This year Radioinfo will take you back 50 years to the songs that were released and charted in that mighty fine year for music.
“DON’T LOOK ETHEL!!”
Alongside the poetic folk, American rock, country ballads and songs of heartbreak, 1974 also saw the release of a couple of huge, but very silly, hits. The Streak is one, and Ray Stevens’ biggest chart success worldwide, No 2 in Australia and No 1 in the US, UK, Canada and NZ.
It came about when Stevens read a story about the increasing occurrences of streakers and thought it would be a great topic for a song. Its success was probably enhanced by American photographer Robert Opel streaking across the stage (wearing nothing but a peace sign) behind host David Niven at the 46th Academy Awards less that a week after Stevens’ homage to no clothes was released.
Ray Stevens is no one hit wonder though and was tremendously successful in Australia from the early 60s to the mid 70s. He released his first song in 1957, but it was the single Jeremiah Peabody’s Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills, in 1961 that first made the charts. A headache for any radio broadcaster to back announce, that song title’s length (14 words, 104 characters) was not exceeded for another twenty years.
With all the above, for those not familiar with Stevens you would assume that he was strictly a novelty singer and songwriter.
Absolutely not.
This genuinely wonderful man had an uncanny ability to see and seize a musical and zeitgeist opportunity, The Streak included.
In the late 60s he felt that the appeal of silly songs was dwindling. Ray was working for Mercury Records as a producer and session keyboard player where his abilities behind the scenes allowed him the freedom to write, record, produce and release his own music.
He somehow managed to play trumpet on an Elvis Presley session (despite not knowing the instrument at all), produced some of the early releases for Dolly Parton and discovered a then unknown Kris Kristofferson whose song Sunday Morning Coming Down (the antithesis of a novelty song) he liked so much he recorded and released it in 1969 a full year before Johnny Cash made it and Kristofferson a star.
The following year Ray moved to the Andy Williams’ owned label, Barnaby Records, where Stevens got to host The Andy Williams Show on NBC while Williams took his summer vacation.
Stevens needed to have a theme song to accompany this opportunity and so he wrote Everything is Beautiful which became his first No 1 US hit and won him a Grammy for Male Vocalist of the Year.
Below is Stevens in 1974, on Top of the Pops, performing The Streak, and all its many characters, to a live audience who don’t quite know whether they should dance along or just watch. It’s quite extraordinary.
In 1975 Stevens released a version of the Errol Garner standard Misty. Misty is considered one of the Recording Industry Association of America Songs of the Century. Stevens’ cover was a total country reimagining, and a crossover hit, winning him a second Grammy for Music Arrangement of the Year. I’ve included a live version of it below too. Seriously, check out his high notes!
Later Stevens would buy himself a 2000 seat theatre in Missouri where he would put on shows and do live recordings that would become become part of his impressive 45 studio and two live album catalogue. It was shut down during Covid, but still Stevens pivoted releasing The Quarantine Song, which was a viral hit; warm, understanding and funny.
Stevens is 85 now. If you are unfamiliar with him load up the pictured best of on Spotify and treat yourself to a gifted and joyous man of many musical and comedic talents.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and music trivia buff for Radioinfo