Tilting at Windmills: Time Machine co-ordinates VII-II576163687475

Friday, July 16, 2021

Time Machine co-ordinates VII-II576163687475

Man, I'm tired today!

Elvis: What up, boss?

Don't really know... I usually retain my second wind long enough to do this post...

Maybe it's the humidity, and all this rain...

Could be. Of all the years involved in this week's post- 1957, '61, '63, '68, '74, and 1975, this year- 2021- is the ONLY one where it rained at all!

Yer a real stat weirdo, ya know it?

Yeah, I know... so let's dig into some more, as I pull out my favorites of this week's top tens and see which one fared best on the year-end charts! But first... once again, Johnny Horton!

JH: Hi, guys! Nice to be back! So what year are we in this time?

Well, with the rules changes, we're kind of in 'no-time'...

EP: Beats the heck outta 1960 for ya, don' it?

JH: Uh, yeah, so I been told...

Okay, so before we get to this week's list, and before you two get too far off track, let's intro the first of 2 debuts on the M10! This one comes off the sound track of a video game, if you can believe that... it's new, it's from "Wave Break", and it is Weezer... at #10:

"For the song, Weezer partnered with Funktronic Labs, the indie developers responsible for Wave Break, "the world's first skateBOATING game, inspired by arcade skateboarding classics". A "Weezy Mode" was added to the game, based around the song. 'Tell Me What You Want' first surfaced as a B-side cut from Weezer's fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer. It was created as a "stream-safe option", so live streamers on platforms like Twitch would not get copyright claims while playing Wave Break."- Wikipedia

So now you know. So Johnny, pull up a chair...

JH: Yessir. So what're we doin' now?

So my random number generator picks out a group of Martin Era 2.0 years, and I pick my favorites off those years' top tens for this week. Then we rank 'em by where they charted on Cashbox's end-of-year list, with ties being broken by the Billboard list. This week I had 16 songs I picked; I'm putting 6 in the final, and you get to tell us about those that don't make that cut right now...

JH: Man, leftovers again. I tol' Billie Jean a star like me oughta at least get Diner food...

Neither here nor there, m'man. Anyway, why don't you go ahead and read off the list, but leave off the bottom two and the top six...

JH: Nifty! Here we go...

Third from the bottom was the #55 of 1963, Bobby Vinton's Blue On Blue...

One of my top 4....

Then comes the number 46 from 1975, Steely Dan an' Rikki Don't Lose That There Number...

Next is... well, this here's the first an' only tie we have ta break! 45 in the year 1975 on Cashbox an' #42 on Billboard, Wings an' Listen To What The Man Says.

An' the winning half, 45 on CB an' 28 on BB, Merillee Rush an' Angel Of The Morning...

And there go my favorite two in one blow...

Don' let it getcha down, Hoss... Next was the #43 of 1974, The Righteous Brothers an' Rock 'N' Roll Heaven.

Then the #38 of 1963, Barbara Lewis an' Hello Stranger.

Next, The #35 of 1963, Del Shannon an' Hat's Off Ta Larry...

An' then, the #21 of 1968, Gary Puckett an' the Union Gap with Lady Willpower! So see, one of yer best four made it inta the final!

Yeah... not as much of a shock as the one that gets the 6D treatment- a song I flat could not believe missed the CB 100 for the year- until I saw it only made #98 on the Billboard list! You'll find out who it is next- after the other M10 debut at #9. This is one of 2 that are currently on the UK chart (one at #5, this one at #7) for this band- and the second time this summer on the M10! Here, with a song actually off their 2017 lp Chosen, is Italy's Maneskin...

*********************************************************

JH: Wow, those cats is all wound up!

And so are their fans! And now, with the mystery behind that song that missed their year end hot 100, here's Horace!

AHEM, could we not make me sound like a talk show host, please? At any rate, Our story begins with this young lady...

This is Vanna White in her first game show appearance- as a contestant on The Price Is Right. While she had little success there, she had much greater fame as the hostess on Wheel Of Fortune some years later. Another phase of her career that didn't do as well was a movie career. This included a film in which she played the mythical Venus, called Goddess O f Love and co-starring one David Naughton. Setting the music and other areas in this television only adventure was a man named Mitch Margo.

