Time Machine co-ordinates VIIII43051959

Today we return, after a month's absence, to 1959, where today, we see the foundation of the North Vietnamese military group that would build the Ho Chi Minh Trail; Jimmy Hoffa threatens a strike (yawn); and St Joseph MO cleans up after a cloudburst sent a six-foot wall of water through town.  Not exactly a rockin' good time, I admit, but we're here for the music anyway.

Welcome to this week's version of Time Machine, where we're gonna spill the dope on what makes a Happy Organ, intro the first band I know of named after a missile, and pull out of the mists of time the oldest song in M10 history!  Plus a damn tight Panel vote, coming right up!


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At this point, I should remind you to check out Wednesday's Mid Week Music Post, where I give you a rundown on the Eurovision '17 straight from Kiev to you, and a lovely little editorial about musicians giving up music to be unvoted politicians.

Also, at this point a mention of the sad demise of Soundgarden's Chris Cornell.  As I mentioned to a friend who did a much better eulogy, Superunknown may well have been the last cassette I wore out.  The were like the pied pipers that led me towards alternative back in the day, and were so refreshing after music had dwindled to classic rock reruns and the occasional factory-made syntho-pop tune.  Sad, in that such a talent couldn't have bent that energy into saving his own soul from his demons including but not limited to drug addiction.  As Justice Peace said, "I don't mourn for his death, but for the waste of his life."  And we move on.


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21 stations line up for our Panel Vote, and 8 candidates are named to the poll.  And to give you the rundown, here are this week's POTMs, Phil and Don Everly!

(BTW, I'm trying to do this with a lot of actual quotes, so give the boys a big hand!)

D: Old men need applause too.

P:  In my old age, it's kind of funny - at night, what I like to do is watch TV when I go to sleep. And what I really like is to put on a Gene Autry film, because he sings really well. So he sings me to sleep. Any Gene Autry songs this week?

Sorry, no.  Would one of you like to open the candidate list?

P: The '60s weren't my cup of tea. 

But we're doing 1959.

D: That's not the 60's.

P: In the beginning of rock n' roll, there was always innovation. Artists were always trying to do something new and something different.

Guys, the list?  Please?

P: Okay, let's see.  First we have Johnny Horton with The Battle of New Orleans, the #6 song on Cashbox.

D:  I loved Johnny in North To Alaska...

P:  He just sang the song, Donny.  He wasn't in the film.

D:  I thought he played that Lieutenant..

P:  That was Douglas Dick.

D:  Oh, yes, that's right.  I was thinking of  the one guy, Billy Pratt...

P:  Donny, that was Fabian...

Together:  Hey, Venus, oh Venus...

And THAT was Frankie Avalon.

P: Frankie wasn't In North To Alaska...

OHHHHkay, for time's sake, let me do this.  After Johnny, our next candidate is Billy Grammer with Bonaparte's Retreat, at #65 and climbing.

The Fleetwoods- who have a major part to play in today's show- are at 20 and dropping with Come Softly To Me.

Bobby Darin was at #8 with Dream Lover.

We just can't shake ol' Wilbert Harrison- chimes in at #1 on CB with Kansas City.

Next up is the Del Tones- who actually did not chart in the hot 100 with this one- and Moonlight Party.  Now, this isn't the more famous Dick Dale and the Del Tones.  They started with the name, but switched, once DD became famous, to the Beau Marks.  And where does one get THAT name?  Why from the Bomarc surface to air missile.  And why would a group of Canadian boys name their band after a missile?  Well by 1962, the Bomarc was pretty famous in Canada...

Initially, it was unclear whether the missiles would be equipped with nuclear warheads. By 1960 it became known that the missiles were to have a nuclear payload, and a debate ensued about whether Canada should accept nuclear weapons. Ultimately, the Diefenbaker government decided that the Bomarcs should not be equipped with nuclear warheads. The dispute split the Diefenbaker Cabinet, and led to the collapse of the government in 1963. (wiki)

As the Beau Marks, they would graze the top 40 later on.

