1974

Born in Brooklyn, Barry Manilow worked in Columbia Records' mailroom while studying at the New York College of Music and Juilliard. He broke into the business singing commercials for soft drinks, fast foods, and other products. Barry was filling in as a pianist at the Continental Baths in 1972 when he met Bette Midler, performing his own songs as her opening act. In 1974, Manilow went off on his own and soon came across a Scott English 45 called "Brandy." To avoid confusion with the Looking Glass hit of the same name, he changed the title to "Mandy," and released his own version late in 1974. Within a few weeks it was number one and a million-seller. Over the next four years, he put fourteen more singles in the Top 20, most of them ballads of emotional regret.

 

On March 2, country singer Charlie Rich won a Grammy Award for "Behind Closed Doors," the single that rescued him from near-obscurity at the age of 42. Suddenly an industry pet, "the Silver Fox" put six songs on the pop charts in 1974, including "The Most Beautiful Girl," "There Won't Be Anymore," and "I Love My Friend." Other stars staging comebacks in 1974: Paul Anka, Al Wilson, the Three Degrees, Andy Kim, Bobby Vinton, the Tymes, Dionne Warwick, and the Righteous Brothers.

 

Other Music Highlights of 1974:

• On Wednesday, January 30, Bob Dylan makes his first New York appearance in eight years, at Madison Square Garden.
• On Tuesday, February 12, the New York rock club the Bottom Line opens. This 450-seat night club would become a showplace for the biggest names in rock'n'roll.
• On Tuesday, February 19, Dick Clark launches the American Music Awards.
• Jefferson Airplane members Marty Balin, Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, and David Frieberg form a new group that they will call the Jefferson Starship.
• Over 200,000 fans flock to see the California Jam Rock Festival, which is taped as a TV special.
• Sly Stone, of Sly & the Family Stone, is married on the stage of Madison Square Garden in New York. The marriage would last only six months.
• Rock'n'roll's biggest all-time seller, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets, is re-released and becomes a major hit all over again.
• The Ramones begin playing popular New York clubs like CBGB. Their brand of rock'n'roll helps set the trend for the "punk" and "new wave" rockers of the Seventies and Eighties.
• Eric Clapton's number one version of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff" begins to attract audiences to Marley's Jamaican reggae music.
• J. Geils Band member Peter Wolf and actress Faye Dunaway are married in California.
• George Harrison launches his own label, Dark Horse Records. He also begins touring for the first time in years.
• Mick Taylor leaves the Rolling Stones to join the Jack Bruce Band and is replaced by former Faces member Ron Wood.
• English group Led Zeppelin, along with their manager Peter Grant, form a new label, Swan Song Records.

 

The Top 40 Singles of 1974:

1. "The Way We Were" - Barbra Streisand (First chart appearance: 12/22/73; Highest position: #1)
2. "Come And Get Your Love" - Redbone (2/9/74; #5)
3. "Seasons In The Sun" - Terry Jacks (2/9/74; #1)
4. "Show And Tell" - Al Wilson (11/24/73; #1)
5. "Love's Theme" - The Love Unlimited Orchestra (12/22/73; #1)
6. "The Loco-motion" - Grand Funk (3/30/74; #1)
7. "Bennie And The Jets" - Elton John (3/2/74; #1)
8. "You Make Me Feel Brand New" - The Stylistics (4/13/74; #2)
9. "Sunshine On My Shoulders" - John Denver (2/16/74; #1)
10. "T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia)" - MFSB featuring The Three Degrees (3/16/74; #1)
11. "Rock On" - David Essex (1/12/74; #5)
12. "The Most Beautiful Girl" - Charlie Rich (10/27/73; #1)
13. "Spiders And Snakes" - Jim Stafford (12/29/73; #3)
14. "Rock Me Gently" - Andy Kim (7/20/74; #1)
15. "The Streak" - Ray Stevens (4/27/74; #1)
16. "Dancing Machine" - The Jackson 5 (3/30/74; #2)
17. "Band On The Run" - Paul McCartney and Wings (5/4/74; #1)
18. "You're Sixteen" - Ringo Starr (12/29/73; #1)
19. "Let Me Be There" - Olivia Newton-John (12/15/73; #6)
20. "The Joker" - Steve Miller Band (11/17/73; #1)
21. "You're Having My Baby" - Paul Anka (7/27/74; #1)
22. "Annie's Song" - John Denver (6/15/74; #1)
23. "One Hell Of A Woman" - Mac Davis (5/25/74; #11)
24. "Billy Don't Be A Hero"- Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (5/11/74; #1)
25. "Until You Come Back To Me" - Aretha Franklin (12/15/73; #3)
26. "You Haven't Done Nothin'" - Stevie Wonder (8/17/74; #1)
27. "Nothing From Nothing" - Billy Preston (8/3/74; #1)
28. "Bungle In The Jungle" - Jethro Tull (11/30/74; #12)
29. "Midnight At The Oasis" - Maria Muldaur (4/13/74; #6)
30. "Hooked On A Feeling" - Blue Swede (3/2/74; #1)
31. "Dark Lady" - Cher (2/2/74; #1)
32. "Top Of The World" - Carpenters (10/20/73; #1)
33. "Time In A Bottle" - Jim Croce (12/1/73; #1)
34. "Sundown" - Gordon Lightfoot (5/11/74; #1)
35. "Sideshow" - Blue Magic (6/8/74; #8)
36. "The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace (7/13/74; #1)
37. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"- Elton John (11/3/73; #2)
38. "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" - Gladys Knight & the Pips (3/9/74; #3)
39. "If You Love Me Let Me Know" - Olivia Newton-John (5/11/74; #5)

