Today is June 5th, 1975- the day the Suez Canal was re-opened, 8 years to the day since the Six Day War closed it. By this time, a convoy of 15 ships had been trapped in-between the two closed ends so long, they were basically covered in desert dust- and thus were known as "the Yellow Fleet".
You kinda gotta use your imagination on this one...
Welcome to this week's Time Machine, where we'll...
Hi!
Uh, Ray, you're supposed to wait until I introduce you...
But I got somethin' to say about the Yellow Fleet...
Oh, uh, what's that?
Did somebody pee on 'em?
Ah... our guest this week is Ray Stevens, and I hope he'll allow me to get through the headlines here, which includes the debut of 2 brand new singles to the M10- both of them covers of a couple of my favorite songs, both with a famous guest act assisting them! Also the 6D will give us the greatest hits of yet another writer you may not know...
I bet I know 'im!
I bet you do, but you know everyone, so...
No I don't. Who're you?
All that and more coming up. So let's kick things off by introducing this week's POTM, Ray Stevens!
Where? Where?
So, Ray, one thing I am curious about- you have some real God-given singing talent...
Thank you very kindly!
So why all the novelty stuff?
Why not? Besides, People will remember a good comedy song a lot longer than they would some of the so-called straight love songs.
And yet, I think Everything Is Beautiful and Misty are your best.
But in concert, they all wait for The Streak....
Sadly the world we live in...
I originally passed on Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head in 1969, so they gave it to B.J. Thomas.
Is that after Bob Dylan turned it down? It was written for him...
But with a voice like that, you don't need silly lyrics, his voice is novelty enough!
So anyhow, here's what we do on this show...
I know what you do on this show...
Oh, good! So then, you'll be ready to do the lead up on our Panel...
Yer whut?
You said, you knew what we do here...
I'm not even sure where I am....
Sigh... While I explain to Ray the workings of his part in the show, let's listen to this first debut. True story- I was going to chart the a-side of this new single from The Explorer's Club- but then I saw what the b-side was. One of my all time favorites, a song that I've cried to from Orpheus, Rose Colored Glass, and Hootie and the Blowfish. With some help from the Barenaked Ladies' Steven Page...
Bare nekkid? Is Ethel with with them? YOU SHAMELESS HUSSY!!!
...here's the new song at #10...
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So this week, Ray, we had 20 contestants from 41 stations. Do you think you can focus long enough to do the lead in?
Sure, it's not like I'm Jim Stafford or somthin'. So one oddity is the fact we have 2 acts with 2 songs on the list! Not so odd that Elton John was one of 'em, with Pinball Wizard one, and Philly Freedom the other, but how about Pilot getting a US vote for Magic, and a Australian vote for January! Another is that hockey 'star'- actually, more of hockey goon- Dave 'the hammer' Schultz had a #1 vote from Philly for a dippy little lost love song called, appropriately enough, The Penalty Box. For those not in the know, Dave spent just over 7% of his NHL career IN the penalty box, so....
Well done, buddy! Now, the finalists are a light on votes bunch- one song got 6 votes, one five, and four others got three each...
Three whut?
Votes...
Well, I didn't vote fer 'em... leastways, I don't think I did...
No, Ray, the stations did. Now, I'm going to give you the list of finalists... you think you could read them?
Why don't I sing 'em?
Not in your contract, Ray, and Bellbottom is a stickler for the letter of the contract.
He does know he ain't real, right?
Yes, but in this context, neither are you, so it's okay!
Well, as long as that's the case, lemme have the list. Choose from.... America with Sister Golden Hair at #3... Freddy Fender with Before The Next Teardrop Falls at #1... John Denver with Thank God I'm A Country Boy at #2... Earth Wind and Fire with Shining Star at #9... Ace and How Long at #4... and The Captain and Tennille with Love Will Keep Us Together at #17 and flying up!
Jeez, I hope it's not the last one! I love that song, but Toni is way too clingy...
Just like Ethel was befer that basket bawl game...