Anyway, next is one that I have brought up many times, Martin Denny's Quiet Village, which was at #5.  And rounding out the set, the Impalas and Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) at #4.

By now, between our POTMs and missiles, you likely have no clue where to go to.  It was a tight 6-5-4 race for the top, and the four singers that managed multiple votes were Denny, Wilbert, Bobby, and Johnny.  Make yer picks and find out in a bit.

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Two songs enter the M10 this week, and while one of them will be the oldest song to hit our countdown, the other is from an lp that won't be released until September!  At #10, the latest from the boys that brought us last year's Trip Switch, Nothing But Thieves...





And that oldest tune?  Well here's the thing.  As I perused this week's hot 100 to find out how many songs I knew this week (22), I noticed that there were at least five of them I knew from the stacks of 45s in our old victrola: three of them our candidates The Battle Of New Orleans, Quiet Village, and Come Softly To Me, along with the Coasters' Along Came Jones and Ricky Nelson's Never Be Anyone Else But You.  Then I noticed one of those acts debuted with a song I didn't know, and so I listened- and 40 years fell away, I put myself squarely into the emotions of the song, and I said to myself, I've got one more debut to squeeze in.  From 1959, here are the Fleetwoods:







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So as I began the search for my 6D victim this week, I typed it into Google and the first thing that came up, of course was the video- along with the lyrics to Money (That's What I Want), which is amusing for that is neither the song in question, nor does that song HAVE lyrics (though it DID, once... but hang on for that).  Anyway, the journey to said song starts with a question- what do the songs Tossin' And Turnin', Dedicated To The One I Love, and (legends say) Aretha Franklin's Respect have in common?  Well, for starters a very unique guitarist named Wild Jimmy Spruill, who ALSO was on this week's #1, Kansas City.  AND, he was also on the previous week's #1- which slipped to #2 this week and became the 6D victim- Dave "Baby" Cortez's The Happy Organ (shame for what you were thinking before!).  This song originally had lyrics- but Dave didn't like the way he sounded on them.  Then he saw an organ in the corner, started playing with the melody- and the rest is history.

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The Numbers Game:  Our #59 in '59 goes to the Kingston Trio with a single that followed up the mega hit Tom Dooley, called Tijuana Jail.  Released as a stand alone single, it didn't get on an lp until the live lp Once Upon A Time ten years later.

The UK #1 this week- and both the highest UK song on the US chart and vice versa- was Elvis with A Fool Such As I (#14 US) and the double side I Need Your Love (US #28)- starting a 5 week run at the top, as its components drop after their successful US runs.

And at the bottom of the chart, once again we have 2 #100s.  One was Ray (Tell Laura I Love Her) Peterson's first chart hit, the original The Wonder Of You.  The second was the 50's "Queen of R&B", Ruth Brown, who had 21 R&B top tens from 1949-59.  This one, Jack Of Diamonds, was not one of them, but was right before her last charting hit.

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And we are at last to the rest of the M10:

Flogging Molly drops to #9 with The Hand Of John L Sullivan.  But don't feel bad, Willie Nelson would have been at #8 had I not hit that Fleetwoods tune, so at least they SAW another week!

Styx gets pushed outta the way, a one-notch drop to #7 with Gone Gone Gone.

Ruth B sprouts up 2 to #6 with Dandelions.

Real Estate's surprise hit Serve The Song slips to #5 but pulls into #9 all time in its 9th week.

Leaping 6 to #4 is PVRIS with Heaven.

Jason Isbell starts back down from the High Road, slipping a spot to #3.

And, so does Melody's Echo Chamber with You Won't Be Missing That Part Of Me.


Meaning the new M10 #1 is....

The Orwells and They Put A Body In The Bayou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And that's a jump from #4, the longest such jump since the beginning of February.

And our new President of Time Machine?  Well, it wasn't Martin Denny with 2;
it wasn't Bobby Darin with 4;
it wasn't Wilbert Harrison with 5;

 but it WAS...

....Johnny Horton with The Battle Of New Orleans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Tune in next week where, much to Phil Everly's disappointment, we go to 1960!