Time Machine co-ordinates VILVI49161569

Today we go to June 15th, 1969- and we get to watch the very first episode of...

With guest stars Loretta Lynn (singing Your Squaw's On The Warpath, a #3 country hit that year) and Charley Pride (who did two old Hank Williams numbers, I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You), which he never released- and didn't RECORD until 11 years later- and Kaw-Liga, which he hit- yes- #3 with that year, falling one notch short of Hank's original).

I'd love to throw in a clip, but I am already clip heavy with THREE debuts and a song I just HAVE to share- by an act that is still doing shows according to their FB page!  So let's just dial up BR-549, pull up a sit on the porch, and go!

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But before we do, I must mention that another name got added to the band in Rock and Roll Heaven.  DJ Fontana, Elvis's original and long time drummer, passed on Wednesday.  When you tally up the awards on the Elvis singles he played on, he should have a closet with 35 platinum and 15 gold records!  DJ was 87...


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So we have a busy day here, and let me kick it off with one of our three debuts- all three by acts that have M10 #1s under their belt.  First, the new song from the act that USED to hold the M10's all time #1 slot.  From the upcoming lp Back Roads and Abandoned Motels, the Jayhawks...




They pull in at #8 this week.


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This week, we have Herb Alpert joining us!  That IS you, right?

Uh, yeah, why would you ask?

Well, last week, my .. well, never mind.  You are a legend as a performer and management, producing and signing acts like the Carpenters, discovering acts from Brasil '66 and We Five to the Human League.  Your head is like a rock museum...

Boy, you could take that a lot of ways!  Just kidding, I appreciate it.

I was just reading how the song that got you here was never even meant to be released...

No, This Guy's In Love was just between me and my first wife... and a national TV audience that created such a demand, we had to make it a single a couple of days later!  I'm really not that much of a singer...

And yet, that one is one of my all timers, and Laurie and I played one this week- Without Her- that I thought was pretty good.

Thank you, my friend.

Are you ready for the list?  20 contestants from 75 stations this week...

You bet.  Let me see...so we start with Creedence Clearwater Revival and Bad Moon Rising, at #2 on the charts.

Then comes the Beatles- who, like Creedence have 2 songs on the list- with The Ballad Of John And Yoko at #61, a debut.  I never cared for this one much, but I see here that it is #1 in the UK this week.

Tommy James and the Shondells were at #56 in their second week with Crystal Blue Persuasion.

OC Smith was at #54 with Friend Lover Woman Wife.  Can't say I know that one... was he the Little Green Apples guy?

The very same.

I liked that one.  Next, we have the other Beatles' hit, Get Back with Billy Preston, the number one on Cashbox this week.  It was #5 in England.

Oliver was at #13 with Good Morning Starshine.  I've never understood people who don't want to use their last names...

He wasn't using his first, either...

Oh, well.  Next is the Friends Of Distinction with Grazing In The Grass at #7.  

I'm surprised you guys never did that.

You know, I am too... anyway, this next one, I have no clue on...

If I Didn't Have A Dime by Ron Moody and the Centaurs.  It never charted, and about the only claim to any fame I found was that member Steve Buckingham went on to make his name by producing Alicia Bridges' I Love The Nightlife.

Must be after my time... Then we have MY vote, Elvis and In The Ghetto.  It was #3 here and debuting at #36 in the UK.



What, what're you looking at me for?  It's one of his best, and his drummer just died!  I'm leaving him alone this week...




Hmm... Paul Revere and the Raiders were at #25 with Let Me.

Henry Mancini's Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet was at #4.

The Spiral Starecase were at #9 with More Today Than Yesterday.

The Edwin Hawkins Singers were at #8 here, #3 in England, with the gospel hit Oh Happy Day.

Three Dog Night were at #11 with One.  Actually, a couple of ones...

Now, here it gets kind of funny, because we not only have a group charting with its second song on the list- but we have that same song by someone else!  The song is Proud Mary.  Creedence did it first, and it peaked in March-although it is currently #22 in England-, but a South African station got onto the list, and there you go.  The other version was by a gentleman named Solomon Burke.  He actually peaked last week at #49, and fell off of Cashbox this week.

Now, here's a song right up my alley!  Blood Sweat and Tears were at #19 with Spinning Wheel.

Marvin Gaye was at #10 with Too Busy Thinkin' 'Bout My Baby.

Well, here's another one I don't know... We Can't Go On This Way by Unchained Mynds...

Yeah, the only thing I learned about them is they were from LaCrosse, Wisconsin...

...and that they were at #121 this week...

