Well, it's target year 1971, and we have an Australian story that might knock your socks off... that is, if you haven't been here long enough to remember when I might have done a version of this back on one of the old Time Machine shows...
Elvis: We're gettin' a rerun?
No, but as the song says, "it bears repeating"...
Whut song is that?
Actually, Fell In Love With A Girl by the White Stripes, but that has no bearing on the story.
Folks, he's gonna confuse us all agin!
Well, probably you, but everyone else will catch on as we go! Play debut #1 willya?
Sure! Here's some more Amira Elfeky, backed by Scarlet House, at #10...
Okay, so while both of our North American contingent have Carole King's It's Too Late at the top (got to #6 Down Under), Australia is at that very precarious point in their music history (for me), where the have a band at the top for ten weeks (of which we are in week #4), and their number one will be followed by a song by a different act- but the song has the SAME NAME as the previous act! Let me explain...
Good idear, there!
The band Daddy Cool (whose leader claimed they weren't named after the song of that name first done by America's The Rays back in '57) Had a song called Eagle Rock at the top. I find their leader's claim suspicious, since they did mainly doo-wop covers, and the song Daddy Cool was the flip of the Rays' hit Silhouettes. Nevertheless, the Eagle Rock mentioned in the song wasn't a place, but turn of the century musical slang for, er, what Elvis here might call, "he'in' and she'in' "...
Yeah, I use that term a lot, sure...
Anyway, it sparked a certain tradition in Australia- one I sincerely hope has been since forgotten- that when the song came on at the dance hall (or whatever), the men would gather on the floor and dance... with their pants down around their ankles...
Serious? They din't throw jock straps or nuthin' did they?
I sure hope not. So anyway, this song was followed at the top by an act called Drummond (which was a name for a studio act who rotated different actual musicians to do each song). They, ironically, covered the Rays' Daddy Cool- but in the style of the Chipmunks!
Wow, that's nuts!
And, the band du jour for this recording was Adelaide's Allison Gros- who several iterations down the road would morph into the Little River Band! One last thing- Elton John was touring Australia about this time, and Eagle Rock was playing so much, it inspired him once home to record- can you guess?
Um... Um... Benny and the Jets?
No, you ninny! He was inspired to come up with Crocodile Rock!
Ah knew that. Din't wanna show off...
Well, how about you show off debut #2?
Okay, this is the second hit fer this duo- duet- whatever. Comin' in at #8, here's The Heavy Heavy...
Nicely done, sir! Now, back to 1971, and a very hard to choose top five for me...
5- Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Marvin Gaye. Up 5 to 21 this week, it would get to 4 here, 9 in Canada, and like most Motown, never got a hearing in Australia.
4- How Can You Mend A Broken Heart, the Bee Gees. Moving big from 31 to 16, it would top North America and just miss in Australia at #2.
3- Beginnings, Chicago. Up 5 to 25 this week, it would top out at 11 on Cashbox (7 on Billboard), 8 in Canada, and also crap out in Australia....
2- Here Come That Rainy Day Feeling Again, the Fortunes. Up one to 14, it would top out at 8 here, 12 in Canada, 43 in Australia.
And my topper this week- knowing me back then, this was a no-doubter...
1-
The Raiders and Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee People). A number one here, 2 in Canada, 25 in Australia, it was stuck at 2 this week.
Ready to get the rest of the M10 in?
Hang on, I'm tryin' ta learn this Eagle Rock dance...
For pity's sake, do it with your pants up! Okay, here we go...
9- Up one for Bon Jovi and Living Proof...
7- Down one in week #8 for Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Meticulous...
6- Down one for Royel Otis and Murder On The Dance Floor...
5- Down one for Johnny Cash and Well, Alright....
4- Up 3 for Cage The Elephant and Rainbow...
3- And holding for Lucius and friend with Go Home...
2- Shannon and the Clams drop to runner-up with What You're Missing...
And the new #1, their first...
Just an fyi on the charts scene, according to Radiowavemonitor. Living Proof is at 50 on their rock chart, 66 on alt; Murder On The Dance Floor is 7 on alt, 50 on College radio, and 92 on rock; Rainbow is 14 on college and 22 on alt; and Karma Police is 35 alt and 45 rock! Till next time!
Some songs here I am familiar with some I am not of course I know the song Eagle Rock, music makes me so happy only strange weirdo's don't like music just saying
ReplyDeleteWell, then, at least we're not strange weirdos lol
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