Time Machine co-ordinates VIXXV453101958

So are you ready to play a game of tennis?  Yesterday, the first video game made its debut...

Tennis for Two was first shown on October 18, 1958.
 The game was rendered as a horizontal line, representing the tennis court, and a short vertical line in the center, representing the tennis net. The first player would press the button on their controller to send the ball, a point of light, over the net, and it would either hit the net, reach the other side of the court, or fly out of bounds. The second player could then hit the ball back with their controller while it was on their side, either before or after it bounced on the ground.Hundreds of visitors lined up to play the new game during its debut.
 (Inventor Walter) Higinbotham claimed later that "the high schoolers liked it best, you couldn't pull them away from it." Due to the game's popularity, an upgraded version was shown the following year, with enhancements including a larger screen and different levels of simulated gravity.
 Players could set the game to simulate the gravity levels of the Moon or Jupiter.
 Higinbotham referred to the game as Tennis for Two, though a placard attached to the 1959 version titled it "Computer Tennis". After the 1959 exhibition, the game was dismantled so its components could be put to other uses. (wiki)

But now, we're at the 19th of October, 1958, and it's time for music!  This week, fan favorites the Everly Brothers return, to deal with being the 6D victims; my own all time scariest movie makes an appearance in the hot 100; our #58 in '58 involves a top ten hit from the '70s; and the all time greatest hits... of Norway?  Sure, hop on in, grab a joystick, and let's steer in for some musical fun!



***********************************************************


Since I'd like to get this over with feature our guests first, I'll have to let you know that the highest ranked Cashbox hit this week that didn't get a vote from our 17 Panel stations belongs to our POTM duo this week- the Everly Brothers!  Hi, Don, Phil!

P:  I'm Phil, he's Don.

D: He wasn't looking at either of us in particular, dipstick.

P:  Well, in case he didn't know...

D:  This is our fourth time on the show- or third- I think he knows.

P: Yeah? So is it three times or four?

Three, I believe.  Can...

D:  I MEANT I think he knows who is who.

P: Now he does, anyway.

OOOKay, let me kick this segment off.  It was your hit Bird Dog, which sat at #2 on CB this week, but got no Panel votes.

P:  How does THAT happen?

It just does.  Johnny Mathis got no votes at #1 last week.

D:  Well, that I can understand.  That's "mommy" music.

Huh?

P: You know, songs your Mom listens to when you're out catching Buddy Holly at the Armory...

D:  What're you looking at ME for?  MY mom is YOUR Mom...

Okay... anyhow, that tune was one of many of your hits written by Boudleaux Bryant.  Another was Love Hurts, which you guys didn't release as a single, but Roy Orbison did.

P:  I really like Roy.  Dug those sunglasses.

D:  You idiot, those were blind people glasses.

Actually, they weren't.  Just sunglasses.  And Love Hurts was a big hit in Australia, but just a b-side here- until Nazareth redid it.  And top ten-ing it here was nothing compared to what that tune did in Norway.  It rode the charts for well over a year, becoming the country's all-time greatest hit- by a wide margin, still today.  So I thought it might be fun if we let the audience in on a few of the other "Norway's Greatest Hits" that they might know.

D: Will we know any?

A couple.  Here, start reading them off, right there.

P: Okay...Hey!  Here's one we all know!  The Kingston Trio were at #35 with Tom Dooley!

Which is funny, because that is one of the four songs that got Panel votes this week.

D: An' we didn't...  ANYway, next we have the Bee Gees with Too Much Heaven at #30...
P:Oh, look!  Jim Reeves is at #28 with He'll Have To Go.  I like Jim Reeves...
D: You like everybody.
P: I don't like YOU, stinky-head...

Guys... the list, please.

P: A group with some really cute girls called ABBA have the #27 with S.O.S... and #11 with Dancing Queen!
D:  Hey, don't cut ahead! Next is... um... Boney M...
P: (Giggles)
D:... and Rivers Of Babylon at # 25.
P: (Still giggling) An' at #15 is.. chuckle... George Baker...snicker... with Una Paloma Blanca..
D: Seriously, Phil, will you please grow up!
P: (More giggling)... Boney M...

