I thought today might be a good day to regale you with weekend pics and news tidbits...
So I happen across this article on FoxNews titled, "Venus is a 'Russian planet,' Kremlin top scientist claims". This is a few days after Laurie told me of a news story that claimed they had actually found life in Venus's atmosphere (What they found was a chemical that they have only found produced organically on earth). So I thought I would check out their reasoning.
“Our country [the Soviet Union] was the first and only one to successfully land on Venus,” (Dmitry)Rogozin (head of their space agency) said in an interview with The Times.
Now is it because they got there first that it is Russian- or is it because of the NEXT thing he said:
“The spacecraft gathered information about the planet — it is like hell over there.”
"It is like hell over there..."
See someone's parking a boat here now...
By the way, new Blogger is fricking terrible, if anyone wants to know. I've seen fewer bugs in a jar of honey left out on a hot day...
Sigh...
Anyway, did ya hear about the recent Canadian invasion of the United States? Here, from BBC...
A woman has been arrested on suspicious of sending a package containing ricin poison to US President Donald Trump, according to US immigration officials.
The unnamed woman was found at a border crossing in Buffalo, New York, as she tried to enter the US from Canada, and was reportedly carrying a gun.
The letter containing the deadly poison is believed to have come from Canada, according to investigators there.
I guess one of them really did move to Canada after Trump was elected!
Look! They're drowning themselves!
Tiny puffballs
So, you think we have problems with a COVID vaccine here? Try being in hell, er, Russia...
One in seven volunteers have complained of side effects including weakness and muscle pain after taking Russia’s highly touted coronavirus vaccine, Russia’s health minister said Tuesday.
Final clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine began in Moscow earlier this month amid questions over its long-term safety and effectiveness.
One in seven, ouch! BTW, comrades, do you have to name EVERYTHING 'Sputnik'?
"Our Chipmunk, who art in Heaven..."
To finish this tour, let's do a little "seeing it from the other side." First, here's the Moscow Times (again), telling a story on us:
‘Socialist Symbols Wanted’: U.S. Artist Wants Lenin Corpse in D.C.
And with the opposing viewpoint, the BBC:
As statues around the world get toppled and vandalised, one Ukrainian village has found a creative approach to its historical legacy.
The monument to Lenin in Zaliznychne, Odesa Region, has been altered to represent the village founders - ethnic Bulgarians who arrived in the 19th century.
Lenin is now dressed in traditional Bulgarian attire, holding pruning shears and a grape vine, with a bag of grapes at his feet.
Villagers argued that such a makeover would be easier and cheaper than demolition.
Put a lampshade on his head and a martini in one hand and, boom, instant Vasil Levski! Tell me you couldn't do that to Robert E Lee statues... here, watch!
I slapped the magazine I had been reading on the table, trying not to be upset at what seemed to be hypocrisy from men I respected. The magazine article, from one famous pastor, had just spent the last few paragraphs deriding the violent political protests of the summer, based on that we are told several places in the New Testament to respect and obey the government. But then, in an amazing turnabout, mentions that "there are exceptions", and points to the next article- where another famous pastor who's decided to defy his state's lockdown orders on the basis of 'religious persecution' tells his reasoning.
Now, I have discussed my reasonings on this subject before, so let me try to explain why this really bothered me more this time.
1- I believe Jesus had one teaching on civil government.
Mat 22:17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" Mat 22:18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Mat 22:19 Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Mat 22:20 And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" Mat 22:21 They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." "Render unto Caesar". We are to obey the civil government. But, what if the civil government is evil? Guess what? Jesus' civil government was ROME. Obey the civil government. Doesn't mean you don't try to CHANGE its policies, you just don't defy them when they are in force.
2- This defiant pastor is NOT being persecuted; no one is telling him to change what he teaches. That IS the basis for defiance in the New Testament. He is not defiant because, "You are limiting the Word of God", he's upset because, "How DARE you tell me what to do, Mr Governor?" We'll come back to that in a sec.
