I grew up on TOP 40 music in the Greater Washington D.C. area during the entire wild and crazy decade that was the 1970s and into the early portion of the 1980s. I listened to such great radio stations as WWDC-AM (1260), WASH-FM (97.1), WPGC (95.5) , WRQX (107.3), and WAVA (105.1).
Years and years of Sunday mornings were spent sitting right next to my transistor radio – listening intently to every single word that Casey Kasem uttered and every single lyric of every single song that he led in to and out of on the original “American Top 40” radio show.
Disco music took over and totally dominated the radio airwaves for a good solid three years starting in 1976, and this preteen kid at the time was caught right in the middle of that revolution. It totally defined our culture of the time.
31 years ago this weekend in July of 1978 this song was making its rapid ascent up Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” countdown. It would eventually reach # 8 and become Barry Manilow’s 5TH gold pop smash in less than 4 years. This – my groovy middle-aged friends – is the “Copacabana” – and it’s the highlight of my ‘Friday Night Disco Party’ tonight !
CountUp 