Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Party is a Groovy Thing (1975)

 Now, here's a band I'd never heard of until today.

From 1975, here's The People's Choice with their disco hit, "Party is a Groovy Thing":

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Respect Yourself (1971)

 The Staple Singers scored a crossover hit in 1971 with "Respect Yourself", which brought them to Soul Train.

Some 15 years later, actor-singer Bruce Willis (Moonlighting) did a solo cover of "Respect" for his first top 40 hit. Nothing tops the original, though.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: In My House (1985)

 The Mary Jane Girls, proteges of Rick James, hit #1 on the dance chart, #3 on the R & B chart, and in the top 10 on the Hot 100, with 1985's "In My House", which merited an appearance on Soul Train.

The group split two years later, one of many acts from the early days of MTV to break up after a short career, although in the case of these ladies, they'd actually been active before landing a major label deal.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits (?): King Kong (1975)

 About a year before the first remake of one of the greatest monster movies of all time, the Jimmy Castor Bunch recorded "King Kong", which landed them on Soul Train. Not sure about the song's chart standing back then, or if it'd been reissued when the movie (starring Jessica Lange) was released a year later.

Admittedly, this was the first time I'd heard the song.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: (Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again (1977)

 To be honest, I had never heard any of the music of the 70's funk group, LTD (Love, Togetherness, Devotion), as it didn't get much play on the stations I listened to.

Then, upon finding this next entry, I discovered that singer Jeffrey Osborne came from LTD, and left in 1980 to start a successful solo career.

From Soul Train, circa 1977, here's "(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again".

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: You Make Me Feel Brand New (1974)

 Ah, The Stylistics. One of the best R & B groups of the 70's, right up there with the Spinners, the O'Jays, and the Jackson Five, among others. From Soul Train comes 1974's "You Make Me Feel Brand New":

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Everlasting Love (1974)

 Carl Carlton's best known hit was 1974's "Everlasting Love", which landed him aboard the Soul Train.

I think host-executive producer Don Cornelius gave artists the option to lip sync or perform live at the taping. Carlton chose the former with what looked like an extended version of "Love".

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Back Stabbers (1972)

 The O'Jays graced Soul Train with "Back Stabbers". This was huge back in the day.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Ain't No Stopping Us Now (1979)

 The songwriting team of John McFadden & Gene Whitehead, who authored the O'Jays' 1972 hit, "Back Stabbers", hit the charts themselves in 1979, reaching the top of the R & B chart and peaking at #13 on the Hot 100 with "Ain't No Stopping Us Now", which landed them on Soul Train.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: For The Love of Money (1973)

 The O'Jays' 1973 hit, "For The Love of Money", has been licensed for use in commercials over the years, and, as I'm finding out today, also served as the theme to The Apprentice. We can at least trust that producer Mark Burnett worked out the necessary details, since the show's "star", one Donald J. Trump, likely wouldn't, given what we know about him today.

"Money" has been covered by artists as diverse as Todd Rundgren's band, Utopia, Bulletboys, and actress-singer Katey Sagal (Futurama), who recorded her version 20 years ago.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: I Heard it Through The Grapevine (1972)

 "I Heard it Through The Grapevine" is one of the most iconic songs of the late 60's and early 70's. Three distinct versions have stood out, and you can't go wrong with any of them, whether it's the original by Marvin Gaye or covers by Creedence Clearwater Revival or this up-tempo version from Gladys Knight & The Pips, which landed them on Soul Train.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: She's Gone (1974)

 From Soul Train:

Tavares soared all the way to #1 on the R & B chart with "She's Gone" in 1974. A year earlier, Hall & Oates, who had written & recorded the track in 1973, missed the top 40. However, after Hall & Oates left for RCA, Atlantic Records reissued their version of "She's Gone", and that's the version oldies channels here will play.

Check the smooth harmonies of Tavares on "She's Gone":

To tell ya the truth, pilgrims, I didn't even know about this version until tonight.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Love Train (1972)

 Perhaps the biggest hit of The O'Jays' career, "Love Train" was a huge radio hit in 1972-3, which landed them on Soul Train:

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits (revisited): I Want You Back (1972)

 The Jackson 5ive made their first Soul Train appearance in 1972. After an interview with host-executive producer Don Cornelius, the brothers perform "I Want You Back".

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: The Love I Lost (1973)

 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, with Teddy Pendergrass on vocals, reached the top of the R & B chart, and the top 10 on the Hot 100, with 1973's "The Love I Lost", which landed them a return trip to Soul Train.

Mighty, indeed.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Summer Madness (1974)

 Kool & The Gang are best known for hits like "Jungle Boogie", "Hollywood Swinging", "Ladies Night", and "Joanna". However, in 1974, they also served up a jazzy, synth-fueled instrumental number on Soul Train. Here's "Summer Madness".

Like, this is the first I've heard it, and it swings.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: (Who's) That Lady (1973)

 The Isley Brothers originally released "Who's That Lady" in 1964, with future icon Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Nine years later, the Isleys re-recorded it as "That Lady", and it landed them on Soul Train early in national season 3, in September 1973.

Hard to tell which version's been used in advertising in recent years.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Don't Let it go to Your Head (1978)

 Philadelphia International Records has its own YouTube channel. In addition to the familiar hits by Billy Paul and Lou Rawls, there are some artists you might not have heard of, like, for example, Jean Carn, who climbed up the R & B & disco charts in the summer of 1978 with "Don't Let it go to Your Head", which brought her to Soul Train. Host-executive producer Don Cornelius does the intro:

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: Rise (1979)

 A & M Records co-founder Herb Alpert landed a #1 hit in 1979 with "Rise", which was used on General Hospital back then, and the success of the instrumental got Alpert on Soul Train.

Saturday Morning's Greatest Hits: When You're Young & in Love (1975)

Janet Jackson wasn't the only singer on Good Times.

Before Ms. Jackson joined the cast of the CBS sitcom, Broadway star Ralph Carter was cast as Michael Evans on the show, and was doing musical numbers in selected episodes, including a duet with Janet after she joined the cast, a cover of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.'s "You Don't Have to be a Star".

Ralph turned up on Soul Train in 1975 to do one of those Good Times numbers, "When You're Young & in Love". He released an album around that time, and the Train appearance was more about the album than the show.....