Energy Crisis '74
Encyclopedia
Energy Crisis '74 is a novelty
single by Dickie Goodman
released on Rainy Wednesday Records in 1974.
The record is a satire of the 1973 energy crisis in the United States, and was moderately successful, breaking the US Top 40 charts at #33. The record is structured as a series of interviews with various public and political figures of the day with regard to the energy crisis. Questions were asked by an interviewer (Goodman), and their responses were lines and snippits of various hit records of the day.
The B-Side "The Mistake" was a false start from the A-side of the record, about 36-38 seconds into the record. Only the first second or two has anything on it and the rest of the 2:00 is silent. Later pressings feature "Ruthie's Theme" as the B-side.
Portions of Goodman's dialogue would later be used on his son Jon Goodman's recording "Economy Crisis" in 2008.
An edited version of "Energy Crisis '74" from the 1997 "Greatest Fables" compilation features fake re-recorded snippets of all but two of the above tracks, the exceptions being "Smokin' In The Boys Room" and "Living For The City". Also, the segments for "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Top Of The World" were completely removed.
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
single by Dickie Goodman
Dickie Goodman
Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman was an American music producer.-Career:In June 1956 Goodman created his first record, "The Flying Saucer", which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio show...
released on Rainy Wednesday Records in 1974.
The record is a satire of the 1973 energy crisis in the United States, and was moderately successful, breaking the US Top 40 charts at #33. The record is structured as a series of interviews with various public and political figures of the day with regard to the energy crisis. Questions were asked by an interviewer (Goodman), and their responses were lines and snippits of various hit records of the day.
The B-Side "The Mistake" was a false start from the A-side of the record, about 36-38 seconds into the record. Only the first second or two has anything on it and the rest of the 2:00 is silent. Later pressings feature "Ruthie's Theme" as the B-side.
Portions of Goodman's dialogue would later be used on his son Jon Goodman's recording "Economy Crisis" in 2008.
Songs
The songs that were sampled are:- Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) by Helen ReddyHelen ReddyHelen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
- Smokin' In the Boys RoomSmokin' In the Boys Room"Smokin' in the Boys Room" is a song originally recorded by Brownsville Station in 1973 on their album Yeah!, reaching #3 on the U.S. charts, and later covered in 1985 by Mötley Crüe, with the Crüe's version accompanied by a conceptual music video featuring Michael Berryman as the school...
by Brownsville StationBrownsville Station (band)Brownsville Station was a rock band from Michigan that was popular in the 1970s. Original members included Cub Koda , Mike Lutz , T.J. Cronley , and Tony Driggins... - Living for the CityLiving for the City"Living for the City" is a 1973 hit single by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label, from his Innervisions album. Reaching #8 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and #1 on the R&B chart, the record is driven by a slow bass synth groove that manages to exude a certain amount of tension, an appropriate...
by Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist... - Helen WheelsHelen Wheels"Helen Wheels" is a song by Paul McCartney & Wings. The song was named after Paul and Linda McCartney's Land Rover, which they nicknamed "Hell on Wheels"....
by Paul McCartney and WingsPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100... - Mind GamesMind Games (song)"Mind Games" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1973 on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 1868 in the US and Apple R5994 in the UK. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #26 on the British singles chart...
by John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music... - The JokerThe Joker (song)"The Joker" is a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album The Joker. The song is one of two Steve Miller Band songs that feature the neologism "pompatus". The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974. It draws heavy influence from the Allen Toussaint's song Soul Sister featured...
by Steve Miller BandSteve Miller BandThe Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and... - Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadGoodbye Yellow Brick RoadGoodbye Yellow Brick Road, released in 1973, is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John. It has come to be regarded as Elton John's best and most popular album, and is his best selling studio album with worldwide sales of at least 15 million copies.Recorded at the Château...
by Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor... - Hello It's MeHello It's Me"Hello It's Me" is a Billboard #5 hit song composed by Todd Rundgren that has been recorded numerous times, and would become Rundgren's best-known song.- Background :...
by Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings... - You're SixteenYou're Sixteen"You're Sixteen" is a song written by the Sherman Brothers . It was first performed by American rockabilly singer Johnny Burnette, whose version peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1960....
by Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in... - The Most Beautiful GirlThe Most Beautiful Girl"The Most Beautiful Girl" is a song recorded by Charlie Rich and written by Bill Sherrill, Norris Wilson, and Rory Michael Bourke. The country & western ballad reached #1 in the United States in 1973 on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart ; the country chart ; and the adult contemporary...
by Charlie RichCharlie RichCharles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver... - Top of the WorldTop of the World (The Carpenters song)"Top of the World" is the name of a 1972 song by The Carpenters. Originally recorded for and released on the duo's 1972 studio album A Song for You, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in late 1973, becoming the duo's second U.S. number-one single...
by The CarpentersThe CarpentersCarpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
An edited version of "Energy Crisis '74" from the 1997 "Greatest Fables" compilation features fake re-recorded snippets of all but two of the above tracks, the exceptions being "Smokin' In The Boys Room" and "Living For The City". Also, the segments for "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Top Of The World" were completely removed.