Time Machine week 95

It's October 21, 1974- a day, a month even, where apparently nothing much happened.  Even mighty wikipedia had but 2 items for the whole month, lol!  But I dig in the corners where most music bloggers won't go, and thus I found out that the events of Kent State had reared their ugly heads again.  Earlier in the year, the DOJ had been forced to reopen the case to see if the National Guardsmen had violated the civil rights of the protestors...


On October 21, 1974 the federal trial of the eight former National Guardsmen began in Cleveland before U.S. District Court Judge Frank J. Battisti. During the trial, the Justice Department presented 33 witnesses and 130 exhibits - mostly photographs of the events that led to the shooting of the unarmed students. The 12-member jury actually visited the Kent State campus where it heard simulated gunshots at the scene. The criminal defense attorneys for the accused guardsmen contended that they fired in self-defense. The criminal defense lawyers also argued there was insufficient evidence to convict their clients and urged the Judge to dismiss the criminal charges.

On November 8, 1974, Judge Battisti agreed with the criminal defense attorneys and acquitted all of the former guardsmen. Battisti ruled that the prosecutors had failed to prove charges that the guardsmen willfully intended to deprive the students killed and wounded of their civil rights. "At best, the evidence...would support a finding that the amount of force .... was excessive and unjustified," Battisti said. The jury was not permitted to reach a verdict because the Judge ruled that the evidence was legally insufficient to sustain a criminal conviction. (from DeThomasis and  Buchanan, Attorneys, crime news blog.)


At least there was no plane crash...

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Welcome to this week's Time Machine- and this week I have come up with a last minute special surprise (and I hope you play along!)  Also, a Yuuuuge rout in the Panel Four, a week off for the 6D just to honk John Lennon off, and a new #1- and an achievement only done twice before- on the M10!  I hereby gavel this trip to order!

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Hi!  Daddy says it's bad luck to not have a picture this far in, so he's letting me introduce this week's Panel.  Whatever a Panel is.  And why do I have to capitalize it?  Anyway, the Panel is this list of radio stations:  WFIL Philadelphia (home of Philly Steak sandwiches- yum!), WKAP Allentown, WHSR, Winchester High School, MA (which stands for something I can't spell), WHYI Ft Lauderdale, KGMQ Honolulu (kinda like a song! K-G-M-Q, Hon- o-lu-lu!), WCFL Chicago, KYA San Francisco  (IDK why Daddy laughs at those call letters every time), WPIX New York, WIXY Cleveland (and congrats to the Indians!  That's INDIANS, Canada!) , WHB Kansas City, CKLG Vancouver BC (I asked Daddy why I had to put BC and he said BeCause!), and WAKY Louisville, although I'm not sure why Louisville is any wackier than the other stations... Okay, back to Daddy!


Thanks, Scrappy, good boy!  So, the facts and figures here:  Different songs on the Panel list, a whopping 31; low charter, well, that's kind of a Hawaii story.  The only one of their 5 songs that was ON the chart this week nationally was their #1, Paul Anka and Odia Coates with Having My Baby, and that at #58.  #s 3, 4, and 5 (Rufus's Tell Me Something Good, Blue Magic's Sideshow, and Paper Lace's The Night Chicago Died) all peaked on Cashbox and Billboard in August, and the next newest, Clapton's I Shot The Sheriff, fell off last week.  The song that got no Panel Love (since I'm skipping past the 6D this week) was John Lennon and whatever combo of "band", "plastic", and "ono" he was using this week, with Whatever Gets You Through The Night, which was 9 nationally but got the bum's rush from the Panel.  But don't worry, he gets a spotlight on the special treat I'm planning, lol...

Anyway, 5 of the Panel's #1 votes didn't make the final four- which is surprising, since #4 only got 11 measly points!  Those, outside of Honolulu's, were:  Barry White and Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe (Ft Lauderdale), Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama (Chicago), Elton John's The Bitch Is Back (Vancouver), and Billy Swan's roller-skating opus, I Can Help (Louisville).

Which leads us to the P4:

With 11 points and the #1 from that high school in Massachusetts, The Spinners and Dionne Warwick with Then Came You, which was #18 on CB this week.

With 12 points and the #1 from Allentown, the national runner up, Bad Company  and Cant Get Enough Of Your Love (Dang, was there a title shortage?)

At #2, bereft of #1s but still managing 19 points, the national #5, Billy Preston's Nothing From Nothing.

And at the top, with 5 #1s and 34 points?  Stay tuned.  You'll honestly love it.


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On the way home, my wondering mind came up with the worst of inspirations- and I want you to play along!  I decided I was gonna figure out my top ten MOST HATED songs!  I tried to weed out those who just suffered from long term exposure (which saved Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl, which is really a pretty good song, and Hey Jude, whose overlong ending still JUST got bumped), and tried not to include songs that just TRIED to be annoying (with one notable exception).  I also have a handful of acts I really hate, and almost any of their songs would qualify for this list, so I just took the worst I could think of.  I will mark those songs with an asterisk so you know whose CD NOT to buy me for Christmas).  What I hope YOU will do is flood the comments with your OWN least favorite song of all time, and if enough of you play along, maybe we'll have some fun with it next week...

