Time machine week 27

It's October 24, 1972- the day Jackie Robinson died.  While baseball mourned, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat convened a special meeting of his military leadership.  At this meeting, he asked the progress on his orders to Field Marshall Mohammed Sadeq to prepare a war plan against Israel.  Egypt was still an economic shambles after the Six-Day War and Sadat felt only a successful war with their greatest enemy would buy him the popularity he needed to enact unpopular reforms.  Imagine his surprise when the assembled military men greeted his question with... well, surprise.  Apparently Sadeq, who was supposed to have a proposal ready three weeks ago, hadn't done anything- including telling the other Generals.  Needless to say, Sadeq swiftly found himself seeking alternate employment, and the plans eventually reached fared little better when sprang on Yom Kippur almost one year later.

Psst, Anwar... some things you really have to take care of yourself...

Welcome to this week's Time Machine- a week that saw our first tastes of the Osmond Brothers' Crazy Horses, Billy Paul's Me And Mrs. Jones, Gilbert O'Sullivan's Clair... and this classic from the convention floor...





This week, we have the #5 One-Hit-Wonder's next hit (because we accidentally did #6 several weeks ago); the #4 Top Top Ten (because #5 is coming up in just 3 weeks on our countdown!), a couple of Marvin Gaye cameos, a new #1, and the rollicking return of the 45 @ 45!  Hop in and enjoy!


Let us start this week with the One-Hit Wonder deal, where I count down my favorite "next best hit" for one hit wonders of the Martin era.  This week, a lady I love to feature, Miss Merrilee Rush!

And you can blame me?

 She had had the big hit Angel Of The Morning back in '68, hitting #7.  Her next biggest hit- peaking at #54 on Billboard in '77- was this one:






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This week, our top 40 was joined by 4 newcomers.  Emerson Lake And Palmer nudges up 4 to #40 with the beautiful From The Beginning.  One spot higher, a country/folk gentleman by the name of Sam Neely moves 6 spots with his first top 40, a tune called Loving You Just Crossed My Mind.  Sam would go on to have several minor pop and country hits, with this one being the highest charting.  His biggest country hit- 1974's You Can Have Her- peaked at 49 there and 34 here (his only other time in the top 40).  Seals and Crofts make their big hot 100 debut, moving twelve spots to #36 with Summer Breeze.  And the high debut belongs to the first of our Marvin Gaye cameos.  The song is a song of his called Don't Do It, and it is covered by The Band.  Marvin's original had peaked at #27 way back in '64, and this was the last of 2 times the legendary group would enter the top 40.


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(BTW, when you go to make a score line like that, don't accidentally hit "CNTRL" instead of "shift", or your page will rapidly shrink to near nothingness.  Just sayin'.)


Next up, a look at our two little features.  On the You Peaked roster, we have Hot Buttered's Popcorn, a huge hit in Europe, falling after a stop at #11.  Donny Osmond also tumbles after stopping at 16 with Why, and Mel And Tim's Starting All Over Again falls after stopping at # 18.  On the other side of the coin, our biggest mover this week on the Cashbox chart is the Temptations' Papa Was A Rolling Stone, shooting up 17 spots to #54.

Nope, wrong Rolling Stones...

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So we move on to the 4th biggest Top Top Ten this week, and it comes to us from 1970- the week of February 28th, to be precise:

10- Ma Belle Ami, the Tee Set.  A nice, soft, love song.

9- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, BJ Thomas.  The song that began the 70's at #1 on it's slow way down.

8- Venus, Shocking Blue.  It's successor at the top spot, also taking it's time backing on down.

Merrilee Rush and Mariska Veres on the SAME show?  This might be my favorite TM post since the second Time Machine Beauty Contest!

7- Travellin' Band, CCR.  Not my fave from the boys, but "'tis enough, t'will serve".

6- Rainy Night In Georgia, Brook Benton.  This song defined melancholy.

5- Psychedelic Shack, Temptations.  Their "psychedelic era" has grown on me over the years.

4- No Time, The Guess Who.  One of my top 3 all time favorites, no surprise to see this song at it's peak in the Top Top Ten.

3- Thank You Fallettenme Be Mice Elf Again, Sly And The Family Stone.  Spelling problems notwithstanding, these guys started me on funk.

2- Hey There Lonely Girl, Eddie Holman.  Always was a sucker for a good falsetto.  Hey, he was just on the One-Hit Wonder feature a few weeks back!

Annnnnnd the biggest hit that week-

I think Art needed to re-think this lp cover...

1- Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon And Garfunkel.  One of the three biggest hits of the decade, and the best of the three IMHO.


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We have three new top tens this week, which leaves us three droppers.  This week the fallen ones are Get On The Good Foot (10 to 17), Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me (5 to 18), and Black And White (9 to 20).

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Before we get to this week's top ten, it's time to do a 45 @ 45!  This is the #45 song (or 45) on Cashbox's hot 100 this week 45 years ago, and we hit a song called Baby I'm For Real.  It was written by Marvin Gaye (his second cameo) for a group called the Originals.  The group was signed as backup singers for Motown, featuring on songs by Gaye aa well as both David and Jimmy Ruffin.  Marvin was trying to get through Berry Gordy's thick skull that he could write hit songs, and the Originals had been having troubles getting their own songs off the ground.  But they hit #14 with this one, and in 1970 would hit again big with their tune The Bells.  Among the members of this group was vocalist CP Spencer, who was also a founding member of the Spinners waaaaay back in 1954-5; and Freddie Gormon, Brian Holland's original songwriting partner, who got co-credits on big hits like Martha and the Vandellas' Please Mr. Postman and another recent One-Hit Wonder group, the Reflections, and Just Like Romeo And Juliet.

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And now, this week's top ten- which features 5 of the ten tunes on the #5 Top Top Ten which we'll feature in three short weeks!


Rick Nelson and his Stone Canyon Band crash the Garden Party at #10, up 7 big spots.

Curtis Mayfield's follow up to the lead singe from the Superfly soundtrack is at #9- Freddie's dead, moving up 4.

Rocketing up a quick 13 spots to #8, those same Spinners- sans CP Spencer- with I'll Be Around.

The Moody Blues , moving characteristically slowly, edge up one to #7 with Nights In White Satin.

Well, the Raspberries didn't take their own advice after all.  Go All The Way falls from 4 to #6.

Bill Withers moves up a pair to #5 with Use Me.

Elvis burns his way up to #4, up a pair, with Burning Love.

The Main Ingredient has cooked long enough, and now falls from the top to #3 with Everybody Plays The Fool.

Michael Jackson's little rodent friend Ben chews up another spot to #2.


And this week's spanking-new top dog...

...Chuck Berry's My Ding-A-Ling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


'Tis a wrap!  Next week, kids!