Time Machine week 87

Today we hit August 26, 1967- the day after American Nazi Party leader George Lincoln Rockwell (thus besmirching three good names) was assassinated by John Patler, a former underling who "loved him like a father" but got kicked out of the club for "Bolshevik leanings"- and the day before Beatles manager Brian Epstein, apparently pissed that the "rent boys" he hired to er, entertain at his party didn't show up on time went home and ODed on Carbital.  We, however, will have a better day because-

As in, the beginning of year two of the M10!  And 10 will be the theme as we look at the songs that got to number ten and no farther, as well as the top ten albums (according to Billboard's top 200 of all time list) that I actually owned- and just maybe, the top ten on the list I wouldn't have in my house!  Plus the usual stuff, including a cameo by Alvin and the Chipmunks!  You could kick off your shoes, but if you have five fingers on each hand you won't need to!  Let's go!


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(BTW- if you are waiting for that promised ice cream and cake, you already had it.  It was delicious!  But then you got really drunk during the party, and well, I had to go back and erase it from your memory. I couldn't save the cake, sorry...)

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As I fumble through my notes for the right page, introduce yourself to this week's Panel:  WSAM Saginaw; WFIL Philadelphia; KNIT Abilene (there has to be a joke here about knitting, needles, and turntables- some assembly required); WMAK Nashville; KOL Seattle; CHLO St Thomas ONT; WMCA New York;  WING Dayton; WGEM Quincy; WBSR Pensacola; WLLH Lowell MA; and KFXM San Bernardino.  This group gave us 27 different songs on 26 45s (explain that one in a bit), including the non P4 #1s- Happy by the Sunshine Company (Saginaw), Neil Diamond's Thank The Lord For The Night Time (Nashville), Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie by Jay and the Techniques (St Thomas)The Box Tops with The Letter (San Bernie)- and one that also makes that low charter list.  That would be Bettye Swan's Make Me Yours- #1 in Florida despite having peaked back in July and since exiting the CB chart.

Also in our bottom charter story, we have the #2 in Abilene, the Easybeats with Heaven And Hell- a song that peaked nationally at #92 earlier in the month; the mind-bent Wayne Fontana with 24 Sycamore, a song that never charted here (but did peak at 33 in Australia) in the Dayton #5 slot; Dusty Springfield's version of The Look Of Love which would sneak into the national charts in November, but was #3 in San Bernie.  And the lowest actual charter was Peter Paul and Mary, just starting their climb with I Dig Rock N Roll Music at #86.

In addition, since I'm not doing the 6D this week, I should mention that the highest Cashbox charter that got bupkiss from the Panel was the Buckinghams' Mercy Mercy Mercy at #7.

The Panel picks:

At #4, a record I grew up playing- with 14 points and the #1s of Lowell and Seattle- the national #19, Bobby Vee and Come Back When You Grow Up.

At #3, bereft of #1s but with 16 points, the national #8, the Supremes and Reflections.

At #2- and here's where that "27 songs on 26 45s" comes in- a two sided disc from the Monkees, Pleasant Valley Sunday (which was #6 on CB) and Words (which, in the only time the Panel credited it as the main song, got the only Panel #1- and was #5 on CB), with the one #1 (Quincy) and 17 points.

And the Panel #1- with 4 #1s and 44 points, charting on 11 out of 12 panel charts- the national # 1 as well- stay tuned.


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I have two debuts for you, and they share a common theme- that they charted, and charted higher in the UK.  The first is a song I heard on a recent Battle Of The Bands, the original of the song Somewhere Only We Know by a UK band called Keane.  They hit 50 here in 2004 and #3 in the UK with it. And now, at #10 on the M10....




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So one of the things I tumbled across was Billboard's top 200 lps of all time.  I think I did something with the main list before, so this time, I'm going to share the top ten of lps I actually owned in one form or another.

10- Technically, this should be Santana's Abraxas, which BB had at #114.  However, since I bought it at a garage sale on cassette and then never listened to it, we'll go with the #118 instead- Nirvana's Nevermind.

9- Asia's debut lp, which restored my hope in music after endless days of Donna Summer, Anita Ward and the like.

8- I could call technicality on this one too, as it was my ex-wife's, but since I did willingly listen to it; Wilson Phillips at #84 goes here.

7- Fleetwood Mac (you know, the album before Rumours), the #74.

6- Sgt Pepper by the Beatles which I believe is sitting somewhere nearby.  I won it on an early BOTBs a while back.  It sits at #54.

5- Pearl Jam's debut, 10.  Definitely a "wore the tape out and bought the cd" deal here. #45 on the BB list.

4- Hootie And The Blowfish, Cracked Rear View.  A masterpiece at #30 on BB.

3- The aforementioned Rumours.  Both the Fleetwood Mac tapes were garage sale acquisitions long after I knew most of the songs by heart.  #15 on the list.

