Time Machine week 16

Today our musical Tardis lands in March 13th- unlike today, a Wednesday, not a Friday- 1963, where we find Ernesto Miranda has been arrested- yes, THAT Miranda.  In and out of reform school and jail since 8th grade- thirteen years from being a stabbing victim in a bar fight, Miranda gave a full confession, was positively IDed by the victim of the kidnapping/rape that led to his latest trouble... but the cops forgot to tell him he had a right NOT to confess, and the right to an attorney.  Along came the ACLU to the rescue, and fought all the way to the Supreme Court, and got the conviction thrown out.

"... I respect your relentless battle for the rights of scum.  But I ain't you."  Wolverine to Matt Murdoch (AKA Daredevil)

Nevertheless, even with his confession out of play, a second trial nailed him, thanks to the testimony of a common-law wife with a grudge.

And went on to make a (brief) living signing miranda warning cards.

Welcome to Time Machine for the week that saw the debuts of the Drifters' On Broadway, Gene Pitney's Mecca, Peter Paul and Mary's Puff The Magic Dragon, and little Peggy March's I Will Follow Him.  This week, we enter the top ten of the Great Nineties Countdown; A couple of unknown songs... really unknown this time;  One really weird member on this week's panel;  the "worst f'n song" Sinatra ever heard (and he sang it); and a very good, rather oddly distributed shuffle ten!  You have the right to read on...

This week's panel consists of WEEZ, Chester PA;  KBIX Muskogee OK; WKBW Buffalo; WSPR Springfield MA; WABC New York; KEWB San Francisco; KRLA Los Angeles; WLS Chicago; WQAM Miami; WDRC Hartford; WAKR Akron; and KBOX Dallas.  They put 23 songs into the mix, including #1 votes for the Four Seasons' Walk Like A Man (Muskogee, as well as the national chart), the Cascades' Rhythm Of The Rain (Chester), Paul and Paula's Hey Paula (New York), and Lou Christie's The Gypsy Cried, which was actually two weeks into its descent down the national chart (Dallas).  Before we get to the panel's picks, I want to bring up the oddity that was the Muskogee chart this week.

In addition to having the only vote fore the national #1 in their top slot, their #2 was the #63 nationally tune by Brian Hyland, If Mary's There (Which kinda goes with the 6 degrees victim coming up later).  Then in their third slot we find Brenda Lee's She'll Never Know, which was actually the b-side of her top 40 hit Your Used To Be.  In all fairness to Okie Nation, I thought She'll Never Know (which peaked at 47 to the a-side's 32) was a better song.

In their fourth slot was another b-side but this time neither side actually charted nationally.  This was Tommy Roe's Don't Cry Donna, which again I actually found better than the A-side flop Gonna Take A Chance.  Here, see for yourself:

BTW, the number five on KBIX was Elvis' One Broken Heart For Sale- which was the #11 "flop" between the #2 Return To Sender and the #3 (You're The) Devil In Disguise.


The other oddity I spotted, quite by accident, was way down the WDRC chart.  I spotted the simple name at #28 - "Ann Cole, Have Fun."  Ann Cole (actual Coleman) started out with a family Gospel act called the Colemanaires, in which she got sorta discovered... and ended up being the uncredited backup vocal on Fats Domino's 1958 hit When I See You.  She would go on to have a handful of R&B hits, of which this one, a #10 peak, was the last:






Unfortunately, we wouldn't have the benefit of that voice for long.  Shortly after this song charted, Ann was in a serious car accident that left her wheelchair-bound and unable to perform professionally.  I couldn't let this go by without a prayer that somehow, Ann managed to follow her own advice.


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So what WHERE the panel's picks?

At #4 was the Orlon's South Street with 15 points, #14 nationally this week.

At #3 were Ruby and the Romantics with Our Day Will Come, the #3 song on Cashbox, with 21 points.

The runner up, with the #1 votes of Springfield and Chicago, Skeeter Davis' The End Of The World, with the #6 national placement and 27 points.

And the numero uno.... stay tuned.

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One last note on a very strange panel this week... At #5 on Dallas was a song listed on the original chart as "All I Do Is Dream- Dick Chamberlain."  Don't recognize it?  If you look at #26 on Cashbox, you'll find it was REALLY  "All I Have To Do Is Dream by RICHARD Chamberlain."  Of course, they also had the fast-dropping The Gypsy Cried at #1.



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And now, the penultimate Great Nineties Countdown!

10- Someday, Sugar Ray, 1999.  A number 7 both pop and alternative.