Before we go down THAT road, let's play the other debut, at #7. Matthew Sweet, of Sick Of Myself fame, helps out Badfinger- yes, Badfinger, led by sole surviving member Joey Molland, in a great remake of arguably their best song- and definitely my favorite...
So our 6D this week, at #6 without a Panel vote, was yet another fave of mine- Grand Funk Railroad with Bad Time. It was on the lp All The Girls In The World Beware, which had just one song not written by the band, called Look At Granny Run Run, written lyrics by Jerry Ragavoy, and music by Mort Shuman. Shuman had a slew of hits with the lyrics of the legendary Doc Pomus, and a few with others as well. With all but one of these being Pomus/Shuman collaberations, here are the biggest hits of Mort Shuman!
11- Fabian, Hound Dog Man, #9 in 1959
10- Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Little Children, #7 in '64
9- This Magic Moment, Jay and the Americans, #6 in '68
8- Elvis, Little Sister, #5 in '61
7- Jimmy Clanton, Go Jimmy Go, #5 in '59
6- Dion and the Bellmonts, A Teenager In Love, #5 in '59
5- Elvis, Marie's The Name (His Latest Flame), #4 in '61
4- Terry Stafford, Suspicion, # 3 in '64
3- Andy Williams, Can't Get Used To Losing You, #2 in '63
2- Elvis, Surrender, #1 in '61
Hey, what the heck is that?
That means it's time for our crazy covers segment, where Laurie and I give judgment on a cover of a big hit we never heard before! And this week, debuting at #97 on the Cashbox chart, was Blood Sweat and Tears with a cover of the Beatles' Got To Get You Into My Life! It would get to #62 on the Billboards charts.
Laurie: It was okay... sideways for me...
Chris: This might be the widest difference we've ever had. I could listen to David Clayton Thomas sing the phone book (remember those?)! Big big 2 thumbs up and highest recommendation!
I can sing a phone book, too! Listen: Triple A... motor CLUBBBBBB!!! 555-
Thank you, Ray, we'll keep that act in mind for the Christmas Party, okay! Now let's look at the Stat Pack for this week. The charts across the English speaking domains saw Windsor Davies and Don Estelle with a rather odd cover of Whispering Grass at #1 in the UK... South Africa was topped, believe it or not, by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn with As Soon As I Hang Up The Phone... as we mentioned, Pilot's January was tops in Australia (and heavily underrated here)... and Canada saluted local boys BTO with Hey You!
And here, the big mover was yet another all timer for me- this week's CB chart might be the all time best- with Wings going up 32 spots, 69 to 37, with Listen What The Man Said.
***************************************
So, what's next?
Well, Ray, it's time for me to give the rest of my M10 chart for this week.
C'n I help?
Uh, well...
Oh, wait! C'n I get a donut?
Yeah, why don't you go do that! Just follow the nice bald guy over there...
N: The name is Nardole. N-A-R...
And it's been really nice meeting you!
You too, Buddy? Say, who ARE you?
Ray, donuts, bald guy. FOCUS.
Oh, yeah... Say, Noodle, have you seen Ethel? She was wearing... well, that might not help...
Anyway, here's the rest of the M10...
The Rolling Stones drop 6 to 9 with Living In A Ghost Town.
Maybird inches up one more to 8 with Fried Dead Moth.
8 weeks on the chart for Maddie and Tae's I Don't Need To Know, back down 1 to 6.
The Jayhawks, who early on did a cover of Bad Time I'll have to look into, move 5 to 5 with This Forgotten Town.
Sass Jordan retreats 2 to 4 with High Road Easy.
Holding at 3, Deradoorian's former #1, Monk's Robes.
Shooting up from 8 to 2, the Shacks with Smile Now Cry Later.
And a second week at the top for...
...the Pretenders and You Can't Hurt A Fool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the Panel picks?
The four who got 7.3% were Freddy Fender, John Denver, EW and F, and Ace.
At 12.2%- thank you, Lord- were the Captain and Tennille.
