Time Machine co-ordinates VILXX51211966

Today we go to November 9th, 1966, and "witness" one of the most famous events that never happened...

It all began on October 12, 1969, when Russ Gibb, a DJ for Detroit's underground station WKNR-FM, received a phone call by a man named "Tom," who claimed that some Beatles records contained hidden clues suggesting that Paul McCartney had actually died.

The evidence for a conspiracy revolved around the theory that Paul had been decapitated in an automobile wreck after he left Abbey Road studios in London, where the Beatles recorded their music. Paul had apparently left upset over an argument with the other Beatles, took his Aston Martin sportscar, and perished in a horrible accident that killed him.


This accident supposedly took place at 5 a.m. on November 9, 1966, and was caused by a hitchhiker named Rita who Paul had picked up along the road.


The arrival of an impostor in November 1966, then, could have explained why the Beatles stopped touring that same year (it would have been too easy to spot a fake McCartney performance on stage) and started to grow moustaches (the face was almost identical, but not perfect: it needed some disguise).




However, this terrible secret generated in the remaining Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, a strong sense of guilt and induced them to insert many hints and clues to the truth in their songs and album covers.


This of course started all the back-masking, "I buried Paul" crap that even led to Batman getting involved...

And 52 years later, Paul is one of the last two left.  Oops!  Welcome to Time Machine, and a POTM appearnce from Mick Jagger, who's also still alive!  Plus, the biggest Panel in history!  Quick, Robin to the batmobile the Musical Tardis!


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I'm giving Mick a break from this massive Panel list- 30 songs from 116 stations!  Was it a close race? Well...

Anyway, let me start off with the anomalies that crop up on most Panels in limited quantities, but really went wild here:

A local band from (queue Captain Obvious) El Paso called the El Paso Premiers had a very tasty number on the list called This Is The Beginning.  Worth a look-up IMHO.

Aussie star Johnny Young got in with a tune called Stepback.  Not bad, either!

Actually getting two votes was another pretty good lost song from Ronnie and the Daytonas called I'll Think Of Summer.  It hit Billboard's Bubbling Under at some point at #123.

Richard and the Young Lions peaked in July with a tune called Open Up Your Doors.  The band included future writer of Tie A Yellow Ribbon, Larry Brown, and the song hit #70.

Al Martino makes the oddity list despite being at #68 on the Cashbox chart with The Wheel Of Hurt- an oddity because I couldn't find the video to listen to it anywhere!

One chart had the Monkees at 1 and 2- and NEITHER one was ever released!  The one that got the vote was the tune I Wanna Be Free- the Theme From The Monkees was at 2.

Another Aussie vote went to a band called the Twilights with Needle In A Haystack- lead singer future Little River Band front guy Glenn Shorrock.

And the final anomaly belongs to Columbus OH band Fifth Order with the garage-y Going Too Far.


Then we get to the rest of the one hit wonders:

Herman's Hermits got a vote for No Milk Today- and it was a Euro vote, as that song wouldn't climb our charts until next April.  In the meantime, they WERE charting with Dandy at #8.

Tommy Roe's Sweet Pea, I guess I shoulda stuck it among the anomalies, as it had peaked back in July.

Eddie Floyd had Knock On Wood at #64.

I really have to wonder why Sonny went along with some of the titles to the songs he charted with.  He had a solo hit with one called Laugh At Me; he had one with Cher charting at #29 this week called Little Man (with her singing to him).

Go Away Little Girl by the Happenings was at #14.

Bobby Darrin was at #9 with If I Were A Carpenter.

And Percy Sledge was at #49 with It Tears Me Up.


Which brings us to the rest of the also rans:

Tommy Roe again with Hooray For Hazel at #7 and 3 votes.

The Supremes with You Keep Me Hanging On at #24 had 6 votes.

David Ruffin and What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted was at #13 with 5 votes.

Also with 5 votes was the #15 tune, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels with the Devil With A Blue Dress Medley.

The Left Banke had Walk Away Renee at #2 this week- but just 4 votes.

Peter and Gordon and the lovely Lady Godiva were at #45 and 2 votes.

James and Bobby Purify were at #22 with I'm Your Puppet and 4 votes.

The Loving Spoonful and Rain On The Roof was #11 and 2 votes.

The New Vaudeville Band were at #16 and 6 votes for Winchester Cathedral.

And finally, the Four Tops and Reach Out (I'll Be There) was at #6 with two votes.  Whew!

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So before we get to the final 4, how about we take a break and listen to this week's new M10 debut at #10- from Elvis Costello and the Imposters:






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And now, Mr Mick Jagger!

Yeah, I wonder if I'm in me right mind comin' back here again, but... what can I do for you?

Well, I knew neither you- nor any guest in their right mind- would want to tackle that brobdingnagian list of ours, so I thought maybe we could talk about the 6D together.

