SATURDAY'S SINGLES : HARRY CHAPIN and STYX

[maggot]

Good morning gang and welcome to the return of Saturday's Singles. When I look back through the calendar at July 16th, it is clear to me that the date hasn't been kind to the musical world. Here are a few we've lost on this date :

1981 : Harry Chapin, age 38, car crash

1984 : Billy Williams (Billy Williams Quartet) age 74

1996 : John Panozzo (drummer, Styx) age 47, Liver failure

2003 : Celia Cruz (Cuban singer) age 77, brain cancer

2008 : Jo Stafford, age 90, heart failure

2012 : Jon Lord (Deep Purple) age 71 pulmonary embolism

2014 : Johnny Winter, ago 70  emphysema combined with pneumonia

2021 : Biz Markie (rapper) age 57 diabetes complications

Today we will feature two singles from this list.

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On this day in 1981, New York City native, Singer-songwriter, and philanthropist Harry Chapin died in a fiery collision with a semi truck and trailer. He was 38. We honor his legacy by spinning his single "Taxi". The song was released in March 1972 on the Elektra label and produced by Jac Holzman. Hailing from his debut album, Heads & Tales, the tune reached #28 in Australia, #24 on the Hot 100, #20 on the Cash Box, #19 in New Zealand, and #5 in Canada. The song, which tales the love story of a cabbie named Harry and his passenger named Sue, was originally paired with "Empty", but our copy has "WOLD" as it's B-side. Eight years later, Chapin would revisit Harry and Sue's story in the song appropriately titled "Sequel".

Harry Chapin - guitar, vocals
Steve Chapin - keyboards
Russ Kunkel - drums, percussion
Ronald Palmer - guitar, vocals
Tim Scott - cello
John Wallace - bass, vocals

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Our second single comes to us via the progressive rock band Styx. Their drummer, Chicago born John Panozzo, passed away on this day in 1996, age 47, from liver failure. With him in mind, we shine a light on their song "Sing For The Day". "Sing For The Day" was released  December 1978 on A&M Records and was produced by the band. It peaked at #40 on the Hot 100, #27 in Canada, and #18 in the Netherlands. It's parent album is the 8th studio album by Styx, Pieces of Eight, and it's flipside is "Queen of Spades", from the same LP.

Tommy Shaw - lead vocals, guitar, mandolin, autoharp
Dennis DeYoung - keyboards, backing vocals
Chuck Panozzo - bass guitar
John Panozzo - drums, percussion

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