1973

It was a milestone in entertainment ­ the fruition of a year-long dream of Colonel Tom Parker ­ and regarded as Elvis's most memorable performance. The Aloha Satellite Show was a benefit concert, telecast from Honolulu and beamed by Globcom satellite to a worldwide audience estimated at over one and a half billion. Twenty-eight European countries watched via a Eurovision simulcast; in America, NBC carried the show in a ninety-minute version on April 4. Elvis was seen live in prime time in Australia, Korea, New Zealand, South Vietnam, and the Philipines; in Japan, he broke all Japanese television records, capturing an incredible ninety-eight percent share of the audience. It was the most expensive entertainment special ever staged, costing $2.5 million, $1 million of which went to Elvis himself. Days after the concert, RCA issued a two-record quadrophonic LP verson simultaneously around the globe. Elvis was then thirty-eight years old.

 

The Allman Brothers Band ­ "six enlightened rogues," according to leader Duane Allman ­ was formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969. Despite the loss of Duane and bassist Berry Oakley in separate motorcycle accidents, the group continued to build a strong following, peaking in 1973. It took only three weeks that year for their album Brothers and Sisters to reach number one and spawn a chart-topping single, "Ramblin' Man." The remaining Allman brother, Gregg, also put out a solo album in 1973, Laid Back, which included the hit "Midnight Rider." But success came too strong and too fast; after five gold albums, the band broke up amid choas in 1976.

 

Other Music Highlights of 1973:

• Helen Reddy becomes the host of NBC-TV's new late-night Friday night concert series called Midnight Special.
• Roberta Flack releases "Killing Me Softly With His Song," based on a Lori Lieberman poem inspired by Lieberman's seeing Don McLean at a singing engagement in Los Angeles.
• In March, Pink Floyd releases Dark Side of the Moon. It would remain on Billboard's album charts for 741 weeks (15 1/2 years), easily surpassing the previous logevity record of 490 weeks for Johnny Mathis' Greatest Hits.
• "Country rock" is big, thanks to acts like the Allman Brothers Band, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Charlie Daniels Band, and the Marshall Tucker Band.
• Clive Davis, President of Columbia Records, is fired for misappropriating funds.
• The Everly Brothers decide to call it quits and go their separate ways.
• In August, Stevie Wonder, touring the South, is involved in a serious automobile accident that almost claims his life.
• On Thursday, October 11, Elvis and Priscilla Presley's divorce becomes final.
• The government requires that all radios installed in new American cars be capable of receiving both AM and FM.
• After two years of retirement, Frank Sinatra returns to performing under the billing "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back."
• Thirty year-old record executive David Geffen launches Asylum Records.

 

The Top 40 Singles of 1973:

1. "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando (First chart appearance: 3/17/73; Highest position.: #1)
2. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" - Jim Croce (6/2/73; #1)
3. "Crocodile Rock" - Elton John (12/23/72; #1)
4. "My Love" - Paul McCartney & Wings (4/28/73; #1)
5. "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye (7/28/73; #1)
6. "Touch Me In The Morning" - Diana Ross (7/7/73; #1)
7. "Delta Dawn" - Helen Reddy (7/28/73; #1)
8. "Playground In My Mind" - Clint Holmes (5/5/73; #2)
9. "Killing Me Softly With His Song" - Roberta Flack (2/3/73; #1)
10. "Me And Mrs. Jones" - Billy Paul (11/18/72; #1)
11. "Will It Go Round In Circles" - Billy Preston (5/19/73; #1)
12. "Brother Louie" - Stories (7/14/73; #1)
13. "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" - Vicki Lawrence (3/17/73; #1)
14. "Drift Away" - Dobie Gray (3/31/73; #5)
15. "Half-Breed" - Cher (9/1/73; #1)
16. "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon (12/16/72; #1)
17. "Shambala" - Three Dog Night (6/2/73; #3)
18. "Love Train" - The O'Jays (1/27/73; #1)
19. "That Lady (Part 1)" - The Isley Brothers (8/18/73; #6)
20. "Why Me" - Kris Kristofferson (7/7/73; #16)
21. "Loves Me Like A Rock" - Paul Simon (8/18/73; #2)
22. "Pillow Talk" - Sylvia (4/21/73; #3)
23. "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" - Dawn (7/28/73; #3)
24. "Superstition" - Stevie Wonder (12/9/72; #1)
25. "Clair" - Gilbert O'Sullivan (7/1/72; #1)
26. "Rocky Mountain High" - John Denver (1/6/73; #9)
27. "Last Song" - Edward Bear (1/27/73; #3)
28. "Midnight Train To Georgia" - Gladys Knight and the Pips (9/15/73; #1)
29. "Frankenstein" - The Edgar Winter Group (4/21/73; #1)
30. "Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel (3/31/73; #1)
31. "Little Willy" - Sweet (3/17/73; #3)
32. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" - Stevie Wonder (3/31/73; #1)
33. "Danny's Song" - Anne Murray (2/10/73; #7)
34. "We're An American Band" - Grand Funk (8/18/73; #1)
35. "Right Place Wrong Time" - Dr. John (5/12/73; #9)
36. "Wildflower" - Skylark (3/31/73; #9)
37. "The Morning After" - Maureen McGovern (7/14/73; #1)
38. "Rockin' Pneumonia ­ Boogie Woogie Flu" - Johnny Rivers (11/11/72; #6)
39. "Oh, Babe, What Would You Say" - Hurricane Smith (12/23/72; #3)
40. "Natural High" - Bloodstone (6/9/73; #10)