Which means the winner, with 14.6%, is.....
America and Sister Golden Hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another all timer for me!
So tune in next week, where we'll have some, most, or all of America, in the spirit of 1976!
Haggai chapter 2- yes, a 2-chapter book- is meaty with prophecy and history, just the kind of chapter I love because I can go down all kinds of bunny trails. But I'm not going to do that, because it has a powerful, overriding message for us, as well.
I will give you a brief thumbnail- Haggai is preaching to the returned exiles of Israel, between what we would call Halloween and Christmas of 520 BC. He is in-between the foundation of the Temple laid by Ezra- now sitting idle because they've come up with every manner of excuse to delay working on it- and the renewed work started in the book of Nehemiah. His message is "get back to work!", but it comes in three levels, in three different prophecies.
Prophecy One, coming in late October, starts by speaking to their motivations. They built the foundation, and as it says in Ezra, the old-enough wept because even at the foundation, they could see it wouldn't be as grand as the First Temple. But what God says here is, it doesn't matter how GRAND the work is, as long as it's for HIM:
Hag 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, Hag 2:5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
1- Work on!
2- My promises are yet in effect!
3- My Spirit is with you!
4- FEAR NOT.
Great for them, right? Now, put it above your work station.
The second prophecy, which like the third is around the middle to late part of December, is a bedrock principle of God's: When disobedience becomes obedience, nothing becomes something:
Hag 2:15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD,
Hag 2:16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.
Hag 2:17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the LORD.
Hag 2:18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider:
Hag 2:19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you."
And that day is the day of obedience. Maybe not goods or wealth, but what you NEED will increase. This is a faithful promise, I know!
And the third, given the same day, is the promise of hope:
Hag 2:21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth,
Hag 2:22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.
Hag 2:23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts."
Zerubbabel became a signet ring because, in his person, the sundered family lines of David's sons Solomon (the kingly line) and Nathan ( the priestly line)- the lines of Joseph and Mary, respectively- came together in one man. The evil that the evil men in the lines committed was purged, and the march towards the Messiah resumed.
But just to tie everything together, consider this: Last week in Habakkuk, we saw this:
Hab 3:14 You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.
And I had mentioned that, "even though He had his arrows and spears at hand- so mighty that even the sun and moon stopped to watch them- the evil men were destroyed by their own weapons." And here in Haggai:
...And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.
Now some say that this is a fulfilled prophecy, fulfilled in Alexander's overthrow of Persia. And certainly, the armies of Darius fared so badly in the battles against the Macedonians that SOME of this did occur. But Haggai says EVERY one by the sword of his brother, and that is yet to come. And in that day, the House of Israel and the House of the Gentiles will at last be united BY that Messiah.
Just to remind everyone of two things: 1- if you're on furlough due to the lockdowns, you don't have to just sit home. 2- If you're working, there's more important things to life than Tracker getting all the boat covers...
First, Saturday....
"Gateway" from complex to The Plex
Ground Hog Road greening up
Robin with tasty worm lunch
If you click on this you might see the two different sizes of little yellow flowers
I thought I would do just a few landscapes, as it was so beautiful
Wild Raspberries almost in bloom!
Well, that's new
Look at that! He's almost smiling, talking to disc golfers... I think he might be at peace for the first time in a week!
Second of 2 dead somethings Misty found
A quick rest break
"Surprise on California Road"...
Back home, His Eminence and the Mrs visited
And a bit of Sunday...
"Hurry up! It's 10:40 and we haven't walked yet!"
Additions to an already squirrelly morning- we woke up to 2 of 'em, and a Chip, at the feeder
This is new, day 2
So much nicer to walk with her after she's been worn down by a rousing post-trash gathering game of "Put the doggie in the bag"
The rarer white flowers with the ubiquitous purple
Perhaps the biggest turtle I've ever seen at the swamp
IDK why they cut this small swath in the brush by the river- but, I know what I use it for....
Looks up at me as if begging me to get a shot of her in the water. 1.5 seconds later, looking down....
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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