Okay, thanks, guys, I think I'll take it from here...  You're The One That I Want by Olivia and Travolta was their #12 all-time... the next two are kind of the long and short of things for me.  At #8 is one of my faves, Smokie's Living Next Door To Alice... while at #6 is probably IMHO the worst song Time Machine has ever brought me within earshot of, Baccara and Yes Sir, I Can Dance.  And two more I'd like to share:  The number four was Billy Swan's I Can Help, the all-time roller skating song; and at number 2- trailing by their rating system 1000+ points to 700 and change... you wanna get this one, guys?

P and D:  Jim Reeves with I Love You Because!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

********************************************

And with this week's lone debut, I give you a Boston duo who go by the moniker of the Derevolutions, with a song so quirky, so Archie's-on-speed-like I couldn't resist putting them at #9...







***********************************************

And now at long last, this week's Panel, with 17 stations and 4 songs- and what a race!  The top three were 6-5-4!  And they are:

It's All In The Game by Tommy Edwards, the CB #1;
It's Only Make Believe by Conway Twitty, which sat at #10;
The aforementioned Tom Dooley, which was this week's big mover, leaping 40 spots from 58 to 18;
And for me, this week's puzzler- Cozy Cole with Topsy part 2, the national #9...

William Randolph "Cozy" Cole, jazz drummer, and band

*******************************************

Stat Pack:

Our #58 in '58 belonged to the Royaltones with Poor Boy.  A rollicking instrumental with the "laughing sax" of George Katsakis, it would be much later in their career- 1962- that they would add a guitar player by the name of Dennis Coffey- who would go on to have a set of hits with his Detroit Guitar Band, including 1971's #6 Scorpio.

I knew 16 this week off the 60-song list- not bad...

With what might be a semi-regular feature in this era, let's look at the other top tens on CB that the Panel ignored:
Domenico Modugno's Volare was at #3- more on THAT in a bit...
Bobby Day's Rockin' Robin- one of those "wear the grooves off when we were kids" tunes- was at #5...
Little Anthony and the Imperials were at #7 with Tears On My Pillow...
And the Big Bopper was at #8 with Chantilly Lace!

The UK was topped by Connie Francis with Stupid Cupid, which was falling at #61 here.  The big both-sides hit was our 6D victim, as Bird Dog was 2 here and 6 there.

Oh, and speaking of Volare:  Domenico's version was at #13 in the UK this week- but there were two OTHER versions also charting!  Marino Marini and his quartet were at #17, and Dean Martin was at #3!!!!

******************************************

 And at #73 was a title so strange I had to bring it up- the 5 Blobs with The Blob.  Yes, this was the theme from the movie of the same name with Steve McQueen, which absolutely scared the crap out of me when I was 5 or 6, and pretty much led me to avoid the horror genre altogether...

I'll never forget that mechanic getting sucked underneath the car....  EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

The song itself was written by Burt Bacharach- and Mac David, Hal's brother ("Bacharach and Mac," lol!), and was performed by a studio group headed by one Bernie Knee- who was so cheesed about getting no credit for the work, he took out a big ad in Variety just to tell everyone about his part!


*****************************************

And with that, it's time for the M10.

Jana Kramer has had a good 7 weeks on the chart, and drops now to #10 with I've Done Love.

Also falling to #8, a nine-week charter and three-time #1- Lucinda Williams and Six Blocks Away.

Nothing But Thieves climb to #7 with Broken Machine, up 3.

Then come a pair of one-notch-uppers:  Darius Rucker with Don't at #6, and Alvvays with Your Type at #5.

Zooming up 4 to #4 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Walls (No. 3).

And in stasis this week, Squeeze's Innocence In Paradise at 3, Dent and Frankie with Across The Multiverse for a third week at 2, and at #1....

...Ducktails for a second week with Light A Candle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And on top of the Panel and next week's POTM....

...Conway Twitty and It's Only Make Believe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Conway's 6 beat Cozy's 5 and Tommy's 4 for the win this week!  And, if sober, he'll be with us next week as we go to 1959!