Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Making hay with the Heywoods

KBILLY's Super Sounds of the Seventies continues. We just heard "The World is a Ghetto" by War, and "Billy Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. And if you're the 12th caller you'll win two tickets to the monster truck extravaganza being held tonight at the Carson Fairgrounds, featuring Big Daddy Don Bodean's truck, "The Bohemoth". The 12th caller wins, on the station where the 70s survived, KBILLY.

How clever was that for Quentin Tarantino to reference the Bo Donaldson song "Billy Don't Be a Hero" without actually including the music in his fabulous Reservoir Dogs soundtrack?  "Billy" (unlike "The World is a Ghetto") was just a little too gummy for our tastes, but every word that came out of Steven Wright's deadpan voice was hilarious in the movie.

Even without our support "Billy" sold more than 3 million copies and became Billboard's No. 1 song for two weeks beginning on this day in 1974.  Here was your Top 5:

1. Billy Don't Be a Hero, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods
2. You Make Me Feel Brand New, Stylistics
3. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot
4. The Streak, Ray Stevens
5. Band on the Run, Paul McCartney and Wings

Despite the popular belief that "Billy" referenced the Vietnam War the lyrics were fact written about the Civil War.  But if you're lucky enough to score a Gold Record there's no reason to quibble over details.

1 comment:

  1. You've heard 'Turn The Beat Around' by Vicki Sue Robinson,

    'Heaven On The 7th Floor', 'Le Freak' by Chic,

    'Fly, Robin, Fly' by the Silver Connection and now, number five ...

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