Time Machine co-ordinates VICXLVIII62961977

Remember a couple hundred posts or so ago, when it seemed like every week, the 'on this day' vignette featured an awful plane crash?  This year, the hot topic is BaseBrawl...

Here, on Father's Day 1977, we see Dodger Reggie Smith taking a swing at Cub Rick Reuschel because he felt Rick hit him on purpose.  Being a fan of that era, I have but one comment... I don't ever remember Reuschel looking that svelte...

See, now there's the porker I remember...

(Pictures courtesy LA Times and WorthPoint BTW.)

In looking it up, I see the game was tied at 1 in the third inning with two outs.  RIGHT when I'd hit someone on purpose, Reg.  How's that anger management class coming?

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Welcome to this week's Time Machine, where our guest is... who is our guest, Nardole?

That's Nardole, N-A-R...

I SAID Nardole.

Oh, so you did, sorry!  I'm so used to the others calli-

Nardole, the guest?

Paul McCartney, sir...and yesterday was his 78th birthday!

But you did get the 1977 version, right?

Yes, sir!

Alright, good job!  Let's just go on ahead and bring him out!

Hi, Paul!  Nice to see you again!

You wouldn't think so by the bum's rush you gave us last week...

Last week's show was taped on a very bad day...


But this one was better?

Worse, actually, thanks for asking!  Anyway, this week we have something we haven't seen for a while- a run-off vote between the top 2 songs!


Is this where I should say, "How long was it?"

I really wish you wouldn't.  But before we get on with things, I have a special that has you written all over it!


Oy, an' what would that be?

Somebody did a poll of UK voters on the happiest song of all time, and I recorded the Martin Era 2.0 songs that were on the list, with where they actually fell on the big chart, and I thought you might share them with us!


Sounds like fun- any of my stuff, or the old band's?

Um, let me go back here...  All You Need Is Love was 255th... Here Come The Sun, 179th... Twist And Shout 58th...  that would be it...


IT?  Seriously?

Hey, they're YOUR countrymen...


Very well, let me see your list...

Number ten, which was 36 on the full list, was the Bee Gees with You Should Be Dancing... That's happier that Jet, or Helen Wheels...

Paul...


All right.  Number nine, 31 overall, was Fleetwood Mac with Don't Stop.
Number eight, 30 overall, was Martha and the Vandellas, Dancing In The Street ...

You can't argue with THAT one...


I suppose.  Seven was James Brown, I Feel Good (I Got You), 28 overall.
Six was... was... 

Paul?

...Barry White's You're My First, My Last, My Everything?  Who was happy about that one, the typesetter?  Alas, #24 overall.

Number five, KC and the Sunshine Band, That's The Way I Like It, 20 overall...
Number four, The Four Seasons, Oh What A Night, 19 overall...
Number three, Elton John and Crocodile Rock, 17 overall.  But no Yellow Submarine...
Number two,  ABBA?  Dancing Queen? Number four overall?

Steady, bud...


And the number one, at least THAT's no surprise... 

...ELO and Mr Blue Sky!  

Thanks, Paul, and we better get to this week's debuts on the M10- 2 of 'em, and the Cover Summer rolls on with both of them being covers!  The first is our new one at #9, brand new from Blackberry Smoke...









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 Ok, Paul, you up for the semi-finalists?  Give our audience 4 of the 16 songs from the 52-station Panel, and let them try and eliminate the right 2 and leave themselves with the run-off battle!

Right-o... I see we aren't on THIS list, either...

Paul, you did WIN last week...


Oh, yes, quite right.  Your four choices, please pick 2...

At #2 on the Cashbox survey, Fleetwood Mac and Dreams...
At #17... good Lord, Sean Cassidy and Da Doo Ron Ron...
Stevie Wonder at #22 with Sir Duke...
... and #5, Alan O'Day and Undercover Angel.  Heavens, where is the #1?

Well, Paul, that's where it gets interesting, because for the first time ever, the #1 song on Cashbox is the 6D victim!  We start this story with Chubby Checker's big hit, Pony Time.  It was one of many songs that had a co-write credit to one Don Covay.  Among those songs- and could they be two more different songs?- was the tune Sookie Sookie from Steppenwulf's first lp!  Steppenwulf was part of a big huge mess of a story I did way back in January of 2011,  which connected the Mynah Birds (who featured Neil Young, Rick James, and some future 'Wulfers) with just about everyone from the late 60's through mid 70's.  For today's purpose, we can stick to the concept that Steppenwulf had basically its beginning with Jack London and his Sparrows, who 'traded' bassist Bruce Palmer to the Mynah Birds for their bassist Nick St Nicholas, who was one of those future 'Wulfers.  That brings us to the young at the time Mr James, who comes into our story because in my research, his first solo lp (from which You And I and Mary Jane charted) was referred in a wiki article as an 'overnight success' which I had to chuckle about given the Mynah Bird history.  That article was about his co-producer, Art Stewart, who also produce this week's #1 Cashbox song which got no Panel love- Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up.




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Second cover debut this week at #7, more new stuff from The Explorer's Club...









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Sigh... This has been a battle getting these videos on here.  I've been trying to use Firefox since Chrome's been dogging me, and Blogger does some seriously strange crap on Firefox.   Anyway, Paul, you still here?

Yes, I'm..ughn... I'm just hiding under the table here while you got those videos sorted...

Who are our two run off contestants?

Well, you lot should have went by the numbers.. it's #2 Dreams and #5 Undercover Angel!

All right!  So before we get to the M10, let's do the pared-down stat pack.  We have for a big mover this week, the Beach Boys and Rock And Roll Music, speaking of cover summers, up 20 spots from 61 to 41.  Our #1s around the globe...

South Africa had ABBA with Knowing Me, Knowing You, which was at #32 this week on Cashbox...

Australia was listening to Julie Covington's Don't Cry For Me, Argentina...

Canada had Dreams at the top...

And the UK was listening to Kenny Rodgers singing Lucille!

The M10 remainders...

Maddie and Tae spend their 10th week- a feat only ten other songs have managed- at #10, down 4 with I Don't Need To Know.

Kidsmoke squeezes out a 2-notch climb with Layla's Love...

The War and Treaty climb 9 to 6 with Jealousy...

Jayhawks back-to-back:  Bad Time up 2 to 5, This Forgotten Town stuck at 4...

Likewise stuck, Badfinger and the Baby Blue redux...

And also holding at #2, the Explorer's Club and Can't Find the Time...

Which means a second week at the top for...

...the Shacks and Smile Now Cry Later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And our run off?  And what a run off it was, as the one song blew out to a 7-1 lead, only to see it shrink to a 1-vote lead before winning 8-6...

Fleetwood Mac and Dreams!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Next week the Cover Summer goes backbackbackback... to 1955!