Time Machine co-ordinates VICXXXVIII6184366

Today we go to April 3rd, 1966- and on our way pass the Soviet Luna 10, the first man made satellite to orbit the Moon as of 2:44 EST...

NASA model

Luna was supposed to play The Internationale live at the Communist Party 23rd Congress the next day, so they tested it today- and it played fine.  But on a tryout the next morning, it skipped a note- so they rebroadcast today's version and claimed it was live.  Sure, let's lie over one note that nobody would prolly notice...


Anyway, this is your weekly dance into the past and future of music, and a busy week it is, with 3 new M10 Debuts, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and the Song of March!  Don't just go around in circles, get in here!

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One of our debuts will hit heights not seen in 149 weeks!  The other 2 will take the first two available spots, though.  And at #10, here's new stuff from Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears....






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Diana:  Wow, you've come a long way, baby...

And with that, here are Diana Ross and the Supremes!

Hey, wait a minute... these girls aren't the ones in the picture, Diana... you brought the Andantes?

D:  Sure... you remember Jackie, Marlene, and Lou...

I surely do... but I thought...

D:  (whispering)  Look, Flo's in... 'that condition' today... And they've subbed for us before, so...

Sigh... Alright... Hello ladies, glad you could make it.

J:  You sure sound like it...

My apologies.  So this week, we have...

D:  Didn't that nice lawyer tell you?  I get to do the introductions...

No... no he didn't.  How convenient of him to claim 'quarantine' this week.  Here you go, ma'am.

D:  Thank you... so we have 22 contestants from 85 stations this week, that's quite a few!  Among the songs Chris wanted us to mention are... ladies?

J: Here's a right soul single that didn't chart by Rodge Martin- poor dear died of a heart attack the next year- it's called When She Touches Me, and well worth looking up!

M: The Walker Brothers got a vote for the #1 song in the UK, a song that was a #1 cover on the M10 last year for the Explorer's Club- The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore.

L:  Let me see if I have this right.  Usually, we have a lot of one-vote-wonders from the foreign stations on the list.  But most of those stations voted for one of our finalists this time, and the wonders are mainly songs that didn't get big national audiences, like this group called the Princetons with their song, Georgianna.  It was notable because its composer, Don Ciccione, would found the Critters, who had a hit with Mr Dieingly Sad.

D:  And now...

Er, and now, let's pop in the next of our debuts at #9.   From their previous lp Great Big Blue, we go back to 2017 for Geowulf...






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D:  Well, I think I was supposed to introduce that, too, but I suppose it is YOUR show...

(Chris stays silent, thinking of ways to make 'that nice lawyer' pay...)

D:  Anyway, we have six finalists- I'm not sure why, since the other five together barely beat the winner- but everyone likes a contest!  You girls do one each, and I'll get the other three...

L:  Boy, Flo's sure right about you...

D: What do you mean by THAT, Louvain? (glaring)

L: Oh, Nothing (cough attentionwhore cough)...

D:  EXCUSE ME?  Chris, I think you should...

Chris, nothing- YOU wanted to host...

D: OHHH!  You haven't heard the last of this!!!  Girls, let's go!

J:  Uh, we have a show to do...

D:  FINE.  (Stalks out, slams door)

Well, at least it wasn't me this time!  Ladies- and there'll be a little extra in your stipends from me- would you announce the finalists!

J:  Sure!  Choose from The Beatles' Nowhere Man, #2 on Cashbox; the Righteous Brothers, Soul And Inspiration at #1...

M: The Lovin' Spoonful and Daydream at #4, and Cher, Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) at #8...

L: Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made For Walking at #11, and the Mamas and the Papas, California Dreamin', at #7!

There's what I like, a competent, professional job!  Thanks, ladies!


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And now, may I present Elvis with the first installment of what he calls "the Dirty Dozen", the ME 2.0's top songs of March!

  Yeah, good to be back from vacation, boss! So here is the dealio...

"Dealio"?

I went back to the future on vacay, son!  Anyhow, 'combines Billboard and Cashbox charts', blah blah blah, 'Martin Era 2.0', yadda yadda... And here we go!

