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Today is January 24th, 1956, and today something that never should have happened occurred. Today, Look Magazine proved that crime pays. Two disgusting racists from Mississippi, who were acquitted for the murder of a 14-year old black teen who committed no crime, got paid $4,000 each for their confessions to the crime that they were acquitted of- and were never charged again...
On September 19, the kidnapping and murder trial of (Ron) Bryant and (J.W.) Milam began in Sumner, Mississippi. Five days later, on September 23, the all-white, all-male jury acquitted the two men of murder after deliberating for little over an hour. The jury claimed it would’ve reached its decision even more quickly–despite overwhelming evidence that the defendants were guilty–had it not taken a soda break.
The only justice in this case was that both men died of cancer. Trying to leave vengeance to the Lord prevents me from saying anything else.
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Sorry about that, but sometimes the news just isn't happy. However, now we move on to the happier fields of Time Machine, in which we have for you the Songs of January, the typical slightly different Panel contest that comes from just not having enough Panelists, and a really slightly different "crazy covers" segment! Plus- and I hope, Nardole, that it is not the 3-year old version from 1956, Gwen Dickey from Rose Royce!
Nardole: I share your hopes, sir. Excuse me a moment...
Uh-oh. Anyway, we have two M10 debuts this week- and I'll be watching live as I post them, as I haven't had a chance to watch them yet! The first, at #10, is from a lady who has two #1s under her belt here- Caroline Rose...
Well, on the BRIGHT side, at least she didn't have to get the YEAR right, too, eh, Nardole?
N: Er, quite right, sir. May I present to you, from 1977, a 21-year old Gwen Dickey...
Thank you! This is... a bit different...
From what I've been reading, your career has been a bit different! Discovered by Joe Evans of Undisputed Truth to replace their female vocalist, swiped by Norman Whitfield to head up a band that had been called Total Concept Unlimited, had your name changed BY him, and then, just like that, a million seller!
Yeah, but it wasn't peaches and cream, for sure. Norman ran things not in a fun way... the band hated me because he changed my name to Rose, and everyone assumed I was Rose Royce- even though that wasn't even the name Norman gave me- and they were just my backing band, instead of a band trying to become the new Temptations who got a female voice grafted onto them without a say in the matter.
Wow. So then, you just up and left?
Yep. Norman even put out a reward for me, they couldn't find me at all.
Just shows how much you really don't know what's happening in the background of these songs- unless of course, it's Fleetwood Mac and they sing about it!
No, you just don't. So, I can't say I know much about what you want me to do here...
Okay, well, normally it works like this: I look at a big list of radio station music charts from back in the day, count up the number ones from that week, and whoever gets the most votes is 'elected President of Time Machine that week, and guests on the next show. But this week we go back to 1956, which means I had 2- count 'em, 2- stations. So what I do is I point out their top tens, along with those of the one Cashbox Chart and the three Billboard charts- store sales, jukebox plays and DJ plays on radio- and figure a winner that way. But I have a better plan for you, my dear...
Hmmm... you wouldn't be getting fresh with me, would you?
Not that I haven't thought about it, but no. See, this week we are doing a monthly special where I point out the top fives of the month, from both BB and CB, for the length of what we call the Martin Era 2.0, and come up with the biggest hits of the month. And it's time to do January, and I thought maybe, since you would be a bit more familiar with a lot of them, you'd rather announce that list...
I'd be happy to. Can I freshen up a bit first?
Sure, and while you do that, let me play the other M10 debut that I haven't watched the video for yet! These guys have also been on the M10 before... this is new Nada Surf...
Okay, so the peril of "live blogging" is that, I woulda swore last night it was "official video", not official audio, but that's alright. Nardole, is Gwen back yet?
No, sir...
You did show her to the ladies room and not somewhere else, right?
I believe so, sir. Allow me to check...
Oh, fer the luvva... anyway, while we're waiting, let me queue up the crazy covers feature. This week, as we really didn't have a reference to what was and wasn't a cover, let alone crazy, we picked the songs that, at this time Cashbox was combining two different versions into one entry, and see which one we liked better. So let's go through these songs! First we have...
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so I guess that means Nardole DID find Gwen in the ladies room... Anyhow, first we have a song called It's Almost Tomorrow. The bigger hit, by Billboard standards, was by the Dream Weavers, who were at #8; the other was by Jo Stafford, who sat at #28.
Chris: I had to give this to Jo, because the vocalist on the Dream Weavers kept turning 'tomorrow' into 'tomawh', and it was just Elmer Fuddish enough to annoy me.
