Time Machine co-ordinates VILXXXIV5313859

Today is March 8th, 1959- and according to Wiki, the Marx Brothers retired today.  It was, really, the last time the three together appear in a single scene, in a short for General Electric Theater called The Incredible Jewel Robbery.  It is the first time the three appear in the same scene in 13 years; Chico would die 2 years later, at 74, and Harpo 3 years after that, at 75.

In a mini 6D, I discovered that in 1966, Filmation tried to make a Marx Brothers cartoon, and some heavyweight voices were lined up to voice it:

Pat Harrington is Groucho. In the  (Lou) Scheimer book, he says "an old vaudeville guy" was the Indian, and you'll clearly recognize in the film as (Curly) Joe Besser, sounding identical to "Babu" (Did he think no one would recognize the name?) Another guy sounds like Paul Frees, but Scheimer had said Ted Knight did all the other voices.

The story goes that (thankfully) the cartoon was tested but never finished.

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

Welcome to this week's Time Machine, where we may have just hit the highlight (translation:  No good intro lined up), a surprise from this week's POTM, the Crescendos, and two new debuts!  As Groucho once said, "If you've heard this story before, don't stop me, because I'd like to hear it again."

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

Before we kick it off, here's some junk food for thought:  the M10 hit it's 100th #1 in 183 weeks.  Cashbox, by my count, went 331 weeks from the launch of the Martin Era 2.0 to their 100th #1- Take Good Care Of My Baby by Bobby Vee, in September 1961.  Why the difference?  The M10 has had 7 songs that lasted four weeks- but no more.  Cashbox in their 331 weeks dealt with 40 songs at #1 for 4 weeks OR MORE.





And now, the odd story of the Crescendos- through the eyes of backup singer Janice Green:

Thanks for coming by, Janice!  So you sang on Oh, Julie, but...

...but, I wasn't really a member.  I was this 16 year old geeky kid who had an audition  at the studio, and was the arm grabbed when some producer decided they needed a "woman's touch".

The Crescendos started as 'The Spades', and had a female pianist at one point, but were now lady-less and piano-less.

Yes.  And they stayed that way- I never got an invite or anything.  That was all right with me, I wanted to be a country and western singer.

How did that go for you?

Uh, not good.  I sang at fairs and festivals- one night, I got brought up on stage by Elvis, in '56 or '57...

It was '57, baby.  An' it was a good time!

It sure was, King.  But I moved on, married Luke Morgan, who was a driver for a country western tour bus, that included stars of the day like Carl Smith, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Goldie Smith.   We had a kid in '60, and for a while I gave up on singing, since they told me I didn't have a voice for C&W.  But I was a good background vocal, I guess, because eventually I ran into Bob Crewe, who had me do some vocals on the 1st Four Seasons lp!  But then I... just got out of the business.  Life goes on, I guess...

All right, here's the list this week- 12 contestants from 19 stations, so this is kinda spread out again.  Basically, we have the Final Three and the One Vote Wonders.  And given that the winner logged 31.6% of those votes, it wasn't close again.  Start out with the one and dones, okay?

Sure.  Okay, we have Ray Anthony's cut of Peter Gunn, it's at #9 on Cashbox...

We have Billy Parsons with The All-American Boy at #19...

The Chipmunks with Alvin's Harmonica at #3... aww, I wanted them to win!

The Crests and 16 Candles at #14...

Brook Benton and It's Just A Matter Of Time at #6...

Buddy Holly's It Doesn't Matter Anymore... at #100?

Yep, and not only is it the first time our #100 (or 101) is a Panelist, but it's also the only Panelist on this week's UK chart, at #16 there!

Wow... Then we have Chris Barber's Petite Fleur at #8...

Lloyd Price and Stagger Lee at #4...

And the Fleetwoods with Come Softly To Me at #66.

And that final three....

Yes, you get to choose from Frankie Avalon's Venus at the top, the Coasters and Charlie Brown at #2, and the Bell Notes and I've Had It at #10!


There you are, folks!  Will it be the big guns, or the lesser known this week?  Stay tuned...


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

I mentioned I have two debuts, and they are both a bit... elevated... the first one comes in at #7, from the new lp Good At Falling, this is Amber Bain, AKA The Japanese House...





Stay tuned for the next debut, even higher and just as much an M10 star...


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

I'm going to lead into the 6D with a track you might not know.  Listen for drummer Ritchie Frost playing- I kid thee not- 2 Coke cans on this one...






This title track was supposed to be- again, I kid thee not- a prospective James Bond theme, with Brian Wilson's working title of Run James, Run.  Another player other than Brian (those were rare on this disc) on this track and others was Carole Kaye on bass guitar-

The only lady member of the Wrecking Crew, she was known for bass, learned 12-string, but started as a rhythm guitarist, including the hit La Bamba and its a-side, our 6D victim this week, Ritchie Valens and Donna at #5.



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


Debut #2 this week is a newly released single from Polyvinyl records, featuring another act on the b-side, and on the a-side, a two-time #1 M10 artist.  This was off her demo to Polyvinyl before her lp Quit The Curse came out, but just newly released as a single- here's Anna Burch at #5:





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


Sta Pack:

Despite a pair of top tens that moved 14 spots this week- the #1 Venus from 15, and the #3 Alvin's Harmonica from 17- the BIG mover was back at #26 after a FIFTY-THREE notch leap from #79- Rick Nelson with Never Be Anyone Else But You.


I knew 18 of the UK top 50- but not this week's #1, As I Love You by Shirley Bassey.

I have another little mini 6D involving our #59 in '59 this week.  And it involves a song I know better as  a cover by Donny and Marie- the #8 from 1974 Morning Side Of The Mountain.  In 1959- and in '51- it was done by the great Tommy Edwards.  His original peaked at #24; the second, and one we're having here- peaked at 27 as the b-side of another twice-done for Tommy, the classic Please Mr Sun.  1952 was the big  year for that song; Perry Como took it to #12,  and Johnny Ray backed by the Four Lads hit #6.  Tommy's version back then hit #22; as the a-side to Morning Side, it made #11 in '59.

For me, though, I like the Vogues 1966 version, which topped out at #48.

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

So now we are in the fourth calendar year of the M10, and I thought maybe every so often we could look back at what was topping my chart in years past.  In 2016, it was...

...Eleanor Friedberger's Two Versions Of Tomorrow, which was a three-week #1...

In 2017, we had...

The Pretenders with Neil Tennant doing Let's Get Lost...


Last year at this time...

...it was the first week of the legendary Iron Ceiling, with Beach House at the top with Lemon Glow.


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

And you know what?  I never did figure up how many I knew on Cashbox this week!  Let's see...umm... umm... 23!

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

The remaining M10:

The bottom of the chart has three dropping songs, so next week will be a busy one!  Fast Romantics fall to #10 with Mexico in week #4... Criminal Hygiene's Greetings From A Postcard to #9 in week seven... and also in week seven, Roseanne Cash's The Only Thing Worth Fighting For to #8.

On the other hand, Pure Bathing Culture gets their highest charting position as Devotion moves to #6 this week.

Santana's In Search Of Mona Lisa slips a notch to #4...

...and Leonard Cohen follows his pattern- 9 to 7 to 5 to 3 with You Want It Darker.

Holding at #2 is Liz Cooper and the Stampede with Outer Space- which means that it will almost certainly enter the all-time top 10 next week.

And at #1 for a second week:

...it's #1 for The Dig and You're Not Alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And our Panel winner...

....Frankie Avalon with Venus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next week, God willing, into the 60's again!