Time Machine co-ordinates VICLXXXIV6796474

 

Today we go to June 4th, 1974- a night in baseball history known as 10 cent beer night.  This was a promo at the game between the visiting Texas Rangers and the hometown Cleveland Indians- a game in which somebody with the Tribe thought it would be a good idea to sell beer for 10 cents a 12-ounce cup, because A) it was 3.2 beer,  B) they were limiting it to 6 cups per purchase, and C) it was a Tuesday night, and they typically drew about 12,000.  It became a bad idea because A) beer,  B) no limit on how many times you could go fetch those six cups, and C) the teams had had a bench clearing brawl just 6 nights ago in Texas and weren't particularly fond of each other.  Let's take just a slice of the Wiki story:

The Rangers quickly took a 5–1 lead. Meanwhile, throughout the game, the inebriated crowd grew more and more unruly. Early in the game, Cleveland's Leron Lee hit a line drive into the stomach of Rangers pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, after which Jenkins dropped to the ground. Fans in the upper deck of the stadium cheered, then chanted "Hit 'em again! Hit 'em again! Harder! Harder!" A woman ran out to the Indians' on-deck circle and flashed her breasts, and a naked man sprinted to second base as Grieve hit his second home run of the game. One inning later, a father-and-son pair ran onto the outfield and mooned the fans in the bleachers.

After the Indians had managed to tie the game, a 19-year-old fan named Terry Yerkic ran onto the field and attempted to steal Texas outfielder Jeff Burroughs' cap. Confronting the fan, Burroughs tripped. Thinking that Burroughs had been attacked, Texas manager Billy Martin charged onto the field with his players right behind, some wielding bats. A large number of intoxicated fans – some armed with knives, chains, and clubs fashioned from portions of stadium seats that they had torn apart – surged onto the field, and others hurled bottles from the stands. 200 fans surrounded the 25 Rangers, with more fans coming.

Realizing that the Rangers' lives might be in danger, Cleveland manager Ken Aspromonte ordered his players to grab bats and help the Rangers, attacking the team's own fans in the process. Rioters began throwing steel folding chairs, and Cleveland relief pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the head by one of them. Hargrove, after subduing one rioter in a fistfight, had to fight another on his way back to the Texas dugout. The two teams retreated off the field through the dugouts in groups, with players protecting each other.

Upshot is the umpire forfeited the game to Texas, the idiot general manager blamed it on the ump not controlling the game, the President of the American league wisely posited that  "There was no question that beer played a part in the riot", and the next Beer Night a few weeks later cut the limit to two cups, period.

Hoping things go a little better than that here, we have a rather sober Time Machine as we look at the passing of the legendary BJ Thomas last week.  Nardole, did you get BJ for the show...

Elvis:  Not exactly, he didn't... he got this guy...

But... but that's Greg Evigan- from BJ and the Bear!

Nardole:  Well, how was I to know there was more than one BJ?

Elvis:  Man, do YOU got a lot to learn!

GE:  Hi!  Hope I'm not messing things up here...

No more than usual around here...  See, we were supposed to try and get BJ Thomas.  He died a few days ago...

GE:  No!  He was pretty young...

Well this is a Time Machine so actually he was kinda old...

EP:  From where WE are, you're HIS age! (points at Chris)

GE:  Ye gods!

Before this gets too out of hand, let me play this week's debut on the M10- at #10, here's a longtime big act but first time M10er, Counting Crows...

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So, Greg, out of the million things I wanted to accomplish on this show, a lot was pushed aside to do a tribute to BJ Thomas- we'll be doing my top ten favorites of his.  First though, we have a rather lackluster Panel to take care of...

EP:  That's where you come in, tee hee!

... with 18 songs getting picked #1 on 50 different stations this week in 1974, but the voting leaves us with but 3 finalists- and not a real close race between them!

GE:  So, you do this like an election, and whoever gets the most #1 "votes" wins?

Exactly!  So, your job is to give us the finalists- and a few other odd jobs...

GE:  So you don't need me to sing or anything?

EP: Lissen, he thinks he c'n sing!

GE:  I sang the theme on BJ and the Bear...

EP: Yeah, I just saw a review on a rating site, that said, "No death penalty for this?"

GE:  How'd you like a knuckle sandwich?

EP:  Quit monkeying around, haw haw!