3- In the same magazine, the first pastor brings us the story of the terrible burden on pastors in Latin America because of COVID shutdowns, and how the suicide rate of pastors in Brazil in particular is skyrocketing "because they can't get into their churches, they can't hold services, they can't see their people." Here, I call BS. When Elijah was depressed unto suicide, what did God do? Refreshed Him a bit, and said, "Get back to work." Why CAN'T a Brazilian preacher, not allowed to enter a BUILDING, just work a little harder- go into the HOMES of his congregation, one on one, and do his job there? A church is just a building, a denomination is just an institution, and the Church Jesus established is, "Where ever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst," Which invalidates pastors seeing suicide as an option and pastors who see defying civil government as a necessity in one stroke. I belong to a church whose humble leadership has had no problem both worshiping and obeying the governor. The famous pastor defying his state is merely stroking his ego at the risk of his people.
I have said this many times- COVID and BLM are happening because we have forgotten Jesus' washing of the feet (humble servant of ALL men) and two or three (the church as an institution does NOT make the worship). He is teaching us a mighty lesson, and our response has been, "How DARE you change the way we always do things?" We boo people who remind us that the way we always did things includes tolerance for things that harm others; we wrap the Cross in a flag and wonder why God isn't blessing it. Not long ago, someone put up an anti-quarantine meme that said, "I'm not afraid of global pandemic, I'm afraid of global government." Guess what? Jesus was under a global government, and said two things we refuse to hear: "Be not afraid" and "Follow Me."
Today is September 18th, 1966- another typical non-news Sunday, in which John Lennon flies to Spain to complete filming of How I Won The War, which I can't say I watched, but the wiki description made it seem rather Benny Hill-ish to me. Lennon played Musketeer Gripweed...
"I fought for three reasons. I can't remember what they were. The first reason gets you in, and the reason when you are in is staying alive. I won't know the reason they find afterwards, but it will be a very good one for why it was fought. I'm sure I'll be glad."
This is a quite exhausted trip through Time for me, but don't cry for me Argentina, for next week I will be on vacation and the Tardis will be in the shop retrofitting. But this week, the rout that turned into a comeback last week becomes the rout and stay routed this week- I think we have the largest amount of votes for the winner in Panel history, and I know the winner was 30 votes ahead of everybody! And also, we'll quite possibly have a live 6D (mainly because I barely stayed awake to do an M10, let alone a 6D, as I was whupped last night, too!). And Barry McGuire joins us, in our own inimitable and possibly illegal way! So, let's get started... annnnd ACTION!
So here we have Barry McGuire- quite possibly the best known one hit wonder in history...
Wait, so I never have another hit?
You didn't hear that from me...
Darn it, I knew that song would typecast me...
And the world didn't end yet, either...
Hey, PF Sloan wrote the song... I could barely read the words as I was singing!
Probably helped the anger and frustration in your voice...
You ain't kidding!
It scared me as a little kid...
Jeez, we're THAT far in the future? No offense...
Yeah, thanks, we are that far in the future. And frankly, we're doing a great job of finding ways to destroy ourselves without a big bang. The Selma, Alabama verse really applies these days. But let me ask something...
I'm all ears...
That one line- do you say "hate your next door neighbor-" or "EAT your next door neighbor"?
EAT??? No, it's hate, man...
But "eat" works better with "but don't forget to say grace"...
Y'know, it does at that... but I'd have never got it past the execs...
Pretty much my thought. Anyway, while I told everyone that our 23-song, 99 vote Panel had a runaway winner, I didn't tell them WHO... And since the only non-charting contestants were Roger Williams' Theme From Dr Zhivago-which got the South African #1 nod- and a garage band version of Aretha Franklin's Respect by the Rationals that was a more entertaining song for me, that leaves you to give us a convincing, 'they all have a chance' reading of the finalists this week!
I can do that! Please choose from the following...
The Supremes and You Can't Hurry Love at #1 on Cashbox...
The Association and Cherish, at #4...
? and the Mysterians and 96 Tears at 26...
...and the Beatles and Yellow Submarine at #2!
Alright, thanks, Barry! Next, here's a band who hasn't hit the top 40 since 1983- but hit the top ten 7 times in the 11 years preceding! They do have a new lp coming out next year, but this first single from it hits first as part of a box set called Half Century... at #10, here's America...