Here's hoping I don't get my typical "call to action" response...

So here we go with my "bottom ten"...


10- Andrea, The Sunrays.  I was scolded for my opinion of this song on another music blog once, but I still say this is the "how not to do it" for arranging Beach Boys-esque harmonies.

9- Bread And Butter, the Newbeats.  What made this screeching song even worse was it was on an oldies CD that somebody loaded into the player at my old job, and the speakers only carried the high pitch vocal channel- yep 25, seconds of near silence followed by "WEEEEELLLLL...."

8- Tiptoe Through The Tulips, Tiny Tim.  I know that there are people who defend the "artistry" of this tune.  Just. Don't.  One night at a local sports pub, they played this song like five times in a row and I told Laurie,  "This must be how they evacuate the place."

7- LA Woman, The Doors*.  I find the Doors monotonal, their lyrics often crude and disgusting, and just generally against the wishes of my ears.

6- Come A Little Bit Closer, Jay and the Americans*.  Better known as "Jay and the F'n Americans" around here.  I can handle Cara Mia, but after that, no thanks.

5- The Distance, Cake*.  Another band that thinks monotonal music is worthwhile.  I think it's no talent, but that's just me.

4- I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston.  I swear she had to be singing this song into a mirror.  Just shut up and let Dolly Parton do it.

3- Basket Case, Green Day*.  I have sharpened my reaction time by turning this off , answering the opening line- "Do you have the time, to listen to me whine"- with "HELL NO."  I agree, though, they are truly American Idiots.

2- Now That I Found You, Michael Bolton*****.  Nails, chalkboard.  That is all.

And at the top?

And trust me, this wasn't awfully close for me.  Sorry bout it, walrus!


Now, here's your chance.  Tell me what song you think blows the most.  I live for your responses!


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But just to mend fences with John, I'll let him open our trip across the pond...


And God help Bruce Springsteen when they decide he's no longer God... They'll turn on him, and I hope he survives it. 


He'll survive, he's the patron saint of Democrat America these days.  Anyway, it's time to

10- David Essex was here with a tune called Gonna Make You A Star, which amazingly made the charts here (peaking at 105).  If you are expecting a classic like Rock On, look elsewhere.  If you want to hear the audition tapes for the guy not selected to be a Bay City Roller, here you go.

9- George McCrae with I Can't Leave You Alone, which wasn't terrible.  It would peak here in November at #50.

8- Andy Kim's Rock Me Gently, which was on the way down at #31 over here this week.

7- Gary Shearston had a hit in the UK with a cover of the old classic, I Get A Kick Out Of You.

6- The UK was right there with Hawaii- Having My Baby was top ten this week.

5- Peter Shelley, who if you remember was the original Alvin Stardust, with a tune under his own name called Gee Baby.

4- The afore-libelled Bay City Rollers with a DNC here called All Of Me Loves All Of You.  These may have been the failed auditions, too...

3- This is a tune that a dude on the first internet radio station I listened to played a lot- Sweet Sensation, who hit #14 in July with Sad Sweet Dreamer.

2- The antediluvian Quiet Riot, Slade charts here with Far Far Away.

And, tops of the pops?

...Jamaica's Ken Boothe with an interesting reggae version of Bread's Everything I Own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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And now, the M10!

Since I completely forgot to sneak in the debut video, we'll just do it here.  a duo from Australia now based in London, Star Kendrick and Toma Banjanin call themselves Geowulf, and their single comes in at #10...





Number 9 belongs to Benji Hughes, who slips a pair with Longshot.

Tangerine is stuck at 8 this week with Wild At Heart.

Joy Again manages a two-spot climb with Looking Out For You.

The former #1 for The Explorer's Club, Quietly, slides to #6 this week.  They are the second- ONLY the second act, besides Beach House, to make it to #1 more than once... and the THIRD gets there this week!

Dent May finally loses his grip, sliding to #5 with last week's top dog, Face Down In The Gutter Of Your Love.

Shakes reclaims one of the two spots it lost last week, with Tranquilize at #4.

Agnes Obel moves up 1 spot (which surprised me it wasn't 2) with Golden Green.

And interrupting my "carefully laid plans" for this week's top ten, Dinosaur Jr rockets to #2 with Love Is...

And at the top?  M10 says...

...Lucius becomes the third act to score a second number one, with Pulling Teeth!!!!!!!!!

And on the Panel (as if I didn't give it away...)

... Olivia Newton-John with I Honestly Love You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next trip, one step closer to that magic 100/400 with 1967!