Time Machine co-ordinates VICXVII55581659

Today we sail off to August 16th, 1959- an ironic, and actually unintended, choice of words as this is the day Admiral "Bull" Halsey died.

Just before he died, he contacted 17-year-old Paul McCartney, notifying him that he (the admiral) needed a berth or he couldn't put to sea.  Paul had a cup of Earl Gray and a butter pie, and decided, according to a 2002 interview, "Admiral Halsey is symbolic of authority and therefore not to be taken too seriously."  Headline:  "WWII Legend sunk by indifferent future Beatle".  The Time Machine Times, all the news that never happened.


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But this week on Time Machine, we have a 6D that led to another special list, one new M10 debut, one tightly packed top five, Laurie's first time compiling the Panel votes- and it led to a run-off!, and Ricky Nelson pays us a visit.  Get ready to set sail!


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Just to let you know, we are three weeks out from a special "songs of summer '19" on the M10!  We had three songs break, at least for a while, into the all time top ten, and one that just missed, so this is going to be a fun contest!  Guaranteed, no Billy Ray Cyrus or Justin Bieber on the list, like the "other guys"!

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So here's what happened on the Panel- before I started working on it, we went to BJs Brewhouse, and I tried for the first time...

...their Tatonka stout.  The first one was so good, apparently I finished it before the alcohol set in.  So I had another, and I was about 2 sips in when the buffalo charged, so to speak.  Doubting my ability to keep track as I looked up this week's Panel contestants, I handed the notebook to Laurie and read off the votes.  At the end, she announced, "We have a tie!"  I said, "Of all fricking nights to "Wonderful!"  And went about the business of tabulating the run-off (AKA who got the most #2s).  The good news is, we'll have an exciting finish!  The bad news is, since Laurie counted the votes, and blog warrior Bobby G is laid up, I have NO ONE who lets me know they've taken a guess!  So I implore you, please, take a guess this week, at least at the point I let you know who the final 2 songs were!  If you guess, I'll tag your blog next week- and if you were right, I'll even say something nice about it!

Now that I'm done grovelling, here's your debut this week.  It is a hubby/wifey duo who goes by the wife's name- Joy Downer...







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Welcome Ricky Nelson to the show!  How ya doing?

Well, I kinda am going by Rick now...

No, actually, you don't do that until you're 21, and I grabbed you from 1958.  I could go by your FULL name...

Ricky's fine, just fine.

Good, good.  So how about we get started here!  We had 14 songs from 27 stations this week, not a bad turnout.  Here is your one-vote-wonder list...

All right, so we start out with a guy named Dick Flood with his rendition of The Three Bells, which charted somewhere, but not nationally.

Next is Skip (Clyde Battin) and Flip (Gary Paxton, who had a hand in both Alley-Oop and the Monster Mash) with It Was I, and it was #14 on Cashbox this week.

Then we have Tony Bellus, a Chi-town kid with Robbin' The Cradle at #65.

Sarah Vaughn's Broken Hearted Melody came in at #26 this week...

Santo and Johnny had that surfer instrumental, Sleepwalk, at #23...

Brian Brent and the Cutouts were a one-hit-wonder whose one hit, For Eternity, never charted.

And finally, the man, the legend, Duane Eddy was at 11 with Forty Miles Of Bad Road.


Good job!  Okay, so the also-receiving list has 3 songs with 2 votes each, and the other four- including the two that tied- will be the finalists this week.

And the 2-vote songs are:

Carl Mann's Mona Lisa at #37...

Paul Anka's Lonely Boy at #2...

Lloyd Price with I'm Gonna Get Married at #34...

And that leaves these four songs for your voting pleasure.  Choose from:

Elvis Presley, A Big Hunk O' Love at #3...

The Browns with their original of The Three Bells at #10...

Phil Phillips and Sea Of Love at #8...

...and The Drifters with this week's national #1, There Goes My Baby!

That's it, Chris!  Anything else?

Well, you always were one of my mom's favorites... maybe you could do a song?

You bet, just hand me that guitar...




Man, it's been so long since I heard that... what an incredible voice you have... hang on, let me go get a beer... (sob...)

Hey, just take a moment... here, I'll do your stat pack.

So the biggest mover was Lloyd Price's song, 45 spots from 79 to 34... although it should be noted that the Browns went from 41 to 10 this week, which is even more impressive.

The #59 in '59 was Roy Hamilton's Time Marches on.  It only made 82 on Billboard, but by this time he had 7 R&B top tens including 2 #1s.  Neil Sedaka co-wrote it.

Only one really big debut this week- the Everlys with Till I Kissed You at #82.

And you knew 18 of this hot 100 before you started Time Machine, and your favorite of them based on chart position this week would be...

...Jim Ed Brown and his sisters with The Three Bells.  Thanks, Rick, I'm back.

You called me Rick...

You did serve above and beyond the call.  Take care, and hey, stick with tour buses, they won't do you wrong...

Tour buses?  What's that supposed...

Just trust me on it, okay?


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Speaking of the Browns, 'tis they and Elvis who had the 4-4 tie according to Laurie, and they who you must choose from for next week's POTM.


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So our 6D victim- the highest Cashbox charting song without a Panel vote- was Dinah Washington's What A Difference A Day Makes.  Which won the 1960 Grammy for Best R&B performance- a category that started in 1959, was dropped in '69, and brought back in 2012.  In 1969, a near equivalent category was begun, Best R&B song from the writing standpoint.  This is still ongoing, so between the two categories, you have basically a top R&B tune from 1959 through the Martin Era 2.0.  So I gathered these songs, arranged them for where they finished on the Billboard charts, and thus give you the biggest R&B Grammy winners of the ME2.0!


9 (tie)- Lowdown, Boz Scaggs, 1977

   (tie)- Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers, 1972- both hit #3.


6 (tie)- You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, Leo Sayer, 1978

   (tie)- Superstition, Stevie Wonder, 1974
 
   (tie)- Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Temptations- all hit #1 for 1 week.

4 (tie)- Respect, Aretha Franklin, 1968

    (tie)- Hit The Road Jack, Ray Charles, 1962.  Ray Charles was the king of the category- he won each year from 1961-4, plus '66.  These were 2- week #1s.

3- (Sitting on the) Dock Of The Bay, Otis Redding, 1969.  After his death, Otis held the top spot for 4 weeks.

And a #1 tie with 5 weeks at #1 for....

...Ray Charles with I Can't Stop Loving You in '63, and...

..the Champs with Tequila, the very first winner in '59!


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The rest of the M10 this week...

The Growlers hold off a challenge and stay at #10 with Natural Affair.
Beach Bunny drops 3 to #9 with Prom Queen.
Springtime Carnivore moves up 2 to #7 with Name On A Matchbook.
Silversun Pickups slip 3 to #6 with Simpatico.


And in what is essentially a big 5-way tie for first:

Mikaela Davis up 3 to #5 with Other Lover.
Geowulf up a spot to 4 with He's 31.
King Leg switches directions, back up one in week 6 with Running Scared at #3.
Last week's #1 for MAGS, Drugs, slips to #2.


And with their second M10 #1- and first since mid-May 2016...

...the Orwells and Last Days In August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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And the winner of the run-off by a 3-1 count- and ain't I glad Elvis is on vacation this week...

...the Browns with The Three Bells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next week, it's Jim Ed and the family with 1960!  Be here!