Which reminds me, I have this one song I just got to share, that was right next to Unchained Mynds at #122.  I saw this name, and said, I have to listen- and when I did, it was pretty good.  They are the Hubbels, and I can tell that they have an active FB page, still doing gigs, and her name is Mary Ann Frazell-Woods, and she was a hottie back then, and not bad now...

And the reason I had to play this?  It's called Hippy Dippy Funky Monkey Double Bubble Sitar Man...





All right, Herb, back to you!

And I have just one left.  Ant that is What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) by Junior Walker and the All-Stars, at #35.  And there you go!

Thank you very much, sir!  As for thinning the herd, I have five songs that each got at least five votes- and the final was a three way contest, so we might just play a little "elimination round" here in a bit!  But for now, choose from Get Back, In The Ghetto, Romeo and Juliet, Bad Moon, and One.




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Debut #2- landing at #7 on the M10, is actually a song from their 2015 debut lp by a band that MIGHT just also be sneaking in with a brand new song soon- if I decide I WANT an 8:59 song on the chart- and it is by the Derevolutions:










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Ready for a long way around the barn to the 6D?  Here we go...

Sonny and Cher were just breaking out in '65, and a cut from their debut lp called It's Gonna Rain was performed by them as themselves in a movie called Wild On The Beach.  It was their film debut, and was produced by one By Dunham.  Dunham's name came up because he wrote the lyrics to the theme song from the dolphin show Flipper.  And we get to Flipper...

"rrh-rrh, rrh rrk?"

No, this does NOT get you in the beauty contest.

...through co-producer Ricou Browning, who among his many credits was a rather dubious one for a movie called Mr No Legs.  Nothing of note to this 1978 flick- or the next one I'm about to mention, 1969's Fireball Jungle- except for the soundtrack appearances of a rather obscure blues "shouter" named Tiny Kennedy.

That's him in Fireball Jungle.  What makes his twin movie appearances so interesting was that he was a promising bluesman signed to Trumpet Records- obviously named in jest, the owner of Trumpet described him as "just big and fat"- and that in between his own pair of recording attempts, he was touring with another Tiny, this one Tiny Bradshaw.  On one of their gigs, he befriended a young neophyte bluesman and taught him the right way to do things on stage- one BB King.  But after 1955, he literally dropped of the face of Planet Music- with the exception of these two movies.

And this has to do with the 6D how?  Glad you asked.  Fireball Jungle contains, in addition to Tiny, the actual 6D victim, charting at #5 with no Panel Love- Mercy and Love (Can Make You Happy).

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Third debut-at #6, and I am expecting a long run near the top here- is new stuff by Caroline Rose:






Better on studio track, but a bit of fun watching her sing... I'll put up the album cut when she hits #1 again...


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Stat Pack time!

This was a funny week for the Hot 100 and me.  The ones I knew, I knew well- but there were only 29 of 'em...

I should also mention that recent M10 song The Windmills Of Your Mind by Dusty Springfield was #29 this week..

Spinning Wheel was the big mover- a whopping 56 places from 75 to 19...

The #69 in '69 was Vikki Carr with  With Pen In Hand.  She was 7 weeks getting this far, and in four weeks more she would work her way up ALMOST to the top 40... and then drop, having peaked at #42.

"But, it got me a shot in the Beauty Contest..."

#101 was a pretty good job on a song I love- Angel Of The Morning- by Bettye Swann.

And, as mentioned, the Ballad Of John And Yoko- or as I said to Laurie, "AKA the pity-party of John and Yoko"- is tops in the UK.

Oh, and if you took Elvis or 3 Dog Night, you are outta there!  Sorry, Herb...

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The remaining M10:

Cullen Omori gets a fifth week on the chart, falling to 10 with Four Years.

Boz Scaggs had to clear a little room too, slipping a spot to 9 with Rock And Stick.

Phantogram held place at #5 with Saturday.

The hardest battle this week for me was 4 and 5.  The winnah, dropping just the two spots, are illuminatti hotties with Shape Of My Hands.

Caroline Rose may be debuting at 6, but she ain't done with her former #1, as Jeannie Becomes A Mom holds at #3 in its seventh week.

Shilpa Ray rides Shoot This Dying Horse into the #2 slot.

And that means it's a second week at the top for...

...Family Of The Year and Let Her Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




And so you have three contestants left this week.  In third with 12.9%, CCR.

In second with 14.3%-  the Beatles...

"How did we hash THAT one up, boys?"

Which means our surprise upset winner, with 18.6%...

"I knew it all along..."

...Henry Mancini!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next week, we hit 1970!  Be there!