Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

Episode: Spirit of ’71, Part 2

Host: Chris Molanphy
Date: September 24, 2021

Episode Overview

This episode of Hit Parade, hosted by pop chart analyst Chris Molanphy, continues a deep-dive into the transformative music of 1971, examining why this year is considered one of the greatest in popular music history. The episode chronicles how various artists who came of age in the 1960s reached commercial and creative peaks in 1971, analyzing the interplay of talent, timing, and cultural shifts that made their songs smash hits. Through engaging storytelling and musical excerpts, Molanphy discusses the rise of singer-songwriters, the impact of albums like Carole King's Tapestry, the chart ascendancy of Rod Stewart, Isaac Hayes’s revolutionary Shaft, and the lasting influence of Sly and the Family Stone, all while contextualizing the chart zeitgeist of 1971.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Carole King's Songwriting to Stardom

• Background: Carole King started as a prolific Brill Building songwriter with Gerry Goffin, penning hits for The Shirelles ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow"), Bobby V ("Take Good Care of My Baby"), and Little Eva ("The Loco-Motion").
• Early Forays as Performer: Her initial solo attempts in the early '60s, such as "It Might as Well Rain Until September", saw limited chart success ([05:10]).
  • Molanphy: "King’s voice was an odd fit for the girl group and teen idol era of the early 60s, and attempts to promote her as a frontline act quickly fizzled." ([05:22])
• Laurel Canyon & New Influences: Moving to L.A. in the late ‘60s placed King at the heart of the singer-songwriter movement, befriending Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.
• Tapestry’s Impact:
  • The album repurposed King’s own classics ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "Natural Woman") and introduced assertive, emotionally mature tracks ("I Feel the Earth Move", "It’s Too Late"—the latter praised for its subtly feminist perspective by Bob Christgau ([11:34])).
  • "You've Got a Friend" became a signature hit, both for King and, via cover, James Taylor.
• Chart Domination:
  • "On June 19, 1971... Carole King’s Tapestry knocked the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers out of number one. That same week... It's Too Late/I Feel the Earth Move also reached number one. The single stayed there for five weeks..." ([14:43])
  • Tapestry held No. 1 for 15 weeks, setting a benchmark until Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours ([16:14]).

Notable Quote:
“If there’s a truer song about breaking up than ‘It’s Too Late,’ the world, or at least AM radio, isn’t ready for it.” — Bob Christgau, cited by Molanphy ([11:34])

2. Rod Stewart: Finding Folk in Rock

• From Aspiring Footballer to Singer: Stewart’s husky, emotive vocals made him a standout (first heard with Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men at age 19 ([18:20])).
• Varied 1960s Journey: He joined/recorded with multiple groups, including The Jeff Beck Group and Faces, before breaking out solo.
• Early Solo Sound: First solo albums leaned into a unique blend of folk, country, and rock, notably on Gasoline Alley ([21:10]).
  • Critical Insight: Molanphy draws on AllMusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine: "Instead of finding the folk in rock, he found how folk rocked like hell on its own." ([22:09])
• 1971 Breakout: Mercury Records expected Tim Hardin’s "Reason to Believe" would be a hit, but DJs flipped to the B-side: the cheeky, autobiographical "Maggie May".
  • “Maggie May” and the album Every Picture Tells a Story topped both single and album charts for over a month ([23:58]).
• Legacy: Stewart’s early '70s run remains his critical high point; later stylistic changes (disco, synth-pop) never eclipsed these heights ([26:03]).

Memorable Moment:
“Maggie May established his star power and roguish Persona. He may have peaked early, but he earned decades of goodwill.” ([26:03])

3. Isaac Hayes and the Rise of Blaxploitation Soundtracks

• Songwriter to Innovator: After success with soul duo Sam & Dave ("Soul Man"), Hayes transformed with his own psychedelic, expansive sound on Hot Buttered Soul ([29:23]), which became a hip-hop sample goldmine (e.g., “Walk On By”, "Ike's Rap II").
• Theme from Shaft:
  • Called to score the film after not landing the lead, Hayes crafted a funk masterpiece, blending orchestration with cinematic wah-wah guitar ([35:01]).
  • The single’s edited version became a #1 hit; the album itself also topped the charts ([35:45]).
• Cultural Impact:
  • Hayes delivered a legendary, shirtless, chain-draped Oscars performance and became the first Black composer to win Best Original Song ([38:47]).
  • Theme from Shaft set the tone for future Blaxploitation soundtracks, inspiring Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly and influencing generations, from hip-hop samples to Hayes's satirical turn as “Chef” on South Park ([40:50]).