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Ralph Anthony McDonald was more than a steel drum wizard; he also wrote some songs, including the big hits Where Is The Love by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack, and Just The Two Of Us by Grover Washington Jr and the late great Bill Withers. In a career that started with playing pan in Harry Belafonte's band, he was percussion on the Grammy winning version of This Masquerade by George Benson. That song- in fact the whole of the lp Breezin'- was produced by Tony LiPuma. LiPuma was not only a producer, he also co-owned Blue Thumb records, an eclectic outfit that included in its stable Hugh Makasela, Ike and Tina, Gerry Rafferty, the Pointer Sisters, and Dave Mason. He also got his voice on the 6D this week- he was the narrator on the Sandpipers' version of Guantanamera, at #7 without a Panel vote.
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Our second debut is by an act we first met helping out the Knocks with their hit Trouble. This is Johnathon Visger, better known as Absofacto, at #9....
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Overseas, if you please? Canada had Georgie Fame at #1 this week with a bouncy tune called Get Away... Australia was sailing in the Yellow Submarine... New Zealand had the Troggs and Wild Thing at the top... As mentioned, the Dr Zhivago Theme, also known as Lara's Theme, topped South Africa... and the UK was digging the Small Faces and All Or Nothing.
Our big mover went to Bob Dylan's Just Like A Woman- 30 spots from 99-69.
When I first read the last chapter of Judges, I said, "What a mess! How am I going to pull a worthwhile lesson out of that?" But the very next day, I figured out that when you add in the backstory from the 2 chapters before, and a couple of incidents in the following 1 Samuel, it is a wonderful story of God's redemption, and I could easily spend a couple of posts on it! But once again, I will steel myself to avoid the bunny trails and focus in on that one chapter- which requires first the thumbnail treatment of chapters 19 and 20.
Our story begins with a Levite from 'the remote hill country of Ephraim'. He takes on a concubine/wife from guess where, Bethlehem- yes, that Bethlehem. What happens next is a matter of conjecture. The book itself says she committed an act of harlotry and fled from his home back to her dad's place in Bethlehem. Here I'll peek down one trail: Much like in the story of Rahab in Joshua, there are many ancient sources that translate this into, basically, they had a big fight and she left him. I am going to propose something based on what I have read. The commentators say that rather than a real concubine, who had NO rights, this woman was a wife, but without a dowry for whatever reason, which made her a secondary wife. That would explain several subsequent happenings as we go on. The Levite then waits 4 months to go get her, which suggests 2 things to me: One, he knew where she was going ("I'm leaving and going back to my Daddy!") -which suggests yes, wife, and yes, fight- and that while, because of circumstances, she felt herself more on the 'wife' side of the equation, and he felt her more the 'property' side.
So he goes there, and her Dad spends 4 1/2 days trying to make him happy- perhaps repaying with hospitality that which he never paid for a dowry. Finally, the afternoon of the fifth day, when the heat began to ease, he took his servant and the girl and left. The next question was where to stay the night. They were near what we call Jerusalem, which was technically in Judah, but it was late being conquered and was still a Jebusite town. The Levite rejected his servant's pleas to stay there, and went on no more than five miles to Gibeah, a town of Benjamin. It was getting late when he got there, and curiously, the town was already shut up, and he settled to spend the night in the town square- the fact no one dared come out to invite him in is a good indication that what ends up happening is far from uncommon.
What happens next is straight out of the story of Lot in Sodom. An old man staying temporarily there from Ephraim invites him in when he gets off work and finds them camping in the square. Momentarily, a crowd of evildoers- a gang that I'm guessing had been terrorizing the town for some time- demanded the old man give them the Levite so they could sexually abuse him. The old man offers his daughter, the crowd won't budge, and finally the Levite "takes hold of" (this point returns next) the wife/concubine and casts her out to them. They spend all night raping her, and just before dawn she's left to crawl to the very threshold of the door and die.
The Levite opens the door, sees her body, not realizing she's dead, and orders her to "Get up, get ready to leave". When she doesn't respond, he figures out the obvious, calmly loads her up on the donkey she rode, and went home. Once home, he "takes hold of her"- the very same wording- and cuts her into 12 pieces, mailing them to the 12 tribes to show what an abomination had occurred. I think it telling that he cared about as much for her dead body and he did the live person he cast out to save his behind. Trying to tighten up the story now, the Israelites get together and decide they'll march into Benjamin and right this wrong. They send a messenger to Benjamin demanding they turn over the men of Gibeah who are responsible. But, from a time and place perspective, you didn't betray your tribe, even to another tribe, and told the messengers to get lost- and then gathered their army to face the rest of Israel.
