Time Machine co-ordinates VILVII49262270

So today we go to Mexico city, where one day ago- today being June 22nd, 1970- Brazil, perhaps the best soccer team ever according to some experts, won the World Cup with a 4-1 win over Italy.  Pele had a goal in this one.  The USA was not invited to the finals.  Although they managed to split with Canada and swack Bermuda twice in the first round of qualifying, round two saw them get shut out twice- by Haiti.  The Haitian powerhouse was then eliminated from the Cup final grouping by El Salvador, who would then go no goals in three games in the actual Cup.  The last of those was against the Soviet Union, who would get knocked out at the start of knockout phase by Uruguay, who at least would give Brazil a decent match in the semis.  So you might say that the USA team was a cousin to the finals, four times removed.

"But only an eediot would do so..."

And with that, welcome to a special treat Time Machine.  This week, I'm kicking off a special three-week Fourth of July countdown, and a great earth shaking announcement (at least if you turn the volume up)!  All that, plus the longest song in M10 history by 1:54!  And, Henry Mancini awaits!  Let's kick it, gang!


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

So I had the thought a few days back to do something special for the Independence Day week TM, and here's what I came up with.  I looked up all the 4J #1s- on Cashbox AND Billboard- and amazingly, there were a total of 30 of 'em in the Martin Era 2.0!  Then I arranged them by MusicVF points, and came up with a top 30 Fourth of July #1s- which I shall share with you ten at a time over the next three weeks!  Without further ado, here are the first three for this week!

30-

-Bill Conti, Gonna Fly Now! From 1977, the Rocky Theme had one week at #1 on BB.

29-  

Gordon Lightfoot, Sundown!  From 1974, this had a week on each chart.

28-  

The Association with Windy! Surprisingly for such a low point (keeping in mind MusicVF combines Brit and US charts, but it's still fun), Windy had 2 weeks at the top on CB and FOUR on BB!


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

Next up. let me float out the big announcement- or prelude to a big announcement I've yet to come up with, really.  If you look at our co-ordinates, you'll see we are rapidly approaching my 500th TM-related post.  Well, the week we hit 500- the M10 turns three years old!  Plan on a big celebration!  Elvis is bringing the cake!

"Long as I don' hafeta jump outta it, I'm okay with that..."

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

Ladies and gentlemen, Henry Mancini!  Nice to have you aboard!


Yeah, thanks!  Interesting... decor you got around here.

Well, it is a time machine, after all...

Hmm... well, I guess if Elvis don't mind hanging out here...

E:  Beats being dead, friend...

H:  Yeah, there is that.  

E: And a buffet...

Uh, yeah, can we get on with this?  19 candidates from 61 stations this week- with the return of the fabled Laurenco Marques song!

E:  Say, aren't you that Pink Panther guy?

Oh, he's more than that- some of the most beautiful pieces of music ever recorded belong to him!  Romeo and Juliet, Moon River...

E: Yeah, but the Panther's funny!

H:  Why thank you, young man!  So, here we go!  Our first song is the Temptations with Ball Of Confusion at #17 this week.  I know it confuses me...

Then comes the lovely miss Freda Payne and Band Of Gold.  At #21 this week.  Do I really have to keep saying 'this week'?

Please, no.

S'alright.  Next, The Carpenters- what a lovely act- with Close To You at #70, second week on the chart.

Tom Jones is at #12- and, it says here, #28 in the UK- with Daughter Of Darkness.

Vanity Faire is at #6 with Hitchin' A Ride.  Wondered if we'd hit a big one or not.

Then comes Melanie Safka with the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)- appropriate for the time I'm doing this.  You'd be amazed how noisy rain on the top of a police box is... oh, and she's at #7.  Well, they are.

The Beatles are at #1 with The Long And Winding Road, maybe Phil Spector's masterpiece.

The Moments sit at #22 with Love On A Two Way Street.

The Jackson Five are at #4 with The Love You Save.

Three Dog Night are at #10 with Mama Told Me (Not To Come).  And I agree!

Here's one I'm not totally familiar with- the Three Degrees with Maybe, at #90.

White Plains is at #11 with My Baby Loves Loving.

At #28 we have The Five Stairsteps with Ooh Child.

Ah, here's a band with a good orchestra -usually the London Symphony- the Moody Blues with Question at #20 here, #17 in the UK.

Blues Image was at #9 with Ride Captain Ride.  Did anyone ever figure out where they were sailing to?  

E:  Bermuda.  They got caught in the Triangle, that's why you never heard from them again.

H:  Ah.  Eric Burdon and War were at #69 with Spill The Wine.

