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Hi, I think you might enjoy this. Its a pretty special, altho short and fairly heavy, story involving some important musical history. Above all, its true. It involves music and belief, and where I come from.
Well, anyway, they captured this list on CNN which lists the top 365 songs of the 20th Century as compiled by the RIAA and The National Endowment for the Arts. Whether you like the list, agree with it or laugh at it, its what it is. Whats funny to me is whats number 5 on the list !
As with any story, there has to be a beginning before there can be a story at all. Hit records don't just "happen". They have to have something which places them above the rest of the releases they compete with when the companies release them. Something has to spark interest if its not a known successful artist or song. The unfamiliar is taboo in radio! They don't want to give the listner a reason to switch stations, especially if the reason is a bad song choice they've added to their playlists.
This is the true story of how this song which now resides at number
''5"
on this prestigeous list of the top 365 Songs of the 20th Century got started and became a hit record.
I worked for United Artists at the time really early in my career in the music industry when we released this song. It was totally ignored by radio. Too wierd, too this, too that etc. I absolutely loved it and took the record to my stations here in the Atlanta area, and started to pound them to play it. Jim Davenport ( no relation ) Owner of WFOM, believed in me enough to give it a shot when I asked him and Pete Owen ( music director ) to PLEASE just try it.
Jim was instrumental in helping me get my job in the first place and believed in me, so he did, and then became a believer with me in the song and the record when the listner reaction started immediately. I then, with his blessing and support, took it to Athens, Augusta and on and on telling the WFOM story. Where ever I got it played, it became an issue both on the request lines as well as at the retail stores who began to get calls for it. The record became a major hit in my market first before any other market in America. We sorta blind sided the rest of the country with it.
From this effort, this record started to spread to other markets who watched our progress here in the South and gave it a chance "AGAINST" their better judgement! Everywhere it was tried, it became a hit and the legend of what the storyline of the song really meant began to develope.
After the record had its run on the charts, United Artists gave Jim Davenport and WFOM the Gold Record Award for breaking this record which at the time was the custom in the industry. Jim decided to give it to Pete Owen his music director, for his help in the beginning with me to get him to try it, and then Pete and Jim together, decided to put my name over the original engraving and give it to me for making them both believe enough to help me break it. These Awards ( especially the ones with the RIAA SEAL ) were and are PRIZED by the industry both then and now and it was very rare that a station would give the award to another for any reason. The respect these two guys showed me was and is a special part of my personal memories during my career in the music industry.
The original RIAA Gold Record Award for breaking "Ameircan Pie" by Don McClean on United Artists Records, still hangs on my wall in Firstake Studios and will always be a reminder to me of what it means to believe and trust your judgement when you KNOW something is a hit. This has always been my gift in music to be able to "hear" beyond the unfamiliar and know it can be something special. When music truly moves you, you can be sure it will move others.
This is only one story. Christopher Cross "Sailing" is another, The Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose " Treat Her Like A Lady " is another, Sugarloaf " Green Eyed Lady " another, The Allman Brothers "Ramblin Man", Wet Willie " Keep On Smilin' " ( I had 16 number ones in my market before WB made this one a priority .... sheeesh ... nothing was easy ! ), and many, many others, not to mention the Travis Tritt Story.
I just wanted to pass this along to you because it was and is a special reminder to me of what it means to allow yourself to believe in something that may not be proven yet, but inside, you KNOW its there. Heres the link to the list as posted on the CNN Web Site as well as a pic of the award.:
Anything is possible if you just have a little faith and believe!
Danny Davenport / Firstake Enterprises
Click here for: The Complete list
( just in case something ever happens to the original link at CNN ).
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