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Having missed last week, we need to dispense with the typical tomfoolery because, in addition to the usual stuff, we have 2 weeks worth of M10s, three debuts from the two weeks, the top songs of Summer '21, and four very special guests- guests that join us because they left the real world over the last two weeks! Let me bring them in right now...
Country legend Tom T Hall...
TTH: Hey, thanks for invitin' me!
Don Everly....
DE: Nice to be back... kinda wish Phil coulda come....
From the Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts....
CW: Charmed....
...and singer from the Amboy Dukes, John Drake!
JD: Pleased to meet everybody!
Before we get rolling with the gang, let's play the song that debuted at #10 on the M10 last week. Part of a massive cover tribute lp for the anniversary of Metallica's biggest album, this is one of five covers of this tune on the lp by different artists... in this case, by Weezer! Um, excuse me, guys... can I just... hey, Tom, would you push that there button on the console?
TTH: This'n?
Dear Lord, no! Two down on the left...
TTH: Okay... here?
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Okay, so we got four guests...
DE: I only count three...
TTH: Son, count yerself...
DE: Oh, yeah. Never mind!
...and we have 4 finalists- though one gets an asterix that I'll explain later- and two on the bottom we save for the 6D and Overseas If You Please, so that leaves 11 among the 4 of you...
DE: So that's four each even!
JD: What??
CW: You're balmy, mate!
DE: I messed up? Let me take my shoes off, I count better on toes...
(Group): NO!
It's gonna be three each, for everyone but John...
JD: Why me?
Because you're the most recent...er.. candidate for this show, and the least famous...
JD: Sigh...
All right, boys, here's the list, take turns... Oh, wait a minute! Speaking of mess ups, I forgot I made one gathering the list, so it is even- there was one more song!
DE: My toes are never wrong!
CW: More like they're never washed...
By the way, the years I pulled this week's (actually, last week's) list from are 1958, 1960, 1966, 1968, 1971, and 1973! Gentlemen...
TTH: First, we got Ain't No Sunshine from Bill Withers in '71...
CW: From 1968, we have Steppenwolf and Born To Be Wild...
JD: The Hollies and Bus Stop is the only song from 1966...
DE: I got Chicago, Feeling Stronger Every Day from 1973...
TTH: Rare Earth an' I Just Wanna Celebrate from 1971...
CW: I have Liar by 3 Dog Night from 1971...
JD: 1,2,3 Red Light by 1910 Fruitgum Company from 1968...
DE: Hank Locklin, Please Help Me I'm Falling from 1960...
TTH: Boy, ain't this'n the truth! Saturday Night's All Right For Fightin', Elton John from 1973...
CW: Next is Grand Funk Railroad, We're An American Band, from 1973...
JD: You messed THIS one up? The Beach Boys and Wouldn't It Be Nice from 1966- which means you messed up that "only one song" thing, too...
Thanks ever so for bringing that up...
DE: And I got the last one!
TTH:...Well, READ it, son!
DE: Oh, yeah! Vanilla Fudge with You Keep Me Hanging On from 1968!
So that's the ones that didn't make the final... and after we play last week's other debut, we'll bring out the finalists! But first, at last week's #9 ( and this week's #7), here are the Bleachers... Tom, if you would...
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Okay, gang, give us the final four this week!
TTH: Okay the first one...
JD: Hey, how come you get to start all the time?
TTH: (Moving closer, squinting) Is there a problem with that, son?
J: Er, no....
TTH: The first one belongs to Don, here, and his brother, Phil... it's Devoted To You, and it's from 1958. Also, it's that asterix, since it was the b-side of the two sided disc with Bird Dog...
CW: If Mr Drake doesn't mind, the next one would be the Elegants with Little Star, also from 1958...
JD: Geez, now I got the Stones mad at me, too! Third finalist is Chubby Checker's The Twist, from its 1960 run...
DE: An' lastly is Domin... Dom... that Italian guy with Volare from 1958!
You're supposed to read the Italian title...
DE: Aw shucks, everybody knows what it is, right?
CW: Perhaps we should just be glad he did as well as he did...
Good point! And now, Here's Horace with this week's specials!
HB: Good heavens, you make me sound like a supermarket circular! Let me start with the 6 Degrees this week... So apparently, if I can read Chris's writing, we start the story with a songwriter named Don Covay. In addition such songs as Chain Of Fools and Pony Time, he also had a hand in writing, er, Sookie Sookie, prominently featured in Steppenwolf's first album. Two other songs from that lp- the ubiquitous Born To Be Wild, and Everybody's Next One- were on a mostly covers debut album by England's Ambrose Slade, which would go on to more popularity as Slade. They covered obscurities from acts including Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention, The Moody Blues, Jeff Lynne (later of ELO) and the Idle Race, Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, and the Beatles, as well as our 6D song- Mr Drake and his band doing Journey To The Center Of The Mind!
