THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

572-Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.-You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show.)

1976-Number 7 single.

Best Bit-At 1.16. In 1978 Janet Jackson performed this song in the final season of the ‘CBS’ sitcom ‘Good Times,’ she was 11 years old at the time.

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. are husband and wife, having married in 1969. McCoo was born September 30th, 1943, in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, and began her musical career as a member of the ‘Hi-Fi’s’ who would often open for Ray Charles. She first met Billy Davis Jr., who was born June 26th, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, in 1966, when he founded the ‘Versatiles,’ who would soon become ‘The 5th Dimension.’ With The 5th Dimension, McCoo and Davis Jr. had great success, staying with the band until they both left in 1975. They recorded 10 studio Albums, and achieved 20 top 40 hit singles, on Billboard, including two Number 1’s.

‘You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show’) was taken from Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr’s debut Album,’I hope We Get to Love in Time’ from 1976. The song went on to top the Billboard singles chart in January 1977, and also made Number 1 in Canada. It was co-written by John Glover, and James Dean (1943-2006,) Dean had already been a very successful songwriter in the 1960’s when working for ‘Motown Records,’ among his best known co-writes, and productions are,’What Becomes of the Broken Hearted’ (Jimmy Ruffin,) ‘I’ll Pick a Rose for My Rose,’ (Marv Johnson,) and ‘When Your Young and in Love,'( The Marvelettes,) he was the cousin of Eddie and Brian Holland.

In the 1980’s McCoo became the host of the American music television series ‘Solid Gold,’ which ran between 1980-1988. McCoo and Davis Jr, also became the first African American married couple to host a network television series,’The Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr Show,’ on ‘CBS’ in 1977.

‘Somebody nobody knows could steal the tune that you want to hear. So stop your running around,’cause now you’ve found what was cloudy is clear.’

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

573-Jackie DeShannon-When You Walk in the Room.

1963-Has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 0.04. One of the best guitar riffs in the world ever. Even Lennon and McCartney would have been proud of this.

Jackie DeShannon was born Sharon Lee Myers on August 24th, 1941, in Hazel, Kentucky, United States, she chose her stage name in 1960 when signing with ‘Liberty Records,’ believing that one of her Irish ancestors went by that name, she has also said that she liked the fact that ‘Jackie’ is a cross gender name. DeShannon has been married to her second husband Randy Edelman since 1976 (see also best songs 761.)

Jackie DeShannon was one of the first female singer/songwriters of the ‘Rock ‘N Roll’ era, although as a singer it took her 23 releases before finally making the Billboard top 40, with her cover of the Bacharach and David composition ‘What the World Needs Now Is Love,’ in 1965. Her other major Billboard hit was with her own song ‘Put a Little Love in Your Heart, which made Number 4, in 1969. That song would later be a hit in 1988, when recorded as a duet by Annie Lennox and Al Green.In 1960 DeShannon teamed up with Sharon Sheeley (1940-2002,) (see also best songs 422,) the girlfriend of Eddie Cochran, and together they wrote ‘Dum Dum,’ and Heart in Hand,’ which were both hits for Brenda Lee, and ‘Breakaway,’ for Irma Thomas, which in the 1980’s became a top 10 single in the UK for Tracy Ullman. But perhaps DeShannon’s best known song, and most successful was ‘Bette Davis Eyes,’ co-written with Donna Weiss in 1974, and when recorded by Kim Carnes in 1981, went to Number 1 on Billboard.

‘When You Walk in the Room’ was one of the tracks added to the 1964 Jackie DeShannon compilation Album ‘Breakin’ It Up on The Beatles Tour!’ Although DeShannon had opened for the Beatles on their 1964 North American tour, the 12 tracks on the Album are songs recorded for Liberty Records between 1962-1964, and have nothing to do with the tour. The song was most successful when covered by the British group ‘The Searchers in 1964, reaching Number 3 in the UK. In America the most successful version is by Pam Tillis who peaked at Number 2 on the Billboard Country Music chart in 1994.

‘I can feel a new expression on my face, I can feel a glowing sensation taking place. I can hear the guitars playin’ lovely tunes, every time that you walk in the room.’