American Top 40: The 70’s

The short answer is: it varies, track-to-track.

I've seen a set of production sheets that AT40 used internally, and for each song in the countdown, it listed all the versions available, with their times. It might say 45 - 3:02, LP - 3:58, tape (for custom edits) - 3:26, and so forth. Each track would usually have two or three listed versions. I think the printed times usually accounted for the intro/outro times.

The engineer's job was to make 60 minutes of programming fit into 60 minutes, so picking the versions to use in the show often came down to picking the right song lengths.

So, you really can't tell what the single version is, based on what you hear in the show.

The other side of that, is that if you hear something you've never heard before (the promo edit of "American Pie", or the awesome 45 version of "Two Tickets To Paradise"), then it's a pretty good bet that it first existed on a vinyl 45 at some point. There were custom edits done in-house, but no complicated overhauls or custom remixes that I know of.

I agree that it's a fun listen! I started listening in 1979 when I was 11, and gave up listening to new shows in February, 2003, when Casey stepped down as host.

I'd say virtually every radio personality that's my age was influenced in one way or another by AT40. Whether it's the "Top 5 at 9" on a local station, or a tease for what's coming up later, or just a 90-second tidbit about a song, Casey's shadow looms large. He's been my single, largest influence in my own on-air work, which I'll freely admit.

I believe the *&^$%# up-tempo number was "Dare Me" by the Pointer Sisters. There's a whole chapter about the Dead Dog outtake in Rob Durkee's book about AT40.

I'm up to post #200! Woo-hoo indeed!

torcan wrote: I always listened to AT40 rather than Casey's top 40, even in the Shadoe years, because I preferred the Billboard countdown to R&R.

Same here. I liked Casey, but anything that wasn't Billboard just wasn't real. However, it wasn't an easy thing to do... After Casey left, AT 40 affiliates were dropping like flies (at least around me.) I had 3 stations to hear AT 40 on in 1988 but by 1990 that number dropped to ZERO!

I guess it really didn't matter since the Billboard chart committed suicide in 1991. Now R&R is the real thing.

Welcome to the club Music Freak. AT40 is the greatest thing in the history of radio, and for those of us who have also communicated with Shannon in the past and purchased his sets, you are correct: he is very knowledgeable of these shows, and he is a great guy to boot!

RichM921 wrote:      However, it wasn't an easy thing to do... After Casey left, AT 40 affiliates were dropping like flies (at least around me.) I had 3 stations to hear AT 40 on in 1988 but by 1990 that number dropped to ZERO!

I know what you mean. Starting in Jan. 1989, I had to listen to it on AM for a while until another FM station I could get picked it up in the early '90s. It was worth it!

Just as an aside, another show I loved listening to back then was "Open House Party". We had it from 1989-92 - then my station changed formats and we never got it back. When I was searching the web a while back I was surprised to find it's still on - but it wouldn't be the same now because the music is just not as good.

Edited by torcan