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Friday, August 14, 2020
Time Machine co-ordinates VICLV63681461
Two very interesting things came to an end today, August 14th, 1961. The Brandenburg Gate to East Berlin was closed permanently, apparently because East Berlin police didn't like having rocks and things thrown at them from West Berliners. And the evidenciary part of the Adolf Eichmann trial ended, and the case went before the judges to deliberate.
Here, though, things are much happier, because I have a special treat for our three time POTM, Elvis, that I'm just dying to share with you. So King, I... uh, where is Elvis?\
Nardole: He said he would be right here, and he... oh, here he comes now, sir... Oh, my....
Hey, I wanted to get duded up just right for the occasion, boss...
Geeez, is that you? I can't tell from the glare off the sequins...
Yeah, maybe the 1,000 watt spotlight on me is over the top. Hey, Noodle! Cut the light! There, how's that?
Better, marginally. So as I was saying, I have a really big surprise for you later on, in honor of your unique achievement! But first...
Wait, this 'but first' stuff again?
Yes, because I like it when you squirm! So, I'll even give you a choice! Do you wanna do first what's behind door #1... door #2... or door #3?
Whut is this, Let's Make a Deal? Ah'll take door number... two!
All right, because door # 2 is the second of two debuts this week, and a lady I think I'm gonna fall in love with! With her second hit on the M10- and the second on THIS week's M10... here's Hazel English at #8...
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Okay, so this week, among the 22 contestants from 44 stations on this week's Panel, there are NO-zero- Elvis Presley hits, so there won't be a fourth in a row...
N: Thank heaven for that!
E: Noodle? What's that supposed to mean?
N: Well, first of all, the name is Nardole, not 'Noodle'. Second, I think we could all use with your gargantuanly inflated ego.... shrinking for a while...
E: I guess I can git a little overbearing... sorry guys...
I don't mind, heck, it might be the only time anyone hits three times in a row! Anyway, before I turn the finalist list over to you, I should let everyone know that we have one finalist- and that is 14 year old Eddie Hodges' I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door- that got into the final with a lot of help from the non-US end of the Panel. Three votes from Australia and one from Canada were among (but not his only) votes. With the remaining finalists, here's Liberace- I mean Elvis! Easy mistake, the sequins and all...
Hardy har, har! You fergot to mention that Hodges is at #21 on Cashbox this week. The other songs go like this:
At #10, the Highwaymen with Michael (Row The Boat Ashore)...
At #5, the Mar-Keys with Last Night...
At #1, Bobby Lewis an' Tossin' And Turnin'....
...an' debuting at #72, Dick and DeeDee with The Mountain's High. Pick from them there hits to see if'n you can guess who'll take my spot at the top!
Speaking of guessing, which door you want next, bud?
Ugggh... gimme #1...
Alright! Last week, we did that 6D that brought us the accomplishments of one Diane Warren, and I speculated on the Beatles...
Dadgum it, not on my week!
Yes, right now. So I found a site that told which Beatle wrote which #1- a site that somehow forgot to include the Yesterday And Today lp, forcing me to do a little more digging. So it was that I decided to have the Paul vs John who wrote the most #1s contest! Now, not to short George and Ringo- George got credit on Something, My Sweet Lord, Give Me Love, and a co-credit with Ringo on Photograph; Ringo alas only got that shared credit. In addition, there were three Beatles hits that we co-comps in reality by McCartney/Lennon- She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and We Can Work It Out. But as for #1's they can take the lion's share of credit on:
Paul had 11 for the Beatles, a whopping 9 #1s solo or with Wings, and the Peter and Gordon #1 A World Without Love. Final score- 20.
John had 6 with the band, 2 on his own, and Elton's cover of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. Plus, Roseanne Cash took his I Don't Want To Spoil The Party to #1 on the country charts, so give him a final score of- ten.
How many songs did you write that hit number one, King?
I got a credit on one... "I've never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe. I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song, 'All Shook Up'." *
(*The quote was from an interview with Delores Diamond published October 28th, 1957)
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All right, let me hit the stats...
Shouldn't you be playing another song about now?
Not yet... for a good reason. Anyway, the Big Mover was Ben E King's Amor, up 32 from 78-46; the #1s around the English speaking universe include: Who Put The Bomp In The Bomp-She-Bomp by Barry Mann in Canada (#73 debuting here), Australia's, as you might suspect, was Eddie Hodges' I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door; New Zealand enters our picture with Brook Benton's Boll Weevil Song; and the UK has at the top Helen Shapiro with You Don't Know. Ready for that last door?
I s'pose...
This is a LIVE 6D! Eddie Cochran often comes to mind this time of year- after all his big hit was Summertime Blues. He was killed in an accident in April 1960 that almost claimed fellow singer Gene Vincent- along with a young lady that you know, King! You apparently are the one that told this teeny-bopper at the time to do some writing. And after a relationship went sour with one of the Everlys- which one depends on if you believe Wiki or AllMusic- she wrote a song and finagled her way into Ricky Nelson's house to convince him to take it. He slowed the tempo, and Poor Little Fool made Sharon Sheeley the youngest woman (at 18) to write an American #1 hit. After the accident, she teamed with another up and coming star- Jackie DeShannon- to write several tunes, including the song at #4 without a Panel Vote- Brenda Lee's Dum Dum.
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NOW, can we do my surprise?
You bet, my friend! Because last week, a certain person we all know had a collection released by his record company... and I heard the first single from it, and said, "I like this!" It was originally a top ten country hit for Stonewall Jackson in '65...
Sigh... another cover....
...and then covered the next year in a top 20 hit for Johnny Rivers. This particular version we are putting in at #10 is a souped up version of a song from a 1971 lp... and comes out this week on the collection called Elvis In Nashville...
Huh? Holy... you mean....
At #10 this week, for just the second time- the first being the M10's very first week.... here is- Elvis Presley!!!!!!!!!!!
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Wow, boss... I think I'm gonna cry....
Well, don't do it now, I have the rest of the M10 to fill in!
Basia Bulat's Your Girl drops from 6 to 9...
The Explorer's Club is at #7, up 2 for Roses And Rainbows...
Silversun Pickups climb 4 to #6 with Toy Soldiers....
Hazel English's other hit, Five And Dime, falls from the top to #5....
The Jayhawks get a spot back, from 5 to 4 with Bitter Pill...
Dent May slips from 2 to 3 with I Could Use A Miracle...
2 weeks ago, I said to myself, there are 5 songs this week that could be #1- this week, there are only 2....
Brooke Annibale moves up a spot to #2 with Home Again...
And the new #1.....
The Beths with Jump Rope Gazers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now, the Panel picks...
Bobby Lewis and the Mar-Keys got 9.1% each...
Eddie Hodges and Dick And DeeDee got 11.36% each....
And the winner, with 20.4%....
...the original Highwaymen, with Michael!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Join me and the Highwaymen for 1962... maybe I'll get them to sing Cottonfields, because, you know, in August 1962, "I was a little bitty baby..." Hee Hee!
Boss, that joke was anything BUT burnt....
Good thing you're here to educate me on the days long before I was conscious of trends in music because I don't think I've heard of more than one or two of those songs or artists.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's why I like delving into the past- and finding the beauty of the music then- as well as keeping an eye on the now, because there are still those out there making it.
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