Time Machine co-ordinates VIXLVIII48241360

So today we make it to April 13th, 1960- and a Wednesday, not a Friday the 13th like today- but we just missed it.  Missed what?  Opening day at the brand new Candlestick Park in San Francisco was yesterday.  In front of 42,000 fans slightly chilled by a 63F temp and wind gusting up to 20 MPH, the Giants beat the Cards 3-1.  Orlando Cepeda knocked in all three runs with a triple and a single, Willie Mays scored twice, and Sam "Toothpick" Jones won the first of his 18 victories with a 3 hitter.

Sam, years before, became the first negro to pitch a major league no-hitter with the Cubs.


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And we become the first Time Machine to give him a shout-out!  And also on this week's list:  We wrap up the Best Original Song story; debut two new M10 songs by two familiar acts; go "Crawling From The Wreckage " to our 6D victim; and have a fairly tight race for the Panel winner!  Play Ball- er, music!

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First up, a little premature stat package.  Even with three acts having just their first song in the M10, we have altogether ten acts that account for 27% of all M10 #1s, 13.2 % of all M10 hits, and 16.6 % of all the POSSIBLE top ten points in M10 history!  And we kick it off with a band that accounts for 6 of those hits and 2 of those #1s- the Shacks, at #10:




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Today, in honor of their second POTM win, here's Gretchen Christopher of the Fleetwoods!!!!

Hi, Gretchen!

Hello... did I hear you say this is the second time the Fleetwoods won?

Yes, ma'am!  Gary Troxel was here last time when you won with Mr Blue, and...

You realize that he's not legally authorized to represent the Fleetwoods unless I say so?

Well, yeah, but I drew him out of the past, and... hey, wait!  I drew you out of the past, too!

Yes, but I did my research.  35 years ago your time, he signed away all his rights...

He said some very nice things about you, too.  Could we get on with the show?

I may need to speak to my attorney first...

You have an attorney that would deal with temporal law?

Yes, I was just introduced.  Let me show you his card...

(Presses ejector button) WHOOOOOOSH!!!!!!!

Well, sorry you couldn't stay, Gretchen, contractual obligations and all.  Let me get on with the M10 candidate list this week, 9 candidates from 25 stations.

First up, is Skip and Flip- Skip being Flying Burrito Brother Clyde Battin, Flip being production force behind the Monster Mash and Alley-Oop, Gary Paxton- with a tune called Cherry Pie, which was #50 on this week's Cashbox national chart.

The Brothers Four- whom we mentioned just a couple of weeks ago in connection with their early version of Sloop John B- and Greenfields, which sat at #4.

A previous POTM Winner- Jim Reeves, who was still hanging on at #5 with He'll Have To Go.  He was also at #31 in the UK.

Ron Holden- a regular on USO tours with Elvis and Pat Boone, was at #61 with Love You So.

Paul Anka was crooning Puppy Love at #2, and #48 in the UK.

Johnny Horton's Sink The Bismark was at #9.

Connie Francis- another USO alum that toured with Ron Holden- was at #15 with Sixteen Reasons.

Elvis comes in with a roar, as he often does, with Stuck On You.  It was the week's biggest mover, shooting from #53 to #8- and in the UK, he DEBUTED in their top 50 at #10.


And finally we have Percy Faith's Theme From A Summer Place, in its 8th and final week at #1!

So like I said, we had a tight tight battle, so choose from Johnny Horton, Ron Holden, the Brothers 4, and Percy Faith.  Between them, they got 17 of the 25 votes!


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Debut #2 in the 9th position comes to us from an act that claims three more M10 #1s, and we are VERY glad to see her/them after her horrific accident last summer.  From the new lp (due out in May) called Bon Voyage, here's Melody's Echo Chamber:






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So now it's time to see how half #1 of the ME2.0s Best Original Song Oscar winners did- I'll do the second half a bit later.

1955- Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.  The Four Aces took that to the top, and it got it's own soap opera, too!  I had a crush on Laura as a kid- little did I know she was Donna Mills!

1956- Que Sera Sera.  Doris Day took it to #2 and used it for the theme of her own show back in the day.

1957- All The Way.  The first of two in a row that would be charted by Frank Sinatra, Ol' Blue Eyes took this one to #15.

(1958 did not chart.)

1959- High Hopes.  (High apple pie in the sky hopes...)  I learned this one on Captain Kangaroo, I believe.  The Chairman of the Board only did half as good this time, peaking at #30.