Laurie: Jo, I didn't notice his 'tomorrow', I just liked her better.
Next, we have Teenage Prayer, which was at #9 by Gayle Storm, and #25 by Gloria Mann.
Chris: Gloria for me, her voice was more natural on the high parts.
Laurie: Gayle sounded... "whiney". I'll take Gloria.
Third, we had a tune called He, which Al Hibbler had at 15 on BB and the McGwire Sisters at 29.
Chris: Al's a little too Perry Como for me, and if you know me, you know he never stood a chance against the McGwires.
Laurie: If this was comparing two guys singing, or two girls... this is too 'apples and oranges' for me. Sideways thumbs.
And finally, the Platters had the big hit with Only You, which was (like He) sliding down the charts. They were at #16, and another version by the Hilltoppers was at #23.
Chris: I thought the Platters' vocalist did a must better version, with his inflections.
Laurie: I didn't care for all the inflection. I go with the Hilltoppers for their more even version.
Wow, the Platters get a thumbs down from Laurie, that's a BIG upset! Ah, I see Gwen is back...
Sorry about scaring your assistant... what's his name, Noodle?
Close enough. So you get to do what Elvis called the 'dirty dozen'- the top 12 songs of January. And this is the most 70's-centric month we've had yet!
All right, so you have Dean Martin at #12, he had Memories Are Made Of This in 1956.
Danny and the Juniors were at #11 with At The Hop from 1958- was that one really that long ago?
#10 is the Monkees with I'm A Believer from 1967...
I would have bet money- and lost- that the Monkees were gonna take their second month in a row with that one...
At #9 is Guy Mitchell's Singing The Blues- which this says was #2 for December last time!
Number eight is Barry Manilow and I Write The Songs...
#7 is the only one on the list that came in second for its year. The year was 1971, and the song was George Harrison and My Sweet Lord.
Number six is Frankie Avalon and Why from 1960. No Annette?
No Annette.
I always kinda liked her! Number 5 is BJ Thomas and Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head from 1970...
#4 is the one that won 1971- Tony Orlando and Dawn and Knock Three Times.
#3 is the Platters again, with Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, from 1959.
Don McLean takes the second spot with American Pie from 1972- What on earth could have beaten that?
Well, right there's the winner...
I see that! At number one, the Song of January...
...the Beatles and We Can Work It Out from 1966!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for having me! This was fun!
Not a problem! Maybe you'll be back for the next Beauty Contest!
I've HEARD about that... you're not going to have that creepy guy on there this time, are you?
No, I'll have Misty make the picks this time...
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| Hey, all right! My first time on TM! |
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Okay, so we haven't even got to the Panel picks yet and time's running out! We had between our various top tens a total of 21 songs, but three of them stood head and shoulders above the rest! So as not to give you an unfair advantage, I'll save their chart positions for the reveal, but here are your candidates:
The Platters yet again, with The Great Pretender
Good ol' Dino and Memories Are Made Of This
and Tennessee Ernie Ford with 16 Tons! Pick quick, because we're ramming everything together now!
Stat Pack gets just 3 entries: Roger Williams' Autumn Leaves would have been our 6D victim had we time, getting no votes from #16 on CB...
Big mover would have been my favorite for the week, Bill Haley and the gang with See Ya Later Alligator, up 12 from 25 to 13...
And 16 Tons was the #1 on this week's UK chart!
The rest of the M10 looked like this:
White Reaper stuck at 8 with Might Be Right...
Huey Lewis and the News slipping back to #7 with While We're Young...
Jeff Lynne's ELO at #6, down one with Goin' Out On Me...
PBC up 2 more to #5 with Black Starling...
Agnes Obel shooting up from 10 to 4 with Broken Sleep...
Temples move up 1 to #3 with Shelter Song...
And, stop me if you've heard this one before, MGMT's former #1 In The Afternoon at 2...
and at the top for a second week...
...Tennis and Runner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And our Panel gave 10 votes to #1, 9 to #2, and so on, so...
... third with 44 points, the Platters (#3 on Cashbox)....
...second with 48 points, Tennessee Ernie (#2 on Cashbox, #1 on the BB Jukebox list)...
So get ready for big fun next week, as our guest will be- with 57 points.... Cashbox's #1, along with the remaining #1s save for WJR Detroit....
...that little ol' wine drinker, Dean Martin!
There are so horrible people around and some awesome music as well, just saying
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