"Hello It's Me" - Todd Rundgren (11/10/73; #5)

Top Albums of 1974:

American Graffiti - Soundtrack  Band On The Run - Paul McCartney And Wings  Caribou - Elton John  Chicago VII - Chicago  Behind Closed Doors - Charlie Rich  461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton  Greatest Hits - Elton John  I Got A Name - Jim Croce  If You Love Me, Let Me Know - Olivia Newton-John  Imagination - Gladys Knight & The Pips  Innervisions - Stevie Wonder  Not Fragile - Bachman-Turner Overdrive  Planet Waves - Bob Dylan  The Sting - Soundtrack  Tres Hombres - ZZ Top  Walls And Bridges - John Lennon  You Don't Mess Around with Jim - Jim Croce

 

20 Popular Movies of 1974:

The Towering Inferno  Blazing Saddles  Young Frankenstein  Earthquake  Airport 1975  Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore  Badlands  Buster and Billie  Chinatown  The Conversation  Death Wish  The Gambler  The Godfather, Part II  The Great Gatsby  The Last Detail  Monty Python and the Holy Grail  Murder on the Orient Express  The Texas Chansaw Massacre  That's Entertainment!  Phantom of the Paradise

 

The Top 20 Television Shows of 1974:

All in the Family  Sanford and Son  Chico and the Man  The Jeffersons  M*A*S*H  Rhoda  Good Times  The Waltons  Maude  Hawaii 5-0  The Mary Tyler Moore Show  The Rockford Files  Little House on the Prairie  Kojak  Police Woman  S.W.A.T.  The Bob Newhart Show  The Wonderful World of Disney  The Rookies  Mannix

 

News Highlights of 1974:

• Patty Hearst, daughter of multimillionaire publisher Randolph Hearst, is abducted by the so-called Symbionese Liberation Army and held for ransom. None is paid, and weeks later Hearst is seen helping her captors rob a San Francisco bank. She is later captured and sent to jail for the crime.
• The worst disaster in aviation history at the time occurs near Paris when a jumbo jet crashes, killing all 345 passengers and crew.
• People magazine debuts with Mia Farrow on the cover and launches the era of celebrity journalism.
• Henry "Hank" Aaron hits his historic 715th home run, breaking the record set by Babe Ruth.
• Streaking ­ running naked for a few moments in a public place ­ becomes a fad.
• Golda Meir resigns as premier of Israel.
• Aristocrat Valery Giscard d'Estaing is elected president of France.
• Leading Soviet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov defects to the West.
• Faced with impeachment over his role in the Watergate affair, President Nixon resigns, to be succeeded by Vice President Ford.
• With a one-stroke victory over Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino captures the Professional Golfers' Association championship.
• President Ford pardons former President Nixon.
• Muhammed Ali knocks out George Forman and regains his heavyweight title.
• The use of telephone answering machines becomes popular.

 

Sports Winners of 1974:

• Baseball: The Oakland A's beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1.
• Football: The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 on January 12, 1975, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans in Super Bowl IX.
• Basketball: The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to 3.
• Hockey: The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Boston Bruins 4 games to 2.