So they make their battle plans, and after everything is set in stone, THEN they go to 'consult with God.' According to procedures back then- and with the caveat that there was no judge, no king, and 'everyone did what was right in his own eyes'- they used the Holy dice, the Urim and Thummim, to determine 'God's will' and the battle order (Hereafter called stupid mistake #1.). Not surprisingly, Benjamin thumped them on day one. They come crawling back, whine before the Lord, and have at it again- and get thumped again. The third time, they actually humble themselves, the whole people, offer atoning sacrifices, and consult the High Priest, who happened to be Phinehas, grandson of Aaron- the same one that stopped a plague by killing the Israelite who was sinning with a Moabite woman, and the woman, with one blow (Numbers 25:8). He spoke to God, and God answered, "Go for this time I will deliver them into your hand". This they did, using the old ploy of ambush that Joshua used at Ai, and all but 600 who hid out for 4 months were destroyed of the entire tribe. Which brings us to our chapter.
Now, they have these last 600 soldiers, and they realize in their lust to battle, they have essentially extincted an entire tribe. They could have provided them wives from their daughters, but stupid mistake #2 was they took an oath to NOT give them any of their daughters. Which moves us on to stupid mistakes #3 A and B. Instead of humbling themselves before God, as they just had, to get HIS input, they decide that it is more important to uphold their oath- another time/place thing that was more important to them than God's will. So they said, "Y'know, we ALSO took an oath that 'anyone who doesn't show up to battle will be put to death'. Did anyone not show up?" Well, the town of Jabesh-Gilead hadn't got the memo, so off they went to extinct someone else. And they did- saving only 400 young virgins who got to be the foundation of New Benjamin. And that, of course, left them 200 brides short.
At which point we move on to stupid move #4: "There's this celebration to God every year at Shiloh. So why don't you 200 guys go down there and watch. When the virgins come out to dance before the Lord, you snatch 'em. If their daddies complain, tell 'em who you are, and tell them, "since you didn't GIVE them to us, you didn't break the oath, and everyone's happy." "
So now we have Crime one, Instead of coming correctly to God, let's just do it our way and ask Him to bless it later. Crime two, We want to take an oath that will effectively extinct them, but we don't want to be guilty of extincting them. Crime three, let's just keep on making stupid oaths and hurting people until it all evens out. Crime number four, once it evens out- sorta- we'll pat each other on the back and say, good job. And this is a story of redemption how?
For that, we move a few hundred years into the future (and into 1 Samuel 11), and look at what happened right after they DID get a king in Israel. The Ammonites came and told the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead- yes, that same Jabesh-Gilead, now stocked with, I assume, New Benjaminites- "either we are going to kill you all, or we'll let you surrender, and then gouge out everyone's right eye." Needless to say, they answered, "Let us think about it", and sent messengers to the Judge Samuel and newly-minted King, Saul.
1Sa 11:4 When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the people wept aloud. 1Sa 11:5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, "What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?" So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 1Sa 11:6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 1Sa 11:7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!" Then the dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.
So, let's see here- Gibaeh, once the home of evil men, was the home of King Saul. Instead of relying on their own questionable wits, Saul availed himself of the Holy Spirit. He took the yoke of oxen and did THE SAME THING the Levite did to the girl to summon the tribes. Jabesh-Gilead is redeemed by having the Tribes come to help them, though they did not help in the first story. Gibeah was the home of the Good Guy in this story, not the bad guys as the first. And look at the end- NO ONE was breaking the oath this time.
1Sa 11:11 And the next day Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Where Benjamin had 600 escape as a group, there was NO escape for evil under the Lord's supervision.
1Sa 11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, "Who is it that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, that we may put them to death." 1Sa 11:13 But Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel." 1Sa 11:14 Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom."
And here, two more things. First, Israel without God needed to kill an entire city to atone for the sins they committed; with God, not one man besides the enemy died. Second, let me cue up what they were talking about in V 12:
1Sa 10:25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 1Sa 10:26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 1Sa 10:27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.
Same kind of worthless fellows that think, "How can this Christ save us", dontcha think?