Number 12 is the winner from 1974, Terry Jacks and Seasons In The Sun.  That's a big tear-jerker, folks!

Number eleven is- oh joy, it's the Beatles and She Loves You, the second place song from 1964- which means they'll be back (groan)...

Numero ten-o is -oh, joy, the winner of 1964, them again with I Want To Hold Your Hand.  I hope that's the end of that!

"Numero ten-o?"

That's that Espan-y-ol, son!  Numer 9 is Bridge Over Troubled Water, the 1970 winner, by Simon an' Garflinky...

'Garfunkel'...

Whatever.  Number eight is some namby-pamby...

Easy, boy...

Yeah, yeah.  The 1977 winner, Love Theme From A Star Is Born by Barbra Streisand...

And number seven is The Ballad Of The Green Berets, the 1966 winner from SSGT Barry Sadler!

Thanks King!  Elvis will pick up the rest of the list on the other side of our 3rd debut, which becomes the first to debut at #3 since Beach House did with Chariot in May of 2017!  Our singer is Albert Hammond Jr- son of the guy who did It Never Rains In Southern California- and a song from his 2018 lp Francis Trouble, named for the twin of his that his mother miscarried.  And the song that shatters Iron Ceiling III...






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Stay tuned, because there remains another only-once-duplicated event on the M10 this week!  But for now, heeeeere's Elvis!

Now that's a nice introduction!  The number six song of March is the winner from 1960, per- hey, can I say his name on here?

I don't care, Bellbottom's on 'quarantine'...

Oh, yeah!  Percy Faith and Theme From A Summer Place!

Number five is Nelson Riddle- he's that nervous little fella that was messin' around with that chick, right?

Something like that...

...an' he had the 1956 winner, Lisbon Antigua.

And number four is Roberta Flack with the 1973 winner, Killing Me Softly With His Song.

Numero three-o is Paul Mariat and Love Is Blue, winner of 1968...

...and runner up is Bruce Channel and Hey Baby from 1962!  Stay tuned for the Big Reveal of the Song o' March after this!

Thanks again, buddy!  So let's quickly hit what's left here!  Our big mover this week was Johnny Rivers' Secret Agent Man, a Panelist that moves up 25 from #37 to #12...  You got the UK #1... Our would-have-been 6D vic was Simon and Garflinky- er, Garfunkel- with Homeward Bound, #5 without a Panel vote... and...

On our Panel was BJ Thomas with I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, #16 on this week's Cashbox chart.  So we put him up against 2 other versions- the original by Hank Williams Sr from 1949, and a #17 hit on the country charts by- are you ready?-

Yes, Terry Bradshaw!!!  Here we go...

Laurie:  You might be surprised, but I vote for Terry!

Chris:  Not surprised at all!  He sounded JUST like Glen Campbell to me!  I have to honor the roots though- I call a tie between him and Hank Sr.


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The rest of the M10...

Speaking In Squares dips 2 to #8 with A Song For The Opossum, but not before becoming the M10's 2nd biggest instrumental so far!

The shattered bottom half of the former Iron Ceiling- Brooke Annibale falls 3 to 7 with I Will, Best Coast falls 4 to 6 with Everything Has Changed, and Tennis at least holds at 5 with How To Forgive.

Anna Burch both rises to 4 with Tell Me What's True and falls to 2 with Party's Over...


Which means that of the now 9 songs to hit 4 weeks at the top of the M10, two have done it the 'hard way'- by dropping out of the spot and then returning.  And the second of those is...

...Real Estate and Paper Cup!  WTG, Chipper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Elvis, if you would?

Yeah, boss! The Song Of March in the ME 2.0 is...

...Tab Hunter and Young Love!  PUT a shirt on, son!


And that brings us to the Panel vote:

If you picked These Boots, you went with the international vote leader... but got only 5.8%...

The Beatles and Mamas and Papas got you 7% each...

The Lovin' Spoonful got you 8.2%...

Cher got you 10.8%...

But your winner, with 30.58%....

...The Righteous Brothers with Soul And Inspiration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be here next week, when Bill, Bobby, and the gang head for 1967!