Time Machine co-ordinates VICLXI64510267

 

Today, we enter October 2nd, 1967- I was a kindergartner, one of our guests (not the scheduled ones, you'll see why) was an aspiring 25-year-old songwriter, and the other was struggling to survive after being royally screwed by Mercury Records (back to that later as well). Thurgood Marshall became the first 'person of color' to sit on the US Supreme Court today, and we were one day away from Major 'Pete' Knight setting an X-15 jet record by hitting 4,520 MPH- 6.7 times the speed of sound.

And you have hit Time Machine, refitted last week and recharged, being typed with a new keyboard that makes my fat-fingering skills more prominent that ever, and featuring a new M10 #1 and THREE debuts!  In fact, let's kick things off from a gent whose last song hasn't left the building quite yet- at #10, more Dent May:

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Let me welcome in those two guests... and remember, YOU know why they're here but they don't- Welcome Mac Davis and Helen Reddy!!!!!!!!!

Thank you both for coming!  I bet you're wondering why you're here...

M: Well, the little bald guy said something about a music show... and we're both kind of in music...

H: I hope this isn't another fake audition...

No, it's not.  For all you all wondering about this, Miss Reddy...

H:  MS Reddy...

MS Reddy had won a contest back home in Australia where the prize was a trip to New York to audition for Mercury Records.  But when she got there, she got told the show back home WAS the audition, and don't call us, we'll call you.

M:  That's cold.  I may not be getting anywhere, but at least I got a steady job...

H:  At the rate we're going, I may need a fund raiser just to go home!

Well, would you believe that within a year, Mac, you're gonna write 2 big hits?

M:  Really?

"An' they're both gonna be for me!"

M: Wow, Elvis?!? Really?

Helen, it's gonna take you a bit longer- and a lot more heartache...

H:  More?  Good Lord, what did I get myself into?

E:  It'll all come out real good on your obits...

M, H:  OBITS??????????????????

Way to go, ya big dipshit!

E:  What?  Yer gonna wipe their memories with that gizmo after we're done anyway...

Yeah, remember how YOU took it the first time?

E:  Oh, uh... yeah, I got work to do in the back...

M:  So, where we're at right now... we've passed on...

Yes, but think of what life will be like that you both get to headline a show like this after you're gone? I mean, it might not be the biggest honor, but you knocked the Association out of their spot!

H: Hey, yeah- we must have done something right!

A lot of somethings!  Today though, your job is, out of a 25 song, 98 station Panel list, to give us this week's finalists... and hope the winner doesn't get booted off next week the same way...

M:  That's for sure!  Here, ma'am, you go ahead and start us off.

H:  Alright, thank you!  Your first finalist is The Box Tops with The Letter, at #1 on Cashbox this week.

M:  Next is Lulu... Lulu who?

Just Lulu, Mac.

M:  Okay, Lulu with To Sir With Love at #18.

H: Maybe the Association won't be too mad with us- they are in the final again this time, with Never My Love at #2.

M: Next is Bobby Vee and the Strangers, with Come Back When You Grow Up at #3.

H:  And finally, the Young Rascals at #19 with How Can I Be Sure.

M:  Say, ya figure I ended up an old rascal?

H: Hee hee, you're certainly a young one now...

She's right, you know.  She does have about 3 months on you...

M: Son, don't you know better than to say that about a woman...'specially when she might smack me for it?

H:  I don't think you're the one I'd be hitting...

On that note, it's time to hit the next new debut- and I've been hoping for something a bit rockier, and I got it in the next two!  At #9, with the song that officially puts them past the superstar threshold, here's another great act from Australia- Castlecomer:

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I make my share of off-comments about Diana Ross when the Supremes make the POTM, but one thing I can say- trying to research them for a 6D- their song Reflections was #7 this week without any Panel love- is they were definitely no strangers to tragedy, and so much of their story was so sad, I'm kinda glad to use the excuse of, "no room for a 6D this week".

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A Fort Wayne chart was on the Panel this week- the still existing WGL!  Their list went as follows:

10- Strawberry Alarm Clock and Incense And Peppermints, second week on the chart nationally at #81.

9- The Who with I Can See For Miles- a song that had not debuted in the hot 100 yet, but would next week.

8- Finalist Never My Love- at #2, the only national top ten in their list!

7- The current #1 in Australia, #37 here, Vicki Carr's It Must Be Him.

6- Panelist Your Precious Love by Marvin and Tammi at #40.

5- Panelist Bobby Vinton with Please Love Me Forever, nationally #63.

4- Panelist Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song) by the Buckinghams at #23.

3- The one that surprised me, Sam and Dave's Soul Man at #35.

2- Finalist To Sir With Love.

And #1- Finalist How Can I Be Sure!

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And now, with the top debut at #8, for all you Twilight fans, here's a brand new vampire ditty from- Blue Oyster Cult!!!!!!!!!!

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So I thought I would bring up we had three panelists that were never released in the US- one of them, amazingly, is a song those of the Martin Era 2.0 all know- the Theme From The Monkees!

Most requested song by Tim Taylor...

That was an Australian vote, though the #1 as I mentioned was It Must Be Him (him, not Tim).  The others in our overseas, if you please:

The UKs #1 was our #51 this week, and one of our 2 big movers (up from 75)- Engelbert Humperdinck's The Last Waltz.

In Canada it was Finalist The Letter.

South Africa's #1 was a not-released elsewhere by the Hollies ( and that was a shame!) called That's My Desire.

New Zealand was on the third of 5 weeks for Scott McKenzie's San Francisco.

And our other big mover was Ft Wayne's #5- Please Love Me Forever, up 24 from 87-63.

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What's left of the M10...

7- Absofacto creeps up one more spot with Someone Else's Dream.

6- Saintseneca slips one to 6 with In A Van.

5- America flips up that spot with Remembering.

4- Hazel English slips from the top to 4 in her 8th week with On My Mind- and sits a #8-spot next week from the all-time top 20!

3- Dent May is still hanging out at the #3 pub with Pour Another Round.

2- Exploding up from #9, the Four Seasons with the Any Day Now Medley.

And new at #1...

...the Innocence Mission with On Your Side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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And that brings us to the Panel vote!  If you took Bobby Vee (which I would have), you got 4%...

The Young Rascals would get you 5.1%...

Lulu got you 12.2%...

The Association fought a good fight but fell short at 18.3%...

But yer winnah, with 28.57%...

...the Box Tops and The Letter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next week we head to 1968... hopefully without another addition to Rock 'N' Roll Heaven...