Time Machine co-ordinates VICLXVIII6622559

 

Today, we arrive on February 5th, 1959- two days after The Day The Music Died.  And that means that I have a very special surprise for you all- and it was a surprise for me, too, one that came without me realizing we'd be here this week.

Elvis:  Boss, I hope y'all didn't just confuse them as bad as ya did me...

 

Patience, my friends, all will soon be revealed.  But first, let's have a little fun with our 6D!

Ah, yes, Bonanza.  Was there ever a better theme song?  In 2015, it was voted #58 in the all-time country song category.  David Rose was the man in charge of it, as he was for several TV themes- as well as for his 1962 #1 hit, The Stripper.  What I never knew, though, was that 18 years before, he just missed the top with an instrumental called Holiday For Strings- which became the theme for the Red Skelton Show!  He also conducted the orchestra for our 6D victim, a revival of a 1948 classic which had several acts take it towards the top, including:

Jon and Sondra Steele, who had the big hit at #3 and I could find virtually nothing about;

The Pied Pipers, a supergroup fronted by soon to be solo star Jo Stafford, and playing with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey (on the same record, no less!)- they would take it to #4;

And Ella Fitzgerald, who needs no other hype, and took it to #8.

However, our 6D's hit came 11 years later, and was parked at #2 this week without a Panel vote.  That song was Connie Francis and My Happiness!

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That don' sound like a very smart Panel...

Folks, let me introduce you to the POTM's baritone for the Silhouettes, the man I mentioned might look a tiny bit like Will Smith, Mr Earl Beal!

Thank you, nice to be here!

Earl, you are a true Hall of Famer- one of only two members, Rick Lewis the other, to remain with the original group until you broke up in 1968.

Shucks, didn't have much better to do...

I had to chuckle when I read that your home was the band's contact address, since you were the only one with a "stable address"...

Back then, things was lean.  If we was gonna get a job offer, or a royalty check, we needed to make sure we got it.  We was all livin' that damned song, ha ha!

So today, I have a couple of debuts on the M10- one very special one, as a matter of fact- and I want to play the first one before you get onto the Panel votes.  Considering your hit was, in my time, 62 years ago, and we have a 50th anniversary... something... coming up, this might not seem like AS much of a feat, but the debut at #10 is new stuff from a band that formed way back in 1975!  A bitter three way battle for this spot goes to... Crack The Sky:

 

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Now, I can get BEHIND that soul, Daddy!

Glad you liked it!  Now we have a 14 song, 25 station Panel, speaking of lean, and the votes are pretty spread out!  So we're going with a 3-song final.  Here's the list, Earl...

All right, let me see... choose from these fine songs, if you would...

The Crests and 16 Candles, at #3 on the Cashbox charts this week...

One of my favorites, Mr Lloyd Price with Stagger Lee at #4...

and of course, one of the boys that just lost their lives, Ritchie Valens and Donna at #5!

Thanks, Earl, and hang out for the Overseas If You Please, here in a bit!  First, let me tell you a story.  One of the rarest of M10 feats is debuting inside the top 4.  Out of now 554 M10 songs since the end of August 2015, only 7 songs prior to this week had managed it.  They were:

Phoenix and Lisztomania in October 2015;

Alvvays and Archie Marry Me in December that year;

Radiation City and Come And Go in November of '16, all at #4...

Lucius and Madness in March of 2016;

Beach House and Chariot in May of '17 (BTW, the only one NOT to hit #1);

and the last one to do it, Albert Hammond Jr.'s Set To Attack in April last year, all at #3...

And the same week that Lucius did it, The Joy Formidable debuted at #2 with Liana.

This week, we have an 8th entry into this exclusive club, coming in at #4.  The act is a country a cappella group called Home Free; the song, a 50th anniversary tribute featuring the original singer; and the topic, The Day The Music Died....

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Elvis:  Man, Earl's cryin'!

Earl:  Shut up, punk... you all are too...

Can't help it... anyway, here's the part where we get to see what's number one elsewhere in the English speaking world!  Earl, if you would...

All right, so we start with Canada, where Donna is #1 this week... in Australia, it's the Kingston Trio with Tom Dooley... and the punk over here is tops in England with One Night and I Got Stung...

Elvis:  YES!  Two weeks in a row!

Earl:  And the big mover this week was Duane Eddy with The Lonely One, and in keeping with the anniversary, it moves up 50 notches from 94 to 44!

Thanks, fellas!  That leaves me with the coda to the verse, the remaining M10 and the Panel winner.  For the M10...

9- Pale Waves with Easy, but not with ease, finally moving up after 2 weeks at 10.

8- Elton John tumbles from 3 with The Girl On Angel Pavement.

7- Middle Of The Road up 2 with Fate Strange Fate.

6- Firefall slips one with A New Mexico.

5- Dropping from the top spot, Molly Parden and Kitchen Table.

3- Moving up one, El Michels Affair and Piyat Malik and Murkit Gem.

2- a 4 notch climb for Saintseneca and Wait A Minute.  

And the new #1- while it lasts...

Lilly Hiatt and Brightest Star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as for the 3 finalists...

12% each for the Crests and Ritchie Valens...

so the winner, with 20 %, is....

Lloyd Price and Stagger Lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join us next time as we Stagger into 1960!