Oh, that's that thing where you dig up dirt on the bloke that didn't get a Panel vote.  Hard to believe ANYbody didn't get one this week.

I know, right?  So let me start this with a question:  What do (outside of being musicians) the following acts have in common:  Cliff Richard, David Bowie, Jeff Lynne, John Lodge of the Moody Blues, Queen, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, Ray Davies of the Kinks, and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders?

That's a right mob there!  It could be about anything.  Let me... wait, I know- they're not ME!

Well, that, and they were all winners of the Ivor Novello Award for outstanding Contributions to British Music.

Oh, that lot.  Those buggers don't like the band for some reason.

Yeah, I noticed you guys got shut out.

Oh, not so!  Keith and I got some songwriting award in 2005...

Oh, yeah.  Did you see John Lennon had like 15 awards?

Why does it always have to do wtih the bloody Beatles?

Well, because one of those wins was for writing the song She's Leaving Home, which was one of only three songs they recorded on which NONE of them played instruments.

Yeah, well, they could get away with that rubbish.  You know what we would've sounded like without instruments?

Breeding season in tomcat alley?

Oh, you're a fine one...

So anyway, She's Leaving Home was also the only Beatles tune not orchestrally arranged by George Martin. For this one, Paul used Mike Leander...

Uh-oh.  I know where this is going...

... who also was the arranger on your first song to use a horn section...

Please, tell me it's not us...


And that song is our 6D victim- Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing In The Shadow, at # 4 without any Panel love.


ARRRRGH!!! Why do I ever come here!!!!!????

Wait!  Don't you want to know the other two songs the Beatles didn't play instruments on?

No!  No no no!


But they were Eleanor Rigby and...

SLAM!

... and Good Night, from the White Album.  Hee hee...

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Before I forget, here are your final contestants!  The Beach Boys with Good Vibrations at #10; The Monkees and Last Train To Clarksville at the top; ? and the Mysterians and 96 Tears at #5; and Johnny Rivers and Poor Side Of Town at #3.  Better get yer choices in quick!


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Stats and labels next!

The Capitols, who gave us Cool Jerk, were our #101 with We've Got A Thing That's On The Groove.  It would peak at #65- and that was the next-highest they ever got.

The #66 in '66 was a song just about to flame out right there- Lorraine Ellison with Stay With Me.

Out of the Cashbox hot 100, of which I knew 31, the Hollies had the big mover with Stop Stop Stop going from 73 to 46 for 27 spots.

On the British charts, the Panel scored with Good Vibrations (15), No Milk Today (7), What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted (43), Lady Godiva (23), Little Man (33), Winchester Cathedral (5), If I Were A Carpenter (13), and their #1, Reach Out (I'll Be There).  Despite all those, I only knew 15 of their top 50 hits.

And probably for the first time ever on the label game, the winner of the best position also had the most on this year's MusicVF top 100 with 8, and an average position of  29.2!  And that winner is...

Capitol!  They won behind 3 from the Beatles (Eleanor Rigby 49, Yellow Submarine 13, and Paperback Writer 5), 3 from the Beach Boys (Sloop John B 26, Barbara Ann 22, and Good Vibes 6), and Lady Godiva at #93, and the Seekers' Georgy Girl at #20!


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The rest of the M10:

A crowded field sees the Derevs only go up 1 to #9 with Research Cognitivity.

A trio of former #1s drop- Sucker's Prayer from 4 to 8, What I Want from 6 to 7, and last week's #1- Frankie Cosmos with Apathy- to #3.

Bad Wolves move up 2 to 6 with Remember When.

Alkonost holding at 5 with Paporotnik.

Blackberry Smoke and Amanda Shires move up 3 to #4 with You Got Lucky.

Roseanne Cash slides into the #2 slot with Not Many Miles To Go.

And with that we note that it is a happy and sad day for ELO.  First...

....they take their second #1 with Surrender...

But second, founding member and cellist Hugh McDowell passed away on the 6th at the age of 65.


His passing, on November 6, was confirmed by his former ELO bandmate, Mel Gale. McDowell was 65. He performed on the band’s recordings throughout the mid-to-late ’70s as they ascended the worldwide albums and singles charts.

Gale, a fellow cellist in the group, wrote on his Facebook page on November 7: “I’m sad beyond words to have to pass on the news that my old friend and fantastic cellist Hugh McDowell passed away last night after a long illness.


“We met in our mid teens and were close until we left ELO in 1980. He was a beautiful free spirit, had such a natural gift as a cellist and just a lovely bloke.”  (Best Classic Bands)


But now, on at last to the Panel Winner!  If you took 96 Tears, you got 6% of a crowded field.  If you took the Monkees, you netted not quite 9.5%.  Johnny?  You got 11.2%.  But the winner, with a whopping 25%- an act that traditionally sucks on Panel votes-

The Beach Boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be here next time for 1967 with the boys!