Top Albums of 1973:

Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite - Elvis Presley  Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper  Brothers And Sisters - The Allman Brothers Band  Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd  Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player - Elton John  Goats Head Soup - The Rolling Stones  Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John  I Am Woman - Helen Reddy  I'm Still in Love with You - Al Green  Lady Sings the Blues - Diana Ross  No Secrets - Carly Simon  Seventh Sojourn - The Moody Blues  Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts  Talking Book - Stevie Wonder  There Goes Rhymin' Simon - Paul Simon  They Only Come Out at Night - The Edgar Winter Group  The World Is A Ghetto - War

 
 

  20 Popular Movies of 1973:

The Exorcist  The Sting  American Graffiti  Papillon  The Way We Were  Bang The Drum Slowly  Blume In Love  Day of the Jackal  Don't Look Now  Jonathan Livingston Seagull  Jesus Christ, Superstar  Last Tango In Paris  Live And Let Die  Mean Streets  The Paper Chase  Paper Moon  Save The Tiger  Serpico  Sleeper  Walking Tall

 
 

  The Top 20 Television Shows of 1973:

All in the Family  The Waltons  Sanford and Son  M*A*S*H  Hawaii 5-0  Maude  Kojak  The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour  The Mary Tyler Moore Show  Cannon  The Six Million Dollar Man  The Bob Newhart Show  The Wonderful World of Disney  The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie  Gunsmoke  Happy Days  Good Times  Barnaby Jones  NFL Monday Night Football  The CBS Friday Night Movie

 

News Highlights of 1973:

• An agreement is signed in Paris to stop fighting in Vietnam.
• G. Gordon Liddy and James W. McCord, Jr., are convicted of plotting to spy on the Democrats in the Watergate break-in.
• The first planeload of POWs return home from the Vietnam War.
• Four top aides to President Nixon quit over the Watergate affair.
• The Pulitzer Prize is awarded to the Washington Post for its investigation of the Watergate scandal.
• After more than 300 years of British rule, the Bahamas become independent.
• Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns under scrutiny by the FBI on charges of taking kickbacks from government contractors.
• Juan Peron, president of Argentina from 1946 to 1955, is again elected to that post.
• President Nixon agrees to turn over tape recordings of conversations that might have some bearing on the Watergate break-in.
• In retaliation for supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur War, Arab nations place an embargo on oil shipments to the United States. The federal energy director announces a standby gas rationing program.
• O.J. Simpson, pro football player, sets a rushing record of more than 2,000 yards in a season.

 

Sports Winners of 1973:

• Baseball: The Oakland A's beat the New York Mets 4 games to 3.
• Football: The Miami Dolphins beat the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium in Houston in Super Bowl VIII.
• Basketball: The New York Nicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1.
• Hockey: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Black Hawks 4 games to 2.