JD: All RIGHT, Man!
HB: Indeed. In addition to that breathtaking tale, our big mover across those years was Sam Cooke's Chain Gang, which moved up 41 spots to #44 this we... excuse me, last week- in 1960.
In addition, the second lowest of our songs by where they finished year-end was Beginnings by Chicago in 1971- and thus, last week in 1971, these were the #1 songs:
UK: Diana Ross, I'm Still Waiting;
South Africa- Sweet, with CoCo;
Canada- The Stampeders and Sweet City Woman;
New Zealand- I Did What I Did For Maria, Tony Christie;
and Australia- the last of ten weeks at the top for Daddy Cool and their song Eagle Rock. The next 7 weeks, it would be the SONG Daddy Cool by Drummond.
Okay, thanks, HB! Next up after this will be the top Songs of Summer '21- but first, here's the M10 song that debuted THIS week! Former Rage Against The Machine frontman Tom Morello is doing a new lp where his powerful guitar playing backs a constellation of stars on the vocals! For example, he had Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder covering Highway To Hell... but this time, he backs an act with 2 big M10 hits- Phantogram! They debut at this week's #10 with this tune...
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And now, let me bring in my Big Buddy Elvis, with the Songs of Summer '21!
EP So the song that finished #10 for the summer also gets the #47 slot on the all-time list! It just fell out last week- Weezer an' Tell Me What You Want.
#9 makes #46 on the all time list- Michael Sweet an' Challenge The Gods.
Our #8 finishes at the #43 all time spot- Gerry Rafferty an' Slow Down.
At #7 is the song that is now #42 on the all time summer list- Trini Lopez and Lalena.
Number 6 is at #8 on this week's M10 in its 9th week, and closes at #33 all time- Fuzzy by courtship.
#5 on this year's list is now number 32 on the all time summer list- Griffith James with Tennis and Market And Black.
Number 4 is now #31 all time- and #3 for a second straight week on the M10- the Black Pumas an' Wichita Lineman.
At #3 is the #27 all-time summer song- Maneskin and Zitti E Buoni.
Number 2 is the #22 all time now- Sass Jordan and The Key.
And the #1 song of Summer '21- and the #6 summer song all time- is....
...Counting Crows with Bobby And The Rat Kings! Boss?
So before we hit the finals, let's try to unscramble the last two weeks of M10 songs! All together, now...
10 last week was Weezer's Enter Sandman; it is 6 this week. Driving To Texas has #10 this week.
9 last week was How Dare You Want More; it's 7 now.
8 last week was Gerry Rafferty's Lost Highway.
7 was Sagittarius with In My Room; it slips to #9 this week.
6 last time was Redspencer's Big Deal, for a second week; it moves up 2 to #4 this time.
5 was Fuzzy, and it drops to #8.
4 was the Ventures with Theme From A Summer Place; it slips one to 5.
And the top three remain the same both weeks:
Wichita Lineman at 3...
Duran Duran, with Chai, and More Joy, leaping 3 last week...
And with the last 2 weeks at the top...
The illuminatti hottie herself, Sarah Tudzin, with Buck Meek and u.v.v.p.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now, the gang will count down the final four.
TTH: All right, Donnie, you get the first one...
DE: Gee, thanks! So Little Star came in last, finishing #6 on the 1958 chart... hey! I see what you did there!
TTH: You made me proud, son! Drake?
JD: Sir, yes, sir! Third was Devoted To You/Bird Dog, #5 on the 1958 year-end!
TTH: Respect, I like that! Charlie?
CW: Yes, the runner up, finishing #4 on the 1960 Cashbox year end chart, was The Twist.
TTH: An' that means yer winner was the #1 song of 1958...
...Domenigo Modnugo... or somethin' like that... and Nel Blu Di Pinta Di Blu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DE: Also known as Volare!
TTH: Yes, Donnie, also known as Volare. Now why don' we go see if we can find somethin' for yer head injury...
DE: I don't have a head injury...
TTH: Well, we'll fix ya right up with that, too! Come on...
All I can say is, can we please not have any more music legends die before next week? Please?
Music that is new to me...............
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Some great tunes highlighted here! As a staunch Metallica fan, I was interested in the Weezer cover. Pretty good, except the vocals don't have that earthy grittiness of James Hetfield. Believe it or not, when I was trying to become a singer, decades ago, Volare, in the original Italian, was part of my repertoire. It was the first song I can remember from when I was 3 years old, living in Germany. Happy Labour Day Weekend!
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