1960- Never On Sunday.  The Chordettes, who've gotten some pretty regular mention around here lately, took it to #13.

1961- We start a three song run of songs associated with Andy Williams.  In '61 it was Moon River- his signature song, but one he NEVER released as a single.  Jerry Butler took it to #11- and two weeks later, Roger Williams peaked at the very same number.

1962- Days Of Wine And Roses.  Andy peaked at a low (grumble grumble) #26.

(1963-5 did not chart.)

1966- with another nearly signature song of Andy's that he NEVER released, Born Free.  Roger Williams again carried the load, taking his orchestral version to #7.

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So remember the big hit for Neil Diamond, Forever In Blue Jeans?  Well, Neil co-wrote that one with his touring guitarist, Richard Bennett.  Bennett was also a member of a semi-legendary country back up band called the Cherry Bombs.  They also included Emery Gordy (who at one point was married to Patty Loveless), and Vince Gill before he became a solo star.  They were Rodney Crowell's- and by extension, his once-wife Roseanne Cash's- touring band, and before Crowell went solo they were all the nucleus of Emmylou Harris's band- a band which included one Graham Parker.  Parker was a singer songwriter who had a hand in Dave Edmund's lp Repeat When Necessary...

I LOVED that record!!!

Me too, Dave, and it not only included Parker's composition Crawling From The Wreckage, but Queen Of Hearts (later a hit for Juice Newton) and Elvis Costello's Girl's Talk.  And one more - a song called Home In My Hand, written by the tragic Ronnie Self.  Ronnie was a musician and writer of huge talent who went a bit mad and self-destructive.  But earlier, he was a lyricist of some renown, writing several songs for Brenda Lee- including the song at #3 without a Panel Vote, Sweet Nothings.


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Round #2, after skipping non-charting 1967:

1968- Windmills Of Your Mind.  From the movie (original) The Thomas Crown Affair, it was first done by Noel Harrison, but it was Dusty Springfield that took the song (whose music was written by Michel Legrand, proud pappa of Beach House's Victoria Legrand) to #31.

1969- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head.  Offered to Dylan first, it was BJ Thomas who made it the first #1 of the seventies.

1970- The one that started this whole thing last week, For All We Know.  The Carpenters took it to #3.

1971- We kick off three straight #1s with the Theme From Shaft, which Isaac Hayes charted.

1972- The Morning After from the original and best The Poseidon Adventure.  Maureen McGovern would take this movie hit to the top; she was much less successful with her second try upcoming.

1973- The Way We Were.  Streisand of course, back when I could still stand her.

1974- Maureen McGovern breaks the streak with the winner We May Never Love Like This Again- and with good reason, as it only got to #87.

1975- Possibly my favorite song on the list, I'm Easy, which Keith Carradine did for the flick Nashville.  It peaked at #17.

1976- and the far nether end of my personal Streisand experience- Evergreen (Theme From A Star Is Born), which polluted the top spot for 3 weeks.  One can only imagine it will "improve with age" after Lady Gaga completes HER remake of the film.


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Stat pack:


I knew 19, more or less.

At #101 this week was a remake of the 1940 Oscar winner- When You Wish Upon A Star- by Dion and the Belmonts, of all people.

Ruth Brown- the "queen of R&B" before Aretha- was our #60 in '60 with Don't Deceive Me.

And the UK top dog was once again Lonnie Donnegan, with a song I thought was pretty funny- My Old Man's A Dustman.

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And now, the remaining M10- sort of...

Major Murphy holds at 8 with No. 1.

The Cambodian Space Project and buddy Paul Kelley move up to #7 (2 spots) with Summer Wine.

The second blow to the Iron Ceiling- Sunflower Bean slides to #6 after two weeks at the top with Twenty Two.

Roseanne Cash creeps up a single notch to #5 with Walking Wounded.

Beach House reverses course and moves up a spot to #4 in week #8 with Lemon Glow.

Not My Baby by Alvvays nudges up one to #3; as does Lucius with Eventually at #2.

And that means... wait'll after the POTM is announced!

And speaking of that POTM- the winner, with 24% of the vote...

Johnny Horton and Sink The Bismark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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And the reason why I delayed announcing the #1 is I have a new lyric video- for a change, actually put together and starring the singer!  With the song that RETURNS to #1 after a two-week absence, the "last girl standing" of the Iron Ceiling....  Mikaela Davis...






So be here next week for Johnny Horton and 1961, God willing....