Notable Quote:
“Only someone as confident as Isaac Hayes could get away with making this song more swaggery than silly.” ([35:10])

4. Sly & The Family Stone and Long-Awaited Return

• Woodstock Triumph and Hiatus: After ‘69’s festival, Sly’s innovative blend of funk, soul, and psychedelic rock solidified, but a two-year studio silence followed due to personal and creative stalls.
• Innovation in Absence: Sly produced for Little Sister, pioneering the use of the drum machine in hits like "Somebody’s Watching You" ([48:27]).
• There’s a Riot Goin’ On: The return album and its lead single "Family Affair" (built from a drum machine and featuring dark, funk-laden production) soared to #1 ([48:53]).
• Enduring Influence:
  • Though Sly & The Family Stone saw dwindling chart success, There’s a Riot Goin’ On remains a landmark in funk and soul.

Memorable Moment:
“Their last major hit, 1973’s horn-inflected funk jam ‘If You Want Me to Stay’… Sly Stone’s only number one album cemented his legacy and inspired funk music for the next two decades.” ([50:50])

5. Closing the Year: Chart Firsts and the Enduring DNA of the '60s

• Carole King’s Follow-Up: Her Music album kept her on top as 1971 closed ([51:46]).
• Go Away Little Girl Chart Oddity: Molanphy highlights that Donny Osmond’s “Go Away Little Girl” (written by Goffin and King) was the first song to top the Hot 100 twice (Steve Lawrence in 1963; Osmond in 1971). Molanphy notes his own “cruel fate” of having it as his birth week #1 song ([54:05]).
  • “Now Go Away Little Girl was a little creepy when the fully grown Steve Lawrence sang it in 1963. And it was positively simpering when 13 year old Donny Osmond covered it in 1971...” ([54:05])
• Personal Reflection and Birthday: Molanphy marks the show’s 50th episode, coinciding with his own 50th birthday ([55:37]), and selects Aretha Franklin’s “Spanish Harlem” as his preferred birth week song over Osmond’s.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments (with Timestamps):

• On Carole King’s delayed recognition:
  “Somehow the world wasn’t quite ready for Carole King recording artist who was trying to come out from under the shadow of Carole King songwriter.” ([01:27])

• On singer-songwriters’ pop acumen:
  “At age 29, King was both a relatively new artist as a singer and a veteran as a songwriter, and she knew how to deliver hits.” ([13:07])

• On Isaac Hayes's Oscars legacy:
  “Hayes’s Oscar legacy had been officially passed down to the hip hop generation.” ([41:03])

• On Sly & The Family Stone’s innovation:
  “Sly built the track out of an early drum machine then called a rhythm box... making it by some estimations the first popular recording to derive its rhythm from a drum machine.” ([48:27])

• Personal touch:
  “It’s my birthday present to me and to you, my loyal listeners. Thank you for getting us this far.” ([55:37])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:27] – Introduction to Carole King's early 70s solo career
• [06:53] – King moves to Laurel Canyon, befriends Taylor & Mitchell
• [07:50] – James Taylor inspires “You’ve Got a Friend”
• [11:34] – Reflecting on “It’s Too Late” and its feminist analysis
• [14:43] – Carole King’s simultaneous single and album chart-topping
• [18:08] – Rod Stewart’s formative years and first charting vocals
• [23:58] – “Maggie May” turns into a surprise breakout hit
• [29:23] – Isaac Hayes’s genesis as a progressive soul force
• [35:01] – The making and release of “Theme from Shaft”
• [38:47] – Isaac Hayes’s landmark Oscar win
• [44:31] – Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You” double-sided single
• [48:27] – Drum machine innovation in “Somebody’s Watching You”
• [48:53] – “Family Affair” and Sly’s return to the top
• [51:46] – Carole King's Music closes out the year
• [54:05] – “Go Away Little Girl” history, and personal reflection

Summary Flow

Chris Molanphy’s “Spirit of ‘71, Part 2” is both a retrospective of a singular year in popular music and a loving, nuanced analysis of why certain songs and albums became epoch-defining. Drawing connections between the ‘60s songwriting factories and the singer-songwriter boom, Molanphy uses storytelling, cultural history, and musical analysis to highlight the work of Carole King, Rod Stewart, Isaac Hayes, and Sly & the Family Stone. He closes with reflections on chart trivia and his own life’s soundtrack, tying together the enduring resonance of 1971 with personal milestones. The episode is informative and affectionate, full of great musical moments and insight for any lover of pop history.