Someday
When my life has passed me by
I'll lay around and wonder why you were always there for me
One way
In the eyes of a passerby
I'll look around for another try
And fade away
And fade away
And fade away
And fade away....

9- Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand, Primitive Radio Gods, 1996.  With the sample from BB King's How Blue Can You Get, it hit #10 pop and #1 alternative.

We sit outside and argue all night long
About a God we've never seen
But never fails to side with me
Sunday comes and all the papers say
Ma Teresa's joined the mob
And happy with her full time job... do do do do do...

I been downhearted baby, 
I been down I been downhearted baby
Ever since the day we met
Ever since the day we met...

8- Mary Jane's Last Dance, Tom Petty, 1993.  With those Indiana boys on an Indiana night, it hit #14 pop.

Last dance with Mary Jane, one more time to kill the pain
I feel summer closing in and I'm tired of this town again...

7- I'm Still Remembering, Cranberries, 1994.  An lp cut from To The Faithful Departed, an instant tear bringer for me.

They say the cream'll always rise to the top
They say that good people are always first to drop
What of Kurt Cobain will his presence still remain?
Remember J.F.K. ever saintly in a way

Where are you now?
Where are you now?
Where are you now?
I say, where are you now?

6- Winds Of Change, Scorpions, 1991.  Their tribute to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the promise of the future was a #4 hit.

I follow the Moskva
Down to Gorky Park
Listening to the wind of change
An August summer night
Soldiers passing by
Listening to the wind of change

The world is closing in
Did you ever think
That we could be so close, like brothers
The future's in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change.....


Next week... the top five.

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And that brings us to 6 degrees time, and that starts with... the Name Game!

This was of course that fun nonsense song made into a hit by Shirley Ellis.  The writer was one Lincoln Chase, who also penned lyrics (which I have never heard) to one of my favorite instrumental hits, Burt Kaempfert's Wonderland By Night.  That chart topper from 1961 was composed by a man who got involved in a controversy over another of his song credits.  It seems that a man by the name of Ivo Robic wrote the melody, but sold it to Kaempfert when he was unable to turn it into a profit.  Kaempfert apparently didn't give credit when he turned the song into- Strangers In The Night.  This was Sinatra's all time most hated song, who called it "The worst f'n song I have ever heard." It didn't help his mood when his session guitarist- one Glen Campbell- had to fake his way through since Frank liked to do stuff in one take and he hadn't rehearsed.  Frank asked the booth man, "Is this guy with us, or is he sleeping?"  We come to this song because one of the co-writers- Eddie Snyder- was also co-writer on the highest nationally charting song this week that got no love from the panel-  the #9 What Will Mary Say by Johnny Mathis.

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And now, the shuffle ten!



The Four Seasons make their second shuffle ten with one of their lesser known hits- the #45 from 1969, And That Reminds Me.

A second straight 60's hit comes in at #9- the Cyrkle with their other hit, Turn Down Day, which was a #16 in 1966.

Three in a row?  Tommy James and the Shondells collect their second shuffle ten with the song at #8- 1967's Getting Together, which peaked at 18.

Now we shift to mid-seventies for a while, with that run kicking off here at #7 with Bread's second shuffle tenner, 1976's Lost Without Your Love.  It peaked at #9 back then.

At six on the shuffle ten, a surprising FIRST appearance, finally, for KISS, with Christine Sixteen, which made it to #25 in 1977.

Also from 1977, also from a band that surprisingly took this long to make the shuffle ten, Styx with my all time favorite from them, Crystal Ball.  It peaked at 109....  deserved better.

1977 one more time- from the lp For Him Who Has Ears To Hear, Keith Green gets his second shuffle ten.  It's one of the contemporary Christian artists' most fun songs- He'll Take Care Of The Rest.  The lp was listed by CCM magazine as the #5 all time Christian lp, and as a proud owner I'll vouch for it.  The song sits on our chart at #4.

Another album cut comes in at #3, and the album it comes from is a cult favorite- the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle.  From 1968, the song is the beautiful Hung Up On A Dream.

At number 2, we return to 1969 for Sly and the Family Stone with their #22 hit Stand.  The b-side, though, had become the more enduring hit, despite peaking at #60- (I Want To Take You) Higher.



And, at number one?


Survey says....

The Chiffons with He's So Fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


They were at 12 and climbing nationally- but collected half of the week's number one votes and racked up 35 points.


And, shuffle says...

Better Than Ezra with Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


You just saw these guys at #21 on the G90sC a couple weeks back- 30 pop and #1 alternative in 1995, and the glue that held me together in the great summer of my discontent.


And that wraps up this week's show!  Tune into next week's show for the Great Nineties Countdown finale!