Time Machine VICXLVIII651112073

 

Today we go to November 20th, 1973, and attend the Who concert in the City By The Bay!

Another infamous show in Who folklore – the night Keith collapsed on stage and a member of the audience took over on drums. The whole concert was recorded on a crude 2-camera video system in B&W which was part of Bill Graham’s personal archive, and the Moon collapsing incident can be seen in Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B Live. ...

From a very grainy video, I believe this to be audience member Scott Halpin, who finished the last 3 songs of the set and said, "I was dead," afterwards.  Anyway, welcome to Ti... Why do you guys always wait until the show starts to bring me bad news?

We just received a notice from your guest, a Mr Johnny Nash...

Dr Mr Bellbottom, et al,

This has been the second time you have invited me to this program, and the second time something has not gone off right.  First time, you decided to broadcast a 'staff meeting' and cut my time... this time, "the producer forgot to set things up".   As a result, I question your program's stability and integrity, and will not be attending your program this time around, as I simply have other things to do.

Regards,

Johnny Nash.

PS:  Perhaps you could just put up a picture of me and then ignore it as you did last time.

OUCH.  Okay, then, Bellbottom, you are up!

Up?  Whatever- and I know I shall regret asking- does that mean?

It's your turn to fill in the guest slot!

Oh, good heavens!  What is it you need me to do?

Well, why don't you start, just for fun, with this week's 6 Degrees?

Very well.  (AHEM) We begin this story with a song that was quite popular by an act called the Eagles, Hotel California.  Our focus is on the line, "They stab it with their steely knives..." Good heavens, children listened to this?  At any rate, the original wording was, according to legend, "they stab it with their Steely Dan", in reference to another musical act, obviously named Steely Dan after a... merciful heavens!?!  Is that correct?  I cannot possibly say that...

Skip past that part...

Thank you, at least, for that.  They used the band's name in tribute to a song that, er, Steely Dan sang that included the line, "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening", which referenced an argument at home between band member Walter Becker and his wife.  The song was on their album The Royal Scam, it was called Everything You Did.  Also on this album was a song very well liked by my employer, here, called Haitian Divorce.  On that song, guitar player Dean Parks played a solo with a... a talkbox? It must be one of those "after my time" inventions.  At any rate, Dean Parks is the man who takes the story to its inevitable conclusion...

You couldn't have just said, "Takes us where we wanna go", like I put in the copy?

Being 'hip' and 'modern' is no excuse for abandoning the Queen's English!  Mr Parks also played guitar- apparently without a "talk box"- on our 6 Degrees victim, Eddie Kendricks and his soon to be #1 song, er, Keep On Truckin'...

But you could read the song title without complaining about the contraction...

Because I have no idea what it means!

Well, what it means is, it's time to play our lone debut on the M10... unless you think it should be the "Bellbottom Ten"...

I should say NOT!  However, I shall introduce the song, as per my job.  This is a brand new song by a young lady I must say I am not familiar with, named Alice Cooper...

I'll say you're not familiar with "her"...

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You could have informed me that it was a gentleman...

What's the fun in that?  So this week we have 19 songs from 54 stations, including Dave Mills with Love Is A Beautiful Song, which hit the top in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, all at different times, and was getting a Canadian vote here; a couple of big country hits here that got votes elsewhere, one from Canada for Tommy Overstreet and Heaven Is My Woman's Love, and Australia for Tom T Hall's Old Dogs Children And Watermelon Wine;and the Laurenco Marques song of the week, David Bowie with Sorrow- a tune that just debuted at #94 here (and didn't get much farther).  Sir, here are the finalists...

Very good, please choose from...

Gladys Knight - I assume that's a woman- and the Pips, with Midnight Train To Georgia, currently at #3 on the Cashbox chart of the week...

The Carpenters- they have Top Of The World at #4...

The DiFranco Family with Heartbeat-It's A Lovebeat at #1...

Ringo Starr- a former employer of mine- at #2 with Photograph...

And finally, the Rolling Stones with Angie, at #7.  I shall put in my vote for Mr Starr- he was quite the entertaining chap, if a bit odd...

Among the things you get when you Google "Ringo Starr being odd"- a bubble bath bottle...

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Once again, Ringo's old mate John Lennon gets stiffed on the Big Mover- his 30 spot jump with Mind Games gets beat by the 31- spot (74-43) jump by Tony Orlando and Dawn with Who's In The Strawberry Patch With Sally.

Overseas If You Please this week:

Here, allow me!  Canada had at the top Could You Ever Love Me Again by, er, Gary and Dave- a song that was debuting at #98 here.

Australia's #1 was Finalist Angie by the Rolling Stones...

New Zealand was topped by the Les Humphries Singers with Mexico, a song that also hit #1 in Austria, Switzerland, and Sweden.

South Africa, as mentioned before, had the Tommy Overstreet song at #1.

And in the United Kingdom, it was, er, Gary Glitter, and... good Lord, I can barely read this- I Love You Love Me Love.  Obviously, grammar was not his strong suit.

Neither was non-perversion.  Anyway, if perhaps I may do one thing today, here are the remaining M10...

9- Nada Surf holds in place with Come Get Me.

8- Blue Oyster Cult falls 3 with Tainted Blood.

7- Ron Keel and Ghost Riders holds at 7.

6- As does Roseanne Cash at 6 with Crawl Into The Promised Land.

5- Purr moves up 5 big spots with Avenue Bliss.

4- The Four Seasons fall one to 4 with The Girl I'll Never Know.

3- M.A.G.S. busts up 5 with Smile.

2- And holding, Acres Wild and Mirrorball Stars.

Which means the #1 song again this week...

...Yuno with No Going Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, before I let you do the winner of the Panel, let me...

OWW!! Whatever do you think your doing?

Making sure you aren't Rodney in a mask this time.  All right, you passed...

The utter nerve!  Although I suppose better safe than sorry.

Both Ms Knight and The Rolling Stones received 7.4%...

The Di Franco Family were at 11.1%...

The Carpenters got 14.8%...

And the winner, with 29.6%....

Seriously, sir?

Better?

Sigh... I suppose... Sir Richard Starkey and Photograph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice job, HB!  You all come back next time for 1974, with Ringo!