And there is one more redemption needed here- what about Shiloh? Well, God redeemed that one, too:
1Sa 1:1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 1Sa 1:2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 1Sa 1:3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. 1Sa 1:4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 1Sa 1:5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. 1Sa 1:6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. 1Sa 1:7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 1Sa 1:8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" 1Sa 1:9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 1Sa 1:10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 1Sa 1:11 And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." 1Sa 1:12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 1Sa 1:13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 1Sa 1:14 And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you." 1Sa 1:15 But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. 1Sa 1:16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation." 1Sa 1:17 Then Eli answered, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him." 1Sa 1:18 And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Yes, this is the same celebration at Shiloh, and no, that is a different Phinehas. And yes, that is the Hannah who gifted Israel its greatest judge, Samuel, who would by his faith redeem what had been taken FROM Shiloh.
One more point to consider. Benjamin as a result of this became probably the tribe least able to be proud of the purity of their line- it was thoroughly mixed with wives taken by blood and stolen by trickery. And yet, Paul has this to say:
Php 3:4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: Php 3:5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
In saying this, was Paul giving an even subtler dig to the pride of place of the Jews than we knew? The man never ceases to amaze me anymore.
Today is September 11th, 1965, and you can have your choice of disasters. In Pakistan, the home team got clobbered by India in the Battle of Phillora, the largest tank battle since WWII; The Pakistanis lost some 66 tanks by one estimate. Or, you can go to the first football game ever played in the Astrodome. It was a disaster because A) the home team, the Houston University Cougars, got blanked in a 14-0 snoozer by then-powerhouse Tulsa; B) the crowd was a disappointing 10K less than the first baseball game held there, at around 37,000; C) They were just figuring out that grass won't grow under a closed roof, and 'astroturf' was yet to be installed, so they played on a field of hard dirt painted green. The artificial stuff was first played on in March the next year.
And that brings us to this week's Time Machine, in which I will tell the tale of the wildest comeback in Panel History; a visit with Eric Burdon of the Animals*; and it looks like another live 6D (which means I never got around to it last night...), as well as 2 new M10 debuts and a new #1! Let's get ready to roll out the Green Carpet!
*Keeping in mind, all guests, staff, and, in fact, the Tardis, are purely fictional unless quoted.
In a time machine hovering about 55 years in my past and one year in your future...
Dig it! And we're doing what?
Well, this is a music history show, basically, and I gather votes- well, the #1 songs from a lot of stations around the world for the week we're in- and the one with the most wins. You won last week.
Wow! Which song?
House of the Rising Sun...
Man, you sure this ain't a thing to get Price's name all the money on arrangements?
I read about that problem. That's why a lot of bands just put the rights in the band's name. By doing it by members alphabetically, and then running out of space...
Well, who would've thought they would have went by first names- A for Alan Price- instead of last names- B for Burdon? What a lot of rubbish! Oh well, so what am I to do here?
Well, we had 18 contestants from 82 stations- including a couple of interesting cases- and normally, I'd just let you handle the oddballs, and then read off the finalists! But this week, the most amazing thing happened...
Like, wow! What was it?
First, here, attend to these tidbits...
Okay... like, just read this?
You got stoned before the show, didn't you?
Never touch the stuff! I just like have problems when caught up in metaphysical journeys that lead to the possibilities of chronal paradoxi...
"Paradoxi"?
Trust me, dude! Anyway, so this says that one station voted for the Kingsmen and Louie Louie- despite the fact it was a big hit the year before, and would chart again next year? Wow, right in the middle. Say, did you get the station in a trans-temporal claudication?
"Claudication"?
Never mind. The other oddity was that the Beatles got a vote for Yesterday- actually, this is kind of funny- when they don't hit the hot 100 till next week. I think they had a time machine, too...
Well, they've certainly been in this one often enough! So the big news on this week's chart was the race for the top. One song got out to a big lead- big enough I was saying, okay, I'll need a backup plan to make this post interesting! But then, another song got hot, and near the end PASSED the first song- but I'm not saying what song was what, and if the leader stayed passed! Okay, here are four finalists, which contains these two dueling juggernauts!
"Juggernauts"?
Just do the list...
All righty, you can all vote for...
The Beatles and Help!, #1 on Cashbox this week...
Eve Of Destruction by Barry McGuire at #4...
Hang On Sloopy by the McCoys at #9...
...or The We Five at #5 with You Were On My Mind...
I'm sure you all can figure out that if I thought I needed a 'plan B', it was the Beatles that opened up the early lead. But did they regain it? Think it over whilst I cue up the new song at #10, by a new act here on the M10, originally from Pennsylvania and coming to us from their 2019 lp See You Tomorrow...
