015, we'll be going back to random song
choosings. But, hey, it was fun while
it lasted. And I am ending it off with
a positive song.
It
certainly was a positive song for Billy Swan.
This song was his very first single release, and it reached the top of
the Billboard charts the week of November 23, 1974. But did you know that it also topped the charts in Norway,
Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the
Netherlands, and France? That's not bad
for a debut single.
And
here's where the song's identity crisis comes into play. Not only did it top the Billboard Hot 100,
but it topped the country music charts in both the United States and Canada as
well! And, it peaked at #6 on the
American Adult Contemporary charts as well!
Talk
about a song that was a real triple threat!
Anyway,
"I Can Help" ended up becoming Billy Swan's biggest hit. And, sadly, it was also one of his only
hits. Though Swan never did match the
huge success that he had with his debut, he still continued to work in the
music industry as a songwriter for other musicians. But the story of how this song came to be is a rather interesting
one.
When
he moved to Nashville in August 1963, he and his wife lived in a small duplex,
and his wife actually helped him convert a small closet into a music room, and
it was here where he wrote most of his music.
According to an interview that he did with Richard Buskin in late 2007,
he revealed that he basically came up with the words and melody for the single
out of thin air. He had wrote the first
three verses in a matter of hours, and from there, he had written the perfect
bridge to link them all together.
"I
Can Help" was written in March 1974, and Swan recorded the track with
assistance from producer and engineer Chip Young.
TRIVIA: The
keyboard that Swan used in the song actually belonged to musician Bobby
Emerson. And because Swan played the
keyboard in his own recording, the person who was originally hired to play the
keyboards on the song - Bobby Wood - ended up joining Bobby Emmons and Chip
Young in the control booth. It was also
Emmons and Young who came up with the idea to insert the distinctive hand
clapping in the song.
The
final product was released as a single in July 1974 as there was no album
recorded as of yet. Over the next few
months, Swan and his team of musicians recorded several other tracks, and an
album was set to be released a few months later. However, there was a lot of disagreement over what would be the
single to kick off the whole album.
Monument Records had actually wanted the song "The Ways of a Woman
in Love" to be the first single, but Young argued that "I Can
Help" was the hit, and therefore should be the single that kicks off
everything. In the end, neither party
got what they wanted. Track number one
of the album was "Lover Please".
But I suppose if you wanted to name a victor in the battle, that would
go to Chip Young. I can help was on the
A-side of the album, while the choice that the record company wanted was the
second to last track on the B-side!
Now,
as for why I like this song? Well, I
mentioned before that this song has a lot to do with how I see myself on a
personal level.
Well,
maybe not in the EXACT context of the song.
Clearly Swan is singing to his significant other, and I'm still
single. Still, I consider myself to be
one of those people who would do almost anything for anyone and expect little
to nothing in return. I suppose that
I've been that way my whole life, really.
I think initially that the reason why I did this was to make
friends. But, having the attitude that
you will let people copy your homework and they would automatically be your new
best friend is definitely not a great suggestion, so don't do it.
Of
course, before I wised up and let people do their own homework, I have to admit
that it made me feel good knowing that I was providing what I thought was some
useful service. It certainly made me
feel good taking part in charity events like the "Relay for Life"
because I was having fun and the money went towards a good cause. I enjoyed doing school fundraising because
the items that I was selling brought happiness to my customers and I was
helping the school out. I even enjoy
doing crafty things, or wrapping gifts for people, or doing something that
helps make another person happy. I
think that's why there's something about the Christmas season that despite all
the stress that can come with it, it can be one of the greatest times of the
year. It's not about what you get, but
what you give.
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