2- Carole King's Tapestry, another masterpiece that sits at their #10.

And, amazingly enough at #1-

Proof positive that occasionally she took a good picture, Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill.


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I thought it would be a neat idea, once Cashbox returned to the living a couple weeks ago, to find out all the Martin Era tunes that peaked at #10.  How many could there be, I said.  Answer, allowing for bleary-eyed mistakes, 218 of them, by 175 individual acts, if you include the time in 1973 that the Monster Mash recharted.  So I said to myself, what can I do with this list ( Time Machine wise, smartass), and decided to figure up who peaked the most times at ten.  Well, 13 acts did it twice (kinda) and 9 did it three times (kinda).  The "kinda" comes in with the Four Seasons, who did it legitimately twice with Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye), and Working My Way Back To You- and once as the "Wonder Who" with the Dylan cover Don't Think Twice, It's Alright.

The others that got three included Johnny Rivers, the Temptations, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon (under various permutations of the Plastic Ono Band theme), and yes, Barry Manilow.  Three acts got as many as four- The Stones, The Beatles, and Marvin Gaye.

But one, just one, had SIX.  And the King of hitting #10 is...

...The King, who did it with One Broken Heart For Sale, Kissin' Cousins, Ask Me, Kentucky Rain, The Wonder Of You, and You Don't Have To Say You Love Me!

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Time for that other debut, and this one was top ten in the UK (in fact, I got it from our UK10 a few weeks ago) but only in the 70s here.  And this is his second hit on the M10 after discovering it on the UK10!  AND, it's from the same lp!  From Ruff 'n' Ready, here's Jimmy Ruffin at # 9...






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Next up, Since Tom Jones got a mention on the last special, and he's in the UK 10, how about a quote from the man hisself:

So when I realised I could sing for a living - do what I loved and be paid for it - I thought, 'This is unbelievable. Unbelievable!' And that feeling has never left me. 

And we're glad of that!  Here goes the UK 10:

10- Up Up And Away- not by the 5D but by the Johnny Mann Singers. Johnny's most interesting claim to fame is that he was the voice of Theodore in the fist prime-time series back in '62 for Alvin and the Chipmunks!

9- The Mamas and the Papas with Creeque Alley, which peaked here in June.

8- Stevie Wonder with I Was Made To Love Her, #15 in the States this week.

7- Dave Davies of the Kinks with a solo (like Frankie Valli's My Eyes Adored You was a solo) called Death Of A Clown.  DNC here.

6- Written by Dusty Springfield's brother Tom, sung by Anita Harris, the tune Just Loving You (which peaked at #120 here).

5- The Alan Price Set (Price the original drummer in the Animals, later with George Fame) and another DNC here, The House That Jack Built.

4- A tune that would crack the top 40 in November, the Tremeloes with Even The Bad Times Are Good.

3- The #2 back home, the Beatles and All You Need Is Love.

2- The aforementioned Mr Jones with a song that would go top ten here- in about 2 years- I'll Never Fall In Love Again.

And tops of the pops?

...Scott McKenzie with San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers), which hit #4 here back last month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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So looking at the BB 200 list, I see it would be too easy to load up a no-likey list with crap I haven't and have little interest in hearing.  So instead, I opted to share with you a back up list- my top ten favorite songs that peaked at #10!  And they would be...

10- Yvonne Elliman, Love Me.  As I do all her stuff.
9- Morris Albert, Feelings.  Say what you will, it has a special place for me.
8- Tom Jones yet again, with It's Not Unusual.
7- A tune we've discussed before: Four Jacks and a Jill with Master Jack.
6- A song that always takes me to some ancient vacation spot, Yes and Roundabout.
5- A soft guitar tune from the mid-70s, Keith Carradine and I'm Easy.
4- One of the few late 70s songs I love this much, Chris Rea and Fool If You Think It's Over.
3- Carole King- no surprise- with So Far Away.
2- C'mon, you know the Four Seasons were on the list!  Working My Way Back To You, a song, that sounds brand new to me every time I hear it.

And #1- this wasn't even a question-

England Dan Seals and John Ford Coley and Nights Are Forever Without You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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And finally, the M10 week 53:

You know 10 and 9.  And 8 and seven move up a pair each- Dinosaur Jr with Tiny and M.A.G.S. with My Love, respectively.

Acres Wild dips a pair to #6 with Pastel Waves.

The madmen from New Zealand, Shakes move up 3 to #5 with Strange Tides.

Quilt rolls up one more to #4 with Roller.

The Pom Poms dip a notch to #3 with 1-2-3.

Phantogram pounds at the door, up one to #2 with Fall In Love.

And at the top?  M10 says...

...The Explorers Club with California's Callin' Ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And on top of the Panel... in a runaway...

...Bobbie Gentry and Ode To Billy Joe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Assuming that everything will be back to normal next week, join us for- 1965!  Nuff said!