Mitch had also had his fame some time before, when as a 13-year-old, he was recruited as 1st tenor for the vocal group the Tokens. The one time this act had ever played instruments on a song (to that point) was when they arranged the song He's So Fine by the Chiffons. Since they had done such excellent work on that, it was where Gerry Coffin and Carole King went with a tune they just couldn't find the right arrangement for. A radical rework later, it became a top ten hit, though not cracking Cashbox's year end chart for 1963- The Chiffons again and One Fine Day.

Wow, hard to believe- IF I may say that without impugning your honesty.

HB: To be sure.

Now let's take a look how this summer's songs are doing on that M10 all-time summer list we just finished revealing last week!

With 5 songs from this summer having climbed into the original list, the bottom floor is now The Japanese House's Somebody You Found... which means The Key by Sass Jordan moves into the #44 slot... Michael Sweet's Challenge The Gods would be at #40... Trini Lopez and Lalena is at #37... Maneskin's Zitti E Buoni is #26... and Counting Crows makes top ten, sitting at #9 with Bobby And The Rat Kings!

EP: Hey, time for Overseas If You Please, ain't it?

Certainly is! So that second lowest song on the year-ends was the #75 from 1975, Pilot and Magic!

Keep in mind, "magic," not "Ozempic"... though in my opinion, lazy days in bed would help MY A1C! So 1975 is the year we will give you the #1s around the world this week... and that means, Johnny, step up to the mike!

JH: Why, sure! In Canada, #1 in 1975 this week was Listen To What The Man Says... South Africa was topped by Sweet's Fox On The Run- must be a huntin' song! Think I'll call Jimmy Dean and...

Uh, not a hunting song, Johnny...

JH: Oh, okay. In England, Johnny Nash was on top with Tears On My Pillow... say, is that the Little Anthony song?

Not even close...

JH: Darngum it, I missed twice! In Australia, that same group Pilot what did Magic not Ozempic was #1 with January...

An' here's a mouthful from New Zealand- Yesterday Was Just The Beginning Of My Life by Mark Williams.

Okay, Johnny! Now, here are your finalists this week, in alphabetical order- don't bet on it being the finishing order two weeks in a row, though!

From 1957, The Everlys and Bye Bye Love- don't say it, Elvis!

EP: I can still hope it!

For the sake of repetition I hope this ain't it- From 1975, Captain and Tennille and Love Will Keep Us Together...

From 1961, Gary US Bonds with Quarter To Three...

From 1961, Dee Clark and Raindrops....

From 1957, our big buddy over here and Teddy Bear...

EP: YES! I just wanna be the winner there- ooooh...

Good grief! And finally, the last of my 4 favorites, from 1968, Herb Alpert and This Guy's In Love With You. So while you chew on that, Johnny, what was this weeks biggest mover?

JH: I dunno... you left the space blank!

EP: Nice job, sleepy!

Okay, so this week we have our first LIVE biggest mover!

EP: We should get a sponsor for this live stuff....

Yeah, that would kill our amateur status for the Olympics. Any way, let's see here... 1957 had Don Rondo's White Silver Sands up 18, bet that ain't it... 1961 had Joe Dowell's version of Wooden Heart up 29... Waitaminit, I know I did this, because I remember now! 1963 Peter Paul and Mary up 49 with Blowing In The Wind! Why didn't I write it down?

EP: Knowin' you, ya were blowin' off yer mouth...

You know, you still have 15 paychecks to lose...

EP: Er, good point. Why don' I just read off the rest a' this week's M10...

JOLLY good idea...

EP: Okay, then...

8- courtship. up 2 with Fuzzy.

7- Up one for Journey an' The Way We Used To Be...

6- down 3 for the Beach Boys an' Big Sur...

5- up one for Griffith James an' Tennis with Market And Black...

4- Gerry Rafferty ignorin' his own advice, up 3 with Slow Down.

3- Brooke Annibale up one with Feels Like Home...

2- an holdin' for Counting Crows an' Bobby And The Rat Kings.