Easy, Greg, don't encourage him!  Anyway, here's the short list of our finalists...

GE:  All right... we have Ray Stevens and The Streak, #2 on the Cashbox charts...

EP:  That woulda come in handy at Beer Night!

GE:  Hah, no kidding.  Next is Wings with Band On The Run at #3... which pretty much described the teams after the riot...

EP:  Hmmm...

GE: And the third finalist is Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods with Billy Don't Be A Hero at #11...

EP:  Are you for real?  Someone shoulda sang that to Billy Martin!

GE:  I can't believe how well that went together!  Are you sure you didn't, like, make this up?

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried, Greg, but it happens on TM all the time!  Say, how about you shut Elvis up over there and do a number for us?

GE:  Hey, why not?

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EP:  Son, that was some good sax!

GE:  Thanks, means a lot!

And now, I'm going to bring us to a level of seriousness with my tear-jerking (for me) list of my 10 favorite BJ Thomas songs!

10- Everybody's Out Of Town- #26 in 1970.

9- I Just Can't Help Believing- #9, 1970.

8- Eyes Of A New York Woman- #28 in '68.

7- What A Difference You Made, #6 on the Christian chart, 1979.

6- Hooked On A Feeling, #5 in '68.

5- (Hey, Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, #1 in 1975.

4- Don't Worry Baby, #17 in 1977.

3- Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love, #1 on the Country chart in 1983.

2- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head- the first Billboard #1 song of the 1970's.

And let's save that #1 for after Horace Bellbottom and his 6D moment!

Oh, so this segment needed yet another 'catchy' title, I see?  Very well, let's see what we have here...

All, right, how about this.  There is now a band called Riot V, which started out in the late 1970's simply as Riot.  They were of the genre, 'heavy metal', and while they had some minor success with albums, they apparently never released any singles.  In fact, they had a devilish time keeping themselves under contract, almost dissolving many times, including the one where they were eclipsed by another band similarly named, Quiet Riot.  We run into them in pursuit of one Steve Loeb, their long-time producer and at one point owner of Greene Street recording studios, an establishment more known for 'hip-hop' acts.  Other than searching for a non-existent connection between him and star of song and advertisement Lisa Loeb, Loeb's GSR connection brings us to another pair of sound engineers who were based there who recorded under the name, Elwood.  This duo had a minor Alternative hit in 2000 with a cover that hit #33 on the modern rock chart.  That cover was of our 6D victim du jour- at #6 on Cashbox this week, Gordon Lightfoot's song Sundown.

I gotta say, not much name dropping there, except for Lisa Loeb and Quiet Riot, who actually had nothing to do with anything.

HB:  Perhaps you'd like to do this segment yourself, again.  It isn't like I have an extensive knowledge of this noise you children call music.

EP:  Hey, music pays your salary, HB!

Ah, moving right along, how about Greg... (in a lower voice:  Greg, get OVER here!) does the Overseas If You Please and the Big Mover?

GE:  Uh, sure, anything you say!  Australia's charts this week were topped by Suzi Quattro's Devils Gate Drive... New Zealand had Terry Jacks and Seasons In The Sun... so did South Africa... Canada went with The Streak...  And the UK had the Rubettes, a studio act, with Sugar Baby Love.  I don't know what this Laurenco Marques is, but it had Cat Stevens and Oh Very Young.  And the big mover was John Denver's Annie's Song, 25 spots from 76-51.

Thanks, Greg, and, er, keep on truckin'!  It's time to wrap this with the remaining M10...

9- down 3 in week #8 with Happy for Redspencer.

8- holding is the Tea Party and Summertime.

7- Another 8-weeker is Blackberry Smoke's Ain't The Same, down 5.

6- Up 3 for the Eurovision winner, Maneskin's Zitti e Buoni.

5- Trini Lopez up 2 with Lalena.

4- and down 1 for POWERS and Legendary.

3- up one for Matthew Sweet and Challenge The Gods.

2- slipping after 2 weeks at the top, Overcoats and Tennis with The Hardest Part.

And the surprise new #1, jumping from #5...

Major Murphy and Attention!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jacki Warren can collect a Beauty Contest vote!

And the Panel?

12% for Wings...

14 % for the Heywoods...

...and the winner, with 32%....

...Ray Stevens and The Streak!  Didn't he win with this once before?

Oh, and that favorite BJ Thomas song for me?  Right here...