Hey, that's kinda funny too! D'ya think...
I think it's time to introduce... The Innocence Mission!
So the 6D victim- highest charting song without a Panel vote- was the Supremes with Nothing But Heartaches. After 5 straight #1 songs, this one stopped at this week's #8 on CB and 11 on Billboard. Needless to say, Motown management was displeased with a non-#1 result. In fact, Berry Gordy then circulated the following memo...
We will release nothing less than Top Ten product on any artist; and because the Supremes' world-wide acceptance is greater than the other artists, on them we will only release number-one records.
So how well did they do? Better than the start- the five singles the girls had before the streak, only one made the top 40. After the memo, though, they charted 19 more songs as a-sides while they were the Supremes 1.0 (aka while Diana Ross was still with them), and they fell thusly:
1 song (5.2%) missed the top 40...
5 charted between 40 and 11 (26.3%)...
13 of them made the top ten (68.4%), including...
7 number ones (36.8%).
Which, while not being Berry's number, isn't too shabby. Of course, I had to check this against the Beatles. While together, and after they hit their 5th #1, here's how they fared...
22 a-sides total...
1 missed the 40 (4.5%)...
3 made the 40 but not top ten (13.6%)...
18 total top tens (81.8%), including 7 number ones (31.8%)- So how about that, the Beatles get beat once this week- will it be twice?
Debut #2 is pretty familiar- to me, because it's been drifting around the shuffle waiting its time for a while, and to you faithful followers of this show because, well, it's Anna Burch...
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Overseas, if you please: The other #1s were...
Help! winning in Australia and New Zealand...
Canada had a delightful change of pace with Eddie Rambeau's My Name Is Mud...
The UK had the Stones with (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, currently at #34 on Cashbox...
And, welcome back to South Africa, who had a gent named Murray Campbell at the top with Goodbye My Love!
In the meantime, before I give out the big mover, I have to mention where I was misled (aka I misread) my info on the Explorer's Club and their recent (until this week) top ten, Roses And Rainbows. I had thought the Danny Hutton original was after his time with 3 Dog Night; I found out this week I was a few roses short, as Danny PRE-3DN was on the charts this very week at #115!
As for that big mover- this was a chart full of Sonny and Cher stuff, with I Got You Babe still at #3, and it and Sonny's Laugh At Me were both Panelists. So when it looked like their 28-notch move with Baby Don't Go (even though I like it) would be the big mover, I was begging, pleading, PLEASE let it be someone else.
(BTW, did I ever tell you I REALLY don't like Jay and the Americans? Just sayin'.)
Well, guess what, there was a song that beat it out! With a 34-notch jump from 79 to 45...
...Jay and the Americans and Some Enchanted Evening. Be careful what you wish for...!
Between the debuts is Har Mar Superstar at #9 once again with Don't You Go Forgetting About Me Now. (BTW, I've been meaning to tell the story about his pseudonym. At one point, he claimed that HMS was actually actor Sean Tillman's twin brother HARold MARtin Tillman, thus the name. Later, he admitted it came from a strip mall called the Har Mar Mall near his Minnesota home.)
Dent May moves up one to 7 with Pour Another Round.
Eight weeks on the chart may be it at last for Brooke Annibale's Home Again, down 2 to 6.
Saintseneca leaps to #5, five spots up for In A Van.
Up one more to 4 for the Flaming Lips with Flowers Of Neptune 6.
The Beths begrudgingly give up a spot to #3 with Jump Rope Gazers.
As previously mentioned, 2-week #1 Off My Mind by Hazel English slips back to #2.
Which means we have a second #1 for....
... Tennis, with Need Your Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now, just how did this battle turn out? Well, if you took the We Five (6%) or the McCoys (8.5%), you missed out on the titanic struggle between Barry McGuire and Eve Of Destruction- a song that if memory serves was down at least 7-1 and maybe 12-2- and Help! Who took the win?
The Beatles netted 25.6%... but catching them, and PASSING them, with 31.7%....
...Barry McGuire and Eve Of Destruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boy, won't he be surprised when I drag HIM to 2020 next week!
A lone man looking for means of expression in a tsunami of information. Seeking truth justice and the American way in the perspective of a Nixon conservative. And the Commissioner of the free world's smallest and best fantasy football league.
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