That's the second time in as many weeks we almost have the  #_ in'_ on the Panel.

The "what-in-what?"

Never mind.

Okay, then.  We got El Chicano with Viva Tirado at... well, it peaked two weeks ago and fell off already.  But it did get to #27...

We have the Poppy Family with Which Way You Going, Billy at #2.

And finally, the Laurenco Marques song of the week- Christie's Yellow River, which was #4 in the UK but wouldn't be big in the states until January.  And there you go!

All right, thanks Henry- and friend... so we really had a two horse race this week.  In fact, one song looked like it was going to run away with things- until another came out of nowhere and actually passed it!  But in the interests of not making it too easy, I'll throw in three from the "best of the rest" category.  Choose from:  Mama Told Me; Long And Winding Road; The Love You Save; Which Way You Going, Billy; and Ride Captain Ride.  I'll let you know if you got a winner or a stinker in a bit.

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

More of the Fourth of July List:

27-   

Alan O'Day's Undercover Angel!  It got 1 week at the top on CB in '77.

26- 

"Yep, me again..."

Henry Mancini with his POTM song, Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet!  He spent 2 weeks at the top on BB.

24 (tie-)

Starland Vocal Band- with Beauty Contest points for Margot Chapman (brunette) and Taffy Nivert- with Afternoon Delight!  It collected 3 Cashbox weeks over the Fourth in 1976.

And-  

David Rose with The Stripper!  He had two CB weeks in 1962.


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

And now our sole debut- the one I warned you about last week.  Warning: this song clocks in at 8:59 on Spotify- beating out Duran Duran's Paper Gods by nearly two minutes!  This is actually the new single by the Derevolutions, and comes in at #10:





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

So here's the thing with our 6D song.  The original of Get Ready was written by Smoky Robinson, who was also producing the Temptations at the time.  But there was a little more to the story...

It is significant for being the last song Robinson wrote and produced for the Temptations, due to a deal Berry Gordy made with Norman Whitfield, that if "Get Ready" did not meet with the expected degree of success, then Whitfield's song, "Ain't Too Proud To Beg", would get the next release, which resulted in Whitfield more or less replacing Robinson as the group's producer.

Their version crapped out at #29, and sure enough, Whitfield got the next single.  But here's the funny thing:  Our 6D song is Rare Earth's cover, which clobbered it, reaching #4 on BB, and being this week's #3 without Panel Love on CB.  So then, Whitfield became the Temp's producer, and Rare Earth covered one of HIS Temps' productions, (I Know) I'm Losing You- and they beat them on this one too- by a more respectable #7 to #8, this time.


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

Your hint for the week- if you took the J5, the Poppys, or Blues Image, you took a stinker!

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

Stat Pack time!

I knew 49!  Go me!

The big move belonged to Panelist Ooh Child, 35 spots from 70 to 35.

The #70 in '70 was- in it's 12th week and on it's way down- Norman Greenbaum's Spirit In The Sky.

At 101 was Tommy Roe's Pearl- which started an odd run of single success-or lack thereof- for Tommy off his lp We Can Make Music.  BB Peaked it at #50- and so too the next one, Stir It Up And Serve It.  However, they were nicer to the third single, the album's title cut- it got an extra notch to #49.

And another familiar song at the top of the UK charts, Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime.

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

Last three of the countdown for this week:

23-   

Neil Diamond's Song Sung Blue! 1 week on each chart in 1972.


22- 

The Captain and Tennille with Love Will Keep Us Together!  It took 2 weeks on CB and 4 on BB in 1975.

And, 21-    

The Four Tops with I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)!  They had 2 BB weeks in 1965.


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

And now, the rest of the M10:

Boz Scaggs holds onto #9 with Rock And Stick.

Eight weeks on and at #8 for Caroline Rose with Jeannie Becomes A Mom.

Phantogram slides down a pair to #7 with Saturday.

So too illuminatti hotties with Shape Of My Hands at #6.

Up 3 places for the Jayhawks and Everybody Knows to #5.

Last week's top dogs Family Of The Year tumble to #4 with Let Her Go.

A big 4-spot to #3 for the other Derev's tune, Now You Know My Name.

Shilpa Ray holds at #2 with Shoot This Dying Horse.

And, as promised, the studio version of the new #1- up from debuting at #6:






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

So that left you with Panel contenders The Long And Winding Road and Mama Told Me.  One got 26.2 % of the vote; one got 24.6%.  And that one was...

...The Beatles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tune in next week for more hijinks with the Fab Four, (most likely) Elvis, and maybe little Mary MacGregor!